38 policemen, 6 soldiers, 106 others dead

...towards a better life for the people

**

VOL. 25: NO. 62291

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

IMPEACHMENT PLOT:

N150

>>54

Presidency pleads with senators DAMATURU, MAIDUGURI ATTACKS:

38 policemen, 6 soldiers, 106 others dead

By Kingsley Omonobi, with agency reports

A

•Rescue team searches for more bodies •Nigeria sliding towards anarchy — Oyegun

BUJA—THE Police High Command in Abuja, yesterday, confirmed that 38 Police officers were killed during Monday and Tuesday ’s attacks on

Damaturu and Maiduguri by Boko Haram terrorists, who targeted police stations and other security agencies. More than 150 persons, including two medical doctors, a staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu and his two children Continues on Page 5

COLUMNISTS:

London images and shopping bag capitalism •P.17

Emir Sanusi and the Kano mosque attack •P.19

Impunity of a cop: our fears for 2015 •P.19

Mr & Mrs

WAR AGAINST EBOLA—Volunteer Nigerian health workers on a mission to fight the Ebola virus in affected West African countries, sit during a send off ceremony in Lagos, yesterday. Below left: Ebola virus survivors Tochi Anunobi (L) and Dr. Ada Igonoh (C) applaud as fellow survivor Oluwatoyin Bamigboye speaks to the volunteer health workers. Below right: African Union Commission Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (R) and Africa's wealthiest man Aliko Dangote (L) applaud during the send off ceremony for the 250 Nigerian health workers. Photos: AFP.

BPE names NATCOM new owners of NITEL/MTEL C M Y K

>>9

INEC'll follow security advice on polls in North-East — Jega >>9

2—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 3

C M Y K

4—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 —5

POCKET CARTOON

APC —From left: Presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Sam NdaIsaiah, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari displaying their certificates after screening by APC Presidential Screening Committee, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

DAMATURU: 38 policemen, six soldiers, 106 others dead Continues from Page 1

were also killed during the attacks, a rescue official and a health worker told AFP. The Police confirmation came just as a top security personnel confided in Vanguard that about 60 terrorists were killed by troops of the Nigerian Army backed by Air Force helicopters, thereby successfully repelling the terrorists from both towns.

The military has also raised the alarm that the Boko Haram terrorist group was getting both human and equipment

reinforcements from Chad as many of their members either captured or killed in battle turned out to be Chadian citizens or mercenaries.

Police confirms 38 officers dead

Confirming police casualties during the terrorists’ attacks on Damaturu, Yobe State capital, Force Public Relations Officer, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu in a telephone chat with Vanguard, said that “the 38 policemen were killed in battle with the insurgents while fighting jointly with

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

The most important thing in any relationship isn’t what you get but what you give. In any case, the giving of love is an education in itself — Eleanor Roosevelt. Owe no man nothing but love.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Believe you can and you’re halfway there — Theodore Roosevelt

I

BELIEVE people know what they want to do in their lives. This includes you! However, some may not be consciously aware of their purpose because of the little voice in one’s head: Your “ego”.

Your ego suppresses your ability to fulfill your purpose because it fuels feelings of self-doubt, selflimiting beliefs, and paralyzing fears that prevent you from taking action. Within your heart, you know what you were born to do, try your best possible to bring it to actualization.

Don’t worry about the ego in the back of your mind that’s whispering reasons why it’s not going to work.

It will say stuff like, “well, you could never do that.

Who do you think you are? That’s a great idea but how on earth will you make money? This exercise is stupid. You’ll never figure it out and you’ll stuck forever.” Sound familiar? We all have that voice in our head, but realize it’s a whole bunch of garbage and you don’t have to listen to it.

other security agencies to ensure Boko Haram did not succeed in taking Damaturu and infiltrating Maiduguri.”

Eyewitness reports had indicated that during the attacks on Damaturu and Maiduguri, the terrorists swooped on some police stations and targeted the armouries before setting the stations ablaze.

A senior rescue official and a medical source at Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, Damaturu said 115 bodies were brought to the morgue after Monday ’s attack, although it was not clear whether they were insurgents or civilians.

“All 115 were in civilian clothing, but it was not certain whether they were all non-combatants and among the dead were two medical doctors, a staff member of the federal polytechnic in the Yobe State capital, and his two children. Six soldiers were also killed", the sources added.

The medical source said it was “likely” that most of the 115 persons who died were insurgents.

Rescue team still searching for more bodies

He added: “Rescue teams are still looking in the bushes around the city for more bodies. It’s believed that people might have died from gunshot wounds while trying to flee.”

The senior rescue official said 78 people were injured. Of those 53

were treated and discharged.

Most of the policemen killed were at the Mobile Police base in the Gujba Road area of the city, according to the police spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirming eyewitness accounts from residents that the facility was attacked.

Monday ’s raid came just hours before two female suicide bombers attacked a market in Maiduguri, less than a week after two other women hit the same location, killing more than 45.

Also, a top security source said soldiers from the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Kawuri which is the major town before Konduga got wind of the plot by the terrorists to invade Konduga, from where they would advance to Maiduguri.

Konduga, which is the closest town to Maiduguri from the eastern part of the capital, has been the scene of several fierce battles. It was gathered that the terrorists were determined to capture Konduga, because if the town falls and Maiduguri is invaded, it would be difficult for the military to retake Maiduguri because the fight back will come through Konduga that would become their ambush base.

A military source in Maiduguri and a civilian vigilante both confirmed the attack in Konduga

and said it was a likely reprisal for the failed Damaturu raid.

Konduga, 35 kilometres (20 miles) from Maiduguri, has been attacked repeatedly in recent months but has high military presence.

Musa Yohanna, who fled Lassa on Tuesday to the Adamawa State capital, Yola, said the attack on his town followed a previous unsuccessful raid on Saturday.

The attack on Konduga left scores of militants dead, according to a military source and a civilian vigilante, while one resident said many civilians were feared killed in the town of Lassa.

Why curfew was lifted

Abdullahi Bego, spokesman for the Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, told AFP the curfew on the town was lifted “following the return to normalcy”.

Vanguard gathered that yesterday morning, troops in Konduga,

Borno State destroyed a vehicle laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) meant for suicide bombing operation by the terrorists.

“This is the latest incident in the series of recent attempts by terrorists to make incursions into the town and other surrounding communities”, a source said.

The source disclosed that an undisclosed number of terrorists were killed, noting that no personnel or civilian was affected in yesterday’s incident.

A top military source who commented on the development, urged residents to always report suspicious movements as well as strange people to appropriate authorities for investigation and appropriate actions.

He said: “What we need from Nigerians is their support, their encouragement and prayers to enable us overcome this insanity from unrepentant terrorists.”

Nigeria sliding towards anarchy —Oyegun

By AbdulSalam Muhammad

K

ANO—THE N a t i o n a l chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Odigie Oyegun declared, yesterday, that the nation was sliding towards anarchy on account of the seeming inaction of the Federal Government over the activities of Boko Haram.

Oyegun who made the assertion in Kano while on condolence visit to the Government and people of the state over last Friday's bombing of the Kano Central mosque, noted that the current security challenges was occasioned by bad leadership.

“My fear is that, we

would wake up one day and have a nation overtaken by anarchy, we pray this would not happen before February, because all these rot was brought about by bad leadership, a leadership that can not show courage when it mattered most”, Oyegun maintained.

The leader of the opposition party lamented that the “ordinary Nigerians are beginning to ask questions as to what is going on that people who were not identified with any ideological base now move freely with sophisticated arms, detonate bombs, spray bullets on people within the territory of an independent nation”.

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

PROTEST: Members of Bring Back Our Girls group protesting at the Chadian Embassy in Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Man jailed 6 years for forgery

By Soni Daniel

A

Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi State has sentenced one Bello Muhammad to six years in prison for forgery.

Muhammad was arrested on December 25, 2013 in Gamawa town, Bauchi State, for allegedly being in possession of fake N1,000 notes amounting to N471,000.

He was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in February, before Justice Garba on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, possession and dealing in counterfeit currency.

Delivering his judgment, yesterday, Justice Garba sentenced Muhammad to two years each on counts one and two, and a year each on counts three and four.

West-Idahosa’s nephew, police orderly shot dead in Benin

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—HENRY, the thirtyone years old nephew of a

senatorial aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo South senatorial district, Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa and his

police orderly, were shot dead by suspected armed robbers in Benin yesterday, heightening the tension in the state.

2 dead, as hoodlums clash in Lagos

By Ifeanyi Okolie

T

HERE was pandemonium Tuesday night in Amukoko area of Lagos State, as hoodlums battling for supremacy engaged themselves in a bloody clash, which left two people dead.

Vanguard gathered that the fracas, which broke out few hours after the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries for House of Representatives, held at the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, Constituency I, left several others with severe injuries.

An eyewitness said that some vehicles parked on Mosajo Street, Alaba-Oro Road and Ijora areas were damaged as the gun-toting hoodlums, who were members of Apasa Boys and Alaba Boys, shot indiscriminately.

According to sources, the latest clash between the gangs had been brewing for a while.

It was gathered that the heavy presence of security men at the primaries forced the combatants to put the fight on hold till night time, when they noticed less police presence on the streets and launched the attack against

each other.

Repeated clashes between the gangs have left scores killed, many others injured, with property worth millions destroyed.

Meanwhile, women from various parts of Amukoko, Ijora and Ajegunle areas, yesterday, took to the street naked to protest the continuous violence that have rocked the areas in recent times.

They barricaded roads linking to Mosajo and Ijora areas, demanding a stop to the activities of the rampaging hoodlums.

Navy arrests 18 with stolen petroleum products

By Evelyn Usman

P

LANS by three suspected hijackers to convey a ship loaded with petroleum products to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been foiled by the Nigerian Navy, following their arrest outside the Lagos bar.

Recovered from the hijackers, who reportedly came from Ondo State, were two pump action rifles and several ammunition.

Also arrested were 15 crew members on board the vessel loaded with the suspected stolen petroleum product.

Briefing newsmen on the

arrest, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alade, said: “The arrest was made following a tip off that a ship, MV Long Island, was carrying product suspected to be stolen crude oil with armed hijackers on board.

“Acting on the intelligence tips, Nigerian Navy Ship IkotAbasi, a fast patrol boat of the Western Naval Command was deployed to effect the arrest.

“The vessel was successfully intercepted and taken to the Naval Base jetty, Apapa, where elements of the Nigerian Navy

Special Boats carried out the operation.

“Sample of the stolen product had been taken to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, for confirmation.

“At the end of investigation, the suspects, vessel and stolen product would be handed over to the appropriate agencies for further investigation and possible prosecution.”

He warned criminallyminded persons to desist from their nefarious acts or face the same consequence.

Captain of the seized vessel,

Daniel Labile, told journalists that his ship was hijacked and the crew forced to load stolen crude oil from a hijacked ship.

On their parts, the suspected hijackers, Peter Abayor, 23; Olabanmi Owoyemi, 35, and Ikudenbu Segun, claimed to be members of the Odua Peoples Congress, OPC. They claimed they were sent from Ondo State by their unnamed commander to break pipelines and siphon crude oil.

It was, however, not known whether they were working with the crew members.

The deceased, Vanguard was informed, was the only son of his mother.

It was learned that he just returned from the United Kingdom, UK, where he had concluded a Masters programme, while the deceased police orderly was attached to the Special Protection Unit.

Vanguard learned that they were trailed from a bank, from where they withdrew money, at 2p.m.

On getting close to the residence of the aspirant on Ogiugo Street in GRA, the robbers opened fire on occupants of the vehicle and escaped with the money.

Vanguard learned that the robbers, about five, rained bullets on the vehicle and the two occupants died before help could reach them.

Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, who visited the scene of the incident, vowed that the police will apprehend the perpetrators.

He said it was a robbery incident, but that a crack team of detectives had been detailed to investigate the matter.

Efforts to reach Mr. WestIdahosa proved abortive as he was said to be in shock at press time.

The former House of Representatives member is battling for the senatorial ticket of the party with the former Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Matthew Urhoghide; former Oredo Local Government Area Chairman, Mr. Victor Ebomoyi, and the former Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Isaiah Osifo.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—7

Man, 27, rapes 11-yr-old girl with Down's Syndrome

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—A 27-year-old man, Austin Okonkwo, has been remanded in prison

custody by an Evboriaria Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikpoba-Okha, Edo State, for allegedly raping an 11-yearold Down Syndrome girl.

The accused, who was described with unprintable words when his victim was presented in the court, pleaded not guilty to the onecount charge preferred against him.

Police Prosecutor, Aigbedion Obakpolor, informed the court

Fire razes Port Harcourt Market

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT—FIRE has razed parts of the New Layout Market on Churchill Road area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Most of the traders, who spoke to Vanguard, said they could not save their wares.

They blamed saboteurs for the fire.

Some of the traders said they were at home, after closing for the day, when they got calls that the market was on fire on Tuesday night.

One trader said: “When I got there, I saw people battling to put out the fire. Some were rescuing their things. I was helpless because my stall had been consumed.”

Another trader, said that the fire started at 8p.m., Tuesday night, adding that about 80 shops were destroyed by the inferno.

Residents around the market wondered why the market had often been affected by fire incidences.

According to Mr. Philip Uzor, a resident, there was fire

on the market about two years ago, noting that traders should look for a way out of the reoccurring problem.

The Commissioner for Special

Duties, Mr. Dickson Umunakwe, said the state government had set up a team to look into the cause of the fire and make recommendations.

that the offence was committed on November 29.

When the case was mentioned, Chief Magistrate Frank Idiake, who refused the bail application, said rape cases were on the increase.

A relative of the victim, who pleaded anonymity after the court sitting, said the accused took the girl to his room where the act was committed.

The relative said the victim cried of pains in her private part, which led to the arrest of the accused.

The case was adjourned to January 21, 2015 for continuation of trial.

Ex-Ikorodu councillor in voter's cards mess

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—IKORODU was, Tuesday, thrown into pandemonium when a former councillor of Ikorodu North Ward E4 (names withheld) was allegedly caught with 70 fake All Progressives Congress, APC, voter's card, during the party's primaries in the area.

However, the councillor, who was handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Remi Adeshye of Ikorodu Police Station, Igbogbo Division and his team, was released before the election ended.

A politician, Mr. Nurudeen Yekinni, an aspirant for Lagos

State House of Assembly, Ikorodu Constituency I, told Vanguard that he caught the suspect and handed him over to the police.

He expressed surprise that the suspect was released when he went back to the Police Station.

Yekinni said while he was interrogating the suspect at the scene of crime, he learned that an Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, official was also involved in the printing of the fake materials.

Meanwhile, the DPO said he only saw one fake voter card with suspect when the suspect was handed to him.

According to Yekinni, the suspect, in the presence of the DPO, said it was a highly-

placed person in Ikorodu North Local Government Area that instructed him to illegally print the APC electoral materials.

Yekinni said when he got to the police station Tuesday evening, the DPO said he had released the suspect to a member of Neighbourhood Watch.

Accordinbg to Yekinni, the fake voters card saga made so many of the aspirants not to sign documents, as the incident did not go down well with them.

Meanwhile, Vanguard visited the Ikorodu Police Station, yesterday, but learned that the DPO was not around and efforts to reach him on the whereabouts of the suspect proved abortive.

Customs rakes in N950bn revenue

By Ikenna Asomba

T

HE Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, yesterday, said it was overcoming the challenges posed by the introduction of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, to the maritime industry, saying the service raked N950.1 billion in November from programme.

The Controller, Apapa Area Command of NCS, Comptroller Charles Edike, said this at the 13th inauguration of a new executive council of Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN, in Lagos.

He said PAAR was a home-grown initiative introduced to reduce the bottlenecks of trade in Nigeria by the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko.

Those inaugurated were Ifeyinwa Obi, President; Funso Olojo, Vice President; John Obot, Secretary-General; Obiajulu Agu, Assistant Secretary-General; Gboyega Oni, Public Relations Officer/Internal Auditor; Aisha Cole, Financial Secretary and Oluwakemi Dauda as Treasurer.

Pensioners protest non-payment of gratuities, arrears in Bayelsa

By Emem Idio

Y

ENAGOA—FOR over three hours, retirees of Bayelsa State Government under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, yesterday, took to the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, before barricading the gate of the Government House, demanding the payment of their gratuities and pension arrears.

The pensioners, most of them aged and looking frail, began the demonstration from St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, and carried placards with various inscriptions to drive home their demands.

Some of the inscriptions read Pensioners are dying every day, please pay us our gratuities; Dickson, be good to pensioners if you want to live long; Dickson we are tired of your neglect; Dickson no second term, among others.

The state Chairman of NUP, Chief Emmanuel Namatebe, claimed that the state governor had reneged on his promise that any civil servant going on retirement from 2012 would go home with his benefits fully paid.

He said: “Governor Seriake Dickson promised in one of his transparency briefing that N250 million would be released as compulsory savings to offset payment of gratuities and pension arrears with effect from April, 2012, but that is not feasible.

“All other entitlements, such as minimum wage arrears and 15 percent, are yet to be paid. He has also refused to grant us audience since he became governor.”

8 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

40m Nigerian youths still unemployed —NECA

L

AGOS — DIRECTORGENERAL of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, said over 40 million Nigerian youths remained unemployed in spite of the Federal Government’s efforts at reducing unemployment.

Oshinowo made the announcement yesterday in an interview with newsmen shortly after inspecting facilities at Ruff'n and Tumbles Clothings in Lagos.

Ruff'n Tumbles is into children’s fashion. The company also engages in the training of youths in fashion making.

He said the idea of Nigerian youths seeking white collar jobs would never take them to anywhere. The director-general said NECA collaborated with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, to ensure that unemployment was reduced in Nigeria by training youths on dress making.

“NECA and ITF are partnering with Ruff'n Tumbles Clothes to see how we can use their company train interested youths that have passion for fashion so that they can have a more meaningful life to themselves after the training,” he said.

The association boss said this would entail getting unemployed Nigerians to acquire technical and vocational skills with the purpose of seeking selfemployment.

He said the aim of the training was to take unemployed youths out of the streets by training them on skills of their choice.

“We will make the training open to the public so that the process will be fair. The training will also be free and the trainees will also be given some stipend.

The ITF Director-General, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the body to create three million jobs every year.

He described the partnership with NECA as a beautiful one that would make the ITF to achieve its mandate.

Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, Chief Executive Officer of Ruff'n Tumbles Clothing, said the project was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility in reducing the level of unemployment in the country.

FALLING OIL PRICES: No more business as usual, Alison-Madueke warns •Attributes her OPEC post to Jonathan

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

A

BUJA — ALARMED by the fall inglobal oil prices, Petroleum Minister and President, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, has said that Nigeria needs to adopt a more strategic approach to sustaining the oil industry.

The oil minister, who addressed State House correspondents for the first time since her election as OPEC President last week, said the change of direction was necessary to enable Nigeria stay competitive in the dwindling international crude oil market.

Allison-Madueke warned that in order to stay afloat, Nigeria could no longer afford to do business as usual considering the prevailing decline in global demand for the product.

She said: “Nigeria has to become much more competitive at this time and going into the future. We cannot continue to do business as usual.

“We must ensure that we have the right enabling parameters and indices in this country to attract the right end-user markets and end-user demands for our products.

“This is because there are so many other countries that would be competing for those end user markets and to get that end user demand.

“So, we will have to sit down and re-formulate our entire approach over the next month or so. In fact, it should be immediately to ensure that we are at the cutting edge of competitiveness.

“We need to make ourselves competitive in the market, and we are able to garner and take those end user markets."

...attributes her OPEC post to Jonathan

Reflecting on her recent election as the OPEC President, Alison-Madueke, said such recognition would never have been possible without her appointment as Petroleum Minister by President Goodluck Jonathan and praised him for the courage to do so in the face of daunting challenges.

She said: “First of all, it wouldn’t have happened if the President had not had the courage to appoint a woman into the portfolio of Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which meant that I now headed the country’s delegation to OPEC. “I must say that was a daunting thing; it happened about three and half years ago. I went into a body, which is completely male-dominated and

mostly Arab-dominated as well.

“But I have found that they have come to respect me and respect Nigeria’s voice over the last three years in OPEC very highly.”

...as OPEC president

The minister, who described her task as OPEC president as challenging, however assured that she would take necessary steps to stabilise global oil prices before anything else.

She said she would watch when it would be necessary to summon an extra-ordinary meeting of the body in order to

consider appropriate strategies to shore up the market.

She explained that there had been a lot of differences among key oil players concerning what to do to bail out the market.

She said: “Quite clearly, there has been a battle of wills between certain OPEC countries, the big players and certain non-OPEC countries who are also big players in the world crude oil production markets at this time.

“Many countries, both OPEC and non-OPEC countries, are suffering immensely. Even as we speak Venezuela has gone into austerity measures and is

rationing food because they were completely dependent on oil. Angola, Algeria and Iran are all under duress as is Nigeria because it has affected our budgetary benchmark. And even non-OPEC countries like Russia, who would not cut production, are already seeing a drop in the value of their Ruble.

“So, we will be watching very closely as president of OPEC at this time at what point we have to call OPEC Extra Ordinary meeting and reconvene to see whether other strategies can be put into play."

VISIT: From left: Chief Peter Monye; Prof. Sylvester Monye, Delta State governorship aspirant; Mr Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager, Publication/ Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard newspapers, and Mr OnochIe Anibeze, Saturday Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, during a courtesy visit by Prof. Monye to Vanguard Newspapers, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Era of secrecy in judiciary is over —CJN

A

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA — THE era when the activities of the judiciary were shrouded in secrecy is over, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, declared yesterday.

The CJN who stated this in a keynote address he delivered at the opening ceremony of a two-day training workshop for Abuja Chapter of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, yesterday, said there was need for the public to be properly informed about the nature and activities of the judiciary.

He stressed that the role the press had played in enthroning integrity, probity and transparency in the judiciary could neither be underestimated nor overemphasised.

He said: “Gone are the days of acrimonious relationship between the judiciary and the press. In times past, the

relationship between the judiciary and the press was not clearly delineated.

“What the judiciary had on the ground were only restrictive prescriptions for giving out information from the judiciary or the courts. This made the activities of the judiciary shrouded in secrecy and the public were not properly informed or educated about the nature and activities of the judiciary.

“The general belief was that all the activities of the judiciary started and ended in the court room. The scare of the dreaded subjudice or contempt of court hung ominously over every information or on the head of the information disseminator.

“The judiciary was a no-go area for the media by whatever means and the judiciary itself saw no use it could make of the press. The judiciary completely lived in its cocoon. Any prying eyes of the media into the affairs of the judiciary was treated as a satanic invasion or demonic intrusion that

must be resisted and repelled by any means, especially by the use of the doctrine of contempt of court ex facie curie.

“However, the trend has changed. The judiciary as the third arm of the government treats the press as the fourth estate of realm. Since the judiciary as an arm of government is a subsystem within the state, it cannot, therefore, be insulated from the stimuli (both external and internal) which impact upon and influence the state as a system."

The theme of the workshop which is holding at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in Abuja is “Promoting Understanding between the Judiciary and the Press.”.

In her welcome address, the Administrator of the NJI, Justice R. P. I Bozimo, maintained that the training would assist the participants in discharging their duties “accurately and dextrously.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—9

NATCOM buys NITEL, M-TEL for $252m •Gets three-year ultimatum to roll out services

By Prince Osuagwu & Emmanuel Elebeke

A

BUJA— AFTER several failed attempts to sell off the government-owned Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, NITEL, and its mobile arm, M-TEL, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, yesterday announced fresh acquisition of the national carrier by a group known as NATCOM. Director-General of BPE, Benjamin Dikki, explained that NATCOM is a consortium of seven Nigerian companies. It emerged the new owners of NITEL and MTEL by offering to pay $252 million, an amount said to have met the BPE’s bid price.

Dikki explained that the privatisation process was a guided liquidation that would help in bringing back the two entities that had lain waste for over two decades.

According to him, NATCOM emerged the successful bidder in technical and financial commitment from the array of up to 17 firms that keenly contested for the two companies.

He said: “It is our fervent hope and desire this time around we have succeeded in procuring a technically and financially qualified bidder that will not only meet the deadline for payment of the purchase consideration but more importantly deploy the required resources to rehabilitate and grow these companies to play a significant role in the Nigerian telecoms sector.

“We faced numerous challenges in packaging this transaction, including outstanding unpaid terminal benefits of ex-staff of NITEL and M-TEL, arrears of salaries of the retained staff and outsourced security and huge accumulated unpaid licence and other dues to NCC.”

NATCOM beats 15 other bidders

In her address, Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, said the consortium beat 14 other bidders at the primary stage and one other bidder at the secondary stage to emerge winner of the bidding process.

She described the privatisation as the last segment in a wellthought out reform of the Nigerian telecommunications sector, which commenced since year 2000.

The minister noted that the liberalisation of the sector in the last 13 years had attracted new investments of over $32 billion entirely from the private sector, resulting in an explosive impact on the sector with over 130 million subscribers compared to just 400,000 and teledensity of

96.08 per cent from less than 1.8 per cent.

According to her, the emergence of NATCOM as the new buyer of the facilities marked the final emergence of a qualified bidder with the requisite technical expertise and financial resources to transform the two companies in line with the vision of government.

FG assures

Johnson assured that Federal Government would continue to review and fine tune policies that would provide an enabling environment for the growth and development of a private sector-driven Nigerian telecommunications industry.

She also assured that government, through open and consultative dialogue with stakeholders and transparent regulation, government would continue to put in place measures that would further deepen competition, enhance access and coverage and reduce costs to the consumers of destinations.

We are ready to hit the ground, running —NATCOM

Responding, Chairman of NATCOM, Tunde Ayeni, said NATCOM was aware of the importance and value Nigeria attached to both assets in driving the ongoing telecoms revolution in the country, saying that they were ready to hit the ground, running.

He commended BPE for the transparent way it carried out the privatisation process and assured that the consortium would do the needful to revitalise the facility to meet the target of offering Nigerians the opportunity to make choice.

He said: “The process was transparent. We are glad we were able to match the reserve price. The process was very competitive and was not a one-sided affair as some people said.

“We are here to make a change and ready to find the needed funds to turn the facilities around. We are confident of our ability because we have one of the best telecommunication companies in the world as our partner with over many years of experience.

“We have been taken to task and wouldn’t do things by half measures because we have gone round the world to find the money. NITEL requires huge money to turn it around and we have

FORUM: Chairman, Governing Board, Nigerian National Merit Award, NNMA, Prof.

E. Essien (left); Director General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri ( 2nd right); Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta (2nd left) and Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahmon Adisa Bello at the end of the 7th Annual Forum of the Laureates of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, NNOM, in Abuja, yesterday. confidence in the sector and promise that we will not disappoint. For us, the journey has started.”

NATCOM Consortium is a special purpose entity set up for the acquisition of NITEL and MTEL. It comprises seven local and foreign companies, who came together in the consortium as equity investors and technical

partners.

NATCOM gets three-year ultimatum to roll out services

With the successful culmination of the privatisation exercise, and emergence of NATCOM as the winner, BPE said NATCOM is required to roll out services within the next three years and is to make the initial payment of

30 per cent of the total amount within 15 days and the remaining 75 per cent within 90 days.

Although Dikki described the privatisation process as successful and transparent, he also recalled that there had been four unsuccessful attempts to privatise the firms in the past and expressed the hope the new deal, would work.

INEC'll follow security advice on polls in N-East —Jega •Says arrangement in place for IDPs to vote

A

By Joseph Erunke

BUJA— AS Nigerians continue to express worry over the security situation in the country, especially the NorthEast, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said only assurances from security agencies on the safety of the commission’s personnel, materials as well as free atmosphere can convince him to conduct elections in crisis prone areas.

This was even as he assured that the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, will not only register but also cast their votes in the forth coming elections, saying the commission was putting necessary arrangements in place towards ensuring that the IDPs participate fully in the poll.

Jega, who said the commission was prepared to conduct the 2015 general elections, however, expressed optimism that before February 2015, the various security challenges currently facing the

country would be addressed to give way for free and safe conduct of the poll.

The INEC boss spoke in an interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, while attending a two-day strategic stakeholders' policy dialogue on promoting peaceful elections in 2015, organised by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP; Democratic Governance for Development Programme, DGD, in partnership with the Institute of Peace Conflict and Resolution, IPCR, and the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG. He said: “As an election management body, INEC is prepared to conduct elections everywhere in this country. As for the security challenges, INEC is not a security agency, we rely on the advice, cooperation and support of security agencies to be able to secure our materials, to secure our personnel and to enable us have a free atmosphere within which to conduct elections.

“We are hopeful that before

February, 2015, a lot of security challenges will be addressed so that there would be sufficient normalcy to conduct elections at that time."

Arrangement in place for IDPs to vote

On the incessant terror attacks in the North-East, Jega said: “We have to remain hopeful; we all know that our security agencies are doing their best. You can’t give up hope, you can’t just assume that things will still get from bad to worse, you have to assume and hope that things will get better and our hope is that things will get better before February, 2015.”

He said: “In terms of Internally Displaced Persons, IPDs, INEC is doing a lot of work to carter for the internally displaced persons, we are doing our best to see how we can accommodate them, how we can ensure that those of them who have registered are able to exercise their franchise."

10— Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

NLC rolls out 133 mass transit buses

L

By Victor Ahiumayoung

AGOS—AFTER being in limbo for about four years, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday in Lagos, rolled out 133 high capacity mass transit buses with about N1.5 billion first tranche loan secured from Infrastructure Bank.

The buses would be operating in Lagos on the name Labour City Transport Services, LCTS, with technical services to be provided by Yutong Motors of China, the manufacturers of the buses.

The board of LCTS said 50 of the buses would immediately commence operation from today in Lagos, and was not certain when the services would be extended to other parts of the country.

Speaking, President of NLC, Abdulwaheed Omar, said the congress believed the LCTS should this time run the buses profitably to be able to pay back the loan and remain in business, recalling sadly, the failure of the congress some years back to successfully run 80 high capacity buses purchased and handed over to Labour Transport Company by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

APC chieftain wants equity for Lagos gov aspirants

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By Ifeanyi Okolie

AGOS—AN APC chieftain who is also the Chairman of A.A Motors, Prince Ajele Abeyi Abayomi, has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State, to ensure a level playing ground for all candidates vying for the party’ s governorship ticket.

Abayomi told party members to vote massively for Akinwumi Ambode, who he described as the best man to succeed the current Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola in Alausa.

He stressed further that Ambode, over time, has shown humility, uprightness and great leadership, in the discharge of his duties at various capacities in the state.

These qualities, he added, has made him successful in all places he has worked.

SYNAGOGUE: Coroner

suspends inquest over TB Joshua's application

ByAbdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor

L

AGOS—THE Coroner Court investigating the collapse of a guest house within the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, was yesterday urged to stay further proceedings pending the determination of the application filed by Prophet Temitope Joshua, founder of the church.

Joshua had through his lawyer, Mr Olalekan Ojo filed an application before the Lagos State Coroner, Mr Oyetade Komolafe, asking it to suspend further actions based on his invitation to appear to give evidence before the inquest.

He told the court that further proceedings would jeopardize his motion pending before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court where he had sought the higher court’s judicial review of the coroner’s proceedings.

At the resumed hearing of the coroner yesterday, his lawyer told the court that his inability to serve the state government has delayed the hearing of the case before the High Court, maintaining that he only served the application on the Lagos State Government.

Ojo said:” The motion is not

ripe for hearing having not been served on all the relevant parties.

It is our position that it is pending but not ripe for arguments.”

However, Mr Femi Adamson, who represented the state government, confirmed that they had been served but they are yet to file their reply.

The coroner magistrate therefore said for the

dispensation of justice, the application before the high court should be dispensed off before continuing proceedings.

He therefore, urged the witnesses who were present in the court to go till when they will be called upon. He apologised to them for the inconveniences.

He directed Ojo to serve the application on the relevant

parties to enable them file their responses on time.

He also mentioned that the church had submitted the name and address of the contractor which handled the collapsed building, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, to the inquest.

Further hearing was adjourned till December 5.

VISIT: From left: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, state Police Commissioner, Mr. Kola Shodipo, Commander of the state security outfit, Operation Burst, Major-General Laz Ilo, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Segun Abolarinwa, during a courtesy visit to the governor in Ibadan, yesterday.

PVCs: You've been tardy, Fashola chides INEC L

By Gbenga Oke

AGOS—LAGOS State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has blasted the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, over its shoddy distribution of Permanent Voters Card in the state.

He also said it is the right of every registered Lagosian voter to get his or her PVC as the 2015 elections gets closer.

Fashola who was speaking at Lagos House, Ikeja when he received the team from INEC comprising of the National Commissioner and state commissioner who paid him a courtesy visit, said there are fears in the public domain about the credibility of the electoral process which is not being helped by the tardiness of INEC thus far.

According to him, “The team can come out and make explanations to me as a person on what went wrong but it is difficult to give similar explanations to thousands and millions of electorates that are experiencing what I have experienced as Governor” “The feedback the State Government have been getting

across the State from the exercise is that there is no power, the generator has broken down or that there is no fuel and that the commission is doing twice what it should have done once and this is very unfortunate” he said.

He also charged the electoral umpire to ensure that whatever they choose to do is done well.

Responding, the National

Commissioner from INEC who led the team, Ambassador Lawrence Nwurukwu said that INEC was taken aback and worried that the Governor could not obtain his PVC on demand.

While apologizing to the Governor for the shortcoming, Ambassador Nwurukwu said Lagos is not the first place where a similar problem would occur.

He however appealed to the Governor and others affected to please go and re- register adding that the INEC Federal Commissioner gave a commitment that before the middle of December, the problem would be resolved and that INEC would make necessary amendment.

APC presidential aspirants sign undertaking to remain in party after primaries

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

B U J A — F I V E presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday signed a Letter of Commitment which compels them to remain in the party even after losing out in the primary election.

The undertaking also mandates them to collapse their individual campaign structures into that of the party for effective campaign of the eventual flag bearer of the party in the 2015 general election.

The aspirants who included former Head of State, Gen.

Mohammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, governors of Kano and Imo states, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso and Chief Rochas Okorocha, and the publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah were further barred from taking any action that would put inhibitions on the campaign wheels of the party.

Chairman of the APC Presidential Screening Committee, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, spoke of the development at a ceremony at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to present Certificate of Clearance to the aspirants who successfully

underwent a screening session on Tuesday.

Onu said: “We told the press earlier that our aspirants will sign a letter of commitment to the party. I am happy to announce to you that all of them, all the five aspirants were very happy to sign these letters of commitment.

“That commitment is principally to assure the party that there is none of them running for themselves. They are running to offer service to improve on the well-being of our people to bring happiness to Nigerians, to foster unity and bring peace and secure our country."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 —11

EKITI JAILBREAK:

APC accuses Fayose

of complicity A

By Gbenga Ariyibi

DO-EKITI—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of complicity in the Monday jail break in Ado-Ekiti following conflicting reports by the governor and his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

The party said while the governor blamed the prison officials for complicity, Olayinka accused APC of masterminding the crime to free Niyi Adedipe, who was in prison custody over alleged complicity in the murder of drivers’ union boss, Omolafe Aderiye.

The party explained that the latest report of the sighting of four of the escaped prisoners in the Government House confirmed the earlier suspicion that the Monday incident was an orchestrated plan to free criminals friendly with the government to unleash them on the opponents as suspicion of alleged killer squad in Ekiti State grew.

APC said: “If the jailbreak was an attempt by APC to free Adedipe, why did Adedipe report himself to the police and subsequently surrendered himself to the prisons authorities without being declared wanted? If the jailbreak is to kill Niyi Adedipe, as alleged by Lere Olayinka, Why was he not killed?

“We are not surprised that the

the escapees quartered there.

local content of this crime ring is being re-activated by releasing them from jail for maximum results and we are calling the attention of Nigerians and lovers of peace and security around the world that the merchants of death are back in Ekiti State to terrorise the people of Ekiti State.

“We can now see why security vote for security agents to fight crimes has been reduced while personal security vote for the governor has doubled.

"We urge the security agents to comb the Presidential lodge of the Government House to re-arrest

Fayose's aide reacts

In his own reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, dismissed the allegation, urging Ekiti people to trace their search for the source of security lapses in the state on members of the APC. He said: “Nobody will take APC serious over the latest allegations. They are known for fabricating lies. They are doing this to save face. Their allegations that four of the escapees are in the Government

House is so funny to us.

“The allegation is the opposite of what is on ground, some of the escapees are in the APC custody. The APC knows where the criminals are, they want to divert attention of the public from their criminal tendencies. The people of Ekiti State know that the APC is behind the attack on the prison. The APC collaborated with some people inside the prison whom they have already compromised. “ What the Governor and one of his aide, Mr Lere Olayinka said are the same. The Governor only shed more light on how the APC connived with some people inside the prison to carry out the attack."

INTERACTION: From left: Chief Osita Chidoka, Minister of Aviation, Alhaji Mohammed Abbas, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, and Dr Ibrahim Idris, Director, Human Resources, Planning Research and Statistics, during the media interaction between the minister and members of League of Aviation and Airports Correspondents, LAAC, at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

Onabanjo's daughter quits Amosun's govt

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By Daud Olatunji

B E O K U TA — C R I S I S rocking, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle-led administration has taken another twist as a daughter of first democratically elected governor in the state, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Olubukunola Onabanjo resigned her appointment as Chairman, Teaching Service Commission.

Onabanjo’s daughter in her resignation letter dated November 18, 2014 and

addressed to the governor, explained that, she decided to quit Amosun’s government because she could not sacrifice her relationship with a former governor of the state, Aremo Segun Osoba for Amosun’s appointment.

Both Amosun and Osoba fell out following the internal wrangling within the All Progressives Congress in the state which prompted Osoba and his loyalists to dump the APC for Social Democratic Party.

Onabanjo’s resignation was part of the series of resignations tendered by some political appointees of the governor since the beginning of the crisis between Amosun and Osoba.

In her letter of resignation, a copy of which was obtained by Vanguard, Onabanjo said: “I wish to put the following on record for posterity.

“In spite of your Excellency’s accusation that I have a soft spot for Chief Olusegun Osoba, I wish to state that I have never undermined your office or the

government of Ogun State.

“I enjoy a warm, cordial and healthy relationship as every member of my family does with Chief Olusegun Osoba. Your Excellency will recall that I explained to you that the relationship between the Onabanjos and Osobas dates back to over 40 years.

“I make no apology for this relationship. I am well heeled in my family’s tradition that politics is about progressives, egalitarian ideology."

TRIBUNAL:

Omisore's witness alleges false result entries

By Ggenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO—A Forensic expert Mr Pius Bakare who is a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday, told the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal that there were false entries during his scrutiny of the election materials.

He also said he went beyond the mandate given to him by his principal, as he carried out analysis on all the 1,842 polling units as against only 912 unit in the 17 local government being challenged by the petitioner.

Omisore and the PDP are challenging the August 9 reelection of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress,APC.

Court warns PDP against recognising Kashamu's delegates

By Daud Olatunji

A

BEOKUTA—THE crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun deepened yesterday as a High Court sitting in Abeokuta restrained the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party , Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the National Working Committee of the party from recognising the list submitted by Buruji Kashamu faction.

The court warned Muazu, the party in the state, the State chairman, Bayo Dayo and Secretary, Semiu Sodipo and other PDP agents from acting upon any Ad Hoc delegates list inrespectoftheWardCongresses held on November 1 except the one under the supervision of Dr.Saka Balogun.

Court favours Police in Ekiti APC chair's case

J

By Marie-Theresa Nanlong

OS—A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has varied the earlier order given in respect of the murder charge against the Ekiti State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Olajide Awe and four others over the alleged murder of two persons, Mr. Ayo Jeje and Mrs. Juliana Adewunmi.

The APC chieftain and four others had approached the Federal High Court in Jos to enforce their fundamental human rights saying the accusation upon which they were being threatened for arraignment by the Police had earlier been tried, discharged and acquitted by another court.

The plaintiffs therefore asked the court to save them from arraignment pending the determination of the suit.

In an earlier ruling on November 17, in the matter of the application by Awe and four others for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, Justice Ambrose Allagoa had issued an ex parte injunction restraining the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Commissioners of Police in Ekiti and Plateau state who were respondents in the

case from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicants pending the determination of the motion on notice.

However, ruling on the application filed by the respondents for the vacation of the order, Justice Allagoa said that the police have the liberty to do their job, but must do same within the confines of the law without any illegality.

12 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Adidi residents protest bad road

PDP Rep aspirant urges delegates to elect credible candidates

By Godwin Oghre

S

A

N aspirant for the House of Representatives, Oredo federal constituency in Edo State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Osahon Igiebor has appealed to delegates of the party to elect credible candidates, who will fly the party’s ticket in the 2015 general elections.

Igiebor, yesterday in Benin City, while reviewing the outcome of last Saturday’s primaries of the party, which he scored high, said same has proved that the PDP was a rebranded party.

“I am happy with the successful outcome of our party’s primary election held for state Houses of Assembly across the country, which is a proof that the PDP is a rebranded party with the philosophy of adhering strictly to its principle of internal democracy.

“By this outcome, I solicit delegates of our party to reenact this spirit of partisanship in electing a credible candidate this Saturday, so that the party can win all elective seats particularly the Oredo federal constituency of which I am a contestant,” Igiebor added.

Bomadi PDP chieftains hail Labo for clinching Assembly ticket

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WO chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Kayode Tinaka, ward (4) Ogriagbene and Mr Dominic Mutu, ward (7) Akugbene from Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State have hailed Mr. Pius Labo on his victory at the state House of Assembly primaries to fly the party’s flag in the 2015 elections.

The duo at meeting in Bomadi, commended the conduct of the party leadership and faithful in ensuring that the delegates exercise their votes unhindered, urging Labo to extend hands of fellowship to his cocontestants.

RECEPTION: From left; Mr Allen Ose-Ediale, CEO, Shepherdfield Network; Mr Emmanuel Ekeruche and wife, Doja, Business Manager, beverages, Nestle Plc and winner, Advertisers Association of Nigeria, ADVAN 2014 Brand Manager of the year, with Mr Austin Eruotor, President, Whitehouse Hotels, during the hotels reception for the Advan brand manager of the year in Ikeja Lagos.

PDP's allegation of cultism against me unkind, evil — PETERSIDE

By Gbenga Oke

T

HE All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State, Mr Dakuku Peterside has described the allegation levelled against him by the Rivers Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that he is a cultist as unkind, uncharitable and evil.

Peterside also said any attempt by anybody or a group of persons to tarnish his hardearned reputation will be resisted and challenged.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Sylvester Asoya, he berated the PDP in the state for resorting to cheap blackmail and baseless accusation capable of exacerbating the already tensed political atmosphere in the state.

He said “This accusation runs contrary to my ideals as a practising Christian and preacher of the Gospel. I am amused by this baseless allegation because as a Christian I know where I stand with Christ and any attempt by anybody or group to tarnish my hard earned reputation will be resisted and challenged because I never belonged to any secret society or cult group all my life

including my university days and I will never be.

“From 1986 to 2011, I was a member of Church of God Mission International but for distance, I had to change my denomination to Salvation Ministries and my pastor can attest to my undiluted Christian life and spiritual standing.

Curiously, this unfortunate allegation is coming from a party that Rivers people and the Christian community are alleging of parading known Ogbonis as members.

“This ploy is a diversionary tactics to divert attention from the demand of the Christian community in Rivers State that

those who aspire to the high office of governor must have high moral and spiritual standing and that the church resolve not to vote for anybody with secret society background is firm and well known.

“I am an open book in my days both at Okrika Grammar School, and Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where I served as National President of National Union of Rivers State Students among other positions.

I did not join any cult group not even with the excuse of youthful exuberance. This accusation is therefore, unjustified and should be disregarded.''

Delta assures on the completion of Ughelli/Asaba road

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—DELTA State Government has said that it was committed to the completion of the multi million naira Ughelli/Asaba Road dualization project before May 29, 2015.

State Commissioner for Special Duties in charge of the road project, Mr David Anuku who gave the assurance while on

inspection of the project, dispelled insinuations that the 145km road project has been abandoned by the state government, noting “The Ughelli/Asaba dual carriage road project is a star project of the Emmanuel Uduaghan government, it will be delivered before May 29, 2015.”

Anuku said the contractors handling the project, CCC in charge of the section A & B and

Bayelsa monarch tasks communities on self-help projects

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Amanyanabo of Nembe City, HRM, Edward Daukoru has asked communities in the Nembe, Bayelsa State to initiate and complete self-help projects that will have positive impact on the lives of the citizens.

Daukoru, who spoke while commissioning three projects namely: the 70-metres foot

APELE—RESIDENTS of Adidi Road, Sapele, Delta State, yesterday staged a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the state government to their plight over what they described as “The problems we are facing when the state government awarded the face-lift contract of the road to a contractor when Blessing Okagbare was to marry.”

They said the contractor did not do much before the marriage, adding that he was only able to tar about 100 meters of the road before the marriage, and that he damaged the drainage with his tractors by using the old tars he scrapped from the road to block the drainages, causing flood when it rains.

Speaking on the development, a community leader, Mr Ben Tobi, said “We are happy with Blessing Okagbare’s marriage. We are also happy that she hails from this area, which brought so much fame to the area and the whole country in general. We are happy with the gesture of the state government, which is suppose to be a blessing to the area and not the other way round. Hence, we plead with the governor through this protest to prevail on the contractor to complete the job so that he does not abandon it.”

Some of their placards read, “Long live Blessing Okagbare,” “Long live Uduaghan for awarding the road,” “Please prevail on the contractor to complete the job,” “Please don’t let this road be another abandoned project,'' among others.”

bridge, two public conveniences and electricity project at Agbakabiriyai, Ogbolomabiri, described the projects as unique the development for the community.

He expressed delight that the visit was the first to a satellite town to commission such projects and enjoined other communities to emulate the Agbakapiriyai example to enable the people feel the impact of democracy.

The monarch cautioned the community against abusing the genuine intentions of those who initiated the project by vandalising them.

He urged them to protect the projects so as to attract future projects for the community.

Senator Nimi Amange, who initiated the projects, explained that the idea was informed by his desire to alleviate the plights of the needy, including the widows.

ULO consultants which is working on the section C of the road had promised to increase the pace of work on the project during this dry season, noting that work on the project was suspended during the rainy season to enable contractors correct some engineering defects on it.

Observing that there was the need to address the issues of drainages, gutters and bridges among others especially on section C of the road, the commissioner said work on section ‘A’ “which is Ughelli to Arhade in Isoko axis of the state is 50 per cent completed, section B from Arhade to Osissa in Ndokwa East, 97 percent completed while section C from Ossissa to Ogwashi-Uku-Asaba has engineering issues that need to be resolved with the contractors.''

Anuku said that the state government will not leave any stone unturned in completing the road, adding that it was a link between Warri Port and Onitsha, the commercial hub of the east.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Delta PDP releases Assembly primaries results

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA — THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, released the result of the last Saturday’s state House of Assembly primaries for the 29 constituencies in the state.

Some of the present members of the House, who won the primaries have been presented with Certificates of Return by the state party chairman, Chief Edwin Uzor.

Those that received Certificates of Return include, the Speaker, Mr Peter Onwusanya, his deputy, Basil Ganagana, Majority Leader, Monday Igbuya, Deputy Majority Leader, Johnson Erijo, Mr Samuel Mariere, Ughelli North 1, Tim Owhefere, Isoko North, Keston Okoro, Udu, Daniel Mayuku, Warri South West, Dennis Omovie, Warri South 2, Kennedy Daubry, Burutu 2, Dan Yingi, Burutu 1, Friday Osanebi, Ndokwa East, Alphonsus Ojo, Ukwuani, Azuka Azaka, Ndokwa West, among others.

RIVERS 2015: Anti-Wike protesters block

PDP secretariat with coffins

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA — MEMBERS of the National Working Committee, NWC of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, staff, party members and visitors were, yesterday, locked out of the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of the party by aspirants from Rivers State, who were disqualified from participating in last Saturday’s state House of Assembly primaries.

The aspirants, who came in company of their supporters blocked the entrance to the party ’s secretariat, halting vehicular and human movement to adjoining buildings, as they protested against the immediate past Minister of State, Education and a Rivers State gubernatorial aspirant ahead of PDP December 8 governorship primaries for the 2015 elections.

The protesters arrived with two coffins placed strategically on Dalaba Street, off Michael Okpara Way, Zone 5 with the poster of the Wike on it at

7a.m.

They came with weapons such as guns, knives, and bottles as ways of conveying their grievances, just as there was no entry and exit for officials of the party, thereby stopping both administrative and political activities at the secretariat.

Cleaners and party staff who were in their offices before the protesters came, were sent outside while those who came later were not allowed in.

The protesters who came under the aegis Coalition of Rivers State PDP House of Assembly and National Assembly Aspirants, also put up a canopy with chairs in front of the secretariat as well as food and drinks until their grievances were addressed.

They insisted that they had been marginalised and were ready to stay till justice was done.

The protesters in a position paper by 31 aspirants raised five point demands which include that the, “ NWC issue clearance certificate to all cadres of aspirants forthwith; Cancel/ disregard the

purported delegates list compiled by Nyesom Wike, Eche Secondus and the two man PDP Rivers State executive of Obuah and Walter in conjunction with their civil servants cronies, among others."

The National Vice Chairman, South South , Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh who arrived the scene at 1:53p.m., addressed them as well as Journalists, assuring the aspirants that their grievances will be addressed.

Also, the National Women Leader of the party, Kema Chikwe, who arrived the party secretariat at :56p.m., was turned back by the protesters, who insisted on speaking with the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Muazu.

At press time, the were still at the party secretariat.

Speaking further, Ojuogboh who noted that the party will not hesitate to invite elders of the party if that would lead to resolving the pending crisis, said “I was called here because of my position in the party. I have spoken with them and they gave me 24 hours to make further consultations

and come back to address them because the party must function, this is not the period to disrupt the activities of the party. I will make further consultation and we will come here to address the gentlemen.

“We feel the party is a very disciplined party, the party listens to everybody and Mr. President is desirous of peace and conducting a free congress and the person’s who are protesting, I have appealed to them and spoken to them that the party will listen to them and nobody under my watch will be oppressed. I hate oppression and nobody under my watch will be allowed to be oppressed. So, the party will listen to their petition and I am sure lasting solution will be provided, so that the party can begin to function. Something will be done to address them and the issue they are raising.

“At the governorship level, some persons were disqualified and those that were disqualified went to the appeal panel because I was a member of the panel but only one person who did not have certificate was still disqualified.

Boko Haram: Akpabio seeks joint African force G OVERNOR GODSWILL Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has advocated the establishment of a joint military task force between Nigeria and other neighbouring African countries in an effort to contain the current insurgency by Boko Haram in the region..

Governor Akpabio, who addressed the opening of 2014 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference in Uyo, said “I appeal to the Nigerian Army to produce an uncommon strategy to

tackle insurgency through a joint African contingent.

“There must be a joint task force with other African countries because if we succeed in containing insurgency in Nigeria, and we still have insurgency in Cameroon, we will still face the effect of it,” he

Elohor Doghudje weds Ovie Edeki Dec 6

T

HE SOLEMNIZATION of Holy Matrimony between

Isoko Group congratulates Uduaghan, Ebagbor, Ikpokpo

I

SOKO SOLIDARITY Group has congratulated the Local Government chairmen of Isoko North, Comrade Emmanuel Ebagbor and Isoko South, Mr. Itiako Malik Ikpokpo on their assumption to office.

In a statement signed by the Vice-President, Moses Igbrude and Publicity Secretar y, Sunday Igho, the group charged the newly elected chairmen and

advocated.

Akpabio, who as a Special Guest lauded the Nigerian Army for their courage and determination to restore peace in Nigeria, noted: “We are happy that the Army kept the faith and kept the flame of professionalism burning."

their councillors to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people that elected them at the grassroots and not forget all the promises made to the people.

“We congratulate the winners of the elections.

They are leaders that will champion the course of freedom, development of infrastructure and creation of jobs for the youths in the state.”

Elohor Judith Doghudje and Ovie Kingsley Edeki comes up Saturday December 6, 2014 at Foursquare Gospel Church, Chapel of Glory, end of Abuja Road, DSC Township, Steel Township 1, Orhuworhun, Delta State.

A statement by the families of late Papa Akpokorayen Doghudje of Usiefrun, Ughelli South LGA and Late Mr. Mr. Oboh Edeki of Okirigwre in Sapele LGA, both of Delta State, added that a traditional marriage ceremony and reception will hold after the Church service at Doghudje Compound, Ekresarho Quarters, Usiefrun

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 — 15

Traders host First Lady, Peter Obi at market summit

By Bose Adelaja

F

IRST LADY, Dame Patience Jonathan; former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, and Chairman, Oranto Petroleum, Prince Arthur Eze, are among dignitaries expected a market summit and Voter Education Rally, taking place Saturday in Lagos.

Holding at the Trade-fair Complex, Lagos, the event is being organised by South-East Ndigbo, (Ndigboamaka), an umbrella body of over 58 major market associations and Igbo professional groups in Lagos.

At a briefing jointly addressed by its Chairman, Publicity Committee, Chinedu Ukatu and Public Relations Officer, Prince Chidi Nwafor, they said the conference became necessary to sensitise the traders on the need to exercise their civic responsibilities.

According to them, on the day of the event, all Igbo markets in Lagos would be shut.

LEGISLATORS' PRIMARIES: APGA reschedules

for Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, National Assembly

By Anayo Okoli & Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA — All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has rescheduled its State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly Primaries in Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States for December 9 and 1, 2014.

APGA National Chairman Chief Victor Umeh, explained in a letter, yesterday, in Abuja that the change in date was due to logistic reasons.

Recall that the party had earlier fixed state Houses of Assembly primaries for November 20, while that of House of Representatives was fixed for November 26.

The letter dated December 1, 2014 and addressed to the

National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Professor Attahiru Jega and copied the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the three affected states read; “due to the failure of logistics arrangements we are forced to reschedule the primaries in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu States to December 9th and 10th respectively.

Meanwhile, Abia State chapter of the party yesterday said it had successfully completed its ward delegates’ congress in the 184 wards of the state.

According to the chairman of the State Ward Congress Panel, Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, a total of 552 delegates were elected from the 184 wards through direct

primary.

“On the whole, congresses were conducted in 184 wards of the state and a total of 552 delegates emerged through direct primaries,” Okoye said.

He commended the leadership, members and all stakeholders of the party in state for their “cooperation, peaceful and orderly manner.”

....Abia PDP releases result

By Anayo Okoli

U

MUAHIA — ABIA State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has released the result of the House of Assembly primaries held last Saturday with only seven old members of the 24-member House winning tickets to recontest.

Three of the seven old members are women. They are Dr. Kate

Maduako, Aba Central constituency, Mrs. Blessing Nwagba of Aba North and Mrs. Blessing Iheasimuo who replaced her late husband in a bye-election in August for Aba South state constituency.

Other old members are Chukwudi Ogele for Isiukwuato State constituency, Martin Azubuike for Isiala Ngwa North, Tony Nwaubani for Ukwa West and Emeka Ejiogu for Umuahia North constituency.

APC primaries turn bloody in Lagos

By Funmi komolafe

P

RIMARIES CONDUCTED by the All Progressives Congress turned bloody, yesterday, as groups within the party engaged one another in a free for all.

As early as 8a.m., yesterday morning when accreditation commenced, two patrol vans of armed policemen were stationed outside the gates of Ikosi LCDA venue of the primaries Consequently, business activities

were paralyzed in the local government secretariat.

About 9am, sporadic gun sots were heard as another detachment of police men moved to reinforce the police team on ground.

An eyewitness said a man soaked in his own blood was seen being taken away.

It was not immediately known what led to the fracas As a result, residents scampered to safety while all businesses along the ever busy Ikosi road

were closed.

Apparently, to ease tension, the election was deferred till 4pm when it was finally conducted under the watchful eyes of armed security men.

It will be recalled that a similar incident was recorded at Kosofe local government where the APC held its primaries on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command, said there no was casualty in the fight that broke out at the Ikosi local

government secretariat, Lagos.

Rather it explained that during the exercise a group of boys stormed the secretariat and started hauling dangerous objects such as stones and broken bottles at participants, apparently to disrupt the exercise.

But the group’s excesses according to spokesman for the command, Kenneth Nwosu was immediately contained by policemen drafted to the secretariat.

Presidential dinner for top 100 companies in Nigeria, in Abuja

President Jonathan, cutting the tape to unveil the top 100 businesses in Nigeria.

President Jonathan unveiling the top 100 businesses in Nigeria at a dinner in Abuja, on monday.

President Goodluck Jonathan (7th right) flanked left by Senate President, David Mark; former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; Oba Otudeko, Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; flanked right, Jim Ovia, Aliko Dangote, Vice President, Namadi Sambo (behind the President), others, and Chairmen/Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, of top 100 businesses in Nigeria, during dinner for top 100 businesses in Nigeria.

President Jonathan with chairmen/CEOs of top 100 businesses, and others.

16 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

ENUGU GOV: 19 lawmakers dump speaker, back Ugwuanyi

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—AHEAD of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship primaries, the ambition of the speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo, yesterday, suffered a major setback as 19 of the 24-member state Assembly ditched him and pitched tent with Governor Sullivan Chime’s anointed candidate, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, The lawmakers had already formed alliance with the local government councilors from 260 wards in the state on the umbrella of Enugu State Legislators’ Forum with the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Chime Oji, as chairman.

Other members of the forum include the majority leader of the House, Mr. S. K Ude-Okoye; deputy leader, Mr. John Kelvin Ukuta and Mr. Makata Hyginus, the Chairman, Enugu State Councillors’ Forum among others.

Addressing newsmen at the Assembly complex, Dr. Emeka Ogbuabor, who represented the deputy speaker said “The Association was founded recently to provide a platform for Enugu State legislators to promote good governance in our dear state through dialogue, advocacy, networking, partnership and

increased accountability. We will encourage early debate and information exchange among legislators; and reinforce cooperation between our association and our party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

“We declare our total support and unflinching loyalty to the

state leader of our great party, Sullivan Chime. On behalf of our constituencies and wards, we congratulate him on the unprecedented sector-wide achievements. Under your transformational leadership, our great party, the PDP remains the party to beat in Enugu State. You

have, indeed, remarkably touched the lives of our people. ''We pledge our unalloyed support to Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, our parliamentary colleague and consensus aspirant in the December 8, 2014, gubernatorial primary election of the state chapter of our party, the PDP.”

FIESTA: From left; Representative of Enugu State governor, Rev. Ifeanyi Nwoye; Commissioner for Information/Supervisory Commissioner for Culture & Tourism, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke; former Commissioner for Culture & Tourism, Ozo Joe Mmamel during their inspection of various food exhibition stands from the 17 council areas of the state, during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Enugu State Cultural & Tourism Fiesta, at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu…yesterday.

Labour charges Jonathan on insurgency, violent crimes

By Victor Ahiumayoung

O

RGANISED Labour yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to address the nation on increasing insecurity and explain to the citizens concrete steps being taken by government to end insurgency and other violent crimes in the country.

Speaking through the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria,

NUTGTWN, labour, insisted that with over 5,000 already killed in Nigeria’s serial insurgency attacks, it was time Nigeria changed its strategy in addressing the problem.

In a statement by its General Secretary, Mr. Issa Aremu, who is also a Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, expressed grief and solidarity with the people and government of Kano State on the unfortunate bomb attack at

Kano Central Mosque which claimed over 150 lives, last Friday.

According to the statement “When we add serial bombings in parts of Maiduguri and now Yobe, these are attacks getting too many for a country that has not been officially said to be at war. ''More frightening is the fact that the casualties include soldiers and police meant to protect us. Citizens must be assured in concrete and practical terms that workplaces,

Memorial holds for Munroes in Ibadan

T

OMORROW, the life and times of Bahamian

.Late Myles & Ruth Munroe

Evangelical Christian evangelist and ordained Pentecostal minister, who founded and led the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI) and Myles Munroe International (MMI), Dr. Myles Munroe and that of his wife, Ruth will be celebrated in Ibadan, South West Nigeria at the Nustreams Conference & Culture Centre.

Munroe was chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association and president of the International Leadership Training Institute, as well as the author of many books.

An inspirational and motivational speaker, Munroe and his wife and daughter, Charisa were killed in a plane crash during airport approach on November 9, 2014.

Bahamian officials said their aircraft struck a crane at a ship yard near Grand Bahama International Airport. Munroe and the other passengers were en route to Freeport, Grand Bahama for a conference.

His wife, Ruth Munroe, served as co-pastor with him at BFMI. The couple had two children, Myles, Jr. (known as Chairo), and a daughter, Charisa.

schools, markets and worship places are safe. ''The current state of insecurity, if not curtailed will further worsen existing low productivity, ground work places and underdevelop the nation. ''We commiserate with the Governor of Kano State, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, the Emir of Kano, HRH, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the government and good people of Kano State on the irreparable losses.

We sympathize with the families that lost their dear ones in the serial bombings in parts of the country and pray Almighty Allah to grant the departed souls eternal rest.

“It is time President Goodluck Jonathan addressed the citizens on the state of the nation. Just Tuesday, Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta not only addressed Kenyans but fired his interior minister and accepted the resignation of his police chief following the alShabaab quarry attack that reportedly killed 36 workers in north Kenya. ''With over 5,000 already killed in Nigeria’s insurgency serial attacks, it’s time Nigeria makes a drastic change in its strategy and methodology to these wars of attrition.''

Inequality, bane of Nigeria’s economic devt —EZEKWESILI

By Providence Obuh & Hope Ofobike

F

ORMER Minister of Education and Leader, #BringBackOur Girls, #BBoG, group, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday in Lagos, identified inequality as one of the ills threatening Nigeria’s economic development.

Ezekwesili said this in an address titled: “Towards An Equitable Society; the Role of Empathy in Economic Development of Nigeria,” at the 6th Anniversary of Women in Successful Careers, WISCAR. According to her “For society to offer equal opportunity to everyone, the maxim of equality of opportunity is central to building an inclusive society. We pride to get into equality of opportunity by creating something called federal character, but it was designed and operated in the breach. So equality of opportunity ended up becoming a race to the bottom where the lowest common denominator becomes the basis of achieving inclusion and that, accelerated our part to dismal economic development outcome.''

Forum endorses Onovo for Enugu-East Senatorial zone

T

HE people of Enugu-East Platform have declared their support for Sunday Onovo to represent Enugu-East Senatorial Zone in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP..

Noting that it urged Onovo, who aspired for the Nkanu-West/ Nkanu-East Federal Constituency seat in 2011, to go for the Senate this time, the group, through its Publicity Secretary, Olivia Okonji, said: “Every vibrant society must rise up to the challenges of its time for the restoration of its sons and daughters for the greatness of the society. History has shown that Enugu-East Senatorial Zone has produced great men and women of great repute. We have to work with them to restore the lost glory of our senatorial zone.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 — 17

B

Y early last Friday morning, SKY NEWS had started reporting the scrum of humans at some supermarket outlets in places like Manchester. People went and camped out in front of the big shops very early to get advantage of being amongst the earliest customers in these shops. Didn’t they say the early bird eats the choice worm? It was Black Friday in England last week and the frenetic pace of life literally blew away the cold weather.

Black Friday used to be an American phenomenon, and was usually tied to the American Thanksgiving holiday. Well, last year, the British took to it, as is their wont, to copy things American. The media said it was expected that over half a billion pounds of sales were to be made that day and even more in the weekend up to Sunday. I think the capitalist system must be one of the most ingenious inventions of mankind. The adaptability of the system and its virility combines with an incredible ability to renew itself.

Capitalism uses many lethal instruments to keep alive, including the manipulation of people into insatiable consumers, thanks to a deluge of glitzy advertisements and the construction of a craving to keep acquiring material goods.

I saw an advertisement a few years ago, which sums up the ethos of the individual in contemporary capitalist society. Rene Descartes’ statement: ‘COGITO ERGO SUM(I think, therefore, I am)’ was rendered as ‘I buy, so I am’! And I think that is truly a correct reading of the contemporary man in the post-modern settings of capitalism; the CITIZEN, who was central to the construction of the liberties associated with the emergence of bourgeois liberal democracy has finally metamorphosed into the CONSUMER of post-modern, neoliberal capitalism. The way people are whipped into a buying and consumption frenzy was so clear to see on Black Friday. I spent many hours on the famous shopping boulevards of Oxford and Regent Streets, watching and clocking very decent kilometres and burning off some of the excess calories that I must have piled up after a fourweek holiday. The consumer culture and the urge to buy are summed up in those carrier bags of the many high street shops that they purchase their goods. It is the age of glitzy shopping bag capitalism and interestingly, Nigerian consumers have a particular love for those bags too, as they shop in London, Dubai or New York. We are also denizens of the shopping bag craze of contemporary capitalism!

London is the last stop of my holiday and it is where I have spent the longest number of days; eleven. As I wrote previously, in this holiday series, there were many things that I fell in love with in the United States. But there are many more things about England and especially London’s over eight million

London images and shopping bag capitalism inhabitants that I have always admired. There is a civility about the British and a general orderliness and reserve that I respect a lot. I think that the British space helped the flowering of multiculturalism even before the definition itself found a popular usage. There seemed to always readily build a crowd around a cause, project or product and often these would be leading themselves on the streets accompanied by the British police, with a general degree of tolerance, indifference or acceptance by the British public. And from a personal standpoint there is the fact that London allows me to walk a great deal so each time I am in town, I take full advantage.

The APP on my phone counts the number of steps that I take, sums it up in kilometres covered as well as calories burnt; so given the amount of food I have consumed in the four locations that I visited over the month, the walk around London was one that I looked forward to. London allows me to reflect upon the poor social culture of elite life in Nigeria. We live in airconditioned houses; move around in air-conditioned

We are going through one of the most tragic phases of our history and the indices of life are very depressing, but my own experience of Nigeria has made me the incurable optimist and romantic that I am, about Nigeria’s future cars and work in airconditioned offices! The sedentary habit is compounded by the increasingly processed, low quality food that we eat in our country, reflecting the acquired Western taste of our ruling and middle classes. Not surprisingly, cancers have

become very widespread killers in Nigeria and around Africa! The Kenyan writer, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o was right when he reminded Africans that a borrowed necklace makes you lose your own!

One of my favourite preoccupations here in London is to visit bookshops.

Mal. Abba Kyari is usually my partner; an incurable booklover and voracious reader too, Mal. Abba knows how and where to get books.

The reading culture has suffered greatly in the age of modern media, the internet and mobile telephony, but there has remained a very big market for book publishing, worldwide. I have not sufficiently accepted all the arguments for electronic books; so buying and holding books the old way is still my preferred format. It is related to my addiction to the real as opposed to the online editions of newspapers! The fact that I always buy a huge amount of books explains why my luggage allowance from the airlines often borders on the very precarious. I have bought books in Dubai, California, Texas and now London. It means that I will

be in trouble with the airline and when I eventually arrived at Heathrow Airport on Monday night, I had a lot of excess to pay for! I have, fortunately, kept my column running over the past four weeks, because it was obvious that I could not escape from events shaping life back at home. On Friday, the tragic bombings at the Kano Juma’at Mosque was the main story from Nigeria. We were frantically working the phones and checking online news sites for updates.

Honestly, I don’t envy Nigerians who reside abroad, given how much I have missed the texture of daily living in our very troubled country. I wonder all the time just how difficult it must be to feel a deep sense of connection with one’s fatherland and yet be forced by circumstance to live away from it. The passions of anger, rejection, love, hatred, unfulfilled hopes and longing to be home suffuse many of the pieces that Nigerians living abroad post on the numerous websites dedicated to the Nigerian condition.

Being out of Nigeria allowed me to re-evaluate my feelings about our beautiful country.

The love I feel for it; my lived experiences and upbringing and the social and political education that I received as a member of a generation that saw a country which worked, have driven my passion for the liberation and development of Nigeria. I write because I believe that another country is possible.

My travel in the past month has even deepened the love I have for our country. We are going through one of the most tragic phases of our history and the indices of life are very depressing, but my own experience of Nigeria has made me the incurable optimist and romantic that I am, about Nigeria’s future.

Boko Haram conspiracy theories

T

HE lead story of BLUEPRINT newspaper for Tuesday, this week, was titled WE HAVE NO HAND IN BOKO HARAM- SAMBO. This is the only Nigerian newspaper headline I’ve had opportunity to see as I travel between London and Dubai to be able to arrive in Abuja by Tuesday afternoon, and writing this week’s piece. I am not surprised that Vice President Namadi Sambo made the disclaimer. But those in power must be aware that there is very strong suspicion in the North that they have somehow become complicit in the Boko Haram insurgency. This is just as much as those in power, their supporters and very influential and popular voices in the South have clung to the perspective that the Boko Haram insurgency is a grand Northern conspiracy against President Goodluck Jonathan.

These contending perspectives have summed up the basis of Nigeria’s inability to defeat the insurgency so far.

And as these two perspectives have continued contestation of

Nigeria’ssocio-politicalspace, we have become paralyzed and Nigeria’s political structure has continued to wither around us, with a huge swathe under the control of insurgents.

Unfortunately for President Goodluck Jonathan, the buck stops on his table, because he was the one elected to provide leadership as Commander-inChief. Pardon me, but he is a serial bungler who has committed a series of faux pas that have continued to undermine his position in respect of the insurgency. It is instructive that President Goodluck Jonathan has NEVER taken time to visit Nigerian troops in the theatres of operation in the northeast, to lift their morale; get first hand understanding of their conditions away from prejudiced”security briefings” inside Aso Villa, that might have been doctored or far removed from the realities on ground. Yet, Nigerians see on television the regular visits of American, British and French

leaders to their troops in Afghanistan; Iraq or even Central Africa. President Jonathan acts disdainfully, as if the northeast is not his business; he seems completely wired to the absurd assumption that Boko Haram was organized by Northerners against his presidency. He maintains no links with the governors of Borno and Yobe as regularly as the situation demands. It is incredible that he has not visited the communities suffering or the IDP camps. He did not visit Chibok; neither did he, his Vice nor even Education Minister go to the school premises, when Nigerian children were slaughtered in their sleep at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State.

Yet, our dear President was at TB Joshua’s church to commiserate with him, when the illegal extension to a building collapsed killing scores of Nigerians and foreigners. It was not the dead that were his concern, but

solidarity with TB Joshua, with an eye to Christian votes in 2015! If such double standards are not central to his politics of exploiting ethno-religious differences, why didn’t President Jonathan go to Kano to commiserate with the people after the massive bombings of last Friday? Wasn’t that enough to have exploded the absurd perspective holding him hostage, about “Northern conspiracy” against his presidency?

Surely, President Goodluck Jonathan will need Northern votes too in 2015. Or is he still clinging to his statement that the votes he got in the North in 2011 were mainly Igbo votes? So is he probably assured of those and Northerner votes won’t matter? The prevailing official attitude can only strengthen divisions in the country and deepen conspiracy theories detrimental to the health of the country. Unfortunately again, the buck stops with President Jonathan!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 MORE than two years after he was impeached, the Supreme Court on 21 November ordered immediate reinstatement of the former Deputy Gover nor of Taraba State, Alhaji Sanni Abubakar Danladi.

The court was unanimous in its judgment, that the impeachment panel the Taraba House of Assembly set up to investigate allegations against Danladi violated his rights to fair hearing.

Danladi served the panel court papers challenging its composition, it ignored him. He raised the same issues at the Taraba State High Court and again at the Court of Appeal, both jettisoned his pleas to a hearing. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who delivered the lead judgment, said that both the Court of Appeal and the Taraba State High Court, which had dismissed Danaladi’s suit, ought to have listened to Danladi and resolved the issue of fair hearing in his favour.

Garba Umar replaced Danladi. He became the acting gover nor, following Gover nor Dambaba Suntai’s ill health that resulted from a plane crash in November 2012.

Danladi’s return has altered political permutations in the State that were tilting

A Quiet Vict or Victor oryy In Tar aba araba towards Umar being elected governor in 2015. The immediate annulments of all political appointments Umar made since 14 November 2012 was the first shot. The Speaker of the State House of Assembly Josiah Sabo Kente, a strong Umar supporter resigned to avoid impeachment.

These developments, however, are not as important as the principles of fair hearing that the Supreme Court espoused in the judgment. Danladi did not even get a hearing.

He complained about the composition of the panel, nobody listened to him. He obtained a court order, to press

his rights. He was further ignored.

A determination to get him out of office had more premium than law and order, on which the institutions that hounded him – the Taraba State House of Assembly and the courts – were created. Both institutions chose to act on their own, what the Supreme Court referred to called “an academic exercise”.

The exercise had its consequences. After Suntai’s accident, an illegal Deputy Gover nor, a creation of the impeachment of Danladi, governed the State for two years, making decisions that were “illegal”, since his appointment as Deputy Governor was an act of illegality. The slow pace of justice, which had some speed in this instance, finally got Umar out.

Suntai may have become a later day ally of Danladi, but it is a fact that Danladi could not have been removed without Suntai’s approval. The ease of removing deputy governors persists, though constitutional provisions should make it tough.

We are celebrating the quiet victory in Taraba that again emphasised the right to fair hearing, often a mute point when the might set out their interests.

OPINION

By Abimbola Jones

R

ECENTLY, the media was awash with stories of how the Department of State Security, DSS, has been able to crack a syndicate of Permanent Voter Cards cloners operating from a location, which the All Progressives Congress, APC, now claims is its Data Centre.

In the stories published in many Nigerian newspapers, the DSS and its operatives were made to look like they were persecuting the APC, while in actual fact, the party allowed its facility to be put to nefarious use, with or without its knowledge.

Now, because the APC, with its well-oiled propaganda machinery, was able to manipulate the system to its own advantage; and the DSS, because of the secretive nature of its operations and its failure to put in place a media strategy as a counter-measure for the minds of the people, is being made to look like a bunch of monstrous characters, rather than a crime-busting organisation.

Perhaps, the department has learnt its lessons that in dealing with politicians who have the press at their beck and call, a media perception strategy has to be put in place.

No doubt, most of our political parties, are hub for criminal elements, where it is not a sin to clone American university certificates, be involved in credit card scams, deal in hard drugs, etc. This may just be an eye-opener for Marilyn Ogar and her colleagues.

Following a cry of wolf by the APC, the known face of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, with the department’s back to the wall, explained that a building located at 10, Bola Ajbola Street, Allen Avenue was

Of cloners, forgers and the APC raided following a petition that “unwholesome activities” were going on there. She insisted there was no signpost to indicate the building belonged to a party, adding that the known state office of the APC in Lagos State is on Acme Road.

She said further in a statement: “The petition alleged that those behind the activities were cloning INEC Permanent Voter Cards with the intention of hacking into INEC data base, corrupting it and replacing them with their own data. Based on this information, the service placed the building under surveillance and having been convinced that some unwholesome activities were going on in the building, it undertook a raid of the premises. In the process, some persons were arrested, while a server, three hard drive and 31 'Ghana-mustgo' bags of hard copy document were recovered and taken away for further investigation.”

The DSS also said that INEC’s Permanent Voter Cards were being cloned on the premises, and the cloning of the cards was done with the intention of hacking into INEC’s database, corrupting it and replacing them with the cloned data.

While the APC continued to allege persecution, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, drove in the nail, suggesting that if the APC was already cloning PVCs, it was obvious it had a well-orchestrated plan to undermine the 2015 general elections. The PDP called on the DSS to fully investigate the illegal activities that were carried out at

the building and prosecute everyone found culpable in the eyes of the law.

The party’s words: “We cannot forget that the APC has been accusing everyone, including INEC, of planning to rig the 2015 general elections. Little did we know that all these accusations were a smokescreen designed to hide the wellorchestrated plans of the APC to hack into INEC’s database and rig the elections even before Election Day. “Additionally, we must express our concern that, if the APC in its desperate attempt to rig the 2015 elections across the entire country, has already established a cloning and hacking centre in Lagos, it is possible that the party has other hacking centres in the 36 states of the country. As such, we urge the DSS to fully investigate this matter and ensure that any such cloning and hacking centres in other parts of the country are unearthed, closed down, and the perpetrators prosecuted in the court of law.

“We reiterate that this matter of APC cloning PVCs must not be swept under the carpet, as it strikes at the very heart of our democracy. If the APC is cloning PVCs today, how do we know that they are not cloning ballot papers and other election documents?

“Finally, we wish to sound a note of warning to all Nigerians that the discovery of a cloning and hacking centre run by the APC in Lagos is a pointer to the direction to how the party plans to rig the 2015

general elections. We urge all Nigerians to be vigilant to ensure that we have all hands on deck to ensure that we have a free and fair election in 2015.”

But not all Nigerians are heeding the PDP’s call following comments by the man promoted as one that pursues integrity in the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari. In his usual Janjaweed method, he made straight for the jugular of the Jonathan administration, for an infraction committed by elements he has been associating with.

As stated above, Buhari confirmed the information making the rounds that the media has become a tool in the machinations of the APC. He stated that the party will use the courts and the media to fight its battles.

Adding that: “The Jonathan government cannot claim ignorance. The security operatives conducting this illegal raid must have been ordered from Abuja.

They would not have done what they did unless given the mandate from their high bosses in Abuja."

Rather than wait for the conclusion of investigations by the DSS, Buhari and his APC handlers, in an emotional outburst, rushed to the press to display an incredible amount of ignorance.

The DSS should spread its dragnet far and wide to find out if such cloning centres are spread across the country, either operated by the APC or other political parties.

*Mr Jones, a public commentator, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 19

Emir Sanusi and the Kano mosque attack

F

OLLOWING the savage bomb and gun attacks on defenceless worshippers in the Kano Grand Mosque last Friday, some misguided commentators, especially in the North have, as usual, been looking for scapegoats or fall guys to carry the can of blame. Shortly after the ugly incident that claimed the lives of dozens of innocent worshippers and injured hundreds of others, text messages started making the rounds, claiming that the President Goodluck Jonathan government “sponsored” the attack. This was obviously meant to get the people even more worked up against the president towards the 2015 elections.

Apart from this asinine insinuation, another segment of blame-mongers pointed their dirty fingers in the direction of the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido, Sanusi II. They faulted him for asking the people to play their own role in the war against the Islamist insurgents who are bent on overrunning the North.

Actually, the Emir had told fellow worshippers in the mosque penultimate Friday to form themselves into vigilante groups in the mold of the Civilian JTF in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, since it has become abundantly clear that the military alone cannot do the job.

I quote him: “we should not wait for the soldiers to come; before they come the carnage would have been done…”

To start with, let me admit that I am an ardent critic of this gentleman who, as the Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), often caused a lot of problems with his public utterances. In fact, it was this that led to his controversial exit from the Bank amid a cloud of estrangement with the Presidency. However, this time, I believe that the Kano monarch did the right thing and should be supported rather than being made to look like the one who brought the tragedy on his people.

Sanusi II acted with the courage that has become rare among members of his class, the

These guys have transformed from hit-and-run bandits into a consuming fire, and everyone – including those who used to clap every time they bombed churches – is now on the run Northern aristocracy. They have tended to maintain sealed lips while these bloodthirsty outlaws kill and pillage at will, seizing vast territories with defiant venom. The emir has done what the Northern leadership, including the many retired generals, traditional rulers, political leaders, the intelligentsia, the multibillionaires grown with the patronage of our common patrimony, the clerics and opinion leaders should have been doing in the past three years. If not for the self-serving cowardice or conspiratorial silence that these leaders chose to adopt; if they had come out early, like Emir Sanusi, to rally the populace against these Islamist desperados, the terrorists would have been routed long ago.

That was what happened in Abia State, when kidnappers besieged Aba and started towards transforming into a political movement. The government andpeople of the state closed ranks, and when the Federal Government brought in the military to root out the

Impunity of a cop: Our fears for 2015

T

HE average Nigerian journalist is today torn between the need to obey the biblical injunction of confessing positive at all time, particularly in the face of the perceived power of the tongue, coupled with the need to engage in imagelaundering on matters concerning his nation on the one hand; and the general atmosphere of deceit around him on the other, that determining the real truth becomes a Herculean task.

For example, a situation in which the insurgents moved into an entire area and sacked many villages, including that of the nation’s chief security guard, without firing a single shot; determining the actual strength of the insurgents becomes extremely tasking – are they so strong or does somebody, somewhere, have a charge to make the nation so insecure so as to vitiate the possibility of holding the 2015 elections, thus creating conducive conditions for emergency rule? We have never stopped seeing the Goodluck Jonathan administration as one that may be willing to work for, and benefit from, its own confusion. All the same, 2015 provides a most frightening glimpse.

The past year was a year of fear, a year in which the administration feared so much that it took many panic measures – leaving undone many essential things it ought to have done; and doing many things it had no business doing. It created many fears into the future.

President Jonathan must remain in power by all means and at all costs. Nothing else counts. Just see how the Frankenstein monsters created by them are hunting them!

Our President fled at the sight of Government Tompolo. After many years of pressure from the home front, Jonathan decided that it was time to do something definitive for the Niger Delta Region. The

$16 billion Export Free Zone facility was quickly earmarked for Ogidigben. This was to be a good project intended to position gas as an alternative to over-reliance on oil and to generate jobs for our teaming youth population.

However, the project has since been mired by local conflicts between the Ijaw and the Itsekiri as to who owns the land on which the project was to be sited. In spite of this, Jonathan was so committed to the project that recently, he decided to go for the groundbreaking ceremony. On that fateful day, Government Tompolo, an Ijaw militant, threatened fire and brimstone that if Jonathan dared come down from his aircraft, he should regard himself dead.

Our President’s jet hovered over the area and returned to Abuja. That’s the type of fretting President we have! And that’s the type of fear we are carrying into 2015, plus the fact that in the battle field of the North East, Boko Haram is having a field day.

When the IGP, refused to recognise Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not only did he exhibit crass insubordination he also showed himself a complete ignoramus in the process of electing and removing the Speaker

criminals, it became a mere stroll in the garden. But because some misguided Northern leaders and their supporters in the media and politicians saw the terrorists as weapons of blackmail that could be deployed to oust President Jonathan and grab power back, they gave them their tacit and sometimes open support. These guys have transformed from hit-and-run bandits into a consuming fire, and everyone – including those who used to clap every time they bombed churches – is now on the run.

Emir Sanusi has every legitimate reason to issue that call. As an Emir, he is not just a traditional ruler; he is also the spiritual leader of his people and commander of the Muslim faithful. If Boko Haram succeeds in uprooting the old Islamic order from the North, it is the throne of Emir Sanusi II’s forefathers that will be swept into the bin of history. In any case, if he chooses to cower in silence within the walls of his palace as some of his peers are doing, does it guarantee anybody’s safety? Certainly not.

His predecessor, Emir Ado Bayero, a man of peace respected beyond his kingdom and the North, was nearly assassinated by these demons in spite of his refraining from openly confronting the insurgents. The Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Muhammadu Timta and his wife were assassinated when the terrorists invaded his kingdom some six months ago. Timta was once seen as their father-figure.

Sanusi II was correct in rallying his people to be alert to their security. In these sad times of the siege of terrorists in the North, security is no longer to be left to

Almost on a daily basis, territory after territory keeps falling into the hands of the insurgents and strange flags are being hoisted all over the place as if our military is on vacation.

When an enlightened State like Ekiti is consistently in the limelight, for the wrong reasons, there is cause for fear.

On November 17, seven members of the Ekiti House of Assembly, backed by the Nigeria police, “impeached” the Speaker of the 26-member House, Adewale Omirin, and installed a kangaroo speaker, one Olugbemi. Thus, Ekiti has now joined the league of States that run parallel legislatures – the PDP House and the APC House – and where, indeed, the majority could have its say but the minority must have its way, no thanks to the PDP administration.

This is the real fear. The 2015 elections could be the best that Nigeria never had.

We do not see the Jonathan administration as one that would relinquish power when defeated at the polls. It has experimented long enough with minority rule in Rivers, Edo and now Ekiti State Assemblies. That could easily be a fall back position. Then we shall have parallel Executives all over the place, thus rendering elections useless.

We are not in a hurry to forget that on Thursday, September 25, 2014, in the same Ekiti State, the judicial arm of government was violated when political thugs invaded the State High Court premises, beat the Judge to polp and reduced his suits and court records to shreds.

That was the year that the cop fell slightly short of flogging the “legislative boys” out of their own Houses of Assembly and installing in each place, minority rule worse than the apartheid regimes we helped dislodge in the South African countries of those years. Somebody must begin to look

security agents alone. In Biafra, there was this slogan on radio: “Those surrounded by enemies must guard their lives at all times. Biafrans, never go to sleep!” In every conflict situation, militias always rise to complement the military. It is always a military/civilian partnership. While the military does the shooting war the civilians assist with intelligence, reconnaissance, logistics supply, provision of relief materials to displaced persons and act as morale boosters to the fighting forces.

In any case, why should Muslims fold their hands in their places of worship and leave themselves open to attacks? Can’t they emulate what the Christians have done in their respective churches, where they have erected security barriers and screening to minimise impact in case of terror attacks?

That is why attacks in the bigger churches in the bigger towns have drastically minimised.The mosques also need to be secured by their parishioners, with the technical assistance of the security agencies.

The Kano mosque attack should be a wake-up call to all Nigerians who are still slumbering: Boko Haram is a common enemy to all of us. If we join hands we will crush them.

But if we continue to hide our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, nobody will be able to predict the calamity that hides in wait for all of us.

We must join Emir Sanusi in vowing that never again shall we allow these demonic forces to strike fear in our hearts when we are at school, in our homes or in our places of worship.

for Ian Smith to apologize to him! The Jonathan administration is fast bringing Nigeria to the position that Smith occupied in the apartheid era.

What happened the penultimate Thursday at the National Assembly when members of the House of Representatives were locked out of their offices provides a watershed in the development of Nigeria’s democracy as the courageous legislators risked injury or even death to themselves: they served notice that Nigerians would no longer be cowed by a police force that has turned itself into an instrument of oppression in the hands of the Executive. Essentially, they were saying that Nigerians would no longer be ruled by rookies but by the will of the people reflected in their elected representatives.

Some pretenders have termed what happened on that Thursday as a show of shame on the part of serious-minded legislators simply because they scaled the gates to access their legitimate place of work. We are yet to see a serious worker, having serious business in his office, who would behave differently, if he were locked out of that office.

When the cop, the IGP, so-called, refused to recognize Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not only did he exhibit crass insubordination, he also showed himself a complete ignoramus in the process of electing and removing the Speaker.

In other climes, that cop would have no right remaining in office a day longer! Is 2015 still possible?

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY,, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Kano mosque blast: Why we dared invaders to save lives —Witnesses did they suspect the magnitude of the lurking danger before the bomb-laden vehicle exploded”.

Indeed while speaking with Vanguard Metro, VM, from his hospital bed, a highly traumatised Ibrahim could not explain what occurred thereafter as the intensity of the blast sent him into coma. It was the timely intervention of a rescue team that took him to the hospital that saved his life.

Interestingly, the leader of the Muslim Ummah, and Emir of Kano who cut short his lesser Hajj and returned to the coun-

By AbdulSalam Muhammad, Kano

U

NTIL lately, there has been several but botched attempts by unknown groups to bomb Muslims worship centres within Kano municipal and its environs over the last two years.

But on each occasion, it was the security consciousness of the citizens that thwarted the crime.

Suffice to say that, Kano was fully conscious of the danger that lurks before it finally manifested itself last Friday at the Central Mosque where thousands of worshippers converged weekly for the largest and compulsory congregational prayers of the week.

The Kano Central Mosque has 400 years of history. Centrally located, accessible from any part of the ancient city and largely patronised by hundreds of thousands of worshippers weekly, it served as a rally point for reunion with Muslim ummah scattered in the city.

The central position of the mosques put the security of worship place in the hands of citizens living around the 14th century edifice. Besides, Kano prides itself as Tumbin Giwa, literally the size of an elephant tummy that contained the good, the bad and the ugly. And this had demonstrated in the past that the city is capable and ready to match challenges and to ward off external threat.

This age-long belief among residents, perhaps, may be a driving force that fired the courage on citizens to confront, with bare hands, well-armed gunmen who attacked the mosques last Friday.

Although the bomb blast claimed hundreds of life with several others injured, however the spontaneous reaction by the people is believed to have significantly reduced the casualty figures.

Giving a graphic details of how youths mobilised against the attack, a member of the selfhelp group at the mosques who identified himself simply as Ahmad, explained that “when it became obvious that we were faced with death, we had no option than to demonstrate that the self-appointed agent of death was a liar”.

Explaining further, the 22year-old man informed thus: “Some of us had at the back of our minds that we are living to die, and that death only comes at appointed time from AlC M Y K

try a day after has directed the cleansing of the mosque to pave way for the five times daily prayers.

Muhammad Sanusi II who described the incident as an act of God, further directed the Ummah to commence a threeday fasting and special prayers, beginning on Wednesday, to seek divine intervention.

But a visibly touched Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, while at the site of the blast, pleaded with “aggrieved individuals, groups to come out for dialogue to resolve the differences.”

Kano, for now, is calm and quiet, but the citizens, more than ever before, are highly alert and conscious of the fact the security of the town lies in their hands.

Rise in rape of minors:

Commissioner raises alarm

By Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

T

*Ibrahim Soron Dinki....Narrowly escaped death. mighty, and we also recognised the benefit of saving lives when it mattered of most at the expense of your own life”.

He revealed that “there was a young man of my age that drove through the row of humans already set for prayers, and when eventually he fell

The revolt against the gunmen proved that they were human and would not want to die as a some them begged for their lives during the moment of rage

into a ditch, he came out with a big gun, and within seconds the explosions came, wiping off innocent people.

“When we thought it was all over, we heard sporadic gunshots and we saw five strategically positioned gun men spraying bullets on fleeing worshippers. It was at this point some of us sacrificed their lives to save others. In spite of the danger, each one of them was identified, wrestled down and given jungle justice.”

Ahmad stated that “the revolt against the gunmen proved that they were human and would not want to die as some them begged for their lives during the moment of rage”.

Ahmad’s position was collaborated by a 10-year-old victim of the blast, Ibrahim Soron Dinki whose escaped the blast with minor burns on his face. Ibrahim explained that: “I saw the encounter between the people and the young driver of the Siena Bus car that overran the row of worshippers.”

According to him: “It was a short and brutal encounter with a man perhaps on a suicide mission. For those who surrounded the car and wanted to push it out of the ditch, little

HE Plateau State Minis try of Women Affairs and Social Development has raised alarm over the increasing rate of rape of minors in the State and appeals to parents of victims to stop covering up such act due to shame but come forward to report same as rape is a criminal offense against the State.

The Ministry’s Commissioner, Mrs. Sarah Yusuf, who spoke with Vanguard Metro, VM, through the Ministry’s Director of Child Welfare, Mr. Gwamfar Kannap, decried the alarming increase in the rape of minors by older men, a situation only heard about in far places.

The Commissioner who attributed the increase to drunkenness, rituals and other factors further lamented the unwillingness of parents and relations of victims to come forward with timely information due to fear of stigmatisation, ignorance and shame despite series of sensitization campaign. She stated that in recent months, the Ministry has received over 10 cases involving girls between the ages of five and 15 with the suspected rapists being between the ages of 30 and 70.

Mrs. Yusuf added that it is worrisome that the nefarious act is not limited to tribe or religion because those arrested cut across the adherents of Muslim, Christian religions and the traditionalists.

According to the Commissioner: “It is alarming the rate of reported cases of rape of minors in the State in recent

weeks. We never really have this problem in the past, this is a new phenomenon and it is becoming a problem for us.

“Many factors are contributing to it. One of these is traditional medicine. Some believe that if you have HIV and you sleep with a girl who is a virgin, you will be cured. Some see that as a way of advancing their political ambitions. There are the issues of poverty and drugs we need to also be addressed.”

Successful prosecution Meanwhile, the Commissioner stressed that “so far, one person has been successfully prosecuted and jailed, seven cases are pending in various courts and three persons are currently in detention.”

However, recent cases in the Corner Shagari area of Jos North involving a teenage girl and six men, that involving a three-year old and a middle aged man at Tudun Wada area of the local government as well as that of a five year old girl and a man in his 30s at Bukuru in Jos South local government area among several that necessitated an alarm being raised.

The State Police Command through the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Abuh Emmanuel confirmed there has been increase in the reports of rape cases from across the State, saying that “there is increase awareness that rape is a serious crime. We are arresting, investigating and prosecuting suspects because we want to sound a warning to others to desist from such criminal act.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY DECEMBER 4, 2014 — 21

T

he recently introduced a u t o m o t i v e policy of the federal gov ernment has reduced the volume of imported cars into the country by 20 per cent.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this when he unveiled the first made-in-Nigeria cars by the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, in Nnewi, Anambra State .

The minister noted “This is another milestone under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathans. Nigeria has joined the league of car manufacturing countries like Germany, Britain, United States, China, Japan and other developed countries with the unveiling of the IVM Fox hatchback and the IVM Umu saloon cars.

“As we talk of the fall of oil price it has become critical that we cannot continue to import what we can produce here in Nigeria. We spend about $6 billion annually importing cars.

However since the introduction of this policy, we have experienced a 20 per cent drop in imported cars and have exceeded expectations in a very short period,” he said.

Aganga added that other global brands like Nissan, Peugeot and others were driving partnerships and capacity expansion in the country’s auto sector.

“Without the political will of the President we would have had a policy reversal with the amount of pressure that was mounted on us to drop it and we would not have been here unveiling these today,” he said.

He commended Innocent Chukwuma, the Chief Execu-

Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh; President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema at a dinner party for the 2014 Capital Market Committee Retreat, in Abuja.

Auto policy: Vehicle imports dip by 20%

By Franklin Alli tive Officer of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, for possessing a can-do spirit, which has propelled the company to dizzying heights of industrial success.

Commenting on the local content analysis of the IVM brand vehicles, Aganga disclosed that the vehicles were made up of about 70 per cent locally sourced contents.

The minister pointed out that

there was no country in the world that could boast of 100 per cent local content.

“Some OEMs do only 30 per cent but today we are all here making history in Nnewi the Japan of Africa, where we have successfully produced 70 per cent local component cars which is one of the highest and when you talk about affordability, Innoson is the cheapest,” he said.

The Managing Director of the Bank of Industry BoI, Rasheed Olaoluwa, expressed the delight of the development Bank

in witnessing the historic event.

He noted that Innoson was an exemplary customer of the bank adding that this was the beginning of more good things to come from the bank’s partnership with the company.

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and National President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Jacobs, noted “It is a testimony that the Federal Government’s Auto Policy is working. The automobile industry Bill has not yet been passed by the National Assembly and we

are all expecting that it will be done soon enough.”

Also, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ademola Olorunfemi, announced that the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, has been granted permit by the Nigerian Society of Engineers to use the NSE seal, while the CEO, Innocent Chukwuma will be inducted into the NSE hall of fame, making him the 19th person in over 60 years of the body’s existence to be so highly honoured.

Brent rebounds above $71 in turbulent oil market B RENT rose to $71 a bar rel yesterday, recovering some of its losses from the previous session as a turbulent market searched for a price floor after a nearly 40 percent fall since June. Oil has seen choppy trade since the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said last week it would not lower output despite an oversupplied market.

Brent hit a five-year low below $68 a barrel on Monday after averaging around $110 a barrel for the last three years.

“The market’s volatility is a result of people working out what’s going to happen next,” said Jonathan Barratt, chief investment officer at Ayers Alliance Securities. “Prices should find a volatile low at these levels,” he added, arguing oil producers hurt by a

C M Y K

drop in revenues may still trim output despite OPEC’s formal decision.

Brent for delivery in January rose 62 cents to $71.16 a barrel after falling $2 on Tuesday. It was slightly off a day high of $71.46. U.S. crude for January delivery was at $67.54 a barrel, off the day’s high of $67.97, but up 66 cents from the previous session when prices dropped more than $2.

OPEC’s oil supply fell by 340,000 barrels per day (bpd) in November as a recovery in Libya faltered, although a lack of deliberate cutbacks by Saudi Arabia and other key members underlines their focus on defending market share.

OPEC producer Russia, also chart analysts, however, warned that the monthslongrout may not be over and U.S. crude could plunge

toward $50 per barrel if a handful of tenuous support levels give way after a period of consolidation. American Petroleum Institute data showing a bigger-than-expected fall in crude stocks in the United States last week provided some support U.S. crude.

The API said crude inventories fell by 6.5 million barrels in the week to Nov. 28 to 373 million, according to API, versus analyst expectations for an increase of 1.3 million barrels. Stocks at the U.S. crude contract’s delivery hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, fell 610,000 barrels.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia would only consider cutting production if other countries, including non-OPEC producer Russia, joined in limits, former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal

has disclosed.

“The Kingdom is not going to give up market share at this time for anybody and allow producers whether in Russia, Nigeria, Iran and other places to sell to Saudi customers because we cut our production,” Prince Turki said during a visit to London.

“If there is a reasonably guaranteed oversight of production quotas – if they ever are agreed with and someone can definitively say there will never be under-the-table selling of the oil from these other countries – maybe then I think Saudi Arabia and other oil producers would be willing to cut down production,” he said.

“But we have tried that in the past and unfortunately other producers took advantage,” the prince added. Oil

has fallen since June to reach its lowest since October 2009 on Monday as new supplies of high-quality, light crude from North America overwhelmed demand, which in turn has suffered from slower economic growth in China and Europe.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries had been expected to trim output last week to try to rebalance the market but agreed to maintain existing production targets.

Prince Turki said the Kingdom had accumulated sufficient financial reserves over recent years to finance requirements even if oil prices fell.

“I see no immediate crisis for Saudi Arabia in the coming couple of years or so,” he said.

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 Don't do personal things during work hours. Though you may be tempted to complete other errands or chores while you're working, or even to set up a personal engagement,

,

BUSINESS

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How to work at home successfully W ORKING at home can provide a lot of flexibility. You can work when you feel like it, and if you have children, you can schedule your work day around their activities. Unfortunately, working at home can also be a challenge if you don't know how to organise your time and become distracted. If you want to successfully work from home, you have to know how to get ready for work each day and to stay professional, focused, and organised. The following steps can serve as guide.

Get ready for work Get dressed for work as if you are leaving the house. If you dress for work, you will take yourself more seriously and maintain a work place attitude.

Working in your pajamas and slippers will only motivate you to go back to bed. Prepare to work in your designated work space. Whether you're lucky enough to have a home office or just a desk in your house, you need to clear off an area that is meant only for working.

Things from the work space should not leave the work space.

Be organised Write down your schedule for the day, week, and month. If you're working a full-time position which requires you to work 40 hours a week, have a goal of working regular hours, from 9 to 5 or so. Keep a planner at your desk where you will mark the hours that you will work every day, along with any planned lunches, meetings, and even scheduled breaks.

Maintain a to-do list, it will make you feel more organised and less tempted to slack off or multi-task. Keep an organised desk at all times. Your desk should be just as neat and organised as it would be if you were working from home.

Be professional Don't do personal things during work hours. Though you may be tempted to complete other errands or chores while you're working, or even to set up a personal engagement, it's not professional to mix your errands with your actual work. Don't let friends and family interfere with your work schedule.

Stay connected Though you're working from home, you should still get to know your colleagues and to develop professional relationships with them. This will make it easier for you to work with them and you'll feel more excited about coming to work.

Stay focused

Change your environment to avoid getting distracted. Do not chat with your friends while you're working. This will slow you down exponentially. Avoid multi-tasking. Though you may think that multi-tasking will help you get more things done and finish your work day faster, you'll actually be more focused if you complete one type of work at a time. Go down your to-do list one item at a time, and you'll be shocked by how much faster you'll get things done than if you try to finish four things at once. If you're multitasking, you'll never be fully engrossed in one task and will be more likely to get distracted and to make a mistake.

Take occasional breaks Taking a break from time to time will actually help you stay focused. No one spends eight hours straight working in an office, and neither should you.

You should do something to take a break every hour, whether it's to take a short walk or to just take in some fresh air. Taking breaks will actually make you more focused when you do get back to work. Rest your eyes. If you've been staring at a monitor all day, take at least a fiveminute break to rest your eyes to avoid straining them and getting a headache.

NAIRA EXCHANGE RATES Date 03/12/14

Currency DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN RIYAL KRONA SDR

Buying(N) 167 261.8059 207.748 172.485 1.4045 0.2927 239.3209 27.1536 44.4918 27.918 244.4045

Central(N) 167.5 262.5898 208.37 173.0014 1.4087 0.3027 240.0375 27.2353 44.625 28.0016 245.1363

Selling(N) 168 263.3736 208.992 173.5179 1.413 0.3127 240.754 27.3171 44.7582 28.0852 245.868

Making money from scrap metals

BY YINKA KOLAWOLE, with agency report

S

CRAP metals and alu minium supply business in Nigeria is a huge goldmine.

Never mind the sight of those young boys hunting for scrap metal and aluminum in the neighborhood. Those hungrylooking guys are in reality making serious money.

You don't have to roll yourselves in dirt to be in this business. You can do it in a corporate way and make N400,000

monthly without staining your clothes, according to Wealthresult.com.

Business potentials Scrap metal supply business in Nigeria is another great source of income for serious entrepreneurs. It is a business by which one cannot only be make money but also create jobs for other youths.

With the complete collapse of iron mining ores in the country. steal manufacturers and rolling companies have no other

options than to turn to waste metal and aluminium as alternatives, which is even cheaper.

As a result, more people are making a living supplying these materials to them and keeping the environment clean at the same time.

Finding a way to gather metal, copper, or aluminum in good quantity through any reasonable means is a guaranteed means of making good money.

You may not even need to transport it yourself because the

Mr Alexis Vovk, Managing Director, Total Nig Plc (2nd left) presenting the winning trophy to the representatives of the Benin Sales Area, winners of the 2014 Nigoscars competition held in Benin.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—23

,

The prevailing truth is that when organizations set easy tasks for themselves or take the part of least resistance, or decides to do what is convenient for them, they are not doing themselves any favour

& YOU

,

COMMODITIES (03/12/2014) Commodity Light Crude

Last 67.71

Natural Gas

3.81

-0.06

-1.65

Sugar

15.17

-0.07

-0.46

Coffee

183.50

+1.20

+0.66

Cocoa

2,905.00

-28.00

-0.95

companies you supply in some cases will come picking it themselves, and you just get paid after sales. The metal is measured in weight and each weight has a given price stated as follows: One ton of metal: N35,000 N40,000 Ten tons or trailer load of metal: N350,000 - N400,000 One ton of Aluminum: N130,000 Ten tons or trailer load of Aluminum: N1,300,000

Change ($) +0.73

% Change +1.09

while they take 70 percent.

This way, they would be encouraged to stay in the business and you will be making good money off them.

Scrap yard It is necessary to have a scrap yard for the successful running of this business. That is a place where the metal and aluminum are converged for onward supply. A piece of land will do for this. Once a good team of boys has been assembled and a place to gather the metals together has been secured, you are good to go.

Finding a way to gather metal, copper, or aluminum in good quantity through any reasonable means is a guaranteed means of making good money.

,

These items are mostly picked up as waste everywhere in Lagos and other cities. It is possible to gather as much as ten tons within a month and sell between N350,000 to N1.3 million depending on the types of metal gathered.

Type of metals in demand Anything called aluminum and iron metal scraps is a good deal. Start going around now to look for the following types of waste metal: Scrap machinery from construction companies; Electrical equipments; Scrap aluminum zinc of all type and; Scrap electrical wires of all type. Others are: Scrap auto spare parts of all type; Scrap ship or plane parts; Scrap beams and rods.

Sourcing for the metals There is need to get some hands to assist in this business.

One can engage unemployed youth the community in scavenging the material on an agreed payment formula. It could be in 30/70 percent formula - you take 30 percent

,

Market The following are two of the companies that buy scrap metals in large quantity at any time of the year.

Metal Recycling Industries Limited - a state of the art, metal recycling and smelting Plant in Ogun State with a capacity of handling over 100 Metric Tons of metals per day.

The factory is located along Shagamu – Ikorodu Road in Ogijo District. The factory was set up complete with machinery and equipment of a modern processing and smelting plant.

Nigerian Foundries Limited (NFL) is the leading ferrous foundry group in subSahara Africa (excluding South Africa) with a total installed capacity of 8,500 metric tons per year. It has two plants, one in Ilupeju, Lagos State and one at Km 38 LagosAbeokuta Expressway, SangoOta, Ogun State. NFL was started as a small grey iron foundry at Ilupeju in 1969 by the Barberopoulos Brothers making municipal castings and water pipeline fittings.

Is your organisation taking the easy route to success?

BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE

“All the so-called secrets of success will not work unless you do……Author Unknown

T may not be easy to find any organization that would not want to be successful in their area of operation. Similarly, the urge by most organizations to succeed is often times so profound and widely announced. Interestingly and surprisingly, success does not reside in the abode of any organization that just wants to be successful and perhaps might not want to pay the prize required.

How come success sometimes tends to be elusive to some organizations that know what to do? That means they know what steps to take in order to be successful. One might ask, since these organizations know what to do to be become successful, how come they are not doing it? This question is also akin to a student who knows that the only way he or she can pass the examination (and even come out in flying colours) is to study hard. But then, the pertinent question to ask is: why is it difficult for some students to do what they know will make them succeed?

Providing an answer to this assumption is the crux of this insight.

First and foremost, some individuals and organizations like to do what work for them easily. In order words, they like to take the part of least resistance. This explains why a student will prefer to postpone reading his or her books in place of engaging in

I

other activities that may not contribute to his or her success.

But the more disturbing is when it applies to the organization.

Many organizations have failed to succeed not because they are not smart or because they don’t know what to do, but because they have chosen to do what is easy for them. They have chosen the part of least resistance. They have decided to do what is convenient for them and not what will set them apart. In a simpler language, they are looking for easy route to success. These organizations have failed to realize that if successes come that easy, every organization will be successful.

Simply put it that, those successful organizations have sacrificed squarely doing what others have decided not to do (except when convenient for them), and not just doing it but doing it differently.

Earlier this year, one of the concepts that I coined that has gained instant attention is called: “Cheap Score Concept”. Imagine asking a young student who is already in secondary or high school to solve this maths question: 10 multiply by 15. Definitely without even blinking an eye, that student will give the correct answer. The danger is that teaching a secondary school student with this kind of curriculum that will be asking him or her to solve 10 multiply by 15, or similar easy questions (without asking him or her questions in areas like Simultaneous Equations, Quadratic Equations, Surds etc for someone in secondary school) will definitely lead to failure when he takes the final secondary school maths exams.

Asking a pupil who is in primary one or two 10 multiply by 15 can be acceptable but not asking someone who is in secondary school. So, “Cheap Score Concept” means scoring so high in those things that are so easy to do that necessarily will not take your organization to the next level of growth or will not transform your organization. This concept clearly shows that someone wants to take the easy way out to the detriment of the organization.

Final note: The prevailing truth is that when organizations set easy tasks for themselves or take the part of least resistance, or decides to do what is convenient for them, they are not doing themselves any favour but instead they are guaranteeing failure in advance. Like I used to say to leaders of organizations, they are not the ones to set the tests for themselves, they are not the ones to determine how much they have worked, they are not the ones to say they are customer centric, they are not the ones to judge themselves – because they will definitely score themselves so high and then Cheap Score Concept will have manifested even before they realize it. From now onwards, decide to back your quest for success with real work and do what others might see as inconveniencing – you will definitely see success coming your way.

Uju Onwuzulike, Partner, Haines Centre for Strategic Management (USA) CEO, Mentoring Consult Limited.

Email: uju@hainescentre.com Mobile: 09091142093 www.hainescentre.com C M Y K

24— Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

From left: Mr Mag Eric Breiteneder, Austrian Investors Association; Mr. Taiwo Oderinde and Edwin Enobakhare of Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PROSAN, during the World Federation of Investors, WFI, conference in Vienna, Austria.

CBN to reduce interest rate on N220bn MSMSE Fund

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE Central Bank of Ni geria (CBN) will soon review downward the interest rate for borrowing through the N220 billion Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises (MSME) fund.

The Acting Director, Develop-

ment Finance Department of CBN, Mr Mudashir Olaitan, disclosed this at a workshop organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for business editors and finance correspondents in Kashina.

Olaitan said that the CBN is passionately committed to the Fund, and is seeking for avenues to improve access to the

fund, especially for participating financial institutions.

He said that the challenges confronting implementation of the Fund are low awareness and reluctance of financial institutions to participate in the Fund.

He said that financial institutions are reluctant to participate in the Fund because of the interest rate margin which they consider too small. “CBN gives

the money to them at three percent and they are to lend at nine percent. But they consider the spread of six percent too small, especially given the low volume of the business. We are however discussing with them to persuade them to participate in the Fund,” he said.

He said that so far five commercial banks have signed Memorandum of Understanding with the CBN to participate in the implementation of the Fund. The five banks, he said are United Bank for Africa (UBA), Skye Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank. He added that the CBN is however considering reviewing the interest rate at which it gives the money to financial instructions to two percent and also introduce measures that will make it encourage financial institutions to participate in the Fund. Olaitan said that the apex bank is already working to address the challenges of low awareness and would soon commence an awareness campaign to publicize the Fund.

Explaining features of the Fund, Olaita said that, “The MSMEDF was established with a seed capital of N220 billion with 60 percent earmarked for providing financial services to women to cater for their peculiar financial exclusion circumstance. On lending to Micro enterprises and SMEs is on 50:50 percent ratio. Also two percent of the wholesale component of the Fund shall go to economically active persons with disabilities (excluding mental disabilities).

Access Money: How Airtel is driving financial inclusion

By Erhumu Bayagbon

A

2012 Access to Financial Services in Nigeria Survey conducted by Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFINA), an independent financial sector development organisation, indicates that 56.3 million adults, representing 64.1 per cent of the adult population in Nigeria, do not have bank accounts. The study also revealed that 76.2 per cent of the rural population had no bank accounts. Curiously, it was in that same year, 2012, that leading financial institution, Access Bank, partnered with leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, to develop a mobile money value offering that will not just enhance financial inclusion but also offer Nigerians regardless of their social status, income level, educational background or location - a convenient and easy outlet to perform

financial transactions.

The resolve by the two organizations to transform the mobile money landscape with a big-bang value offering became a reality recently th (November 19 , 2014) when the Chief Executive Officers of both companies came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mobile Money at a colourful ceremony held at the Eko Hotel & Suites. At the same event, both organizations announced a joint intervention that will help bridge the wide divide between the banked and unbanked population in the country. Dubbed Access Money, the new product, according to the companies, will help Nigerians who have access to mobile phones to perform financial transactions instantly and with great ease.

Even rural dwellers in remote areaswill not be left out as Access Money runs on basic handsets without data or Internet features.

Access Money empowers

users to perform a wide range of financial activities on their mobile phones, including bill payments, airtime purchase, money transfer, card-less withdrawals from ATM and deposits, among others features, at the dial of *903#.

Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, described Access Money as an innovative service that will transform the mobile money domain in Nigeria. While admitting that the product was not the first Mobile Money value offering in the country, he noted that the service is unique is several ways as it is a result of hardwork, careful design and extensive research, saying the product was deliberately designed to be very simple and userfriendly.

He noted that through Access Money, Access Bank and Airtel will be providing financial access to more and more people and small businesses; creating an easier channel for the distribution of

financial aid; and also making it easier for government to receive taxes and deliver welfare payments. According to him, Access bank and Airtel agreed to introduce Access Money powered

by Airtel, into Nigeria’s financial landscape in line with the Financial Inclusion initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) even as it serves as a platform to bring more and more of the underbanked and unbanked into the world of banking. “It is something that reaches new groups of people and helps them to build and grow the success stories of tomorrow.

And it’s something we are proud to champion with Airtel,” he said.

Wigwe added that Access Bank, in partnership with Airtel has successfully implemented the requisite technology infrastructure, secured the operating license, and conducted extensive pilot operations in different parts of the country in accordance with the requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Erhumu Bayagbon is the Public Relations Manager for Airtel Nigeria

‘Greater synergy needed to boost Mobile Payment’ Editor, THISDAY T Newspapers, Ijeoma he

Nwogwugwu yesterday said there was need for greater collaboration between the banking sector, financial system regulators such as the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the mass media to deepen financial inclusion and mobile money penetration in the country.

Speaking in Katsina on the “Role of Media in Facilitating Mobile Payment Services in Nigeria,” at a three-day NDIC workshop for business editors and members of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), she noted that despite issues bordering on limited circulation and cost of newspapers, the prints medium have had a key role to play in educating urban dwellers as well as corporate who are probably the biggest users of the mobile payment system to transfer money to rural dwellers.

Specifically, Nwogwugwu further argued that the effectiveness of social and online media in deepening financial inclusion would demand that these platforms be provided with affordable mobile devices and data services for the purpose of enlightening the rural population on the use of mobile money technology.

However, she said the electronic, print and online media would need to understand the guidelines and regulatory framework for mobile payment services so as to hold the banks, mobile money operators (MMOs) and money money agents accountable for the services they render.

According to her, the media has a critical role of educating the masses and projecting the role of mobile payment services in enhancing agricultural out and access to finance by rural dwellers- a function which she said could result in job creation as well as rural economic development.

However, she said network issues and redundancy, vandalising of fibre cables and telecommunications towers particularly in the North-east, power and multiplicity of taxes still posed huge limitations to the overall success of mobile payment services in the country.

She argued that the radio remained the most effective channel of education and enlightenment for financial inclusion since other forms of media appeared to be too expensive for rural dwellers.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 — 25

*From Left: Vice Chancellor, Northwest university, Kano, Prof Mohd Razali Agus; Kano State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Alhaji Garba Gezewa; Pro chancellor, Northwest University, Alhaji Sule Yahaya Hamma MFR; ICAN President, Mr Chidi Ajaegbu and Alhaji Muktah Dangana, a member of ICAN at the foundation laying ceremony of an accounting lecture theatre donated to the institution by ICAN.

AOCOED STRIKE: Issues will soon be resolved – Registrar ADENIRAN Ogunsanya College Education, Otto Ijanikin, Lagos, has been in the news over allegations by academic and non-academic staff regarding unpaid arrears and unremitted pension fund.

Describing the allegations as untrue, the Registrar of the 56 year old institution, Mr. Olumuyiwa Coker, in this chat with AMAKA ABAYOMI, RICHARD UDOFIA and EDIRI EJOH, says no amount of misinformation can obliterate the leadership position the College has sustained over the last five decades. training institution that runs a TANDARD of the College I am glad to tell you that all the degree programme in Nigeria.

There was a time NCCE did a survey 32 Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes we presently run of Colleges of Education in the enjoy full accreditation by the National country that can be upgraded to institutions Council for Colleges of Education degree-awarding (NCCE) and this has been consistent and AOCOED happened to be among for nearly two decades. Also, all the 16 the five that were short-listed education degree programmes in nationwide.

Recently, we held a national partnership with the Ekiti State here and the University have 100 per conference cent accreditation. This means that this current Secretary, Committee of College is comparable to any teachers’ Provosts, Prof Olu Akeusola, said

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Lagos NYSC space constraints: 999 Why Nigeria may never corp members to land on a comet - 2 camp in Oyo Pg. 30 Pg. 28 C M Y K

“today AOCOED ranks as the best College of Education in Nigeria.”

Do not forget that Prof Akeusola is also a sitting Provost and an experienced educationist whose career has taken him to so many countries in Africa and beyond. This simply speaks volumes of our ability.

Infrastructure: To start with, the Health Center building was awarded

by the Lagos State Tenders Board with every due process followed. During construction all relevant government agencies in charge of buildings inspected the project and it was certified to have met the required standard.

The building also passed the integrity test by the Lagos State Material Testing

Continues on page 26

MOMTAN seeks enhanced curriculum, tasks FG on

By Dayo Adesulu

T

HE Director General, National Automotive Council (NAC), Engr.

Aminu Jalal has said that its Council in collaboration with other stakeholders have designed an automotive Mechatronics Curriculum which will enable the award of Trade Test III, II, and I certificates in automotive Mechatronics.

Jalal who disclosed this in Lagos during Motormechs and Technicians Association of Nigeria (MOMTAN)

symposium and award ceremony said: “The Council will develop instructional manuals for the delivery of the curriculum.”

According to him, these instructional manuals are now ready and the training programme has commenced in some selected training centres in Nigeria. He explained that the training programme is aimed at equipping the students with a deeper understanding of new vehicle technology and give them the skills Continues on page 26

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Issues will soon be resolved – Registrar Continued from page 25 Laboratory and I can confidently say that some universities in the country cannot boast of the kind of health centre facility that we have in AOCOED. The NCCE and Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) also gave credit to the Lagos State government for citing such facility in the College.

Interestingly, that Health Centre was constructed not just to serve the college community but also other adjoining neighbourhoods and we are working out an agreement with the Ministry of Health on how the facility can be put to maximum use.

Let me also add that all the

projects that this institution got from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) went through monitoring and evaluation processes, so I do not know how that union leader arrived at her conclusion.

End to the strike The truth is that in any establishment, issues must always come up but the maturity is in the ability of all concerned parties to sit down and resolve them.

Management and government are doing their best to resolve this issue and we have been meeting and discussing with them from time to time.

However, it is not 18 months arrears that is being owed as claimed by workers.

Initially, it was 18 months but

government promised to pay nine months while management would pay the remaining nine.

Now, government has paid four and half months, while management has paid nine months to levels 1-5.

What is left are those from levels 6-8 and 9-15 that management has paid four and two months respectively. The unions and their members can confirm that management has rolled out payment plans on how the outstanding arrears would be paid to the remaining levels.

Government has already granted the approval to pay the outstanding balance which is at the final stage and this has been duly communicated

to the unions.

With respect to unremitted pensions and inadequate funding, management has been meeting with government on the matter which would soon be resolved.

AOCOED is an ongoing project and we should all work together to move it forward. We must all join hands to ensure that the dreams of the founding fathers are kept alive. We must all not be tired of coming to the negotiating table with the intention of achieving a winwin situation since both unions and management are partners in the progress and development of this great institution.

The College thus far Our achievements are too numerous to mention as this

present administration, under Mr. Bashorun Wasiu Olalekan, has remained committed to its mandate. His administration pioneered the College’s beautification and annual tree planting in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Law. It also upgraded the library to the e-library platform and repositioned the ICT centre.

Under his tenure, the College witnessed the maiden induction of graduates into the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

This administration restructured the security system and carried out the maintenance of street lights which have helped curtail crime and other vices.

It is suffice to say that the college has maintained a rosy relationship with its host communities of Otto Ijanikin, as well as leaders and traditional rulers.

Ebola: Ogun dumps washing hands

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*Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. KTJ Minima, being received by the students of Command Day Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos during the commissioning of the school’s auditorium. With him are the Commandant of the school, Lt. Col. Yushau Ahmed (middle) and Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps, Major Gen. Dapo Adebayo (right).

MOMTAN seeks enhanced curriculum, tasks FG on employment Continues from page 25 needed to repair them.

“The curriculum has been admitted into the National Vocational Qualification System (NVQS) and we are training of assessors and verifiers as required by NVQS,” he said.

He further pointed out that between June to August 2014, Council in collaboration with SURE-P and SMEDAN have trained over 1,000 auto technicians and mechanics on repair and maintenance of modern vehicles across the Federation.

Meanwhile, the National President, MOMTAN, Engr.

Sulaimon Akinola Oseni said that the desire to harness the opportunities and benefits derivable from a viable automotive industry informed the formulation of national automotive policy.

He noted that the main objective of the policy is to ensure the survival, growth and development of Nigeria automotive industry using local human and material resources.

He said, “For the survival , growth and development of the automotive industry, some new policies, intervention mechanisms and strategies should be explored.

Oseni who admitted that he had personally led the crusade seeking for the version of simplified training for vast artisans, suggested that modern technology syllabuses be translated into Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. He said this following the initiative Oshun State government which has translated the syllabus into Yoruba Language, while work is ongoing in Hausa and Igbo

Languages.

Oseni who lauded the federal government's effort in training the trainers and sending some of its members for training in Japan urged that; “few trainers who have benefitted should be employed by the government to train others.”

Moreover, to compliment the effort of government in training its members, he disclosed that MOMTAN has collaborated with Mr Ola Samuel Olufemi (a principal partner from Dublin to establish a modern technical college called Montan Automobile Maintenance Training School MAMTRIS in Ogun State.

He thanked the National Business and Technical Examination Board NABTEB for their supports to MAMTRIS in donation of a set of computers assembly.

Thurs learning, dec 1

By Daud Olatunji

WO months after resumption, most schools in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, have dumped the idea of washing of hands and using of sanitiser to prevent further spread of Ebola and other diseases.

When our correspondent visited some schools in Abeokuta, some principals refused to talk, saying they were forbidden from talking to the press, while those who spoke with our correspondent did so on the condition of anonymity.

According to most of them, the students had to stop washing their hands as most schools don’t have water supply and the government refused to provide them with hand sanitiser.

Some of the schools visited include African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta, High Praise Nursery and Primary School, Oke-Ijeun, Abeokuta Grammar Schools, Macjob Grammar School, St. Annes, Our Lady of Apostles, Sacred Heart hospital among others.

Expressing shock on discovering that most schools have abandoned hand washing, some parents who spoke with Vanguard Learning urged government to ensure the culture of washing hands and use of sanitiser are sustained in school so as to prevent the spread of diseases.

Duduyemi conferred with Glima award

C

HIEF Alex Duduyemi Chairman/CEO Bolex Holdings Limited, a distinguished legal practitioner, has been conferred with the Global Leader of Integrity Merit Award (GLIMA) for Professional Excellence, and Integrity Leadership.

This was disclosed recently by Proven Integrity Communication Network Limited, Publisher of Integrity International Magazine at Abuja.

According to Head, Nigeria Operations Dan Nzelogu, the award was atended by top government functionaries, business personalities, educationist, eminent African statesmen, religious leaders and traditional leaders, among others.

Themed 'Democracy and Global Peace: A Leadership Challenge', the guest lecture was delivered by the former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. E.T. Eshett, and it aims to sensitize African leadership, promote sustainable economic and socialpolitical development, promote global peace and excellence through selfless service that will stimulate economic growth and development in Africa and also to create awareness on the essence of honesty, transparency and accountability as a basis for integrity in all human endeavour.

The president of the organization, Onwordi Onichabor stated that the award was conferred on the recipients for their exemplary leadership, contribution to humanity and as epitomes of integrity.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 27

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 “The yes-man is the enemy; your real friend will always argue with you; fight with you.” Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, Russian author, Nobel Prize Winner.

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HEN the PUNCH story of November 8, 2014 reported that “Ekiti State former governor, Kayode Fayemi, borrowed [underlining mine] N3.3bn to build a state house”, the doubt about Fayose’s, admittedly self-serving alarm, and exaggeration, of the cost of the new Ekiti government house was removed from my mind. And, the least that can State is the poorest state in the be said about it is Southwest. Second, the state disappointing. collects federal revenue Let me disclose that Fayemi allocation higher than only is one person going into three states – Gombe, Plateau government house from and Nassarawa and only whom much was expected. about sixteen per cent of what Given the resources available states like Akwa Ibom, Rivers to Ekiti State, he had done and Lagos take home. Third, very well – in my own Ekiti has no industrial base to opinion. speak of and very little tax can be put on most of the False sense of structures called houses in security most towns. It is almost totally dependent on monthly But, he had also been a allocation from Abuja. Its main victim of media yes-men, “industry”, which is especially one newspaper, education, is a drain pipe on who led him into a flase sense the state’s treasury. But, the of security concerning how stakeholders in this loss the people of Ekiti perceived leader sector of the state’s his policies and programmes. economy constitute the most Because, I had written before powerful political force in the on why he lost the re-election state. That explains why this bid, permit me not to repeat group of stakeholders resent what is already history. It will any obvious large expenditure be interesting to know how on anything – other than their Fayemi relates with those won sector. columnists, who sat in Lagos, It is almost axiomatic that and knew how the people of any governor of Ekiti State, Ekiti would vote. embarking on equitable My own disappointment distribution of the income to stems from three facts which the state, must regard a new are indisputable. First Ekiti state house as low priority—

Why Nigeria might never land on a comet (2)

O

NCE upon a time a man in perfect health announced to his family that he should die on his next birthday. When it was his next birthday, he refused to go to work, saying that he should certainly die before midnight. His family was worried and decided to call in the family physician.

On close examination, the doctor said nothing was the matter; the man was in perfect health. However, the man refused to eat, grew weaker and weaker during the day and actually died before midnight. Whatever you expect designs your experience. The man’s life was a self-fulfilling prophecy; he was the fortune-teller of his own life.

Your life cannot rise above the limits set by your expectations; the quality of your life cannot rise above the quality of your expectations.

Expectation is the gateway to manifestation.

To expect the best, you have to train your mind to believe for the best; to engage in possibility thinking. When you expect the best you activate faith. When you expect the worst you activate fear. Whatever you expect creates your reality.

In the game of life prizes are not given to people with half-hearted efforts. This is

for a very good reason. Once upon a time Ekiti was known for its emphasis on education.

But, that was at a time when education was a matter of chalk and blackboards. But, today, education, at all levels had become capital intensive

Ekiti State University, which is among those i have visited, is also one of the worst equipped in the country

SUCCESS RECIPE WITH UDEME ARCHIBONG

successrecipe2009@gmail.com www.worllightbearersint.com 08035095243

The fortune-teller of your life! because half-hearted efforts will yield half-hearted results.

Those who climb all the way to the top put their whole heart in whatever they do; they give it their all; they give their best energy; time; finances; attention to whatever they want to accomplish.

Defeat is attracted to those who do not give of their best shot. When you give all of yourself to life; life will give you all of its best. Any job or project you are engaged in give it your best shot; give it all you’ve got; hold nothing back and life will release to you all of its rewards. We halfattain when we are halfminders and half-doers. Don’t be a hold-out but rather be a give-out. Go all out and play the game of life to win.

Throw your heart into your endeavours and your performance will follow. If you doubt yourself and your

Life doesn’t really give you what you want but rather what you expect.

Actions follow expectations. Life gives you what you prepare for. When you expect the best, you will prepare for the best

– especially tertiary institutions. A governor of Ekiti state has only to reflect on the fact that states like Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa – collecting several times its revenue have failed to establish Africa class, not to talk of world class universities, to also decide that a new governor’s mansion can never be top priority. Even if the entire N3.3bn had been spent on the state’s tertiary institutions – university, polytechnic, College of Education etc – it would still have been woefully inadequate. That is why it was a wrong decision – for which the people will pay dearly in the future.

Ekiti State University, which is among those I have visited, is also one of the worst equipped in the country.

Granted, it was always that way under Fayose, the Sole Administrator and Oni; and it would still have been one of the poorest even if Fayemi had spent the N3.3bn on it.

However, because Ekiti is a

abilities; if you see yourself failing and falling; if you see limitations then throw your heart into where you want to go and what you want to be and your performance will follow leading you to your expected result or outcome.

Strive for the best and the best you will attain. Think of the best and the best you will create. Talk of the best and the best you will attract. You move forward by focusing forward.

Don’t settle for less than enough; settle for more than enough. Don’t live down to negative experiences but rather live up to positive expectations.

When a woman conceives, everything within her changes; there is a hormonal change; her body changes and even the way she views herself and the future changes. She begins to see herself as a mother; she begins to make preparation for her baby because she expects to deliver her baby at the appointed time of nine months.

Along the same vein, when a farmer sows in his farmland he expects to reap a harvest of the crop he had sowed at the appointed time. It will be fool-hardy for the farmer to expect a harvest when he never sowed anything on his farmland.

predominantly Christian State, the parable of the ten, five and one talents, given to [public] servants should apply here. Much more is expected from one to whom much more is given. But, even the servant who is given the least is still expected to demonstrate a sense of guardianship and to ensure that even that little goes very far.

Incalculable interest It is possible that not more than 20,000 people would ever benefit directly from the facilities at the government house. But, it is certain that several generations of Ekiti State University students will receive less than the best education possible if the N3.3bn had been invested on a good library. Why? Because, “Contemplating a library, one feels as though in the presence of vast capital silently yielding incalculable interest.” Wolfgang Goethe, 1749-1832, (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 129).

No State House in Nigeria can ever deliver one hundred thousandth the value of a good university library. Not, one.

P.S. Dressed in Borrowed Robes. The picture at the top of the page represents my own transformation agenda.

The suit and shirt were borrowed from friends. Only the tie belongs to my wife.

Hope you like it.

It will also be foolishness for the farmer to expect to harvest cocoa when he planted waterleaf. However, when a farmer sows the crop he desires and constantly works on the farmland to remove the weeds so that they do not impede the growth process of the plant with adequate nutrients and moisture supplied for growth, the farmer becomes convicted that his expected harvest is guaranteed because he has aligned his actions with the law of the farm. When we work the laws of life, life will work for us.

Law of expectations The law of Expectations says that whatever you expect with confidence becomes your own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Life doesn’t really give you what you want but rather what you expect. Actions follow expectations. Life gives you what you prepare for. When you expect the best, you will prepare for the best. When you expect the worst, you will prepare for the worst.

Our lives gravitate or elevates towards what we mentally see and hold in our minds. Rather than fear the worst; believe the best and life will handle the rest.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 29

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Lagos NYSC space constraints: 999 corps members to camp in Oyo N

By Dayo Adesulu

INE hundred and ninety-nine corps members of the 2014 Batch ‘C’ posted to Lagos State have been dislodged to Oyo State for their orientation exercise due to space constraints in Lagos camp.

Speaking at the opening and swearin-in held at the Ipaja camp on Monday, the State Coordinator, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi said: “A total of 3603

corps members comprising 2115 females and 1488 males have undertaken the onerous task of service to the nation.”

Adeyemi who lauded the Lagos State government for its support towards the scheme, urged government to assist in the provision of more space for corps members.

She added that after their orientation camp in Oyo state, the affected corps members will be deployed to Lagos for

their primary assignment.

The three weeks orientation programme, she noted will be include skill acquisition and social activities in relation to the aims and objectives of the scheme.

“You are expected in the course of these three weeks orientation to reflect on the formative objectives of the scheme and resolve to contribute towards its achievement,” she said.

Adeyemi who urged employers to seek for the service of these corps members during the orientation through the State Coordinator said, “it is imperative that employers create adequate room for corps members and provide an enabling atmosphere for them.

Meanwhile, Governor Babatunde Fashola had earlier in his address charged

the corps members to take the skill acquisition and training seriously.

Speaking through the Commissioner for Special Duty, Lagos State, Dr Wale Ahmed said: “These lectures are meant to equip you with skills that will be needed by you in the future, and as a means of addressing the scourge of graduate unemployment by enabling self employment and entrepreneurship.”

Don highlights humility as key to leadership

By Dotun Ibiwoye

E

MERITUS Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe has said that humility is the major attribute of a leader which the youth must imbibe in order to correct all the flaws and the vacuum of leadership in the country.

Akinkugbe stated this at the international leadership lecture for students of tertiary institutions in South West Nigeria organized by Reading Awareness Society for Development in Africa (RASDA) in conjunction with the Foundation for Creative Entrepreneurs, with the theme: Becoming the dream leader, as part of activities to mark the 70th birthday of Senator Rasheed Ladoja in Ibadan.

The first professor of medicine in Africa noted that youths hold the key for restructuring and making the country be at par with developed nations with its vast human and material resources.

Pointing out that literacy and hard work are major criteria for becoming an outstanding leader in any generation, Akinkugbe said “I remembered my last meeting with late Nelson Mandela. When I entered his living room, he was stuggling to get up to greet me and his maid was telling him to sit down. He did not sit down. He forced himself to stand. Even with his C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—31

BRIEFS

Develop your innate talents — Olagunjoye

TETFUND charges scholars on positive research

By Kelechukwu Iruoma

By Tare Youdeowei

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HE Commissioner for Education, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, has charged public school students to develop their innate talents. She gave this charge during the grand finale of the Ministry’s eighth JAM Feast themed Invention and entrepreneurship towards Self Discovery in future living, at the

Adeyemo Beko auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, on November 26.

The Feast, an array of inventions, poetry, songs, chorography and drama from the competing educational districts, was aimed at channelling the attention of public school students towards their innate talents; as was expressed by the C o m m i s s i o n e r, represented by

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo thus: “Jam Feast is aimed at channelling the attention of our young ones away from sexual debuts to identification of hidden talents and values with a view to striking the right balance between scientific education, excellence, innovation and business acumen, as a tool to redirect young people’s explorative

thoughts from premarital sex to the option of developing innate talents and skills.”

District two, represented by Ojota Senior Secondary School, emerged the overall best district after finishing tops in intervention and drama categories, while districts one, five and four finished top in poetry, song and c h o r o g r a p h y respectively.

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member of the Board of Trustees, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, representing South West, Lady Anna Kolawole, has charged scholars to carry out research that would bring about positive economic growth and development in Nigeria.

Addressing scholars embarking on TETFundsponsored academic projects in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, she stated that in carrying out such researches, they should also work in conjunction with industries and factories to come up with real findings and solutions that would add value to the system.

Adding that TETFund has a new department for research and centre of excellence, she called on all federal institutions to establish research departments in order to move the country forward.

Urging the university's administration to access the research grants of about N3bn available for use from TETund, she commended the varsity for the impressive reports received from the Fund’s Desk Officer of the University, Dr. Pius Akintokun.

2,319 students get Lafarge scholarship in Ogun

By Daud Olatunji

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O fewer than 2,319 students from tertiary institutions in Ogun State have benefited from Lafarge Africa scholarship scheme.

The Managing Director, WAPCO Operations, Lafarge Africa, Adepeju Adebajo, disclosed this at the 2014 Community Development Programmes held in Sagamu and Ewekoro.

Adebajo said the giant cement manufacturer had, in the last six years, expended N231.9m on bursary award to 2,319 indigent undergraduates of various tertiary institutions drawn from Lafarge cement plants’ communities in Ewekoro and Sagamu areas of Ogun State.

According to Adebajo, the gesture formed part of Lafarge’s corporate social investment focus on education, youth empowerment, shelter as well as health and affordable housing.

Adebajo declared that Lafarge Africa Plc also spent a total N200m and N100m each for both Sagamu and Ewekoro on five blocks of classrooms that were re-constructed in five public primary schools, namely, African Church Primary School, Ewu-Oloja; Wesley Primary School, Gbara; St John’s Anglican Primary School, Ode-Lemo; and Zumratul Islamiyat Nursery and Primary School, Ojumele, all in Sagamu and Community Primary School in Alaguntan in Ewekoro.

Umbrella Schools celebrates inaugural cultural day

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N the quest to instil the essence of indigenous culture in its students, Umbrella Schools, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, has held its inaugural cultural day celebration.

Held at the school’s premises, the Proprietress, Mrs Elizabeth Ibikunle said; “This is our own modest contribution to the promotion of our various cultures which are almost going into extinction due to the influence of foreign cultures and practices on our youths and the younger generation. This inaugural celebration will involve traditional attires, food, languages and general elements of culture from the numerous ethnic groups in our country. I hope at the end of this programme we would have been able to project our culture to the young ones.”

Saying a word of encouragement to the students whose dances, dramas and songs were themed on inter ethnic unity and the strength of a united nation, the Parents Teachers Association Chairman, Prince Augustine Chibuikem said; “We will do what we can to promote the programme annually. We will continue to teach and groom our children in indigenous culture."

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—33

34— VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Some judges have surrendered their independence to politicians --- Oditah PROF.Fidelis Oditah was educated at the Universities of Lagos and Oxford. He qualified as a Nigerian lawyer in 1985 and as an English lawyer in 1993. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel (QC) in England and was conferred with the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in 2004 the Nigerian equivalent of an English QC. In this interview, he spoke on the misuse of preliminary objection, invasion of the National Assembly by Police and judges inability to assert their independence.

Excerpts:

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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HE NBA has advocated the appointment of Supreme Court Justices from the bar, what is your position?

I think there is something to be said for that. The Supreme Court is the apex court, the constitutional court, and I think for such a court, it will be enriched by having to recruit from diverse sources. The idea that the only people who are fit to sit in the Supreme Court are people who have gone from High Court to Court of Appeal and then to Supreme Court impoverishes the court and deprives the users of legal services of the great expertise which can be found outside the judiciary.

Successful Supreme Court justices In many countries, people have been appointed directly to the Supreme Court, even in this country. Dr. Elias was appointed from the bar, Dr. Nnamani was appointed from the bar and they were successful Supreme Court justices in this country. In England, two years ago, a man called Jonathan Sumption QC was appointed directly from the English bar to the English Supreme Court. There are examples in Kenya. Indeed the Chief Justice of Kenya contested and won, he did not go through Magistracy and High Court and Court of Appeal. So there are many examples. Even in the case of United State, Chief Justice Robert was taken to the Supreme Court and made the Chief Judge of United State. More recently, in Singapore, the Attorney General

was appointed to their apex court, which is the Court of Appeal, and then on the retirement of the Chief Judge of that country, he was appointed the Chief Justice of Singapore.

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o m e lawyers have accused the NJC of not carrying out some measures that will make judges proactive in the discharge of their duty, which includes late sitting and unnecessary adjournments, what do you have to say about that?

I think any measures which are designed to speed up the administration of civil and criminal justice system in Nigeria

I think also that there is a lot of indiscipline among the judges. As a result of that, many of them sit late

FIFA World Cup 2018-2022 bribery report shows the ugly side of the beautiful game

*Prof. Oditah must be welcomed. I think also that there is a lot of indiscipline among the judges. As a result of that, many of them sit late. These judges are supposed to sit at 9am, many do not sit until 10am, half past 10 and users of court services sit in some cases for over an hour waiting for the judge to turn up, and in some cases some of them sit in their rooms giggling with their friends, which is the height of unprofessionalism. Whatever it is, someone needs to tell them that high judicial office of being a judge of a superior court is a tremendous privilege. It is a call to serve and not a position that one should think, entitles one to behave irresponsibly, to treat members of the bar with such disrespect like coming to court very late.

Having said that, I do not believe that the delays are caused

—Page 37

entirely by the judges. I believe that the barristers themselves, both junior and senior, contribute significantly to wide spread delay to civil justice. Everyone who has ever practised in the Nigerian courts is aware of the wide spread misuse of the preliminary objection.

Even when there is nothing to object to, there is a preliminary objection which is claimed to be jurisdicial in respect of which they claim to be entitled to have a ruling, in respect of the ruling which they claim they have a right to appeal, in respect of appeal, inevitably, most High Court judges will stay the proceedings.

This is just an easy way to cause delay.

Apart from the misuse of preliminary objection and the misinterpretation of questions which are truly jurisdicial across

all courts in Nigeria, there is the chaotic listen where a lawyer can have cases in five or six courts without any junior and then without the courtesy of informing the other side. The civil justice system is completely broke and something has to be done urgently.

Judges in Nigeria have been blamed for failing to assert their independence- would you say this is true?

I think that poverty is a terrible thing and greed is even worse. I do fear that some judges have surrendered their independence to politicians. Some for monetary reason, some in order to further their judicial ambition. I also believe that the politicians have sought to erode the independence of the judiciary.

Continues on page 35

Democracy can’t be sustained without rule of law — Utuama

—Page 37

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 —35

circumstances may expose you to liability for violation of rights, whether those rights are fundamental rights or simple contractual rights or other rights.

So the State of Emergency provides a blanket or insulates what might have constituted unlawful action from being that because it tells you that the circumstances are extreme and extraordinary, and therefore there is a measure of departure from the norm.

e v a h s e g d u j Some r i e h t d e r e d n surre e c n e d n e p e d in s n a i c i t i l o p o t --- Oditah

Common experience

Continues from page 34 For example, by a Governor refusing to pay a State High Court judge his entitlements or refusing to provide them proper courtrooms for them to work with, and in some cases even refusing to provide them official vehicle.

I think these things are entirely deplorable. But one must blame the judges more than we blame the politicians because the judges have allowed themselves to be manipulated in that way. A lot of it has been due to corruption and some of it is excessive ambition or inordinate ambition. If I sit as a High Court judge, somebody then comes to tell me that Mr A is his friend and he has a case in my court so I should do the right thing, I will ignore them.

You must assert your own independence. But when you judges go cap-in-hand to Governors begging for various things, some of them even go to beg for money to go on holidays, then lobbying to help them seek promotion, and we know some of them who lobby to be put on Election Tribunals, it is all parts of the erosion of their independence. If you carry yourself as a serious judicial officer people will look at you well. But if you carry yourself as a comedian or a joke to be toyed with, then people will toy with you and you should not blame anyone for being toyed with. You have surrendered your independence, your freedom, longer speaker, gives an and you cannot complain. So it example of lawlesness. I learnt does not lie in the mouth of the he went to the National person who plays with fire to Assembly and they prevented complain of burnt fingers. That him from getting into the complex is part of the tragedy that the on the basis that by joining the judiciary finds itself.

APC he has seized to be a And of course it is a pity because Lawmaker and therefore a there are many judicial officers Speaker. In what country have who are doing their best to assert you seen the police prevent a and uphold their own Speaker who has not been independence but a number of declared not to be a Speaker by their colleagues undermine a competent court of law, you them. prevent him from entering How would you describe National Assembly? the invasion of the National What about the other members Assembly complex by security of the House who have left PDP operatives? a long time ago, who are in APC, What they are doing with Tambuwal, claiming that he is no

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri Dayo Benson (Supervising Editor) 08056180119 dayobenson@yahoo.com

*Prof. Oditah

have they prevented them from coming into the National Assembly? It just shows you the intolerance and the juvenile nature of those who exercise the executive power.

A man is in court saying he is occupying his position, no one has ruled that he has seized to be a member, and his own colleagues who have the power to remove him as Speaker have not done so. But you the executive, because you appoint the Inspector General of Police, and you appoint the Director of State Security, you directed them to prevent the man from entering

the National Assembly, that is an abuse of power. And those are the reasons why people have been talking about State Police.

That type of irresponsible behaviour threatens our democracy.

In view of continuous attacks and bombings in the Northeast, do you think the State of Emergency Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa States should be extended?

I have heard some of the arguments in favour of the position of Emergency Rule because it allows, in some cases, to take actions which in normal

But our own common experience so far is that we did not do anything with the previous State of Emergency that we had in those three states. Prior to the declaration of State of Emergency, Boko Haram had not occupied any territory in Nigeria.

After its declaration, the Boko Haram had ransacked and occupied at least 6 towns in the Northeast Nigeria. And so that calls into question, what is the utility of this emergency rule? I will also think that apart from that there seem to be some misconception about the use of emergency hours.

As a Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you do not need a State of Emergency to crush insulgency in the Northeast. How is the State of Emergency then in seeking to prevent the soldiers from running away when they see Boko Haram? How is it going to curtail the insurgency? Many people who are cynical might say this is just an attempt to deprive the APC States which are affected of the votes they would have.

And I hope no one would say because there is some type of insurgency in those states that normal elections will not hold.

As 2015 draws closer, what is your take on Prof. Jega, INEC, as well as free and fair elections?

The free and fair election depends partly on the electoral umpire and the participants.

They must depend on the system put in place to ensure free and fair elections but it also depends on the participants in this election.

36 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

VANGUARD LAW IN PIX

Law firm appreciates clients, friends for support

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T E R L I N G Pa r t n e r s h i p , one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firm in Lagos, has organised an end of year networking reception and interaction for its clients and friends.

The event was jointly hosted by the acting British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Mike Purves at the British residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The main thrust of the event which commenced at 6.30 p.m., was appreciation to Sterling Partnership’s clients and friends of the firm for their business and support through 2014.

The private sector, government, diplomats and members of their diplomatic missions attended the event.

Foreign investors There were leading executives in the banking, oil and gas, energy, automotive, manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, entertainment and other sectors of the Nigerian economy in attendance.

Also present were Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State and a representative of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State as well as significant number of current and intending foreign investors into the Nigerian economy.

Some highlights of the event were a brief congratulatory message from the Managing Partner, Sterling Partnership, Mr. Israel Aye, to the firm’s founding partner Ms. Boma Ozobia, on the recent conferment of the national honour of Officer

of the Order of the Niger, OON, on her and an invitation from Sterling Partnership to Eagle Hills, UAE (an affiliate company of EMAAR and developer for Nigeria’s first smart city project) to make a presentation on the Abuja Centenary City.

Jaimal Shergill and William Oburu introduced the Centenary City project to the party as the first of its kind and size in Nigeria and presented some of the key features of the city to include the Africa Tower, which would be the tallest building on the continent, a financial centre which would be the city’s and Nigeria’s new business hub, the Abuja Museum of African Art, the Africa village, the Nigeria mall and Nigeria heritage park, an 18-hole gulf

ioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Justice Muhammed Akanbi, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN and Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN are expected today to grace the public presentation of a book on the immediate former Chairman, Council of Legal Education, CLE,

From left: President, British Nigerian Forum, Peter Muir, Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State and former President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, CLA, Mr Boma Ozobia.

From left : G e n e r a l C o u n s e l Microsoft, Helen A n a t o g u , Managing Partner Sterling Pa r t n e r s h i p , Isreal Aye and G e n e r a l Counsel Seplat, Dr. Miriam K. Kachikwu.

Firm seeks legislative instruments to protect PWDs

By Bartholomew Madukwe

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HIEF Executive Officer of NGZAGSAM Limited, Ngozi Ugoji, has called for strengthening of legislative instruments to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all, including Persons With Disabilities, PWDs. Calling for empowerment of PWDs through patronage of their products and services, Ugoji stated that the Lagos State Special People’s, LSSP, Law signed in June 25, 2011 places a duty on all employers and organizations within the State to provide equal access for all users and visitors to their buildings and facilities.

Speaking on the topic

Fashola, Akanbi, others for Onalaja’s book presentation

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course, a combination of luxury villas and apartment buildings to be developed by the Address Hotels and Resorts and an amusement park, among other amenities to be built within the city. Official launch and sales for the first phase of the development would be on December 2, 2014.

Sterling Partnership is one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms with specialties in energy, real estate and infrastructure, finance and capital markets, technology and communications, transportation, public private partnerships, public law, intellectual property and entertainment. Sterling Partnership is solicitor the Centenary City project.

Law firm holds networking session Sterling Partnership, a commercial law firm held its end of year networking session at a colourful event in Lagos, recently.

Justice Moronkeji Onalaja(JCA).

The book “Oracle of the Bench” will be presented at Jogor Center, Liberty Road, Off Ring Road, Ibadan by 9:30am. While Fashola SAN is the Chief presenter of the book other guests expected are Mr. Femi Otedola and Dr. Oba Otudeko, as lunchers.

“Safe Universal Access: Getting it right”, at the 2nd Lagos State Construction and Manufacturing Safety Summit held in Lagos, Ugoji said: “A number of legislative instruments are mandatory and aim to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all, including within the workforce. They aim to protect people with special and diverse needs and prevent discrimination in the areas of employment, education, access to goods, services and facilities,” she asserted.

From left: Bisi Dere, Dr. Nechi Ezeako, Ben Ofodile and Bayor Opadere.

F r o m left: Mia Essien (SAN), h e r husband Charles and Ola Ifezuluike.

Mental challenges According to her, the bill specifically provides for those living with physical and mental challenges resulting in their requiring special aids and adaptations to their environment in order to function independently or with minimal assistance.

She noted that the LSSP law further stipulates that all existing buildings and facilities be made fully accessible within a fiveyear transition period from the date of the bill.

However, Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, LSSC, Mrs Dominga Odebunmi, vowed to ensure the safety of lives and property of the state’s citizenry.

From left: Olayinka Wasiu, Lerea Abina, Jenifer Onah, Constance Udensi and Dr. Chris Onuoha.

From left: John Iwelumo, Laura P. Alakija and Andrew Iwelumo.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 37

38 — Vanguard, THURSDAY,

DECEMBER 4 , 2014

BITS Bits

Labour warns against sack

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RGANISED labour has warned the federal government that it will incur the wrath of workers if it retrenches workers as a result of austerity measures announced last month.

Speaking through the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, in a statement by its President and Secretary-General, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and Alade Bashir Lawal, the union said any attempt by government to sack workers or slash salaries in the name of austerity measures would amount to a declaration of war on Nigerian workers and would be resisted by the labour movement According to statement, “when the economy boomed, the political office holders were freeloading as if there is no tomorrow while most Nigerian workers live below $2 per day.

During that same period, workers called for better pay package but were rebuffed by the ruling elite. It was enjoyment galore for those in government while helpless workers roasted as if they were not stakeholders in the system.

Indeed, as at today, the meagre N18,000 monthly minimum wage approved in 2011 by the Federal Government has not been fully implemented by some State Governments and as such it will be the height of insensitivity for any Government to contemplate sacking Civil Servants or reducing their pay in the name of austerity measures.

Politicians pay package ASCSN lamented that many times, the union had advised government to reduce the huge pay packets and allowances of political office holders and check other leakages that encouraged corruption in the system but the counsel fell on deaf ears.

It added that “records will also show that this Union on several occasions cautioned the Federal Government to stop depletion of foreign reserves and the rush to seek foreign loans for white elephant projects because such profligacy can only lead to the collapse of the economy.

ASCSN wondered if plans by government to spend more than N9 billion to purchase stoves for “rural women” was not part of frivolous expenditure that had brought the economy to its knees.

Workers in a procession during African Industrialisation Day rally in Abuja.

completely excluded from electricity supply.

“In spite of the challenge of global competition the manufacturing industry as a whole generates around 72 per cent of its own energy needs at great cost. But operating with generators greatly increases the cost of manufacturing goods, making it difficult for Nigerian goods to compete with cheaper imports. The problems dovetail into the informal economy with agonizing reports by informal sector operators losing their livelihoods as a result of high cost of generating energy through electric generators.

“The Federal Government must develop and follow an industrial policy that is supportive of local production through deliberate strategies of promoting competitive production through aggressive infrastructural support and a mix of well thought-out macroeconomic framework that rewards value addition and employment generation. The need to address the unrelenting spectre of violence of extremist religious and criminal gangs especially in the Northern parts of the country was also highlighted.

The communiqué by the participants called on government at all levels to “take the lead in patronage of made in Nigeria products, firm up regulatory controls on smuggling and dumping of sub-standard goods, revisit failed privatization bids especially in the iron and steel sub sectors, stop indiscriminate granting of import waivers, ensure that the Free Trade Zones really promote industrial development and fair labour practices as well as demonstrate strong leadership through proactive enforcement of laws and policies that support local production and industrialization.

Unions rue nation's declining manufacturing capacity …Say no value addition from privatisation

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

affordable capital for local manufacturers, especially small and medium scale NCLUSIVE and Sustainable producers which have enormous growth Industrial Development: Africa and employment generation potentials.

They lamented that many other sectors of Agro Industry for Food Security, was the theme of a one-day round-table the economy continue to record poor organized in Abuja by affiliates of performance even as the share of IndustriALL Global Union Federation, manufacturing in the GDP remains a Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade worrying six per cent, notwithstanding the Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and recent rebasing of the GDP which makes Federation of Informal Workers’ Nigeria nominally the biggest economy in Organizations of Nigeria, FIWON,with Africa with a GDP of US$ 510 billion, and support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES, with impressive annual GDP average to mark Africa Industrialization Day 2014. growth rate of 7.4 per cent in the last The round-table acknowledged a few decade. Growth has not been inclusive, positive developments in the economy broad-based and transformational.

The roundtable lauded successful launch especially in the agricultural sector with increased local production particularly in the of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, agricultural and cement sectors, the Kano NIRP, by the Federal Government, noting State government and its massive however that policy making processes and investments in Small and Medium implementation could benefit from the Enterprises, SMEs, reported to have involvement of critical stakeholders, generated over 300,000 jobs as well as the particularly organized labour.

According to the roundtable, the “biggest Osun State Government which has problem facing rapid industrialization in the established a local garments factory to produce school uniforms as well as an country over the past decade has been ineducational electronic tablets assembly plant adequate infrastructure in general and lack of power supply in particular. Power gencame up for special mention.

It also appreciated progress in the auto- eration has remained 4,000 megawatts on the average, about motive sub-sector which has witthe same figure renessed the establishment of 32 aucorded for 2013, tomobile and automobile parts asone full year after sembly plants since commencement The Federal completion of the of implementation of the National Government privatization of the Automotive Policy. electricity generamust develop and The roundtable equally tion and distribufollow an indusacknowledged the Federal infrastructure Government’s recently launched trial policy that is tion in the country. This National Industrialization Policy, supportive of is a figure which saying it is a commendable attempt translates to less local production to articulate a roadmap for Nigeria’s than 30 watts per industrial development, but through delibercapita when averdoubted faithful implementation of ate strategies of age for developed the Policy. promoting comeconomies is 2,000 While participants lauded watts per capita and petitive producinterventionist role of the N00 therefore grossly billion cotton textile and garment tion through inadequate for fund helping stem decline in the aggressive infrahome and industrisector, they called for al needs. In fact, structural suprecapitalization of the Bank of over 60 per cent of port Industry, BoI, for the provision of the population are

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Failure of privatisation “This is a huge gap between the electricity needs estimated to be about 25,000 megawatts currently and current electricity generation of 4,000 megawatts. That this gap will be further widened with increasing demand for electricity that is estimated to double in 2025.”

The roundtable participants decried multiple unresolved issues around transparency of the privatization process, declining power supply and failure to invest massively in the areas of generation, transmission and distribution infrastructures by the new electricity companies and government.

According to them, “the performance profile of previously privatized public enterprises in Nigeria has not given people hope with recorded dismal outcomes in terms of asset stripping and outright plant closures as is the case with NITEL and Ajaokuta Steel Mills.

They called on “government to recognize that electricity generation is strategic development needs that cannot be left wholesale to the vagaries of the market and urged government relook at the enabling laws to provide for community ownership and state ownership in critical areas of rural and peri urban needs. This will help address the problem of prohibitive cost of electricity supply in rural, peri-urban and poor urban neighbourhoods."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 39

40—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—41

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

IT is decision day for Nigeria’s largest opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC as party faithful troop out today to decide on who would fly the party’s flag in 30 states where governorship elections would hold next February.

BY Emmanuel Aziken, Charles Kumolu & Gbenga Oke

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IVEN the trend towards imposition and consensus that once pervaded in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN many would have been taken aback with the stiff competition for nomination that translated in some cases into bloodletting in Lagos yesterday.

The culture of imposition which came from the ACN is, however, not totally missing especially in states where first term governors are seeking reelection. With the particular exception of Lagos where the outgoing governor, Babatunde Fashola is politically challenged by the dominance of his own predecessor, the other outgoing governors in Kano and Sokoto have literally imposed their chosen successors on the party.

In Lagos, Governor Fashola is now believed to be aligned towards one of his political associates and fellow lawyer, Olasupo Shasore against the alleged inclination of his own political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards Akinwunmi Ambode.

Fierce primaries Besides Lagos where the competition is fierce, other states facing fierce primaries today are Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger and Adamawa where there is keen competition for the party’s governorship ticket.

The prospects for the party in Delta State were blighted with the death last year of the beloved Senator Pius Ehwerido, a development that seemingly turned the party into an orphan status in the state.

Attempts by some others to take advantage of the absence of the unifying figure of Ehwerido have been largely unfruitful and it is no surprise that the party is going into the main election divided along three major lines.

One tendency is led by the leaders of the defunct ACN with such father figures as Senator Francis Okpozo, ret. DIG Ugbojah and Ms Temi Harriman, another is led by Otega Emerhor and yet another has Chief Adolor Ototie-Eboh.

APC governorship primaries:

Day of reckoning The situation in Imo State is, however, most extraordinary given the general quietness that has pervaded the issue of a successor for Governor Rochas Okorocha who has put his hat into the presidential fray. As at press time no one had indicated interest in the party’s gubernatorial ticket a situation that has led to assumptions that Okorocha would return to it after his presidential razzmatazz

In Sokoto State what was expected to be a smooth ride for Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives has lately received some bumps with the decision of two party men to challenge him. Senator Dahiru Umar who has spent three terms in the Senate is the most formidable challenger. He is said to have entered into the race after he initially got word from the speaker that he would

not be contesting the governorship. Dahiru it was learnt has decided to go the full hog.

The third contestant is Barrister Abubakar Sayinna.

Given the full backing of Governor Aliyu Wamakko for Speaker Tambuwal the latter is expected to emerge today.

CORONATION Today’s exercise is expected to be a coronation of sorts in

Lagos: Boldest rebellion

against Tinubu

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T is perhaps the boldest rebellion against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but the former Lagos helmsman is undoubtedly taking it in his strides.

Having poured out financial resources and energy towards keeping Lagos safe in the party albeit, in his own hands, Tinubu goes into the contest with a determination to preserve his reputation and image. The savvy politician it was learned has been reaching out to political stakeholders to support Ambode and calling on them by phone and through meetings.

Monday night Tinubu hosted party executives and stakeholders with a prompting to them not to let him down.

The efforts were despite the fact that the structure of the party are fully in his hands.

Despite insinuations that Governor Fashola is backing Shasore, not much of the effect has been noticed on ground.

In some of the local government areas, the nearest to the presence of Ambode

is Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

“Where Fashola missed it was during the ward elections when he should have put his people there, he should have been the one that Tinubu would have been talking to for support, but now he cannot do it,” a party stakeholder in Amuwo Odofin confided in Vanguard ahead of today’s primaries.

Those opposed to Ambode and in effect Tinubu in a strategic move last Monday wrote the party ’s national leadership asking that the nomination be conducted through direct primaries instead of the delegate or indirect primaries as proposed.

Their reason is that the use of the 35 local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in the emergence of the delegates would violate the constitution of the country and as such could attract legal issues.

However, their demand is something that as at press time had not been answered and would not likely be answered given the fact that it is the only means by which the antiAmbode forces could get at him.

Ogun, Oyo, Borno, Nassarawa, Yobe, Kwara, States.

What would have been a challenge to Governor Ibikunle Amosun in the shape of the opposition from supporters of Aremo Olusegun Osoba within the party has been eviscerated with the decision of the former governor of the state to seek alternative political platform.

Similarly, Governor Abiola Ajimobi got his liberty to take the ticket after his rivals including the two APC senators left the party for him. They have gone outside the party to wage their battle against Ajimobi’s second term aspiration.

Second term aspiration It is also expected to be a coronation exercise in PortHarcourt today following the public endorsement of the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, by the state chapter of the party. The endorsement put a wedge to the ambitions of Senator Magnus Abe who was his major challenger for the office.

Abe who has accepted his loss with philosophical equanimity has, however, demanded a public apology from the publicity secretary of the party in the state who reportedly claimed that Peterside was chosen based on his integrity and other silent qualities. It was a remark that got Abe spinning as he claimed at a meeting of stakeholders from his senatorial district that the remark impugned his integrity as it sought to portray that he lost out because of lack of integrity.

Given the keen contest between the two camps for the ticket, party stakeholders would have to manage every sensibility towards ensuring that the party goes on as a united body in confronting the PDP in the main election.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—43

El-Rufai and the variables in Kaduna K

By Luka Binniyat

ADUNA—THE p e r c e i v e d political difficulties of Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have given currency to the aspiration of the All Progressives Congress, APC. It as such no surprise that the APC is now the focus of much attention in the state.

The contenders for Kaduna State governorship ticket of the APC include: Alhaji Lukman Mohammed, a nephew of late oil bureaucrat, Dr Rilwan Lukman.

Mohammed, a businessman hails from Zaria City and is very faithful to the leader of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

The next is Alhaji Samsudeen Ango Abdullahi, son of former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, and mouthpiece of Northern Elders Forum, Prof.

Ango Abdullahi. He is seen as a dark horse and is popular among the young, educated delegates of the APC. He is from Giwa LGA. Another aspirant is Mallam Haruna Sa’eed an Hausa man born in Zangon Kataf, in Southern Kaduna who gave the late Governor Patrick Yakowa a run for his money in 2011 when he flew the flag of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. A man of little words he was once the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Industry Extractive Initiative, NIETI. He is a close ally of Buhari and wielded much clout during the CPC era. But that has

been much watered down with the emergence of the APC. Another is Hon. Isa Ashiru who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation. Ashiru is a second timer in the House and is said to be immensely rich. He is beleived to be backed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi (PDP, Kaduna North) and his political network in the State. Ashiru has created a web of links in the state’s APC which he joined in July this year.

But he is estranged from the State leadership of the party.

Again, he is said to have problems with Buhari.

However, he remains one of the most formidable persons eyeing

the ticket. Ashiru is the one expected to give the leading candidate Mallam Nasir ElRufai, the greatest challenge.

El-Rufai is said to have come close to a deal with Mohammed and Sa’eed, Mohammed and Abdulahi in which the two men would step down for him. It was said to be on the prompting of Buhari. Buhari drew the ire of Ashiru camp when he appeared at a rally of El Ruffai and raised his arms in apparent endorsement of his candidature.

It is also believed that El Ruffai single handily arranged the elections of the present Exco of Kaduna state APC, and is in control of 17 of the 23 LGAs of the state.

IMO: Suspense!

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

A

•El-Rufai: Front runner in Kaduna

ADAMAWA: Four contenders fight for party ticket

•Atiku: Large role in Adamawa

By Umar Yusuf

S

•Okorocha: What is he up to?

ENATOR BINDOW MOHAMMED UMAR JIBRILLA: Presently the senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District won the primaries for the aborted October 11th bye-election. Bindow is the deputy Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence and is expected to repeat the feat he achieved during the aborted re-run election.

The senator commands a lot of respect as far as the 2015 general election is concerned. He has every hope of scaling through in the primaries.

CHIEF KOBIS ARI THIMNU: The immediate past Secretary to the State Government in the Nyako regime is another good contender.

A technocrat to the core, Kobis has criss-crossed the entire state seeking for the votes of delegates.

He has a lot of followership despite the fact that he came into the race much later than others.

The former employee of the Defence Industry Corporation, DIC Kaduna, where he spent close to 23 years, he has enough resources to prosecute the primaries.

IBRAHIM MIJINYAWA YAYAJI: He is the governorship aspirant allegedly sponsored by the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku’s influence in Adamawa politics may give him an edge over the other aspirants. It is, however, remembered that he lost to Jibrilla in the primaries for the aborted October 11 bye election. Yayaji, a former chairman Yola North North Local Government has his own supporters and may use his grassroots support to clinch the APC ticket.

DR. TAHIR MAMMAN: A lawyer by profession, he is the former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Yola Campus and came into the race last. Though a new comer, he may surprise other contenders for the governorship slot.

war of attrition and crisis of confidence is now raging among members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Imo State, following the alleged imposition of candidates on the party by the state government.

The situation is, however, becoming more complicated as nobody at press time, has either expressed willingness to vie for the governorship seat or purchased the party’s form for the post.

On the absence of a governorship aspirant on the party’s platform, an angry party loyalist, who simply identified himself as Chike, reasoned that “it was carefully fashioned in such a way that if Governor Rochas Okorocha fails in his presidential bid, he would quickly return to Owerri to seek a second term”.

Some other aggrieved aspirants told Vanguard in Owerri that while they were busy making last minute contacts, consultations and lobbying preparatory for the party’s primaries, the state government allegedly compiled a list of candidates for the various positions, which it carefully kept to it’s chest.

“The burble burst last Monday at the Government House, Owerri, when at a crucial meeting of the party, which was well attended by party executives, local government and ward chairmen, bewildered aspirants were shown the list already approved”, one of the aggrieved persons fumed.

Vanguard also gathered that apparently jolted by this development, confusion, anxiety and trepidation took the centre stage, while the aggrieved aspirants angrily staged a walk out from the venue.

Speaking also on the issue, an APC chieftain and a former chairman of Oru West Local Government Council, who pleaded anonymity, warned that “the party would have plotted its own downfall in the next election” should the list submitted to them be upheld.

“Why should the government impose candidates on us? Are we fools? We should face the primaries and whoever wins, we shall support him. There should be no imposition or harmonization”, the man warned.

When Vanguard visited the party’s state secretariat in Owerri, Tuesday, heavily armed mobile policemen were stationed at the main entrance gate, the venue for primaries for the state House of Assembly.

Although some “ well connected APC chieftains” were seen shuttling between the party secretariat and Government House, what transpired within the secretariat remained a mystery as at the time of going to the press. It was not clear if the primaries eventually held or the adopted list was upheld.

Speculations are rife that some aggrieved members had begun discussions on their next line of action, including mass defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

44—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Delta North: I'm following God — Doris Uboh, ex-Reps member ERSTWHILE member of the House of Representatives Engr. Doris Uboh (Ika Federal Constituency) is one of the aspirants for the Delta North Senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Uboh in this interview articulates her purpose and mission. Excerpts:

By Joseph Erunke

A

RE there things you are now regretting that you did not accomplish while representing your people at the National Assembly?

Of course, there are quite a few things that one would have liked to bring to a logical conclusion before leaving the House but we were tenured and when your time is up, you just have to leave and go for re-election.

I would have loved the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, to have come into practice by not only signing into law but actually for it start having effect on the welfare on the citizens of Nigeria. But it is unfortunate that discussions are still going on it. It is one of those things that I would have wished that we concluded before I left.

You sought election to return to the House of Representatives in the 2011 poll, what happened that you couldn’t make it back?

Well, I sought re-election and it wasn’t that I did not campaign hard or that my people didn’t want me but you know as election goes, it’s in different folds and sometimes,

things happen that don’t really augur well in the eyes of the law and there is nothing you can do about it. I did win my petition at the election tribunal but at the court of appeal I lost out.

When you look at the National Assembly today and that which you were a member, would you said it has been the same?

It is difficult to compare because each House is guided by the signs of time as at that time. For instance, at that time, we had our own issues in the House of Representatives that made it very vibrant-we had the Etteh issue, we had the Bankola issue and we had other different issues.

I suppose that this time around, they have different issues too, they have the insurgency issue, they have the current speaker issue, so each House is guided by the issue affecting the nation, so it’s difficult for me to compare both Houses.

I still have colleagues who were with me in the 6th Assembly and they are still members of the 7th Assembly.

I think only they can assess

both Houses because they would have a full picture, having been members of both Houses. They will have better picture than I could. But I think they are doing the best they can judging from the issues affecting the nation today but it’s quite rocky.

How was the delegate election in Delta State?

On your question on the delegate issue, I can’t speak for other states on what happened but in my own state, I don’t think you have heard anything about delegate issue in Delta State. I think my governor has handled it very well. We did exactly what we were supposed to do and we have our delegates in place.

But some have accused the governor of manipulating the process?

Really?

Yes. Well, those are two different issues. Imposing a candidate is one issue, delegates, whether or not we are all happy with the way we conducted the election is another issue. So there are two questions. The delegate matter

•Uboh: Uduaghan did not manipulate delegate election in Delta State, have you heard that one person is being anybody complain? I don’t imposed, since I am not a think so. I was in the state and governorship aspirant, I don’t everybody participated and think it’s fair for me to comment nobody, nobody complained. on that. But I don’t think Every aspirant, whether State anybody is being imposed.

House of Assembly, House of You are coming out for Senate, representatives, Senate or governorship were all given why Senate?

Yes, I am coming out for the chance to participate in the Senate, I just felt I should go for delegate election and why would anybody complain? So the Upper House after seeking I doubt that. But on the issue the face of God. Believe it or not, of imposition, I don’t think my I prayed over it this time around. governor is imposing anyone I didn’t want to go into election on anybody. I am not a the way I did in 2011. I wanted governorship aspirant but to be directed, they said when whoever you have over thirty something happen to you, you aspirants for one position, become more prayerful and I everybody would try to seek guess my faith has grown over favour of the sitting governor. the years and I decided to let God They will seek to curry direct me in whichever way He favaour from him and I think wanted me to go. that is what is going on but

Senate: My plans to represent Chibok — Mshelizza Mr. Nicolas Mshelizza, a senatorial aspirant was a special assistant to Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He is aspiring to represent Southern Borno on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and spoke in an interview on his plans and programmes. Excerpts:

By Ndahi Marama

W

HAT informed your decision to join the

race?

My motivation to go to the Senate is to bring about change and good governance and to add value to legislation at the national level.

Secondly, I am also motivated to ensure equity and fairness in distribution of political office through this aspiration in the state and Borno South in particular. What do I mean by that? In times past we have not been having equity and fairness in the distribution of political office. We had a

situation since the inception of democracy where the deputy governor has been coming permanently from Biu and Senate from Gwoza.

This has not been enshrined in the constitution or they have not been any zoning arrangement entered into by the respective local government people of the area. If you notice since the inception of democracy Gwoza has produced senators and House of Representatives from even just one ward or clan, the Hambagda clan, you find out that Maiduguri Metropolitan Council or the city had produced governors and senators since the inception of

democracy.

So it is not out of place for a Senator to come out from Hawul and deputy from other local governments in Biu emirate.

Apart from this you find out that there are some local governments that were not given their share of consideration such as Chibok, Kwaya-Kusar. Bayo, Askira/Uba and Shani, yet they are part of Borno South or are supposed to be.

So there is general yearning from our people that we should try Senate and by doing that no one is saying that deputy governor should not come from Biu, no we are not saying that.

Politics is a game of numbers and democracy has a system through which it evolves. There should be level playing ground for everybody to go either through primaries or consensus and whoever emerges should go for election.

Given the popularity of the incumbent, Senator Ali

•Mshelizza Ndume, do you think you have the capacity to defeat him?

In fact if it were to be any other candidate apart from him I would have been scared, more scared that I am now but with him I will have a smooth ride. Let him come out and show us the projects he has done or attracted, and

then we will tell him they are not from him. Projects are supposed to be physical things that can be seen or felt, where are those projects we want to see? I don’t want go into issues. He was chairman of the Senate committee on MDG and by now we should be counting 1000 boreholes in Borno South because part of the primary roles of the MDG is to bring projects to communities, so where are the boreholes? So we will campaign on issues.

Do you think the PDP has the capacity to remove the incumbent APC administration?

Yes, the PDP has more than what it takes to unseat the APC government.

What is your advice to the people of Southern Borno senatorial district?

Finally, my advice to the people of Southern Borno is that they should not be cowed or intimidated into submission because of stipends, they should rather look out for credible candidates that will also take the interest of the zone at heart if eventually they win.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—45

3 Edo APC lawmakers lose nomination bid ...as Oshiomhole describe exercise as transparent

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY — THREE members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Edo State House of Assembly lost their bid to become candidates of their party in the forthcoming general elections in Tuesday's primaries of the party.

The lawmakers, Ohio Ezomo (Owan West), Sunday Aghedo (Ovia South West) and Bamidele Oloruntoba (Akoko Edo constituency II), were unlucky in the primaries despite the plea by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the state to the leaders of the party in the affected areas to ensure the emergence of the lawmakers, who have given him support in the crisis between the APC lawmakers and their counterparts in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Meanwhile, Governor Oshiomhole has described the conduct of the primaries as peaceful and transparent, noting that election riggers do not fit into the “change” slogan of the party.

While the trio were unlucky, Deputy Speaker of the House, Victor Edoro; Chief Whip of the House, Folly Ogedengbe; Kabiru Adjoto (Akoko Edo constituency I), Sunday Osazemwinde (Ovia North East constituency I and Bright Osayande constituency II, were returned.

Others include immediate past Edo State Commissioner in the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Henry Okhuarobo and former chairman of Egor Local Government Area of Edo State,

Crosby Eribo.

Vanguard observed that majority of those who emerged in Edo South were consensus candidates while the consensus failed in Edo North senatorial district. Governor Oshiomhole, has, meanwhile hailed the exercise.

A

SABA — THE Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Ighomena, yesterday, said there was never a time the governorship position was zoned to Delta North.

Reacting to recent media reports credited to Chief of Staff to the state governor, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, wherein he was quoted to have said that the governorship position had been zoned to Delta North, Ighomena insisted that the state governorship position had always been opened to the three senatorial districts.

He said: “Chief Godwin Obielium who is from Delta North contested against former Governor James Ibori who is from Delta Central in 2003 and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa also contested C M Y K

of ‘change.’

“The ‘Change’ we talk about is not just to change and replace the Federal Government of PDP, we also want to change the habit, the language of our political design and practice whereby, people use guns rather than ballot papers.”

T

HE Youth Ministry of Triumphant Baptist Church will on Saturday hold its annual Carol and awards night.

The carol service will witness several programmes such as hymn singing, Bible reading, drama and others.

The programme holds in the church auditorium, Olufemi Ojo Street, Akowonjo, Lagos.

The President, Bro Niyi Akande said the programme was an annual platform to celebrate Christ and share the goodness of the season.

GCUOBA holds annual luncheon

G

VISIT: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left) and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Delta State chapter, Rev. Simon Oyibo when the CAN Chairman visited the governor in Government House, Asaba, Monday.

Refining capacity of Warri, P-Harcourt refineries worries NUPENG

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

L

AGOS — NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday, expressed concern over the drop in the refining capacity of both Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, decrying

2015: Delta governorship has never been zoned— Ighomena, Amioku

By Festus Ahon

According to Oshiomhole, “I will be surprised if anybody who had participated in this transparent election decides to leave simply because he didn’t win. If such people want to leave, we will escort them out because it means they cannot fit into the logic and philosophy

Church holds Carol night

against the incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007.

“Zoning is lazy concept by lazy politicians to deceive Deltans. I did not attend any meeting where the governorship was zoned.”

Speaking in the same vain, Vice Chairman of the party in Delta Central, Chief Tom Amioku, said there was never a time they agreed that Delta North should produce the state governor in 2015.

He said the governorship race was open to all qualified Deltans, adding: “If the position of the governor was zoned in 1999 to 2003 and 2003 to 2007, people from other senatorial districts would not have contest with Ibori.

If it was zoned to Delta South in 2007, Uduaghan wouldn’t have put in the effort he put in to win; if he had not worked hard, he would not have won. So, where is this zoning thing coming from?"

the output from the refineries which had dropped to an average of 16 percent of their combined nameplate capacity of 445,000 barrels per day.

NUPENG in a statement by its President, Mr. Igwe Achese, said this was an unfortunate and uncomfortable development for the downstream oil and gas sector of the economy.

The union expressed sadness that the four refineries in the country, operated at 10 per cent installed capacity in June, which it noted was a shame, despite the abundance of crude oil deposits in the land.

According to NUPENGt, “in this era of government imposed austerity measures, the cost of foreign exchange to import fuel will tell much on the economy, thus imposing more hardship, especially on the down-trodden masses.

"We believe that a cabal is benefitting from the importation of fuel at the expense of our people and also working in unison to make the four nation’s refineries not to work.

"This cabal is also lobbying the powers that be for the refineries to be sold to them as scraps.

The Federal Government must ensure the turn-around-maintenance of

the four nation’s refineries and make sure that adequate supply of crude is sent in to reduce the importation of petroleum products."

OVERNMENT College, Ughelli Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, Lagos Branch, holds her annual luncheon party on Sunday at the Banquet Hall, Sheraton Hotels, Lagos.

In a statement, GCUOBA Secretary, Luncheon Party Committee, Akintomiwa Akeju, said the association planned to build a befitting secretariat.

The association has committed over N150 million to the development of their alma mater through direct rehabilitation of infrastructure, provision of modern day educational aids and sporting facilities.

Councillor canvasses for Manager, Pondi

B

URUTU — THE councillor representing Seimbiri Ward 4 in the Burutu Legislative Arm, Delta State, Mr Churchill Botu, has appealed to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, delegates in the forthcoming primaries for the House of Representatives and Senate to vote massively for Senator James Manager for Delta South senatorial district and Mr Julius Pondi for Burutu federal constituency for them to fly the party’s flag in the 2015 general elections.

Botu in Warri, said that Senator Manager has performed

creditably well with several bills and motions to his credit while Pondi is the fresh air the people of Burutu needs at the House of Reps to be their fearless and articulate voice.

Congratulating Mr Daniel Yingi for winning the PDP primaries for the Burutu 1 state constituency seat, he said the Senate required a man with legislative experience that can give effective and robust representation, adding that Manager has attracted several development projects to his district.

Lawmaker lauds PDP delegates

T

HE member representing Isoko North constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Tim Owhefere, has thanked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, delegates in the constituency for his landslide victory at the primary election on Saturday in Ozoro where he polled a total of 47 of the 49 votes cast at the election.

Owhefere in a statement, attributed his victory to the

collective desire of all party men and women to build stronger democratic institutions where the wishes of the people are respected to the letter.

“I am most honoured to get your support to fly the party’s flag once again. In this my tenure that will soon come to an end, my works speak for me and I am sure it is on this basis that the people have unanimously chosen me to represent the party."

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Boko Haram's killed 5,000 Nigerians —ONUKABA

Abia inaugurates c'ttee on HIV/AIDS

By Chidi Nkwopara

By Anayo Okoli

O

WERRI—FORMER Managing Director, MD, of Daily Times, Dr. Adinoyi Onukaba, yesterday in Owerri, Imo State, claimed Boko Haram insurgents had killed over 5,000 citizens and left thousands more either injured or displaced since members of the sect took up arms against the country.

Onukaba stated this in a 16page paper he presented at the flag off of a three-day training workshop organized in Owerri by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, in collaboration with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, for journalists.

According to him, “they have destroyed schools in their campaign against Western education, pulled down churches, looted markets, robbed banks and kidnapped women, including the 250 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State.”

While saying that Boko Haram today, remained the

U

MUAHIA— GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has constituted a 24-man committee to manage HIV\AIDS related issues in the state.

Headed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Okechukwu Ogah, the team is to ensure the effective implementation of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s response plan on HIV/AIDS at the state level.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Orji explained that the committee’, which is to be domiciled at the state agency for the control of AIDS, was to report to him.

The governor charged members to pursue their assignment with vigour and diligence to tackle the HIV/AIDS scourge.

biggest threat to Nigeria and her democracy, Onukaba, lamented that Nigerian journalists had also been victims of the insurgency,

saying “the extreme brutality of the sect has kept many Nigerian journalists away from the constantly shifting battlegrounds.

“The Nigerian space is dominated by the politics of desperation, intolerance and

No automatic ticket for aspirants— APGA

By Enyim Enyim

O

NITSHA—CONTRARY to insinuations that All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, had settled for automatic ticket for serving members of the state House of Assembly and House of Representative, the party yesterday said all aspirants would contest for primaries.

Anambra State Chairman of the party, Chief Mike Kwento, dismissed allegation that some members of House of Assembly paid N5 million each for automatic ticket to contest the 2015 general election.

He said: “APGA did not collect money from lawmakers for automatic ticket. We are

winner-takes-all mindset. The Nigerian environment is tough and challenging not only for the media, but for other institutions as well.”

Earlier, Chief Ihedioha commended journalists for the quest to sustain democracy, adding “I appeal to journalists to remain focused, robust and articulate in their reportage, especially as the nation slowly glides towards the 2015 general elections.”

giving a level playing ground for all aspirants.

There is no sacred cow.

“All the aspirants would face the party primaries because we have to show transparency and internal democracy.”

Speaking in a separate interview, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Chinwe Nwaebili, denied allegation that she was spearheading the controversial automatic ticket demand by lawmakers.

She said: “Those making the allegation are the people who left APGA for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in search of automatic ticket and when they could not get it, they ran back to APGA”

Ndokwa East inaugurates legislative arm

A

new leadership, to pilot the affairs of the legislative arm of the Ndokwa East Local Government, has been elected.

The election of the principal officers of the council took place yesterday at Aboh, the council headqaurters, following the proclamation of the House by the Local Government Chairman, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah.

Principal officers elected include Obi Azubuike Patrick, who is now the new Leader of

I

am speechless.

Until the investigations are concluded, no one can say anything about who and what is responsible for the action of the police.

Miss Joy OnakpofureStudent

the House; Newton Megbolu, Deputy Leader and Emmanuel Ogwu, Majority Leader.

Under the arrangement, Egworabor Godstine is the Minority Leader, Esumei Olise Francis, Chief Whip, while Mr. Igwe Francis is the Clerk of the House.

Earlier in her address, Mrs. Chukwurah explained that the proclamation was in fulfilment of the relevant provision of the constitution and charged them

to be guided by the collective development aspiration of the

people of Ndokwa East in the performance of their

C'River Who's Who for launch

A

compendium of profiles of distinguished indigenes of Cross River State, Contemporary Who’s Who in Cross River, is scheduled for public presentation on December 19.

The book is edited by Cross River State Commissioner for

Information, Chief Akin Ricketts; a former and currently a governorship aspirant, Mr. Patrick Ugbe; and Special Assistant, Media, Strategy and Documentation in the Office of the Wife of Governor, Mr. Kammonke Abam.

On security operatives' invasion of National Assembly complex

I

will say the opposition has not been helpful in solving the nation's problems.

In other parts of the world, the opposition do come out with solutions to national issues. Mr. Stanley Okafor- Worker

T

he Inspector General of Police, IGP, should be sanctioned and dismissed as proof that President Goodluck Jonathan has no hand in it. Mr. Segun Abayomi- Businessman

T

he government knows that their action has backfired and done more damage to Jonathan's already dented image. It is the height of impunity this government is already known for. Miss Precious Okoye- Graduate

W

here is the police intelligence unit when Boko Haram are killing people in the country? Please, they should sell the intelligence report to the marines. Mrs Morayo Simeon- SelfEmployed

... as Ararile urges FG to declare war on insurgents

H

RM Ochuko Ararile has stressed the need for Federal Government to declare a full scale war on insurgents in the North-East.

According to Ararile, a retired Air Vice Marshall, who headed the disarmament programme of militants in the Niger Delta, the need to resort to full scale military action became inevitable as it concerned a group that had a coalition of forces.

The traditional ruler, urged government to investigate the insurgents' arms procurement system, and how they moved them in a terrain the military claimed was difficult to access.

He advocated an overhaul of the military logistics system, adding that it was shameful that insurgents were better armed than the Armed Forces.

I

thought there was something called separation of power in a democratic system of government. Why would the police interfere in legislative business? Miss Lizzy PopsonBusinesswoman

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 47

ADMAWA PDP PRIMARIES: Gov

—Panel

By Soni Daniel, Regional

Y

Editor, North

OLA—THE panel sent to Adamawa State to conduct last Saturday ’s House of Assembly primary election has stated that the state governor, James Ngilari held them hostage and stopped them from carrying out the assignment given to them by the National Working Committee.

The committee headed by Tim Ihemadu, said in a petition to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, that it was virtually kidnapped by agents of the state governor, who did not want them to use the list of delegates given to them by the NWC to conduct the election.

“We were practically kidnapped and held under house arrest from Saturday morning to Monday afternoon,” the panel said in a petition it sent to Mu'azu, Tuesday in Abuja.

The chairman and secretary of the panel, Tim Ihemadu and Victoria Nyam-Isha, signed the petition.

The panel said upon arrival in Yola on Saturday, November 29, they were informed by the state acting chairman of the PDP, Jingi Rufai and the acting Secretary, Fati Nyaro, that protocol demanded that they first go to the Government House “to see the leader of the party in the state, Governor Bala James Ngilari.”

The panel said they also demanded to see the state Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Services, DSS, and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Commissioner to give them copies of their posting letters, but were informed that they would only see the officials after the welcome formalities by the governor.

“On arrival at Government House and after waiting for some 30 minutes, we were ushered into a room where we saw the governor in company of the Commissioner of Police, the Director of DSS, the suspended Chairman of the PDP, Chief Joel

Madaki, the suspended secretary, A.T. Shehu and other officials.

“After introductions, the governor confronted us with a document, which was a court order stating that the primaries in Adamawa must be conducted with the old delegates' list and not with the list submitted by Senator Bala Adamu Congress Committee,” it said.

The panel also said Mr. Ngilari informed them that the PDP

chairman in the state who is under suspension from the National Working Committee, NWC, had since been reinstated by the same court.

“The governor insisted that he could not guarantee our security or safety if we did not comply with the court orders and conduct the primaries in accordance with same,” the petition said.

It also said the panel chair sought to know from Governor

Suswam assures aspirants of level playing field

M

By Peter Duru

AKURDI—GOVERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has promised to avail all aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a level playing field, warning that the imposition of candidates at any level would not be tolerated.

He spoke yesterday, ahead of Saturday’s PDP primaries across the state.

Suswam said shortly after hosting the executive members of the Mzouh Tiv, a sociocultural organisation, in

Studies male hostel in Funtua ATSINA—FIRE on Tuesday gutted the male hostel of the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, School of Basic and Remedial Studies in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Correspondent, who was at the scene, reports that the fire started at about 5:15 p.m, while students were attending classes and school management was holding a meeting.

The inferno, that lasted for about three hours, destroyed the 315 bed-space male Block ‘A’

Ngilari, if the court order had been served on the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja, “to which there was no clear answer.”

The panel said they were then taken to a hotel owned by the state governor, adding “no sooner had the committee members settled in their rooms than thugs invaded the hotel, surrounded it and accompanied by two leaders, came into our rooms.

DONATION: From left: From left: Vice-Chancellor, Northwest University, Kano, Prof.

Razali Agus, Kano State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Alhaji Garba Gezewa, Pro- Chancellor, Northwest University, Alhaji Sule Hamma, ICAN President, Mr Chidi Ajaegbu, and Alhaji Muktah Dangana, at the foundation laying ceremony of an Accounting lecture theatre donated to the institution by ICAN.

Makurdi, the state capital, said as leader of the party in the state, he had created an enabling environment for all aspirants including himself to test their popularity before the delegates.

He noted that his stance on the issue would also discourage bad blood and defection by genuine members of the party in the state.

Suswam said: “You saw what happened during the House of

Hostel and all students’ mattresses, clothes and other valuables.

NAN report that no life was, however, lost in the incident.

Fire service vehicles could not respond to extinguish the fire after several calls on the ground of lack of batteries to kick start the vehicles.

Similarly, the university’s fire service vehicle arrived the scene from Zaria at sun set after combined efforts by students, security operatives and community membershadsucceededinputtingout the fire.

Assembly primaries; there were no cases of crisis anywhere. In two places, that is Ushongo and Obi, there were no primaries for some logistics reasons, but we have ordered that the exercise should be carried out without delay.

“If there are no crisis and nobody felt shortchanged, because the process was carried out according to the rules, why would one want to jump ship?

Itsekiri women endorse Arenyeka for House of Reps

Fire razes ABU School of Basic W

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held us hostage

ARRI—Itsekiri women yesterday threw their support for Ada Val Arenyeka, House of Representatives' aspirant for Warri Federal Constituency.

They stated this when Areyenka in company of his supporters paid a consultative visit to the country home of Chief Rita Lori- Ogbebor, the Igban of Warri kingdom.

His words: “I have come to share with you a social contract of constructive representation, one that is anchored on loyalty, responsibility, and credibility.

He stated that there are two fundamental duties of a typical Nigerian legislator, namely, lawmaking and oversights functions respectively; and whereas the national assembly

isn’t a contract awarding arm of government, that he made bold to state that if nominated by the party and eventually elected by the people, he would seize the opportunity to engage the executive arm of government with a view to attracting developmental projects to his constituency.

He said his regime as Delta State Representative in NDDC was a programme/project carnival with developmental monuments to behold.

Responding on behalf of the Itsekiri women, Chief Rita LoriOgbebor said she can attest to most of the projects Arenyeka attracted to the area, as she is convinced Arenyeka would do well if given the opportunity to serve.

NOTAP saves N27.4bn from tech transfer processes —Minister

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BUJA—MINISTER of Science and Technology, Dr Abdu Bulama, yesterday, said that National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP, saved a total of N27.4 billion for the country from its intervention in the process of evaluation and registration of technology transfer.

Bulama who disclosed this when he presented the scorecard of his ministry during a ministerial platform in Abuja, said the amount would have been lost as unremitted due to over invoicing of technology transfer fees.

The minister said: “The intervention of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP, has led to financial savings for the country, which would have been unremitted due to over invoicing of technology transfer fees.”

Similarly, he added that under the wings of space, science and technology, there had been an additional savings of N2 billion, following the donation of over 3,000 satellite imageries to Nigerian Universities worth over N3 billion.

Kaduna to train more youths on power generation, distribution

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ADUINA—THE Kaduna State government has said it will train more youths on power generation, transmission and distribution as part of its efforts to provide enough skilled manpower and employment in the energy sector.

Governor Ramalan Yero spoke yesterday while receiving some youths trained by the government at the National Power Training Insititute of Nigeria, NAPTIN, at the Government House, Kaduna.

Yero said that there was need to train more youths that will be employable as the energy sector was being transformed.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

TOUR: From left, Chairman, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Babatunde Savage; Plant Manager, Guinness Nigeria Ogba Brewery, Mr. Tunde Adegbola, and Head of Foreign and Commonwealth LAUNCH: Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, with Dr. El Nur Office, FCO, East and West African Department, Mr. Matt Baugh, during the tour of the Dongel, during the launch of Free Pupils Feeding Initiative in Borno Guinness Nigeria, Ogba Brewery, Lagos by Mr. Baugh.

State..

PRESENTATION: From left, Captain of OPPMDU Football Club, winner of 2014 Onitsha Trader's Cup, Emeka Obialor; Board member of Nigeria Premier League, Mr. Joe Amene; a member of MTN Nigeria staff,Mrs. Chinyere Ikechi, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Anambra State, during the presentation of trophy to the captain of OPPMDU Football Club, at the 2014 MTN/ Onitsha Trader's Club, Godwin Achebe Mini Stadium, Onitsha, weekend.

CAMPAIGN: A cross section of members of the Salvation Army during the awareness campaign as part of activities marking this year's World AIDS Day celebration with the theme: 'Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS Free Generation,' at the church's Territorial Headquarters, Onipanu, Lagos.

LAUNCH: From left, Nitin Sood, Managing Director, Fly Mobile Phone; Onyeka Kelikume, Manager, First Choice, fly Mobile Phone distributor in Nigeria; Sonny Peter, Vice President, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Fly Mobile Phone, and Abdul Jabbar, Vice President, Marketing, Middle East and Africa, during the launch of Fly Mobile Phone into Nigerian market, in DONATION: From left, Mr. Someshwar Shinde, Sales Manager, Dana Drugs Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele Limited, Kano; Mr. Abdul Razak, Secretary to the Chief Medical Director, Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, and Mr. Naabba Abdulazeez, Revenue Collector, during Dana's donation of drugs and equipment to victims of Kano bomb attack.

PARTY: Ohikhiena Patrick, Victor Oba, and Felix Oni, listening to Ohirerei Eguakhide, during the end of year party of the Eghosa Grammar School, Benin City, Old Boys Association, Lagos branch, in Lagos.

BLESSING: House of Representatives aspirant for Warri Federal Constituency, Mr. Ada Val Arenyeka (left) and Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, the Igban of Warri kingdom, during a visit to the Igban of Warri in Warri, Delta State, yesterday.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014—51

Vegeterian personalities in Africa (1)

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NE objective of this weekly column is to give protagonists of a healthy and Veg lifestyle a platform and also readers to know them. In Nigeria, promoting vegan and vegetarian diet is still in its infancy. Reason enough to look beyond our shores. Ghana for example has a quite vibrant Veg culture culminating in the World Veg Fest being held there next year. Dr. Sharita Yazid has been boldly advocating for a healthier lifestyle in Ghana now for years. Now she is reaching out to Nigeria – an opportunity to introduce her here.

Dr. Sharita is a naturopathic doctor from the U.S. specializing in Iridology, Reiki, Detoxification, nutritional programs, weight loss, herbal solutions, and wholistic (mind, body, and spirit) consultations. She is residing in Ghana as the CEO of New Body Products, LTD Ghana, originally established 1976 in Compton, California.

“As a child, I grew up in a household of wholistic healers, Dr. Paul Goss and Alzonia Goss.

I have been vegetarian since the age of two with a little backsliding here and there. I suffered with chronic bronchitis which made it hard for me to function as a normal child. As a result of eating vegetarian, taking herbal medicine, playing sports and dancing, I was able to control this ailment. I now have six healthy children and one grandchild of my own. I teach West African

Hakeem Jimo’s

Ve ggie Victory

veggienaija@gmail.com dance, maintain good health and I am 40 and fabulous.

Dr. Sharita has been helping people heal themselves through natural foods, herbal medicine, exercise, spirituality and meditation for over 25 years. “The body has a physical, mental and spiritual level and all three have to be addressed in order to bring the body back to its whole form”.

Growing up in her parent´s natural food store in a predominantly black community

• Dr. Sharita Yazid

in America where there is a high risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and depression she saw the need to continue her parents work of healing the community through wholistic methods.

Dr. Sharita learned iridology from her father Dr. Paul Goss, who is a world renowned master iridologist, and naturopath. She has used this method along with other modalities to identify the imbalances in one´s body to determine what programs to put her clients on.

In Nigeria, Dr. Sharita Yazid is collaborating with Veggie Victory – Nigeria’s 1st Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant located at Freedom Park in Lagos Island. If you are interested in cooking classes or the expertise of Dr. Sharita Yazid, please send an email to: veggienaija@gmail.com In next week’s column Dr. Sharita Yazid will elaborate on why a Veg diet is Africa’s Liberation diet. One of her amazing recipes is already available at Veggie Victory: the Nutty Chocolate Ghanache – a raw vegan iced truffle.

Ebola: Commonwealth doctors task FG on life Insurance policy

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O M M O N W E A LT H Medical Association, West African Region has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that all necessary conditions that would guarantee safety and motivate as well as empower volunteers are provided.

In statement yesterday, the Vice President of the Association, Dr Osahon Enabulele also urged the government to provide a guaranteed Life Insurance Policy before the departure of the volunteers.

Osahon who described the decision of the Federal government to send the 250 doctors to the four countries as a bold step in the right direction said: “We also urge the provision of an adequate welfare package, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Ebola Virus Disease

and other support medical facilities.

“In our view, these and other appropriate conditions usually provided for International volunteers will help to inspire and motivate current and future volunteers to join in the global effort. “We encourage the native countries of all volunteers from the West African sub-region to institute proactive measures to aid quick re-integration of all volunteers upon their return from the Ebola ravaged countries,” he stated.

He further applauded the action of the volunteers saying; “Commonwealth Medical Association (West African Region) is proud of all volunteers that have so far offered to help their fellow global citizens in the Ebola ravaged countries. We assure them that their efforts will not be in vain.

“The Office of the Vice President of Commonwealth Medical Association (West African Region) shall continue to offer needed support towards the containment and management of Ebola Virus Disease and all other health conditions plaguing Commonwealth countries, particularly in the West African sub-region,” Osahon added.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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ELLO everybody and welcome. Today we will be discussing more new adult products for the yuletide season. Today’s novelties will focus on educational and entertaining novelties for adults.

Our first stop will be a review of two new adult books namely The Mystery of the Undercover Clitoris and 50 Shades of Kink. As the name implies, The Mystery of the Undercover Clitoris is a fascinating book by pleasure coach and bestselling author Dr. Sadie Allison, whose playfully written and tastefully illustrated master class in clitoral touch is confidently inspiring men of all ages. To cut a long story short, if you want to drive a woman crazy in bed, you need to master clitoral touch and that is why this book is so important for men everywhere. Amongst other things, Dr Sadie’s book features 23 full colour illustrations of clitoral touch techniques and love making positions that will bring even the biggest novice up to speed on what to do when faced with the tricky task of pleasuring a woman.

In our second book 50 Shades of Kink, adult author Tristan Taormino tells you everything you want to know about the world of kink. Kinky sex basically refers to unusual sex patterns that make use of props such as blind folds, hand cuffs, paddles, ball gags, spanking, rough sex and more. Taormino’s book focuses on both processes and the props required to achieve them. Men and women want more from their relationships these days. Those in long term relationships fear that the sex they have has or will become predictable and unexciting.

So if it is excitement and unpredictability that you seek in your relationship, Tristan Taormino’s 50 Shades of Kink will give you enough tips on how to eroticise power, develop the surprise element, cultivate deeper connections and incorporate kink into your sex life.

Whereas books educate and entertain in greater detail, adult films try to achieve the same thing in a lighter and simpler manner. So if you seek light entertainment this holiday season, look no further than the new feature

films Family Matters, Champagne Showers,Psycho Cheerleaders and a Taste of Stoya. These movies are shot in high definition with plots and sequences that will entertain the viewer.

Next on the list are new adult toys for women who seek more pleasure and satisfaction from the sexual experience.

The first of these vibrators is the Arousal Cobra, a rabbit style, multifunction and multi coloured vibrator for women that thrills in a variety of ways from its rotational shaft and multiple modes of vibration to its dedicated clitoral stimulator. The Arousal Cobra is a big vibrator for women and many will like it. Women who prefer smaller toys will love the Yin and Yang Vibrator and the Fancy Night Heat series. The Yin and Yang Vibrator has a unique velvety feel on the skin with lovely pink and white colours while the Fancy Night Heat series are a bit smoother and shinier. There are three in these Fancy Night Heat series namely Day Dream, Wonder Lust and Royal Romp. All three Fancy Night Heat vibrators are really beautiful like fairy magic wands and feel more like works of art.

We will discuss more new products in the coming weeks. Let us now take a couple of questions.

I will like something that can help me perform but I don’t know which one to choose – Ike For basic performance stamina, multiple rounds and firmer erections, take Hard Times. It is very good and works for days – Uche Please which Cockring will you recommend for stopping erection loss? I want the best from what you have. Thanks – Shehu The Baxter Vibrating Cockring is the best. It is big and has a powerful vibrating mechanism for female stimulation during use. So you can go for that – Uche That is all for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can call 07086754515 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com.

52 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 , 2014 —53

BRIEFS Zambia ruling party splits ahead of polls

A Terrorism: Kenyan unions urge non-Muslim workers to leave north

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ENYAN trade unions have urged nonMuslim public sector workers including teachers and doctors to leave the country’s lawless northern region, site of two deadly attacks by militants in the past two weeks, because of the security risks.

Somali militant Islamist group al Shabaab killed 36 non-Muslim workers on Tuesday at a quarry in northeast Kenya. They also shot dead 28 non-Muslim bus passengers on Nov. 22 while sparing Muslim travelers.

Many of the public sector workers in less prosperous northern Kenya are

Uhuru-Kenyatta Christians who moved from the Rift Valley in the west, lured by promises of more work. “They (the authorities) must guarantee the safety of workers,” said

Wilson Sossion, secretarygeneral of the teachers’ union and also general secretary of Kenya’s Trade Union Congress.

He said the unions’ call

was addressed to 10,000 teachers and 6,500 other public servants, including doctors and nurses.

The governor of northeast Kenya’s Mandera county, Ali Roba, implored the workers to stay put, saying an exodus would only deepen the area’s isolation from the rest of the country.

As it is, the region struggles to attract qualified workers, he said.

“It’s unfortunate that the likes of the Kenyan National Union of Teachers is going on the media to say civil servants who are nonMuslim should leave,” he told Reuters. “Terror is terror, it’s affecting us equally.”

US strikes halt ISIL momentum U

S Secretary of State John Kerry said that the momentum of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been “halted” by the airstrikes that the coalition of Western and Arab states have launched against the group.

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels during the first high-level talks of a coalition of 60 nations fighting ISIL, Kerry said the the military campaign by the US-led coalition would “continue for as long as it takes to defeat the self-declared jihadists”.

“Ourcommitmentwillmost likely be measured in years,” he said on Wednesday,

adding: “Our efforts are already having a significant impact.”

Kerry’s comments on Wednesday came amid reports that arch-foe Iran had launched its first air strikes against ISIL fighters.

The Pentagon on Wednsday said Iranian F-4 Phantom jets hit ISIL fighters in eastern Iraq in recent days but denied any military coordination with long-term adversary Iran. Tehran refused to confirm or deny any strikes.

Iran is not a member of the coalition, but the claim suggested a tacit understanding between Tehran and the United States

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HIS year is on track to be the hottest on record, or at least among the very warmest, the United Nations said yesterday in new evidence of long-term warming that adds urgency to 190-nation talks under way in Lima on slowing climate change.

Including this year, 14 of the 15 most sweltering years on record will have been in the 21st century, the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization said of the findings presented during the Dec. 1-12 climate negotiations in Peru.

“There is no standstill in global warming,” WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

“What is particularly unusual and alarming this year are the high temperatures of vast areas of the ocean surface.”

The WMO said average sea surface temperatures hit record highs in 2014. On land, it listed extremes including floods in Bangladesh and Britain and droughts in China and California.

By Olsasunkanmi Akoni & Gbenga Oke T least four people have been killed in a car-bomb

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The first high-level meeting of the 60-member coalition trying to crush the ISIL is under way in Brussels

to tackle the common threat from a group that proclaimed whatitcallsacaliphateinIraq and Syria in June. Kerry made no comment on Iran,

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Zimbabwe’s Deputy President Joice Mujuru sharply criticized by President Robert Mugabe Grace.

Mugabe said Mujuru “didn’t want” 2013 elections that he won, although the opposition alleged the vote was marred by irregularities. Power struggles involving the vice president are rocking the ruling ZANU-PF party for the first time, said Mugabe.

UN weather agency warns on hottest year

Al-Shabab claims bombing Mogadishu

while Iraqi Prime Minister Haideral-Abadi,askedabout the Iranian action, said he had “no knowledge of any Iranian air strikes”.

Mugabe discredits VP in succession bid RESIDENT Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe sharply criticized his vice president, underscoring that she is no longer a favorite to succeed the 90year-old leader.

Mugabe told military leaders and representatives of Zimbabwe’s independence war veterans on Tuesday that Vice President Joice Mujuru was working with the political opposition as well as the United States.

Washington has criticized Mugabe’s human rights record and imposed some sanctions on officials and entities in the southern African country.

Mugabe’s address was broadcast on state television and came during a key ruling party congress at which the president is poised to consolidate his grip on power by appointing a new set of loyalists, including his wife

MAJOR split in Zambia’s ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has seen two factions select rival candidates for presidential elections next month, raising the possibility that the opposition could snatch victory.

A faction loyal to acting president Guy Scott chose late president Michael Sata’s nephew Miles Sampa as its candidate on Monday night, a day after Defence Minister Edgar Lungu was named by a breakaway group.

“The PF in its current form is a weak ruling party and there is a possibility that it can lose the elections,” political analyst Neo Simutanyi told the AFP news agency.

The simmering split deepened after Sata’s death in October, when Vice President Scott took over as interim president and sacked Lungu as secretary-general of the party - before reversing the decision after riots broke out.

“It is a woman who is saying she now wants to rule. We know the infiltration that has gone on. We know the discussions that have been done to link up with the (political opposition) and America will then pour in money,” Mugabe said.

“You know that simplistic

thinking.”

Mujuru, a member of Mugabe’s inner circle since the 1970s independence war, has already been barred from running for a seat in a key party committee.

The state-run Sunday Mail newspaper has alleged that Mujuru was involved in an assassination plot against Mugabe, who has been in power since independence in 1980.

Mujuru denies the allegations, saying she is prepared to defend herself in court.

Rugare Gumbo, a Mujuru supporter who was recently ousted as ruling party spokesman, said the campaign against Mujuru is misguided.

“Why would she plan to kill a 90-year-old man she served loyally since she was a kid?” Gumbo said.

“Personally, I fought for him (Mugabe). Is this is the reward we get?”

attack close to the heavily fortified gates of the airport in Mogadishu, Somali police say.

Both the airport and the adjoining UN mission have been frequently targeted in the past by the Somali armed group al-Shabab, which is fighting to overthrow the country’s internationally backed government.

In a statement, AbdiAziz Musab, al-Shabab’s military spokesman, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack in the airport zone.

“Our Mujahideen based in Mogadishu have today targeted a convoy of foreign mercenaries and their apostate allies nearby the airport,” he said.

Witnesses said the UN convoy targeted consisted of four armoured vehicles escorted by private security personnel driving in pickups.

UN convoys are systematically flanked by pickup vehicles carrying private security officers who provide protection for international staff.

Portuguese court detains ex-PM on graft

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ORTUGAL’S supreme court rejected yesterday a request for former prime minister Jose Socrates to be freed from prison after his arrest for suspected tax fraud and corruption, offences he has denied committing.

He is the first Portuguese ex-premier to be detained since Portugal became a democracy 40 years ago, as prosecutors and judges intensify a campaign against corruption in a country notorious for its snail-paced justice system.

The supreme court said it had spurned the request on Socrates’s behalf, filed by a private individual, because of a “manifest lack of legal foundation” for the release.

It ruled that the “preventive custody of Jose Socrates does not show an illegitimate challenge to his individual liberty”.

Socrates’ lawyer has said he is appealing against the arrest.

Socrates, taken into custody at Lisbon airport last month, has said the accusations against him are groundless and his detention amounts to “gratuitous humiliation.” It is not clear whether the investigation, named “Operation Marquis”, covers Socrates’ term as premier from 2005 to 2011.

54 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

CAN declares Dec 7 day of prayers, special offering

By Sam Eyoboka

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HRISTIAN Association of Nigeria, CAN, has declared December 7, 2014 as a day of special prayers for victims of insurgency and other violence and enjoined all churches to collect a special offering for the victims.

A statement signed by the National General Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Musa Asake on behalf of the Christian community in Nigeria said "It was pertinent in times like this for all brothers in faith to reflect on the individual and collective lives of Nigerians vis-à-vis the challenges that we have all faced in the course of the year.''

It will be recalled that at different forums and on different occasions, CAN has urged Nigerians of different faith to pray for peace and the end to the insecurity plaguing the nation.

According to the statement, “CAN has undoubtedly remained the strong voice against the evil of Boko Haram and other vices in the society, condemning their acts and suggesting ways of countering them, to the appropriate authorities.''

Boko Haram: Turn to God, Mark urges Nigerians

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—SENATE President, Senator David Mark has urged Nigerians to turn to God as the only way out of the nation’s security, political and economic problems.

Mark was optimistic that God will heal the land “only if we turn to Him to salvage the myriads of crisis facing the nation.''

The Senate President, who emphasized the need to seek divine intervention while addressing members of the Youth Prayer Network of Nigeria, (YPNN) during the flag-off of national prayers to heal the nation in his Apo, Abuja residence, said “What the country is passing through at the moment is a test of our faith.''

IMPEACHMENT PLOT: Presidency pleads with senators

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA—FOLLOWING reports that the impeachment notice against President Goodluck Jonathan will be presented on the floor of the Senate when it resumes from the recess on December 16, the Presidency yesterday pleaded with the Senate that the interest of the country and the protection of the nation’s democracy should be paramount.

Reacting to the purported impeachment moves by the lawmakers, the Presidency noted that the country was at the moment facing some challenges and impeachment will not be required to address the mirage of problems adding that political problems would require political solutions In a statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Presidency urged the law makers to continue with their work of nation building for the development of the country and well-being of the people saying,

“the Senate in the last four years has conducted its legislative functions and responded to issues that are of great national importance with commendable political sagacity.

The presidency further said, “In this same period, the senate has functioned as a stabilizing

President, as reported in some section of the Media, is seen by us in this light.

“We strongly trust and believe in the leadership of the present Senate and the unwavering patriotism and commitment that have been shown by the distinguished members and we trust that ultimately it is this tendency towards true Nationalism that will prevail in the senate.''

Sokoto lawmakers stall hearing on Tambuwal’s suit against PDP

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—A group of lawmakers from Sokoto State, yesterday, stalled hearing on the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Three of the lawmakers who are representing different constituencies in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applied for a stay of proceeding on the matter seeking to prevent the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from declaring Tambuwal’s seat vacant.

Private sector donates $34m to fight Ebola

By Chioma Obinna

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force within the polity employing much political maturity that is required to guide and protect our nascent democracy. However, confrontation and strong disagreements are not uncommon phenomenon in Executive-Legislative relationship world-wide.

“The recent purported attempt by some Senators to prepare impeachable offences against the

VER 34 million US dollars was yesterday donated by group of business institutions in Nigeria, including the Africa Development Bank, to the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in three affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday advised the 250 Ebola Volunteers leaving today to the affected countries not to play hero but display professionalism in the field of duty.

The donation is coming on the heels of increased calls for financial assistance by the African Union, AU, to end the agonies arising from the disease in the West-African region.

The donations were announced in Lagos by Chairperson of the AU, Dr. Dlamini Zuma, during the launch of ‘Africa Against Ebola’ Fund.

African Development Bank and MTN donated $10 million each, while Airtel donated 250 phones to volunteers.

AU had said through its Director, Department of Social Affair, Amb Olawale Maiyegun, during an interview with newsmen that between two and five billion dollars would be needed to end the scourge that has ravaged Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone within few months this year.

Zuma said Nigerian effort was a further testimony to the country’s love for the continent. She called other states on the continent to emulate the gesture.

She also pledged the AU’s determination to rid the continent of the virus.

She said: “I realised as I was flying here that indeed this was a very special mission because the AU is known for deploying soldiers to wars and to countries. But this time the AU is not deploying soldiers to conflicts, but it is deploying health workers to go and work and help their brothers and sisters, especially in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.''

Those that approached the court with the application yesterday were Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki who is representing Tambuwal East, Suleiman Hantsi (Tambuwal West) and Shuaibu Umar (Kebbe Constituency).

Likewise, the people of Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, also entered a similar application before the court yesterday.

The second set of applicants were led by the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Bala Konkani, and Chairman of Tambuwal Local Government Area, Sambo Modo.

The two groups asked Justice Ahmed Mohammed to hands-off the case and await the outcome of two separate appeals they have lodged before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

They said they had gone before the appellate court to challenge the refusal of Justice Mohammed to join them as interested parties in the substantive suit pending before him.

The court had in a ruling it delivered on Monday, dismissed their joinder-applications, stressing that the case before it could be effectively determined without their presence as codefendants in the matter.

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56 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Stories by Japhet Alakam

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FTER its showing last year at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Saro: The Musical returns to the stage this December. The musical began in 2013, presenting a grand and ambitious Broadway-style showpiece to a Nigerian audience. This time it begins from December, 24th – 28th, 2014.

Briefing the press in preparatory to the show, which promises to take Lagos by storm, Austen-Peters disclosed that with a 100-man cast, Saro – a Bolanle Austen-Peters, Mok Art & Media Production supported by Terra Kulture will deliver 10 outstanding performances in 5 days, all taking place at the prestigious Shell Hall, Muson Center, Lagos.

According to her, after what can be seen as an experimental piece last year, “this year ’s show will be delivering an even bigger showcase of dazzling performances in lovely and colorful costumes, enigmatic and well-choreographed dance steps, and an exquisite fusion of jazz, afro-beat, hip-hop, highlife, juju, apala, and such other contemporary Nigerian music genres.”

The story line has not changed but, the experience they garnered have changed, so we are infusing new young and experienced cast like Bimbo Emmanuel, Gideon Okeke etc, to boost the production in a better way. And with the able support by Access

A captivating performance from SARO the musical- billed for Lagos this December

Saro:The Musical 2 returns with a bang This year's show will be delivering an even bigger showcase of dazzling performances in lovely and clourful costumes

Bank, African Magic, Etisalat, it is going to be a total drama and total theatre.

The story is that every one can identify with, it speaks to the youths of this country, in all it has been a success story.

Austen -Peters who recalled the state of theatre in the past six years and how it is today stated that we are trying to encourage theatre growing culture in Nigeria, to attract more movie stars, TV people, create that platform that will enable us discover talents.

Saro is the story of four young people in an age-old search for greener pasture, who migrates

performing on a one-of-its-kind custom-built stage, Saro traces and pays homage to Nigeria’s rich musical history by beautifully rendering some of our greatest hits over the years, while also delivers its own ingeniously composed original music.

Masterfully combining this with the impeccably choreographed dance routines and unforgettably charged performances delivered by a talented and attractive cast, Saro is a theatrical joy that gallops swiftly through its fourteen acts to tell the story of Lagos settlers; immigrants who come from all over the country and indeed the world, to create a new and hopefully successful life in this bustling and exciting melting-pot.

Exciting melting pot

to Lagos with little else but an abundance of hopes and dreams, where they are duly reoriented by the people and experiences they encounter on their journey of self-realization.

Weaving together the trials, misfortunes, love, and destinies of the foursome into a 14-act masterpiece, Saro tells the unforgettable and inspiring story of the journey to success in a city filled with broken dreams, as we see Lagos personified by its numerous colorful and unforgettable characters, frenetic pace of living, and endless drama.

Boasting a 100-man cast

With high praise showered on the play and its production team after its last outing, a number of impressed audience members expressed their hopes that the show would tour the country, and eventually be showcased to the world, its second coming is to fulfill the demands of Nigerians who have clamored for its return.

Some of the cast who spoke at the event expressed their joy in been part of the show.

Veteran actor Bimbo Emmanuel who is featuring in SARO for the first time said, “it promises to be an incredible spectacle, some of the aesthetics are amazing. In fact Saro 2 is going to begin to call questions about the type of things that come out of South Africa.”

Stanley Dudu transits from New episode to Next episode L IFE is all about transiting from one level to the order, and this is the philosophy young Stanley Dudu has imbibed. After participating in one solo exhibition and well over 25 group shows with several prizes and awards to his credit, 2003 Auchi Polytechnic trained artist is gradually moving to the next level as he exhibits his great level of dexterity in his second solo exhibition entitled Next Episode(The Sequel) an exhibition of charcoal drawings.

The one week show which is scheduled to open on December 6, at Alexis gallery, Victoria Island, Lagos and run till December 12 will feature about 55 works, all drawings.

Dudu who is described as one of the best sellers at Alexis gallery will as usual come up with his impressionistic

manner of rendition in gray scales of figures of everyday occurrences which he captured in the last few years. But as part of his transition, he added some colours to some of the works.

His figurative expressions exude love and life. According to him, “the intimate private lives of women and children in southern interiors have always provided prolific source of subject material for my art more than any other inspiration.”

Elemental instruments Dexterously, he renders his narrative portrayals chiefly in charcoals, pastels, oils and acrylics, which he employs his inept use of chiaroscuro, lines, and sparing use of colors as an elemental instrument of style in capturing the very essence “

inspiring fleeting moments”.

Some of the works include ,Night market series, Nature stirs pleasure 1-2; Her source of joy; Blue bathcub; Shortfall after the rain;Exchange Arena night and day; A large family awaits super; Village kitchen; Wet day; The company 1-2; words of counsel, etc. A large family awaits dinner, which depicts a young father, mother and children, to him it is my expression about little children playing adult roles, mother preparing food, father reading newspaper which was turned upside down and the children playing waiting for the dinner.

Another piece Wet day, shows the typical Lagos scene where a bus was meandering in the flood after a heavy downpour, while the Village Kitchen, brings the mind the typical village setting where two women are cooking outside

A warm welcome for grandma , one of the works by Stanley Dudu. delighted with the level of with firewood.

A preview of the works shows improvement in his works the works displayed showed his compared to how he was in impressionistic manner of his first outing.” He added.

The art promoting Alexis rendition in gray scales, an attribute that has given him Galleries is the sponsor, and recognition as works are supported by Leventis, The considered unique and Litho-Chrome Homestores Ltd , Art Café, refreshing.

Speaking about the artist, Veuve Clicquot, wazobia Patty Chidiac, the Curator and FM, Nigeria info and cool Director of Alexis gallery Fm, Wazobia TV, Cool TV, disclosed that there has been a The Avenue Suites, Arra high level of professional touch vineyards, ISN Internet in his works, “viewers will be Solutions Nigeria Limited.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 57

58 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 59

60 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 — 61

Copa Lagos: Stationary Stores to Martins makes MLS best XI revamp fans base — Rufai S

F

ORMER Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, has said that the participation of Stationery Stores of Lagos in this year ’s Copa Lagos FC Barcelona Challenge is an opportunity for the team to rejuvenate its fans base both locally and internationally.

Describing Stationery Stores’ participation in Copa Lagos as “captivating”; Rufai, the technical adviser of the ‘Up Flaming of Lagos’ said Stationery Stores is a household name in Nigeria and the Diaspora. He noted that the team’s participation in this beach soccer fiesta would help regain their supporters after years of absence from competitive football.

To boost their chances of winning the trophy, the team has intensified preparation as they participated in the oneday Eko Beach Soccer fiesta over the weekend.

•Sand Eagles players surround a Lebanese opponent (in red) in last year's Copa Lagos.

T

HE Ghana Beach Soccer Association (GBSA) has released a squad of just ten players for the upcoming 2014

Mourinho now ‘The Perfect One’

Ghana announce Copa Lagos squad Copa Lagos tournament.

Although more players can be named by each participating team, the GBSA is constrained by the financial and logistical challenges to cut down on any additional numbers to

Keshi Continues from BP

•Mourinho

C

H E L S E A defender Branislav Ivanovic has added his own nickname for manager Jose Mourinho, to add to the numerous monikers the Portuguese already has.

The Serbia defender was generous in praising his manager at Stamford Bridge.

“They call him The Special One, but I like to refer to him as The Perfect One, as his results speak for him,” Ivanovic said.

“I think he is the most

intelligent coach – he knows what he wants.

“He knows what to demand from the team and from an individual player, and he knows how to deal with stress situations and to relax the atmosphere.

“It’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with him.”

Mourinho has severally self-styled himself ‘The Special One’, ‘The Happy One’ and ‘The Only One’ in the past. While some have called him ‘The Arrogant One’.

Sports Vanguard can reveal authoritatively that Keshi who did not qualify the Super Eagles to the African Cup of Nations holding in Equatorial Guinea is lodged at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Malabo as he negotiates with their Football chiefs on the possibility of his becoming the country’s national coach. ‘’Keshi is in Malabo and in Hilton Hotel.

We’re holding talks to see if he will handle our national team’’, one of the FA officials in Equatorial Guinea said on our hotline yesterday.

But when contacted yesterday, NFF officials were ignorant of the whereabouts of the coach who was paid N14 million by the Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo for not qualifying Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations which they are reigning champions. ‘’I don’t know where

the Black Sharks.

The association, through spokesperson George Addo has stated that ‘’due to lack of sponsorship, we are unable to confirm the number of additional beach soccer club

Keshi is. He is an adult and should be anywhere he wants to be’’, an official of the Nigeria Football Federation reacted angrily when called on phone to find out if they knew that the coach was looking for greener pastures.

Another NFF source did not believe that Keshi was negotiating with another country when there was an order from the Presidency as advised by Keshi’s friend that he should remain as coach of the Super Eagles.

The Super Eagles finished third in its group behind South Africa and Congo who who advanced to the finals of the Nations Cup. They also were two points behind Democratic Republic of Congo who also qualified as the best third-place team.

The top two countries in seven groups, plus the best third-place finisher qualified for the finals along with host country, Equatorial Guinea.

managers who have also expressed interest in being part of the Copa Lagos tournament to observe and learn’’.

According to the statement, this situation also applies to the media. ‘’However in the event that sponsorship is made available, considerations for bigger and wider representation will be reviewed’’.

It is understood that Coach Francis Oti Akenteng has been approached to lead the technical team due to his immense knowledge and experience.

EATTLE Sounders striker, Obafemi Martins, has been named in the Major League Soccer Team of The Year.

Martins along side his teammate at Sounders, Chad Marshall were both named in the Best XI for 2014.

The former Inter Milan striker has painted the MLS with goals setting new records at Seattle Sounders. His seventeen goals at Sounders remains the club’s highest. Martins now joins other Sounders players like Chad Marshal, Freddie Ljungberg, Kasey Keller and Osvaldo Alonso who have made the MLS Best XI before.

The widely traveled forward, who won the Carling Cup in England with Birmingham City, made 31 appearances for Sounders in 2014 of which he started 29 of them.

The Best XI recognizes the MLS top 11 players who were outstanding in a season and players are selected from the most votes by MLS coaches, players and the media.

•Martins

Brazil Continues from BP be playing against France.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio during the commissioning of the newly built stadium, ‘Nest of Champions’ in Uyo, announced that the Super Eagles would play a friendly there against Brazil.

Although the NFF did not confirm that, Akpabio went on to say that he spoke with the football federation and that Brazil will be in Uyo, next year in March, as part of the events lined up to celebrate the completion of the ultra-modern edifice.

However, it has emerged that in the

same period, Brazil will be playing an international friendly game with France in what could be a repeat of the finals between the two countries at the 1998 FIFA World Cup tournament.

The French Football Federation announced that the game will be played at the Stade de France(venue of their 1998 triumph) coming up on March, 26 2015.

It is not yet known if the NFF are keen on pursuing a friendly game with Brazil, if they are, then it would certainly come up at a latter date as Brazil have already been booked by France.

62 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Appeals C'ttee upholds 2015 AFCON: Ghana, Algeria, South NFF Pinnick’s election Africa, Senegal in group of death T

…Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Guinea in Group D

T

HE opening match of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations will pitch hosts Equatorial Guinea against Congo in Bata on January 17. In the draw ceremony,, held last night at the Sipopo Convention Centre in Malabo. Group C produced the group of death with Algeria, Ghana, South Africa and Senegal pitched together, in what promises to be an explosive and intriguing clash of the titans.

Interestingly, Ghana will starttheirAFCONcampaign against the Teranga Lions, withnewlyappointedGhana coach Avram Grant bidding to win his first piece of silverware in Africa with the west African giants.

Group D, comprising Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali also looks strong as he Ivorians renew their battle with the Indomitable Lions, who they lost to in the qualifying round

for the tournament In Group B, Zambia will play their first match of the tournament against Democratic Republic of Congo, while Cape Verde and Tunisia complete the line-u of four.

In Group A, the chase for thetwoslotsinthenextround will be between Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Burkina FasoandCongo,whopicked the AFCON ticket at the expense of the defending champions, Nigeria.

•Gyan

•Toure

HE NFF Elective Congress held on Tuesday, September 29 has been upheld in its entirety by the NFF Electoral Appeals Committee which met yesterday in Abuja.

The committee which deliberated on appeals from Suleiman Mua’zu, Alhaji Shehu Dikko and Leonard Igbokwe unanimously agreed to uphold the election based on preceding events before the congress.

A press statement by NFF Assistant Director of Information, Ademola Olajire, said Mua’zu’s

Australian cricketer gets emotional send-off

A

USTRALIA cricket captain Michael Clarke broke down in tears as he paid tribute to friend and team-mate Phillip Hughes at the batsman’s funeral.

Hughes, 25, died last week after being hit by a ball during a match in Sydney.

His death stunned Australia and the funeral was broadcast live to millions of people on national television and on big screens in major cities.

Around 5,000 people attended the service in Hughes’s home town of Macksville, New South

Wales. The service was also shown at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hughes suffered the injury during a state match on Tuesday, 25 November. He died two days later. During the 80minute service, Clarke said: “Phillip’s spirit, which is now part of our game

•Hughes

appeal was dismissed as “various FIFA directives and congressional decisions had taken care of all his allegations.”

Sani Fema’s appeal was thrown out “because it was filed out of time(sic),” while Shehu Dikko’s appeal was dismissed because members noted that the committee had been notified by it’s chairman that the appellant had withdrawn his case.

It was noted that “on November 13, the chairman of the committee presented a letter from Dikko withdrawing his appeal.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014— 63

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Brazil reject Nigeria, pick France B

RAZIL will no longer play an international friendly game against the national team, the Super Eagles. Rather, they will •Continues on page 61

Keshi moves to E/Guinea!

•To leave Nigeria if contract negotiation is successful

By Tony Ubani

A

T a time the Presidency, top security officials are breathing down on Nigerians and officials of the Nigeria Football Federation to retain Stephen Okechukwu Keshi as the chief coach of the Super Eagles, the man the Presidency is making a case for is in far away Equatorial Guinea negotiating to handle their national team.

•Continues on page 61

•Neymar.... ready for the French challenge.

•Keshi... waving goodbye?

•Pinnick... what next?

Mourinho now ‘The Perfect One’— Pg 61

Copa Lagos: Stationary Stores to revamp fans base — Rufai — Pg. 61 QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS: 1 Fold (6) 5 Quick (4) 8 Emulate (5) 9 Skill (3) 10 Intelligence (4) 11 Holly (4) 12 Black (5) 13 Bargain (6) 16 Gull (4) 18 Wicked (4) 20 Cat (3) 22 Frantic (3) 23 Barrier (3) 24 Idol (4) 25 So be it (4) 28 Challenged (6) 30 Instrument (5) 32 Oaf (4) 33 Inactive (4) 34 Embrace (3) 35 Hillock (5) 36 Rip (4) 37 Atelier (6)

DOWN: 1 Irritable (8) 2 Outside (8) 3 Poem (6) 4 Dispersed (9) 5 Swooned (7) 6 Friend (4) 7 Cab (4) 8 Regret (3) 14 Over (9) 15 Vigour (3) 17 Butt (3) 19 Disappeared (8) 20 Beverage (3) 21 Check on (7) 26 Freshest (6) 27 Slowly (6) 29 Aperture (4) 30 Animal (4) 31 Unusual (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3, Match 9, Leader 10, Lasted 11, Nomad 12, Omen 15, Pace 17, Disease 20, Lad 21, Ended 23, Item 25, List 26, Raced 28, Mum 30, Rotated 33, Omit 35, Nine 36, Rowam 38, Teemed 39, Towing 40, Deter

DOWN: 1, Flood 2, Hades 3, Men 4, Arouse 5, Clap 6, Had 7, Steal 8, Added 13, Minimum 14, Newer 16, Canteen 18, Enter 19, Gel 22, Divan 24, Map 27, Donate 28, Mouth 29, Miser 31, Timid 32, Deign 34, Rode 36, Red 37, Nor.

How to Play Sudoku

P

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

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

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

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