BUHARI: 100 Days in office

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2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

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SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015— 3

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4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

New twist in race to occupy Ooni’s stool

By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo

A NEW twist was yesterday introduced to the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife as Akui branch of Osinkola ruling house declared that only one ruling house existed in Ile-Ife. At a news conference in Osogbo, the spokeperson of the ruling house, Prince Adetowo Aderemi also faulted the claim that the Ooni stool was rotational.

His words “the 1957 legislation purports to have been made pursuant to powers delegated by the Governor. But there is no evidence of such delegation or indeed the proper person to whom the power to delegate is given. Curiously the only version which exists has been tampered with and altered in ink without the alteration being initiated thus rendering the document itself a nullity.

“Equally important, due process was not followed in that, for any declaration to be amended, the Governor or his delegate and the input of the Chieftaincy Committee must be there.

The 1957 Declaration clearly does not reflect such an input in its preamble.

“There is a further practical problem in any event, the 1957 Declaration purports to state that the next ruling house after Osinkola would be Giesi but this was clearly not followed in 1980 when Ooni Sijuade from Ogboru was selected although Giesi contested with him as I have demonstrated. Even if rotation is valid which I shall show is not the case, once that order has been breached how can you return to it? Who would you return to?

“The 1980 Declaration

is similarly beset with fundamental difficulties.

There is no statement as to why this Declaration was made, given that the 1957 Declaration purportedly existed.

“There is nothing to show that the Declaration followed due process either in compliance with the procedure for making a declaration or for amending or making a new one. The criteria to be satisfied in amending or making a new declaration were not met.

Indeed the basis for the alteration of the rotation which appears to be the only reason for the declaration was not stated.

The declaration is very bare and is accordingly null and void and of no effect.

“There is another reason. For stating that this 1980 declaration is a nullity. This is because there is no evidence that the Chieftaincy Committee met to consider the declaration as required by law before it was signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Ooni Aderemi.

“There is no evidence of a notice of meeting in 1979 for this purpose or of the minutes of the meeting to that effect.

Given the disquiet that has accompanied the signature of this document, and the lack of any cogent explanation for the amendment, one can only speculate. What is however legally clear is that the Declaration is a nullity and of no legal effect because of its failure to comply with law and due process.

“There is only one ruling house in Ile-Ife. This is the Lajodogun/ Lajamisam Ruling House. Accordingly, in accordance with the various applicable Chiefs legislation there is no basis for an order of rotation to be prescribed.

Senate Committee on Waivers uncovers rot in Policy *To Summon CG Customs, CBN Gov, others

By Henry Umoru

THE Senate has raised the alarm over what it termed, massive rot in the entire waivers on Rice and other food items granted some indigenous companies.

According to the Senate, rather than use it positively for the interest and benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians, the policy was used by importers and relevant government agencies to defraud the country of billions of Naira, that otherwise would have been accruable revenues into the federation account.

The Senate Ad hoc

Committee on Waivers set up in July to carry out holistic review of the policy with a view to determining revenue losses incurred by government revealed this yesterday.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC Kebbi Central)who disclosed this yesterday in an interview with journalists in Abuja, after the sitting of the Committee, was however not specific on the alleged rots uncovered so far.

According to Aliero, the whole thing would be made open at the stage of public hearing and in the final report the committee would later submit to the Senate.

*Mr. Ene Thomas Kingsley of Lithography Department and Mr. Ambrose Egemba of Graphics deparment both of Vanguard Newspaper (m) with the Students of A.B.I Computer Intutute, Olodi Apapa who came on Educational Visit to Vanguard Newspapers. Photo by Oscar Ochiogu.

Asset declaration: Buhari, Osinbajo ‘re deceiving Nigerians –PDP •Asks how Buhari’s N1m rose to N30m in 5 months •Buhari is a multi-billionaire – Balarabe Musa •Adegbuyi, Adegboruwa speak

By Soni Daniel, Clifford Ndujihe, Henry Umoru & Bartholomew Madukwe

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ATIONAL leader ship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo over their asset declaration, saying that they were deceiving Nigerians.

Noting that President Buhari last December declared that he had only N1 million in his account, the PDP wondered how the money suddenly rose to N30 million by May 29 after an expensive campaign. And this is apart from assets in his wife’s name.

This came as first civilian Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said that with the declaration, Buhari is a wealthy man and can no longer pretend to be poor.

Meantime, Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the presidency disclosing after 100 days of Buhari’s inauguration implied that he was forced to do so just as Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) chieftain, Mr Bisi Adegbuyi described the move as a welcome development and urged all public officials to emulate Buhari and Osinbajo.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metu, the PDP described the declaration as “a deceptive window-dressing to hoodwink unsuspecting Nigerians” because ‘’it is a mere list of some belongings of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo in place of the pledge made to Nigerians

by Mr. President as can-

didate of the APC on March 18, 2015, at exactly 5 pm.’’

The PDP recalled that the President, in his own words had told Nigerians, ‘I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liability and also encourage my political appointees to publicly declare their assets and liability,’ and observed that President Buhari and his vice failed to produce copies of their declarations detailing the exact nature and value of respective assets.

Metuh said: “The release of a mere list of belongings falls short of credibility, transparency and anti-corruption standards as well as exposes the proclivity of the present administration for deception. We have noted the release of a flimsy list of belongings of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo by the Presidency, who want such to pass as the public declaration of assets as pledged by the President.

“Nigerians are not deceived by this poor attempt at window-dressing designed by the Presidency to hoodwink the unsuspecting populace in a desperate bid to shore up its diminished image. We ask, is the resort to a mere list, instead of true copies of the declaration not a ploy to give the Presidency a window for denial in consonance with their widely observed inclination for flip flopping, backtracking and brazen denials of their statements and actions?

“All we want is credibility, integrity and sincerity of purpose. We are not questioning how a President, who by December last year, declared that he had only N1 million in his

account, could suddenly now list N30 million in the same bank account by May 29, and after an expensive campaign; we are not yet demanding the public declaration of his assets in his wife’s name.

We are not even applauding the multiplication of his cows from 150 to 250 in a space of three months, arising from his dual and conflicting pronouncements on this issue.

“What the PDP and discerning Nigerians demand is for Mr. President to always stand by his words and pledge. Mr. President, this is a mere list of your belongings and not public declaration of assets in fulfilment of your covenant with Nigerians.”

Buhari is multibillionaire, can’t bring about change –Musa

On his part, Balarabe Musa, who was sacked from office in 1983 by Buhari, said that it was clear from the assets listed that the President that he is a multi-billionaire, who also wields enormous power and influence and cannot therefore be seen as a peasant committed to the well being of the less privileged.

Noting, however, that the declaration is better late than never, apparently referring to previous presidents, who did not care to make public their worth, he doubted what Buhari presented to the public, saying that it was at variance with the low profile and ‘poor man’ posture the president had wanted to foist on Nigerians.

He said: “Before the last

election, Buhari had given us the erroneous impression that he was a poor man, requiring bank loans to buy nomination form and run his campaigns but now he has shown that he has cash of N30 million, huge investments in companies and banks and farm assets.

“By this declaration, it is clear that Buhari is one of the wealthy and influential Nigerians, who wield enormous power. He can therefore, no longer pretend to be among the poor masses and I doubt if he can still effect the change he promised the poor. We are therefore, waiting and watching to see the expected change.”

Emulate Buhari, Osinbajo, public officials urged

Adegbuyi had a contrary view. He said: ‘’Nigerians have been clamouring for Buhari to declare his assets. In the course of the campaigns he promised to declare his assets. It is a welcome. We expect all other public officials to follow their example. ‘’However, my attitude to the war on corruption is that we should place emphasis on blocking the gate. There is no question about it, President Buhari is a man of integrity and his strongest point is his widely acclaimed anti-corruption stance. We don’t have any problem with the president regarding his position on corruption but we must close the gate, which means devising institutional means of fighting corruption.’’

Action is belated – Adegboruwa

On his part, Adegboruwa, in a statement, said: “This action of the President, coming after Nigerians have made this demand upon him several months, is rather belated, serving no useful purpose presently.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 5

Buhari: 100 days of milestones, knocks, •Atiku, Ikokwu, Attah, Mohammed, Etiebet, others divided over Buhari’s praises performance

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, CHARLES KUMOLU, GBENGA OKE & LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari assumed power, last May 29, on a promising note. Riding on the crest of his change agenda and incorruptible mantra, he won what is arguably Nigeria’s tightest presidential election in recent times on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the campaigns, he promised Nigerians that things would no longer be business as usual especially in the area of corruption. He also promised steady power supply, employment creation, implementation of the United Nations Environmental Protection report, ensuring security of lives and property of Nigerians, expanding the nation’s economy and infrastructural development and to resuscitate industries.

Buhari’s other promises include embarking on massive construction and rehabilitation of roads, fighting terrorism, granting Lagos a special status, investing heavily in agriculture, ensuring steady power supply and improving education among others.

More than three months after, has Buhari started fulfilling these promises?

How far has he fared? The response of eminent Nigerians to these questions are divergent.

While some hailed him for the modest milestones he has recorded so far, others gave him hard knocks for some of his policies.

Buhari’s is living up to expectation – Mohammed Second Republic Lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed said so far, President Buhari has lived up to expectations and his government will be the best among administrations Nigeria has ever had.

His words: “I am not a supporter of putting a time-line on governance and the idea of 100 days is alien to the Nigerian constitution, our system of government and the political parties. However, I have no doubt that the

Buhari presidency will be the best we have had in any democratic setting in this country.

“Of all the former Presidents that we have had, I believe Buhari is the only one with zero tolerance for corruption in the real sense of it and since he took over the reins of power, electricity has improved in this country. I can tell you right now that I can see some level of fear in people including the telecommunication companies because they now know that if they breach any law, they will be sanctioned. I can assure you that safety of lives and properties have tremendously improved under his administration especially in the NorthEast while the oil sector is receiving a lot of improvements with the appointment of new hands.’’

He has changed our attitude in 100 days – Attah Speaking in like manner, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, in response to a question on what has changed in 100 days of Buhari’s administration, said: ‘’If nothing else has changed, I will say without fear that attitude has changed. Everybody is so afraid now to do the things we are known for.

If you say nothing has changed, you can’t be serious.’’

Corruption no longer fashionable with Buhari’s govt – Atiku Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the government of President Mohammadu Buhari has sent a strong message that the era of impunity was over, and that “corruption is no longer fashionable.”

He also stated that the first 100 days in office of President Muhammadu Buhari has reinforced his confidence, that despite the perceived slow pace, “Nigeria is on the path of progress and bright future.”

He explained that corruption was the biggest obstacle to development.

Atiku in a statement by his media office in Abuja, yesterday, noted that the period has witnessed a clear departure from the culture of impunity, inertia and apathy in governance.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki in a handshake with the Lord Speaker of UK parliament Baroness D'Souza after a bilateral meeting during the 4th UN International Conference for Heads of Parliaments which ended yesterday in New York.

According to Atiku, the new administration has succeeded in blocking revenue leakages and diversions, which feed corruption.

He said that Nigerians could see tangible facts that the country is already moving in the right direction, which he attributed to President Buhari’s leadership by example style.

The Former Vice President also noted that for first time in the recent past, Boko Haram terrorists had faced a fiercer response from newly motivated armed forces, adding that the terrorists were in disarray, attributing the success to the new offensive strategy adopted by the government.

He however appealed to Nigerians to be patient with President Buhari, stressing that some major reforms that would change the status of the country might take time.

Atiku also decried the level of poverty and unemployment in Nigeria, submitting that it was inconsistent with its oil wealth.

Buhari has established northern supremacy – Uko Differing, Deputy Secretary of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, Evangelist Elliot Uko, said: ‘’The General has made it difficult for Nigerians to objectively appraise his first 100 days in office. Apart from successfully establishing Northern Supremacy and

making very sensitive appointments without consulting his party, he has remained a sole administrator and shows us he cannot trust even the people, who funded his election. In the first 100 days, industrialists cannot remit funds to their overseas partners due to his dollar policy, businesses are closing shop unless they patronize Bureau de changes, who are all his kinsmen. The Boko Haram insurgents, who Dr Jonathan degraded and paralyzed in February/March have made a rebound, killing people every day. ‘’By May 29, 2015, Excess crude account was at $2.1bn. Exchange rate was N186.50 per dollar.

Bag of rice was N8,500 per 50kg. External reserve was at $30.2bn. Today, because the dollar exchanges at N220, prices of commodities are rising by the day. All we hear every day is probe, probe, probe.

Arranged protesters will arrive Aso villa every other week to pledge their support to Buhari’s one man rule and Mr. Femi Adesina will be on hand to address them. These are the obvious legacies of his first 100 days Nigerians can see. Are these signs of things to be expected in the remaining three years and nine months?’’

There’s light at the end of the tunnel –Adegbuyi A chieftain of the Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr Bisi Adegbuyi,

said there is light at the end of the tunnel, if the steps taken so far by Buhari are anything to reckon with.

His words: ‘’I do not belong or share in the tokenism of 100 days in office. There are two underlying assumptions underscoring the 100 days cliché. First is, ceteris paribus, the government before the incumbent was a responsible and responsive one and therefore the incumbent won’t have to start from the scratch. But when a government finds itself in a position where the current government finds itself with regard to the humongous recurrent expenditure content of the budget, massive corruption, large-scale leakages, it becomes practically difficult for such government to showcase fundamental achievements or landmarks within 100 days. President Buhari’s mandate is for four years and therefore I will rather assess him on the basis of that. ‘’However, if the steps taken so far by the government are anything to go by, there may well be light at the end of the tunnel.

Make no mistakes about it; we are not looking for a saint as our president. He is expected to have his foibles and idiosyncrasies but on the balance, he deserves our total and unflinching support. He deserves to be given ample time before we can ask for the roll of the

tape.’’

Era of maladministration impunity disappearing – Etiebet Former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Don Etiebet, gave Buhari high marks for preparing the grounds for launching Nigeria into greatness in 100 days. ‘’To me, a lot has changed. The era of impunity of maladministration, unbridled corruption, injustice, carry-go and I know him syndrome is disappearing.

An atmosphere of fear to commit crime and discipline is seeping into the fabric of our lives. And that is what we need to move our country forward, to earn respect in the international community, which is already taking root, to manage our dwindling resources well and turnaround our economy. ‘’With a stroke of the pen, President Buhari has put the profligate use of foreign exchange in check and stopped executive recklessness in a jiffy. He has shown executive leadership in governance.

I fervently believe that with this background, a lot has been achieved to launch Nigeria to greatness within a short time. His 100 days are positively memorable and Nigerians are proud of it,’’ he said.

It’s been 100 days of nothingness –Mbagwu On his part, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Managing Consultant, Simeon and Rose Associates, Chief Cliff Mbagwu, said there is no cause for cheer yet. ‘’Going by what one reads in the social media, Buhari has generated so much division and ethnic hate in 100 days than we have seen since 1970 through his total lack of sensitivity to our diversity as manifested in his lopsided appointments.

Never in the history of democratic governance in Nigeria has a president made 35 appointments with 27 of them going to his section of the country. ‘’His tribal mindset has almost laid waste all the efforts of past leaders including military ones to build national cohesion.

Those who are benefiting from this abnormality can of course rationalise it but the fact remains that in 100 days this president has perhaps put us on the road to Somalia,’’ he opined.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

PDP defectors are opportunists – Dickson •Says Dame Jonathan now working for him

BY Chris Ochayi

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BUJA: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State yesterday declared that all the members of the People Democratic Party, PDP, who defected to All Progressive congress, APC, in the state were political opportunists whose motives were driven by ambition and not service.

Dickson, who spoke with newsmen after submitting his governorship forms at the national headquarters of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is now

working for his re-election ambition.

He said all the aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as opportunists who hope to leverage on their party’s control at the federal level to win the state.

Dickson boasted that “No other party has the strength that PDP has in Bayelsa State.”

According to him, “I am here in company of leaders and major stakeholders of the party in Bayelsa State and indeed major stakeholders of the state who have joined me in solidarity and in prayers to

submit my nomination and expression of interest forms, seeking second term in the governorship election slated for December 5, 2015. And you have seen them all.

“This is a practical demonstration of solidity of the support that we enjoy within the party and within the state. In the past couple of weeks there have been a lot of propaganda, especially, when some gentlemen who have been part of out party left for the other party.

“And I kept telling any body who matters that, look, Bayelsa State is safely PDP.

Our party is not shaking.

Before now, Bayelsa was totally PDP, everybody was in PDP. And so, when one or two people leave, it will make news. But it doesn’t have the capacity to affect our predominance on the ground.

And you have just seen a little bit of that, all the leaders and key stakeholders who came here are the people who have been making the parties and the candidates win elections in their units, in their communities, in their wards, in their Local Government Areas and in the state.

Set Donu Kogbara free now —IPC

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HE International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria is deeply concerned about the fate of Donu Kogbara, the Vanguard news-paper columnist who was kidnapped on August 30, 2015 in Port Harcourt, south-south Nigeria and has since been held incommunicado.

It is particularly worrisome that her abductors have not maintained any contact with her relations and friends thus fuelling all forms of suspicions.

IPC considers her

kidnap as another assault on the freedom of the press and the right of media professionals to practise without fear, threats and molestation. She should be set free immediately.

IPC urges the Inspector General of Police to step into the matter and with the support of other law enforcement and intelligence agencies ensure that nothing untoward happens to Donu Kogbara.

Tanker explosion guts 5 buildings, 7 cars in Aba

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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ROPERTY worth over N50 million was on Fridaymorningconsumedby a tanker explosion along the ever busy Aba - Owerri road in Aba, Abia State.

Vanguard gathered that the explosion burnt about seven vehicles, four tricycles and destroyed commercial and residential buildings. The inferno was still flaming as at 4pm.

An eyewitness, Augustine Anosike said that the truck loaded with diesel was entering a filling station along the Aba-Owerri road to discharge its content when it suddenly caught fire and exploded.

“The tanker was going into the opposite filling Station.

While the driver was trying to reverse, the body of the truckpulledoutfromthehead

and discharged its content on the road. We made efforts to stop oncoming vehicles to averttheimpendingdangers.

But a commercial driver refused to stop and drove on the diesel. I suspect that the heat from the bus exhaust pipe was what ignited the fire and before you knew what was happening, everywhere up was in flames,” Anosike said.

A shop owner in the area, Nnenna Ogbugo, told Vanguard that if not for the timely arrival of the men of the Fire, more properties would have been lost in the inferno.

The body of a 911 truck which was said to have run into a nearby compound to escape the inferno, was also burnt in the process, including a car which stopped by a vulcanizer’s shop along the road.

A resident of one of the burnt buildings, Mr. EmmanuelKingsleythanked God for sparing the lives of his brothers and other members of his family, he described the incident as one of the terrible experiences he has had in life.

An official of the Abia state Fire Service who declined to have his name on print, said thedamagewouldhavebeen worse if the content was PetroleumMotorSpirit,PMS. When our correspondent visited the area at about 4pm, men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, were on hand directing traffic.

Aba Unit Commander, FRSC, Okora Awassam, who lamented the attitude of truck drivers on the road, said her agency has held a lot of enlightenment programmes to educate the drivers on the need to be safety conscious at all times.

•A massive explosion at the Aba-Owerri road Umungasi ,Aba, Abia State, caused by a tanker loaded with gas.

Those opposed to Edo World Bank loan are enemies of progress – Edo APC

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state has described as enemies of progress those opposed to the approval of loans for further developmental projects in Edo State,

when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled states in the South South who are richer than Edo have borrowed more than the state.

The party therefore appealed to the people of the State to ignore such

individuals and groups as they do not mean well for the people, just as it assured that the state government is set to complete the N30billion Benin Water storm project before the end of the tenure of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 7

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NLC fixes anti-corruption, good governance protest for Sept 10 ...Solicits supports from NBA, NMA, market women, Okada riders, others

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

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IGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has fixed Thursday, September 10, for a nationwide protest against corruption and high cost of governance in the country, saying Nigerians must rise against escalating corruption by few privileged political office holders to the detriment of the vast majority of the citizens.

NLC calls on all patriots, mass organizations, market men and women, commercial motor cycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke NAPEP) riders, traders, students and youths, religious bodies, professional groups like Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, and others to join the NLC in the protest intended to give a red card to corruption and impunity of the ruling elites in the country.

A communiqué issued

by Ayuba Wabba faction of NLC, at the end of a three-day leadership retreat in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, contended that, “the ruling bourgeois class in Nigeria will continue to run the country in their own class interest as long as the working classes do not organize and challenge their class domination of the affairs of the country. As long as the working people of Nigeria don’t organize politically as a class that has a distinct interest which is not the same as those of the ruling elite, then the working class would continue to watch the Nigerian ruling class sell our collective national assets cheaply to themselves and members of their class as can be seen in the privatization of our major hotels, Nigerian Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n , Nitel Plc, defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Steel Rolling Mills and other commonly owned assets/ corporations, as well as the no-going clamour to privatize the remaining commonwealth like the NNPC etc. In the same

Europe Refugees: Dabiri calls for UN intervention

BY YINKA AJAYI

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ON. Abike Dabiri, former chairman house committee on Diaspora matters has urged the United Nations UN to quickly intervene on the lingering refusal of war victims into European countries.

She urged Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General, not to consider refugees as economic migrants. Her words: “We are aware that the United Nations are battling with the issues of African economic migrants risking their lives in desert and cold journeying to Europe for greener pastures. But most of the people we are considering here are from war prone countries like Syria and Iran.”

“If you recall, about 2000 have died in boat mishap.

But considering the innocent child that died recently during their ordeal, I would urge the United Nations to quickly intervene, acting as intermediary for more strategic approach to these challenges”, she said.

Stop abortion, hard drugs, Catholic Knights tell youths

BY AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE

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Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (l), speaking, during a visit to the first civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha (m), while his wife, Mrs Margaret Alamieyeseigha (r), listens attentively, at their home in Amassoma town, Southern Ijaw LGA. vein the working class will continue to witness withdrawal of so-called subsidies on our God

given national endowment like Petroleum products; Commercialization of

social services like Education, Health Care; and non provision of Social Housing etc.”

Senate canvasses global support for Nigeria’s economy Bukola Saraki, included the

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HE Senate has called on the International Community to support Nigeria in her efforts to reposition and grow the economy.

This call was made by a Senate delegation at separate bilateral meetings

with German and French delegates during the just concluded 4th UN International Conference for Heads of Parliaments in New York.

Members of the delegation led by the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar

I have borrowed only N10billion — Gov. Ortom his administration was

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OVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has disclosed that his administration had so far borrowed only N10 billion from financial institutions.

The Governor who was reacting to insinuations that

piling debts in the state, spoke yesterday in Gboko.

He explained that “even the N5.5 billion approved by the State House of Assembly for counterpart funding with development partners is yet to be accessed though it may be available in the next few days.’’

Chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South).

Saraki in the first bilateral meeting with his German counterpart, Volker Bouffier, the Minister-President of Hesse, stressed the need for Nigeria and Germany to work together in increasing the trade volume between both countries.

He stated that the present administration in Nigeria is concerned about shrinking revenue from oil and hence the need to diversify the economy through creation of global partnerships and attraction of direct foreign investments.

“Nigeria needs the support of the International Community to grow and reposition the economy made worse by the dwindling price of oil at the international market,” the Senate President said.

In his second meeting with Laurence Dumont, the Socialist Deputy of Calvados, and the VicePresident of the National Assembly of France, Saraki reiterated the need for international support and enabling laws to help Nigeria repatriate illicit funds that were moved out of Nigeria through corrupt practices. He told the French parliamentary delegation that the move would support the efforts of the present administration aimed at boosting the economy of the country.

HE Catholic Knights of St. Mulumba have said that abortion campaign and drugs could truncate the lives of teenagers and they will campaign against the vices.

The knights in a bid to drive the message home took to the streets in peaceful protest with intent to educating the people of Effurun on the dangers in abortion as well as other societal ills which are detrimental to life.

The Knights marched through major streets of Ekpan shortly after a brief at the St. John Vianney Catholic Parish in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The knights carried bill boards with inscriptions such as “Say No To Abortion”, “Choose Life”, “ Say No To Cultism” and “Kidnapping”, “Say No To Religious and Political Intolerance”, “Say No To Hard Drugs”, “Abortion is Murder”, “ Tolerate One Another” stressed on the Anti-Abortion Order of the Catholic Church.

The over sixty Knights during the evangelism which was described as physically and spiritually rewarding also distributed fliers on the prevention of stroke and hypertension.

FG issues full operational license to Oduduwa University, 2 others

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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HE Federal Government has issued full operational license to Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu and two others; Rhema University and Achievers University, Owo in Ondo state.

This is contained in the Certificate of Attestation dated 26th of August 31, 2015 signed by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie,and made available to the president and founder of the university,Dr Rahmon Adedoyin.

According to the letter, “… Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu having fulfilled the requirements laid down in Education, (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act , Cap E3 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004 and completed the required post-probation period, is fully licenced to operate as a private university in Nigeria.” The certificate of Attestation also added that the original certificate would be issued to the University in due course.

Senator pays tribute to former NNPC boss

BY LUKA BINNIYAT

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ENATOR Danjuma La’ah, representing Kaduna South Senatorial Zone, recently poured accolades on former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Engr.

Andrew Yakubu, for his contributions to national growth.

The Senator, who paid a courtesy visit to Yakubu in his village in Unguwan Wakili, Zango Kataf Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, said he had come to thank him for facilitating the recently completed and now operating second NNPC mega station at Samaru Kataf, in Zangon Kataf LGA. Senator La’ah’s visit was part of his consultation with stakeholders, who have deep knowledge of some important sectors of the economy.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

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Insurgency: Over 2.1m people displaced

by Boko Haram in six years •More than 1,000 killed since Buhari assumed office

By Favour Nnabugwu

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VER 2.1 million people have been internally displaced in northeast Nigeria in six years insurgency by the Boko Haram group, according to International Organization for Migration (IMO).

The IMO said the new figure released in Abuja yesterday, covered internally displaced people (IDPs) in the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe as well as the central state of Nassarawa and Abuja.

The organisation attributed the increase in the number of displaced persons from initial 1.5m to the current 2.1m to the intensification of attacks carried out by the insurgents, as well as to improved access to previously inaccessible areas of Borno state, where the IDP population is now well over 1.6 million.

The IOM said the majority of those displaced by the violence (92%) now live in host communities while the remainder live in camps or camp like sites, adding that

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OVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Friday announced the renaming of his administration’s most showcased estate after his late Deputy Governor, Zannah Umar Mustapha who died in his sleep 20

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MEMBER of the National Executive Committee of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Tunde Arosanyin has challenged the next administration in the state to target the agricultural sector in order to open up the economy of the state.

Arosanyin stated this while on a courtesy visit to Vanguard Zonal Office in Lokoja. He said the only path out of the country ’s economic quagmire is agriculture.

“What we are facing today in Nigeria is a product of the failure of our government to make agriculture the primary driver of our economy.

Our over-reliance on oil was a misplaced policy that has pushed us to

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From Right: Mrs. Bolanle Ambode wife Lagos state governor, Chairman, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials COWLSO, Mrs. Roda Ayinde, Chairperson Planning committee and Mrs.Ladun Ogunbamwo, member, during Press briefing on fourth coming of 2015 COWLSO conference at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

the victims were in dire need of food and shelter.

According to IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Enira Krdzalic,”The recent spike in attacks by insurgents triggered the increase the number of displaced persons by the hardline Islamist group in recent months.

More than 1,000 people have died in Boko Haram attacks since May 29 when

days ago in Yola capital of Adamawa State.

Shettima said the estate, formerly called Legacy Gardens, consisting of 50 blocks of two-story luxury buildings, each having six numbers of three bedroom elegant apartments totaling about 300 flats in two phases, conspicu-

Next Kogi governor must focus on agriculture — Arosanyin, Afan chief

By Kingsley Fanwo

By Kingsley Omonobi ORMER Military Governor of Lagos state and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) has hailed the appointment of Engr. Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. A statement released Thursday and signed by Marwa’s media aide, Bello Zubairu quoted the Adamawa born retired Army General as saying that Lawal’s appointment

by President Mohammadu Buhari “is not only a plus to his tribe or state or the North but also the country as a whole.”

Gen. Marwa described the new SGF as a thoroughbred party loyalist and philanthropist with great contacts across Nigeria.

Robbery on highways: Police on alert

By Kingsley Omonobi

President Muhammadu Buhari came to power.

“Many IDPs, especially in host communities, have yet to receive basic items including food and shelter.”

“It is very important for the authorities and humanitarian partners to speed up the delivery of adequate assistance to these people,”Krdzalic added.

Attacks by Boko Haram, which seeks to impose a strict Islamic system in northern Nigeria, have killed at least 15,000 people since 2009.

The extremists have carried out deadly ambushes across Nigeria’s borders and in recent weeks suicide bombers, many of them women, have staged several attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

Shettima renames Borno’s most elegant estate two reasons. First, he reafter late deputy governor called, that the Deputy

BY Ndahi Marama

Buhari’s appointments: Marwa hails Babachir Lawal’s appointment, others

using loans to pay salaries of workers.

ously located along the airport road in Maiduguri will now be called Zannah Umar Mustapha Legacy Gardens. The Governor directed the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Alhaji Usman Jidda Shuwa to supervise the immediate renaming of all sign posts containing the old name around the estate.

Shettima said his choice of renaming the Legacy Gardens after the late Deputy Governor was for

Governor was chairman of the committee that built the project with so much commitment, passion and prudent use of resources.

Shettima said the Deputy Governor virtually relocated to the site of the project at some point without neglecting other duties assigned to him.

The Governor said his late Deputy was so passionate about the project so much that it was the first thing he visited in the day and the last he saw.

Bayelsa gov polls: Why Bayelsans must re-elect Dickson –Group

By Ephraim Oseji

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S the governorship election in Bayelsa State draws closer, group Concerned Nigerians for Dickson Campaign Initiative (CNDCI) has enumerated reasons the people of Bayelsa State should reelect Hon Seriake Dickson as the governr of Bayelsa State.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, President of Concerned Nigerian for Dickson Campiagn Initiative, Barr Raphael O. Okonkwo said their ultimate goal was to achieve the collective support and co-operation of all Bayelsans towards re-elect-

ing Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson as the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State so as to ensure continuity and consolidation of his vision towards sustainable economic growth and development.

Okonkwo reiterated that through his concept of ( Henry Seriake Dickson) HSD Vision which considers the mono economy situation of the state and focused primarily on prudent management of resources, Seriake Dickson was able to embark on elimination of wasteful expenditure thereby reducing cost of governance from an inherited budget of N1.685 billion monthly

from its predecessor to N685m monthly and eventually to N200m following economic depression.

He said Dickson had made judicious use of the state resources.

“Today, Bayelsa has the record of being one of the safest and most peaceful states in the entire country.

This is rather not by happenstance, but the result of an initiative of the HSD administration named “Operation Dooakpo”, a security outfit that is on ground to maintain peace and swiftly respond to emergency calls.

The security outfit was voted as the best African security outfit by a South African agency in 2013.

OLLOWING cases of reported attacks on buses and passengers of members of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners, along the routes within the North Central and Zaria- Kaduna axis, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has promised the deployment of more Safer Highway Patrol teams to beef of security and checkmate the activities of hoodlums on the highways.

Manu resumes work as A’Ibom CP, warns PMT

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By Tom Moses

new Commissioner of Police yesterday resumed duty in Akwa-Ibom State with a promise to take decisive action against any of the state’s Police Management Team-PMT found wanting in the dispensation of his or her duties of providing maximum security in the state.

The new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Murtala Manu who replaces Mr. Gabriel Achon who retired from the police service after putting in the mandatory 35 years on August 31, 2015 was deployed from the Force Headquarters, Abuja where he served as the Police Staff Officer-PSO in charge of Police Welfare.

Forum canvasses more fund for Osun from allocation

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HE Forum of Patriotic Members of All Progressives Congress (FOPAMEC) has charged the National Assembly to consider the level of development embark on by government in each state as a yardstick for allocation sharing formula.

National Chairman of the group, Alhaji Garba Lawal spoke in Osogbo at the weekend during a visit to the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the executive of the party in the state.

He said that the various ongoing developmental projects being carried out in Osun are worthy of giving the state more fund from the federation account.

“We have seen that Governor Aregbesola does everything he says, but it is surprising that, with the little resources available to government in this state, you have been able to achieved so much.

Civil society group wants EFCC to probe Aregbesola’s govt

By Dapo Akinrefon

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GROUP, Civil Societies Coalition for the Emanci pation of Osun State, CSCEOS, yesterday called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration over what it described as alleged criminal and reckless management of Osun State resources between November 2010 and August 2015.

The coalition, which beseiged the Lagos office of the EFCC, to submit a letter of petition, appealed to the commission to ensure all cuprits in the act are brought to book.

In its petition made available to Vanguard and signed by the group’s spokesman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman said “Osun State has not had it so bad like the present situation, in her quest for growth and development. “ The petition reads in part: “The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) writes this petition to ensure that the sanctity of truth and rule of law that will bring egalitarian society in allocation of meager resources accrued to the State from the Federation Account as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution for the purpose of promoting good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice and for the purpose of consolidating the Unity of our people.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 9

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UN lament inequality in planning of Nigerian cities

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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HE United Nations Habitat programme has lamented the inequality in the planning of most Nigerian cities.

The UN said such inequality has led to the proliferation of slums in many parts of the country and a high level of unemployment.

The UN Habitat Unit Leader in charge of Regional Metropolitan Planning, Dr Remy Sietchiping, said that the problem called for concern amongst all stakeholders.

Sietchiping said this at the Mandatory Professional Planning Education Programme for town planners jointly organised by the Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) and the Centre for Human Settlements and Urban Development (CHSUD), held in Abeokuta, with the theme: “Planning Equitable Cities in Nigeria”.

The UN Habitat official who is from Kenya, noted that Nigeria should implement a national urban development policy, which would serve as a practical approach to achieving equitable urbanisation in Nigeria.

According to him, “In Nigeria, the rapid urban growth is attributable to declining mortality, high fertility rates, natural urban growth and rural to urban migration.

“It has led to emerging issues in the overall city structure and management demands.”

He said the essence of the training was to position town planners for future challenges.

Sietchiping added that planners should strive to ensure planning authorities in Nigeria have adequate technical support through staffing with trained planners.

*Owolabi Mustapha, MD Maxxconnection Ltd, Dr Ubiame Omas of Public Health Partner, Bola Osotule, Head of brand management Keystone bank and Dr Paul of Eye foundation at Keystone bank Limited Free Health and Eye Screening for inter state drivers coordinated by Maxxconnection Ltd at the Ojoto Motor Park in Lagos yesterday

Gunmen abduct 85-yr-old Bayelsa A family member Mrs. His Royal Highmonarch Area, ness Chief Benjamin Blessing Weke told SatBy Emem Idio

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EAVILY-ARMED unknown gunmen have kidnapped the eighty-five year paramount ruler of Gbarantoru community in Yenagoa Local Government

Weke.

The octogenarian was reportedly abducted at his residence in the state capital in the early hours of yesterday by his assailants, who also went away with some undisclosed amount of money.

35 killed, 104 injured in Bauchi road crashes –FRSC

By Suzan Edeh

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HIRTY-FIVE per sons have been killed while 104 others were injured in 38 road crashes involving 260 people in Bauchi State between July and August this year..

A report on the road traffic crashes obtained from the Bauchi State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission on Friday, indicated that the casualties comprised of 33 adults and two children.

According to the report, a breakdown of the statistics showed that 22 people were killed, 54 others injured in 17 different crashes involving 122 people in August.

Twenty-eight vehicles

were also involved.

In July, the report also indicated that, 13 passengers were killed 50 others injured in 21 crashes involving 138 passengers in 31 vehicles, across the state.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ibrahim Abubakar, in an interview said the Sector Command had intensified its campaigns and dialogue with motorists during this ember months period to reduce road accidents across the State.

He stated that the Sector Command in the state was particularly worried over the high rate of accidents involving the Vectra Drivers along the ever-busy Bauchi-Jos Road.

urday Vanguard that the gunmen had on July 1, sent a letter to the monarch, intimating him of their coming.

Mrs. Weke said, “They gunmen were about four in number and heavily armed. They came around 1am, and forcefully gain entrance and the wife was the first to wake up and also woke up his Highness. They immediately seized him and took some money meant for the traditional marriage of one of his sons scheduled to hold tomorrow (Saturday).

“They also beat up the wife who escorted them through the footpath behind his residence to the waterside where they escaped with a speedboat to an unknown location.”

Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswatt, DSP, who regretted the incident, said the family could not make contact with the police until 5am, adding that the marine component of the police have been alerted and are combing the creeks to find their whereabouts.

Mudiaga needs N2 million for knee surgery T HE gentle man in the picture, Mr. Mudiaga Olusegun Obioma, who had an accident in Lagos two years ago and now lives in Benin city requires the assistance of kindhearted Nigerians for financial support in the sum of N2,000.000 (two million Naira) to carry out a knee replacement surgery.

According to his letter to the editor, ‘the clinic consultant and head of

the university of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. O.A. Ogbemudia has established that “he has an unreduced dislocation in his right knee and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Readers may kindly send aid to his account detail as follows: Bank: GTBank. Account Name – Obioma Mudiaga Olusegun. Account Number – 0175737566 And may the good Lord reward you.

All Africa Games return to Base

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RAZZAVILLE came alive yesterday with the opening of 11th A ll Africa Games with 50 nations of the continent represented at the sports fiesta, which is marking its 50th anniversary.

The Central African nation staged the first games 50 years ago. About 8,000 athletes will compete in 20 sports and two demonstration events.

The Congolese welcomed the competitors in colourful ceremony at the newly built Kintele Stadium at the outskirts of the peaceful city overlooking the Congo River.

However, the biggest focus will be the standard of organization at the Kintele Sports Complex and the main 66,000-seat stadium with its brown, tortoiseshaped exterior. That stadium will host soccer and athletics, and was officially opened on Tuesday with a soccer game between Republic of Congo and Ghana.

Republic of Congo has also rushed to finish a 10,000-seat indoor arena, a swimming complex, and the 8,000-bed athletes’ village in the same precinct.

From records Nigeria has the highest number of delegate with 573 athletes and officials. Many countries have small contingents, and most of Africa’s top athletics stars will be missing from the games, which came on the heels of the athletics world championships in Beijing.

None of Kenya’s gold medallists from Beijing are on its All Africa Games athletics team, which will be led instead by Olympic bronze medallists Thomas Longosiwa in the 5,000 metres and Abel Mutai in the steeplechase. Commonwealth champion James Magut will compete in the 1,500 metres.

Ethiopia will send newly crowned 5,000 world champion Almaz Ayana as its main star.

Wayde van Niekerk, the new 400-meter world champion, was named on South Africa’s squad in July but it’s unclear if he will make the trip after his breakthrough win last week.

Alongside the likes of athletics, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis, petanque — a form of the French game boules — has been included on the schedule by the former French colony.

Republic of Congo had been independent for only five years when it took on the responsibility of staging the first All Africa Games in 1965.

Civil Right Group warns against sabotage in tribunals

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Civil Society Group under the auspices of Co alition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria (CCOSGIN) has warned that tribunals sitting on various election matters should respect and ensure strict adherence to the stipulated 180 days as provided by law to avoid delay in justice dispensation and the thwarting of President Mohammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war.

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard yesterday(Friday)shortly after a press briefing the National Chairman of the group, Com Iso Bassey stated that it was high time strict compliance is adhered to by those involved in election tribunals stressing that they must take the 180 days into cognizance in the discharge of justice with transparency.

In his words” We have observed with keen interest the intensions and activities of some institutions and political class in Cross River state geared towards sabotaging the efforts of our dear president in the anti-graft war in the country”

Delta community gets power supply after 7 years of darkness

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FTER seven years of total darkness in IselleUku, headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, residents of the area, have heaved a sigh of relief, following the restoration of power supply by the Local Government Council.

Commissioning the 33 kva step down transformer, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa commended the Chairman of the Local Government Council, Mr Chukwugoziem Oseme for embarking on the project and enjoined other local government councils in the State to take a cue from Oseme. Maintaining that the state government was conscious of the importance of electricity, Okowa who was represented by the Commissioner for Power and Energy, Mr Newworld Safugha told the people to protect the project.

10 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

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NAFDAC officials attacked in Lagos, Ogun states

•As the Agency raids shops for unregistered products

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FFICIALS of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC and mobile Police men attached to its enforcement directorate were yesterday attacked by traders and touts in Lagos and Ogun States.

The attacked enforcement teams were said to be on a nationwide raid for fake and unregistered products in major markets in the states when the traders and touts swooped on them, seized some of the products already evacuated by the teams and beat up one of the Agency’s staff identified as Miss Evelyn.

According to an eye witness, the exercise which was almost successful turned rowdy when the members of the Union at markets trooped out in their hundreds with the help of ‘area boys’ prevented the enforcement team from evacuating the offending MOI Vegetable oil and other products seized from the market.

From Mile 12, to Ikorodu, Sango Otta, Alaba-arago in Ojo, Boundary market in Ajegunle, Suru Alaba and Oke-arin markets, there were pockets of attack on the officials despite the presence of armed mobile police men attached to the teams.

At the Ikorodu market where four shops were sealed, 438 gallons of fake vegetable oil valued at N6, 576,000, and two traders arrested, the officials

Representative of Governor Okowa, Commissioner for Power and Energy Neworld Safugha (l); member of State Advisory Council, Patience Okwofu (m) and the Chairman Aniocha North Local Government Council, Chuks Oseme during the re-commissioning of electricity supply in Aniocha North Photo: Nath Onojake. narrowly escaped mob attack as the traders resorted to carrying all forms of weapons for a freefor- all -fight.

At Sango market in Ogun State, where NAFDAC officials were assaulted by the market Union members, six shops were sealed and one of the staff of the Agency by name Evelyn was beaten up.

At Alabarago Market in Ojo LGA where the team forced open a warehouse stock with fake products and owners absconded on the sight of NAFDAC’s official, one of the Mobile Police men attached to the team was attacked and almost lost his gun to the mob.

Briefing journalists shortly after the raids, at Boundary market in Ajegunle area of

Mixed reaction over Kogi PDP in next week conducted in some other congress participate governorship primary of wards.

IXED reaction has the party.

Some of the wards in M greeted yesterday Vanguard investigation Lokoja, Ajaokuta, parts of ward congresses of the across the three Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, meant to elect the threeman delegate that will

senatorial districts of the state showed that election took place in some wards, but was not

Army seizes N50m worth of dry fishes, meat from Boko Haram

By Ndahi Marama

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HE military has seized over 2,000 cartons of smoked fishes and many bags of dried meat worth about N50 million from Boko Haram.

Deputy Director Army Public Relations and spokesman, 7 Division Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Colonel Tukur Gusau said the over 2,000 cartons of smoked fishes and dried meat, were confiscated from Boko Haram from different communities in Borno.

“The 7 Division Nigerian Army has apprehended several cartons of dried fish from suspected Boko Haram terrorists in various locations in Borno State.

The cartons of the dried fish are believed to be seized from innocent fishermen and business men by the terrorists who

Lagos, NAFDAC’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement, Mr. Joseph Folorunsho Idowu, regretted that the exercise was marred by pockets of violence saying, “the Agency stormed the markets following intelligence report over indiscriminate circulation of unregistered vegetable oil in the Nigerian markets.”

later sell them at ridiculous mount to finance their terrorists’ activities,” he said yesterday in Maiduguri while burning the fishes.

Gusau said the ongoing military operations in the northeast have crippled the activities of Boko Haram, adding that the operation has compelled the insurgents to resort to using donkeys and other unusual tactics to attack some remote communities.

“We have crippled their channels of supply both of fuel, logistics and everything and they’re now in disarray. That is why they resorted to using donkeys to carry out attacks,” he disclosed on Friday during the burning of over 2, 000 cartons of smoked fishes and dried beef confiscated from Boko Haram.

He solicited for the support of members of

the public for useful information that could assist in ending insurgency in the country.

“By burning of this fishes, we’re sending strong message to the insurgents to change their terror act because an end is at sight. We’re determined with the support of patriotic Nigerians to end Boko Haram and other terror acts in the country,” he added.

Okene, Abejukolo and Idah were said to have completed the exercise as early as 10 am; a development some of the PDP members cry foul over saying the congress was not conducted but manipulated for a favourable caucus.

However, members were seen on queues in Ijumu, Yagba West, Okene, Yagba East, Kabba, and Mopamuro to elect their delegates for the governorship primary.

Vanguard gathered that party members were already divided along Jibril Isah and Governor Idris Wada caucus. A development that caused the congress to be conducted in some places, while the exercise did not take place in others.

Stop criticising Buhari over appointments—Ogbemudia

By Simon Ebegbulem

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WO-time former Governor of old Bendel State and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, said yesterday that Nigerians will not forgive President Muhammadu Buhari if he fails them, therefore warned Nigerians to stop criticising the President over his recent appointments.

He also described as unnecessary attempts by some Nigerians to assess the administration in its one hundred days in office, “when they knew that the man said he met everything in bad shape and in such situation you need to clean up the system so as to start on a good note”.

The elder statesman bared his mind yesterday when he met members of the committee which he set up to oversee the yearly Award of the Best Journalist in Edo state, led by a former General Manager of the Edo State Broadcasting Service (EBS) Pastor (Mrs) Sibi Lawal-Igioh.

According to him, “Nigerians asked him (Buhari) to appoint people who can work with him and he can only appoint people he knows. If he fails by appointing a United Nation they will say it was his fault, they ought to have known. But he is now picking people he has tremendous trust in their ability.’’

So those criticizing him should let him do his work. If at the end of four years he did not perform, then Nigerians have another opportunity to either say carry on or stop.

On the issue of one hundred days in office, Dr Ogbemudia asserted that “First and foremost, Buhari was elected for a four year tenure and in the programme of events which led to the elections, at no time was hundred days mentioned. That they are being done in the past was perhaps a persuasive authority but that does not mean that everybody should keep to it. A programme well thought out to bring Nigeria back to the line of development, the line of security and so on, planning alone takes more than a hundred days.”

100 days in office: Lagos legislators commend Buhari

By Ebun Sessou Commendations for President Muhammadu Buhari on his 100 days in office have come from two members of the Lagos State House of Assembly. They are Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, representating Ikorodu Constituency I, and who is also the Majority Leader of the House, and Hon. Moshood Oshun representing Lagos Mainland Constituency II. Speaking exclusively to Saturday Vanguard, Hon. Agunbiade said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has shown himself as a man of substance who is truthful on his electoral promises.”

He insisted that one of the things the President said during the campaign was that he would fight corruption to standstill, and that the major challenge Nigeria had was insecurity. “He (Buhari) has travelled to countries including Chad, Cameroun and the United States of America, trying to find solution to insurgency in Nigeria.

He has created multi-national guard to combat Boko Haram.”

In his comments, Hon. Oshun shared similar views with Hon. Agunbiade. He said the President had fulfulled his electoral promises, and that he was optimistic that the President would balance his appointments. “Honestly, the President has set the ball rolling”, he said. “During the campaign, he promised to tackle some issues relating to the economy, insecurity and corruption and that is what he is doing. He has met with many African leaders and heads of communities on how to tackle Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

Speaking further, Hon. Oshun said, “a vessel was seized by security personnel recently as some people wanted to use it to steal about 100,000 litres of fuel. I can’t remember the last time we heard of such seizure in Nigeria, but now there are so many checks and balances in place. We are now talking about subsidy and so many things, which shows that somebody is working. PMB is not corrupt; he cannot be bribed

Treat corps members with respect, Ani urges NYSC staff

By Caleb Ayansina

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TAFF members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been urged to accord special dignity and respect to corps members as they constitute major stakeholders of the scheme.

The Director, Corps Mobilization, Anthony Ani, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen, said the presence of corps members is what differentiates the scheme from other civil service jobs.

“The NYSC staff is different from other civil servants because while the later handle files only, the former handle both files and human beings. The corps member you see today is the president of tomorrow, we should therefore treat them with dignity and respect” he added.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—11

President Buhari ordered the relocation of military command to Maiduguri.

The courageous and visionary decision took the war against terrorism right to the door steps of Boko Haram

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

T

his weekend marks the 100 days in office for the new

administration of President Mohammdu Buhari. Has it been a cacophony of cheers and jeers? How has the country fared under the new regime? Has change come to Nigeria or still in the air? This account attempts to answer the questions: He is not your usual C M Y K

The milestones president who joins the bandwagon. He is different and calculative in his approach to issues. In fact, the idea of standing out from his predecessors informed his political interest. He had been there before but through a military exercise. That era was short lived.

But even at that, he left footprints and sound bites that still resonate till today.

Recall the WAI Programme,

War Against Indiscipline.

Recall also the refineries he built. But as the years rolled past, greater artificial harm was unleashed on the legacies, plunging the country into some social miasmas. Then, he became worried, greatly worried again.

But he remembered he can still make a change. And so, relaunched himself into political limelight. While others rushed to the

“elitist” political parties, he chose to be in the opposition party. And so, the political voyage began.

In 2003, he ran for president on the platform of the defunct All Nigerians People’s Party but failed in the election. That was just a test of the waters. He soldiered on and ran again in 2007 but also failed. He never relented.

In 2011, he formed his own political party,

Congress for Progressives Change, CPC and also failed to make it. Suddenly, there came a need for a conglomeration of some opposition political parties.

And the big party, All Progressives Congress, APC was born in 2013. On this platform, President Mohammdu Buhari won the 2015 presidential election on the hysteria of “change”.

For upward 12 years he sought the Nigeria’s presidency, he also decried the gutter level the social, political and economic systems had taken. He bemoaned the dilapidation of infrastructure, education, health service, the perennial epileptic nature of the electricity, the dearth of jobs and then came to one conclusion: corruption and the ineptitude of the previous governments especially the immediate past regime.

While he campaigned, he was very loud on the blow he intended to drop on corruption. He also made emphatic promises of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed but employable youth in Nigeria. And then, the hydra- headed problem of insecurity.

With these promises, he traversed the length and breath of the country.

Eventually, Nigerians preferred him to the former tenant of the Aso Presidential Villa, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of the now opposition People’s Continues on page 11

12— SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 Continues from page 11 Democratic Party, PDP.

The Foreign Reserve has improved to $31.5bn USD in spite of the falling global prices of commodities.

From an initial $29.2bn USD the Foreign Reserve grew to $31.5, further securing the economy against global and domestic shocks

C M Y K

Foreign visits Sworn in on May 29, President Mohammadu Buhari set to work almost immediately in his own way. First, he visited the Niger Republic. Then Chad Republic, the G7 meeting in Berlin, Germany, the African Union Meeting in South Africa and the Republic of Cameron.

Thereafter, he visited the United States of America, USA, again Cameroon and the Benin republic, thereby rounding off his collaboration seeking tours within the African, lake Chad sub-region.

One thing informed his tours and the participation in the meetings: finding lasting solution to the menace of insecurity occasioned by the Boko haram insurgency in Nigeria, stamping out corruption and evolving virile economy for jobs creation.

At the home front, president Buhari had been busy distilling dirt from the gamut of the nation’s civil service by taking systematic briefings from Permanent Secretaries Ministries and other heads of agencies. And so far, the results have been encouraging.

Cocksure of his targets, the president has also made some deliberate political appointments into various offices such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF amongst others, Though many saw lopsidedness in the appointments, many others said the development may have heralded a new road to change as they expressed more than a passing confidence in the team to deliver.

Most importantly, all those had happened within the period of his first 100 days in office.

Yes, the president may not have given the specifics of what to achieve within the time frame, he has sure reached some laudable milestones.

Articulated by the media office of the presidency, the following below show that president Buhari had been at work since his assumption of office.

Security *President Buhari ordered the relocation of military command to Maiduguri. The courageous and visionary decision took the war against terrorism right to the door steps of Boko Haram *The President championed the creation of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which will create a ring around terrorists with the cooperation of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin. The Lake Chad Basin Commission military deployment has already attracted donations, military platforms and more shared intelligence *To further give a bite to the Multinational Joint Task Force, President Buhari ordered the release of $21m to facilitate the establishment of the

headquarters of the force in N’Djamena *The United States also pledged $5 million to the fight against Boko Haram, in addition to other material support. *President Buhari altered the strategy against Boko Haram by changing the service chiefs, and ensuring that the entire operation gets daily monitoring with the military heads now based in

Maiduguri. *Following the President’s visit to Germany, where he attended a meeting on the invitation of the G-7, world leaders opened a new leave of diplomatic relationship with Nigeria, promising technical and material support to quell Boko Haram, and rebuild the Nigerian economy. *To strengthen the nation’s security architecture, President Buhari approved the recruitment of 10, 000 into the Nigerian Police. This will complement the President’s vision of building a robust and responsive domestic security outfit.

Economy *At the outset of his administration, President Buhari approved an intervention to pay all the public servants owed salaries across the states due to fall in revenue sharing. The President’s intervention was principally to alleviate the suffering of many Nigerians and reduce the level of poverty. *Apart from the intervention, the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee witnessed a substantial jump in the month of July, 2015, largely due to the plugging of leakages. The jump was in spite of fall in oil revenue. *Electricity has improved significantly since the President assumed office on May 29, 2015. The 4,600 megawatts has ensured longer hours of electricity and lesser power cuts. *The Foreign Reserve has improved to $31.5bn USD in spite of the falling global prices of commodities. From an initial $29.2bn USD the Foreign Reserve grew to $31.5, further securing the economy against global and domestic shocks. *The change in the leadership of the NNPC was

a major stride in restructuring the organization. The appointment of a new Group Managing Director and the slice of Executive Directors from eight to four by the President had repositioned the organization. *Closely linked, some refineries in the country had started operations. Warri and Port Harcourt refineries had started operation at 60 percent capacity, hoping to close-up after a Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) *Fuel queues have gradually faded around the country, especially in Abuja and Lagos where the queues lasted for a while after the inauguration *President Buhari ordered a fast-track of Ogoni cleanup, acting on a United Nations Environmental Project Report that had been long delayed by previous administrations. *To further demonstrate his penchant for fairness and justice, the President directed the CBN to clear all the outstanding allowances of former militants studying in various institutions across the world. The delay in payment of allowances had left the entire Amnesty Programme hanging on a cliff. *President Buhari also salvaged the Amnesty Programme from near collapse by changing the leadership, and giving it a new vision of catering for the weak, the poor and the vulnerable, instead of enriching a few. A move that was well received by the people in the Niger-Delta. *President Muhammadu Buhari has ruled out the appointment of a government delegation for this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

By this decision, the government saved about one million U.S dollars and N30m in local expenses.

Corruption *Striking at the heart of corruption, President Buhari ordered the closure of all multiple accounts in MDAs and a reduction to the use of Single Treasury Account to promote transparency and accountability. *After three days in the United States, President Buhari was able to harmonize the relationship with the United States, which faltered greatly under the previous administration.

*As a fallout of the visit, the United States has promised more support for Nigeria in terms of technical, military and intelligence support to nail insurgency in the north east. *The United States has also released evidence of massive looting and links of monies wired out of the country to the President in the United States. The President has directed prosecution. *The meeting in the United States also attracted N2.7 trillion investments into the country. *On corruption, the impression of the President as incorruptible and the fear of prosecution pushed many to return stolen public funds, with reports saying key actors in the previous government have returned huge sums of money. *The President set up an advisory committee on war against corruption to design an effective template for fighting corruption *President Buhari’s leadership has been religiously focused on cutting down the

cost of governance while channeling scarce resources to the areas of priority, thus, government’s official travels have been reviewed so that public officers no longer embark on frivolous foreign trips. *President Buhari cancelled oil swap deals that had cost the country billions of dollars; resulted in fuel queues due to

differences in figures and muddled the country’s reputation due to multiple interpretations and reported high level corruption. *The total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2015 recorded a 2.57 percent growth, says data on Quarterly Gross Domestic Product estimates of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics. *In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 90.20 percent to the nation’s overall GDP, marginally higher than both the 89.55 percent

share recorded in the first quarter of 2015, and 89.24 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2014.

A

julo who is a Legal Practitioner, Law Lecturer and Founder/Chairman, Egalitarian Mission for Africa, said, regardless of what the army of praisesingers, in whose eyes the president can do no wrong, may say, it is in tune with globally acceptable best practices to evaluate his performance as president after 100 days in office.

The Labour Party scribe said the following about the President, assessing his performance on three key campaign promises :

While most Nigerians want to see a Nigeria in which corruption has become a past tense and probity is established as a replacement for corrupt and opaque practices, many have accused the president of waging a heavily biased anticorruption war in which only members of the opposition are being hounded and witchhunted by the law enforcement agencies C M Y K

SECURITY Nigerians would agree that the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east remains the most dreadful threat confronting the nation.

Unconfirmed reports state that over twenty thousand people have been killed since 2010. Reuters, an international news wire service, reported in August that about four hundred thousand Nigerians live as refugees in camps in Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. The National Emergency Management Agency also estimated the number of displaced persons who have sought refuge in the camps that have been established across Northern Nigeria running into several hundreds of thousands.

“During campaign, Candidate Buhari promised to address the insurgency squarely and firmly, and within six months, put an end to the activities of the extremist sect across the North-east. It is also on record that six weeks to the election, renewed counterinsurgency operations began to bear fruit as the insurgents were routed on every side by the nation’s security forces who had received much needed arms and ammunition to successfully prosecute the war against terrorism.

“It was therefore a huge shock to all Nigerians when after the May 29inauguration, the Boko Haram enacted a comeback, hitting at the nation with unprecedented ferocity. June and July 2015 witnessed perhaps even more wanton spillage of blood and senseless murder of Nigerians by the terrorists than the preceding months. Even more surprising to Nigerians was the president’s declaration of his willingness to negotiate with the insurgents in the name of seeking peace.

Nigerians are now left to wonder if the promise to end insurgency is just one of those “little white lies” that politicians love to tell the electorate when they are still seeking votes.

While the appointment of seemingly capable officers as service chiefs generated

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—13

Buhari’s failures

by Labour Party’s Ajulo

National Secretary, Labour Party, LP, Olukayode Ajulo has scored President Buhari very low in his 100 days in office

•Olukayode Ajulo enthusiasm and hope across the nation, Nigerians are yet to record major victories in the war against Boko Haram.”

CORRUPTION On Corruption, Ajulo said, “President Buhari is renowned as a person whose anti-corruption stance is legendary. In fact, it was based on the strength of this reputation that many eligible voters cast their votes for the APC during the presidential polls. “If Nigerians do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria”, is a statement attributed to him during the campaign season. The APC painted a picture of the utopian environment devoid of corruption that candidate Buhari would establish in Nigeria if voted him in as president.

Nigerians did just that, and the question today is “what have we to show for it?”

“While most Nigerians want to see a Nigeria in which corruption has become a past tense and probity is established as a replacement for corrupt and opaque practices, many have accused the president of waging a heavily biased anti-corruption war in which only members of the opposition are being hounded and witch-hunted by the law enforcement agencies. Many have also wondered why certain dubious characters who have huge allegations of corruption and looting hanging over their heads have continued to enjoy the privileges that come with

being ‘buddies’ with the president.

“No doubt the erstwhile comatose law enforcement agencies appeared to have been somewhat reenergized and we are regaled with tales of probes upon probes and discoveries of acts of grand looting in government agencies, the thrust of these agencies appear prejudiced and is reminiscent of the President Obasanjo administration in which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) appeared to be the president’s personal assault dog for dealing with perceived foes. With President Buhari, the nation has been awash with probes, DSS/EFCC busts and media trials in which ministers and allies of former president Goodluck Jonathan have been tried and convicted on the pages of newspapers without any single recourse to prosecution in the law courts. It appears that a new trend of trying persons in the media has arrived in this season of change.

“On the other hand, persons perceived to be largely corrupt in the ruling APC seem to have gotten a pass on the many allegations levelled at them so much so that a chieftain who has an eleven billion naira fraud case in court has recently clinched the APC gubernatorial ticket to contest in his state election.

Is this the change that Nigerians voted for?”

ECONOMY

In the area of Economy, the Labour Party National Secretary said, “Despite dwindling oil prices, one of the victories scored by the Goodluck Jonathan administration is the rise of the nation’s economic profile such that it was widely acknowledged that Nigeria became Africa’s biggest economy under erstwhile President Jonathan. The threats of insecurity were not even enough to rob investors of their confidence as many still made their way to Nigeria to invest. Nissan Motors opened an assembly plant in 2014 while several other companies commenced operations in the nation, creating job opportunities for many.

However, given the large population of unemployed, there was more work to be done. Seizing the opportunity, the APC promised to attack the problem of unemployment with gusto and to shore up the nation’s dwindling earnings by seeking alternative revenue sources.

“It was therefore disheartening to learn that the stock market has suffered a rather steep fall under the new administration and that investors have lost confidence due to the badly thought-out directives being issued out from the Presidency. One such directives has to do with access to foreign currencies as implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“The unwarranted delay in appointing ministers to head the different ministries and the attendant one-man show being enacted by President Buhari has all but stagnated the economy while also placing many Nigerians under untold hardship. The recourse to working with permanent secretaries is an obvious set-back to governance procedure as there is a set limit to actions executable by permanent secretaries in these ministries. To many, the attitude and body language of President Buhari are proof of his insensitivity and they reveal that he is out of tune with the socio-economic realities of the present-day Nigeria.”

Continues on page 15

14— SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

BY HENRY UMORU & LIVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC was elected the President of the country, March 28 having defeated the incumbent, former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the party that governed the Nigeria for sixteen years.

He was then inaugurated May 29, now making 100 days of President Buhari in office. Only last week Thursday, he appointed Abba Kyari as his Chief of Staff; Babachir Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF; Senator Ita Enang as Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly in charge of the Senate; Suleiman Kawu, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly in charge of House of Representatives; Kure Abeshi as Comptroller General, Immigration and Col. Hameed Ali as Comptroller General, Customs.

Prior to Thursday, the president had made previous appointments and they are his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, South-West; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu; Director-General of the Department of State Security Services, DSS, Lawal Daura; Acting Chairman, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari; Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu; AccountantGeneral of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris; Ahmed Lawan Kuru, Managing Director, Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON; William Fowler as the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS; and Professor Umaru Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. He had also appointed Abdulrahman Mani as Chief Security Officer; Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure as State Chief of Protocol, Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure; and Lt.-Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar as his Aide De Camp.

These appointments have been made by President Buhari even though he was yet to officially announce his ministerial list, thereby leaving the permanent secretaries as acting heads C M Y K

Bamanga Tukur, Haliru Bello, Okorie, others speak

•Tukur of ministries at this time, even though there are limitations to their capacities to approve policy issues, particularly on security matters.

The appointments made so far have attracted criticisms instead of galvanising the country towards an expected course to rebuild Nigeria as charted in APC’s manifesto.

But governance is not only about political appointments.

And against the backdrop of using 100 Days as a veritable way of appraisal and a very useful parameter for gauging presidential effectiveness, Saturday Vanguard sought to ask Nigerians especially politicians of their views so far of President Buhari’s 100 days in office on whether or not, he has addressed some of the aspirations of the people.

Buhari means well and needs time – Bamanga Tukur

On Buhari’s 100 days in office, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur said, “ running Nigerian government is more complex than running a marriage with so many wives, believe me sincerely.

You have to accept that change is not instant. It comes, they were not sure that they would get the mandate for that change.

There are so many things you may not be prepared for before that change came. And now they are in the front burner, certainly you need time to do things.

“I think it is good to address issues when you really understand the circumstances. It would be unwise for me if I do the same thing. It is not to hit

•Mohammed the ground running. It is not what I can do, let’s be fair. But of course any opposition is like that. If you take my wife would you expect me to say you are doing well with her?

“If you take my wife people will say all sorts of things. Some will say ‘do you know what my wife was doing before you took her away?’ Many may not be informed about what happened but they will still be talking. So I think the idea is that we should give Buhari a chance because he means well. He wants a straight forward Nigeria with zero tolerance for corruption. You cannot expect him in 100days to do and undo.

“After all he even made some of the important appointments only last week. So who is going to sit down to even analyze your papers and advise on what should follow. So I appeal to you media to support all the good things that are happening. Not that bad things will not happen. But first go for things that will make us benefit from the change that he is bringing.”

It’s no longer business as usual – National Youth Council President

In his contribution, President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere said, “the most important thing about the presidency of Buhari within 100 days is the fact that It is no longer business as usual. The biggest achievement is that there is a strong will and direction .The president has set the stage for foundational governance reforms that will restore a prosperous Nigeria. The declaration of war against corruption is a huge achievement already.

Nigerian youths are proud of him.”

Let the people judge – Former Defence minister-

Former Acting National Chairman of PDP and past Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed said, “I would rather allow the people who voted for “change” to judge. Is this the kind of change they voted for?”

The journey to reshape Nigeria has just started— Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, mmediate past

member of House of Representatives from Rivers State “I think that in 100 days the journey to reconstruct or reshape Nigeria has started and we are seeing positive signs. There’s been a lot of clean, and a lot of attention paid to details, especially given the rot in the system and efforts by those who raped Nigeria to cover their tracks, to create the impression that Buhari and the APC have no road map. There is relative calm, in my opinion, in the Northeast when compared with what we used to see.

“Electricity supply is gradually stabilizing across the country while our local refineries are steadily feeding the Nigerian people with petroleum products.

At least, the oil businessmen and their associates who hid behind subsidy, equalisation, round tripping and all to wreck our country are being shut out.

“Our nation is being taken seriously within the international community

Continues on page 15

There’s been a lot of clean, and a lot of attention paid to details, especially given the rot in the system and efforts by those who raped Nigeria to cover their tracks, to create the impression that Buhari and the APC have no road map

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—15

Buhari’s ffailures ailures bbyy Labour PPar ar ty’s Ajulo arty’s Continues from page 13 On National Unity and Integration and Buhari’s 100 days in office, Ajulo said, “One of the charges levelled against candidate Buhari in the run-up to the presidential polls was that he was too sectional to be a fair and just president.

While perceived as a religious bigot, others claimed that he was a dyedin-the-wool tribalist whose main reason for seeking elective office as president was to implement the socalled Northern Agenda.

“A cursory glance at the geo-political spread of the appointments made by President Buhari so far appears to imbue these claims with a form of validity. Although the president declared during his inauguration that “I belong to nobody, and I belong to everybody”, his statements after inauguration in which he opined that Nigerians can hardly expect that he would treat regions that voted overwhelmingly for him in the same manner as he would treat those who rejected him with their votes, show that the president would exhibit pure bias in his leadership of the nation and disbursement of resources.

The recent appointments announced by the Presidency bear witness to

•Ajulo this.

“It is nothing but a mockery of our aspirations to be a truly united nation in the face of our unique tribal, ethnic and religious diversity that the president would show blatant preference to one region over and above other regions in a federating unit like ours. What message are other tribes expected to get from such actions? It is unfortunate that in a uniquely fractured environment like ours where the terrain appears seeded with tribal cum religious suspicions, the elected president would proceed to take actions that are primed to further fracture the nation and validate the fears of the majority.

“What Nigerians expect, what they voted for is a

leader who would unite the nation and foster a spirit of belongingness across tribal and religious lines; Nigerians would not settle for anything less. We have had enough of sectarianism, nepotism and tribalism. It is time to demand that President Buhari exemplify not just through reputation or rhetoric but in deeds, the integrity for which he is renowned.

“On the whole, one is left to wonder if President Buhari, his good intentions notwithstanding, has taken upon himself a responsibility too huge to bear in his goal to fix Nigeria. That common saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” is very instructive here, and the president would do well to take the agitations of the people to heart. The tell-tale signs are everywhere as there is growing discontent, even amongst his army of supporters and well-wishers.

His own party chieftains appear befuddled by the president’ choices and actions daily. These signs are ominous ones, and we would do well to heed them.

“While it is true that it is still early to dismiss this administration as we are yet in the “morning time” of President Buhari’s tenure, another common saying amongst the Yorubaspeaking people of the Southwest opines that “oju to ba

ma ba ni kale, ko ni f’aro s’epin” loosely meaning that “if one’s eyes would stand the test of time, it wouldn’t ooze discharge or pus prematurely”. Now is the hour to begin to inquire if President Buhari’s much touted integrity would stand him in good stead in his bid to make Nigeria great once again.

“Let it be known however, that a criticism of the president’s performance so far is no way an admission of angst against the person of the president. It is an incontrovertible fact that democracies need active opposition to thrive, and loyalty to one’s nation should always supercede loyalty to personalities.

Indeed without an active opposition, the democratic system cannot work, citizens are robbed of choices and the government is less accountable to the people.

“It is the duty of every citizen to beam a searchlight on every step taken by government to ensure that the government delivers on its pledges and promises.

Most critics of this administration are driven by a fierce love for the nation; for me, it is nothing personal, and my interventions are inspired by a desire to see President Buhari succeed thereby alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians across the land.

God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Bamanga TTuk uk ur orie, other ukur ur,, Haliru Bello, Ok Okorie, otherss speak Continues from page 14 and I understand the naira is doing even better now against the dollar than was the case under the era of Jonathan.

VICTOR OGENE

PMB’s time-tested integrity has propelled the West, particularly America, Britain, and Germany to support the government’s loot recovery efforts—Hon. Victor Ogene, immediate past member of House of Representatives from Anambra State.

“Although PMB had forewarned everyone that he is not enamoured by the frenzy of 100 days in office celebration, we can, as individuals, groups, and indeed as a nation, cast a backward glance at where we are coming from and where we are, three months after, with PMB on the saddle.

“Added to other cost savings initiatives already been implemented by the administration, strong foundations are indeed laid towards making the country great again. One can go on and on enumerating the C M Y K

•Okorie solid steps currently been undertaken to ensure that never again would underhand dealings be accorded a pride of place as in the recent past. In fact, if really the morning aptly tells the day, then 100 days after the current administration came on board, Nigerians can begin to rejoice, in the firm knowledge that, indeed, positive change has dawned on the country.”

First 100 days eventful but with lopsided political appointments —Dr.

•Ogene

Chief Okorie, National Chairman, United Progressives Party, UPP. “The first 100 days of President Muhammadu Buhari have been very eventful with very exciting developments. There is now a solid foundation for effective takeoff of governance that is typically Buhari style of Governance.

There is a new and improved culture and attitude to work that is evolving.

“There is increased

efficiency in social and utility services such that everybody can now say that electricity supply has improved beyond immediate expectation.

Attitude to work especially in the ministries and agencies have reached a point where it will appear that the personality of the president has engendered increased output.

“The main part of that defence that it will be corrected in future is an admission of the fact that what has been done is definitely lopsided. I find it awkward, the position of the Government trying to justify what has been done.

I will conclude by saying that president Buhari is a human being and is subject to advise and therefore bound to make mistakes; and Nigerians have not done badly in pointing out the danger in what he is pursuing.

It is now left for him to prove that he is sensitive to public opinion. As a good leader which I presume he is, he should be sensitive and reduce any aspect of suspicion or fear by any section of the country.”

The first 100 days of President Muhammadu Buhari have been very eventful with very exciting developments

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

BY FEMI ADESINA

S

When a new sheriff comes into town, disorder gives way to order.

Chaos flees.

Impunity is swept away.

Laxity gives way to diligence, and people change their old, unedifying ways. When you have a Wild, Wild West situation prevailing, the new sheriff comes, and stamps his authority. Old things then pass away, behold, everything becomes new C M Y K

ome call it the Buhari bounce. Others describe it as the Buhari effect.

Yet some others say it is the Buhari aura. One thing is however crystal clear. Things have not been the same in the past 100 days in Nigeria, since Muhammadu Buhari assumed the presidency. A new sheriff has truly come to town.

Exactly 100 days ago, he climbed the podium at Eagle Square in Abuja and got inaugurated as president, 30 years after he had been toppled from power as military head of state. He promised to belong to nobody, and to belong to everybody. It is a pledge that still resonates loudly today, and will surely echo for a long time to come.

On a day like this, you would expect a presidential spokesman to chronicle the achievements of his principal in office. He has turned stone to bread, slain the dragon, and climbed Mount Olympus in ten seconds. But that is not what I want to do. There are some intangible, almost imperceptible achievements, but which run very deep, and are quite fundamental. Those are the ones I’ll rather talk of, while we leave the tangibles till some other day.

Oh, he’s escaping. There are no concrete achievements, some wailing wailers would cry. True? Not true. I could have decided to focus on the bloody nose being given to Boko Haram in the Northeast, which would see the country rid of insurgency soon, the rallying of leaders of other neighboring countries to deploy a Joint Multinational Task Force, the openness displayed about government finances and the welfare package instituted for states that couldn’t pay salaries, the Treasury Single Account, which would promote transparency and accountability in governance, the disappeared fuel queues, fast-tracking of the cleanup of Ogoni land, reduction in the cost of governance, and many others. But I will not focus on all those. The day cometh!

When a new sheriff comes into town, disorder gives way to order. Chaos flees.

Impunity is swept away.

Laxity gives way to diligence, and people change their old, unedifying ways. When you have a Wild, Wild West situation prevailing, the new sheriff comes, and stamps his authority. Old things then pass away, behold, everything becomes new.

Nigeria had always needed attitudinal change. That was why the Buhari regime launched War Against Indiscipline in the 1980s. And the war was succeeding, till a spanner was thrown in the works through regime change.

Buhari was called all sorts of names then: despot, tyrant, iron fist ruler etc But the discerning knew. They understood that it was a change we needed. And that change was postponed for 30 years.

But what is bred in the bones never goes out through the flesh. Immediately Buhari returned on May 29, Nigerians knew that discipline was back. The bird of the homestead told the ones in the bush, and they all sat up. No

A new Sheriff is in town Some people say the sheriff did not hit the ground running, as he is yet to constitute his cabinet in 100 days. And I usually ask such people: when you hit the ground, and you land in mud, how do you begin to run immediately? You can only sink deeper, if you attempt to run. The thing to do is to first clear the mud, till you get to terra firma, and then you can begin to run.

unnecessary chirping. Stealing is now corruption, they whispered to themselves. God help you if you get caught.

Now, consider the situation with electricity and with our refineries. Electricity has climbed to about 5,000 Megawatts. Some refineries, which had not produced a drop of fuel for years, have cracked into life. Even the perennial queues in our petrol stations have disappeared, vanished. Is it because Buhari threw billions of dollars at the problems? No. Those things simply responded to the presence of the new sheriff in town. Those who manned those schedules could afford to be laid back in the past. But not anymore! The music has changed, and the dance steps must follow suit. And would Buhari take credit for the newfound zeal and efficiency?

Not the plain and honest man from Daura. The broadcaster Omotayo Omotoso had come to the presidential villa to interview him sometime in July. And she had asked what the magic wand he waved was, that refineries, long comatose, had sprang back to life. The President responded that it would be dishonest of him to have claimed he did anything. He had not touched refineries at all. But unknown to the President, he did something. He had swept into town with his reputation for efficiency, and for achieving results. And the refineries, fuel supply, electricity supply, responded to the new sheriff. May things continue to get better till the change becomes enduring and irreversible. Amen somebody!

Another imperceptible but momentous achievement is the faith that Nigerians now have in their leader. Yes, the opposition numbers in millions, and naturally so. A political party had held power at the centre for 16 years, and its loyalists would not simply disappear, or get converted overnight. About 12 million Nigerians had voted for the presidential candidate of that party in the March 2015 general elections. Would they just cross over to the winning side? It often takes awhile.

But despite all that, a great deal of Nigerians, a vast majority, believe in the new sheriff. And that is great achievement. A big deal.

When the citizenry believe in their leader, and almost can swear by him, it is no mean feat. The NOI polls, in a survey in July, revealed that over 70% of Nigerians were happy with the Buhari administration. And I can bet that the percentage would rise, as the months and years roll by. Faith in leadership is something that does not come cheap.

And this one! Even our foreign reserve knows that a new sheriff is in town, and has responded appropriately.

In June, just one month into office, and with the plugging of some leakages and loopholes, foreign reserve surged from $29 billion to $31.89. Holy Moses! Just in one month. Well, that is what a new sheriff can do. He brings sanity, confidence and probity to the system. And you would agree that Nigeria needs such shot in the arm, if

we consider recent past experiences, when our treasury was like a bag filled with holes.

An evidence of the believability of the new sheriff, and the confidence reposed in him, is the disclosure that came this week from Ambassador Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power.

He said since Buhari came to office, not a single sabotage of the power infrastructure has been recorded, and it is one of the reasons that electricity supply keeps improving. But did Buhari line up soldiers across the power infrastructure? Did he hire a combination of OPC, Egbesu, MASSOB, MEND and Arewa youths to keep vigil? No. Just believability. Those who are so angry with the country, and would go to any extent to sabotage development, have decided to give the sheriff a chance. They have heard of his reputation. A man that believes in fairness and justice. He would do right to all parts of the country.

Can you imagine the respect our sheriff commands on the international scene, and how it redounds to the glory of the average Nigerian? American President, Barack Obama said Buhari came onto his job with reputation of integrity and a clearcut agenda. Ambassador Johnny Carson, also during the U.S trip in July, said the Nigerian President was a man of honour and integrity.

Everywhere he goes, the Nigerian President is lauded and garlanded for his virtues.

And the image of the country is burnished and repositioned in the process. Surely, greater days are ahead.

Some people say the sheriff did not hit the ground running, as he is yet to constitute his cabinet in 100 days. And I usually ask such people: when you hit the ground, and you land in mud, how do you begin to run immediately? You can only sink deeper, if you attempt to run. The thing to do is to first clear the mud, till you get to terra firma, and then you can begin to run.

President Buhari has spent time trying to clean the Augean stable he inherited.

And he is succeeding.

Sheriffs can either come in with guns blazing, shooting malefactors to kingdom come, or simply stamp their authority on the situation by sheer force of personality and presence.

The Nigerian sheriff seems to have opted for the second option for now. But we should never forget that sheriffs are licensed to shoot.

And those shots can be lethal for lawbreakers. In a matter of months, you can ask those who had bled our treasury to the point of death. They’ll have stories to tell.

.Adesina is Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—17

KADUNA: 100 days of controversy

BY AGAJU MADUGBA

F

or the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i, the past 100 days since he assumed office may have proved to be a mixed grill of activities with controversy trailing virtually all his actions so far. Apparently bracing the odds to implement his avowed project of rebuilding Kaduna, the Governor had within a few days into his administration sacked a number of permanent secretaries after reducing the number of ministries to 13, from the previous 24.

During his inauguration on May 29, 2015, El-Rufa’i made it clear that he was going to embark on certain reforms some of which he noted may not be pleasant but would be necessary in order to move the state forward.

“Kaduna State is in a difficult situation,” El-Rufa’i lamented, adding that “as soon as we have all the facts in the coming weeks, we shall lay bare to you just how deep a hole we have dug ourselves in the past several years”

El-Rufa’i’s decision to embark on the demolition of “illegal structures” has remained perhaps the most vexed topic of discussion across the state since the beginning of the adminstration.

Change initiatives Apart from downsizing the number of ministries and the sack of a number of permanent secretaries, the Governor has since embarked on biometric verification of civil servants in the state, a development which the state government says led to the unmasking of several ghost workers on its payroll. According to the government’s explanations, reduction in the number of ministries “is intended to cut costs, spur efficiency and improve service delivery.” Some of the initiatives may have begun to yield the desired results, for, according to the Governor, the decision to cut overheads spending by 60 per cent has put more money in government coffers. And, in more specific terms, in the months ahead, government is likely to save as much as N1.5 billion annually as a result of stopping government sponsorship of both Muslim and Christian pilgrimages. Moreover, according to him, the

•Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i

biometric verification of government workers reduced the number of ghost workers, saving additional N120 million.

Demolition of illegal structures El-Rufa’i’s decision to embark on the demolition of “illegal structures” has remained perhaps the most vexed topic of discussion across the state since the beginning of the adminstration. Speaking during his second town hall meeting, the Governor explained his decision as he argued that, “illegal structures built on Zaria Library, Alhudahuda College, Rimi College, Sardauna Memorial College and other schools will be demolished. Those who built such illegal structures are knowledgeable enough to know that encroaching on schools is prohibited.

There is no going back in pulling down such illegal structures, especially in our schools and hospitals.”

The Governor has also within the period taken steps to check the level of insecurity in the state, especially in Southern Kaduna where unidentified gunmen regularly launch attacks on some of the communities there. A former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), heads a committee to probe the incessant

killings.The Governor described the committee as part of government’s multi-dimensional approach in finding lasting solution to the killings in the area, dating as far back as 2011.

The Governor’s decision to ban street begging also equally attracted protests from beggars and other destitute, especially in Kaduna metropolis. The ban was imposed at the wake of the suicide attack on civil servants in Zaria during the biometric registration exercise.

APC government is on track, says PDP The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state says the APC government is on track, especially in terms of certain economic initiatives already put in place.

According to the Kaduna State PDP Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ibrahim Mansur, “the APC government has within about 100 days taken commendable measures to improve on the economy of the state. But the PDP condemns the decision to demolish what the government calls illegal structures. It is improper because you cannot just wake up overnight and start demolishing people’s property. The Governor should have put the blame

on previous administrations that gave the people the permission to build on the affected sites.”

El-Rufa’i’s critics ignorant, says Special Adviser A Special Adviser (Politics) to the Governor, Malam Uba Sani, believes that some of the people who are opposed to El-Rufa’i’s programmes are not conversant with the level of achievement of government within its first 100 days in office. According to him, “I think the issue of recovering some lands that belong to schools and hospitals in the state is a very straight forward one.

You will recall that during the campaign, Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’i promised he was going to make six things his priority, namely education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, security, youth and women empowerment. These sectors are the most important issues for this government. We believe education which is the bedrock of any society, should be given full attention. So, he decided to first of all create an enabling environment for our secondary school students in the state.

“Though the government has started making positive impact in many other areas, nobody is talking about them. People are busy making a lot of noise on the demolition. I expected people to commend the government on some of the things we have started doing, that are positive when it comes to educational development in the state. Nobody is talking about the move by the government to provide all the junior and senior secondary school children in the state with free and customized computers and tablets. Nobody is also talking about the free uniforms. They are not talking about the free education that this government has introduced from primary to junior secondary school. They are not talking about the free feeding for primary schools that we are about to start. We realized that the state also needs quality teachers; so after providing them with these things, they need to have quality teachers and in doing that, the government has decided to send the teachers for training and increase their salaries, which will be one of the best in the country.”

18—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Gov. Ugwuanyi’s 100 days of ser vice

BY LOUIS AMOKE

Governor for “showing transparency in governance” by directing that all the proud owners should emerge through an open ballot system.

T

To the civil servants in the state, it has been an experience worth praising God and thanking him for the gift of a leader whose solemn covenant with the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob and the awesome God of David is to render selfless service, touch the lives of the people positively and give them a sense of belonging.

here is no doubt that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s 100 days in the saddle as the governor of Enugu State has been a worthwhile experience to the people of the state and signposts a positive radiance for good governance and harmonious existence.

To the civil servants in the state, it has been an experience worth praising God and thanking him for the gift of a leader whose solemn covenant with the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob and the awesome God of David is to render selfless service, touch the lives of the people positively and give them a sense of belonging.

Consequently, September 1, 2015 is certainly not a day civil servants in Enugu State will forget in a hurry.

It was a day the Governor extended his spirit of goodwill, humility, simplicity, passion, vision and love to 100 lucky civil servants in the state, between grade-level 1-10, who won one bedroom apartment each at the Elim Estate for which his administration had paid 30 per cent equity contribution of the total cost of each flat,under its housing scheme for public servants.

Housing for civil servants To the lucky winners, it was a dream come true and a new dawn in the annals of the state’s vision towards motivating and improving on the welfare of the workers, for they got more than what they bargained for.

To the governor, it was in keeping faith with his promise to “recommit myself to deploying government resources towards employment generation, enhanced social services, good governance, rural development, security and justice in line with the 4point agenda and our broad policy of continuity and consolidation.”

It was also a fulfillment of a promise “to create fair and equal opportunity for every citizen to make a living, create wealth and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment.”

Prompt paymement of salaries In further demonstration of his love for the workers, it is

•Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

on record that the governor has remained resolute in his commitment to continue with the tradition of prompt payment of salaries and enhanced efforts to make the new State Secretariat Complex more efficient and comfortable for the workers.

It is heartwarming to note that the occasion of the handing over of keys of 100 one bedroom apartments acquired by the state government for civil servants in Enugu State was the second time it happened in the history of the country. Kudus must therefore go to the Governor for his vision, tenacity and wisdom to take such bold step aimed at improving the lots of the civil servants in the state.

According to the Developer of the Elim Estate, Rev. (Surv.)

Ugochukwu Chime, “Enugu State has broken the jinx 13 years after such housing scheme took place in Taraba State. I am confident that this programme which is a novelty will serve as an advocacy for other 35 states to emulate. I sincerely commend Gov. Ugwuanyi for keying into this initiative in less than 100 days in office to partner with the private sector to provide quality and affordable homes for the workers of Enugu State.”

It is also gladdening to note that the State Commissioner for Housing, Engr. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, equally thanked the

Project commission In furtherance of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s penchant for selfless service and good governance, it is also worthy of note that he has made other giant strides in his eventful 100 days in office. This could be better appreciated through the signposts of his remarkable achievements. These include: commissioning of 15km Inter-TownConnection (ITC) 2.5MVA Injection Sub-Station at EziNze in Udi Local Government Area that will provide electricity to communities across Udi, Uzo-Uwani and Igbo-Etiti Local Government Areas of the state; procurement of vehicles for security agencies; completion of the hitherto intractable Ogbete Main Market Entrance Road project, Enugu; continuation of rehabilitation work at Airport Roundabout/ Orie Emene/ St. Patrick’s College/Eke-Obinagu Road project; rehabilitation of roads in New Haven Mbanefo II (on -going); construction of drains, culverts, earthworks, asphaltic wearing course at Ugwogo Nike Ikem Road (on-going); foundationlaying stone for a 200-bed ultra-modern Specialist Hospital at Amalla, Orba in Udenu Local Government Area; site and services of Trinity Housing Estate by Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ENHDC), located along old Airport Road, Enugu in line with the Governor’s campaign promise to provide quality and affordable housing estates in the state.

New economic policies Others include: constitution of an Economic Advisory Committee to advise government on best economic policies that will engender sustainable growth and development for the state to navigate through the adverse effects of the negative development in the nation’s economy; setting-up of a committee on Nsukka Urban Renewal as part of his vision for the development of new cities in the state; commencement of the bidding process for the

construction of eight rural and urban roads across the state; 95 per cent completion of massive construction works on the new Government House Complex (Lion Building), Enugu; quick resolution of the six-month judiciary strike impasse in the state; approval for the immediate release of funds for the active participation of the state in the implementation of the N2 billion staple crop processing zone (SCPZ); and agricultural programme of the African Development Bank/Federal Government of Nigeria.

The fund will be used for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Adani Irrigation scheme, provision of infrastructure, feeder roads and schools among others. Other policies are constitution of an 11-man Committee on Local Government Staff Audit and Biometrics Data Capturing Exercise, to audit staff and other related matters in the Local Government Councils; constitution of an 8-man Administrative Committee on the Completion of Enugu State Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) projects in the primary schools of Enugu State; renovation and equipping of the sickbay and two classroom blocks at Queen’s School, Enugu; renovation of the Deputy Governor’s Office (on-going); renovation of the Magistrate Court, Enugu (on-going); procurement of 20 (twenty) tractors for mechanized agriculture; procurement of 10 braille machines, jaw readers, desktop computers and other accessories for visually impaired students of the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu; numerous humanitarian gestures and social responsibility engagements in schools, hospitals, churches, markets such as donation of N5 million to University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/ Ozalla, Enugu State in support of open heart surgery for children; payment of hospital bills for 21 indigent patients who were held back after treatment due to their inability to pay their bills at ESUTH, Parklane Hospital, Enugu, among others.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that 100 days down the line, Gov. Ugwuanyi has hit the ground running and has set the stage for the advancement of good governance and socioeconomic emancipation of the state in line with his campaign promises. It is therefore, the responsibility of Enugu people to give him the support to do more!

*Amoke, is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—19

Okowa’s 100 days split Deltans

BY EMMA AMAIZE, Regional Editor, South-South

A

SABA- THERE is a mixed reaction in Delta State on the first 100 days of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as Governor of the oilrich state.

The governor, his deputy, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, chair in the state, Chief Henry Uzor, the Obi of Owa Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Efeizomor and others believe the government is on course.

However, executive director of the Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, Warri, Delta State, Barrister Oghenjabor Ikimi, Jesutega Onokpasa Esq and a considerable number think otherwise.

In a post on his Facebook page, the governor exuded satisfaction with his administration’s target to create 6,000 direct employment every six months through the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme, YAGEP and Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, STEP, which had commenced with the first two batches already enrolled at Songhai-Delta, Amukpe

Okowa, Otuaro impressed with strides In a post on his Facebook page, the governor exuded satisfaction with his administration’s target to create 6,000 direct employment every six months through the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme, YAGEP and Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, STEP, which had commenced with the first two batches already enrolled at Songhai-Delta, Amukpe.

“When we advertised for people to en-roll for the programme, over seventy thousand youths applied and through a credible process, the first batch of over one thousand four hundred trainees were selected and have completed their first one week of intensive training preparatory to their being attached to relevant centres for them to acquire practical know-how on their chosen fields. Thereafter we will provide them with ‘starter pack,’ he enthused.

Okowa asserted, “We will monitor their progress and also allow them to keep constant touch with the job creation office in case they need clarification in their field of business”. I have appointed the Executive Secretary of the Vocational Skills Education Board and we are going ahead with the inauguration of other boards soon.

He also listed the amendment of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC Act, creation of Capital Territory Development Authority and Bill to introduce Contributory Health Insurance Scheme as part of measures taken by his administration to put the state back on the path of speedy development.

His deputy, Otuaro, who maintained that Okowa’s programme is encapsulated in his SMART agenda, said, “His Excellency’s vision for the state is encapsulated within his Prosperity for All Deltans mantra.. We are on course.

•Okowa

…Monarch too HRM, Obi Efeizomor expressed satisfaction with the governor’s steady steps, a view shared by PDP chair in the state, Chief Uzor.

Nothing to cheer - Ikimi Activist and lawyer, Ikimi, does not see anything impressive in Okowa’s administration in the last 100 days. He said, “My score card for Governor Okowa is low as it has been a 100 days of business as usual. To put it succinctly, Governor Okowa’s 100 days in office has been 100 days of commotion in the governance of the State, reminiscent of the television drama series, “Fuji house of commotion”.

His words, “In Governor Okowa’s first public outing after he was sworn in as governor, he addressed members of the State House of Assembly and in the process, intimated bewildered Deltans that his administration inherited a whopping debt profile of N637 billion. He called on them to be ready to make sacrifices necessary to put the state on the path of economic recovery. However, prior to the said visit, Governor Okowa had reportedly taken a loan of N10 billion from a commercial bank without the approval of the legislators.” “ Furthermore, the 97- man transition committee set up by Governor Okowa in its report among other things had put the number of civil commissioners in the erstwhile administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan at 33 while that of his special advisers, executive assistants and political aides were put at 165. However, within 100 days in office, Governor Okowa has appointed 12 civil commissioners as his first batch of commissioners in the state and another batch of 8 civil commissioners that are yet to be cleared by the state legislators.

“Within the above period, over 130 political aides either

as special advisers, special assistants, executive assistants, project directors and personal aides, including a 30- man advisory and peace committee headed by Professor Sam Oyovbaire, a former Minister of Information has been appointed by the incumbent Governor,” he asserted.

Bogus appointments He said, “A common feature of the above appointments made so far by Governor Okowa is that of duplicity of job description and functions that tell on public funds. For instance, Governor Okowa has a chief press secretary, a communications manager, four press secretaries, ie electronic media, social media, print media and community newspapers, all doing the same job of image laundering for the governor, while the State is saddled with a debt burden of N647 billion or more.”

“One is therefore at a loss as to what has informed these bogus appointments bearing in mind the present debt profile of state.

Are these appointments the necessary sacrifices the citizens of the state need to make to put their dear state on the part of economic recovery? Are the above bogus appointments indices to the economic recovery Governor Okowa talked about while addressing members of the state House of Assembly? The above appointments no doubt were merely done to provide jobs for the boys and not in the collective interest of the state,” he asserted.

Where is the road map?

His words, “At his inception in office, Governor Okowa sent three executive bills to the state House of Assembly for passage into Law. That is 1) A bill for a Law to establish the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, 2) A bill for a Law amending the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission and 3) A bill for the Law

establishing the Delta State Technical and Vocational Education.”

“These bills were passed by the State House of Assembly with supersonic speed. First, the passage of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency Law was retrogressive, sectional and a clannish piece of legislation meant to develop Asaba without recourse to other parts of the state. Governor Okowa since the passage of the above law has not told Deltans his blue print or his road map on how he intends to develop the other parts of the state.

“Recently while swearing in 12 civil commissioners and 5 special advisers in the state, Governor Okowa reiterated the fact that his administration has zero tolerance for disunity, sectionalism, and corruption in the State. Is the passage of the above legislation to develop Asaba without recourse to other parts of the State not sectional?

Ikimi added, “Secondly, the law amending the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) merely restructured the Commission like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). However, the problem with the Commission was far from that of mere restructuring, as the Commission was plagued with undue political interference.”

“Rather than insulate the Commission from politics by appointing seasoned technocrat to man same so that the developmental needs of host communities can be met, Governor Okowa resorted to appointing his party loyalists as the Commission’s board members, leaving the issue of political interference unresolved.

Mere catchphrase He said: “His five- point agenda with the acronym, SMART, is still a mere political slogan reminiscent of the former Governor Uduaghan’s three- point agenda as the blue print for the actualization of same is yet to be laid. For instance, one of the cardinal points of Governor Okowa’s five point agenda is job generation and creation.”

Uzor slams opponents Contrary to the position of Ikimi and Onokpasa, Chief Uzor said the SMART agenda was well-thought out to bring prosperity to Deltans and in expression of its resolve to meaningfully engage 6000 youths in six months, Okowa administration had rolled out the YAGEP, STEP, and Production and Processing Support Programme , PPSP. He also said the Okowa administration, in its determination to develop the state capital, has graciously created the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency to achieve this task without increasing the debt burden of

20— SA TURD AY 20—SA SATURD TURDA

Vanguard , SEPTEMBER 5 5, 2015

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

T

he 2015 April general elections have come and gone, but they left in their wake many campaign promises for which Nigerians are already demanding results.

Like every elected officeholder sworn in on May 29, 2015, today, September 5 marks the 100 days in office for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State.

Ambode, in his inaugural speech, had promised that his administration would practice inclusive governance different from what the state had witnessed in the last 16 years.

Promises made In his first meeting with Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Parastatals and Agencies, the Governor had disclosed his administration’s plan for civil service reform. He also announced the establishment of Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment as well as Offices of Civic Engagement and Overseas Affairs and Investment (LAGOS GLOBAL).

Managing disasters On June 2 and 6, Ambode was faced with two serious tanker explosions in IyanaIpaja and Idimu Local Council Development Areas. On June 7, the government set up a committee to look into various accidents involving fuel tankers with a view to curbing the menace.

Later, he scrapped the Finance and Administration Department in the State Civil Service and renamed it the Administration and Human Resource Department.

On June 18, Ambode visited some of the major traffic points in the metropolis, stating that his administration will provide solutions to traffic snarls in the state, just as he approved the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Ojodu Berger Bus Stop.

After several months of traffic gridlock, respite came to motorists on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway on June 28. Tankers and other heavy duty vehicles disappeared from the everbusy road on the governor’s instruction. He also set up a special taskforce to monitor traffic flow in the axis.

Local government reform On June 29, he constituted a 19-man committee, comprising seasoned public administrators to work out modalities for the reform of

Bold 100-day footprints of Ambode on Lagos Afriland Properties for the re-development of the Falomo Shopping Centre, Ikoyi. According to him, only N50 million was paid by the concessionaire, Afriland Properties, for a 50-year lease of the property belonging to the government.

On August 27, as part of efforts to ensure prompt payment of terminal entitlement, he presented bond certificates worth N2.2 billion as payment of retirement benefit to 658 retirees.

•Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

local government administration with the aim of meeting the aspirations of residents especially at the grassroots.

On July 3, he directed his deputy, Dr. Mrs. Oluranti Adebule to effect the immediate rehabilitation and provision of welfare assistance to Mrs. Ruth Uche, the mother of three set of twins whose husband absconded from their home in Agege, Lagos. Her husband, Mr. Benjamin Uche, was alleged to have absconded from home as a result of birth of another set of twins from his wife, making it the third in a row.

Governor Ambode’s directive followed newspaper publications which narrated the ordeal of the woman.

On July 7, Ambode presented cheques worth N30 million to the 243 enumerated residents and traders whose property and goods were destroyed in the Iyana-Ipaja and EgbeIdimu tanker explosions in Alimosho Local Government Areas of the state.

It was also disclosed that N9 million was returned into the government coffer from the N100 million released by the state government for the 2,000 victims of the fire disaster that gutted the Balogun Market in March 2015.

July 8, he ordered the State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and other Special Offenses to rid the state of miscreants and enforce the

law restricting street trading and begging in the state, particularly in Oshodi and environs.

The government also approved a new academic calendar for Lagos State University which was applauded by the students and the institution’s authorities.

Deep sea port construction On July 16, Ambode said construction work on the planned $1.5 billion Badagry Deep Seaport would possibly commence in September 2015. This came barely six days after the consortium for the project expected to be the largest deep sea port in Africa emerged.

August 9, Ambode disclosed that the total contributions by both government and corporate organizations to Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) have reached a total of N12 billion. Over N1 billion was however realised from cash donations from various corporate organisations and individuals, while others made commitments to provide security patrol vehicles and gadgets as well as technical know-how.

August 16, he announced the operation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government transactions in the state with effect from September 1, 2015.

August 19, Ambode revoked the concession granted by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) to

Projects commissioning August 28, Ambode commissioned the newly reconstructed multipurpose Onikan Youth Centre, Lagos Island Local Government, saying his administration would further introduce strategies to take the teeming unemployed youths off the streets of Lagos.

On August 31, as part of measures to enhance prompt response to emergency situations, Ambode commissioned 20 ambulances and 14 Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) into the existing fleet of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for public use.

Similarly, the Governor also handed over to police authorities in the state, 10 Hilux vehicles and 12 patrol motorcycles to boost effective and efficient policing.

On September 2, Lagos State announced the approval by the Governor to recruit 1,300 teachers into all public primary schools across the state in a bid to strengthen the quality of the Universal Basic Education Programme in the state.

On September 2, Ambode approved the release of undisclosed amount of money for indigenous cochlear implant surgery for 10 residents. The operation is being captured under a special programme dedicated to restoring the hearing ability of those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Not surprisingly, the Governor recently noted that in less than 100 days, his administration has been able to create an atmosphere for investors to look toward the direction of the state and for existing businesses to thrive.

Not surprisingly, the Governor recently noted that in less than 100 days, his administration has been able to create an atmosphere for investors to look toward the direction of the state and for existing businesses to thrive

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—21

President Buhari’s 100 days in office: Nigerians react effects of his ability soon. The probing of past administration is also necessary, it will serve as a deterrent to others.

BY AGAJU MADUGBA, JULIET EBIRIM AND ADERONKE ADEYERI

His rule doesn’t reflect true federalism —

He would perform better —

Leonard Chukwuma, Businessman

From my point of view, it has been arguably courageous.

Arguable in the sense that, his way of doing things since he assumed office doesn’t seem to be 100% in line with true federalism, which has earned him titles like “ King of the North, President of the Northern Nigeria” etc. But courageous, in the sense that it takes a living fish to swim in the opposite direction of ocean waves. He appears to be in the league of the Radical Political Missionaries - those who oppose the wish of the corrupt and average mind just to get the job done. And if his administration succeeds in that direction, he would have written his name in gold.

Nigeria is better off right now, but … — Chukuneke

Ozidaniels, Event Planner/ MC The country seems to be set on a right path to flourishing but it’s been a really sectional and tribalized government.

That’s how I see it for now.

From the look of things so far, public officers are stealing with caution at least, the sabotage on power is reducing, security is progressively getting restored...Some might argue that it’s all a grand scheme but if that secures us, then why not. The country’s better off as we speak. But looking forward with this sort of sectional leadership, I can’t say...

He hasn’t recorded any breakthrough Owen Egade, Civil Servant I score him 0%, he hasn’t

•Akorede •Rebecca

•Samson

I give him a pass mark- Rebecca

•Leonard

•Ozidaniels

done anything. It’s only APC members who would say things have improved, although everyone is entitled to their opinion. In my place of residence in Delta State, there hasn’t been power for the past four days.

beginning of wisdom. NEPA officials now realise that only doing one’s job well can justify one’s desire to keep it.

Also, the improvement being witnessed in the power sector goes to show that the style and personality of a leader can make a lot of difference in a nation’s fortunes.

•Owen

He can stimulate lasting change

— Austin Emeka Aniekie It’s too early to judge.

People are scared for their jobs that is why power supply improved. Let’s wait until he appoint his cabinet members.

He can’t do it alone. It must be by hard work involving both the leaders and the citizenry. But what we have witnessed so far, especially in the power sector, suggests that, as a leader, President Buhari has the force of personality necessary to stimulate lasting change,

There’s a huge improvement in the power sector Becky Williams, Banker

Buhari’s personality has inspired a new way of doing things in the power sector, where the fear of the consequences of underproductivity has become the

Akeem Akorede, clergy Buhari’s administration is different from the past government in many ramifications. Our dead refineries have been resurrected. He his also trying to get our money back from looters. I voted for him because he has been tested and trusted. He would perform better when he listens to the voice of the common man and not the sycophants around him.

He is organising his cabinet —

•Abojututu

Abiodun Oyenekan, entrepreneur I am yet to feel the wind of change in the country.

Nevertheless, the power sector has improved tremendously in the past few months. I guess he is trying to organise his cabinet and once that is achieved, Nigeria will enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Buhari needs more time —

Abdulhazeez Abojututu, clergy The President is on the right track. But he has to be cautious because some politicians around him are actually enemies of change.

Nigerians should intensify their prayers. The government needs more time before we can dissect his administration.

We will begin to feel the

Olowolagba, a graduate There are things he has to put in place. It will take time to rebuild an economy like ours. He can’t achieve much in 100days. I give him a pass mark.

Mr President is not a magician —

Michael Okafor, business man The President should be applauded for his achievement in the last 100days. Some think that probing past administrations is slowing him down but I feel that shows his interest in accountability. Hardly can any politician in Nigeria beat his pace. He is not a magician, Nigerians take note. Though he is yet to fulfill some of his promises

Mr Samson Ademola , business contractor

The President has done a great job in his 100 days in office. The power sector has ceased to be epileptic, our civil service has improved , military agencies are on stand by. The agricultural sector needs to be visited. He should allow importation of some food items like rice, groundnut oil to eradicate monopoly in the sector of the economy.

22—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

President Buhari’s 100 days in office: Nigerians react

Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim

(Community leader) I think the most visible impact this government has had on the people within the past 100 days is on the area of electricity which has improved tremendously. Hitherto, people were used to staying in darkness for days and months but right now, it seems that era has gone. Since the beginning of this administration, there is also this confidence on the part of the people, with some measures already put in place by government that there will soon be an improvement in the economic fortunes of government and Nigerians in general.

With government’s determination to combat corruption, I believe it is going to impact on the people positively. On the issue of the fight against Boko Haram, I also commend the government, with the direct involvement of the Service Chiefs in fighting the insurgents. Before now, the Service Chiefs were far away from the from the fields of operation but now, from

•Alhaji Hassan what we hear, even the Chief of Air Staff operates one of the fighter jets. The Army Chief too is also at the war front, leading the troops. This has debunked the earlier held notion that there is hypocrisy surrounding the fight, on the part of the military commanders. During the pervious administration, some suggested that government has a hand in Boko Haram.

But one area that does not seem to go down well with the people is issue of government appointments because for now, it is quite clear that there is imbalance in the appointments which appear to favour a section of the country, the north and the north east to be specific.

Although government

has put up a defence but it is belated because for the remaining ministerial positions, constitutionally, every state of the federation is expected to produce at least a minister.

Government’s claim that it is going to correct the imbalance in appointments does not hold water because the damage has already been done. However, government can correct the situation by approving massive infrastructural development for the south east so that the people from that area of the country will be happy and forget the issue of being sidelined in appointments.

Emeka Okeiyi

(Business man) There has been great improvement in electricity since the

payment of civil servants, most of them have not received their salaries for the past two months and this is not good for the families concerned. Also within the past few months, the level of poverty seems to have increased if you consider that many families cannot afford to feed. Government

•Emeka Okeiyi coming of this administration. At least, I can say that for the Kigo road area of Kaduna where I live.

Fuel has also become available everywhere now. But in terms of unemployment, there is no significant improvement and if you also look at the area of

Why Nigerians should not bother about senators pay— Sen Amori

By Joseph Erunke Senator Ighoyota Amori, PDP Delta Central has been an active player in the political sphere in his native Delta State. In this interview conducted just before the Senate proceeded on annual recess, the senator frontally addressed controversies pertaining to the alleged jumbo pay of the lawmakers among others.

Excerpts:

Before embarking on your annual recess, you held a prolonged closed door meeting where it was learnt you discussed issues pertaining to your salaries and allowances. What really happened?

Well, what happened behind closed-door remains an issue behind closed-door. However, let me say here that there was a decision at the closed-door that the issue be stood down for more consultation.

Does that mean that the committee mandated to look into salaries and allowances of the legislators did not

conclude its work?

No, the committee actually had a term limit and it submitted it’s report based on the term limit. But in this case, we are discussing the National Assembly; it is not just the Senate. What we are discussing affects the entire National Assembly, so we need to go into consultation with our colleagues who are in the House of Representatives as well as other stakeholders.

Do we envisage a cut in the salaries and allowances?

Yes, but that has to be the decision of the entire National Assembly and not just me.

But are you thinking towards that direction?

Well, I can’t say because whatever is my opinion now is irrelevant compared to the final decision of the National Assembly. Very soon, you would get to know because there is no big deal there, because the committee was instituted by the Senate.

It is said that the delay in the payment of your salaries

•Senator Amori is a result of the delay in the work of the committee. So, why are senators dragging the whole issue again?

We should be the ones in a hurry but it is good to drag it so as to get it right from the very beginning. Agreed, our salaries and allowances have not been paid but until it is properly done and agreed upon, it may not be rightly done.

So how has it been managing without salary?

First of all, for you to be a

•Christopher Onochie

senator, you must have the wherewithal. Even people who are not on salary are still living, so for a senator I think it should not be a surprise. I think we are okay with ourselves.

Other people working in government offices are being owed three, four or five months’ salaries and they have not died.

What do you say to Nigerians who say your salaries are too much and should be reduced?

What is our salary? How much is the salary of a senator? Have you seen the salary of a senator? The real salary they are talking about is about N168, 000. Is that too much, I earned better before I became a senator. Far, far better than that!

What about the allowances, car allowance, house allowance and all that?

You see, wardrobe allowance is wardrobe allowance. Car allowance is car allowance and house allowance is house allowance.

For me, I have not received any wardrobe allowance. I have not even really received a car allowance. But a car allowance is for car, electricity bill is for electricity bill, house allowance is for house allowance, domestic allowance

should take measures to provide employment for the teeming youth population who have no jobs. And, within this period too, the security level has improved, at least in Kaduna state.

Christopher Onochie

(Youth for Agriculture, Kaduna state).

I think the Federal Government has done a lot within the past 100 days that it has been in office and it should keep the flag flying.

For the unemployed youth, they should be patient because from all indications, government has robust plans for them. This is because I am aware that the Federal Government has invested so much in agriculture within these few months and if all the projects are implemented as planned, there is going to be enormous benefits for the people especially the youth.

is domestic allowance and tax is tax.

But the average man is crying over what you get?

Well, I am sure you have access to the budget, you have access to it. Go and check the basic salary of a senator. And when you are talking about the basic salary of a senator, talk about the basic salary of everybody, including the basic salary of a minister, the basic salary of a president, the basic salary of governor, the basic salary of permanent secretaries and other government workers. So, don’t take that of a senator and make unnecessary issue out of it. Can you compare the salary of a senator to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other executive? Check very well if the basic salary of a senator is anything to worry about. I can tell you that I earned better than now, although I have not received any salary.

Is it true that PDP senators made the demand for juicy committees a precondition for their support for Senator Bukola in the leadership contest?

No, no, no, there is nothing like that, there is nothing like that at all.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—23

Today, we serve you the concluding part of our special report on the oil subsidy scam. Dr Ugoji Egbujo, an expert in oil and gas exposes the roles of more government agencies in the scam.

Oil subsidy

swindlers are walking away •The roles of the Customs

BY DR UGOJI EGBUJO

T

he Customs are supposed to inspect all incoming cargoes. We all know the customs. Not much was expected from them. People ‘fly’ in containers daily in Lagos, so getting documents signed without verification cannot be strange. That is what clearing and forwarding agents do here.

Corruption reigns supreme in the everywhere. Customs are not left out. Bribe is the grease that lubricates the rickety dysfunctional bureaucracy of government departments.

Customs are not different. No customs official was implicated.

None could have been.

At the presidential committee hearings, the Customs complained about the huge sums they are owed by the NNPC.

DID THEY ENGAGE THE NAVY?

The Navy is charged with protecting the territorial integrity of the country on the seas. They are supposed to clear all incoming vessels. Without a naval clearance the subsidy payment of the trader\ marketer cannot be processed. So all instances where marketers made fictitious claims of having received products from vessels that were elsewhere at the time they were supposed to be around the country or from vessels that have never existed or that had been de commissioned, did our authorities engage the Navy in monitoring these things?

Instances of back loading and instances where vessels berthed and moved out with products but got their papers duly signed spoke of collusion in the scam. Navy has intelligence officers around the jetties, so they should know a few things. Did they engage them if they meant well for Nigeria? And if they did what happened?

We do not know if naval officer was indicted. Was any charged?

Continues on page 24

24— SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Continues from page 23

subsidized. JET A1 and HHK are all kerosines. So the HHK or household kerosene can be converted to JET A1. The truth is that some of the Kero imported into this country under the subsidy scheme leave the country back into the international market where it is cracked to JETA1 which major marketers bring back into the country to sell to airlines at international rates.

Some of the major marketers were involved in this. The subsidy programme is unsustainable So why would anyone keep the subsidy on petroleum? Your guess may be better than mine.

But one must wonder why the Navy did not conduct internal inquiry and did not seek to purge itself of such contaminated officers whose level of wealth cannot further service discipline.

The Federal Ministry of Finance And Their External Inspectors

The federal ministry of finance watched all of these happen. The minister had served under Obasanjo and was well acquainted with the subsidy programme. Granted she always canvassed for its abrogation but how did she let this happen under her watch? She was reported to have defended the high subsidy figures which she attributed to growth. A fourfold rise in subsidy in 18 months? She has left with her reputation in tact. She was not directly involved in the scam but she was definitely derelict of her duties.

At the very least , moral duties.

The external firms engaged by the federal ministry as auditors of the process lacked the requisite knowledge to handle the transactions. But it is strange that while they collected 250,000 naira per vessel they failed to stem the decay. They were supposed to witness vessel arrivals and verify quality of product imported. But we now know better. Vessels that have longed been buried supposedly brought cargoes to Nigeria and subsidies were paid for such ghost cargoes. The two external auditing firms were disengaged after the inquiries.

Tragically a whooping 121 billion was paid out as subsidy without the approval of external auditors.

NNPC - A self regulating behemoth.

The NNPC, the committees concluded, engaged in rogue funding of the PSF by illegal direct deduction from crude costs depleting unilaterally , recklessly and criminally, national distributable income. NNPC variously acted outside the contemplation of the law and the PSF scheme. And outside the bounds of probity and of decency.

The PPPRA gave all allocations for the importation of kerosene( HHK) to the NNPC. President Yaradua had ordered the discontinuation of kerosene subsidy.

Without any authorization, without any new express presidential directive, perhaps besides winks, NNPC resumed the deductions from crude costs for kerosene subsidy in 2011. NNPC withdrew humongous amounts from source, in disregard for any appropriation bills , without recourse to any approvals. In many instances NNPCs imports were not even verified by the external auditors but NNPC had no use for that, it paid itself. Because NNPC paid itself and the states weren’t compelled to service the PSF in advance as required by the scheme, the states and the local governments were aloof. The CBN couldn’t possible see through all what the NNPC was engaged in. Once the NNPC had the guts to warn the CBN not to meddle into the fuel subsidy matter.

Marketers , ploys ,

The EFCC And Police

How they forged papers to earn subsidy money stratagems, fake vessels and forged papers.

The presidential committee reported that over 400 billion naira may have been stolen. But much more was stolen. And so much has gone into the building of new private petroleum depots .

Depots have sprouted in Satellite town and Kiri –Kiri in Lagos , Oghara, Calabar and Port Harcourt. Many of these emergency depots emerged since 2009 . And the owners participated in the subsidy scheme and were indicted by the committees. Many others own large residential estates in Abuja, Lagos and Portharcourt.

With the aid of Lloyds intelligence list all marketers who claimed to have delivered products using fictitious vessels were clearly found out. But many of them have not been charged and that in itself is inexplicable. One of such vessels is Mt Zhen star. Lloyds intelligence list says it has never existed yet sanctimonious fraudulent marketers in Nigeria submitted documents and claimed billions for products supposedly delivered by Mt Zhen Star . We will get to details of companies and individuals implicated in these transactions in another episode of this expose. Using Mt Zhen star unscrupulous marketers bled Nigeria of 3.9billion naira. And for some of these transactions no form ‘M’s exist.

Some others fell in love with the name Mt Hellenic blue, a vessel that was buried in February 2010 according to the Lloyds register.

Perhaps her ghost brought fuel to the west African coast in 2011!

A total of 21billion naira was lost to marketers who claimed to have brought in products from mother vessels that were at some other locations in the far east as at the time they were supposed to be offloading their cargo in west Africa.

And unthinkably, some claims of marketers of having imported cargoes were disclaimed by their banks. The banks washed their hands of transactions but

Nigeria lost about 12.154 billion naira to this category brazenness.

Kerosine deserves a special mention

The nation sells kerosene (HHK) to marketers at N40.90 per litre . And because the refineries do not work well , we have to import the bulk of the kero we consume. Kerosne in the international market was well over N120 in 2011. The subsidy was supposedly retained because of the poor. Tell me something. PPPRA grants all allocation to import kerosene to NNPC who imports and hands over to PPMC its subsidiary to allocate to marketers at the rate of 40.90. The private depot owners pay ridiculous bribes and corner most the imported subsidized kerosene . Anyone who has a faint acquaintance with goings on in the downstream petroleum sector will tell you that the ministry of petroleum supervised the allocations which PPMC released.

Let's bring some clarity into the equation. NNPC could import a ship load of kerosene which before it arrived the big man in the ministry of petroleum resources or the presidency had allocated through the PPMC to a friend or business partner who owns a tank farm. The favoured marketer / front for the politician , would pay about 1.2 billion naira for the kerosene and when he was done selling it at his depot , at the prices that prevailed then, he would reap a profit in excess of 2.4 billion naira. 200% profit, high volume goods. And all of these could take a week. And happen again and again.

It’s easy to see why the subsidy was for the rich and powerful. No poor man ever got kero at the approved prices. People raised money for elections through the subsidy scheme. And no wonder NNPC could go on importing without looking back. You can now understand why many made allegations as to who was the treasurer of the past regime.

But there was even more.

Airplanes use Jet A1 which is not

Fuel subsidy must be scrapped immediately.

The Federal ministry of justice and EFCC must revisit all the files.

Stolen billions must be recovered

The EFCC investigated the cases and is prosecuting some marketers. EFCC's degree of accountability has been poor.

Justice demands that like cases be treated alike. So why are some marketers asked to make refunds while others were charged? Who is making refunds? And what has been refunded?

Why have some marketers who claimed to have brought in products from mother vessels that have never existed according to the Lloyds intelligence list and as confirmed by the presidential committee not been prosecuted? Why? Opacity helps no one. This was a major public scandal of immense proportions . The EFCC can only retain the confidence of the public if it is transparent and fair and if it carries the public along. Like cases must be treated alike , the law is no respecter of persons. Tongues have been wagging. Four years after, who has been convicted ? Who has had a plea bargain? What progress has been made with the cases in court. The public needs to know, needs to know every detail.

The EFCC is not to blame.

What sort of signal does the federal government send to the prosecutors when it allowed indicted marketers to continue to participate in the scheme?

When a person accused of stealing billions is awarded lucrative crude contracts while being prosecuted, the prosecuting agency must suffer discouragement.

The way forward

Fuel subsidy must be scrapped immediately. The Federal ministry of justice and EFCC must revisit all the files.

Stolen billions must be recovered. Like cases must be treated alike. If the government is intent on pardoning some marketers then everybody must be pardoned. Otherwise everybody should be prosecuted.

The managing directors of the bigger firms are not sacred cows.

Officials of government agencies that exhibited gross incompetence and criminal collusion must face the law. The banks must not be spared. Their CEOs and directors can be named, shamed and made to face the law too. The marketers were not alone in this and could not have been alone. Justice must be done and be seen to have been done.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—25

Entertainers who have crushes on Genevieve Nnaji Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji has often been described as the queen of Nollywood, and with the large number of men who have confessed to having huge crushes on her, it is only right to also crown her the Queen of Hearts. There must be something about the ebony-hued innocent looking damsel from Mbaise, Imo State for many of her colleagues’ fantasies to revolve around her.“Perhaps it's her public conduct? It is pertinent to note that though the mother-of-one who has been in the limelight for quite a while, she doesn't have much scandals compared to her contemporaries who have been engulfed by controversies. Or maybe it’s her beauty; graceful elegance that always sets her apart in a crowd.“While we may never know what it is, we will take a look at some of the famous stars who have had, and still have crushes on the 'Ije:The Journey' star.

YUNG L ‘Genevieve is everything in a woman, I’m so crazy about her.

She is single, I’m single, and I want to date her.’

MI He once confessed that he has a crush on Genny during a TV programme. I wouldn’t even make out with her, I will just stand in the elevator very close to her and soak up her aura.

Like, is she an angel or a real human being?’

By TOFARATI IGE

D’BANJ Honestly, I’m not dating Genevieve. Let me clear the air now. I never had a crush on her.

LYNXX ‘If I was to get trapped in an elevator with someone, it would be Genevieve Nnaji.’ He has reportedly proclaimed his love for Genny to his friends on many occassions.

JOHN AGOHA ‘Genevieve is my crush. When we were together at an event recently, I told her that. I like petite woman who I can ‘possess.’

However, I know I can’t get her because there are some political issues involved, but if she’s willing to be mine, I’ll drop anything for her…if she agrees to marry me today, we’ll do the wedding tomorrow in a quiet way, because I don’t like elaborate weddings. It’s supposed to be a quiet affair.’

PATORANKING ‘My Woman, My Everything’ and Genevieve’s picture was one of the first he put up on Instagram to promote the song. Of course, his action was quickly translated to mean that he has the hots for the screen gem, and he hasn’t come out to deny that since then.

PHYNO: ‘Genevieve Nnaji is my crush. I will give anything to have her. I can’t rule out dating her because nothing is impossible. It should be noted that Phyno repeatedly chanted Genevieve’s- name in his album,’No Guts, No Glory.’

C M Y K

WIZKID

‘I really had a crush on Genevieve until I met her and I realized she was my aunty. I love her. When I was a kid, I loved watching her movies. I met her when I was with my older uncles, they told her to come meet their boy (me) and I said ‘Good evening ma’. It is all good though, I still love you Genevieve,’

BANKY W

Banky W once confessed this much in an interview saying, ‘I tried (to have her) but Genevieve is Genevieve. I had a big crush on her at one point but now, we are really cool friends.’

Inagbe d e m r o t s n a y la o Why Kunle Af or his new movie Grand Restorts f the same time, shooting with his cast and

A

ward-winning filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan was spotted last weekend, at the popular Inagbe Grand Restorts & Leisure, Lagos, where he's currently on location shooting his latest movie,The CEO.” Pundits have been wondering why the multiple-award winning film maker decided to storm the nature-suffused Restorts to shoot his big-budget movie. But from our investigation, Afolayan was attracted to the Restorts,which is nestling between the Lagos lagoon and the magnificent Atlantic Ocean, following the exquisite scenic views of both abundant water bodies and new world of unforgettable experience that it provides to adventurous beings.

Afolayan was spotted, having fun and at

crew last Saturday at the Restorts, which seats on over 3 million square meter land within a 100 kilometer stretch Island along the Atlantic Ocean.

Earlier last week, Afolaya unveiled the cast and crew of the movie made up of actors with diverse potentials such as singing, and modeling, a renowned set designer and a highly skilled Director of Photography among others, at a media parley.

The cast include Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, entertainer and activist from Benin, Angélique Kidjo; Haitan actor and model Jimmy Jean-Louis, best known for his role as The Haitan on the NBC television series Heroes; consummate actor, and founder of the New Nigeria Cinema movement, Wale Ojo; French-Ivorian actress and model, Aurelie Eliam; South African Continues on page 27

26 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08054680266

Why I told my pastor I wouldn’t do gospel music — Chidinma

S

inger, Chidinma popularly known as Ms Kedike revealed in a recent interview that she won’t condemn anyone that moved from gospel music to do secular music. When asked what her opinion is about artistes who started from the church and are now doing secular music, she said: “I won’t condemn anyone that moved from gospel into secular. You don’t know the kind of relationship the person has

with God. Before I started, I spoke to my pastor. We had a chat and I told him I am not doing gospel. My song is for everyone, not just the church folks .Everyone knew what I was doing from the start. My pastor said if that is what I want; it’s fine as long as ‘you and God are on the same page’

Being married cannot slow down my career — Aramide

N

igerian soul singer, Aramide who recently got married has allayed the fears of her fans regarding marriage slowing down her career. In a chat with Showtime she says: “Being married cannot slow down my career because I have a very supportive partner.

It’s been great. My husband is my number one fan” Commenting on how the remix of Ekuro made her more popular, she reveals that the song opened more doors for her. “Ekuro opened a lot of doors for me. I have had other songs that came after Ekuro, but everyone has to leverage on something. It’s a song that opened doors and done me a lot of good.”

Why I did the longest freestyle on radio — Vector A

ce rapper, Vector recently set a record of longest freestyle on radio in Nigeria. He was invited for the Rhythm Freestyle Fury where he rapped non -stop for 2 hours 30 minutes. In a chat with Showtime, the talented rapper revealed why he engaged in it.

“It’s just to create an excitement around the genre hip-hop and pretty much just do what we can .The whole industry is very cliché .We are not trying to do anything extra outside dance with our talents.

While we are still making dance music, it only makes sense for us to do record breaking things and also make history.”

Speaking on how prepared C M Y K

he was before the show, he says he wasn’t prepared.

“I didn’t prepare for it. How do you prepare for f r e e s t y l e ?

Everything I rapped about people sent it to the station via social media so I didn’t p r e p a r e anything. All I was thinking of is, ‘ God don’t let them come up with stupid topics’ and as usual somebody said I should rap about Akara.”

Banky W has been instrumental to my success -Suka Sounds Talented sound engineer, Suka Sounds who mixed Patoraking’s My woman my everything, is one sound engineer who is fast becoming a household name in the industry. The plateau born music lover has mixed and mastered hit songs like Banky W’s Jasi, Davido’s Owo ni koko, Wizkid’s Ojuelegba among others.

He currently works as EME’s in-house sound engineer and has said Banky W has been instrumental to his rise in the music industry.

“Banky W has been instrumental to my success in the music industry. Nothing good comes easy. Thanks to

EME and other people who have been helping to push the Suka Sounds brand .I am most grateful to God and those who have consistently supported m y brand”

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 27

By TOFARATI IGE 08068792241

Musicians are bigges oblem of biggestt pr problem Nigeria’s music indus tr industr tryy — Brymo

S

ome say piracy is the biggest threat facing the Nigerian entertainment industry; some say it is the lack of a proper distribution network, but ‘Ara’ singer, Brymo, believes that musicians are the biggest problems of the music industry.

While responding to a question on the major challenges faced by artistes in the country, the former Chocolate City artiste submitted, “I think we’re growing, but as usual, the issue has always been that of piracy and structure, but the biggest problem is the musicians ourselves because how we perceive our job is how other people will perceive it. There is a lack of understanding of the

music business on the part of artistes. If there’s anything musicians are suffering from in this country, I have finally come to realize that we must take responsibility for our work.

Until we stand up to say that we want our industry to get better than the way it is, it won’t get better. Having said that, we need help from the government and stakeholders to combat piracy. We, artistes, must also take our job seriously; all we need to do is pay more attention. However, when it comes to fake lifestyle, I think that’s a problem with music all over the world. The Fake-it-tomake-it mentality may work for some people, but I try to cut my coat according to my size.’

•Ruby Gyang

2. Reminisce -Kpomo The self proclaimed Baba Hafusa unveils another song titled Kpomo.The song is produced by Tyce.

•Brymo

On whether she considered it worth it in the end, she said, ‘It was difficult at first. It was like going to a totally different country because the pace, people and lifestyle in Jos is more relaxed. It took me a while to adjust, but I’m good.

Anyway, I think it was worth it, because this is my dream, and I’ve wanted to do it for a long time.’

Speaking about her next move, she enthused, ‘My EP (Extended Play) is dropping soon, and it’s titled ‘This is Love.’ I have collaborations on it with Nneka, Bez, Ajebutter 22, and MI wrote a lot of the songs. Chopstics produced it, and I’m super excited about it.’

Benin erupts in eexxcitement with Glo Laf Lafffta Fes Festt

G

uests at the Best Western Hotel, GRA Benin City, venue of the first in the series of the 2015 edition of Glo Laffta Fest, erupted in wild excitement on Sunday, August 30, when the best of Nigerian comedians converged on the ancient city to unleash fun and humour on the residents.

Garbed in different evening apparels, the guests roared with laughter as the comedians reeled out ribcracking jokes from the stage. The comedy show anchored by the prodigiously creative comic super star, Bovi featured top comedians including Gordons, I go Save, Funny Bone, Sim Card, Osama, Youngest Landlord, D Don, MC Casino, and popular musicians MI and Burna Boy. Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Mid West, Augustus Offor, in his opening remarks, thanked

C M Y K

the people of Benin for their faith in the company and underscored the importance of the primal city to the history of Nigeria.

“Globacom is delighted to have the first in the series of the Laffta Fest shows in Benin City. Indeed, Benin plays an important role in the

Trending Music And Video

1. Karma featuring Olamide – Islander Naija Ninja artiste, Karma teams up with Olamide in this groovy song titled Islander. The song is produced by Kukbeat.

Leaving my child for music is my greatest sacrifice — Ruby Gyang It has often been said that music is a jealous lover that demands total devotion from the people who are ‘betrothed’ to it. That’s why musicians often have to sacrifice a lot in order to excel in their careers.

Many great artistes like King Sunny Ade (KSA) had to move away from their families to have the chance to play music.

For Chocolate City singer, Ruby Gyang, her greatest sacrifice was having to leave her child behind to pursue her romance with the microphone.

According to her, ‘The greatest sacrifice I’ve had to make for music is moving to Lagos to pursue my career, and leaving my daughter back at home.’

Top 15

history of Nigeria and the people of this great city have been very loyal to Globacom. That is why we are bringing the Glo LafftaFe s t , Slide ‘ n ’ Bounce musical concert and Dance with Peter reality TV show to you here in Benin City,” he said.

3. Waje – Mma Mma Award winning songstress is back with a new tune titled Mma Mma. Mma Mma is a story of love written and produced in honor of her late grandmother who passed away in July. Waje dedicates this highlife rooted rhythm to her grandma. The song is produced by E-Kelly

10. Runtown featuring Wizkid and Major Lazer – Bend down pause Runtown releases the visuals of his groovy song, Bend down pause. The colorful video is becoming a regular on music shows

4. Saeon – Story Though she has not been in the public space for a while, Saeon has unveiled a new song titled Story. The song once again shows her vocal dexterity.

11 Dipp featuring Selebobo – Mademoiselle The talented Dipp once again reminds his fans that his dancing ability and vocal skills are still in shape. This video is directed by Paul Gambit .The music video beautifully interprets the lyrics of the song by reflecting the different dimensions of the beautiful locations it was shot.

5. Ice Prince -Boss Frontline rapper, Ice Prince Zamani releases a brand new song called Boss. The Chocolate City Vice – President who has released a couple of songs lately is determined to maintain his momentum. The song is produced by Tecno Miles

12. Mr 2kay –Who no like better thing.

Mr 2kay takes a different direction with the release of his R nB song, Who no like better thing. The song, which was produced by The Jonsers, made up of Ayzed and Hans was shot in Lagos

by Adasa Cookey.

6. Samklef featuring Mr. 2Kay – NEPA don bright light Recall that Samklef recently unveiled a song called Iyin, the music producer has once again unveiled a new tune titled Nepa don bring light .He teams up with Mr 2kay in the song

13. Mc Galaxy featuring Stone Bwoy - Go gaga remix The multi talented Mc Galaxy teams up with the award winning Stone Bwoy in this danceable tune. The song is produced by DJ Breezy.

7. Emekus – Marry You The talented Project Fame Season 7 finalist, Emekus releases a new song titled Marry you. The song is produced by Da beat and it’s a follow up to the controversial Cheater ’s prayer

8. Mekoyo featuring Vecto r-Kpakam Mekoyo collaborates with ace rapper, Vector to produce an irresistible tune called Kpakam. The song is produced isMekoyo.

•Mr. Ibu and Augustus Offor of Globacom

9. Kola Soul featuring Korede Bello and Seyi Shay -Marry you Kola Soul unveils the video of his dancehall song titled Marry you. He collaborates with Seyi Shay and Korede Bello in this song .The video was shot at The Palms, Lekki Lagos and directed by Paul Gambit.

14 Niyola –Go on EME songstress unveils the visuals of her new song Go on. The video is directed and written by BankyW 15 J Martins featuring PSquare – Kwaroro J. Martins returns with the stunning visuals for his hit single Kwaroro.

Directed by talented Unlimited LA, the video stars P Square and has beautiful shots that will keep the viewer glued to the TV .

28 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

T

How South Africa

he recently held Africa fashion Week London 2015, which took place on the 7th and 8th of August at London’s Kensington Olympia, wasn’t just a fashion show, it was an amazing vision of cross-cultural harmony. With over 50 designers from across Africa, Europe and Asia, with pavilions representing each country, at exhibition ground, whilst showcasing some of the best of their local wears, designs, accessories of all sorts, arts and craft, this year’s event, which is 5ft in the series was no doubt one of the biggest yet, and for the South Africans a most memorable one, no doubt. Yes, the South Africans stole the two days of fashion extravaganza of the biggest fashion show in Europe. The Kwa-zulu Natal (KZN) fashion council, South African collectives was all the rage from the first day of the event to the last; as the KZN Fashion council unleashed its 20 strong delegation of talented fashion designers on the AFWL romps.

Supported by the South African government, the 20 man delegate on their arrival in London, were received by the South African Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Obed Mlaba, who was on hand to welcome the team and later treated them to a special gala dinner, exclusively organized in conjunction with the department of trade and industry who had sponsored the trip.

It was a most memorable one for the South Africans as the KZN African collectives, impressed guests, fashion buyers and all at the Olympia with their striking patterns and vibrant colour.

Closing day one of the show with a dramatic act, as twenty designers and their models came on stage waving the South African flag with pride, to the admiration of all.

Created by Nigeria’s Ronke Ademiluyi, Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) is Europe’s largest catwalk event of African and African inspired designs. It is a collaborative catwalk and exhibition, highlighting the industry’s established and emerged African designers, while capturing the surge of the African inspired trends in the fashion industry.

However one aspect of this year’s event that was mind boggling is the fact that there were just a few Nigerian designers at the event. According to Ronke Ademiluyi, the reason for this is largely financial as there were no major sponsors for the event, which could otherwise translate to assisting young emerging designers with the wherewithal necessary for participating at the show. For Ms Ademiluyi, the aim of the AFWL is to project young Nigerian and African talents to the international world, but that can only be possible, with a strong support from the Nigerian government or corporate body, just like the South African government has shown.

For a show that costs thousands of pounds to put together, financial support from corporate organizations and the government, will no doubt lead to building a Nigerian fashion design sector that is innovative •KZN SA and internationally competitive, Collective leading to economic development and much needed employment creation…which amongst others is the aim of the founder of the AFWL.

stole the show at the

Africa fashion week

London 2015

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•KZN SA Collective

•KZN SA Designers On Stage

•KZN SA Collective •KZN SA Collective

•EKAMU

SATURDAY

Vanguard,SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—29

Lifeline:

How Nigerian doctor, Bennet Omalu, changed American football N

igerian-born Dr. Bennet Omalu, currently the Chief Medical Examiner, San Joaquin County, California, and President/Medical Director of Bennet Omalu Pathology, was the first to identify, describe and name a new disorder known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, CTE, as a disease entity in American football players and wrestlers.

A forensic pathologist, and certified physician executive in medical management, Omalu, 47, who hails from Anambra state, discovered in 2002 a condition described as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, CTE, a neurodegenerative disease in the brains of football players caused by repeated brain trauma over time and causes depression, dementia, and other behavioural changes.

Popularly known as the “Concussion Doctor”, Omalu made his landmark discovery following an autopsy he performed on former Pittsburgh Steelers star Mike Webster.

Webster, aged 50, had died of a heart attack after years of depression and dementia that led to him becoming homeless and forgetting how to do basic things, such as eating.

From the examination Omalu made of Webster and other football players, including Dave Duerson and Andre Waters, he determined that repeated head trauma from the sport causes a brain condition that leads to memory loss, impaired judgement, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and eventually progressive dementia.

Although doctors knew that boxers suffered brain problems after years of continuous head trauma, it was Omalu who first associated the condition with football players.

When Omalu cut slices from Webster’s brain and looked at them under a microscope, he was surprised to see tangled proteins and other characteristic signs of CTE. A year later, Omalu examined the brain of Terry Long — another Steelers legend, who’d killed himself at age 45 by drinking antifreeze — and saw the same picture.

“This stuff should not be in the brain of a 45-year-old man,” Omalu later said. “This looks more like a 90-year-old brain with advanced Alzheimer ’s.”

Prompted by Omalu’s discovery, doctors at Boston University’s CTE Centre examined 79 deceased NFL players’ brains and found CTE

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— subsequently transformed the football world, raising concerns about the safety of American football.

A movie, entitled “Concussion” that is based on this discovery, is scheduled to premiere September 8, 2015, in

•Dr. Bennet Omalu in 76 of them. Many died by suicide or had dramatic changes in personality after retirement. Still, the overall rate of CTE in all players is unknown — it could be an epidemic or a relatively rare problem.

Omalu’s discovery of CTE raised numerous concerns about the safety of American football, a development that the National Football League, NFL, challenged vigorously.

For years, though, the NFL tried its best to hide the evidence about football and brain trauma, and after Omalu published his findings, the NFL attempted to cover the facts and accused him of fraud and practicing voodoo.

He was barred from league meetings on football and the brain, along with other doctors who later worked on CTE. Omalu’s Nigerian descent was questioned and he was

Omalu’s discovery of CTE raised numerous concerns about the safety of American football, a development that the National Football League, NFL, challenged vigorously accused of attacking the American way of life. But his discovery gained more attention and eventually, the NFL was compelled to introduce a concussion guideline in the game.

But the Nigerian’s finding — and the subsequent discovery of CTE in dozens of deceased football players

which Hollywood star, Will Smith, plays Dr. Bennet Omalu. The trailer for the movie released this week, tells the true story of the Nigerian-born doctor’s discovery, and it is expected to make many Americans rethink the dangers of football and how the NFL functions.

In 2009, the league finally acknowledged the problem and instituted concussion management guidelines, which include neuropsychological testing on all NFL players to help determine when a player could return to play after a head injury.

It introduced new protocols to make sure concussed players are properly diagnosed, and donated money for concussion and CTE research.

Omalu obtained his medical degree from the University of Nigeria in 1991, Masters in Public Health, MPH, degree in Epidemiology from University of Pittsburgh in 2004, and Masters in Business Administration, MBA, from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, and holds four board certifications in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology, Forensic Pathology and Neuropathology

30 — Vanguard, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Typically Male

Lifestyle:

I

t’s been called our crowning glory, a symbol of youth, and in some cultures it even represents fertility. For men and women all around the world, it’s also an expression of beauty, confidence, and personal style. I’m talking about the hair.

For a growing number of people, hair loss is a lifelong challenge. Hair loss not only robs a man or woman of his/her sense of style.

Whether hair loss is the result of the aging process, hair damage, trauma, illness, or a genetic form of balding

Going bald? Have a scalp tattoo, or hair transplant •Hair loss

known as male or female pattern hair loss, the good news is there are a variety of medical and natural treatments that can help.

For many people, hair loss equates to loss of self-esteem. And that could be as damaging physically as it is psychologically.

But as the first hair transplant and restoration clinic opens in Lagos, Nigerians with the challenge of hair loss can begin to heave a sigh of relief as access to this and other procedures are now on hand.

Ayo Otubanjo, CEO Vinci Hair Clinic Nigeria, the global hair restoration outfit that is providing solutions in hair restoration, said the clinic was established in Nigeria to give more people the opportunity to restore their hair whilst spending less.

The clinic provides surgical and non surgical medical hair restoration

SEXUAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS 4) Encouraging sexual chemistry - This could be staging a romantic evening at home, with candles, a massage, and rose petals. Or it could mean thinking of a situation in the past where you were both turned on and feeling sexually connected.

During these moments, were you taking more time for foreplay? Did you had sex in different positions, times of day, or locations? Try to create a situation where you were both turned on in the past and may be turned on now. Some couples find it difficult to have sex after having children. If you cannot recreate some of the past situations where you were both sexual due to your current commitments, focus on adjusting your daily schedule to make time. Ask your in laws to take the kids for the night, or plan a weekend getaway, just the two of you. Though it may not be exactly how it was in the past, you can still create moments now where you both are in the mood.

I’m a 60 year old diabetic man with arthritis and I have used Gingko tea with Cleanshield liquid which has really relieved me of my pain. I have just gotten Vimax, Gingko tea with Plant vigra from you last week; I want to start using them and I’ll like to know if I should take all of them together at once for strong erection and to know if they work togetherChief Idris Im glad to know that you have a positive improvement on your arthritis with Cleanshield and Gingko tea. You can take Vimax once daily and at any time since it does C M Y K

solutions for both men and women to help prevent further hair loss, to fill in thinning areas, such as the mama eko syndrome, and to cover up receding hairlines and balding crowns.

“In the past, Nigerians had to travel abroad to Western Europe, USA or Dubai which resulted in them spending up to three times the amount it costs to have it done here. Hair experts at the new hair clinic can achieve the same result, with the after-care available close to home.

Micro Scalp Pigmentation This innovative procedure, also known as MSP or Scalp Tattoo, is a noninvasive, non-medicated and nonsurgical way of creating the look of a shaved head of hair. This groundbreaking treatment can also be used to add visual density to thinning hair for men and women, as well as alopecia (hair loss) sufferers.

MSP gives the appearance of some hair and approximation of a hairline, without actually having real hair present. It can also be used to camouflage transplant scars or to shade small areas where hair is thinning to make hair appear denser.

Hair transplant A surgical procedure that moves permanent hair from the back of the scalp to balding or thinning area where it will grow permanently. There are two types—Follicular Unit Transplantation, FUT, is carried out under local anesthetics. Hair is removed from the back of the head and dissected into grafts and inserted into the recipient site. It is great for covering large bald areas in a fast and effective way.

•MSP or Scalp Tattoo Follicular Unit Extraction, FUE— Uses the latest technology to extract individual hairs from the donor area to be carefully placed and planted into the recipient area.

The relocated follicles keep growing naturally. It leaves almost no scarring, giving clients the confidence to wear hair in a short style.

Vinci Hair Clinic will be at the Beauty Africa Exhibition & Conference on October 7th-9th 2015 at Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel. It is also organising class topics on: Male and female hair loss (baldness): the causes and solutions available” and “ Traction alopecia (hair loss) in Nigerian women: warning signs and growing your hair back”. For further http:// information visit www.vincihairclinic.com/locations/ nigeria

HOW TO DEAL WITH SEX PROBLEMS IN MARRIAGE IV

the corrective work on the erectile system, while the plant vigra should be taken thirty minutes before sex to give an instant strong erection and 4 hours should be left before or after taking it before taking any other drug. The Gingko tea should be taken three times daily. The three of them work hand in hand to correct weak erection.

I have been using Vigrx plus with Plump cream for some time now and though I’m beginning to notice a very small increase, I read about penis pump last week that it works faster, how true is this? Can I get one from you? Chidera Vigrx plus with the plump cream is still the best for pens enlargement as it is safe without side effect, though the result starts showing from the 8th week of usage- though result varies with individual. Penis pump on the other hand gives a fast result, but the result is not permanent, unlike Vigrx plus with plump may be slow but they give a permanent result. You can combine both of them if you want, you just need to note the facts.

My wife’s butt is very flat and I want to know if you have any product that can help improve it?

She always complains of dryness during sex and not in the mood for sex, how can you help us- BJ There are lots of products to help your wife. To increase the butt and hip, we have the Isosensual butt curve cream which performs this duty, though it takes about two months before the result start showing, but she’ll definitely get a

good result from it; to put her in the mood, let her get the Germany sex drops alongside arousal gels like Spot on gspot, mood arousal gel, Crazy girl arousal gel to mention but a few; and she can also get a lubricant to prevent dryness during sex so as to moisten the vagina.

I got a product called Libigrow from you two years back and that has been the only product that has really worked for me. Have not read anything about libigrow from your article for a long time. Do you still have it and can I order for it? Ali Libigrow is preferred by some men for its mild effect while giving strong erection; it’s available and you can place your order for it anytime.

Viewden, than you for saving my marriage. I used Prosolution for three months and my problem of premature ejaculation is totally solved. Thank you and God bless you.

You are always welcome sir.

Prosolution has proven to be effective in correcting both early ejaculation and weak erection. Result varies in men and the time needed to totally correct the conditions in different men also varies. It varies between two to 6 months in men.

These are all we can take for today.

Adults who needs any of these aphrodisiacs can call us on 08034666358, 07059294782 or place your orders at www.viewden.com . For further enquiries, send us an email at vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com Kemi Fawole (MD)

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—31

08 1 1 6759 759 081 6759759

C

ouple Blair Delson and Ross Cohen had their wedding planned for August 29 in Philadelphia.

Incidentally, this was the same day and general location as the Philly Naked Bike Ride.

A week prior, Blair and Ross’ wedding photographer Joe Gidjunis of JPG Photography told them about the event to see if they would be open to incorporating it into their wedding photos somehow.

“They were a little hesitant at first, but not opposed to the idea,” Joe told The Huffington Post. “By the time the wedding day came, they became more open to it happening, but they also didn’t want to go looking for the bikers. If it happened, it happened.”

As luck would have it, their paths ended up crossing. The bride and groom were taking pictures near Philadelphia City Hall when a huge swarm of

Couple takes wedding pics in the midst of a Naked Bike Ride nude cyclists approached. And thus this spectacular photo op was born: “All of this was hysterical,” Joe said. “And it took place in less than three minutes.”

“The bikers loved every second of it,” he added. “The public really cheered for the bikers, but when Blair and Ross came running over to them, the bikers cheered for the couple. They crowded around them, cheered and shared some high-fives. Afterwards, Blair

joked that while it was amazing, it was a little smelly in the pack!”

Gidjunis told HuffPost that due to the explicit nature of the photos, he ultimately decided to alter them by darkening and blurring some of the genital areas to protect the viewers and also the bikers.

“We didn’t want any biker to have second thoughts about their ‘assets’ being shared worldwide,” he said.

Rude

Woman, 50, faces a daily barrage of abuse because of her oversized behind

W

hile the likes of K i m Kardashian and Nicki Minaj are famous for - and indeed flaunt - their curvy bottoms, one woman can testify that having a large behind isn’t always a good thing.

Unlike the famous celebrities, who are feted for their ample curves, Lerato Pitso from South Africa says she faces a daily barrage of abuse because of her oversized behind.

According to Lerato, 50, wherever she goes she becomes a laughing stock and is unable to find a serious relationship because men just want to sleep with her.

Lerato, who works in market research, said: ‘At one stage I wanted to commit suicide because I felt like I’m not good enough. ‘Men only want to sleep with me. They don’t love me’.

Lerato also has to put up with constant whispers and stares and people taking photos of her. She explained: ‘Sometimes I hear a camera’s shutter and when I turn to see what is happening, I see people taking pictures of my backside.’

And, she adds, it isn’t men who are the worst C M Y K

So what’s the couple planning to do with the epic shots? The bride told HuffPost that she and Ross plan to display some of the photos in their home.

“It was such a fun time when we were doing it,” Blair said. “The whole wedding process is so stressful and there’s so much going on. And when we were out there, we were just laughing our pants off, having such a great time.”

A

offenders, it’s fellow females.

Lerato, who has tried to lose weight in the past but says it has made no difference to the size of her hips, says she is looking for love but her hopes are waning because she is only seen as a ‘sex object’. Motherof-one Lerato recently took part in the City of Johannesburg’s Weight Loss Challenge – and said it saved her life.

Lerato weighed 19st when she started the

challenge in February but how much weight she lost hasn’t been reported.

The challenge was particularly significant to Lerato after she survived a pulmonary embolism attack two years ago.

This, she says, was a wake-up call and spurred her onto losing weight through fear of losing her life. She now follows a low carb, high protein diet and says the weightloss has helped her relationship with her child.

wine company has been criticised after it compared its product in an advert to something altogether less quaffable.

Premier Estates Wine shared their advert for their wine with the hashtag #TastetheBush, a subtlety that wasn’t lost on viewers when the glass was put down on the table in front of the brunette.

The latest ‘bad taste’ advert - following Protein World’s controversial ‘Beach Body Ready ’ campaign and the Bic stationery fail - shows that advertisers are working on any level to get their product

known - even if it’s for all the wrong reasons Twitter comments included Princess Pocket who told then: “Thanks for your ad.

Now I know what brand to avoid like herpes”.

Noel Douglas called it “sad”, adding: “So

Premiere Estates Wine don’t believe in treating women with respect? Wow full on sexism.”

Tuco added: “2015? I suggest a deliberate attempt to grab attention with a frankly deeply offensive piece of advertising.”

32 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Timeout with Fuji Maestro Kol

Musicians can’t do w women, he reve *Says journalists have built and destroyed many homes

By ADERONKE ADEYERI

A

*Alhaji Ayinla Kollington

lhaji Ayinla Kollington needs no introduction in the Nigerian m u s i c industry.

Born in 1953 in Ibadan, Oyo State, Kollington started music alongside the late Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister in 1965. In the late 1970s, General, as he is also known, refined his sound by adding bata drums and changed his band’s name to Fuji 78.

The beginning Starting off was very early for Kollington. “I started with weere music in 1965 at 10”, he says.

Group of amateurs who had talent in music usually moved from house to house to perform especially during Ramadan. They were the Weere musicians. Some of them eventually became stars. It was a distinguished performance that saw him winning an award even as a Weere musician. And that meant a visit to the State House Marina to receive the award. It was a big achievement to visit the State House in those days. It meant you were special. His was clearly a case of talent not fully harnessed in the beginning. But that award

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I give that credit to God Almighty.

I can dance nonstop for hours at this age.

marked the beginning of the good things that were to follow.

“I was at the State House in Marina, Lagos to receive a trophy and a certificate of merit and it felt great,” he says. But even at then playing music was not on full time basis until inspiration came when he enrolled in the Nigerian Army and met Barrister.

“My late friend, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister encouraged me to take my musical career to the next level. We were soldiers and Barrister would come all the way to Abeokuta, Ogun State to pressure me. He convinced me. He believed we needed to quit and go back to music.

He used to say ‘for how long shall we be earning 18 pounds Sterling?’ I was a bit reluctant because I didn’t know what might happen to us if we were caught rehearsing. Army was very tough back then, I mean in the ’70s.

Barrister started rehearsing and would often say to me: ‘Kola, I have started rehearsing; when will you start yours?’

I later gave in and the rest is history.”

He acknowledged that late Bashiru Abinuwaye, Zaka Olayigbade and some others actually started Fuji music.

“Fuji music started on the Island.

Myself and Barrister came up to sing Fuji after the pioneers.” He also acknowledged that he pioneered dance hall music, and added, “I give that credit to God Almighty. I can dance non-stop for hours at this age.”

Rivalry On the rivalry between him and his friend, he said, “That was purely business and that perceived rivalry was over even before his death. We came back and did everything together. We were not the only ones who had issues at one time. Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade had theirs and later settled.

Recently, some musicians who had issues between themselves came to me and I settled the rift.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 33

llington Ayinla

sounds, he revealed: “I compose when I am inspired to do so but piracy has killed my morale.”

The Fuji maestro also did not have kind words for the media. “Just of recent, I went for the burial of Salawa’s mother as expected of a Yoruba man and also for the sake of my children. The press came up with something else. They cannot spoil the good thing God has done between myself and Salawa but I leave them to God.

without eals Many people still wonder how the best of friends became enemies, asking if the fights were gimmicks to make sales. But the man popularly known as Baba Alatika calmly put to rest such insinuations. “It was real and not a strategy to make sales. Our fans and some journalists also contributed to our problems.”

Fulfillment Alhaji Kollington feels very fulfilled at 62. “I made money from all my records”, he said with pride. “Ijo yoyo seems remarkable but I was sick at that time. I also got an award as the Best Fuji Artiste of the Year.” On how he got the name Baba Alatika, he attributed it to his mode of dressing, “especially my cap”, he said with a broad smile. “There is a particular way I arrange my cap that portrays a socialite. A socialite is also known as Alatika.” He looked fit and attributed this to God and daily exercise. These are the secrets of his youthful look. Kollington played saxophone to the admiration of many but has since stopped because he wants to concentrate on singing.

All his children are doing well, but he would not reveal the number of his wives and especially of his children as “it is a taboo in Yoruba land”, he explained, laughing. Still in a light mood, he said, “I didn’t know you would ask me that question. I would have done the calculation before your arrival. Well, it is a taboo in the part of the world I come from to count one’s children. I can only say I am married and blessed with children.”

Challenges Baba Alatika has not produced an album for some years and many seem to wonder why. “It is deliberate” was his explanation. He added in sad a voice: “Piracy is killing

my morale. I spend quality time composing, spend huge amount to produce and after stressing myself, I lose most of the profits to piracy. So, I have decided to stop for sometime and only continue when we have reduced piracy to the minimum level in this country.

Collectively, we have taken measures. We have been to Alaba International Market at different times, and on some occasions, some of my colleagues were even attacked.

We have reported to the police and all seem fruitless.’’

Still on the pains of not reaping satisfactorily from his efforts, the Fuji icon went further: “I did a song 32 years ago for President Muhammadu Buhari and the song was everywhere during his campaign. Many people called me to congratulate me, thinking I was smiling to the bank, not knowing I didn’t get much from it. I am fed up”, he lamented, but added that he hopes to come up with something soon.

Commenting on how he composes his songs and

Piracy is killing my morale. I spend quality time composing, spend huge amount to produce and after stressing myself, I lose most of the profits to piracy.

Many journalists have built and destroyed many homes.

I think they should strive to be home builders, so they will end up good. Bad journalism is not good for our society.

Salawa Abeni is still my wife; she gave birth to three of my children. She is not married to another man, nor does she have other children.’’

To him, the most embarrassing moment still remains when a lady almost went naked on his show. He however remarked that the fear of women seems to be the beginning of stardom.

“Musicians can’t do without women. This is not peculiar to Fuji musicians but the entertainment industry at large. A large percentage of our fans are women and this can be tempting because we have blood running in our veins.’’

on his only regret in life. “I have no regret being a musician but I regret that I didn’t have university education.” He ensured that all his children are educated. “My children are all educated and some have even ventured into music; but into hip-hop.” He appeared to have given up any hope of getting a university degree when he added: “I may be privileged in another lifetime.”

The future With the high acceptance of hip-hop songs, many fans of Fuji seem to fear what the future holds. “Fuji can never die in and outside Nigeria” is the belief of Baba Alatika. “The so-called hip pop artistes all tapped from Fuji music to make what we have today. Just of recent, Pasuma played hip-pop in an album and he has also collaborated with many hip-hop artists. Our flag is flying. Fuji started during Ramadan period and has come to stay.”

So, who would Baba want to collaborate with? He responded with a wry smile: ‘’My son, Big Sheff is first on the list.” He however added, “all are welcome.”

Last line The General has a word for upcoming artistes: “Many young artistes should understand that being focused and dedicated are the only key to success. They should also be careful with women.”

Only regret Many youths who have the opportunity to acquire university education but are taking it for granted, completely opting for music or sports, thinking fame and fortune is all there is to life only need to hear Alhaji Kollington

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34 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

“F

INALLY, D’Tigers are champions of Africa, beating her strongest nightmare, Angola. Congrats guys, Rio is next ... proudly Nigeria!” That was Ogoma Anyahara’s reaction to D’Tigerss victory over Angola in the final of the 2015 AfroBasket Championship in Rades, Tunisia last Sunday. Anyahara who works as an administrative officer for a government agency reacted on Fiba’s official website for the tournament.

It was a special day for Nigerian basketball and its teeming fans. A day that brought to reality, a longstanding dream – the continental title, an equivalent to the Africa Cup of Nations the Super Eagles have won three times. The entire sporting world rose in unison to acknowledge the iconic feat of D’Tigers as the all foreign based team outclassed Angola – of all nations – 74 -65 to lift the coveted trophy after nearly two weeks of toil, sweat and endurance. Never had Nigeria Basketball been so domineering than what was witnessed at the tournament.

Sixteen teams began the journey on August 9. They were divided into four groups of A, B, C and D. The participating countries included Algeria, Angola, Central African Republic(CAF), Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Mali, and Morocco. Others were Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Nigeria fell in Group A alongside Central Africa Republic, Uganda and host Tunisia.

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AFROBASKET:

Buhari disappoints Africa’s champs •How they conquered Africa Campaign

D

’Tigers began their campaign on a sound footing with a heart-warming 88-63 points victory over CAF. They continued in their stride, dismissing Uganda 98-59.

Their fairy-tale ride was however, punctuated by the host Tunisia who humbled the Nigerians 70-59.

Before the defeat the coach Bryant Voigt’s tutored lads had already booked their place in the knock out stage. Mozambique was next in the line of duty and D’Tigers vented their spleen on them with a reassuring 83-47 point victory.

Gabon too were dismissed the same way 88-64 in the quarter final. As expected, Senegal proved tough in the semi final in a match that could have gone either way. The game ended 76-76 after a late resurgence by the Senegalese but Nigeria proved their superiority in overtime, with Chamberlain Oguchi the Nigerian hero whose

double three point shots helped D’Tigers to a first final appearance in 12 years.

Senegal, who last won the AfroBasket in 1997, entered the semi-final averaging 78 points per game, while Nigeria were the highest scoring team in the tournament with 83.2 points per game before the game at the Salle Omnisport de Rades.

Patriotism and $500 bonus

T

he victory over Senegal proved the tonic and the Nigerian team which had all along been playing without any match bonuses got $500 US Dollars each as match bonus.

The Nigerian camp erupted in joy over the gesture but the players remained focussed as they believed the Angolans who defeated Tunisia in the other semi final were beatable. Then came the ‘D Day’. Angola were, no

,

BY JACOB AJOM

It was the first time that the Nigerians were playing in the final of the tournament

,

doubt, going to be tough. Nigeria eventually carried the day 74 – 65, to win the 2015 African Basketball Nations Cup. Nigeria had never beaten Angola in nine meetings dating back to 1987.Eagles received over $60, 000 each as match bonuses for winning the 2013 Nations Cup and more than $50, 000 each as gifts from governors and corporate firms.

The victory in the final meant Nigeria automatically secured a direct ticket for the Rio 2016 Olympics. It will be the second consecutive Olympic appearance for D’Tigers who made their maiden appearance at the London 2012 Games. For their efforts, D’Tigers players got another $500 US Dollars each as match bonuses.

But how was this achieved under two weeks of camping in France?

What were the ingredients that produced such a superlative outcome that saw the Nigerian team down the likes of Senegal and Angola; a feat hitherto unthinkable.

Patrick Omorodion, a member of the NBBF board who was with the team throughout their campaign in Tunisia offered us a glimpse into the chemistry of the Nigerian team.

“The players were driven by patriotism, discipline, commitment and hunger for success,” Omorodion said, adding, “never had we seen such display of uncommon unity and a collective

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 35

sense of mission by a Nigerian team. They were just wonderful and deserved nothing less than the ultimate prize – the title.”

How the past influenced choice of Voigt as D’Tigers coach No doubt, Nigeria Basketball had registered remarkable successes in the past. The London Olympics was, in all ramifications a watershed. They finished the group play with a 1–4 record, after beating Tunisia, making the first ever Olympic game victory in her history. However, the team’s performance in London left much to be desired. Ironically, that was the turning point for Nigerian Basketball.

The domestic league witnessed a rebirth with a cable television network, DSTV throwing its weight

He said, “after Voigt agreed to handle the team, he was sincere enough to admit that he alone could not achieve the set target.

He then asked for an assistant.

The board obliged him.” Little wonder therefore, that the result is what we are witnesses to.

Home-based players fail to make team Once the coach was secured, the players invited were mostly foreign based. This attracted a lot of criticisms both within and outside the Nigerian Basketball family. But Omorodion again came to the defence of the board and the coach. “Three players were invited from the DSTV League – two from Mentors and one from Pillars, but somehow their visa applications had problems at the French Embassy.

We heard it had to do with problems between France and Schengen countries. It was a problem beyond anybody because up to the time the team was departing from France, the coach kept asking, where are the players from home. He would have really loved to work with them.

That was how the team ended up

with an all foreign based profile in its ranks.”

,

behind the male league while Zenith Bank Nigeria Plc renewed its commitment to the women’s league. As the domestic game expanded, the national team stagnated and became less competitive in the international arena. This was of much concern to the NBBF board as well as the players. What was to be done?

Omorodion again offered thus: “After the Olympics, the board met and decided to overhaul the technical crew. Though they acknowledged the qualities in Ayo Bakare, the erstwhile national team coach, they observed that he had his limitations. Between the players and the board, it was agreed we should go for the best.”

He said for the board to arrive at the choice of William Bryant Voigt as coach, it was reckoned that the American had been to Nigeria on numerous trips with Masir Ujiri as coach for the annual Ujiri Big Man Basketball camp.

Apart from having been to Nigeria, Voigt had coached some of the Nigerian national team players back in America. “He was not new to most of them,” Omorodion enthused.

We bought tapes of all matches of our prospective opponents and the coaches, led by the Norwegian video analyst summed up the strengths and weaknesses of the players in the teams

,

•Oguchi

The team’s final make up, our camp source said was the making of Ike Diogu, the team’s captain who sustained an injury in France during the two-week camp. “He was the one who sounded out all of them as most of them, though of Nigerian parentage, have never stepped their feet on Nigerian soil. Diogu was part of the Nigerian team to the 2012 Olympics and knew what it was like appearing at the biggest stage in world sports.”

Ike called each of them and told them the chances they had of going to the Olympics if they played for Nigeria and how they stood to bring honour and glory to their fatherland than playing for any other country.

“This, more than anything gingered them up and their response was tremendous.” This was the motivating factor as they rode through the tournament with only one defeat.

Video reader

The Nigerian team applied everything humanly possible to achieve success in Tunisia. According to Omorodion, “for the first time, the technical staff had a match reader who followed every match and paid attention on every of our opponents, the players and their collective play.

“After every match FIBA Afrique gave us our own tapes for free but we ensured we purchased tapes of our opponents. After every training session they will retire to a room where the video reader will point out the weaknesses and strengths of opposing teams and individual players. Watching these videos gave the players a pre-knowledge of what to expect from each team and the players they were to meet.

President Muhammadu Buhari has since congratulated the national men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, on their victory over Angola in Sunday’s final of the FIBA Africa Basketball Championship in Tunisia. But that was not what the players were expecting.

Before the final, they had been told that should they win the tournament, the Nigerian leader had ordered that they routed their flights through Abuja for a grand reception at the Presidential Villa before returning to their various bases.

“The players were overjoyed when news about the Presidential reception filtered into the camp as most of them have never been to Nigeria. More than anything, some craved for that meeting because they wanted to meet with Nigeria’s number one citizen and shake his hand,” Omorodion said.

The joy was short-lived as soon after the triumph over Angola, they were told the President would no longer receive them. The meeting will now have to wait till after the All Africa Games which is beginning this weekend in Congo.

•An Angola player

•Lawal

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36—SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 Dear Aunty Julie, I am a 23-year-old lady with an issue that bothers me a lot. I feel invisible to most people and it has made me really suicidal and depressed. I feel that no one really wants to be friends with me and no one cares about me.

Recently, I went out with my friends and we took pictures but when I checked Instagram , I realized that they have posted the pictures of three of them without me!

It made me question our friendship in my mind. But I also feel like no one else cares either. It is always me who texts/call people for special occasions and when I don’t do it, people forget about me!

It made me think that I might have some mental problem, like social anxiety, depression, or something else! I’m really shy and get anxious in most social situations. To the point that I lose my energy so fast. So I sometimes avoid social situations.

I was much better as a kid. I was still shy around some not-so-close relatives. But I was okay in most other places and sometimes, I was shy at first, but not so shy when people started to know me. I think it started getting worse after secondary school to the point that I can’t even look into people’s eyes when talking to them. I’m painfully shy and socially anxious, even around old friends that I sometimes meet on the street and usually, I don’t know how to start conversations, how to hold a conversation and what to talk about.

I really feel jealous of loud and popular people who have lots of friends who care about them. But when I go to a social situation, I can’t be the real me. I can’t emotionally open up to people , I can’t be loud. Also, I’m really afraid

We are both itchy in our genit al areas genital af aftter sex

juliecoker100@yahoo.com

Why do I seem invisible to people? of conflict, and I always try to be careful and not to do things that “might” bother people or make them uncomfortable.

What should I do about this?

Nneoma, Jos

Dear Nneoma, There is nothing “wrong” with you!

When we are feeling depressed or anxious, we tend to spend a lot of time caught up in negative thoughts. Our brains tend to latch onto the negative and sometimes we misinterpret different things that people do and say.

When you have the thought that “no one cares” or “other people are better than me,” try to catch these thoughts and ask yourself if they are true and helpful. If you do some detective thinking, you may find that the thoughts that go around in your head aren’t actually completely correct.

You said that you went out with friends and took photos but they didn’t post the photo with you in it. There could be many reasons why - maybe they didn’t like how they looked in the photo with you, maybe they didn’t even realise that you would feel left out by that! Our negative brain can be quick to jump to conclusions, which aren’t actually true at all.

You are very shy and so you aren’t spending a lot time talking to others, which then “confirms” the negative thought that you don’t have friends and no one likes you. Therefore, you continue to be shy and avoid talking to others.

But the good news is that once you realise you are in this cycle, you can start to make a few changes that will help you get out of it.

Learn forcing yourself to smile at someone or ask a question to someone sitting next to you in a bus or public places. It might not be instant, but keep persisting as you’ll start to notice people positively responding to you. This will increase your confidence in talking to others and hopefully, will help form stronger friendships. Don’t pressure yourself to jump straight into long conversations, a smile is a good start!

Also, try to keep yourself busy with things you enjoy . Staying at home not doing anything can lead to getting caught up in all the negative thoughts and feeling more and more helpless. The important thing to know is that you are never alone and there are always people who care.

Aunty Julie, A few weeks after my boyfriend and I had sex, we discovered we were both itchy in our genital areas.

We postponed sex thinking it was just a yeast infection, his symptoms being redness and a bit of bumps, mine being itchy redness.

Two weeks later, we had sex again thinking it was cleared, because we were symptom free and then it came back again. He has multiple bumps on and under his foreskin along with itchiness and redness. I feel slight itchiness and a little redness.

What might this be?

Jessica, Port- Harcourt

Dear Jessica, You may have been right in the first instance. It does sound a bit like a yeast infection but you need to treat it to make it get better. You’ll need to see a doctor and explain your symptoms, which is a bit embarrassing but the best way for them to know what to suggest.

If you try this and it gets better, that’s probably what it was .

I recommend going to see a doctor anyway as you two should get a routine test for STIs, especially chlamydia, as well as make sure you’re using a reliable form of birth control.

My parents ffight ight a lot Aunty Julie, I grew up to meet my parents fighting a lot . I think my dad beats my mum for no reason.

My mum cries everyday and I hate seeing her like that. It also affects me and my siblings psychologically. Sometimes, I feel like we are not like normal children or our family is different from other families. My social life is suffering and I fear I will grow up to be like my dad and a wife beater.

I feel so helpless.

Fabian, Lagos

Dear Fabian, That’s a terrible situation to be in.

You clearly worry about your mother a great deal, and it’s not easy knowing what to do. It also sounds like you’re quite angry about how they fight. Sometimes, in relationships, issues come up which couples find difficult to agree on.

There may not be easy answers, and sometimes, a compromise can’t be reached. Some couples find it helpful to get counselling together, to help sort out differences. You haven’t mentioned whether this is something your parents have done.

If they haven’t, it’s really difficult as a child to suggest such things. I wonder though, if your parents know how upset you are over them fighting? If this is a conversation C M Y K

you are able to have with either of them, it may be helpful as a starting point to look at getting further help.

I do understand that you might not necessarily be able to talk to your parents about these things. If so, you may find it helpful to get advice from someone you trust, like a family member or close friend. Sometimes, such people may have a different perspective on things, which could help you understand

the situation, or they might be in a better position to talk to your parents.

You said something about you turning out to be a wife beater like your father.

That is why you also need counselling so as to live a separate life different from your father.

You’ve talked about feeling helpless and having thoughts of killing yourself.

It’s understandable to feel hopeless when faced with such a difficult

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situation. It might be a good idea to see a professional on your own to get some support.

And do you ever get caught up in the fighting? The most important thing right now is safety. If you’re worried that anyone, you or either of your parents are physically threatened in anyway, it’s important to call the police.

Getting married Getting married is like going to a restaurant Young son : “Is it true, Dad, I heard that in some parts with friends. You order what you want, then of Africa, a man doesn’t know his wife until when you see what the other fellow has, you he marries her?” wish you had ordered that.

Dad : “That happens in most countries, son.”

Wedding ring True marriage At the cocktail party, one woman said to Married life is very frustrating. another, “Aren’t you wearing your wedding In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the ring on the wrong finger?” woman listens.

The other replied, “Yes, I am. I marriedthe In the second year, the woman speaks and the man wrong man.” listens.

In the third year, they both speak and the neighbours Cost of marriage listen.

A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?”

Fools for love And the father replied, “I don’t know son, After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, “You know, I’m still paying for it.”

I was a fool when I married you.”

And the Husband replied, “Yes, dear, but I was in love What it takes and didn’t notice it.”

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5 5,, 2015—37

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Men should stop acting as if they could get away with AIDS

S

INCE I came back from the UK over a couple of years ago, I have had dates with a string of successful, charming, university educated men from lawyers to bankers and showbiz men and, no matter how serious the relationship became, not one of them ever mentioned safe sex or used a condom without my insistence”, said Nina, in her late 20s and a fairly successful IT expert. “Which begs the question: in a city where unbridled hedonism is becoming the norm, what has happened to the AIDS conversation?

There is a lack of awareness among young people, and the belief that ‘this won’t happen to me’. And saying STDs are something only dirty people get is unfortunately, a typical view which is scary, considering the sexual health record the country has.

“To get a glimpse into the Nigerian male’s head-inthe-sand attitude, I recently met a good banker friend in his 30s for drinks at his elitist club. Though he is successful and well educated, I found his views on safe sex alarming. According to him, If you move in the right circle, that type of thing just doesn’t happen. I don’t go out to sleazy beer parlours. I go to members’ clubs like the one I’ve invited you to, where you know two things about the members you meet: that the membership committee has approved them, and that they can afford to spend over a quarter of a million naira or more to belong.

Otherwise, I tend to meet people at friend’s parties, so it’s not as if I’m picking up women in a randomly chosen bar’.

“Nigerian men also seem to associate condoms with illicit affairs more suitable to a one-night-stand than a proper girl-friend. “If a

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man carries condoms in his wallet here, women think: he’s obviously after a onenight-stand and does it a lot”, said one of the men I talked with. By that logic, not having the STD discussion implies a sense

of trust and therefore greater intimacy. Unfortunately, the illusion of romance ends when the painful symptoms begin. One of my friends, a 32-year-old investments banker with a boyfriend who adores her, found out the

hard way recently when he confronted her about the pain he was suddenly suffering. He had met her at an out-of-the-way fast food joint and said, ‘I have a sexually transmitted disease, and it can only have come from you since I haven’t slept with anyone else’. He hadn’t even been tested to confirm his suspicion but basically, he suggested that my friend was the whore of Babylon.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend became incommunicado— apparently he found declaring undying love less daunting than talking about his problem. It was several days before he was able to discuss the subject, by which time my friend turned out to have nothing nastier than trust!” Ask the average Nigerian man: have you ever been tested for STDs? And he would want to know why he would do

that since he ‘d never had anything wrong with his sexual life all his life.

“I’ve pointed out gently to quite a few that many infections such as chlamydia (the most common and easily spread) can show no symptom for months or even years. I also realise that not only were Nigerian men completely unaware of the symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhoea, but some of them never even believe they could ever get them!

“Our men obviously have a very prudent attitude towards sex that is riddled with hypocrisy. They all have often been bombarded with explicit imagery, yet fail to have open discussions about the basic facts of life or talk to the children about sex.

We’ve got to discard our belief that safe sex and romance are mutually exclusive”.

Drawing the line between rape and a one-night-stand!

W

Our men obviously have a very prudent attitude towards sex that is riddled with hypocrisy

HAT sort of buzz, drives a man to one-night-stand, relationships? Lola had accompanied her friend to her ex-husband’s birthday party, hoping to have the good time she promised.

“He has birthday bashes annually”, said Lola, “and my friend has stayed friends with her ex because he was a good provider even when their marriage wasn’t really working.

“He is a real clown, more a Jack-the-dad than the successful man he’s turned out to be. The party, apart from its not being a landmark one, was elaborate —good food, good booze and a good crowd. The music was a jazzy mix. Later in the evening, I stood outside the busy toilet when he said I could use the one in his bedroom. I wasn’t there one minute, when he burst in and was all over me. I was shocked. He mumbled that he’d been watching me all evening; that he’d found me attractive for ages, and all those mushy things men say when they are in heat. I was shocked and terribly embarrassed. I had never given him the impression I fancied him.

“I tried to beat him off but he was too strong. Unfortunately, my knickers were already round my ankles and he raped me there and then. He was out of the toilet before I knew what had happened! I felt so used and humiliated and when I got back to the party, I thought every-one would know what had happened to me. But they all just carried on enjoying themselves. My rapist didn’t as much as look my way and when we left, he even saw us off telling my friend

what a beautiful lady I was. I felt so humiliated, I wanted to blurt out what happened but who would believe me?”

Kayode prided himself on being a good one-night-stand man. “I simply love the challenge of bedding a girl the first time I met her, if I find her attractive, that is”, he bragged. “The moment I clamp my eyes on a victim, the possibilities start running through my mind. Will we be sexually compatible?

Will I come too quickly or won’t I be able to come at all?” One night stands have a habit of cropping up, if not often, then once in a while, especially nights when there is too much flirting and drinking at parties, giving you too much build-up opportunity. Then you kid yourself that the chemistry between you and your victim is right and then, wham!

“Of course, I’ve burnt my fingers from time to time. I’ve discovered, for instance, that my prowess between the sheets— if you call it that— has become topic for conversation at some female get together during the course of their now frequent drinking chin-wags.

Women, like men, now freely discuss their sexual escapades and I’ve listened to a few deride the techniques of some really influential men. Makes your flesh crawl at times!

‘They are certainly more brazen than men especially when they’ve had a few drinks.

So, it’s not only men that are the predators.

Some women offer you sex on the platter when it is the furtherest thing from your mind!”

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

BY EVELYN USMAN “This was not the pact we signed when I agreed to be your wife about a decade ago. It is too painful for me to believe that God allowed this to happen so soon,without a word to your Nedu and daughters who are too tender to tell stories about their daddy ….”

This was the heart rendering lamentation of Mrs Pauline Okpokpo,widow of Pastor Chukwuemeka Okpokpo of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, who was shot dead by gunmen on June 22, 2015 along Oba Kayode Way, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Remember him? Okpokpo (50) was the Lagos State Pastor/ Coordinator of the Lord’s Chosen.

He had gone to withdraw the sum of N3 million from the Apple Junction branch of Diamond Bank, when three armed men on a motorcycle trailed and shot him dead before collecting the withdrawn amount.

Crime Guard gathered that he made frantic efforts to escape when it became obvious that he was the target but slowed down on reaching a bad spot on the road, an action that gave his assailants advantage to catch up with him. First, they shot at the tyres of the church bus he was driving, thereby bringing the vehicle to an abrupt halt. Then, one of the gunmen reportedly alighted from their operational motorbike, walked up to the vehicle and shot Pastor Okpokpo at close rage, riddling his stomach with bullets .

Not satisfied, his killer was said to have waited to ensure that Okpokpo was no longer breathing before he took the nylon bag containing the money, went back to his two colleagues on the motorbike and they zoomed off.

Fear-stricken residents who rushed to the scene raised the alarm on discovering that the victim was wearing the Lord’s Chosen reflective jacket. Okpokpo was thereafter rushed to the church’s clinic at Ijesha,where a prayer session went on for days for his resurrection.

His devastated twin sister, Mrs Augustina Chibueze exhibited a high level of faith even when it was obvious that Okpokpo was stone dead. She was said to have staged another round of prayer section for the resurrection of her twin brother whose corpse was deposited in the morgue.

Perhaps that prayer was not answered, as the remains of Okpokpo was laid to mother earth on August 21, at his home town in Amizi, Umuahia, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.

My husband’s last words – widow Seated among other people from different walks of life who came to pay their last honour to the late Chukwuemeka Okpokpo, was his widow and three children. But it was obvious that the widow was lost in deep thought as she cast a blank stare.

At a point, Mrs Pauline Okpokpo who was wearing a sun shade, used a handkerchief to dab the tears that flowed down her cheeks. At other times, she would snuggle one of her children close, as if her life depended on her.

The devastated widow recalled that her husband had called her that fateful day from Lagos, informing her that he would be coming over to the village for a C M Y K

Mrs Pauline Okpokpo , Late Pastor Chukwuemeka’s widow

The deceased children

MURDER AATT D AWN: DA

Lord’s Chosen Pastor buried

•My husband’s last words – widow •Lagos Pastors boycott burial •Traditional ruler rains curses on killers visit later that week. He was said to have in his usual manner promised to get her and the children some goodies on arrival.

As she giggled during the conversation, little did she realised that was going to be the last time she would hear her husband’s voice. Thus, when news of his demise reached her, she found it difficult to believe, insisting that it was the biggest joke of the century.

On the day of the burial, the widow who was yet to come to terms with the rude reality that her husband’s body would be interred, kept asking familiar faces that came to greet her before the ceremony began whether her husband was actually dead.

Apparently hoping someone would reply in the negative, she began by asking rhetorically, with an inquisitive expression: “Is it true that my husband is dead? You mean he is no more?

Who will dance for me and my children? You mean that my Emeka, my heart is gone forever?”

At this point, she held unto one of the visitors and shook her

vigorously as if that would bring back her husband. She asked again: “What will become of me, tell me?” As she continued, those who could not control their emotions burst into tears and wailing afresh. It took them some time to console her before she joined others outside.

While outside, she gave a brief remark about her late husband.

But before she started, she chuckled and at the same time coughed to clear her hoarse voice. She started with her endearment name for late husband: “Mine, after my discussion with you in the morning of that fateful day, with love and assurance that you were coming within the week, little did I know that was the last time I would talk with you. This is too painful for me to believe that God allowed this to happen too soon.”

Pursing her lips in thoughts, she continued. But this time around, she said authoritatively: “Oh death, you have done your worst. You are a thief that has stolen all that I had; my love, my brother, a husband and mentor.

A man of great faith, value and a peacemaker. My God will surely

HRH Eze Eugene Chimezie Ndimele and widow’s father, Mr Rapheal Nwaogu)

Deceased’s brothers; Rev. Dr. Donatus Okpopo and Sunny

avenge for my him.”

She described her late husband as a compassionate man who would give all he had to satisfy his neighbour at the expense of his own family, with the firm believe that God would provide for them. “He was not never troublesome. He had a knack for social adaptability which helped his ministry. His playfulness and jokes bridged every social gap, barrier or distance which in turn helped one to get his attention.”

She paused to heave a sigh.

“Hmmm, I have lost a dear friend and none can fill that vacuum.”

His call to ministry Crime Guard gathered that late Okpokpo’s conversion to the answer of his call as a minister of God was ordained by God. Family members revealed that the deceased once travelled to Italy and Greece but all his endeavours never yielded the desired result. He returned to Nigeria in 2003, to attend one of his cousin’s wedding. But several attempts to return to Europe and Asia, as gathered, never worked.

During that period, he decided to yield the call of God and reportedly began as an intercessor at the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Church.

His friend, with whom he shared a flat in Lagos, Mr Stan, gave insights into how Okpokpo rose to the envious position he held before he was murdered in cold blood.

Visited Okija shrine to destroy its potency According to Stan who is also a member of the Lord’s Chosen Church, “He became our Intercessor Leader in Ogba branch. Through his leadership, many exploits were achieved through God’s grace. He was among the intercessors group that went to Okija Shrine and the evil forest that was given to Chosen in Ngor Okpala for prayers. From his humble beginning as an Assistant Pastor in 2006, he rose to become the Lagos State Pastor on the General Overseer’s appointment, coordinating Lagos State Pastors of the Lord’s Chosen since three years ago. He was also a deliverance Pastor.”

He touched so many lives – Ubani Another relative with whom the deceased lived before he

travelled outside the country, Mr Tony Ubani, was too pained to speak on the late Okpokpo.

Trying hard not to betray his emotions, Ubani said: “I have struggled with how to remember my brother, Augustine Chukwuemeka a.k.a. Teddy Oscar Uju. Teddy eclipsed his baptismal name Augustine and many did not know that he adopted the name from a radio presenter in IBC who had the knack for playing beautiful music on radio. Teddy was a gem. The shock of his death is still much on me. My charismatic Teddy shines on. Teddy was the kindest person I have ever seen.

He was never spiteful, judgemental or rude. The old always looked forward to his coming home, widows bore testimonies to his kindness, the needy are still crying while the youths are still livid with his death because he was their role model. This brave and tender man in every storm of life was the rock. He was the friend of all heroic souls. He climbed the heights and left all superstitions far below and brought fresh air to Amizi and Amizi people adored him. If the world was not wicked who would have raised a finger against a chosen man of God?” Traditional head rains curses on killers Unable to hide his consternation over the killing of one of his subjects, the traditional ruler, Eze 1 of Amizi autonomous community, Eze Eugene Chimezie Ndimele cursed the killers, saying “It will never be well with all those who have hands in the death of our son, Chukwuemeka Okpokpo. They will never know peace because they have murdered peace and very soon they will be arrested.”

Lagos Pastors absent However, it was observed that no pastor from Lagos church was present at the burial of their former coordinator. But their colleagues from neighbouring states graced the occasion. A family member who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “We did not see any Pastor from Lagos. It honestly did not speak well of them. Afterall, the deceased worked tirelessly at the headquarters and it was even in the course of his duty for the church that he met his untimely death.”

But investigation by Crime Guard revealed that the Lagos Pastors initially planned to attend the burial but decided otherwise, following a report that Amizi youths were spoiling for an attack on their arrival.

A member of the church in Lagos who confirmed the claim said that they were yet to get over the death of their coordinator and would not want to have any other death on their record.

Further investigation revealed that youths of Amizi as well as the Vigilante group were forewarned to shun any act that would put the community in bad light during the burial, an admonition they reportedly adhered to, following the hitchfree burial ceremony.

Unfortunately, the killers are yet to be found. Although Police sources hinted that investigation was still on, the question on the lips of some of members of the church and concerned Nigerians is whether this would not add to the list of unresolved murder cases in the country.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—39

Death of School Proprietress, biz partner in Hotel room

They were both found naked on the floor in the position of an embrace with the shower in-between their bodies at the entrance of the shower cubicle • Family sends SOS to IGP Arase

BY EMEM IDIO,YENAGOA

T

HE Amungo Family of Adubabiri compound of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Mrs. Ebiegberi Ejor (nee Amungo). In a petition signed by Dr. Ebimo Amungo, on behalf of the family, they stated that they have lost faith in the ability of officers at the Rivers State Police Command to find the true killers and probable cause of the death of Mrs. Ejor, who, the family believes, was murdered with her business partner.

•Late Mrs. Ejor

Shocking details of death In the revealing petition, the family gave full details of how Mrs. Ejor, the proprietor of Ebilabelle Fashion House and Big Sky School, was found dead by the police in a hotel room with her business partner, contrary to news that had been released to the public that she was abducted by kidnappers and murdered by political opponents of her husband.

According to the family, “ On the 6th of July, 2015, the Manager of Ugalink Hotel, situated in 9/11 Odumini Lane, Road 24 Extension A, Agip Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, reported to the Ada George Road Police Division, the discovery of two dead persons in one of the rooms of the hotel said to be owned by a top law maker in the state.

“It was further disclosed that a police team sent from the division identified the dead persons as Mrs. Ebiegberi Ejor (nee Amungo); a 41 year old mother of four children married to a prominent business man in Rivers State and former Eleme Local government chairman (names withheld). The deceased male was identified as Mr. Freedom Rondue Harrison, a Nigerian-born, France-based, known business associate of Mrs. Ejor ’s. They were both found naked on the floor in the position of an embrace with the shower in-between their bodies at the entrance of the shower cubicle.

Police commence investigation “The policemen at the scene took pictures of the deceased, their clothing and other evidence in the hotel room. The then

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Commissioner of Police in the state went personally to the husband’s residence to inform him of his wife’s death on the evening of 6th of July. Two persons were sent to the hotel room to confirm the identity of the deceased. One was a close aide of the decease d’s husband and the other was Mrs. Ejor’s mother. Thereafter, the policemen evacuated the corpses to the morgue at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and both bodies were embalmed.”

The Family further stated that “on Tuesday, 7th July, 2015, the Commissioner of Police secured a Magistrate’s order for an autopsy to be conducted on Mrs. Ejor and on Wednesday, July 8th, the autopsy was conducted at UPTH by one Dr. Obiorah and was witnessed by a representative of the deceased’s husband, and the younger brother of the deceased. The report of the autopsy concluded that Mrs. Ejor died of electrocution. .

Family rejects autopsy “However, we reject the theory of the police that both deceased were electrocuted while having a bath together in the hotel shower cubicle. This is because from what we gathered so far, both Mrs. Ejor and Mr. Harrison were murdered and their bodies planted in the hotel room in a manner to create the impression that they were electrocuted while having a bath. The theory of electrocution while having a bath is spurious and hard to believe, especially with evidence at the scene, and crucially, evidence on the photographs supplied by the police,” the family stated, accusing the policemen investigating the case of showing “gross negligence and incompetence” for a number of reasons which they listed to include; “the fact that the whole basis of the police investigation so far is directed towards only one conclusion-which is that both deceased were electrocuted while having a bath in the shower.”

Our prayer The family is, therefore, praying the InspectorGeneral of Police to appoint a seasoned police officer outside the Rivers State Police Command to investigate the death of Mrs. Ejor and Mr. Harrison. They also requested that a second autopsy be conducted on the deceased adding that the IGP should direct the police to investigate the deaths of the victims as murders and apprehend those responsible .

40 — SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

W

e all have a reason for doing what we do. Otherwise the gruelling hours and the discipline that we have to put into our jobs would be pointless. Most of us spend incredibly long hours at what we do.

First, there is the period for the acquisition of knowledge, formal and informal; then there is the period for apprenticeship before we can become ‘masters of the trade’. Yet, despite the investments that have been made to get to where they are, many hate their jobs. They do so for a variety of reasons. Some hate the long hours, the monotony the work itself has become, the distance they have to commune to get to work, the lack of privacy. Some, because of lack of quality time and the fact that it disconnects them from loved ones.

Some, because they have to lick often smelly asses of employers; of clients.

Many, in fact, disproportionate figure, because of poor pay.

Many also love their jobs. Again for a variety of reasons. The boss is nice, the environment is conducive, the job is exciting, the co -workers are friendly. And yes, the pay is good. It usually comes down to pay. It is the reason many endure the insults at work. To be able to put food on the table and meet your pressing financial needs compensates somewhat, for the grimace of having to get up early in the morning. And to see your little daughter smile because you are able to buy that cute little dress or Christmas toy, is priceless.

Tied to this is often the issue of job security. The saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss is like a holy grail to many people. These people would rather endure the monotony, the insults and poor pay if the pay check came regularly at the end of the month. But those who really, really enjoy their jobs fall into two groups. Those who are passionate

The best job in the world about what they do and those who believe they are offering service. In the former group are creative people and entrepreneurs while the latter group is largely populated by professionals.

These two groups are driven and they use this drive to surmount seemingly impossible obstacles.

I consider myself one of the few who actually love what they do. I love writing; I love interviewing people; I love reading good scripts. In fact, nothing makes my day more than reading a well crafted article especially from an unknown writer. I even love the process of disseminating news and the instant judgments that are often made in the newsroom. I also found, very early, that the irregular working hours suited my temperament.

But it hasn’t been without its adjustment. And the main adjustment for me was the realisation very early, that journalists don’t have special days like Christmas or Easter. And that you have to take your fun along with your job because you are always on call. It is a jealous profession; often lonely, often demanding. Often, it means putting your job ahead of other indulgences and obligations including family. A clear example of this shifting of paradigm was a Christmas eve in the

seventies. It was my first Christmas as a journalist. We were all ensconced in the confines of the Punch premises at the Onipetesi village. Time sped. Dusk came and went. The dark light of the evening had settled in when a tired little me entered the car of my very tired Editor. We had driven past the airport into Agege motor road when I heard the firework. I had completely forgotten that Christmas was just a few hours away. I turned to my Editor and said ‘Editor, its Christmas. There has to be a better job than this.’ He just looked at me and said ‘Yeah. When you find it let me know.’ Yet in many ways and for many years, I still considered my job to be the best in the world.

Not many outside my profession would agree. In fact, many within the profession would wonder what the hell I am talking about; what with the pay and the uncertainty of a steady job. If the jury was to be out in Nigeria, an overwhelming majority would choose politics to be the best job. The reason is obvious. No job catapults you from poverty to riches like politics in Nigeria. And for doing little or nothing. I have seen a councillor own several houses. I have seen a local government chairman own several hotels. Someone I know has over 25

Many politicians in Nigeria are simply economic parasites

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oday, I celebrate Richard and Sharon Low, our older friends from Lewiston, near Niagara Falls, New York, USA, who celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary quietly yesterday (September 4, 1965–September 4, 2015). Fifty years is a very long time to stick with one's spouse, especially in a society with one of the highest divorce rates in the world. There must be a good dose of friendship, sacrificial love, tolerance, patience and a large forgiving heart. The last time we (Fr. Tony, my elder brother; my wife and I) were with the Lows, Richard regaled us with the history of Lewiston and the role the villagers played in helping freed slaves who escaped from the flowers she was tending at that their recalcitrant masters in the south of time, meaning that if it were her America to cross into Canada through favourite flowers, he was on his own.

Lewiston. Lewiston is separated from They laughed about it, just as we had Canada by the Niagara River about 200 a good laugh when he told us the metres in width. He was uncomfortable story. But that expensive joke will discussing the slave trade. He was unsettle some marriages and apparently embarrassed by the activities probably break a few. Elders from the of his antecedents. woman’s family will be invited to hear their daughter’s “heartlessness.” had no time to ask him the secret of Although in her late 60s or 70s, his long marriage. But I got a few clues Sharon does not look a shade older from the time we spent together. The first than 50 years. She glows and that is thing I noticed is that they genuinely love and care for each other; they also have part of the benefits of a happy marriage. Her passion is gardening enormous respect for each other. They are also friends; you can feel the chemistry. As and she is also in charge of the church garden; something this very I always tell young people who feel sex is religious couple is happy and proud everything in marriage, sex is important, but as the marriage and couple grow older, of. its importance diminishes. Many senior hile taking us out for lunch at citizens no longer have a sex life, but the their favourite seaside genuine friendship that exists between restaurant, they stopped at their local them keeps the relationship going. That church, St. Peter ’s, to show us the is companionship, the primary reason for unique architecture and interior of marriage. the church. The church has an inverted cross shape. I asked Richard hey also take their marriage seriously if the design was influenced by the (that is the only way it could have fact that the Apostle Peter, after whom survived for 50 years), but not everything the church was named, was crucified that happens in their marriage. Richard upside down. Church history has it told us a story. He asked Sharon what she that Peter was crucified upside down would do if she were tending her flowers because he said he was not worthy to (her favourite hobby) and he suffers a heart be crucified the way his Lord, Master attack. She responded that it depended on and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was

Marital longevity

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crucified. His persecutors gladly granted his request.

I use this opportunity to celebrate all couples who have spent a long time together in marriage. Waking up every day and seeing the same face for one, two, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years or more is a monstrous achievement.

Some couples spend many of these years in absolute bliss, with occasional hiccups and storms, while for some others; it is turbulent weather all the way, with occasional respite. Anyhow, ultimately many land safely. I salute you. Marriage, “sweet” as it is, is a slippery terrain with many twists and turns. That is why the presence and grace of God are absolutely necessary and important. May God bless you for your perseverance and strengthen your unions.

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eyond the reasons stated above, many couples who have been married for 50 years or more stress the importance of communication. You do not have to agree with your spouse, but hear him/her out and respect his/her opinion. Effective communication should be backed with effective conflict resolution mechanisms to resolve the inevitable differences that must arise. Compromise is also

houses from serving a term each in the State and Federal Houses. I have seen the swagger of those who have no jobs outside of politics. All over the world, people seek power in order to propagate ideas and influence the society. Many in fact, actually take a pay cut and suffer a drop in their standard of living in order to serve. Not in Nigeria. I stand to be corrected, but I do not think there is Governor or Senator who leaves office poorer than he went in unlike what obtains in many other democracies in the world.

Many politicians in Nigeria are simply economic parasites; especially in these harsh economic times. They are exemplified by the fat cows in the National Assembly. In the past hundred days of this new dispensation, they have done nothing to add value to the country. Yet, according to some reports, they have shared a whopping 13 billion naira till date. None, including past and present APC progressives, has been able to tell us what their take home pay is exactly. The reason is simple; even they, are embarrassed.

They claim to have reduced their annual appropriation to 120 billion naira from 150 billion naira. We are supposed to clap for them are we? Why should 470 law makers be given an amount that is more than what some States who have millions to feed are given? And what are they doing with almost five thousand civil servants?

David Mark’s eight year watch witnessed an unprecedented hike in the allocation to the National Assembly. This is a man whose State of over four million people struggles to get anything near 150 billion naira as allocation. Yet his State has one of the highest unemployed youths. But then he has an antecedent. He is a man who believes the poor have no right to anything good. To earn approximately 100 million a year for a roughly 100 days’ work reads like a million a day.

David Mark and his fellow travellers surely have the best job in the world.

very important. Marriage is like dogs playing, it is: “fall for me, I fall for you.”

Also, the “bites”—like dog bites when playing—should be on the surface, not deep; no hurtful words and actions that can linger. Respect should also be mutual and should extend to the extended family.

Sometimes, successful marriages come down to individual nuances. A couple was interviewed long ago on the secret of their long marriage. The man said it is because they have never seen each other ’s nakedness, so they respect each other. Did I hear somebody say that is from the Stone Age? How did they produce their children? Well they did it only in the cover of darkness. Although it worked for this unique couple, that is stiff and too restrictive for the modern day couple. Sexual urge does not send mails. It visits most times unannounced; so many couples do their thing if the environment is conductive, aka, privacy—day or night.

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nother mama, an octogenarian, claimed that marriages do not last these days because young men go and “pick wives anyhow from wherever they like. They do not consult their mothers and families to look carefully and get them wives from good families.” Hmmm, mama, I will not argue with you, but the person putting on the shoes should have the final say on whether the shoes will be comfortable over the long journey called matrimony.

One thing is clear; these “secrets” of long and successful marriages notwithstanding, couples must come up with their USP (unique selling proposition). Happy anniversary to Richard and Sharon; I wish you many more years together in good health of mind and body.

SA TURD AY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—41 SATURD TURDA

Hon. Ashamu opens super st ores in Lagos stores

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t was a gathering of men, women, of timber and caliber when Honourable Tony Ashamu opened his super stores named Ashmart Super Stores in Ogba area of Lagos. Roll call of dignitaries include wives of the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Director, Admin and Human Resources, Deputy Governor’s Office, Lagos State, Mrs. Yetunde Odejayi, representing the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ranti Adebule, Chairman Board of Trustees, Ikeja Golf Club Dr Funsho Peters and many others.

L-R:The wives of the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Ayaba Omo and Ayaba Folashade, with the CEO, Ashmart Super Stores, Hon Tony Ashamu (2nd right) his wife, Mary (1st Right) and the representative of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Odejayi

L-R: Chairman, Ashmart Super Stores, Hon Tony Ashamu discussing with other guests

R-L: Engr Femi Ajibola, with Lagos State Deputy Governor’s Representative, Mrs. Yetunde Odejayi, The Oba Lamidi Adeyemi’s Oloris, Ayaba Omo and Ayaba Folashade Adeyemi, the CEO Ashmart Super Stores, Hon Tony Ashamu and others.

L-R: Mr Ola Abraham with the Chairman Ashmart Super Stores, Hon Tony Ashamu, Mrs. Funmi Ajibola and the Ashmart CEO’s wife, Mrs. Mary Ashamu

Pa Ojiemhenyi Ebade laid tto o rest LATE Pa Ojiemhenyi Ebade a community leader was laid to rest recently in his home town Olenokhua Village,, Eguare Ewohimi in Edo State.

He died at the age of 107 years. The grand burial ceremonies attracted friends, relatives and high profile guests from all over the country and abroad.

The three-day ceremony took a carnival like dimension. Among the personalities that graced the occasion were HRH Lord Peter Ojiefohi the Onojie of Ewohimi, HRH Silvanus Ikhumen II the Onojie of Ewatto, ACG of the Nigeria Customs Mr. Gbemudu, Chief (Mrs) Doris Oboh and others.

L-R: Mr. Pat Ebade (Retired) Deputy Controller of Customs and Mr. Friday Ebade, Assistant Director, Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, Abuja, Children of Late Pa. Ebade.

Burial procession: Mrs. Ruth Adebayo (Nee Ebade) daughter. Mrs. Juliet Ebade Deputy Director of Education, daughter-in-law, Mr. Pat Ebade, retired DCC, of Nigeria Customs (son).

NURT W holds 8th NURTW quadrennial national New Methodist Revd delegates conference

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Comrade Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, National President NURTW

embers and executives of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, converged on the capital city of Abuja for their 8th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference. held recently at the International Conference Center. New executives were elected at the conference

R-L:Representative of the Vice-President of the Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede ,second from left with Federation, Dr Hillo, NURTW National President Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin with some of the other newly elected executives. dignataries

REVEREND Ibeji Christy Ijeoma was ordained a reverend in the Methodist Church of Nigeria on Sunday, August 23rd at Aba.

Rev Ibeji Christy Ijeoma

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

BALARABE MUSA:

An ex-governor’s

unbelievable Spartan life •Lives happily in his 3-bedroom home built in the early 70s •Owns 3 tractors, one car •Has no security guard or personal aide •Gate remains open morning till midnight •Three graduate children unemployed

‘I’VE AACHIEVED CHIEVED MY LIFE AMBITION WHICH W AS TTO O HA VE A WAS HAVE FAMIL WN A TRA CT OR, A HOUSE AND PPA AY MY HOSPIT AL BILLS’ AMILYY, O OWN TRACT CTOR, HOSPITAL C M Y K

BY SONI DANIEL, Northern Region Editor

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here is a house on 25 Aliyu Turaki Road in Kaduna metropolis that is very popular and unmistakable. This simple weather-beaten threebedroom bungalow is known to even children in the area on account of many factors.

First, the gate of the house is

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SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—43

Balarabe Musa: Continues from page 42

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always flung open as early as 6am and will not be shut until midnight. Again, the owner of the house is one who comes out freely to associate with his neighbours any time of the day. He has no restriction for those coming to see him and has no fear of going out to see others in the neighbourhood. One thing is however certain about the house. Almost on a daily basis, visitors troop in from many parts of the country to see the man, who is about to clock 80 years but still is waxing strong and remains a firebrand on local and national issues.

He harbours no evil and fears no evil. But he has undying passion for politics and good governance and has paid dearly for playing politics, having tested the prison in 1983 when the military struck. His name is Alhaji Balarabe Musa, first civilian governor of Kaduna State. He is now fully into farming and family life. As this reporter finally found his way into the house through the help of children playing around the vicinity, the old man, welcomed the team with a broad smile and ushered us into his sitting

An ex-governor’s unbelievable Spartan life

room, which looks more like the home of a local chief.

Conspicuous in the ‘parlour ’ are broken cushion chairs covered with Aba-made fabrics, which can at best sit 14 persons in all. The door to the sitting room is made with metal frame while the windows are festooned with outdated louvre blades.

What is supposed to serve as a centre table in the sitting room is a small rickety wooden stool sitting dangerously on a fabric that is difficult to determine whether it is rubber or rug carpet. It has been in that position for many decades.

The sitting room does not have any air conditioner but some ceiling fans that have been overworked and need replacement.

Some of the ceiling boards are hanging loosely from the frames and threatening to drop, giving an indication they need urgent replacement but receiving no attention.

The entrance to the small compound is ‘paved’ with stones, which partition it into two equal parts. But there are lush green arcades with some sitting platforms.

This gives the place the ambience of a village

square, or a museum of some sort.

But it is nonetheless the family house belonging to a man, who is supposed to have been swimming in opulence and relishing in the ambience of a multi-million mansion given the role he once played and continues to play in Nigeria.

It is not that many people, including his loved ones and political associates, have not made effort to transform the house, which he built as a young man in the early 70’s. And it is not that his children are not able to change this home of a national figure.

The fact remains that the man himself is the main obstacle to any attempt to transform it to befit his status as a former governor and a man who deserves a better life, given his role in society. He has always opposed any move by any person or group to retouch the house. In fact, a member of the family confessed to our reporter that several offers made to him by close friends and top government officials to renovate the house or even expand it have been rebuffed by Musa.

Despite the condition of his home, Balarabe Musa is very happy with his attainment in life and does not harbour any ill-feeling against any person. He lives a simple life, devoid of the trappings of a former governor.

In fact, he boasts that he has accomplished all that he set out to achieve in life.

Musa is elated to have served as the first civilian governor of Kaduna State

•Entrance of the house

As a result, four of his six male children are still staying with him; one is employed and lives on his own, while the rest are still searching for jobs

from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983 without tampering with a kobo from the public purse. Musa insists he is a happy man. He maintains himself with a monthly pension of N300,000 since Kaduna State does not have a mouth watering severance benefit such as is obtainable in most states where a former governor or deputy is expected to be given a princely monthly sum of money, palatial homes in their states and Abuja in addition to a lifetime medical care and personal aides.

“In terms of Naira and Kobo, I don’t have Kobo in the bank until my pension is paid. I earn about N300,000 a month and that is what I use in managing my life and family.”

Asked why he lives a Spartan kind of life in the midst of opulence, Musa, insists that his life pattern is influenced by his fundamental beliefs as a socialist.

“First, I am a Muslim, second, I am a socialist and I have got all I want in life. What I have today is exactly what I wanted to have in life since when I was 17. I never imagined that I would have more than what I have now,” the former governor said.

He confessed that the monthly stipends paid to him as pension by the Kaduna State government

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Continues from page 43 was enough to keep him going since he sometimes get some additional income by engaging in consultancy jobs as a chartered accountant. He revealed that he once helped someone to get a consultancy job and was paid for his effort but nothing much has since come out of that direction.

On the condition of his house, Musa says he is comfortable with it and does not want any other thing to be added to it. According to him, he never wished to have anything more than what he has at the moment.

“Not that the state government never said things to me. If they try to change things I won’t agree because I feel comfortable.

For years I never wished to have more than I have right now.”

The house has remained as it was since he bought it in 1970 from the New Nigerian Property Development Corporation, NNPDC. It does not matter to him

Balarabe Musa:

An ex-governor’s unbelievable Spartan life

that as a former governor, three of his children who are university graduates are not employed and it does not worry him that as a former governor nothings comes on a platter of gold.

As a result, four of his six male children are still staying with him; one is employed and lives on his own, while the rest are still searching for jobs.

Some of his children are doing well.

He has nine of them. One is still in the university.

As the interview with him was going on, his little grandchildren were milling around him, with some taking something to him and going away in ecstasy and he relished the moments, as a man, who has seen it all.

“Some states could have other things but we don’t have them in Kaduna State. After the pension, that is all. In some states they have but here we don’t want to build beyond what we already have now,” he says.

He maintains that as far as he is concerned nothing really bothers him any more, having achieved his set goals in life: “Well, as I told you, at age 17 I had already determined what I wanted in life. First was a family, Second, the ability to educate myself and my children, then a house, a farm, a tractor, the ability to pay the cost of my health services.”

But Musa has been very lucky with his health. In spite of the fact that he is nearly 80, hardly does he fall ill. In fact, in the last 12 years, he has only been taken to the hospital once for a major medical attention. Then, he reluctantly accepted the intervention of an unnamed top government official, who offered to help bear the cost of the medical treatment.

He confesses: “The only sickness I C M Y K

•Gatehouse

•Table in front of the house

“Well, as I told you, at age 17 I had already determined what I wanted in life.

First was a family, Second, the ability to educate myself and my children, then a house, a farm, a tractor, the ability to pay the cost of my health services”

suffered from was 11 years ago and it was a heart attack and I came out of it and I haven’t had even headache since then because I had a thorough examination paid for by a number of state governments cutting across the north and south.

“That is the privilege I enjoy from the government, including my own state, Kaduna state.

Although such assistance is not statutory, he believes that if he has any health challenge, the governors would come to his aid.

The former governor says although he cannot retire from politics, he has been

into full time commercial farming. Farming was on his mind from the age of 11.

He concentrates on producing grains from his farm, which is located near the main army cantonment in Kaduna. He only recently added 64 cows to the farm, but the cows were stolen by rustlers, despite the proximity of the farm to a military zone.

But what could have made a man who has attained a powerful and influential post in life to choose to live the life of a peasant? In trying to justify his disposition to life the former governor said he could not betray his socialist background, adding that the

condition prevalent at the period he was growing up, also influenced him immensely.

“From the beginning I have been a socialist and what influenced me was my background and the situation around me in terms of where I stood, where I lived and even the time I was born at a time of the anti- colonial struggle.

“I was born in 1936 and by 1939 the Second World War started which went on till 1945 and by 1943 I was in elementary school and I knew something about the Second World War. “ I witnessed the suffering of the people during the Second World War and eventually that experience enabled me to understand the meaning of colonial rule and living under colonial rule, so it was an education.

“I joined active politics by declaration in 1950 when the NEPU was established on the 8th of August 1950. I formally became a registered member of that party in 1953 and since then I have been in active politics since I left the civil service in 1975 but even before then I was always participating in political activities.

Beyond that, the lessons Musa learned from his mentor, the late Aminu Kano, who championed socialism in Nigeria, also influenced his socialist leanings.

He said he imbibed the lessons of honesty, steadfastness and qualitative leadership from the late Aminu Kano and does not want to deviate from it till he’s called home. That is why he is against capitalism.

It is something that should not be mentioned where he is. In spite of the fact that the Peoples Redemption Party has been de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, his small compound is still littered with the relics of the PRP while his mind is still fixed on the socialist mantra.

He believes that one day; the party will rule Nigeria and enthrone good governance and free services for all Nigerians. “We will remain, whether we are registered or not; whether we can contest election or not because our purpose is to enlighten Nigerians to know about the state of the country and to struggle for a fundamental change in this country.

“I am not interested in amassing wealth but in liberating the people,” the former governor said.

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46—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Man bounces

and my family members who have been worried. I hope they will continue to be with me until I am completely free from this stress.”

back to life after three

days in morgue •Family celebrates God’s miracle •Otene certified dead

BY AGAJU MADUGBA

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70 year old man might have cheated death when he bounced back to life after spending over 30 hours in a mortuary in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Doctors at a private hospital in the town had on Saturday, August 26, 2015, certified Amos Otene dead at 4. 30 am and promptly covered him up and wheeled him into the mortuary, awaiting instructions from members of the family for embarment. As further proof that Otene was dead, the doctors extracted the requisite body fluid and other substances from the corpse, for post mortem examination which was to ultimately reveal the cause of death.

According to the family, the hospital admitted Otene on Friday August 25 after he complained of severe toothache which had persisted for several days.

As the news of Otene’s death spread, family members and other sympathisers continued to throng the hospital. On Sunday, when one of his children, Eche, who lives in Lafia visited, he was taken to the mortuary to confirm that his father had indeed passed on.

According to Eche, at about 1.39 pm, “the morticians at the hospital wheeled out the trolley containing my father and unveiled the face for me to see. It was in this process that the supposedly he started raising his right hand and all of us fled towards the reception area of the mortuary. From a safe distance we watched as my father lifted himself and sat C M Y K

•After resurrection on the bed and that was about seven minutes later.

One of the attendants eventually summoned enough courage and approached my father who fell back on the trolley.”

Eche said that the doctors ordered that the resurrected man be readmitted in the ward where some medication was administered and he was placed on fresh round of drips. He remained in the ward till Tuesday when the doctors carried out series of tests and certified Otene fit for discharge.

•Elizabeth...Otene’s wife

Encounter with death As at Wednesday at the Otene’s Old GRA residence in Makurdi, well-wishers continued to troupe there to

catch a glimpse of the resurrected man. Until his retirement in 2012, Otene worked at the Department of Forestry of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Makurdi. In what may well be an apparent case of neardeath experience, Otene said that, “what I remember is that I was in a vehicle and traveled a long distance.

When I got there, there were many people and there was a lot of celebration and merriment and the people were happy. But they did not allow me to stay with them.

They said I should go back and repeat my work. I am much better now and I thank God for everything and I also owe many thanks to the hospital for taking care of me

It’s a miracle Otene’s wife, Elizabeth, was not aware that her husband had ‘passed’. Her children did not inform her because, according to them, she is hypertensive and they feared that informing her would have caused additional damage. According to Elizabeth, “they did not tell me that my husband died, they only told me after the resurrection and I think it is a miracle. I ask God to forgive me for doubting when they told me that he died and resurrected. After his resurrection he developed high appetite for food and he has been demanding for food.

Eche, the son said,”this is God’s miracle. We glorify God’s name. God is merciful and we can’t thank Him enough for keeping my father alive. What if they had embarmed him? They did not because they were waiting for us. And when I visited the man came alive. It’s God’s work.”

Faulty death certification But medical experts say Otene could not have died in the first place and that the question of resurrection was out of the question. The only explanation, according to a Makurdi-based medical practitioner, Dr. Ameh Edace, is that, “he was in a long coma. He was in a long coma if he came back to life before embarment.” Also reacting, the Medical Director of Rekiya Memorial Hospital, Kaduna, Dr. Bello Mohammed, said that, “in the history of medicine, there has not been any case of anybody coming back to life after being certified dead. It is not possible but when you talk of miracle, that is a different thing altogether because with miracle, anything can happen. But if a person is pronounced clinically dead, he remains dead and there is no way he can come back to life, certainly, not after 24 hours. For this case in question, the only medical explanation is that the patient was in a long coma. If a doctor had certified the patient dead, then the competence of that doctor should be questioned. For sure, there is something wrong with the death certification.

SA TURD AY Vanguard , SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—47 SATURD TURDA

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o several people, little has been achieved in the past one hundred days by the government of the All Progressives Congress which has been in government under the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari. Many other people, on the contrary, believe otherwise. However, the time frame of that judgment seems to be removed from the consideration of an appreciable number of those who feel disposed or impelled to judge, and that reduces the element of rationality drastically. The government was elected into a term of four years in office, a fact that seems easy to forget, and which has no significance even as a fraction of the extent of the official tenure. All the same, an exceptional incident * occurring, for good or ill during the time in question, would definitely have cast its influence on the future, and be worthy of note. That does not seem to have happened.

In that regard, one has in mind the complete rout of an evil like the Boko Haram menace, or at least the recovery of those hapless young girls abducted from Chibok, an event that would have gladdened our hearts and dramatically assured us that progress is being made through a conscious effort.

But that did not happen.

Rather, we have received some disturbing news of air crashes at unusually close intervals. That may not be directly connected with governance but they have occurred during this period of one hundred days in which we have only one direction to look at the slightest noise for even the slimmest assurance of our security. The incidence of serious crimes does not seem to have abated either. The free attack on policemen in the Ikorodu area of Lagos is disheartening occurring, as it did, in a section of the country which is highly sophisticated, with robbers having the guts to stand up the excellence they had against law men and opening prided themselves of in him; fire on them. One cannot but to those who are prepared to also mention, among others, down rate him on any the frightful abduction of our occasion, it would be a own London correspondent, vindication of their tendency Donu Kobara, who was to vilify him. kidnapped in Port Harcourt But the President has ‘ while visiting her ailing himself never subscribed to mother. the exercise which he sees Such distressing as little more than a hollow occurrences naturally make gimmick of no more value one wonder from where, and than a mere distraction. He when the change we all associates it with fraud. He hoped for is coming. So the made that view clear in the loot excised from the treasury response he gave to a has been traced and will be question that impinged on recovered; so the NNPC is the subject at Clapham being dismantled; and so House on his visit to Britain what? If the streets are not early in his administration. safe and our homes are in However, those who danger, what price the most probably hope to fault his buoyant economy on the few days in office would not Continent? be deterred. A document, or Yet the Federal Government two, has been exhumed to is astir. There seems to be prove that he had been such a clamour about committed to some promises evaluating the achievements he made about how he of the First One Hundred would perform within the Days in Office that the period. government seems to have Of course, it cannot all be been caught on the dismissed as a mere ploy of defensive. There is a number commotion devised by the of causes for this. The first is “opposition”. It might play that the government would out as an example of the appear not to appreciate how attitude which the Buhari important this evaluation of administration has adopted its stewardship is to several to the issue of public people, even among those relations, emanating from who are in support of its the spiky hubris that seems efforts. It is important to them to dominate his reaction to because of the “messianic the feelings of the populace. complex”, as someone On such a trip, the APC describes it, attached to the government seems would be Buhari personality. For those travelling on a precipitous who are in support of him, it terrain. This aroused the would be a demonstration of

the next hundred days *yorubanness in leadership

disappointing that such a disconcerting attitude could be displayed so openly within just one hundred days in office. It has set up the list of the cabinet members for close scrutiny when it is released.

And then we shall see what takes place in another hundred days.

Echoes: Okay sir. But from all the appointments so far made, you can read his minset. Southerners will now be appointed Minister of Information, Arts and Tourism, Culture and Science and Technology,..HORRIBLE NEPOTISM …08033776695

•PresidentBuhari

One cannot but also mention, among others, the frightful abduction of our own London correspondent, Donu Kobara, who was kidnapped in Port Harcourt ‘while visiting her ailing mother kerfuffle that is yet to subside over the appointments recently made. The cabinet was yet to be announced, causing widespread discontent among the people, and what did the President do?

He put out the names of appointees to some sensitive positions, who are mostly from the same section of the country.

That action clearly stumbled over the provisions of the Constitution that speak about a mandatory spread over the federation in the consideration for such appointments, as much as it trampled over the

sentiments of many people in the nation.

Apologists, and you may count me among them, have put forward the fragile excuse that further appointments would include people from other parts of the country, so what is the hurry about those particular appointments now? If the administration has waited this long, surely it could have waited a bit longer? But what is particularly upsetting is that the officialdom as at present constituted in Aso Rock cannot deny appreciating that those appointments would not go down with the people. It would therefore not be uncharitable to conclude that the people now in power simply cannot be concerned by the feelings of those whose votes put them there. It is clearly

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federation of Nigeria, is indeed a Yoruba man who is very proud of what he describes as his Yorubanness. By that he would mean the fact of his being a Yoruba man. He is not re-writing history of his people, as some other worthy Yoruba man has alleged. He is merely telling the truth about the fact that the Yoruba never had a leader who was at the head of all the people together, and at the same time. History is, in fact, on his side.

This is because we never grouped ourselves together as one clan or tribe. We were of various origins and faiths, though we subscribed to the same forms of worship as independent groups as occasions as rose. The veneration of Ifa, or Ogun as deities was widespread as established through the interrelationship which developed among the various groups as they travelled and re-settled away from their places of birth. This was caused by the internecine wars in which they indulged until the white man came to establish a distinct stability among them.

Warfare was indeed a major cause of migration. Another was trade with which the Ijebu were pre-occupied, and by which they established wholesome communities away from their own territories which were merged with the groups where they settled. And so we have Ijebu-Jesha and Ijebu-Ife. But we also have IjebuRemo which was founded by Iremo migrants from Ile-Ife. The leadership which sprang among the different groupings derived from the conduct of the internecine warfare or the seniority of the priests. Thus the first Alafin was a warlord, while the throne of the Ooni emerged initially from the Ifa priesthood.

Neither has conceded superiority to the other through history. It was the white man who came to recognize what he called a “paramount” ruler of an area or the other.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was accorded the title of the “Ashiwaju”— the Leader of the Yoruba people, and he deserved it. But events have proved that it was not a position institutionalized within the lore of the people. It was personal to him alone, though anyone can give himself any title he wants Time out.

48—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

The Brand Promise to the Consumer is Sacrosanct

BY PETER ARUOTURE I recall a job interview some time ago where having successfully scaled through the processes, I had to meet with the business owner for final talks (usually money matter).

In the course of the talk, somehow the conversation veered into cosmetics for men. After much jawjaw without agreeing on the financial package for the role, I nonetheless left the interview with the firm resolve to purchase a particular cream to soften my hard looks. Day and night without fail, I applied the elixir that would bring back my boyish good looks. No instant effects and being a diehard pragmatist, I figured the results couldn’t be immediate so I persevered for a whole month. Still nothing. To be sure, casually I asked my wife (I had been applying the cream surreptitiously) and still nothing. I had been hoodwinked. It didn’t take long before in silent anger and wrath, I became a rabid

spokesperson against the brand. During one of my many sermons testifying against the daylight robbery, I met someone who took me on arguing it took between three to six months for results to manifest. Pause.

Could I be wrong? Have I unjustly passed judgement? I had no idea about any timelines; and because I had no calendar to work with, how was I to know the brand could still deliver on its promise?

The turning point in my conversion from advocate to opponent was the postpurchase evaluation period. Simply put, it refers to the consumer behavior of seeking validation from others and self, that the purchase was a good one. It’s the period for determining if the brand delivered as promised or not. The fallout when positive is repurchase on the road to loyalty and when negative, no repeat purchases equally on the way to opposition. Why didn’t the manufacturers just communicate more in line with my expectations?

A similar scenario is playing out today with the newly enthroned government. We the consumers, the citizenry, purchased or voted in the APC brand with the hope a lot of our challenges would be solved. We

believed in the brand promise. A lot of Nigerians both home and abroad started believing again in our dear homeland; it seemed a little too good to be true but being Nigerians, die-hard optimists that we are, we slurped it all up. To the cynics, it was like the medicines they sell in molues that have the potency to cure every hue and form of human malaise thrown at it. The brand promises ranged from rejuvenation of public infrastructure, killing corruption, to even free meals at schools and provision of welfare for the nation’s poorest to whom gratis five thousand naira would seem a mini jackpot. In summary, there was something for everybody; there were benefits for poor and rich alike.

Whilst some or hopefully all of these promises (which you may also refer to as consumer benefits) are tenable, the ruling party is making the same mistake as the facial cream brand by not communicating timelines. The citizens are getting restive because they have been promised a lot and they believe in you but the lethargic waiting for some form of action or visible result is gradually building up to frustration even though it is a mere couple of weeks since the government was inaugurated.

For some, the song has already changed but for the steadfast, the belief that the APC would deliver remains resolute. For how long?

The government should get over the unnecessary intra-party wrangling and focus on us, the consumers; after all, the consumer is King. The most critical action for the APC government today is to come out and set timelines so people can have something to look forward to. That way they would reduce the risk of eroding the goodwill the party. It can be as simple as asking Nigerians not to be too hasty but to wait for the first one hundred days in

office before evaluation of their performance. It can be as insignificant as the President announcing his ministers would be sworn in by mid-September or in October or even November. What this would do is to set the minds of the citizenry towards a future milestone and give the government and party the much needed time to put their strategies together. The spate of terminations in the public and military service though somewhat relevant, does not do much for the average Nigerian. We want to have a better quality of life and though going after corrupt leaders is warranted, it should not detract from the critical aim of bolstering our weakened economy so the multiplier effects of the macro can be felt at the micro level. There is nothing to gain from mudslinging the previous administration because now, we have thrown away the native black soap we used before and got a facial cream to make us look good again. We do not need reminders the black soap was ineffective; that has already been determined.

This is post-purchase evaluation period for the leadership of this government and ruling party. Keep us informed about things that are relevant to our livelihood. Above all, keep your brand promise.

That’s all we ask. It is sacrosanct.

Puzzle as two families lay claim to 33-year-old man living with down syndrome

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

T

he Police in Lagos are currently battling to unravel the puzzle surrounding the true identity of a 33-year-old man identified as who is Biodun living with down syndrome. Two families are claiming to be his biological parents.

The two families involved in the struggle are the Shokenu family who live at No3, Church place, Idiroko, Majidun in Ikorodu and the Bankole family residing at No 6, Adebayo Street, Magidun, still in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Report at Owutu Police division It was learned that the Bankole family reported to the police at Owutu division when Biodun initially went missing in 2013, while the Shokenu family also reported to the same police division when the same Biodun went missing on August 9, 2015.

While members of the Shokenu family were still searching for Biodun who had gone missing, Biodun walked back to the Bankole family house where he got missing two years earlier.

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Happy to be re-united with their missing son, the Bankole family took Biodun to the police station to notify them that they had seen their son who had been missing for two years.

Difficulty in unravelling the puzzle Crime Guard learned that when Biodun was living with the Bankoles’, his name was Biodun Salako Bankole but at the Shokenu household, he was called Biodun a.k.a uncle.

Interestingly, both families have pictures and evidences to back their claims, therby making it difficult to unravel the the puzzle. While Bankole family has pictures to back their claims, the Skockenu family brought a school identity card of Biodun when he was a student at Down syndrome school in Surulere, Lagos.

It was gathered that Biodun stopped schooling when in 2011, his parents could no longer afford his school fees.

Some of the teachers from the school have come to identify him as one of their former

students.

Another puzzle The Bankole family claimed that Biodun spoke before he got missing two years , but the Shokenus’ claimed Biodun was born dumb. Incidentally, the Biodun in contention could not speak. Concerted efforts made by Crime Guard to engage him in a discussion failed woefully as he kept on mopping at everybody around him without uttering a word.

Confined at the Police sation It was gathered that he has been confined at the police station following the controversy over his paternity while the police are carrying on with their investigations with a view to determining his true identity. Investigations showed the police are also catering for his feeding and other neccessities as both families have not provided for him. However, it was gathered that they have been coming to the police stationd

daily to find out the result of police investigation while sources said the case maybe determined after a DNA might have been carried out on Biodun. As at the time of going to press, it was not possible to ascertain who would provide the money for the DNA to determine his biological parents.

Meanwhile, Biodun who is short in stature kept on pacing all around the police station lesuirely mindless of the controversy surrounding his family background.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 — 49

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54 —SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

ECONOMIC EMPO WERMENT EMPOWERMENT WERMENT::

Ov er 19,000 ph ysically cchallenged hallenged Over physically people benef it fr om MTN FFoundation oundation benefit from

Centre, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, with other viewers target is to improve the quality of hen MTN, the first telecom life of people living with berted in Nigeria for disabilities through the provision business, many Nigerians had of mobility aids and appliances concluded that they are here to e.g. wheelchairs, crutches, guide exploit and maximise profit. Little canes, hearing aids, and Braille did they know that MTN had in its machines. The mobility aids and coffers plans for Nigerians living appliances help the beneficiaries with disability. This became a move around and carry out dayreality when it established MTN to-day activities without Foundation’s Disability Support significant difficulties. The Project over 10 years to arrest and distribution cuts across the six geoempower the physically political zones in Nigeria. This challenged ones in the society to has really awarded the ICT realise their God-giving talents. company huge in Corporate However, over 19,000 Social Responsibility in Nigeria. beneficiaries have benefitted from One might not appreciate this this foundation through the until you imagine yourself living distribution of mobility aids and with a cripple or a person without appliances. The Foundation’s arms in which you render every of

W

TRIBUTE n September 7, 1940, the O cosmos came together to herald the birth of great man. Born

to Pa Joseph Osunkeye of Ijemo, Abeokuta, and Mama (Chief) Dorcas Taiwo Osunkeye Otun IyaIjo of African Church, Ifako-Agege of humble origins, this child turned out to be one of the respected leaders and captains of industry in Nigeria and a reputable industrialist of note.

As a young boy who grew up in a very religious background, Chief (Dr.) Olusegun Oladipo Osunkeye was very focused and determined to make the world a better place.

Having the innate knowledge that to make a mark on the annals of history, he had to equip himself intellectually to achieve; he had been taught that hard-work, passion and drive could get him there faster. With this in mind, and the support of good parents who believed in the value education, he started his journey to excellence.

He began this journey at the prestigious King’s College Lagos in 1954. Anyone who was familiar with King’s College, especially at that time, knew how intelligent a student had to have been to attend such a school. He continued in 1958 by starting a professional Accountancy training with Messrs Akintola Williams and Co. in 1959. Upon graduating two years later, he attended the Nigeria College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan (NCAST) for intermediate Professional Accountancy examination.

Being the consummate knowledge seeker, he devoted another two years C M Y K

their helps.

This apart from other youth empowerment programmes MTN through other channels has shared its profit to reasonably position our youths in terms of employment and others.

This Foundation is reducing and taking away many of these physically challenged ones who resorted to begging as a means of livelihood from our major roads, corner streets and popular public buildings and empowering them.

Despite concerted efforts by government, the social problem of begging on our streets has become one major problem that seems to have defied all solutions. But MTN foundation is doing enough to address this issue.

Going by the law, the Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as anyone who has a physical or mental impediment that has a substantial and longterm adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out day-to-day activities. These impediments include loss of limbs, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, Down Syndrome, learning difficulties and mental health problems, such as; depression and anxiety, to name a few. Since nature has made to be so, we must play our part to make them feel like one of us. To this extent the Nigerian government recently highlighted the plight of people living with disabilities. Currently before the National Assembly, a bill titled, an “Act to Ensure Full Integration

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—55 of Persons with Disabilities and to “the projects implemented by the establish a National Commission Foundation have touched the lives for Persons with Disabilities” is of many people across the country. going through enactment. The bill The science laboratories, music seeks to address the challenges scholarships, the blind students’ faced by People Living With scholarships, economic Disabilities (PLWDs) which wide empowerment programmes, ranging provisions include health improvement projects have poverty, unemployment, access to all improved the lives of many security, education of children and Nigerians; and that makes us very young people with disabilities, as pleased. The Foundation has well as access to housing, public given people a helping hand and health services and transport. we are pleased to be part of a But despite this, more still needs caring organisation like MTN. We to be done, especially by the are committed to doing more for private sector, to help alleviate the our beneficiaries”. sufferings of people living with Among those who have disabilities and change their benefitted from this rare fortune for the better. While others opportunity is 29-year-old have continued to play lip service Blessing Urieto. Born without actions, leading ICT Company, legs, living seemed an almost MTN Nigeria, has seized the bulls impossible task for the little baby. by the horns with its proactive Even with her name, Blessing’s measures, all focused at giving the arrival was everything to her lives of these often neglected parents but a blessing, or so they people a better meaning. thought at the time.

As one of its pivotal focal areas, While the parents struggled to the number one mobile telephone come to terms with what had service provider, through its MTN clearly seemed to them to be a Foundation in the past ten years, major setback, they considered it under its Economic best to tend to their baby privately Empowerment portfolio, has in the confines of their humble consistently focused on improving home, keeping her away from the the welfare of people living with prying eyes of neighbours and disabilities within our other members of the public. For communities. MTNF Disability them, a baby like Blessing was trial Support Project is aimed at of faith, a most painful one at that. improving accessibility and Blessing grew up mainly in functionality of persons with isolation, and like most physically disabilities through the provision challenged people in Nigeria, she of mobility aids and appliances did not benefit from any form of for individuals living with one formal education. At age 20 when form of disability or the other. most young people of her age were Executive Secretary, MTN in tertiary institutions, she could Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, neither read nor write.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Yinka Sanni and Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr. Foluso Phillips, at the South Africa-Nigeria investment trade forum in Lagos

75 YEARS IN THE MAKING Chief Olusegun Oladipo Osunkeye, CON, OFR, OON, D.Sc, (Honoris Causa) FCA

Chief Osunkeye to professional training at another respected firm, Peat Marwick, Cassleton, Elliot and Co and also attended the famous College of Commerce, Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, where he studied for his final professional examinations. In 1965, he passed the final exams of Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants (ACCA). He also passed the finals of the UK Institute of Taxation as well. You can imagine how successful he was at that point in his life. At only age 25, he had achieved more than his peers had at that time (particularly as a young black man).

Osunkeye worked briefly with a leading firm of Chartered Accountants in the United Kingdom. He later returned to Nigeria in 1967 and worked for UAC Nigeria. His return to the country was the commencement of

his valuable contribution to the Nigerian economic sector. This set him on the path of leadership that his entire career has come to be known for.

At the UAC, he distinguished himself as an Accountant, working in many companies owned by the conglomerate. He joined Nestle Nigeria Plc (formerly Food Specialities) as Management Accountant in February 1972 and was promoted to Divisional Manager status as Finance and Administration Manager on 1st November 1972. He was appointed an Executive Director of the company on 1st January 1973, in charge of Finance, Accounts, Costing, Budgets, Distribution, Personnel, Supplies and Administrative Services. He was at the same time Company Secretary from November 1972 to July 7 1978.

In order to gain International experience and exposure he went on transfer and secondment in September 1978 to Nestle affiliated companies in the Far East, working in Malaysia and the Philippines.

This is clear indication of the prompt rise in responsibility as evidence of his stellar mind and professional skill.

After a while in Nigeria, he left again for Nestle International Headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, where he was attached to the Instant Drinks Department for three months. During this period, he went on familiarization visits to Nestle facilities in West Germany, France and England.

In further

preparation for future responsibilities, he attended the 19week Programme for Executive Development at the world famous International Management Development Institute (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He returned to Nigeria in December 1980 and was appointed Deputy Managing Director and Head of Marketing Division with an onerous task of implementing the reorganization of the Sales and Marketing structure of the company.

By June 1988, he was promoted Managing Director of Nestle Foods Nigeria Plc and in 1991 he took full charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive. After eight years, the Egba Chief who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors voluntarily retired from his position so that Osunkeye could take over.

Based on his admirable leadership qualities, Osunkeye was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company with effect from June 1999.

He was also appointed chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc (2000 – 2014) and a former Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc – a company where he had honed his skills as a young man. He is the immediate Past Chairman (1999 to 2011) of the International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria. He is also the Chairman of Pilot Securities Ltd (a Dealing Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange), and he is currently the President of The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria.

His background and his achievements have proved as a forge preparing him for the landmark position as the Chairman of Lafarge Africa Plc. A position from which he recently retired after serving from October 2009 to May 2015 and was a member of the board for 15 years (2000 – 2015).

Osunkeye’s truly distinctive and extraordinary business acumen was brought to bear during his service in this capacity and he was able to steer the reigns of the organization into becoming a unified African conglomerate. Lafarge Africa Plc, formerly known as Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria Plc, is a combination of all Lafarge’s Nigerian operations – Ashaka Cement Plc, United Cement Company Limited, Atlas Cement Company Limited- and its South African assets. This was done in order to create a stronger platform for growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the special aim of creating valuable opportunities.

His people management and inspirational leadership skill were also key in securing shareholders’ approval on July 9, 2014, for the consolidation of its cement businesses in Nigeria and the combination of these with its South African operations to create the leading sub-Saharan building materials giant to be known as Lafarge Africa Plc. The consolidation was done by transferring Lafarge’s assets in South Africa and Nigeria to Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria Plc.

56—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

BY RUME JOHNSON

F

or some time now, anytime anyone, particularly policy makers or major opinion leaders in the society, harp on the need for the diversification of the nation’s economy, to make Nigeria a better place for all, one name that readily comes to my mind is that of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan.

The reason is not far-fetched - At the end of his eight years in office, the medical doctor-turnedpolitician carried out what, for a long time, has remained an impossible task, only mouthed by many political office holders. He succeeded in extricating Delta State from the problem of overdependence on oil.

The significance of Uduaghan’s achievement was again, as it is often done, brought to the fore last week by President Muhammadu Buhari and the new President of African Development Bank, AfDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. Speaking while in audience with the new Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Fahad Sefyan, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari promised of his administration’s urgent diversification of the country’s economy and the development of the non-oil sectors. In a similar vein, Adesina, at his inauguration as the financial institution boss described diversification as the key to a greater Africa.

Had the different leaders of the country carried out their promise to diversify the economy which, as far as Nigeria is concerned, translates to reduced dependence on oil as the mainstay of the economy, the endless crave and promise to carry such out year in year out would not have been necessary at all.

Without any attempt at making a god out of Uduaghan, there are so many lessons to learn from his administration, having succeeded where many had failed woefully in the area of developing other areas of the economy, apart from oil, for the betterment of the state and its people.

For example, while the governments of the different states of the federation and even the federal government continued to mouth their commitments to developing other sectors to no avail, Uduaghan was successful with his project which has become a reference point for all and sundry – “Delta Beyond Oil”.

From the level of idea conception, to execution, the glaring qualities that came to the fore are deep thinking , careful planning and total commitment and doggedness. For instance, with due recognition of the fact that no business enterprise can survive in a turbulent environment, Uduaghan sought the much elusive peace in his state at the time he resumed office. An extremely volatile area with people of the different groups that make up the state killing themselves, the former

DIVERSIFICATION: Lessons from Uduaghan’s legacy

•Uduaghan governor brought in the needed peace and everyone could sleep with two eyes, truthfully, closed.

Having achieved that, development work began in earnest, with him giving assurance that “No hard-working Deltan will go to bed hungry”.

Displaying good understanding of the devastating effect of impoverishment that the long years of internal strife, bad governance, oil spill and other problems had had on the people of the state, Uduaghan saw the need to create the financial wherewithal for the “hard-working” people of the state.

The people were obviously ready to be enriched through a systematic way in the form of Delta State Micro Credit Programme (DMCP). Through the programme, small and cottage industries gained a new lease of life and the erstwhile poor people began to feel good.

Displaying good understanding of the devastating effect of impoverishment that the long years of internal strife, bad governance, oil spill and other problems had had on the people of the state, Uduaghan saw the need to create the financial wherewithal for the “hardworking” people of the state

Before Uduaghan left office, no fewer than 111, 321 persons – male and female – who made up about 10,439 groups of entrepreneurs benefited from the programme.

The businesses of the people boomed and their products assumed international standards.

From dependence on oil, many could then veer into fish farming, agriculture in general and manufacturing of products which include insecticides, soap and many others.

An account of one unemployed graduate, Daniel Uwandulu, a beneficiary of the scheme who had suffered to no end best stresses the happiness that trailed the scheme.

“Suddenly a new dawn came and a lover of the masses was enthroned as the governor of my state.

He introduced soft loans for the less-privileged like me and my one-time hopeless life received unexpected hope that will forever remain in my memory,” he said.

The success of the scheme is also seen in the fact that it won different awards for the state from the Central Bank of Nigeria. In a letter signed by Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, the CBN says the awards were in recognition of the state’s efforts towards developing the Microfinance/SME subsector during year 2009 and the programme’s efforts towards developing the Agricultural sub-sector in 2009.

Also in an award of the Silverbird group’s 2014 Man of the Year, mention was also made of his programme that created self-employment opportunities for the people of the state.

Organisers of the award said: “His sterling performance in health signposted by the free medical care for children and the elderly as well as the free maternal care for pregnant women, and the micro-credit scheme where over 111,000 Deltans have been empowered to set up their own businesses, were highlighted as part of the programmes Nigerians who traditionally voted for the winner elected Uduaghan the winner.”

With his calculated steps, Uduaghan succeeded in seamlessly diversifying the economy of the state. Agriculture and other businesses became more significant and revenue generating.

The desire and efforts to diversify came with a lot of good things for the state. For the teeming population of the state who had been shut away as a result of bad roads and lack of bridges to cross the rivers that are in their abundance, it was the end of a sad chapter in their lives. In the build up to creating abundant opportunities for the people, massive road constructions were embarked upon and the pains majority went through to bring the farm produce to town ceased.

A particularly intriguing case is the construction of Sapele-Abigborodo Road which made it possible for a car to be driven to Abigborodo, a community situated in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, for the first time. Incidentally, Uduaghan belongs to the community, and at the inauguration, he declared: “For me, it is historical and very encouraging; and I am so sentimental about it, I must tell you that a car has never been to Abigborodo before but with this bridge, that is now a thing of the past.

“The good thing now is that at least one can drive through this bridge. For the very first time, especially for those of you who have been following me to the village when we have elections, we always go by boat. Now that the bridge has been constructed and we can drive through by road, I am very happy.”

The beauty of the efforts and achievements of Uduaghan through the diversification project is that of the creation of abundant opportunities for all and sundry.

Let me say simply that with the laudable achievements in Delta State under his administration, it certainly would not be out of place to say that those who are genuinely willing to make success of the bid to diversify the Nigerian economy, including the federal government, should learn from the Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan legacy.

Rume Johnson wrote from Warri

SATURDAY

FURORE OVER GBARAMATU SEAPORT::

Itsekiri leaders, Omadeli, Eyengho lambast Bello •I said the truth- Bello Oboko, Ijaw leader

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South and Egufe Yafugborhi WARRI- TWO Ugborodo leaders in Delta State, former chair, Ugborodo Community Trust, Ugborodo, Mr. Sandys Omadeli Uvwoh and activist, Mr. Alex Eyengho, weekend, tongue- lashed the president of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities, FNDIC, Dr Bello Oboko, over his recent claim that the Delta State Government had acquired land from two Ijaw communities for the Gbaramatu Deep Seaport project.

Oboko had while reacting to a statement by esteemed Itsekiri leader, Pa J. O. S Ayomike, that government had not acquired land for the project, faulted his position, saying the state government acquired not less than 335,554 hectares of Kpokpo/ Okpeleama land for project in 2013.

However, Omadeli, who was visibly angry by Oboko’s alleged logic, said, “Let us bear in mind that I am commenting on this subject as former chairman, Ugborodo Community Trust, which entitles me as one of the community’s opinion leaders. I am saying this with respect to recent caution by Pa J O S Ayomike, guarding against further comments on EPZ by other community members except the chairman of the EPZ Interface Peace Committee.”

“When the issue is that of land acquisition, I dare say that the EPZ Peace Committee cannot speak for Ugborodo simply because the committee was not set up by the community, it was set up by government over the internal crisis in the community. The acquisition of land for the Ogidigben EPZ predates the Interface Committee.

“When government acquires land for public use, it publishes the details, including survey of the area to acquire in order to inform the public and get reactions if there are, that was done when government acquired land from

Ugborodo for the Export Processing Zone, EPZ project Ayomike is right “In the case of the Deep Seaport, nothing of such has been made public; therefore, if according to Oboko Bello, land was acquired then it was simply a political acquisition. As a community leader and a very informed elder in Ugborodo, Pa Ayomike knew what he was saying when he affirmed that no land has been acquired for Deep Seaport,” he said.

His words, “Beyond any sentiment, this emanating issue is not for Ugborodo to join issues with Oboko Bello or any other stakeholder. The onus lies on the Delta state government to confirm Oboko Bello’s claim.

Incidentally, the Deputy Governor is a Gbaramatu and a lawyer. It is the government’s responsibility to confirm the said statement, but as far as Ugborodo is concerned and by the norms in the acquisition of land, no land has been acquired for the Deep Seaport.”

Omadeli added, “Above all, it is actions and reactions like these that made me affirm recently in an interview in this same paper that all parties should deemphasize the struggle over land ownership for now until existing court cases that have been on for the past 39 years are resolved for the court to decide lawful ownership.”

“I did stress that what is desirable at the moment is for stakeholders to commit to an all embracing interface committee that accommodates representation from all stakeholders, though not on equal representation, so that all parties will feel a sense of belonging. Based on that, investors should not entertain any fear. And I am still calling on the state government to bring all warring parties together to sign undertaking for enabling environment for the project to make progress,” he asserted.

He stated, “Surely, in another four, five years, the court might have dispensed with the case and decided the ownership, especially now that the matter is already before the Supreme Court. In other words, the project should be allowed to progress while the court resolves ownership or naming of Deep Seaport.”

Lack of knowledge On his part, Eyengho averred, “I think this Oboko Bello fellow is talking from the point of view of his limited understanding of the

When the issue is that of land acquisition, I dare say that the EPZ Peace Committee cannot speak for Ugborodo simply because the committee was not set up by the community, it was set up by government over the internal crisis in the community

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—57

matter and manifest lack of knowledge of the procedure of land acquisition by government.

He is simply ignorant. To that extent, I will excuse him and indeed volunteer to educate him on the facts of the matter.”

“Oboko claimed that the Delta State Government under former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan had acquired land for the purpose of the ‘Deep Sea Port, Gbaramatu’ since November 11, 2013. How far can any statement ever be from the truth! Talk is cheap.

I challenge him to produce any shred of document to that effect.

“In the context of the EPZ Project, there are two projects in one: the Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) Ogidigben covering an area of 2,560.89 hectares of land and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Jetty Project (Deep Sea Port) in 300 hectares of land. If Oboko must know, the land acquired by the Delta State Government for the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) for the establishment of the GRIP project in Delta State lies between Ogidigben and Ajudaibo, while the one originally for the Deep Sea Port lies between Madangho and Kpokpo.

Bogus claim “As required by law, the Notices of Revocation of the Rights of Occupancy published respectively in the Pointernewspapers of Thursday, 12th November, 2012 and Vanguard newspapers of Thursday, 6th December, 2012, expressly show that the land for the GRIP is between Ajudaibo and Ogidigben. While the one for the proposed Deep Sea Port is between Madangho and Kpokpo, which are in Ugborodo community, in other words, the government without this mandatory Notices of Revocation publication can acquire no land from any community,” he said.

Said Eyengho, “I have referred you to the Notices of Revocation of the Rights of Occupancy published by the Delta State Government with respect to the acquisition of land from Ugborodo community for the GRIP and the proposed Deep Sea Port project. This is due process and due diligence. This is the law and procedure in land acquisition from communities by government.”

“I challenge Oboko Bello to make reference to such publications with respect to his bogus claim that former Governor Uduaghan signed the land acquisition document for not less than 335, 554 hectares of Kpokpo/Okpeleama land on November 11, 2013 for the purpose of the Deep Sea Port of the EPZ project. It is not enough for him to challenge the former governor and the Delta State Government to come clean on the acquisition. The onus of proof is on the person who is alleging,” he added.

Eyengho stated, “Now, assuming but without conceding that this bogus claim by Oboko Bello is true, it may interest the public to know that Kpokpo (renamed “Ikpokpo” by the Ijaws after the Warri crises), has been adjudged the land of Ugborodo community in Suit No. MCC/4/71: Godspower Okoturoh (Ugborodo) against Ebiareneyin Ogbaburu (Gbaramatu) and Suit No. MCC/37/71: Godspower Okoturoh (Ugborodo) against Burutu (Gbaramatu).”

“Similarly, Ubagboro and Uremure (now renamed “Okpeleama and Opuedebubor” respectively by the Ijaws also after the Warri crises), though not within the NPA Jetty site, have since been declared land of Ugborodo people in Suit No. 142/16 between Chief Olueh (Ugborodo) and Ebime (Gbaramatu).

The judiciary had adjudged the whole area from Kpokpo down to Ubefan to be Ugborodo land in Suit No. W/124/76, so head or tail, the land Oboko Bello claimed was acquired for the Deep Sea Port belongs to Ugborodo people,” he asserted.

Evidence of ownership The activist declared, “I am not in any way saying that the Gbaramatu people do not have the right to agitate that the Deep Sea Port be

named after their community, not at all! However, they must show proof of ownership of such land because you cannot give what you do not own.

Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho, Ode-Ugborodo, Ijaghalla, Kpokpo are all names of communities in that part of Delta State.”

His words, “Gbaramatu is not the name of any community but the name of a kingdom in Delta State.

Where in Gbaramatu are the Ijaws proposing that the Deep Sea Port be located? Can they show and proof ownership of such area? Are they ready to subject government acquisition of such area from them to due process and due diligence, just like the Ugborodo people did with the acquisition of over 2,800 hectares of land for the EPZ project originally?”

“This is the litmus test before my Gbaramatu brothers, which they cannot scale through using the back door, not even with their kinsman as the current Deputy Governor of Delta State! He added.

Naked fact Chief Oboko, however, told Saturday Vanguard that he stated the home truth, as the state government indeed, acquired Kpokpo and Okpele Ama for the Nigeria Port Authority project.

He forwarded a document by the state government, signed by former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, on November 11, 2013, revoking the rights of occupancy in respect of an approximate area of 335,554 hectares of land at Kpokpo/ Okpeleama, Warri South West local government area, required for overriding public interest for the Escravos Gas Revolution Initiative.

Bebenimibo says Ayomike, Oboko‘re gate crashing An Ijaw youth leader, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, on the other hand, said Chief Oboko was not competent to speak for the Ijaw on the matter, while also chastising Pa Ayomike for his comments on the project. He said that Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders interfacing on the EPZ and Deep Seaport projects have taken farreaching decisions on the matter and there was no need fanning embers of discord.

Okpeleama cries out to Buhari, Okowa But the people of Okpeleama community cried out , weekend, that they were been languishing in pains from dislocated economies since they complied with the order by the former governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan to vacate part of land for the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project.

In a Save Our Soul signed by chairman and spokesperson of the community, Comrades Yabrade Moses and Abednego Douperegha respectively, they appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari and Governor Ifyeanyi Okowa to come to their aid by paying compensation for land acquired.

They said government should intercede to enable them get employment and empowerment in keeping with the Local Content Act like other land stakeholders of the EPZ project.

Comrade Moses said Okpeleama’s continued exclusion from benefits of the EPZ project was tasking the patience of the people in the face of other EPZ land stakeholders already enjoying benefits of the project.

58—SA TURD AY 58—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Buhari must probe until he establishes probity — Attah •We must learn to jail corrupt people •Scores Buhari high

By Gbenga Oke

O

bong Victor Attah, one of the country’s leading architects was governor of Akwa Ibom State between 1999 and 2007. He was also chairman of the committee on Devolution of Power at the National Conference of 2014. In an interaction with the Vanguard Editorial Board, he gave his views on contemporary national issues.

Excerpts: What is your stance on the appointments so far made by President Buhari?

I have not had an opportunity of asking President Buhari why he is making the appointments that look one sided but until I know his reasons, I will find it so difficult to criticize him on the issue. But that does not mean I do not have an opinion on the matter and the way I look at it.

He has talked about the competence of these men. We will watch and see if he will balance the appointments as promised. He made one significant appointment that I like which was the appointment of General Boro as the Amnesty Programme Coordinator.

If he had made a mistake on that, it would have been disastrous but I am glad he did not.

Are the president’s statements on the manner of his appointments not contradictory?

It is good you say this because when you base an argument on a wrong premise, you are bound to come to a wrong conclusion. I am not in APC and honestly I do not have the intention of going to the APC. Why would I want to go to the APC? I was one of the 82 signatories who signed a charter to form the PDP. I went into the PDP from a group called the G34 which fought for democracy in this country. I was also involved in another group called the PDM which was formed during the 1994 conference by the late General Yar’Adua. I have no reason to say that I want to go to the APC. But I have every reason to stand against what my party often does. As a reasonable human being C M Y K

who is interested in democracy. When I attended a rally for the APC governorship candidate, Umana Umana I said that I was not happy with the way things were being done in my party. I said that it was for such reasons that some of us who are leaders of the party were not supporting the party’s candidate.

How can you deny me, a former governor of the state the right to vote and you think I will just keep quiet because it is PDP? There comes a time when you have to rise above party considerations and that is exactly what I am doing. I will be 77 this November, so what do I need a party for? I am practically disengaging from the PDP because those coming to lead the party are not the kind of people I will acknowledge as my leaders. What party does Chief Anyaoku belong to, what party does Ebitu Ukiwe belong to, what party does TY Danjuma belong to or even General Gowon. Yet you cannot deny their service to this country. Why can’t I be in that kind of category helping this country without any partisanship?

So I am not interested in the PDP because I have not seen signs that they want to change.

I cannot go to the APC, so I will remain an elder statesman and I will support the right thing this government does and I will criticize when they do the wrong thing. I have never allowed myself to be tied by party strings.

I went to a PDP BOT meeting once and on the agenda, were three items to be ratified. And I was angry and stood up and argued why the Board of Trustees should just ratify without any debate or contribution. I called Jerry Gana, who I served under his committee to design the Umbrella which was meant for everybody. ‘Today as the highest advisory organ of the party and the conscience of the party, we are being called upon to come and ratify suggesting that somewhere, a group takes a decision and we are to ratify.’

I said I want to belong to that group, not just to ratify. That is exactly what is happening with our party.

Even the PDP BOT, how many times

•Obong Victor Attah

that rather than continue to object, let me just stay out and be an elder statesman.

I agree totally that we need to clean the polity and sanitize it. I believe probity is the issue rather than probe. If there is probity, nobody will bother about probe in a year do they meet? So, we did not run a party as if it was a party not to mention a People’s Democratic Party and I objected to these things and I will continue to object to it. I told myself

I am sure Buhari is having difficulty sifting the wheat from the chaff, because he does not want to make a mistake of appointing people who will not go along with his philosophy of change, so he deals with people who he feels already have this philosophy.

On corruption I agree totally that we need to clean the polity and sanitize it. I believe probity is the issue rather than probe. If there is probity, nobody will bother about probe. I was reading about a Malaysian Prime Minister who is being accused of taking $700 million, they could get that because they have institutionalized probity. If that had been established and that was the norm, we will not be talking about the need for probe. So if somebody comes today and says he wants to establish probity as the bedrock for running government, I will support him entirely. I made a statement once that every government office without exception is a like a sea, it is never without debris, but some people allow the sea to gather so much debris that it

becomes very problematic.

And once it becomes problematic, the system gets bogged down and that was what happened. Nigeria was bogged down and the President cannot serve in such situations. We were severely bogged down in Nigeria under the previous government and nobody can actually deny it. This is why these probes are necessary.

And for people who are claiming they are being targeted, I actually wonder whether they sit and hear themselves out. President Buhari is probing a PDP government and would you say the PDP government was populated by federal character or APC people. It was rather populated by the PDP people themselves. So if you are to probe, you will end up probing only PDP people and it is because the government was populated by the PDP people. In that probe, you will find out that a certain part of the country is highly populated in that government, how can you blame Buhari for that? You should blame the person who did not have the federal character in his government because if federal character was in the former government’s agenda, then this probe Continues on page 49

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—59

Continued from Page 58

will have federal character.

If it does not, then it means the people appointed were mainly on party level and the appointments were not on federal character basis. So I support this probe and I believe probing must continue until probity is established and when probity is established, then we won’t be talking about probe again. I have read in papers about countries jailing their Prime Ministers and I am asking when it will happen in Nigeria? Just because the prospect of such happening here in Nigeria is not there, that is why we are shouting. What are we shouting about? I am not sending anybody to jail or asking the President to send anybody to jail but believe me, I feel that in a situation where people are found guilty, they should go to jail because if there is probe without punishment, the impunity will continue.

But what would you say to the fact that some of those who helped the president to victory were indicted in the Halliburton scam and are walking freely even why their accomplices in the United States have been punished?

Who should probe that? Buhari before he became President or the last government? That is why I said probe must be continuous. If the last government had probed Obasanjo, we would have known what happened with the Halliburton scandal. Nobody investigated several other things that happened under the leadership of Obasanjo. Is that Buhari’s fault and is that the reason why he should not investigate some of the actions of the last government? There is this puzzle in the mind of Nigerians that really bothers me. Some people say you can’t probe just the Jonathan administration; you must go back to past administrations. Some people are saying you are not to probe, just govern.

Let the man probe and if along the line, he found some other things, I am sure he will ask questions.

As a PDP member, are you in anyway saying the PDP should have probed another PDP government?

Definitely because I said a current government should probe the last administration if he finds out that such government has done wrong. Until probity is established in this country, nothing will work. I expect Buhari to be probed when he leaves office too. I want to believe it could be possibly an APC government taking over. So if they find that Buhari has done something wrong, they should please probe him. If we do not establish this culture of probing government and jailing people, we will never move forward.

Your own administration in Akwa-Ibom State should have been probed.

Akpabio did so. He created several

‘We must learn to jail corrupt people’ first place. Because we had said that you cannot be a presidential candidate unless you win your state just as you could not be a governorship candidate unless you win your local government. Those things were compromised and led to total loss of integrity.

That is why the party became what it is.

committees to probe me and by the time they sat and realize there is nothing to probe, they disbanded them. I challenged him to and he did. And I expect this new government in place rather than hiding, they should make such moves. When we have a government that we want, I believe things will be set right in Akwa-Ibom State.

We were not allowed to vote and what happened in my state was the worst election in this country. So if they allowed us to have an election, we will elect a government that the people want and we will insist that there must probe the last administration. When I went to Umana Umana’s rally, I made a statement that as Governor of AkwaIbom state for eight years, the total amount of money that came to my government was N542 billion. Luckily for me that rally came about just two weeks after Akpabio presented a budget for this year and the budget was more than N570 billion. So you people have to get things correctly.

Akpabio received over N3 trillion as against the 542billion that I spent and people are clapping and singing uncommon transformation. The only uncommon development that I see in the state is that Akwa-Ibom has been transformed into an uncommon poor state.

But why did you not vote?

I was denied the right to vote. I went to my polling booth on that day and I was denied voting and this is on record. It was part of the evidence I presented at the tribunal. I introduced myself as a former governor and brought out my PVC and we said we want to be accredited. But we could not vote and the INEC officials told me that people came with guns, ma-

The country is so rotten that there is nothing you can do without first probing some decisions that have been taken.

For somebody to say that probing is not part of governance, I disagree totally with that

When you said the President is looking for upright judges, do you mean that he is looking for a judge who will convict people?

No. It is because it has been established by the judicial commission that some certain judges are corrupt. What I am saying is that he is looking for upright judges who will not be corrupted in the process of trial. If you think that the monster called corruption is like these things in front of me, you are joking. It is a monster and it is kicking back so hard. The noise in the newspapers is because people are trying to scuttle the process. Some people even say they fear for Buhari’s life because certain things have shown that crusaders like him, monsters try to overwhelm them. So he is looking for upright judges who will not be corrupted but those who will be bold enough to bring charges when necessary. To think that probing will not impact on governance is wrong and I will tell you why. Even if you are the greatest sculptor in the world, you cannot create a masterpiece out of a rotten wood. So you need to get this wood into a firm condition before you can sculpt it into a masterpiece. The country is so rotten that there is nothing you can do without first probing some decisions that have been taken.

For somebody to say that probing is not part of governance, I disagree totally with that.

Based on what you have said, things became so bad under the leadership of your party. What will you say to that?

I am in the process of telling them that I am disengaging from the party. But it is still my party for now.

What was pushing PDP chieftains to be compromised?

Corruption and impunity. Those were the things that were pushing them.

chetes and shot in the air and carted election materials away from the distribution centre.

What role will you say Obasanjo played in the rise and fall of the PDP? Let me be honest with you, the day I will talk about the PDP, I will bring facts and figures. Obasanjo should not have been President in the

Did you have any dealing with Dr. Jonathan as President?

We only met when we had meetings of the Board of Trustees. You can check, I never attended any of his rallies and I told him why I will not attend. I attended the declaration at Eagle Square but never attended any of the rallies. I did not attend the zonal rally in Port-Harcourt and the state

rally in Uyo. Why did you not support him as somebody from the SouthSouth?

When the man from South-South says people like us can’t contribute anything, would you or can you force yourself into the villa? We had no access to the villa. We had no opportunity to contribute anything. That was why we sat and watched.

Can you say that the money that has been channeled to the South-South states equates with development on ground?

I think you should answer that.

You knew Akwa-Ibom far before I became governor, you know that for eight years that I was governor, I received about N542 billion and you saw what happened at the end of my tenure. The last administration received over N3 trillion and left a debt profile of about N300 billion.

How will you review Buhari’s activities 100 days since he became President?

When I became governor of Akwa-Ibom State and people started talking about 100 days, my position was that nobody elected me to govern for 100 days. So don’t talk about 100 days, it is possible to use the first 100 days for a smooth take-off. So I don’t really lay much emphasis on this 100 days in office.

What has changed at the federal level so far?

If nothing else has changed, I will say without fear that the attitude of Nigerians has changed. Everybody is so afraid now to do the things we were known for. If you say nothing has changed, you can’t be serious. The PDP did not give you power for 16 years, and you are expecting the APC to fix the country in 94 days.

It takes a long time to achieve those things. But remember what I told you before that if you want to be a good sculptor, you need to get a good wood.

Many Nigerians have been calling on President Buhari to implement the recommendations of the National Conference. What is your take on it?

I had the privilege of attending the 1994/95 constitutional conference. I also attended the National Conference of last year and headed what everybody felt was a make or break committee, which was the committee on power shift and revenue sharing formula. The recommendations of that conference are very fundamental. The root of what a federation should look like is contained in that recommendation.

60—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

What We Need to Defeat Boko Haram Excerpts from a speech delivered by Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the United Nations 4th Conference for Heads of Parliaments in New York.

BY ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI

T

oday, we live in a world that is embattled with challenges with no easy answers. From climate change, to regional conflicts and terrorism. These conflicts have brought in their wake the problem of internal destitution, displacement and dislocation.

Democracy and development cannot take place in this type of atmosphere. The challenge the global community now faces is how to quickly turn this tide around to achieve sustainable development.

This is the biggest question development faces across the world. For us in Nigeria, the challenge is the same.

Thankfully, election violence is no longer part of our cocktail of conflicts. Nigeria just came out of a general election a few months ago. The process, the outcome and the aftermath of that election are quite significant in many respects, not only to Nigeria but also to the entire African continent, as it has set a standard for the rest of Africa to follow. Hopefully, the days where elections lead to instability and conflict in Africa will become a thing of the past.

In the days leading to the election, many analysts outside Nigeria believed the elections would end in serious crisis and even predicted that Nigeria may not survive as a united country. Well, events turned out differently. Nigeria went ahead to conduct a most peaceful and most transparent election in her history. For the first time ever,

the ruling party was defeated in a free and fair election. More importantly, we witnessed a peaceful transfer of power to the opposition after the then incumbent had graciously conceded defeat. President Muhammadu Buhari has since assumed office and the people of Nigeria look ahead with great hopes and renewed optimism.

With the historic success of that election, Nigerians demonstrated an abiding commitment to democracy. In a country with a rather long history of military rule, and on a continent still dotted by sit-tight presidents, this is very encouraging indeed. However, while the rest of the world has acknowledged this Nigerian achievement and have rejoiced with us accordingly, those of us in leadership position understand that an election by itself does not make democracy.

Our democracy will only be strengthened if it is able to guarantee also, better life and security for our people. This is where the challenge then lies.

How then do we guarantee better life for our people in the mist of terrorism, insecurity and corruption?

Like most other countries, terrorism has become a clog on our wheel to sustainable development. Since 2009, many of our innocent citizens have been brutally and senselessly murdered and others rendered internally displaced. The idea of a 15-year-old girl suicide bomber, wherever it may be in the world, be it in the Middle

East, Africa, South America, Asia is not the world of our dream. It is not a reflective of a world where sustainable development is the agenda.

Surely, these cannot be treated as a local problem. The brutality, purposelessness and borderlessness of these challenges make it imperative that we adopt a global approach to solving the issue of terrorism.

Terrorism on one part of the world is no more important than that in another part.

The Nigerian parliament is committed to this and is ready to play its part to deliver successful results. Terrorism threatens our democracy, our unity and our effort towards sustainable development. Boko Haram represents the greatest terrorist threat we face. The insurgency’s senseless terror has brought untold destruction and hardship on our people in the North East of the country.

How then do we guarantee better life for our people in the mist of terrorism, insecurity and corruption?

The time is now. We have the will and the right leadership in the person of President Muhammadu Buhari who by his body language and antecedents will lead the country’s effort to fight this war.

In our President and the current 8th Senate as well as the House of Representatives you have a reliable partner. I therefore call on the international community to partner with Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram and other threats to our collective security including human trafficking, kidnapping and proliferation of illegal arms in our region as well as mobilizing resources for rebuilding that part of my country. Thankfully, our military has in recent times, significantly degraded the morale and capacity of the insurgents to launch attacks in the area, a feat that has since seen many settlements liberated, roads reopened and hope restored. I call on the global community to join hands with Nigeria to rebuild the overwhelming destruction of the Northeast.

The plight of people fleeing conflict zones in search of peace and better life must task our abilities on how we can build inclusive sustainable development, one that sees them as having a share in this new world order. Today, more and more people have become displaced by conflict than ever since World War 11. This displacement is creating a new kind of conflict arising from desperate poverty, and identity and resource crises in an unwelcoming world.

Fellow colleagues, Nowhere are these challenges more keenly felt, than in the plight of displaced persons, migrants and refugees, where, due to conflict and natural disasters, citizens are bereft of human rights, even certifiable citizenship identities, such as the ongoing situations in NorthEast Nigeria, with the attendant shock-waves being felt in other parts of the world through the rising tides of unsafe and unregulated, emergency migration, to Europe and other regions. In my country alone, we have seen the displacement of over 2m persons and about 10,000 children orphaned by

the Boko Haram conflict. The human misery has been unspeakable. I had the opportunity of an entire day visiting from camp to camp some of the IDPs, to see first hand the real suffering that thousands of mostly women and children are going through. It is horrendous.

Therefore, for the SDG to succeed, we must enact enabling laws that will ensure the smooth implementation of embedded policies and programmes for the benefit of the global state. We also have to ensure adequate interparliamentary cohesion. This will enable us to harness ideas and strategies that are mutually beneficial in achieving our goals. Also, a periodic monitoring platform is necessary to constantly check the progress of the programme.

The international legislature must help to define and prioritize the new SDGs. Only a veritable and deep-seated commitment to upholding democratic principles, promoting peace and sustainable development can lead to the actualization of a better world. We must commit to building a world centered on improving the wellbeing of humanity, and look to the future with unyielding determination.

The legislature surely has a critical role to play in providing the underpinnings that would help create a new global regime that is able to deal with these challenges in terms of laws and oversight. Thankfully, the United Nations has taken the right steps in involving the legislature early in the process of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. We must now speak and act in unison. No excuses. We must play our role to see it to the next level. The IPU has a duty of galvanizing member state support and action in these regards. Most of all whatever we do we must keep in mind that without peace it is impossible to achieve sustainable development.

Saraki, President of the Senate, delivered the speech in New York at the 4th UN Conference for Heads of Parliaments.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

A

group, Justice and Empowerment Initiative-Nigeria (JEI), has led a protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly over an alleged illegal eviction of residents of former school of Nursing building, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to a statement signed by the co-ordinator of the group, Mrs. Megan Chapman, and made available to the press, “We were contacted by our sister organisation, the Centre for Defence of Human Rights and Democracy (CDHRDA) which was on site documenting the ongoing eviction by the Lagos State task force .

She noted that force was used and that there were disregard for the material possession of residents during the eviction, while doors of the houses were broken when the residents were not at home and that their properties were thrown away from the windows of the upper stories into puddles and mud below.

“This is very callous and inhumane and this demolition and eviction were carried out despite heavy

Vanguard , SEPTEMBER 5 5, 2015—61

Group petitions Assembly over illegal eviction of residents

downpour. “Our further enquiry into the matter and discussion with the task force revealed that the eviction of residents from the said property was purportedly in execution of a 48hr “abatement of nuisance” notice issued to them,” she said.

She stated that the group

had earlier written to the state Ministry of Justice, the office entrusted with upholding and enforcing the law of the state, saying that such eviction is highly illegal and unlawful.

She reiterated that a Lagos State High Court had affirmed that the environmental sanitation law of 2001 did not authorise

either demolition of homes or eviction of residents.

“We are saddened that the state has once again taken the law into its own hands and there has been no meaningful response to our urgent correspondents or to the plight of the wrongfully evicted residents who feel they have no option to

pursue all available legal options to enforce their fundamental rights.

“We wish to plead with the Lagos State Assembly to intervene in this matter and consider using it as an example to demonstrate that Lagos State is ready to make a firm break from this past unlawfulness and that the “Change” preached and promised throughout the election time was sincere and will be felt positively by residents of the state,” she said.

The displaced residents, who were chanting solidarity songs, urged members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to come to their aid. One of them, Mr. Sunday Okoh, said that it was unfair for the Lagos State task force to displace them from the place after they voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

“We came out enmasse to vote for the APC during the last general elections, so it is unfair for the Lagos State Government to eject us from the premises,” he said.

The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, who addressed the protesters promised that the House would look into the matter when it resumes sitting in few days time.

KOGI DEPUTY GOVERNOR CELEBRATES 55TH BIRTHDAY, DEDICATES LIFE TO SERVICE

Staff of the Deputy Governor ’s Office, Lokoja, yesterday surprised the State Deputy Governor, Abayomi Awoniyi with a birthday bash to celebrate the icon at 55.

Awoniyi had planned a low key celebration in view of the economic situation in the country but his staff put up a pleasant show in his honour.

Arc. Awoniyi is an icon who deserves honour. He is a humble achiever who has contributed greatly to the development of Kogi State and Nigeria. He has dedicated the rest of his life to serve humanity.

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62—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Oliseh begins real coaching ...As he leads Eagles in Tanzania

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

C

OACH Sunday Oliseh will be having his first taste of competitive football action this afternoon, when he leads the Super Eagles to battle Tanzania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Dar es Salaam National Stadium.

The former Eagles captain will be attempting to hit the ground running against the Tafia Stars and possibly upstage Egypt at the top of the group as both sides currently have three points, with the record African champions ahead on goals difference.

They play Chad this weekend.

For Oliseh, who has 17 foreign based players ad six home-based available for the must-win match, it is his first big test as a coach, having had prior stints working with third division Belgian side Royal Cercle Sportif Verviétois between 2008 and 2009 and working as the sports director at Königliche Allgemeine Sportvereinigung Eupen, a Belgian second division side Despite holding a UEFA Pro Licence, these were Oliseh’s greatest achievements as a coach and the true worth of his coaching acumen would be proven today when he side confront a relatively weak Tafia Stars.

Oliseh comes across as a sound technical person when analysing football on television and working as a member of the

•Ahmed

•Tomas

Enyeama who within the week informed the football authorities of his desire to be excused from the encounter.

But one curious issue with the Enyeama withdrawal is the seeming lack of cordial relationship between him and he coach. This is because our investigation revealed that the Lille of France keeper was said to have called and informed his assistant captain, Ahmed Musa of his desire to stay away from Tanzania following the death of his mother.

But on his on the other hand, Oliaseh had told journalists in Abuja last Wednesday that he did not know why his captain withdrew from the important fixture.

“Enyeama asked to be withdrawn from this game and it has put me in a very tight situation because I must confess that the task ahead of us is a very difficult one and I didn’t need this extra burden. We’re practically starting this team from the scratch, it’s not very pleasant but that’s life,” Oliseh had lamented.

The absence of Enyeama will surely leave Oliseh with no better choice but to field related unknown

FIFA Technical Study Group during tournaments but Nigerians will have a bird’s eye view of the former Julius Berger midfielder, who has his work cut out for him as tries to justify the confidence that the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF Executive reposed on him when they named him Eagles coach after Stephen Keshi’s sack.

And the NFF will be hoping things work in their favour today as they seek to return the country to the continental fiesta after the failure of the previous board led by Aminu Maigari to qualify the country for the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea.

The game is also going to be the first cap of most of the players selected by Coach Oliseh after he left out some of the known players like Mikel Obi and Victor Moses from his list.

The coast seems a little bit hazy for the Eagles with the late withdrawal of team captain and first choice goalkeeper, Vincent

Wolverhampton of England goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme who incidentally is coming to the national team for the very first time.

Apart from Enyeama, another high profile withdrawal is Italy based midfielder, Joel Obi who according to Oliseh is out due to an injury.

Many analysts have expressed reservations concerning the players invited for the match; apart from the fact that some notable players like the duo of Chelsea of England players, Mikel Obi and Victor Moses were left out, Oliseh also ignored inform Watford of England striker, Odion Ighalo for some near spent forces who are even finding it difficult to hold down a starting shirt even in some lesser leagues.

Importantly, judging from the training of the team as monitored in Abuja, it is very obvious that most of the players invited were a little bit heavy and flat footed a development most analysts say may not augur well for the team.

But according to Oliseh, the team is still in the building process even as he must realize that while we are building Nigeria must keep an eye on Egypt, who after missing out from the last two editions of AFCON are doing every possible to snatch the group’s ticket for the fiesta.

Tanzania from all indications are taking the game seriously hence they sent their team on a training tour of Turkey to prepare for the Nigerians. All their star players including Elias Maguli and Thomas Ulimwengu will be in action.

Eagles must therefore endeavour to win the match if they must keep a tab on the Egyptians who are topping the group G after defeating Tanzania 3-0 in Cairo.

Tunisia set for Liberia tussle T

unisia will be out to build on their comprehensive display in their opening 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Djibouti when they come up against Liberia in Monrovia on Saturday.

Kick-off at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium is scheduled for 18h00 CAT. The Eagles of Carthage thrashed Djibouti 8-1 in their opening Group A clash in Rades, with midfielder Yassine Chikhaoui netting a first-half hat-trick for the hosts.

The commanding win puts Henryk Kasperczak’s troops in a good space heading to West Africa, knowing another win will cement them as early favourites to progress to the finals in Gabon.

In fact, the North Africans have been one C M Y K

of the most consistent teams over the past two decades and are aiming to qualify for their 13th AFCON in succession and will be confident of doing so under the guidance of Kasperczak, who is enjoying his second spell in charge of the national team.

Liberia looked good for a point in their opening game in Lomé, but a late Emanuel Adebayor goal secured a 2-1 win for Togo.

The Lone Stars have only recently started playing on their home turf due to the Ebola crisis that has hit the region and will be eager to take full advantage in front of their home fans.

Kasperczak has relied on mostly locally based footballers, with no fewer than eight Étoile du Sahel players named in the squad to face Liberia - the ‘Red Devils’ recently qualified for the semifinals of the CAF Confederation Cup.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015—63

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SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

EUROPEAN 2016

Estonia Luxembourg Russia San Marino Ukraine Austria Montenegro Spain Switzerland

v v v v v v v v v

Lithuania Macedonia Sweden England Belarus Moldova Liechtenstein Slovakia Slovenia

5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 5pm 7:45pm 7:45pm 7:45pm 7:45pm

>>55

2.30pm

All Africa Games return to base AFCON 2017 QUALIFIERS Comoros v Tanzania v Namibia v Burundi v Rwanda v Sao Tome /Principe Guinea-Bissau v Liberia v Botswana v South Sudan v Seychelles v Mauritania v Gabon v

FRIENDLIES USA Argentina Panama Mexico Brazil Chile

v v v v v v

Uganda Nigeria Senegal Niger Ghana v Morocco Congo Tunisia Burkina Faso Equi/Guinea Ethiopia South Africa Sudan

1pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 5pm 5pm 4pm 3:30pm 1:30pm 6pm 6pm

Peru 12am Bolivia 1:30am Uruguay 2:30am Trinidad/Tobago 3am Costa Rica 9pm Paraguay 10pm

>>9

>>34/35

CROSS WORD PUZZLE Across 1 Super Falcons Coach, Christopher – (7) 4 Ethnic Group in Nigeria – (5) 7 Former Kano State Governor, Mr. Fabiu Musa – (9) 8 Gambian Currency Unit – (5) 9 L.G.A in Nasarawa State – (7) 12 Country in Asia – (4) 14 Zambia “Chipolopolos” Skipper, Rainford – (6) 16 L.G.A in Oyo State – (6) 17 Spain Left-Back & Barcelona Defender, Jordi – (4) 19 Egyptian Premier League Club – (7) 22 Musical Instrument – (5) 23 This Country has its Capital City as “Camberra”? – (9) 24 Jordan Capital City – (5) 25 Former Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Odion – (7)

Down 1 L.G.A in Borno State – (5) 2 Zambia “Chipolopolos” Coach, Honor – (5) 3 L.G.A in Benue State – (6) 4 Former Abia State Governor, Mr. Frank – (7) 5 Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Paolo – (9) 6 Finland Currency Unit – (7) 10 Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister, Mrs. Margot – (9) 11 Objective – (4) 13 Super Eagles Defender, Chima – (4) 14 State in Nigeria Known as “The State of Hospitality”? – (7) 15 Country in Asia – (7) 18 Guinea-Bissau Capital City – (6) 20 Cross-River State Governor, Mr. Ben – (5) 21 L.G.A in Kaduna State – (5)

Solutionon on page Solution page2160

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