More suspects to join Diesani - UK Govt

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More suspects to join Diezani – UK Govt.

Continues on page 5 persons arrested with the former minister, more suspects may also be arraigned.

Meanwhile, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives, who raided the Abuja home of AllisonMadueke, just at about the time of her arrest in the UK, on Friday, reportedly recovered cash running into millions of Naira.

The trial is expected to be conducted in London and is likely to draw thousands of Nigerians resident in the United Kingdom (UK) but no date was specified, last night, when Sunday Vanguard made contacts with the National Crime Agency (NCA), which arrested and released Diezani and the four others on Friday.

An official of the NCA gave indication of the trial in a telephone chat but pointed out that the identities of all the suspects would only be unveiled at the point of charging them to court.

The official explained that the law establishing the NCA does not allow it to name those being investigated before charging them to court.

The official said: “Indeed we cannot name the five persons who were arrested and granted police conditional bail until we are ready to charge them to court.

“The law does not permit us to do so and we will release appropriate information to the media

as the case progresses”.

But it was learnt from sources close to the British government that the NCA might have concluded arrangements to arraign Diezani and other suspects believed to be mostly Nigerian oil business men, suspected to have aided and abetted money laundering while the former minister was in office.

One of the sources said the British Government started investigating Diezani as early as 2013 following sustained allegations of financial wrongdoings at home and abroad, leveled against her and some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. In the meantime, a team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives, which raided the Abuja home of the former minister in Asokoro, Abuja, was said to have recovered cash running into millions of Naira from the place.

But a source close to the operation said only N1.2 million was recovered.

The security agents, who stormed the home, on Frederick Chiluba Street, Asokoro, in six vehicles, reportedly gained access to the expansive mansion with the aid of some former security aides of the embattled former minister.

The team allegedly gained access to the well fortified house using one of the windows.

Reports said Diezani had not been sighted near the

THOUGHT FOR TODAY THE LOVE OF GOD

By Richard Eromonsele

Naturally, humans are religious.Virtually, everyone claims to love God in one form or the other.Yet, not many can boldly say we love our neighbours.This is born out of the fact that we see love as an abstract.The truth is that love is a fact of life.Take love out of life and man will be like the beast of the jungle.The love of God starts with the love of our neighbour.The love of God that does not encompass the love of man is fake, artificial and not real.Love is the force that binds one man to another and to God.How can you claim to love God when you are keeping enemity with your neighbour?Think about it!

palatial home since leaving office in May but had been staying in the United Kingdom, where she reportedly sought medical attention over an undisclosed ailment.

In updated information on its website, yesterday, the NCA disclosed that investigation of the suspects was initiated in 2013 by the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, which transferred the matter to it early this year.

The agency said that the suspects were merely granted what it called “conditional police bail” pending further investigation to be conducted in the UK and overseas.

It was learnt that the EFCC, which has a working pact with UK anticorruption agencies, swopped on Diezani’s home and recovered vital documents, which it hopes to use to prosecute her when the trial begins in London.

According to the NCA’s website, the International Corruption Unit (ICU) investigates bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK and money laundering by suspected corrupt foreign officials and their associates.

The ICU also traces and recovers the proceeds of international corruption, support foreign law enforcement agencies with international anticorruption investigations; engages with government and business to reduce the UK’s exposure to the proceeds of corruption.

It works to support

President Akinwumi Adesina of the African Development Bank (left) and the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon at the UN General Assembly Summit, September 30, 2015 as the Secretary General backed the "New Energy Deal for Africa" of President Adesina.

R-L : Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, jointly presenting an award of Excellence to the former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, during the 2015/2016 Legal Year Dinner, at the Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday, October 2, 2015. With them is Hon. Justice Toyin Oyekan-Abdullai. increased compliance with the Bribery Act 2010 and draws on the specialist

support available to it within the NCA, while also working closely with other

UK law enforcement agencies and overseas partners.

How two ffemale emale bomber s, bombers, one other shattered Nyanya, Kuje ABUJA BLASTS:

•Death toll 18•Taking on soft target won’t save terrorists — APC By our reporters

etails of the twin bombings that D occurred in Abuja on Friday

night emerged, yesterday, with the Nigeria Police and the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) confirming that 18 persons died and 41 injured. The Kuje blast went off around 9. 40 pm while that of Nyanya detonated around 9. 35pm. The breakdown showed that 15 persons were killed in Kuje while three died in Nyanya.

Mr. Ishaya Chonoko, Abuja Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, disclosed the details in a statement.

The NEMA statement said, “After the evacuation of victims of the bomb blasts in satellite towns of Kuje and Nyanya to various hospitals in Abuja city, the Abuja Zonal Cordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ishayah Chonoko, has confirmed that 59 people were affected.

“Three dead and 21 injured victims were recorded in the Nyanya

incident, while 15 persons lost their lives in Kuje with 20 persons being treated for injury”.

According to the statement, the Director General of NEMA, Mohammed Sani-Sidi, who led some of the evacuations and visited victims in the hospitals, assured that government would foot the medical bill of the victims.

“He also reiterated the need for security consciousness among the citizens by reporting any suspicious objects and strange movement in their localities to security agencies.”

Impact Two female suicide bombers were believed to be responsible for the bombings while a third bomber, a male, dropped the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that had the greatest impact and killed 15 persons at the Zamfara Market, Kuje.

According to eye-witness accounts, the first female bomber (about 15years old),

alighted from a motor-bike, aka Okada, in front of the Kuje Police Station around 9. 25 pm and made for the station. Seconds after the Okada that dropped her left, the bomb, apparently timed, was said to have exploded, killing the bomber.

15 minutes later, the male bomber, also on Okada, arrived the Zamfara Market, carrying a bag. He approached a roasted meat (Suya) seller and asked if he could assist him with some money to enable him pay the Okada rider.

When the roasted meat seller told the bomber that he didn’t have money, the bomber reportedly dropped his bag and told the roasted meat seller to help him look after it while he asked someone else. Minutes after the bomber left, the bomb exploded, killing anybody close by.

According to the eyewitness, the roasted meat seller, a pregnant woman, a little child were among the casualties.

One of the eye witnesses

disclosed that before help came from the police, NEMA, Fire Service, NSCDC , he, alongside some persons, stopped a good Samaritan who used his car to evacuate the injured to Kuje General Hospital four times, adding that he saw two persons die on the spot.

In the Nyanya incident, a female suicide bomber was said to have made attempt to scale the fence into the Nyanya Police Station when the bomb strapped to her body exploded, killing her and one person while 21 persons were injured.

No panicking – IGP Meanwhile, the InspectorGeneral of Police, Solomon Arase, has asked residents of the FCT and the entire country not to panic as the police were prepared to secure lives and property.

Arase, in a statement, yesterday, said: “Those that did these dastardly acts did so in shame of cowardice.

No matter their aim, Nigeria will not accommodate terrorists’ Continues on Page 42

PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Rivers gov poll:

Wike’s supporters foil attempt by DSS to arrest witness •Action por tends danger to our democracy, says PDP

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

T

HERE was commotion at the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, a s supporters of Governor Nyesom Wike foiled an attempt by armed operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS, to arrest one of the witnesses that testified before the court.

Over 15 operatives of the DSS stormed the tribunal which is conducting its proceedings inside the premises of an Abuja High Court at Apo around 11: 30am.

While some of them positioned themselves at the entrance to the court, others mounted sentry at strategic positions within the high court premises.

Though the unusual presence of the armed operatives hyped tension within the court, people quickly rationalised that maybe they were brought to secure the proceeding of the tribunal in view of the multiple bomb blasts that rocked different parts of Abuja the previous night.

However, their mission became obvious immediately the first witness that testified before the tribunal, Mr. Emannuel Philips, stepped out of the court room.

Philips, who had told the Justice Suleiman Ambrosaled panel that he is a retired DSS Commander, was accosted by the armed operatives who told him that he was under arrest and made attempt to whisk him away in one of their vehicles.

On sensing what was happening, some supporters of Wike quickly intervened and maintained that the witness would not go anywhere with the armed operatives.

The commotion that ensued outside the court premises attracted more supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were inside the tribunal where another witness had already commenced his evidence-in-chief.

It took the intervention of lawyers yesterday to calm the situation, even as Wike’s supporters insisted that the DSS operatives

should produce an arrest warrant that was issued against the witness by a competent court.

Eventually, the DSS operatives, who were said to have stormed the tribunal at the behest of the petitioners - the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, freed the witness and he was escorted out of the court premises by Wike’s supporters and some lawyers.

Nevertheless, it could not be confirmed whether he was eventually arrested as the armed operatives quickly followed the vehicle that took the witness, with their own convoy.

Similar incident had also occurred on Friday when attempt by plain clothed

policemen to arrest an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Mr. Akuki Kenneth who also testified before the tribunal, was resisted by lawyers.

Meanwhile, both witnesses appeared before the tribunal to testify for Wike following a subpoena that was served on them by the court.

Both of them, in their separate testimonies, told the tribunal that the governorship poll that held in Rivers State on April 11, 2015, was peaceful and violence-free.

Their testimonies contradicted the evidence of some security agents, consisting of officers of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police and the DSS, who had in their evidence in favour of the petitioners, maintained that the Rivers governorship poll was a

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi(5th left), being shown the UPWF World Heavyweight belt by Nollywood Actor and Chairman of Global Alliance Nigeria, Zack Orji at the Government House in Abakaliki. With them are the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe(third left), the UPWF World Heavyweight champion, De Ultimate Commander(Ist left) and executives of Global Alliance Nigeria, charade.

Meantime, the PDP, yesterday, condemned the invasion of the tribunal by the DSS operatives, a development it said does

not portend well for the judiciary and the democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen after the proceeding

yesterday, counsel to the PDP, Mr. Goddy Uche, SAN, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the DSS to order.

BAYELSA 2015: Dickson seeks free, fair, credible poll •PDP flags off campaign Oct 17

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, Yenagoa

G

OVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has fixed October 17 as the flag off date for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign in the state.

Dickson, who stated this at a meeting he held with political appointees and party leaders at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yenagoa, yesterday, said his landmark achievements across the state would speak and campaign for him.

Citing the on going Sagbama-Ekeremor Road as one of the star projects embarked upon by his administration, the governor stressed that, the opposition party does not stand a chance in the forthcoming election as it cannot boast of any political structure in the state.

He called on the Federal Government and its agencies to ensure a credible, free and fair election on December 5, just as the PDP-led government, under the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, established the institutions

that made President Muhammadu Buhari a major beneficiary.

The governor alleged that certain people are planning to take over Jonathan’s state by all means and expressed optimism that Buhari will not allow such undemocratic act to take place.

He urged Bayelsans not to be misled by the opposition, pointing out that his administration had set the standards that eradicated politically motivated killings and other forms of electoral violence in the state.

The governor further charged PDP leaders and other stakeholders to mobilize and educate people in every unit, community and local government on the need to ensure that their votes count.

His words: “Gather yourselves in every unit, community, ward, local government, mobilize yourselves and vote and protect your votes. Your votes will be counted. I want you to take this message home.

Concerns over revenues Meanwhile, Dickson has

expressed concern over the steady decline in the revenues from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The governor spoke while speaking at a lecture/dinner organized as part of the activities commemorating the 55th independence anniversary of the country and 19 years of the creation of Bayelsa State at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yenagoa.

According to him, the state received N6.2 billion

in August and the amount from the previous month dropped to N5.6 billion occasioned by the sharp reduction in prices of crude oil in the international market.

His words, “The last report we got was that our allocation has dropped from N6.2 billion for last month, to about N5.6 billion for this month. This shows the challenges that our state is grappling with. But, we are not alone. Whereas, many states cannot even, meet their basic obligations, we in this state, are still carrying on. As a matter of

fact, I have again instructed that salaries be paid as from Monday next week.

“But this is coming with a lot of cost and sacrifices.

You can imagine what would have happened, if we didn’t experience this drastic and sudden drop in our revenue, Bayelsa would have been something else. But we are still not despondent. We are hopeful that with our a focused team on board and by the grace of God, revenues will improve and we will again work together to take our state to the next level.’’

NHRC investigates Gov Al-Makura over alleged violation

N

ATIONAL Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is investigating alleged violation of the right of Ms Lois Iorvihi by the convoy of Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State along Lafia- Akwanga Road.

The allged violation allegedly took place about two weeks ago.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe, led a team of investigators to Nasarawa Government House,

Lafia, following a petition received by the commission from the alleged victim.

“Earlier, the Nasarawa State office of the Commission had received a complaint on the matter and a team of investigators have since interrogated the complainant and her sister who was driving along with her when the incident occurred.

The Commission is presently expecting response from the alleged violator

and the Nasarawa State Governor’s team any moment from now,” a source said.

Angwe, who admitted that the allegation had generated a lot of publicity, especially in the social media, assured Nigerians and the parties involved that the commission would not be influenced by the sentiments in carry out a thorough investigation to a conclusive end.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 3, 2015, PAGE 7

HAJJ STAMPEDE: Nigeria records 75 deaths •241 missing

By Victoria Ojeme

T

HE National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), yesterday, said 11 more bodies of Nigerian pilgrims killed during Hajj in Saudi Arabia have been identified, putting the total number of the dead at 75.

The Public Relations Officer of NAHCON, Mallam Uba Mana,

disclosed this to our correspondent in a telephone interview, yesterday.

Mana also put the total number of pilgrims missing at 241.

The spokesman had, before yesterday, put the death toll at 64 with 71 others sustaining various degrees of injuries, stating that NAHCON was doing all within its power to locate those still missing.

In another development, NAHCON said the Saudi Arabia had opened an identification office for missing persons.

“This is a good development, because it will ease a little tension of a lot of pilgrims across the country”, it stated.

It maintained that “the Saudi authorities have since taken responsibility for the medical bills of the victims.”

Ambode pledges better welfare packages for judicial workers

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

L

AGOS State gover nor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has expressed his administration’s determination to improve on the achievements in the judicial sector and ensure that judges, magistrates and the courts in the state work in the best condition possible.

Ambode gave the assurance at the 2015/2016 Legal Year Dinner held at the Nigeria Law School, Victoria Island,at the weekend.

He reiterated the important role the judiciary plays as the last hope of the common man, stressing that the reforms carried out by the previous administration would be sustained.

He said the state judiciary had been the pio-

neer of judicial sector reforms in the country, from 1999, when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

He said his predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, followed suit by implementing far reaching reforms which went a long way to improve the justice delivery system.

“It was these reforms that gave birth to the Office of Public Defender, Citizens Mediation Centre, Public Advisory Centre, the Multi Door Court House System, which offers an alternative and effective dispute resolution mechanism, the construction of more Courts as well as the appointment of more Magistrates and Judges. These initiatives have expanded the frontier of justice delivery which has deepened its

relevance as the last hope of the common man”, he said.

“I am committed to ensuring that this administration continues with these reforms. We will work with the judiciary to move our justice sector to a higher level. The reforms process is not a finished business, it is a work in progress”.

He noted that a recent World Bank ranking of countries on the basis of ease of doing business rated Nigeria low, adding that one of the parameters considered was the ease with which disputes arising from business transactions are resolved.

The high point of the event was the presentation of awards to Ambode and Fashola for their contributions to the upliftment of the Lagos judiciary.

Father of five hacked to death in Benue

BY PETER DURU, Makudi

J

UST when Benue State farmers heaved a sigh of relief from incessant bloody attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen, a father of five, Sunday Ameh, was, yesterday, hacked to death in his farm in Otukpo Local Government Area.

Sunday Vanguard learned from a source, closely related to the deceased but preferred anonymity, that the deceased was murdered at Amla village, where he had a massive farmland, some five kilometers from Otukpo.

According to our source, Ameh was attacked in his farm by armed men who had invaded the area probably laying in wait for a victim.

“Our brother is a renown farmer who had farmland in some villages in the outskirts of Otukpo main town and he cultivates and visits them daily,”the source said.

“However, yesterday afternoon, information got to us that his body, was laying in one of his farm at Amla village, in the outskirt of Otukpo town, in a pool of his own blood.

“We got in touch with the Police in Otukpo, who mobilized their men and stormed the area with members of our family, only to

discover that he was matcheted severally by his attackers and left to bleed to death.”

“We are yet to comprehend why anyone would decide to violently murder an innocent man and father of five children who usually went about his business with crossing anybody.

“Though we are not pointing accusing fingers at anyone at the moment, until the Police come out with a report of its ongoing investigations in the matter, but it is important to state also that while going to retrieve

his corpse from the farm, we sighted Fulani Herdsmen in the area grazing their herds.

“Though, we do not suspect the herdsmen, but we will not draw any conclusions until the Police come up with their report on the issue.

Efforts to get the reaction of the police on the issue failed as several calls and a text message put across to Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Austin Ezeani, were not responded to.

Lagos approves 2015 PZ Chemistry Challenge

T

HE Lagos State Ministry of Education has approved the third edition of Chemistry Challenge for Secondary Schools, an initiative of PZ Cussions Foundation previously known as PZ Chemistry Challenge.

A formal launch of the competition whose entries has been opened till November 4 is scheduled to hold on October 6. SS3 students in both public and private schools in the state are eligible to participate and are expected to send their free entries on or before November 4.

Apart from scholarships and cash rewards worth over N3 million for the finalists, the rest of the top 10, teachers and school of finalists, a four-month online Carex Hygiene challenge is slated to run from October with winners emerging every month.

Promising an improved edition, Carex Brand Manager, Oluwaseun Ayeni, says two students per school will be allowed to participate in the competition. He encouraged schools in the state to send their best chemistry students for the competition.

PAGE 8 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

A

nyone familiar with the goings on within the Presidency will agree that President Muhammadu Buhari is losing sleep. Having come to power on the hysteria of “change”, the President knows the expectations Nigerians have from him. And so, every week, he is guided by this knowledge to make initiatives that would have positive impact on the country.

Basically, job creation and the need to stamp out insecurity and corruption rank high in the expectations list. And Buhari would not hesitate to grab every opportunity on the international threshold to make initiatives that would pay off.

This is evident in the many foreign trips the President had embarked on since his inauguration on May 29.

The trip to Paris/expected gains While one may not recount all the trips so far, one must, as a matter of anticipated lofty results, recall the recent presidential trip to Paris, France which was purely for economic and security purposes.

Indeed, sooner than expected, the trip, which happened at the instance of President Francois Hollande of France on Buhari’s search for solution to Nigeria’s problem of unemployment and economic rape has already started producing fruits.

Another good news from Buhari’s three-day visit is that the French government has decided to invest €130million for infrastructure development in Nigeria.

From today, October 4, to October 7, barring any lastminute changes, the leadership of French Business Confederation (MEDEF) will be in Nigeria for investment surveys.

MEDEF is an umbrella organization for about 800,000

GAINS OFSUMMIT: THE BUHARI PPARIS ARIS TRIP OSUN

French 130m euros for Nigeria in the pipeline

•President Muhammadu Buhari

•President FrancoisHollande

French manufacturing firms and businesses.

While the President’s journey lasted in Paris, he met with the leadership of the organization facilitated by its President, Mr Pierre Gattaz, who remarked that Nigeria was an investment destination in Africa.

business to consumer” products among others.

A cordial relationship actually existed between Nigeria and France since 1902 when the CFO set up a training programme in Lagos State.

Buhari also told the Nigeria/ French business community that his government would be happy to see the annual trade volume between both countries exceed $5billion.

Said the President: “It is a positive development that today Nigeria is the largest trading partner with France in Africa.

But opportunities abound to greatly increase the current $5billion annual trade volume

Areas of investment The talks dealt extensively on the array of investment opportunities in Nigeria. The focus was on oil, agriculture, mining, automobile, energy, skills development, light manufacturing, food processing, military and civilian transportation services and “

and I fully agree with President Hollande when he declared in February, 2014 in Abuja that trade volume between both countries should double in four years.

“Today many French companies are happy to have flourishing businesses in Nigeria, opportunities abound to greatly increase the $5billion annual trade volume between the two countries.

“Nigeria is now at a new dawn to chart and reposition its destiny for greatness. We are resolved and firmly determined to consolidate on industrializing Nigeria and diversifying its economy into sectors such as agro-processing, mining, manufacturing, petrochemicals, food processing and textiles.

“Nigeria has what it takes to make a break-through and there is more to Nigeria than oil. It is a blessed land rich in agricultural and mineral resources coupled with skilled and low-cost labour, large market, robust and competitive private sector”.

The pleas But as cheery as this may sound, perhaps, it is not more laudable to the French commitment to invest in the infrastructural development of the country and also assist Nigeria rout out Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

This came from Hollande himself at a bilateral meeting

with President Muhammadu Buhari at Elsee Palace.

While addressing a joint press conference, Buhari told his host that Nigeria would depend on France and other G7 countries to tackle piracy and oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea.

“We have to depend on France and the other G7 countries for support to fight piracy,”he said.

“Our next shopping list is going to G7 in terms of intelligence and training.

Another problem is the problem in the Gulf of Guinea, from Senegal to Angola, that area is endowed with resources like petroleum and other minerals but surrounded by piracy and theft.

“We are going to depend on France and G7 countries to flush these criminals out of the region.”

President awho stated that unemployment has been a source of worry for the government at home informed told president Hollande that he was working hard to revitalize the agricultural sector.

“We want to make sure we feed ourself and provide security before other things are also tackled. That is why we focus on agriculture and mining before other infrastructure including electricity are tackled”.

The French promises In his response, Hollande shared the concern of his government on the increasing spate of terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria and other countries in Lake Chad basin, stating that the French government will support the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) with intelligence gathering and high tech military equipment.

The French President disclosed that his country had concluded arrangements to invest €130million on infrastructure in Nigeria even as he hailed the economy of Nigeria under Buhari despite dwindling oil prices.

ender enmeshed in alleged multi-million Nair OONI: Cont Contender Nairaa scam

BY LEKAN BILESANMI

A

s the race for the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife hots up, with the successor to the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade due to be announced in a matter of weeks, issues have been thrown up, which might affect the selection process.

Investigations revealed that one of the leading contenders, Mr Adeyeye Ogunwusi, might be facing alleged fraud and forgery case.

Ogunwusi, it was gathered, is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of forgery, fraudulent conversion and obtaining about N400 million under false pretence.

Ogunwusi, who heads Metropole Interproject Limited, is to explain the role his firm allegedly played in a business with one of the companies of the late Oba Sijuwade, Sijuwade Holdings Limited (SHL), which the former not only allegedly breached agreement but it was

•My detractors at work – Ogunwusi also alleged that documents were forged to convert a landed property belonging to Sijuwade Holdings and thereby defrauding it of about N400 million.

Meanwhile, Ogunwusi says his detractors were behind the allegations, querying why the petitioners had to wait till now when he is seeking to occupy the throne of his ancestors to raise the issue.

His problem began when Rotimi Jacobs & Co., a legal firm, in a petition, dated 7 September, 2015, raised several allegations against him bordering on forgery and fraud.

In the petition, Messrs Sijuwade Holdings Limited noted that it purchased a parcel of land, about 30,000 square metres from the Ojomu Chieftaincy Family at the Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, in 1993.

The Holdings averred that it duly obtained Lagos State governor ’s consent on the transaction and thereafter entered

into an agreement with Metropole Interproject Limited for sandfilling of the landed property. The agreement, it was alleged, was that, after the sand filling had been completed, Metropole would be given 7,500 square metres from the land as its “company’s fees.”

After sand-filling, the petition said, Metropole offered to develop the remaining portion of land for SHL, an offer that was reportedly accepted with the condition that the development would be in phases.

The petition stated that Metropole had two responsibilities, as stated in the Development Mandate Agreement, and they were to, first, fund the development and procurement of all necessary permits from the federal and Lagos State governments; and then fund-construct 24 duplex units on the 7,500 square metres, which was to form the basis of

Metropole’s equity in the project and it was to be entitled to 16 units of the 24.

“Our client (Sijuwade Holdings) gave Mr. Ogunwusi the title documents (which was in our client’s name), including the tax clearance of two directors to process the necessary permits required for the construction.

After the completion of phase 1, our client requested for the copies of the approvals and consent, but Mr. Ogunwusi refused to provide them,”the petition alleged.

“Our client engaged the services of a town planner (TG Marchnata) to conduct a search at the offices of the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Authority. The town planner got copies of all the documents submitted by Mr. Ogunwusi/Metropole for the purposes of procuring the building permits for the construction.

“To our client’s surprise, the search revealed that Mr.

Ogunwusi/Metropole had (allegedly) forged the title documents by superimposing the name of Metropole Interproject Limited as a co-owner of the parcel of land. The signature of Professor Olawoyin, SAN, who prepared the title document, was also (allegedly) forged.

“Apart from the (alleged) forgery earlier complained about, Mr. Ogunwusi/Metropole had also (allegedly) sold the eight duplex units that ought to have accrued to our client and he converted the proceeds, running into N400m, to his personal use.”

Based on these allegations, the petitioner asked the EFCC to investigate the circumstances, under which the title documents were allegedly forged.

Consequently, the anti-graft agency reportedly wrote to the legal firm of Olawoyin & Olawoyin to confirm if it prepared the agreement allegedly submitted by Metropole for the building permits.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 9

Nigeria was much more favourable 55 years ago —Sade Thomas-Fahm

•Says textile factories must be revived to curb unemployment •Appointment of good women key to national growth

BY JOSEPHINE AGBONKHESE

C

hief(Mrs)Sade ThomasFahm was one of those Nigerians led by patriotism to return from England in 1960 when the nation officially broke free from the shackles of colonization. Like her contemporaries, Thomas-Fahm who is notable for kick-starting the Nigerian fashion industry and for being the first to own a boutique in the country, was very convinced self-rule was the beginning of a better Nigeria.

Fifty-five years into nationhood, she says, in this interview, that Nigeria has not made a success of her independence.

What was top most on your mind at the time you and your contemporaries were returning to Nigeria in 1960?

I personally came back 7th of July,1960, and we had our independence on the 1st of October. Going back memory lane, I could say, those of us that came back before and just after the independence portrayed one mind- to develop Nigeria. We came back with the hope of bringing out what we had learned, to develop where there was need for development and to make Nigeria better.

Wole Soyinka, Francisca Emmanuel and some other very prominent people were among my contemporaries that returned home. Money-making was the least on our mind. We began pioneering and also taking up mentorship roles to get people to think of development. We thought we were making progress, but most of the people in leadership, at that time, seemed ignorant of development.

They were only thinking of themselves and that was how they began amassing wealth without thinking of development like returnees did.

Personally, my plan when I came back with fashion in 1960 was to provide jobs for people and tackle unemployment because I lived with it before I left. I didn’t do fashion just for fancy or glamour.

What would you say of early post-independence Nigeria?

Things were not too difficult. We had electricity because I remember I did not have to buy any generator to run my business which relied heavily on electricity. We were handed independence in a much favourable state; things weren’t this bad in the 60s. I remember that one could drive round Ikoyi in the evening because the whole area was so serene. We could go out for fresh air at any time.

Are you saying every dream you nursed concerning selfrule ended up a mirage?

Yes of course. From the 70s to 90s, it was a mirage. But I would say the situation is getting better now.

What was abnormal about that period?

People developed so much greed between the 70s and 90s. Suddenly, some started having billions and trillions in their bank accounts and the more people had, the more they want. That brought us to where we are now. In my opinion, our situation is pathetic. I mean, in the 60s, we could drive at night without being afraid.

But now, even in the day time, we are all afraid. We’ve not made a success of •Sade Thomas-Fahm independence. I cannot say we have done well at all when we can’t sleep with two eyes closed or walk down the streets freely.

So you mean the nationalists who brought us independence had good intentions and are not responsible for our situation?

You cannot blame them. They were not so self-centred like those people we later had. What I may blame some of them on is for not thinking of curbing certain things within their own family. Even though people are shying away from blaming women, some of our women actually instigated these things by demanding too much of their husbands and wanting to be like the Europeans(but in a laughable way) and catering to grandeur outlook. Many began using diamonds when they didn’t even know the worth. Younger ones saw this on television and emulated these women. Suddenly, things went out of hands and value for everything has since been on a decline.

Now, instead of helping the situation, how young ones have taken things out of proportion and become too extravagant. Now, you see them wear layers of expensive jewellery even to the office, copying the West in a ridiculous way. Ideally, such are meant for ceremonies.

But don’t you think our problems have more to do

Wole Soyinka, Francisca Emmanuel and some other very prominent people were among my contemporaries that returned home with over-population?

Even if it is so, we would have been able to cater for that after all said and done.

After all, you don’t need special degrees to know that people have to eat and live in houses. Our population has never been on a decline but on steady increase. But how come our leaders’ way of thinking has not progressed towards making available good housing, promoting agriculture and more to match the rising population? Yet, you see people in power displaying so much wealth without realising that people who continue to suffer and see them behave so are bound to wake up one day and say: “What the hell?”

All hands are not equal even abroad but people are modest about things. Even Bill Gates, don’t you see the way he appears? He is never flamboyant.

Despite being too grandiose like you earlier accused them of, you’ll agree that a lot of women, both at the grassroots and federal levels, have contributed immensely to national development in the last 55 years…

That is not to be disputed.

I admire good and modest women like Arunma Oteh, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and a few others.

I would implore President Muhammadu Buhari to choose wisely as he forms his cabinet. He should put good, strong women in strategic places.

Amid worsening crash in oil price globally, what are your recommendations on advancing our economy?

My first advice is for us to look into harnessing our cultural heritage through fashion because fashion is a dependable economy for western countries as we speak. There is a lot to be seen to in the fashion industry here before we can meet up with our counterparts all over the world. Sadly, we don’t produce anything here. We have to depend on importation for even needles.

Also, government should help textile factories get back on their feet. These factories were sources of livelihood for

many young people in the early days. To do that, they have to find a way of stopping this importation that is flooding Nigeria.

Otherwise, how do we want to s o l v e unemployment if we cannot help an industry that created employment for many in the past to come back to life?

I tried a lot to make everyone realise that you get more people from the streets into the factory when people learn to patronize locally made fabrics. From all over Nigeria, there are special hand-woven fabrics which our parents were using. They are also very durable.

In 1960 for instance when I came back to Nigeria, I had over 40 people from different parts of the c o u n t r y working in my g a r m e n t factory.

Back in those days, we had the NTL that was producing Nigerian prints, we had the Aba Textile which was doing very well with Hollandis which they now call Vlisco.

But our people are so brainwashed that they would prefer imported fabrics. That was how most of the textile companies folded up. Today, we have many jobless young men and even women, on the road, robbing and even killing for no reason.

What do you think of Mr President’s choice of women from his appointments so far?

I think he has chosen well.

Most of the ladies he has chosen, so far, are not flash in the pan kind of women but those to be heard.

I will however advise again that he puts more modest, strong and good women in important offices where the whole nation can impacted.

Look at what late Dora Akunyili did for Nigeria with her fight against counterfeit drugs.

We still have such women who are still strong enough to be content with themselves and I know Buhari knows what he is doing. When he first ruled us, everybody became orderly and even the streets were very clean. So, I want to believe he is still the same person.

Above all, what must be done to help Nigeria is to put the right people in the right positions because history is replete with people misusing offices at the detriment of the Nigerian masses.

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015 Today, he has been hauled to court for crimes allegedly committed as far back as eleven years. The first most important question is: where was the CCB all the while? Second, question is: why is it that when some former governors are perceived as irritants to those in power that the CCB files charges

Code of corruption bureau, CCB, in action “A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.”

William Blake, 17571829. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS).

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he Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, should be renamed the Code of Corruption Bureau, CMB, as long as Mr. Saba is in charge. The fellow either has no sense of recent history or is just plain untrustworthy for such an important position.

In his many years as Chairman of CCB the organization has brought only two important people to court. The first was Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, in 2011; the second is Senator Bukola Saraki – the current Senate President in 2015. The CCB

apparently, wakes up every four years to select a victim to justify its existence – which had become almost a criminal drain on our resources with nothing to show for it.

The two cases have several similarities in common but two will be sufficient to prove the total insincerity and partisanship of the CCB Chairman when it comes to prosecuting offenders in respect of the CCB Act. First, Tinubu left office on May 31, 2007, and no longer enjoyed the immunity which the governor’s office provided.

But, he was not prosecuted until 2011 – four years after.

Second, Saraki left office as Governor of Kwara State in 2011, and had no immunity for four years.

rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Local Governments, Bucaneering Governors

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am Onwuemedo, Director of Press and Media for the Government House, Owerri, a position generally known in common parlance as “Chief Press Officer to the Governor,” shot- off a protest e-mail to me quite recently. It was, he said, “nauseating” – those were his words – that I had it in for Mr. Anayo “Rochas” Okorocha, Governor of Imo state. I could sense Sam, even in the cold alphabets of his mail, straining to remain polite, and maintain the goodkeep between us built on a long relationship. He was, after all, once my colleague in the Vanguard.

I was in fact something of his “boss” as the Assistant Editor to Fola Arogundade, jolly editor then, of the Sunday Vanguard, when Sam was earning his paces, and making his reputation as the Owerri correspondent of the paper.

And he was a damned good reporter too. He and I even collaborated to report the now famous “Otokoto saga” when it broke. And so I was myself taken slightly aback, when Mr. Onwuemedo hinted that I had some primordial bias for Okorocha. His grouse, simply is that I had “misinformed” the public on the story of Okorocha

appointing members of the State Assemblies as interim local government administrators; a charge which Onwuemedo denies as unfounded. The Imo state governor did no such thing. My response is: ok, I stand corrected. One is gratified that no such plunder of the constitution is taking place. Yet, there are still unanswered questions about the governor ’s handling of the funds of the local governments.

How come, governor Okorocha, without grounds in the constitution, seized the allocations made to the Imo state local governments, under an ambiguous rule that cannot be justified, either morally or legally? We are,” said a current representative and member of the 7th National Assembly, with whom I had some long-distance conversation on this matter, in a constitutional bind.

The local governments have no fiscal autonomy.

“The 7th National Assembly granted financial autonomy” he said, “but twenty state governors in the states opposed and killed it.” I do feel the need to look at this question rather closely. Those like me who believe and fought for constitutional rule find the use of the excuse that the

Saba and his gang at the CCB have twice demonstrated that they are not interested in prosecuting all offenders – only those on the wrong side of authority

against them?

Because I was a strong defender of Bola Tinubu in 2011 when he was the current Federal constitution flawed inexcusable. Many critics of Nigeria’s Federal constitution of 1999 do say, “it is a flawed constitution.”

Yes, of course, the 1999 constitution is flawed. It is like every other constitution crafted by human intelligence, flawed, and incomplete. The sub editors at the Government press in 1999 for instance left an alphabet-soup of howlers dotting the entire topography of the final drafts of Nigeria’s Federal constitution. But beyond that, the 1999 constitution does contain clear provisions. There are grounds for amendment under the alteration Act. All written constitutions are evolutionary documents because they are not written on stone. They change. Among the fundamental problems with the Federal constitution is that it creates what I call a “cookie-cutter federation,” in which all parts of Nigeria; all states and local governments, irrespective of their unique conditions, are made to fit into a single archetype.

This document denies the states the power for selfdefinition. It creates a pyramid structure of power with the federal government at the top, pissing on everyone downstairs. Yet, the constitution of Nigeria also establishes unambiguously, the local governments as a third-tier of the federation, and that constitution, I believe grants the local governments financial autonomy, in spite of the misinterpretation that has prevailed. I think it is incumbent on the civil rights and Constitutional lawyers, to test this question before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The ground for

intended victim of CCB partisan persecution, I will now like to reproduce segments of an article published at that time in order to prove that the CCB had been, not only very selective in its prosecution of offenders, it had been secretive about letting some go unpunished.

Permit me to first of all remind the readers that as far back as 2006, the CCB had published the names of governors which were accused of infractions of the CCB Act. Please read what I wrote in 2011 under the title WHAT ARE YOU SIR, MR PRESIDENT? “The governors listed by the CCB in 2006, are, James Ibori (Delta State), Lucky Igbiniedon (Edo State), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti State), Boni Haruna (Adamawa State), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun State), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State), Ahmed Karfi (Kaduna State), GOODLUCK JONATHAN [capitals mine](Bayelsa State), Chimaroke Nnamani 9Enugu State), Achike Udenwa (Imo State), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi State),and Bola Tinubu (Lagos State)”.

When confronted with the list, published in 2006, by CCB in 2011, when Tinubu was being prosecuted, Mr Saba made the following declaration. “Regarding the case of the other state governors since 2006, and whether or not a lot of time my conviction is simply on Schedule C, sections 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8 of the constitution of the Federation of Nigeria, which provides guidelines for the disbursement of Federal revenue. The constitution makes incumbent already on the Federal government to allocate revenue to local governments. Sections 2 & 3 of that schedule states very unambiguously that (3) “Any

There is nowhere, where the constitution grants the governors of a state the power or authority to manage, disburse, or determine, or distribute money already allocated to the local governments from the federation accounts to which these governments have legitimate claims amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.” Perhaps even more unambiguously is section(7) of that schedule “Each State shall pay to Local Government Councils in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its total revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly,” and that (8) “The amount standing to the credit of Local Government Councils of a State shall be distributed among the Local Government Councils of that State on such terms and in such manner as may be

has not been wasted, and why Tinubu has been singled out, Tinubu has not been singled out, it is an ongoing process. You will also know that some of the governors at the time made some refunds to the Federal Government. Somebody like Saminu Turaki made some refunds to the Federal Government. So it is an ongoing exercise”.

Mr Sam Saba, Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau, in September 28, 2011.

Since then, four years ago, none of those listed had been prosecuted. Fair minded Nigerians should ask Mr Saba to produce any evidence of work he did since 2011 on the rest of those listed. Either that, or Saba should openly apologise to all those people and then resign.

Even then Saba would need to explain to the whole world how he selected those allowed to “make refunds” and how much refunds were made and, above all where is the refund recorded to have been made to the states involved.

Mr. Saba is an artful dodger but not very clever.

The more he talks the larger the credibility gap he creates for himself and the CCB. For Saba to be believed, we must have a list of refunds; if any was made. And we must have a list of illegally

accumulated wealth discovered by CCB against each culprit - to be sure that the “ refunds” were reasonable. At any rate since when did Saba constitute himself into the final arbiter when people are discovered to have corruptly enriched themselves? Readers would notice that in the rest of the cases, the former governors were invited to offer explanations. Neither Tinubu nor Saraki was invited before their cases were filed. In the CCB’s Animal Farm, “Some animals are equal; some are more equal than others”. George Orwell, 1903-1950. Ah! Mr Saba.

The truth is the CCB had done nothing about the remaining cases because they were on the right side of power. Only Fayose now stands the risk of being hauled before the CCB Tribunal, which had been dormant, while salaries were received, after leaving office. That is what has turned the CCB, under Saba to a Code of Corruption Bureau. Its operations remind one of that observation by William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, “Wrest once more the law to your authority...” (VBQ p 121). Saba and his gang at the CCB have twice demonstrated that they are not interested in prosecuting all offenders – only those on the wrong side of authority.

prescribed by the House of Assembly of the State.”

There is nowhere, where the constitution grants the governors of a state the power or authority to manage, disburse, or determine, or distribute money already allocated to the local governments from the federation accounts to which these governments have legitimate claims. It is the role of the Houses of Assembly. There is no exclusionary clause, in my reading, on the intentions of the Nigerian constitution, in establishing the financial authority of the third tier of government. In other words, the same laws that established the financial authority of the states under federal laws, established same for the local governments. The foregoing is without question at the complicated roots of the questions, and conflicts that have generated such claims as whether the local governments are granted fiscal autonomy by the constitution. It ought to be resolved by the courts that the constitution already vests local governments with fiscal autonomy.

What the courts need to do is protect that autonomy by compelling state Assemblies to transfer the allocations directly to the treasuries of the local governments on receipt, and under the financial laws of the states. It is not the job of the National Assembly at this stage, but of the courts to rectify this anomaly of playing local government allocation into a joint account with states. The Fourth schedule under which the Local government is established in the constitution, does not make it an appendage

of the state, but a partner. It has clearly defined functions.

If a state can, in the spirit of the constitution assume the power already granted it to fully establish itself fiscally, so should a local government. Just as a state should establish its own laws, so should a local government. Just as a state should establish its own Electoral Commission, to conduct only state elections, a local government must be able to establish an Electoral board, for municipal elections. Through its charter, a local government should be able to set its own election timetable, constitute its own local election board grated by state law, with the proviso, that where a local election is unable to hold within the specific calendar established by its municipal laws, the state House of Assembly may assume oversight powers, to mandate the governor to appointan interim administrator, for a period no more than six months, within which a Municipal election board should be established to conduct local government elections.

No local government should be without elected government for more than six months.

All those members of the State Houses of Assembly, particularly in Imo state, who are actually elected to represent the local governments in the State Houses, have failed always to protect the highest interests of their constituents, and have, out of either pure ignorance or greed, handed state governors like Rochas Okorocha, powers over local governments, which the constitution does not grant them.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 11

Workers’ strikes: The annoying posture of Ondo State

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any of Nigeria’s 36 states are still in turmoil over unpaid workers’ salaries.

Although the fall in oil revenue which drastically reduced government income accounts for the present situation, those who are unable to appreciate the dilemma of the states cannot be blamed, considering the pattern of recklessness of some governors in the nation. If the affected states had made salaries their priority as soon as they observed falling incomes, the situation would not have been this bad. Several issues can easily dry up any form of pity for the affected states.

The first is the argument by the immediate past minister of finance, Ngozi Iweala that such states are blame worthy because they were warned through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee to make the issue of wages a priority but they chose not to do so, hence their present predicament.

The second issue is that after the states managed to secure bail-out loans from the federal Government, they did not again make salaries the priority. From the latest alarm raised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), some states allegedly did not defray unpaid teachers' salaries from the bailout fund because they had diverted the fund to areas they can easily have quick returns.

The NUT President, Michael Ologba, who made the allegation at a press briefing to mark this year's World Teachers' day, appealed to the Federal Government to call the affected states to order to avoid a consequential industrial dispute. The solution appears far because when state governors claimed to be seeking lasting solutions to the worsening m a c r o e c o n o m i c challenges confronting the nation by getting a presidential bailout, this column warned that what must change is their lack PhD,Depar tment of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@yahoo.com

Facts, fancies and fallacies (3)

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he assertion that President Buhari's appointments were based strictly on merit and competence and that any lopsidedness would be rectified later is unconvincing and unacceptable, considering the overarching need to forge a cohesive political union out of the various geopolitical zones in the country. Aside from the fact that, collectively, the appointees are mostly ageing retired civil servants and military personnel some of whom are probably square pegs in round holes, the questions those parading the bunkum of exclude-the-South-Eastand-women-now-andcompensate-them-later should answer are - what criteria of merit and competence could possibly justify exclusion of women and eminently qualified and competent Nigerians from the South-East in the appointments Buhari has made thus far? What is the guarantee that a President with a questionable history of favouritism for the North would suddenly change overnight and start treating every part of Nigeria as his constituency?

Besides, merit and competence are inseparable: they are universal qualities often measured according to academic and professional qualifications, cognate experience and, above all, verifiable track record of

previous performance either in the same position or in a post similar to the one the person is being considered for presently. I have not seen solid evidence demonstrating that all the appointees without exception are the best for the various posts. Therefore, to invoke "merit" and "competence" every time the issue of unfairness to women and Ndigbo by Buhari is raised, as if mere repetition of those words would undo the damage already done is, to put it mildly, completely ridiculous. One could as well argue that domination of top echelons of government by Afrikaners in apartheid South Africa was legitimate because the officials were selected based on "merit" and "competence."

Now, how many Nigerians have adequate information about the appointees? Where are the imaginative journalists who should have taken up the claim that the appointees were chosen on merit by investigating thoroughly their past records? Unfortunately, most of our journalists these days are uninterested in investigative research, because journalism is gradually being dominated by agabta ekee journalists who merely report the news without follow-up research that could reveal hidden information detrimental to the claims of officialdom or

of prudent spending.

Luckily, the governors found at the July meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) that to cut the cost of governance in their respective states was an imperative.

If truly the bailout was diverted, then we are into a season of strikes. Ondo started it .last Wednesday followed by Cross River two days later. Briefing newsmen in Akure during the week, the State Chairman of the Joint Public Service

If truly the bailout was diverted, then we are into a season of strikes Negotiating Council, Sunday Adeleye, stated that the strike was inevitable because meetings between his council and representatives of the state government yielded no fruits. Adeleye noted that non-payment of all deductions in the salaries of workers after collecting N14b bailout from the federal government showed the government’s insensitivity to the plight of civil servants in the state. In Cross River State, the situation was the same.

Bulletins circulated by the Organised Labour Action the "high and mighty" in society.

To claim that President Buhari would correct the imbalance he deliberately created is like arguing that if the initial apples one selected from a container of fruits were red, the remaining would be mostly green to compensate for the initial red apples, which is mere wishful thinking. That said, I would be surprised if President Buhari appoints someone from the SouthEast as attorney-general and minister of justice, minister of defence, minister of finance, minister of works or of the federal capital territory. These and other powerful ministerial positions would be given to Northerners and one or two left for the Yoruba to pacify the Tinubu group in APC. Old habits, like old soldiers, die hard; I simply cannot see how Buhari, who was indifferent to the collective interests of Ndigbo when he was military ruler and PTF chairman, would behave differently now that he is a septuagenarian. As one of my friends proclaimed, President Buhari is running a version of democracy redefined by people like Ango Abdullahi and Junaid Mohammed as "government of Northerners, by Northerners and for Northerners." Since Buhari is acting as if he can govern effectively without the South-East, I suggest that Ndigbo from now on should reject any appointment from his government to register in clear terms their displeasure with his indifference to the yearnings and aspirations of our people, especially if such positions are of the lowly kind meant to humiliate Ndigbo.

Equitable distribution of important positions among federating

Committee in Calabar showed the demands of the workers to include salaries of local government workers and teachers, as well as salaries and allowances of staff of the Cross River University of Technology, weigh-in allowances. The State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Clarkson Otu, said the workers were piqued over the claim of the state government that the bailout fund was to offset loans acquired.

If to owe workers their salaries is worrisome, it is worse to seek to play smart games with such deprived citizens as the Ondo State Government sought to do last week through its top officials.

While the Head of Service, Toyin Akinkuotu said the “labour leaders were unfair to the government because they had agreed during the meeting that things would be sorted out amicably”, information Commissioner Kayode Akinmade described the strike as an embarrassment and an unpatriotic act on the part of the workers since they had started receiving the July salary last Tuesday.

Akinmade then threw the bombshell that the strike was politically motivated - a clearly infuriating posture. How can a strike be described as politically motivated when the aggrieved have been economically driven to the wall? First, would

non-payment of the salaries pave the way for issues to be sorted amicably?

Put differently, while waiting for an amicable settlement, how do workers sustain their livelihood? Second, all that the workers did was to embarrass the state government while the latter attempted to economically kill the workers.

If the Ondo state government thought it was smart, it failed to realize it is hard to be smarter than workers about salaries.

For instance, while the government employed circumlocution, the workers effectively mobilized public opinion against it. They wondered aloud that: a) the government was into divide and rule by paying net salary for the month of July to core civil servants and secondary school teachers whereas it paid nothing to workers in the local government, primary school teachers and other categories of workers: b) the state government breached the agreement it reached with labour leaders that gross salaries of July and August and deductions for June would be paid: c) the action of the government was contrary to what was been aired on the State Radio vision Corporation that government had commenced payment of salaries of July and

August to all workers and d) workers are aware that the government had placed the bailout fund in a fixed deposit account to yield interests. To me, the workers beat government hands down on the subject Consequently, the Ondo State government should be careful next time not to use officials who do not know what to say or how to speak during crises. The style of accusing every aggrieved person of being used by political opponents which the last PDP federal government always employed is certainly stale. Any government that has a problem with citizens should deal squarely with the issue at stake instead of attributing every disagreement including industrial action to politics. The latter should remember that the same workers clapped relentlessly for the state government when it initiated the Abiye safe motherhood project and drastically reduced maternal mortality rate.

Indeed, everyone including the World Bank, the London Tropical School of Medicine and the Bill gate Institute of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, was proud of Governor Segun Mimiko and he won election twice. We submit that once Ondo state pays its workers, no one will successfully motivate them politically against their government.

units in a federation matters a lot: it strengthens the union, gives people a sense of belonging and makes them believe that they are relevant in the scheme of things. At any rate, instead of hankering after federal appointments, prominent

While commending the President for having a reputation that makes public servants avoid corruption, it is important to point out that mere reputation or the so-called "body language" is not enough. Moreover, he needs to reappraise his strategy for tackling corruption in the light of the following observations. President Buhari's position on the matter is weakened by the fact that he is not as squeaky clean as some of his supporters proclaim. But no human being is perfect, and a leader does not need to be a saint to prosecute a successful anti-corruption campaign. What he requires most are discipline, clear vision, creative imagination and determination to be fair, firm and just all the time.

Second, well-known politicians that helped him win the presidential election are dubious characters with stinking reputations for corruption. The question now is - would the President be willing to move against his benefactors? Third, his ill-advised decision to restrict his anti-corruption crusade only to the administration of former President Jonathan creates the impression that he is deliberately targeting the latter and ignoring elephantine corruption that occurred before 2010 because of the "sacred cows" involved. Supporters of the President argue that, because of the time factor involved, it is more convenient for him to concentrate his crusade against corruption on his immediate predecessor's administration. However, given the crippling effects of decades-old graft on every aspect of our national life, it is wrong for a leviathan who genuinely wants to

eradicate corruption to arbitrarily limit the extent he can go, thereby inadvertently allowing some of the most hideously corrupt public officials, including former military dictators, to escape justice.

Meanwhile, notice, for instance, how former President Olusegun Obasanjo who lampooned Jonathan on several occasions and publicly dramatised his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to spite him further, has cunningly transformed into a sort of errand boy for President Buhari probably to discourage the latter from probing his government.

Now, if there is any wellcorroborated case of corruption against Jonathan or any member of his government, the appropriate agencies of government should take up the matter and deal with it expeditiously. But it would be a serious mistake if the war against corruption targets only members of the former ruling party, critics of federal government or members of the APC who are unwilling to follow sheepishly the dictates of the party. Some of the avoidable errors in the current effort to reduce corruption to a manageable level are evident in the confrontation between the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Before going into that, I must point out the fallacy of equivocation committed by those who argue that the President did the right thing by focusing his anticorruption searchlight on Jonathan's government only simply because it would be a distraction for him to go beyond 2010 due to time constraints.

It would be a serious mistake if the war against corruption targets only members of the former ruling party, critics of federal government or members of the APC who are unwilling to follow sheepishly the dictates of the party Igbo sons and daughters, including those in the Diaspora, should come together, formulate a robust blueprint for massive accelerated development of Igboland and work towards its practical realisation. In my opinion, any Igbo who expects fairness from the current APC federal government is living in a cloud cuckoo land.

President Buhari has made it clear several times that he is intent on killing corruption before it kills Nigeria. No right thinking Nigerian can fault the President on that. Indeed, many Nigerians believe that although the President has not added anything new to the fight against corruption, many public officials are afraid to engage in graft based on his reputation of having zerotolerance for corruption.

To be continued

PAGE 12—SUND AY 12—SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

BY ABEL DANIEL, LAFIA Nasarawa State governorship election tribunal, in the petition filed by a former Minister of Information and the APGA candidate in the April polls, Mr. Labaran Maku, against Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, the candidate of APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, delivered its verdict after 150 days of trial, affirming the election of Almakura.

In this interview, Maku expresses dissatisfaction with the decision of the tribunal and promises to proceed to the Appeal Court.

NASARAWA GOV. POLL Tribunal verdict is daylight robbery — Labaran Maku

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OW do you feel over the judgment of the tribunal?

I want to first of all thank the people of Nasarawa for their overwhelming support during the April 11 governorship election and the period of the tribunal. You will agree with me that during the tribunal sitting, people from all over the state were always coming to show solidarity with me even when I was not at the tribunal in person. This is unlike my opponent who was supposed to attract more support but nobody ever came around to show support for him because the people of the state know who they gave their mandate to. My lawyer had to advise me not to surface in court again so as to avoid distraction.

If you study the period of the proceedings from day one till the last day, our supporters continued to show support religiously. It was so because they know the person they elected and that was why they are so militantly committed to coming to court on their own. I thank them for their allegiance and their abiding faith in us.

I also want to appreciate my colleagues in the media who were always there to report the proceedings to the world. No doubt Nigerians have seen what the tribunal has done. You will notice that the Nasarawa tribunal was the most popular because of the media reports of the drama that took place when, for the first time in recent memory, all Almakura’s witnesses that testified told the tribunal that I won the election and not Almakura. That was very dramatic. How would you have a situation where witnesses of an incumbent will openly testify against when he has allthe power to get them to testify in his favour?

Did the respondents’ witnesses at the tribunal actually testify against them in your favour?

Unfortunately these witnesses at the tribunal swore by the Quran and the Bible and testified against Almakura. I believe that drama that was reported all over the country exited Nigerians interest about the tribunal in Lafia.

You were all there when APC witnesses denied their testaments in court. When they read out the statements before them, they openly denied that it was statements. The APC counsel quickly withdew the remaining witnesses to avoid further damage.

In the case of the Almakura’s witnesses, his lawyers said he was

•Maku

just coming from Lagos that day and that he had not met with the witnesses and that he should be given more time. He was given time till the following sitting but never returned to court with those witnesses. We were aware that all efforts to change their witnesses failed, and so Almakura lawyers closed their case without further witnesses.

INEC could not produce a single witness in court because we were reliably informed that a night before

It is shocking that the tribunal, which is supposed to be a neutral empire between the petitioner and the respondents, decided to play the role of legal counsel to the respondents

they were to present their witnesses, officials met with the witnesses and the witnesses said they would not come to the tribunal because the result of that election did not come from them. INEC field officers and returning officers refused to come to court to lie on oath. All effort by INEC and their legal team to persuade the witnesses to come to the tribunal failed.

And so INEC was compelled by the tribunal to come to court without a single witness.

So how come the tribunal, said you did not prove your case?

It is shocking that the tribunal, which is supposed to be a neutral empire between the petitioner and the respondents, decided to play the role of legal counsel to the respondents. Where the lawyers of the respondents failed to answer questions, the tribunal provided the answers. The respondents could not have a better legal team than the tribunal from what we heard and saw during the proceedings at the tribunal till the delivery of judgment.

For instance, the tribunal said the respondents were not under obligation to bring any witness because, according to the tribunal, I, the petitioner, could not prove my case.

If we forward evidence to the tribunal and our evidence was admitted and the respondents, after reading through the evidence filed their witnesses statements on oath to the tribunal in response to the evidence we took to court, the question is, if we did not prove our case, why then did they field witnesses statements? On what basis

did they file their case if we did not prove our case?

What clearly happened was that because the election ab initio was a fraud, because INEC wrote the result that was declared which was not the result of the election that took place in Nasarawa, everyone was afraid to come to court because there was nothing to hang on.

Everybody in Nasarawa in the intelligence service knows that APGA won that election and that the result declared by INEC on April 13, was not the true result. Even APC supporters have been saying so.

What happened when the tribunal gave its verdict was daylight rubbery which should not be that case in a democratic era. Every effort was made by the tribunal as if they were solicitors to the respondents. Everywhere the legal team of the respondents failed, every effort was made to provide an alibi for them. We are yet to decipher between the respondents and the tribunal because the tribunal did a good work for the respondents.

The judiciary, which is supposed to be the arbiter between the petitioner and the respondents, was seen romancing with the respondents, this was quite a disappointment. I am highly disappointed by the outcome of the tribunal. It is not APGA alone, if you look through the state today, there is nowhere there is jubilation apart from the Government House. The people of Nasarawa state are disappointed with the verdict from the tribunal because they know who won the election and that is why nowhere in the state you will find people jubilant.

Nasarawa people are tired of the government of Almakura who has washed his hands off any form of social responsibility to his people.

People expected that the judgment of the tribunal was going to bring a change but it turned against their expectation; they are sorrowful.

Will you take your case to higher court?

As a democrat, my lawyers have given me a notice that they would study the judgment carefully and take a decision in the coming days.

As quickly as we get the certified copy of the judgment, we will take a decision that will ensure the aspiration of the people of Nasarawa.

All the evidence we presented were certified copies from INEC showing the discrepancy between the results announced at the polling units from the ones announced at the collation centers. This is largely a documentary case because the evidence speak for themselves.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 13

Edo 2016: The role Oshiomhole will play in his successor’s emergence — Idahosa

Chief Charles Idahosa is Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Political Matters. He celebrated his 62 birthday last week and used that opportunity to speak on national issues and his home state. In this interview, Idahosa says his boss will dictate the tune on his successor in 2016 just as he dismisses the insinuation that his Bini people are ganging up against the governor

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN-CITY

H

OW has life been with you at 62?

Firstly and foremost one has to thank God for his mercies, it is wonderful to be 62. Life has been kind and I am very happy but the most joyful thing that I am happy about on my 62nd birthday is the change in the country. Change in the sense that Nigeria now has a direction, we now know where we are going and we now have a man who is upright. Nigeria has been able to win the confidence of the world again, the world now recons with Nigeria and most importantly I am so happy that at 62, that I am part of that change. The joy I have today is that the dream I have so many years ago has come to pass.

Your party is in government at the national level. How do you access the steps so far taken by President Mohammadu Buhari?

I think President Buhari is doing very well and I think he is on course. One thing most Nigerians don’t know is that this is the first man who has become president in Nigeria who wanted to become president. This is the first time we are having a Nigerian President who prepared himself and said I want to be president. He tried three times and got it the fourth time; so he has his blueprint and knows what he wants to do, he is just taking his time and we all believe in him that he will resurrect this country after PDP collapsed it for 16 years. Before now, we always hear of pipeline vandalization, oil theft, several illegalities, but you no longer hear those things any more. The change has come already and it will be sustained. But you should expect that the PDP will make noise so that Nigerians will believe they still exist. Like in Edo now, they no longer exist. They are aware they cannot win any election in Edo any more.

Before the coming of Oshiomhole, the state was in a mess, yet you had eminent people in the PDP that produced the then govt. What was the problem because you were there during the formation of the PDP? Yes, I was there in the beginning where I worked in the National Publicity Committee of the PDP. That committee was led by the former NDDC Chairman, Onyema Ugochukwu; I was there, Emeka Ihedioha was there among others.

In the PDP in Edo at that time, Anenih will talk, Gabriel Igbinedion will talk and Ogbemudia will talk; so Lucky was

C M Y K

trying to manage these people at the same time and that affected a lot of things he wanted to do.

But are you not surprised that PDP members are criticizing Oshiomhole even after what happened under their regime?

What do you expect? What I will call those criticisms is what you call the last kick of a dying horse. The PDP is finished. We knew how the state looked when he came and at the end of the day he has turned it around. What does the PDP have to criticize him? It is only people that want to be mischievous that will criticize Oshiomhole. I am in this government; I am the political adviser to Oshiomhole, we have been together for the seventh year running and, by the grace of God, by next year, we will be handing over to a new government and, as he is leaving, I will leave. I will retire with him; after that, maybe I will still be in politics but in the background. I just want to stay by him for the eight years.

Oshiomhole is not as close to me like Lucky Igbinedion was but the governor is a greatman.

As Oshiomhole’s tenure comes to an end next year, there is this rumour that some powerful Benin people are plotting to frustrate his effort from installing a successor of his choice. How true is that claim?

I don’t think that is correct, that must be a rumour that there is a gang-up by some Benin leaders. There is nothing like that. I am a Benin leader and a state leader; I have been in this business for long and, when it comes to meeting or taking decisions, there is no level of decision taking in the state that I will not be invited. So I don’t think there is anything like that. The governor has said it publicly many times that he owes the Binis a lot for the support they gave him and that he will try as much as possible to make sure that a Bini man becomes the next governor. But as we speak today, the Esan people are agitating for the governorship, and their argument makes sense, that they have not done eight years, while other people have done eight years, and demanding they equally be given the same opportunity to do eight years. Some of their leaders have spoken to me and I said yes, there is no difference between the Benin and the Esan man; the advice I have given them is that we are all one; in fact, there is no difference between any Edo man, every one of us can trace our origin to the Benin palace. So, what we need to do is to sit down and negotiate.

As for Binis ganging up against

Oshiomhole, that is not correct. I think •Chief Charles Idahosa what the people are we don’t have. saying in consultation with the governor is that they will pick a Benin man that And one thing we must be very would represent the interest of everycareful about the governorship will be body; there is no way a governor of this very dicey, I understand the PDP has state can emerge without his predeceszoned its ticket to Edo South, what sor’s input. One, what are we going to that means is that if APC gets a campaign with? It is Oshiomhole’s candidate from Edo South, you must work; second, Oshiomhole will lead the look at the caliber and quality of the campaign and let nobody deceive person, what the person is bringing himself, all the elections we have won in because people this time will vote for Edo was because of Oshiomhole, his the man they know best that can credibility and integrity. The ordinary deliver the goods like Oshiomhole. people believe in him, so he is very Dr. Ogbemudia is searching for a important in the whole arrangement. governorship candidate. Will your Because when you go to the rural party accept whoever Ogbemudia’ areas where I come from, those committee picks? uneducated old men will ask if this is Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia is a great Oshiomhole’s own because they don’t leader. He has invited me more than twice to his house and we have talked know APC or PDP but Oshiomhole. about this search for governor and Anybody saying Oshiomhole will the rest of them. I told him it was a have no say is a joker. There are so very beautiful idea and that we all many candidates in the party now, we respect him, but I don’t want to fall are going to look at all of them; when a victim of anti-party activities. As I say we, I mean leaders of the party we speak, Ogbemudia is a member, and rate every person and there is no Board of Trustees of the PDP and I way we will not have some people am in APC. I believe like the in mind and the governor will also governor said recently, our father, have some people in mind. I think Dr Ogbemudia, should tear his PDP that is where the conflict is coming card like Obasanjo did so that this from; but if he says this is the way we search will be better appreciated; so should go and we have any reservathat people will not fear that he tion about that person, we would tell wants to put a PDP man while we him and he will give reasons why it are in the APC. That is the fear but should be the other way because as a his move to search for a credible governor he has a lot of information successor is a good move.

Govt urged to invest more in teachers’ training BYABIODUN ALADE

G

overnment at all of levels has been charged to invest in teach ers’ training in order to improve education standard in the country. The call was made at the 2015 Great Teachers’ Conference, held at Home Science Association School, Lagos.

Professor Okobiah Otete of Guidance and Counselling Dept. at Delta State University (Delsu), Abraka urged government at federal and state levels to encourage training for teachers, stressing that it will impact on their attitude, students and the teaching profession.

Otete, the Professor on Supervision at the five-day event, added that in-service

training will help teachers identify areas of difficulties and how best to tackle them.

Mrs Celina Atuegbe-Eidaghese, Principal Consultant of Jes’sLord Consult, the organiser of the conference, noted that the event was aimed at improving the Nigerian child.

“The great teachers’ conference is about bringing teachers together to improve their lives as it comes to teaching, improving their worth as it comes to delivery and increasing their status as it comes to general well-being. It is channels towards improving the Nigerian child because in training the teachers we train the students. We are discussed and addressed challenges and concerns raised by the teachers for the betterment of the Nigerian child,” she said.

PAGE 14—SUND AY 14—SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

How Saraki saved Fowler, other nominees from Senate hammer S

ENATE President Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Wednesday averted what could have been the outright rejection of the nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari who are to be screened by the upper chambre.

The nominees included Mr. Williams Babatunde Fowler, Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Eng. Umaru Garba Dambatta, Vice Chairman of the National Communication Commission (NCC); Ahmed Lawan Kuru, Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) as well as Mr.Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Fortunate Uneze and Alh. Aminu Ismail, Executive Directors, AMCON. The Senate President had read the communication from Buhari on the nominees during plenary on Tuesday and according to the rule of the Senate, he should, during the Wednesday sitting, raise the matter for the chambre to decide what day and how the screening will be conducted.

However, before the commencement of sitting that Wednesday, Saraki did a random sampling of opinion of his colleagues and, sensing that many of them were angry about the breach committed by the nominees who had assumed office and were already acting in their various capacities contrary to the position of the law, the

Senate President ensured that the matter was not listed on the Order Paper for the day. He also refused to mention the issue on the floor.

Senator Barnabas Gemade, who did not know the reason Saraki refused to mention the issue, raised a point of order during the plenary sitting under Order 40, Rule 1, which states: “The President of the Senate shall immediately after prayers ....read to the Senate any message addressed to the Senate by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

The Senate President had to counter Gemade by citing Order 40, Rule 2 which states: “A message from the President, if presented to the Senate by the Leader of the Senate may be brought up at any time before the commencement or at the close of public business, and shall be considered forthwith or ordered to be considered upon a future day”, The phrase relied on Saraki to save the day is ‘considered upon a future day’.

The belief is that if Saraki had tabled the matter for discussion and put the question to vote on when and how the senators should commence the screening of the presidential nominees, an overwhelming majority might oppose the screening and that summarily interprets to rejection and disqualification of the nominees.

“That was what happened when President Jonathan nominated Mrs.

•Dr. Saraki

Mfon Akpan from Akwa Ibom, as Chairman of FIRS. Her nomination was summarily rejected during voting on whether to screen her or not. That is why a Director in the service, Mr. Odugbesan, was the one acting in the office until recently . If the Senate President had raised the issue, last Wednesday, the nominees could have been rejected. That is why the Senate President and the Presidency must be in good terms so that they can watch each other’s back”, a senator said yesterday.

The senator added that Saraki also demonstrated good faith in dealing with the Presidency later that Wednesday when he chose to stay in the office till 5.00pm to receive the

ministerial list from the Presidency despite the fact that the Senate had concluded sitting around 1pm.

“If he had left the office after waiting for the list till 3.00pm, it means the Presidency would not have met the September deadline it set for the release of the list of ministerial nominees as announced by President Buhari to the nation and the international community. However, Senator Saraki waited until they brought the list and even announced to the nation that he got the list that day. That is to tell you that the National Assembly will always co-operate with the President at all times to ensure that state policies, programmes and appointments get the necessary legislative backing”, he said.

Buhari is committ ed ttoo a be tt er Nigeria — Ex-Lagos Sur committed bett tter Survey veyor or-Gener -General vey or -Gener al

BY YINKA AJAYI

Mr. Joseph Agbenla, a former SurveyorGeneral of Lagos State under the administration of Babatunde Raji Fashola, has been inducted into the Nigeria Construction Industry Hall of Fame. In this interview, he says President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to a better Nigeria.

Excerpts:

W

HAT is your opinion about Nigeria at 55 under an APC Federal Government?

We thank God for what President Muhamadu Buhari is doing. He is trying to redirect everyone to see that it’s good to be honest. It is also commendable that he is fighting the cause of corruption and taking it to the corridors of power, not minding the toes he steps on as far as

justice runs its cause. I believe the Nigerian society will be better for it.

It’s good to be honest, dedicated and committed to the country.

You were in Governor Fashola’s administration. What was the experience like?

Governor Fashola has been described as a workaholic. I agree totally with those who say that because with him you cannot be lazy.

You needed to work with the pace of the governor which was good. He put everyone on their toes. Whenever Fashola calls you, you must be ready for him and be ready for whatever he asks for. He thought us to work hard

•Agbenla

and be a pacesetter for all the states in the nation. This is what he stood for.

You were forced to resign alongside other permanent secretaries. Did you see it coming?

No, I didn’t see it coming. I had started the transformation agenda which was the actualization of GIS (Geographical Information System) during the era of Governor Fashola.

So with the coming of Governor Akinwumi Ambode, it is my belief that GIS will be allowed to bear fruit as it was meticulously projected to be. This was what was on my mind to implement.

Do you believe the foundation you have laid can be harnessed?

I have laid a foundation and I believe the acting Surveyor General

there should continue the way the thing was outlined to progress. You see, the vision was mine when I was there. I adhere to that vision and I was implementing it with all the vigour and with every sense of duty and commitment. If he sees the vision as something they can get rid of, he may not implement some of the things on ground. If I am given the privilege to advise him, I would suggest that he continues with the agenda because the vision is for the emancipation of the people of Lagos State.

Aside what you accomplished, what else would be look forward to as the Surveyor- General?

I wished the GIS was fully established. It was my intention that the offices there will be renovated. By so doing, I wanted to establish a GIS inland office that will be the third building towards the end of the compound. It was my intention that the special data infrastructure would have been available and the GIS would be fully established and integrated with the land registry and the land documentation system. This will aid in getting the statistics of the population of Lagos, planning of the infrastructural development for Lagos State and also help in decision making for the government. The data will be available for any government agency to use at any point in time.

Those are the goals I had envisaged while I was there.

Do you think Lagos is ready to be a mega city?

We have the population of a megacity already, so all the infrastructural developments have already been planned. When we think of what Governor Fashola has started, it is my belief that Governor Ambode will continue. If he continues, it’s like a done deal for the citizens of Lagos State. The people are looking for a good administration. If the state government can be benevolent, I believe the state is ready to go to a level higher than what Governor Fashola has done. I believe Governor Ambode will do better.

You had worked in the public service. What next?

I am looking forward to practice my profession. At the same time, I am also thinking of how well I can impact more on the society in terms of lending my hands to the less privileged. When I was in office as the Surveyor-General, all my allowances were used to pay the temporary officers that were there.

It was a promise that I made to all of them that they will be employed. By the time I was leaving the office, most of them had been employed. I believe so much in contributing to the society.

I am very much available whenever I am called upon.

C M Y K

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 15

AMNESTY PROGRAMME STORY

Anenihoffered offeredto todie die Anenih inplace placeof ofTompolo Tompolo in tosecure secureNiger NigerDelta Delta to peace — Kuku peace Kuku ... says Buhari has not breached any law by appointing kinsmen as aides Kingsley Kuku, immediate past Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, is one of the promotes of the Niger Delta struggle, having been part of the Kaiama Declaration of 1998, which set the stage for the agitation for a better region, and having participated actively in most of the programmes that subsequently resulted in the granting of amnesty to militants on June 25, 2009. But, more importantly, Kuku became the driver of the amnesty package from 2011 till the end of the Jonathan administration on May 29, 2015, largely helping to push the frontiers of youth training in the region. However, as soon as he finished his tenure, he left Nigeria for a medical procedure to salvage a broken knee, a development which has delayed his appearance before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which wants him to defend his tenure against certain petitions. In this interview, Kuku explains his role in the Niger Delta struggle and how, at a point, elder statesman, Chief Tony Anenih, offered to lay down his life in place of militant leader, Government Ekpemopolo, alias Tompolo, to convince him to leave the creeks and sign up for peace with his foot soldiers, how the amnesty deal was sealed under the Yar’Adua administration, why he had to seek medical attention abroad and his plan to defend his tenure before the EFCC. Excerpts:

BY SONI DANIEL,

A

Northern Region Editor

s a former presidential aide, do you thi nk President Buhari has breached any law by appointing mostly his kinsmen as his personal aides and key government officials such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Director General of the Department of State Security and the Chief of Staff all from the North, where he comes from?

President Muhammadu Buhari has come at a time he needs to build a solid team that will help him to deliver on the many promises he made to the Nigerian people. Right or wrong, he would be the one to take the glory or the blame for whatever he does while in office. That is why he needs to critically look at the political landscape and take decisions that would bring the best for the country.

C M Y K

He has to take his time in doing all these. Our leaders have a problem which they need to sort out. It is important for him to take time before nominating anybody into the position of authority. He has to select the best from among the lot. So, I think that this short period that he has been in charge, he has not disappointed and has not done anything wrong. I have argued with those who say his appointments so far are skewed in favor of the North. Some have said he appointed the SGF and the Chief of Staff from the North and my response is that Buhari has not done anything wrong in that regard because during our time, that is President Jonathan’s Presidency, he appointed his SGF from the South-East, where he comes from. The first Chief of Staff was Mike Ogiadhome from Edo State while the second, General Arogobofa, from Ondo State, is also from the SouthSouth. It is important to also point out that all other personal aides of the former president, from his ADC to the Chief Security Officer and the DG of the DSS, Ita Ekpenying, all came

It is important to also point out that all other personal aides of the former president, from his ADC to the Chief Security Officer and the DG of the DSS, Ita Ekpenying, all came from Jonathan’s backyard

from Jonathan’s backyard, SouthSouth. So, I don’t see anything that Buhari has done wrongly to warrant the outcry that he is more of a northern president than a southern President. I suspect that the outcry came just because he did not appoint ministers at the same time with the personal aides, thereby making some people to feel marginalised.

I think that we really need to encourage Mr. President to look for credible and non-partisan people to serve in his cabinet and to do their best to be able to deal with the problems that he met on the ground.

He should continue from where Jonathan stopped and anyone who wants to demonise Jonathan, should not forget that he did his best for history to judge.

Months after the office, how do you feel? Are your phones still ringing?

I would like to say that it was a mixed life. I am saying so because I

Continues on page 16

PAGE 16—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

over to. I did not want the programme to suffer any setback. While I was still waiting for my successor to be appointed so as to get the programme going, I got a stinger from the hospital in Alabama, warning me that they don’t postpone surgery the way I did and that there was penalty already for me. I was scared and refused to sign for a general anesthesia but a localised one so that I could see what they were going to do on the leg. They agreed and we did it on the 30th of July. Since then, I have been doing physiotherapy first in Birmingham and later I was referred to the Sports Physiotherapy Centre in Atlanta, where I have been undergoing the recovery process.

Continued from page 15 miss the Presidential Amnesty Programme through which I touched lives. We were dealing with a situation where our brothers and sisters, who never had the opportunity to leave their communities in the Niger Delta were exposed to the outside world for them to go to school and interact with nationals of other nations on the Federal Government scholarship. I was merely a servant getting that done and it was fulfilling. Now, I am not handling that again. They used to call me daddy and all that. I am not being called daddy again. The other point is that I have a respite to review my contributions to Nigeria, my state and community and think of how to move on in life. It may interest you to know that from July 2, 2007 when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua appointed me as Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Niger Delta Conflict Resolution, till I left office in June 2015, I had never had time for myself not to talk of my family. If you meet my wife today, she would tell you that from 2004 when we got married till today, she had never had two complete weeks with me because of service to Nigeria. So, today, beyond my recuperation, I now have some time with my family so that my children would not pass me on the road and call me uncle or brother, having not seen and spent time with me in the past for even one week. But I really miss the PAP and the children that I was able to move out from impossibility to possibility.

So, my phones have not stopped ringing.

What took you to hospital in the United States? Some have alleged that you ran away in order to escape the probe by the EFCC. Any time I reflect on this thing, it makes me very sad. I was the captain of the House of Assembly playing football with the governor’s team to mark Ondo State Day in 2006. It was an executive football match and there was a penalty for our team and, as the captain, I was to take it. I managed to strike the ball and scored the penalty and we all rejoiced. But just as I did that, I discovered that my legs were wobbling and I could not stand firmly on the field and was taken out. I must have been seriously wounded in the process that resulted in the penalty.

My knee had never been the same until I underwent the surgery in the U.S. I had a fracture which had been causing me serious pain since 2006 and I did not have the time to go hospital to do the operation until I left office on May 29.

After the injury, they took me to traditional medicine dealers, who did their best to fix the fracture. As an Ijaw man, they tied the leg, removed bad blood, injected me with some herbs and rubbed some creams just to get me going. We must give kudos to tradition bone healers who did all they could to save my leg. From 2006, till the moment that I came to the United States to carry out the procedure, the work the tradomedical men did, is what kept me going. I left the House of Assembly and got a job with the NDDC and I could not go to do anything about the leg. That job made it possible for me to kick-start the process of conflict resolution in the Niger Delta and I took some ex-militants to South Africa. In July 2007, the government appointed me the Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta. That C M Y K

•Kuku...traditional bone healer helped me

‘Many govs were opposed to amnesty for ex-militants’ afforded us the opportunity to visit all ex-militants’ camps from Ondo through Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states. This was how we commenced the arduous and risky job to bring about the peace process in the Niger Delta. I had committed my life to the peace process and assured the militants that the Federal Government was sincere in its efforts to bring about peace and development in the Niger Delta. We finally got the amnesty on June 25, 2009 and, from there, the process of reintegration commenced and I never knew that, one day, I would be the one to manage the Amnesty Programme. But before then, I had always been strategically involved in the process. I had always been either the Secretary or member of the peace committee at the local, state or national levels and this afforded me the opportunity to know all those involved in the struggle. Even when the former governor of Bayelsa set up a peace committee, he still made me a member even though I am from Ondo. So, strategically, I have been involved in the peace process till date. Is it Asari Dokubo, my friend?; , is it Henry Okah, my brother?

I believe that my knowledge of those directly involved in the struggle was an advantage for me and the government of the late President Yar’Adua, having been properly counseled by former Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, my immediate past boss, who made me whatever I am today, made me Secretary of the committee and they tapped my potentials and that made peace possible. I was able to take government position directly to those who were to take strategic decisions Asari Dokubo in Buguma or Port Harcourt; T.K Ogoriba in Ogboroza House at Ogboroza in Delta State; Ateke Tom, my elder brother, we all worked together. This was how we cemented the peace process and I pray that it will never collapse

Many governors, political actors, among others, did not believe that there should be amnesty apparently because many of them had grouses against some ex-militant leaders because we have committed so much to getting to where we are today. We were deeply involved in the peace process and I did not have any time to do the surgery on my leg. It became even more tedious after I had been appointed the SA on Niger Delta and Chairman of the PAP in 2011. I was therefore going about with pains, to the extent that sometimes, the knee would lock up and I would not be able to move again. But the pain grew more serious just before the presidential election and I made up my mind that I was going for the operation once the election was over. And as soon as we lost the election to the APC, I made up my mind to get out and get it done.

I was in Birmingham and I did the scan and was referred to St Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Centre in Alabama. Even after a date had been fixed, I had postpone the surgery twice because of my attachment to the Amnesty Programme and the need to get someone appointed for me to hand

Having completed your assignment as the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, can you in all honesty say that you did the best for Nigeria and the people of the Niger Delta given the money and other resources at your disposal?

As far as I am concerned, between me and God, those who want to be sincere to themselves would be able to say that I did my best to salvage Nigeria from economic downtown occasioned by a period when Nigeria experienced a sustained drop in oil production from over four million barrels per day to just over 683,000 barrels. The job we did from 2007 was not easy. Senator David Brigidi, who chaired the first committee set up by the late President Yar’Adua, of which I was the Secretary, recommended to him the need for amnesty. I still remember that night how Yar’Adua who had almost slept came down from his bedroom to meet us at the Villa once he heard that Kuku and Brigidi were waiting to submit a report on the Niger Delta situation to him. From that moment, the peace process began. Many governors, political actors, among others, did not believe that there should be amnesty apparently because many of them had grouses against some ex-militant leaders from their states. But this thing was a general thing that was to be done for the good of all. There is need to always remember the wonderful disarmament job that the committee under Brig-Gen. Godwin Abe did that took us to where we are today.

We need to remember the wonderful work done by elder statesman, Chief Tony Anenih, who staked his life and integrity and played a strategic role in pulling Tompolo out of the creeks. At a point, Anenih agreed to submit himself to be killed in case the Federal Government arrested and prosecuted Tompolo in Abuja. Anenih offered himself as a sacrificial lamb to be slaughtered by the Ogboroza people if he would not bring back Tomplolo after his meeting with President Yar’Adua. To further convince the daring and skeptical community leaders, Anenih dropped out of the helicopter we were given by the Presidency to go and fetch Tompolo and opted to remain with the roaring men until Tompolo was brought back safely. But our people reasoned that there was no need to take the life of an old man like Anenih in place of Tompolo, who is seen as the hero of the community. So, they left Anenih to go in peace. Yar’Adua did the right thing and got us the Amnesty and Abe, Timi Alaibe and others did their best to give practical meaning to the process.

•Next week, Hon Kuku talks about his Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) story

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 17

•Cynthia Agholor

•Christabel Egbenya

Independence Day special photo treat

•Bridget Amos

I

t doesn’t look like the Independence Day fever is over yet. Even if many will argue Nigeria hasn’t much to celebrate at 55, at least, that cannot be said of the entertainment industry. Our entertainment has not only gone from the nebulous mediocrity it was in the 60s to the financial behemoth it is in Africa today. The two backbones of the industry, music and movie, are by far ahead of any in Africa and even competing with what the best of the world has to offer.

Unlike ever before, international stars from every corner of the world are falling over themselves to partner our stars in movies and music. So, why shouldn’t we celebrate?

And what better way to do it than to feed our eyes with wondrous sights of life. Are there more pleasing sights to behold than these alluring entertainment damsels to make the Independence Day complete?

•Shirley Igwe

•Zubechi Onyia

•Ini Edo

STOP PIRACY NOW! STOP BUYING PIRATED MOVIE AND MUSIC CDs, DVDs. IT IS KILLING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. STOP! C M Y K

•Mercy Isop

PAGE 18, SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

I planned a song with Don Jazzy before 2Face begged us - D’banj

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opular singer and entertainer, D’banj has said that even before iconic songster, 2Face Idibia pleaded with him and his former partner, Don Jazzy to come back together and give fans one more hit, they already had something like that planned.

In an exclusive chat with Potpourri, D’banj enthused, ‘Glo has said they will sponsor it, even before 2Face begged us.

We’re already working on something great that you guys will love; and I guarantee you will hear it very soon. I believe that with 2Face saying it that day, it represents the voice of the people. You have to also know that since it’s my 10th year anniversary, it’s also Don Jazzy’s 10th year as well. Don Jazzy is my brother now when it comes to endorsement as Diageo endorsed him too. We can even go on a tour together; what do you think?’

On how he feels when people turn out en-masse to embrace him on the streets, he said, ‘I feel humbled. I mean it’s always like a dream, especially when you know that everything you’ve done is from God, and I always give thanks to God. I always pray that anytime I come out, it should be better than the last. When I went to Computer Village and everybody came out, it felt surreal. Some came with paintings of me, some were crying; I just felt humbled that I have to keep on doing whatever brought me here. And I will continue even in another 20 years.’

•D’banj

I can’t rrap ap in YYoruba, oruba, Modenine declares

F

or fans who are waiting to hear legendary Nigerian rapper, Mode 9 to take to his mother tongue of Yoruba in rapping, they might be waiting for the proverbial Gordot as the rapper has exclusively revealed to Showtime that he’s afraid of stiff competition in that area.

When he was asked if he would ever rap in Yoruba, he answered, ‘No, I can’t do that, you know why? If there are people doing something and they can do it better than you, there is no point in doing it too because they are already way ahead of you.

It is harder for me to write a Pidgin English song than a normal English song. I can rap in English effortlessly. I don’t just write anything, I try to be clever with words like when I said, ‘They be bungalow brains, nothing upstairs;’ it’s a punch line, but it was done in Pidgin English.’

On his relationship with Olamide, Phyno and Reminisce, he quipped, ‘Reminisce and I are good. I believe if you visit someone, and you’re seeing the person’s kids and wife, it’s all good; you can consider yourself being good with the person, right? But as for Olamide, I just know him in person.

We see, have handshakes, but I’m not really close to him, though I do know him, but we don’t hang out. That’s the same thing with Phyno. Phyno even made a beat for my album, but he couldn’t come up with a hook on time so the album just came out without it.’

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Music stars, subscribers hail Glo’ s Slide ‘n’ Bounce Sallah show

• O

G

lobacom penultimate Saturday night spared no resources in ensuring its subscribers in the Lagos area had a special Sallah holiday with a loaded Slide ‘n’ Bounce music concert that held at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

•Flavour

C M Y K

From newer music stars such as Reekado Banks, Di’Ja and Korede Bello, to established super stars including D’banj, Flavour, MI, Bez and Wande Coal, it was a highly entertaining performance that had the people in the filled hall on their feet for over the six hours the show lasted.

Compere Okey Bakassi and Glo ambassadors, Helen Paul and Funke Akindele, added comic relief to the event and took turns to make the crowd laugh.

Both subscribers and the artistes were full of praise for Glo for staging the show. A guest, 19year-old Olalekan Alao of Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, expressed satisfaction at coming for the show. “I’ve been using Glo for about a year now, and I’m glad I came for this event; it’s a very nice one. People are enjoying themselves and meeting new people. I really had fun. I’ll like to see more events of this nature. I’ll also like to say, thank you, to Glo and I wish them more upliftment. I pray they won’t run down ever.”

Di’ja praised Glo for organising such a show to put smiles on the faces of its subscribers. She said, “It’s always a blessing connecting with my fans.

Thanks to Glo for the platform. I didn’t even expect the way the fans got up from their seats to groove with me; I feel very honoured.”

On his part, D’banj noted that he was always delighted joining Glo to bring smiles to the faces of loyal subscribers and fans. “I’ve been with Glo for a long time and if there’s anything you know about Glo anytime we go on the road, I’m always excited because it’s all about the fans on the streets, and they’re the ones that make it count. You know there’s no gate-fee for the concert; it’s basically a way of giving back to the subscribers. Anywhere I am in the world, I always want to come back for things like this because it’s an opportunity to connect with the fans.”

•Mode 9

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 19 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

Tracy Obonna inducted into Volleyball Hall of Fame

U

S-based Nigerian model and actress, Tracy Obonna, has all it takes to stop any man in his track. Beautiful, sexy and provocatively curvy, Tracy, is one of the top Nigerian girls making waves in the United States of America. With her figure, anyone would have guessed this hell-raiser of a girl is either a model or an actress, but to think of her as a sportswoman is definitely not it. But the truth is that she is and a damn good one at that, as she was just recently inducted into Genesee Community College, GCC, Batavia, New

York, USA Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Expressing her excitement, the girl who is referred to as the ‘Nigerian Bombshell’ because of her killer hips and curves, told Potpourri in a chat, “I got inducted into the GCC Volleyball Hall of Fame, honoured for this achievement!! Playing volleyball has been an amazing journey for me. I learned a lot of the world and myself.

I started playing volleyball as a young girl and continued to play it into my adulthood. Playing all around the world, meeting new people. Also I feel volleyball helped me bring that same determination and fearlessness to my acting and film career. Be great, all be fearless and chase your dreams.

Thanks GCC for this honour “ According to a publication by The

Daily of USA, Tracy Obonna was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association All-American, two-time Region 111 Player of the Year and two-time all-conference selection as a member of the GCC volleyball team. Her team advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament in both seasons she played for the club.

She was also named a Student SUNY Chancellor’s award winner while at GCC, an award honouring students with outstanding leadership qualities and achievements. She received a Division 1 scholarship and continued her volleyball career at Youngstown, Ohio.

Moments that saw Jeff emerge as MTN Project 8 winner

I

t is no longer news that JefAkor has emerged winner of the MTN Project Fame Season 8. It is probably no news either that the 18 yearold graduate of Sound Engineering from SAE Institute, Cape Town, South Africa, also walked away with N5 million, a brand frey

•Tracy Obonna

new SUV and a multi-million naira recording contract.

However, the moments that produced the youngest winner of the reality singing show evolved may still be much of a mystery.

Jeffrey staved off stiff opposition from five other finalists, Deinde Okubajo, Pearl Awa-Agwu, Adanoritsewo Gold Tosanwumi, Olufunmilayo Comfort Arewa, and Emmanuel Anderson to win the competition. He joins the league of past MTN Project Fame Winners including Iyanya, iMike, Olawale; Monica, Chidinma and Geoffrey.

The special moment saw the six finalists performing with A-list artistes in producing a remix of their hit songs. The collaboration saw the six contestants paired with Sound Sultan, Yemi Alade, Chidinma, 9ice, Praiz and Iyanya as against the norm of the past where contestants did their own compositions.

Jeff did a remix of ‘Kiss’ with Yemi Alade, Pearl slugged it out with Chidinma in ‘Kedike, the tall handsome Anderson shared the stage with Praiz as they did the remix of ‘Rich and Famous’, the energetic Deinde was not left out in the collabo as he was humbly promoted by the Kukere maestro himself Iyanya in the remix of ‘Oreo’,Arewa brought the beautiful memoryof Gangan Aso as she performed the hit song with the Gangan Aso crooner himself 9nice, bringing the closing gala to a remarkable end, Ada did a remix of ‘motherland’ with Sound Sultan.

Meanwhile, Pearl Awa-Agwu, Emmanuel Anderson and, Adanoritsewo Gold Tosanwumi were the 1st, 2nd and 3rd runner up respectively. Pearl who is 1st runner up will go home with N3 million and a brand new saloon car, Anderson will walk away with N2 million and a saloon car, while Ada who is 3rd runner up will also go home with N2 million.

Expectations are too high for reality show winners - Monica Ogah

F

ourth winner of the Project Fame West Africa music competition, Monica Ogah, believes that many winners of reality shows are not doing so well in their careers because there are just too much expectations from them.

She told Showtime, ‘I just think that the expectations are high and it is not easy for anyone. People also feel that the money you won from the reality show will never finish, so they expect to get something from you all the time. And the status the competition bestows on you makes it so; you either go up or you come down. In reality shows, we perform people’s songs, and not our own songs. The fans know you for people’s songs, so when you come out, they expect to get what they were getting when you were in the academy. They refuse to accept your own songs and, like I always say, the industry is the real competition, not the academy.’

On her greatest challenge so far in the music industry, she said, ‘It is not easy to promote your music, trust me. So I will say promotion; making sure your music gets to your fans across Nigeria not even Africa, is my greatest challenge. It takes a lot of time and money, but it has been fixed already, so it is not my challenge any more.’

C M Y K

•Monica Ogah

•Jeffrey Akor

PAGE 20— SUNDAY, Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Aisha TTosan osan shines @ 50

L-R: Mr Onoche Anibezie (Saturday Editor, Vanguard); Mrs Enaze Okonedo; Mr Akpoebi Agberebi (husband); Chief (Mrs) Aisha Tosan Agberebi (celebrant]; Mrs. Cynthia Koyi (daugther); Mr Solomon E Arase (IGP ); Mr Victor Omaghomi; Chief Sonny Okpurhe; and Chief C.A. Borha.

F

or former Crime Fighters executive producer and chief executive officer of Bicommunications Limited, Chief (Mrs) Aisha Tosan Agberebi, being 50 is truly a golden moment as she and family seized the moment to treat friends and associates to a deluxe reception in a convivial atmosphere.

The dinner reception took place at the Georgo Hotel, Ikoyi last weekend and many h i g h - p r o f i l e personalities, including former Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and IGP Solomon Arase, graced the occasion. Photos by Sola Oyelese

Funeral ser vice ffor or Lat e service Late Regina Gbemudu

R

emains of the late Mrs Regina Gbemudu were committed to mother earth recently. Before then a funeral service was held for the peaceful repose of her soul by the family in Illah, Delta State.

From left; Deaconess Adaobi Amuka-Pemu (daughter); Mr.Omashola Amuka-Pemu; Mrs Ndidi Amuka-Pemu; and Mr. Jolomi Amuka-Pemu

L-R: Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Chief Mrs Aisha Tosan Agberebi (celebrant) and Mr Solomon E Arase, IGP..

L-R: Mr Anurag Shah, Chief Mrs Aisha Tosan Agberebi [celebrant], Mrs Amaka Shah and Akpoebi Agberebi (celebrant’s husband).

From right: Mr.Frank Okotie, Mrs Alice Amuka, Mr. Billy Amuka and Mr. Sunny Arowolo.

Chief C A Borha with Mr. Eze Anaba (Deputy Editor, Vanguard Newspapers).

V

L-R: Mr Onoche Anibezie, Mr Tony Okonedo and Mr. Yomi Jones

Vict or Ba ks bir thda Victor Bayyagbon mar marks birthda thdayy

ictor Bayagbon of the Information Technology Dept., Vanguard Media Ltd., added another year on July 12, 2015 and he celebrated the special occasion with friends and family members.

From Left: Mr Moses Anietie, Mr Gbose Monday, Mr Victor Bayagbon, Mrs Joyce-Victor Bayagbon, Mrs Blessing Aghere, Mr Charles Gerard, Mr Daniel Bayagbon, Mr Segun Awosiyan, Miss Hosanna Bayagbon and Mr Kido Ihejirika C M Y K

From Right: Mr Daniel Bayagbon, Mr Odafe Bayagbon and the celebrant, Mr Victor Bayagbon with friends

From right: Mr. Alex Oditah, Deaconess Adaobi Amuka-Pemu and Deaconess Ogor Oditah.

R-l:Navy Commander Kenneth Gbemudu, Mr. Jolomi Amuka-Pemu, Mrs Ndidi Amuka-Pemu and Mr. Omashola Amuka-Pemu.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 21

Sharing yyour our ffeelings eelings without pushing him a way aw

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PAGE 22— SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

measure in the cloud environment As a leading technology service provider, IBM has very stringent security frameworks and regulation. We work our stakeholders and clients, and follow the laws and regulations of the countries where we have our data centres. This is an area where IBM has been known to be very much advanced in terms of protecting the infrastructure and whether it is an infrastructure which a customer deploys here which we have ability to protect or it’s an infrastructure within our cloud. We have the capability to handle all sorts of cloud and data management configurations.

How African businesses and government can

CLOUD COMPUTING:

Dat egrity in the cloud Dataa int integrity is kkey ey ey,, sa sayys IBM Cloud Leader Yusuf Assenjee is the IBM’s Cloud Computing Leader for the Central & West Africa region. In a an interview with Emeka Aginam during the just concluded IBM’s Business Connect 2015 Summit held recently in Lagos, he talked about the unfolding commercial, technical and regulatory landscape for managing data for enterprises in the emerging era of cloud computing.

Giving details of how African Small and Medium sized Enterprises were adopting cloud computing technology in its various variants, he noted that regulators including national and subnational authorities across the continent should update and upgrade their respective laws and regulatory •Yusuf Assenjee frameworks in order to ensure appropriate security levels for data protection for firms making use of the cloud.

Excerpts: have full control of it before it State of cloud becomes an issue. Or can an entity infrastructure in Nigeria outside the country make a The cloud market in request for that information? I Nigeria is very active. I see that a think this is where the concerns lot of indigenous and foreign are. companies, including internet And of course, there are service providers, financial different types of data which is not institutions and even companies very sensitive, which I think will in the telecoms sector are all in the be easier to put outside of the cloud market and cloud space. So I country on the cloud somewhere would say, in Nigeria, the level of and there are some data which is cloud maturity is high and more sensitive and which in this awareness of the cloud is also on case will be inside the country and the rise. this is where we see a lot of talk Now the key challenge for around the hybrid cloud. This is business will always have to be where IBM is doing a lot of work, about the return on spend for their investment is advanced technologies like data analytics software and cloud computing. So, it’s really about taking maximum advantage of cloud from a business point of view because at the end of the day, the technology is there to support the business.

I however think there is still some work to do here and also in the rest of the African continent.

Awareness is starting and people are starting to use cloud but the full benefits of Cloud computing have not been achieved yet; and it will take some time before with lots of key investments being achieving it. As companies ensure made. the integrity of their data assets, Key benefits of IBM appropriate regulation also has to Cloud solutions be put in place by the authorities One major benefit that IBM even they continue to express the brings on board is really in terms need for local warehousing or of the agility and speed of setting storage of the data in-country and up an infrastructure also to ensure that firms adhere to environment. For instance, the data protection statutes someone goes on our cloud service Security and requests for server capability, Security is top on the mind we are able to offer and deliver this of everyone. I think we could do infrastructure-as-a-service to the with more appropriate security, client within hours. data protection and privacy Now contrast this very legislation. I think the big global efficient scenario with someone cloud providers like IBM, Amazon, who decides to order a machine Microsoft, they have a track record server. By the time that person around security. Now the key gets the server and associated concern in many countries is equipment, it could take up to about data protection. Once my three to four weeks. So speed of data is outside the country, do I

Key benefit of IBM cloud is really in terms of the speed of setting up an infrastructure

ASUS showcases solutions at IFA 2015 tech expo

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service delivery is important.

The other point to note is the pay as you use the service. It does not have to be a fixed charge. You can start using the service at any size and grow and the usage fee charging mechanism is dependent on how much you use.

The Pay-as-you-Use model and the elasticity of this sort of model is very important in the cloud. It is one of the key components of cloud technology.

How IBM fashions cloud services to suit businesses in Africa There are offerings like hybrid cloud where we can build a cloud for a customer in-country, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be outside the country; the customer will want to leverage a cloud outside the country. It is possible, but if they want something to be built in-country, we can also do that. In IBM, we have an offering for this. We are talking to a number of customers here who want to go that way and this is perfectly possible.

Regulatory framework for granting transparency in IBM cloud services We protect the data the customer has entrusted to us. IBM is not going to share the data with other entities. The public sector, and some governments, for instance, wants the data incountry. It is up to the users to make their choice and I think at the end of the day, it is going to be very difficult to control everything. Users have the choice as to where they put their data and the government can come with the regulation but we always see that technology is always one step ahead of regulation and sometimes regulation will have to change and to be updated to suit extant and the fast advancing pace of technology deployments.

IBM's data security

Blac kBeer oid platf orm with Priv slider de vice BlackBeer kBeeryy goes int intoo andr android platform device

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anadian smartphone maker, BlackBerry has announced plans to to launch flagship handheld device that will run on the Android operating system with BlackBerry security The device, according to the phone maker brings together the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform.

In combination with BlackBerry’s efforts to support Android for Work on the BES12 platform, the new device will

offer best in class security for enterprise customers.

BlackBerry expects the device to be available late in the calendar year in major markets in-store and online, and will release further details in the coming weeks.

While the new device will provide choice in OS to new and existing customers, the company remains committed to the BlackBerry 10

maximise the benefit of cloud computing.

Being on the cloud eliminates some of the bottlenecks associated with the normal IT infrastructure but you still need service organisation to provide complete solutioning to the customer and this is where IBM’s network of business partners in Nigeria and in the sub-region comes in.

IBM has been around globally for over 100 years and the company understands the Nigerian and African market more than any other technology company. When you have been around for that long, supporting businesses and institutions the market has complete trust in you.

operating system, which enables-industry-leading security and productivity benefits.

The company has assured in developing and enhancing the BlackBerry 10 operating system and has confirmed plans to release platform updates focused on security and privacy enhancements, with version 10.3.3 scheduled-to be available in March 2016.

T the just concluded IFA technology trade exhibition held in Berlin,Germany, the ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the latest world-beating products from Republic of Gamers,including the world’s first water-cooled gaming laptop.

Shih while unfolding details of the latest world-leading gaming innovations from Republic of Gamers (ROG) in a pre-IFA 2015 press event held at the Bolle Meierei, in Berlin, also surprised the audience with a sneak preview of the trailblazing GX700, the first water-cooled gaming laptop.

IFA in Berlin, the global trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances where the latest products and innovations in the heart of Europe‘s most important regional market are showcased.

Featuring in the incredible lineup were the G752 gaming laptop, ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly, among others.

The ROG Swift PG279Q, the world’s first gaming monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, was also showcased.

This new lineup of ROG products also introduces an all-new design theme that offers gamers a range of exciting new colors, including Plasma Copper, Armor Titanium, and Lava Red. While on stage, Shih outlined the continuing worldwide success of the company’s ROG product lines, with ROG continuing to lead the world in the markets for motherboards, high-end VGAs, gaming monitors and laptops. This comprehensive ROG lineup provides gamers with the ultimate entertainment experiences and enables them to achieve unrivalled Overclocking performance, Shih said

Tsaboin tr af alk pledges traf afff ic ttalk suppor af supportt ttoo ease tr traf afff ic logjams

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saboin Traffic Talk, foremost traffic report app and Nigeria’s biggest traffic monitoring site has restated its commitment

towards easing the challenge of traffic gridlock experienced by road users in Lagos State.

Speaking during a press conference held recently in Lagos, Dele Odufuye, CEO of Tsaboin Traffic Talk, stated that the traffic monitoring firm is in the forefront of providing traffic solution through free live feeds from cameras installed in strategic locations around the State. Odufuye stated that 17 cameras are currently operational across locations around Lagos state while plans are ongoing to increase the number of cameras in Lagos and dexpand to other states of the federation.

While adding that Tsaboin camera views had crossed 1.2 million views with 65 percent of the views originating from mobile devices, he further said that the Tsaboin app is data friendly especially for mobile smartphone users. In his words: “Tsaboin is optimized for both SMS, desktop and mobile phone users. For users who prefer viewing our cameras on their phones, they don’t have to worry about data usage because our video feeds are optimized for data use and are less than 120kb and can be encoded to fit smartphones”.

According to Odufuye, Tsaboin currently has 1,100 bus stops geotagged on the platform that users can subscribe to. He also added that the platform presently boasts over 20,000 subscribers with over 12,000 apps download from Google Playstore, iPad/iPhone, BlackBerry world and Windows store.

Odufuye further stated the firm is currently in partnership with two leading telecommunication firms, MTN Nigeria and Etisalat to further enhance its services to its users.

“We are pleased to announce the support of two telecoms giants, MTN and Etisalat who are partnering with us. We have a special arrangement with MTN to provide special data package for MTN subscribers who use the service while Etisalat has successfully created a USSD code for Tsaboin users. This is good news for Tsaboin Traffic Talk users on the two networks because it will enhance the quality of our services for them,” Odufuye stated. Odufuye also listed some new features that would be added to the platform to include the Tsaboin Places which would allow owners of businesses place adverts using the nearest bus stops or other places of interest, direction routes feature which will provide users with estimated time of arrival and navigation routes information for in-dash devices, among others.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 23

You’ve got to make that toyboy worth your investment in him!

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no has been a nonconformist all her life. This eventful day, she waited patiently at the VIP lounge of the local airport, fuming at the unnecessary delay in her flight when she noticed this young chap in his late 30s saunter towards her.

Eno is in her late 50s.

Curiously, she glanced at the seemingly shy man as he perched on a seat next to her.

The conversation was stilted at first until Eno let it drop that she had an engagement at the Port Harcourt branch of the motel she ran. “He instantly became interested in what I had to say and was chatting away as if he’d just discovered his tongue,” Eno recalled.

“When we eventually boarded the plane, it was inevitable that we sat together. He was quite helpful really, with my suitcase and making sure I was comfortable. When we arrived Port Harcourt, he asked tentatively if he could be put up in any of the rooms in my motel as it was too late to secure any decent accommodation. I would be a fool to pretend I didn’t know where all this was leading to. I was a single woman, twice divorced, and men like Ebere (the man’s name) swarmed around me all the time. Not that I look stunning at over 50, but because they could get

compensated for services well rendered.

“At my age, you have to take what is thrown at you and men like Ebere are fit and strong and quite better looking than men my age and they appreciate you.

Like, a friend aptly put it, getting involved with younger men is like walking down a wellstocked supermarket with an empty trolley. The goods on display are just begging to be snapped up.

Would she call it prostitution I asked her.

“Call it whatever you like, but there is a clear exchange of cash or gifts for sexual services. The agreement may last an hour, a night or a week. In some cases, it is a more informal long-term investment. The toyboy’s aim being to acquire benefits over a period he finds an older woman, get involved and build up a nest-egg for when he gets married. One thing is for sure, as long as you are loaded, you can be plain or fat or a pensioner you will still be made to feel young and beautiful,’ and there are more than enough of these men to go round with their taut well exercised bodies.

“They don’t need all those Viagra stuff unlike a lot of men my age. It is sad that dating younger men

which used to be a rarity now operates on an industrial scale,” observes a social commentator who says she feels disgusted by some older women’s getlaid wherever-you-can-getit attitude. “What was exciting has turned exploitative. Passion has been replaced by the predatory and caring has become a con to the opportunistic gigolos.”

And they have stupid wellworn lines they use on their victims that never fail. You are my destiny, without you, I would never have made it in life!’ Sloppy words that send their victims reaching for their cheque books.

“Life is short”, Eno concluded dreamy-eyed.

“I’m rich. My two children

are happily married, and in a decade or two, I might be history. With those younger men, I might buy the drinks, the gifts and give them a good time, but believe me, it is a bargain for the emotional satisfaction I get.

The married ones amongst my friends use my motels all the time, then go home and resume their normal life with their families. What the husbands don’t know can’t hurt them.”

Years back. when a group of us discussed the issue of younger lovers, Gladis had been indignant at having “to strip in front of a gangling man.” She said there were far more interesting men around for her to make a fool of herself with an inexperienced braggart!

When I now discussed Eno’s case with her. it was obvious her views had mellowed with years.

“At Eno’s age,” she said, “ you’ve got to get love anywhere you can find it.

Men of her age group are not exactly bursting with testosterone and forty something ‘ younger ’ men are more discreet than those in their 20s! I’ll tell you what happened to me a few years back. I was on my way to the UK when I ran into Joshua, a younger colleague in the year when I used to work in an office.

He was the one who recognized me really. I wouldn’t have believed it was him if he hadn’t approached me. He had filled out a bit, was obviously successful since he was flying first class and he looked really dishy.

“He was a bit irritating when we worked together and I was his boss - always coming to work late and tearing up any query he was given. He was eventually sacked but he showed no remorse and grapevine had it he got a better job, thanks to his influential dad.

“He seemed to have forgotten our little spats as he offered dinner in a very posh restaurant. I was to be in London for only two weeks and he stayed at this cool service apartment.

When I realized he was

eating out a lot of the time, I agreed to cook him some meals - his company was fun afterall, and his bar was well-stocked!

Inevitably, we had sex - and it was good. He was a few years younger. experienced and mature - or so I thought! He had to spoil things by blurting out he never imagined in his wildest dreams that he could bed a woman like me - a woman who had been so hoity-toity and seemingly untouchable!

There was actually pride in his voice - like he’d tamed a shrew!

“I felt a bit embarrassed but you could see that was how he really felt - and I’m sure he would have boasted to a few of his friends when he got back home. We didn’t even bother to arrange to see each other after I left. He’d obviously schemed to bed a prospective `hot’ woman and proud he’d accomplished the task.

This has nothing to do with his being younger - afterall he was a grown man. Some men are quite childish and see bedding different women as an accomplishment. All I know is that there are a lot of decent and discreet younger men out there and if you could get one - make the most of the meal!”

The Shoulderstand for Piles patients and others

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HE shoulder stand called Sorvangasana in Sanskrit is said to be one of the best asanas, postures.

C M Y K

C M Y K

Although it is a common sight to see it done in gyms, schools and health clubs without it coupled with deep breathing it becomes of very little therapeutic value.

Another name for the shoulderstand is The Candle Stand on account the body is kept straight as a candle.

Of great importance to both sexes, everyone should be encouraged to do this asana. Age should be no barrier. I have seen people well over 70 do the shoulderstand with skill and ease.

In this posture the thyroid gland which is situated at the base of the neck and the gonads or sex organs which lie low down the trunk, below the digestive organs are influenced.

The function of the endocrine or ductless glands are inter-related, in spite of the fact each had its own duties to perform. I shall return to the glands when we get to the steadstand and how it affects them all.

To do the Shoulderstand, lie down on your back with C M Y K

palms on the floor, slowly inhale and raise both legs.

With the elbows down, bring both hands to support the hips with the body resting on the nape of the neck and shoulders. Press the chin

firmly against the chest.

Now, push the trunk upward while straightening the knees with the legs in a straight vertical line. Do abdominal breathing-in and out movement of the

abdomen on account of breathe. Keep very still. You may close your eyes to avoid distractions. Remain in the posture for as long as it is comfortable.

To return to lying position, just bend the knees, then curve the spine, gradually unfolding it like when one unrolls a carpet. With

the whole back on the floor, straighten the knees and gently lower your legs to the ground.

Take a little rest flat on your back.

Benefits: The shoulderstand affects the thyroid and sex glands.

It gives vitality to the nerves, purifies the blood and promotes good circulation.

The shoulderstand affects the thyroid and sex glands. It gives vitality to the nerves, purifies the blood and promotes good circulation The Shoulderstand

With this exercise, the lower organs are strengthened and made to stay in place. It is especially recommended for women after child birth.

Of immense help to sufferers of asthma, constipation and piles it must be practised with deligence. It is of great help in overcoming painful menstration and other female disorders. In the menfolk, seminal weakness is corrected, manly vigour preserved.

Caution: People with organic disorders of the thyroid should refrain from this exercise and should be done for short periods - thirty seconds to a minute by those afflicted with chronic nasal catarrh.

Next in line after the shoulderstand is what is called The Fish Posture.

In the shoulderstand, the head is bent towards the chest while the opposite obtains in the fish-the neck is arched, bending the head backwards.

Supta-vafrasana is Sanskrit, the fish in done by kneeling on the floor with the feet spread apart. The body is then lowered down to the point where a sitting

posture between the heels is attained start reclining the body, and elbow. Drop the head far back. Continue the reclining movement until the done of your head is on the floor. Now arrange the hands as if in prayer.

Breathe normally.

The benefits of the fish are as follows: The pituitary pineal, thyroid and adrenal glands are affected. The neck is stretched and limbered. It strengthens and tones the nervous system, the kidney, the stomach, the intestines, the pelvic organs and the nerves connected with sex-functions.

For those who cannot sit down between the heels in this posture, they may keep the feet together and stretched out but arching the back and neck till the top (dome) of the head is on the floor with hands arranged as mentioned earlier in the full posture.

Yoga Classes STARTED Physical Therapy Centre @

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Adetokumbo

Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

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bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Think you should keep your husband’s name when you divorce?

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HELMA and I met recently at our doctor ’s waiting room - it was the first time I’d seen her after we left secondary school all those decades ago. Deep in the excitement of catching up on those lost years, the receptionist called out brightly: “Mrs. Johnson?” Thelma was on her feet without hesitation, even though she’d confessed to me earlier she’d been divorced longer than she could remember. As she left the consulting room, we arranged to meet up and exchanged numbers.

I really don’t look forward to these “do you remember when” moments and seldom hook up with past acquaintances I meet up casually but was please when Thelma got in touch, she was having a little gettogether at her place and invited me over. I was glad to take up her offer.

It was definitely nice being friends again and when next we met over ‘buka’ lunch, she wanted to know how easy it was for me to transit from my maiden name to my married name only to go back to my maiden name. She didn’t wait for an answer. “When my husband and I split up in 1998, after almost 25 years together, I kept his name for practical reasons,” she told me.

“During our married life, I had become reasonably well known as an actress and it seemed professional suicide to revert to my original name, a name nobody recognised. So, against my feminist principles, I had little choice but to stay with a surname that bore absolutely no relation to my status or lifestyle. I was, and

said Thelma. “Some boyfriends I’ve had since my divorce have said they feel awkward about me still being called by my married name and would prefer to think of me as a Miss - untainted by carrying a long-ago ex’s name. I once thought fleetingly of changing to my maiden name. I had a go at a signature I haven’t used for over 40 years and it felt as if 1 was using an alias - as if that person is not me any more .... “

would remain, a single woman stuck with a married name, even though I called myself Miss on official documents.

“When the children were little, it made things neat and easy for us all to have the same surname, especially when travelling as a family. Now they’re fully grown and doing well in their chosen professions and my sacrifice seems to have been worth it. You watch all these border security series on the TV of women being stopped at airports because they have a different surname to their children and have had to explain at great length that they really are their mothers.

Border officials are, of course, worried about trafficking, but for many women these days, it is an unforeseen consequence of hanging on to your maiden name.

“When I got married in the early seventies, I thought it was a legal requirement for women to take their husband’s

surname. It was only much later I learned it was merely a custom and never enshrined in law.

But at the time, women who kept their own names were virtually non-existent and considered odd. Didn’t they want to be married?

When I got married all those years ago, 1 had not chalked up any a c h i e v e m e n t s whatsoever, so it seemed 1 had nothing to lose by taking my husband’s name for all purposes.

Little did 1 know my career would blossom to the point that 1 would bitterly regret not hanging onto my own name, at least professionally.”

These days, it’s common for women to revert to their maiden names on divorce, shaking off the one associated with an ex. Yet some hang onto their ex’s name for years.

Sinatu, 45 and a medical doctor stuck to her ex’s name for eight years and only changed to her current name when she

remarried. “I stuck with my ex husband’s surname because my two daughters, who were in secondary school then, felt strongly about it. Now that they ’re grown up and doing their own thing, they don’t seem to care.

“I thought briefly of changing to my maiden name when my ex remarried, which meant there would be two of us hanging on to his surname; leading to a sort of identity crisis! He didn’t seem to care but I was fortunate to meet my current husband. My ex doesn’t really get along with him and it would be nasty of me to combine two married names afteralI, I wouldn’t have been the first to ~ h a v e done that!”

“Some of my divorce friends have reverted to their maiden names though a few still cling to the surnames of their ex.

One or two have stuck to their maiden names even after they remarried especially when they’re second or third wives!”

not matter to me, all that matter is for the fire of our love to increase every second, every hour, every day, and every year. Even when we leave this world, I will still love you. I love you sooooo much. Much Kisses to you my love.

Omorville Umoru Omorville@gmail.com, 08062486549

Y

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

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

My love, Everyday with you is always a Val Day to me. You are my Valentine before Valentine's Day, and will still be my Valentine after Valentine's Day. The day does

Addicted to you

My affection for you grows each and everyday. I am totally addicted to you, and you're the only drug that kept me from dying. When I looked into those eyes of yours, I saw the real me, a person that lives for a goal and a purpose. I pray hard each day, just to hope that you and I can be in a relationship that is more than just friends someday. For now, I've written this love note to declare my love for you and I will be right here waiting for you!

Coping With The Mixed Feelings In Your Relationship Both of you have now given away greater and greater chunks of your life rewriting label on your time from “mine” to ours. It’s the beginning of commitment. If this becomes a crisis in your romance, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the romance was wrong, you can have the right romance, feel deep love and commitment yet find yourself in a stage that is paralysing. The opposite is true too. Just because the two of you have no doubts does not necessarily mean that you’ve chosen right.

Poorly matched, illsuited and immature couples can find it as easy to leap into marriage as two people who’ve learned to love and accept each other.

The crisis of commitment is likely to be a reflection of your true feelings about marriage itself rather than about your partner. If you don’t have at least some mixed feelings about marriage, you have appreciated its realities. The fear of commitment is often the fear of losing control of your life. Suddenly, the

autonomy of being single looks attractive.

A bad first marriage a bitter divorce battle, poor relationship or images of either parent can all make people fight shy of commitment.

According to Judith Sills, a relationship expert, there are three different options for coping with a partner ’s fear of commitment.

Don’t take no for an answer: A bold strategy will only work if love, which is strong can be seen as separate from ability to make a commitment. The partner pursuing need to remember not to take reaction personally.

Convince, don’t insist: In order to convince, you need to feel what you have is worth fighting for.

The man or woman resisting commitment needs endless reassurance and persuasion.

Give an ultimatum: The classic “take control” approach to a relationship is bogged down on the road to marriage, “marry me, or I’m leaving,” is a high risk approach. If you say it, you must have to be prepared to leave – when your bluff is called.

Finally, when you do marry, keep one important myth at mind.

Marriage is not an end point. It is a beginning.

Your happiness does not depend entirely on your choice of partner life. Rest mainly on what you and your partner create. Like the relief of appreciating that much of the pain involved in forming a relationship is not meant personally, so it helps to know that much of the joy of marriage is also subject to your own influence.

CENT OBAMA centobama@gmail.com +23480613790 +2348061379003

My Path

I choose you as my path...

I know you will lead me to a good destination [happy home] I believe in loving you most sincerely, I know with you I will see my second generation[grandchildren] before departing..

To tell them you are the best grand ma ever...

To cherish every minute of my life with you...

To always be by your side...

To love and care for you...

Spy-beauty, you are really one in a million...

I love you dearly. Cheers...

James N Okonkwo C [Freesoul] ngesinaj@gmail.com 08066043380

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 25

Survivors’ near death stories as River Kaduna sweeps away ‘intruders’

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

I

t was a soft rain, gently dropping on rooftops all over Kaduna and environs penultimate Sunday night.

The weather was just right, with the sizzling sound of the rain almost inaudible.

Grateful residents furled up under bedcovers and relaxed into deep sleep awaiting the break of another day.

And then flood came.

River Kaduna, which originates from the Jos plateau and snakes 400km down to Kaduna city, was swollen to an incredible level as it collected excess water from the scores of tributaries that flow into its channel as a result of incessant rainfall in the few past days.

In a rash of current, the swirling river swept every loose object on its path unto its massive brown belly as it rolled downwards like a tsunami to join the Niger hundreds of miles southwards.

Farms, homes, school premises, business, places of worship were submerged while some, close to the banks of the river, were swept off.

Residents, living in low apartment homes within 300m of the banks, suddenly realised they were getting trapped in fast rising level of water as early as 3am penultimate Monday.

Houses affected, according

Residents, living in low apartment homes within 300m of the banks, suddenly realised they were getting trapped in fast rising level of water as early as 3am penultimate Monday to unofficial sources, may be as many as 3,000 in parts of 10 local government areas, LGAs, hit by the disaster.

Worst in history “I have lived in this town for all the 54 years of my life”, Aliyu Bashir Ahmed told Sunday Vanguard in soaked Jeans and t-shirt after he managed to take out a few belongings from his family home on Aliyu Makama Road, Barnawa, Kaduna, not far from Station Roundabout bridge that links southern part of Kaduna town with the northern part.

“I have never seen anything

like this before”, he added.

“Look at my mum over there”, he pointed at an old women swathed in wrappers on the front seat of a pickup van carrying some rescued household goods, “she said that the only time she could recall something close to this was in 1965. But then, there was no time this river has overflowed to the point of touching the top of that bridge, as we had this morning”.

At the foot of the bridge, a crowd had gathered on both sides around 10am, penultimate Monday morning, wondering how a river channel, about 100 meters wide, could expand into nearly half

a kilometre. The river had levelled the buildings and vegetation on its banks, allowing observers to have uninterrupted view of the banks as long as eyes could see.

All kinds of objects floated on the brownish furiously flowing “sea”, with some observers swearing that they saw corpses of livestock, and even that of a man.

Director General, Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Ezekiel Baba-Karik, later told newsmen that the flood was record high in Kaduna.

He said: “So far, parts of 10 LGAs have been badly flood-

ed. There has never been this type of flood in the state”.

Namadi’s House affected In Kaduna metropolis, worst hit were parts of Barnawa, Tudun-wada, Kigo Road, Gonin Gora, Karatudu, Kudenda, and Rafinguza which were submerged.

The home of former Vice President Namadi Sambo at Ungwan-Rimi, and the Living Faith Church, in Kaduna were also ravaged by the flood.

But the former VP had relocated from the house on Camp Road, Unguwan Rimi, after he lost the last gen-

Continues on page 26

PAGE 26— SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Survivors’ near death stories as River Kaduna sweeps away ‘intruders’

•Continued from page 25 eral elections.

The flood took residents by surprise, and hundreds were trapped. No official figures have been given about casualties, but many affirmed that some residents drowned in their homes.

Strange hero Some who were lucky to escape spoke of volunteers who risked their lives to rescue them.

“I have never swam in my life before”, said Kelechi Samuel, a hairdresser who lives on Kigo Road.

“When my neighbours banged on my door, around 5am (Monday), I jumped out of sleep and landed in a pool of water. As I opened the door, water rushed in. Outside was already like a lake. I went for my box where I had some money and documents. And as I heard people screaming out there, I knew it may be too late for me to start arranging the box. So I grabbed it and waded through the water. The more I walked to the gate, the more I got deeper into water.

I was scared that I could drown in the water. I rushed back, confused as I saw the water level rising the more.

Then I saw a man who was swimming on a huge calabash.

He came through the gate.

He said I should give him the box and that I should grab his back. I had no choice than to trust the stranger. He spoke very little, so I don’t know who he was. That is how he swam with me to safety. He said he was just helping and refused any form of reward.

He returned into the water to help the next person”, she told Sunday Vanguard.

Scoundrels on the loose But, there were also rogues who took advantage of the disaster.

Said K abiru Audu, 34, a C M Y K

bank worker who lives in Unguwan Rimi: “I had spent the night at my cousin’s place at the NDA barracks, then left for the office; not knowing there was a problem where I was living.

“Someone called me and said that parts of Unguwan River had been taken over by the river and that my area was affected. I dashed out of the office from Kawo around 9:45am to see what I could salvage from my house. I reached my apartment

Government was never supposed to give building permits on flood plains. In the case of Kigo Road and all that axis, there is an existing planning regulation, since 1967, that says that at no circumstances should any form of residential building be permitted in that area

around 10 am. Before I could get out, I discovered that the flood outside had reached close to my nostrils.

I had no choice than to climb the first floor of the building where others had gathered. I however managed to remove a few valuables.

“The boatmen came and started collecting N8,000 per head. Some of us refused to pay. But after an hour, with the situation getting worse, we started paying N20,000 per person. Even at that, there were no enough canoes to take everyone. Some people are still up there”.

Also, it was gathered that thieves came in canoes and burgled homes. A woman, who said she did not want her named mentioned, said thieves came in a canoe, and stole all the hens in her poultry and took away her electronics just as she was fleeing the house. She said that no one could dare them under that condition.

Reporter affected Femi Adi of The News magazine, one of the victims, who lives in Kudenda suburb of Kaduna , told our correspondent that his house and neighbour within the vicinity were submerged.

He said: “Over 500 houses located along the river side are gone.

“It’s quite unfortunate that we cannot help it. We saw our houses taken over by water and we could not do anything.

“I was here at the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ secretariat(Kaduna) doing my story when I was called that flood was taking over the area but, by the time I left for the house, the damage had been done”.

SEMA overwhelmed The damages clearly overwhelmed Kaduna State Emer-

gency Management Agency, SEMA. SEMA, according to Sunday Vanguard’s investigations, had only about 10 live jackets, not even enough to go round its staff. It had no divers, and even swimmers or rescuers. SEMA had only two vans, and certainly didn’t have a canoe, talk less of a boat. It was just left with making assessments of the damages with the view to arranging relief for the victims.

NEMA boss attacked It was, therefore, not a surprise that the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, escaped being mobbed by irate victims, penultimate Tuesday.

Sidi, on assessment tour of the affected areas, had arrived Kigo Road new extension at about noon to meet a crowd of displaced persons demanding for immediate attention.

Some of the victims hurled insults at the man on top of their voices, despite pleas for calm; so he could give them useful information.

“You are only here to speak grammar! We have no place to lay our heads!

Government doesn’t care for us!

Open your mouth and speak out, you are saying nothing!” were some of the rude comments he got.

When it was apparent that the displaced persons may physically assault Sidi, his armed escorts moved him to a waiting vehicle, and zoomed off. He arrived Ahmadu Bello Stadium to inspect a temporary camp under construction for the victims.

They have been warned However, fielding questions from reporters on his encounter, he said: “The reaction of the flood victims was

not pleasant, but I think it is normal because from what I have seen, they were not prepared for the flood, even though they had earlier been warned.

“You are aware that Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, issued the seasonal rainfall prediction which showed that all these states would be flooded, and now we have the situation at hand.

And as I speak, about 10 local government areas were affected by this flood in Kaduna State, about 16 local governments in Jigawa, about 17 local governments in Kebbi, almost 20 local governments in Adamawa State, and other states that were mentioned in the NIMET prediction.

“I had in the last two months been warning that there would be flood, and we need to move people, especially those that live within the flood prone areas, to higher ground, but they never took the warning very seriously”.

River taking revenge According to Malachy Danasabe, a town planner with City Dweller Nigeria Ltd, the victims and government share the blame for the tragedy.

He said: “Government was never supposed to give building permits on flood plains.

In the case of Kigo Road and all that axis, there is an existing planning regulation since 1967, that says that at no circumstances should any form of residential building be permitted in that area. Again, these people have yearly experienced this problem, though that of this year is the worst. They have no excuse to remain there. There houses were built in violation of clear safety guidelines for the building of homes. I think the river is just taking vengeance against those trespassing on its route”.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 27

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BY OLA AJAYI, Ibadan

ilgrimage to Mecca, as one of the five pillars of Islam, is a dream that every devout Muslim holds very dear to heart.

As a true Muslim, Mr. Akanni Ganiyu Arulogun has been praying for an opportunity to perform Hajj rite since childhood. But the opportunity never came until this year when he clocked 64.

Thanks to one of his children who presented the opportunity to him and his wife on a platter of gold.

So, his joy knew no bounds when his son told him and Mrs. Arulogun that he would foot the bill for their pilgrimage to the holy land. So, on May 12, 2015, Mr. Arulogun made the first payment of one million Naira to Kaula Al-Imam Travels and Tours which was believed to have successfully made several intending pilgrims realize their dreams of going to Mecca where they ‘stoned the devil’.

Determined to fulfill his promise, the sponsor, their son, also raised money for the mother too and Mr. Arulogun paid the second time to the travel agency.

This time around, he paid additional one million Naira on June 22, 2015 and later paid the remaining N1.25m a month after. In all, he and his wife paid N3.25m to a woman who they popularly called, ‘Kaola’.

Another intending pilgrim, Mr. Oguntokun Jimoh Amole, told Sunday Vanguard that he paid N1.625m on June 29 and August 7, 2015 to the same woman with the hope that, by the end of the year, he would add the title of ‘Alhaji’ to his name. In preparation, they had gone through the nightmare of getting their international passports waiting for the day they would be airlifted. But, unknown to them and nine others, fate was about to play a cruel joke on them.

After much waiting, they boarded a bus with the intention that they were going to Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. But, they were told they would go by road to Abuja airport. But, on the way, their tour guide, identified as ‘Akeem’, told them they would make a detour to Kaduna from where they would link Kano. Though, it sounded unconvincing, they agreed to what he said.

While relating their ordeal one after the other, the four persons, three men and a woman, almost burst into tears.

Arulogun spoke first.

He narrated: “This matter I want to share with you concerns twelve people. It is only three of us that came here now. I heard the commercials on a national television station that this travel agency helps intending pilgrims to travel to Mecca and charges for their services.

This woman we are talking about is the one that coordinates the agency. So, when one of my children gave me the money, I went there to make the initial deposit of N1 million, second deposit of N1m and the remaining N1.25m making N3.25m in all.

“When the day she promised us remained three days, she told us to pay additional N14,000 which we agreed to pay. We agreed to go to Lagos airport but said later that we would first go to Abuja. On our way, they told us again that it was Kaduna we would go first. On getting to Kaduna, we spent one night there. When we got to Kaduna, one Akeem told us that we had to go to Kano where we spent another night.

“When we got to Kano airport, we got our visa but we were not given any ticket and, you know, without air ticket, you cannot travel. That was how our journey to Mecca ended in Kano. You can imagine the trauma we went through. When we were still in Kano, one of my children, Taofeek Arulogun, called me calling me ‘Alhaji’ but I told him we had not left Kano. It was by the special mercy of Allah that we escaped robbery attack as we were wandering about.

“Since she (the woman coordinating C M Y K

We ended Hajj in Kano —Oyo intending pilgrims

•Oguntokun Amole travel agency) has disappointed us, the best thing is to refund our money. When we demanded for our money in a meeting we had three days ago, she was begging us to be patient till next year when there was a man who has been on the queue since 2012 and, up till now, he is yet to go to Mecca. All he has been getting is unfulfilled promises.”

Arulogun further stated that while they were in Kano, all intending pilgrims were told to switch off their phones so that their people would not know they had not been airlifted.

In his own explanation, Amole, who adopted all the explanations of Arulogun added that they were asked to pay N5,000 each to obtain forms.

According to him, after completing all the payments during fasting, he got receipts and they promised to call him after fasting.

“But, after two weeks that fasting had

•Mrs Arulogun ended, I did not hear anything from them. When I got there, they told me that the money I would pay had increased but could not tell how much. They told us that the increase would cater for our feeding, accommodation and visa. I was suspicious when they demanded for this money. I asked if I could have a refund of the money I paid, but they said no. when I told my children, they said the whole expenses should be N1.2 million and not N1.6m. They advised me to collect my money. The travel agency also told us to pay 300 dollars for ram but they have refunded this,” he stated.

“When we could no longer make the journey, Akeem Olalegan (tour guide),who is the agent there, told us that our money would be refunded immediately we got to Ibadan. But, up till now, we are yet to be paid. She said,

by October ending, she will be paying the money piecemeal which we

rejected”. A popular printer at Ago Ilorin, Topstar, who was also among the disappointed intending pilgrims, confirmed the comments of the other two persons, adding that, at one of the meetings they had with Kaola, one of her people told them that they should not bother if they heard on a broadcasting station that they were among the pilgrims that went to Mecca this year.

This was vehemently rebuffed by these aggrieved people who asked why the woman was trying to take them for fools.

They lamented that after they had allegedly been disappointed and were still struggling to get their money refunded, it would be double injury if she went on air to say they had completed the Hajj pilgrimage when in actual fact they ended up at Kano.

When Sunday Vanguard called the woman, whose first name is Kafilat, she said all she could plead for is patience, noting that it was not her intention to disappoint the people but her agent in the North did not pay for the tickets as instructed.

She said, “There is no perfection in Hajj issue. We had hired twelve hotel rooms and bought their visas. But, unfortunately, the person we gave the money did not buy tickets. When the intending pilgrims came back, I appealed to them to be calm. As I am talking to you now, I am in hospital receiving treatment. Help me plead with them to be patient. God will give us long life to witness another year”.

As for the person who was said to have been on the queue since 2012, she said the person in question paid only N400,000 instead of N1.1million. “It is only God who understands why our efforts did not pay off. I just tried to calm down my friend who is an agent.

She lost four of her relatives in the tragedy that happened. All of them had visa, but God intentionally delayed them. If they want me to do an undertaking, I am ready to do it. By next year, they will all go and I will also go with them. We have helped so many people in the past. But, this one just didn’t work out”, she said.

Osanebi leads Ndokwa monarchs, politicians’ drive for devt

BY ABEL KOLAWOLE n line with his desire to enhance the development of Ndokwa nation, I Deputy Speaker, Delta State House Assembly, Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi, led a team of political office holders to visit traditional and community leaders in the area. The Deputy Speaker, during the visit, packaged to enable the political office holders the opportunity to introduce

members representing Ndokwa nation on the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission ( DESOPADEC) to the traditional and opinion leaders, reassured Ndokwa people of their resolve to be united for the purpose of development. The Deputy Speaker, addressing the Ukwuani Traditional Rulers Council at the palace of Comr.

Evang. R. C Osanwuta, Ezhie 1 of Ezionum Kingdom, told the people of their resolve to be united as political office holders for the interest of Ndokwa, noting that the administration of

Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi, Deputy Speaker Delta State House of Assembly, during the Ndokwa political leaders’ visit to the Oduasa 1 of Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom, HRM Isaac Obi

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has good plans for Ndokwa nation, as evident in his appointments; but revealed that the key to attracting democratic dividends was for all political office holders of Ndokwa extraction to speak with one voice.

In the entourage of the Deputy Speaker were Hon. Azuka Azaka, member representing Ndokwa West in Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Christopher Ochor Ochor, Executive Director, DESOPADEC, Hon. Oputa Fidelix ( Flenjor), member representing Ndokwa West in DESOPADEC; Hon. Ezechi Nnamdi, member representing Ndokwa East in DESOPADEC, Mr. F Aniche, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Monitoring, Comr.

Benjamin Onwubolu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Community Development, among other political office holders. Hon. Alphonsus Ojo, representing Ukwuani Local Government Area in the state House of Assembly, was excused for an urgent engagement in Port-Harcourt.

At the palace of Isaac Obi, the Oduasa 1 of Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom, the monarch said he was satisfied with the leadership of Okowa and Osanebi because they had been working and doing well before now. The team was later received at the palace of the Okpala-Uku of Uta-Ogbe Kingdom where they were also prayed for.

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SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

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REINVENTING EBONYI

Umahi’s zero tolerance for bad roads

BY KENNEDY MBELE

B

arely four months into his administration, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has shown that his administration will be driven by performance and not propaganda. Umahi, deputy governor in the immediate past administration of the state, hit the ground running by mobilizing to site various contractors, especially those handling construction projects in the state capital, Abakaliki.

At the last count, no fewer than ten of such projects are ongoing.

Prominent among these projects is the old Ogbaga Road project in the Kpirikpiri area of the state. The road, which leads to several government establishments including the popular Nnodo Boys’ Secondary School, Abalaiki, will soon be wearing a new look as the contractor laying the asphalt has fully mobilized to site.

Also, construction work has started along the popular Gunning Road and New Market Road located in Abakpa area of the State. Expectedly, the major road

•Gov Dave Umahi leading to the state House of Assembly, Nkaliki Road is not left out of this good chain of on-going projects as it’s being reconstructed and overlaid with asphalt.

Similarly, construction, which stopped as sudden as it started on the PRESCO end of the Abakiliki Enugu Highway, has resumed fully.

With its impressive record of speed and timeliness, it’s expected that the contractor, SETRACO, will soon complete the project which will enhance traffic flow in the area.

The state government has also embarked on the construction of at

least a ten-kilometer road in each of the three senatorial zones of Ebonyi. These roads have been marked for completion before December. Equally on the state government’s front burner is the construction of over one hundredkilometer road network in the state capital, within the next six months.

To facilitate these laudable projects, Umahi has acquired several construction equipment including 15 heavy duty trucks apparently for direct use by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Works.

As part of its safety measures, the state government has ordered the installation of street lights along deserving roads such as: the Gunning Road, Zik’s Avenue, New Market Road, Nkaliki Road and part of Abakaliki–Enugu Highway between PRESCO Junction and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat. This will soon be extended to three other major streets namely: Old Ogbaga Road, Ezza Road and Onwe Road.

Of the three flyovers earmarked for construction at Vanco, PRESCO and Spera in Deo Junctions, major construction

work has started on one, while the other two are scheduled to begin shortly.

Poised to improve agriculture and food production in Ebonyi, the administration has procured several agricultural equipment.

The government is also encouraging farmers in the state to form co-operative societies that would assist it in ensuring that the state maintains its enviable position in agriculture, particularly rice production.

Meanwhile, the state government has repositioned the health sector.

The sector now provides adequate medical service to the populace. Its recent ability to curtail a cholera outbreak within one week typifies their pro-activeness as galvanized

by Umahi’s first step into the sector.

The state has also shown its determination to improve water supply to residents by embarking on a total overhauling, the state Water Board. In other words, all issues hindering adequate supply of water in Abakaliki and environs are being urgently addressed by government.

Housing, a right in Cross River

BY SOLOMON ASHA AND EMMANUEL ULAYI

G

overnor Benedict Ayade, courtesy of the Cross River State Social Housing Scheme Agency Law No. 12, 2015, is making housing a fundamental human right in the state.

To ensure the proper management of the 5,000 houses under the scheme, the law provides for an agency. The enabling law is not oblivious of the importance of funding to the realization of the housing objective, hence it provides sources for funds to include grants from the state government; grants from the Federal Government agencies and other national organizations; funds received by the agency for its services; grants, donations, endowments and other gifts from private organizations; and moneys accruing to the agency from other sources whatsoever.

The target is to provide accommodation for people without income, the physically challenged who cannot earn a reasonable income as a result of their disabilities, low income earners including civil servants of grade level 01-08 and those who earned less than N70,000 per month from the private sector. The law gives the agency the powers to make regulations on housing development for low income earners in the state; review when necessary

the provisions of the housing scheme; develop and promote the use of appropriate technology in housing construction and materials production; develop and promote state housing market; encourage and fund the training of skilled manpower required for the building of industries; and devise simple and affordable techniques for upgrading existing housing stock. The housing policy excites Cross River residents.

Utty Solomon, a student, said the Ayade houses for the poor and low income earners have endeared the governor to many Cross River people and prayed God to continue to bless Ayade and grant him the enablement to complete the project. A decorator/event manager, Mr. Vincent Olekanma, referred to Ayade as a man who feels the pulse of the common man, and has decided to come to their rescue. A sculptor/artist, who simply called himself Barnabas, thanked Ayade for always thinking about the interest of the ordinary persons.

A medical student, Mr. Adogbeji Prosper Obukohwo, said that the concept of houses for the poor and low income earners is one of the most pragmatic and peopleoriented policies of our time, adding that the policy, when fully implemented, will bring down rent in Calabar where two universities and other

•Gov Benedict Ayade

tertiary institutions exist and landlords are milking poor students. Pastor Raphael Etim Duke said the Ayade houses are in line with the Bible which requires that the needy be provided for by government and the rich, saying God will bless Ayade for his passion for the ordinary person.

Atiku Bala, a security guard, said he strongly believed in Ayade and his sincerity to provide houses for the poor as the governor has not forgotten that he himself came from a poor background. A cab driver, Mr. Boniface Bisong, stated that the houses are a gift from God, and that if that is the only thing Ayade will do in four years, Cross Riverians will applaud him.

A House of Representatives member, Hon. Legor Idagbo, described the idea as laudable initiative because many, who could not afford houses of their own, will,

through the scheme, become proud owners of their own houses.

A retired general, Edward Unimna, referred to the initiative as a brilliant idea.

He said the scheme will put the governor on the path of history.

A former Chairman of Obudu Local Government Area, Hon. (Lady) Cecilia Ally, said she was not surprised that Ayade is embarking on the construction of the houses because she has always known him to be a person with a good heart, especially for the down-trodden.

The comments show that the people appreciate the housing policy of the governor. The initiative will also have a positive multiplying effect and boost the living conditions of the poor and the low income earners as resources channeled to rent will now be deployed to other pressing needs.

Ezemese suspends member memberss

BY TOMMY ANADUAKA

Ezemese, comprising Umuekea, Umuezeagwu, Ogbeowele and Umuehea quarters, in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, has suspended some members: Onowu Vincent Amatokwu, Augustine Amatokwu, Anthony Nwankwo, Azuobi Amatokwu, Azu Okonkwo, Obi Ogugua Awolo and Adimabua Amatokwu.

A sworn – affidavit and release from the eldest male and Isinka of the community, Diokpa Pius Nduka Nwanze; Chief F.K. Oweleke, the Diokpa of Umuezeagwu; Onowu S. Ofuokwu, the Diokpa of Ogbeowele; Sir Augustine Ajufo, the Diokpa of Umueheia and Chief P.J.I Okonicha, the Iyase (Prime Minister) of Ibusa, stated that the suspension was in connection with the parade of one Anthony Nwankwo as Iyase of the community as against the government recognized Iyase, Chief Okonicha.

The release stated that all the persons cease to represent Ezemese on any issue.

Ex-DESOP ADEC Ex-DESOPADEC c hief’s car car,, tricycles for staff *Rallies HOSTCOM’s support for Okowa

The immediate past DESOPADEC Commissioner representing Ndokwa, Sir Kenny Okolugbo, has charged the host communities to continue to support the Okowaled Delta State government.

He said this at the independence day party held for HOSTCOM and DESOPADEC staff from Ndokwa nation where he appreciated them for the support he received during his 32 months stewardship. “If leaders imbibe the culture of always appreciating their success stories while in office, it will encourage the people to do more”, Okolugbo stated.

He gave out 11 tricycles and a car to some of those he described as having exercised patience all through his tenure even while others where benefiting but never complained.

Sir Kenny Okolugbo donating tricycles and a car

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 29 08116759757

Boy, born with 'divided face', loses one eye •Fights to save other eye, mum seeks lifeline T

he parents of six-yearold Joshua Takon have appealed to Nigerians to come to the aid of their son, to prevent him from going blind.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard in Abuja, Mrs. Kate Takon Neji, from Cross River State, stated that Joshua, diagnosed with cleft palate from birth, needs N3.5 million for facial reconstruction surgery in India and save him from losing his second eye after losing the first.

Neji stated that four months after his birth, Joshua, born with a ‘divided

•Joshua face’, underwent a surgical operation at the University of Calabar Teaching

Hospital to correct the anomaly, adding that few months after the surgery, they started noticing spots and pus on the face.

She explained that Joshua underwent a second surgery in 2011 at the General Hospital, Asokoro, Abuja, which she said was not successful.

The mother said, “We had to return to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital to tell the doctors about the development. Specifically, water and some whitish substances still come out of the only functional eye and this is a major challenge for

him at school, as he finds it very difficult looking at the chalkboard.

“It was from there that we were referred to Primus International Super Specialty Hospital, Abuja, where we were told they do not have the facility to carry out this type of surgery. The hospital later referred us to their branch in India.

“We were told by the hospital that it would cost a minimum of $16,000, about N3.5 million, for medical, transport and other expenses for the trip to India. We have spent all we had on the first two

Community in turmoil over oil royalty

•Falana petitions Army, DSS chiefs on behalf of victims

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH ome indigenes of Odimodi S in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State

have cried out to the authorities over alleged move by some individuals in the community, in connivance with military operatives, to banish them from their native land.

In a save our soul (SOS) petition from their lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, to the Director General of the Department of Security Service (SOS) and the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Mr Harry Angeyama, Mr Presly Iyalagha and Peter Iyalagha alleged that they had been chased out of Odimadi by some individuals for speaking out against alleged misappropriation and embezzlement of community funds running into hundreds of millions of Naira.

According to them, trouble began when they (petitioners) took steps to stop alleged recklessness and misappropriation of funds meant for the community by a former community leader as well as steps taken by Shell Petroleum Development Company’s, SPDC, memorandum of understanding, recognizing only four communities—Odimodi, Yeye, Forcadoes and Izon Burutu leaving other oil producing communities in the area out of the deal.

They argued that in spite of the opposition of the communities not considered in the arrangement, the SPDC official in charge of the process and his counterpart on interface coordination executed the GmoU, in alleged connivance with the former community leader and another person.

However, when Iyalagha (one of the petitioners) assumed office as

community Chairman, he stated that efforts to correct the wrongs did not go well with those who planned their banishment as well as executing plans to get rid of them.

To carry out their threats, it was alleged that several attempts were made on their lives, that of their relations and those sympathetic to their cause which included but not limited to the incident that happened on July 10, 2015, where one Chief Sapark Obaila and Ogun Ovie were physically assaulted by the assailants.

As if this was not enough, the community, according to the petitioners, was thrown into pandemonium due to other attacks with weapons by the same people on July 15 and 20 where they disrupted the Eluwei Congress (town hall meeting).

This, according to them, led to the intervention of the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, who summoned a peace security meeting in his office, where he banned assembly meeting for a while, but the attempt was allegedly shunned by the attackers who were said to have boasted that they will resist the military.

These developments led to “much tension in Odimodi community.”

The petition further stated: “ Owing to their inability to assassinate our client and other members of our client’s community, the former community leader resorted to using his uncle to call for a meeting for the purpose of banishing those opposed to them from the community and to maim our clients and other members of our client’s community they have pencilled down if they attend the meeting.”

To achieve support from some ignorant members of the

•One of the victims of attacks community and security operatives, it was said that bogus petitions were written to the authorities to label some of them (petitioners), especially Iyalagha, as a gun runner and a leader of a militant group.

Denying any link with militancy or having anything to do with arms, Iyalagha said he is a business man who had contributed to the development of

Odimodi through road construction, rehabilitation and equipping the community hospital among others, in spite of the fact that he didn’t reside in the area.

He said, “I am not residing in the community. I was neither one of those paraded during amnesty period nor one of those granted amnesty. My name was never published by the JTF as one of the militants in Niger Delta.

“How come about it that I am being labelled a militant determined to wreak havoc in a community I used my personal resources to develop. This is an allegation to tarnish my name as well as a name calling to get me hanged.”

Denying several of the allegations in a telephone interview, a lawyer, accused of backing the accused persons to attack the petitioners, said that the crisis in the community is caused by a militant group sponsored by an oil contractor, who also is a

surgeries. I am a seamstress while my husband is a cocoa farmer. All our earnings have been spent on the first two surgeries, while my husband had to dispose of his land to meet the cost of one of the operations.”

She said the family spent N870,000 and N500,000 on the first and second surgeries respectively and have been spending huge sums of money on drugs since after the surgeries.

Neji appealed to wellmeaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the family to save Joshua from losing his sight and his life, especially as the situation is making it difficult for him to breathe.

Giving a breakdown of the cost, a letter from Primus Hospital showed that approximately $10,000 is required for the cost of the treatment; $3,500 for air ticket (return) for two persons to India and $2,500 for accommodation and miscellaneous expenses.

The mother stated that donations to save Joshua can be paid into Ecobank Account Number 5341006154, and Account Name: Takon Joshua Neji.

native of the community to boost an illegal oil bunkering businesses.

According to him, the militancy group, known as ‘Red Beret’, has carried out several attacks on the community as well as causing arson and looting, while sponsoring meetings to remove community executive committees and impose stooges.

He said the group had acquired arms and weapons to wreak havoc on the community, apart from its previous exploits which he said led to the petition written to the authorities to get some of them arrested and detained.

The lawyer said: “How can a law firm interested in defending the community rights be responsible for burning the same community?

“I don’t know about the plan to banish or assassinate anybody from the community.”

Analysts believe only a timely intervention of the Federal Government in the brewing crisis in the community can save the multi-billion dollars oil investments in the area as well as making warring parties lay down their arms and embrace peace.

Jumbo House of Grand Bonnny extends Jasper’s tenure

T

he Jumbo Major House of Grand Bonny, Rivers State has extended the tenure of its Caretaker Committee, headed by Prof. Jasper Jumbo, for two years.

In a press statement by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Charles Omuso Jumbo, it stated that at a general/mass meeting of the House, members they overwhelmingly re-elected the Caretaker Committee “in view of its meritorious service in the past one year” The statement said: “The House authorised an immediate review of its 1971 Constitution and empowered the CTC Chairman to appoint a Constitution Review Committee and set in motion

processes for its ratification and adoption”.

They further mandated the Caretaker Committee to apply legal, constitutional and peaceful means to recover all rent accruals and other funds due to the House from its tenants including Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd, as well as seek direct scholarships, employment and community development assistance from all oil and gas companies operating on Jumbo land in Bonny LGA. In his acceptance speech, Jasper regretted that the House had been fighting an internal war, a situation that “stalled development in the community in

the past 16 years” and recalled that within its one year of activities, his committee had made the marginalization of the Jumbo Major House a national issue, bringing the matter to the attention of former President Goodluck Jonathan; embarked on a development sourcing trip to Dubai with some of the youths and elders of the community, registered and incorporated the Major House Youth Association with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and put a stop to several attempts to convert or sell family lands and set up an electrification committee to extend uninterrupted electricity supply to all Jumbo villages.

PAGE 30— SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 31

NIGERIA AT 55

Prologue

MATTHEW KUKAH DIAGNOSES BUHARI, NIGERIA

Hysteria, Euphoria & Amnesia: A nation’s long walk to freedom Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, diagnoses Nigeria. He spoke at the Platform, an occasion organised by Covenant Centre, Lagos, on October 1, 2015, to mark the country’s 55th independence anniversary

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or years and, perhaps, out of deep frustration, Nigerians have raised up messiahs, hoping and praying that they would take away their sins and sufferings and usher in a new dawn. But, in almost all instances, our joys have turned into ashes. For over 50 years, we have celebrated every military or civilian regime only to lose patience and fall into depression. Under the civilian administrations, we have often summoned the military to come to our rescue.

Some years back, while I was in Oxford and working on my book, a friend of mine, a retired military officer, paid me a visit.

We got talking about our country. I told him I really wanted to know how military coups were planned because I had never really read anything about coup plotting.

He laughed and offered me some insights.

I asked him if I could have him on tape and he said yes. In summary, he said something like this: “The idea of a coup could come from an individual who might then sell it to another very close friend. It is hard to know whom to trust, so you have to know how to send out feelers. So, for example, you meet a friend and you ask, ‘how are things?’ And he says, well, my brother, country hard’. You could go on and say something like, ‘how can things be so bad? Will we continue like this? It is really terribles. Then you watch and see or hear his reaction. If he is of the same feeling of frustration, then you know that he is a good material and you go from there”.

“Just like that?” I said. He continued: “Well, you keep sharing the feelings and then, from two of you, the circle could gradually increase until you become a small core group. You then get to work and this could take months to plan. But when you are done with planning, the challenge is how to gauge the mood of the country to be sure that the coup might be popular. At this point, we then reach out to our friends in the media. We get people to write articles, editorial opinions, saying how bad things are in the country. Gradually, the people themselves begin to feel that things are really bad. Even those who are doing well may begin to feel guilty and so on. By doing this, we set the tone for public approval. This is why you always see people on the streets, rejoicing and welcoming us as messiahs and redeemers. The rest, as they say is history”.

The hysteria and euphoria that greeted General Buhari’s election victory is reminiscent of these sentiments. You get a sense of de javu, we have been on this road before, it all looks so familiar. I have listened to Nigerians sing the praises of General Buhari as a morally ramrod Muslim, God fearing, a disciplined officer, a patriot, an incorruptible man who is now adorned with a messianic regalia. He will take us to the promised land, Nigerians argue, by ridding our nation of the devil of corruption.

And, as they say, we

C M Y K

I believe that Nigerians are very much mistaken in associating fear of God with goodness shall live happy ever after.

I do not disagree with these sentiments.

Some, like myself, have known the man for the better part of 20 years and can even claim some level of friendship and greater familiarity than most of those who met General Buhari after worshipping at the Church of Latter Day saints. However, I believe that Nigerians are very much mistaken in associating fear of God with goodness.

Going forward, I want to do three things.

First, I will define the key words. Second, I will try to look back at how the so-called fight against corruption has been deployed by successive military regimes as a means of seducing us into compliance. My concern is whether we shall continue to fall for the same tricks given that, after over 50 years, we are nowhere near achieving success in our fight a g a i n s t corruption.

Against the backdrop of what I have said, I hope you can now understand why I chose the words, hysteria, euphoria and amnesia, as a way of interrogating the situation we are in. So far, what I have tried to do is to

draw attention to the fact that we have been on this road before. What lessons are there for us to learn?

I wish to now turn my attention to examining why I believe that ours is a case of a long walk to freedom.

My Apple computer dictionary defines hysteria as follows: “Exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people…. psychological disorder whose symptoms include conversion of psychological stress into physical symptoms, shown in volatile emotions, overdramatic or attention seeking behaviour”. The same dictionary defines euphoria as “a state of intense excitement and happiness”, while amnesia is defined and associated with, total or partial loss of memory.

I believe the outpouring of emotions welcoming the new administration was necessary and understandable, given the nature of the trepidation ahead of the elections. However, now that we have been able to catch our breathe, what should we make of this hysteria and euphoria?

Personally, with some trepidation, I have some sense of de javu manifested in the blind hysterical and euphoric outpouring of emotions welcoming the return of President Buhari and the belief that he has come to take our sins away. The sense that, somehow, we should simply fold our hands and wait because, like a scene out of Jimwill-fix-it in the British television programme, we should hand our future to one man who knows it all.

We are becoming victims of what our famous daughter, Chimamanda, has referred to, in a most powerful essay, as the danger of the Single Story. In her words, the single story is built on stereotypes and, the trouble with stereotypes is not that they are false, but that they are incomplete. Building on this, Nigerians have imbibed the notion of the single story that we are being defined as corrupt. Thus, the idea of a fight, a war against corruption has often taken a life of its own in our collective narrative of the problems of our country.

We have moved a step further by saying that if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill us. I consider most of this analysis a bit s h a l l o w, lacking

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in a serious understanding of how societies and human nature work in semi-primitive society such as ours. My argument therefore is to say that, no, we should not be talking of fighting corruption, rather, we should see corruption as a symptom of something that is intrinsically wrong with our society, the loss of the moral centre of gravity of our society.

If corruption is so evil, how come we are so much at peace with it? If corruption is so rotten, how come we all seem to enjoy its company? What are the agencies for corruption? What capacity do they have?

Are they above the fray or are they also caught up in the same web of corruption?

How much bribe does a President need to pay to get an anti-corruption agency or bill passed in the legislative assembly? Why has corruption become so easy and pervasive and why is it that, like MTN would say, it is everywhere you go? What makes it so attractive? If we are so much against it, how is it that we cannot generate a collective sense of moral revulsion?

But, if we are a serious people with a sense of history, how many wars have we won in this country? 50 years after civil war, MASOOB says Biafra is still alive because those who govern us have refused to admit that, in all dishonesty, we have left a few windows open. Why did we not win the war against indiscipline?

Why did we not win the war against illiteracy? Why did we not win the war against hunger despite Operation Feed the Nation? Why did we not win the war against armed robbery? Why did not win the war against poverty? Why did we not win the war against insecurity? What makes us confident that we will win this war? Should it not be clear to us that there is more than meets the eye?

President Buhari is not new on the block.

He came and saw but we all know the story. In declaring a war against corruption, he lost his job. It is quite interesting that none of all of those who have suddenly become vocal now in the war against corruption went out on the streets to condemn the overthrow of their hero. If Nigerians were so convinced about the war against corruption, why did they all cross to the other side of the street where President Babangida was already offering them a decaffeinated form of war by stating that the overthrow of Buhari had become necessary because, in his th words on August 27 , 1985: “Muhammad Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitude to issues of national significance?”

General Babangida justified his coup by claiming that General Buhari had been rather impervious to reason. His words: “Efforts to make him understand that a diverse polity like Nigeria requires recognition and appreciation of the difference in both cultural and individual perception only served to aggravate these attitudes…He arrogated to himself the absolute knowledge of problems and

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MATTHEW KUKAH DIAGNOSES BUHARI, NIGERIA

Hysteria, Euphoria & Amnesia: A nation’s long walk to freedom Continued from page 31 solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government as his tool”. This was 30 years ago and both men are still alive.

So, when I warn about the consequences of our hysteria, euphoria and amnesia, it is based on the feeling that, in a more serious country, we should appreciate that we have been on this road before.

The question we should be asking ourselves now is, how and why is it that every coup plotter in Nigeria hung his colours on the mast of fighting corruption?

How come that all successive governments have come in, accusing their predecessors of massive corruption only to turn around and do even worse or leave a similar legacy of rot?

In my book, Witness to Justice, I titled one of the chapters, Do Not Forget to Remember. The idea was to call attention to a chronic lack of a sense of history that was unpardonable. I drew from a few of the speeches of coup plotters to illustrate this tragedy and argued that we are all culpable and that we are also sinners, not a bunch of innocent people who have been sinned against. Let me very briefly trace this same trajectory to make the point.

On January 15, 1966, Major Nzeogwu told a stunned nation that he and his colleagues had intervened to establish a strong, united and prosperous nation, free from corruption and internal strife. The highpoint of his speech was when he said: “Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10%, those who keep the country permanently divided so that they can remain in office.

He ended his speech by proclaiming that: We promise that you will no more be ashamed to say that you are Nigerians”.

As we know, he and his men went on to commit heinous crimes against this nation by killing innocent men and finally triggering off the ugly events that led to a civil war.

When the war ended, General Gowon was overthrown on July 29, 1975.

Brigadier General (Murtala) Muhammed stated that the military had intervened because: “Despite our great human and material resources, the government has not been able to fulfill the legitimate expectations of our people. Nigeria has been left to drift”. Even the charlatan, Lt. Col BS Dimka, opened greeted Nigerians on February 13, 1976, by saying: “I bring you good tidings” and ended his speech by reminding Nigerians: We are together”.

On December 31, 1983, the nation woke up to the voice of one Brigadier Sani Abacha, who conscripted Nigerians into the witness box by arguing: “You have been witnesses to the grave economic predicament and uncertainty which an inept and corrupt leadership has imposed on our beloved nation…Our economy has been mis-managed. We have become a debtor and beggar nation…In some states; workers are being owed salaries of 8-12 months”. General Abacha concluded that he and his colleagues had intervened because it was their duty as “promoters and protectors of our national interest”.

The new Head of State was announced as Brigadier General Muhammadu Buhari who, in his opening address, noted: “The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and the crisis of confidence afflicting our country….This government will not tolerate kickbacks, inflation of contracts and over invoicing of imports, nor will it condone forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling…..Workers who have not received their salaries in the past eight or so months will receive such salaries today or tomorrow. It was interesting that the President acknowledged that even the C M Y K

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So, when I warn about the consequences of our hysteria, euphoria and amnesia, it is based on the feeling that, in a more serious country, we should appreciate that we have been on this road before criminals had a role to play in his vision for the nation. He said: We expect all Nigerians, including those who participated directly or indirectly in bringing the nation to this present predicament, to cooperate with us”.

When Brigadier General Dogon Yaro announced the overthrow of the Buhari administration on August 27, 1985, he acknowledged that the government had been welcomed with what he called, “unprecedented enthusiasm”. He complained that members of the Supreme Military Council had been sidelined and made redundant because only “….a select few members were charged with the dayto-day implementation of the SMC’s policies and decisions….the concept of collective leadership has been substituted by stubborn and ill advised unilateral actions, thereby destroying the principles upon which the military came to power”.

On the same day, General Abacha, in his own speech, complained: “The Buhari leadership lacked the capacity and the capability to lead this nation out of its social and economic predicament….It is most disheartening that most of the ills that plagued the nation during the civilian regime are still present in our society”.

President Ibrahim Babangida then stepped up and opened his speech by reminding a stunned nation that Buhari had come to power with the most popular enthusiasm accorded any government in the history of this country.

But, sadly, he continued: “Since January 1984, we have witnessed systematic denigration of hope . He continued: Muhammadu Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitudes to issues of national significance…He arrogated to himself the absolute knowledge of the problems and solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government as his tool”. General Babangida made the usual noises about the state of the economy and the plans to end economic mismanagement and place the nation on the path of rectitude.

Then General Abacha came back a third time, this time to oust Chief Ernest Shonekan. This was a rather curious speech because it was like no other.

General Abacha broke from the tradition of denigrating his predecessor as a way of justifying his coup. Instead, he commended Shonekan for, in his own words, “showing the greater courage of knowing when to leave”. He promised to lay a solid foundation for the growth of democracy. He ended his speech by again, lamenting Chief Shonekan who, again, in his words, “unfortunately, resigned yesterday”, stated that the government was a “child of necessity” out to enthrone lasting democracy.

I know I sound like a bearer of bad news, a cynic or one who does not support Buhari’s war as my enemies have concluded. Indeed, the opposite is actually the case. First, as the American television series, ‘Everybody loves Raymond,’ will say, “Everybody loves Buhari”. But that is the first danger. It is not in President Buhari’s interest that everyone presents a face of love for him. The country is more than one man. President Buhari himself has said that much. What the President needs is an army of non-partisan patriots committed to supporting him, but looking well beyond him and his party and focusing on the nation and its future.

Despite our claims of moral probity, the President’s men and women, who will be

Ministers, will be taken from among us.

They will serve in the same public service that has deteriorated into a conveyor belt of corruption and malfeasance. We do not know how long they will stay on the high horse of moral probity before we start hearing the usual cry of, “na morality we go chop?” These men are from among us, and they will be surrounded by the usual coterie of carpetbaggers. So, the President requires other men and women outside his formal choir of party members who can help him think, men and women who are unencumbered by the vagaries of the sweet juices of political power and office, men and women who are not seduced by popular approval, men and women who live for tomorrow, men and women who have ideas about how nations are build, men and women who do not see public trust as a vehicle for vengeance, men and women who live by the law of live and let live, men and women who do not see the exigencies of the moment as our turn to eat.

2: Still a Very Long Walk To Freedom: I always had great difficulties understanding how Nigerians tried to compare Nelson Mandela with General Olusegun Obasanjo. On the surface, local and international commentators kept saying that they expected Obasanjo to do a Mandela by which they meant that he should have served one term and moved on. The comparison, to my mind, was a useless distraction because both men had such totally different dispositions, spiritual and other wise. Mandela never spoke of religion while Obasanjo had had a road to Damascus spiritual experience in prison. Obasanjo had been a President, an experience Mandela never had.

Mandela inherited a disciplined society which had come at great cost to the black people, but it had produced a nation of superb infrastructure, a business elite that was largely ensconced from direct politics. Obasanjo had been wheeled into power by a thoroughly corrupt and inefficient system with which he had to negotiate and keep happy at a great cost to the nation. Mandela had had years of training and preparation, negotiation and the search for common ground with the Afrikaners while Obasanjo did not have such an experience.

Finally, Mandela inherited an almost 80 year political movement that had the discipline of a religious group, while Obasanjo inherited a rickety contraption quickly assembled merely to wheel him to power. So, while one moved on, the other opted to stay on and on. The title of Mandela’s biography, A Long Walk to Freedom, more or less, says it all. In his personal life, he had been disciplined in the purifying fires of suffering. He promised the traumatised and oppressed people of South Africa who had been rendered landless and homeless a million houses and salt. But, in the end, none of these really became available to the people of South Africa, majority of whom are still in the sheebeens of poverty and squalor. For Mandela, there was a trade off. In exchange for a stable country ravaged by hatred and injustice, he opted to heal the wounds of his people by focusing on the dignity of forgiveness and reconciliation.

The verdict is out there as to whether he succeeded, but no one can take away the fact that he left his country sufficiently stable. This singular achievement laid the foundation for a new South Africa. It can be argued therefore that, to Mandela, securing peace and reconciliation were the primary objectives he wished to achieve. He had all the reasons to turn an angry and hungry populace against the white supremacists, especially given that most of those who crafted the architecture of apartheid were still alive and relatively well enough to go to prison as the case may be. He left the task of creating a wealthy country to his successors, believing that, first, there has to be a country before we can talk of prosperity and wealth. What lessons can we learn from this?

It is important to note that Buhari is not

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Continued from page 32

MATTHEW KUKAH DIAGNOSES BUHARI, NIGERIA

a new kid on the block. I hear people talking about a new Sherriff in town, but this is absolute nonsense. This Sherriff was here and left us a record. As I have indicated earlier, he was overthrown when he embarked on his war against corruption and indiscipline. None of us went out on the streets to show solidarity with him. We embraced Babangida but we also ended up accusing him of sowing the seeds of corruption. In the eight years of his (Babangida) rule, we watered those seeds. Today, Buhari has to confront the children of the Babangida era who are still very much around, have become fathers, grand fathers and, in some cases, great grand fathers. They have passed on the milk of this corruption to their descendants many of whom have built empires and kingdoms.

Having been President before, Buhari knows things we do not know. But, we already also know a thing a two about Buhari and what he represents. There has been too much focus on his being a good man, a patriot, a moral probity and so on.

But, really, all of these qualities might be good for the Chairman of the pilgrims agency, a mosque or church building committee or Chairman of parish council and so on. But for a President to sort out a dysfunctional society like Nigeria, these qualities are necessary but not sufficient to guarantee success. Fixing Nigeria will require more than just a good man especially as we, in Nigeria, seem to equate goodness with prayer, building private churches and mosques which tend to become shelters and places of refuge for criminals and thieves who should really be in prison. In the final analysis, I do not really care what faith our President professes, if he professes any at all. All we need is a man who can fix our problems with the precision of the Chinese who are atheistic, not praying but getting results.

What we need is a leader who can learn

Hysteria, Euphoria & Amnesia: A nation’s long walk to freedom

•Kukah

I hear people talking about a new Sherriff in town, but this is absolute nonsense. This Sherriff was here and left us a record

and not be afraid to admit what he does not know, a leader who can ignore the whispers of the coterie of the so-called inner circles, separate friendship and camaradiere from the business of hearing the cry of the oppressed. Buhari fought his war without a Constitution. Buhari fought his war without a National Assembly. Buhari fought his war with a judiciary. He fought his war with tribunals.

We can start an effort to lay a solid foundation for change in the Nigerian psyche. However, for this to be more effective, the fight against corruption is not so much going to be won by how many investigations, probes we conduct. It will not be won by how many people go to jail.

While we fight corruption, we must not see this as the business of one man, a President, no matter who capable he may be. Governance is about creating safe spaces where citizens can thrive and achieve their goals. This requires a clear vision about a world with limitless frontiers where individuals can thrive with government creating the necessary support structures.

The President should learn some of the things that worked and the ones that did not. Nigerians genuinely want change; sadly, as things are, they want others to change so that they can have good things of life. They are not prepared as individuals to change. But, we can learn that change happens as the result of a sequence of actions and activities, dreams and visions that serve as a foundation on which generation after generation make

their contributions and move on. As they said with Obama: “Rosa Parks and her generation sat (on the bus) so we could walk.

Martin Luther and his colleagues took the baton and walked so that the next generation, that of Obama, might run”.

Now, the Obama generation has run so that the next generation can fly. We must build today with tomorrow in mind, hoping that those coming after us will do much better than us, that they will find a more peaceful nation than the one we are living in.

The youth bulge should not be seen as a threat, rather an opportunity. If governments create the right climate, then, we can produce our own generation of the likes of the Mark Zuckerbergs. After, as we can see from our youth, people, like young Davido, have proved you can go to school and still make millions without breaking a bank. The energy of youth must be properly challenged and, rather than looking for elders to imitate, every young man and woman must know that God has plans for us all. The challenge is to meet up and co-operate with the grace of God by staying on the right path.

Building a nation, as diverse as ours is, is a tough job and requires patience. If we have the patience and are ready for the sacrifice, then, the sky will be a footstone for us. Till then, we must learn from the likes of Mandela, that it is, indeed, a long, long road to freedom. This is why I am pleased to leave you with the words of Jimmy Cliff, who titled one of his songs, Hard Road to Travel. I will sing it for you just so you can know that if I had not become a priest, who knows, I could have ventured into music and made a living.

Among other things, he said: “I’ve got a hard road to travel and a rough rough way to go Said it’s a hard road to travel and a rough rough way to go But I can’t turn back, my heart is fixed My mind’s made up, I’ll never stop My faith will see, see me through”

om China’ Anti-Corruption War:‘ Wh Whyy Nigeria should learn fr from

By Emmanuel Elebeke Comrade Ogwuche Gabriel is the National President of Society for Youth and Downtrodden (SYDN), a non-governmental organization with focus on addressing social imbalance and inequality between the rich and the poor in Nigeria. In this interview, Ogwuche bares his mind on the mandate of his organization, their support for the anti-corruption of President Buhari and advocates that corrupt Nigerian officials should be handed the capital punishment as is the case in China. Excerpts:

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ou recently marked the public presentation and unveiling of your organization. what informed the action?

Our independent investigation showed that despite efforts in the past by different administrations and concerned organizations to tackle the issue of poverty and inequality in the country, the task still leaves much to be desired.

We totally agree that much has been done but believe that more still needs to be done, especially in a developing country like Nigeria. This is why the SYDN decided to come in to bridge the wide gap between the rich and the poor.

There is need to protect the fundamental human rights and guarantee the future of Nigerian youths and vulnerable people, even though, we are aware that violation of these rights are as

old as human race.

As a quarterly event, the programme is expected to last from now to 2020. SYDN is coming out with programmes to address the plight of youth, women and children and vulnerable in the society.

Why the focus on youth?

It is a fact that youths are the future of tomorrow and whatever policy decision government takes, affects them whether positive and negative and for the fact that the future of this nation depends on them, we felt that if things are good for the youth, then it has become well for the nation.

WE also observed that virtually all the ministries and parastatals of government has in one way or the other special programmes or plans to address issues affecting the youth, yet nothing seems to have been done.

The local and international organizations are not left in this mandate.

We strongly believe that the poverty and hunger in Nigeria and Africa are directly linked to corruption. It is corruption that resulted to poverty and hunger because the monies that had been made available for projects to affect lives of people have been mismanaged. That is why the vicious circle of poverty and hunger have been re-circling from one administration to another.

Even though people are complaining the government is delaying and all that. everybody should be happy and everybody who goes against the administration of this government I think that

There is need to protect the fundamental human rights and guarantee the future of Nigerian youths and vulnerable people, even though, we are aware that violation of these rights are as old as human race • Comrade

Ogwuche Gabriel

person should be regarded as a key enemy of this country.

What should the past administration had done?

What we expected from it is after it lost the election, it should have prepared a softlanding for the incoming administration in terms leaving a significant fund in the coffers and enabling environment for the incoming administration to thrive economically. Nigeria is very rich country. No matter the situation, there is no way you will leave such paltry sum in the treasury.

Do you see any possible revolution in Nigeria, given the way things are going in the country?

We pray for revolution and I think the revolution has already started but some people may not understand what it is all about. The revolution we are talking about is the one people

will not pick up arms and begin to shoot at their leaders as some people have already started stoning their leaders across the country.

That is not the revolution we pray for but the one whereby ordinary Nigerians will see something wrong and come out publicly to condemn it and people go with him. A revolution where one will make Nigerians be proud of been Nigerians. The one that will introduce a new Nigeria we all believe in.

You talked about closing the gap between rich and poor, how possible is this going to be?

We are determined to close the gap between the rich and poor in Nigeria, as interpreted in our logo. We have a clamp, which stand as a gavel of our authority with a Justice scale, which hangs down wards, signifying the imbalance against the poor.

We will be working until a balanced position is achieved.

That is what we are set to do.

The organization is not just an NGO but committed to improve the business of governance in Nigeria that is why we are collaborating with government to achieve our goals.

Anti-corruption war of government?

If government is ready to fight corruption, it has to take it holistically on the right standard. I feel we will continue to be talking and calling on government to be proactive in tackling the hydra-headed monster across all facets of the economy.

Mr. President should continue to fight corruption head on without minding the distractions. We see him as a revolutionist that can make significant difference from the past. Nigerians are with him and so he should not be deterred. We want more action.

He should talk less and do more.

Let Nigeria be one of the countries that have ever disgressed corrupt people, even if it means stopping them from walking on the road. Let them be a mark of stigma, that they will find it difficult to appear in the public or have access to public utilities. I believe that Nigeria can learn from China how to make corruption a capital offence so that people will stop depleting the public treasury without blinking an eye. If only we can tackle corruption, every other thing will be addressed in Nigeria.

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NIGERIA AT 55

Nigeria’s founding fathers did not share common vision — Prof. Anya Prof. Anya O. Anya, a public affairs analyst, is Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture. Anya shares his perspectives on Nigeria, 55 years after independence in this piece he founding fathers of the putative Nigerian nation did not share a common vision of the structure and future of their country.

This hiatus threw into bold relief the immanent differences in the emerging polity and consequently heightened ethnic tensions. The kind of politics that this environment of contentious disputation encouraged gave the alibi for the intervention of the impatient, inexperienced, even if idealistic military officers.

The apparently one-sided casualty list that came with the intervention of the military only heightened ethnic tensions which was to culminate in the pogrom in the North which claimed the life of tens of thousands of Eastern Nigerians of all tribes. The new military government’s effort to enthrone unitarism in the constitutional structure of the young nation only exacerbated the already polarized situation.

It is instructive to note as a matter of historical detail that at the point of military intervention, the political crises that created the atmosphere of disunity involved the North which controlled the Federal Government and the Yoruba West whose dominant leader Obafemi Awolowo had been imprisoned, thus factionalizing the ruling party in the Western Region. Eastern Nigeria was not in conflict with the West or the North at this point.

In the immediate years preceding the military intervention the efforts of the Easterners to broker peace was doomed to failure by the perception that the Eastern government was in favour of the Awolowo faction of the Action Group as demonstrated in UPGA despite being a coalition partner of the North in the Federal Government.

When the pogrom erupted and Awolowo (now released from prison) agreed to work with Gowon in the new government now totally dominated by the North, the last fragment of trust and confidence were now shredded setting the stage for an avoidable and with hindsight completely unnecessary civil war. This marked a watershed in the failures of leadership in Nigeria.

In retrospect, the 13-year military intervention sowed the seeds of many of the ills that have come to bedevil efforts at building a nation. The hierarchical command structure of the military (with immediate effect) was ill-suited to the patient and conciliatory style that governance in a plural society demanded.

In the process, the essence of major institutions such as the civil service, the judiciary and the universities were destroyed.

The most pernicious and far reaching in its effects was creating an environment in

a higher vision or goal…”.

The higher vision being to build a new Nigeria where equity, justice and prosperity is available to all regions and constituencies. In the pursuit of this goal we must remember and take cognizance of the global environment. As has been stated elsewhere. “….Gone are the days when leaders work within an intact group in which leaders and followers share a (common) culture, values and interests.

Instead today you must lead across groups, at the juncture where wide-ranging experience, diverse expertise and varied identities intersect.

It is here at the inter-section where two powerful human forces – differentiation and integration – collide that you can enact six boundary spanning practices to catalyse collaboration, drive innovation and transform organisation…”

T

Prof. Anya O. Anya which fundamental values of the society were compromised particularly the values of excellence and merit. It is an acceptable principle in nation building to give incentives to vulnerable entities in the society to improve on their situation and aim for improvement in their circumstances.

This is the basis of practices that have often been lumped together as affirmative action.

This is in clear contrast to the practices of Federal character and the concept of educationally disadvantaged states which were decreed into existence against the lessons of experience from other nations.

The bug-bear in the failure of these initiatives is the notion of entitlement that forecloses extra effort and the deployment of initiatives on the part of the vulnerable target populations. This is why no state that was classified as educationally disadvantaged more than forty years ago has improved on its ranking.

Some cultures in Nigeria have a tendency towards clientilism, nepotism, subservience, even sycophancy and authoritarianism. The period of military dominance heightened those tendencies and encouraged the emergence of an alternative governing elite with venal values encapsulated in the promotion and dominance of self. With their progressive upward climb to the higher reaches of influence and governance politics became more divisive and polarized. The language of politics became abusive and less tolerant. In practice manipulation became the order of business in governance and particularly in electoral matters. This was a stage ready made for the emergence of political god-fathers.

Politics became dominated by name-calling and the repetitive mouthing of inaccuracies, inanities and even untruths all in the name

of political propaganda. If truth be told we have watched apparently helpless at the progressive emergence and evolutionary upgrade in our politics of those whose stock-intrade has been fraud and mendacity. The situation has not been helped by the fact that the military did not tackle the two fundamental problems that the colonial authorities left behind for us: the apparent fraud in the census and in electoral matters and the lop-

Some cultures in Nigeria have a tendency towards clientilism, nepotism, subservience, even sycophancy and authoritarianism

sidedness in the governance structures of the country in a supposedly federal nation. They made it worse.

The challenge for leadership given this plethora of problems is to begin again but the question is from where and who will bell the cat?

Despite the inclement environment in which leadership must operate in Nigeria, the review of modern research examined earlier suggests that the appropriate leadership quality needed to meet the current demands of leadership in Nigeria is what we earlier referred to as boundary spanning leadership “which is the ability to create direction, alignment and commitment across boundaries in service of

WAY OUT OF THE WOODS From all that has been said so far, it seems evident that Nigeria is in desperate need of a leadership that can transcend and span all the boundaries that presently encumber Nigeria – ethnic, religious, cultural and psychological. In this effort the challenge is to build a united, integrated and cohesive national entity. It would have to replace the current centrifugal tendencies in the polity with counteracting centripetal forces. It was the late Albert Einstein who had observed that problems cannot be solved at the current level of awareness that created them. In other words the solution of challenging problems often involves a mind-set change.

Such a fundamental change can be the genesis of transformation and hence paradigm shifts from entrenched positions. It would often involve leaders who can learn to put themselves in the other compatriot’s position.

Such leaders often evince humility and steadfast determination verging on passion. Apart from humility and passion, such leaders demonstrate on overarching umbrella of rock-solid integrity, honesty, charity and compassion. These are the values that will drive them to connect with the followers.

Indeed, “when safety, respect, trust, community interdependence and reinvention characterize the interactions between groups, those groups will achieve something together above and beyond what they could achieve on their own…” namely a society anchored on truth, justice and equity. Another Utopia? What is demanded is nothing short of the reinvention of Nigeria. So who will bell the cat?

POSTSCRIPT In the last five months we have gone from the euphoria of the change mantra to the reality check of governance in a plural society. Now we have passed the hallowed magic threshold of 100 days. We have seen inelegant efforts to espy some success verging on the sycophantic, to the raucous

cacophony reminiscent of a bolekaja melee as part of the condemnatory admonition of the less impressed. There is no question that when the unexpected happens there is the opportunity for a new beginning. Such was the expectation of many Nigerians on the emergence of General Buhari. Three months on the chair of governance two strands have emerged besides the unrepentant cheer leaders – those who have voiced disappointment on the apparent slow pace of government business and those who have voiced apparent horror on the apparent sectional tilt of his appointments. Of those who raise eye-brows on the slow pace many have been disappointed that for a man who ran for the office a record four times he should have come to office better prepared and to hit the ground running. Some have counselled patience.

At the last count out of thirty two appointments including the strategic appointments of Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic, twenty six have been Northern. Almost unthinkable in a plural society some would say. Some have seen this as a loud trumpet proclaiming and reinforcing the view that the disposition of GMB cannot work with all Nigerians except those from his geographical enclave.

Some have made the excuse that it is too early in the day to judge while some have counselled that this is just the beginning of the bazaar of appointments since the President of Nigeria has a patronage bag of over five thousand offices to fill. Few have been impressed with the post hoc alibis. It has been for some beyond belief that a man who had for the better part of his political career, some would say unfairly, the political tag of a religious bigot or fanatic as well as that of an unrepentant and unapologetic Northern irredentist to be so insensitive to the potential signals from his first appointments in a plural society smells of a hidden agenda. Others have counselled caution.

Whatever may be the case GMB must now face the challenge that any leader must face when perception collides with reality.

It is a hard call but it is not impossible to change if the strategy for amelioration is built on the chemistry of truth, justice and equity. Obviously, the challenge before GMB is similar to the challenge that faced GEJ in 2013 when it became obvious to some of us that the pan-Nigeria coalition that propelled him to office in 2011 was not in alignment with the governing coalition that he had put together for governance majorly around the PDP. The rest as the pundits would say is now history. The options for Mr. President are clear and historical. His failure to build the Nigeria of the dream of Nigeria youth could generate a historical cataclysm of unthinkable proportions. He deserves better.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 35

NIGERIA AT 55

We must discourage divisive policies — Ezeife

BY CAHRLES KUMOLU

A former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife in this interview, says at 55, the Federal Government, should discourage every attitude capable of dividing Nigeria.

A

s Nigeria celebrates its 55-year anniversary as an independent nation, can you tells us the change the nation truly deserves?

The change we really deserve is to realign and to accept God’s assignment and design for Nigeria. Nigeria has to realise and accept God’s purpose for our country. Why are we the largest concentration of black people in Nigeria? Why are we in this Nigeria where no is earthquake, tsunami and other forms of natural disasters? And we have every kind of animals, species of trees that you can find any where. We also need ask why we

•Ezeife are so blessed more than other nations. We also have intellectuals from many tribes.

God has so much blessed us and given us prospects of unmatched greatness.

Unfortunately, we are not working towards it because we don’t seem to understand the purpose of God for Nigeria.

How can the purpose be achieved?

No Nigerian leader, has shown focus on economic development. And this is the thing that will address most of our problems. If we achieve economic development, we will be among the super powers in the world because we have all it takes to be the greatest nation on earth. The purpose of God for this country is for us to develop into a super power and wipe away the shame of slavery from the face of every black person on earth. We owe it to the black race because of our size and position. The manifest destiny of Nigeria is to develop into a super power and earn respect for the black man any where he is in Nigeria. Any time we are doing independence anniversary and we do not recognise and work towards God’s assignment for the country, it would amount to wasting our time. Until we recognise it, bearing in mind the

The change we really deserve is to realign and to accept God’s assignment and design for Nigeria

importance of our size, we will not want this country to break up.

How can the nation achieve that?

Unfortunately, the signs we are seeing are those that can endanger the unity of this country and eventually deprive us from realising our God given potentialities. If we are truly concerned about one Nigeria,

we would not come up with anticorruption policy and also corrupt the policy. That is inimical to the growth and aspiration of this nation. The policy is now being implemented with witch-hunting at the expense of the collective aspiration of the country to become great. It is not by accident that the British created this country, it was divine and God has a purpose for that. But we are depriving ourselves the opportunity of realising the purpose. My plea is for the government to shun all divisive policies and treat Nigerians as Nigerians. The letters of our constitution should be adhered to. It is possible for the SouthSouth and South-East to develop into a super power, but the greatness of this country, supersedes regional consideration. I want the government to promote actions that will help Nigeria achieve its purpose on earth.

The value orientation systems we need need—Gbenga Daniel

BY DAPO AKINREFON OTUNBA Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, in this interview, says Nigeria’s value system needs to be revamped if the nation is to move forward. he country is celebrating 55 years of independence, what went wrong and how can it be remedied?

I think that our value system has collapsed and we need to find a way of getting back our value system. We may not get it the way it used to be because population explosion has contributed negatively to it.

The first problem was when the issue of odd and even started.

You will ask what am I talking about? Then, they would say you

T

can only go out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays if your vehicle is odd number and even numbers: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday but everybody can doSunday.

Then, Nigerians said well, let me go and get two cars. We are all guilty, I inclusive because we now have people with a dozen cars in their garages. Some can be justified but most cannot and that is when this rat race to the rapid destruction of the country started in a way that can be vividly described. When we were young, a car is a status symbol, the few people who had cars in the community know themselves and our fathers did not have two cars.

I think that basically, we need to re orientate our value systems. I cannot prevent to say that it is going to be easy because

•Gbenga Daniel this has happened over the years and for the children who are coming, it is even much worse because of what they have seen.

I think we need to start from somewhere, we need to re orientate our value systems and part of what we need to do is to stop celebrating filthy locker and it can be done. When people

learn to scorn people who have stolen in the society because many years ago, there had always been thieves, but they are not celebrated, they are scorned in the society. Even if you are a thief and you had money, people will know you in the society that he has money but he is a thief and parents do not allow their children to go and marry such thieves. They are not celebrated in the society, they are scorned. They can hardly walk free, they move at night because they are thieves, so that is the height of the value system that we have lost.

In the same way, if somebody is wealthy, we should know the source of their wealthy; so if somebody all of a sudden just comes and you cannot explain the wealth, you scorn them.

I had an opportunity to go to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, they have not gone crazy like us here, there is sanity. They do not have a lot of money in Lusaka, most people do not know that Shop-rite is owned by Zambeef and not the other way round.

What is Zambeef? It is Zambia beef, the only thing that drives the economy of Zambia is livestock and because they wanted to be selling their beef, they founded Shop rite; so they own Shoprite. People think it is the other way round.

So, if people can use beef money to put Shoprite all over the world, what have done with our oil money? It is all about orientation and value system and stoppage to all these armed robbery contracts that is awarded everywhere.

Ho w the tting Nigeria bac k– Second Republic Senator Okpozo How theyy are se setting back

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

S

econd Republic Senator Francis Okpozo is a SouthSouth leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State. Ahead of the Independence day anniversary, the elder statesman urged President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the Senate leadership crisis, noting that the ability of the President to deliver on his promises may be hampered without a smooth relationship between the Presidency and the National Assembly.

He called for support for Buhari whom he said has the wherewithal to put Nigeria on the path of progress again.

Nigeria democracy is not yet stable. This is because both the executive and the legislature have not completed the responsibilities bestowed on them. For instance, in the Senate, because of the miscarriage caused by the over-zeal-

•Senator Francis Okpozo ous new school politicians there, is a clear evidence of instability. From day one, I said it is the responsibility of the party in power to choose who should be the President of the Senate, deputy Senate President and other leaders of the chambre.

They rushed and constituted the leadership of the Senate because of the craze for power. If not constitutional, it is conventional that the party in power should first of all choose its leadership in the National Assembly. The mistake has now set back the country in the process of law making, that the powers vested

Buhari did one thing when he assumed office as a military President, that was the changing of the currency. He should repeat that now because those who stole our money have to return it on the Senate and the House of Reps cannot be fully exercised, it has led to a conflict between the executive and the legislature.

For instance, look at the issue of Saraki’s assets declaration, is it of interest to the nation? The answer is no. Because the benefit derivable from the legislative arm is not felt by the people any more. The executive arm, though constituting

its own body, is hindered in carrying out its responsibility because of the pursuit of corruption caused by the former administration. So the concentration is diverted. Until the various organs of the APC, as stipulated by the law of party, are constituted, there could be no meaningful result. The constitution of the party provides for various organs.

The President should ensure that the bodies are constituted. The President should also look into the differences between the legislature and the executive and put things right. Once that is done, there will be a feeling of proper government activities across the country.

The President said the independence day celebration will be low key. If it is a low key celebration, then it is not a proper celebration. It means things are not right. However, the area where the government is doing well is the pursuit of corruption.

So, any efforts made by the

President to wipe out corruption will be cherished by Nigerians. My advice is that President Buhari must not stop in the fight against corruption because the society is rotten. Nigerians stand by him in that regard.

Buhari did one thing when he assumed office as a military President, that was the changing of the currency. He should repeat that now because those who stole our money have to return it. He should not allow those people who looted to travel out of the country, they should be tried and jailed. He must ensure that all looted funds are returned. He has to change the currency so that the money they took abroad will be useless. If Nigerians cooperate with Buhari, things will change. Buhari must also listen to elder statesmen because only him cannot do the work. If he does that, he will get things right within four years.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

NIGERIA AT 55

Sighs and hisses in sports

•Dream

Team

BY JACOB AJOM

N

igeria’s 1996 Olympic feat, the best in her history, is already beginning to sound like a broken record. That year’s Games held in the City of Atlanta, USA offered the country her biggest breakthrough in the international sporting arena when her contingent bagged 2 gold,1 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Organised sports pre-dates the country’s independence. In the 1950s up until the early 60s Before independence, there were Nigerians who took the world sporting arena by storm.

The likes of Emmanuel lfejuna who won a gold medal in high jump at the 1954 Commonwealth Games, Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey won the world featherweight boxing crown in 1957 and Dick Tiger who won the middleweight crown and later the world light heavyweight crown.

In post independence Nigeria, sports began to take serious roots in 1963 when the National Sports Commission (NSC) was formed with revered sports administrator, Abraham Ordia as secretary. The 60’s was a gestation period which saw the qualification of the national for the Olympic Games held in Mexico in 1968.

Nigeria first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the boycotted 1976 Summer Olympics. Since then, the country has been able to win just 23 medals. A breakdown of the medals show 3 gold, 8 silver and 12 bronze medals. Apart from the Dream Team that won gold in 1996 soccer championship the rest of the medals have either been won through athletics, boxing and weightlifting.

The country won her first medal at the Olympics, a bronze in boxing through Nojeem Maiyegun in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Isaac Ikuoria followed suit at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. Between Los Angeles ’84 Games and Beijing 2008 Nigeria produced the following sportsmen and women who won medals of different colours at the Olympics.

First Nigerian Olympic gold medallist Chioma Ajunwa,

•Chioma

Nigeria’s performances at the Olympics have been lacklustre. The number of medals won so far tell the story. The sorry state of Nigeria sport was best crystallised at the London 2012 Games when the country’s contingent returned empty-handed Peter Konyegwachi, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Sunday Uti, Moses Ugbusien, Rotimi Peters, Innocent Egbunike, Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, Oluyemi Kayode, Osmond Ezinwa, David Izonritei, Richard Igbineghu, Beatrice Utondu, Christy OparaThompson, Mary Onyali, Faith Idehen, Nduka Awazie, Fidelis Gadzama, Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Blessing Okagbare, among others. The two Nigeria football teams that won gold in 1996 and silver in 2008 Olympics deserve a special place in the annals of Nigeria’s sporting history Nigeria’s performances at the Olympics have been lacklustre.

The number of medals won so far tell the story. The sorry state of Nigeria sport was best crystallised at the London 2012 Games when the country’s contingent returned emptyhanded.

At the Commonwealth Games level, the country has been a force to be reckoned with. From 1950 when she first made an appearance, Nigeria has won at least a medal in every of the

• Hakeem games attended. To date, Nigeria has won 61gold, 66 silver and 85 bronze totalling 212 medals. Victoria Games in 1994 with 37 medals and Glasgow Games in 2014 with 36 medals produced the highest number of medals for the country.

Nigeria’s strength in sports could best be seen in the African continent. With a dominant performance in the closing stages of the just-concluded 2015 African Games, the country really proved her worth when she finished second, behind Egypt on the final medal table.

The country maintained her top position in athletics, weightlifting and power-lifting, wrestling, boxing and ball games.

The biggest disappointment came from football where only the male team returned with a bronze as the pre-games favourites, the Super Falcons failed flat without a medal.

There was however, a lot to worry about in athletics as the country lost grip of the sprints.

For the first time in recent history, Nigerian sprinters were beaten in both mens and womens 100 and 200 metres final in Africa.

Nigeria’s poor outing at the London Olympics sparked off outrage and government reacted by organising a presidential retreat where all stakeholders were invited to take another look at the country’s sports. A lot of recommendations were made but as is always the case with similar exercises in the past, those recommendations may

•Champions end up in the trash can.

Despite being ranked outside the top 50 in the world by FIFA, Nigeria’s remarkable achievements in age-group competitions cannot be ignored.

For instance, the country won the first FIFA U-16(now U-17) World Cup in 1985 in China.

Ever since, the Golden Eaglets have annexed the trophy three other times. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the tournament’s history, with four titles and three runners up.

In the U-20 category, the country’s best has been two runners-up medals in 1989 and 2005. The crowning glory of Nigeria’s youth programme was the 1996 Olympic gold medal won in Atlanta.

However, the success at the junior level has not been transferred to the senior level.

In the continental level, apart from the 1973 All Africa Games gold medal in Lagos, Nigeria has won the Africa Cup of Nations 3 times, continental club trophies by Enyimba (two times African champions), IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Rangers International of Enugu and BCC Lions of Gboko.

Some of Nigeria’s best have naturalised in other lands achieving milestones for their adopted countries. Hakeem Olajuwon, a basketball icon became an American citizen and in 1996, Olajuwon was a member of the Olympic goldmedal-winning United States national team.

Francis

Obikwelu won a silver medal for Portugal at the Athens Olympics while Gloria Alozie who represented Nigeria at the Sidney Olympics took Spanish citizenship afterwards. Often, the cause of defection has always been attributed to neglect and lack of care by Nigeria officials.

Apart from these known cases of home-bred athletes defecting to other countries, there are numerous other cases of Nigerians in the diaspora representing the countries they live in.

Nigerian sports can only get better when excellence becomes the yardstick for selection of athletes for international assignments, when appointments are devoid of political considerations and when policy implementation becomes consistent.

Sports must also return to the schools and a deliberate grassroots development programme must be in place.

Retraining the technical officials should also be on the front burner. However, all this will come to naught if the country continues to change sports ministers. For every minister that comes brings his own style, team and at times his own ideas on how sports should be run.

In all this however, Nigerian sports have done more for the country than any other sector of the polity since independence in 1960.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 37

NATIONAL DAY LESSONS FOR NIGERIA For 54 years, we fought the US to preserve our sovereignty — Sosa, Cuban Ambassador Nevertheless, we are putting right the things that were wrong but on equal basis and not because the issues were in contrast with our political decisions before.

By Victoria Ojeme

C

uban Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Sosa, in this interview, speaks on the lessons Nigeria, 55 years after independence, has to learn from his country's resistance of the United States for 54 years The US flag was raised in Havana recently. Does it mean anything to Cubans after 54 years of their differences with the US? 54 years is a long time since the US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba; it was an American decision, not Cuban. Our relationship with the US people has always been a good one but the problem was with the government which refused to recognise Cuba and accept the Cuban nation as a fact. After 54 years, they realized that the blockade was a failure, that they were being deceived and they couldn’t achieve most of the things they wanted to achieve.

The establishment of the relationship is the first step to normalisation. At the moment, we can say we are happy but we still have a lot to do before we normalise the relationship. In that deal, the American government made it clear that they had to lift what they called embargo which we call blockade.

The Cubans made it clear to President Obama that this was a blockaged and not an embargo.

The second one is the Montana waste in the territory of Cuba. There are many things to be discussed, some of them complicated.

You said so many things still to be discussed. Can you tell us especially those complicated ones?

First is the question of the embargo or the blockade, without which we can’t trade with the United States.

And Cubans can go to the United States but Americans can’t come to Cuba as tourists.

Third, it is impossible for Cubans to buy products from American companies outside United States.

For example, if there is an American company in Nigeria and we want to trade with that company, it is impossible because there is an American law which prohibits that.

So there are things we can’t do until the embargo is lifted.

For example, we know that health services in the United States are very expensive and not all is covered by insurance. So many Americans want to go to Cuba because Cuba health system is the best all over the world and costs much less.

We can’t use the American dollar in our transactions across the world and you know that the reference carried in the world is the dollar.

Investors hunt banks that have any link or transactions with Cuba. For example, the French bank, which is the largest and most important bank in France, was penalized with about 9 billion dollars for trading with Cuba. Recently, the Commerce Bank of Germany was penalized C M Y K

•Sosa ... We lost 3,000 Cubans to attacks from the US

with more than 1 billion dollars for using the American dollar to trade with Cuba.

These are issues which could be solved by the Americans.

So what lessons can you say Cuba has learnt in these 54 years?

The first lesson is that we have reached where we are because we resisted when everybody thought, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist camp, Cuba will look up to the United States but the people of Cuba resisted; even the GDP of Cuba went down by more than 37 percent and we were in very poor condition, the people decided to unite behind their government.

That is the first lesson; you resist, you win. Do you know what happens with those that are still accepting some conditions unlike us who stood our grounds?

Nigerians which is the same thing we do in Cuba. We have elections every five years to elect the deputies who don’t receive salaries and are answerable to the people. They can be removed at anytime by the people who elected them; in our democracy, we don’t put the money to elect people.

a foolish person will propose free education for the children because we have already achieved that.

Things which are of utmost importance for many people in our point of view about human right is very strong. In Cuba, you can walk on the streets at 2am without attacked or harassed.

Human right, for Cubans begin with the guarantee of life for every Cuban; there is housing, food in abundance, health care, education and we have many parties fighting to win elections. In Cuba, nobody has to propose to the people to vote for him to upgrade the system, only

Human rights groups have often accused Cuba of human rights violation?

What measures is Cuba putting in place to ensure that this renewed relationship with America is sustained?

First of all, the renewal of lives is unconditionally. Second, we have a highly educated population, we have more than one million Cubans with university degrees out of a population of 11.2 million. Even those who didn’t reach the highest point in the educational system in Cuba, everyone is prepared to debate, discuss anything and they are prepared to understand.

Cubans are happy because they kept their independence and sovereignty and that is the guarantee of the existence of Cuba as a nation. Cuba didn’t place any embargo on the Americans, Cuba doesn’t occupy any part of the American territory, we don’t finance any kind of movement to overthrow or change the American government.

For example we have the Nigerian democracy practised by the

More than one billion dollars; that is the effect of the measures taken against Cuba by the United States

They accuse many people. They have even accused Nigeria but they don’t speak about what is happening in the United States. We don’t have police brutality in Cuba, nobody disappears in Cuba, we don’t have torture in Cuba, there is no single proof about any of the claims made against Cuba.

Life expectancy for a woman in Cuba is 80years while that of the man is 78. So if the government of Cuba was against the population and the system, why will they want to make them live longer? It is easy to understand, if you want them to disappear, we will make them to die early. Why do we send people to the university? Why do we take universities to the prisons where a prisoner can have a university degree when he comes out of prison? How can we have so much respect for human rights and still violate them? In Cuba, we have people that are decent but the decent in Cuba is not against the revolution, it is against some malpractices and mistakes we made in the past and people protested and we said we had to change and that is why we are changing; but there are some people in Cuba recognised by the Americans and they pay them millions of dollars to try to overthrow the Cuban government.

We have submitted our country twice to the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, and we passed very well in two exams.

Meanwhile, the only countries that were put on trial before the Human Right Commission were third world countries; you never see America, you never see France, Germany or the British; only third world countries - African countries, Latin American countries, South east Asian countries. So we have started a machinery as a result of the implementation of the upgrade of the relationship between us and America to discuss all the issues including human rights.

We had the first meeting of the human rights bilateral commission in the United States; we sent a delegation to the United States because they complained about Cubans affairs and we complained about American affairs. We put people in prison in Cuba because of what they do and not for what they think but you put people in prison in the United States because of what they think. So we have different approaches and that is what we are discussing and hope everything will turn out right.

In terms of the economy, how much can Cuba say they lost during this 54 years of embargo?

More than one billion dollars; that is the effect of the measures taken against Cuba by the United States and that doesn’t include the loss of lives because you can’t put a price on the life of anybody; we lost more than 3,000 Cubans because of terrorist attacks coming from the United States and most of them were supported and financed by the United States. We have a number of diseases spread in Cuba, and there were attempts on the lives of Cuban leaders recognised by the CIA. 106 attempts in that category were recognised, so you can imagine how many were not recognised in that account and many things happened which affected directly the economy and lives of Cubans.

What measures is Cuba putting in place to bring in investors?

No small country can develop its process without foreign investors; there are things which are necessary.” Money which is not available, part of the American embargo is to prohibit the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and similar organisations from learning money to Cuba and then foreign investments needed to create new capacities in the country to update some technologies we are using in the country. Though there are two places we are strong position like the bio-technology industry, the relations between America and Cuba have already accepted that one of their companies import into the United States our superior technology against lung cancer and another product for people suffering from ulcer.

PAGE 38—SUND AY 38—SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

BY Kennedy Mbele

C

aptain of industry, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode, passed on last week.

The eldest son of the deceased, Ese, in this interview, speaks on the life and times of the man fondly called ‘the boardroom giant’.

Nigerians describe your father as a boardman giant, Mr. Integrity, among others. What earned him such accolades?

At some point in his corporate life, he was sitting on the boards of several companies as Chairman or Director. At last count, he sat on the boards of 60 companies and it came to a point that he had to resign from the boards of some of these companies when he became the Special Adviser to former President Shehu Shagari briefly. But after that regime was truncated by coup, incidentally it was the General Muhammadu Buhari coup, most of those companies re-appointed him as Director or Chairman. So, for him to become boardroom guru, it‘s mainly because of his dexterity at handling boardroom affairs; doing things the way they should be done; his adherence to corporate governance and best practices was legendary.

He would not compromise on standard, quality, or service delivery. Rules were to be followed and any attempt to try to convince him to navigate rules just to achieve profit or to achieve some kind of gain is a waste of time to Gamaliel Onosode.

Now tell us about your father. What kind of man was he in terms of discipline, love and care for the family?

At first glance to an outsider, he looked like a hard man because he had this façade of being very firm, but when you get to know him, you will find that he was quite an emotional man; very gentle at heart, kind hearted, sweet in every respect. I mean he was charming. I am not saying this because he is my father; this was somebody who was a gentleman to the core. I would say there are just a few men you will ever meet that have those kinds of qualities.

Elders tell their children stories that help order their lives. Your father must have told you some, which story of his interests you most?

Stories like what?

Stories that inspire My father was not really a s t o r y t e l l e r.

He was more of a f a c t teller. I can’t remember h i m telling us any frivolous story C M Y K

MAN WHO SSA AT ON THE B OARDS OF 60 FIRMS BO

My father was so strict people

were scared of doing business with him – Ese, Gamaliel Onosode’s son

but he joked a lot and he gave you the facts. He always tried to imbibe the importance of hard work, industry and doing things right so that you don’t have to do it again. You have to take time to get it right the first time so that you will avoid unnecessary mistakes that could take time to complete the task. And this is why he abhorred sloppiness; he abhorred people who could not take time to get their grammar, grammatical spelling right or punctuations in the right places. I mean, he was just a perfectionist. So if you send him a document or a letter, make sure you proof read it over and over again because he had the ability to spot an error just within the first ten seconds of reading a document.

Can you tell us one of the beautiful experiences you shared with your late dad that you always remember?

It is a childhood memory and that will be probably when I was eight or nine years old on a Christmas night or the eve? He pretended to be Father Christmas and woke us up around midnight, we beheld this with white hair and white beard

wearing a red suit and carrying presents.

He disguised his voice like somebody else and we actually thought that it was real Father Christmas; we didn’t know until days later that he was the one because he disguised himself so well.

I don’t know how he pulled it off and, I think then, we were just four kids and it was such a sweet thing for him to do for his kids.

How many are you now?

It’s me and seven others Were you your father ’s favorite or he had someone else?

(Pauses) He wasn’t the kind of person that (pauses again). He might have a favorite but he didn’t show it like that, so it is very difficult for me to say he had.

But, like most fathers, he tended to favor his last baby daughter. Like most fathers do, daddy’s girl, you know.

We used to tease her a lot that it might not have been the case but the last daughter, you know, used to get a lot, being daddy’s girl.

What was his favorite book?

The Bible What about his best kind of music?

Classical. Laughs……

No doubt about that, he loved classical music.

We tried to play it to the very end to him even when he was drifting away. And he also loved church hymns. In fact, he was a lover of music generally. He liked good music, not noise.

Did your father believe in life after death?

Definitely, like all good Christians do.

He believes that once you die and you are a good Christian, you will go and meet the Lord.

And, if you die outside the faith, you will go to hell. To that extent, he believed in l i f e

Onosode...a quintessential gentleman

after death.

What can you tell us about his religious life?

He was a rare breed. He practised what he preached.

You know it is so easy to read the Bible and preach to others to do good and do things the clean and proper way but sometimes it is very difficult to practicalize certain moral dilemmas, especially grey areas. I mean If you are in the corporate world, there are so many ways to make money to succeed but the straight and narrow way is usually the toughest and hardest way to make that extra bulk and the problem is that most corrupt people in Africa tend to follow the crooked way, which is making easy money because it is not outright crime. What am trying to say is that a lot of Nigerians tend to justify some of their moral failings because they border on grey areas. But my dad was so strict morally that a lot of people were scared of doing business with him because they knew he will not be bribed; they knew he would not take a cut; they knew he will not do those things that people get away with and never jailed for. He held several positions in the financial sector that could easily have made him a billionaire but he chose to follow the straight and narrow way.

What were the things he valued most?

In this order: God, family and friends What do you think was responsible for his ability to effectively manage his numerous office duties alongside family responsibilities?

I guess it was the grace of God and the fact that he was always a disciplined man,

He held several positions in the financial sector that could easily have made him a billionaire but he chose to follow the straight and narrow way

right from his early age. He was used to multi tasks. He was able to combine duties with being a leader, being a layman, a kind of a leader in the church, being a corporate leader and a family man. He always had that right balance. He was always able to find the right amount of time to take care of business and do it excellently. I am not trying to say he was a perfect man, but if there were compromises, probably it favored …..the family.

Maybe, most times in our early age, he might be absent because of official duties but he always made up for it when he was around with quality time.

What other things would you want to tell us about your late father?

I have talked much about his moral character; I have talked about the fact that he was a man of integrity and all that good stuff but, in practical terms, what I am also impressed about is his pioneering role in the development of the Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Nigeria, the passion he had for development of youths in Nigeria and good education.

He also had passion for environmental issues. These are issues that he dedicated most of his energy trying to ensure the best for Nigeria.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that Nigeria truly appreciated the man he truly was. I think if he was born in a different country and probably at a different time, he would probably have been ranked among the great leaders of the world. He was greatly under-appreciated.

But, he was a happy man, a very fulfilled family man.

When you say he was greatly under-appreciated, could you shed some light on this area?

After all, he offered to be president at some point but professional politicians didn’t give him a chance because clearly he would not fit into their mould. He was not cut from the same cloth as most of them and so they will be uncomfortable with such a person because he will not be manipulated and that would be bad for business and so, you know, dishonest people wouldn’t really appreciate people like that. So, in that context, I feel like Nigerians tend to idolize money bags that they do not even know the source of their wealth. They tend to idolize Nollywood actors or actresses. They tend to idolize musicians and all that kind of stuff but role models that can teach practical living, clean living, straightforward living, simple living seem not to attract that kind of attention.

People admire it but they do not want to emulate it because it is a difficult path to follow.

What single word or sentence would you use to describe your late father?

I will rather go for a sentence. He was a man of his word and a quintessential gentleman.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 39

Utuk, `super teacher', at 80, receives his reward

T

By Sam Akpe

ears rolled down his agepolished cheeks. It was like an ice cube melting slowly on a tiled floor. He couldn’t control it. It was an involuntary action. They simply came because they had to come at that point. Tears of joy know no protocol. They pour as occasion demands. When an old principal cries because his students have positively embarrassed him, you are bound to see a generation of emotions unleashed.

At 80 years, Edet George Utuk, who retired as a school principal decades ago, couldn’t believe what he heard and what he saw.

Seated next to him was his beloved wife who is probably in her 70s. Both were dumb-struck as the old students of Government Secondary School Afaha-Eket, dressed in immaculate white attire with specially designed mufflers, spoke of their academic tutelage under him.

Events mentally recorded over time were recaptured in some details and beamed in full colour; as though they happened just yesterday. Memories resurfaced in kaleidoscope of colours. The past became today. Suddenly, we were young again. We could see ourselves in white upon white uniforms; looking serious in front of our principal; pretending to be impeccably nice kids. We could hear the old man’s voice reechoing: “children, when the devil entices you, consent thou not!” We joined him to cry; because we loved him.

The saying by Frank Trujillo is true; that whoever coined the phrase ‘you’re the wind beneath my wings’ most assuredly was reflecting on the sublime influence of a very special teacher such as Pa Utuk. That teacher is Pa. Utuk. He was not a mediocre teacher who told stories; he was C M Y K

not even a good teacher who only explained; he remains a superior teacher who demonstrated; and a great teacher who inspired; according to William Ward.

For those who believe that teachers’ rewards are in heaven, something to the contrary happened on September 20 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Although Pa Utuk’s birthday was on September 9, eleven days after, his children and grand-children decided to assemble friends and relations to celebrate the life of a man who has made achievers out of raw minds. When the old students of Government Secondary School, Afaha Eket heard of the event, they decided to honour the man who made them what they are today.

It was Nikos Kazantzakis who said years ago that ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse the bridges, thus encouraging them to create bridges of their own. Pa Utuk was such a teacher. He trained us to stand on our own. He trained us to be professionals. He was nice when he had to be nice; but when there was need to be stern, he would not wait for a soothsayer to tell him. He fulfilled the lasting words of Ann Lieberman that great teachers empathise with kids, respect them, and believe that each has something special that can be built upon.

Surrounding him that day were doctors, engineers, lawyers, journalists, businessmen, senior military officers, nurses and other professionals who have made marks in their chosen career. They went to honour the man who, in his days as principal, was a terror to some of them. Led by the chairman, David Lawrence, the old students presented their old

principal with a brand new Hyundai Accent. It was a simple way of saying: thank you for shaping us into what we are today. As someone once said, to the world, Pa Utuk may be just a teacher, but to his students, he is a hero.

That was where the atmosphere changed. As Lawrence started talking about the old days and Pa. Utuk’s love for driving, the old man shook his head whimsically; at the same time, a smile played around the corners of his mouth.

A reporter, Usoro Usoro captured the atmosphere this way: when our chairman said, ‘we decided to buy him a brand new Hyundai Accent car, time stopped. For a moment, it was as if Pa Utuk didn’t hear well.

Then you could see the recognition of the words slowly sinking into him. Suddenly, he sat bold upright, dazed. As if tuned by a remote control button, he and the wife turned like robots to face each other. For some minutes they maintained a steady gaze at each other. The look in their eyes was enough.

It said more than a thousand words.

Trained in the United Kingdom, Pa Utuk was a

When our chairman said, ‘we decided to buy him a brand new Hyundai Accent car, time stopped.

For a moment, it was as if Pa Utuk didn’t hear well

teacher’s teacher. He falls within the class of teachers described by the great Ralph Waldo Emerson, that: “the great teacher is not the man who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people.” Utuk was not just a teacher who arrived the classroom each day with a chalk to teach a subject, his duty was to mould characters. He built bridges that have transported children of yesterday to the adult world of today.

I recall my first encounter with Utuk as a student many years ago. I was already in class two when he took over as principal of the school. From the way he walked about noiselessly, to the manner his lips curled in smiles, it was clear to us that here was a man with little or no patience with foolishness. He looked confident; but harmlessly tough.

When he looked in your direction, his eyes seemed to be examining both your exterior and interior being. You feared that he could read your thoughts.

Certainly, at many instances, he seemed capable of doing just that.

Even at your first meeting with him or merely walking past him, he needed no introduction. You did not need to be told who was in charge although he carried no air of self-importance. Utuk, in the words of Robert Caro, had the face and a noiseless carriage of a man in the full flush of power.

When you talked with him, particularly when he was not happy with your conduct, you either get prepared for a hot, violent massage on your jaw, or stand many feet away from him.

One of the old students, Idongesit (Ibanga) Umana aptly captured her experience with Utuk thus: “Here was a man who, when he slapped you in those days, not only will you see stars as big as several crowns melted into one, your head will have to re-boot before you can remember your name.” Yet, through such hard, uncompromising discipline, Idongesit left the school in 1983 as the best graduating student in the female category.

However, looking back, no one could argue that without such slaps from many teachers of old, we would not be where we are today. Pa Utuk did not just go around slapping people. In fact he hardly did. But when it happened, you would know that you have just been in the presence of a great man who loved you as a father even when he caused tears of pain to roll down your cheeks. When it came to discipline in those days, Pa Utuk left nothing to chance.

Who wants to be a teacher?

Given a choice, very a few would love to spend their lives in the

classroom. Someone once said that there are several categories of teachers: those born into the profession; those forced into it by circumstances; those passionate about teaching but not trained to; and those who see it as the only avenue open to make a living. Whatever category one falls into, what matters most is the fact that teaching as a profession teaches all the other professions. It is a calling.

Teaching, according to one writer, is not just a job, it is a human service, and it must be thought of as a mission. That means a teacher is a man on a mission: a mission to change tomorrow; a mission to sculpt rough-edge humans into smooth leaders; a mission to open a door for another mission. A teacher is a man on a noble mission; because in the words of the great Marcus Cicero: what nobility can you give any other man than the man who instructs the rising generation.

Teachers should be respected.

Teachers should be rewarded.

Teachers should be honoured.

You would never be a president or a journalist if you had no teacher. No teacher should be allowed to suffer; especially a good teacher; like Pa Utuk. This is because a good teacher, as observed by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a Turkish, is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others.

A good teacher fulfils the old saying that “ what a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased. I recall what Pa. Utuk used to tell us in those days. One day, he caught me with a cane pursuing junior students all over the place. Then I heard his voice; and I froze. Then I approached him confidently. I had no reason to be afraid because he was on the other side of the fence. After verbally scolding me, he said: all I want from you are five credits that will enable you gain admission to the university. My son, don’t follow the multitude to do the wrong! Go and study and drop that cane!

Henry Brooks Adams once said that a teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops. Pa Utuk is a good example of that.

He was inspirational in leadership. You couldn’t pass through his tutelage and not make a mark in life at whatever level of endeavour you find yourself. He taught us from his heart; not just from books. That is the mark of a good teacher.

We must rise and appreciate good teachers. They deserve it.

*Akpe, a journalists, is resident in Abuja.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Our expectations from Buhari as Petroleum Minister — Oil chiefs

BY UDEME CLEMENT

O

perators in the petro leum sector, under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), have spoken of their expectations from President Muhammadu Buhari, who, according to reports, may hold the Petroleum Minister’s portfolio in the soon to be constituted Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The operators spoke through MOMAN Executive Secretary, Mr. Femi Olawore.

The much awaited ministerial list has been sent to the National Assembly, even as the President said he will be the minister of petroleum. What is your take on this?

I believe that every regime has its own programmes and policies. So, you come in and bring on board people who can carry out such programmes and policies. I think that is what is happening.

What uncommon and unique managerial techniques should we expect from the new petroleum minister?

He should be open to ideas and suggestions. He should engage the stakeholders in the sector from time to time, explaining the policies of government and getting feedback from stakeholders to government’s decision making channel. He should be more focus on problems of the downstream and how to improve the sector and play less politics. He should put the nation’s interest at heart, at all times.

How do you think his position as Petroleum minister will influence the activities of local investors and International Oil Companies (IOCs) doing business in Nigeria?

Most investors want to see efficiency, transparency, enabling environment and full deregulation of the downstream sector for businesses to thrive.

The issue of oil theft was stressed by Buhari at the UN Assembly. Can you give us statistics in Naira and Kobo on losses incurred by government as a result of oil theft?

There are two aspects of oil theft.

First, the crude oil theft running into an estimated monetary value of 400.000 barrels per day, sometime in the past, which in real monetary value was about $50million daily. Second, local oil thieves in the area of vandals, which must be tackled head-long. Kudos should be given to the Civil Defence officials who are doing their best to curb pipeline vandalism.

What is the solution to oil theft?

The onus is on government using the apparatus of our naval strength to put a stop to this problem. We must play our part well before expecting the International community to assist in arresting ship that slip through the dragnet.

How will you assess the oil sector holistically after 55years of independence?

At independence in 1960, the sector was deregulated and this C M Y K

Government should stop controlling shares in the refineries and give them to the private sector. What we are hearing is the refineries being maintained by local engineers, which is what one has always agreed with, that our engineers have the skills, capability to maintain the refineries but the issue has always been ownership

continued until 1975, when Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) was established. In retrospect, the establishment of PEF was a set back because it was the beginning of the removal of competitive spirit. However, the good thing was that government established pipelines and depots all over the country for seamless distribution of products, but with the current spate of vandalism, this laudable initiative has become a big and intractable problem. There have been various price increases, which are attempts to deregulate but the main challenge has been the political will. Government policies have always created arbitrage, which encouraged rent seeking opportunists masquerading as business men.

Can you give us a systematic overview of common practices in the sector from 1960 to 2015?

Earlier on, the practice had been a marketer purchasing crude oil and taking it to refine at the only refinery then, and paying a refining fee. The marketer thereafter collected his products in his own chartered vessel to his Disport, distributing from there to various parts of the country.

What is the meaning of Disport?

Discharge port.

What were the merits of such practice?

The beauty of that arrangement was price variation between and among the marketers in the same location. For instance, prices could vary from marketer to marketer in Lagos, and prices of products in Lagos were different from prices in Ibadan. There was also variety of grades of petrol such as Regular, Premium and Five-Star. The same petrol, but if you were driving Toyota, the petrol you got differed from a person driving a Mercedes Benz.

What have being the challenges facing marketers throughout this period?

The challenges are enormous; some include stagnant margins that have not been improved upon since 2007, despite inflation and devaluation of the Naira. Multiple taxations as well as levies by

• Mr. Femi Olawore agents and quasi agents of government, sometimes by outright area-boys. Huge outstandings on subsidy claims.

This is the last quarter where we have a lot of business activities and people travelling across the country. The country is usually prone to scarcity of fuel this period. Do you think Nigeria will experience fuel scarcity this 2015 festive period?

We appeal strongly to government to pay the arrears of subsidy claims.

Can you give us the statistics of outstanding subsidy claims?

The subsidy claims stand currently at a little over N400billion.

Payment received will enable operators pay up their indebtedness to banks, to re-ignite the confidence of banks.

This will make banks give us more credit lines to bring in products to complement the efforts of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC). It is to be recalled also that because of the huge exposures some banks may face financial issues, if money owned them becomes Non-Performing Loans (NPLs). For the sake of repetition, government should pay marketers to enable them pay the banks, to save the banks from financial constrictions.

As a stakeholder in the sector, do you think the reform is coming at the right time?

The reform is even late in coming. It should have come more than Five - six years ago with the

passing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). This is because the details in the PIB would have brought about these changes that are coming up. The PIB envisages unbundling of Nigerian National Petroleum Corportion (NNPC) itself, not even PPMC. The PIB also envisages reforms in PPMC, in the area of refineries either being privatised or commercialised. It also stressed that pipelines and storages be managed by separate organisation for efficiency.

Let me give my candid opinion on some of the things going on.

For example, offshore processing. It is a practice where crude oil is taken away from the country to be refined abroad, and the refined products shipped back to the country, during the time when local refineries are either under-performing or have inadequate refining capacity, or both. Offshore processing sounds good whenever the refineries are unable to work, but it is fraught with accounting problems.

For instance, you can get an equivalent number of litres of refined products from a certain quantity of crude oil, but it is only equivalent and not equal.

This implies that, there is no time you can get the exact quantities from a given volume of crude. So, there will always be issues about this being enough and that one not being enough.

There will also be issues of losses even if they are within the limit of internationally agreed operational and transit losses. The best thing is to have

the ability to refine locally.

The challenge has being, what do you do with the local refineries? Some people feel and that is where I belong, that the plants should be sold off or privatised, or at best, be operated under similar structure of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

Government should stop controlling shares in the refineries and give them to the private sector.

What we are hearing is the refineries being maintained by local engineers, which is what one has always agreed with, that our engineers have the skills, capability to maintain the refineries but the issue has always been ownership. Of all the refineries in the US, none is controlled by government. Over 120 refineries are privately controlled. It is always funny when people challenge the statement that, government has no business being in business.

A little bid of digression, the first 10 best Universities in US are privately owned. The private sector can make things happen more than government. We must move away from State control of facilities that can best be handled by the private sector.

The ultimate objective of reform should end with ownership of refineries and petrol-chemical plants devolving to the private sector. One thing good about the current reform is that, for the first time government is giving products to the real downstream players. For example, government has started allocating kerosene to the major oil marketers and independent marketers, as opposed to what happened when kerosene was allocated to non-key players in the sector. We must thank government and encourage them in this regard to continue this good work.

As an expert in this sector, do you see the on-going reform tackling recurring scarcity of petroleum products in the country?

One is unable to give a yes or no answer due to paucity of information as regards the content of the reform. One can only guess and make deduction from what he sees and hears.

If the reform entails full deregulation, then scarcity will soon be a thing of the past.

Government should fully deregulate the sector to entrench transparent, effective and strong regulatory institutions.

Government seems to be reluctant about selling the refineries despite suggestions from various experts. What will you advise government to do?

Selling the refineries must be through competitive open tender. What we are seeing now that gives the impression of efficiency may not last long. My feeling is that after sometimes, government super-

visory role will be relaxed and we shall be back to business as usual. This is talking from my experience.

In conclusion, the country should move away from State control of the downstream and limit itself to only regulation and creating enabling environment.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 41

Ugwuanyi bridges Enugu infrastructural deficit with N14.2bn credit facility

BY FRANCIS IGATA

G

overnor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is taking the Federal Government N14.2 billion loan facility through the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN,to spur infrastructural development of Enugu State.

Ugwuanyi approached the state House of Assembly, last week, for approval to procure two separate loans from the CBN. The details show that N10 bn is for infrastructural projects and N4.207bn for the payment of the arrears of pensions and salaries owed public servants.

The loans are part of the arrangement of the Federal Government to assist state governments out of their financial challenges arising from the global glut in the oil market.

The decision to give loans up to N10bn to state governments interested was reached at the June 2015 meeting of the National Economic Council,NEC. Following that decision, the CBN, on September 1, wrote to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,NGF, requesting the governors interested in the loan to file applications.

STEPS TO PROCURE LOAN The Enugu government began the process to procure the loans through two separate Executive Council,EXCO, memos from the state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mrs. Eucharia Offor, deliberated upon during the council meeting of September 21 .

Same day, the state House of Assembly sat and, among other issues, deliberated on a motion on notice presented by the Leader of the House, Ikechukwu Ezugwu, seeking the approval of the loans.

The House, through a Motion on Notice,HM/03/2015, passed a resolution authorising the state government to obtain the N14.2billion loans.

The loan carries single interest rate of nine percent and 20 years repayment period.

CRITICAL AREAS OF INFRASTRUCTRAL NEED Pe n o c k s - N O WA S -Ti m b e r Shed-T-Junction-Ugwuogo Nike and Abakpa Junction-Liberty-T-Junction roads, earmarked by the governor for rehabilitation and dualization, are a sore point in Enugu metropolis.

Ugwuanyi had, in his maiden tour immediately after assumption of office, announced the intention of his administration to end motorists’ pain occasioned by traffic gridlock on both roads.

Major artery to the EnuguNorth senatorial zone following the construction of the Ugwogo-Nike-Opi JunctionNsukka road, the roads, if rehabilitated and dualized,will reduce manhours wasted in transit, cut the cost of farm produce and increase the cost of landed properties along that flank and open the area as an investment destination when compared to the saturated me-

BY YINKA AJAYI

T

• Gov Ugwuanyi tropolis and trigger economic activities along that corridor.

Sunday Vanguard checks revealed that a journey of 10 minutes from T-junction to any part of the metropolis takes an energy,economic and time-sapping hours.

A cross section of Enugu residents interviewed expressed support for the governor ’s resolve to rehabilitate and dualize the roads. Whereas Enugu Capital Ter ritory Development Authority,ECTDA, has posted notices on walls of owners, asking them to remove property that may obstruct the project,residents are itchy to see

earth moving machines mobilized to site.

Meanwhile, Sunday Vanguard learnt that Enugu Transport Company,ENTRACO; Institute of Management and Technology,IMT; Water Corporation; Daily Star,among others, will benefit from the bail-out funds.

Funds from the bailout will also be used to complete the Enugu International Conference Centre,ICC. Having reached 80 per cent completion,the ICC commissioning promises to boost tourism,hospitality and culture in Enugu.

Institute appropriate sanctions for gas flaring —- Clean Energy boss

BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU he Federal Government has been called upon to insti tute appropriate sanctions for erring gas flaring companies in Nigeria.

This was the advice of the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Energy Group, Mr. Deepak Khilnani, in a chat with Sunday Vanguard. He said that the problem of stemming gas flaring in Nigeria is a technical one, not one to be put at the doorstep of government.

T

Gas flaring & solution Khilnani said that when oil is produced, associated gas is emitted, but that in such situation what is done with the gas when produced matters.

He listed three options that are available which include re-injection into the firm, which he said is not always technically possible, the second, is the company flares for safety, otherwise if allowed, the gas will flow up into the atmosphere, which he described as poisonous.

And thirdly, is to use it. He said what Clean Energy’s business has been about, right from the beginning and will continues to be on the basis is of the utilization of domestic natural gas. And once that grows, then you will find that the flaring will reduce substantially.

His words, “all government

C M Y K

need do, or say to all companies ‘is, we will fine you” but, if they fine them and the flaring continues, then they can shut them down.

But when you shut them down, the oil production stops. So actually, I do not put this at the door of government. Actually, the only real sustainable solution is to have a utilization of natural gas.”

Power generation and distribution Looking at government’s effort at power generation and distribution he said that government is toeing the right line in terms of privatization of transmission and Generation “I think everything might not have gone as quickly as we would have liked it to happen, but I strongly believe that the govern-

Association sets agenda on backward importation

ment is very much on the right part particularly now with the new government. They are taking things very seriously to compress the time-lines to achieve the objectives that were laid down.”

“I think you would see, and you are already seeing, many of my friends tell me just when the lights go off, that National Electric Power authority, NEPA, is much better. Some say the power availability now is much better.

One cannot make a summary as they say, but things are definitely getting better, and you will see, I believe that the national generation will continue to rise. So in a short answer, Yes, I do believe that the government and the present government particularly is taking very proactive steps to ensure that the privatizing and the growth of generation and transmission and distribution continues in a sustainable way.”

Speaking on challenges of do-

A cross section of members, Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria (APPSON) during a media parley in Lagos recently

ing business in Nigeria as a foreigner, he said, challenges in business abound everywhere.

Business challenges Specifically in Nigeria, the availability of finance is always an issue. Money is very expensive in Nigeria, the interest rates are high. So that creates a higher challenge.

“All our projects are very capital intensive, that means that rather than if we did a project in Europe, maybe we will borrow 80 percent and put 20 percent of our equity.

In Nigeria, the ratio is very dif-

he Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria (APPSON) has called on intending members to be prepared to add value to the nation’s economy by focusing on backward importation.

The President of the group, Mrs. Ngozi Nzegwu, urged members to support regulating agencies to enable them carry out mandate without hindrance.

Her words: “The mission of our association is to focus more on backward importation in order to add value to the Nigerian economy. We also aim to provide networking platforms for members, to elevate and influence product safety while competing comparatively with global market.

“It’s was a source of concern that an industry that is this big doesn’t have an identifiable association that can speak with one voice.

Our aim is to become the hub for promotional items in Africa. We are determined to introduce best practices to members and standardize the way we do business in Nigeria” she concluded.

ferent. We have invested a substantial amount of equity over the last so many years that we have been working in Nigeria, and continue to do so. And that is certainly a challenge that we have. Sometimes the traffic can be a bit of a challenge, that can sometimes be difficult.

In addition, he stated, I cannot also request people to come to my office for meetings which is always better. So, by and large as I said earlier, I believe Nigeria to be a very dynamic and exciting place to do business. We will welcome challenges as they arise.

Fitters back Buhari’s anti-corruption war

T

he Nigerian National Fitte rs Association,

NNFA, has declared its full support to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption, advising that the war must be holistic and free of witch-hunt.

This was contained in a statement signed by its national president, Comrade Ambaiowei A. Ambaiowei and general secretary, Comrade Morrister Idibra, shortly after its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Warri, Delta State.

It said: “ Majority of our local contractors have turned most Nigerian workers to slave machines because jobs that

should be executed by 20 workers are being done with less than half even with a very poor condition of service and lack of payments after execution of job”.

The association also expressed satisfaction in the leadership of Joe Ajaero-led Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and pledges full commitment to his policies and programmes.

It further called on the Federal Government to urgently correct ill-treatment of Nigerian workers by local contractors in the oil and gas industry, in the area of Fabrication, Installation and Carbon Steel Pipe Laying.

Page 42 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

ONE YEAR REMEMBRANCE SERVICE FOR THE LATE OLUREMI OYO

From left: Mr Vincent Oyo (husband), Mrs Okiemuote Abudiore, Mr Tolu Abudiore, Master Tolu Abudiore, Master Tobilola Abudiore, Master Kristopher Oyo, Mrs Nkem Oyo, and Mr Otome Oyo, during the one year remembrance service for Late Dame Felicia Oluremi Oyo, at St Joachim &Anne Catholic Church Ijegun, Lagos . PHOTOS; Kehinde Gbadamosi

Mr & Mrs Gbenga Ogunleye, Rector, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ.

From left: Mr Vincent Oyo, husband, Mrs Okiemuote Abudiore and Mr Tolu Abudiore.

The wedding ceremony of Vanguard Accountant's daughter The wedding ceremony between Patience Iroegbulam, Vanguard Accountant's daughter and Fidelis Anyanwu took place at the Catholic Church of Resurrection, Magodo Gra, Lagos yesterday. PHOTOS BY AKEEM SALAU

From left;Rev Anthony Oyedele; Sacred Heart Cathedral, Akure presenting wedding certificate to the newly coulpe, Mr and Mrs Fidelis Anyanwu and Mrs Stella Opara, sponsor of the wedding

From left: Mr Chinedu Anyanwu;Grooms Brother;Rep Father;Mrs Isabella Iroegbulam,Bride Mother the coulpe, Mr and Mrs Fidelis Anyanwu; Mr Samuel Iroegbulam, bride's father (Vanguard Accountant) and Mrs Victoria Anyanwu, groom's mother at the wedding.

Cross Section of Vanguard staff in a group photograph with the newly wedded couple, Mr and Mrs Fidelis Anyanwu.

The Newly Couple mr And Mrs Fidelis Anyanwu cutting their wedding cake.At the wedding ceremony between Patience Iroegbulam Vanguard Accountant Daughter and Fidelis Anyanwu.

L-r;Ms Titilayo Jolaosho,Financial Controller Vanguard Newspaper and Mrs Hellen Arowolo his PA.

How two ffemale emale bomber s, one other shatt ered Ny an bombers, shattered Nyan anyya, Kuje Continued from Page 7 acts”. The statement, signed

by Acting ACP Adebisi Kolawole, Force Public Relations Officer, said, “Following the incidents the Police High Command ordered an immediate deployment of Police Explosives Ordinance Disposal Units to the scenes to prevent further destructions.

“Preliminary investigations revealed the bomb blasts were carried out by two suicide bombers - a male and a female. “Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered massive stopand-search activities in and around the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

Critical condition Most of the victims were rushed to the Nyanya General Hospital. A worker at the hospital told newsmen that about 18 victims were documented, and that they had been referred to the National Hospital, Abuja for further treatment.

Sunday Gaius, of the Record Unit of the Nyanya General Hospital, said: “We have about 18 victims at the

Nyanya general Hospital; most of them in critical conditions were referred to the National Hospital. Most of them were having fracture, dislocation and some were serious injury.”

In an interview with newsmen, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, represented by Dr Wapada Balami, who led the ministry team, appealed for calm, saying the victims had been receiving medical attention in various hospitals in the nation’s capital.

The Director in-charge of Health Emergency Response and Disaster Management, Federal Ministry of Health, John Kehinde, also disclosed that “there are three corpses in Nyanya blast, but we cannot give exact figure for now, and about 20 sustained various degrees of injury.”

Some of the Nyanya residents, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said it was a suicide bomb attack, carried out by a girl.

The Youth Leader, Nyanya Community, Engr. Labaran Abdullahi Bala, said; “As at that yesterday night, I saw three corpses on the ground.

“It was suicide bomber, we

saw one girl, and her body was in pieces; we suspect she was the one that carried the bomb, because she was the only one whose flesh was all over the place in pieces. We saw the head; we saw the legs and the hands separately on the ground.”

National Hospital spokesperson, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, confirmed that nine dead bodies and 13 people who sustained various degrees of injury from the blasts were brought to the hospital. Haastrup said: “As at now, nine people from both the Nyanya and the Kuje bomb blasts were brought to our hospital. Also, 13 people who were brought alive with various degrees of injury are also in our hospital.

“The good thing is that those who were injured are in stable health condition and are currently being treated. By Monday or so, we will open the mortuary and call people to come and identify their loved ones.”

‘Wife, grandmother dead’ Our correspondent who was at the emergency unit of the hospital yesterday morning met with a middle aged man who claimed to have lost his

wife and grandmother to the Kuje blast, leaving him with a seven-month-old baby.

The baby is among those affected by the bomb blast and was receiving treatment at the National Hospital. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu, condemned in strong terms the blasts.

Chukwu commiserated with Abuja people, particularly those who lost their loved ones in the incidents. In a related development, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Yusha’u Abubakar, yesterday, said, with the recovery of some property at Thursday’s Maiduguri multiple blasts, the military had to degrade Boko Haram insurgents by destroying their bomb factory houses and other property employed in “terrorists activities and insurgency” in the North East. Abubakar disclosed this in Maiduguri at the Maimalari Cantonment, while briefing newsmen on military’s renewed efforts on bringing end to the Boko Haram insurgency before the end of this year.

He said the condoning and

search operations in Sajeri areas of Maiduguri blasts scenes revealed that demolition and destruction of facilities used by Boko Haram had to be promptly executed by the military and other security agencies.

Saraki harps on intelligence gathering In response to the blasts, Senate President Bukola Saraki, last night, urged security agencies to step up intelligence gathering.

Saraki, who condemned the incidents, however, urged Nigerians not to panic, as the renewed attacks were signs that the days of Boko Haram were numbered. In a statement from his media office, Saraki commended security agencies for their quick response to the bombings in Nyanya and Kuje, especially the prompt evacuation of the dead and the injured to medical facilities.

Cowardly attacks in Abuja, elsewhere will not save Boko Haram – APC Also, last night, All Progressives Congress (APC)

strongly condemned the attacks, warning that no amount of cowardly attacks will save Boko Haram terrorists from imminent defeat.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the attacks, as well as other recent ones, are part of the cowardly tactics of the terrorists to focus on soft targets, after the military has succeeded in putting them on the run.

It said the avowed determination of the Buhari administration to crush Boko Haram, which has seen the military recording a string of successes against the terrorists, will not be weakened by these dastardly acts that are nothing but the last kicks of a dying monster.

APC appealed to Nigerians to be vigilant since Boko Haram members who have been smoked out of their strongholds may be seeking refuge elsewhere across the country.

The party condoled with the families of those who were killed in the latest Abuja attacks, and wished those who were injured a speedy recovery.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 43

...All about the North

By Luka Binniyat

F

or three days, Governor Nasir El Rufai literally re-located Kaduna State Government House to the cosy 5th Chuker Polo and Country Club, about 15km east of Kaduna metropolis.

Though a day’s meal at the 5th Chuker can consume the minimum wage, and its average room rates for the three days may sound indecent for a state government that preaches frugality, the business El Rufai had at hand was multi-billion in nature, populist, earnest and somewhat ambitious. On the table was the primary and secondary school incentive that the governor swore to deliver.

And it was with clear from the excitement he exuded when he spoke to journalists after the threeday retreat.

Said the governor: “We have been deliberating on the practicability of our manifesto to our people who voted out the past government and brought us in.

“Every Commissioner here has brought a blue print of what he intends to do, and how he intends to achieve it.

“As you know, we have been able to rake N24 billion through the Single Treasury Account, STA, initiative from so many accounts owned by government which we never knew existed.

“Just I have promised, no primary school pupil will pay a penny as tuition, Parent Teacher Association levy or any sort of levy. That means that parents of these pupils will save N3.7 billion annually that was charged them.

“Let me repeat, any school that asks for any kind of levy should contact us and he will see the kind of disciplinary action that will be taken.

“It is a disgrace that more than half of our primary school pupils sit on bare floor and learn in dilapidated class rooms.

That is unacceptable. We have promised to provide furniture to all our primary schools and renovate the schools to create a decent environment for learning.

We have already started working on that. The only snag here is that we have to renovate and secure the classes first before bringing in the furniture.

C M Y K

El-Rufai’s billion Naira food for Kaduna pupils “Also, we are embarking on a free lunch programme for the one million pupils in our primary schools and that will cost N9 billion to cover one million children in one

Each student will now be fed on N66 per meal to mean that we shall spend N200 million per term or N600 million per year. That will cover our 273,000 boarding students

year. The state House of Assembly has already appropriated N1 billion for that. But the free lunch will start from next term. Women were involved in selling food to these pupils will be first considered to partake in the excercise. By this, we are also creating jobs and reducing poverty.

“Today, only N11 Naira is used to feed each boarding school student in this state per meal, which is unacceptable. We have resolved to raise it by 500%. Each student will now be fed on N66 per meal to mean that we shall spend N200 million per term or N600 million per year. That will cover our 273,000 boarding students.

“We are very serious about securing our school lands and the integrity of our school system. We are going to secure and fence all our school lands and we are going to directly send

money to the principals and Headmasters of each secondary and primary, but there will be a School Management Board in place.

“The management board will be made up of members of the community who shall ensure the prudent use of the funds.

That means that local community leaders will be actively involved in the supervision of these schools and they can reach us directly when there is a problem.

“Again, all our primary school pupils will be given free uniforms. We have estimated that that venture alone will create 5,000 jobs for our local tailors.

“We want to make our public schools models for others to copy. We want to make public schools in Kaduna to attain the standard under which we attended schools in those

good old days.

“We want to also make the teaching profession more attractive for competent hands to enter. That is why we are looking into the issues that make teachers want to leave for other jobs immediately they have an opening. We have asked for more people to apply. That is not all. After the reduction of our ministries and the scraping of some government organs, we discover that after we would have redeployed staff to areas of competence, some may have to become teachers.

“All what have been saying must be implemented, because every ministry must have a Performance Desk that will monitor projects and implementation of our programmes. I have appointed an aide whom I have empowered to breath down on everyone’s neck”.

PAGE 44— SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

...All about the North

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

T

h e World Trade Centre, WTC, Abuja, is the first complex in Nigeria to have seven towers made up of a 38-storey hotel building and six 24-storey commercial offices and residential towers. Located at the Central Business Area, the towers promise dwarf all other structures Abuja. In this interview, Senior Property Consultant, Mr. Olumide Adekanmi , explains the concept of the WTC and what the nation’s economy stands to gain from it. Excerpts: What is the idea behind the Abuja World Trade Centre?

The concept behind the World Trade Centre, as the name indicates, is a brand, a worldwide brand.

Churchgate won the franchise to build the Abuja World Trade Centre and that we are doing right now. Many developed countries of the world have World Trade Centres and we are convinced that the World Trade Centre in Abuja will change the face of businesses in Nigeria. The concept is that it is a modern market; a trade zone where you have everything that you can actually think of in business in one strategic location. So we are looking at a multi-tower collection of both Commercial Office Towers and Residential Towers. The Commercial Towers consist of AAA offices each uniquely designed to appeal to global businesses requiring premier services including formal meeting spaces, state-of-the-art security and the highest standard of interior finishes. Flexible spaces that can be purchased in configurations of 100 square meters, 200 square meters , 300 square meters and up to 1, 200 square meters on one level to cater for the needs of a wide-range of users are now available for purchase or lease. Those looking for a world class business environment will find the World Trade Centre irresistible. It will therefore host banking halls, oil and gas corporate offices, headquarters of conglomerates and an address for international organizations. Section two is the Residential Towers. The towers in that section will have one-bedroom to sixbedroom apartments, as well as duplexes. The offers at the residential towers are flexible. While we are furnishing the apartments with world class finishes, those who desire to furnish their apartments will be sold the apartments, less the cost of furnishing. In-between the Commercial and Residential Towers, will build a 38-storey 5-star hotel that will spell ultimate leisure not only in C M Y K

World Trade Centre, global brand', to alter Abuja skyline Abuja but the entire country. It is a comfort zone. That hotel will be managed by Grand Hyat.

What is the idea behind having residential apartments in a work environment?

When you have a residential area, which we call the serviced apartments adjacent the commercial towers, it gives you straight access. You don’t have to look for a car or taxi to take you to your office.

You can just walk from home to your office, as well as, walk to the shopping malls where you can buy whatever you need. It takes away from you all the stress of traffic. It you have visitors or conferences to attend in the commercial towers you can simply walk from the residence to the venue and it is very comfortable. What we are looking at is quality comfortability and worldwide class. Living where you are working is what the complex provides. It is the first time we are having such a product in our country. The apartments are so unique because they are built with special wall glasses that are heatresistant, sound-proof and act as fire-extinguishers.

What is special about corporate organizations taking up offices in the WTC? The World Trade Centre operates like a club of a high network of businesses. When you are

doing business at the WTC, it is totally different from having an office in any other part of the city. What you have in the WTC is a high network of people not just of Nigerians or Africans but global players in one complex. Global businesses thrive on networking, connections. At the WTC, you don’t need to go out to look for the connections. All the

The security there is world-class. We are going to have seven towers and that means that we are going to have a mega security station in that complex. It is an international brand and that means there is a standard that must be maintained

connections you need are in there. You have it at your finger tips. Don’t forget, it’s a world class brand. When you are asked, ‘ where is your office?’ and you say ‘at the World Trade Centre’, it means so much to businessmen.

What security measures are in place to ensure the safety of those who work or live at the WTC? The security there is worldclass. We are going to have seven towers and that means that we are going to have a mega security station in that complex. It is an international brand and that means there is a standard that must be maintained. We are putting all necessary measures in place to ensure that individuals and their properties are safe. Every individual that works there will have an access card so no stranger can walk into that complex without an access card. Everybody will have his own record. It is all computerised. The cards of those in the Residential Towers are designed in such a way that the card can only open the access door to the floor in which one resides. Even the Lifts are computerised in such a way that you need the access card to open the door of the lift. If you are in the lift, you cannot stop and come out of it on another floor other than yours. For a resident who has a visitor, all he needs do is to contact the security unit

and direct that the visitor be giving a visitor-access card. That card will be configured in such a way that it will allow the visitor to gain access to only the floor and the apartment of the host. Such a card can only be valid for that single that day. High networth individuals care very much about their privacy and security. We have factored this in our design and we can assure those coming to either purchase offices and residential apartments at the WTC that they can sleep with their two eyes closed. Besides, the general complex will be covered with 24/7 CCTV by the best service providers.

You said there will be a shopping mall. How will customers enter to make purchases if those going into the complex must have individual access cards?

For the shopping, will have its own access which will be open to the public. There is a different route into the mall. But you can’t access the main complex from the mall if you don’t have any business with the offices and the residential apartments. The railway that is being constructed by the federal government passes by the mall so one can actually get to the mall by rail or by road because there will be a rail station by the complex. If you come out of the metro, you head straight into the mall where the security is fivestar. Those in the commercial towers can access the mall because there is a connection but those who just come to the mall for purchases cannot get to the commercial towers from there.

When will it be completed?

The first phase will be completed in the middle of 2016 and this consists of two 24-floor towers . one of the is Commercial tower while the second is the Residential tower. As you drive through the Constitution Roads and virtually throughout the city the towers are very visible.

How many offices are there in the commercial tower?

We have 24 floors of the commercial tower and 24 floors of the servicedapartments. The provisions in the product we offer are such that a wide range of subscribers can take advantage of them. Some may want to take the duplexes, others who want the 5-bedroom , 4-bedroom , 3-bedroom of 1-bedroom have opportunities to key into the Abuja WTC. Ancillary services include concierge services, fitness centre, swimming pools, tennis and squash courts, underground parking lots, alluring penthouses and breathtaking views.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 45

ROBBERS DISGUISE AS REFUSE COLLECTORS!

The dawn attack that nearly killed me – FCT resident *The tales of woes!

• Inset: Mr Obiora Chinwuko, owner of Cost-Cutter supermarket, a victim (left) and Vice-chairman of pantakers, Mallam Musa Mohammed

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

heir services are indispensable for many but the risks involved in en gaging the services of local waste collectors, popularly known as Mai Boller, have called for concern.

Armed with their ‘mini trucks’ and dangerous weapons like dagger, knife and local guns hidden underneath their trucks or tucked away in the clothes, they can carry as much refuse as possible from the remotest parts of the Federal Capital Territary (FCT) to the dump.

They operate with caution in the day time but are dangerous at nights. They come out from 2am to 6am to rob the sleepy and quiet areas of targets.

Due to their availability, coupled with their low charges, the average Abuja resident prefers engaging the local refuse collectors to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEBP).

Regrettably, the agency expected to dispose refuse across the FCT has not lived up to its billing as it has several times been accused of not being available to dispose residents’ wastes as and when due.

However, as important as the services of the local waste collectors might be, their presence has, in recent times, become security risk to Abuja residents.

Cases abound of instances where the Mai Boller, in the process of carrying the garbage, also make away with residents’ properties. Such theft is carried out so smartly that the owner might not even know that he or she is not only paying for the removal of waste products but also losing valuables.

The Mai Boller, who have taken advantage of their familiarity with the terrain to loot properties of their clients, have added midnight robbery to their job.

C M Y K

A resident of Kubwa, Mr Obiora Chinwuko, who runs Cost-Cutter Supermarket on Gado Anasodo Way, narrated how Mai Boller almost yanked his neck off.

“It was around 6am on that fateful day.

I usually open my shop around that time for workers and school children that may want to buy one or two things early in the morning,”she stated.

“I was about to open my shop when three Mai Boller boys, with their trucks, accosted me and started asking me for money and I told them that I did not have money. One of them was carrying a long curved knife.

“Just as I was about to scream, they pushed me inside my shop because, had already unlock the padlocks; yet l did not stop screaming for help.

“They started loading my goods into their trucks. l still l didn’t stop screaming for help. At that point, one of them used the knife he was holding to cut me my neck. l quickly used my hand to shield my neck and the knife cut my hand. He attempted the second time but this time targeted my head and got me on my forehead, blood was gushing out. They loaded their trucks full of my wares and left me in a pool of blood.

“That was the third time they had attacked me and it is usually very early in the morning. Some persons advised me that I should not be coming out that early.

“Since then, l open my shop around 6.30 to 7am when the day is bright. It is a daily occurrence in this area. Most of the shops around this area have been robbed.

That is why many operators sleep in their shops now to scare them by screaming for help immediately they hear any sounds around their shops in the night.

“We are appealing to the police to pa-

Aside robbing, the careless manner in which the garbage collectors convey the wastes from the point of collection to the refuse dump creates room for the garbage to litter the road trol Kubwa especially in the night as the activities of the Mai Boller may get out of what the government can control”.

A salon owner, Carol, lost her expensive generator to waste collectors. She said she could not have believed that his generator would be stolen from her shop even when she tightly locked the shop.

In the case of Agbo Kingsley, a boutique owner on Byazhin Junction, he stocked his boutique on a Friday and left for the day after sales only for neighbours to call him on Saturday morning that thieves had broken the wall of his boutique, “I was surprised that my neighbours could call me that early. When l picked the call, l was told to come quickly as thieves had broken into my shop through the wall,”he said.

“Without taking my bath, l rushed to the shop, opened the door and discovered that all the clothes and every single item worth N700,000 in my boutique had gone.

And since then, I have not been able to raise that kind of money to stock my shop.”

Another victim, Kingsley Nnali, who is

into electricals, narrated that he started sleeping in his oga’s shop after Mai Boller broke into the place.

Another victim, Ezeja Okwudili, who is into blinds, had his shop broken into with all his curtains, bedsheets and the rest of them carted away.

Aside robbing, the careless manner in which the garbage collectors convey the wastes from the point of collection to the refuse dump creates room for the garbage to litter the road.

Besides, some simply dump the piles of refuse anywhere without recourse to the health of residents.

A woman, residing in Kubwa, complained of how she had paid a Mai Boller to pack her refuse, only to discover later that the same refuse was dumped behind her compound.

The Vice-Chairman of Pantakers, Mallam Musa Mohammed, told Sunday Vanguard that the Boller boys do not spare anybody irrespective of tribe and religion.

“They used to come every night to steal our goods. They always disturb our security. Two weeks ago, they took away some iron doors and a week later, they came back to carry another one again including the ones that they carry through the back that we are still not aware of. They usually come Whenever come and go through the bush.”

“We are pleading with government to chase them away for us. They operate around Kubwa; they live in farms, uncompleted buildings, open field, kiosks. They pretend to be busy in day time but rob shops and houses in the night.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Anjuguri Manzah, in the meantime, has reiterated the commitment of the force to ensuring residents’ safety.

PAGE 46— SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

NGOs, agents rip off desperate award seekers

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

M

any Nigerians are desper ate for awards.

What is not clear is the essence of honouring people who cannot pass the test for even community award, not to talk of titles like Ambassador of Peace, chief, doctor, reverend, bishop.

The most common award now is the ‘Ambassador of Peace’. It is also the most incrative and, therefore, the most abused.. Men and women who, for reasons of missed opportunities, inadequacy or absence of the vital push in life, failed to pursue education to its logical conclusion yet want to be recognised for some cerebral qualities, literally crave for titles through the back door.

Chamber Dictionary defines honour as “the esteem due or paid to a worthy person, body etc. respect; high estimation; veneration; that which right fully attracts esteem; that which confers distinction or does credit; integrity; a fine and scrupulous sense of what is right (without being bought or paid for)”.

But money seems to be the bottom line, to some organisers, for the ‘Ambassador of Peace’honour among other awards. When a man strongly desires to stand tall above his neighbours by all means, he resorts to lobbying to “get there.” A lobby that is backed by ‘gold’ is likely to be more effective, considering the peculiarities of the socio-economic milieu of Nigeria.

The highest bidders have proved to be more qualified than those who, ordinarily, should have no problems being recognised for their noble contributions to the development of a society in dire need of heroes. The currency, at times, may not be only money. Influence, especially in this age of the politicians, has also gone a long way in determining who gets what.

Many are vulnerable to portfolio non-governmental organisations (NGOs), individuals who parade themselves as agents to awarding institutions while they charge their victims between N200,000 and N2million depending on the weight of the awards.

One effect of this is that persons qualified for the awards have had to turn them down as they would not want to spend time explaining to people that theirs are with a difference.

The Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, at the International Day of Families during which the UN gave Ambassador of Peace to some recipients in Abuja, stated that an equitable social and economic development depends on fair legal frameworks and social norms that support the rights of women and children.

Moon, at the UN’s Family Day, held under the theme, ‘Men in Charge?

Gender equality and children’s rights in contemporary societies’, emphasised the need for countries to prevent discriminatory practices against women and children.

Represented by Mr. Babatunde Adegbesan, an official of the Universal Peace Federation in Nigeria, the UN Scribe said, “On this international day, let us resolve to change legal and social norms that support male control over women, reinforce discrimination and prevent the elimination of violence against vulnerable family members”.

As part of the activities to mark the day, the UN and the UPF presented the award of Ambassador of Peace to

some individuals.

One of the recipients, Mr. Kelvin Ebhohime, Chief Executive Officer, Usunobun Nigeria Limited, a construction firm, said the award is in recognition of his contributions to the community, families and Nigeria, especially in the area of primary healthcare.

Ebhohimen, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, said, “For a very long time, we have been acting in a quiet form. We have been supportive of people living with HIV, people with kidney problems; we also have this small and medium scale programme, where we support women to start up small scale business.

“We also go a long way to help provide drugs for primary health centres.

We were doing it on a very small scale, not knowing people were also observing what we were doing. That has been our little contribution to society.

“There is also this core value for family, I have always practiced, both in my community, in the church and where ever I have worked.”

Even our universities are not left out in the crave to milk Nigerians in the name of awards.

A university would only provide an avenue for a man in search of completeness to satisfy his sense of self.

That is what makes the Nigerian situation pathetic. There was a time when tact was exhibited in deciding who deserved honour. But now, the gown could go to just about anybody who can promise to build hostels, laboratories, facility buildings or libraries.

Integrity takes the second or third place.

Commanding dignity or the respect of others and using mercantile methods to obtain awards are two different things. At the end of the day, the whole idea of standing up in ovation of hard work and service to humanity becomes a victim of diminished value. It is not surprising that several holders of academic doctor of philosophy now prefer to drop the “Dr.” prefix and adopt the “Ph.D.” suffix. And

The highest bidders have proved to be more qualified than those who, ordinarily, should have no problems being recognised for their noble contributions to the development of a society in dire need of heroes even then, the abuse of this style by some of those with honorary degrees has begun - although not in a large, noticeable number.

In Nigeria, the quest for titles almost has the same underlying factors as those of doctorate degrees. In the league of this dance of shame are the major modes of worship: Islam and Christianity.

They are eager to take a bite, damn the consequences of what may be interpreted as syncretism. In some cases, the complex that propels the quest for these titles rubs in to the extent that a holder could become blind to decency or modesty.

‘I am an Ambassador of Peace, so put the prefix ‘Ambassador ’ when addressing me next time’. ‘Don’t you ever call me chief. I am a high chief ’. ‘I am not an ordinary Otunba’. The extraordinary prefix seekers desperately want their awed or disdainful listeners to believe them.

Some universities, especially in America, have since cashed in on this hunger for recognition by awarding honours to many Nigerians. Pastors, business men, politicians and others who need degrees to enhance their

standing in society, their capacities to influence and a feeling of importance have benefitted greatly from the gesture. The irony of the situation is that back in the US, the people there are not crazy about titles but they know that some people in a part of the globe do not only care for them, they could also go to any extent to acquire them.

Many of the institutions that dish them out have agents in Nigeria who market these ‘honours’.

Amb Patrick Nimdam, Managing Director of Mansel Motors Ltd, is another Ambassador of Peace award receipient from Centre for Career Development and Youth Empowerment Advocacy.

Nimdam, in his acceptance speech, said, “Indeed, I am most flattered by this award from a reputable and highly recognised institution for peace and unity, Centre for Career Development and Youth Advocacy. I am happy that the little humble contributions i have made towards the process of peace and unity for our nation in the past have appreciated by an organisation that is pursuing a similar project for peace and unity.

“It is my position and l strongly believe that the threat to peace and unity can only be contained if only all stakeholders, religious leaders of all persuasions, community leaders, and government and public functionaries will genuinely have the fear of God and be totally honest to one another.

“The usual adult hypocrisy of clamouring for peace and unity with one side of the mouth and supporting and preaching a violent war against nonmembers of their faith with the other side of the mouth must stop, if we are to enjoy any reasonable peace on this planet earth.”

While explaining her reason for nominating Nimdam for the award, the Director-General of Centre for Career Development and Youth Empowerment Advocacy, Amb Stella Bernard, said the award was a boost for recipients to continue in their peace strides.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 47

Lagos city-wide crusade records over 40,000 converts, diverse miracles

W

HEN the just concluded Lagos C i t y - W i d e Crusade kicked off on September 8, not many people envisaged that the General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Pastor Willi am Kumuyi, 74, could

withstand the rigour of the 18day non-stop event, let alone travelling from one location to the other with all the stress involved. But he did, in what some participants described as utmost sacrifice for the salvation of souls.

The results were overwhelming, as the crusade, organised by the DCLM, in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recorded over 40,000 converts to the Christian faith, aside diverse miracles that took place.

In Ikorodu, alone, over 4,682 people made decision for Christ, while in Badagry, over 5,000 people received salvation. In Epe, information gathered revealed that about 4,000 people got converted, while in Agege over 1,500 people reconciled themselves with God. In Surulere, a 22-year old man, Uche Nwaogbola, deaf and dumb from birth, spoke for the first time. His teacher in the deaf and dumb class, Ms Lovett Osondu, was amazed, saying: “It is a miracle.” Martins Nwankwo, who was paralysed and bed-ridden, was also miraculously healed at the Surulere crusade.

In Shomolu crusade, which held at the University of Lagos, a 200-level Law student, Miss Ayomide Akinbode, testified to her miraculous healing. A year ago, according to her, she noticed a lump in her breast and visited several hospitals without a solution but after Pastor Kumuyi’s prayer, the lump disappeared.

Chairman of CAN, Isolo, Ejigbo and Oshodi Province, Archbishop Peter Febusoro, who was overwhelmed with the manifestation of God’s power, pointed out that the crusade not only brought unity within the Christendom, but also helped to rebuild lives, which were in shackles.

Febusoro said: “It was a well organised crusade. Everything was in order. Everybody that came saw the presence of the Holy Spirit. I just think that such a thing could be coming up once in awhile so that people can be revived. It will help to reshape the lives of people in the state because a lot of things have been happening in terms of criminal activities, immoral acts and other vices.

“The crusade could tackle these acts. Like in Isolo, most people who attended the crusade would have by now changed from their wayward ways of doing things and come to God. Pastor Kumuyi talked on so many things that would touch the lives of the people,” the CAN chairman stated, hoping that other churches will capitalise on it to achieve what the crusade was envisioned.

“That is why I said that I hope the crusade would come once in a while because it will bring unity among the Christendom.

Christians were not as united as the other religion. But with this

•Pastor William Kumuyi crusade, we have seen unity. For me, it is a joy,” he stressed.

The Managing Director of Jones-Olu Nigeria Enterprises, Jones Bagbe, was particularly concerned about the follow-up of the converts to establish and sustain their conviction in Christ, noting that it would enhance positive socio-moral disposition in Lagos State.

According to him, the level of immorality, criminality, cultism and waywardness in the state is on the high side, but the crusade had brought a lease of life to many families.

Bagbe said: “The impact of the crusade can never be

overemphasised, looking at the participation and the joy that pervade every arena where the crusade was held. It will drastically reduce the level of criminality in the society.

Therefore, the crusade has been a huge success, judging from the report so far received and the testimonies that were shared in the various locations, as well as the response to altar calls.

“By now the first and the second batches of the crusade must have conducted their water baptism for the converts, and this is one of the ways to measure the spiritual impact of

the crusade,” he noted.

The Lagos State Moderator of Deeper Christian Life Ministr y (DCLM), Pastor Joseph Fasanmi, had, earlier at a press conference, stated that the crusade was to address not only the alarming rate of robberies, cultism, drug abuse and corruption, among other ills, in the state, but also to usher people into the kingdom of God. Fasanmi explained that respective governments in Lagos State, since the advent of democracy in 1999, had made significant efforts to improve the socio-political and economic situation, noting that their collective actions could not “sufficiently lift the state because of the people’s attitudinal dispositions, moral and spiritual make-up.”

He pointed out that unless the “heart of man was changed and turned around by God” to undertake salutary and positive designs, government’s measure would ultimately be feeble and less impactful.

According to him; “the leaders, themselves, are outcrops of a depressed environment, and cannot be expected to provide enduring solutions to the multifaceted challenges facing mankind and summed up in one word – sin.

We make bold to state that it is only a completely changed heart of man by God through the gospel that can bring about a fundamental and unadulterated transformation in our broad landscape.

“All those that have conquered the basic challenges of development have done so because, at one time or the other in their chequered history, they had embraced the commanding imperatives of

the gospel,” he added.

Kumuyi, while noting that the crusade was a divine assignment, stated: “I think the secret is the grace of God. This is the first time we will go through like this for 18 days nonstop, travelling from place to place in the state.

“We give the glory to God and the cooperation of the people as we have worked together in unity. There is unity in strength and I felt the unity of the people, not only Deeper Life but CAN, everybody, even the media too,”

he added.

INDEPENDENCE:

Christ Embassy distributes 30,000 Rhapsody of Realities

BY BOSE ADELAJA (LAGOS) AND CHIOMA UNEGBU (UYO) B ELIEVERS Love World also known as Christ Embassy has said that free 30,000 copies of its daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities will be distributed to various families across Nigeria this October.

Disclosing this during a media briefing last Wednesday in Lagos, chairman of 2015 Committee of the programme, Pastor Chidi Ezemako said the exercise which started last Thursday as its annual ReachOut Nigeria campaign in all the geopolitical zones of the country was aimed at celebrating Nigeria and Nigerians as a nation most especially at her 55th Independence Anniversary.

According to him, the Reach-out Nigeria Project with a new theme for the year, “Dawning a new nation”, will help to transform the nation by fostering unity among Nigerians,

Nigeria at 55:

We should be gr at eful ttoo God—Bishop Matthew grat ateful

BY OLAYINKA LATONA The Lagos East Bishop of Church of God Mission International, Bishop Egowa Matthew has called on Nigerians to desist from using the Independence anniversary celebration as a day to mourn, regret and curse leaders for what is perceived as failure or missed opportunities but to rejoice and celebrate Nigeria’s existence thanking God for keeping the nation thus far.

Speaking on the church annual programmes tagged: “Burning Bush” and “Not My Blood” which attracted several speakers within and outside the country, Matthew said October 1 is a day to reminisce on the good old days and stop criticizing government and those in authority.

In his words: “We should see reasons to appreciate God for His mercy and grace upon us as a nation. Some people predicted the collapse of Nigeria, saying Nigeria would

not see 2015; that the general election will not be successful and other evil prophecies but miraculously God stepped in and instead of having crisisfilled environment, we are enjoying peace and tranquility. Before now phones were an exclusive preserve of the rich but one administration came in and made it easier for majority of Nigerians to have mobile phones.”

Urging Nigerians to pray fervently for Mr. President and be patient with the present administration, the cleric said that the country, especially the leaders need prayers to deliver the dividend of democracy which they promised during the last election.

“Let us be patient with President Buhari, cooperate with him and individually contribute our quota towards the development of the country,” he said.

Calling for proactive measures to tackle insecurity in the country, he urged the

Federal Government to fund security agencies well to ensure better security, especially in the North, where activities of the Boko Haram are prevalent.

Encouraging Nigerians to change their perception on the myth associated with ‘ember ’ months, the cleric explained that during the ‘ember months’, three things began to happen: people are so busy at the expense of their spiritual life, those whose target were not yet met are discouraged and there is an increase in foot and vehicular activities and these activities are without preparation and

these lead to an increase in accidents.

The bishop emphasized that dangers associated with those months were human errors rather than spiritual: “There is a saying that when people rush, they will be crushed.

When people do things without preparation it is rush.

Many people have this mentality that September to December are the most dangerous months of the year.

There is nothing dangerous about the months, it is the people’s mind because where the mind goes is where the mouth goes,” he said.

REVIVAL A 7-DAY revival programme

by Christ Galilee Gospel Ministry, Igbogbo/Ikorodu kicked off on Thursday, October 1, 2015 and will be rounded off on Wednesday at the church premises, Oluwatobi Street, Igbogbo/Ebute Road, Ikorodu at 5.00 p.m. daily except on

Friday and Sunday. Church president, Pastor Femi Adeniyi said the programme with the theme, ‘’Remember me oh!

Lord’’ will feature a vigil on Friday while members are expected to attend the Sunday service with their various work tools.

PAGE 48—SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Buhari should address corruption of the mind – Rev. Peters

BY EMMA NNADOZIE Reverend Chukwuma Peters, the President of Fire Pentecostal Ministry International, Akowonjo, Lagos, believes in the sincerity of the heart and divine fellowship. He unreservedly, in this interview, gives thumbs down to the present leadership in Nigeria but maintains that there is hope for improvement if the change mantra becomes a reality.

Assessing Nigeria’s leadership think, for now, there is no leadership because there is no direction. The country has not been given a direction of where we are going. Everybody is at a stand still. In other words, I can say that the country is stagnant. Nothing is moving.

What about the change mantra being chanted everywhere.

Are we not feeling the body language?

I have not seen any change and some people are talking about improvement in the electricity. I do not think Buhari’s administration has bought any bulb. I believe that government is a process and all that we are seeing now is what the former administration put in place. I am not a party man. In terms of corruption, I don’t think there is any corruption being fought for now.

There is a difference between stealing and corruption. Corruption is a thing of the mind that blows up through the demonstration of character. Corruption is also when you deny somebody of his right. You can see the direction the government was going on its first appointments: Appointing more than 30 to 31 people and all of them from one zone. That is corruption because Nigeria should be viewed as a corporate entity not dominated by one section. If the President should wake up and say he was appointing the people he trusted from one zone, then he should resign and contest for the governorship of that zone. But, so long as you will rule Nigeria, you must trust Nigerians and how do you trust Nigeria; you must trust the North, East, West, etc. We all know that before the President came to power, people were showering praises on him.

Now, the praises have reduced because of this. His touted impeccable integrity has also reduced because you can’t disenfranchise me and ask me to support you.

Are you saying that you have not seen improvement in the area of the economy,the TSA and other areas?

In the area of economy, there is no improvement .Some people are saying the price of oil has started coming down. The price of oil is a global thing, and, some countries are even selling cheaper than what we are selling; if the price of oil went down, it must affect the masses. Also, everybody knows that as it is affecting government. Now, there is no new thing that has happened, is it our refineries that have started operating? What took place is that they are trying to manage what we have and government has not started running actually because there is no minister. They said they were studying the government like

I

papers. It seems they don’t trust themselves. If they are divided among themselves, what kind of government then are they going to give us? This issue of party supremacy they have been talking about, is against internal democracy and it is also corruption. That is why they are at war with the Senate President now. Since the Senate President assumed office, there has not been a meeting between him and the President. Our President should learn how to be a father.

In essence you are saying Saraki is being witch hunted?

Yes, he is being witch hunted.

He is an APC member and the Constitution does not say that APC or PDP member must emerge the Senate President.

The Constitution says one of the Senators and one of them emerged as Senate President.

Why don’t you all give him the benefit of doubt? If he is not doing the job, his colleagues would remove him. Its easy to remove a Senate President than a President and this distraction is a result of the corruption of the mind. If our leaders would lead us well and if they would fight against corruption, then they have to first fight against the corruption of the mind. Mental corruption is the highest corruption. It is the corruption that leads to war all over the world and it can cause another war if people are not careful.

The way out The way out is that the ruling APC should purge itself of mental corruption, the members should accept themselves as one family and get ready to work in unity. For now, the party is in disarray. Internal democracy is lacking in its administration and, until that is removed, they can’t unify Nigeria. There is no way you carry out a lopsided sided appointment that you will not unsettle some sections of the country. And then, we don’t want to have another Boko Haram somewhere. We don’t want to

•Rev. Chukwuma Peters have MASSOB disturbing. We don’t want to have OPC disturbing. All we want to have is a peaceful Nigeria and the corruption of the mind can deny us of this peace.

In the area of security, don’t you think Buhari has achieved a lot especially on the issue of Boko Haram?

The military equipment being used are those purchased by the Jonathan administration. I have not heard that Buhari bought new guns. What happened is that people criticize without thinking . Jonathan was trying to buy the military equipment, the Americans were blocking him, shouting that they support us to fight insurgency but they were campaigning against our buying vital equipment until the Federal Government wanted to buy through the black market in South Africa. The thing blew up until they had a new front where they now got the ammunition.

Boko Haram was harmed six weeks to the elections. Now that Buhari came and appointed two key military officers from the

same zone, it’s disenfranchisement. You don’t do something like that in a nation divided by ethnicity and religion.

What do you think went wrong with Jonathan’s government What went wrong with Jonathan’s government is still the same thing that is happening now, lack of internal democracy and Jonathan appointing relatives into key positions.

Would you give him a pass mark?

Yes, in certain areas. In certain areas, no. Generally? Yes, he can’t be condemned outrightly.

The rising spate of kidnapping in the country.

Disenfranchisement and denial of rights and development have made some intelligent youths vulnerable to crime. Government is not building companies and factories to create jobs.

The economy should be restructured.

What role do you think the police and security agencies should play, at least, to stem what is happening now?

What we have in Nigeria is a presidential security system, only the President has power.

They call it Commander-inChief of the armed forces. No other person has power over security except the president. Security management of the nation shouldn’t be like that. State police must be in place if we must combat crime.

What role should men of God play in this regard?

Men of God have been playing roles because the nation belongs to God and not the President.

That is why the President has only four years to stay and God has a permanent ruling direction. The men of God should emphasize truth because, seeing evil and not talking about it is corruption. I personally do pray for Mr President. I know that he wishes Nigeria well. No President or governor wants his country or state to be destroyed during his tenure, but hypocritical supporters, sycophants keep telling him that the wrong thing is right. God will flush them out so that the President will be free to carry out his genuine intention.

Recent clampdown on MASSOB by the police.

The Northern Elders Forum met recently and was talking about the convocation of another National Conference to address underdevelopment in the North. Which National Conference has convoked after the Biafran war to develop the South East? I brought electricity to my community and not government.

MASSOB is a reaction triggered by anger . The youths are being killed. They don’t have weapons . The Presidency should not marginalize them to the point they would carry weapons. The scars of the world are still there and that is why MASSOB came. If a child is crying and you keep beating him to stop , the child would cry the more. The government negotiated with the Niger Delta militants , they are negotiating, now with Boko Haram, why should it not negotiate with MASSOB?

Boko Harm: Another inter-religious organisation underway

BY SAM EYOBOKA with Agency reports

F

OLLOWING the failure of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, to forge a common ground to address religious intolerance in Nigeria including violent insurgency in North East region, key stakeholders in a new inter-religious centre in Nigeria have met to plan for the centre and its work, set to launch in March 2016.

The 2-day meeting which ended on Monday at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, was attended by representatives from the Jordanian Royal Aal AlBayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT), the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).

The project has developed as a result of a high-level international inter-religious visit to Nigeria by representatives of the WCC and RABIIT in 2012.

Speaking about the significance of the project, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC, said: “Muslims and Christians can,

through this initiative, hear each other’s stories, share each other’s pain, and begin to heal. This centre is a significant common project for Muslims and Christian leaders in Nigeria and a pioneering work in inter-religious encounter.”

Attendees shared their vision for the work of the centre, which is intended to act as an impetus for healing and reconciliation in Nigeria, given the recent incidents of conflict in the country. The governance, management and programme of the centre are intended to model Nigerian Christians and Muslims working together on issues of concern to all Nigerians.

The evocative phrase “In the sandals of the other” was proposed as a descriptive title for the centre.

In the first year of its operation, the centre will work on supporting victims of violence who are suffering from trauma, with a particular focus on women and young people. It will also share examples of people working together to support each other across religious boundaries, as well as beginning substantial data collection.

Participants of the meeting

included Dr. Khalid A. Abubakar, Ms Lamya Al-Khraisha, Dr. Clare Amos, Dr. Usman Muhammad Bugaje, Mr. Sulayman Hart, Dr. Gina Lende, Rt. Rev. Prof Emele Mba Uka, Rev. Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Wushishi, Dr. Yakubu Joseph and Ms Marietta Ruhland.

The conflict of interest rocking the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council made up of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, deepened last July when the Christian arm alleged that the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs had scuttled every effort to hold meetings.

CAN specifically faulted the exclusion of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi; astute Islamic preacher, Sheikh ElZaki Zaki; and the President, Supreme Council for Islamic Preachers in Nigeria, Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Nurain, from an umbrella body of religious leaders like NIREC, whereas CAN comprises all Christians in the country.

A statement by the Director of National Issues in CAN, Mr. Sunday Oibe, claimed that the SecretaryGeneral of NSCIA and ex-Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof.

Ishaq Oloyede, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, had decided not to allow the meeting of NIREC to hold, “until the expiration of the tenure of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as CAN president.

According to Oibe, NIREC cannot function because it is a conglomeration of religious leaders from one group and a mixgrill of politicians and traditionalists on the other hand, pointing out that the “likes of Oloyede have carefully, for his personal interest, with the blessing of his mentor, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, refused the true composition of religious leaders, thereby making NIREC ineffective.

“How do we explain the exclusion of respected Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and astute Islamic preachers like Sheikh El-Zaki Zaki, and an amiable President of Supreme Council for Islamic Preachers in Nigeria, Sheikh Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Nurain, from an umbrella body of religious leaders like NIREC, whereas CAN comprises all Christians in the country?” he stated.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 49

John says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18).

Therefore, Christians should resist any attempt by anyone to scare them into doing anything pertaining to the righteousness of God. That is precisely what mercenary pastors do in order to armtwist Christians to pay tithes; a requirement now inapplicable under the New Testament.

Threat of curses If you are one of those with a money-minded pastor, he will call you a thief for failing to pay tithes and insist you are cursed. The legal authority for this predicament comes from Malachi: “Will a man rob God? Surely not!

And yet you have robbed me.

‘What do you mean? When did we ever rob you?’ ‘You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due to me. And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you, for your whole nation has been robbing me.’” (Malachi 3:8-9).

The truth, however, is that this scripture has no application whatsoever to Christians.

Malachi’s invective was addressed to Old Testament priests and not even their congregation.

Today’s pastors are experts at double-speak. They quote Paul: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.”

(Galatians 3:13). Then they use Malachi to curse the redeemed in order to squeeze money out of them.

Believers are blessed: “with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3).

These blessings are not conditional upon the payment of tithes but attendant on our faith in Christ and adherence to his teachings. God would

BEWARE OF TITHE-COLLECTORS never curse a Christian whom he has already blessed. When Balaam was offered money to curse the children of Israel, he replied: “God has blessed them, and I cannot reverse it! No curse can be placed on Jacob, and no magic shall be done against him.” (Numbers 23:18/23).

God said to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” (Genesis 12:3).

Christians are the seed and heirs of God’s promise to Abraham. (Galatians 3:29).

Therefore, any pastor who curses a Christian is only cursing himself.

Scourge of the devourer Pastors further seek to manipulate Christians by saying, if you do not pay your tithe, God will unleash the devourer on you. (Malachi 3:11). This means you will be confronted with all kinds of unnecessary expenditure that will continually drain away your finances.

Accordingly, Bishop David Oyedepo writes that rats ate all the cables in the car of a woman in his church. When she had the car re-wired, the rats ate the cables again. On investigation, it was discovered she had not been paying her tithes, which was why the devouring rats had been unleashed on her.

Christians pay tithes?

Don’t allow pastors who don’t understand the ways of God to continue to deceive you. God is no respecter of “tithers.”

Once she started paying her tithes dutifully again, the ratattacks stopped.

Stories like this are commonplace in the churches and they are pure balderdash. It is amazing how far pastors will go in order to fleece their flock. Bishop Oyedepo says the offending rats in question were not ordinary rats but “devourer rats.” However, he fails to tell us how to differentiate between the one and the other, in case we come across any rats.

Suffice to say that such stories are manipulative.

They are only designed to scare people into paying tithes. I don’t pay tithes and I don’t have rats of any kind in my car or in my house.

Answer me this: do bad things only happen to those who don’t pay tithes? Indeed, do bad things only happen to unbelievers? The answer is emphatically “No.” As a matter of fact, the truth is that in this world, worse things actually happen to believers than to unbelievers. The psalmist declares: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” (Psalm 34:19).

According to Jesus, in this world the believer is appointed to problems. He says to his disciples: “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Tribulation, it should be pointed out, does not connote prosperity.

Bait of blessings

showers

of

Having used these scaretactics to manipulate the gullible into paying tithes, many pastors then employ the promise of blessings as additional inducement. They say if you pay your tithes, God will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great there would not be enough room to contain it.

(Malachi 3:10).

But let me ask a question here tongue-in-cheek.

Have you actually discovered that Christians are any richer than nonChristians, after all only

Pastor Adeboye claims to be richer than Bill Gates because he allegedly has houses in 188 countries.

However, even if each of Adeboye’s putative 188 houses were to cost one million dollars, it would still not make him a billionaire.

However, Bill Gates is not worth 188 million dollars: he is worth 76 billion dollars; making him truly the richest man in the world.

Nevertheless, Bill Gates is an agnostic, in spite of his Catholic background. He does not pay tithes to any church or pastor.

Don’t believe the lie.

People don’t get rich from paying tithes. They don’t even get rich from being righteous. Take another look at this kingdom dynamic: “The truth is that the wicked live on to a good old age and become great and powerful. They live to see their children grow to maturity around them, and their grandchildren too.

Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. Their cattle are productive, they have many happy children, they spend their time singing and dancing.

They are wealthy and need

deny themselves nothing; they are prosperous to the end. All this despite the fact that they ordered God away and wanted no part of him and his ways.” (Job 21:714).

Don’t allow pastors who don’t understand the ways of God to continue to deceive you. God is no respecter of “tithers.”

Jesus says: “(God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45).

In all the time you have been going to church, have you ever seen any “tither” who received so much money he had no room to put it? I doubt it.

The windows of heaven were opened on believers when Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom of God. (Matthew 16:19).

The blessing that there shall not be room enough to contain is the blessing of salvation.

In the kingdom of God, a man who is financially rich is not deemed to be blessed.

The man who is blessed is he who has received forgiveness of sins.

Jesus says: “Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7). David concurs: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2).

So if you have been deceived into believing some financial windfall is going to fall down on you from heaven because you pay tithes, think again. You have been conned.

Oritsejafor to Boko Harm: Don’t shed blood because it speaks

BY SAM EYOBOKA

F

OLLOWING a recent revelation by the Nigerian Army that top Northern politicians and elders are sabotaging counterinsurgency efforts in the North East region, the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has again appealed to Islamic militants to hearken to the voice of reason and abandon their current violent campaign.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of worshippers at his Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State, Pastor Oritsejafor said it’s unreasonable for any man to take the life of another human being because the human life is sacred and only the creator has the prerogative to take such life.

Speaking on “How to restore lost glory”, the CAN president who had earlier declared a 10-day fasting and prayer session to intercede on behalf of the nation ahead of the 55th independence anniversary celebration, advised Boko Harm operatives in the North East to take a cue from erstwhile Niger Delta militants who had dropped their violent campaigns for social justice.

Drawing inspiration from the Holy Bible, the man of God who spontaneously turned an ordinary service to a deliverance session, warned that every Nigerian must be mindful of the fact that the

human blood has the capacity to communicate with God for judgment and seek redress for any wrong done to any human life.

According to him, “no man has right to snuff life out of another man because life is sacred. So, I appeal to those Islamic militants and their modern day collaborators, Fulani herdsmen, to take a cue from Niger Delta youths who have acknowledged the fact that no agitation is worth the life of any human being.

“Every human life is valuable to God; even that of the mad man on the street because the human blood has a way of calling for judgment. Not matter how bad the human life might look to you, please don’t shed blood,” Oritsejafor pleaded, urging them to embrace peace for the sake of national growth, cohesion and development.

The CAN helmsman further lamented that in this age of knowledge there could still be some individuals who take delight in mindlessly killing fellow human beings unmindful of the fact that God who created heaven and earth will recompense everyone of us for our deeds here on earth at the end of our sojourn here.

“If you do good, you will get your reward just as you will receive your adequate punishment for whatever evil you do here, including the shedding of innocent blood of human beings created by God,” he

sounded a note of warning, stressing that no religion known to man, has thrown its weight behind the despicable activities of Boko Harm.

He therefore appealed to members of the Boko Harm sect and other Islamic fundamentalist groups across the globe to emulate the Niger Delta militants who have since rented of their sins, and stop wasting even their own lives and their future as a result of undue radicalization while their instructors and sponsors as well as

their offsprings are wallowing in stupendous affluence.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Army recently informed the nation of plans by certain highly placed individuals and political groups in the troubled Borno State in particular and North East generally, to undermine and scuttle the fight against terrorism and insurgency in this country, which is a confirmation of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan assessment during a stakeholders meeting in the region just before the last

presidential elections. President Jonathan, at that meeting also warned elders and politicians from Borno State saying: “The Boko Haram insurgency is reducing gradually in states like Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe and Niger among others, but in Borno State the situation is increasing. It is unfortunate, and this is because you the elders refused to come out and condemn the activities of the sect who are your children. This is not a time to be playing to the gallery.”

Observe fasting for God’s blessing—Clergy

BY ALADE AROMASHODU To enjoy God’s blessings, Nigerians have been urged to observe one-day fasting. Speaking in Lagos, the General Overseer, Mountain of Mercy, Abuja, Prophet Sola Akinsimoye, said God had sent honey to the country through President Muhammadu Buhari for everyone to enjoy Unfolding his prophesy, Akinsimoye said, “Nobody can kill President Buhari, even if the whole world wages war against him”, adding that Buhari’s life was working in God’s hand.

“I see Buhari holding the blessings of this country in his hand; at a junction, the enemy waited patiently for him, but he walked passed them unhurt”, the cleric stated.

“Anyone resident in this country

should observe the one-day fasting for them to lick out of the honey and benefit, saying, the honey is meant for every Nigerian including foreigners that live in the country”.

“I don’t know Buhari, all I know

is that God is controlling him now.

If he travels more than 33 entourage to US, it’s God directive and not Buhari doing, but, God’s angel controlling him.

Be the messiah- Clergy women tell Buhari

By AYO ONIKOYI

T

he Nigerian Women in Clergy, NWC, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to be the messiah Nigerians have long waited for and ensure that women interest becomes one of the major considerations of his administration. The group’s President, Prophetess Nonnie Roberson, expressed the hope that President Buhari will not let Nigerian women and the youth down. She said, ‘’ Nigerians voted

for him, the women voted for him and our youths sacrificed so much for him. He will definitely not be the one that will take us backward. We are optimistic he is the change agent. Let him prove to us that he is the messiah.’’

Responding to the question on whether Nigeria has made progress since its independence, Roberson said not much had been achieved. She decried the level of hunger and unemployment in the land, affirming that such were the reasons for the prediction that Nigeria would break up in 2015.

Page 50 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

VIEWPOINT

By Ochei Akhigbe

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Rejecting western countries blackmail

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good leader must know his onions and stay focused, despite threats by enemies posing as friends. No western nation loves Nigeria more than those who voted for President Buhari. He must never be cowered by any world leader, no matter how influential.

This sums up Rev. Chris Okotie’s take following Buhari’s refusal to entertain a discourse with his hosts during his recent visit to the United States of America, on the topic of Nigeria’s Anti-Gay Marriage Act, which was passed by the 7th National Assembly and subsequently signed into law by his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement. Okotie congratulated the President for taking a positive stand in support of the Anti-Gay Act, and further counselled him not to cave-in to pressures, duplicitous offers of assistance and pretentious encomiums by the United States, United Kingdom and other western nations aimed at hoodwinking

VIEWPOINT

By Sam Ugwa

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

Ekweremadu's journey to greatness If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more you are a leaderJohn Quincy Adams.

T

HE above quote aptly describes the man of the moment in the Southeast, my role model, an erudite leader and a gentleman par excellence, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Moses that will lead Ndigbo to the promised land. From a very humble beginning in Amachara Mpu in the present day Aninri Local Government of Enugu State, Dr. Ekwermadu’s history gives an insight to the fact that some are born great, some achieve greatness through hard work and focused activities.

From age grade leader and town union president to when in 1997 he became the chairman of Aninri

VIEWPOINT

By Oluwatoyin Okpaise

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

The life and times of the first African insurance woman, Madam Caroline Okpaise

Mom, you made your life a tribute equal to the magnitude of the gift of life.

Mom, you made your life a tribute equal to the magnitude of the gift of life.

You were first in so many facets of life, You came and charted a course in Insurance for women in Africa and Nigeria. Just as the ocean sings songs to infinity, our ties too will flow onward until the day all of will meet again at the bosom of our Lord .You seemed invincible Mom. You’ve never quit in doing this. You truly practised what you preached; to never give up. You loved and served the Lord with all you had and your life: Generous, kind, loving, sweet, caring, honest, elegant,

Okotie’s admonition to Buhari on gay marriage him into reneging on his stand.

This is because of the possibility of concerted move towards enforcement of the fierce threat of economic asphyxiation against any nation that discriminates against people on account of sexual orientation, which US and UK unleashed on third world nation in the wake of the US Supreme Court verdict upholding same-sex marriages across the country.

The West’s threat is aimed at punishing non-adherents of samesex marriage, with economic strangulation, to enforce the

In the US and UK, chief sponsors of the gay rights and marriage are in the minority

birthing of a ‘ nation’ of homosexuals. This is the satanism and cultism which the reverend has repeatedly said thrives in political circles.

When Okotie labelled the samesex phenomenon as the ‘cult of the beast’, it was in consonance with earlier assertions which he had made at different fora. On Monday, October 18, 2010, the Nigerian Compass published an interview with the pastor-politician in which he said; “There are three levels of what I call the tripartite coalition of evil...Elitism, satanism and Mysticism. If you can understand these three, you will understand how politics works...” . Indeed, we can now understand.

The Last Outcast, his prophetic book published in 2001, carried as its main theme, the emergence of the Anti-christ and the role that homosexuality plays in his unveiling and the end times. The book predicted the eventual acceptance of sodomy as a mainstream phenomenon. The message didn’t click because of the complexity of eschatology. Only the knowledgeable can understand it.

A study of 39 nations by the Pew

Research Center, a notable organization in the US, recently released the report of a study which showed that 98% of Nigerians disapprove of homosexuality. The standards of democracy, which U.S., U.K. and these western nations promote, fall flat with this same-sex phenomenon. Yet, economic pressures are being mounted on Nigeria and nations deemed to be economically dependent to intimidate them into adopting a bizarre and satanic socio-cultural anomaly.

In the US and UK, chief sponsors of the gay rights and marriage are in the minority.

The U.S. government is enforcing this by leaning on its Supreme Court verdict to witchhunt those who disagree with samesex unions. A clerk in Kentucky State of the US; the first of many to come, was convicted for refusing to deny her faith by issuing a marriage license to a gay couple.

When even U.S. citizens are not shielded from the scourge of this moral terror, it is not far-fetched to conclude that these nations will seek ways to enforce this ominous threat to ensure this evil cult

Ekweremadu: Ndigbo’s leading light Local Government, his achievements earned him an award as the best Local Government chairman in the state due to his focused and the peopleoriented projects he executed. At the end of his tenure his performance gave him out as a man imbued with wisdom and character and was quickly drafted by the then Governor of the state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani as his Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the Government. As a trained lawyer, Senator Ekweremadu by the grace of Almighty God rose through the ranks to the exalted office of the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate.

Since his election into the senate in 2003, his antecedents as regards empowerment of Ndigbo is unprecedented in the annals of the history of the upper chamber. One striking fact about Senator Ike is that he not only empowers people from his senatorial zone but people from all the three senatorial zones

and Ndigbo in general are today beneficiaries of his magnanimity.

Through the Ikeoha Foundation thousands of students in Enugu State are awarded scholarships to further their education and recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of the foundation.

Today in Enugu West through the Ikeoha Foundation, hundred of adults who before now had no formal education are now graduates of primary and secondary education and recently over 700 people benefited from I.C.T training. The foundation also offers health related assistants to the rural communities.

Today as the highest ranking PDP politician in the South east and speaker of ECOWAS parliament, he has impacted on the lives of so many people who lost out in the previous administrations with juicy positions both in the state and at the federal level. When in May the baton of leadership changed from the PDP to APC, many people

This is not the end, MOM fastidious, brave, strong, bubbly, energetic, resilient, thoughtful, hopeful and selfless. Our mother possessed all of these qualities for sure — Children

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ORN of a Ghanaian father and a Nigerian mother, in Ibadan, 88 years ago, Mrs Caroline Modupe Okpaise, got married to Pastor Benjamin Okpaise, the General Manager (Administration) of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. Their marriage was blessed with four children. Kayode, Rotimi, Shola and Toyin.

Mom, you were first in many facets of life. Mrs Caroline Modupe Okpaise graduated from Maryleborne College of Commerce, in 1960, to become the first woman in Africa to study insurance and later became the first female President of the Nigerian Chartered Institute of

•Mrs Caroline Modupe Okpaise Insurance in 1981. Retired as the Life and Pensions Manager of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company of Nigeria, she was the first African lady insurance

•Sen. Ike Ekweremadu from the Southeast became jittery that PDP will be a party of the past, but not with Senator Ike who became the most senior party member from the South East made was appointed as the chairman of the PDP Post election assessment committee.

At the inauguration of the

executive.

As destiny is the driver of humanity, Mrs Okpaise travelled to England for the Chartered Institute of Secretaries examination, but later changed her mind and registered with the Chartered Insurance Institute. She read insurance and got chartered against all odds and discouragements and became the first African insurance lady and executive 55 years ago. She said that what inspired her to study insurance was the report she read in a newspaper in the 50s while in London, about a Nigerian, Mr. T. A. Braithwaite, who then just graduated in insurance.

Dogged in any cause she believed in, Mrs. Okpaise always advised women to bury the assertion that “what a man can do a woman cannot do” because, according to her, women do things better, being conscientious and always having name to keep.

She was nominated to serve in the Insurance Institute of Nigeria

receives the acceptance it so desperately needs globally.

At a time of change, when the world, and especially Africa, needs strong and creative leadership to stem the incursion of foreign cultural colonialism, Buhari has a major role to play in rallying support against the incursion of this bizarre and offensive culture which is a ‘slap in God’s face’.

Refusing to be pressured is just the first step.

Going forward, Buhari must match words with action by ensuring that, like economically vibrant nations which don’t fall under the sway of U.S. and U.K.’s foreign diplomacy of economic domination, our economy receives all the boost it needs to prove that Nigeria, with all its resource endowments, is not consigned to the status of a beggar nation which is at the whims and caprice of foreign governments which see us as a new zone to be colonized.

•Akhigbe, a former gubernatorial aspirant under FRESH Party, Edo State, wrote from Benin-City via ochei_akhigbe@yahoo.com committee, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, said in the interest of our party we call on party faithful to cease all internal bickering and media hostility as such tendencies are not only capable of deepening the challenges currently facing the party but also portraying the members as confused, frustrated, stranded and bad losers.

This exhibition of high level of leadership has in no small measure calmed the nerves of so many people in the party nation wide.

One issue that has been constant in his speeches is high gratefulness to God who he has always referred to as the source of his strength as exemplified by the church he built and donated to his people at MPU. As the 8th Senate session was inaugurated Ike as a shining star was again re-elected as the Deputy Senate President against all odds, that goes to show that Akachukwu di ya! (that is Gods hand is in it.) from the foregoing, I believe that no amount of effort can stop IkeNdigbo from being the Moses of our time.

•Sam Ugwa (Enugu) Suga.sweet52@yahoo. in 1961 after which she held the positions of treasurer and vicepresident of the institute within her ten years of service. “I resigned my membership of the council in order to give the coming ladies a chance to shine”, she said.

In 1978, following the persuasion of some council members, and also with the consideration that it was a profession in which she had spent most part of her life, she decided to return to the council. She became the president of the institute in 1981.

An president, she organised the first ever insurance presidential seminar in Kano.

Mom, you loved us equally and the godly virtues you imbibed in us have helped us to weather the storms of life. We will miss you, but heaven needs you most.

This is not the end, MOM, but go and rest.

•Oluwatoyin Okpaise is a son of the deceased

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, Page

51

Chief Kingsley Okorie Ojukwu (1945-2015): A fighter to the end VIEWPOINT

By Tony Nwankwo

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

Death to a man of courage

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S a kid growing up with my parents in Port Harcourt, I had heard of the other half of my family living in Lagos. No one who was born in Port Harcourt or grew up in the Garden City, considered living in Lagos a big deal. We saw people living in this part of the country as quasi aliens in Yoruba land. That was before the family, with my loved and revered aunt, Mrs. Hannah Ikodiya Ojukwu and her family came to Port Harcourt as a result of the Igbo/Nigeria crisis.

Chief Abiriba Ojukwu was Harbour Master at the Nigerian Ports Authority. Their coming to Port Harcourt was joy to my family and I. Till date, I have seen no greater love, aside my parents, than I got from this aunt of mine.

So, it was easy for me to relocate from my parents home at Akokwa Street, Diobu, to their new apartment off Emenike Street.

They were my family and I enjoyed their company till the outbreak of war.

As my father moved to be Biafra Army instructor being a veteran of WWII, Kingsley, joined the Army, and his macho frame saw him easily to the military police, an endeavour he fitted so well. While

VIEWPOINT

By Anthony Okotie

Kingsley eulogised the break of war, I was pretty skeptical about the crisis. I still see from my child mind’s eye, the fruitlessness of a fight with no adequate preparations.

For instance, in my compound at Akokwa Street, there were over 24 young men, particularly from now Enugu State, who as war drums started, got recruited as members of the civil defence. They later formed the bulk of the first Biafra military recruitment. It started like a show-off, these guys paraded the town with the swan song “Ojukwu nyeanyi egbe”.

At the news of outbreak of war, they were gathered at the Port Harcourt Stadium where they were marched in euphoria to the train station. Their joy, of course, turned to fear and disappointment when on arrival at Enugu and deployed to the Nsukka sector, they were handed blunt machetes to confront a seasoned and well trained Nigerian soldiers brandishing automatic weapons. To this day, no one of those young men from my compound made it back alive.

They formed the first band of casualties of war and they were part of the thousands, young men who knew nothing about war and who wrongly believed that war commanders had ammunition to prosecute it.

Kingsley came for me at the military camp in Ohafia at the insistence of my mother and her

a

deported

A

N aphorism states that there is a time to be born, a time to live and a time to die; so it was with my dear friend Ejiro Ohimor.

On my way back to Benin from Lagos for the burial of my friend, George Ogheneakoko, I decided to call Ejiro just to know how he was faring. Ofcourse when the phone rang, he picked it. I noticed he was groaning while talking to me, but he said all was well. It was not a surprise to me that two days after, the news came that he had passed on.

Ejiro was born on September 23, 1961 in Ughelli North Local Government to the family of the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Evuoda Ohimor

beloved sister. Soldiers had come for me and others as I ferried between my father’s camp at the outskirts of Umuahia and Idima Abam. The soldiers had come for us at the dead of night and as morning broke, we were moved to Utulu. We had our hairs shaved off and put through intense training.

We were gathered at a disused primary school field. In the afternoon of the fourth day, I was summoned by the platoon chief who announced I had a visitor, a military policeman. Kingsley was visiting. A handsome man, he was well turned out in his military police fatigue at the early afternoon sun, with his red and black MP band around his left arm. He didn’t bring money. He had been directed by our parents to seek me out and see how I was faring. I was young alright, but I knew exactly what was good for me. While he cautioned about the tricks of war, I regarded him.

Ejiro Ohimor (Ajiro): 1961-2015

TRIBUTE IN BRIEF Celebrating educationist

Chief Kingsley Okorie Ojukwu

•Mr. Ejiro Ohimor of Okpara – Olomu.

He started school at the Local Authority LA Primary School Ughelli in January 1967 and, in 1972, proceeded to James Weich Grammar School from where he moved to St. Anthony’s Grammar School Ubulu-Uku where he

finished in 1973. He taught briefly and later gained admission into University of Benin where he graduated in theater arts. Just like most of us, after his Youth Service Corps he stayed back at Lagos and started his own business before returning to Warri to take up the administration of Ejiro Schools were he excelled and became the pride of private schools owners.

He was very active in the Association of Private Schools Owner’s of Nigeria (APSON).

The lessons I learnt from Ajiro death are that it is not how far you live but how well, how much you have been able to give back to the society, the lives you have impacted on. This can be attested to by the mammoth crowd that attended the burial of our own Warri boy whose live cut across all the strata of our

We’ re not responsible for death of truck conductor— NN

BY EVELYN USMAN

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he Nigerian Navy, NN, has described as untrue reports that its personnel were responsible for Thursday tragedy at Kirikiri area of Lagos, where a truck conductor was crushed to death.

Rather it clarified that its personnel were stationed at the Kirikiri bridge to provide security as well as control the

Meanwhile, unknown to him, I had hatched a plan to quit the camp with Dike Ojukwu, who knew the terrain well. If I needed to join the struggle in combat, I had several options open to me. I could join my father in his camp, or join 56 Brigade where late Ag. Major Jacob Origa was commander and be batsman. Or I could join the medical division and distribute drugs. I wouldn’t go to war with a blunt machete to confront an Hausa or Yoruba man trailing an automatic weapon on me. No! Thank goodness, we all survived the war. Kingsley did well for himself. After a stint with a law firm at Ijora, Lagos, he joined the Hungarian Embassy and moved to Abuja when the Embassy relocated to the FCT. He was an outstanding staff and had many plaques of commendation and souvenirs to show for his hardwork, diligence and integrity. He retired in 2007.

He had earlier been Chairman, Idima Abam Progressive Union, IAPU, Lagos Branch.

I met Kingsley at home in December 2009 where he told me he was relocating to the village. I listened to him in disbelief.

“Kings”, I said, “how much did the embassy pay you? Okay, how much do you have to contemplate you come live in this village?” He looked at me, and the unspoken words were, `why is Tony asking me this kind of question’. I read his mind and continued: “Don’t get me

perennial gridlock.

Recall that Kirikiri area was thrown into pandemonium, following protest by truck drivers which was reportedly hijacked by a mob , over the death of a truck conductor.

While a version of an account alleged that the incident occurred in the truck driver’s attempt to avoid paying N500 to naval personnel stationed there, another version said the conductor met his unprepared

end , in the driver ’s bid to control the truck when it had break failure.

Briefing journalists, the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS WEY Commodore Celestine Odiase, stated that the incident happened while driver of the truck identified as Ibrahim Salami attempted to flee from an illegal parking space , on sighting naval personnel.

society.

Ajiro, as he was fondly called, will definitely be missed by everyone, especially those indigent students he gave scholarship to and the downtrodden he will not see to suffer and infact the Ugborokoko community in which his school was located.

He will continue to be remembered for his humanity and philanthropy deeds, and he lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.

He was honest, unwavering in his commitments to friends.

Ajiro was a devoted member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM).

He was married to his sweetheart, Rose, and this union was blessed with one daughter, Rino Precious Ohimor.

wrong, I have nothing to do with your money, but if I know how much you have I will advise whether you can stay here or go back to Abuja or somewhere else”. He told me and how he intended to utilise the funds.

He was wrong and I told him. I told him this was a community where labourers will collect your money and go for someone else’s farm and dare you to a fight. He would open a shop, he said. I told him the villagers will collect his wares on credit and get angry if he insists they pay back. And police are banned from making arrests here! “That’s how vulnerable you are”, I told him.

I was with him in the village last December, where at his hebest, I tried to mediate between him and Helen, his second wife. Eventually, it was one of his tenants who is rumoured as having a hand in his death. Helen and the suspect had allegedly gone diabolical. In Idima Abam, when you visit a shrine to swear against someone, you inform him so he can arrange remedial measures. The duo didn’t!

Kingsley is dead and buried but he left a fight. Against family traditions, interlopers, ingrates and brigands gathered the children and shoved abomination down their throat. I know Kingsley would insist that those who put him through suffering, pain and death be identified and prosecuted. He would expect nothing less. The questions will be asked in due time.

Adieu, Kings!

Ajiro was more than a friend. He was my brother, confidant, counsellor.

We love him, but God loves him most and, as mortals, we are always bound by the will of the Almighty God. He was laid to rest at his ancestral home, Okpare. On hand to bid him farewell were Hon. Barr Tim Owhefere, Majority Leader, Delta State House of Assembly; Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Festus Agas; Hon. Solomon Ighrakpata; Mathew Edevbie; Hon. Barr. Fred Majemite; Amab Agbajoh; P.D.P Chairman, Warri South West, Anslem Okodu; Efe Oputu; Dan Okame, among others too numerous to mention.

•Okotie, Co-odinator, Benin River Vanguard for Okowa, wrote on behalf of the Committee of Friends.

N14bn Ondo bailout money intact — Mimiko

BY DAYO JOHNSON, AKURE

O

NDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday, debunked the allegation that the N14b bail-out fund collected by the state was lodged in a fixed deposit account.

He said this while addressing accounting officers and public servants on grade level 13 and above in Akure.

According to him, the money was intact and not in any fixed account as alleged.

Speculations were rife that government had lodged the money in a fixed deposit account hence the dillydallying in paying workers all outstanding salaries till September.

The state has only paid till August and the workers have threatened to down tools if, by Wednesday, gover nment failed to pay till September and all deductions returned.

The workers had gone on a two-day warning strike last week but suspended it following intervention by stakeholders.

PAGE 52—SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

Crime caper, Gbomo Gbomo Express hits Cinemas

By JAPHET ALAKAM DRAMA

I

n an era, where the values and norms of the average Nigerian has been thrown into the dustbin and ill gotten wealth is celebrated with award of titles, the urge for people to make it at all cost has forced many into all sorts of crime.

How can this be checkmated and the good old days of culture of hard work and accountability enthroned.

This has been the nagging question in the minds of many, and in his bid to draw the attention of all to this menace, seasoned Nigerian film producer/director, Walter ‘Waltbanger ’ Taylaur came out with a new film tagged ‘Gbomo Gbomo Express’ .

Gbomo Gbomo, as memorable as the title • A captivating action from Gbomo Gbomo Express sounds, is a film rich with many messages, and apart all the key elements of good best hands, in the 95 minutes from the moral message movie, with an incredible film, portrays the excessive imbedded in it, the movie cast that features some of the greed, lust and craze to make it at all costs of the young which seeks to quench the generation. thirst of many who have been Walter Taylaur in The star studded film shot in starved of real movie had its this dark comedy Lagos, features an ensemble first advanced screening last cast, and co-stars Ramsey week at the Filmhouse film, that has all the Nouah, Gideon Okeke, Osas Cinemas, Apapa and also hit key elements of a Ajibade, Blossom some selected cinemas last Chukwujekwu, Gbenro Friday. movie, portrays the Ajibade, Alexx Ekubo, Soft spoken Walter excessive greed, lust Ikechukwu, Shaffy Bello– ‘Waltbanger ’ Taylaur who and craze to make it Akinrimisi, Kenneth Okolie, has tried his hands so many Omoye Uzamere, Niqua years as a director/producer at all costs of the Johnson, Shakar EL, and Ben of short films, in this dark Thomas. young generation comedy Crime Caper that has And as expected the actors/

By JAPHET ALAKAM VISUAL

V

isual art lovers in and around Lagos will be treated to what can be described as the mother of all exhibitions as Arthouse- The Space, is set to showcase the big masquerade, renowned visual artist, teacher, Prof Yusuf Grillo in a solo exhibition entitled Igi Araba. The exhibition which is coming on the heels of the successful exhibitions of celebrated artists including Bruce Onobrakpeya, George Osodi, Emeka Udemba, Kainebi Osahenye, and Sokari Douglas Camp, and others is scheduled to hold from October 10-31, 2015, at the Kia Showroom (308 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria).

The exhibition will showcase the long deserved retrospective of a celebrated national treasure. So fans of Yusuf Grillo and lovers of good work are expected to use the show to collect some of his works.

The opening reception for the exhibition will take place on October 10, 2015, by 4.00

actresses showcased their creative ingenuity throughout the period the film lasted with good interpretation of the scripts to the delight of the audience.

It was entertainment at its best as the audience laughed and appluaded the creative efforts of the director.

With a good storyline, the film centers on the kidnapping of record label boss, Austin Mba and Cassandra, a beautiful socialite, after a celebratory night out at the club.

Things get increasingly

complicated for the amateur kidnappers led by Francis, who has trouble keeping his girlfriend, Blessing and crazy sidekick, Filo, in check, as they shakedown Rotimi, Austin’s partner, to pay the ransom.

Speaking about the movie, the producer/director Walter said “Gbomo Gbomo Express began as a brilliant script and has become an even more brilliant film, thanks to a lot of hard work from our homegrown Crew and incredible performances by a stellar Cast,” “Our aim was to make the most entertaining Nollywood film of the year, so expect to be thoroughly entertained and to feel an urge to go back and see the film again and again.

On the message, he said “there are a lot of messages but we don’t try and spell them out.

“The film encompases high taste which we all crave for, we have for example the hustler, the guy who wants to blow, we have the couple who are engaged and want to stay together and better their lives, we also have the rich hustler who wants to get richer, so Nigerians will find themselves in each of the characters identified with.”

For those looking for a place to be, Gbomo Gbomo has provided another mirrow to all on what to do, whether to tow the steps of evil or to do the right thing.

Igi Araba, Yusuf Grillo’s unique solo opens in Lagos pm, while an artist talk will hold on October 25, 2015,at 4 pm.

Some of the works to be exhibited include, No Thanks, Baraje, Oba Dauda, 20142015, Kabiyesi and Olori, 2010-2012, Post Khutba Dilemma, 2009-2012.

Yusuf Grillo, who is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated contemporary artists, has led a prolific career that has shaped the discourse of modern art in the country.

Emerging to prominence and international recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, Grillo’s work is deeply influenced by the characteristics of traditional Yoruba philosophy and sculpture.

As a member of the Zaria Arts Society, popularly known as the Zaria Rebels, Grillo combined his training in the Western-representational style with a focus on Nigeria’s unique and rich artistic history. He is particularly known for the specific use of the color blue in his paintings,

a reference to adire and resistdye textiles used in Nigeria.

After extensive education in Nigeria and the UK, Grillo served as Head of the Department of Art and Printing at Yaba College of Technology for over twenty five years. His iconic stained glass and mosaic works have been commissioned for a number of public buildings in Nigeria including churches, universities, government buildings, and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

Grillo has also served as the founding president of the Society of Nigerian Artists,

The exhibition will showcase the long deserved retrospective of a celebrated national treasure, Yusuf Grillo

•One of the celebrated works by Prof Grillo the professional body for all practicing artists in Nigeria.

Arthouse Contemporary is an international auction house that focuses on modern and contemporary art from West Africa.

With auctions held twice a year in Lagos, Nigeria, Arthouse Contemporary aims to create awareness of the scope of contemporary art in the region, encourage international recognition towards its talented artists,

and strengthen the economy of its art market. Arthouse Contemporary has recently expanded its scope outside of its bi-annual auctions to include Arthouse-The Space, which organises exhibitions of contemporary art.

The exhibition which is proudly sponsored by Access Bank, Kia Motors and Veuve Clicquot, also includes a video documentary that was produced by the Foundation for Contemporary & Modern Visual Arts .

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015, PAGE 53

Children celebrate l a r u lt u c ia r e ig -N a Kore values in grand-style

participate in …as Nigeria set to Festival 2015 K-POP World

By CALEB AYANSINA CULTURE

I

t was an exposition of the rich cultural heritage of both countries at just concluded Korea-Nigeria Love Fiesta as cultural performances showcased the diverse cultures of the two countries.

The Drama, Folk song, Cultural dance, Fashion show, Taekwondo, K-POP dance, Music, language, and much more, formed the ecstasy of the celebration that will continue to linger in the memories of over 400 Primary and Secondary students, across the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Students from the over 14 participating schools and other invited guests, both from the private and public sectors filled who the Main Hall and Gallery of Barcelona Hotel in Abuja to the bream went home

with prizes from raffle draw, after enjoying the various scintitilating sounds of delight and merriment, rolling out from different musical instruments.

Speaking at the occasion, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Noh Kyu-Duk, who extolled the beauty of the Nigerian culture, noted that Korea center established four years ago had secured a good foundation for the cultural exchange of the two countries.

According to him, “I have been deeply impressed with the preeminent talents and enthusiasm of Nigerian citizens for arts and culture ever since I arrived here in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has a diverse historical background and a colorful culture. With over 250 unique tribes, its literature and film industry has attracted international attention over the

• A cultural performance by the children during the love fiesta years. Nigeria is known for its geometric sculptures and oil paintings depicting folk culture. Local hand-woven and hand-dyed batik fabrics are affordable, enjoying immense popularity among the people.”

The Korea center established four years ago had secured a good foundation for cultural exchange of the two countries

“As such, to flourish the two countries’ rich culture with a great artistic value, we will continue to focus on strengthening our bonds and establishing a close partnership between Korea and Nigeria to ensure that cultural exchange programmes such as Korea-Nigeria Love Day will continue to develop and attracts an increasing number of schools and students from around the country.”

On the 2015 World K-POP Festival in Seoul, the Envoy said Korea Embassy in Nigeria would do all it could to support Nigeria team that would raise the Nigeria-flag at the festival, coming up in 30 October, 2015

Zainab’s PFFD expresses hope for the disabled

By PRINCE OKAFOR REVIEW

I

n our contemporary world, many live their lives discovering certain avenues to sustainable happiness, while so many others, in many situations, go down with complexities, knowing not how to live a fulfilling life and make a meaning out their existence.

However, noticing that there are situations in life which are totally by the making of God Almighty to declare His overwhelming perfection, Zainab Mohammed, a 16 year old physically challenged girl, in a book titled ‘People Fear For Disabled’ (PFFD) expressed a firm belief that it is rather important to believe that God is in control of every situation.

The 33 page book published

by Lighting Source UKLtd, which is a collection of poems address the fairly obvious of man’s existence and the ability to live with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD), and yet maintain emotional freedom.

The poems according the author are brief summary of self, detailing who she is and who she intends becoming as could be found in the beginning of the

book where she explained, “I live with a disability called PFFD and I have learned to be happy. PFFD is quite rare, which makes me special.”

Although, the poems go with lots of sadness, she understands is not within her power to reverse the physical barrier.

It is a collection of 13 poems that are filled w i t h inspirational thoughts and on

the hand, expressing the importance of looking beyond the complexities of life.

Through the poems, young and talented Zainab bares her mind on such themes of love, happiness, pains and negativity and the understanding that Godsupersedes every situation in life.

The poet in her choice of words used inspirational rhythms to send across h e r massage, while giving preeminence to God as her first role model.

T h e s e collections of poems which are filled with t h o u g h t provoking words includes, ‘Shed only One Tear’, ‘Slavery’, ‘ L o n e l y ’ , ‘Runaway Girl’, ‘Self Harm’, ‘Enough is E n o u g h ’ , ‘G e n e r a t i o n ’ , ‘Sleep’ and so on, give the reader a

sense of wonder of the real existence of man on earth.

This is fully expressed in the poem, ‘Enough is Enough’ where the poet took readers through the ridiculing of a person’s situation.

She wrote, “Just because you are not in the person’s position doesn’t mean you should mock their pain. You probably can’t imagine their frustration and condition they have to obtain, but here you are making jokes like you are insane” Clearly ascertaining that every human on earth is physically or mentally disabled, the author was quick to express that her disability is not futile, describing herself a special child and one who the obvious Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency is unable to hold down.

Through the poems, young and talented Zainab bares her mind on such themes of love, happiness, pains and negativity

for the first time.

“The main event of K-POP World festival will involve performances by the 14 teams that have been selected through rigorous competition held in over 80 countries around the world.

“Pacific star of Nigeria will be performing live in Seoul as the representatives of many passionate and talented Nigerian K-POP enthuiasists.

I wish them all the best,” he added. In his remarks, the Director of Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN), Mr. Kwon Yonk-IK, described Korean Cultural Centre as a comfortable and familiar place to many Nigerians, to enjoy cultural content and art.

The feeling one get from reading this collection of motivational poems is awesome, as the poet in very simple words was able to articulate her massage, which goes a long way to express the pains that is associated with PFFD and then, the ability to live above such pains to accommodate emotional freedom.

According to the author, “I don’t like being pitied on because that makes me feel like a dog in need of a home and that makes me feel less good about myself. I want people to like me for me, not just because I am disabled.”

With these challenging words, the author charges people living with any form of disability not to see such as a barrier or denial, but some special attributes beyond man’s imagination.

More intriguing, is the author ’s use of simple language for easy communication and above all, the collection of poems is inspiring and touches every aspect of our lives, challenging man’s knowledge.

I therefore recommend the book to all, while advising the author to be more explicit when trying to link words that are similar to avoid getting readers confused, as in the case of using PFFD to express two different things.

PAGE 54, S UNDAY Vanguard SUNDAY Vanguard,, OCTOBER 4 , 2015

D’Tigress beat Angola

Ighalo earns Watford valuable point

•Win AfroBasket Women third place

A

N

IGERIA yesterday delivered a dominant performance in the final quarter to clinch the third-place at AfroBasket Women 2015 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Joyce Ekworomadu paced Nigeria with a team-high 15 points as they kept their Olympic hopes alive with a 65-55 victory over Angola.

Sonia Guadalupe hit three-pointers to lead Angola with 13 points as they finish out of the podium for the first time since 2005.

With the victory, Nigeria clinched the last spot available for the Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament to be played next year.

Nigeria trailed 55-45 heading to the final quarter, but kept Angola scoreless for the entire quarter as they finish on the podium for the first time since winning the tournament as hosts in 2005.

Nadir Manuel, Angola’s leading scorer and rebounder, fouled out with 4:00 minutes remaining, and the Nigerian front-court dominated the Angolan painted area.

Even though Angola shared the ball a lot better than they did in the previous seven games, Nigeria’s suffocating de-

•CELEBRATION: D’Tigress players\ wave in ecstasy to the crowd after beating Angola. fence in the final quarter disrupted Jaime Covilha’s side. Manuel scored only two points in the third quarter before fouling out.

Ekworomadu scored six crucial points, including a three-pointer, in the third quarter to keep Nigeria in the contest.

After losing to Angola in the Group Phase, Nigeria showed a lot more determination to win the contest. Following a heartbreaking 71-70 Semi-Final defeat to hosts Cameroon, Scott Nnaji team’s stepped on floor to do whatever was necessary to keep their Olympic dreams alive.

DREADFUL error from Artur Boruc and a missed penalty from Glenn Murray cost AFC Bournemouth as they were held to a 1-1 draw by fellow Premier League new boys Watford on Saturday.

Murray ’s first-half header on his full debut had the hosts set to go into the break in front after having the better of the first 45 minutes.

Boruc, though, gifted an equaliser to Odion Ighalo with a poor pass just before half-time.

After struggling earlier on, Watford were much better after the break and could have gone on to win, with Ben Watson

smashing an effort off the crossbar.

But it is Bournemouth who will be more regretful at not having secured three points after Murray saw his spot-kick saved by Heurelho Gomes with just seven minutes remaining.

The draw means the home side move on to eight points from as many games, while the visitors go up to 10 having lost just two of their first eight matches in the top flight.

Messi-less Barca lose B

•Pique

ARCELONA were beaten 2-1 by Sevilla as Unai Emery ended an incredible 20-game run of never having beaten Barça.

Neymar scored a second half penalty on his 100th game for the club but Sevilla took the points thanks to goals from Michael Krohn-Dehli and Vicente Iborra.

Emery had coached Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow and Sevilla to draws and defeats against Barcelona, finally he had a victory and Manchester City ’s Champions League group opponents deserved their three points

despite the story of the first half at the Sanchez Pizjuan being one of Barcelona’s failure to take their chances.

Neymar was denied by Sergio Rico and Munir El Hadaddi fired over from Sergi Busquet’s assist.

Then Luis Suarez took too long to let fly after being teed-up brilliantly by Neymar who had spun away from Steven N’Zonzi.

The forwards were struggling to react quickly enough in front of goal but it was defender Gerard Pique who was most guilty of missing the chance to put Barça •Ighalo ahead.

Egypt coach looks beyond Eagles October friendlies: Oliseh to pocket N3m •Targets AFCON 2017 title

T

HE national team coach of Egypt Hector Cuper hopes he would overcome the threat of Nigeria, Tanzania and Chad in the qualification race to the 2017 African Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup. Cuper who previously coached La Liga side Villarreal, is optimistic a Nationas Cup trophy and a ticket to the 2018 World Cu will compensate soccer-crazy Egyptian fans whose thirst for international trophies has grown with the nonqualification of the national team for the last two Afcon tournaments.

Cuper said Egyptian website, kingfut.com., “reaching the World Cup C M Y K

and winning the Africa Cup of Nations is what every Egyptian wants.

“I have big faith in this group of players, but we’re nowhere near where we want to be at this time. We need to work hard. There aren’t any divisions in the national team dressing room, and I don’t have issues with any of the Egyptian Premier League managers.

“I have talked with Ferreira and Garrido. I’ve coordinated with Hossam El Badry to avoid clashes over player selections.”

Cuper further spoke of the passion amongst the fan base.

“People in Egypt adore football. I was surprised;

I knew that this was the case in Argentina, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, but this was a surprise to me.

“This is all in spite of the empty stands. I thank football for introducing me to this country.”

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation have concluded plans to pay the Super Eagles players a sum of N1.5 million ($6,000) for DR Congo and Cameroon in October, with the coach, Sunday Oliseh pocketing a double of that sum.

Nigeria, who maintained

•Eagles to get N1.5m each its 53rd position for the third consecutive month in the latest fifa ranking are hoping to improve on their rankings with the friendlies, and also use the games to prepare for the 2018 world cup qualifiers in November.

“It will be a flat rate of $3,000 per game for the matches in Belgium, meaning each player will be paid $6,000 for the two matches and their ticket fares reimbursed.”

Eagles Continues from B/P

•Cuper

either Swaziland or Djibouti next month.

However, a top source informed that the six home-based players called up by coach Sunday Oliseh for these matches as well as some of the Eagles backroom staff can no longer depart the country today because they are yet to be

issued Shengen visas.

“The Belgian embassy did not issue the visas on Friday as promised.

They claimed that they are yet to get approval from the home office,” the source further informed.

“The departure of the home-based players and officials will therefore not be possible for tonight as was originally planned.”

PAGE 55, S UNDAY Vanguard SUNDAY Vanguard,, OCTOBER 4, 2015

A

MAJU Pinnick, the former Delta State Sports Commission chairman who doubled as the State FA boss was a late entrant in the race for the Presidency of the Nigeria Football Federation. He won it and since assuming office, a little over a year ago, he has taken some farreaching steps aimed at steadying what has been described as “a sinking ship” that Nigeria football represents. In this analysis, Jude Opara takes another look at Pinnick’s one year in office.

Last week, precisely on September 30, the administration of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnck was one year. Already, the effort of the board aimed at repositioning the federation is fast yielding results.

Expectedly, the NNF president recently took a second look at his stewardship and recounted what he has been able to achieve, the challenges and future expectations. He also gave kudos to his executive committee members for their steadfastness in achieving a common goal for the nation’s football.

Recall that before the coming of the Amaju Pinnick led executive committee, Nigerian football was in shambles; no thanks to the avoidable crisis that rocked the football house after the 2014 FIFA World Cup which culminated in the impeachment and recall of the former president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

Amaju Pinnick: One year after

•Amaju Pinnick, This piece may not delve into the blow by blow account of the crisis that almost crippled the running of the beautiful game in the country for over three months but truly football in Nigeria was in a state of anomie as all the dramatis personae including the former Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr Tamuno Danagogo, former NFF president, Aminu Maigari, former first vice president of the federation, Chief Mike Umeh as well as the former General Secretary of the NFF Barrister Musa Amadu played one role or the other to achieve that.

Indeed it was a period of half truths and outright lies so much so that it was pretty difficult to know who and

what to believe because all the actors were hell-bent on painting the picture in a manner that suited their own purposes and personal ambitions.

It was that ‘rat race’ that led to the escalation of the crisis when on August 26, 2014 a meeting of the congress which was supposed to have fashioned a way forward was manipulated by the various contending groups.

While those loyal to the former president, Aminu Maigari left the hall in solidarity with him after he was arrested by state operatives, the other group loyal to the then Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Danagogo stayed behind to conduct an election that produced Ambassador

Chris Giwa as the president of the NFF. As usual FIFA bared their fang and the exercise was nullified and September 30 was chosen for fresh election in Warri, Delta State.

It is instructive to note that until August 26, Amaju Pinnick was not nursing the ambition of becoming the president of the NFF but after that incident, which also saw Danagogo making public the resignation letter of Maigari, the sale of forms was thrown open and that was when Pinnick got interested.

He won the election ahead of five other contestants and subsequently began the journey to reposition the federation. The first thing he did was to begin the process of reuniting the house by reaching out to all the then estranged stakeholders who were still angry due to one reason or the other.

It was not all rosy for Pinnick from the beginning as some angry contestants at the election dragged him to the Arbitration Panel headed by Barr. Okey Ajunwa.

He had to dispense with that distraction before facing proper the task of developing Nigerian football.

“When we came in we were confronted with a lot of challenges including that of eligibility because we were just one leg in and one out because of the litigations which lasted for almost nine months before they were dispensed with. However, within that period, we were

focused and that is why we are where we are today,” Pinnick said with a tinge of pride in his voice.

The president also embarked on a shuttle of England where he severally met to officials of the English FA. The resultant effect is the sending for training of some Nigerian coaches and referees as well as match readers.

Today everybody is celebrating the new horizon in Nigerian league where it has become possible for teams to win matches away from home almost on a weekly basis. Before such was a huge joke as every team did everything possible both fair and foul to win matches at home. The change came about because both the referees and coaches have been further exposed to better techniques of doing their jobs.

“We had set out goals right from the beginning; we wanted to build a structure for sustainable football development, youth development and solid financial base. Training of referees and coaches were carried out and now our league is attractive. You cannot predict matches anymore and that is why teams are now winning always and losing at home and there are no ugly incidents.”

He has also hired a new coach for the Super Eagles after ending the services of former coach, Stephen Keshi whose tenure was characterized by crisis of confidence between him

and his employers. This is in line with the resolution of his executive committee to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after missing out of the last edition earlier this 2015 in Equatorial Guinea.

On youth development, the Amaju Pinnick led executive committee has completed arrangement to revive the U-13 and U-15 teams with a view to taking the selected youngsters to England for a training tour.

According to Pinnick, the aim of training them in that country is to further expose them to some of the best clubs in the world who may want to engage them even as they continue to mature.

If properly executed, in the near future, there will be a huge reservoir of players for the senior national team.

Pinnick has equally renovated the burnt secretariat of the federation which happened during the crisis era while also upgrading the new secretariat at the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium ahead of the expected movement before the end of the year.

With the rate at which he is going, it is only expected that football in the country will benefit more hence the need for all stakeholders to rally round and give him the maximum support he deserves.

For those who are always plotting how to take him out of office, they should please give peace a chance because if Pinnick succeeds, it is Nigerian football that has succeeded.

Izamoje canvasses support for Nigeria league F

OREMOST sports presenter on radio and chief executive officer of sports radio, Brilla FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje, has called for support for local football clubs in Nigeria in order to bring development to football.

He made this call at the 3rd Femi Ajayi Memorial

•Izamoje C M Y K

Lecture in Lagos. Ajayi was founder of Footie Aficionados, a group of football enthusiasts in Nigeria.

The veteran football analyst who delivered a paper titled ‘The Local Football Leagues & the Future,’ at the event, said football clubs in the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) need to be given huge support in order raise their standard and generate massive followership.

Although he noted that there has been a significant improvement in the NPL under the current supervision by the League Management Company (LMC), he noted that a lot more issues have to be addressed to raise the game.

“Poor funding, inadequate information, insecurity, management/ownership control, poor infrastructure, and unaccountability among other challenges hinder the development of Nigerian leagues.”

He noted that the huge followership enjoyed by European and other leagues across the world today was realised through deliberate and concerted efforts of wellmeaning investors/sponsors, stakeholders and the media.

The 3rd Femi Ajayi Memorial Lecture gave members of Footie Aficionados moments to reminisce on the late founder and to also bond as a group.

Airtel Nigeria’s Director

of Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah; Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Kufre Ekanem;

Gbenga Adeyinka and Bolaji Oyewo of Cadbury among other prominent Nigerians graced the event..

Oguche plans basketball camp in Onitsha

E

X-BASKETBALL in ternational, Samuel Oguche has announced that the Bullet Energy basketball camp will hold its next camp in Onitsha, south east Nigeria for the first time.

Celebrating the 3rd edition of Bullets Energy Drink basketball youth camp, the famed energy drink will be expanding its camp this year to accommodate other geopolitical zones in the country.

The Camp will be held from Monday 2nd of November to Thursday 5th of November at The Army Cantonment Basketball Court, Army Barracks in the city of Onitsha and its part of Bullets energy drink contribution to sports development in Nigeria.

Oguche stressed that running the basketball camp has become very important because it’s a way of giving back and encouraging the youth.

•Oguche According to him, using basketball to educate and develop Nigerian youth is just the beginning of what needs to be accomplished and It is a responsibility for us to inspire them to keep aiming high by providing them opportunities to grow.

Over 200 kids would receive intense basketball training and the opportunity for scholarship and US study from the legendary Samuel Oguche along with.

SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 4, 2015

October friendlies:

Eagles hit by visa hitch T Ighalo earns Watford valuable point •P. 54

HE senior national team, the Super Eagles have been hit by a visa hitch after players from the domestic league and some officials could not be granted entry visas to Belgium and so can no longer fly out of the country today as planned.

Nigeria are to play two friendlies against DRC Congo on October 8 and Cameroon on October 11 in Belgium as part of their build-up for a 2018 World Cup qualifier against

Continues on page 54

•Oliseh

Southampton compound Mourinho’s woes S OUTHAMPTON recovered from a 1-0 deficit to inflict another defeat on Chelsea as Saints recorded a much-deserved 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Willian had opened the scoring for the Premier League champions before goals from Steven Davis, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle earned Ronald Koeman’s side victory at a stunned Stamford Bridge.

The result means Chelsea have endured their worst start to a season for 37 years – a season that ended in relegation from the top flight.

•Aguero

5-star Aguero demolishes Newcastle S

ERGIO Aguero equalled a Premier League record by scoring five times as Manchester City returned to winning ways with a 6-1 demolition of Newcastle United.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team lost on their previous two league outings against West Ham and Tottenham and there were fears they would suffer a repeat dose at the Etihad Sta-

dium when Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring with his first Newcastle goal.

Aguero headed the hosts level three minutes from the end of a keenly contested first half, which stood in stark contrast to the second.

City’s Argentina superstar collected passes from David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne to claim the matchball by the 50th minute.

Messi-less Barca lose — P.54 ACROSS 1. Governor of Sokoto State (8) 5. Assistant (4) 7. Praise (5) 8. Upright (4) 9. Lantern (4) 11. Tradition (6) 13. Lagos masquerade (3) 15. Exclamation (2) 16. Pig’s nose (5) 18. Agent (3) 20. Glitters (6) 24. Forward (5) 25. Nigerian state (6) 27. Boring tool (3) 29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 31. Perform (2) 32. Oshiomhole’s state (3) 34. U.S. currency (6) 36. Vow (4) 38. Musical quality (4) 39. Inclination (5) 40. Eager (4) 41. Damages (8)

DOWN 1. Sample (5) 2. Niger state town (4) 3. Observe (5) 4. Lecture (6) 5. Everyone (3) 6. Use (6) 10. Inquires (4) 12. Carpet (3) 14. Colour (6) 15. Resistance unit (3) 17. Coax (4) 19. Rollicked (6) 21. Hatchet (3) 22. Satisfied (4) 23. Nigerian state (3) 26. Cry of derision (3) 27 . African country (6) 28. Endure (4) 29. Child (3) 30. Spoke (6) 31. Adorn (5) 33. Baking chambers (5) 35. Asterisk (4) 37. Possessed (3)

Chelsea owner, Abramovic watches in dismay.

D’Tigress beat Angola — P.54

Fixtures

•Ighalo

NPL

Heartland Dolphins Giwa Wikki Nasarawa El Kanemi Shooting

v v v v v v v

Enyimba IfeanyiUba Kano Pillars Taraba Lobi Sharks Bayelsa

4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm

Liverpool Man Utd Tottenham

1.30 4 pm 4 pm

EPL Everton Arsenal Swansea

v v v

Results NPL Abia Warriors Warri

3 3

EPL

See solution on page 5

Crystal Palace Bournemouth Aston Villa Manchester City Norwich City Sunderland Chelsea

Enugu Sunshine Stars

2 1 0 6 1 2 1

West Brom Watford Stoke City Newcastle Leicester City West Ham Southampton

3 0

0 1 1 1 2 2 3

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C M Y K