UK govt seizes E27,000 from Diezani

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62508

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Investors waiting for Buhari's economic policy, says British expert 9

SENATE LEADERSHIP CRISIS:

Saraki visits 49 Akume

ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING:

UK govt seizes £27,000 from Diezani •See p ull-out inside

•Ex-minister absent in court, as mother, another show up •£5,000, $2,000 also seized from mother by NCA

By Soni Daniel, Sebastine Obasi & Michael Eboh, with agency reports

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B U J A — Determined to press its case of money laundering against former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, the British government, yesterday, seized £27,000 from the embattled ex-minister,

Continues on Page 5

Buhari must be screened if he's Petroleum Minister — Senate 8

Mr & Mrs EXPECTING DIEZANI—News reporters on a waiting game at the police station (Left) and the court (right), where ExPetroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke was expected, yesterday, in London, United Kingdom. Courtesy: Agency pictures.

COLUMNISTS:

Contractors in messy battle for DESOPADEC job See Inside C M Y K

Fulani herdsmen's scars on Falae •P.20

Buhari's uneventful 100 days

•P.17

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015— —3

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4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015—5

POCKET CARTOON

MEETING—President Muhammadu Buhari (L), and the President, French Business Confederation, Mr Pierre Gattaz, during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

UK govt seizes £27,000 from Diezani Continues from page 1 who was granted conditional bail by the National Crime Agency, NCA, last week.

The British B r o a d c a s t i n g Corporation, BBC, reported that £5,000 and $2000 were also seized by the NCA from Beatrice Agama, Diezani’s mother.

According to a BBC report monitored in Abuja, the NCA had approached the W e s t m i n s t e r Magistrate’s Court on Marylebone Road, London, and obtained

the order to seize the said sum until April next year.

The NCA is said to have applied for the seizure of the money in accordance with Section 295 of Proceeds of Crime Act 2012, POCA. In response, the court ruled that the money could be held for six months.

But the NCA declined to comment on when and where the money was seized from the former Nigerian minister.

A call put to the NCA went into voicemail but the agency said Vanguard’s enquiry had

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO NTIL you probe your current situation you might never see the need to do better. Almost all of life’s breakthroughs were triggered by the questions: How, what, when, why and why not? It’s up to you.

U

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

The desire not to be anything is the desire not to be — Ayn Rand

H

OW do you know when you’re living your purpose? When your present moments begin to feel perfect and beautiful, when you are well adjusted in the present you’ll no longer be looking for happiness somewhere in the future. You’ll stop saying to yourself, “once X happens then I’ll be where I want to be. Then I’ll be happy.” Instead you will look to your present and say, “I am grateful for the present and nothing could be more perfect than this precise moment.”

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

I

F a snake does not act like one, it becomes a mere rope to tie the logs.

been referred to its press unit for appropriate response. The response did not come at press time.

However, Vanguard learned that the seizure of the money was to enable the anti-graft agency present it as evidence of corruption against the former minister in the pending money laundering case that the body plans to press against her and four other suspects now in London.

The quartet is believed to include a relative of the former minister and three oil barons.

Some other top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, were said to be facing possible arrest and extradition to the United Kingdom to face trial along with their former boss because of the roles they allegedly

played in fleecing the nation of billions of petrodollars.

Appearance in court As reported by Vanguard , AlisonMadueke did not appear

in court, yesterday, but her mother, Beatrice Agama, and another woman, Melanie Spencer, reportedly, showed up.

But the seizure of the money on the orders of the court, according to sources close to the British government, would speed up the opening of formal trial of the former minister by the NCA. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) sets out the legislative scheme for the recovery of criminal assets with confiscation being the most commonly used power.

The Act says: “Confiscation occurs after a conviction has taken place. Other means of recovering the proceeds of crime which do not

ABUJA BOMBINGS: PDP urges Buhari to overhaul DSS, others

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BUJA—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the Department of State Services, DSS, and other intelligence agencies, in view of the resurgence of terrorism in the country.

The party, which position came against the backdrop of last Friday’s

bomb blasts at Kuje and Nyanya, which claimed 20 lives and injured more than 40 people, also warned against politicisation of the DSS. PDP in a statement signed by Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said: "Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, notes with deep sadness and concern, the resurgence of terrorism

...National Hospital refuses to release corpses to relatives without police report

By Victoria Ojeme

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BUJA—THE National Hospital has refused to release corpses of relatives of last Friday's bomb blast, saying it won’t do so until the police concluded its investigation into the identity of the bodies.

The Head of Communications at the National Hospital, Dr Tayo Haastrup, said the hospital wanted to ensure the police did

require a conviction are provided for in the Act, namely civil recovery, cash seizure and taxation powers.

“The aim of the asset recovery schemes in POCA is to deny criminals the use of their assets, recover the proceeds of crime and disrupt and deter criminality.

Since 2010, more than £746 million of criminal assets have been seized

by POCA up to the end of last year.

The Presidency has confirmed that it was in touch with the British government on the move to repatriate stolen wealth to the country but did not say whether it would ask for the extradition of the suspects for trial in the country or not.

their job and that the corpses really belong to the relations claiming them.

He said: "For the 12 corpses, we need to involve the police in terms of identification as we can’t release the corpses to just anybody.

"It is more or less a coroner case which will have to involve the police. We have reported it to the police and they are also around to make sure they do their normal

work and, thereafter, the corpses will be released to relations."

Haastrup explained that though some relations had claimed some of the bodies, the hospital has not released any of the 12 corpses.

According to him, at present, there are 17 victims in the Trauma Centre and they are doing well and very stable except one that came with serious burns."

and renewed attacks on the Federal Capital Territory, with last Friday ’s bombings in Nyanya and Kuje satellite towns of the territory.

"Our checks reveal that poor intelligence gathering by the Department of State Services, DSS, and other relevant intelligence groups is largely, if not directly responsible for the resurgence of terrorists, who have earlier been pushed to the precipices in the Sambisa forest in Borno State, to the extent that they have slipped back into other cities, including the nation’s capital.

"From all indications, the DSS under the watch of the current DirectorGeneral, Alhaji Lawal Daura does not seem to be in full grip of the intelligence situation.

"This is apparently traceable to the avoidable distractions occasioned by the flagrant use of the agency for political assignments..."

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Citizen asks IG to probe alleged murder attempt

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—A Nigerian citizen resident in Benin, Edo State capital, Mr. Daniel Owie, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to investigate the alleged murder attempt on his life and the breach of his fundamental human rights by a group of Army officers, led by an unidentified Captain in Benin, weekend.

Owie in his petition to the IGP, through his counsel, Mr. Benjamin Iluobe, want Mr. Arase to direct Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, to thoroughly investigate the abuse of power by the Army Captain and his gang.

Narrating his ordeal, Owie, who is currently receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, and is chained to bed by the said Army Captain who also detailed two soldiers to watch over him, said that on October 3, 2015, at about 8.pm, he met a vehicle blocking Ihama Road and went to the car to see if he could assist the owners to push it off the road.

He said the occupants of the vehicle ordered him to go back to his car, adding that the manner in which they talked to him led to an exchange of words.

This, according to him, led to his beating by occupamts of the car, allegedly led by the Army Captain.

“Our client told us further that he was surprised that one of them introduced himself as a Captain in the Army and he further identified himself by branding his service pistol."

"After the beating, the said Captain called his military boys who came in a Hilux Pickup van and without questions and after he identified himself to them, started to beat him again with fists and gun butt."

He further said he was shot on his leg on the instruction of the said Captain. He also said that there are bruises all over his body inflicted by the military men called by the Captain.

However, in his reaction Army Public Relations Officer, 4, Brigade Garrison, Captain Joseph Unuakhalu, described the incident as a case of armed robbery.

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SUSPECTS: Suspected robbers, kidnappers and cult members paraded by Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Police kill 2 robbery suspects, nab 20 criminals in Rivers Arrest abductors of UNIPORT VC's son

By Jimitota Onoyume & Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT—TWO suspected kidnappers have been shot dead by men of the Rivers State Police command.

This came at a time the police in the state also arrested the kidnappers of the University of Port Harcourt’s Vice Chancellor’s son, and other seven kidnap suspects in the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr Musa Kimo, who briefed the media on the operations of his command in the last two weeks, said about 20 suspects were arrested for offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery operations to cultism.

Some of the items recovered from the hoodlums included one General Purpose Machine Gun, GPMG, five AK 47 rifles. 3 locally made pistols, 5 locally made long guns and so on.

He said some of the cultists also indulged in robbery operations, adding that one of the kidnappers arrested was allegedly part of a gang that buried their hostage, Friday Ozoko, in a shallow grave at Choba in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Kimo also dismissed as untrue allegations of an upsurge of crime by some persons, stressing that such claims were the handiwork of detractors and alarmists.

“Let me use this opportunity to debunk the media hype by some elements that there is crime upsurge in the state. ‘’To say the least, it’s the handwork of false alarmists who are not happy with existing peace and tranquility in the state. ‘’No amount of smear campaign

can deter us from doing the needful to attain a near crime free Rivers State,“ he said.

The Police chief further appealed for support of the civil populace for information to assist the Police rid the state of hoodlums and unwanted elements, “While soliciting the continued understanding and support of the members of the public, I enjoin them not to panic and go about their lawful activities as the Police will always be there to ensure a sustained public safety and

security,” he said.

Meanwhile, the command has arrested the kidnappers of the University of Port Harcourt’s Vice Chancellor’s son, and other seven kidnap suspects in the state.

The Police Commissioner, Musa Kimo made this disclosure, yesterday, at the command headquarters, Moscow road, while parading over 30 suspects of different crimes in the state.

It will be recalled that the son of the VC of UNIPORT, Mr. Ejire Lale, was last month abducted

from his father’s compound in Eleme council area unknown gunmen at his fish farm.

But Monday, the Rivers Police paraded four suspects in connection with the abduction of Lale and other kidnap cases in the state.

Kimo said the four-man kidnapping gang was nabbed by the Police following an intensified investigation and combing of criminal hideouts in Eleme LGA. The CP also said it has rescued seven kidnap victims within two weeks of intensified fight against criminality and armed robbery in the state.

....Rescue man from mob over alleged rape of 13-year-old girl

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By Samuel Oyadongha

ENAGOA—THE Police in Bayelsa State have rescued a 35-year-old man from being lynched by an angry mob for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl at Akenfa suburb of Yenagoa.

Vanguard gathered that the suspect was apprehended on Sunday by the angry mob for defiling the teenager.

It was gathered that the victim

was lured out of the parent’s home by the suspected rapists with “sweet” and warned her not to inform the parents of the atrocity.

Spokesman of Bayelsa Police Command, Asimin Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said: “On October 4 at about 9.30pm, policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Yenagoa, responded to a distress call from residents of Akenfa 1 Community, Yenagoa.

“On arrival, they met an irate mob attacking one Akpobomei Michael, age 35years, for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl. The suspect was rescued and was subsequently detained.

“The Police command appreciate the commitment of members of the public in assisting police in fighting crimes. They should, however, desist from beating suspects. Investigation is ongoing.”

Man docked for stealing N100,000 cable

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By Onozure Dania

AGOS—A 23-year-old mechanic, Audu Yerima, who was alleged to have entered into the premises of a company and stole cables valued at N100, 000, was yesterday brought before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

Yerima, who resides at13, Elishi Street , Obalende, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge bordering on

stealing, preferred against him by the police.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Igonbo Emby, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences on September 20, at 11:00 p.m, at Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, 2A, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He said the defendant stole armoured cables valued at N100,

000, being the property of Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr P. A. Adekumanya, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He said the sureties must be gainfully employed and that their addresses must be verified. He adjourned the case to November 4, for mention.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015— —7

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8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

CBN considers review of restrictions on forex market

By Yinka Kolawole, with agency report

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday in London, said the apex bank would consider relaxing restrictions on foreign exchange transactions in the country if there was a drop in demand for dollars.

Speaking at a conference in London, Emefiele said the restrictions put in place in June to conserve foreign exchange reserves and support the Naira were working.

He said: “CBN had little choice in imposing the curbs in order to preserve foreign reserves.

“Once we have achieved a result, we can allow ourselves to look at a freer market. I think it is working and you should be patient with us.

Demand for foreign exchange has dropped.”

The restrictions have reduced liquidity in the m a r k e t , prompting JPMorgan Chase & Co. to remove the nation’s bonds from its emerging market bond indexes last month.

Recall that CBN had, on June 23, issued a circular excluding importers of 41 goods and services from accessing foreign currencies at the Nigerian foreign exchange markets, after the Naira plunged to a record low in February, following a drop in oil revenue.

The implication of the policy is that all importers, who want to continue bringing in these goods or services into the country, have to source their foreign exchange from private sources.

CBN said the move was to help reduce pressure on the local currency, while preserving the nation’s external reserves.

It said the items cannot be funded at the interbank from proceeds of exports and Bureau de change sources.

MINISTERIAL LIST: Buhari must be screened if he’s Petroleum Minister—SENATE

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—STRONG indications have emerged that today’s plenary session, where the Senate would unveil the ministerial list sent by President Muhammadu Buhari, may be stormy as senators are saying the President must, in line with the constitution, submit himself before the Senate for screening if he appointed himself Minister of Petroleum.

They are also set to reject an incomplete list, saying the constitution provides for a nominee from each state of the federation and that any list that did not cover the 36 states would suffer serious opposition on the floor of the Senate.

The senators have also vowed that they would not be cowed by the trial of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, just as they promised to adopt stringent measures in line with the provisions of the Constitution during the screening of ministerial nominees.

They added that the tradition of take-a-bow for senators coming for screening as ministers would be jettisoned, adding that they were prepared to send names of nominees to the sender of such a list.

Senate President, Dr. Saraki, is currently facing trial at CCT, following a 13-count charge levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, bordering on alleged corruption and false declaration of assets in 2003 and summoned him to appear before it, which he did.

‘We’ll stick to rules’

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abia North, who noted that the list was expected to be complete, in line with the Constitution, said: “The list will be unveiled tomorrow( today). The Senate President kept to his words that the envelope will remain sealed until tomorrow (today).

“We know that all we have been reading could be speculations until it is opened.

It will be read on the floor of the Senate and we will know.

Even the 21 that people are speculating will be ascertained tomorrow (today) on the floor.

“The Constitution does not support ministers by batches.

Every state must be

Will refer corruption allegation against nominees to EFCC, ICPC Vows Saraki trial won’t cow senators represented but if the number is not complete, some of us may raise constitutional issues.

If we have to wait for another three months for him to send another list comprising representatives of other states, it means those states would be non-functional.

“We will be guided by the constitution and the rules of the senate. This time around, we resolved that we are going to be quite stringent. We are going to ensure that whoever is coming as the minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be somebody worth the salt; somebody we can rely upon and somebody that would have met the constitutional requirements.

‘We'll stick to the rules’

“We are not considering waving any rule. Why should we wave the rule? If we want to do that, it should be before the screening. I believe that at

the end of the day Nigerians will be happy because some Nigerians are already saying that the names being speculated were not what they have been waiting for these five months.

“This government has tagged itself as the government of change. If that is the cardinal thing, it will be against this Senate and, indeed, against the President and Nigerians for us to see a very strong allegation that hinges on corruption and we ignore it. If we see a strong petition, definitely we will look into it and follow it to a logical conclusion.

“If it requires writing to the anti-graft agencies like ICPC or EFCC to give us a report on such a person, we will do that because that is what screening is all about.

Screening is not a tea party.

In Cross River State the appointees are going to write

aptitude test.”

Days of take-a-bow over

On the President’s decision to appoint himself as Minister of Petroleum, he said: “I do not think the President’s name will be on the list and I also do not think that the President will say he is a minister because if you are a minister, one of the conditions is that you must be subjected to screening and approval of the Senate.

“He, as the chief minister, can be there to supervise any ministry, but he cannot be a minister. Whoever is advising him to be minister is not advising him rightly.”

Chairman, Senate ad hoc Committee on Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West): “In our screening of ministers, it will not be business as usual. The era of take a bow and go are over.

The right people will be made ministers without any political or religious consideration.”

CONVENTION: From left— Chairman, International Sea Trade and Investment Convention Steering Committee, Chief Adebayo Sarumi; Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Senator Olalekan Mustapha; Managing Partner, Paul Usoro & Co, Mrs Mfon Usoro; former Head of State, General Abdul Salami Abubakar (retd) and Senator Florence ItaGiwa, at the convention in Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

Africa GDP slows to 3.7% in 2015

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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S the ongoing economic downturn continues to bite harder on some developing countries, the World Bank has said that growth in African economy will slow in 2015 to 3.7 percent.

This development, the World Bank said, represented a decline from 4.6 percent recorded in 2014, reaching the lowest growth rate since 2009.

These revelations were made yesterday at a multi-

national teleconferencing organized by the World Bank as part of its periodic press conference, tagged Africa’s Pulse, where it addresses issues on African economy.

The Africa’s Pulse is a twice-yearly analysis of economic trends and the latest data on the continent.

The 2015 forecast remains below the robust 6.5percent growth in GDP, which the region sustained in 20032008, and drags below the 4.5 percent growth, following the

global financial crisis in 2009 to 2014.

Meanwhile, the overall growth in the region is projected to pick up to 4.4 percent in 2016, and further strengthen to 4.8 percent in 2017.

It attributed the recent weakness in economic growth to the sharp drops in the price of oil and other commodities.

Other factors are China’s economic growth and tightening of global financial conditions, which it said weighs on Africa’s economic performance.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015—9

Workers threaten to shut Egbin over ‘brutalization, destruction of property’

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

L PENSION SUMMIT: From left— Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; Director-General of PENCOM, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu; Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State; Chairman, World Pension Summit, Mr. Eric Eggink; former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, and Director-General, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, at the opening of the World Pension Submit— Africa Special, in Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Investors waiting for Buhari’s economic policy—BRITISH EXPERT

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

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BUJA—A British financial expert, Mr. Gerard Lyons, has urged the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to come up with a clear economic policy direction to enable international investors take investment decisions on Nigeria.

Delivering the keynote address at the Africa Pension Summit in Abuja, yesterday, Lyons also advocated that part of the nation’s almost N5 trillion be invested in infrastructure, especially energy, roads and rail lines.

On the new administration’s economic policy outlook, the speaker said that though the administration had claimed that there was a clear planning process behind the scene, it must the noted that lack of clarity about the vision and the direction of the government economic policy was not good for the country.

He said: “A great vision is the strength of an economy” he said, adding that the lack of appointment of key government officials was also a concern to international investors.

He said it was not possible for international investors to turn a blind eye on Africa, but noted that Nigeria, although with a large market, needed to come up with policies that would specifically attract investors.

He noted that African nations must increase intra-regional trade in order to form stronger national economies that would

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impact more positively on the people of the region.

On pension funds, Mr. Lyons suggested that part of the large pool of funds be invested in hard

infrastructure, which in themselves would boost the nation’s economy.

Such investments, he said, should be in projects that could guarantee maximum

dividend, and he identified toll roads, rail, housing and electricity power projects as some of such facilities in which pension funds could be invested.

... as President plans diversification in 2016 budget MEDEF, led by its President, and other areas, to return to

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration would enact new policies to diversify Nigeria’s economy from oil to other sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

The diversification, according to the President, will be captured in the 2016 national budget.

President Buhari gave the hints at a meeting with a delegation of French investors under the aegis of Movement of the Enterprises of France,

Mr. Pierre Gattaz, in Abuja, yesterday.

It will be recalled that President Buhari had, during his visit to Paris three weeks ago, met with the investors who assured him of a visit to Nigeria on investment survey.

President Buhari said the policies currently being evolved by his administration would boost domestic manufacturing and attract greater investment to Nigeria’s agricultural and mining sectors.

He urged Mr. Gattaz and the French trade mission, which houses over 50 companies with interest in manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure development

Nigeria next year and take full advantage of the new policies.

Raising hope of stamping out insecurity which provokes fear in foreign investors, President Buhari also assured the French investors that under his leadership, Nigeria would not fall short of international standards in the protection of foreign investments and the repatriation of returns on such investments.

He said: “We are doing our utmost best to encourage diversification into non-oil sectors, which can employ a lot of people and we will welcome your support in this regard.”

AGOS—NATIONAL Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and its Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, counterpart, yesterday, threatened to shut Egbin, the biggest power plant in the country, over alleged brutalization of workers and willful destruction of their property by the management and soldiers.

The two unions, which claimed that the incidents took place on October 2 and 3, called on government and other authorities concerned to intervene and call the management and the soldiers to order before things went out of hand.

In a statement by NUEE’s General Secretary and the Secretary General of SSAEAC, Joe Ajaero and U.A. Dubagari, respectively, the unions condemned what they termed the barbaric and wanton destruction of property, inhuman and degrading treatment meted on their members at the Egbin Power Plant Plc. The unions called on the federal government to intervene and call the management of Egbin Plant Plc to order before the issue degenerates.

All efforts to speak with the management of the plant, proved abortive.

Several calls put through to Mr. Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Groups, owners of Egbin Power Plant, were unanswered at press time.

Tribunal overrules Wike on admissibility of election documents

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—THE Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, overruled Governor Nyesom Wike on the admissibility of the election documents All Progressives Congress, APC, tendered

through one of his witnesses.

Wike had, through his legal team, led by Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, challenged the propriety of the tribunal allowing APC and its governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, to submit a bundle of voters’ registers through a witness he produced before the tribunal

yesterday.

The said witness, Dr. Christopher Iyimoga, was a National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when the governorship election held.

Iyimoga, who is currently retired, was among INEC's delegation that monitored

elections in Rivers State.

The Justice Suleiman Ambrosaled panel had, sequel to an application by Wike, subpoenaed him to appear and testify before the tribunal.

In his evidence, the witness told the tribunal that the governorship election was peaceful and conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Man remanded for stabbing father to death

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AGOS—A 35-year-old man, Nelson Oamen, who allegedly stabbed his father to death, was yesterday remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons by an Ebute-metta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Chief Magistrate Mrs Folasade Botoku, ordered that the accused, facing a count charge of murder, be remanded in prison pending the release of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. The plea of the accused was not taken as the court lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute murder cases.

The Prosecutor, ASP Olagoke Akinlabi, had earlier told the court that the offence was committed on Sept. 18, at about 11.30 a.m. at Abesan Estate, Ipaja, a Lagos suburb.

He alleged that the accused used a broken bottle to stab his 75-year-old father, Sunday Oamen, ripping open his stomach.

The prosecutor said that the accused stabbed his father severally all over his body while he was sleeping, claiming that he refused to take care of him.

Akinlabi said that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Section 221 prescribes death sentence for convicts.

The case has been adjourned to Nov. 5, pending legal advice from the DPP.

...Bizman docked over N4m fraud Meantime, for allegedly defrauding a woman of N4 million, a businessman, Cletus Iyohan, was arraigned on Monday in Lagos.

Iyohan, 33, a resident of Blessed Valley, Berger, Ikeja, Lagos, is being tried for fraud and stealing at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused committed the offences between the month of May and June 2014 at Maryland, Lagos.

He said that the accused fraudulently obtained N4 million from one Mrs Juliana Obabi under the pretext of investing it in forex trading.

“The accused cajoled the complainant to pay N4 million into his account under the pretext of investing the money on forex trading,” he said.

Olatunde alleged that after the accused received alert for the money, he refused to invest it for what it was meant for and resorted to threatening the complainant’s life.

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CCECC returns, to complete Ago-Palace road in Dec As Ambode holds 1st parley with residents

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

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HE Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Works yesterday, attributed the delay in the early completion of Ago-Palace/Okota road, Isolo, to several lawsuits instituted by residents of the area against the state government.

This was revealed as the contractor for the work, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, yesterday returned

to site to complete the fourth and final phase of the 7.1 kilometer road project.

It was gathered that the order to return to site was issued by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, barely 48 hours after Vanguard published a story on the plight of motorists in the axis.

Speaking to newsmen after an inspection tour of the area, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Eng Ajibade Bade-Adebowale disclosed that the road will be completed before Friday, December 25th, 2015.

He said the contractor handling the project had been directed to expedite actions by working tirelessly to deliver the project in record time.

Bade-Adebowale however, appealed to residents to assist the contractor in achieving maximum progress through the use of the alternative roads. And they should desist from dumping refuse in the drains, an action, which he said leads to flooding and subsequent road damage.

Some of the alternative routes include: Lamidi Ariyo, Folarin Fatunisi, Femi Kila, Ostra Lane,

START OF 2015/2016 LEGAL YEAR: From left: Justice Moshood Abass; Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, and Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Ladipo Abimbola, at a service to mark the start of 2015/2016 legal year, at the central mosque, Oja Oba in Ibadan yesterday.

Zoostra Lane, Hakeem Dosunmu, Prince Joseph Adebayo, Awka Etiti, Okiki and Jemtok Street.

Also assuring residents of prompt completion, the General Manager of CCECC, Lagos Mr. Li Bing said, “We will be accelerating the work in order to complete it before the end of the year. We hope we can get more support from the residents.”

Ambode flags off quarterly town hall parley

Meantime, Ambode will today hold his maiden edition of his quarterly Town Hall Meeting, starting with the Lagos West Senatorial District.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Folarin Adeyemi, explained that the meeting is in fulfilment of the governor's campaign promises to duly engage the citizenry and chart a path where regular interactions will take place to inundate people with plans, policies and programmes of the present administration as well as fulfil his pledge of participatory governance.

Adeyemi, said the meeting is slated to take place at Abesan Play ground, Abesan Housing Estate, Ipaja by 11am today.

He added that it was designed to enable people rub minds with the governor on salient issues that are germane to the progress of the state while proffering solutions to them.

BoI gives 1,000 corps members collateral-free loans

By Dayo Adesulu

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AGOS—BANK of Industry, BOI has partnered the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC to give 1,000 corps members collateral free loans to boost their Small Medium Enterprises.

Speaking yesterday during the official launch of Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund, GEF, held at BOI office, Marina, Lagos, its Managing Director, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa said: “BoI is partnering NYSC to provide solutions to youth unemployment in Nigeria.’’

Olaoluwa who lamented the rate of unemployment in the country, noted that about 1.8 million youths enter labour market every year adding, ‘’Over 50 percent of them are unemployed and 20 percent are fresh graduates.’’

The Managing Director who said an innovative approach is require to tackle this menace, noted that 41 percent of Nigerian youths are without employment post NYSC. According to him, the objectives of the loan are to encourage graduates to

venture into business rather than seeking for jobs, to make them eligible for small scale businesses and to promote business can-do spirit among youths, among others.

He urged all interested corps

members to key into this opportunity stating that there is no job out there.

In response to the gesture, the Director General, NYSC, Brigadier General Johnson

Bamidele Olawunmi noted that he had been expecting the signing of the MoU after his encounter with the former Managing Director, saying: ‘’Unemployment is a key issue in Nigeria.’’

Lagos midwives protest unpaid salaries

By Amarachi Chukwudi

complain over unpaid 2013 and 2014 salary but only 2014 salary AGOS—OVER 100 was given to us,” she said.

Midwives from the The protesters, who submitted Midwives Service Scheme, MSS, yesterday, assembled at the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest over unpaid 2013 salary by the Lagos State Government.

A G O S — S E N AT O R The spokesperson, Mrs. Gbenga Ashafa, Beatrice Ajayi who spoke to newsmen said, “We are over 100 representing Lagos East and we have not been paid our senatorial district has donated a 2013 salary and we worked very 16-seater bus to the Ikorodu hard that year. The Lagos State General Hospital stressing that no Government is supposed to be effort is too much towards assisting paying us without our asking the healthcare value chain to to be paid, but we protest every perform their duties more time before they pay us and efficiently.

Ashafa, who made the donation that is not encouraging on the through the Chairman, All part of the state.

“We were here sometime in Progressive Congress (APC) September this year to complain Ikorodu Central, Mr. Rilwan about 2013 and 2015 salaries and Junaid also gave financial we were later paid for 2015 only, assistance to the hospital to we were also here last year to enable it buy medical supplies.

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a letter to the House, however demanded that their 2013 salary be paid to them, or else they will take their case to the governor.

Ashafa donates bus to general hospital

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The senator said his donation is to help complement the efforts of the state government towards providing the people of Lagos with quality healthcare.

He explained that the gesture was part of his campaign promises towards improving healthcare services in his constituency.

He promised to continue to do more for the people of Lagos East Senatorial District.

Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Mobolaji Olukoya, while receiving the items, said the gesture would go a long way in improving services by the hospital.

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C-RIVER ELECTION TRIBUNAL: Counsel demands chairman's resignation

By Emma Una

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ALABAR—THE crisis rocking Cross River State Election Petitions Tribunal, yesterday deepened, as Paul Erokoro, SAN, counsel to four National Assembly members whose elections are being challenged, formally asked the chairman, Justice Christopher Awumbra, to resign for alleged incompetence.

The crisis started last week when Erokoro, who is counsel to Senators Gershom Bassey, Dr. Rose Oko, Bassey Ewa and Mike Etaba, all of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, threw the tribunal into turmoil when he accused the chairman of being a Customary Court of Appeal judge and therefore not constitutionally qualified to head the tribunal.

This forced the tribunal to adjourn for a week.

At the resumed sitting, Erokoro moved a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to continue hearing the cases still pending, for alleged lack of competence.

He argued in his application that Justice Christopher Awumbra, being a Customary Court of Appeal judge, detracted from the competence of the

tribunal, saying: “The issue of jurisdiction is a constitutional matter which must be determined before further proceedings in this tribunal.

There is, therefore, need for the application to be determined.

We object to the competence of the tribunal to hear all the matters at all. We object the

hearing to be taken along with judgment and we would not yield to that at all.”

Counsel to PDP, Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, and other PDP candidates aligned themselves with Erokoro's submission and supported the application.

However, counsel to the

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY: From left: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Mr John Jonah; Commissioner for Education, Mr Dein Benadomina and Chief of Staff, Bayelsa State Government House, Mr Talfurd Ongolo, at the World Teachers’ Day Celebration, in Yenagoa, yesterday.

ILLEGAL BUNKERING: FOC reads riot act to erring personnel

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— THE Nigerian Navy, has declared zero tolerance to oil theft in the nation’s maritime environment, vowing to deal with any officer found aiding illegal bunkering.

Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Atiku Abdulkadir, who spoke yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said measures were already in place to wipe out illegal bunkering activities completely from the nation’s maritime environment.

He said: “We take cognisance of the fact that in every environment there is the likelihood of having bad elements. If we find any of our personnel directly assisting illegal activities or not doing what he or

she should do, we are going to treat that person as an offender. He or she will be dealt with. There will be no hiding place for such a person.”

According to him, the federal government was determined to effectively equip the Navy to discharge its duties,

saying it was going to dominate the creeks to enhance its efficiency in the region.

The FOC noted that the Nigerian Navy had commenced 24 hours patrol of the nation’s waterways, to eradicate cases of piracy and sea robbery.

Okowa assures on sanctity of SMART agenda

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ELTA State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has told the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party Youth Vanguard in Asaba that his administration will not derail from the Five-Point-Agenda to develop the state.

The governor, who spoke to the group through his Special Assistant on Political Matters, Mr. Akigho Okiemute, said that SMART agenda was to profit all Deltans. He

said two aspects of the agenda are youth oriented and appealed to them to utilise the golden opportunity.

According to Okiemute, the governor, in demonstration of his commitment to the prosperity to all Deltans, went a step further by setting-up an office for job creation, adding that the officer is responsible for the implementation of all jobs and wealth creation project in the state.

petitioners, Senator Bassey Otu and Dr Julius Okputu, both of Labour Party, LP, Essien Andrew and Bolitife Olusegun, respectively, opposed the application, saying it was an arrest of judgment given the limited time left for the tribunal to deliver judgment on the cases still pending.

N S C D C advocates psychological tests for weapon handlers

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—EDO State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Mr Chuka Akubuiroh, yesterday, called for a law to ensure that those who handle arms in the nation’s security agencies are subjected to psychological and emotional test to address the problem of extra-judicial killings.

He said the test should be carried out quarterly to check the problem, contending that cases of extra-judicial killings had not only become an embarrassment to the country, but to security agencies as well.

The NSCDC boss attributed accidental discharge to indiscipline on the part of those handling arms in the nation’s security agencies, pointing out that NSCDC has not recorded any case of accidental discharge.

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WORLD TEACHERS' DAY: Teachers present catalogue of demands to govts

By Our reporters

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EACHERS in Nigeria, yesterday joined their counterparts in other parts of the world to mark the World Teachers Day, and made several demands from government on welfare and other conditions of service aimed at improving the standard of the teaching profession in the country.

Speaking at the occasion, President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, Michael Alogba-Olukoya, said it was criminal for any employer of labour not to pay its workers, urging state governments not to divert the bailouts offered them by the Federal Government but to use same to pay workers owed.

He said: “Apart from the fact that non-payment of the monthly salaries to hardworking workers is a criminal offence, it is also inhuman for any employer of labour to deny workers their monthly wages,” even as he expressed concern about the discrimination in the placement of terminal salary grade levels of graduate teachers in primary and secondary schools in various states.

In Edo State, state chapter of NUT, commended Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the improvement of the educational sector in the state, even as it appealed to the state government to commence the promotion of teachers which was last done in 2012.

Its chairman, Mike Uhunmwangho, while addressing members in Benin City, said: “There is no doubt that the state government has tried in revamping the educational sector that was in bad shape before now. But we will like to appeal that teachers should be promoted in Edo State because the last time that was done was in 2012. We want training and retraining of our teachers as promised by the state government, payment of salary arrears of over 300 teachers in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, who

were transferred to other local government areas, resumption of regular payment of subventions, car and housing loans to teachers, pardon of principals who have been on suspension close to a year and the request for a parcel of land to build a new teachers' house since the old one has been engulfed by flood. The NUT still strongly believes and insists that adequate and proper investment in the education sector, with particular emphasis on the teachers, remains the best strategy to recover from the worsening financial and economic crisis facing the country at the moment. We must admonish our teachers to re-assess and re-dedicate themselves to the noble profession by discharging their duties with renewed vigour and great sense of

responsibility.”

R e s p o n d i n g , Commissioner for Higher Education, Mr. Washington Osifo, said the government was taking steps to end the problems associated with the educational sector in the state, as well as create an environment to respond to imminent issues in that sector.

He said: “Even the teachers here on a daily basis are aware that the government of Edo State, as it is now, is one that is friendly and understands the plight of the teachers.

Delta State

Similarly, in Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stressed the need for the Nigerian educational system to incorporate enterprise education, education for citizenship, financial

Lagos

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, who represented Governor Akinwumi Ambode, at the annual event at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka, pledged that the state government would build on the legacies of its predecessors.

According to her, “Remuneration and career structure based on qualification, places the terminal grade level of university graduates who teach in primary schools on grade level 17, the same set of graduates who teach in primary schools terminate on grade level 14 and their secondary school counterparts terminate on 15 or 16 in many states of the federation.

State chairman of NUT, Raheem Adesegun, stressed the need for the teachers to be motivated, compensated and empowered to perform and deliver on their mandates, while calling for an an upward review of classroom teachers salary grade levels.

He said: “Teachers are in the centre of the educational configuration but they are denied, deprived and depressed. To redress the situation, teachers must attract a genuine professional status and be paid a special salary scale to address their social and financial short-change and disenfranchisement.”

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education, collaborative online learning and digital literac, among others, into the educational curriculum.

The governor also stressed the need to include emotional intelligence, interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, effective communication and learning beyond classroom into the curriculum.

Speaking, the Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Friday Osanebi, said teachers played a critical role in nation building and development and must be celebrated always as very important stakeholders.

The Deputy Speaker, said teachers determined the future of any nation, adding: “I want to thank my primary and secondary school teachers. Teachers’ roles in the fabric of a nation’s existence cannot be overemphasized; they determine our future through our children.”

State chairman of NUT, Jonathan Jemirieyigbe, expressed optimism that the celebration would cause both state and local governments to redefine the place of its teachers by providing favourable working conditions and the professional excellence needed to achieve the required changes in the educational system.

Akwa Ibom

OPENING: From left: Mrs. Cecilia Ibru; Hon Joyce Overah, representative of the Delta State governor and Prof. Uvwie Tobore Igun, Vice-Chancellor, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, at the opening of the university.

Road sweepers hold Cross River SSG hostage

By Emma Una

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ALABAR—SECRETARY to Cross River State Government, Mrs Martina Agbor, was yesterday held hostage by street sweepers and gardeners at the Calabar Urban Development Authority, CUDA, when she went there to take inventory of the Authority ’s vehicles and other facilities.

A source told Vanguard that Mrs Agbor arrived the sanitation office located on Ibrahim Babangida Way in the state capital, and went straight to meet with the Executive Secretary, Mr. Joemary Ekeng Ita. It was gathered that she

was there to get details of the capacity of the authority to clean up the state capital which in recent times had been taken over by refuse dumps.

According to the source, workers in the agency, numbering about 500, on noticing the SSG's presence, mobilised and waited patiently while she was shown round the premises.

After the inspection, as she was about to leave, the angry workers who allegedly had not been paid their N5,000 allowances for seven months, surrounded her demanding for their accumulated allowances, or she would not leave the premisis.

She was held up in her car until a detachment of the Police came to take her out of the premises.

Reacting on the incident, the SSG said the government was not owing the workers, but the contractors handling the evacuation of refuse in the state capital.

“They are saying that government owes them and I ask, owe you, how? Look at the books, they have over 200 workers and yet the town is still dirty. What do we owe them for? Who are those that have been working? That was what brought me here,” she said.

Also, in Uyo, the NUT urged the state government, to review the law establishing the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, with a view to correcting perceived structural imbalance in the system.

NUT Chairman in the state, Etim Ukpong, said in his address, that a review of the law became expedient to correct the anomaly where teachers on low salary grade levels were appointed as education secretaries above their senior colleagues in the classrooms.

According to the NUT chairman, this situation helped to dampen the senior teachers’ morale just as it discouraged regulated internal growth in the system.

The union also demanded the state government’s direct intervention and take-over of primary education in the state and ensure that trained teachers with National Certificate of Education, NCE, including Sandwich, Federal and Nigeria Teachers Institute products, were recruited to teach in the primary schools, to ameliorate the dearth of teachers in the system.

Responding, Special Adviser to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Bureau of Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning, Mr. Ekpenyong Enyina, said as administration with passion for the teaching profession and the welfare of teachers, it would work in tandem with the leadership of the teachers.

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2nd edition of World Pension Summit kicks off in Abuja

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HE SECOND edition of the World Pension Summit ‘Africa Special’ WPS-AS, kicked off in Abuja, Nigeria, yesterday, with a welcome address from Chinelo AnohuAmazu, Director General of National Pension Commission, PenCom. A keynote address was given by economist and global economic adviser, Dr. Gerard Lyons, among others.

The annual event organised by the PenCom, Nigeria and the World Pension Summit, the Netherlands, has brought together leading players and decision makers in the pension industry in Africa, as well as key figures in finance and pensions from across the world.

The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Building sustainable pension systems in Africa’ and is focused on entrenching enduring pension systems across the continent with a particular emphasis on channeling pension funds towards addressing its huge infrastructure deficit.

In his speech Dr. Lyons looked at Nigeria from a global, regional and national perspective and focused on the implications for the economy, infrastructure and pension funds. Lyons focused initially on the changing global environment that had resulted in greater uncertainty, more volatility, a desire by investors to search for yield and growth opportunities, and the need for markets to price for risk.

“Regionally, Africa is globalising at a fast pace and I think ‘Pan Africanism’ may become a more common future term, capturing the mood of the time. In this context, Nigeria can assume a greater regional role, as it is doing in west Africa now," he said.

To appreciate the domestic challenge, Lyons gave the foreign view of Nigeria, what was being said, and also where he felt it was right and wrong: “There is unease about corruption and concern about security. It is good, therefore, that the administration is addressing these head on.

"It is also important to remember that in a world of high debts, Nigeria’s debt position is a big advantage and gives it room for fiscal flexibility.

Excitement as Enugu govt bans traffic wardens, revenue collectors

By Francis Igata

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NUGU—WIDE jubilation followed yesterday Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s ban on the activities of traffic wardens/revenue collectors the Enugu State Ministries of Transport and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, that imposed a N25,000 penalty on traffic offenders.

Several complaints had trailed ECTDA, activities especially alleged overbearing attitude on motorists while purportedly working for the three Local government Councils in Enugu Metropolis; Enugu North, Enugu South and Enugu East council areas.

Announcing the ban, Ugwuanyi said, “When I assumed office as the governor of this state, I promised to provide good governance to our people and to do all I could within the powers of my office, to make their lives better. As a responsible government therefore, we cannot fold our hands and watch individuals subject our people, as well as visitors to the state, to extortion and all manners of oppression in the guise of

enforcement of traffic laws.

“It indeed challenges our efforts to sustain the peaceful and serene environment that Enugu has come to be associated with. As we do know, this is a civil service state and a situation where for example, a civil servant, who may be earning about N25,000 a month, is asked to pay the same amount as punishment for a traffic

traffic offences and what they should do to avoid committing them.”

A visibly elated motorist, Mr. Amaechi Ukwuani, who had fallen victim to the antics of the traffic warden/revenue collectors, expressed delight to the ban of their activities noting that the move has restored the confidence and goodwill of the people on the government.

BRIEFING : From left, Mr. Sidney Ogodo, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, NIMN; Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye, President & Chairman, NIMN, and Dr. Ify Uraih, Chairman, Body of Fellows, NIMN, during press briefing on Opinion Polls coming up in Bayelsa State, organised by NIMN, at Institute's corporate office Shangisha, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

Abia speaker decries media attacks on self, ex-Gov Orji

By Anayo Okoli

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offence, is totally unacceptable. "I must however make it clear, that this measure is temporary and is not in any way, intended to encourage road users to disobey traffic rules and regulations.

Rather, it is aimed at giving us time and opportunity to streamline the activities of enforcers of traffic laws in the state. It is also to enable our people to be properly educated on what constitutes

MUAHIA—ABIA State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Chief Cosmos Ndukwe, has decried alleged damaging media attacks on him and the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Theodore Orji, by people he described as political opponents.

Ndukwe, a former Chief of Staff in the government of former Governor Theodore Orji, accused a former governor of the state of sponsoring the media attacks against him..

At a briefing yesterday, Ndukwe lamented that the barrage of media attacks against him and Theodore Orji, saying he decided to react “so that these lies would not look like the truth”.

According to him, the said former governor had allegedly told him that he would not live to see him (Ndukwe) make any progress politically or personally, saying with that type of threat “it is known where the attacks are from. This is hands of Esau, but the voice is unmistakably that of Jacob”.

The Deputy Speaker lamented that through the said national daily, “for a long time, has elected to sustain a campaign of calumny against me and to a large extent, any person that is connected to me. Whereas I have no problem with objective review of my political activities, I take exception to any form of crusade calculated to present me as unfit and lacking in observable integrity.”

He also berated the candidate of Progressive People’s Alliance, PPA, who contested the Bende North Constituency against him, Mr. Chijioke Chukwu, accusing of him going to the press to canvass issues he could not canvass at the tribunal where the issue of his election was still be contested.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 17

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FTER the 2015 election, I predicted on Twitter that when critical decisions are to be taken, Yemi Osinbajo, the token Southerner in Aso Rock, would be sent to go and buy “guguru and epa.” This has proved prescient. The Vicepresident was reportedly barred from attending a national security briefing on grounds he did not have security clearance. But who can have more clearance than a man elected by the people? How did Buhari himself get his?

On 30th August, 2015, the vice-president was again publicly embarrassed when armed men shut down Aso Rock Chapel; preventing him from worshipping there.

After shouting myself hoarse, warning Nigerians on electing Buhari as president, I decided to keep quiet and watch things unfold from the sidelines. Fela said about Buhari’s first-coming: “The people wey no sabi dey jubilate, the people wey sabi dey shake their head.” It is now 100 days since Buhari became president and many of my worst fears have been confirmed.

Dictatorship In the middle of a national economic crisis, the president has been comatose. He made himself the Sole Administrator of Nigeria; a role not envisaged by the Constitution. These 100 days, Buhari has been the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Petroleum, as well as the Attorney-General. He has been the Minister of Education. He alone has been the minister in all the ministries of the federal government.

As a result, the country has ground to a halt. There has been no national direction, no economic policy.

Only bombastic anti-corruption rhetoric. Not surprisingly, the economy has gone from bad to worse. Official reports from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that our GDP has plummeted to 2.35%; a 40% decline under Buhari.

Job-creation has dropped by 69%.

The CBN, in its Monetary Policy Committee Report of August 2015, complained that: “lack of fiscal directives is behind (Nigeria’s) current economic woes.” This is a big indictment of the administration. The coming of Buhari has brought about stagnation in domestic and foreign direct investments.

The stock market has nosedived with investors scared away due to uncertainties arising from the government’s indecisiveness in the face of national economic adversity.

"One-chance" It is now clear that Buhari obtained votes from Nigerians during the election by false pretenses. Contrary to his highfalutin campaign promises, he has not stabilised the international price of oil.

Instead, it has fallen drastically

Buhari's uneventful 100 days from $60 to $40. Buhari has not made the naira equal to the dollar. As a matter of fact, it has depreciated considerably under his short watch. He has not used his vaunted military experience to defeat Boko Haram. On the contrary, the insurgency has become far more deadly, with over 1,000 innocent Nigerians killed within just three months.

Buhari’s promised free meals for school-children, allowances for discharged Youth Corpers, and 5,000 naira monthly allowance for indigent Nigerians have all turned out to be poppycock.

He has not even mentioned the coal industry in Enugu, how much more made any moves to revive it. His boast to APC governors that he will recover billions of dollars of stolen funds within three months has proved to be hogwash. With the election over, he quickly backtracked on Chibok, saying: “We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued.”

In my years as a public policy analyst, I have never seen a government anywhere spend its vital first 100 days doing very little like this one.

In defense of the president, Lai Mohammed said in a recent interview that: “Buhari never promised he was going to do anything in 100 days, that’s the honest truth.” This admission by the mouthpiece of the APC confirms conclusively that President Buhari has wasted 100 days of Nigerian lives.

It is time to admit it, Nigerians were wrong about Buhari

Stolen achievements Such improvements as are noticeable are legacies of the Jonathan administration. It is the height of deception that the Buhari government has been trying to take credit for them.

NERC Chairman, Sam Amadi, stressed that the recent improvements in power supply are the result of the efforts made by the Jonathan administration.

That should put paid to bogus attempts to attribute them to the effects of Buhari’s “body language.” Neither does “body language” bring about a turnaround maintenance of our refineries. The credit for this goes to “clueless” Jonathan.

If we are now celebrating the end of polio in Nigeria, it has nothing to do with Buhari, and everything to do with Jonathan. If we are indeed well on our way to selfsufficiency in rice production, it is because of the activities of Jonathan, and not because of the inactivity of Buhari. In three months, the Buhari administration has added nothing to past achievements.

On the contrary, it seems inclined to bring things to a standstill.

Media blackmail Instead of providing effective leadership, Buhari's government has opted for a campaign of calumny against the Jonathan administration.

Day-in day-out, we are regaled with outrageous declarations without substantiation about how bad the previous government was, and by how much it ran down the economy. Only the gullible would fail to realise this is just a pathetic attempt to divert attention from the poor performance of the Buhari government.

Buhari claims he inherited an empty treasury.

Nevertheless, he found over $30 billion in our foreign reserves.

He says: "Jonathan’s ministers stole 150 billion dollars;" without telling us where he got this figure from. We are told one million barrels of oil was stolen everyday under Jonathan; without any shred of evidence to back this up.

Buhari even went on record to claim Jonathan diverted

$700 million from the $1.1 billion Chinese loan for the Lagos/Kano rail project. But the evidence shows the loan was for three different projects, with only $400 million earmarked for Lagos/ Kano rail.

Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State says a senior official of the Obama administration revealed that a Jonathan minister stole $6 billion dollars no less. This has been denied by the Americans. He claims a consultancy fee of 140 billion naira was paid for the Second Niger Bridge project.

However, the Bureau of Public Procurement says the total cost of the bridge is 108 billion naira.

Oshiomhole should face his state and desist from further cheap newspaper blackmails.

Someone needs to remind the APC that election campaigns are over.

Once bitten, Nigerians are now twice shy.

APC won by manipulating the media. It cannot expect to rule using the same trickery.

Anti-corruption media distractions Buhari’s so-called fight against corruption has already become a farce. The first salvo was to lock up former Jigawa governor and prospective 2019 PDP presidential candidate, Sule Lamido and his two sons in jail. Then when Saraki rocked the boat by steamrolling himself to the Senate presidency without APC endorsement, his wife was peremptorily invited for lunch by the EFCC. The Senate has now retaliated by putting the EFCC Chairman himself on trial on allegation he stole trillions of recovered naira.

The truth of the matter is that any anti-corruption probe is likely to open up a can of worms. Buhari is surrounded by corrupt politicians.

After claiming he did not have the 27.5 million naira required for the APC presidential nomination papers and had to borrow it, Buhari now claims he has 30 million naira sitting pretty in his bank account. How does he account for this discrepancy?

If the president wants to probe, he should go right ahead and do so. However,

the current shenanigans of trying people in the media, and declaring everybody PDP guilty without trial, only attests to lack of sincerity. APC governors, including Amaechi and Kwankwaso, are also accused of corruption.

Fashola of Lagos is alleged to have spent 78 million naira setting up a personal website.

These are the president’s political buddies. We are waiting to see if his famous probe will also reach them.

Fighting corruption on the pages of newspapers cannot surely be the only preoccupation of a government. One trenchant observer said: “Probing is not governance neither is body language a substitute for economic policy.”

Regional agenda With 100 days in office, Buhari’s chauvinism is no longer hidden. We have now discovered that what he meant to say on his inauguration was : "I belong to every Northerner , and I belong to no Southerner."

The president went on official trip to the U.S. without an economic agenda, but with 29 Northerners and only 4 Southerners. While there, he declared that: “The constituents (that) gave me 97% cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5%.”

We now understand his thinking. Fulani herdsmen continue to kill innocent farmers while Buhari sees no evil and hears no evil; after all, he called them “my people” to Lam Adesina of Oyo State. Of the 32 critical appointments he has made so far, 27 are from his native North and only 5 from the South.

Not a single appointment from the Southeast. When queried about this blatant discrepancy, Femi Adesina , and not Garba Shehu, was craftily trotted out.

Tongue-in-cheek, we are told the appointments were made strictly on merit. But since when did the North acquire a monopoly of merit in Nigeria? How can the region with regularly low cutoff JAMB scores suddenly become the citadel of the most meritorious public servants in the country?

Sound and fury The Buhari administration is shaping out to be full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

After 100 days, it should now be abundantly clear that Buhari may not be president of 21st century Nigeria. The president has neither agenda nor direction. His cardinal objective is apparently the prosecution of a hegemony.

The APC desperately needs to organise an intervention, before Buhari drives the country into the ditch. How can this biased person be expected to lead Nigeria into the future?

It is time to admit it.

Nigerians were wrong about Buhari.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 KIDNAPPING as an abominable crime in Nigeria has assumed an epidemic dimension. A criminal activity that started some years ago as a tool of agitation in the Niger Delta has since been adopted by criminals in all parts of the country to make quick and easy money.

It is no longer targeted at the rich and their close relations. Everybody is now a potential target. The recent kidnap of journalists, Ms Donu Kogbara and Mrs Oluwatoyin Steve Nwosu of Vanguard and SUN Newspapers, attest to this.

By far the most dangerous incident in recent times involved the abduction of Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Finance Minister. Chief Falae,a respected elder statesman in our country, was taken away from his farm by criminals said to be Fulani cattle herdsmen. They

Chief Olu Falae’s kidnap reportedly assaulted him iand demanded a ransom of N100 million for his release.

Incidentally, this happened on his 77th birthday, which fell on 21st September, 2015.

Efforts to secure his release by the Nigerian Police did not yield any positive result until four days later when Falae’s family reportedly paid an undisclosed sum of money as ransom.

The kidnap of Falae left many Nigerians deeply worried because of the political consequences that could have

arisen if anything untoward had happened to him. Being a former presidential candidate of the defunct All People’s Party (APP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and more importantly, a chieftain of Afenifere, the socio-cultural and political umbrella of the Yoruba people, the kidnap by Fulani herdsmen sparked off unwholesome ethnic tension.

In fact, there are still vestiges of such in the media space where leaders in the South West and the North have been exchanging hot words. A meeting of the Afenifere group has even called for the

cessation of nomadic cattle-rearing activities by the Fulahis in the South West , and threatened to resort to “self-help” if the Federal Government did nothing to halt the rampage of the herdsmen.

We join millions of Nigerians in expressing gratitude to God for the safe return of Chief Falae, a gentleman and true nationalist whose fatherly contributions at the National Conference called by former President Goodluck Jonathan helped in resolving many knotty national issues and bringing the Conference to a successful outcome.

We call on security agencies to quickly bring the culprits to book and halt the nefarious activities of these herdsmen who have been killing, raping, robbing and pillaging innocent citizens in communities all over Nigeria.

Unless this is done, the unity of this country could be seriously undermined.

OPINION 8th Senate: Death knell for APC?

By Godwin Etakibuebu

T

HE All Progressive Congress [APC] anchored its victory at the April, 2015, general election on its political campaign slogan of change. And that change-slogan itself was prominently played up for recognition on the personality profile of Muhammadu Buhari; more for his stand for “killing corruption before it kills Nigeria” than his ridiculous “understanding of economic policies".

For example, nobody of any economic knowledge ever took Buhari serious when he said that he would, if elected as President, bring the Naira at par with the American dollar. Neither did anyone take him serious in his ridiculous assertion that he; a Nigerian President, would normalise and rescue the volatile world oil crises from its full-free-fall in price. We knew better that only an incurable none-starter economic novice could make such statement. Yet, APC won the day because Nigerians believed totally that Buhari [the only selling point of the APC then and even now} has the potential of “”killing” corruption. All of us concluded then, in the words of the late Chief Bola Ige that “let us sit down and look”.

The inauguration of the National Assembly became the testing ground, mostly from the Senate point of view. The election of the Upper Chamber’s leadership in the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria came with much of magical

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“abracadabra”. Behold Senator Bukola Saraki; a former two time governor of Kwara State won the presidency of the Senate, thereby becoming the number three man in Nigeria in order of political hierarchy, to the chagrin of APC political gladiators, including the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Muhammadu Buhari, so it looked like. For emerging as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki jettisoned the status quo ante power balancing calculation of the APC – thus opened the flood-gate of the ruling party’s woos. But why would that be so?

The “Jagaban” of Lagos politics; and probably that of South West of Nigeria geopolitical zone, in the person of Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s ego was seriously bruised, if not dealt everlasting blow. He needed to fight back, to stamp his authority on his pet-project by the name of APC; a political party he single-handedly put together by his sweat, finance and even his blood. He knew from the beginning that it was not enough to have his name entrenched in the APC constitution as THE NATIONAL LEADER OF THE APC. Nor was he to be comfortable by producing the vice-presidency of the federal republic only. In addition, he needed to “appoint”

What is happening currently, at the National Assembly, is the consequences of“reaction to actions”

the Senate presidency and the House of Representative Speakership. These permutations were destroyed when Bukola Saraki as against Lawan and Dogara as against Femi Gbajjabiamila emerged the Senate President and House of Representative Speaker respectively.

Most woeful aspect of this battle against the “Jagaban” and his party is the fact that the opposition political party; the People Democratic Party, practically took over the National Assembly’s leadership from the ruling APC party. It became a challenge that called for “blood” pulling of every political leader, more so when “politics is a game of manipulation and permutation”. In addition, the fight in this battle expectedly, if the truth must be told, could not be less than dirty because of one fact that “in the classroom of politics, angels are not students”.

This was the foundation of the battle of survival for APC; which remains the actual victim of the above-explained manoeuvring. The Senate is the senior of the bi-camera National Assembly, while the President of the Senate is appropriately, the Chairman of the National Assembly. In addition, President Buhari, who had earlier indicated that he was not interested in whoever emerged in the place of the National Assembly leadership but willing to respect the independence of the latter’s choice of its election in picking its leaders, also indicated that he would have loved to “work with those supposedly without criminal allegations”. Though, the roleplay of PMB in the emergence of Bukola

Saraki as president of the Senate can only be properly defined by historians and posterity for too many reasons we cannot treat in this exercise, suffice to say that seeds of discord were however properly and adequately sown all over the APC from that event at the National Assembly.

What is happening currently, at the National Assembly, is the consequences of actions or let us call it “reaction to actions”, the end of which nobody can really predict. Is it not interesting to see the EFCC probing Mrs. Toyin Saraki on issues bordering on criminality, Senate [either committee or the whole House] investigating Chairman of EFCC for illegal diversion and or stealing of national funds, Code of Conduct Tribunal docking Bukola Saraki for alleged criminal offenses, Senate probing billion of American dollars spent on electricity, without any result, among governments that span from Obasanjo through Yar’Adua to Jonathan? While in these catastrophic “roforofo fights”, in the words of the late musical icon; Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Mrs. Aisha Buhari is comfortable enough to have Mrs. Toyin Saraki representing her in New York at an international conference, lack of fund is “forcing Senate to abandon” further investigation into electricity matter, Obasanjo paying another “quick visit to Buhari in the Aso Villa” plus another “meeting with Buhari” in New York. All these are pointers that further destruction of Nigeria through the APC shall be accelerated by this 8th Senate.

•Mr. Etakibuebu, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015— —19

Appraising the change

By Sunny Ikhioya

T

HE country belongs to all of us; whether things turn bad or good we are all in it together and, of course everyone will want things to be better except Sheakau, the Boko Haram leader and his agents of death. So when we direct our attention to the loop holes in government, it is directed at stimulating actions and appropriate remedy application rather than the pull down syndrome that partisan Nigerian will attribute to it.

When election is over, governance begins in earnest and everyone's attention must be focussed towards moving the nation forward, it is directed at the present and not the past. If errors were committed in the past, it is the duty of the present government to address them without disrupting the polity.

When you stay fixated for too long with the past, you easily miss the way forward. That is why the present regime must focus more on putting structures and institutions in place rather than individuals. We must not build our country around individuals because when they are gone and another leader who knows not Joseph is installed, things will revert back to their decadent state. That is what the APC government with Muhammadu Buhari as the president owe this nation. We will like to ask ourselves what the

present government will be like without Buhari?

The government is been tailored and run in line with Buhari's whims rather than the established patterns. We will like to ask again, which person will dare to run a democratic elected government for four months without a ministerial cabinet in place except Buhari?

Unfortunately, most state governors have taken a cue for their own selfish reasons. No individual can fight corruption on his own without the support of the constitutionally established institutions and these institutions cannot perform to their potentials or meet their goals, if their actions are dictated by the sentiments of the leader or the ruling party.

Whatever is bad is bad and the bad and criminal conducts are expressly stated in our constitution, the relevant law enforcement agencies have other working documents still in tune with the constitution, all that is left is the required freedom for these organs to perform their task. With this, they will perform silently, sentiments and be goal focussed. The general populace will see the objectivity in their actions and give them support.

Nuhu Ribadu got the support of the people but not the deserved independence and that accounts for the perceived 'selectiveness' in the prosecution of criminal politicians. The President's body

language is against corruption and the whole nation has been alerted to this fact and people are already getting used to the fact that it is not business as usual. On that score the nation is making progress but such progress could be scuttled if left to the whims of man and politicians, that is what we have witnessed so far. When such situation plays out, the people lose confidence, hence for the constitutionally approved agencies to perform creditably,we must give them the required freedom and independence, the type accorded to Professor Attahiru Jega in INEC. Apart from the anti corruption drive, Buhari must move very quickly in the direction of other key sectors. The study and evaluation period has taken too long. We are not only experiencing this at the federal but the state levels; a lot of the states are yet to get going. Files to be processed are held up as a result of the absence of key

A good government must create an enabling environment for industrial growth and maximum capacity utilisation

Buhari’s masterstroke on Burkina Faso

By Chukwudi Enekwechi

O

NCE again Nigeria is reasserting its leadership position in the West African sub region. Most students of international relations will recall that Africa remained the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy, and the West African sub region was Nigeria’s sphere of influence and control. In the days of yore, we had foreign affairs gurus like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor George Obiozor, General Joe Garba, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Professor Joy Ogwu (currently Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations) and many others who designed and steered our foreign policy in a way that earned us acclaim and respect in the comity of nations.

Of course, President Muhammadu Buhari who has superintended the affairs of this country at different levels is not oblivious of the preeminent height Nigeria attained in the past in her foreign policy, with particular reference to the West African sub region where Nigeria was regarded as the ‘’Big brother’’.

In attestation for the ascribed ‘’big brother’’ role, Nigeria had in the past participated actively in bringing stability and restoring peace to some troubled countries in the African region. We can easily remember Liberia, Sudan, Congo and other regions where Nigeria participated in peace keeping operations.

Indeed, Nigeria went beyond African borders in terms of engaging in peace keeping operations, as the international community found her as willing partner in restoring peace to troubled regions of the world.

It is in line with this status that President Muhammadu Buhari recently took the responsibility to host the Extraordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments to deliberate on reinstating President Michael Kifando of Burkina Faso who was recently ousted from power by C M Y K

the country’s presidential guards.

At the summit held in Nigeria’s seat of power, Abuja on September 18th 2015, an ECOWAS mediation team led by President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, along with other members was set up.

Their mandate was to ensure the immediate restoration of the deposed president and to visit Ouagadogou, Barkin – Faso’s capital and convey the resolutions of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments to the coup leaders and the entire leadership of the country.

Nigeria was of course represented in the mediation team by Vice president Yemi Osinbanjo who stood in for President Buhari.

From the foregoing, it is discernible that President Buhari intends to lead from the front in re-establishing Nigeria’s influence in the West African sub – region, and in the global arena. By initiating and hosting this all important summit, President Buhari has sent a clear signal that the era of coup de tats in our sub region was over.

He has also demonstrated that there will be no compromise as far as adherence to democratic governance and rule of law is concerned in the West African sub region.

By taking the bull by the horn, President Buhari has once more reawakened our consciousness and indeed that of other West African countries that Nigeria’s leadership position in the sub

In the months and years ahead, we shall begin to witness a new foreign policy direction as there will be a departure from the docile posture of Nigeria to a proactive, assertive and respected leadership role by Nigeria

ministers and commissioners that are constitutionally empowered to sign such documents. Look at the confusion arising from the Saraki case because of the absence of an Attorney General, look at the embarrassment of Nigeria's absence from a UN meeting that was to address key security issues relating to terrorism, all of these gaffes could have been avoided.

Some have said that the delay is good for Nigeria and that Buhari is saving money for the nation but this is not a generally held view, like this piece below, now trending on the internet seem to suggest; "The State of The Economy Under Buhari In numbers:1. Zenith bank sacked 1, 200 staff 2. Access bank sacked 800 staff 3. Skye Bank sacked 400 staff 4. Unity Bank sacked 320 staff 5. Construction industry sacked 60, 000 workers 6. La Casera weeded out 1, 300 workers 7. Nigeria Stock market has lost over N3 trillion in the last 3 months 8. Foreign investors have withdrawn over N400 billion from the stock market.9. Unemployment rises by over 60% in the last three months 10. JP Morgan delisted Nigeria with over N310 billion lost in 24 hours 11. GDP dropped from 6.1% projected in 2015 to 4.5% 12. Ethiopia and Kenya overtook Nigeria as Africa's number one and two for FDI, within the last three months.13.

Naira is on a free fall. It exchanges N222, N350 and N256 against the Dollar, Pounds and Euro respectively.14. Companies are closing down, others are downsizing.15. Inflation rate has

region is not in doubt. His gusto in embracing challenges facing the sub region, whether in the area of insurgency, coup de tats, integration and economy demonstrates his knowledge of the terrain, whereas there has been a lacuna in the past, in terms of leadership in the ECOWAS sub region.

With Nigeria in the lead, and ECOWAS by extension in stamping their feet against the coup de tat in Barkin Faso, a clear message has been sent to potential coup planners that overthrowing civil authorities or democratically – elected governments is no longer acceptable or fashionable in the sub region. Such adventurism has retarded our progress as a people, and made Africa a laughing stock across the globe.

The point can be made repeatedly that democracy is a representative government, and along the benefits inherent therein include respect for the inalienable rights of citizens, rapid economic and infrastructural development, rule of law and integration into the global economic and political system. Usually, countries where the military usurp power are isolated globally, and this has negative consequence. Needless to state here that absence of civilian rule retards development any given clime.

President Buhari has continuously reaffirmed his commitment that peace reigned in the West African sub region.

Within one hundred days of his inauguration as President, he has visited the following countries – Benin Republic, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Ghana.

During such visits, he engaged the leaders on various issues bothering on security, economy, integration, but with special focus on curbing the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists.

To a large extent, his entreaties have yielded desired results as we now have all the Lake Chad Basin countries keying into his initiatives, while other members of the ECOWAS sub region and indeed African countries resort to Nigeria in finding solution to some of their intractable problems.

In a world order where national interests

hit double-digits of 10.1% for the first time.16. Boko Haram has killed about 2000 Nigerians in the last 100 days under Buhari's watch.17.

About 60,000 construction workers have lost their jobs in the last four months, so says the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers.

The union’s President, Comrade Amaechi Asugwuni, blamed the development on the country’s economic downturn. “The economy is slowing and promised infrastructure reforms are taking too long to implement.

Over 60,000 of our members have lost their jobs as a result of infrastructural deficit.”

Unemployment is clearly on the rise. Just look around you.

Jobless people are everywhere and in virtually every home. An army of jobless youth is a time bomb that may consume this country if the government fails to act appropriately.

Governance is not just about making noise and about fighting corruption. A good government must create an enabling environment for industrial growth and maximum capacity utilisation. This will create jobs.

A government must come out with policies and provide infrastructure to encourage commercial agriculture. This is another avenue for job creation."

So, you be the judge.

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

determine the direction of every country’s foreign policy, regional powers like Nigeria play leadership roles as a way of guaranteeing peace and economic prosperity of their citizens. Unfortunately, ECOWAS countries took the back seat in the recent past, but with the emergence of President Buhari with a pedigree of forthrightness, patriotism and nationalism, ECOWAS will definitely witness a new dawn.

The mere fact that the military junta heeded the voice of reason and withdrew from the presidential palace is an indication that ECOWAS is wielding a potent power and no longer a toothless bulldog. Not only that they make laws and pass resolutions, ECOWAS retains the power and ability to enforce its resolutions.

The restoration of Burkina Faso’s interim administration under President Michael Kifando has tremendously restored confidence in the ability of sub regional bodies like ECOWAS to solve their problems locally. Again the threat by Burkina Faso’s regular army to continue to occupy the capital Quagadougu, and even forcefully remove the presidential guards (RSP) contributed greatly in dissuading the coupist from proceeding with their sinister motive.

It is also curious that the loyalists of former President Blaise Compaore who spent twenty seven years in office until 2014 when he abdicated power after a popular uprising, spearheaded the failed coup.

Its worthy of note that Compaore and the beneficiary of the latest attempt, who was head of his Presidential guard, General Gilbert Diendere were the same people that treacherously ousted Thomas Sankara in a bloody coup de tat in 1987.

In the months and years ahead, we shall begin to witness a new foreign policy direction as there will be a departure from the docile posture of Nigeria to a proactive, assertive and respected leadership role

by Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari in the West African sub region and globally.

•Mr. Enekwechi, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

20—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 They came sequel to the running battles the chief has had with Fulani herdsmen for two or three years. Every now and then, they destroyed the crops on his farm in the course of their grazing. He always picked issues with them but they told him at a moment of impunity that he should fence the portion where he had crops on his land so their cattle could graze freely on the remainder.

Two months ago,the cattle ate

Fulani herdsmen scars on Falae M

Y teacher and fellow delegate to the 2014 National Conference, Prof.

Godini Darah, ruffled not a few Fulani feathers when he stood up during the debate on cattle grazing to speak against the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen against their host communities. He said apart from destroying farmlands, they were also in the habit of robbing people of their possessions and raping innocent women.

All manners of verbal daggers flew in GG's direction as the real owners of the cattle who were in the conference rose in defence of their legmen and the session was to end in confusion until the chairman asked him to withdraw the statement.

The day after this incident,Thisday Newspaper of May 22,2014 had a screaming headline "Nine Fulani Herdsmen Rape Three Women In Benue". The story read in part: "Nine Fulani herdsmen yesterday went beyond the frequent attacks on hapless communities when they were alleged to have gang-raped three women, including a teenage girl, in Tse Kyuer, Yandev, Mbagwen in Guma Local Government Area of Benue state.

service and as such should be responsible for building their ranches. The issue was put in bracket until some civil society people under Mr. Femi Falana brought a motion to say that the ranches should be built by state governments where they are disposed to such.

Rights of cow to movement: It was amazing to see our compatriots of Fulani extraction defending the right of cows to free movement as if they were citizens and not animals. If they showed the same feeling for Almajiris

Sexual demands The women whose ages range between 18 and 20 years were attending to house chores in their remote settlement when the herdsmen attacked them with machetes and guns and coerced the ladies into submitting to their sexual demands.

Two of the women(names withheld ) while narrating their ordeal wept profusely before the Benue State Governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswan who ordered a full investigation into the matter."

Ranches for nomadic cattle rearers: The conference had stormy sessions on the matter as delegates of Fulani stock insisted that if nomadic cattle rearing was to be stopped for ranching, state governments all over Nigeria must build ranches. Delegates from areas at receiving ends disagreed on the premise that the cattle rearers are doing private business and not a social

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when their issue came up for discussion, the conference would have abolished that social malady in a jiffy.

Sixteen months after the cows bill of rights overshadowed that of humans, Chief Olu Falae,Yale graduate, ex-Bank managing director,the traditional ruler of Ilu Abo, former finance minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the unofficial winner of 1999 presidential elections who led the Yoruba delegation to the 2014 National Conference went to his farm on the day he turned 77. If he was one of those who had exclusive rights to Nigerian oil wells for holding the type of positions he has held,his birthday would not be a day to spend on a plantation. He would have been rollicking in an exotic spot in some wonderful Island.

Falae's running battles with 'hunters'

As I looked at the deep cut on Chief Falae's arm, it occurred to me that the vandals who abducted him were practically living out what their elite demonstrated to us at the conference that they value the lives of cows more than humans

He had hardly settled down when he saw six Fulani men with three of them wielding AK 47 walking towards him.

"I thought they were hunters who missed their way and asked them what they were looking for. Before I knew what was happening they grabbed me and inflicted machete cuts on me in three places. They took me on a fifteen hours of trekking in the forest non-stop".

Of course, the Fulani miscreants who stormed his farm were "hunters", only that their game was not some rodents but Chief Olu Falae.

up two hectares of his maize plantation. That was an enough-is-more-than-enough moment.

Chief Falae took audio and video evidence to the police and the Fulani herdsmen were invited. At the end of it all, the herdsmen were asked to compensate him for the loss.

They came pleading that they could only afford half of what they agreed to pay and the good natured man accepted.

He thought that was the end, probably because he did not read Mallam Aliyu Gwarzo who wrote in October 2014: "Many say we are behind Boko Haram. My answer is what do you expect? We do not have economic power or intellectual power. All we have is political power and they want to take even that from us.

We must fight and we will fight back in order to keep it.

They have brought in the infidels from America and the pigs from Israel to help them but they will fail. The war has just begun, the Mujahadeen are more than ready and by Allah we shall win.

If they don’t want an ISIS in Nigeria then they must give us back the Presidency and our political power. Their soldiers are killing our warriors and our people every day but mark this: even if it takes one hundred years we will have OUR REVENGE." Four days of hell: Chief Falae saw hell in the four days he had to sleep on the ground with leaves as his cover cloth.

He had only a bottle of coke each day with excruciating pain from the machete cuts on his body. "I did not know

where I got the strength to survive in all the time I was with them. It was only when I returned home that the pains hit me," he said as a delegation from Afenifere visited him in his Akure home on Tuesday.

The strength of course came from God above who loves Nigeria and would not allow the chief to die in the hands of scoundrels which would have caused an eclipse.

There was also the inner strength from nobility. An illustrious Yoruba elder like Chief Falae was waylaid by some criminals on the LagosIbadan expressway years back and dispossessed of all the material valuables on him.

They thereafter asked him to prostrate and because they could not rob him of his dignity he looked them in the faces and asked " Kemi dobale fun eyin? Ibon lowa lowo yin yen e yin! (I should prostrate for you. Are you not carrying guns? Shoot now).

As I looked at the deep cut on Chief Falae's arm, it occurred to me that the vandals who abducted him were practically living out what their elite demonstrated to us at the conference that they value the lives of cows more than humans.

That the elder statesman would carry scars on his body for the rest of his days because he insisted Fulani cows cannot eat maize Fulani herdsmen did not plant is an open wound on the soul of Nigeria that would not heal until justice is served.

Cows more valuable than humans The nightmares of Falae which were the climax of Fulani herdsmen afflictions of numerous victims of their rampaging over the years and the fact that ransom had to be taken to somewhere in the North are annoying enough.

To cap that with bodily wounds on a septuagenarian is like a message that those who oppose the right of cows to eat up their sweat would pay with their blood the way Ken SaroWiwa's blood was used to flush the pipes.

Those who abducted and cut Chief Falae like 'nanma' have just put a knife to something that would be difficult to join together again except Nigeria pays reparation by recognising the autonomous right of the constituent units of Nigeria to live their civilisations. When a community is under affliction in our traditional way, a man is sent to carry the calabash of sacrifice to meet the gods in the forest or rivers. He is called Arugba in Yoruba and may return or perish in the expedition.

That is the kind of assignment Chief Falae just returned from and the herdsmen would wish this never happened as I sense strongly they just put an end to their reign of terror on the Yoruba space.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

— 21

West Africa loses $2bn annually to maritime priracy

By Godwin Oritse, with agency report

W

COMMISSIONING: From left, Director, Human Resource Department, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr Aminu Ahmed; NDIC’s Executive Director (Corporate Services), Hon (Mrs) Omolola Abiola-Edewor and Principal, Unity High School (Junior), Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mrs Bola Aina during the official commissioning of the Corporation’s sponsored rehabilitation project at Unity High School (Junior), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Africa’s economic growth will slow to 3.7% in 2015 — World Bank T

By Babajide Komolafe

HE World Bank yesterday said that the growth of economic activities in Africa will drop to 3.7 percent this year from 4.6 percent in 2014 due to a more challenging economic environment.

Recall that the growth of economic activities in Nigeria as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) declined to 2.35 percent in second quarter of 2015 from 3.96 percent in the first quarter.

The World Bank’s projection was contained in its Africa’s Pulse, the twice-yearly analysis of economic trends and the latest data on the continent. The 2015 forecast remains below the robust 6.5 percent growth in GDP which the region sustained in 2003-2008, and drags below the 4.5 per-

127.25 $3,087.00

2.95 -8.00

$13.53

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

0.00

48.81

0.68

46.06

0.52

BUYING 195.95 297.0602 218.6018 200.1532 1.6287 0.3141 273.7638 30.8273 52.2464 274.5064 29.2974

cent growth following the global financial crisis in 2009-2014. Overall, growth in the region is projected to pick up to 4.4 percent in 2016, and further strengthen to 4.8 percent in 2017.

Sharp drops in the price of oil and other commodities have brought on the recent weakness in growth. Other external factors such as China’s economic slowdown and tightening global financial conditions weigh on Africa’s economic performance, according to Africa’s Pulse. Compounding these factors, bottlenecks in supplying electricity in many African countries hampered economic growth in 2015.

“The end of the commodity super-cycle poses an opportunity for African countries to reinvigorate their reform efforts and thereby transform their economies and diversify sources of growth. Implementing the right policies to boost agricultural productivity, and reduce electricity costs while expanding access, will improve competitiveness and support the growth of light manufacturing,” says Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa.

According to Africa’s Pulse, several countries are continuing to post robust growth. Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia,

CENTRAL 196.45 297.8182 219.1596 200.6639 1.6329 0.3241 274.4623 30.9064 52.3797 275.2068 29.3722

197.95 298.5762 219.7174 201.1747 1.637 0.3341 275.1609 30.9855 52.513 275.9073 29.4469

CBN Exchange Rate as at 05/10 /15

Sharp drops in the price of oil and other commodities have brought on the recent weakness in growth

Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania are expected to sustain growth at around 7 percent or more per year in 2015-17, spurred by investments in energy and transport, consumer spending and investment in the natural resources sector.

Africa’s Pulse found that progress in reducing income poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa has been occurring faster than previously thought. According to World Bank estimates poverty in Africa declined from 56 percent in 1990 to 43 percent in 2012.

Maternal mortality At the same time, Africa’s population saw progress in all dimensions of wellbeing, particularly in health (maternal mortality, under-5 mortality) and primary school enrollment, where the gender gap shrank.

Yet African countries continue to face a stubbornly high birth rate, which has limited the impact of the past two decades of sustained economic growth on reducing the overall number of poor. Countries still lag behind those in other regions in making progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). For example, Africa will not meet the MDG of halving the share of population living in poverty between 1990 and 2015.

Africa’s Pulse found that progress in reducing income poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa has been occurring faster than previously thought. According to World Bank estimates poverty in Africa declined from 56 percent in 1990 to 43 percent in 2012. At the same time, Africa’s population saw progress in all dimensions of wellbeing, particularly in health (maternal mortality, under-5 mortality) and primary school enrollment, where the gender gap shrank.

EST African countries lose $2 billion annually to maritime piracy and armed robery.

This was disclosed by the Ghanaian Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro in Accra while presenting a lecture titled, “The Spate of Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea and its impact on the Maritime Industry: The Role of Maritime Educational Institutions”. The lecture was part of the maiden Regional Maritime University alumni homecoming and fundraising event.

Biekro noted that maritime piracy and armed robbery on the African continent mainly took place along the Gulf of Guinea and the Indian Ocean, adding that the prospects of the oil and gas industry was threatened by the activities of maritime pirates and armed robbers at sea and efforts are required to combat the menace.

Biekro said the impact of maritime piracy had direct bearing on economic development of any country and great attention is needed to ensure maritime security around the countries’ territorial waters.

Territorial waters The Chief of Naval Staff said there were efforts by both global and regional bodies to combat maritime piracy, which has resulted in cooperation to provide solutions in that direction.

He said the international maritime organisation was also helping countries with technical support to address some of the challenges associated with maritime piracy.

On the efforts of Ghana towards maritime security, Rear Admiral Biekro said the country has established the marine police unit and has also boosted the fleet of ships for the Navy to improve monitoring of the country’s territorial waters. “The Ghana Navy will continue to seek measures to monitor and address maritime piracy along the West Africa sub-region,” he added.

He said operational collaborations have improved over the years to combat the activities of pirates and armed robbers on the seas. He, therefore, called on maritime institutions to hold workshops on maritime security in the area of law enforcement. He said these institutions needed to collaborate with research agencies to find solutions to the menace in the areas of research.

The event featured the story of Mr Jewel Ahiable, an Electrical Engineer, who was a victim of maritime piracy. He narated how he and his crew members were captured for 1000 days (Two years, nine months), adding that when the ship was captured by the Somali pirates; they demanded a ransom of 10 million dollars for which the ship owners refused to pay.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Some of these operators will attempt to continue in business, even when they know that, they are doing so illegally

INVESTOR' ,

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TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

Is your stock broker st

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

H

ONEYWELL Flour Mills Plc, Vono Products Plc, University Press Plc, e-Transact International Plc, Forte Oil Plc and Vitafoam Nigeria Plc enjoyed investors’ patronage last week to emerge top on the list of top performing stocks.

Others that made the list include UAC of Nigeria Plc, Berger Paints Nigeria Plc, Eterna Plc and UACN Property Development Co. Plc. H o n e y w e l l Flour Mills Plc led the rest with 26.09 per cent or N0.60 price increase, closing at N2.90 from N2.30 despite its declining financial. The c o m p a n y recorded 66 per cent decrease in profit before tax as the figure fell to N1.4 billion from N4.2 billion in the previous year. Also, its profit after tax fell to N1.1 billion compared to N3.4 billion achieved a year earlier, representing 67.6 per cent decline. Its revenue for the period dropped to N49 billion, showing 11 per cent decline relative to N55 billion achieved in 2014. The poor financial performance, according to the company, is occasioned by the falling Naira, perennial chaotic traffic and debilitating condition of the roads leading in and out of Apapa.

“Added to these, is a rise in dollar denominated input costs. Costs of wheat and spare parts have been rising because of the falling Naira to foreign exchange rates.

These challenges coupled with weakening macro-economics of the country, means it takes much longer to factor such cost increments into product prices,” the Managing Director, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, said.

Vono Products Plc followed with 16.47 per cent or N0.14 appreciation, closing at N0.99 from N0.85 per share as investors continue to scramble for shares of the company over its proposed merger with Vitafioam Nigeria Plc. “Investors are going after Vono Products because of the proposed merger between the company and Vitafoam Nigeria.

The trend you saw early was due to early movers from investors that believed the valuation then stands in favour of Vono Products and now, it’s becoming more of public knowledge and investors are holding on to see final details,” Sewa Wusu, investment advisor

and head of research at Sterling Capital Markets Limited, had said when the news of the proposed business combination broke about four months ago. The business combination, which both companies explained is more of information sharing, developing new ideas and pooling resources together, will help Vono regain its footing in the bedding and furniture industry. Vitafoam holds about 47.5 per cent equity in Vono Products. Available financial report of the company for the second quarter ended March 31, 2015, showed 12.1 percent decline in revenue to N387.99 million from N441.59 million the previous year. It posted loss after tax of N20.25 million, up from N4.62 achieved in the same period in 2014.

University Press Plc closed as the third most priced stock for the week, rising by 10.19 per cent or N0.53 to close at N5.73 from N5.20 a year earlier. The company recorded a not-tooimpressive outing for financial year ending March 31, 2015. Its revenue was down 29 per cent to N1.73 billion from N2.44 billion during the same period in 2014. Gross profit for the period was also down 17.11 per cent to N966.59 million from N1.17 billion in 2014, while profit after taxation and other operating (marketing, distribution & administrative) expenses was down 42 per cent to N136.39 million from N233.93 million.

University Press is the oldest Nigerian publisher and a leader in educational textbooks and general interest books. Its core competence is however in primary and secondary textbooks- where it derived over 90 per cent of its 2015 revenues and profits. e-Transact’s shares rose by 9.09 per cent or N0.25 to close at N3.00 from N2.75. The company recorded 107.1 per cent increase in profit before tax to N280.22 million compared to N135.31 million posted in the same quarter in 2014. Its profit after tax grew by 91 per cent to N168.13 million in its first quarter ending March 31, 2015, as against N88.01 million in the previous quarter. The company’s revenue at N2.08 billion was 29.3 per cent increase over N1.61 billion recorded in 2014.

By Babajide Komolafe

L

AST week Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that 437 capital market operators have met its new minimum capital requirement.

The minimum requirement is the amount of money the operators are mandated to have in order to maintain their license to operate either has a stock broker, fund manager, or issuing house.

The new the new minimum capital was announced December 2013, with a deadline of December 2014 for operators to comply. But after much pleading, SEC extended the deadline to September 30th, which Wednesday last week.

in business, even when they know that, they are doing so illegally. For this purpose, they would hope that their customers are ignorant of the developments in the capital market, and especially of their new status as illegal operators.

That is why you need to answer the above question. You need to be sure that your stockbroker is among those that met the new minimum requirement for stockbrokers. Otherwise you may

be ignorantly dealing with an illegal stockbroker.

It is for this reason that SEC on Thursday advised investors to visit its website to confirm the status of any company they are dealing with in the capital market. The list is available via www.sec.gov.ng/provisional -list-of-capital-operators.html If your stockbroker did not meet the new requirement, and as a result has become an illegal

Immediate implication The immediate implication of the list published by SEC on Monday is the operators that did not meet the new requirement no longer have government approval or license to operate the business again in the capital market. If they continue to do so, they are operating illegally.

The reality is that some of these operators will attempt to continue

From right: Managing Director, Spectranet 4G LTE, David Venn congratulating winner of the Independence Golf Tournament, Tokunbo Farinu, and Captain, Ikeja Golf Club, Air Commodore Tokunbo Ajomale (retd) at the Ikeja Golf Club Tournament sponsored by Spectranet to commemorate Nigeria’s 55th Independence in Lagos

MARKET NEWS

By Nkiruka Nnorom

F

OLLOWING the recent announcement by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the level of compliance by Capital Market Operators (CMOs) to the new minimum capital requirement, the Market-wide Implementation Committee has called on the investing public to verify the compliance status of their preferred CMO before patronising them.

This is even as the Commission disclosed that as at close of business on September 30, 437 operators had met the requirement as posted on the Commission’s website while there were four merger applications awaiting apex regulator and court’s approvals.

The Commission stated that the list of the 437 qualified firms are provisional lists based on the submissions by CMOs, who are eligible to undertake capital market activities, adding that it would engage accounting firms to conduct capital verification before a final list would be made public.

A statement signed by the Committee’s secretary and

Capital base requirement: SEC urges investors to verify compliance of operators posted on SEC website, listed some guidelines that should be adhered to by investors, target firms and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), where an investor wishes to move his stock account from an undercapitalised broker/dealer to a well capitalised broker/dealer or broker.

Capital requirement According to the statement, where the broker/dealer has not met the new minimum capital requirement, the investor should approach a capitalised broker/ dealer or broker for engagement and should undergo a Know Your Customer (KYC) process with the new firm.

The statement further said that “The broker/dealer or broker should open a CSCS account for the investor using the investor’s existing Clearing House Number (CHN) from his former brokerage

firm, The investor should give a mandate to the target firm to transfer his/her account from the under-capitalised firm to the Target firm (capitalised firm), and the investor should submit evidence of purchase of the shares such as contract notes, receipts of purchase, dividend stubs or confirmation of holdings from the registrar’s office, signed by the managing director of the registrar firm to the target firm.”

The investor should give a mandate to the target firm to transfer his/her account from the under-capitalised firm to the Target firm

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 23

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'S FORUM

till licensed? operator, all you need to do is to transfer your stcokbroking accounts to one of the stockbrokers that met the new requirement. To this end, SEC also provided a guide on how you can transfer your stockbroking account (or shares) from one stockbroker to another one.

The Commission stated, “The following guidelines should be adhered to by investors, target firms and the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) where an investor wishes to move his stock account from an under-capitalised Broker/ Dealer to a Broker/Dealer or Broker that has complied with the minimum capital requirement (capitalised firm):

Where the Broker/Dealer has not met the new minimum capital requirement, the investor should approach a capitalised Broker/Dealer or Broker for engagement; The investor should undergo a Know Your Customer (KYC) process with the new firm The Broker/Dealer or Broker should open a CSCS account for the investor using the investor’s existing Clearing House Number (CHN) from his former Brokerage Firm;The Broker/Dealer or Broker should open a CSCS account for the investor using the investor’s existing Clearing House Number (CHN) from his former Brokerage Firm;

The investor should give a mandate to the target firm to transfer his/her account from the under-capitalised firm to the Target firm (capitalised firm);The investor should give a mandate to the target firm to transfer his/her account from the undercapitalised firm to the Target firm (capitalised firm); The investor should submit evidence of purchase of the shares such as contract notes, receipts of purchase, dividend stubs or confirmation of holdings from the Registrar ’s office, signed by the Managing Director of the Registrar firm to the target firm;The investor should submit evidence of purchase of the shares such as contract notes, receipts of purchase, dividend stubs or confirmation of holdings from the Registrar’s office, signed by the Managing Director of the Registrar firm to the target firm; The Target firm (capitalised firm) should initiate inter-member transfer request;The Target firm (capitalised firm) should initiate inter-member transfer request; The Managing Director of the Target firm (capitalised firm) shall go to the CSCS to sign off the indemnity form; The CSCS shall process the request and notify the Broker/Dealer or Broker through the CSCS website. ”The Managing Director of the Target firm (capitalised firm) shall go to the CSCS to sign off the indemnity form; The CSCS shall process the request and notify the Broker/Dealer or Broker through the CSCS website.

Other aspects of the guidelines provide that “The Target firm (capitalised firm) should initiate inter-member transfer request, the managing director of the Target firm (capitalised firm) shall go to the CSCS to sign off the indemnity form and the CSCS shall process the request and notify the broker/dealer or broker through the CSCS

website.”

It would be recall that the board of the SEC had on December 18, 2013, announced new minimum capital requirements for all categories of market operators in pursuant to Section 313(6) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007.

Capital requirement

Stanbic IBTC to host customers, business community to 2nd Business Leadership Series

T

HE stage is set for the second edition of the Stanbic IBTC Business Leadership Series, an annual forum designed to help create deeper connections and build a new cadre of leadership among people and businesses in Nigeria. The event with the theme, '''Digitizing Your Business for Sustainability'' is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015.

Speaking in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola DavidBorha, said this year's theme builds from insights from the maiden edition, which had the theme, 'Leadership in the Digital and ECommerce Age.' As Nigeria attempts to diversify its economy, especially by stimulating the growth of the small and medium enterprises sector, Mrs. Sola David-Borha said there is every need to highlight the role of digital technology in economic development. Diversification of the economy has become imperative given the

volatile commodities market among other reasons.

With internationally acclaimed rocket scientist, motivational speaker and innovator, Siyabulela Xusa, and CEO and Founder of Interswitch Limited, Mr. Mitchel Elegbe, headlining the event, participants and the Nigerian business community will be availed strategic insights into today's global digital economy and how to harness it for development of the Nigerian economy.

Strategic indicators into opportunities from which SME operators, budding entrepreneurs and the Nigerian business community can gain valuable knowledge on how to successfully navigate today's business landscape will be examined. The forum will also provide a platform for key thought leaders to discuss current economic issues.

The point is that this company left the country some seven years ago, so why are they still listed.

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CBN policy: Massive job cuts looms in manufacturing sector

…Over 40, 000 Nigerians to lose jobs

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HE federal government's drive to create jobs for millions of unemployed Nigerians may suffer a huge set back following the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) recent directive excluding some essential raw materials from the list of items valid for forex in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (forex) markets. According to business analysts, this move will in no time lead to the lay-off of over 40, 000 Nigerians who work in the manufacturing sector.

It will be recalled that the CBN recently excluded some essential raw materials from the list of items valid for forex in the forex markets.

According to the CBN, the policy is intended to sustain the stability of the foreign exchange market, "resuscitate local manufacturing" and change the structure of the economy.

Reacting on the looming danger as a result of the policy, president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alhaji Remi Bello, said most manufacturers might be forced to shut down and move their operations to neighbouring countries for business activities due to their inability to access foreign exchange for raw materials and other critical inputs.

This, he believes, would lead to massive job loss in the manufacturing sector.

"There is pressure on manufacturers to lay off their workforce before the end of the year. Most manufacturers affected have been unable to produce lately due to lack of foreign exchange, delays in the processing of Form 'M' to import raw materials in order to meet demands and this has adversely led to loss of market share. With this continuing, massive job loss is anticipated in no time from now," he said.

For example, the manufacturing sector using Crude Palm oil as raw material in their daily production of goods like biscuits, noodles, cosmetics among others will be affected as the locally produced and supplied raw material cannot meet the required demand for production.

According to IndexMundi, a data portal, the domestic palm oil

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor produced totalled 930,000 MT in 2014, while the consumption of palm oil in Nigeria amounts to 2.0 million MT per annum in exclusion of the manufacturing sector.

The official figures states that the shortage in oil palm industry is estimated to be around 1.07 million MT annually. This poses a very precarious situation for the manufacturing sector that depends largely on CPO as a major source of raw material. If this shortage is not filled with importation of high quality food grade palm oil, the economy will lose further investment in the manufacturing sector as companies would shut down and staff laid-off.

Among the 41 items marked as 'Not Fit for Forex' also include: rice, cement, margarine, meat and processed meat products, vegetables and processed vegetable products, Poultry chicken, eggs, turkey, Private airplanes/jets, Indian incense, Tinned fish in sauce(Geisha)/ sardines, Cold rolled steel sheets, Galvanized steel sheets, Roofing sheets, Wheelbarrows, Head pans, Metal boxes among others.

The resultant effect of this is an outrageous increase in the cost of these items locally for consumers and ultimately inflation, which is largely due to inability to access foreign exchange.

The LCCI president further lamented that, for an economy that is largely driven by the private investors, the government should source for alternative means rather than resulting to a total exclusion of certain items from the foreign exchange market.He however urged the FG to prevail on the CBN to review the policy in the interest of the workforce, the private sector and the economy at large.

There is pressure on manufacturers to lay off their workforce before the end of the year.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015—25

Anger in the house of Jesus of Oyingbo •As children renew war over property

By Esther Onyegbula

M

EMBERS of a new gen eration church located along Emmanuel Street, Maryland, Lagos, got more than they bargained for when some aggrieved children and beneficiaries of the late Pa Olufunmilayo Odumosu aka Jesu of Oyingbo’s vast estate recently disrupted their service.

It was alleged that over 20 children of the late controversial cleric stormed the church known as Harvest Place after repeated efforts to meet with the pastors and elders of the church failed. They reportedly carried out the attack after the church allegedly pulled down structures and erected a new building on one of their properties on lease without authorisation from UBA Capital PLC, the estates administrators.

The Church’s position: A member of the church simply identified as Timothy who spoke on behalf of their pastor, Francis Adebayo, who was said to be busy conducting service, told Vanguard Metro that the action of the aggrieved children is an indication that things are obviously not well.

•A member of the church addressing some of the aggrieved children

Aggrieved children According to him: “That action of the children is a strong message that the family is not united. It means that somebody is doing what they are not supposed to do. Their grievances are well understood. The church is assuring them that any settlement that needs to be made will go through the proper channel to address the issues.”

Family’s response: However, one of the children of the late cleric, Princess Adeyinka Emmanuel, who was visibly angry with the church for illegally erecting structures on their property, had this to say: “Our father died without leaving a will or a trust. On June 18, 2014, Justice Ronke Harrison of the Probate Division of the Ikeja High Court ruled that all 147 children are entitled to share in the vast estate as beneficiaries in equal proportion. The court also granted a consequential order that the properties comprising the estate of Pa Olufunmilayo Odumosu (deceased) be taken over immediately by UBA Capital PLC and they should be assisted in all regards by the Nigeria Police Force to ensure adequate control and administration C M Y K

•The Church

by UBA Capital PLC.” Illegality in the family: “Unfortunately,” according to her, “despite the court ruling, seven children (aka G7) from different mothers out of the 147 children have continued to breach the court ruling as they lease and

sell properties without the knowledge or authorisation of UBA Capital PLC. Their illegality manifested two weeks ago when one of the churches, the Harvest Place, which rented one of the properties, began to pull down structures and erect new ones in

the middle of the night on a reportedly leased property.

“Our father had 147 children.

Unfortunately, he died without leaving a will or a trust. After his death, some of his disciples even contested ownership of some of his properties with us. Luckily, in 1997, we won and the disciples who were residing in our father’s spiritual enclave in Maryland were evicted. Later, three of our eldest brothers who were administrators of the estate were accused of mismanagement. Two of them died while the third went into permanent exile. Based on the absence of administrators, there was further dispute amongst us, the children, with different factions of beneficiaries laying claim to assets where necessary. While some enjoyed tremendous wealth, some lived in penury.

“After more than 20 years, an action was instituted in 2009, by a few of Pa Odumosu’s children led by me at the Probate Registrar of the Ikeja High Court with the Administrator General & Public Trustee, Lagos State, and joining 24 other children as codefendants.

Court verdict: “Going by the suit filed, the purported Letter of Administration was defective as most of the children were excluded while there were allegations of mismanagement of the estate by the executors and other factions of the beneficiaries. On record, there are a total of 147 children fathered by the late Pa Odumosu. As the case dragged, there were negotiations for settlement by counsels and family elders and in the end, they agreed that all the children are entitled to benefit equally and individually from the estate on the basis of ‘Ori O Jori’ (equal rights per child) principle of distribu-

tion.”

Why church was attacked: Princess Adeyinka Odumosu noted that despite the court judgement, seven of the children have continued to lease properties and sell them off without the approval of UBA Capital Plc. “One of such properties is the building occupied by the Harvest Place Church. It was initially rented to them by my late elder brother in 2008. When he died in 2011, the G7 went behind other children without the power of attorney to negotiate the sale of the property for N7 million.

Power of attorney When the other children heard about it, we notified our lawyer and he wrote to the owners of the church to desist from having any transaction with the seven children involved in the shady deal.

But they went ahead and paid them the N7 million which the seven children shared among themselves.

“A fortnight ago in the middle of the night, they started demolishing one of the buildings and erecting a new structure without the knowledge of the family.

When we confronted them, they said they have bought the property from G7. Despite receiving several court injunctions and letters from UBA Capital PLC, the property administrators, the church has continued to do transactions with only seven children, thereby sidelining 140 other children,” she stated.

All attempts to speak with other children of the controversial Jesu of Oyingbo failed as they threatened to deal with the reporter if she published anything about the ongoing tussle.

Boat mishap: Lagos directs operators to keep passengers manifest

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

T

HE Lagos State Govern ment has directed all boat operators to henceforth keep adequate manifest of all passengers on board for easy identification and record purposes in case of any eventuality.

It also advised boat operators to regularly maintain their boats as well as minimise their speed and avoid over loading.

The state government has, meanwhile, sent its condolences to the people of Baiyeku community in Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Government

Development Area, LCDA, of the state over the recent boat mishap involving a commercial ferry boat which capsized, resulting in the death of five passengers out of a total of 20 passengers and two boat operators.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Jafar Sanuth, who led a delegation of top government officials to Baiyeku Community on behalf of the state government, disclosed that the ill-fated boat was coming from Oke Ira Nla near Badore-Ajah and was

heading to Baiyeku when it capsized.

Sanuth, who was visibly shaken by the unfortunate incident, advised residents of the community on the importance of observing safety precautions, especially the use of life jackets while boarding any boat.

He emphasized that water transportation, which is the most common in the area, is safe and cost effective if the community and operators will imbibe and adhere strictly to stipulated safety guidelines and precautions.

Samuth lamented that the identities of the deceased were yet to be known as at press time due to lack of proper recording of passengers, hence the need for manifest of passengers using their services.

In his own remark, the Executive Secretary, IgbogboBaiyeku LCDA, Taiwo Orenuga, commended the state Government for the prompt response and advised Community Development Associations, CDAs, in the area to further educate their members on safety precautions.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6,

2015

Buhari’s war on corruption - real or fake?

By Chinweizu

M

ANY Nigerians are puzzled by President Buhari and wonder what his #Change agenda really is.

Someone has even gone as far as to say that “Most people are feeling conned, and it’s only morning yet.” Luckily, Buhari’s First Hundred Days now belong to history. So historians can begin to examine it for clues to Buhari’s actual mission and agenda as president, and how he will go about implementing it. This essay is my contribution to that effort. It is helpful to divide his actions into two groups: (A) those he embarked on without public pressure and, in some cases, in great haste, as if to accomplish them before Nigerians wake up to what he is up to; and (B) those he embarked on only after public outcry and pressure.

(A) includes his napalming of Akwa Ibom villagers claiming that he was going after what he called “oil thieves”; his sending of Boko Haram detainees to Ekwulobia prison in the Igboland; his claim that those seeking the breakup of Nigeria are crazies; his determination to limit his anti-corruption prosecutions to the Jonathan administration; his directive to make Islamic books mandatory in all secondary schools; his slowness in appointing his cabinet; his war on corruption; his pattern of lopsided appointments. (b) includes his delay in making public his assets declaration.

Corrruption and lootocracy

Nigerians have protested against most of these. To help those who are confused about Buhari’s agenda, this series will X-ray his First Hundred days with the aim of finding clues to his real but hidden agenda.

This, the Part I of this x-ray series, shall examine Buhari’s War on Corruption to see why it won’t work, indeed why it will further entrench corruption and lootocracy; how it is being restricted to implement the Caliphate hidden agenda; and if it is real or fake.

Buhari’s War on Corruption: The question to be answered here is this: Is Buhari’s War on Corruption real or fake?

The first thing to note is that, as we all know, corruption is a worldwide malady. But what most people don’t know is that the Nigerian brand of corruption is peculiar in two ways. First of all, it is primarily lootocracy.

Whereas corruption is the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain—as by a clerk who hides a file until he is bribed; or a policeman who mounts a checkpoint and extorts money from bus drivers; LOOTOCRACY is the C M Y K

Map of Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari constitutionally approved and protected looting of the public treasury by officials. It should be noted that the bribe-taking clerk or policeman is breaking a law, but the governor or president who empties the treasury into his personal bank account in not breaking any law. His constitutional immunity is a license to do so. Secondly, because lootocracy is legal and not prosecutable in Nigeria, it’s example has promoted rampant and brazen corruption throughout the society. This makes lootocracy the fountainhead of corruption.

In his Inaugural address, Buhari listed Corruption among the enormous challenges which he promised to tackle immediately and head on:”At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, . . . are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on.

Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us.”— President Buhari’s inaugural speech http:/ /www.vanguardngr.com/2015/ 05/read-president-buhariinaugural-speech/ And he has also just told us that: ''corruption in our country is so endemic that it constitutes a parallel system. It is the primary reason for poor policy choices, waste and of course bare-faced theft of public resources.”While further clarifying his administration’s commitment to the war against corruption, the President said “our fight against corruption is not just a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land, it is a fight for the soul and

If he refuses to implement the Confab Report, then, like Obasanjo before him, Buhari will merely use the EFCC, ICPC etc. and noisemaking against corruption to harass and persecute his political enemies

substance of our nation.”

Giving an insight into the way corruption destroys the nation, the President told the Second Plenary of the Conference that “it is the main reason why a potentially prosperous country struggles to feed itself and provide jobs for millions.”In the same way, the President posited that “the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the infant, maternal mortality statistics, the hundreds of thousands of annual deaths from preventable diseases are traceable to the greed and corruption of a few.

This is why we must see it as an existential threat, if we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”

—Corruption is cause of poverty in Nigeria –Buhari http:/ /www.premiumtimesng.com/ news/top-news/189983corruption-is-cause-of-povertyin-nigeria-buhari.html Despite all that rhetoric, we must ask: How serious is Buhari’s war on corruption?

What are the chances that it will reduce, let alone kill, corruption?

What is the likelihood that it is just a foxy PR gimmick that will further entrench corruption by leaving its fountainhead, lootocracy, in place?

Corruption mechanism

I must first draw attention to how a war on corruption can paradoxically obscure and protect a corruption system.

How an Anti-corruption campaign can obscure and preserve a corruption mechanism: A Paradox. From his rhetoric thus far, Buhari will noisily hound, prosecute and severely punish hundreds and even thousands of corrupt officials. That is all well and good.

But, unfortunately, that isn’t part of the solution to the plague of corruption. Paradoxically, that is a key and devious part of the ways to preserve the plague, for it camouflages and distracts attention from the looting system itself. It is like when a magician makes a noise in the east to turn the gaze of the audience eastwards while he strikes a silent blow from the west.

Of course, all those caught looting must be punished

severely, routinely and without favouritism. But paradoxically, that punitive approach, if used all by itself, contributes to preserving and proliferating corruption. It hides from public view the fact that there is a mechanism or system that breeds corrupt officials every day, in their hundreds or even thousands, and in fact more than you could hope to catch even if the entire criminal justice system was commandeered for fighting corruption alone.

Breeding mechanism

It also hides from public view the fact that the elimination of that system or mechanism is the key to winning the war on corruption. You can’t win your fight against mosquitoes in your house unless you destroy their breeding ground in your compound. That corruption breeding mechanism must be eliminated if the war on corruption is to have any chance of success at all. If that breeding mechanism is eliminated, the number of corrupt officials to be caught and punished will dramatically reduce and become manageable. But what is that breeding mechanism that must be eliminated? It is the 1999 constitution and any amended version that has certain of its key features.

Dumping the 1999 constitution is the key to winning the war on corruption.Corruption in Nigeria is at the constitutional heart of the Nigerian system. If anybody really means to defeat corruption, he should first get rid of the 1999 constitution which is demonstrably the godfather of corruption, and which has entrenched and institutionalized lootocracy, the fountainhead of corruption.

[Please see Chinweizu, “Nigerians and Their Anti-Corruption Charade.” http://ugowrite.blogspot.com/ 2015/07/nigerians-and-theiranti-corruption.html or Chinweizu, Four Frauds That Are Fatal For The 1999 Constitution http://ugowrite.blogspot.com/ 2015/07/four-frauds-that-arefatal-for-1999.html ] In that “Four Frauds” essay, I examined the 1999 constitution

and showed that: (a) The 1999 Constitution is the Godfather of corruption, through the immunity clause 308. (1), which protects, and thereby implicitly invites, looting by the highest officials who have brazenly set the terrible example that the rest of society have emulated. (b) It is a fraud for the Godfather of corruption to give the impression that it is against corruption, and the fraud is compounded when it empowers the State to fight corruption but then surreptitiously discourages it from doing so. That’s double duplicity/double perfidy! (c) All in all, the 1999 Constitution has been, and remains, a Guarantor of bad governance and the Mother of all evils in Nigeria.Buhari claims that “corruption in our country . . . constitutes a parallel system”; it should be clear from the foregoing that, contrary to Buhari’s claim, corruption is at the constitutional heart of the system. It is indeed the Nigerian system, not a parallel system to it. And so long as we have that constitution, nobody can end lootocracy and the corruption that it spawns.

Confab report

A commitment to get rid of the 1999 constitution is therefore the litmus test of anybody’s seriousness about getting rid of corruption. If he is serious, Buhari can get started by implementing the 2014 Confab report and organizing a truly democratic People’s constitution to replace the 1999 constitution.

But of course he won’t do that!

Why? He won’t because, entrenching the 1999 constitution is the most fundamental task on his Caliphate hidden agenda. And Buhari’s Caliphate constituency is already moving to prevent any implementation of the 2014 Confab Report. [Northern leaders move to block implementation of confab report http:// sunnewsonline.com/new/ northern-leaders-move-to-blockimplementation-of-confabreport/] And some presidency sources have claimed that Buhari will not implement the Confab Report.[Buhari Will Not Implement Confab Report – Source. https://www.naij.com/ 494271-buhari-will-notimplement-confab-reportsource.html] If these sources are proved correct, then it means Buhari is not serious about defeating corruption, his hot rhetoric notwithstanding. We’ll have to wait and see what he does. If he refuses to implement the Confab Report, then, like Obasanjo before him, Buhari will merely use the EFCC, ICPC etc. and noise-making against corruption to harass and persecute his political enemies, including some Caliphate men, to cheering from his delighted and ignorant dupes. He is already using it to avenge himself on those who overthrew him in 1985. He has started with Col. Dasuki, the man who arrested him during the IBB coup.

To be concluded

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 27

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28 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Experts identify impediments to growth of real estate

By Jude Njoku

C

RITICAL challenges bordering on the dearth of housing finance, high interest rate on borrowings, nonavailability of titled land and poor infrastructure were identified as major impediments to the growth of the real estate sector by housing stakeholders who brainstormed at a two-day forum tagged Real Estate Unite 2015, in Lagos last week.

The forum which was put together by 3Invest Limited, a leading Lagos-based real estate brand, brought together major stakeholders in the nation’s built environment sector. No fewer than 25 leading housing experts addressed the forum on the theme, “Connecting the D.O.T.S (Drivers, Opportunities, Transformation and Sustainability).

Setting the tone for the eyeopening brainstorming sessions, the Founder and CEO of 3invest Limited, MS Ruth Obih explained the reasons behind the choice of the theme.”For a long-term viability of the sector, we believe the Drivers are harnessed to create Opportunities, resulting in Transformation that must be hinged on the principles of Sustainability for it to be effective,” she said.

Property market MS Obih who is a lawyer, described Real Estate Unite as Africa’s annual property market which unites real estate professionals from all aspects of the built sector, offering immeasurable potentials in the region’s real estate market, for inclusive growth.

Delivering the keynote address titled “Building the future - our journey so far “ Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Taiwo Adeolu, described affordale housing and urban renewal as well as infrastructure development as the bedrock upon which other programmes spring up and succeed. They are also the drivers of the state’s economic prosperity.

Amosun who explained that his government has created a conducive environment for real estate growth, noted that Ogun state has been transformed into an investment destination and the most industrialized state in the country.

The Managing Director of C M Y K

FORUM:: L-R Mr Hakeem Ogunniran, MD, UPDC PLC; Jumoke Akinwunmi, GM, Ogun State Housing Corporation; Mr Stephen Adewolu,Mr. Taiwo Adeolu, SSG, Ogun State; Ms Ruth Obih, CEO, 3invest Limited and Mr Kunle Omotola, Principal partner, Kunle Omotola & Co., at the Real Estate Unite forum in Lagos.

UACN Development and Property Company, UPDC PLC, Mr Hakeem Ogunniran identified the developer, financier, and off-takers as critical drivers of real estate development.

“We must look at the developer because the developer takes all the risks. Without the developer, nothing gets done. You must also look at the financier because the financier takes the financial risks and unless you put on the table a proposition that makes sense to the financier, you don’t get their support and money to finance the projects.

You must also look at the offtakers because whatever you do as a developer or a financier, if there is no off-taker, (whether you are doing residential, commercial or retail ), the off-takers are very critical. Once these guys make the decision to participate actively in the real estate sector, what you find is exponential growth,” he said. Ogunniran buttressed his argument withthe lull in the Abuja

We must look at the developer because the developer takes all the risks; without the developer, nothing gets done

property market about two years ago. According to him, the critical stakeholders took a decision to adopt a holding strategy on the Abuja real estate market hence the lull in property investments there.”Now, we are beginning to see some movements in that market, “ he said.

The UPDC boss further identified factors that these stakeholders consider before making their investment

decisions. “Number one is land availability. When we talk about land availability, people tend to say there is land everywhere but we are talking about availability of good titled land because as a developer, I will not take the risk if the title is not reasonably good, the financier will not put money if the title is not good, ditto the off-takers because we are operating in an environment where good titled land is a rare

commodity,” he said, adding that infrastructure also drives the decisions made by these stakeholders.

Speaking specifically on what UPDC did, Ogunniran said the company in 2010, raised N50billion from bonds.

“When we floated our bond in 2010, not many people had come into the market at that time.Everybody was scared of the debt market but that was when we chose to come to the market and we floated a N50 billion bond which was 100 percent oversubcribed as at that time. By the way, we have fully repaid it as at August this year. That enabled us to fast track our developments and fulfill our short-term obligations as well as kick start some major projects,”he said.

Apart from this, the company in 2012, became the first to float a Real Estate Investment Trust, REIT which has helped it to unlock value on its assets.

In her submission, the Managing Director of FSDH Asset Management Limited, Mrs Mayowa Ogunwemimo identified the availability of longterm finance as another major driver of real estate investments.

“Apart from UPDC which raised a 50 billion naira bond five years ago, many developers go into this long-term investment using bank finance that are more of shortterm in nature with very high interest rate that we have. With the very high interest regime of 19, 20 percent, it makes nonsense of any real estate development because it significantly increases the cost of the developer which is then passed on to the end users,” she explained.

Lagos govt to revamp Brown Street, assures on completion of Ago Palace Way

By Kingsley Adegboye

T

HE reconstruction of Brown Street, Oshodi, in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area in Lagos metropolis, which has been in a state of disrepair for some time now, will soon commence, as opening of bid for the road project took place at the weekend.

Seven construction firms were said to have responded to the advertisement calling for bids for the project. They include Wetland Construction Nig. Ltd, RCF Nig. Ltd, Jallis Construction Coy Ltd, LUBRICK Construction Ltd, Strabic Construction Ltd and Consultek Resources Nig. Ltd. Speaking at the bid opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary,Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Caster Ajibade Bade-Adebowale, an engineer, said the process is the transparent procedure introduced as part of the public procurement law adopted by the state government.

According to Bade-Adebowale, the road project is one of the strategic roads identified by the state government for construction and it has been visited by the Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode in August 2015.

The road is a rigid concrete road covering 690 metres. It has adequate provision for

drains, culverts, outfall drains, service ducts and street lighting. The project, when awarded envisages a completion period of 12 months.

It is also the second rigid pavement road to be undertaken by the state Government.

Meanwhile, the state government has assured on the completion of the final phase of the on- going Ago Place Way from Fredrick Fasheun junction to Amuwo-Odofin bridge among various other projects across the state Responding to the media on the state of the road, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in a statement disclosed that efforts are on to ensure that contractors on all its road projects return to work and deliver high quality roads within reasonable time frame.

Conceived as a link between Isolo axis and the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway as well as Lagos Badagry Expressway, the Ago Palace way was segmented into phases to ensure ease of financing and delivery.

According to the ministry, Phase 1 of the road is 1.7km long road. It spans between Durban junction and the bridge. Phase 11 is the expansion of the 700m long bridge, while Phase 111 is 1.65km long road that spans between Okota Rd Junction and Fredrick Fasehun junction. The third phase have been completed and is in use.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 29

World conference re-commits to action on reduction of toxic chemical s

By Kingsley Adegboye

A

NITD: President of the NITP, Dr Femi Olomola (middle) flanked by the Fellows Selection Review Committee, Mr Barnabas Atiyaye (secretary) (left); Waheed Kadiri (chairman); Dr Don Okpala and Dr Stephen Hirse during the NITD retreat.

Town Planners raise bar for elevation to Fellowship cadre

By Jude Njoku

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HE Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, has raised the stakes for members seeking elevation to the Fellowship cadre of the Institute.

The new guidelines were necessitated by the absence of a clear cut criteria for elevation of town planners to this elite group.

The review was the climax of decisions arrived at after a weeklong retreat organised by the Institute. Other decisions include the finalisation of a model LUPAR report (to produce the multi-user template) and handover of the Institute’s Examination Board.

Previous efforts made to overhaul the existing benchmark for elevation to this highest class in the NITP have failed to yield the expected results.

Inherent flaws The latest move to address inherent flaws came by way of the inauguration of a new College of Fellows Committee that deliberated on the issue for a couple of days in Abuja. The sixmember Committee which was headed by a past NITP President, Mr. Waheed Kadiri, was inaugurated by the NITP President, Dr Femi Olomola.

Vanguard Homes & Property learnt that the NITP constitution stipulated that an aspiring Fellow must be an active Full Member for no less than 10 years and must have made significant contributions to the profession in the areas of practice, administration, research or academics.

But the committee noted that the 10-year mark does not automatically qualify any Full Member to become a Fellow. The applicant needs to demonstrate that he/she has been an active member over the previous 10

years of Full Membership.

Conditions to be satisfied by those aspiring to be elevated to the Fellowship rank include: He/she must be an active members of the Institute and must produce evidence of being a member of a state chapter. (membership of state chapter; evidence of regularity of attendance of meetings and programmes at chapter level/ financial responsibility; regularity at national programmes; attendance of MCPDPs; attendance/sponsorship of international programmes sponsored by the institute; financial responsibility; material contributions to the institute; positions held/achievements recorded at state chapter and national executive committees) Practice (registration of private practice with NITP and TOPREC; number of projects handled; types of projects handled; procedure of commission; basis of fees charged; number of professional colleagues involved; duration of project; evidence of acceptance and approval of project by the client; level of implementation of project and duration of project before review) Administration (participation in policy formulation; proposals for

Previous efforts made to overhaul the existing benchmark for elevation to this highest class in the NITP have failed to yield the expected results

preparation of master plans and planning schemes to government/ private individuals, and number of successes recorded); supervision of masterplan preparation and implementation; activities in development control and urban management; number of building plan approvals granted through applicant’s participation in the process; facilitation of enactment of Urban and Regional Planning Law, Planning Standards and Regulations in state/national levels; creating awareness on town planning).

Experience in teaching Research (planning researches conducted and their relevance with evidence of reports produced; general response of public to research; areas of research in view; sponsorship of research). Academics (years of experience in teaching; courses taught and level; number of student projects supervised; number of academic papers presented at national conferences or NITP journal; number of papers presented and published in international journals; number of books published).

General (disciplinary case with the institute; case of misconduct in the court of law; knowledge of the NITP constitution/URP law/ code of ethics and professional practice; information on contemporary issues related to the profession; dressing and general comportment).

The first condition carries 25 marks while the remaining five parameters (Practice, Administration, Research, Academics and General) carry 15 marks each – totalling 100 marks.

A cut-off pass mark of 60 percent was recommended by the committee..

N international conference on chemicals management has agreed on a plan that could prevent the annual deaths of more than one million people exposed to toxic chemicals, even as more than 800 participants, including ministers, industry and civil society leaders have agreed on a strategy to reduce risks from chemicals at a week-long U.N. Environment Programme conference. The conference noted that chemicals are an integral part of peoples’ lives, adding that but while they are essential and beneficial, they also can be hazardous.

Managing those hazards is difficult because little is known about many of them.

It added that only a fraction of the estimated 100,000 chemicals in the market have been thoroughly evaluated to determine their effects on human health and the environment, pointing out that but enough is known to determine they can be dangerous.

Meanwhile,UNEP has reported that the infant death rate from environmental causes is 12 times higher in developing countries than in developed countries, stressing that childhood lead exposure contributes to about 600,000 new cases of mental disabilities in children every year.

Specifically, delegates to the world’s only international forum addressing global and national chemical issues re-committed to take essential actions to fulfill a goal of sound chemicals management by 2020, but allowed the only programme funding activities in the most impacted countries to expire.

The US four trillion dollars a year chemical industry, which participated in the conference, also failed to offer new funds to pay their fair share for the costs of chemicals management and harm. It was noted that a very small global levy on the industry of 0.1per cent would yield more than US four billiondollars a year. “ICCM4 has agreed to take action on some critical toxic chemical issues”, said Olga Speranskaya, Co-chair of IPEN. “However, a five-year funding gap will make it extremely difficult to implement them. This makes the need for funding urgent.

Governments, financial institutions, intergovernmental organizations and the chemical industry must each pay their fair share”, she added.

Chemical industry Current issues addressed critically during the conference include highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), information about chemicals in products (CiPs), eliminating lead paint, nanotechnology, pharmaceutical pollutants, and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

A key outcome at ICCM4 was a strategy to tackle the world’s worst pesticides, those that are highly hazardous and linked to a rising incidence of cancer and developmental disorders. The decision at ICCM4 represents the first time that these substances will be addressed in a comprehensive way in a UN agreement.

Delegates took a major step towards sustainable agriculture by emphasizing a more holistic agroecology approach. “In Ethiopia, highly hazardous pesticides poison farmers and pollute the land,” said Tadesse Amera, Pesticide Action Nexus. “Now we need to get to work on the new strategy so that instead of poisoning ourselves with pesticides. We should grow food in a way that respects human health, our land, and our water”, Amera noted.

Leslie Adogame who is the Executive Director of SRADev Nigeria who represented Nigerian NGOs (a participating member of IPEN) which is an international network of more than 700 organizations that fight toxic chemicals and work with people who suffer from contamination from farm pesticides, mercury hotspots, lead poisoning and other toxic products, said “For us in Nigeria or perhaps Africa, we are happy we got relatively most of all we wanted in the deal and pleased with the outcomes of this political conference despite the poor funding commitment because the delegates adopted among others, concrete risk reduction activities in hazardous pesticides use, elimination of lead in paints.

“As you know, lead is continuously added to Nigerian paints.If the report of the conference is implemented, it will result in the reduction of toxic exposure on human health and the environment. We will now return home to push our government towards fulfilling this obligation and her recent statements of commitment to sustainable development goals (SDGs). Prejudicial funding and national budgeting of the chemicals sector is key just as the immediate mainstreaming of chemicals management into national developmental agenda is very imperative for the plan for action” Adogame explained.

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30—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

All new Ford Everest surpasses expectations •Redefines luxury with rugged capability

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HE all new Ford Everest was put to test in South Africa recently by journalists from across the Sub-Sahara Africa. It was first presented to a large audience, at the Ford Go-Further event last month in South Africa and the crowd applauded the huge transformation on the SUV. The recent media test drive has revealed that the all-new Ford Everest redefines the sport utility vehicle market with bold design, advanced technology, exceptional off-road and on-road capability, and a refined, premium interior for up to seven passengers.

Ford says “With the all-new Ford Everest, we’re launching an extremely capable and competitive premium SUV that performs equally well as a comfortable and refined family vehicle or taking on the roughest terrains.”

According to Tracey Delate, General Marketing Manager, Ford Motor Company SubSaharan Africa. “The Everest is a completely new vehicle inside and out with a host of first-inclass features, providing unmatched value in its segment.”

With a rugged, sculptural design that reflects its unshakeable toughness and technological prowess, the new Everest blends strength, smart

•Ford Everest. features and style to bring consumers a tough and versatile SUV with true off-road capability.

“The all-new Everest represents Ford’s commitment to meet and exceed the highest customer expectations,” Delate stated, adding that “From the very beginning we set aggressive targets, and with the Ford Everest we have truly raised the bar for this type of vehicle in design and capability, with advanced technologies for a smarter, safer and more capable vehicle.”

The all-new Ford Everest was

designed from the ground up with the durability to take on the most inhospitable environments.

One of the toughest SUVs in its segment, the Everest has a bodyon-frame design, assuring the torsional strength required for challenging terrains.

Together with an intelligent four-wheel drive system, an active transfer case with Torque on Demand and best-in-class ground clearance of 225mm and water-wading capability of 800mm, the Everest helps drivers

Nigeria Police acquires GAC vehicles

T

HE Lagos Police Cooperative have taken delivery of 20 units of GA3 sedans for its members.

Speaking at the handover ceremony recently, the General Manager of CIG Motors, representative of GAC Motors in Nigeria, Mr. Felix Lee, said the delivery is the first batch of a business deal between the Police and CIG for the supply of some units of the foremost Chinese made vehicles.

According to Lee, the business deal was brokered after the visit of a Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Dorothy Gimba, to the company ’s showroom on Victoria Island, Lagos. The Commissioner of Police picked interest in GAC brand of vehicles upon visiting our showroom and state-of-the-art after-sales service centre”, he said.

He noted that the Nigeria Police have found the GAC brand to be of good quality with good features. This proves that GAC brand is superb and unique with

excellent safety attributes, comfort and elegance. One of the core values of the GAC brand is safety, as all models come with five star safety rating,” he added.

Because safety is key to the GAC brand, the company revealed that it is supplying the Lagos State Police with branded reflective jackets to boost safety of road traffic control for the controllers, motorists and pedestrians.

Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner has promised a

better future business relationship between the GAC Motors and the Police, just as the General Manager expressed optimism that the Police will get maximum value from the vehicles and effective after-sales services.

Other than its impressive showroom and after-sales facility in Lagos, CIG Motors has a network of presence in major cities across the country including Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

In January this year, CIG

navigate difficult terrain with ease.

For ultimate capability, the advanced new Terrain Management System gives drivers four settings - Normal, Snow/Gravel/Grass, Sand and

Rock- that alter the vehicle’s throttle response, transmission, intelligent four-wheel drive system and traction control to confidently tackle any situation.

For extreme off-road environments, drivers can manually lock the transfer case in low-range four-wheel drive mode for increased control.

These impressive off-road credentials are paired to a new level of ride quality and dynamic handling beyond what consumers have come to expect in a rugged SUV. Thanks to its coil spring front and rear suspension and a Watt’s linkage on the rear axle, the all-new Ford Everest provides a comfortable, stable ride with agile and predictable handling on the road, maintaining Ford’s fun-to-drive DNA. Rich model line-up At launch the all-new Everest is available in three specification levels, starting off with the XLSspec 2.2 Auto 4x2, as well as the Manual 4x4 and 4x2. The 3.2 Auto 4x4 is available in XLT specification as well as the rangetopping Limited guise.

Coscharis staff emerges Ford’s best technician in sub-sahara Africa

F

ELIX Adepinye of Coscharis Motors has won the Ford Motor Company’s 2015 Professional Technical Society (PTS) Technician Performance Challenge – a

Motors unveiled its well equipped after-sales service centre, located behind the company’s showroom, in an event that was witnessed by top notch industry players.

The Consul-General of China, Mr. Liu Kan, who was at the event, said he was happy with the achievements of the company within a short time.

He also assured the company and the customers of the support of China to enhance the cooperation between Nigeria and China.

•First batch of the GAC GA3 saloon cars suplied to the Lagos State Police Co-oporative.

worldwide contest that rewards dealer technicians for their knowledge and skills, particularly their ability to fix it right the first time. The competition was held in Asia Pacific, South Korea, SubSaharan Africa, the Caribbean and Central America and spanned a seven-month period.

Adepinye, a Service Technician from Coscharis Motors earned points in several categories, including fixing it right the first time and performance improvement as well as technical training certification in a variety of programs. On his triumph, Adepinye said “I am humbled to be acknowledged the best service technician in SubSaharan Africa. I have worked at Coscharis for the past eight years and have made every effort to make the most of the training provided to me by putting my all into delivering the best service to Coscharis customers. I am very encouraged to see that the time and effort I have invested has added value to the Coscharis and Ford brands.”

The elate Group Managing Director of Coscharis Motors, Mr. Josiah Samuel who was full of praises for the technicians said, “I am delighted that my technician had an opportunity to compete in this regional competition. “I know we have the best service technicians in Lagos, and I am pleased his skills were recognized.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 31

32—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

By Theodore Opara

T

HE Chief Executive Officer of Admiralty Motors, Maryann Chukwueke has described the Toyota brand as the best in resale value.

The admiralty boss, who spoke to motoring journalists during a tour of her new facilities in Lekki said that her experience in the automobile industry over the years had proved that there is no auto brand like Toyota when it comes to durability, resale value, low maintenance cost, and reliability.

Chukwueke, whose experience span over 25 years in the automobile industry, beginning with Ford in the United States, said she felt comfortable with anything about Toyota because of the brand quality.

To butress her points, she keep the said: “In my years of workshop dealing with the Toyota clean”says the brand, I had only two Admiralty warranty issues in almost Motors. two decades.

Admiralty “Toyota cars are the best Motors, apart in the world with best from sales of resale value. I sold Toyota Toyota and other in the United States and brands, has four here in Nigeria and never teams that had warranty issues. That h a n d l e , is why we are extending European, three years warranty to our Japanese, customers at Admiralty American and Motors. Admiralty Motors Korean brands, •Maryann Chukwueke, MD, Admiralty Motors is a one stop auto centre and everything is comprising sales, service automated with and spares. It boasts the most detects every problem in the car precision. On hand to speak to modern equipment for tyre air conditioning system within the Motoring Press was Mr. Elie services, 30 bay workshop with minutes and gives accurate Kehdi, Regional Manager, Africa, Kehdi Equipment, who air conditioning recycling solutions to the problems.

The fuel injector cleaner supplied the equipment to the machines, fuel injector cleaner, oil extractor, among others. produced by Launch, a United workshop.

According to him, the Another important equipment in Kingdom based company Admiralty Motors workshop is caliberate the nozzle, thereby Admiralty workshop is of the Celette bench which stretches making the job very easy for the international standard with modern equipment and accidented car chassis to its technicians.

“With oil extractor, oil change experienced technicians. original shape, while the air He said: “We have been in the conditioning recycling machine is made very easy and helps

Toyota has best resale value — Admiralty boss equipment in the industry to this workshop and we know they have the right technicians to handle them”he stated.

For Chukwueke, the workshop boasts the most qualified technicians and engineers in the industry.

“The minimum experience here is five years and most of them have worked in leading workshops in the country”, she said. Continuing, she said, we have graduate in automobile and mechanical engineering many of them have craft qualifications but, most importantly, our charges are very affordable compared to our competitors, yet non can march our services.

She however noted that business of setting up equipment for workshops around the world in the last 30 years. I can tell you that this is one of the best we have so far equipped.

“We supplied the latest

FRSC wins Philips Consulting Web Jurist awards

T

HE Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC), has emerged winner of the Phillips Consulting Inaugural Public Sector Web Jurist awards, as the best Public Agency in the country that had maintained a topflight site in the category of experience and performance in the World Wide Web,www.

Phillips Consulting developed six yardsticks for the analysis of the nominated websites. They are aesthetics, technical aspects, site content, web transaction processing, customer experiences, and performance.

Abuja Motor show to host transport summit

I

N furtherance of the objective of using its automobile shows to enhance rapid development of Nigeria’s automotive industry, the organizer ’s of Abuja International Motor Fair, BK Exhibition, has disclosed that it would hold an “All Nigeria Transport Summit” during the event.

The Chairman, Organizing Committee of the event, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, disclosed that the summit aims at providing a platform within the fair for major local and foreign players in the nation’s road transport and allied sectors to interact with state and Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies in the sector.

He said: “It is strictly an industry affair to enable government, private sector and other stakeholders in the road

transport sector to interact, compare notes and network aimed at moving the sector forward.

He further revealed that position papers relating to workshops, safe driving and road safety campaigns will be handled by experts at of the summit.

Transport sector According to him, invitations have been sent to stakeholders in the sector including road transport, workers, employers, owners, road safety agencies, automobile workshops among others to attend the event at no cost. “This is part of our contribution to accelerated growth of the transport sector,”he stated.

“Strategically, as we have been doing since the past four

years, we will hold the Managing Directors Forum, which has grown to become an important segment of the Fair, that brings together the heads of Automotive Companies in Nigeria to interact under the ambience of Abuja International Motor Fair with heads of key Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies, which operations impact heavily on the sector. ''This year the legislative arm of the Federal government will be part of the parley and it promises to be highly rewarding. The import-ance of this gathering cannot be overemphasized, especially with the daunting challenges the sector is facing as a result of the new auto policy. ''Our intention in bringing together all the stakeholders is to facilitate their working seriously together to seeing how we can develop the industry for the good of all,” Mr. Agwu added.

they took the pains to equip the workshop to world class standard because they realized that without major tools, one cannot do a good job on today ’s automobiles.

''In this edition, we are going to strongly drive for the increased participation of manufacturers and dealers on the lubricants, accessories and financials. ''This is as a result of our guided intention to use the platform of the event to actively support the resurgence of the supporting subsectors to enhance the springing up of companies that manufacture parts and accessories which are forerunners of automobile production. This is aimed at spurring and challenging all the existing and potential players in the sector to up the tempo as to make Nigeria the hub of automotive business in Africa.

According the Committee head, “the fair will be a landmark and a benchmark in auto show business in the entire West African sub-region, promising that “all, including children, are billed to have a rewarding experience.”

•Boboye Oyeyemi Reacting to the ratings, the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, noted that the FRSC will continue to improve on all the criteria used to judge the websites. He enjoined the officers to pay keen attention to the contents that are uploaded to the FRSC websites.

“Phillips Consulting has come a long way with its engagement in rating the official websites of financial corporations, telecommunication firms, and media institutions which has brought about an annual Web Jurist Awards,” he stated.

In his words, the awards is an exceptionally-recognized brand that is in its 12th year , where Phillips Consulting objectively reviews every organizations websites in order to provide a foundation for constant improvement.

According to Phillips Consulting, they completed their evaluation of public sector websites long before their findings and ratings were presented in the first edition of Web Jurist Awards featuring public sectors in the country.

PODIUM…

EGBA: Deity that protects devotees from gunfire, invaders PAGE 5

Why oil communities, multinationals’re at loggerheads PAGE 6

VOL. 1: No. 69

TUESD AY, OCT OBER 6, 20 15 TUESDA OCTOBER 201

Contractors in messy battle for DESOPADEC job •Deate Ventures awarded contract in 2008 for N140m •Hotel De Harmony got same contract for N50m in 2011 •Another contractor illegitimately acquired my project— Asupa Forteta •My contract followed due process—Ogobene •Road project abandoned, residents cry out

By Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI — CONTROVERSY has erupted over the award of the same road and drainage contract by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Warri, Delta State, to two separate contractors in 2008 and 2011 respectively at Orogun community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

Findings by Niger Delta Voice revealed that the project, construction of a road and drainage for Umukoro Street, Orogun community by the commission without appropriate checks on the status of the project.

According to documents made available to Niger Delta Voice, the Commission on December 22, 2008, awarded the contract to Deate Ventures

for the sum of N140 million, while the same contract was awarded to Hotel De Harmony Nig., Ltd. on January 25, 2011 at N50 million and

•Contract papers for Deate Ventures.

•Abandoned Umukoro Street project

quantified for N80 million.

The letter of award to Deate Ventures was signed by the then Secretary of the Commission, Chief A. K.

•Contract papers for Hotel De Harmony.

Osawota and the corresponding award letter for Hotel De Harmony was signed by the Secretary of the Commission Tender Board, Engr. Akwenuke Moses, January 25, 2011.

Confirming the authenticity of the letter of the same contract to another contractor in 2011 with his signature, Akwenuke told Niger Delta Voice, that neither he nor the commission was aware that that the same job was awarded in 2008, hence the award of the project to Hotel De Harmony in 2011.

Due process followed —DESOPADEC Commenting on the allegation that due process was not followed, he said, “Due process was followed in the award of that job. It was advertised for tender and people tendered for

•Abandoned Umukoro Street project

the job. The contractor (Hotel De Harmony) was awarded the job in 2011 and the man went to site.” “While the contractor mobilized to site, one Mr. Asupa Forteta, current Delta State Commissioner for Youths, emerged with claims that a former secretary on the commission’s board, Chief Andy Osawot, awarded the same job to him in 2008.

“In amicably resolving the melee that ensued, the matter was brought before the then secretary of the DESOPADEC Interim Committee, Mr. Patrick Origho. I cannot tell if and how the matter was resolved then.

Definite timeframe However, there is a law in the commission that specifies that as a contractor, if a job is given to you and you do not mobilize to site during a definite timeframe, the contract would be cancelled. “Besides, as at that time the contract was awarded, the Interim Management Board, IMB, of the commission also resolved that all contracts that were awarded as at then, cannot be carried over; hence all of such contracts are voided,” he said.

Though Mr. Akwenuke hinted that Mr. Forteta is the brain behind Deate Ventures, findings from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, as well as the income tax clearance certificate of the company, shows one Dennis Okei of Sector C 201/2 DSC Township as the managing director of the company.

My contract fraudulently acquired by another contractor—FORTETA Contacted, Mr. Asupa Forteta, who obviously got the contract before he was recently appointed as commissioner, queried this reporter over his rationale for the report, saying,

Continues on Page 7

2 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

•Mr. Custom Agbogidi

with the traditional ruler of Emede, who coincidentally is the contractor in charge of pipeline surveillance for that particular pipeline, do not even deem it fit to reach out to the family in terms of ameliorating their losses as a result of the spill,” he said.

•Scene of the oil spill at Owhelogbo bush in Emede, Isoko South Local Governmnet Area of Delta State. PHOTOS: Perez Brisibe.

DELTA... FINGER OF GOD

Delta monarch, family trade blames over pipeline vandalism

By Perez Brisibe

E

MEDE — THE ETEIVIE family of Emede community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State and the traditional ruler of the community, HRH, Johnson Egbo Ewhiri II, are currently at loggerheads over a series of instances of oil pipeline vandalism in the area.

While the royal father, who doubles as the contractor in charge of pipeline surveillance in the area pointed fingers at the family representative of the Eteivie family, which hosts the crude oil pipeline, spanning eight acres. Mr. Custom Agbogidi, the family representatives alleged the king and Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, had plunged them into untold hardship.

Family accuses monarch of complicity

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

He said,” My family are mostly farmers who practice their trade on that land where the pipeline passes, but the reoccurring trend of pipeline vandalism on that land is a cause of alarm as the spill whenever it occurs, damages

farm produce, including aquatic life from surrounding ponds and farms in the area.”

“The most annoying thing is that whenever such spill occurs, the management of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, in connivance

Conspiracy Speaking on measures taken to reach out to the management of NPDC on the issue, Mr. Agbogidi said: “As a representative of the community, we expected our monarch to intercede with NPDC on our behalf, but instead, he connives with the company to prevent my family from getting any form of compensation.”

“After such vandalism, the company would deploy soldiers and other security agencies to the area to intimidate the family members and prevent them from havivg access to the vicinity, which also serves as their source of livelihood.”At a point, youths from the family impounded three vehicles of the company to press home their demands and this resulted in some form of fracas between the family and some security agents. From our personal investigation, we have found out that the perpetrators of this ugly trend are persons from Emede,” he asserted.

He said, “We have also noticed collaboration between NPDC and the monarch, who is also the contractor in charge of the pipeline surveillance from our own findings, because

Kidnappers turn Patani to new hotbed

By Perez Brisibe

P

ATANI — WHEN gunmen in a commando styled operation stormed the Patani-Oduophori Road construction site at Patani Local Government Area, Delta State, May 20, and abducted three staff of Okmas Nigeria Limited, the company handling the project, not many residents deciphered the brute in the making.

In fact, the unpleasant incident was dismissed as one of those few kidnap cases in the Niger Delta region. However, exactly three weeks after the abduction of the three construction workers, the reality of the new crime status of Patani stared nakedly at the residents when a daughter of the soil, Mrs. Benaibi Keboh, was snatched at about 3:45pm at a building site, along Agoloma Road.

Naked reality While the bemused people were pondering over the infraction, the impudence of the hijack of Mama Elizabeth YouDiowie, the octogenarian mother of the chairman of Patani Local Government Council, Mrs. Josephine Abeki, September 17, could be said to have removed the scale from the eyes of the people.

You-Diowie was abducted at about 1.30 am from her Abari residence after the matching

gunmen failed to penetrate the residence of the member representing Patani constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Timi Tonye.

All the abductions had the same modus operandi where the abductors shot sporadically, before whisking their victims through adjourning creeks in the area.

Fury Angered by the incessant kidnappings, hundreds of Ijaw youths under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, protested in Patani and environs. The

youths, who came out in their numbers, condemned the spate of kidnappings, describing it as a canker worm that must be expelled.

The youths in a statement signed by Alabo Ojo from Kabowei clan, Sibisaba Raymond from Tarakiri clan and Kingsley Tombe from Kumbowei clan, lamented the ugly events of the last three months in Patani and underlined the need for the youths themselves to constitute a 24-hour surveillance team to make the locality an unappealing zone for kidnappers.

whenever there is such vandalism, he is not questioned as the security officer in charge of the area.”

Monarch speaks Swiftly reacting to the accusation of the family, the monarch, who described it as malicious, said, “What am I to benefit from vandalizing my own job? NPDC has a rule that if as a contractor, where you are guiding is consistently being vandalized; your surveillance contract would be revoked from you with your agreement terminated immediately.”

“Knowing this, how and why would I send anybody to vandalize the same pipeline/am paid to protect? They are lying and are actually the brains behind the vandalism to get compensation from NPDC. “Besides, I am only a surveillance contractor and not a cleanup contractor, so there is no correlation between me and what happens after a pipeline has been vandalized,” he said.

We don’t pay compensation for vandalized pipelines — NPDC

Contacted, External Relations Manager, NPDC, Mr. Ugo Atugboko, confirmed the position of the monarch, saying, “It is a practice in the oil industry not to pay compensation when a pipeline is vandalized.

“If it is due to equipment failure either due to age of the pipe but not by third party interference, we would pay, but when caused by vandals embarking on criminal activities, we would look for them, charge them for economic sabotage, prosecute and jail them. “These are just youths trying to make money no matter how unreasonable the cause is. When there is a spill, we visit the site with officials of DPR, NOSDRA, community representatives and NPDC would meet, investigate thoroughly and DPR would give a verdict in the presence of the community representatives.

“So, if there is compensation to be paid, it is DPR that would even force us to pay, we would only go and negotiate with the company and inform DPR, and NOSDRA would not allow us dodge the payment.

AKWA IBOM…LAND OF PROMISE

Hoodlums take over A’Ibom plaza •NSCDC nabs 3 suspects, 10 escape

By Tom Moses

U

YO — OFFICERS of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Akwa Ibom State, have arrested three members of a 13-man gang that has turned the state government-owned Ibom Plaza, Uyo, in to a hideout.

Ibom Plaza was shut by the former governor of the state, Chief Godswill Akpabio, in 2012 for rehabilitation work, but three years after government drove away workers from the facility, nothing has commenced and consequently, hoodlums converted the facility to their den.

However, the hideout was exposed on Saturday when sanitation officials from the

Ministry of Environment, who accompanied the Commissioner, Dr. Iniobong Essien and officers of the NSCDC, went to the plaza to monitor compliance with the sanitation exercise.

An officer of the NSCDC, Mrs. Comfort Bassey, who spoke with the NDV at the plaza, said security operatives apprehended the three suspected hoodlums while they were scaling the fence of the compound.

She said others escaped despite a hot chase by security agents, adding that the suspected criminals confessed that they had been using the Ibom Plaza as their hideout from where they usually hangout in the evenings to snatch bags, hand-sets and other valuables from unsuspecting members of the public.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 3 other branches, which might not be able to sustain them for long, stressing that it would not take long before they get tired because that strategy was not sustainable His words: “We are using this medium to call on His Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade, the state Emergency Management Agency and other well meaning Nigerians to assist us to get back to our

By SAM EYOBOKA feet, it is really hard to pick up owner of those goods, because hit by this nightmare. the pieces all alone, we just they made down payment He revealed to Niger Delta OKORI — THE people already on the goods even Voice that they had spent over want to return to our business of Kokori community, before their arrival,” he 150,000 as payment to divers and start all over again,” Agbon clan, Ethiope East Local Okoro said. bemoaned. to see if they could recover their Government Area, Delta State, “We need another boat, boat engines or any of the items thrown into darkness by the engines at least, we can start Worrisome they lost during the tragedy but Benin Electricity Distribution Contacted, president of the the search has not yielded up from there again, we know Company, BEDC, about four it is not easy but we have a society in Cross River /Akwa results. months ago, have requested the proactive governor, who holds Ibom states, Mr. Agha Okoro, Okoro asserted that most of Federal Government and stated that some of the money the people who made upfront the poor in high esteem and has Nigerian Electricity Regulatory they collected to finance the payment for their goods were listening ears, under whose Commission, NERC, to call the business were bank loans and on the neck of the society to leadership Cross River has energy firm to order. enjoyed enormous they were still struggling to take delivery of the products.

Besides Kokori, seven other developments within this short meet up due to the harsh He solicited assistance as communities, including Okpara interest rate before they were they now live at the mercy of period of time,” the president Inland, Orhoakpo, Isiokolo, Ovu of the cooperative asserted.

Inland and Oviore are affected in what furious residents described as fraudulent disconnection of electricity.

In an 8-point communiqué after a meeting on September 13, signed by the general secretary, Kokori Progress Union, Lagos branch, Pastor Felix Abijoroh, the union urged both the Federal Government and NERC to direct the BEDC to immediately reconnect the communities and put in place an efficient billing mechanism for revenue collection.

The union said, “The Benin Electricity Distribution Company has failed woefully in its service delivery to the affected communities. The manner in which BEDC has continued to •A victim and Chairman of Inua Abasi branch keep these communities in total •President of the Cooperative, Mr Okoro Agha of the cooperative, Mr Ibiam Ibiam Agha darkness since June 2015 clearly expresses its inability to function as an electricity distribution company.”

It added, “The Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, lacks efficient and accurate billing mechanism thus leading to over bloated and outrageously inflated bills recurrently.”

“On several occasions, the BEDC had served two to three bills on some consumers within a month; an act orchestrated to take undue advantage of the non-literate populace of these communities. “The bills for April, May and June 2015 have been confirmed to be twice the actual consumption as read from the meter at the 7.5KVA step down •The boat before the mishap at Okpara-Inland. This was reported to the company – BEDC via a correspondence, dated August 17th 2015 and signed by LAND OF PROMISE Olorogun James O. Emodaye,

By Tom Moses Chairman, Joint Electricity of the incident, called on the state Committee,” the Kokori group YO — FLOOD swept heavy rains on that day, the government to intervene by said. away three children children who were visually expanding the channels and impaired accidentally fell into the returning from school at Uyo, providing an effective drainage gutter and were swept away by capital of Akwa Ibom State, last system to save the people from flood. week. avoidable calamity.

Aside from the three lucky Niger Delta Voice, however, Speaking on the issue, the school children, it was gathered gathered that the timely Commissioner for Environment that the flood, which had been a intervention of sympathisers in the state, Dr. Iniobong Essien saved the two secondary school consistent threat to the residents blamed the flooding on silting of of the area, streaming into students and primary school the gutters with refuse and people’s houses and destroyed pupil from drowning in a implored the residents not to irreplaceable documents and drainage, along Abak, by deposit refuse into gutters so as valuable property.

Nkemba Road, Uyo, where they not to block the free flow of water Mr. Etim Udo-Ette, who were fell. in the gutters. spoke with the NDV at the scene A source said that due to the •Ukori I, Ovie of Agbon clan

DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

CROSS-RIVER…

C-River traders lose N15m goods in boat mishap

THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE

By IKE UCHECHUKWU

C

ALABAR — MEMBERS of Unwana/Afikpo Seafood Cooperative Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, Inuah Abasi, Mbo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, are groaning over the loss of goods and two Horse Power, HP engines worth over N15 million in a boat catastrophe.

It was gathered that 15 members of the society, who left Calabar for Inuah Abasi, a journey of five hours, ran into a very weighty tornado between Oron and Ibaka on the sea.

One of the victims and branch chair of the society, Mr. Ibiam Ibiam Agha, said, “What we lost in the mishap was well over N15 million because the cooperative’s boat alone was worth about N3 million with 40- horse power boat engines and goods worth about N10 million.

Anxiety He said, “We left the jetty near our Calabar office at about 12.00 pm on that fateful day, everything was moving smooth until all of a sudden, we were hit by a very heavy storm between Oron and Ibaka.

Due to the degree of water that was coming into the boat, we were scooping the water, but we could not achieve much with that, so we resorted to jettisoning some of our diesel and goods afterwards.”

Agha disclosed that after they had thrown overboard almost all their goods, including bags of crayfish, fish, and oysters together with diesel, it dawned on them that there was nothing they could do but call for help.

Cry for help His words:” We discovered that there was nothing we could do but to at least call for help because life is too precious and has no duplicate.

We started crying for help and

by God’s divine intervention, a fishing boat was passing by and heard our call for aid, that was how we were all rescued and no lives were lost in the disaster.

“My brother, as you can see, we are now idle doing nothing, for more than two weeks now our business has been grounded with no hope of how to get the next meal, schools have reopened but many of us cannot send our children back to school. Apart from the people, who were on the boat, those who have way bill for delivery to Inuah Abasi lost their goods, what do we tell the

Call power firm to order, Delta communities tell FG, NERC

K

AKWA IBOM…

U

3 children carried off by flood rescued

4 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

•Submerged Evbotubu Primary School

•Road leading to the school

T EDO… HEART BEA BEAT

OF THE NA TION NATION

•Submerged Evbotubu Primary School

•Evbotubu Road

Flood submerges Edo community, snakes invade school •Community urges Oshiomhole to fulfill campaign promise

By Gabriel Enogholase

E

VBOTUBU — IT is easily one of the fastest growing communities around BeninCity, the capital of Edo State, but this is not the best of times for residents of Evbotubu in Egor Local government Area of the state.

They are angry that the road leading community from the heart of the city is impassable.

Whenever it rains, bus drivers charge as much as N200 from the Oba Market in the city centre to Evbotubu, instead of the normal N80 due to the appalling condition of the road.

The most affected government institution in the community is the Evbotubu Primary School, constructed in the 50s. The school, which had two sections, Evbotubu I and II with over 1000 pupils before it was overrun by flood, currently has less than 300 pupils, as most parents have withdrawn their pupils from the school.

When Niger Delta Voice visited the school, last week, flood had swamped the field and the open portion between the two blocks of classrooms.

Children could no longer access the field to play during their break for fear of drowning in the flood or being bitten by snakes, which have found the swampy school field a haven.

According to some teachers in the school, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “the environment is not conducive for learning as a result of the

flooding and nature of the environment.”

Appeal “Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was here in 2007 when he came to campaign in Evbotubu. He promised that if voted into office, he would renovate the school and tackle the flooding challenge. Again, he was here during the campaign for his reelection in 2012.

“So, we are appealing to him to fulfill his campaign promises by coming to our aid. He should direct the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to renovate the school so that our children can learn in comfortable environment without fear,” they said.

The teachers also appealed to the community to collaborate with the government in the renovation and clearing of the flooded school premises by

RIVERS…

contributing financially and morally.

Over 10 snakes killed in our classrooms - Pupil Some of the pupils spoken to expressed fears about their learning environment. One of them, a primary four pupil, Eromosele Emuoveon, said that whenever it rained, snakes and other reptiles swim from the flooded swamp into their classrooms. “We killed more

•Villagers protest, accuse contractor of abandoning road project

E

TCHE — FARMERS and traders at Etche communities in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State, have lamented the dilapidated condition of public roads in the area, including Iguruta –Etche highway, which have shut down economic activities in the villages.

Etche residents, who share boundary with Ikwerre communities told Niger Delta Voice that it was complicated at the moment to convey goods on the decrepit federal government road that links Iguruta to Etche.

Niger Delta Voice gathered

Children unsafe in the school However, the youth chair of Evbotubu/Iguedayi community, Mr. David Ogbeide, while commenting on the neglect of the community by the government, said: “We feel that this community is not part of Edo State. Our roads are very, very bad and flood has taken over the only government primary school that served more than five communities in the area.”

As for the control of the flood in the school and erosion, he said, “Nobody has come and we have written to them, no reply.

“But they know how to come here during elections to campaign, you have been to the school, it is empty and nobody wants to risk the lives of his children. Again, there is a hightension power line across the school and with the school submerged; the lives of the children are not safe.

"We only pray that no hightension wire should cut because the repercussion will be bad, so for us in the community, the solution is not only fencing the school or removing the flood, government should rehabilitate the road where the school is located because it leads to other villages, such as Iguedaiyi, Iguogie and several others."

THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NA TION NATION

Bad roads ground Rivers communities

By Davies Iheamnachor & Jennifer Emengo

than 10 snakes in our classrooms whenever it rained.

We have been lucky so far that no pupil had been bitten by snake, so we do not like the situation here and we appeal to the Comrade Governor to come to our assistance by stopping the flooding and renovating the school,” he said. Another pupil, who simply called himself Anderson, added, “Oga, when it rains here, we are always afraid of drowning as the flood usually gets to the DPC level.

Older pupils always carry the younger ones in the lower classes on their backs to avoid flood sweeping them away. The governor as a lover of children should come and help us.”

that the condition of the road, worsened about four years ago and it is the same for many other roads in the local government area.

The contractor allegedly reportedly absconded after mobilizing to site without completing the Iguruta axis of the road.

All the roads in Etche suffer neglect

•Faces of the communities

A villager said, “Neither the state nor Federal Government has paid attention to the state of the road for many years.”

He asserted, “Life has been severe with the people because of the poor state of the IgurutaEtche Road. In fact, all the access roads within the local government suffers total neglect and sales have crashed.”

A trader in Chokocho community , Mr Udochukwu

Ngwoke, said, “The road is horrible! Before now, market was booming, coming to the shop was a thing of joy as the shop was always full and stocked with various provisions, but now , there are no customers.”

“Now, I come to the shop whenever I feel like because I know how the day will end. My shop has not been stocked in a while now as you can see, I call on government put this road in good shape, and it has really weighed us down in all aspects.”

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 5

EGBA: Deity that protects devotees from gunfire, invaders

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

VRODE — A carnival atmosphere enveloped the agrarian Ovrode community in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, on Friday, September 25.

Unquestionably, the festival, said to be the celebration of Egba, a deity in the sleepy town witnessed a colossal turnout by indigenes of the town and neighbouring communities.

It was gathered that the traditional war festival, previously an annual event until 1966 when the community decided to make it a triennial affair, is well-regarded by the people because the goddess allegedly shielded them from gunfire by their enemies during the war in the olden days and still guards them till date.

Neighbouring Ellu, Aradhe, Igbuku, Udoni and others benefited from the power of the deity in those days when intercommunal conflict was prevalent.

It is said that the deity shielded the natives at the sight of opponents in historic times and till date, the people believe the goddess is still at work. The festival is, therefore, seen as time to renew the potency of the protection charm and those who believe in the power of the Egba deity do not joke with the event.

Able-bodied men, youths brandish cutlass When Niger Delta Voice visited the community at about 2.00 pm, the atmosphere was already charged, as a large crowd of able bodied men and youths brandishing cutlasses were seen dancing towards the community ’s shrine.

Clad in white wrappers and singlet, the participants were led by the chief priest of the deity whose duty it was to perform the rituals of the day.

It is forbidden to wear red attires in Ovrode during the festival.

The previous day, various quarters of the community had filed into the bush in search of animals such as grass cutters,

•Devotees Evidence of victory “A particular song will be raised and the moment that song is raised, the chief priest will still be carrying the mother deity and every other subsequent gunshot that is fired at the mother Egba as the chief priest is carrying it, will never fire and that will be the proof of the success of the festival. But if it fires in that process, it will mean that something is wrong which the elders will begin to look into.

antelopes and others, which were used to prepare delicacies ahead the festival.

A prominent indigene of the community, Chief S Olokor said other communities, which have a common linkage with Ovrode normally come with such animals for the celebration of the deity, adding, “Any segment or community which is unable to kill an animal will provide a live dog in place of the animal they could not kill.”

His words: “As the chief priest dances out of his house to the major road, it is an indication that time is up for the services to take place, and then people, his friends, natives, family, well wishers will dance along with him and from there, he enters the shrine and performs the services.”

Dos and don’ts According to him, “The shrine is in a particular place made up of two segments. The first segment called Odimodi is a place where the women can go to and they do not go beyond there and anybody, who sleeps with a woman the night before the main day does not go beyond the first segment.”

Thrills of the festival Olokor explained, “The second segment which is the inner part of the shrine contains the deity where only men, who are pure can go to and take part in the ceremony. The services are done by the chief priest.

The highlight of the ceremony the mother deity is washed with concoctions that prevent the firing of gunshots.”

“Once that is done, the leftover of such liquids and concoctions are given to the youths and able bodied people to share. The container with which it is done is a calabash.

The advantage of using the calabash is that when the leftover is given to the people to share among themselves, there is always a struggle because of the large number of persons.

“In the process the container gets broken and anybody who

•Egba festival is able to take even a piece of the calabash believing that the

Neighbouring Ellu, Aradhe, Igbuku, Udoni and others benefited from the power of the deity those days when inter-communal conflict was prevalent

liquid had sank into it, may chew and swallow it and that is the beginning of the peak of the ceremony, after which the mother deity is carried by the chief priest and he begins to dance with it.” he said.

Testing the efficacy of the medicine According to him, “There is always a gunman on standby to test the efficacy of the medicine. The gunmen will aim his gun at the chief priest, who carries the deity. At that time, there is a particular song that is raised by the people. Once that song is going on, the gunman will aim his gun at the chief priest and fire the gun.

After about three gunshots like that, there will be a change of song.

Entertainment galore His words, “After that, the chief priest will come out and dance to his house.

When he gets to his house, he will now come back to pay his own homage to the deity. In that process, he will come with a large crowd and he leads the dance, as he is coming he is dancing and demonstrating.

Then, he will entertain people and thank the deity and that ends the ceremony for that day.”

Chairman of the community, Mr. Michael Ataibuno, told NDV that after the first day, all the quarters in Ovrode took their turn to dance round the whole town starting from the most senior till the end of the ninth quarter.

High-point Saying that the festival goes a long way in promoting unity among the people and helping to preserve their rich cultural heritage, he emphasized that the use of a gun, which is shot at the chief priest was the most unique aspect of the festival.

“The gunshot does not affect the juju priest or any other person that participates in the medicine,” Ataibuno said.

6 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

PODIUM…

Why oil communities, multinationals’re at loggerheads — Community leaders, activists •Proffer way out

By Chioma Onuegbu

E

KET— COMMUNITY leaders and residents of oil communities in Akwa Ibom State have attributed the antagonism between oil multinationals and host communities to marginalization and treachery on the part of oil companies operating in the state and other parts of NigerDelta region.

The village head of IwuOkpum in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state, Chief Okon Sunday Akpanowong, and others, who spoke to our reporter on the sidelines of a workshop in Eket, said it was wrong to treat the host communities as subjugated people.

Chief Akpanowong said, “When a community realizes that a company has contracts that are worth billions of naira, but decides to hide it and give it out to outsiders, they will feel aggrieved.

“The situation is the same in the area of training, giving scholarships and even employment. These are the major things that cause conflict between our communities and their host companies, especially those in the extractive sector.

over the years during such conflicts and violence the communities are mostly affected.

“Many have lost their lives.

For instance it was reported not too long ago how a youth from Ebughu community in Mbo Local Government Area was killed following a fracas between the host community and a company operating in the area. I am not happy about this and something must be done to put an end to it,” he asserted.

Human rights abuses However, the Acting President Afigh Iwaad Ekid, Mr. Etienne Bob, condemned the human rights abuses by security agents contracted by companies, and wondered why the Nigerian government was not paying deserved attention to the lingering issue of host community/oil company relationship in the state and Niger Delta region.

Political contractors: A leader from Ati Annang community, Mr. Imoh Eme said, “Although

Extractive sector “If the community looks at the issue of employment, you discover that those employed in your own community are people from other tribes, people that are not even from oil producing areas, they are not happy; I see that as hatred and denying the people of their rights.

“Again, when these companies lay claim to things that they have not done for the communities, like payment of compensation, clean up of the communities from oil spills and the people know that they lied, that also generates resentment,” he said.

Tension Mr. Ukpong from Onna Local Government Area, said, “The issue of non compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act by oil companies is also a problem creating a lot of tension in different communities in Akwa Ibom State.

“This development is one of the major reasons the companies and their host communities are always at loggerheads and it is sad that

•Ati Annang group

companies, especially within the extractive sector, can tackle the underlying causes of the growing opposition to their projects in the developing countries by engaging in consent processes with communities and groups directly affected by the projects to be able to obtain free prior and informed consent, in Nigeria, this has been elusive due to the activities of middlemen, who are in the corridors of different political powers and as such believe they can utilize state apparatus and machinery to undermine any form of community protest.

His words, “This interference by our political class has exacerbated crimes and insecurity in Nigeria's case and the resultant effect has been the lack of ownership and commitment to projects embarked upon by companies in favour of any community.

"The concern of Ati Annang is when those conflicts escalate in a destructive and violent manner, resulting loss of lives, potential economic growth, investments, and valuable

infrastructure and services, jeopardizing poverty reduction and prosperity for all.”

CSR not the solution Eme said the fact the company/community violence has continued to escalate even with the list of projects the companies claimed to have carried out in their host communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities, points to the fact that the CSR was not a solution to the problem.

Dialogue with host communities “As a leader of a socialcultural organization of international reputation, I am highly convinced that there is no company, no matter how small or large its share capital is, that enjoys poor public relationship, therefore to eradicate companies and their host communities disharmony, companies should imbibe the culture of regular consultation

...when these companies lay claim to things that they have not done for the communities, like payment of compensation, clean up of the communities from oil spills and the people know that they lied, that also generates resentments

•Cross section of Ati Annang, Afi Iwaad Ekid at sensitization workshop.

with their host communities in a manner devoid of the divide and rule tactics orchestrated by the political class.

“Government should always ensure that communities are adequately compensated and resettled before any project is carried out in acquired lands.

Exxon-Mobil should without further delay relocate its administrative headquarters to where their operational platform is in order to ease access to their grievances mechanism by aggrieved communities,” he said.

Voluntary Principles on security/human rights Eme added, “We call on the present government to sign on to and implement the Voluntary Principles on security and human rights in line with its policy thrust to fight corruption.”

Executive Director, Community Policing Partners for Justice and Democratic Reforms, COMP-PART, Mr. Saviour Akpan, said, “In the year 2000, the federal government in her quest to ensure a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region, established the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with lots of powers and responsibilities to check the modus operandi, but due to lack of political will, has failed to deliver the much needed/desired peace to the region.”

He, however, blamed the continued disharmony on government non- participation in the Voluntary Principles, adding that many countries that meant well for their citizens were already participating in the initiative.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 7

Contractors in messy battle for DESOPADEC job RIVERS… THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NA TION NATION

By Davies Iheamnachor & Jennifer Emengo

Give us employment, Nigerian Legion begs Rivers govt

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ORT HARCOURT — THE Nigerian Legion, Rivers State chapter, has called on the state government to constantly provide security job opportunities for members of the legion in the state.

Commandant of the Corps of Commissioners, Lieutenant Col. Omueti Sunday, made the call at the passing out parade of about 300 Special Cadet of the Legion, who underwent a six- months training on security management in Port Harcourt.

His words: “I call on the state government to continually provide security jobs for members in the state, the sole purpose of the Nigerian Legion is to seek job replacement for people in order to make life meaningful for the legion and its members.

“The members are suffering too much, especially those who lost their loved ones and bread winners while on duty even those who are now retired. So we need encouragement for them in order to alleviate their suffering,” he said He also entreated the state government to make its payment to the legion consistent and “improve on the pay we receive.”

•Members of the legion on Parade

•Cutting of Passing out Parade cake

Wike raises hope Governor Nyesom Wike, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kogbani, said government would provide security jobs for the members of the legion

RIVERS…

•Lieut.

Sunday

Col.

Omueti

and improve on funding of the legion.

Kogbani said, “The state government will ensure that

members of the Nigerian Legion are duly employed in the state’s Secretariat for security functions.The state government will approve funds to improve what they normally get at the end of the month. We want to make this approval for their payment to ensure that what they usually get comes to them.”

He charged the cadets not to allow any form of distraction in the discharge of their lawful duty, stressing that they should avoid any act of criminality. High point of the event was a command parade and presentation of awards to well -deserving members of the legion for their efforts in Nigerian Legion.

THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NA TION NATION

2012 GAS LEAKAGE: Widow who lost house, farm seeks Buhari’s intervention

By JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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ORT HARCOURT — AN aged widow, Mrs Victoria Uchendu, forsaken after a 2012 gas leakage from the facilities of a multinational oil company at Egi area, Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, Rivers State, in 2012, destroyed her house and farmland, has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to ask the firm to rehabilitate her.

The distraught widow in a statement in Port Harcourt said her life had been ruined since the gas eruption three years ago, adding that her appeal to the firm to reestablish her since then fell on deaf ears.

President, Widows of Niger Delta Association, Mrs Gloria Digini, who also

commented on the plight of the widow, said.

Mrs Uchendu’s house was badly damaged by the gas leakage.

She said the company “has refused to provide a water treatment plant since the gas eruption contaminated the underground water in the area and the aged victim is homeless, seriously sick and helpless. “ Digini enjoined the Federal Government and international community to come to the aid of the widow and other persons displaced by the gas leakage from the firm’s operations.

“We are calling on President Buhari to prevail on the multinational oil firm to rehabilitate the poor widow in order not to provoke widows all over the world into protest against the company and for peace to reign,” she said.

Continues from Page 1 “Are you the one they sent to come and pull down my glory?

Your interest in this matter is your bias intention, if you are a journalist, go and look for better things to write on and stop blackmailing people.”

Reiterating how he was awarded the contract, he said: “That man (Hotel De Harmony) went to fraudulently acquire an ongoing job already awarded to someone else.”

“The commission awarded that job to me in 2008, another man went about claiming that the job was awarded to him and the man came to me begging that I should give him money, else he would stop me from working and I asked him, how can you deprive me from working? I am from Delta State and can work anywhere,” he asserted.

We entered an MoU – Chief Ogobene Managing director of Harmony De Harmony Nig. Ltd., Chief Emmanuel Ogobene, who explained that the contract was duly awarded to him, said he was stopped from embarking on the contract when he was mobilized to site

by Mr. Forteta. He said Forteta stormed the site with claims that he too was awarded the same contract at almost 300 per cent higher than his contract sum in 2008. “To resolve the matter, I and Deate Ventures represented

by Mr. Asupa Forteta, entered into an agreement witnessed by one Paul Okogu for both parties, where it was agreed that we would execute the contract together and share the profit based on a 50-50 percentage ratio.” The Memorandum of Understanding for the agreement dated August 28th, 2012 and signed by both Chief Ogobene and Mr. Forteta states that the contract shall be executed under the name of Deate Ventures.

The parties agreed to forward the MoU, which was registered at the High Court of Justice, Ughelli, to the DESOPADEC chairman, secretary, director of legal service, director of finance, and director infrastructure and waters and commissioner representing the area on the board for their necessary action accordingly.

Breach of MoU Acknowledging the MoU by both parties, counsel to Forteta, E.K Agbroko, while responding to a September 3 letter, on the breach of the agreement, addressed to the managing director of Hotel De Harmony, said, “In a bid to amicably resolve the impasse that arose over the purported award of the contract to Harmony De Harmony when same has been awarded to our client by DESOPADEC, our client decided to enter an agreement with Harmony De Harmony as

represented by Chief Emmanuel Ogobene for a joint sponsorship and execution of the contract.”

Accusing Ogobene of collecting N3 million as counterpart funding for the contract from one Sunny Ajamufua of the commission’s finance department and diverting the said amount, Forteta blamed Ogobene for breaching the MoU, adding that he was compelled to pay back the said amount.

Chief Ogobene, however, accused Forteta of breaching all agreements reached in the MoU. Ajamufua denies N3m counterpart fund to Ogobene Contacted, Mr. Ajamufua denied borrowing Ogobene any money saying, “Where would I get such money from?

Am I Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN? Though am aware of the MoU both contractors signed.

Since I know both parties, we tried to see how we could make peace between both of them, but it is obvious that did not work.”

Residents react Meanwhile, residents of the Umukoro Street have protested the abandonment of the project with an appeal to the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to as a matter of urgency, investigate the hullabaloo trailing the project.

In a letter addressed to the chairman of the commission, a group from the community, under the aegis of Orogun Home Base Indigenous Movement, OHBIM, appealed for a proper investigation into the award of the contract. The residents in the letter signed by Oviri Andrew and Omamudu Patrick, threatened to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the affair and if necessary, prosecute those involved in the project.

They explained that they were unhappy with the way and manner the project is being handled. An inhabitant, Chief Sunday Efemena, said the only sign of work done on the project was the grading of the road by the contractor in anticipation of commencement of work, pointing out that till date, the people have not seen any trace of the contractor on the project.

According to him, “When we asked why the project was abandoned, we were told at the DESOPADEC office that there are unresolved issues trailing the contract, only for us to later hear that the contract was awarded to two contractors, who are currently fighting over who would handle the job.

8 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

•Task Force

•Scooping fuel from vandalized pipeline

How we made oil bunkering unprofitable for vandals— PREYE OSEKE BAYELSA… GLORY OF ALL LANDS

By Emem Idio

I

GBOMOTURU— CHAIRMAN of the Oil and Gas Task Force, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Bayelsa State, the most notorious crude oil stealing neighbourhood in the state, Mr. Preye Oseke, said the protection outfit has made oil bunkering a loss-making venture for oil thieves and illegal refinery operators in the local government.

Consequently, Oseke, who spoke assuredly to Niger-Delta Voice, said the economic saboteurs were relocating from southern Ijaw.

According to him, “Sometime in 2013, it was identified that that there was so much of illegal oil bunkering activities in southern Ijaw local government area and it got to the point where even the multinational oil companies contemplated packing out and shutting down their operations because their production got as low as one to few thousand barrels per day, barely enough to sustain their operations.”

Strategic approach He said, “It was on this premise that the chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Chief Remember Ogbe on assumption of office, keyed into Governor Seriake Dickson’s zero tolerance to criminality and decided that something must be done to ensure that oil bunkering activities are dealt with in the local government.”

“Community leaders were consulted, various approaches were explored, town hall engagements with community leaders and even the bunkerers themselves were held. This is what gave birth to the Southern Ijaw Oil and Gas Task Force of which a by-law was passed by

the legislative arm of the council.

“The mandate of the task force is to work in synergy with all the security agencies; Joint Task Force, JTF, Navy, and Civil Defence Corps, Police and other well-meaning community leaders to ensure that bunkering activities are dealt with,” he added.

According to him, “ Before the commencement of our operations, we had series of engagement meetings with all the security agencies, everybody was brought on board because the task force members as civilians are not expected to carry arms and security cover is very critical.

“I must tell you that it has been very challenging and without the support of the security agencies the results that are evident today would not be

there, and not forgetting the commitment of the task force members, it has been results all the way.”

Clipping the wings of oil bunkerers Preye noted, “If you look at the bunkering chain, the man at the lowest level of that chain is the community man and

We started from a low level until it goes to the point where bunkering products are no longer seen all around the state

unfortunately he is the one that gets the lesser part of the proceeds. Before we started this anti-bunkering crusade, a drum of locally refined diesel was being sold for six thousand, that is the man who breaks the pipes and refines it, sells the product for N6,000 to the middle man, who in turn resells it to the vessels for between N22, 000 to N25,000. The community man who breaks the pipe, his environment is degraded, the processes in which he does the refining is also hazardous to his own health.”

“He employs a team of youths to join him in the refining and he pays them out of the N6, 000.

Of course, there are security men all around and so he also does some security settlement, and at the end of the day, the man goes home with barely

A’Ibom clan insists on producing LG chair

By CHIOMA ONUEGBU

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UNG NDEM — THE PEOPLE of Nung Ndem clan, Onna Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have bemoaned supposed marginalization of the tribe in the distribution of political positions in the local government, saying it was their turn to produce the next chair of the council Residents, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, bemoaned that the clan had never produced the local government chair since the current political dispensation started in 1999, whereas Awa and Oniong clans had taken several turns.

It’s inequitable - Eno Clan head of Nung Ndem, Etebom Akpa Eno, said it was unfair for only Awa and Oniong clans to cling to political leadership of the area, while Nung Ndem clan had not taken one turn.

He asserted, “The people of this clan are united in their decision to see that the next chairmanship position of Onna Local

Government Area comes from this clan. For a long time, Awa and Oniong clans have relegated us to the background; they have been occupying all the political positions allocated to Onna Local Government Area since 1999 when this current democratic government started.”

“There are three clans in Onna Local Government Area. Currently Awa clan has the state governor in the person of our son, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. In addition, the State and National Assembly members are from Awa, the state director of protocol and so on, while Oniong clan has the state commissioner for works and a couple of other positions, but Nung Ndem clan has nothing,” he said.

Eno asserted, “This is most unfair and this is the reason we are sticking out our neck this time to see that the post of the local government chairman comes to us. Nobody from this clan has occupied the local government chairmanship position since 1999 and so we feel justified in every sense to stake our claim to the position this time.”

•Preye Oseke N1,000 – N2,000 for a drum of diesel while the middleman who comes to buy from him and is not even from his community or local government and does not participate or suffer any kind of risk and negative effect, makes a gain of N19, 000 for a drum.

Even in that criminality, there is capital flight.

“We started from a low level until it goes to the point where bunkering products are no longer seen all around the state; before now you can walk to any of the waterfront and buy a drum of diesel for between N7,000 to N10,000, but today, for you to get a drum of diesel, you should be talking about between N30, 000 to N45,000, that is to tell you that it is difficult for bunkering activities to thrive now. “Of course, there will always be some deviants; persons who are unrepentant, and because of that we still see pockets of bunkering activities.

But the results are evident because production level as registered by the multinationals has increased tremendously from about 10 per cent to about 95 per cent. If crude oil theft has been reduced to the barest minimum, I think we can stand tall to say that the whole essence of the task force has been achieved,” he explained.

Killing of 2 cops/attack on chairman’s country home Oseke pointed out, “The chairman has been dogged in the fight and that was why his country- home was attacked and two policemen killed. That is the sacrifice of leadership; this would not have happened if we were not involved in antibunkering activity.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015—33

Olushola, however, said such unfriendly attitude was tarnishing the nursing profession,and should be mitigated.

THIS WEEK October 10, 2015 World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

Professional nurse

October 8, 2015 World Sight Day is a global event that focuses on bringing attention on blindness and vision impairment. It is observed on the second Thursday of October each year.

CARING FOR THE SICK: Nigerian nurses at work. Inset is Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, Mrs. Olatunde Olushola.

Science World Drug used to treat cancer appears to sharpen memory

N

EW Rutgers research published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that a drug -- RGFP966 -- administered to rats made them more attuned to what they were hearing, able to retain and remember more information, and develop new connections that allowed these memories to be transmitted between brain cells.

"Memory-making in neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease is often poor or absent altogether once a person is in the advanced stages of the disease," said Kasia M. Bieszczad, lead author and assistant professor in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology. "This drug could rescue the ability to make new memories that are rich in detail and content, even in the worst case scenarios."

What happens with dementias such as Alzheimer's is that brain cells shrink and die because the synapses that transfer information from one neuron to another are no longer strong and stable.

There is no therapeutic treatment available that reverses this situation.

The drug being tested in this animal study is among a class known as HDAC inhibitors -- now being used in cancer therapies to stop the activation of genes that turn normal cells into cancerous ones.

Domestic, workplace challenges, bane of nursing care —Olatunde Olushola, Chairman NANNM

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By Gabriel Olawale

IGERIAN nurses are diligent, hardworking and committed to work, but challenges in the hospital environment and at the home front are factors that contribute to the generally unbecoming and unfriendly attitude of some nurses in the country.

It is no secret that nurses in Nigeria are overworked, underpaid and not apppreciated for the value of work and services they put in.

Even though they are always at the beck and call of the patient, the voice of nurses are hardly heard even when administrative decisions are being taken.

Today in the country, an average nurse cares for over 30, patients far exceeding WHO recomended ratio.

Drawing attention to this development, Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, Mrs. Olatunde Olushola, said it is not in the nature of any nurse to be hostile but circumstances often force them to do so.

Olushola said there is always a plausible explanation behind the attitude of every Nigerian nurse.

She spoke during the 2nd edition of the Nurses’ Week and Scientific Conference organised by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Working tools: Her words: “In some institutions, the working tools of every nurse is incomplete without a cellphone

that has a built-in torch because that is the level to which some hospitals have pushed their logistics and infrastructure.

“Now tell me, if I want to take delivery of a baby and there is

In a situation whereby you want the best but you are not providing the enabling environment, it is very difficult to get the best

no light and I now have to hang my handset as a torch on my head to attend to the woman that is in distress, won’t I be tense and stressed up?”

She recalled an instance in which just tissue paper was made available to nurses to clean up the body of a new born baby. As for the home front, she remarked: “You have to remember that the nurse is human. If that nurse is female, she is wife to someone, mother of children and might have early been subjected to some kind of maltreatment before she left home.

“But when you are a professional nurse, what is expected of you is that once you get to the hospital gate, you bury all those issues even if your husband has slapped you before you left home that morning, you have to forget about it b ecause the people you are going to nurse have no other means of relief and their belief is that they will be well once they get to the hospital,” she added.

As professionals, the expectation is that a nurse should carry out her duties against all odds, even in the face of inhibitions that include acute staff shortage, nonconducive environment, poor facilities and lack of adequate welfare among others.

In the past, when a level 14 nurse retired, two or three nurses are employed to replace her and the retired nurse’s salary is divided among them.

Today, however, we are having a situation whereby 75 nurses retire and the management is planning to employ 23 as their replacement.

Greener pasture: She said nurses go abroad in search of greener pastures, not neccessarily because of the money, but because the environment is conducive and the right policies are in place.

“But in a situation whereby you want the best but you are not providing the enabling environment, it is very difficult to get the best, but I believe things will be better one day.

Fake drugs can be curbed like Ebola if...

By Chioma Obinna

C

OMMUNITY pharmacists have said that Nigeria can curb circulation of fake drugs in the nation’s market if there are adequate partnerships with relevant stakeholders and political will on the part of public office holders.

The pharmacists under the auspices of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, Lagos State branch, noted that Nigeria was able to defeat Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, due to strong political will on the part of governments as well as partnership with relevant stakeholders in the country.

The pharmacists who gathered at a programme in Lagos to mark this year’s World Pharmacists Day with theme: “Pharmacists:

Your Partners in Health” urged the government to apply the same strategy it used for Ebola to stop circulation of fake drugs.

Delivering a keynote address, at the event, Dr. Margaret Ibru Continued on Page 36

COMMEMORATION: From right: Hospital Administrator, Medical Centre, Army Cantonment, LT. E.E Mbukpa, Chairman, ACPN, Lagos , Biola Paul – Ozieh, Founder ST&T Regency School, Dr. Margaret Ibru, and Chairman of the Occasion, Ebenezer Adeleke during the World Pharmacists Day in Lagos, recently.

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Fresh hope for Nigerian cancer patients ...As NIMR opens new research and training centre

By Chioma Obinna

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ITH over 250,000 Nigerians affected by cancer every year, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, has said that its new Cancer Research and Training Centre will provide training and quality researches into the rising cases of cancer in the country.

Speaking during the official commissioning of the new biomedical training and cancer research centre in Lagos, the Director General of NIMR, Prof Innocent Ujah disclosed that the capacity of the diagnostic machines at the centre, built and equipped by Sysmex-Patec of Germany, is capable of investigating various kinds of haematological disorders.

Haematological disorders Ujah said the project which was formalised in a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding was solely a private partnership initiative “devoid of government funding”.

Describing the facility as a demonstration of genuine partnership, he said: “the partnership with Sysmec-Partec is one of the several collaborations NIMR has had with leading international institutions and organisations to support human and infrastructural development in the Nigeria’s foremost research centre.

Pioneer Chairman National Action Committee on AIDS, now National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, Prof.

Ibironke Akinsete, was optimistic that initiative would help fight the deadly disease

By Sola Ogundipe

N

COMMISSIONING: From left: DG, NIMR, Prof Innocent Ujah; Pioneer Chairman, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, formerly National Action Committee on AIDS, Prof Ibironke Akinsete; Coordinator, Research & Planning Management, NIMR, Prof Ini Idigbe and Consultant Haematologist/ Director of Research/Head of NCDs Research Group in Nigeria in NIMR, Dr Nkiruka Odunukwe during the official commissioning of NIMR Cancer Research/Training Centre in Lagos. and save lives of millions of Nigerians.

Akinsete who also decried lack of training facilities and quality research for cancer cases said available training facilities have been overwhelmed as the burden grew over the years.

“You must remember that cancer is a deadly disease and we don’t have the facilities. In developed countries, they have facilities for research to know the epidemiology, causes, treatment and prevention of cancer. We are still very much in its infancy here.”

“If you look at the whole of Nigeria, many lives could have been saved if we had done research into prevention, diagnosis, treatment and so on.

This is what this centre has to offer and we hope that this will be the beginning, not only in

Lagos, but the whole of Nigeria, so that we will be able to look into cancer patients as much as possible.”

Akinsete explained that cancer research is a basic research into

If you look at the whole of Nigeria, many lives could have been saved if we had done research into prevention, diagnosis, treatment and so on

the disease, to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

She added that there are many simple, yet defining, researches to be done, appealing to researchers from different institutions to come into the new facility to carry out their studies, using its state-of-the-art equipment.

The multi-million naira facility, being a Public Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement between NIMR and the German technology company, SysmecPartec, currently has a cancer research laboratory and office; a biomedical laboratory that houses XN-Series Haematology analysers; and conference rooms, among others.

African experts compile evidence for WHO fertility guidelines

By Sola Ogundipe

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Prof Oladapo Ashiru

Akintayo tasks pharmacists on provision of services

EPRODUCTIVE health experts recently concluded a week long meeting where e v i d e n c e - b a s e d recommendations on fertility care and research were made to the World Health Organisation, WHO. Representing the WHO Africa region at the meeting were copioneer of IVF in Nigeria and Chief Medical Director, Medical ART Centre, Lagos, Professor Oladapo Ashiru and Dr James Olobo-Lalobo, both of the African Fertility Society.

In a statement, Dr Sherly van Poel of the Reproductive Health and Research Centre described the meeting as a “milestone development in closing the gap

in the explosive new knowledge necessary to promote access to quality, safe and responsible fertility care worldwide” Chairing a closing session, Ashiru observed that the recommendations will inform and support the development of WHO Fertility Guidelines.

“The long awaited change in fertility mind set of the African will now begin to change for ever. The withering childless African woman blamed, for far too long, for infertility of any cause should at last begin to expect an improved quality of life as the make men climb down and calm down in the face of evidencebased fertility recommendations made,” he noted. The WHO guideline will close the gap in the standard of fertility care and

assisted reproductive technology regulation missing in Nigeria and most of Africa. Areas covered during the working consultations at the WHO Department of Reproduction and Research, include glossaries of terminologies, acceptable standards of practices and research questions.

Also speaking, Olobo-Lalobo remarked: “Right now, Uganda is geared to the implementation phase of the WHO Fertility Guideline through multistakeholder involvement, creating fertility awareness, embedding patient-friendly regulation and promoting related research.

“Tomorrow must be better than today….this is the definition of hope that every childless couple should expect.”

ATIONAL President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, has said pharmacists need to move away from the traditional role of just dispensing medicines.

Akintayo who spoke during the just concluded 2015 World Pharmacists Day, with the theme: “Pharmacists, Your Partners in Health,” said pharmacists are in a prime position to help patients take their medication in a timely and appropriate manner to ensure that they receive the full benefit of therapy.

“We must move to helping patients use their medicines more efficiently with the ultimate goal of optimising the impact of medicines, minimising the number of medication related problems and reducing waste.

“The pharmacist can help increase adherence to drug regimens by providing patients with additional information about individual drugs, identifying potential adverse drug reactions and interactions, and supplying appropriate drug containers or compliance aids,” he said.

Further, he said a recent survey revealed that with an average of 120 patients served per day in a pharmacy, and one out of six of those asking for advice without buying a product, patients already benefit from asking their pharmacists for advice on medicines and health in general.

“We need to build on this and have a more structured approach to providing medicines use reviews. Nigeria needs to catch up fast and be in line with our global counterparts.

“Our pharmacists need to be empowered to provide this much needed service to people in the community. Government bodies and other healthcare professionals need to understand the impact that pharmacists can have in promoting and increasing adherence to medicines and give their full support and collaboration to improve the health and wellbeing of the population.

Akintayo said as the nation’s custodian for drugs and medicines and a strong advocate for safe medicines, the PSN and the Nigerian pharmacist look forward to the full realisation of Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) to optimize wellness of consumers of health.

35—Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Children, adults can be cured of cancer for life — CLWCF

By Chioma Obinna

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N a move to rekindle hope for persons living with cancer, experts say children can be cured for life after treatment even as they urged government, philanthropists and corporate organisations to support cancer patients as treatment of the disease could leave families in penury.

In a message of hope during the 2015 Walkathon organised by Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, to mark this year’s Childhood Cancer Month with the theme: “Free Chemotherapy Drugs for Every Child”, in Lagos, a Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, Prof. Edamisan Temiye who spoke shortly after the walk which kicked off from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, said with prompt treatment many cancers would be cured and persons affected freed.

“At LUTH, we are achieving some results.

There are cancers we can treat and cure even in Nigeria today. Many more children are being cured. In everybody, prevention is better than cure.

“There are some cancers you can easily detect early. For example, the cancer of the eye, (Retinoblastoma), it usually present like something shiny in a child’s eye usually one or two year old child. Once you see that there is need to see an ophthalmologist who will be in the best position to make diagnosis at that time and then coordinate treatment with other group of doctors because cancer is not treated by just one doctor but a group of doctors in different fields,” he added.

To prevent cancer in children, Temiye stressed the need for parents to monitor swellings in any part of a child’s body, adding that if any painless swelling is

observed that person should approach a doctor who should be able to say whether the child should worry about it.

“Most swellings that come up suddenly and the child has fever as a result is not cancer, they are usually infections. These swellings usually come insidiously and grow slowly and not painful but by the time it becomes painful the cancer has spread and there is a problem.

Founder and Executive Director, Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, Dr. Nneka Nwaobbi said the Foundation decided to make this year’s Walkathon a children’s affair to press home the message that cancer can affect children and that there is need for parents to look out for signs in order to pick the disease early.

She said parents should always check for persistent symptoms such as white spots in the eye, new squint, blindness, bulging eyeball, lump in the abdomen, pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes and glands, unexplained fever, loss of weight and appetite,among others.

Decrying the lack of data and a childhood cancer registry, she explained that stakeholders in the fight against childhood cancers will meet in Abuja next month to deliberate on a way forward to improving local cancer records. She listed three of the commonest cancers in children to include; leukaemia, cancer of the kidney and cancer of the eye, (retinoblastoma), adding that most of these cancers are seen more in LUTH, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUITH and National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, NOHIL.

WALK: Participants during the Walkathon organised by Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, to mark this year’s Childhood Cancer Month recently in Lagos.

Fake drugs Continued on Page 36 noted that the perennial problem of counterfeiting could be a thing of the past in Nigeria, if the government has political will and stakeholders rally behind the regulatory agencies.

“It is a matter of partnership if people in the right places decide to partner with pharmacists and other relevant bodies like NAFDAC etc and other Non Governmental Organisations.

Speaking, Chairman, ACPN Lagos, Biola Paul-Ozieh, pointed out that government and regulatory agencies should wake up to their responsibilities of providing conducive environment for the practice of pharmacy profession, adding that the environment was still uncoordinated in terms of drug distribution system among others.

She appealed to the government and relevant agencies to create conducive environment for the practice of the pharmacy profession as the entire populace will benefit from good pharmacy practice which invariably will impact positively on the health outcomes of the people.

“Wherever pharmacists are, whether in the hospitals, communities, government regulatory bodies, industry or academia they must be encouraged and allowed to provide pharmaceutical services appropriate to their settings.

Paul – Ozieh who regretted that many people are yet to understand who a pharmacist is, said a pharmacist is a reliable partner both in health and sickness because people can access health care information from the pharmacist even when not ill.

She identified some of the challenges of practicing pharmacy in the country as illegal premises, hawking of drugs etc.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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HAT is the secret to sexual satisfaction/ happiness? I am newly married and I don’t want my husband to ever cheat on me – Joy People cheat for different reasons and it is not always because they are sexually frustrated or because their wives are terrible. Sometimes people cheat out of curiosity.

We often wonder what sex will be like with this other girl or that other man and that curiosity gets us in trouble.

And sometimes people cheat because they got seduced and couldn’t resist. The reasons are many. So it is not always the fault of the spouse that was cheated on. But yes the possibility of being cheated on can be limited. To achieve this, communication and commitment are key and you also need a bit of luck.

Endeavour to turn yourself into that person that is fun and nice to be around. When a partner enjoys being around you, there is a stronger possibility of him or her wanting to be good to you. Couples must also listen to each other. A lot of people cheat because they came across a man or woman who listens to them and cares about what they have to say, whether what they are saying is important or not. So be a good listener to your husband.

And then of course is commitment. Try your best to meet your husband’s sexual needs and don’t be a nagging wife. Make sure to communicate your own sexual needs as well because if you are not satisfied, you could be the one that ends up cheating – Uche I am interested in the Mood lubricant but I can see that there are different types. I need the one that can arouse a woman – Sandra Go for the Mood Arousal Gel. It is an aphrodisiac for women with low genital arousal or for women who simply want better sexual enjoyment and climax – Uche I told my best friend that I have never had an orgasm and she told me to buy the Jelly Chocolate Vibrator. She said she bought it from you in 2010 Nneka We still have it. Women like it a lot. Call the numbers

below for it – Uche I have read severally that Cockrings help prevent erection loss. Please which one should I get? Moses Yes Cockrings help prevent erection loss for men who lose their erections half way into intercourse. To stop this, a simple Cockring would do. So you can go for the Ring O Cockring – Uche I just tried the new LS Male Desensitizing Spray for premature ejaculation and it is not bad. I lasted longer than the usual two minutes – Uche How can I make my woman have sex with me whenever I want, wherever I want it and for as long as I want? Chris Chris if I knew the answer to that question I will be the billionaire president of the world. You can never get that kind of sex from a wife or girlfriend. Only a prostitute can offer that service – Uche I am 64years old and I just cannot get an erection when I need it. I was told that you can help – John There are many options for battling erectile dysfunction.

If you have no heart problems, then supplements are best for you. Boss Rhino Gold, Libigrow and Magic Mike are all great supplements for erectile dysfunction – Uche I have been using VigRx organ enlarger for almost four months now and I have grown my penis to eight inches in length. When I started off, I was around 5.8 inches. Can I stop now or can I still get bigger? I am really big now – George George it is possible to get up to four inches in enlargement length from VigRx penis enlarger but it is up to you to decide what you want. Eight inches is more than big enough so if you want to stop now, you can – Uche And that is it for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can call 08171912551, 08027901621 or 07086754515 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia.com Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

36 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 TAURUS: Whatever happens success will crown your efforts today. Yet you will need to keep both yours and other people secrets because of another day. Utilize your new ideas and take good advice.

GEMINI: Your close friends and other influential personalities are willing to assist you to make it a successful day. You are becoming more irresistible to the members of your opposite sex. Be more loving.

CANCER: Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury in your Star Sign will enhance your brilliance to the betterment of your cause. Back your hopes and wishes along your career line with practical approach.

LEO: This is a good day to seek good advice from professionals, especially if what at hand is legal related. Both your present and immediate future should be taken more seriously.

VIRGO: Romantic attractions through your career/business lines may become a little stronger than before. But your best bet now is to utilize your closeness to influential people to better your career line.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

O

NE of the greatest fallacies mankind is saddled with is the belief that the rich don’t cry. But my questions are:

So, The Rich Also Cry? why should the rich cry? Is the rich not a human being? Has he no feelings? Does he not eat? Does he got not go to the

TERROR MUDA

toilet? has he no blood running in his vein? Does he have more than one head?

I pity the rich man. He wants

in “Scavenger Elite”

companionship, yet, no one is ready to offer him any, because, everybody sees him as self-sufficient in everything.

By Lanre Kehinde

LIBRA: Although others may try to oppose your brilliant ideas it indicated that you will laugh last today, especially if you refuse to be intimidated. Love and listen to your spouse.

SCORPIO: The language that will appeal to you more today is hard work, and whoever is coming with idea of joining the band wagon of merry making may be talking to the wrong channel. Watch your health.

SAGITTARIUS: Young-at-heart among you are in for an exciting day when both excitement and satisfaction can go together. Enterprising business personalities among you will smile. Take your health seriously.

CAPRICORN: Naturally you are the ambitious type and good opportunity to exhibit your innate ability will come your way. Please try not to neglect your domestic responsibilities; be more family minded.

AQUARIUS: Opportunity to consolidate on progress made yesterday will come. This is a good day to make practical your new ideas at work. Lovers will smile. New attractions while on the move indicated.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

PISCES: Although tomorrow will prove more successful for you, here is a day you can enhance your financial prospects through practical and ambitious approach from you. Be more family minded.

ARIES: If you are already committed emotionally, it is better you discourage new romantic attractions while on the move or else you find yourself at cross roads sooner than you can imagine.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Basic characteristic of Capricorn RULER = AMBITIOUS SATURN-THE LAW. QUALITY = CARDINAL. ELEMENT = EARTH. SYMBOL = THE GLORIOUS MONTAIN GOAT. GROUP = FEMININE. ZODIACAL POSITION = THE 10TH. Because they rarely day dream, Capricorns are set of practical people. This is because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn the planet of Career, material things and sceptics. Although, the spirit of pessimism often times tempt the Capricorns, to succeed they will need to develop strong will that is indispensable to achievements of higher order because, series of challenges will come his/her way before he/she finally makes it to the top. Most Capricorns are forced to shoulder many responsibilities early in life. Career building comes first in Capricorn’s priority lists which often leads to enviable Career achievements that guarantee recognition. And another name for Capricorn is PATIENCE. Yet, Capricorn can appear mean in the business circle. And He/She will tell you that seriousness and business are synonymous. Above all, Capricorn is endowed with leadership capacity.

Capricorn ‘s quality is Cardinal, element is the Earth. The Cardinal aspect makes a natural leader with strong ability for hard work. Natives of Cardinal signs crave for action and strongly desire prominence and often times make success of their love of action and desire for importance through relentless efforts.

The earthly connection with Capricorn further confirms innate ability for hard work and practicality in your nature.

Saturn is the planet of hard task, delay, depression, frustration but reward after so much struggles.

Being a difficult teacher, Saturn usually takes its natives through many different tasks, challenges and delay. All these are meant to teach Capricorn born person the virtues of patience and hard work. However, Saturn usually brings its natives recognition and reward. However, the cautious side of Saturn always manifest in all Capricorns and it is needless to say that they are usually cautious type of people but it is necessary for them to watch that side of their characteristics as they often push their cautious side too far and most of the time it results to black mood.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOMBER 6 , 2015—37

1,500 people trapped, houses submerged as flood ravages Delta community

By Ochuko Akuopha

O

LEH—NO fewer than 1,500 persons have been reportedly trapped and scores of houses submerged by the ravaging flood at Adia-Obiaka community, Ndokwa-East Local Government Area, Delta State.

Farmlands and valuable household properties have also been destroyed by the flood which found its way into the community as the River Niger overflowed its banks.

It was gathered that the flood which began to flow into the community early last week had completely overtaken the village, as farmers were forced to embark on panic harvest.

Speaking to Vanguard on the development, the councillor representing Umuolu ward 6, in the Ndokwa-East Local Government Area, legislative arm, Mr. Major Azubike, said “their farmlands have been destroyed, so they are trying to gather the little they can before they are evacuated

from the community.”

He disclosed that the council’s administration had concluded plans to evacuate the victims to a camp at the

Skills Acquisition Centre in Ashaka.

“It is a very big problem; we visited the community on Wednesday and we assembled

the people and gave them up till Sunday to prepare to be evacuated to the IDP camp at Ashaka,” he said.

LAUNCHING: General Manager, Wave 91.7fm, Ify Onyegbule (middle) with staff of the radio station, during the official lauch of Wave 91.7FM (former Radio Port Harcourt), in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

GOV POLLS: Bayelsa women warn against violence,

intimidation

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—WOMEN from various communities in Bayelsa State, yesterday, warned against electoral violence and intimidation ahead of the December 5 governorship election in the state, after threat by a group that called itself “Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, MBB”, to mobilise 10,000 youths to protest against the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva.

Sylva’s campaign organisation warned against such demonstration blaming it on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the government.

Despite warnings of possible breakdown of law and order that could result from the protest, MBB denied government involvement, insisting that the protest scheduled for October 14, would be peaceful.

The women, who spoke to newsmen after their meeting in Yenagoa, said they were apprehensive of already existing political tension in the state ahead of the election.

The women on the platform of Women of Excellence, WE, said all parties for the election should adhere to the rules of engagement.

Coordinator of the group, Mrs. Tari-Ere Gita said, “In

C M Y K

recent past, Bayelsa State was smeared by violence, killings, kidnappings and cultism. State machineries were used to sponsor terrorism directed mostly at political opponents, and perceived enemies of government.

"Many Bayelsans fled into exile in neighbouring states and other places.”

She, however, enjoined all the parties to pursue peace and political tolerance, insisting that the election must be held in an atmosphere of civility, law and order.

"Gita called on politicians to desist from heating up the polity and asked security agencies to ensure protection of lives and properties before, during and after the election and urged security agencies to arrest and deal with anybody promoting violence in the state.

“We call on the President Muhammadu Buhari, to direct all relevant security agencies to ensure that Bayelsans are spared the anguish of political violence and wanton destruction of lives and properties. Mr. President must

not be seen to encourage or tactically support electoral violence, and must therefore take appropriate steps to ensure that the election is free and fair. Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should ensure that the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa State are held in accordance with law and in line with international electoral best practices.”

DESOPADEC to train 20 pilots —MAKINDE

By Emma Amaize

A

S A B A — MANAGING Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief William Makinde, has assured that the organization would train no fewer than 20 pilots during his tenure, despite dwindling allocation to the state.

Makinde disclosed this in Warri when Urhobo staff of the commission hosted him, and DESOPADEC commissioners of Urhobo ethnic extraction.

According to him, “before my tenure will end, the commission must produce not less than 20 commercial pilots. In spite of the dwindling revenue of the state occasioned by the drastic fall in the oil prices, which is also affecting the revenue of the commission, our focus will be on human capital development of our youths, women and other sectors of the economy.”

The Managing Director said the commission would adopt 5050 ratio for both men and women in its youth development programme, adding that the present board of commission would review and complete viable projects inherited from the previous board and also execute new projects.

Speaking, president of the DESOPADEC Urhobo Staff Association, Omoemu Oriogbe, expressed happiness at the appointment of Chief Makinde as Managing Director, and other Urhobos as commissioners, and appealed to him to appropriately address staff welfare.

Buhari'll deliver dividends of democracy, says Omene

By Godwin Oghre

M

OSOGAR—THE Urhobo nation, yesterday, expressed confidence in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari, to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians, saying, “the President has impressed us in less than four

months.”

Speaking, through the President General of their umbrella body, the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Joe Omene, the people also said, “General Buhari is a statesman. He has just proved to us that he is like Dr Nelson Madella, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe,

Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and others who left foot prints of their good deeds in the sands of time.”

They urged sons and daughters of Urhobo nation, at home, and in Diaspora to be patient with President Buhari’s administration, saying, “Before now, no northern leader at the national level had marginalized

us and Buhari, a northerner will not marginalize the Urhobos.

During Buhari’s campaign he visited us and we discussed with him, he will give to us what is ours. That is what Tafawa Balewa, ShehuShagariandYar’Aduadid.Buhari has done it for the Afenifere and Arewa.

He has also done it for Ndigbo people who initially doubted him.”

African women seek end to environmental degradation

P

By Jimitota Onoyume

ORT HARCOURT— AFRICAN women have called for an end to environmental degradation in the continent.

A statement to mark the 2015 Global Day for Women on Climate Change, by Executive Director, Women Resource and

Development Centre, Emem Okon in Port Harcourt, said activities of the extractive industries in several African countries had impoverished community people, especially women.

The Executive Director, Kebetkache Emem, who led women from eight African countries participating in a strategic

summit in Port Harcourt, with the theme, “African women uniting for energy, food and climate change “ on a solidarity march in Port Harcourt, demanding climate justice, said multinational corporations should respect the environment since their operations had resulted in climate change.

The women from Kenya, Zimbabwe,Malawi,Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, on the peaceful march, said while the extractive activities of the industries were impacting negatively on communities and women, the multinationals behind the acts, were profiting largely.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

MISSING GOVT CHEQUE LEAFLETS: 10

Golden Tulip Hotel opens at Ajao Estate

arrested, to face court soon

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—IMO State government has said about 10 youths that allegedly stole some leaflets of its cheques have been arrested and will soon be charged to court.

The government said the momemt the crime was discovered, it notified the affected commercial banks not to honour the cheques.

Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, in a statement, however, did not disclose the names of the youths.

According to him, “the only problem the government had with the issue of cheques was when some youths, who decided to be tools in the hands of the opponents of the government stormed the Imo International Trade Centre, where the personnel of Imo Youth Must Work Programme were collecting

their cheques, and the intruders not only attacked those issuing the cheques, but capitalized on the confusion occasioned by the unwarranted attack, to make away with a good number of the cheque booklets.”

The statement explained that following the development, government had no other option than to notify the banks concerned to cancel all the cheques with the serial numbers of the stolen cheque booklets.

“The notified banks acted accordingly and about 10 of those who took the cheques have been arrested and will be charged to court in a matter of days”, he said.

Although the government did not give the names of the alleged suspects or the security agency that arrested them, the CPS, noted that “those who are not happy that the state government has cleared all the salary arrears owed to its workers have been trying to distort the credits associated with the payment of

these salary arrears and they are the ones behind the bounced cheque claim”.

While saying that the salary arrears of parastatal workers were ready, the statement however explained that “the only reason they have not been paid was the inability of the state government

Gov Umahi tasks people on NYSC-conceived health initiatives

A

By Peter Okutu

B A K A L I K I — GOVERNOR Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, yesterday, called on stakeholders, development centres, and the people of the state, to key into the health initiative for rural dwellers, conceived by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. Umahi spoke while flagging off the 2015 one-week medical outreach on the platform of NYSC

Bishop urges terrorists, sponsors to stop senseless killings

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

WERRI—Members of the Boko Haram insurgents and their sponsors, have been advised to turn a new leaf and stop the senseless killing of innocent citizens.

The General Overseer of Praise Centre Church International, Bishop Stafford Nwaogu, who made the appeal, yesterday, in Owerri, while speaking to Vanguard, also noted, “the nation has had more than its fair share of bloodletting since the insurgency began.

"Security of life and property is

not only being seen as very paramount, but should also be a first charge in government activity. Insecurity is adversely affecting investors. If investors are affected, the economy is affected and when the economy is affected, the people suffer.”

While appealing to the press to do more to save the country’s democracy, Bishop Nwaogu, urged journalists to use their “platform and talk some sense into the ears of the powers that be.”

On the anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari, the cleric said: “We like the probe. We agree that

and the leaders of the organised labour in the state to reach a consensus on what should be the fate of the workers in these affected parastatals after the payment of the salary arrears, since the managements of the parastatals have already been concessioned.”

corruption should stop. There should be no selective probe. The Federal Government ought to have taken a reasonable time, if the probe will make some sense.”

Speaking on the theme of this year’s international conference of the church, Bishop Nwaogu said: “This year, the theme is, 'Blessed to reproduce." Right now, everybody is looking for employment. We want to change it. We now want to make people employers of labour. This will give our youths a sense of belonging.

We are looking at building people that will team up and go into profitable investments.”

Health Initiative, for rural dwellers (NYSC-HIRD) programme for different communities across the state.

The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, noted that the initiative would serve as a platform to engage corps medical personnel in the sensitization of the rural dwellers, on disease prevention, provision of first aid services, monitoring of cases and provision of appropriate referral, when necessary.

He assured the management of NYSC scheme of his administration’s support towards its successful implementation in the state.

In his address, the DirectorGeneral of NYSC, Brig-Gen. JB Oluwumi, represented by the Ebonyi State Director of the scheme, Mrs. Ejiaka Gladys Mbachi, noted that the goal of the HIRD programme was meant to mobilize corps medical volunteers in the provision of health intervention through diagnosis, treatment, referrals and proper prevention mechanism of rural dwellers across the country.

She said, “This one-week health outreach, which is taking place simultaneously in selected rural communities across Nigeria, has been designed to address the health challenges of our people”.

PEOPLE SPEAK

By Chris Onuoha

A

S PART of the growth of hospitality industry in Nigeria, Louver Hotels Group chain, has opened a branch in Lagos, called Golden Tulip Essential Airport Hotel.

The 75-room four star hotel located at Mafoloku, Ajao Estate, was, weekend, unveiled to the public.

Speaking at the ceremony, General Manager, Mr. Ronald Stilting, said, “Golden Tulip Essential Airport Hotels is the latest addition in Nigeria to the Golden Tulip Hotels chain- the Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip and Royal Tulip, which started operations in the early 1960s in Netherlands with a total of over 240 hotels in 45 countries.

"It is our wish to extend our quality services and contribute to the development of hospitality industry in Nigeria. With this new outlet, we are poised to deliver international hospitality standards of comfort, services and f a c i l i t i e s , complemented by highly skilled personnel offering warm, friendly and welcoming services that will inspire and unfailingly exceed guests' expectations.”

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

On Diezani's arrest in UK THIS IS really shameful.

With the help of the British government our money will be recovered and utilized for the benefit of all. Our new crop of ministers should, please, live above board and not use their privilege to serve to turn us to paupers. -Mr. Isaac Orogun, Worker

BRITAIN SHOULD have made the former petroleum minister’s charges more open on the money laundering, among others and say if it were on Nigeria’s order, since EFCC also cordoned her Abuja mansion at the same time.

-Mr. Timileyin Jaiyeola, Freightforwarder

THE BRITISH and other international communities should bear the shame, as they at first allowed these corrupt practices go on at their nose. They did not do anything until at our prompting due to President Buhari's anti-corruption stance. -Mr. Awwal Maimakawa, Accountant

THE NORTHERNERS are calling Dieziani thief, but let us look at it very well. She did not steal their cow, groundnut or sugarcane. She is accused of stealing oil money which came from her side. Can someone steal from himself? -Mr. Oswald Meche, Businessman

LET US wait and see the outcome of everything.

However, we are in trouble that can only be solved by God Himself not even Buhari. I advise against sponsorship of any pro-group that will go about protesting. Let us remain calm. Miss Ebereke Kelechi, Student

I BELIEVE in this country and I hopefully know that all those behind the looting of funds in this country will be brought to justice.

They can never be stronger than this country, Nigeria.

Let her prove herself in the court both there and here.

-Mr. Nelson Nwamara, Self-Employed

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 39

I’m still alive, Kogi lawmaker cries out

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—THE member representing Igalamela/ Odolu State constituency in Kogi State House of Assembly, Elder Friday Sanni, has cried out that he was still alive, following the widely speculated rumour of his death in the hands of hired assassins.

Sanni, who dispelled the rumour yesterday in Lokoja, said though attacked, he was lucky to have escaped to Abuja for treatment due to the internal injuries he sustained during the attack.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen, Sanni said he was allegedly attacked last Saturday at Attah’s palace, Idah, in Idah local government area of the state, where he had gone to pay homage to the Attah of Igala land, HRM, Ameh Oboni (11), by hoodlums loyal to All Progressives Congress, APC, and noted that he was able to escape by divine intervention.

He said: “I was at the attah’s palace with my colleague from Idah, Elder Ekwubile, to pay homage and I later donated N300, 000 for the completion of some project in the palace. There, the Attah blessed me and proclaimed that no weapon used against me will pierce my body.

“As if he knew that I will be attacked, a few minutes later, some hoodlums who I know is a political party flagbearer entered the palace

...APC behind attempt on my life, he insists ...He should be questioned over the attack — AUDU

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

J

AWARD: From left; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House; with Chief Arthur Mbanefo; Mr & Mrs Tunde Fowler; Mrs Funke Fowler Amba and Chief Olu Akinkugbe, all awardees during The Trinity House 2015 Honour Nigeria Service & Awards with the theme: ''Building a New Nigeria'', at the church on Victoria Island, Lagos, weekend. Photo by Biodun Ogunleye. and attacked me with cutlasses, axe and other weapons. I was taken to Abuja where it was revealed that I sustained internal injuries.

“I was surprised today (yesterday) to wake up and heard that some people were celebrating and jubilating that I have been killed by the assassins. ‘’I want to say that I’m not

dead, I’m hale and hearty because no weapon fashioned against me as a child of God will prosper!”.

But APC flagbearer for the November 21, governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu, in a swift reaction, said the lawmaker should be questioned for the attack “As far as I’m concerned, all I

heard is that political thugs attacked him (Sani). He should be questioned about what relationship he had with the thugs before he was attacked by them,” Audu said.

Sanni alleged that the attack was masterminded by a rival political party which felt he was a threat to their candidate winning the election.

KOGI WEST: I’m sure of victory, Melaye boasts

By Boluwaji Obahopo

L

OKOJA—SENATOR Dino Melaiye, last weekend at Iyara, headquarters of Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State boasted that he was sure of winning at the tribunal in the case instituted against him by

Senator Smart Adeyemi challenging his victory of March 28 general election.

Melaye, who spoke at the annual Ijumu Day celebration held at the Palace of Olujumu of Ijumuland, turned the occasion into a political jamboree as he and his supporters caused a stir when

Don't place pry schools under LGs, Kwara NUT warns

By Demola Akinyemi

I

LORIN—KWARA State chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Musa Abubakar, has warned against the placement of primary school system under local government authorities, saying it would be vehemently resisted.

Abubakar, who said this in his address on the occasion of 2015 World Teachers Day held at the state NUT secretariat along Asa Dam Ilorin, also urged the Federal Government to establish the long overdue Secondary School Commission for effective and efficient administration.

Speaking on primary education,he said: “In as much as we support Mr President.

Change agenda for our dear nation and in his bid to reposition education ,care must be taken in

I'm not a monster — AIG MBU

repositioning primary education system,particularly in its management and finances”.

“Any attempt to place primary school system in the hands of local government authorities shall be vehemently resisted.”

Abubakar, who seized the opportunity to list the achievements of his executives, also urged the state government to consider teachers for appointment as permanent secretary, chairmanship of TESCOM, SUBEB and even commissioner for education, to ensure that round pegs were put in the round holes.

He also called for the increase of state government’s monthly subvention to N150m to ensure up to date payment of retired primary and secondary school teachers’ gratuity and pension.

they started singing songs of victory over the pending suit which judgement had been fixed for October 10, 2015.

Melaye, a special guest of honour at the ceremony, averred that those who dragged him before the tribunal were just wasting their time, saying nobody could stop him from completing his four years term as a senator.

Asked if he knew he would win the case by the crowd, Melaye uged them to just wait till judgement day to celebrate the foreseen victory, when the Tribunal, led by Justice Akon Ikpeme, would rule in his favour.

He, however, urged the

people to show more affinity with their country home, lamenting that this year’s Ijumu Day was not properly conducted or attended, in spite of the eminent personalities that hailed from Ijumu Local Government.

“This is our own Jerusalem.

It is there in Psalm 122 that we must not forsake our own Jerusalem. Anyone who forsake his background is a bastard.

“This Ijumu has produce eminent personalities in the like of Chief Bayo Ojo, Major Gen. David Jemibewon, Prince Olushola Akanmode, Senator Smart Adeyemi, among others, yet this years celebration is like this; this is not good enough,’’ he said.

O S — A S S I S TA N T Inspector General of Police, AIG, Mbu Joseph Mbu, has said he was not a monster but a proud police officer with a mission to transform the Police Staff College and make those serving in the college proud of the Force.

AIG Mbu, who resumed duty yesterday as the Commandant of the Police Staff College, PSC, Jos, said he would do his best to transform the college and appealed to journalists to assist him in the discharge of his duty.

He noted that the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, had many challenges and urged police officers and men to give the IGP the needed support and discharge their duties as expected.

His words: “I was posted here not on punishment but to come and transform the College. I did not resume early because I was on leave, I am still a serving Police Officer and I love my job and I do my job as should be done.

“While working, I do not know wife, brother or friend. I am proud to be a Police officer.

I am not a monster, my detractors are sponsored to write rubbish about me, as I am here, Officers on Course and those serving here are going to be treated well so they enjoy their jobs.

“This college is the highest Police Training institution in the country and it is a privilege to be posted here. Our Inspector General has promised to ensure that training is his priority and that is why I was posted to help transform the College.

“I have come to build confidence in my Police men, they must work with confidence, without fear of intimidation.

I don’t compromise discipline and will ensure that the tenets of the job are strictly adhered to.''

Obasanjo, Oyinlola, Sen Tinubu, others for HAN retreat

By Bartholomew Madukwe

F

ORMER President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Remi Tinubu and governors of South West are among dignitaries participating at the Hoteliers Association of Nigeria , HAN, Southwest zonal three-day retreat in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Other dignitaries include former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola,

MD/CEO Sifax Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, and Chairman, Premier Lotto and speakers of the South West Houses of Assembly, Mr. Kessington Adebutu.

The theme of the retreat is, “Promoting Industry Growth, Efficient Resource Management, Service Delivery and Stakeholders Relationship through a Virile, Functional and Responsive Regional Hoteliers Platform”.

Also expected at the event are Chairman Capital Oil, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Adeola Olamilekan

Solomon (FCA), Senator Dapo Tejuoso, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Chief Sunday Oladele, Chairman Monimo Hotels, Alhaji Rasak Olanrewaju Akanni, MD City Hotels/ LAMEX Group, Dr. Akintunde Ayeni, Chairman Yemkem Limited.

President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria, FTAN, Mr. Tomi Akingbogun, and Mr Bimbo Olaleye of International Breweries would deliver goodwill messages scheduled to take place between October 13 and 15, 2015.

40—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

VISIT: Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (right), presenting a plaque to the President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Mr. Igwe Achese, during a courtesy call in Abuja.

Akwa Ibom State (right); Super Eagles' Captain, Vincent Enyeama (left) and others at the funeral service of Mrs. Lucy Enyeama, Vincent's mother, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Ika Parish, Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

INVESTITURE: From left— Prince Bambo Adesanya; Bishop of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Olusola Odedeji; his wife, Lydia; Chancellor, Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral, Justice Babasola Ogunade; Mrs. Pheola Caulcrick and Rev. Canon, Theodore Nwabasili, at the Institution of Canons and Collation of Archdeacons at Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. PHOTO: Diran Oshe.

DELOITTE: From left— Firm Leader, Tawanda Gumbo; West Africa Clients & Industries Leader, Marie-Theresa Phido; Associate Director, West Africa Technology Consulting Leader, Oluwole Oyeniran, and Africa Technology Leader, Kamal Ramsingh, all of Deloitte Nigeria, at the firm's Tech Trends 2015 in Lagos.

BRIEFING: From left— Regional Director, Africa Daikin Air Conditioning Middle East & Africa, Mr. Mohamed Abbas; President, Daikin Middle East & Africa, Mr. Sano Ryoji; interpreter, Ms Kunga Miyuki, and Media Consultant, Mr. John Woma, at a briefing in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

LAUNCH: From left— National Sales Manager, Mr. Akeem Abdul; Head, Marketing, Mr. Michael Daniel, and Country Manager, Mr. Theo Williams, all of Ajeast Nigeria Limited, during the launch of Big Cola, Orange and Lemon brand of non-alcoholic beverage at Agbara, Ogun State. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

THE VENTURE: From left— Brand Manager, Chivas, Mr. Samuel Odesanmi; Marketing Director, Brand Richard, Nigeria, Mr. Sola Oke; Head, Panel of Judges, The Ventures and President, Chocolate City Group, Mr. Audu Maikori, and Director, Open Living Labs and Co-Founder CC Hub, Mr. Femi Longe, at a press conference announcing the commencement of The Venture, a competition for social entereprenuers in Nigeria, at Yaba, Lagos. PHOTO: Oscar Ochiogu.

FOR ENYEAMA'S MOTHER: Governor Udom Emmanuel of

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FCMB: From left— Divisional Head, Transaction Banking, First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Limited, Mrs. Rolayo Akhigbe; Managing Director, NetPlus Advisory Limited, Mr. Wole Faroun, and Group Head, Conglomerate, Corporate Banking Division, FCMB, Mrs. Chinyere Muda-Sanusi, during a conference on the growth of merchant businesses organized by CNBC Africa and FCMB in Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 41

Lagos lawmakers commence screening of commissioners, SAs amid petitions

Teachers beg Amosun to recall sacked colleague

By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Ebun Sessou & Monsur Olowoopejo

By Daud Olatunji

A

B E O K U TA — TEACHERS in Ogun yesterday, begged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to recall a teacher, Jolaolu Adegbenro, who was sacked by the state government over setting of an “offensive English question” in an examination.

The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASSUS, in Ogun, Akeem Lasisi, made the plea during the 2015 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abeokuta.

Lasisi, who said the Association was not happy with the situation, stressed that ASSUS would never be a party to a situation where one bites the hands that fed him.

“We beg you sir in the spirit of World Teachers’ Day, to please forgive him,'' he said.

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AGOS—COMMITTEE members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, commenced the screening of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s nominees for post of commissioners and Special Advisers amid petitions against some of the nominees.

Ambode, on September 21, presented the names of intended cabinet members to the state House of Assembly for screening and subsequent approval.

The Speaker of the House, Hon Mudashiru Obasa, after deliberations over the list set up a 15-man ad-hoc screening committee to handle the exercise.

The screening is being done in phases behind closed doors in the assembly complex, Alausa, Ikeja.

Informed sources said the first set of nominees yesterday were cleared after thorough drilling

by the lawmakers

Petitions galore

Meantime, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisation, CSO, has petitioned the assemblymen alleging that some of the nominees were corrupt.

The group, under the aegis of Lagos Good Governance Coalition, LAGCO, urged members of the 15-man ad-hoc committee not to confirm any of the corrupt nominees.

Also, Ikoyi Club of 1938 at the weekend filed a petition, alleging “financial mismanagement and fraud” against one of the nominees, who was the vice chairman of the elite club sometime ago.

LAGCO, in a letter to the House, stated that it was in line with their primary objectives of ensuring that government is accountable to the people and to fight corruption that they are warning the Assembly against endorsing fraudulent characters

Apapa gridlock reduces customs revenue by N6.7bn

GHOST TEACHERS:

NUT on collision course with Ondo govt

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—THE Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Ondo state chapter is on collision course with the state government over the removal of the names of 166 teachers from the payment vouchers after the recent verification exercise.

This is coming as the teachers at this year’s World teachers Day celebration in Akure, the Ondo State capital lamented that they are suffering under the present administration.

The 166 primary school teachers were believed to be ghost teachers employed illegally.

Consequently, their names were yanked off the government payroll by the state government after the verification exercise.

But responding to the development during the teachers day celebration, the Chairman of the NUT, Comrade Ojo Fanimomokun, alleged maltreatment of teachers and described the case of the 166 primary school teachers as unacceptable.

By Godwin Oritse

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AGOS—THE Apapa Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, yesterday said it collected a total of N23.3 billion as revenue for the month of September, recording a short fall of N6.7 billion.

One of the reasons adduced for the fall is the incessant gridlock in the Apapa axis of the state.

The command has a monthly collection target of N30 billion.

In a statement, the Customs Area Comptroller, CAC, Charles Edike said; ''The decline in revenue might not be unconnected with the exclusion of some items from foreign exchange transactions by

the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Edike also said that the Apapa gridlock has taken its toll on the revenue profile of the command "'The Apapa gridlock has actually affected the customs revenue because it has affected trade,'' he said.

The report indicated that N12.6 billion went into the Federation Account in September comprising import duty, fees and Common External Tariffs.

It said that under the Non-Federation Account, the command generated N10.7 billion from 5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT); 7 per cent Port Levy, and 0.5 per cent ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

to be either commissioners or special advisers in the state.

Coordinator of the group, Michael Adebayo, contended that it had become public knowledge that at least one individual on the would-be cabinet list was indicted for fraud by an organisation to which he

once belonged and was consequently expelled.

Also, one Chief Oladele Benson, formally lodged an objection to the nomination and approval by the legislature of one of the nominees (names withheld) as a commissioner/or special adviser to Ambode.

Ekiti re-constitutes prerogative of mercy council

By Rotimi Olaleye

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DO EKITI—THE Ekiti State Government has reconstituted the State Advisory Council to the Governor on Prerogatives of Mercy.

Members of the Advisory Council include the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi as Chairman, the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Babatope Ojo; the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Gbenga Daramola and the Comptroller of Prisons, Ekiti State

Command, Mr. Mustapha Atta.

Others are the Chief Imam of the Government House, Alhaji Rafiu Fatai, the Government House Chaplin, Pastor Seyi Olusola who doubles as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and the Director of Administration and Supply; Mrs. Margaret Oyebola is Secretary of the Council.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Council in Ado Ekiti, the Attorney General and Commissioner for justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi explained that the Committee was reconstituted to assist the Governor to duly exercise his discretionary power to grant State pardon to prisoners.

42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 43

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44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

•Makoko

Lagos, a megacity only in population •Where squalor, poor infrastructure persist

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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EN years ago, Lagos joined the league of megacities. The city was listed by the United Nations, UN, after attaining the required population standard, even as it predicted that the population of Lagos would in 2015 rise to over 16 million.

But the population of the second megacity in Africa has surpassed the figure according to the state government; considering the influx of residents of other states and foreign nationals into Lagos.

Urban growth After reviewing the World Urbanization Prospects last year, the UN noted that the largest urban growth will take place in Nigeria especially in Lagos, India and China. And that they will account for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world’s urban population between 2014 and 2050.

By 2050, Nigeria including Lagos is projected to add 212 million people to world urban dwellers. The exploding urban population growth creates unprecedented challenges for Lagos.

Among which provision for pipe borne water, sanitation,

good roads especially inner city roads, affordable housing and effective transport system have been the most pressing and painfully felt.

The commercial activities in the city have aided it to generate at least 25 percent of the country Gross Domestic product, GDP. The immediate past administration in Lagos disclosed that between 2007 and 2015, N2.433 trillions revenue was realized through Federal allocation, Internally Generated Revenue, IGR and others.

And that over N2.7 trillion was spent on providing infrastructure and other economic needs for residents in eight years. Of this, N1.132 trillion was spent on 8, 961 projects/programmes in the state. Even with this, the infrastructure provided by the

The exploding urban population growth creates unprecedented challenges for Lagos

government failed to commensurate with the huge revenue realized through taxes and other levies in the state.

For instance on water supply, residents of Igando and Ikotun in Alimosho Local Government, Ketu, Ilogbo-Eremi and Agbara in Badagry Local Government have often complained that they rely on water from either unhygienic boreholes or from water vendors popularly called Mairuwa for their daily water needs.

They explained that lack of public water facilities had resulted to the proliferation of private boreholes, wells and continuous engagement of the Mairuwa services to meet their daily demand for water.

Sources said that larger percent of these private facilities lack the good treatment plants to turn the sourced water into drinkable one because they are from shallow wells and the owners do not have the financial capacity to procure the required water treatment plants, forcing them to use their water without treatment.

Vanguard gathered that few areas that had laid water pipes experienced unstable water supply, thus they wait for water distributors or settle for sachet water.

A resident in Alapere, Mrs. M a r y Olatunbosun speaking to •BRT-sweeper Vanguard on how the state government had helped Island annex, Eredo, Otta-Ikosi, in providing their daily water Agege, Epe, Isolo, Apapa, needs, said angrily; “We do not Surulere, Amuwo-Odofin and have access to public water others. facility here, either from the Mr. Damilare Fasasi, another Federal or state government. We resident lamented “What can we source for water daily and this is do when government has done individually. abandoned the supply of water “And daily, the state to citizens? We will rely on the government boasts of providing available source of water supply. water to the public through their You know that we cannot do water works in Iju and Adiyan without water.” water works. But to our surprise, “I’ve never had access to public we have none to drink in our water or sighted any public tap community.” in this community since I came few years ago. All I do is to rely Mini on any source of water. If we have running water at our disposal, water works the mairuwa will be phased out Vanguard learnt that the two because they will have no one to water works produce 115 million sell to.

“But until then, we have no gallons of water per day and they are powered by an Independent option than to patronize water vendors. Either portable or not, Power Plant, IPP. Sources said that the state they are doing much more than government has over 30 water the government at the moment.”

Mr. Olatunbosun Tijani, works in the pipeline with expectant 55.1 million gallons of another resident, said that the mairuwa lacked the wherewithal water per day.

The sources added that the to manage or distribute water state government also has 14 effectively, adding “Aside this, micro or mini water works. Some we have to manage the water by of them are located at Victoria Continues on page 45

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 45

Lagos, a megacity only in population Continues from page 44 evolving common water cleansing methods. Also, patronize the neater vendors.”

Mrs. Olabisi Akanbi emphasised “Let’s not muddle up responsibilities, the government ought to provide portable water for its citizens and not the water vendors who operate for profit. So the government should try and improve on the accessibility and availability of water supply to its citizens,” On roads, tides and time have not changed the bad state of inner city roads which serves as link for motorist to connect the major roads in Lagos; even after the state government have often declared its intention to fix the inner city roads in the state.

Ironically, the ugly state of these roads which are over 1, 000 become evident during the rainy season, when storm water washes off loose sand and tar from them.

And due to the hideous state of these roads, residents have decried the neglect and lack of maintenance of these neighbourhood roads in the state.

Most visitors into the state may not be aware of these challenges.

And they leave with the impression that all the roads in the state are well tarred for easy vehicular movement.

But some resident lamented that the poor state of the road especially during the rainy season force motorist to abandon their private vehicles to board commercial buses, because the roads are impassable.

They argued that work is yet to commence on some of the roads that the government promised to build few years ago while work on those under construction have been abandoned by the contractors. The residents are of general opinion that the road projects have dragged for more than their approved time for

Most visitors into the state may not be aware of these challenges and they leave with the impression that all the roads in the state are well tarred

construction.”

Adekunle Owolabi a resident of Ojo Local Government said; “If you drive round the council, you will observe that larger percent of the inner city roads are bad and we do not know the present administration’s plans for roads in 2016. We just want a change. The roads are bad.

Mr. Wilson Oke, a resident of Igando, Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area, LCDA, complained that the inner city roads in the axis have been neglected.

He said; “You can see that the roads are tarred but the inner city roads have been overlooked.

This axis of the council has literite and whenever it rained, the roads become impassable. We expected that the government should consider the construction of the roads as priority considering the population that resides here.”

And due to the deplorable state of the inner city roads, commercial motorcycle had been the fastest means of transportation. Though their activities have been restricted but residents have failed to stop patronizing them.

Even the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT and LAGBUS introduced by

the government have were not properly managed. They are gradually becoming the Molue earlier tagged unsuitable for the state by the government.

The poor management of these fleet of buses was displayed last week in an Igbogbo/Ikorodu – Maryland-bound BRT bus.

The bus was thrown into commotion, as a female personnel of the LAGBUS started sweeping inside the bus even with passengers on board.

This ill-mannered action almost resulted into a fracas when the bus got to the Zumratul junction, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos, as many of the passengers protested the apparent filth in the bus.

Frequent boat mishaps Aside the road transport system, the waterways is a nightmare for anyone who chose to board any of the ferries. Many have to pray throughout the duration of their journeys. The reason for this, according to Mr. Tajudeen Oladipupo, is that the frequent boat mishaps often scare many. While those who decide

to risk the trip result to prayers and constant warning of the boat caption not to over speed.

One of those residents was Miss. Lateefat Bashir, a 23-yearold entrepreneur from Oyo State, leaving her home town for greener pasture desired to expand her bead baking business. As she decides to leave, two cities jostle for her attention; Lagos and Abuja. She chose Lagos and her decision was premised on the status of the city as a megacity.

On arriving at the city adjudged as the fastest growing megacity in Africa, she discovered that this was also the dream of many youths who see the commercial hub of the country as the best place to achieve their dream.

Aside Nigerian who trooped from other states to Lagos, Togolese immigrants seeking asylum in Benin Republic for years but were denied, they eventually left for Lagos thinking the city will give them their desire.

Though they have been repatriated, but Vanguard * learned that the first set of immigrants left the French speaking country for Lagos after reading online that Lagos was the fastest growing megacity in the world.

Unveiling Lagos highbrow estates, where the rich live

By Ebun Sessou

F

OR the rich and famous, living in a place like Lekki as well as Ikoyi means living close to paradise. Either in rented or owned apartments, what matters is the unique and tranquil environment filled with serenity, beauty and the sweet essence of the harmonious lagoon breeze.

From Ikoyi where Banana Island, Park-view are located among others to Lekki area, being a part of the paradise is one thing that the rich would not part away with unlike the low income earners, who probably will live anywhere in the state provided it is their own house.

Most of the estates where the rich live are built in a stealth-level security, 24 hour power supply, street lights, green recreational areas among other features.

For instance, the Lekki housing projects consist of three projects including the horizon 1, horizon 2 and the new horizon which offers a unique and comfortable atmosphere which the rich are looking for.

A place like Chevron Drive estate costs more than N250 million to own. The houses consist of flats, terraces and semidetached houses thoughtfully designed with gracefully flowing layouts, generous use of space, large living, dining and bedrooms.

A man, simply called Mr. Eden who lives in Chevron Drive told Vanguard that residents enjoy affordable 24 hours power, welllandscaped and green recreational areas, stealth-level security, street lights and luxury scenery while entertaining, dining and social events are available at the estate’s recreational centre, he said.

Demand for luxury real estate is growing fast in Lagos especially Ikoyi and Lekki areas and the prices range.

According to research, buyers of these luxury residences are mainly expatriates and nonresidents operating businesses in Nigeria. Some are also Nigerian politicians,celebrities as well as

Buyers of these luxury residences are mainly expatriates and non-residents operating businesses in Nigeria

•A typical house on Banana Island business men and women.

Research also shows that Lagos has four of the 10 most-expensive estates in Nigeria. Abuja has three. Ibadan, Abeokuta and Port Harcourt also made the list with some of the most expensive properties in the country. There are other places in Nigeria with expensive property that are yet to be listed.

An estate agent, Mr. Niyi Adeyemi explained that, a two bedroom bungalow in Ajah area of Lekki located at cooperative estate with two bathrooms and one kitchen goes for N700,000 .

While, brand new luxury finished six units of three bedrooms flat with all rooms ensuite guests toilet and fitted kitchen at royal palm estate in Lekki goes for N900,000 per annum.

He said, a two bedroom apartment on a pent house in Lekki scheme 2, off Abraham

Adesanya estate Ajah Lekki with massive rooms goes for N750,000.00 per annum.

In Ado road, 3 bedroom duplex all en-suite is put as N1.6million per annum.

Bedroom terrace According to him, a four bedroom apartment at the back of Lagos Business School with 24 hours electricity, common Olympic swimming pool, club house & gym, dedicated parking for each house, goes for N2million as rent per annum.

While, a three bedroom flat at Budo Estate, Ajah goes for N1.3million per annum.

In Lekki Phase 1, a four bedroom terrace house with beautiful aesthetic design having all rooms en-suite,high ceilings with POP finishing, marble

flooring, walls are well screed, kitchen is fully fitted with builtin cabinets, gas cooker, oven, refrigerator, marble work top, fully fenced compound with gate, electric barb wire for security purpose, paved with interlocking stone is put at N75million, while a 5-bedroom detached with the same features goes for N170million, he explained..

A 6-bedroom detached house all en-suite with guest chalet on 2,300 square meters of land goes for N500million.

Another abode for the rich is the Banana Island which is slightly curved in shape like a banana. It has one of Nigeria’s highest densities of millionaires within its boundaries.

A three-bedroom apartment typically sells for $625,000 on Banana Island and a fivebedroom house can cost up to $2.81 million.

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48—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Ezekwesili, Adefarasin, Ghebreab chart way forward NIGERIA'S UNITY:

BAYELSA DECIDES Dickson woos PDP defectors •Says election not about me

By Samuel Oyadongha

B •Acting Consular General, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab; Senior Pastor, House on The Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, at the premiere of Captive Movie at the House on the Rock Church on October 1

L

By Charles Kumolu

ATCHING on the significance of Nigeria’s 55 years independence anniversary, eminent Nigerians converged on Lagos to promote and encourage the spirit of national cohesion among the diverse ethnic groupings in the country. Taking advantage of the exclusive premiere of Captive Movie at the House on the Rock Church on October 1, various stakeholders in the Nigerian project stressed the need for Nigerians to see the import of the last transition as an opportunity to embrace a shared sense of purpose that defines their national vision.

The forum, convened by the United States Consular General and the House on The Rock Church, was attended by former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; United States acting Consular General, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab; Pastor Paul Adefarasin; former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; Mrs. Maiden Ibru, Olorogun Oskar Ibru, Erelu Abiola Dosumu and Chief Opral Benson among others.

In his opening remarks, at the forum which was also the premier of a movie titled: ‘’Captive,” which was screened to encourage positive attitude to nation building, Adefarasin decried ethnic loyalty among Nigerians at the expense of national cohesion.

"Today, Nigeria is faced with a dilemma. Do we continue to view one another as different people? Do we accept that we are a united nation or do we insist that we are an amalgam of different nationalities? Do we accept that we are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Bini, Kalabari, Ibibio, Tiv, Birom, Idoma, Efik or the many more tribal distinctions that exist in our country or do we accept that we are simply and proudly Nigerians?” he asked Salient national Now that we questions: Beyond these have peace and salient posers, Adefarasin said: ‘’ In the 55 years of duly elected independence, Nigeria governments has faced many challenges including a bitter civil war, across our a series of oppressive tribally-diverse regimes, mis-governance and extremist insurgency. nation, Nigeria However, the reason we must now find a celebrate today is that we have overcome those shared sense of challenges, and to remain purpose that as one nation, we will defines her continue to do so. ‘’The last time we gathered at the national vision

Rock Cathedral for a similar event was when, a few months ago and preceding Nigeria’s general election, we watched David Oyelowo inspire us in the film ‘Selma’.

That event, just as it is today, was not just about screening a movie. It was purposeful. It was to educate and promote peaceful conduct during and after the election.

"I therefore must congratulate you for the part you all played in suing for peace in the midst of then palpable fear for the very worst. Today, we have peace because of our collective desire and not in spite of it.

Peace not the absence of tension: "Now that we have peace and duly elected governments across our triballydiverse nation, Nigeria must now find a shared sense of purpose that defines her national vision. Peace is not the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice. Without justice, it is impossible to enable a lasting and productive atmosphere of peace. By justice, I not only refer to criminal justice, but justice in all the ramifications of Nigerian society and this will include social justice, trade justice and economic justice, so that Nigeria can provide equity for all her people in the entire cross section of the socioeconomic strata of the Nigerian population.”

Equal opportunities In addition, he said: ‘’ All the great nations of our world today only became great because they purposed to do so as one people of one nation around an uncompromised system of shared values. The value systems include equal opportunities, equity, justice, freedom, peace, progress and the majority principle. We must build a country that offers her citizens progress and development in an atmosphere of justice, freedom and equal opportunity.”

Peace not negotiable – Ghebreab Also speaking, acting Consul-General of the United States Consulate in Nigeria, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab said that peace is not negotiable in any nation that aspires to achieve sustainable democracy and development.

Ghebreab said her country was in partnership with The Rock Cathedral to send a strong message that will change people’s lives. ‘’Societies learn from each other. In order to extend the American democracy beyond America, we decided to share that experience with Nigerians. It’s a long term commitment and that’s what we are doing today to send the message about a purpose driven life which will help contribute to having a purpose driven nation,” she noted.

Onherpart,Ezekwesilisaid:“Itisadelighttoseethiscollaborative partnershipbetweenthechurchandtheconsulate.Thechurchplays an important role in nation building. We thank the US Consular for thiskindofpartnership.Strategicpartnershipsmatter.Partneringon suchadayasourannualindependencemakesitmuchmorerelevant andisimportantfornationbuilding.”

AYELSA State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday called on all former leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the party and join him in his re-election for the development of the state.

Dickson, in a statement in Yenagoa, said the call became imperative in the wake of what he felt was the “humiliation and betrayal” meted to them by the APC leadership in the state, which had rendered them onlookers in the quest for political participation and relevance.

He also noted that the opposition party is not a viable alternative to peace, unity and development of the state, reminding them that the APC leadership in the state only had a repressive and retrogressive past, which will not serve any better purpose in the present dispensation.

While stressing that the forthcoming election was not about him, but for the greater good of Bayelsa State, Dickson urged all PDP defectors to put their grievances behind and join hands with him to uphold the interest of the state and the Ijaw nation above personal interest, adding that none of them could afford to allow the state slide into the dark days of the past.

“We may have had our differences, but in the light of current realities, it is only desirable that all our former members return to the PDP and join hands with me for greater development of Bayelsa State.

“Certainly we cannot afford a return to the dark days of our past and allow the state slide into anarchy, killings, maiming, kidnappings, cultism and state-sponsored terrorism directed at political opponents. The harrowing experiences of many Bayelsans, who fled into exile in neighbouring states and far-flung places, under the APC candidate when he held sway as governor for five years remain vivid and should not be allowed to be repeated.’’

INEC approves 50 observer groups for Kogi, Bayelsa polls

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 50 groups to observe the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections scheduled for November 21 andDecember 5 respectively.

In a letter signed by the Director of Elections and Party Monitoring Department (EPM), Bala Shittu, 43 of the approved organizations are domestic, while seven are foreign.

The approved groups include Centre for Strategic Conflict Management (CSCM), Justice and Equity Organisations (JEO), Alliance for Credible Election in Nigeria (ACEN), NEPAD Nigeria Observation Team, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CSLAC), West African Network of Election Observers (WANEO), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC),CLEEN Foundation, Independent Election Monitoring Group (IEMG), Human Rights Monitor (HRM), Police Service Commission (PSC),National Association of State Assembly Legislators (NASAL), Forum of State Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (FOSIECOM), Women Arise for Change Initiative (WAC), British High Commission, National Democratic Institute (NDI), African Union (AU), International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES),U.S Embassy, Abuja and European Union (EU) among others.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOMBER 6 , 2015—49

SENATE LEADERSHIP CRISIS: Saraki

visits Akume

•Moves against plot to remove him

By Clifford Ndujihe & Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—DETERMINED to retain his position as Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki has kick-started moves to reconcile the various tendencies in the Upper Chamber with a visit to former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume, in Abuja, weekend.

Saraki's emergence

Given the way he emerged as Senate President against the position of the top hierarchy of the ruling All progressives Congress, APC,, the party leaders have not hidden their angst against Saraki.

Indeed, sources said the party was considering either a Christian or Muslim Senator from North Central to replace Saraki, especially against the backdrop of the alleged false assets declaration trial he is facing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Senator Akume, from Benue (North-Central) is one of the APC lawmakers that the AntiSaraki group in the Senate is considering to replace Saraki, sources said.

The others are Barnabas Gemade (Benue) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State) Sources close to Saraki, said the Senate President had been trying to clear the cloudy relationship between him and Akume for a while now but Akume had been preoccupied with constituency issues back home in Benue State. The last attempt before the weekend’s successful outing was said to have been aborted by Akume’s impromptu trip abroad.

Weekend's meeting

The weekend’s meeting, Vanguard gathered was held on Sunday, when most members of the family of the third time Senator had gone to church.

This was to give the visit the much need confidentiality and privacy.

Details of their discussion were not readily available but sources said they centred on the need for the duo who were twotime governors of their respective states in the NorthCentral to join hands to build and steer a virile Senate.

The meeting came after strong indications that those working to replace Saraki have not relented as they have continued with series of meetings.

Some leaders of the APC reportedly met with some senators who have been against Saraki, last Friday.

According to the source, the APC leaders and these Senators who are members of the Senate Unity Forum, SUF, met with

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some APC leaders in Abuja where they not only resolved that the North Central should retain the position of Senate President but also concluded that for them to achieve their aim, there will be religious consideration.

According to a very reliable source at the meeting, with the emergence of Hon. Yakubu Dogara from the North East geopolitical zone as Speaker, House of Representatives, the NorthCentral will still retain the Senate presidency.

Vanguard gathered that it became imperative for the group to change the earlier position that a Muslim should be selected and threw the position open to either a Christian or Muslim.

The meeting was a follow up to the one earlier held in Abuja during the week.

Senator George Akume considered

At Friday’s meeting, a source told Vanguard that the group and the APC were also considering

either Senator George Akume from Benue; Barnabas Gemade also from Benue or Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State to replace Senate President, Saraki, if he was indicted by the CCT and the Senate Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central for the position of Deputy Senate President.

According to them, they would follow strictly the Senate Standing Rules as Amended where the issue of ranking would be followed.

BRIEFING: Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chukwuma Ozumba, Deputy VC, Administration, Prof. Eddy Igbokwe, DVC, Academics, Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, and DVC, Enugu Campus, Prof. Ifeoma Enemuo, at a briefingn on the 55th Founder's Day of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, at the Enugu Campus of the institution, yesterday.

We won't rush into removing fuel subsidy —OSINBAJO

By Favour Nnabugwu

A

BUJA—NIGERIA’S Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, said the current administration was not in a hurry to removing fuel subsidy.

Prof. Osibanjo in an interview with CNBC Africa, said the federal government would deal with the challenges of the country’s refineries, admitting that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, had serious problems that government had to sort out.

He said: “There is a great deal of flexibility in all these but we are not prepared to rush into any particular policy. ‘’Today, oil sells for about $45 a barrel and this means that we are not paying substantial policy anyway, we are at a point where the impact of removing it is not great. At the same time, we are not in a rush to removing subsidy immediately.

“First, what we have tried to do is to deal with the issues of inefficiency around the NNPC which, of course, is our National oil company because many observers know that we have serious problems around the way the NNPC was being run.

“With the change in the

management of the NNPC and all the new policies that are in place, we think that we are at the point where we will be able to do better.

"The GMD has actually been looking to make sure that the refineries work efficiently and see how we can partner with oil companies and refinery owners to see how we can refine the product locally.

“We are at a point where we think that if we are able to make our refineries work more efficiently, for example the Dangote refinery in Lagos which will do up to 650,000bpd.

“That is significant because by 2017, it should come up. We are hoping that we can speed that up and help private participants who obviously will help the challenges of the local refineries.”

“We think that if we can deal with the local refineries, we can handle the issues of subsidy and for us, we are taking a gradual approach to it. We can do local refining and make it more efficient.

“We are also ready to work with private sector participants who are prepared to invest in refining capacities here in Nigeria. We hope that the outcome of that will be that we are no more going to import the product in the next two to three

years. We think that is a longterm strategy and we hope it works.”

He said government was looking at long term solution to power and would either privatise or concession the transmission, while it aimed to achieve 5,000 mega watts in the first quarter of 2016 from the current generation level.

“We are looking at 5,000 mega watts in the first quarter of next year,” Prof. Osinbajo said.

HOUSE C'TTEES: Dogara may name chairmen, deputies today

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THREE months after the House resumed, indications yesterday emerged that the constitution of the over 94 standing committees may take place today as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, is set to announce the composition. .

It was reliably gathered that the selection committee, headed by Dogara with all principal officers as members and representatives of the 36 states, including FCT, have concluded their assignment and the members met last week to put finishing touches to the list.

The House leadership also held a closed door meeting (still on-going) yesterday to put finishing touches to the final list.

The panel which was inaugurated on August 11 and had since been working towards the constitution of committees of standing committees.

Chairman of the House ad hoc committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sani Zorro, told journalists that the committee continued work, even during the annual recess.

Most lawmakers had attributed the delay in the formation of various committees to several factors, including paucity of funds, absence of heads of ministries and the protracted crisis which engulfed the House shortly after inauguration over the choice of principal officers for the chamber.

HOSTCOM insists on pipeline surveillance contracts

A

By Lucky Oji

SABA—THE national leadership of Host Communities of Nigeria Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, led by Chief Alfred Bubor, has insisted that the Federal Government should award the contracts of pipeline surveillance and Information gathering to HOSTCOM which was promised them by late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

HOSTCOM also urged the Federal Government to ensure that host communities producing oil and gas were given priority in the Petroleum

Industry Bill which had been appropriated 7.5 per cent equity participation, release of gas flare penalties monies to HOSTCOM and immediate passage of the PIB into law without further delay.

In a communique issued after its national executive council meeting in Warri, Delta State, and signed by Bubor and Evangelist Sanipe Ibinabobo, the leadership of HOSTCOM also announced the expulsion of Dr. Mike Emuh and Dr. Sam Igbeneweka from the body over alleged misconduct, insisting that Dr. Mike Emuh was never the national chairman of the body.

50 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Pope urges Church to move forward •As gay controversy overshadows Synod

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OPE Francis on Monday urged the Catholic Church to “move forward” as a review of teaching on the family got under way amid unprecedented controversy over its attitude to homosexuality.

Saying the Church was “not a museum to keep or preserve”, the Argentinian pontiff urged clerics debating a series of thorny social and religious issues in a synod to do so in a spirit of “solidarity, courage and humility”.

“It (the synod) is a place where the holy people of God move forward,” he told the first working session of a

•U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire yesterday. Photo: REUTERS

three-week gathering that will pit conservatives and reformers against each other over issues including communion for remarried divorcees and

Germany faces 1.5 million asylum claims

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HE number of peo ple seeking asylum in Germany this year will be as high as 1.5 million almost double the previous estimate, according to German media report.

The German government has not confirmed the new estimate, which comes from an internal official report cited by popular daily Bild.

The report warns that services helping refugees will not be able to cope.

Separately, a centreright regional minister put the expected total at 1.2-1.5 million for this year.

The German government previously estimated the number of asylum claims this year to reach 800,000 to one million in total.

Many are refugees fleeing the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, but there are also many economic migrants from the

Balkans, Asia and Africa.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has warned that Europe, in dealing with the migration crisis, is engaged in a “battle of compassion versus fear, and of tolerance versus xenophobia”.

SYRIA: NATO warns Russia on air strikes

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HE North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, has urged Russia to end air strikes “on the Syrian opposition and civilians”, days after Moscow began raids to support Syria’s government.

Moscow says it is targeting Islamic State and other Islamist positions, but US-led allies and Turkey say government opponents are targeted.

Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a Russian plane entered

Netanyahu vows to‘fight to death’ as clashes spread

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RIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged “a fight to the death against Palestinian terror ” as clashes spread after two deadly attacks, while Jerusalem’s Old City was closed to Palestinians for a second day Monday.

The Israeli premier ’s comments late on Sunday came as he convened security chiefs immediately after landing back from the United States to discuss the clashes in east Jerusalem and the

cohabitation, as well as attitudes to gay believers.

The pope’s comments echoed his words on Sunday when he said the Church must have “its doors open to welcome all those who knock” and not “point the finger in judgement” of others.

At the same time, Francis also said traditional marriage between heterosexual couples should be defended — a view he reiterates frequently, not just because he needs to reassure conservative clerics.

West Bank.

Palestinian youths throwing stones and firebombs have faced off against Israeli security forces using both live rounds and rubber bullets. Jewish settlers have also clashed with Palestinians.

The rioting has followed three attacks in recent days that have killed four Israelis and wounded several others, including a two-year-old child.

Turkey’s air space on Saturday.

Nato said Russia’s actions “have reached a more dangerous level”.

Russia said the incident was a “navigational error”. The US said Turkey would have been within its rights to shoot the jets down.

ISIS destroys ancient Palmyra arch

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YRIAN activists said late Sunday that Islamic State militants have destroyed a nearly 2,000year-old arch in the ancient city of Palmyra, the latest victim in the group’s campaign to destroy historic sites across the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria.

The Arch of Triumph was one of the most recognizable sites in Palmyra, the central city affectionately known by Syrians as the “Bride of the Desert,” which the IS group seized in May. The monumental arch sat atop the famed colonnaded streets of the ancient city, which linked the Roman Empire to Persia and the East.

Oscar Pistorius to remain in jail

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SCAR Pistorius must remain in jail and not be transferred to house arrest after a decision to grant him parole was again delayed.

His lawyer Brian Webber told the AFP news agency that a decision over his early release has been referred back to the parole board.

The Paralympic star was jailed for five years in 2014 for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp.

He has been fighting a lengthy battle to be released early from jail.

Pistorius was due to be released in August, but remained in prison after Justice Minister Michael Masutha made a lastminute intervention blocking it.

The parole review board - the final recourse for

•Oscar Pistorius parole disputes - met on Monday to decide if the star, 28, should be allowed out on house arrest.

A definitive parole ruling is now unlikely to be made before the athlete in a separate legal process

S/Africa asks ICC for more time to explain non-arrest of Bashir

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OUTH Africa asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday for more time to explain why it allowed Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to evade an arrest warrant and leave the country when he visited in June.

Bashir is accused of masterminding genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during Sudan’s Darfur conflict and is wanted by the Haguebased tribunal, which issued a warrant for his arrest in 2009.

As an ICC signatory, South Africa is obliged to implement warrants from the court. But when Bashir visited for an African Union summit, the government refused to arrest him, and even allowed him to leave the country in violation of a domestic court order.

In a subsequent ruling, the High Court made clear that Pretoria was under legal obligation to exercise the warrant. ICC judges last month asked South Africa for an explanation.

However, the government, which has argued that Bashir enjoyed diplomatic immunity during his visit, said on Monday it needed more time to assess the legality of its position because it felt the ICC had not adhered to the “principles of justice”.

I/Coast seeks to save forests from illegal cocoa boom

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N Mont Peko National Park, thousands of leafless Iroko and Samba trees tower over a sea of lush plantations like headstones, a testament to the heavy environmental cost Ivory Coast has paid for a dramatic rise in its cocoa production.

Ivorian officials say 99 percent of the park’s 34,000 hectares have been destroyed by cocoa farmers taking advantage of the chaos wrought by a decade-long political crisis in the West African nation.

With the years of turmoil over, the government of President Alassane Ouat-

Eight people shot dead in Burundi capital

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O fewer than eight people have died in shootings in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura, an administrator has said, the latest in a series of attacks to hit the city since a disputed presidential election.

Local residents told the news agency Reuters that the police were behind the killings and had been ac-

appeals against his conviction on 3 November in Bloemfontein.

This ruling could result in him receiving a longer prison term.

Mr Webber explained that the parole review board decided to refer the matter back to the original parole panel - the body accused by Mr Masutha of “prematurely” wanting to release him in August.

Prosecutors argue that the judge who presided over his trial did not apply the law correctly by acquitting him of murder.

The judge instead found him guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide - equivalent to manslaughter.

companied by unarmed members of the ruling CNDD-FDD party’s youth wing - Imbonerakure - who stole items such as mobile phones from houses.

Residents also said most of the dead were civilians and that some had been found with their hands tied behind their backs.

tara is preparing to re-exert state authority by expelling tens of thousands of farmers from parks and reserves in an attempt to save the dwindling forests.

Mont Peko, with an illegal population of around 28,000, will prove the first test of the government’s new policy. Evictions are slated for December and similar operations will follow in Ivory Coast’s more than 200 parks and reserves.

“The role of a national park is not to produce cocoa,” said Adama Tondossama, director of the OIPR, one of the government agencies charged with managing protected land. “Those people who are there are there illegally and we’ll fight to get them out.”

But as it works to roll back decades of environmental destruction, the government faces a dilemma: can it foster conservation while avoiding social unrest and preserving the country’s position as the world’s top cocoa grower?

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015 — 51

15 Eagles train in Belgium T

HE Super Eagles on Monday commenced training for the two international friendlies in Belgium, with 15 players at the R. Battice FC training ground on Monday evening.

England –based midfielder John Mikel Obi led goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, defenders Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose, William TroostEkong and Leon Balogun, midfielders Sylvester Igbonu, Rabiu

Ibrahim, Ogenyi Onazi and Obiora Nwankwo and forwards Odion Ighalo, Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Emmanuel Emenike and Alex Iwobi at training on Monday evening.

Eagles’ Team administrator Enebi Achor informed thenff.com that the team will train twice on Tuesday (10am and 4pm) at the same venue.

Defender Godfrey Oboabona is also having visa issues in Turkey, as

his international passport is yet to be released by the Belgian Embassy in that country.

Also, Super Eagles’ officials on ground in Belgium may need to secure the services of a t e m p o r a r y physiotherapist for massage and medical matters if by Tuesday, the team’s medical crew (part of the delegation that is held up in Abuja) is not issued visas to join the group in Belgium.

Don't blame me, NFF for Ofoegbu's injury woes, says Onyedinma Chairman of Nigeria Women Football League, Dilichukwu Onyedinma has exonerated herself and NFF from any wrongdoing in the injury woes of Rivers Angels and Super Falcons full back, Gloria Ofoegbu.

“We knew she was injured but we never knew she had not gotten over it. We didn’t hear from her afterwards, so how will we know that she has not recovered fully? I don’t know if anybody at NFF was

aware of her current state but she never called me. I just got two calls from Port Harcourt on Friday alerting me of her situation. Believe me, it was news to me”, she said.

Onyedinma faulted Ofoegbu for keeping her (Onyedinma) in the dark.

“Gloria is even close to me. I wonder why she didn’t talk to me one on one. I am so certain that if she had kept me in the picture, we would have sorted out her case by

now. You remember the case of Obinna Nwobodo, it was handled that way because NFF was carried along.

Customs impound NFF's consignment •As Eaglets demand kits

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

T

HE inability of the Nigeria Football Federation to clear a consignment of kits from its

High turnout as NNPC/Chevron Tennis Masters serves off

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN

T

HE 2015 NNPC/ Chevron Junior Tennis Masters serves off today with a high turnout of players from 36 States of the country, with the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, storming the National Stadium in Lagos for the week-long tournament.

Of the 64 players who came for the tourney, 60 passed the screening test conducted by national coach and tournament director, Muhammed

Ubale, who later conducted the draw that saw Rivers State champion, Godsgift Timipre emerging the top seed while Christopher Bulus of Chevron Tennis Academy is the second seed of the longestrunning junior tournament in the country.

Christopher Itodo from Kaduna State is the third seed while Chevron’s Michael Oshewa and Tochukwu Eze from Anambra State are the fourth and fifth seeds

Fire

Continues from BP fire.

The 78,360 capacity stadium has staged numerous historic sporting events including the 1980 Olympic Games and the 2008 Champions League final that saw Manchester United triumph over Chelsea on penalties.

The venue is set to

stage Russia’s World Cup final and is currently undergoing a major refurbishment to increase the stadium capacity to 81,000.

The interior of the stadium is believed to have been scooped out leaving only the facade and part of the roof intact while remodelling took place.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel (middle), Super Eagles Captain, Vincent Enyeama (right) and some of his family members during the funeral service of Late Mrs Lucy Philip Enyeama held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Ika Parish, Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

respectively of the tournament touted as the biggest junior event in the calendar of the Nigeria Tennis Federation.

With the draw made, the battle line has been drawn with matches serving off today on the courts of the National Stadium, which is hosting the preliminary round of games for the first time in over eight years.

Ubale said he was anticipating a high standard performance from the players.

sponsor Nike at the Apapa port, Lagos has resulted in acute shortage of kits for the various national teams, a Sports Vanguard investigation has revealed.

For instance, the national U-17 football team, The Golden Eaglets, presently in Argentina camping ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile have made a passionate appeal to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to provide them with more kits.

The team who are the

close call as Africans, for the second month running, showed “exemplary quality in the highly competitive English Premier League”.

Continuing, Adelakun said, “the quality was there in September, and anyone who says Africa does not contribute enough to the Premier

in Argentina camp last Friday was said to have left Nigeria without adequate Nike kits for players and officials.

It was further learnt that the failure of the NFF and the Customs to agree on what is to be paid as import duty for the consignment is responsible for the seizure of the kits.

There are fears that the acute shortfall of kits supply could likely hamper the team in its quest to defend the FIFA U-17 World Cup it won in the United Arab Emirates, two years ago.

Independence Day Race:

Watersports athletes show class ahead Rio 2016 Olympics trials

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ITH the Rio 2016 O l y m p i c s qualification standards going on around the world, watersports athletes in Nigeria on Thursday, October 1, 2015 converged

Award

Continues from BP

defending champions of the trophy they won 2 years ago in United Arab Emirates are hard hit with acute shortage of kits and they have asked for kits before the commencement of the tournament that is to take place from October 17November 8 in Chile.

Our investigations further revealed that the shortage of kits was due to the long period it took NFF to engage another kit sponsors, following the withdrawal of Adidas after the 2014 World Cup. The team which arrived

League just needs to see the stats from August and September. It was great to see our stars’ names popping up in every angle”.

He also said that the turnout for votes was unprecedented, as people really got involved.

“What we stand for is celebrating our stars.''

on the Navy Sailing Club, Navy Town, Ojo for the annual Independence / Commodore’s race with a view to being ready for the federation’s trials and the forthcoming Olympic trails billed for Algeria in December.

The athletes who turned out in large numbers to the delight of members of the Club saw them compete in open water swimming, sailing, canoeing and kayaking.

In female swimming event, Iwajomo Mercy finished first ahead of Chika Amadi and Deborah Izilien who came in second and third respectively in the 300m distance while in the male category, Iwajomo

Isaiah finished the 500m distance before the duo of Celestine Etoi and Gbamire Goodluck.

The kayak event for female saw Chika Amadi finishing ahead of Deborah Izilien who defeated her in the open water swimming with Iwajomo Mercy finishing third. The men’s event had Emmanuel Izilien in first place, Moses Michael in second and Celestine Etoi in third place.

The sailing event saw Moses Orugbami and Omale Yusuf coming in ahead of the crews of Onyekachi Okereke and Celestine Etoi and the duo of Timi Peretubo and Alaba Mathew.

52 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Rodgers fires back •I’m incredibly disappointed to be leaving Liverpool BRENDAN Rodgers has backed Liverpool for success under their new manager He said: “The current squad is one in transition, but they have some real talent and are showing a strong sense of togetherness.

“I expect to see them continue to grow and develop over the coming weeks and I wish them and my successor well for the rest of the season.”

He said in a statement released by the League

Managers Association: “I am, of course, incredibly disappointed to be leaving Liverpool Football Club.

“It has been both an honour and a privilege to manage one of the game’s great clubs for the last three years.

“I have worked every day to represent the club to the best of my ability, to develop both individual players and a team that the club’s magnificent fans can be proud of.''.

•Rodgers

FA charges Mourinho

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HELSEA boss Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the FA for his comments following the defeat to Southampton on Saturday.

An FA statement read: “Jose Mourinho has been charged for misconduct in relation to media comments he made following Chelsea’s game against Southampton on Saturday 3 October 2015.”

“It is alleged his remarks constitute improper conduct in that they allege and/or imply bias on the part of a match official or match officials and/or bring the game into disrepute.

“He has until 6pm on Thursday 8 October 2015 to respond to the charge.”

Klopp gives Liverpool conditions J

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F

ORMER Brazil star Juninho Pernambucano has advised Neymar to steer clear of trying to replace Lionel Messi for Barcelona and instead “take more initiative”.

Neymar has come under scrutiny for his performances in Messi’s absence, with several media quarters claiming he is too preoccupied with trying to be the Catalans’ main man, but the ex-Lyon midfielder believes his countryman must focus on his own game.

“His concern shouldn’t be ‘ will I replace Messi, score all the goals and be responsible for every move?’

He can’t be obsessed,” Juninho told Marca.

“It’s much harder to be the main man for Barcelona than Brazil, and perhaps the pressure on him is now greater due to Messi’s injury, but he’s used to it.

“He carried Santos and is also the centre of attention in the Brazil team. We must be patient with him.

“It’s not easy playing for Brazil or Barca, who are the best team in the world, and it’s even harder when the best player in the world isn’t on the pitch.

“Instead, he should take more initiative. He must be attentive and more focused than usual, knowing that Messi isn’t playing, and perhaps be closer to his teammates.”

•Neymar

Benitez: We dropped two points against Atletico

•Mourinho

URGEN Klopp has told Liverpool that he will only come to Anfield as Brendan Rodgers’ replacement if he is given final say on transfers at the Barclays Premier League club.

The former Borussia Dortmund coach is keen to come but has told the club he will not bow down to the infamous Anfield transfer committee that has overseen so many poor incoming deals over the last two or three years.

Klopp has told Liverpool that he is happy to take advice and recommendations on players but that he must have the final say.

‘Neymar mustn’t try to replace Messi’

•Klopp

R

AFA Benitez has claimed that Real Madrid “dropped two points” from their 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.

“We controlled the first half but lacked the second goal, and we failed to profit from any of our counterattacks in the second,” the Coach said after the game.

“We were dominating the game in the first half, doing what we had to do and aware that it wasn’t easy, but [Atleti] did what was expected of them in the second.

“We hit [Atleti] on the break eight times but failed to supply the final pass. [Benzema came off because] the team needed freshening up.

“Credit must be given

to Atletico for pushing up in the second half, but the feeling is that we’ve dropped two points.

“If we see only the last quarter of an hour, it’s true that Atletico pushed up, but we were in control for the other three. I can’t be happy because we drew but because we had control.”

•Benitez

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015— —53

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54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015— —55

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Fire breaks out at 2018 World Cup Stadium

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LUMES of black smoke could be seen pouring out of the

15 Eagles begin training in Belgium e 51 g a P

renowned Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which will be the stage for the 2018 World Cup final in Russia.

The fire was reportedly caused by construction waste setting alight on Monday. The 30square-metre blaze at

Klopp gives Liverpool conditions — Pg.52

Players in camp 1. John Mikel Obi 2 . Carl Ikeme 3. Elderson Echiejile 4. Efe Ambrose

•Klopp

5. William Troost-Ekong

EPL Award: Mahrez beats Moses, Ighalo

6. Leon Balogun 7. Sylvester Igbonu 8. Rabiu Ibrahim

A

9. Ogenyi Onazi 10. Obiora Nwankwo 11. Odion Ighalo 12. Ahmed Musa 13. Moses Simon 14. Emmanuel Emenike 15. Alex Iwobi

•Musa

•Ikeme

Moscow’s largest sports complex has been extinguished and no casualties have been reported.

Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaliy Mutko has told Russian media the stadium itself which is due to host the tournament’s opener, semi-final and final wasn’t damaged by the Continues on Page 51

•Mikel

Mourinho charged by FA— Pg.52

LGERIA’s Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City has beaten West Ham’s Victor Moses, Watford’s Odion Ighalo and Stoke City ’s Mame Biram Diouf to the September edition of English Premier League African Player of the Month.

In a release by the organisers and signed by the CEO ‘Tunde Adelakun, it was a really

Continues on Page 51

•Moses

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Shabby (6) 5 Search (4) 8 Premium (5) 9 Youth (3) 10 Cupid (4) 11 Repair (4) 12 Enquired (5) 13 Deserved (6) 16 Liability (4) 18 Impel (4) 20 Consumed (3) 22 Entrap (3) 23 Observe (3) 24 Jetty (4) 25 Thought (4) 28 Imagined (6) 30 Twenty (5) 32 Rebellion (4) 33 Cunning (4) 34 Tavern (3) 35 Artery (5) 36 Cat-noise (4) 37 Coma (6)

DOWN 1 Tray (6) 2 Stubborn (8) 3 Considered (6) 4 Pampered (9) 5 Arm-bone (7) 6 Employed (4) 7 Neat (4) 8 Snake (3) 14 Defame (9) 15 Day (3) 17 Couch (3) 19 Narrative (8) 20 Tune (3) 21 Builder (7) 26 Bowman (6) 27 Posture (6) 29 Grasp (4) 30 Tower (4) 31 Epoch (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3, Paste 9, Amused 10, Eaglet 11, Tower 12, Rota 15, Mice 17, Erected 20, Nod 21, Duvet 23, Ever 25, Disc 26, Dated 28, Wet 30, Diverse 33, Idol 35, Deer 36, Debar 38, Doctor 39, Tongue 40, Tenet.

DOWN: 1, Sabre 2, Quote 3, Pet 4, Adored 5, Teem 6, Ear 7, Plain 8, Steed 13, Ordered 14, Acted 16, Concise 18, Duped 19, Wed 22, Tired 24, Rap 27, Dilate 28, Windy 29, Torch 31, Reign 32, Erred 34, Mere 36, Dot 37, Rot.

How to Play Sudoku

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lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 014544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

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