MERGER LATEST: APC, Opposition's mega party emerges

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61813

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

**

N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

It's Nigeria, Burkina Faso for final

See Back Page

•P.29

COLUMNISTS:

Is'haq Modibbo Kawu•P.17 OCHEREOME NNANNA •P.19

THE HUB •P.19

Burkina Faso beats Ghana 3-2 on penalties SUPER—Super Eagles players celebrating their 4 - 1 victory over Mali in the Nations Cup Semi-Finals, yesterday, in S-Africa. Photo: AFP.

No regrets over Abuja demolitions — El-Rufai

MERGER LATEST:

•P.11

APC, Opposition's mega party emerges •Merger not a threat to PDP — Tukur •APGA faction disowns new party

JTF arrests mastermind of Bayero attack, two others •P.8

BY HENRY UMORU, CHRIS OCHAYI, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & GABRIEL EWEPU

Mr & Mrs

A

BUJA—THE coun try’s major opposition political parties, yesterday, resolved to merge into a new political party to be known as the All Progressives Congress, APC. The four parties that came to the agreement as disclosed at a press conference in Abuja were the

Continues on page 5 C M Y K

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

KEROSENE QUEUE—Sale of kerosene by NNPC/Capital Oil Ltd in Gombe, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Merger Latest: APC, Opposition's mega party emerges Continues from Page 1 Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. The only major opposition party left out of the alliance was Labour Party, LP which has one

governor in the person of Gov Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State.

Dr Mimiko steered his party to support the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2011 presidential election and was not expected to be supportive of the alliance.

The APC's emergence

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Life is about exchange. We exchange what we have for what we need; then we will truly be able to have all that we need.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

G

RATITUDE goes beyond the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy –Henri Nouwen A long time ago, a Greek sage and Philosopher Seneca, described true happiness as an ability to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.

The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.

One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is when we become ungrateful. Everything received from life was once perceived as a miracle but now it has become common to the individual. We get so accustomed to this goodness it becomes a routine. This is when the downward spiral from the top to bottom begins. In the words of Joel Osteen, ingratitude produces pride while gratitude produces humility.

came a day after 10 governors from the parties met in Lagos on Tuesday and resolved to push through the merger.

Announcing the formation of the new party in Abuja, yesterday at a press briefing, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chairman of the ACN Merger Committee said the parties had resolved to uphold the principles of internal democracy, focus on serious issues of concern to the people to rid the country of corruption.

Ikimi’s assertions were endorsed by representative of APGA, Senator Annie Okonkwo, former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who was the Chairman, Merger Committee of ANPP and Garba Sadi, Chairman, Merger Committee for CPC. The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in his first reaction, yesterday, said the PDP was not in anyway threatened by the merger.

We need urgent radical change – Ikimi The text read by the chairman of ACN Merger Committee, Chief Ikimi said: “At no time in our life has radical change become more urgent. And to meet the challenge of that change, we the following progressive political

parties namely, ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC have resolved to merge forthwith and become the All Progressives Congress and offer to our beleaguered people a recipe for peace and prosperity.

“We resolve to form a political party committed to the principles of internal democracy, focused on serious issues of concern to our people, determined to bring corruption and insecurity to an end, determined to grow our economy and create jobs in their millions through education, housing, agriculture, industrial growth etc, and stop the increasing mood of despair and hopelessness among our people.

“The resolution of these issues, the restoration of hope, the enthronement of true democratic values for peace, democracy and justice are those concerns which propel us.

We believe that by these measures only shall we restore our dignity and position of pre-eminence in the committee of nations. This is our pledge,” the text stated.

He said that the decision would be immediately communicated to the appropriate authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Ikimi said that the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshionwhole was in full support of the ongoing process and that he could not attend the opposition governors meeting in Lagos because of travelling constraints.

On the effect of the name change on their

members in the National Assembly, he said that the federal lawmakers were meeting on the issue, noting that the constitution allowed them to retain their seats so long as they did not defect to another party.

APC ‘ll guarantee Igbo Presidency —Annie Okonkwo

Senator Okonkwo told the Vanguard that the new mega party was the only party that would lead to the realization of Igbo presidency.

According to him the ruling PDP would most likely pick President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential flag bearer in 2015, pointing out that with a candidate of Igbo extraction contesting on the banner of APC, there was the likelihood that the party would win.

On the allegation that the APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh was not part of the merger talks, Okonkwo said: “When all the governors of the opposition parties met, the APGA governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who is the leader of the party said that the party participated fully and endorsed the merger. I came here on behalf of the leadership of the party to represent APGA, so anybody saying something contrary is on his own,” he said.

Count us out of merger – APGA faction However, a faction of APGA, yesterday, denied any participation in the ongoing merger arrangement. National Secretary of the Mseilla Massalla-led faction of the party, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, said in a statement that the issue of merger of political parties was a very serious

matter that needed adequate consultation, adding that the party did not permit the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to be part of any merger of political parties.

Okorocha was among 10 opposition parties’ governors, who rose from a meeting in Lagos and endorsed the merger moves on Tuesday.

It’s gender friendly party

—Abike Dabiri-Erewa

Rep. Abike DabiriErewa presently representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency on the platform of the ACN said that the APC would become the most gender friendly party in the country, adding that women were represented in all committees.

“We have every gender represented in the party here, we can still ask for more but I want to assure you that women here will ensure that Nigerian women get better representation."

Merger not a threat to PDP – Tukur Speaking to reporters yesterday on the merger after inspecting the new Secretariat of the PDP, which he said would be completed next January, Bamanga Tukur who described the marriage as better, stressed that the move would inspire the ruling party to action, adding that the PDP was like Lionel Messi in the contest.

Said Tukur on the merger: ‘’It is beautiful.

The more the merrier.

Let me tell you. There is no polling in the whole Nigeria where you do not have one member of PDP. PDP is the only party in the country that fields candidates in every polling booth."

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Police nab 4 over abduction of 2-yr-old boy in Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — FOUR persons suspected to be hoodlums, yesterday, at Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, engaged the police in gun battle during their attempt to steal a two-year-old boy from the parents in Onitsha.

The suspects were arrested by men of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment following injuries they sustained during the battle with police.

Also arrested was a female who was allegedly employed by the gang to look after the boy.

It was gathered that the fourman gang stormed the residence of one Philip Nweze from

Ehalumona in Enugu State who just returned to his Onitsha residence after a business trip abroad and made away with the twoyear-old Chidera, the male twin of the couple and an unspecified amount of dollars, leaving behind the female twin baby, Emmanuela.

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the incident, saying the police command was alerted after the incident which happened on Wednesday night.

He said members of SARS caught up with the hoodlums in a house belonging to one of the suspects at Oba.

NHRC probes teacher over alleged turturing of his 10-year-old son

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA — THE National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, yesterday, said it has commenced investigation into the reported assault and torture of a 10-yearold boy, Stephen Ogbeun, by his father.

Reacting to the action of Mr. Christopher Ogbeun, who allegedly tortured his son with a hot pressing iron at Lokoja in Kogi State, Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, condemned the act as “inhuman, barbaric and wicked."

Ogbeun, who is the Principal of Government Day Secondary School in Oshokoshoko community in Lokoja Local Government Area in Kogi State, was alleged to have assaulted his son after accusing him of destroying documents that gave his school approval to conduct

external exams.

Angwe said the commission had already waded into the matter, describing the act as “unacceptable in the 21st Century Nigeria.

“The action of the perpetrators of all forms of violence contradicts Section 34 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 which prohibits torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

He maintained that the commission would hold a stakeholders' meeting to address issues of domestic violence and enjoined various stakeholders, including community leaders, civil society organisations, the academia and faith based organisations, to collaborate with the commission in this regard.

NSCDC officials escape lynching in Jigawa

A

BUJA — CHAIRMAN, House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Beni Lar, said, yesterday, that rapists would face life imprisonment once the current Violence Against Persons Bill becomes law.

Lar, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja, said the National Assembly had decided to expedite action on the passage of the bill, considering the increasing prevalence of rape in the country.

She pointed out that the bill would not only protect rape victims but equally provide protection for victims of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices and discrimination.

She said: “My only concern is that in our laws today, the punishment for rape is very light and that is why you find people committing rape against children.

It’s unfortunate.

“It is because of issues like this that it has come to the attention of the National Assembly that we have the Violence Against Persons Bill.

“It is a bill that seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, to prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices, discrimination against persons and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment for offenders.

“Part one of this bill, which has passed second reading in the House, defines a rapist as one who intentionally violates another person and the conviction for this offence is life imprisonment.

“The National Assembly is seeking to stiffen punishment for rape because the punishment has been so light. People feel they can do it easily and get away with it but once this bill is passed you would think twice before committing rape because they can go to jail for life.“

Law won't exempt couples caught in act of rape The chairman stressed that the

BY ALIYU DANGIDA

D

UTSE — FOUR officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Jigawa State were beaten to stupor by kerosene black marketers and fuel attendants at the Dutse NNPC mega-station while their official vehicle was smashed.

According to investigations, men of the NSCDC went to the station where they discovered improprieties in the sale of kerosine which made them to direct the attendants to adhere to the arrangement that would enable other people to procure the commodity.

This, according to our sources,

led to a disagreement with the attendants and black marketers against the security personnel and beat three of them while the fourth received knife cuts.

Efforts to contact the state Commandant of the NSCDC, however, proved abortive as he was not on seat while his phone was unreachable However, one of the senior officials of the corps who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that four of their personnel brutalized at the mega station are currently receiving treatment in a hospital in Dutse.

Customs Comptroller, Tincan Island Port, Mr Tunji Aremu conducting Lagos, yesterday.

Rapists to face life im new law — Reps zSay la law would not exempt couples caught in the act of rape, adding that women deserve their respect and right to life.

She called on friends and relatives of victims of domestic violence as well as victims themselves to break the culture of silence by reporting rape cases.

She said the law could only take full course when cases of rape were reported to law enforcement agencies, particularly the Police.

Lar urged people to desist from the stigmatisation of victims, adding that stigmatisation is largely responsible for the culture

of silence.

She also said that people always take advantage of the culture of silence to rape those related to them, adding: “It would no longer be business as usual with the passage of the law.

“Why we have an increase in this violence is because we have a culture of silence. Most of the people that commit acts of violence against women are people that are known to women.

“For instance, domestic violence, it is either your spouse, or in cases of rape, especially the rape of infants, it's mainly people around them, their guardians,

S-African-based Nigerian barber nabbed with

BY EVELYN USMAN

L

AGOS — A Nigerian, based in South Africa, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA with 6.100kg substance suspected to be cocaine ,at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The 45-year-old suspect identified as Ozoh Hycenth Chukwuemeka, was apprehended during the outward clearance of

passengers on board Arik Air to South Africa.

Explaining how Ozoh was arrested, the agency’s Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, said the substance was concealed in a false compartment in his luggage.

When a search was conducted at the baggage checking desk at the departure hall, the substance was discovered to be cocaine,which street value was estimated at N50 million.

However, upon interrogation, the suspect,

who claimed to have been living in South Africa for 10 years as a barber, admitted that the luggage was his. But he claimed the sustenance was given to him by a friend .

“A friend of mine in South Africa asked me to bring a bag containing chemicals from Nigeria to South Africa for $3,000. When I asked him if it was drug, he said it was just chemicals. He paid for my return ticket. I never knew it was cocaine. I am only struggling to take care of

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—7

Kidnapped Bayelsa Assembly Leader’s mum regains freedom

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA — A COMBINED team of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code-named Operation Pulo Shield, the State Security Service, SSS, and the police, Tuesday, secured the release of the abducted mother of the Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mrs. Esther Akpe.

The 59-year-old woman was kidnapped penultimate Tuesday at Ebedebiri in

Sagbama Local Government Area of the state by gunmen.

Though it could not be ascertained if ransom was paid to the kidnappers who had earlier demanded N80 million and latter reduced it to N8 million.

But Vanguard gathered that the woman escaped from the kidnappers den in a community somewhere in Ughelli South council area of Delta State when security operatives engaged her captors in a fierce gunfight.

She was said to have found her way to Arhavwariea community also in Ughelli where a good Samaritan contacted her family.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Lt. Col Bernard Kenabai (rtd) said the combined security operatives mounted pressure on the suspected kidnappers and this led to the release of the woman who has been held captive for close to one week.

The security aide disclosed that no ransom was paid.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Fidelis Odunna (DSP), confirmed the development, saying the woman escaped from her kidnappers' den following a shootout between the police and her kidnappers.

Report links Ondo commissioner with acid bath zCommissioner denies allegation

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

g newsmen around seized machine parts during a news conference, in

mprisonment under

aw won't exempt couples caught in act of rape their wards, so-called family friends and people who are known to them.

“All of these contribute to increase in cases of violence but I’m happy that now women are beginning to speak out.

On soldiers who raped 4 women "For instance, the recent case that happened in Abuja where unidentified soldiers raped about four different women, one of them being a married woman for no reason at all.

“First of all those soldiers were not even mandated to pick up socalled prostitutes. That was not within their mandate. They were posted on a different assignment somewhere and they decided to be mischievous and of course their target was women.

“I am very happy that they did not get away with it. Right now they are facing trial in a court of law. “They’ve been dismissed from the army because they went beyond their duty and if they are found to be guilty by the court, of course they would face the punishment.”

h N50m cocaine myself with my barbing business back in South Africa.

If I had known that things will turn out this way, I would have rejected the proposal,” said the Anambra state-born suspect.

But his explanation, according to NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, was unacceptable, saying that ignorance was not an excuse in law. He added that the suspect would be charged for unlawful exportation of cocaine at the end of investigation.

Ozoh Hycenth Chukwuemeka, the suspect

KURE —POLICE authorities in Ondo State have swung into action to unravel the mystery behind the pouring of acid on a former member of the state Task Force on Forest Reserve, Mr Adetutu Ajisafe, by some hoodlums.

Already, the police have quizzed some staff of the Ministry of Natural Resources over the incident, but no arrest has been made by the Police.

Police image maker, Wole Ogodo, confirmed to Vanguard that the victim was still unconscious and had not been able to finger those behind the dastardly act.

Ogodo described as false report that the victim, who is still unconscious, had accused some Labour Party chieftains in the state and the state Commissioner for Natural Resources, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo of masterminding his attack.

Oluboyo denies allegation Meanwhile, the commissioner has in Akure denied any involvement in the attack of the victim.

Oluboyo promised to assist the police in fishing out the attackers.

Describing the action as barbaric and inhuman, the commissioner said he was embarrassed by the report linking him with the attack and promised to assist the security agents in fishing out the perpetrators of the attack.

According to him, the victim was a member of the former task force dissolved by him when he assumed duty as commissioner in the state in 2011.

He noted that it took the ministry two months to retrieve government property in Ajisafe's possession after the task force had been dissolved.

He recalled writing a petition to the state Commissioner of Police over impersonation by Ajisafe even after he had been disengaged from the task force.

The commissioner said Ajisafe was arrested by the state police sometime ago when he illegally arrested some timber drivers and

was discovered not to be a member of the task force.

He said: “Ajisafe illegally arrested some timber lorries and took them to the security agents where it was discovered that he was not a member of the state task force.

“I have never set my eyes on him for a long time. I don’t have cause to call him and wondered why he was claiming that I called him on phone to threaten him. Let the security investigate this."

Police exhume Abia varsity Law student’s corpse zSuspected to have been killed, buried during cult initiation

U

BY ANAYO OKOLI

MUAHIA — THE Abia State Police Command has ordered that the body of a fourth year Law student of Abia State University be exhumed.

He was alleged to have been killed and buried in a shallow grave by a cult group believed to be operating in the institution.

The student, simply called Obasi, whose father is said to be a legal practitioner in Umuahia, had been missing for sometime.

The officer in-charge of State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, of the Abia State Police Command, Mr. Patrick Garba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who confirmed the development, said his men had been dispatched to exhume the body somewhere in Uturu, the university town.

According to Garba, the matter was initially reported as a case of missing person, but in the course of investigation, the police stumbled on the fact that

he was probably killed by a cult group.

The police were said to be working on a theory that he was being initiated into a cult group where in the process he sustained serious injury which led to his death which made the cult members to bury him in a shallow grave.

The CID boss said key suspects who confessed to have taken part in the act had been arrested and would help the police in their investigation.

He confirmed that his men had gone to exhume the body as they continue investigation into the matter.

Corroborating the CID boss, Police Commissioner, Ambrose Aisabor, who also spoke to Vanguard in a telephone interview confirmed the incident, saying: “My men have taken some people to the place. As I am talking to you, my men are there now to exhume the body. They left about one hour ago.

“My men have arrested some suspects to take them to where he was said to have been buried in a shallow grave.”

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

2013 budget: N-Assembly, MDAs fine tune details

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA—MEMBERS of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Appropriation are meeting presidency officials today to reconcile ‘faulty’ allocations in the 2013 budget approved by the National Assembly.

Today’s meeting holding in the Senate Conference room, Vanguard learnt, is expected to involve essentially Ministries, Departments, Agencies, MDAs, of government that were affected by alleged faults in the allocation of funds in the budget as approved by the National Assembly last December.

The issue of the faulty al-

locations is at the heart of President Goodluck Jonathan’s insistence on a review of the details before his assent.

While officials involved in the process told Vanguard that it was not a full scale review, they insisted that today’s meeting would be devoted to correcting mistakes in the details of the budget prepared by the National Assembly.

A source also confirmed that the issue of constituency projects will be discussed as the presidency had queried why 2012 constituency projects were rolled into 2013 budget.

The N4. 987 trillion budget was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly on December 19,

2012. It was transmitted to the President for assent on January 14, 2013.

But despite the early passage, President Jonathan declined to sign the Appropriation bill, citing zero allocation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and fixing of the benchmark at $79 per barrel.

Confirming that there are issues with the budget, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that the President picked a hole in the budget bill as passed by the National Assembly.

He said the President has communicated to the National Assembly some grey areas causing his delay in signing the budget bill.

NNPC aircraft overshoots runway at Osubi airport

BY DANIEL ETEGHE

A

N aircraft belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, with registration number: 5NNOC operated

by Aero Contractors yesterday overshot the runway on landing at Osubi airport in Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard gathered that there was no fatality resulting from the incident which occurred during the routine operations of the NNPC, as no passenger sustained any injury in the aircraft.

At the time of filling this report, it was not clear whether the aircraft suffered any damage.

When contacted to speak on the incident, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, who confirmed the incident, said the incident did not involve any fatality, stressing that the aircraft only overshot the runway.

Dr. Demuren, however, pointed out that NCAA had already sent some of its officials to Osubi airport to evaluate the situation and report back to the agency.

He said: "There is no fatality at all about the incident that happened at Osubi airport earlier today. It was just that the aircraft overshot the runway. We have sent our people there already and we will get back to you soon,” he add-

ed.

Earlier, the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Tumini Green, in a statement, said the aircraft was on a routine operation to Warri when it

overshot the runway at Osubi airport.

The statement said there were no casualties or injuries and that the appropriate aviation agencies had been contacted and had commenced investigations.

FEC meeting postponed to next week zAs Jonathan embarks on visit to Britain, France

BY BEN AGANDE

A

BUJA—THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting was yesterday shelved for next week.

It was the first time that the council meeting would be cancelled in the absence of the president.

Although no reason was given for the postponement, it may not be unconnected withe absence of the president who is away on official trip to London and Paris.

Most ministers who were unaware of the cancellation started arriving the council chambers at the Presidential Villa, venue of the meeting by 10:00am, the usual time for the meeting but were turned back by protocol officials.

Vice President Namadi Sambo had previously pre-

sided over the FEC meeting in the absence of the President.

Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, had in a statement on Tuesday announced that President Goodluck Jonathan is embarking on an official trip to London and Paris for bilateral talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron and the President of France, Mr. Francois Hollande on matters of vital interest to Nigeria, Britain and France.

Dr. Abati said the President’s talks with the British Prime Minister in London are expected to focus on the expansion of trade and economic relations between Nigeria and Britain, as well as the enhancement of cooperation between both countries on the war against terrorism.

From left: Perm Sec, Ministry of Justice, Alhaji Abdullahi Yola; Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada and Vice President Namadi Sambo during meeting on Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

JTF arrests mastermind of Bayero attack, 2 others

T

HE Joint Task Force in Kano arrested a man identified simply as Babawo, said to be a mastermind in the attack on Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, in a raid it conducted on Wednesday morning at Dorayi, close to the old site of Bayero University Kano.

Security sources also confirmed to Vanguard

that the suspect subsequently led men of the JTF to two others, one of them, an undergraduate student, connected to the attack.

Several gunmen had opened fire on the convoy of the Emir of Kano on Saturday January 19, 2013, as the monarch headed away from an occasion he had just attended, killing six and

injuring many, including two of the Emir’s sons.

Security agents had on Monday, January 21, 2013, arrested a man who they claimed was a principal suspect in the attack and who they said had been providing them with useful information about others involved in the attack, information which led to the arrest of three others.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 9

10 — Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

AP Moller upgrades Apapa port with $330m

Navy, Police parley over disagreement

BY EVELYN USMAN

BY CLEMENT UDEME

MODERNISATION and upgrading of facilities in Apapa port, the largest container terminal in West Africa, may have cost $330 million.

The amount covers expenditure for the Phase 3 modernisation and upgrading of facilities in the terminal, which include staff amenities and customer service building, acquisition of container handling equipment, implementation of new terminal operating systems, a new Customs container inspection facility and other facilities.

The visiting Group Chief Executive Officer, AP Moller-Maersk Group, Mr. Nils Andersen, made this known at a groundbreaking ceremony for terminal yard redevelopment and expansion of the facility in Lagos.

From Left: Engr. Miyideen Akinsanya, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment; Mr. Tunji Bello, Lagos State Coomissioner for Environment; Engr. Dayo Erinle, Director, Drianage Service, Ministry of Environment and other people, during the inspection of the work aimed at flood control, in Pen Cinema Area of Agege, Lagos, for Year 2013, by Lagos State Ministry of Environment. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

NAVAL authorities and those of the Nigeria Police met yesterday to address the disaffection between the junior officers of the lower cadre in both forces, with a view to checkmating future confrontation.

It would be recalled some Naval ratings and policemen of the Special Taskforce, in Apapa area of Lagos, clashed recently.

As a first move, the new Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Apapa, Lagos, Rear Admiral Ibok

EFCC commences trial of Ahmadu Ali's son, Mamman, 3 others

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, formally began trial of Mamman Nasir Ali, son of Ahmadu Ali, a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman and three others, with the

prosecution witness, Victor Sanusi, denying knowing the three defendants in the case.

Sanusi who was led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Francis Usani told the court that he only knew the companies arraigned with the officials of the oil companies.

Nasaman Oil and Gas, Ali Christian Taylor and Seun Ogunbambo are standing trial for allegedly obtaining N4, 460, 130, 797. 94 from the Federal Government of Nigeria under false pretences.

The sum, according to the prosecution was alleged to have been fraudulently obtained as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund, PSF, for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands.

In his evidence, he said that it was true that Nasaman Oil and Gas

applied for allocation of oil and was given six allocations of petrol import while it only supply four allocations.

According to him, when his agency granted permission for a marketer to import fuel, such importer was also expected to get another one from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR. He said the marketer would then be required to obtain a letter of credit from a bank or provide Bill for Collection, a document stating the willingness of the marketer to sell the product.

However, he noted that the Bill for Collection was no longer accepted because of the issue of transparency on the part of marketers in recent times.

Further hearing was adjourned till February 13.

Ibass, said there was need to organise a forum where men of the lower cadre in both forces, would be made to understand that both services were fighting a common goal.

Ibass, who made the assertion during a courtesy visit on the Assistant Inspector General of Police incharge of Zone 2,Onikan, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, noted that the disaffection only existed between the lower ranks.

He likened the friction to that between siblings.

According to him: “I believe we can get the men to know that we are all fighting a common cause is by interaction, a forum whereby they meet and understand our common goal on security”.

In his remarks, the AIG, described the clash as the highest level of discountenance, saying the good relationship between senior officers at both commands,doused the tension.

Corporate Manslaughter Bill coming A bill on Corporate Manslaughter sponsored by Senator Akpor Pius Ewherido, the Democratic Peoples Party senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, has scaled through second reading.

The bill seeks to make corporate bodies, entities and agencies culpable for their wilful acts of negligence, dereliction of duties or gross incompetence leading to or causing the death of a person or accessory to corporate manslaughter of persons while working for corporate bodies Presenting the bill for second reading on the floor of the Senate, Senator Ewherido said it was his contention that the provisions of the bill fall within the definition of killing in section 308 of

the criminal code which provides that “except as hereinafter set forth, any person who causes the death of another directly or indirectly by any means whatever, is deemed to have killed that other person.

"But the provisions of sections 316 and 317 which create the offences of murder and manslaughter relevant to section 308 only address one arm of the definition of killing in the said section.

"Section 308 emphasises that killing can be brought about by either direct or indirect means, sections 316 and 317 nevertheless, in their ingredients, fail to cover activities of persons who indirectly and or remotely cause the death of another person."

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7,

2013 —11

We 're marginalised —Yoruba forum

BY OLA AJAYI

I

From left: Dr. Bode Olajumoke, Chief Akin Omojola and Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin, during Yoruba Unity Forum, where issues of Yoruba marginilisation were discussed, at Premier Hotel, in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube

BADAN —ELDERS in Yorubaland under the aegis of Yoruba Unity Forum, YUF, have said the alleged marginalisation of the South West zone of the country in the distribution of topmost positions is an attempt to drive the zone out of the federation.

While speaking at a meeting at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, yesterday, the forum comprising notable Yoruba men and women such as Mrs. Hannah Awolowo, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, Senator Bode Olajumoke,

Aregbesola, Ajibola advise Mimiko to join S-West integration

BY GNENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO—GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and former Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, yesterday, advised Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, to stop playing

politics and join the crusade for the South West regional integration being canvassed by other governors from the region.

Speaking at the opening of a four day South West Grassroots Business and Investment Forum, Governor Aregbesola noted that the struggle for power politics is gone in the south west and urged Dr Mimiko to collaborate with other Governors of the South West in the bid to ensure regional integration.

He also charged the Governors of the region to work for its development and make it a pace setter for other geo political zones in the country.

He said: “I want to use this forum to call on Governor Olusegun Mimiko to join other governors in working for the collective interest of the South West zone through the integration of the region for our collective development.”

He contended that the crusade for regional integration by other governors of the South West region was to accelerate economic development of the entire region.

Aregbesola noted that regional integration would enhance socioeconomic development of the region and its people, saying, “our people under regional integration will be empowered economically.”

Similarly, Justice Bola Ajibola, contended that South West region as an agrarian terrain should be accorded priority to reposition agriculture which plays prominent position in the life of any government.

Also speaking, former governor of Oyo State, Dr. Victor Olunloyo stressed that the idea behind regional integration was to improve what had gone wrong in the country and correct some ill feelings.

Police arrest Ogun traffic officer, warden

BY DAUD OLATUNJU

A

BEOKUTA— A Divisional Police Officer in Ibara, Mr. Muyiwa Halilu arrested and detained two traffic wardens for querying their superior officer whose driver allegedly violated traffic rules.

Vanguard gathered that trouble started after an officer of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency,

TRACE,Durojaiye Abolade, yesterday, allegedly stopped an Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Division, Mr. Abdulrahman Ahmad after he allegedly violated the traffic rule.

It was also gathered a traffic warden, Corporal Oloruntobi Olowole, who was also manning NNPC junction with the TRACE officer was arrested which resulted in traffic snare in the area.

Falana lectures on good governance

BY ONOZURE DANIA

L

AGOS — HUMAN rights activist and Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, urged the bar to do more to better the Nigerian society especially in the area of rule of law and good governance.

Falana spoke yesterday during the 8th Chief Olusola Babatunde Benson,SAN annual public lecture organised as part of the activities for the 2013 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association,

NBA, Ikorodu Branch, entitled, “Nigeria, a failing nation: where are the lawyers” According to him, lawyers needed to uphold the ethics of the legal profession, arguing that was the only way the justice system in the country could earn trust of everybody “We have become a laughing stock in the comity of nations because of the precarious situation of the legal system and if we do not arrest the situation now, the country may collapse due to impunity,” he said.

Senator Kofoworola BucknorAkerele, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, Senator Femi Okurounmu, Tokunbo Ajasin, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Biola Ogundokun, among others, frowned at the way President Goodluck Jonathan made appointments without considering the contribution of the Yorubas to his emergence as the president of the country.

Expatiating their claims, members alleged that in the control of the apex of political positions such as the President, Vice president, Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the acting President, Court of Appeal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, National Security Adviser and Head of Service of the Federation, there was no Yoruba person among them.

The elders contended that “the absence of Yoruba in the above power apex has consequential adverse effect on the zone in respect of appointments and job security throughout the Federal Government.”

Other areas they claimed the zone had been marginalised included control of the principal economic and financial agencies, control of the security services, control of the bureaucracy, control of the information broadcasting agencies, control of election related agencies.

The group also alleged ethnic cleansing and other discriminatory acts against the Yoruba in the federal service.

They noted how Mrs. Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation in October 2012 sacked eight general managers of the Federal Airports Authority, FAA, including six Yorubas.

According to them, all attempts to meet the President and discuss the issue were fruitless as President Jonathan made several unfulfilled promises to address the issue, which he had not done till date.

Pointing out why President Jonathan should have placed the zone in the right position, they recalled that in the “dying days of the Yar’Adua administration when he was incapacitated by illness and there was a lot of reluctance to make Jonathan Acting President, it was predominantly Yoruba activists who led the march on the National Assembly to force our lawmakers to pronounce Jonathan acting President”.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Community urges Delta govt to compensate victims of demolition exercise

C

HAIRMAN of Louteyibiri Community in Warri Urban area of Delta State, Mr. Bossman Azazi, has, appealed to Delta State Government to speed up the payment of compensation to victims of the state demolition campaign.

Azazi said: “We are not happy with the statement made by Commissioner for Environment in Delta State, Chief Frank Omare, that he had not been briefed on our claims and that the demolition was not targeted at a particular ethnic group but done in line with government's decision to make life more meaningful for the people.”

He regretted that some groups were commending the governor for evicting illegal occupants/militants from their land, noting that such comments were capable of bringing back ethnic crisis to Warri.

Woman escapes from kidnappers’ den in Delta …2 suspected kidnappers in police net

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—A WOMAN, Mrs. Ochuko Oloworo, abducted, on Monday, by four suspected kidnappers at Orhowhorun in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, has escaped from her captors.

Meanwhile, two suspected kidnappers were arrested in the area with the aid of community youths, though it had not been ascertained if their arrest was connected to Mrs. Oloworo's kidnap.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Famous Ajieh, confirmed the victim's escape and the arrest of two kidnap suspects.

He said: “Mrs. Oloworo was kidnapped and her Jeep snatched by four armed men at Orhowhorun. They blindfolded her and gagged. She was taken to a hideout by her captors from where she escaped.”

He said that acting on a tip-off, police detectives “combed the bush in Ewere-

ka town, close to an uncompleted building, where she was kept, but no one was found there. Surveillance had been placed on the house and the

town.”

On the arrest of the two-suspected kidnappers, he said they were arrested with the assistance of community

VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (left) and His Excellency, Przemyslaw Niesiolowski, Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, during a courtesy visit in Uyo.

Edo lawmaker's kidnap delays submission of commissioners' list

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THERE is po litical tension in Edo State as the abduction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Assembly member,

youths with blackberry phones, adding that the police were yet to ascertain their involvement in the kidnap of Mrs. Oloworo.

representing Esan Central constituency, Mr. Victor Edora, continued to delay the submission of list of commissioners to the House by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The lawmaker was abducted, Sunday, by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, when he visited his constituency for a meeting.

Vanguard learnt that the commissioner nominees, were supposed to have been screened this week to enable them commence work next week, but the abduction of the lawmaker forced the House to suspend sitting until he was found.

It was gathered that over 50 per cent of the former commissioners may be retained in the new

cabinet. It was also learnt that Oshiomhole decided to bring in few new commissioners so as not to experiment in his second term.

It was further learnt that the governor had gathered reliable hands for the ministries of Environment, Works, Education and Agriculture. It was learnt that the governor intends to invest in agriculture in this second term to check the unemployment problem in the state.

However, the delay in the submission of the list has further heightened tension in some local government areas, following feelers that some leaders of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, may substitute some nominees with the names of their preferred candidates.

Amnesty Phase III: FG to verify arms surrendered by ex-militants in Delta

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—PRESIDEN TIAL Amnesty Verification Team led by Air Vice Marshal James Gbum, has arrived Delta State to verify the arms and ammunition supposedly surrendered by ex-militants who have been agitating to be included in the third phase of the amnesty programme.

Receiving the team, the deputy governor, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, commended Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan for giving another window with the third phase for youths who were left out in the programme, describing the gesture as an indication that the president had a listening ear.

He said: “Leaving out youths who embraced the amnesty programme would have been an act of injustice.

No one who was part of the agitation should be left out or else that would lead to another injustice."

Youth leader lauds Diezani over petroleum products distribution

A

NIGER Delta youth leader, Ambassador Ebi Eregbene, has commended Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and Managing Director, Products, Pipeline and Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Prince Haruna Momoh, for the effective monitoring and distribution of petroleum products across the country, which had restored the confidence of Nigerians in the downstream petroleum sector.

Eregbene, an ambassador of peace, in Warri, Delta State, said the strategies put in place by PPMC Managing Director, Prince Momoh, had eliminated sharp practices in the distribution process of petroleum products, thereby making the products available in filling stations for Nigerians.

He said long queues experienced by motorists at filling stations and hardship faced

by Nigerians in getting petroleum products were now a thing of the past as the products are readily available and affordable, adding that effort of PPMC management was commendable.

Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—13

JTF launches manhunt for soldiers’ killers again brought to the fore, the danger faced by security operatives and riverine commuters in the troubled creeks of the region.

Sources in the riverine enclave bordering Bayelsa and Delta States told Vanguard that armed soldiers backed by five gunboats and sever-

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—JOINT Task Force in the Niger Delta, code named Operation Pulo Shield, has launched a massive manhunt for killers of two of its personnel and a retired naval officer on the Forcados River bordering Bayelsa and Delta States.

The slain soldiers, according to JTF, were on escort duty on board an Indian owned Sterling Global Oil Services barge when they came under attack at the Angiama-Ebedebiri stretch of Forcados River, a border area between Bayelsa and Delta States.

Also killed in the attack, allegedly launched by suspected sea pirates, was a crew member of the vessel, a retired naval officer, simply identified as Deinde.

The remains of the soldiers and the ex-naval officer, informed sources told Vanguard, had been recovered by the military authorities and deposited at an undisclosed morgue.

The development has

Uduaghan commended over LG Chair’s appointment

G

OVERNOR Em manuel Uduaghan of Delta State has been commended for appointing Mr. Raymond Edijala as transition committee chairman for Udu Local Government Area of the state.

A statement by Mr. Alfred Orukpe, Chairman, Building Permit, Ward 11, Ovwian, and others, said Edijala’s appointment was based on his hard work and loyalty.

They assured the governor that Edijala’s emergence as Udu council boss would bring about the upgrade of PDP in the area, noting that the failure of the party in the area in the past had been as a result of neglect of the grassroots by some party leaders.

They said: “Since Edijala’s emergence, most of the aggrieved PDP members have returned to the party because of his benevolent style of leadership.”

al other smaller watercrafts were seen combing the Forcados River and adjoining creeks bordering the two states in search of the suspected pirates.

The heavy presence of the security operatives, sources said,was causing panic in the predominantly fishing settle-

ments on the Forcados River stretch bordering the two states.

Though JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col Onyeama Nwachukwu could not be reached, a security source told Vanguard that the task force would not relent in its pursuit of the perpetrators of the heinous act until they were brought to book.

ROAD SHOW: From left: Mr. Osita Chidoka, Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission; Mr. Nicholas Okoye, President/CEO, Anabel Leadership Academy and founder, Empower Nigeria Conference Series, and Dr Sam Amadi, Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, at the Empower Nigeria road show, in Enugu.

Akpabio to PFN: Cleanse church of fake pastors

BY SAM EYOBOKA

U

YO—AKWA Ibom State governor, Obong Godswill Akpabio, has challenged Christian leaders in the country to eliminate quacks from among their ranks, arguing that some pastors had brought the church to disrepute.

At the opening of the 12th biennial conference of the umbrella body of pentecostal churches in Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, at the Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo, Rev. Felix Omobude of New Covenant Bible Church, with headquarters in Benin City, Edo State, emerged the new National President of the body, to replace Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

Omobude, until yesterday, was the National Vice President in charge of South-South geo-political zone of the country.

Kuku gives Itsekiri two weeks to submit amnesty list

BY EMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

S

PECIAL Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has given the Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, two weeks to submit the full list of Itsekiri youths to be included in the amnesty programme.

The decision to give the council more time to collate the list of youths from various Itsekiri communities was the outcome of a meeting between its executives and Hon Kuku in Abu-

ja, yesterday.

INYC’s President, Mr. David Tonwe, who led the delegation to Kuku’s office, admitted that the submission of the list of 500 Itsekiri youths to be included in the amnesty programme was delayed by the challenges of collating names of beneficiaries from their various communities.

He said: “We were not able to submit the full list on schedule owing to the fact that we are only facilitators of the process. We had to go to different communities to ensure we have the authentic list as determined by the communities themselves.”

C M Y K

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FUBRUARY 7 , 2013

Imo slams judiciary workers over strike

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—IMO State government has described the indefinite industrial action called by the leadership of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, as an embarrassment and politically motivated.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Soronnadi Njoku, stated this while addressing newsmen in Owerri.

“Government is embarrassed by the action. First of all, there has not been any trade dispute between government and the Union.

“The Union has not given government any ntice of their intention to embark on industrial action. There is no ground for them to have shut the doors of all the courts in Imo State,” Njoku said.

According to the commissioner, government is bothered because the judicial panel of inquiry set up to investigate the activities of previous government were supposed t commence sitting same day the workers went on strike.

Anambra needs N23bn to rehabilitate flood victms

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—ANAMBRA State Government has said it would require a whopping N23 billion to adequately resettle the 125,000 victims of last year’s flood disaster that ravaged 57 communities in eight local government areas of the state.

Chairman of the state Flood Disaster Relief Coordinating Committee and Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Osloka Obaze, told Vanguard, yesterday, that his committee had painstakingly analyzed the extent of destruction of property and came to the conclusion that enormous work needed to be done in the affected communities to enable them start life again.

The state government has already spent about N128 million in assisting the affected communities, including N1 million given to each of the 57 communities as intervention money for seedlings.

C M Y K

Court decides fate of Suleja bombers Feb 11

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

A

BUJA—A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, slated February 11 to determine whether six alleged kingpins of the Boko Haram sect in Niger State, have a case to answer regarding the explosion that rocked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Suleja, prior to the April 16, 2011, presidential election.

The suspects include Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim.

Justice Bilkisu Aliyu adjourned the matter for ruling after all the parties adopted their written addresses yesterday.

The accused persons, who were apprehended while on their way to Kaduna State to attack the venue of an event attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo in Kaduna on July 28, 2011, had in a motion filed through their lawyers Mr. Kelvin Okoro and Mr Nureni Sulaiman, challenged the powers of the federal government to prosecute them.

It was their contention that the federal government failed to establish a nexus between them and

the charge, insisting that the sum total of the evidence tendered against them amounted to ‘hearsay’ which they said “is not admissible in law.”

Consequently, the accused persons filed a consolidated motion wherein they made a ‘no-casesubmission’.

Basically, a no-case-submission is made when an accused person believes that the prosecution has failed to prove the ingredients of the offence for which he is charged or that the evidence adduced in court was such that a judge cannot rely upon to pass a sentence.

EXHIBITION: From left: Mr. Yemi Ogunlaja, Head, Marketing and Sales, Evergreen Apple Nigeria; Mr. Bruce Fullerton, Sales Director, Embraer Executive Jets, and Mr. Lynton van Aswegen, Regional Sales Director, Africa, Embraer, during the exhibition of Embraer Lineage 1000 Executive Jets at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

No retirement for me —Obasanjo

BY EMMANUELAZIKEN,

POLITICAL EDITOR

L

AGOS—FORMER Presi dent Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged to continue doing good so long as he had the breadth of God in him and capacity to do so.

Obasanjo in an interview monitored on the newly debuted international television station, Arise TV, called on the international community to mobilise funds to help the international coalition forces in Mali, affirming that the intervention was launched for the benefit of the global community.

The interview was recorded in

London where the former President recently arrived for the launch of his Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation scheduled for tomorrow.

Asked if he was not tired and when he would retire from the international stage, the former president said: ”There is no retirement in doing good in life and so long as you have breadth, you should continue to do good,” Obasanjo said in the interview monitored in Lagos.

Commending the efforts of the international coalition forces in Mali, Obasanjo said the Malian troops must be bolstered through increased training to be able to

handle the critical situation, he said if not checked, could affect the whole world.

“The point is that if we have a situation anywhere in the world that affects the whole world, the world must be able to raise the needed money in order to deal with the situation,” adding “if the will is there, it would be done.”

The former President said his efforts in good works which, he said, were also being channeled through his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, were in the line of American presidents who set up presidential libraries after leaving office.

Ebonyi seeks FG’s assistance in N36bn water reticulation project eral government was necessary,

BY PETER OKUTU BAKALIKI—EBONYI State Government, yesterday, appealed to the Federal Government to assist the state to accomplish the ongoing N36 billion water reticulation project designed to produce and supply two million litres of water per day to Abakaliki and its environs.

The government, which disclosed that the water treatment plants at Oferekpe in Ikwo Local Government Area and Ukawu in Onicha LGA, would gulp N7.6 billion and N3.9 billion respectively upon completion, noted that the entire project had been designed to last for 45 years as it would ensure adequate water supply to the people of the state.

State Commissioner for Public

A

Meanwhile, the States Security Service, SSS, which recommended their trial, had maintained that its investigations revealed that it was the accused persons that masterminded various terrorist attacks that killed 28 persons between March and July, 2011.

Utilities, Mr. Ben Okah, who made the call in Abakaliki while briefing newsmen on the level of work done so far at the two water treatment plants, assured the people of the state that the project would bring to an end the perennial water scarcity plaguing the state every year.

He said the assistance of the fed-

considering the huge resources involved in the reticulation of water to different parts of the state, including local government areas and numerous communities in the state.

He said: “N36 billion is not small money and that is the area we have been asking the federal government to assist us.”

Bill to curb flight hitches passes second reading

A

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

BUJA—A bill which seeks to provide tougher sanctions against airlines that are engaged in frequent cancellation of flights in the country passed through second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The lawmakers demonstrated their readiness to forge ahead with the proposed law when they voted to ensure second reading for “A Bill for an Act to amend the Civil Aviation Act, 2006, to prescribe penalties for delays and cancellation of flights by airlines and for other related matters.”

In his argument during the debate on the general principles of the Bill, the sponsor, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that the airlines usually imposed penalties on passengers for coming late and other minor offences, whereas they delayed passengers and cancelled flight schedules indiscriminately without facing sanctions.

He pointed out that amending the Civil Aviation Act to provide penalties for offending airlines would make them stop taking passengers for granted.

DPP passes confidence vote on Omene, 2 others

W

ARRI—MEMBERS of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, have passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of Chief Joseph Omene, Chief Duncan Eghwere and Mr. Silas Oyawiri, just as they said that there was no cause for alarm over

the recent attending of a PDP meeting in Oghara by Chief Matthew Aghomi.

Arising from a meeting, members of Jesse Ward 5 of the DPP, also passed vote of confidence on the DPP leadership of Silas Oyawiri in the four wards of Idjerhe Kingdom.

They implored Silas and other

Idjerhe leaders of DPP to continue to pursue the interest of the kingdom with all manners of contacts they have, adding that their strive for political relevance should not be based on self interests, bitterness, but for the growth of permanent interests in the development of Idjerhe people.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 —15

No regrets over Abuja demolitions —El-Rufai zSays I quit PDP because the party has become toxic z‘Why I demolished Ahmadu Ali’s house, others’ z‘Obasanjo backed me on Abuja Master Plan’

BY SONI DANIE, REGIONAL

EDITOR, NORTH

A

BUJA—FORMER Minis ter of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has said he had no regrets whatsoever for the spate of demolition of buildings in the city during his tenure as minister, which left many families stranded and unable to regain their balance till date.

In his new book, “Accidental Public Servant” due for presentation in Abuja today, El-Rufai also explained why he quit the ruling People’s Democratic Party,

PDP, in 2010, saying the party had lost focus and direction.

Quitting PDP “As I say to anyone who cares to ask why I decided to leave the PDP in 2010, it was because the party had evolved within four years into a totally different partymore toxic, self-centred and controlled by a tiny clique of morallyflexible people,” the former minister stated.

Sounding unapologetic over his tenure, which led to the demolition of no fewer than 200 build-

ings in the FCT and thousands in the satellite towns, the former minister maintained that he had to take drastic actions to save Abuja from being turned into a slum by influential persons in the corridors of power.

The former minister said in the 627-page book: “For me restoring order in the chaos that we found in many aspect of living in Abuja at the time, was simply consistent with my personal philosophy in life, a preference for rules and orderliness- a burden that I needed to discharge personally so I could sleep well at night.

“It was without question worth giving four years of my life pursuing. Therefore, I have no regrets for attempting to do what we did. We did what we believed was right at the time.”

He admitted, “I love Abuja and gave nearly four years of my life to its restoration, orderliness and development.

Dislodging the cabal

“I was able to do my assignment because Obasanjo, who appointed me minister, considered Abuja as his own child and supported me as his son for the FCT assignment and up to this point in time, I have not disappointed him,” he explained.

The author noted that he had to urgently deal with the rot that was fast creeping into the capital city not minding whose ox was gored, because of his firm belief that anyone in leadership position had no alternative than doing what was right for its own sake.

El-Rufai explained that it was his honesty that convinced him to demolish the house of the then PDP national chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali, without caring a hoot.

He pointed out that given his closeness to the former chairman he would have overlooked the infraction committed by him and spared his building in Asokoro District, which was sitting on a sewage line.

El-Rufai said he was able to dislodge the cabal distorting the Abuja Master plan and using land allocations to enrich themselves at the expense of the country and its people.

According to him, the rich and powerful elements in the military and politics, who had cornered choice plots in the city through the backdoor, were more interested in trading with the plots for higher profits rather than building on the land, which had stipulated timeframe.

Obasanjo’s love for Abuja

Maina sues Senate, IGP, others, demands N1.5bn damages

BY CALEB AYANSINA

A

BUJA—CHAIRMAN of Pension Reform Task Team, Dr Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday, dragged the Senate and Nigeria Police Force to Abuja Federal High Court, on a matter of breach of fundamental rights, pursuant to Section 46(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Maina had been declared wanted by the police based on the order of the Senate for allegedly failing to appear before senators.

In the suit (FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 65/ 20B) instituted by his Counsel, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, Maina prayed the court to quash the purported report of the Senate Committee’s resolutions and declare the arrest by the police unconstitutional, with a demand of N1.5b as damages.

The case, which comes up on February 11, in Abuja has the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1st defendant), Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (2nd), Clerk of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria(3rd), Senate Committee On Establishment & Public Service(4th), Senate Committee State & Local Government Administration(5th) as defendants.

C M Y K

16—Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan arriving Cairo International Airport, Egypt, for the 12th session of the Islamic Summit Conference, yesterday.

Photo: State House.

From left: Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Aigboje AigImoukhuede at the just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Offa, Erinle crisis: Kwara govt swears in commission of enquiry ...warns against communal clash, violence

Police arraign 4 for shop breaking

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

A

BUJA—THE Police in Abuja yesterday arraigned four men before the Kubwa Upper Area Court on a threecount charge of alleged shop-breaking and theft.

Those arraigned were Aminu Bello, Hashiru Isiaka, Abdullahi Mohammed and Nuhu Mohammed, all residents of Dutse, Abuja.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Danjuma Mohammed, told the court that the four accused persons allegedly conspired and broke into a shop, belonging to one Stephen Asuquo.

According to him, while in the shop, they stole two cooking stoves, one cooler, five pots, seven plates and one crate of eggs.

I

LORIN—GOVERNOR Abdulfa tah Ahmed of Kwara State yesterday swore-in the Judicial Commission of Enquiry on Offa/Erinle crisis, warning that government would no longer tolerate unlawful border disputes that result in violence and impair the welfare of the people.

The governor, who pledged that everything would be done to ensure that the violence that characterized the recent crisis never happened again in any part of the state, charged the Commission to identify the perpetrators of the dastardly act and also proffer solutions to the perennial dispute.

This was even as the textile workers in the country yesterday condoled the families of those who lost their lives during the crisis, and asked the state government "to resist the temptation of making democratic institutions such as local government councils first casualties of

communal violence.’’

The commission’s terms of reference, according to Governor Ahmed, include the determination of the immediate and remote causes of the crisis, determina-

tion of the extent of damage to property, number of lives lost and identification of the culprits.

Others include: review of the previous reports of committee/ commission on Erin-Ile/Offa cri-

Bauchi teachers' union decries 5% deduction from allowance

BY SUZAN EDEH

B

AUCHI—THE Bauchi State Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, has decried the deduction of five percent from the 2012 leave allowances of civil servants on grade levels 14 and above, describing it as illegal and unnecessary.

The union also accused the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, for allegedly ac-

quiescing with the state government over the deduction, saying that the NLC paved the way for the illegal deduction by remaining silent on the matter.

The State Chairman of ASSUS, Comarade Abdullahi Tanko at a press briefing said that the N18,000 minimum wage being implemented in the state was at variance with what obtained in some states in the same North East geo-political zone, blaming it on irregular method adopted by the state government and the Joint Negotiation Council. He

said this was a gross violation of the labour act and therefore, illegal.

The ASSUS Chairman said the state government took undue advantage of its discontinuance of 10 percent deduction from workers’ salaries which was carried out from September to December, 2012, by the state government.

According to him, the professional allowances paid to secondary school teachers in Bauchi State was approved by the state Governor, hence it was legally binding on the government.

By Bartholomew Madukwe

PEOPLE SPEAK

08102479985

sis, making appropriate recommendations in respect of prosecution and punishment of culprits, lost lives, properties destroyed and solutions to prevent future occurrence.

(nwamad@yahoo.com)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY G

IVING autonomy to local government would bring development. This will also give the people the opportunity of becoming part of governance. It would make the people know how to monitor progress in their community. Mrs Abolarinwa Cecilia— Musician.

C M Y K

I

subscribe to local gov ernment autonomy.

There are loopholes in the chain at which money gets to local governments. There should be a better check to ensure that the money meant for local government gets to them appropriately. Miss Abunana Aisha— Model.

F

ROM my view, I do not think that local government would survive on its own because they need fund. Even now that there is no autonomy, they are still struggling. So I think the way they are is better. Miss Ogundare Abida—Student.

W

ITH the state of our local governments, there is no need for them having autonomy. In some local governments, there is nothing happening there.

Local government autonomy would bring more resources and escalate corruption. Miss Bisola Suliat—Student.

I

N my area, I do not see anything happening there because most times the money is not there or the state government is yet to release money. So, I think it will be good for the local government to have autonomy. Miss Yetunde Baruwa—Student.

I

support that local gov ernment should have autonomy. It would enable them have more direct impact towards the people in the community.

Also, it will enable the people have easier access to sending their complain to their respective local government. Mr. Amusan Lawrence—Musician

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013— 17

R

Nasir El-Rufai’s Accidental Public Servant

Between Yesterday's men and N Today's Lords of the Manor remain in place. 2007-2011, he assured, was merely a transition period, that will see no change. Third Term is dead; long

,

EUBEN ABATI was at his most combative last Sunday, with his withering attack on “The Hypocrisy of Yesterday’s Men”.It was obviously a riposte to recent attacks on the Jonathan administration. Reuben reflected the angst within the administration, which first surfaced in the inept press conference addressed by Information Minister, Labaran Maku, to the challenge one of the most visible elements of Abati’s “yesterday’s men and women”, who seem “to be on an offensive against the Jonathan administration”, in the person of Oby Ezekwesili. It was Oby that threw the challenge in the first place, saying that Obasanjo’s administration left $45B in foreign reserves and $22B in the Excess Crude Account. These huge sums, Oby claimed, were frittered away by the Jonathan administration.

An angry Reuben Abati described the Obasanjo group (that is actually what they are at a time when relations have gone sour between Obasanjo and Jonathan!), as “a navel-gazing, narcissistic group…” and “a bunch of hypocrites” who “mask self interest as public causes”, while “they are perpetually hanging around, lobbying and hustling for undeserved privileges”.

And to make the point even clearer Reuben Abati said of this group: They “are in different sizes and shapes: small, big; Godfathers, agents, proxies. The tactics of the big figures on this rung of opportunism may be slightly different.

They parade themselves as a Godfather or kingmaker or the better man who should have been king”. Abati rubbed it in naming the affliction: “They suffer of course, from messianic delusions”!

PHEW!! The gloves are off in Nigeria’s political society and the scorpions are truly stinging themselves to death.

The Obasanjo group has truly become a nuisance as far as Jonathan can see.

And the reason seems clear from evidence coming out of Nasir El-Rufai’s new book, being launched today. When Nigerian’s defeated Third Term, Obasanjo’s fallback option was to install Yar’adua and Jonathan, hoping that he would rule by proxy from Otta. El-Rufai said the old despot assured that the economic team and other members of the Obasanjo inner circle was still going to

I share the Jonathan administration’s disdain for the “men and women of yesterday” who think Nigeria is an experimental laboratory for discredited doctrines around the world

,

live Third Term. Those who believed they were the best things to ever happen to Nigeria,were deluded that change was never going to come. They would continue to strut the platforms of policy, selling their MADE-IN-WASHINGTON madness, which saw some of the most criminal transfers of national assets to dubious private groups, in African history. In truth, I share the Jonathan administration’s disdain for the “men and women of yesterday” who think Nigeria is an experimental laboratory for discredited doctrines around the world.

ObyEzekwesili’s claim to fame, was having been vice president of the imperialist institution, World Bank. But we remember her arrogant know-it-all

Presidential spokesman,Dr. Abati posture, especially when she ran our education, and the disdain with which she treated national intellectuals!

The fact that Jonathan has not moved things decisively forward in the national interest (and who will contest that the present administration is a product of an incestuous political liaison of theObasanjo group?), has emboldened yesterday ’s men and women to grandstand on the national policy stages.

In truth, neither group can be credited with processes of a patriotic content and that is the tragedy of the Nigerian situation. Between yesterday’s men and today’s lords of the manor, the choice Nigeria faces is that between six and half a dozen; between tweedledum and tweedledee! “TWO FIGHTING” as the popular parlance goes, yes; but it is a lot of hot air and posturing for position to serve narrow interests!

Governor Kashim Shettima and Borno's renaissance

W

HEN Vice President Namadi Sambo visited Maiduguri a few days ago, it was the first official visit to Borno, by any of the leading members of the federal administration, since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency. The only federal presence which Borno felt over the past two years, was the activity of JTF troops, who were doing a very difficult counter-insurgency work, but whose scorched earth tactics increasingly alienated the mass of the people and turned the JTF, unwittingly, into recruiting sergeants for the insurgency. As the insurgency deepened and life became nastier and brutish in Borno, Kashim Shettima’s leadership acumen underwent severe stress and strain. And because I kept in touch with him regularly, I knew that he went through very difficult moments.

But what was incredible was his incurable optimism that Borno like the phoenix, would rise from the torment of the insurgency. Despite everything, he continued to dream lofty thoughts about agricultural development as a basis of employment for the teeming youth and an income generating possibility and to translate ideas into C M Y K

reality, he built a formidable team of Nigerian patriots who have helped to work an engaging agricultural turn around in Borno. His constant refrain was that the insurgency had a root in poverty, underdevelopment and years of neglect of a very young population that became embittered and sought a way out in Boko Haram’s radical Islam and insurgency. It is no wonder that youth empowerment projects are very central to development and the reconciliation processes in Borno, just as much as there are efforts in education, urban renewal and infrastructure. For me, the welcome aspect of the turn around we are beginning to witness in Borno, is the modesty of the governor himself.

Kashim Shettima will disarm you with his modesty and yet can be engaging with a most refreshing intellect about his views of Borno and its future in the context of national and international developments.

The last time we spoke, he was effusive that the insurgency had reached a tipping point and Borno was gradually moving towards reconciliation that can open the route of development. It was within that context that a faction of Boko Haram

allegedly accepted to ceasefire and find a way forward from bloodshed.

There is still too much that is hazy about the ceasefire offer and no one can tell precisely if Imam Shekau has anything to do with the offer. But all Nigerians must hope that Borno eventually arrives at peace sooner than later, so that that historically very rich corner of Nigeria can re-connect with its antecedents as a highway of civilization dating back to over 1000 years. I once told Governor Kashim Shettima that he had a date with history; he needed to study the work of one of the greatest rulers of KanemBorno, Mai Idris Alooma, to find inspiration on governance and state building, even in a context of crisis. I don’t know if he heeded my advice, but there are significant green shoots of growth that Borno’s embattled people must carefully nurture along with all other Nigerians. In recent weeks, hope has become a central motif of existence in Borno and it is really most welcome. Namadi Sambo’s visit was a grudging acceptance in Abuja of the guilt of having neglected Borno to its fate in the past couple of years!

ASIR EL-RUFAI'S ACCIDENTAL PUBLIC SERVANT is being presented to the public this morning at the Shehu Musa Yar ’adua Centre in Abuja. The snippets newspapers have published from the book give an insight into the frightening candour the author has become known for.

When I read the excerpt DAILY TRUST published last Monday, I spoke with Nasir who was on the road between Kano and Abuja and I did say that he had let lose a cat amongst the pigeons of Nigeria’s political society. It was a description that made him laugh very heartily! It can safely be assumed that we will get a far more compelling and truthful account of the Nigerian public space from Nasir’s book, than a lot of the hagiographical pieces we have been inundated with in recent years. If there is one thing people can agree about Nasir El-Rufai, it is that he is a man of strong convictions and we do not have to agree with his political choices or even his decisons, to respect his standpoint and the genuineness of his conviction.

As Minister of the FCT, I wrote several critical pieces against him, these were especially against his rightwing ideological positions and his total acceptance of the neoliberal capitalist paradigm. But even in doing those regular critiques, I always acknowledged his ability to get his job done; his devotion to whatever assignment he needs to carry out and his ability to build teams to achieve his objectives. These were uncommon attitudes in a Nigerian public space ridden with incompetence, timeserving, sycophancy and outright corruption. Nasir El-Rufai’s tenure at the FCT was particularly controversial from different directions, but he was the first minister that confronted headon the multi-faceted problems of the FCT, using the tools of modernity and intellect and we all saw what the FCT became under him. Abuja became a truly modern city where people were obliged to obey basic rules.

El-Rufai out of power, has engaged with the public space using his remarkable intellectual ability to enlighten us about public policy, often proffering radical solutions that, if implemented, will see Nigeria advancing faster along the route of capitalist modernity. And as a socialist, I can accept that it is better to rapidly build our nation’s productive forces as fast as such ideologists of capitalist modernity like Nasir want, than to remain in the rot which envelopes us today. Nasir El-Rufai is one of the emblematic representatives of my generation; a generation which got a lot from Nigeria, in those early decades of independence: good education; welfare state packages and a lot of hope about life. He has given to his country as best he can, and his new book is a product of that engagement with our public space. It should make compelling reading, allowing us an aperture into the workings of the mind of a brilliant, diminutive man, who his friends fondly call GIANT!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 CONCERNS about Nigeria’s porous borders have turned into regular complaints and occasional triumphant announcements of supposed conquest of the challenges.

Neither is acceptable in the contexts of the importance of secured borders to Nigeria’s interests.

In the midst of its most recent untidy recruitment of personnel, which cost its Comptroller-General her job, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has announced its discovery of about 1,487 illegal routes to Nigeria. The Service was either not counting well, or it does not know Nigerian borders.

The truth lies in-between.

Probably worse than these is the tendency to accept that talking about these challenges takes care of them. It has long been established that Nigerian borders are porous so the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, was saying nothing new, when he majestically so stated.

His claim that NIS was patrolling the borders did not admit that NIS did not have adequate facilities to effectively patrol the borders hence the Air Force was asked to take over air patrol since last August.

The maritime sides of the border are to be

Nigeria’s Porous Borders handled by the Navy. The NIS works with the Customs, police and other security agencies in policing the borders whose sheer breadth can challenge even the best security plans. Nigeria’s borders with Benin Republic (773km) and Chad (87km) are relatively short when compared with her borders with Niger (1,049km) and Cameroon (1, 690km).

No one agency can handle them. There was a time the NIS engaged in inter-service training with other security agencies aimed at co-ordinated patrol of the borders which are the routes for illegal arms, illegal immigrants, criminals and contrabands. The economic and security implications of poorly policed borders are lost on the authorities

who pay lip service to effective coverage of the borders, while investing millions of Dollars in overseas security interventions.

Without internal co-ordination of border security management, Nigeria would keep lamenting the porosity of her borders.

Inadequate co-ordination of security agencies and frequent farcical rivalry among them are bigger threats to managing the borders than the number of illegal routes.

Even with the best facilities in the world, illegal border activities persist in places like the United States of America, where sophisticated technology has merely reduced, not prevented breaches of its border, especially from Mexico, where engineering ingenuity has resulted in tunnels stretching kilometres into America to beat its border patrols.

The Ministry of Interior should work harder at deeper collaboration among the various border agencies. Information and resource sharing, as well as the standardisation of policy, are crucial to securing the borders.

Cooperation with the security agencies of Nigeria’s neighbours is equally important.

These would be more productive than counting illegal border routes.

OPINION

BY EDOZIE UDEZE

W

HENEVER the Christmas season approaches, the Igbos naturally look forward to it with great enthusiasm. It is not just a time to travel home to be with the extended family members , but it also serves as the period to interact, organise community programmes and end of year parties and generally be at peace with one another. But unfortunately, in the past few years, the fear of kidnappers and armed robbers and their cohorts, had haunted our society that most Igbos do not think it is safe and wise to travel home for the Yuletide.

However, last Christmas and New Year celebrations in Anambra State, for instance, were quite remarkable for Anambrarians.

Based on newspaper reports and the testimonies of some who travelled, Anambra State was very save and conducive for the celebrations. Those who were home for the first time in many years actually found time to savour the beauty and joy of Christmas because not only that security was in place, the government of Peter Obi was equal to the task.

With the dismantling of the kidnapping gangs and kingpins in the state, Governor Obi has shown that with the necessary political will, a good leader can set an enviable precedence for others to follow.

Before now, a gang of kidnappers led by Ofeakwu, a native of Oraifife in Ekwusigo Local government area of the state had held

Obi and security in Anambra the whole state hostage. Ofeakwu’s exploits and those of his gangs were so grave and daring, that the governor quickly mustered forces with security agencies to go after them. His action was so decisive and swift that it took all by surprise.

The governor made it clear to the people of the state and indeed the nation that for one to fight criminals as organised and as rich as the kidnappers, the first thing to do is cripple and dislodge their economic and financial base. This was what Peter Obi did and for the first time in the history of the state, bulldozers and caterpillars went to remote villages and towns pulling down houses built by criminals with blood and illgotten money.

This action has indeed led to the peaceful atmosphere that exists in the state today. If you want to catch a thief, like it is usually said in Igbo land, you have to be smarter than the thief. And if you can successfully puncture his ego and source of wealth and cage those who are behind him, the rest is history. This was what happened all over the state when the government began to go from town to town based on security reports and information to fish out the criminals and chase themout of their hiding place. This approach shows that no single person or

group of persons can be stronger than the state.

Obi must have taken a lesson or two from the tactics employed by former president of Brazil, Lula Da-Silva. When Da-Silva took over as the first democratically elected president in the history of Brazil in many years, the economy was in shambles.

Da-Silva went to work. He promised the people that he would cripple the economic powers of their generals who had impoverished the system for far too long. As a political hawk and a no-nonsense leader, Da-Silva truly stepped on toes, very huge toes for that matter in the process of sanitizing the system. Many people kicked, while others attacked him, threatening to unleash terror on him for daring to go where angels feared to tread. But Da-Silva remained undaunted.

B

y the time he left office three years ago, Brazil had become the 6th largest economy in the world. All it takes to make a system work for the good of the populace is just the application of the necessary political will. This is what Obi has done, but he needs to do more. He needs to go after the so-called untouchables and bigwigs in the state. Those super-rich people who are really

the ones sponsoring crime and gaining from the socio-political and economic turbulence that prevail in the state, need to be taught a lesson.

No one can say exactly who these people are or where they get their money from which enable them to continue to torment the state.

However, Obi can equally rely on the same tactics he has been employing so far or something more superior to hoodwink these people. He has to find them wherever they are, uproot them so as to make Anambra totally free from their grip.

It was a good thing that Chief Tobias Okemadu, a prominent community leader in the state could travel home for Christmas for the first time in three years. “I went home due to the assurances given to us by Governor Obi. I must tell you that I didn’t have any regret. I had no reason to fear for my life or those of my household” he said.

In a place like Anambra State, a leader has to have a heart of stone to be able to rule and make the desired impact. Obi has such heart, and that is perhaps why a lot of people have chosen to call him Okwute.Okwute simply means the rock, a man with the heart of a lion.

In this fight to free the state, the people must collaborate with the government to ensure success;to make freedom and peace permeate the society.

*Mr. Udeze, a social critic, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 19

, End Maku’s circus tour now HE Borno State Government, am aware that the Maiduguri BOSG, recently added a new International Airport, which is T dimension to the controversy of the so-called Good Governance Media Tour led by Information Minister, Mr Labaran Maku, when it told the team to stay away from the state. When I saw the headline of this story, I had thought Governor Kashim Shettima issued the warning to guard against members of the team being exposed to terrorist attacks in his state.

But on reading the story, it turned out that the Borno State Government was protesting what it described as lack of Federal presence in the state. According to Inuwa Bwala, the Borno State Commissioner for Information, Maku and his team of handpicked journalists have no right to tour the state since there was no Federal project – ongoing or completed – for them to inspect or commission.

I doubt that that the BOSG is correct to say there is no Federal presence in the state. There are Federal roads in the state, and I

often used for hajj operations, is neither a private airport nor was it built through self-help efforts by the government and people of Borno State, just like the Imo People’s Airport (Now Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport) the only airport in Nigeria built through the donations of the people of a state. The University of Maiduguri is a Federal institution and there are prisons, Customs, immigration, Central Bank of Nigeria, police, military facilities, a Federal Secretariat and personnel there, which Boko Haram insurgents target for destruction.

Still, I agree with the notion that the Minister of Information has no right to purport to lead a team of journalists on a “good governance” tour of states. It is a pity that state governments have willingly submitted themselves to this abnormality. It is even a greater pity that journalists have subordinated themselves to the leadership of the chief propagan-

The Minister of Information has no right to lead a team of journalists on a “good governance” tour of states; it is a pity that state governments willingly submitted themselves to this abnormality

,

dist of the Federal Government when the Constitution gave them the power to hold government, including the Federal Government which Maku serves, accountable for what they are doing with the electoral mandate given them by the people, as well as the use of tax payers’ money.

Maku is repeating a wasteful expedition pioneered in 2001 by one of his predecessors, Professor Jerry Gana. At that time, the President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists was Smart Adeyemi, an employee of the Federal Ministry of Information.

Gana and Adeyemi colluded to take selected journalists round the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. At the end of the tour they voted Governor Peter Odili as the highest performing governor and handed him a golden trophy. The new democratic dispensation was only two years old!

Adeyemi was fond of giving out awards to politicians and by the time he had finished his two terms

he was sufficiently armed up enough to win a seat in the senate in 2007. Now, we are being treated to a déjà vu. Garba Mohammed, the incumbent NUJ President, who has comported himself with relative dignity, has started another collaboration with Maku. Just like the Ganaled tour, they always end every state round with effusive commendation of the governor.

At the end, perhaps another governor that collects the highest oil revenue from the Federal Government and does not mind dishing it out with reckless abandon just like Odili, will win a gold trophy? We wait to see. This tour is wrong for so many reasons.

Firstly, the Minister of Information leading journalists on a tour of states to assess their performance is preposterous! The constitution gives journalists the power to assess the performance of all levels of governmental function. Who gave the minister the power to assess governors?

Maku has no right to “lead” journalists because he is a federal appointee who should be part of those assessed.

Former Governor Odili defeated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, three times in court by proving the point that a federal agency had no constitutional right to force the State House of Assembly to act upon trumped up allegations to remove a state governor. In a similar vein, a federal minister has no power to assess a state government. Do not mind that the same former Governor Odili still glories in the Golden Governor tag placed

upon him by Prof Gana and his pack of selected reporters.

Now, after Maku has finished assessing governors and awarding them marks, who will assess Maku and the federal government he belongs to? Will it be state information commissioners travelling round federal installations with journalists?

Journalists and the media should evolve a credible and foolproof means of holding governments to account. If it has to be through a media tour of the country, it should be an assessment of federal, state and local governments. The criteria for assessment must be spelt out while the selection of those to carry out the assessment must be transparent and credible. The tour must be independently funded to prevent the current situation where the highest performance award, as some allege, goes to the highest bidder. A scientific method of assessment will portray performance in view of available funds and other variables.

For now, these tours are circuses; jamborees that contribute nothing to the public interest. The heavy presence of government sector workers in the NUJ is largely responsible for the ease with which information ministers impose themselves on the Union and hijack their constitutional right to hold government accountable. Some of these people cannot openly say no to Maku’s role as “leader ” of journalists because ultimately Maku is their boss!

The circus must end now. If Maku has no work to do in his office let him give way to more serious-minded people.

Governance: Witch doctor to the rescue?

HE villagers have a better way of expressing the same feelings. They will quickly tell you that there is no royal road to geometry and that life has no short-cut.

Some will keep drumming it into your ears that you shall only reap whatever you sow Many may not want to put up with all the inconveniences of going to school.

Going to school is seen as punishment with hard labour. And in the end, you even graduate into unemployment.

Life in Lagos may be different. Each time I visit this friend of mine, I also feel the inconvenience. Those innocent kids of theirs must wake up as early as 5 am to prepare for school. Their parents drop them off on their way to work in the Island.

My friend can only pick them up as from 6 pm after balancing the books at the bank.

On the days of light traffic, they would be lucky to get to their home at Ikeja around 10 pm. This routine is replicated every working day of the week.

A cheaper alternative to this ordeal of going to school would be to leave the children at home to play football and gradually develop into area boys. The only irony in all this is that those who opt for this alternative would wake up one morning, wanting to become the President of the country. If they do not succeed in becoming president, then it is home trouble and witches in the village that are after them.

By the time we shall be reading this piece, a witch doctor of sorts shall have resumed duty in the power sector.

Somebody is certainly bringing a complete innovation to governance; call it government by voodoo, if you wish. On

Wednesday, January 23, 2013, the Senate confirmed the nominations of Alhaji Tanimu Turaki and Prof. Chinedu Osita Nebo as Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Prof. Nebo is bringing a wealth of experience and a lot of wizardry into office.

Hear him: “If the President deploys me in the power sector, I believe that given my performance at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, where as a Vice Chancellor, I drove out the witches and demons, God will also give me the power to drive out demons in the power sector.”

To drive away the witches presupposes that you know their covens. At the UNN, locating such covens might not have been too difficult. The same may not be easily said of the power sector, where some of the covens may be located in high places, even in Aso Rock Villa itself. Those suspended investigations and the unimplemented probe reports are in the coven. Who will dig them out? Therein lies the litmus test.

We hope Prof. is not underestimating the areas in government where his expertise will be urgently required. Recent events indicate clearly that the areas are legion: when President Goodluck Jonathan visited the Police College, Ikeja, we wonder what he expected to see. He could as well have been expecting to see the type of buildings they have at West Point or Sandhurst. What right had the President to expect so much?

Couldn’t he have provided for the fact that, that was a clear abode for the witches, wizards and demons over the years?

By the time the fat flies and beautiful cockroaches from the pit latrines came out to mount a guard of honour for the

,

T

At the UNN, locating ...covens might not have been too difficult; the same may not be easily said of the power sector, where some of the covens may be located in high places, even in Aso Rock Villa itself

,

President, it dawned on him that all he had been hearing about the level of corruption in the police domain were not fairy tales, after all. Year after year, heavy budgetary outlays have been devoted to the police but turn after turn, many Inspectors General of Police have come out richer than the Federal Government.

Each time, the king carries a stick in readiness for war, what should the palace attendants do? Whenever the IG took the big chunk, his subordinates swallowed the balance. So down the line, we may soon find that everyone in the system is a demon, deserving to be chased out.

I

t is now very clear the real justice in Nigeria can only be obtained in foreign courts. Recently, it took a far away British Court to jail Governor James Ibori for the crimes over which Nigerian courts

had set him free. He could even have been awarded medals here as a mark of honour for doing great things.

On Wednesday, January 30, 2013, it took a Court in The Hague, Netherlands, to rule that the Royal Dutch Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, was responsible for the terrible oil pollution in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. Nigerian courts have consistently given the SPDC a clean bill.

Clearly, there are lots of demons to be chased out of our judiciary.

You must be well to be able to say you are not well. We keep considering only the small items. John Yakubu Yusufu must be wondering why people are demonstrating when he “stole only N23 billion of the Police Pensions Fund”. After all, he has been sentenced to a whole two years imprisonment with a huge option of N750, 000 fine, which he promptly paid.

Meanwhile, most of the owners of the pension money have died in the process of waiting for their money. Again, Yusufu’s takings merely form an infinitesimal fraction of the entire haulage. Yusufu must be complaining that at least we got something from him. And don’t forget, he still has the right of appeal.

What of a former governor who allegedly stole his state blind under immunity? As soon as he left office and lost his immunity, he rushed to the court and slapped a perpetual injunction on the people barring them from asking him any question. It is all happening in our time; in the 21st century Nigeria! And the world is watching us! Holy Ghost … Fire!

20 —

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 7 , 2013

but noted that everybody must die when the time comes.“It does not matter how one dies, what is important is that when the time comes, according to Islam religion, you must die. One can fall sick and die or one disaster or other can claim the life of a person. What matters is how the person lived his life here on earth,” she stated stoically.

The Head of Station of the AIT/ Raypower, Mr. Terver Tsav, described the deceased as a Good Samaritan who unfortunately paid the supreme price for this.

How messengers of death killed AIT security man

BY SUZAN EDEH, BAUCHI

M

ALLAM Idris Yusuf, a se curity man attached to the AIT/Raypower station in Bauchi, never saw death coming. Not even when he felt compelled to confront and arrest an armed robber he encountered on the way.

As a security guard, he felt dutybound to protect lives and property whenever the situation called for it. Unfortunately his bold effort in this regard ended tragically as he was shot dead by a member of a robbery gang he tried to apprehend recently.

Vanguard Metro, VM, learnt that on that fateful day Mallam Idris was on his way home from work when he ran into the messengers of death. The robbers who were said to have stolen a car approached the security man and requested that he should assist them with some petrol as the tank of their car was empty and they had no money.

Ensuing scuffle But unknown to the thieves, the owners of the stolen car had trailed them to the place and promptly raised an alarm. They were about to run off when Idris grabbed one of the suspects oblivious that the fellow was armed with a gun. In the ensuing scuffle, the robber shot him at close range. He was taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching hospital where he gave the ghost around 4' O clock in the morning.

When VM visited the family of the late Mallam Idris in Tirwun village, a surburb of Bauchi metropolis, most members wore mournful looks as they reflected upon their loss. For the bereaved family members, things will no longer be the same as the loss was that of a valued head and breadwinner of the family. This is as they continue to receive a

steady stream of sympathisers, mostly relatives, friends and AIT Raypower staff,who came to commiserate with them.

His first wife, Hajiya Rabiu Idris, told VM that the day she lost her husband, who she also considered a friend, was one she will ever live to remember with pain in her heart. According to her: “That very day, he did not come home on time as he was used to, so I thought he was on night shift even though that was unlikely. I did not see my husband that night, so I slept, not knowing that something tragic had happened to him. The following day, I got

Contract staff

*The late Mallam Idris the news that my husband was attacked and killed by armed robbers”.

She described her husband as a kind, humble and hardworking man, saying that he would ever be remembered for his good deeds and wondered why sometimes unfortunate incidents befall good people.

The late Mallam Idris’s second wife, Hajiya Hajiya Rakiya, who recently gave birth to a baby also described her husband as a very

peaceful person who did not go courting trouble. She said: “I wonder why good people don’t last. My husband never looked for trouble. He is well respected by everybody in this village because of his moral standard. I will miss him. My consolation is that his first son is employed, at least that will help fend for the family”.

Speaking with his aged mother, Hajiya Famita, she said the death of her son was unfortunate,

“He is a father to us because he was elderly. He used to advise us whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Mallam Idris started with the station when it had not developed to what it is now.

He started as a contract staff and his appointment was confirmed just in November last year. So it’s very painful that somebody who has been with us on contract for long could not live to reap the fruit of his labour”.

The station cameraman, Mr. Sam Itodo, said that the death of Idris was unfortunate, adding that the security man is the only bread winner of the family and the only male alive.

When contacted, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Auyo, said that he was not aware of the matter, saying that the Commissioner of Police was in the best position to speak.

Foundation laments menace of street children

BY LAJA THOMAS

M

ORE startling about Nigerian children is the fact that many of them are out of school. They suffer various forms of indignation and inhuman treatments. They battle for survival in an environment similar to the one described in the classic work, The Animal Kingdom.”

These were the words of Hajiya Asabe Shehu Yar‘Adua, Founder/President, Asabe Shehu Yar ‘Adua Foundation on the challenges of street children and child labour at a symposium organised by the Foundation in Lagos, penultimate weekend.

Hajiya Yar’Ádua said: “The consequence is the incredible growing number of street children in Nigerian cities fighting for meals, survival and space to lay their heads. You find these children roaming the streets, begging, suffering battery, being subjected to child labour like street hawking, rape and other forms of sexual abuse/prostitution, as well as sleeping in make-shift structures, abandoned vehicles and pavement. Some of them absconded from homes because of maltreatment from their parents, especially stepmothers in fragmented or polygamous families”. She added that “the street child is

abused, misused and abandoned physically, mentally and psychologically. His future and that of the society is compromised by the privileged few in the Nigerian society. His miserable look in tattered clothes, unkempt hair and odorous mouth are indicative of our tomorrow as a people”.

She also noted thus: “These children are products of broken marriages. Some were abandoned babies. Others were orphans. While a huge number of the children became street children because

of economic vagaries, ravaging poverty and ignorance in a developing country like Nigeria. And a country will be sitting on a keg of gun power that fails to guarantee the future of the younger population which the street children constitute a significant percentage. Some authorities say these children, who the societal has come to label as street urchins, area boys, hoodlums and miscreants, represent the face of hunger, insecurity and social neglect”.

•Street children beggars on the beat. But who cares for them?

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 21

House faults Web Fontaine over $6m monthly revenue ... Commends Cotecna, Globalscan

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

H

OUSE of Representatives Committee on Customs has slammed Web Fontaine, which powers the Automated System of Customs Data (ASYCUDA), over inadequate provision of infrastructure at the sea port.

The House also commended the management of Cotecna Destination Nigeria Limited and Global Scansystems Ltd for the provision of scanning machines in line with the agreement they entered into with the federal government.

Making this known in Lagos during their visit to ascertain the readiness of the Nigeria Customs Service to take over the Destination Inspection (DI) scheme, Chairman of the committee, Nakudu Sabo, lamented the level of investment by the company.

Nakudu frowned at the problem of interconnectivity which came up in virtually all the Customs command they visited in Lagos. He said the volume of investment by the firm in Apapa is very poor compared to the $6 million it collects from government.

According to him, “I keep hearing Web Fontaine everywhere I go. Just look at what you have here, very few computers, one scanner, dilapidated air-conditioners etc, and you collect $6 million from government every month whereas the whole investment here is not even up to N2 million,” said Nakudu at the ASYCUDA office in Apapa area

one command of the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said he was also happy with the facilities which Cotecna had put in place at the scanning points at both Apapa port and the Tin-Can Island ports.

While assuring that they did not embark of the tour to castigate or blame anyone, the lawmaker, however, said the committee would look into the advice of the Global Scansystems Limited on the qualification of officers to be trained abroad.

He urged Global Scansystems to speed up the installation of the fixed scanning equipment, adding that the committee would be back in the next three months

to check the progress of the work.

He suggested that customs should work with Global Scansystems in the course of installation of the fixed scanner within the three months.

Nakudu said the committee was keen in keeping itself abreast of all activities concerning the Destination Inspection scheme.

Fred Udechukwu, Managing Director of Global Scansystems said he was happy with the visit of the committee members.

“The scanners were installed in 2006 and ever since, we have not recorded any downtime.

We have maintained and stocked spare parts for all our scanners.

“We have always said we are

ready for collaboration with the Federal Government and the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure that the laudable project (Destination Inspection) is executed and handed over ultimately to the customs.

“Most of the customs officers trained by us in all our locations had won the Comptroller-General of Customs Award as the Best Scanning Officers, Udechukwu said.

He, however, mentioned that “for both mobile and fixed scanners, customs officers need proper exposure and technical training inline with the proposal he had sent to the government several times so that those qualified customs officers could be trained abroad”.

From left: Public Relations Manager, UAC of Nigeria, UACN, Plc. Mr. Mike Asuquo; Commissioner for Information, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Husseini Abubakar; Executive Director, UACN, Mr. Joe Dada and Human Resource Manager, Grand Cereals Limited, Mrs. Nkechi Umeokeke, during the donation of 200 desks to Government College, Keffi, Nasarawa State, by UACN as part of the Company’s Goodness League initiative in the North Central Zone of the country, at the school premises, Keffi, Nasarawa State.

JedAir, Voyageur Airways sign JV agreement

By LAWANI MIKAIRU

J

EDAIR Limited, a Nigerian airline, has signed a joint venture agreement with a Canadian Airline, Voyageur Airways .Voyageur Airways is a globally recognized and leading air operator and maintenance organization. As part of the terms of the JV agreement, Voyageur will provide the aircraft, maintenance and technical expertise while JedAir will operate the aircraft and provide crew and ground handling for the aircraft operations.

This new agreement will enhance the operations of JedAir Airline in Nigeria aviation market. JedAir Ltd is a duly registered Nigerian airline

with a valid Air Operator ’s Certificate. The airline commenced operations in 2001 providing non-scheduled air services to corporations and oil and gas companies. Presently the scope of operations of the airline has increased to also cover cargo operations and scheduled passenger services.

The agreement will make Voyageur Airways to make her Bombardier Dash 8 Q-300/400 aircraft available for Jed Air Nigerian operations. This will further improve the standard of civil aviation in Nigeria and aircraft passenger and logistics service. This is because JedAir will benefit from the wealth of experience of Voyageur Airways who is a glo-

bally recognized as a leading air operator and maintenance organization.

Voyageur Airways began operations in 1968 and has grown into a diverse aviation company providing domestic and international nonscheduled and scheduled air services. It has over 350 employees, operates out of its 200,000 sq. ft. head office and MRO facility located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada..

Voyageur Airways also provide chartered aircraft to the United Nations and NATO, for operations in places such as Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Ivory Coast and Sudan.. Their fleet currently consists of 24 aircraft,

NACCIMA D-G seeks more empowerment for research centres

D

IRECTOR-GENERAL of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Industry (NACCIMA), Dr John Osemede, has urged the Federal Government to provide more empowerment for research centres in Nigeria.

Osemede told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that research centres were not working performing optimally because of poor funding.

“Research centres in the country, especially in the area of agriculture, are in dire need of empowerment.

“Adequate funding of research activities would assist the government in national planning and also provide accurate report on areas that need attention.

“Research centres in Nigeria have the manpower to work with but cannot provide viable results due to poor funding,” he said. The director-general said that students of universities of agriculture should be challenged to provide technology-based research results to justify what they studied in school. He said that the provision of funds to the universities would provide job opportunities in the sector and enhance food production.

144.4 2,243.00

0.05 +51.00

with the following aircraft types:. Bombardier 18.8 0.07 Dash 8 Series 300/400, Bombardier Bash 7, Series 100/110 Bombardier CRJ200, Beechcraft 117.01 +1.41 King Air A100, Beechcraft Super King 96.72 +0.55 Air series 200/B200C, and Canadair Regional CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING J e t Speaking about the DOLLAR 154.74 155.24 155.74 agreement, the CEO of POUNDS 242.8799 243.6647 244.4495 209.8274 210.5054 211.1834 JedAir Ltd, Capt Nogie EURO 170.4185 170.9692 171.5198 Meggison said the FRANC 1.6603 1.6657 1.671 agreement between YEN CFA 0.3029 0.3129 0.3229 JedAir and Voyageur WAUA 238.1654 238.9349 239.7045 Airways will enable RENMINBI 24.5735 24.6533 24.7332 41.2058 41.3389 41.4721 them provide First Class RIYA 28.2904 28.3818 28.4732 aviation logistics KRONA SDR 238.934 239.7061 240.4781 services.

CBN Exchange rate as at 06/02/2013

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Resort Savings to float N3.5bn hybrid offer

BY YINKA KOLAWOLE

R

esort Savings and Loans (RSL) Plc has concluded plans to raise N3.5 billion from the stock market next month through a combination of Rights and Public offerings, subject to the approval of regulatory authorities.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, RSL, Mr. Abimbola Olayinka, disclosed this at a media interactive session, Monday, in Lagos. He said the move is aimed at repositioning the bank ahead of the April 30, 2013 deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for primary mortgage banks (PMBs) in Nigeria to recapitalise to N5 billion for National PMBs and N2.5 billion for State PMBs. Olayinka said as soon as the necessary approvals are given by the regulatory authorities, the bank hopes to raise N1.7

billion via Rights Issue, and N1.9 billion through public offering. He noted that the bank is presently among the top ten PMBs in the country, but targeting to be among the top five in the nearest future.

He also noted that the bank had made giant strides of recent, with 13 branches and offices nationwide, cutting across several states. “We have been able to grow from one single branch to 13 branches and cash offices nationwide - 5 in Lagos, 2 Abuja, 1 Jalingo, 1 Yola 1 in PH, 1 in Ekiti and 1 in Abeokuta, and all of them are networked and online 24/7.”

He announced that the bank has grown its deposit base to N2 billion, from a deposit liability of N480 million in 2009. “In line with its new financial health and vitality, the mortgage bank is now bouncing back to profitability, recording a N107m unaudited profit for the third quarter ending September 2012, after the necessary provision on account

has been made.

“Bringing the bank to this healthy state is a task that tried the expertise and managerial skills of the management team following the challenges the bank was confronted with up till 2009 when it recorded a deposit liability of N480m and had many debtors to contend with.

“The bank was also currently collaborating with the Lagos State Government in the development of over 120 hectares of land in different locations, while it is also working with the Federal Road Safety Corps, to develop and provide mortgages for a minimum of 400 officers in Ekiti State,” he stated.

Olayinka, who is also the President of Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria (MBAN), said the liquidity facility company being jointly set up MBAN, World Bank, IFC and Federal Ministry of Finance, to be called Nigerian Mortgage Company, is expected to take off in the last quarter of this year with a capitalisation of N20 billion.

He noted that the company will be floated on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) will help to deepen the mortgage sector in the nation’s economy.

IFC debuts N12bn bond issuance on NSE

By CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

T

HE International Finance Corpora tion, IFC, has issued its first international bond in an emerging market totaling N12 billion to support the local capital market and increase access to currency finance.

In a release jointly signed by Ejura Phoebe Audu and Alexandra Klöpfer, the issue, called the “Naija” bond, is IFC’s first nairadenominated bond.

It is also the first placement by a nonresident issuer in Nigeria’s domestic capital markets.

“Vibrant domestic capital markets create access to long-term, local-currency finance for the private sector—the key engine of job creation in emerging markets. The IFC Naija bond supports our efforts to deepen domestic capital markets in Africa, so they can sustain a thriving private sector in the region,” Jingdong Hua, IFC Vice President and Treasurer said.

The five-year bond was designed to appeal to a broad range of domestic investors looking to diversify their portfolios. Initially planned as a $50 million issue, the bond was increased due to strong investor demand. All investors in the bond are Nigerian pension funds, asset managers, and banks. The bond is priced at par with a yield of 10.2 per cent. Proceeds from the bond will be used to support IFC’s private sector development program, the statement said.

Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor, IFC Country Manager for Nigeria, said: “The IFC Naija bond supports the efforts of the government and authorities to deepen domestic capital markets and grow the corporate bond market in Nigeria. A well-developed corporate bond market in turn can provide affordable, long-term naira funding to meet the financing needs for critical sectors such as power.”

IFC’s committed portfolio in Nigeria stands at $1.1 billion, the largest country portfolio in Africa and the eighth-largest globally.

Neimeth partners customers to drive growth Mrs. Louisa Olaloku, Executive Director with Enterprise Bank Limited, who represented the chief host and the bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Mallam Ahmed Kuru, addressing members and participants at the last meeting of the Committee of Chief Compliant Officers of Banks in Nigeria (CCCOBN), which held in Lagos on Friday. She is flanked by the committee’s executive members: Mr. Olusiji Adeyinka of Standard Chartered Bank Limited (right) and Mr. Pattison Boleigha of Access Bank Plc

New pension guidelines to boost capital market activities — Report

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

he new Pension guideline that allows pension fund administrators to invest part of their income in Exchange Traded Funds, ETFs, as well as global depository receipt will help in boosting activity in the capital market in 2013.

This was the position of analysts at Asset and Research Management Company, ARM Research, in continuation of the serialisation of their core strategy document termed ‘Nigeria Strategy Report H1, 2013.’

Unlike the 2010 guideline that disallowed investment in ETFS, the current guideline just released in December, 2012 included ETF as an allowable instrument for pension fund investment.

While the 2010 pension guideline

did not make provision for investment in global depository receipts/notes and eurobond, the new guideline made provision for such investment.

In case of investment in private equity, the new guideline stipulates that fund managers could retain just one percent of the assets if the fund has development finance institution as co-investor or limited partner, while three percent could be retained where the fund does not have development finance institution as co-investors or partner.

Also, PFAs are not allowed to transact more than 30 percent of total trade in equities and debt instruments in a calendar year with broker dealer firms that are related parties to PFAs, unlike the old guideline that set no limits on the total

trades executed with broker dealer firms that are related parties to PFAs. “We still hold the view that in gradually teasing PFA’s—who are still the dominant block of institutional investors—away from fixed income, the new guidelines will likely underpin recent equity gains into 2013 and along with increased foreign interest could drive a substantial upward rerating of equity market valuations in 2013.

Its timing is also significant and somewhat fortuitous, since it coincides with a period when we anticipate that increased interest in Naira assets would raise the stakes on investor requirements for liquidity, which will likely become an important requirement in equities performance in coming quarters,” they said in the report.

By WILLIAM JIMOH

N

eimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc said it has entered into partnership with its stakeholders to drive the company’s growth and increase value for shareholders.

To achieve this, it organised a Business Partners Forum where its distributors were hosted to a round table discussion to chart mutually benefiting strategies to enhance the current partnership.

In a release signed by Okay Nwaka, Neimeth Head of Corporate Affairs, the two days event held in Lagos had distributors from the six-geo political zones of the country in attendance.

During the event, the company ’s management highlighted the essential elements of the discourse which centered on strengthening and rebuilding partnership for profitability, adding that the aim of the forum was also to seek distributors’ advice and strongly rebuild the existing partnership as any business will definitely need their distributors to move forward. Responding, the distributors expressed their gratitude to the company for organizing the forum just as they made suggestions bordering on different aspects of Neimeth business.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 23

BoI has disbursed N65bn so far to SMEs — Oputu BYPETER EGWUATU

T

HE Bank of Industry (BOI) has disbursed only N65 billion of the N100 earmarked for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Ms. Evelyn Oputu, the Managing Director of the bank, revealed this to newsmen in Lagos recently.

She further advised the SMEs to engage in projects that would attract loans to fast track economic development.

According to her, the fund is meant to enable SMEs contribute their quota to the nation’s development.

The BOI boss encouraged

entrepreneurs to evolve good ideas and innovations that could lead to the expansion of the facility as well as create jobs.

According to her, such a development will enhance inclusive economic growth.She said that the Federal Government was committed to providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive She identified the problem militating against the SMEs as poor packaging of proposals, poor book-keeping and the lack of saving culture, among others.

“In spite of these challeng-

es, BOI is partnering with various skill development centres to enable SMEs operators to improve their businesses.”

According to her, “SMEs empowerment has globally become the main economic growth strategy, considering their high employment generation capacities. She said that Nigeria, with 17 million SMEs, was capable of generating employment.”

“If a quarter of these SMEs are empowered, and they create one job each, more than four million jobs will be created,” Oputa added.

NIMC upgrades biometric identification system to 100m capacity

T

he National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), charged with providing Nigerians state-of-the-art identity card system and database system has upgraded its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) first deployed in 2010 to 100 million capacity.

In a statement issued by the Director, Corporate Communications, NIMC, Mr. Anthony Okwudiafor, the ABIS when it was first deployed had only two bimodal functionalities – fingerprint and face, but a third functionality has been added which is ‘Iris’.

He said “Government had approved the upgrade to 70 million database record size on the two modal functionalities as part of the N30.066n billion three (3) year funding approved for the accelerated implementation of the back end component of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) in 2011. But the management of NIMC had been able to utilise the same funding to achieve a higher upgrade due to its cordial relationship with the service providers L1 identity Solutions, USA”.

This means that the NIMC will be able to process volume databases from institutions like INEC and NCC, since the ‘de-duplication’ system, the ABIS, now has a larger record size capacity capable of taking all the records. The ABIS is what enables the determination of unique identities in the database before the National Identification Number (NIN) is issued to an individual.

Okwudiafor further noted that the deployment plan includes an upscaling in a matter of hours to 200million whenever the Commission desires. This means that the ABIS infrastructure is currently the largest in Sub Saharan Africa. Already, eight (8) members of staff of NIMC have been trained on the use of the system which will be maintained in partnership with a local technology solutions firm and the Biometric Unit of the NIMC.

ICAN institutes grant for Abia Poly lecturers

I

Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga flanked by his Indonesian counterpart (right) and another Indonesian delegate at the just concluded expansion of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Indonesia, in Abuja. Photo: Emmanuel Elebeke.

Stanbic, Cat, Mantrac to drive investment, economic growth in Nigeria

BY MICHAEL EBOH

S

TANBIC IBTC Bank Plc has entered into a strategic partnership with Caterpillar Financial Services and Mantrac Nigeria, the authorized dealer of Caterpillar heavy equipment and machineries, to drive the growth and development of the Nigerian economy in areas of attracting investment in key sectors and infrastructure development.

Speaking during the launch of the partnership in Lagos, Mrs. Yinka Sanni, Managing Director, Stanbic IBTC, said the bank is aware of the challenges facing businesses and

entrepreneurs in Nigeria, especially with regards to financing, a major factor that has contributed to the slowdown recorded in the economy.

Sanni, who was represented

by Mr. Sola Adegbesan, Head, Global Markets, Stanbic, said, “As Africa’s natural resources are expected to drive strong growth and attract investments in the energy, mining, infrastructure development and agriculture sectors, it was an optimal time for Stanbic, a member of the Standard Bank Group, to provide the on-theground banking operations, staffed by experts teams familiar with local business

conditions and regulations, to deliver Cat Financial and its customers with the highest quality of service, providing support to dealers and building long term relationships.”

He stated that the partnership will provide the much needed financing that will help propel the African economy, especially in agriculture and infrastructural development Sanni said the collaboration, named Cat Financial Services, and provided by Stanbic IBTC, will Cat Financial provided a range of financial services to the mantrac Unatrac Group of Caterpillar dealerships in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

NSTITUTE of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) has instituted a N500,000 grant to any accountancy lecturer from the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, who wishes to pursue a doctorate degree.

Mr Adedoyin Owolabi, the President of ICAN announced the plan last week when he paid a courtesy visit to the rector of the institution on Friday.He said the gesture was ICAN’s way to encourage lecturers of tertiary institutions to update their knowledge in accounting.

The president expressed the determination of ICAN to partner with the polytechnic in manpower development and other areas.

He said the institute would also train two lecturers of the polytechnic who would in turn train others in modern accounting methods to enable the polytechnic to produce quality accountants He said the ICAN would also donate computers, books and other educational materials to the polytechnic to enhance the learning process in its accountancy department.

Addressing the students of the accountancy department later, the ICAN president said the institute had also instituted a scholarship scheme for indigent but brilliant students. Owolabi promised that any student who made distinction in the final examination and wished to enroll with ICAN, but had no money, would be trained free of charge by the institute.

He, however, said such student must maintain high academic standards while at the institute, stressing that that failure would lead to withdrawal of the scholarship.

The ICAN boss stressed the need for students to enroll in ICAN programmes to engage their spare times in reading instead of indulging in vices.

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Presidency tasks Competitiveness Board to improve investment climate

NACCIMA lobbies CBN over banks affected by regulatory actions

BY NAOMI UZOR

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

P

RESIDENT G o o d l u c k Jonathan has charged the newly constituted Board of the National Competitiveness Council to improve the country’s investment climate and create more markets for products made in Nigeria.

The 18-member board, chaired by the Minister

of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, was inaugurated during the week by Mr. President.

Other members of the board are:President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Chief Kola Jamodu; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; DirectorGeneral, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr. Frank Nweke

(jnr);Tony Elumelu and Ms. Funke Adekoya.

“As you are aware, the objective of the Nigerian National Competitiveness Council is to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness by proposing policy recommendations that will create an economy that attracts domestic and foreign investments without focusing on, or benefitting any specific interest group or sector,” said the President.

According to him, for Nigeria to have its share of the global wealth, we must ensure that we improve our business environment and enhance the competitiveness of firms operating in our country.

“It is only then that these firms will be able to expand their operations and create more jobs and wealth for Nigerians and Nigeria,” he said.

N

I G E R I A Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) is mounting pressure on the apex bank to inject fresh funds into banks that were affected by regulatory actions.

In a position paper on ‘The gains and pains of the banking reforms’, the President of NACCIMA, Dr. Ademola Ajayi, said that in order to sanitise and strengthen the Nigeria’s financial sector, NACCIMA wants the apex bank to inject fresh funds into banks that were affected by regulatory actions, ring-fencing/

removal of toxic assets.

He said that this has become expedient for CBN and other financial intermediaries and regulators in the country to ensure the acceleration of credit market reforms such as dispute resolution mechanism, credit bureau regulation and leasing laws to foster credit delivery in the economy.

According to him, political will must be demonstrated to ensure that the Nigerian financial market would emerge as one of the next investment destination centres with activities that would position the local economy for growth and help draw direct foreign investment (FDI) into the country.

‘Women, SMEs devt in Africa’ for discussion in Paris

T

HE Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) says ‘Women and SMEs Development in Africa: Key to unlocking Africa’s growth Potentials,’ will be discussed during this year ’s edition of Conference on African Women Development.

It will hold in Paris , March 23.

In a statement, the conference organiser, said the theme of this year seeks to underscore the business capabilities of women and the need to incorporate women as key economic actors in growing Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

CELD further hinted that the two Nigerian first ladies have been scheduled to address women leaders, key stakeholders, policy leaders, female professionals, from Africa and the rest of the world at the conference. are Her Excellency, Mrs. Roli Uduaghan, wife of the Governor of Delta State Nigeria, and Her Excellency Halima Nyako, Wife of the Governor of Adamawa state of Nigeria.

“This year’s conference shall further advance on the gains of the 2012 edition which took place at the prestigious Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai UAE.

New lottery firm plans nationwide expansion

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

A

new lottery company, ISIS Gaming Limited, has concluded plans to expand its operation across the country after one year of operation.

According to an official of the company, Ms. Okharedia Otibho, the gaming company is tied to its mission, which entails continually developing new games with the highest industry winning odds and payout ratios whilst enhancing the quality of life by supporting community development projects.

“ISIS Gaming is targeting the entire Lagos

population, but with specific focus on the upper-middle, middle and low income earners, within the age bracket of (18-55), male and female.

These categories targets, according to ISISG are its primary focus because they constitute the mass of the population and are somewhat looking for ways to expand their income bracket whilst having fun.

The winnings range from N5000 to N20000. She said “The next thing in Nigeria’s gaming market has enabled people to beginning to reap. On the spot after scratching their cards, is sure to win something as have being the experience of many.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—25

Reps to probe Destination Inspection contract

By GODFREY BIVBERE

F

EDERAL House of Representative is set to probe the Destination Inspection contract between the federal government and the three service providers, Cotecna Destination Nigeria Limited, SGS and Global Scansystems.

Vanguard gathered that the leadership of the House set up a committee to probe the contract following the recent controversy which resulted in its extension.

The committee

Vanguard learnt, is charged with the responsibility of critically examining the contract in its entirety and issue surrounding clauses leading to the hand over of the scanning function to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

When contacted, Chairman of one of House Committee, confirmed the setting up of the committee, but however declined to give any details.

Aminu Mohammed, who is the head of Customer Relations of

Escravos pilots threaten to down tools at Delta ports

By GODWIN ORITSE

M

EMBERS of the Escravos Ship pilots, a group of marine pilots, have threatened to stop providing pilotage services to vessels that calles at the Delta ports following the inability of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to meet ts financial obligation to them.

The development, according to some of the pilots, has brought untold hardship to them and their families as their children have been sent out of school because of their inability to pay their childrens’ fees Speaking to Vanguard on the development, the Director of Operations of the Escravos Ship Pilots Nigeria Limited, Capt Solomon Prebo said that the authority has not remitted monies to its accounts for more then six months adding that their children have been sent out of school as result of the non-payment of their dues.

He stated the letter of appeal is the last the group will write to the management of the authority, adding that if after the stipulated time of two weeks, they may have no other choice than to stop providing pilotage services to vessels that calls at the Delta ports.

He explained that for more than six months, the firm has not received a dim from NPA, adding that because the firm has an agreement with the authority, it cannot afford to down tools.

Part of the letter reads “

We write to officially complain about the nonpayment of agreed remuneration by the Nigerian Ports Authority to the Escravos Ship Pilot Nigeria Limited for over ten months.b “The remuneration covers pilotage services rendered Escravos Ship Pilot Nigeria Limited on the agreed term of twenty (20%) percent of ship dues collected on each vessel handled by our company, which for over ten months now have not been paid to us despite the monthly reconciliation of records but the coordinating committee.

Cotecna told Vanguard when contacted that they have not received any letter from the House informing them of the said probe, although he has heard about it.

Mohammed told our Correspondent that the House Committee on Customs recently visited all the scanning sites of the three service providers, adding that nothing was mentioned about any probe was mention.

He said the committee was satisfied with what they saw after the touring. He noted that members of the Committee of Customs did not mention anything about the said probe. When asked if there is need for concern on their part should the Committee commence work, Mohammed who was initially reluctant to react, said that they have met and even surpassed all the terms of the contract entered into with the federal government.

Chief Executive Officer of Global Scansystems, Mr. Fred N. Udechukwu, on his part told Vanguard that they are not aware of any such probe but assured that they have met and surpassed what they were asked to do.

Akpabio, Umar, Fashola, Dangote shortlisted for Maritime Award

BY EDIRI EJOH

G

OVERNORS of Akwa Ibom and Lagos states, Godswill Akpabio and Babatunde Fashola, as well as Minister of Transport, Idris Umar and foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote have been short listed by the management of Maritime Media Limited for its annual event, the Maritime Man of the Year.

Maritime Media Limited in a statement in Lagos, noted that voting for Maritime Man of the Year 2012, commenced on Monday, 4th of February and will close at midnight Monday the 18th of February 2013.

The statement signed by Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Media Limited, Elder Asu Beks, stated that Akwa Ibom state governor’s nomination is

as a result of his initiation and pushing through of the planned action on developing a deep seaport in Ibaka, Akwa Ibom State.

For Lagos state governor and the Minister of Transport for attracting and supporting the establishment of two deep seaport projects, to be situated in Lekki and Badagry and the Minister for his wellarticulated policies that has entrenched stability and a sense of direction for the various parastals and departments under his ministry, respectively.

The maritime industry in Nigeria under the leadership of the Minister has recorded rapid development of multimodal system of transport, through the commencement of rail services from the ports in Lagos,

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 27

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 29

learning@vanguardngr.com

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

N

O doubt, reports of the low quality of Nigerian graduates have heightened in recent times. These reports however, seemed to have reached their pinnacle with the recent revelation by the Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen. Nnamdi OkoreAffia, that some corps members cannot communicate properly in English Language.

The NYSC boss, while addressing the 2013 Batch A pre-mobilisation workshop last month said; “Unfortunately, we have corps members who can hardly communicate in English Language let alone be able to teach in the classrooms. This worrisome development has resulted in a situation whereby members of the public wrongly condemn the NYSC for the poor academic standards displayed by these corps members.

“You will agree with me that it is extremely difficult to reorient a corps member who can’t read. To underscore the seriousness of this challenge, we now have a situation whereby principals of schools and other employers reject corps members because they cannot fit into their work schedule.”

Despite the credibility of the source, some opinion leaders in the sector find this piece of

unable to communicate in English. The individuals who have come in contact with such people should point them out and the universities they attended. The universities should be questioned as to how such a person managed to get into the system.

Meanwhile, Dr. Charles Onwunali, Department of M a s s Communication, University of Lagos, said that the report does From left: Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Doctor of Law; Mr. Fola Adeola, Doctor of Business Administration; not tell on the Dr. Alex Otti, Doctor of Business Administration/GMD Diamond Bank; and Prof. Attahiru Mohammed entire system.

Jega, Doctor of Administration, after receiving honorary degrees conferred by the University of Nigeria, “It’s not entirely Nsukka (UNN) at its 42nd convocation.

Menace of illiterate corps members raises dusts information simply incredulous. Mrs. Soyeye, the principal of a secondary school in Lagos said; “In all my years of teaching, I have never come in contact with any corps member who was

true that the quality of graduates has dropped; it’s a mixed batch, there are some quality graduates, and there are some others who cause you to wonder how they ever got into the university system.”

Commenting on the poor quality of writing skills prevalent among today ’s young people, he said; “The issue is that many graduates, because of the blackberry and social media, are not really

Minister worries over lack of infrastructure in nine new varsities

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

he Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike has expressed concern over the delay in the take-off of infrastructure development in the nine new universities in the country.

Wike said this at a meeting with the vice chancellors, procurement officials, contractors, consultants of the nine new universities, National Universities Commission (NUC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

“The report that we are getting is not satisfactory at all, for one year, the nine new universities have been approved and money has been given out, and no single naira has been spent.

“So what I have decided to do, now that the contractors C M Y K

are here, I want to know what the problems are.

“Why is it that for the past one year now that this contract has been approved and award letters have been given out, reports reaching me says that in 80 to 90 per cent of the sites, there is nothing happening?

“Some contractors have complained that up till now, they have not received full

details of the drawings; all sorts of stories.

“So I want to find out if it is from the universities, ministry, NUC, or that the consultants have refused to cooperate with the universities. That is why we have called for this meeting,” he said.

“We have been moving from one state to the other and this is just one year and the report we are getting is not

SUBEB tackles teachers’ professionalism -— Page 31

Winners emerge at Innovator/ Inventor Exhibition and Award -— Page 35

satisfactory at all.

“And with my experience, what I found out is that sometimes they blame the ministries, sometimes the ministries blame the contractors. Sometimes they blame those who are the recipients that is, the universities and the day you

Continues on page 30

trained to write. Even at the WAEC level, the questions are objective. The era of developing writing skills in people is gone. If the education system does not encourage people to develop writing skills, they cannot put their ideas in print. It is a question of going back to the basics and ensuring that writing is taught in schools the way it is supposed to be.

Exams should be conducted in ways that allow people to express themselves.

Objective questions simply help people differentiate false hood from truth.”

Also worried by the quality of graduates is the Principal, Kings College, Lagos, Otunba Dele Olapeju, who laid the blame at the doorsteps of teachers, especially those in

Continues on page 30

Benue varsity students bid bye to protests

-— Page 33

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Nigeria can become strong emerging economy through education — Prof Adamolekun

By DAUD OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

A

former World Bank consultant, Prof.

Ladipo Adamolekun has said that it is only through quality education that Nigeria can become a strong emerging economy as it holds the key to unlock progress in all spheres of development – social, political, economic, and technological.

Prof. Adamolekun said this while delivering the 2012/ 2013 Distinguished Lecture of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State.

The former Dean of the Faculty of Administration at th e O b a f e m i Aw o l o w o University Ile-Ife and a former Lead Public Sector Management specialist at the World Bank spoke on The Education Sector in Crisis: Evidence, Causes and Possible Remedies.

He listed three major causes of the crisis in the education sector to include over-centralisation; implementation failure and de-emphasis on the value of education and decline of the teaching profession.

According to him; “Overcentralisation is, without question, a major cause of the crisis in the education sector and its origin is unarguably the intervention of the military in the governance of the country.

“The fact that military rule lasted for almost three

*

Prof. Adamolekun decades (one of the longest in Sub-Saharan Africa) and was extended by a former military ruler and strong believer in centralisation who served as the first civilian president from 1999 to 2007, has resulted in the entrenchment of over-centralisation in a constitutional federal system.”

Adamolekun said that implementation failure can be due to either weak capacity to implement or the lack of political will to drive implementation.

He noted that “the UPE in Wester n Nigeria was successfully implemented because of the combination of a political leadership team with the will to drive its implementation and a

competent civil service (also reputed as incorruptible) to execute the policy and deliver results on the ground in respect of both UPE and other aspects of educational development.

“In contrast to the Western Nigerian experience, the UPE introduced at the national level in 1976 failed because there was no sustained political will to drive it. Throughout the civilian interregnum of 1979-1983 and the return of the military for extended rule, the policy was abandoned.

“The successor, UBE, that was launched in 2004 has achieved rather limited results. Muddled political responsibility for UBE has been a major constraint and centralised implementation (for example, contracts for purchase of textbooks for students in all 36 states are awarded in Abuja) has hindered federalstate collaboration that is essential for effective implementation.”

He regretted that “all the oversight missions of the National Assembly in respect of the different sectors, including education, are tales of corrupt practices without a single MDA being made to account for implementation failure: teams of senators and representatives strut the land and return to Abuja with additional millions to their obscene self-allocated salaries.”

According to him; “NASS committees would rather descend on educational institutions for the usual extra earnings than organise a public hearing on how best to fix the 6-3-3-4 education system that is widely acknowledged as not being properly implemented.”

will call the vice-chancellors, they will give you a different version, because the ministry’s representatives are not there and also with the consultants, just like that.”

He said that there was no reason why funds made available in the past one year cannot be utilised, adding that Nigerians were eager to see the completion of the nine new universities. He noted that the Federal Government was willing to ensure that the universities were not just open but have the necessary facilities.

Wike added that government is serious about providing the necessary infrastructure, which necessitated the call for the meeting.

“Nigerians will not know that Mr President has done his own part and no infrastructure has been provided. This is not correct because bureaucracy is killing everything that we are hoping to achieve, ‘’ he said.

“So I want to find out if it is from the universities or from the ministry or is it from the National Universities Commission (NUC) or that they have done everything and nobody is trying to pay them and so the contractors are not willing to do their job or the consultants have refused to cooperate with the university to make sure that this job is done, that is why we have called for this meeting”.

He said that experience has shown that people tend to blame the ministry, contractors or the recipients if the right

information was not given.

He blamed the procurement officials for their lack of commitment to the project and their duties.

“I thought that the problem was from the contractors but I did not know that the delay was from the procurement officers.

“Every department must be up and doing, I do not want any situation or any loophole or an abandoned project, it is not going to be acceptable, ‘’he said Wike called on the procurement officers to expedite action on the release of funds, drawings among others.

However, the Deputy Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr Akinbode Agbaoye, confirmed that the

T

he Federal Government has been urged to fund research and sponsor programmes in the area of space research for the benefit of the country.

Addressing participants drawn from some universities in Nigeria at a symposium and workshop on space weather and spacebased technologies held in Ota, Ogun State, the Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology,Ota, Prof. Isaac Adeyemi said both private and public sectors should fund research.

Adeyemi who explained the rationale behind the hosting of the workshop said the vision of the university was to discover, disseminate and apply the knowledge of science and engineering for human wellbeing and the development of the society.

According to the VC, the benefits of space and weather research are enormous and cannot be quantified. For example, Global Positioning System, GPS, is known to be an offshoot of space, weather research and technology.

“The government and private sector should fund research and sponsor programmes for students who are working in the area of space research and implement research works.

“They should sponsor research through scholarchip to individuals who are researching for knowledge that is useful to the country.

Corps members raise dusts Continued from page 29

higher institutions who have reduced graduates to mediocre.“We once had a corps member who couldn’t communicate effectively in English and she turned out to be a fake. We had to withdraw her from teaching and subjected her to a test from the junior class which she failed.

“Further investigations revealed that she connived with someone at the NYSC state secretariat to absorb her into the scheme because we found her file to be empty.”

Blaming ASUU due to their innumerous strike actions, Olapeju said “the foundation might be faulty but the c o m m i s s i o n tertiary institutions are supposed to be had released funds to finishing schools and a graduate must the appropriate be able to defend the certificates he authorities for the carries.” construction of the For some corps members, this trend is nine new universities. more common with graduates from the Funds to new East and North. varsities According to Oge and Cynthia, both Still not satisfied with corps members in Lagos State, “most of the delay, Wike said; the ones we met in camp couldn’t speak “There is no English so you begin to wonder what they justification that for one will teach the students.” year, funds have been For Ada Odina, also a corps member made available, serving in Kwara State, “such is a approval has been common sight, especially in camp given and up till now, grounds. During our registration, a girl we are still talking couldn’t spell her course correctly so she about processes to start had to copy from her school file.” the job.

In agreement is Bolanle Dairo, a corps “Nigerians are eager, member serving in Osun State, “the ones we have opened these I met in camp are not just it. You will see new universities and graduates from big schools who can’t say the government is a complete sentence in English. One willing to make sure couldn’t even spell ‘platoon’, and this is that we do not just a big problem, especially as most of us are to teach.

Minister worries over lack of infrastructure in new varsities Continued from page 29

FG should fund research on space weather — VC Bells

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 31

SUBEB tackles teachers’ professionalism

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

E

ducation will remain the most valuable currency every nation will desire but which no Central Bank can print. Every nation must decide how much of this currency it requires and set about how to acquire it.’

This set the mood for the five-day School Improvement Programme (SIP) aimed at improving the quality of education in the state via teachers’ training.

Speaking at the opening of the five days programme, the Chairperson, State Universal Basic Education Board, Lagos State, Mrs. Gbolahan Daodu, said the state government’s huge investment in education would amount to nothing if there are no professionals to impact knowledge.

“This administration believes in delivering quality education and is ready to take the sector out of the quagmire of past neglect and abandonment into the realm of positive development.

“Aside the free education policy, government has invested billions of naira in the repair and installation of educational infrastructure but structures and equipment without proper manpower to utilise them will not result in the delivery of qualitative education.” SIP was launched in 2010

S

Cross section of Post Graduate Diploma students at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism 10th matriculation, at the NIJ Campus, Ogba, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. aimed at rekindling the fire of professionalism and job satisfaction among teachers in the state.

This was followed by a pilot phase in 100 public schools, which was successful and led to the clamour for the expansion of the programme in other schools.

The objectives are to ensure that teachers deliver qualitative teachings and services to children in state schools; check teachers’ performance; administer trainings and workshops; and improve the inspection system to make operators agents of change.

Declaring the workshop open, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladujoye, said the challenges in the delivery of basic education, which is the crucial stage of education, led to the birth of SIP. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, the commissioner urged stakeholders to have attitudinal change and believe in the programme so as to achieve better learning outcomes.

British schools empower Nigerian students

BY ALADE AROMASHODU

T

HE British Council, an international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, has indicated its readiness to host thousands of prospective Nigerian students at its 10th Education UK Exhibition in Lagos and Abuja schedule to take place from February 11-12 at Iris and Jasmine Hallm, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos; and Abuja from 14-15 in the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The exhibition affords participants the opportunity to get first-hand information on available courses, career advice, application processes and procedures, studying and living in the UK, as well as tips on processing UK visas. It also enables prospective students to meet with representatives from various institutions in an interactive environment where issues like individual educational requirements and future career prospects can be discussed.

Speaking at a media parley organised by the Council in Lagos recently, Adetomi Soyinka, Project Manager of the Council reiterated the ‘role that quality education plays in empowering C M Y K

Senators float endowment fund to save college

Brian Wilson, Director Kano future generations.

Her words; “Quality education when put to good use is a gateway to a better living as the knowledge it provides not only impacts the life of the individual; and their immediate family, but also the society, the nation, and by extension, the world at large.

“The British Council is committed to enabling better access to quality education and the UK has over the years proven to be the choice destination for many Nigerians seeking such. Hence, we have been showing our commitment by

organising exhibitions that bring UK schools closer home on an annual basis,” she said According to Soyinka, “Over 60 UK schools will be present, offering courses ranging across the sciences, arts, social sciences, and professional degrees, giving prospective students the opportunity to pursue their passion in the UK whatever that might be. Of particular popularity for Nigerians in years past have been courses such as Engineering & Technology, Business and Administrative Studies, Law, Computer Science, Physical and Biological Sciences, Architecture, Building & Planning among others.

Considering the importance of students making the right decision in course and location, Soyinka opined that parents and guardians are also welcome to attend so that they too can appreciate the value in a UK education.

She went on: “The choice of the destination for further study is a collective decision. So we call on parents and guardians to be a part of the exhibition. Studying in the UK goes beyond learning within the four walls of the institutions; it also entails imbibing a culture, learning procedures that can be used to better our society.

A UK education is a guarantee of value for money by enhancing career prospects.”

This year’s exhibition creates additional segment where prospects will benefit from special professional development sessions where they are guided through career choice, for which certificates will be issued.

enators Gbenga Ashafa and Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos East and Central districts, respectively, have launched an endowment fund of N1 million each in Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCOPED), Noforija, Epe, Lagos.

The money which is to be released yearly to the college by the lawmakers is meant to boost the provision of infrastructure that can aid learning and teaching in the institution and as well as award of prizes to best graduating students in the area of studies.

The lawmakers announced the endowment fund while on a visit to the college to deliver a special intervention approval letter from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to the management of the institution recently. A total sum of N109 million was contained in the TET Fund’s letter to build a school of Primary Education Studies for the college.

However, Ashafa, while announcing the fund on behalf of himself and his colleague, explained that the gesture was to complement the state government’s effort in uplifting the college. He said he was particularly impressed by the leadership style of the provost of the college, Prof Olu Akeusola and the level of development that has taken place in the last one and half years he assumed office.

While he assured the institution of their continued support, he urged the leadership of the college to build on the current achievement without compromising standards in its services.

Responding , Prof. Akeusola expressed his appreciation to TETFund and the two senators for the gestures. He promised to make judicious disbursement of the respective funds when available.

He added that the lawmakers’ gesture, which he said was commendable, was the demonstration of their love for quality education.

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Don asks stakeholders to lay emphasis on physical education

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

S

addened by the high level poor state of health of most citizens of the country, the Dean, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Professor Rafiu Okuneye, has called on government, teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector to emphasize the need for qualitative physical and health education, especially in the basic schools curricula.

Okuneye, who was delivering the 50th Inaugural Lecture of the university titled; Human Body, Human Wellness: The Perpetual Antidotes, said it has become imperative for young members of the society to be taught on the importance of physical and health education to healthy living and long life from the basic levels.

While noting that education is not all about teaching how to speak English or other foreign languages, Okuneye said that physical and health education in basic education should be given more attention.

“There should be legislation that space for play and practical physical education is a condition for the establishment of privately owned schools. One storey building nursery/primary schools would not provide an all-round educational development for the

children.”

The Professor of Exercise Physiology recommended that for a healthy society to be attained, “there is need for every individual to value his or her body more than

hitherto with regards to what goes into the body, how it is exposed and how it is used.

Henceforth, we should ignore all distractions and destroy all barriers/ impediments and start to

exercise in order to keep fit, live actively, carry ideal weight for our height and stay healthy.”

As a healthy society can’t be attained without government’s intervention,

the don stressed that government should promote and encourage active life among people by creating conducive environment for people to regularly participate in physical activities.

LASU matriculates 2,008

BY IKENNA ASOMBA, AROWOLO OLASUNKANMI & ADEYEMI MOSES

I

t was pomp and pageantry for the 2012/2013 fresh students of the Lagos State University (LASU), last Tuesday, as no fewer than 2, 008 of them were matriculated as bonafide students of the 29 years old institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

John Oladapo Obafunwa, in his speech, congratulated the students for having successfully scaled through what he termed a merit-driven admission process.

His words; “The 2012/ 2013 admission exercise was transparent and based on merit. There were quotas for the two categories of candidates considered, Lagos and other states. Admission selection was based on these approved quotas.

*Cross section of matriculants in an attentive mood “Those who claimed to be of Lagos State origin were required to substantiate their claims. A transparent, thorough and fair body called the Independent Indigeneship Verification Committee (IIVC) was constituted for this purpose.

Following the exercise, candidates with false claims had their offer of provisional admission revoked.”

Obafunwa also disclosed that 2,784 candidates were offered admission amongst whom 2,008 candidates were cleared for matriculation.

The breakdown of this is as follows: Faculty of Art - 381, Management Sciences -363, Social Sciences - 62, Science- 409, Education 490, Law - 24, School of Communication83, Medicine - 83, Engineering - 88, and Transport - 24.

Nigeria assures international community on education delivery

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU

U

NDETERRED by the odds militating against its drive to achieve education for all by 2015, Nigeria has assured the international community of enhanced policies on education.

The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i said at the 2013 World Education Forum in London, United Kingdom recently that Nigeria has recorded increase in carrying capacity in tertiary institutions across board.

Rufa’i also called on foreign investors to show more interest in the development of education in Nigeria.

Prof. Rufa’i told participants at the annual event that eduC M Y K

cation in the past two years had achieved unprecedented increment as a result of the impact of new policies that were geared towards the realisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.The Minister cited the raise in primary school enrollment by 3.7 million between 2010 and 2012 and Junior Secondary School enrollment by 1.1 million between 2010 and 2012 as some of the yardstick for measuring the impact of the reforms and the development in the sector.Prof. Rufa’i said construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure and learning resources across all sectors of education and improved quality of education delivery through training of teachers

also received a boost.The Minister said to address the problem of access; policies are targeted at ensuring that all sections of the population are

reached while taking into account cultural and regional considerations.Prof. Rufa’i said in trying to reach out to more learners, government

decided to enhance open and distance learning through the National Open University of Nigeria and other public universities.

Kings College advances entrepreneurship

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

T

he management of Kings College, Lagos has launched the Young Royal Entrepreneurs (YRE) aimed at reducing youths’ dependence on white-collar jobs by encouraging them to be selfemployed.

Speaking with Vanguard Learning, the Principal, Kings College, Otunba Dele

Olapeju, said the motive behind the YRE is to create the total man by offering them the various options they need to succeed in life.

“Learning comprises cognitive, affective and psychomotor and what we are trying to do with this scheme is to make them realise that there are better ways of being successful in life other than being in paid employment.

“To this end, a barber’s club has been established and we have purchased clippers and they would be taught how to barb so they can make money by barbing their friends' hair.”

Aside the entrepreneurship programme, the school has also initiated a talent hunt that would produce talented musicians, dramatists, playwrights and the likes.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—33

Long and shorts

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

A

s long casual gowns sweep the runway on campuses across the country, good old shorts seem to be making their own fashion statement.

Beyond the maxi phenomenon, solid coloured cotton dresses are fast becoming a fashion favourite for undergraduate students. By passing the bum shorts and farmer shorts, formal above-the-knee shorts are now in vogue. Sad as it may seem, not everyone can pull off these two

Benue varsity students bid bye to protests

BY MSONTER ANZAA, BSU

C M Y K

We’ll not be confrontational — NANS President

BY SIKIRULLAH AKINOLA, OAU

F

or the Benue State University, the year 2012 was a year of protests. Early that year in February, students of the College of Health Sciences embarked on protests to the Government House over the nonaccreditation of the University Teaching Hospital, and their consequent inability to graduate.

Numbering about 200, the students dressed in their laboratory coats, occupied the entrance to the Government House insisting on seeing the Governor, Gabriel Suswam.

After a long period of negotiation and manoeuvres, the students were ushered into the Banquet Hall of the Government House where the Deputy Governor, Steven Lawani addressed them on behalf of the governor.

Chief Lawani assured the students that government was committed to to the project and admitted that if such commitment had been made at the beginning, the project would have long been completed. Earlier, the then President of the Benue State University Medical Students Association, BESUMSA, and

extreme fashion items.

Long solid cotton dresses tend to fit hour glass shaped ladies better than the pear shaped ones. They are also preferable for the more ‘endowed.’

However, these dresses don’t hide bulges and folds and as such, may be quite unflattering for plus sized girls with ‘love handles.’

These killer shorts are heaven for long slim legs. Ladies with stubby or unevenly shaped legs may have to stick to a longer pair of pants.

Wear shorts with a cropped jacket and matching sleeveless blouse, or go for a casual look and leave out the jacket altogether.

There are two extremes to go when choosing your perfect style this seasonextremely long, or shorts.

T

*The students during one of their protests.

400 Level student, Innocent Abah, told Lawani that the students were tired of doing nothing at the College and had decided to visit the Governor and find out things for themselves. Lawani pleaded for two weeks within which he promised the project was going to be completed.

However, before the two weeks were over, the students were back at the Government House, this time, in company

of the Deputy ViceChancellor, Professor Nicholas Ada, the Provost of the College, Professor Shima Gyoh and other principal officers. President Goodluck Jonathan was to commission the Teaching Hospital on Friday that week, and the students had gone to the VC to protest since they believed the hospital was not ready.

They were then conveyed to see the governor.

he new President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Yinka Gbadebo, a graduate of the University of AdoEkiti (UNAD), now a part- one diploma student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has re-iterated that NANS administration won’t be confrontational, not until all options have been exhausted at resolving issues.

Gbadebo, who spoke with Quadlife in Abuja bared his mind on sundry issues regarding his Yinka Gbadebo election and programmes of action.

He said; “I feel humbled that after so many years of my contributions to the struggle for the emancipation of Nigerian students, God in his infinite mercy has graciously permitted me to get to the pinnacle of students’ unionism in Nigeria against all odds. Honestly, it was not an easy path to tread,” Gbadebo said on how he felt being elected as NANS president.

Debunking insinuations that he applied for OAU diploma in order to be eligible to contest for the number one position, he said that he came to OAU to obtain more knowledge after waiting so long for “UNAD to release my result all to no avail based on political reasons that are interwoven with my active participation in students’ unionism.” He said the rumour peddlers are ignorant of the content of NANS constitution, adding that the constitution states clearly that to be eligible for presidential election, you must be studying a course of not less than two years duration in any institution of higher learning. “Most of them have never seen NANS constitution and charter of demands in their life and they want to aspire.”

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

St Greg’s 85th anniversary: Rev Akpala counts the college’s giant strides

BY JACOB AJOM

B

ETWEEN Sunday, January 20 and 27, St Gregory ’s College, Lagos celebrated its 85th Founder ’s Day. The week-long programme of activities which began with a grand opening ceremony with the Holy Mass and a novelty football match was climaxed with a Pontifical Thanksgiving Holy Mass and a reception which took

place at the college’s Jubilee Hall.

There was also a luncheon as well as launching of a N100,000,000 fund for expansion and furnishing of college chapel.

The week was one to remember in the lives of both the old Boys and present students, parents and, indeed, the school’s administration, headed by the erudite Reverend Monsignor

Edmond Akpala whose leadership style has brought back a lot of development in the school.

Akpala addressed the press on the opening day of the week where he explained the programme of events to mark the historic anniversary of the Founder’s Day. At the Open Day and Exhibition, the students from the various departments exhibited

their products which were sold at rock bottom prices.

St Gregory’s College was founded by the missionaries on January 27, 1928, “That is what we are celebrating,” Reverend Akpala said.

“Looking back at the college, one has to consider the objectives and aims of the founding fathers, which was to train students in excellence and leadership position in

all manner of human endeavour. To produce gentlemen and ladies in learning and character to become people in the society.”

Reverend

Akpala disclosed that since its inception, the college has passed through three phases.

He recalled, “originally, the college was under the Catholic Mission, when things were going on well, learning was perfect until the late 70s when government took over.

Students charged to be good ambassadors

BY OLAYINKA A JAYI

T

he Chief Executive Officer, Good

Character Development Initiative (GCDI), Prince Ochi Nnagozie, has charged students to be ambassadors of good characters worth emulating at home and school.

Nnagozie gave this charge at the recently concluded character count students leaders forum hosted by the Oxbridge Tutorial College, Ikeja, Lagos.

He also applauded the A-Level students of Oxbridge Tutorial College for impacting the students from other schools at the forum with sufficient character values, with video clips and practical lessons delivered at the forum.

Tasking the students to form a character count club that will be a platform for sharing ideas, Nnagozie also urged them to engage in community service so as to build their leadership muscles and portray good characters as tomorrow’s leaders.

NIJ matriculates 335

By IYABO AINA

T

he Nigerian Institute of Journalism Ogba, Lagos had its 10th matriculation ceremony last Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, the Provost of the institution, Mrs Elizabeth Ikem, said the day was a special one in the life and history of the institution because they have been able to resuscitate and re-engineer NIJ into Nigeria’s premier monotechnic in mass communication.

Mrs Ikem stated that a total number of three hundred and thirty-five students were matriculated into various programmes of the institution both part-time and full-time.

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—35

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Winners emerge at Innovator/Inventor Exhibition and Award

BY EBELE ORAKPO

T

he final of the maiden edition of Innovation/ Invention Exhibition and Award took place at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja last week. At the end of the event organised by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), Berekotry Detergent Limited emerged the grand prize winner of N1,000,000.00 (one million naira) and a plaque, followed by Nigeria Air Force Technology Institute, Kaduna, and tied at the third position were two Aba-based outfits National Animal Research and Best Nigeria Ltd. The winning invention was the Oil spill solution from Berekotr y.

According to the inventor,Engr. Taslim Owonikoko, CEO/Head, Research & Development of Berekotry; “Nigeria is a major producer of crude oil but the bad side of crude oil exploration is the negative environmental impact of oil spillage. This product was targeted at really impacting the oil and gas industry. We have been able to tap from agriculture to impact other aspects of the economy.

“We are lagging behind in the areas of oil exploration, manufacturing and the rest, but we should be able to do something in clearing the mess made by oil exploration with our own local technology.

It is interesting to know that our solution is not tied to imported input,” he had said in an interview with Vanguard last year.

I n t e r e s t i n g l y, Owonikoko says all the raw materials used in production of the oil spill cleaner are from agricultural waste. “We are talking of those things we burn down on the farms after harvest – corn cobs, groundnut shells, rice husks etc.

Fortunately, these things are well distributed all over Nigeria so if we put C M Y K

*Engr. Teslim Owonikoko showing off his cheque these things to full commercial usage, the plant can be sited anywhere in Nigeria.

We already got our intellectual property covered with the patent issued by the Nigerian Patent Office and it is even attracting a lot of international attention,” he had told Vanguard.

“The incredible thing about this solution is that based on the information we got from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), we got to know that the imported enzymatic cleaning agent takes between 11 and 12 months to clean oil spill especially in the riverine areas but our own solution cleans within just 10 minutes.

You can see the difference – 12 months to 10 minutes,” he stated.

The second prize went to Nigeria Air Force Technology Institute, Kaduna, for their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, the Drone.

This feat was accomplished by some young officers from the Nigerian Air Force School of Engineers, Aircraft Design Centre, Kaduna under the direct supervision of the Provost of the Nigerian

Air Force Institute of Technology, Prof.

Emmanuel Ezugwu.

According to officials of the institute, the drone which was a three-year effort in collaboration with Cranfield University, UK and funds from the Federal Government, could fly non-stop for about four hours at 3,000 feet and has a rear empennage of about three metres while the wing span is about half a metre.

In an earlier chat with Vanguard, the officials had said the UAV was designed and built to meet Nigeria’s pressing needs in the area of security. The vehicle, according to them, can be used in pipeline monitoring, border patrol, mapping and disaster monitoring, maritime patrol, aerial surveillance and pest monitoring.

Practice, they say, makes perfect and so officials of the institute said the first vehicle was called Amebo 1 while the second called Amebo 2 is an improvement over the first.

“If we keep getting the right support as we are getting now, we will accomplish our mission for the country,” they said, adding; “In fact, in the next five years, we may start building our own light aircraft for training new pilots.”

The exhibition which took place in Kaduna (22nd –23rd); Aba (25th – 26th) and Lagos (29th – 30th) January 2013, was physically assessed at each of the venues by a team made up of a c c o m p l i s h e d entrepreneurs and academics. According to the organisers of the

event, the exhibition was “designed to showcase the capacity of the Nigerian educational and research institutions, private innovators and industries to respond to national developmental needs, especially within the context of the Transformation Agenda of the present

administration.

“Entries were assessed for ingenuity and applicability to real industry problems prevalent in the Nigerian environment; ease of mass production and commercialisation potential and novelty and originality of the research/innovation output.”

Neander School assures parents of world class standard

*Cross section of students during Neander International School's 1st Creative Art and Athletics competition in Epe, Lagos last week

BY TOBI ODEJAYI

P

rincipal, Neander International School, Mr Idris Agbaye has said that the school is saddled with the responsibility of pursuing academic excellence by inculcating the core values of discipline, personal growth and development in the children.

He said his targeted students are between the ages of 10 and 16 years, adding that the school has provided high quality education inspired by sound Christian values in a safe, secure and supportive learning environment where each student can develop their God-given skills and knowledge to become a responsible and successful citizen.

Delivering a speech

during their first Creative Art and Athletic Competition, Agbaje said; “Within the short period of its existence, Neander International School can boast of stateof-the-art learning resource centre and library with facilities for independent learning including the latest information technology.”

There are first class teaching facilities and resources with all classrooms fully airconditioned and connected to internet to help students in research works.

Neander International assures parents and guardians of the best in a technology-driven teaching and learning environment, balanced curriculum, excellent boarding facilities, experienced and devoted teaching staff, and many more comparable to what is obtainable in advanced countries.

36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Incessant ASUU strike, cause of worthless Ph.D — Novena VC

BY DAYO ADESULU

P

Prof Johnson Eze, VC, Novena University. admit.

When the situation changed, in an effort to satisfy the wishes of the people who were qualified for university education, they increased the number of universities and students without corresponding facilities. Therefore, the fundamental reason for lowering of standard is lack of facility and the disruption of educational programme by ASUU’s incessant strikes. When students resume after a prolonged strike action, some project supervisors would just say, ‘let my people go.’ I think this was the beginning of low quality PhDs in our country.,

O

n the part of the students , whatever applied to the PhD students, applied to the other students.

Therefore, if first degree standard is being lowered, it will affect other higher degrees.

Where the standard is low, it is not only the project supervisors of the university that should be held responsible, students also are inclusive.

The granting of licences to private universities in this country is the beginning

of hope in the sector as every private university has been trying to give their best to the students.

For instance, since Novena University

,

rofessor Johnson Eze is the Vice-Chancellor of Novena University, Ogume, Delta State. As a specialist in Plant Ecophysiology, he spoke on burning national issues as they affect the education sector and the way forward.

Excerpts: R e c e n t l y, in the process of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND trying to assist some PhD holders by recommending their theses for textbooks, proceeded to our public universities to evaluate quality of their theses.

Their findings revealed that out of the 150 PhD long essays considered, only 11 were found suitable for recommendation. These were the theses for which PhD degrees had already been awarded.

The discovery further showed that some Professors have actually been endorsing low quality doctorate theses, which by extension, had led to the award of ‘fraudulent PhD degrees.’ What is your take on this issue which portends a serious danger for the country’s education sector?

I don’t think they should be labelled ‘fraudulent PhD holders.’

But if we look at it from historical point of view, we can say that education standard started dwindling when our facilities started diminishing and government was not actually addressing the educational issue r e a l i s t i c a l l y. I n t h o s e days, when the number of people who were qualified to go into university were increasing and they wanted to provide opportunity for the people to go to school, explosion in number of students admitted set in.

Besides, when the quota system was introduced, there were only a few universities in Nigeria, but now that the quota system has been removed, there is no limit to the number of students institutions can

topped her class, won an international award in South Africa. Same year, M i s s Te s s y A s k i a , a Computer Science graduate of Novena University was the best

Of the 37,504 academics in the country’s public universities, only about 43 per cent have doctorate degrees and only seven universities have up to 60 per cent of their teaching staff with Ph.D qualification

,

started operations 10 years ago, we have not for once proceeded on strike. That single action suggests reason for our students’ academic performance nationally and internationally.

In 2011 alone, two students of Novena University won international awards. One o f t h e m , M i s s Vi v i a n Nwafor, a Biochemistry student who has always

g r a d u a t i n g M a s t e r ’s degree student of Business Information in a university in London, United Kingdom(UK) and was also given international award.

Students who have graduated from the university are contributing immensely to the growth of the Nigerian economy, be it in the Banking sector, Customs, Civil Service and other sectors of the

nation’s economy.

Our facilities and professors in Novena have actually helped our students to be their best in their various disciplines. While some state and federal universities are struggling to accredit some of their courses, all the courses ran by Novena have been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and professional bodies.

Pleased to say that the institution has witnessed a massive infrastructural and manpower expansion in recent times. Also, the rural setting of the institution has contributed to the success story of the university in academics, as there is no distraction for the students. With what I have seen in Novena and students’ performances in other private universities, I debunk the claim that educational standard has fallen in Nigeria.

T

he NEEDS assessment of Nigerian public universities and recommendation to the National Economic Council last November revealed that out of the 37, 504 academics in the c o u n t r y ’s public universities, only about 43 per cent have doctorate degrees and only seven universities have up to 60 per cent of their teaching staff with PhD qualification. The report also revealed that there are 77, 511 full-time non-teaching staff members in Nigerian public universities, twice the number of academic staff, which is considered an anomaly.

Why does it take so many years to produce PhD holders in Nigeria?

One of the solutions is that the minimum qualification for lectureship is Lecturer 2.

Lecturer 2 is what you come to after assistant lecturer. If you have a m a s t e r ’s d e g r e e , y o u start as a graduate assistant, that is, you don’t take lectures officially, you help senior lecturers. After assistant lecturer, the next grade is

lecturer 2 and NUC is insisting that lecturer 2 qualification is PhD. If PhD is the minimum qualification for teaching in the university, how many PhD holders do we have in the country, or how many PhD holders are our universities producing yearly? Does it correspond with the ratio of undergraduates in our institutions?

Take India for example where students get their PhD within two to three years, it was not known for high standard of education from the beginning. But as time went on, India came on board because she distinguished herself in so many academic areas.

When the present Prime Minister of India was Minister of Education, he multiplied polytechnics in particular and went into computer where they started importing manpower in computer science from both America and other places.

So, if people are sure of taking PhD in three years with appropriate qualification from India, it is a welcome development.

However, in Nigeria, I agree with you that in some universities, students are there for unduly long term before they get the qualification, but there are some universities in Nigeria which still maintain maximum of two to three years for PhD degree.

Where do you think public schools are missing it and private schools are getting it right?

Because most of the senior academic staff in all these private schools have been exposed to the same situation in public schools or some have come from abroad where things are better and therefore are determined to have a change and go after the change.

In the next five years, indications are very strong that Novena will be making a great deal of progress in producing manpower not only for universities, but also entrepreneurship. We will not just be producing job seekers but be producing jobs.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 ---- 37

THE WEALTH AND POVERTY OF A NATION:

Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria? (3) This is the third instalment of a paper presented by Dr. Ezekwesili at the convocation of the University of Nigeria Nsukka recently

By OBI EZEKWESILI

Y

DR. OBY EZEKWESILI about dignity and decency – “that how hard you work matters much more than how much you make…..that helping others means much more than just getting ahead yourself” is what we need to herald a New Nigeria?

A New Nigeria would be one where the citizens and leaders alike converge on a common vision for our nation. That vision

Map of Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan need not be complex. It is in fact extremely important that because everyone who reads it must desire to run with its ideals that the Vision must be simple. For me a simple Vision will read- “we believe in Dignity”. Although it sounds so ordinary but it profoundly conveys that we believe in the Dignity that lays within ourselves and not the fleeting sense of wealth that oil money creates.

We are our best endowment.

Our capabilities- nurtured and nourished by a just society- and not our oil, not our gas not even our thirty four classes of minerals scattered across the country represent the lasting and renewable asset of our nation. Whereas as a Madagasy proverb says, oil induced “poverty won’t allow us lift our heads; dignity which is the fruit of hardwork won’t allow us bow them down."

For Nigeria’s dignity to be restored your generation must build a coalition of your entrepreneurial minds that are ready to ask and respond to the question “What does it take for nations to become rich?

Throughout economic history, the factors that determine which nations became rich and improved the standard of living of their citizens read like a Dignity treatise in that they all revolve around the choices that ordinary citizens made in defining the value constructs of their nation. We learn that it takes a very strong interplay of political and economic dynamics for nations to climb out from the rung

of poverty and raise the standard of living of citizens. The political foundation of nations emerges as the principal reason why some nations grow rich while others remain poor inthe field of development economics.

A ground breaking work by Daren Acemoglu, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and James Robinson (economist), a Harvard professor has brought politics to the centre stage of economic development.

Although sound policies and access to capital for investing in development priorities remain very important for economic success no country can however achieve development without having a strong political foundation made up of political players, system, processes and structures that are grounded in inclusivity and accountability.

Inclusivity and accountability The active participation of the citizens who seek to restore their individual and collective dignity in the politics of their nation is what ensures that the people and not a bunch of power hungry and extractive elite will set the agenda and determine the quality and substance of governance.

The simple version of this thesis is“sort out a nation’s political mess and you improve the chances of getting a productive economy that grows and delivers the benefits of growth in the form of jobs and improved incomes to all citizens”. Although this advice is rooted in empirical evidence from economic research it does sound very basic. Not being one of thoseearth shattering solutions that Nigerians are often enamored of, we may choose to ignore it. Yet

if we are willing to confront our past and present reality with sincerity and ruminate on our political history, this thesis may actually be a Turning Point “Aha” moment for us. The Turning Point is that moment when we all suddenly realized that Politics- aprocess that defines the How, Who, Which, Where, When and for What any individual or group of persons who seek to govern Nigeria- is indeed the root cause of our repeated failures. Neither our thirty four years of cumulative military governance nor the nineteen cumulative years thus far of our democratic governance provided us “inclusive and accountable governance.”

Evidently, it is the undeveloped character of our political history, inchoate political structure and system and mostly uninspiring

,

OUR word of response to my difficult question will not persuade anyone. It is the follow on action that stands the chance of being persuasive. The reason is simple. Word is cheap.

As was profoundly observed by Marti Jose, “other famous men, those of much talk and few deeds, soon evaporate. Action is the dignity of greatness”. So I ask you again, “Who will WALK AND WORK to restore the Dignity of Nigeria?”

Through my probing question, I abide with the challenge of Shriver Sargent who believed that every new generation must be taught the dignity of work- “Do we talk about the dignity of work?

Do we give our students any reason for believing it is worthwhile to sacrifice for their work because such sacrifices improve the psychological and mental health of the person who makes them?”

Do you know that your embrace of a new mindset – an entrepreneurial mindset that takes pride in problem solving can change the course of our history and place us on a new economic development trajectory? Do you know that in order to herald a New Nigeria we must accept the words of Michelle Obama on learning

until another coup in 1975, another unsuccessful coup in 1976 the then Head of State was murdered, continued rule of the military until 1979 when a successful political transition ushered in the second republic but it became a democratic process that was known more for its prodigality than for governance until it was cut short in 1983 by yet another military coup but this new junta was itself sent packing by a coup in 1985 with a new military junta ruling from 1985 until 1993 when it thwarted the political rights of citizens who had elected a democratic president by annulling the elections.

It responded to the public disturbance and agitation that followed byinstalling an interim national government that lasted only three months following yet another military intervention that

How can our political elite not see that we are all sitting on kegs of gun powder?

How can they not see that whatever peace we may appear to have at this time is like the peace of the graveyard?

cast of political leadership that threw Nigeria into a hole from which it must climb out quickly to secure its continuing existence.

Instructively, a person or as in our own case; a nation is counseled to “stop digging when in a hole”.

Lamentably, in our case we have consistently rebuffed the wisdom behind that counsel. We have instead dug deeper and the more we have dug, the deeper into the hole we have sunk and all because of political misadventures.

Trace the political history of our country since independence in 1960 and you will better understand the horror of our faulty political foundation. The first democratic government ushered in an independent Nigeria but was cut short by a coup in 1966, a counter coup in 1967, civil war from 1967 to 1970, military rule from 1970 at the end of the war

,

was more heinous than ever until 1998 when divine providence cut short that particular leadership ushering in yet another military ruler who committed to and successfully conducted a transition that ushered democratic governance in 1999. That it is now fourteen years of uninterrupted even if fledgling democratic governance since 1999 is perhaps the very tiny ray of light in what is otherwise a canvass of political tragedies.

Yet, despite the general consensus satisfaction with the record number of democratic years since 1999, darkness still ominously clouds our political landscape. While the nation continues to experience the paradox of plenty and citizens are once again provoked by this latest round of prodigality of our Continues on Page 38

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria?

Continues from Page 37

Balance of economic and political assets in the country Why does our own variant of political elite not even understand the most basic necessity for change of the status quo methods that have failed to deliver benefits of governance to citizens? “Elite resist innovation because they have a vested interest in resisting change - and new technologies that create growth can alter the balance of economic or political assets in a country.

Technological innovation makes human societies prosperous, but also involves the replacement of the old with the new, and the destruction of the economic privileges and political power of certain people,” wrote Acemoglu and Robinson. Yet when elite temporarily preserve power by preventing innovation, they ultimately impoverish their own states. Sadly, they most often do not care what happens to the rest of the nation, and that arguably has been the lot of Nigerian through the years.

In the course of the last six months of my returning home to Nigeria after five-year in international public service at the World Bank in Washington DC, I have many times come across the cutting anger of unemployed, disillusioned citizens who are louder in their disaffection with the condition of the country.

The strident voices of citizens in public debates of national issues are louder and more penetrating than ever before. We are indeed at a turning point.

How it turns however will be determined by you my dear friends. Today, you are the generation that holds the ace. You are the generation for whom the stakes are highest on the issue of how well this nation turns its governance corner.

You are the generation that can define a new character and quality of politics in Nigeria and inherently the quality of governance outcomes in the decades and century ahead. You are the generation that can birth a New Nigeria devoid of all negatives that have inhibited our greatness and one in which every citizen is mobilized to construct a “National Integrity System” which is imperative for the building of every decent society. You cando so by seeking to understand and to engage the stunted political context and nation that you have inherited.

You will have to take hold of both and turn them around into a mature democracy and nation. What you must seek to do is to create a new political context in which citizens’ demand for good governance and accountability begins to compel those who govern to persistently make choices that will more likely improve the outcomes of economic management for the larger number of Nigerians.

To be continued

Enough is enough!

•Clark tells governors (4) This is the fourth instalment of the open letter to the Nigerian Governors Forum. The third part was published Tuesday.

By EDWIN CLARK

O

NE is headed by the former President of the nation, the next one is headed by Chief Gbenga Daniel, a former Governor of the State, and the third is headed by Buluji Kasimoh. The Secretariat of the Party in that State is today under lock and key, yet this former President is parading himself all over the country as an indispensable ruler and Party leader, causing confusion rather than sitting back home as a former President and political leader whose home should be a political pilgrim. This was the advice I gave to him in my Open Letter to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2008.

The Party’s progress in the country is accidental based on past glory and also due to the presence of petty, tribal and ineffective opposition Parties.

The slogan of the Party has been turned upside down. The PDP members at the grass root no longer control the Party and the power of the Party no longer belongs to the people. The people have lost the power reluctantly accepting the slogan ‘Power to the Governors.’

Article 6 of the Party’s Constitution talks about the Character and Ethics of the Party. This Article has also been undermined by those who feel they own the Party, thereby making it undemocratic and far from the reach of the masses of the Party.

Article 6:1 states that: The Party shall be a democratic organization and shall pursue its objective without regard to race, creed, ethnic affiliation, gender or age.

Article 6:2 states that: The Party shall respect freedom of expression and free exchange of ideas and information without undermining the authority and integrity of the Party.

CHIEF EDWIN CLARK

For us to achieve these democratic principles, there must be internal democracy, accountability, fairness and justice in the affairs of the Party. The PDP Governors who now regard themselves as leaders of the Party, are using their own structures to entrench corruption, lack of internal democracy, imposition of candidates within the structures of the Party over the recognized structures as entrenched in the Party’s Constitution.

The continuous imposition of can-

didates in total disregard to the Provisions of the Party’s Constitution is weakening the Party’s cohesion and harmony, unknowingly destroying its peace, unity, solidarity and its democratic values. Worst still, the quality of governance in most of the PDP controlled governments is very poor, thereby jetGovernors Forum chairman, Gov Amaechi tisoning the Aims and objectives of the 1998/1999 founding fathers which is the propagation of Act 2011 which state that a political democratic ideals in the Nigerian party seeking to nominate candidates for election under this Act shall hold polity.

The over-bearing influence of the primaries for aspirants to all elective Governors Forum in the polity has positions. There is lack of credible become a matter of serious concern. elections organized by the State InThe activities of the PDP Governors dependent Elections Commissions, Forum in particular has become very SIECS, even where only few States disturbing and calls for urgent cor- have attempted to comply with Secrection as it is fast eroding the au- tion 7(1) of the Constitution of the thority and the supremacy of the Par- Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Legislators: There is an over-bearty and posing a serious threat to our democracy. The Forum has become a ing influence on the State Legislapowerful tool in the hands of the Gov- tors by the Governors who now apernors who now use it to pursue and point Principal Officers of the House. promote their individual and collec- The State Houses of Assembly have tive interests with little or no regard no financial independence, and very to the letter and spirit of the Party’s unfortunately, the State Houses of Assembly are afraid to adopt the ConConstitution and supremacy.

Funding: The issue of funding of stitution amendment exercise tendthe Party when through the payment ed to grant them financial autonomy. of membership fees and fund raising It is for fear of all these, that members as were characteristic at the formation of the public have strong reservations about granting or devolving There is an over-bearing influmore powers to the States for ence on the State Legislators by fear of abuse by the Governors who now appoint Governors. A clear example is Principal Officers of the House the issue of State Police, which ideally stage, has now become obsolete. The should exist in a Federation. Quite recent attempts by the Party to gensimply, the people no longer trust erate its independent income through the Governors. Our democracy is a computerized Party membership today imperiled because of the exsystem was thwarted by the Govercesses of the Governors who have nors for no justifiable reasons. They put themselves and their interest over simply want to maintain the status and above the interest of the nation. quo of the Party financially dependSome eminent Nigerians have ing on them. There is an adage that spoken against the activities of the says he who pays the piper, dictates Forum. One of them is Senator Jibril the tune.

Aminu, a former Minister and a SenLocal government councils: Even ator of the Federal Republic of Nithe provisions of the Nigerian Congeria in a publication titled ‘Goverstitution which is the supreme law of nors' Forum Oppressive says the land is violated with impunity by Aminu,’ in The Nation Newspaper the Forum. A few examples will sufof Wednesday 2nd January, 2013 at fice here: Most Governors have hipage 63. jacked their Local Government CounHere is what he said: "It is very cils. Whereas Section 7(1) of the 1999 strange. I worked in many countries Constitution of the Federal Republic and have not seen anything like such of Nigeria states that: The system of Forum. The Governors’ Forum is Local government by democratically what is used to oppress everybody, elected councils is under this Constiincluding the President. I don’t tution guaranteed… know how the Forum came about in However, most Governors have this country. And if it is not checked, failed to conduct Local Government it will put the country in serious trouelections in their States but rather run ble, as the state chief executives unite the Councils with their appointees to challenge the Federal Governcontravening both the Nigerian Conment."

To be concluded stitution and the Amended Electoral

,

political elite one cannot but sigh in disbelief that these casts of gladiators seem not to have learned anything from our inglorious politicalhistory. The recklessness and impunity with which public institutions and resources are being handled; the daily news of systemic and now democratized corruption by political office holders and their business elite collaboratorshas entrenched cynicism and pessimism in the land.

How can our political elite not see that we are all sitting on kegs of gun powder? How can they not see that whatever peace we may appear to have at this time is like the peace of the graveyard? How can they not see that the teeming population of extremely angry and more interconnected young people cannot be silent for too much longer?

How can they not know that preachments of patience and sacrifice will no longer placate the two million young people who annually enter the terriblyconstrained labor market pushing up the already worrisome 40 per cent unemployment ratio among our youthful population? How can they not see the hypocrisy of the platitudes on sacrifice to poor citizens who thanks to greater access to information are able to closely follow the lifestyle of delusional grandeur and debauchery that their leaders finance from the public treasury?

Where is the much needed innovative and entrepreneurial mindset that the public sector must earnestly deploy in solving the multiple problems of our nation?

,

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—39

Nigeria and quest for nuclear power energy in the 21st Century •Lessons from selected contentious case studies across the globe

B

ACKGROUND: Basically, it is rational and to some extent conventional for any perceived controversial policy initiative to be subjected to rigorous studies, critical, objective and indepth analysis by experts in various fields of human endeavour in order to facilitate a smooth take-off and sustainability generally. Consequently, the ongoing aspiration by Nigeria since 1976 for a nuclear powered energy plant for the country which has been generating controversy requires analytical perspectives in order to examine both the advantages and the dangers it entails.

The hosting recently of a public lecture by the NIIA entitled “Energy Security and Sustainable National Development: The Case of Nigeria’s Nuclear Power Programme”, delivered by a nuclear scientist and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Franklin Eresamo Osaisai in Lagos on Thursday, October 4, 2012 presented not only the scientific/theoretical perspectives but equally the nation’s nuclear powered energy

ABDULLAHI U AKI U.. MAIY MAIYAKI

direction to the delight of the audience and the skepticism of others. That the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs organized such an event, described as timely and strategic on a critical policy matter of nuclear powered, energy is not only thoughtful but commendable.

Accordingly, the policy paper shall strive to examine the complexities of nuclear powered energy in general and the politics associated within at the international arena to see whatever lessons Nigeria can borrow to avert controversy. Consequently, the

paper shall undertake a preview of issues of nuclear power technology as observed by analysts in the field and proceed further to examine the architecture of nuclear power plants accidents/ disasters in recent history in order for the Nigerian public and policy makers comprehend the gravity of the tasks ahead the nation, in its quest for Nuclear powered energy in the 21st century and the need for serious policy re-think.

Observations by nuclear analysts of the dangers ahead: Basically, nuclear analysts in recent time have raised serious concern over issues of energy crisis and nuclear power especially the vulnerability and the costly nature of nuclear power technology. A graphic picture is hereby extracted for public comprehension and analysis.

These are: (i) “The world has since lost over $1,000 billion in subsidies, cash losses, abandoned projects and other damage from nuclear power; (ii) Decontaminating Fukushima alone is estimated to cost $623 billion not counting treatment costs for thousands of likely cancers; (iii) Over world’s 400-odd reactors worldwide can undergo catastrophic accidents, will remain a liability until decommissioned (entombed in concrete) at huge public expense-one third to one-half of the cost of building them; (iv) They will have to leave behind nuclear waste, which remains hazardous for thousands of years, and which science has no way of storing safety. (v) Consequently, nuclear analysts concluded that nuclear power has declined on its home ground because it became too risky and too costly to hook to a metter”.

(Source: “Energy Crisis and Nuclear Power” written by Praful Bidwai, March 21, 2012, accessed from the internet) In a related development, nuclear analysts opined that “nuclear power is bound up with secrecy, deception and opacity, which clash with democracy. It evokes fear, loathing and can only be promoted by force while violating civil liberties”. They revealed that “nuclear reactors are

Nuclear power facility

high-pressure, high-temperature systems, in which a vision chain reaction is barely checked from getting out of control”. But “such controls can fail for many reasons, including short and circuits faulty valves, operator error, fire, earth-quake or tsunamis”. Consequently, due to such precarious situations which do not provide 100 percent safety, nuclear analysts concede that, “such high risk technologies require a meticulous, self-critical and highly alert safety culture”, to which it lamented most countries lack.

History of nuclear power accidents/disasters: A brief preview of the most recent nuclear power related accidents/disasters in history should further educates the public of the precarious nature of nuclear power energy technology to serve as a safeguard -

,

BY ABDULLAHI U. MAIYAKI

It is reported that the environment and surrounding were seriously contaminated. While more than 240 people were said to have been exposed to radiation, whereas 4 died, many children who got attracted to the bright blue of the radioactive materials, were reported to have touched it and rubbed in on their skin.

Chernoby1 nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986 in Ukraine: The Chernoby1 disaster occurred at the Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainia SSR (now Ukraine).

The accident is said to have taken place when there was a sudden power output surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, a more extreme spike in power output was reported to have occurred. This led to a reactor vessel rupture which caused a series of explosions.

A study states that from 1950 to years 2000, 45 per cent of leukemia deaths and 11 per cent of solid cancer deaths among bomb survivors were due to radiation from the atomic bombs

against similar incident.

Fukushima nuclear accident of March 11, 2011 in Japan: This accident is said to have been caused by a major earthquake, a 15-metre tsunami which disabled the power supply and cooling networks of the three Fukushima Dalichi reactors, resulting to the accident witnessed in the first three days. Another account to the accident has it that, the Fukushima nuclear disaster was caused largely by high radioactive releases in the first few days, rated as the 7th most International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) in the present world order.

(Source: “Fukushima Accidents 2011” accessed from the internet on http://www.worldnuclear.org. info/fukushima-accident-int129.htmi) p1 Goiania nuclear accident of September 13, 1987 in Brazil: This nuclear accident is said to have been caused by a Brazilian Junkyard dealer in Goiania, when he broke open an abandoned radiation therapy machine and removed a small highly radioactive cake of cesium chloride.

,

Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were noted to be seriously affected with about 60 per cent of the fallout landing in Belarus. From 1986 when the accident occurred to year 2000, 350,000 people were said to have been evacuated and resettled from the most contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of death to 4000, whereas the Green Peace report puts the figure at 200,000 or more. The WHO is said to have further disclosed that the radiation released from the Chernoby1 accident was 200 times more than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs combined. (Source: “10 Worst Nuclear Accident/Disaster in History” accessed from the internet on http:// www.smashinglists.come/mostnuclear-accident-disaster-in-history).

Soviet Submarine K431 Nuclear Accident of August 10, 1985: The Echo II class Soviet Submarine K431 nuclear accident is said to have resulted to a massive

explosion during refueling in Vladivostok, Russia on August 10th, 1985. The explosion is reported to have produced a radioactive cloud of gas into the air.

Ten sailors were killed in the accident while 49 people were said to have shown radiation injuries with 10 developing radiation sickness. More than 2000 were said to have been involved in the cleanup operations, while 290 reported to be exposed to high levels of radiation compared to normal stand. (Source: 10 worst Nuclear Accidents/Disasters, Ibid) p.9 Three Mile Island nuclear accident of March 28, 1979 in the United States of America: This nuclear accident is said to have been caused by a nuclear meltdown of one secondary 100p, which is said to have released 13 million curies as radioactive gasses into the atmosphere and causes a loss of $2,400. However, there was neither death nor injuries recorded (Source: 10 most nuclear accidents/Disasters in History."

Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki World War II, 1945 These nuclear disasters were said not to be on accidents but an ugly example of human wrath and violence. It was reported to be a result of the war between two big powers of the world.

During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States is said to have conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The first on August 6, 1945 and the second on August 9, 1945 respectively. This nuclear disaster was reported to have caused innumerable deaths and serious physical, emotional and genetic problems, faced by many generations of Japanese. A study states that from 1950 to years 2000, 45 per cent of leukemia deaths and 11 per cent of solid cancer deaths among bomb survivors were due to radiation from the atomic bombs. (Source: “10 Worst Nuclear Accidents/Disasters in History” Ibid, P.13&14).

Mallam Maiyaki is of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA),Lagos.

40—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

downtheline,VFcanauthoritatively say that airports across the country arebeginningtoattractdueattention.

And even the harshest government critique, can attest to this.

At the moment, findings showed that massive construction work is noticeable in the terminal buildings of Murtala Muhammed Airport (International Terminal), Murtala Muhammed Airport (General AviationTerminal),NnamdiAzikiwe International Airport (International Terminal), Port Harcourt International Airport, Kaduna Airport and Margaret Ekpo International Airport Calabar.

Other airports undergoing remodelling are: Benin Airport, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, Yola Airport, and Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos.

Additional capacity

The new screening point at the Abuja airport.

AIRPORT REMODELLING

Growing prospects of an unfinished surgery CHARLES KUMOLU reports that the deluge of doubts that trailed the commencement of remodeling of airports across Nigeria, is giving way to rays of hope, following the recent commissioning of some completed projects in some airports. havehadtocontendwithsadstories about the state of airports across the country. ‘’For instance, in May this year; therewaspoweroutageatNigeria’s premier Airport, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport for three hours. Air travel was completely brought to a halt.

Lack of maintenance ‘’That incident however, corroborated the position of many that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and others across the country have failed.

Vanguard Features,VF investigation, revealed that MMA is overcrowded and poorly managed, while some across the country may not be said to be overcrowded, age and a lack of maintenance are now tell signs of decay’’ The above, is an excerpt of a 2010 special report by this reporter titled: Nigerian Airports - From Safety

Tales to Infrastructural Collapse.

Similarly, another report published in 2011 by another medium, titled ;Decayed Airport Infrastructure: Tears Are Not Enough, observed thus: ‘’Recently, the minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, embarked on and completed a facility tour of some airports in the country where she shed a deluge of tears over the state of infrastructure at such airports.

FromtheairportinLagostotheones in Ibadan, Benin, Delta State, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Abuja, Calabar, Owerri and Enugu among others, the story was shockingly, but familiarly similar: Obsolete infrastructure and broken down facilities. At every stop, includingtheMurtalaMuhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, theminister brokedown and wept, perhaps, uncontrollably.’’

Perhaps, it is against the backdrop of these reports and others, that the Federal Government swung into action on the state of the airports nationwide.

Accordingly, the indication thattheairportsmightberemodeled, emerged late 2010, when then Minister of Aviation Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, announced plans to embark on the rebuilding of new terminals for the nation’s airports. ‘’Government has gone ahead to also approve that we remodel our airports especially the terminals to meet international standards; what we see when we travel, even in the

,

‘T

HE building looks modest, without the supposed glitter of a structure of its status.. Upon entering the ground floor of this 30year old structure, people are seen queuing and randomly scattered within this boxlike hall. At various corners of the of the hall are used recharge cards.

Out of every ten people who approach the various counters, two leave unhappy. The cause of their anger is not in doubt. This reporter sat on an iron seat that could barely take 10 people, a visibly sad man came out of a door on the right and was mumbling to himself. As he sat dejectedly beside this reporter, he decided to open up a conversation.

He was a traveller and had just madeuseoftheairportconvenience.

“Inside that convenience is rubbish.Howcanthemanagement operate a place like this? Can you imaginewhatthatplacelookslike?,” he asked not really expecting any answers. This reporter provided none but made way to the ‘offending’convenience. Indeed , it was an unsightly place to do’business’. Yet, there were two ladies at the door way asking everyone who walked in if they wanted toilet paper on one hand whiletheyaskedfortipsontheother.

This was the scenario at the local terminal of Murtala Mohammed Airport,MMA 1. Lately, Nigerians

It was further discovered that the renovationandupgradeprojectsare basically on the redesign of the exterior facades, expansion of the footprint of some of the building to create additional capacity, redesign andconstructionoftheinteriorofthe buildings to give a modern look, among others.

While some are still undergoing the remodeling process, a few had beencommissioned,clearingdoubts that the projects might be abandoned.

Restating, government’scommitmenttowards the project, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, said the aviation road map, is designed to revolutionalisetheaviationindustry andincreaserevenuederivablefrom it by 300 per cent.

Oduah, who said this at the commissioning of the General AviationTerminal,NnamdiAzikiwe, Airport, Abuja, stated thus: ‘’The aviationroadmap,whichisacreation of this administration, is designed to revolutionalise the aviation industry and increase revenue derivable from it by 300 per cent.’’

The event is of great significance because it marks the formal commencement of general aviation services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport since its inception in the early 80s

smallestcountriesinAfrica,theyhave modern terminals; those terminals are so obsolete and we are trying to go modern and I want to assure you that in less than one year, we will start seeing knock down of some of these old terminals and bring up modern ones that you and I will be happy to have,” she said after a tour of the new facilities installed by Arik Air. Due attention from federal government: Given that most government promises, rarely come to fruition in Nigeria, not a few gave it a benefit of doubt. But few years

,

Explainingfurther,shesaid: ‘’This entails institutionalising world class safety and security standards, through institutional reforms, infrastructural development and development of airport cities (aerotropolis) that would transform airports into major employment, shopping, trading, business, leisure and cargo business destinations. I believe that today’s event is a sign that the aviation road map is beginning to take root and the Nigerian economy will be better for it.’’ In addition, Oduah stressed that, Continues on Page 41

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 7, 2013— 41

Growing prospects of an unfinished surgery Continues from page 40 ‘’work on the remodelling of this terminal, which started in October 2010, entailed the expansion and modernisation of the old domestic terminal. This GAT, which will handle all non-scheduled flights at this airport, has a full complement of such modern facilities as lounges, including one for pilots, offices, duty rooms, private airline offices, a conference room, dining hall, shops and a game room, for recreation.’’

Work to commence on Abuja internationalairport To the admiration of many, she said, ‘’in the next few months, work will commence on an ultra modern international terminal for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of an MoU between the Nigerian and Chinese Governmentsfortheconstructionof five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port – Harcourt and Enugu. It is envisaged that on completion of this project in Abuja, domestic flight operations at this airport will take over most of what is today,theinternationalterminal.The Federal Capital Territory and Nigeria air travellers do not deserve anything less.’’

‘’We are happy to inform you that the Authority is bracing up for more commissioning ceremonies in the next few months because work on the remodelling of the other terminals under phase I of the airport remodelling project is nearing completion in Benin, Owerri, Yola, Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Calabar and Jos. You may also wish to recall that the reconstructed Domestic Terminal I (formerly GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja was commissioned in October, last year,’’ he noted.

Uriesialsomaintainedthat,‘’work on the remodelling of this new General Aviation Terminal started in October, 2010 and was completed early this month. The project entailed the expansion of the old domestic terminal and its conversion to a general aviation terminal for non-scheduled flights.

The new terminal has a full complement of modern terminal facilities including check-in counters, shops, offices, duty rooms, conference centre, dining room, kitchen, security screening machines and lounges, including a separate lounge for pilots.’’

The airport remodelling project and other programmes for the industry would have remained mere paper work without the assistance of the National Assembly

,

While lamenting the state of the terminalbeforeremodeling,Oduah added: ‘’It was not only that the old domestic terminal at this airport did not meet acceptable international standard, it was also not befitting of an airport in the country’s capital city, which has been described as thefastestgrowingcapitalcityinthe world. The airport also did not have generalaviationandcargoterminals inspite of the fact that it had long become the second busiest airport in the country, after the Murtala MuhammedAirport,Ikeja.Allthese inadequacies have now been addressed, under the airport remodelling project.’’

Continuing,theministersaid,‘’the situation was the same in other airports across the country, where facilities were either outdated or dilapidated. That ugly situation was not acceptable to Government and necessitated the extension of the Transformation Agenda of this administration to the aviation industry and the formulation of the aviation road map, by us.’’

Bracing up for more commissioning Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Federal AirportsAuthorityofNigeria,FAAN, Mr. George Uriesi, observed that the Authority is bracing up for more commissioning ceremonies in the next few months, adding that work on the remodelling of other terminals under phase I of the airport remodelling project is nearing completion.

,

He also said, ‘’today’s event is of great significance because it marks the formal commencement of general aviation services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport since its inception in the early 80s, even though it is the second busiest airport in the country, after the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja. The airport has had to contend with decaying infrastructure and obsolete facilities that belied its position as the second busiest in the country, apart from being situated in the nation’s capital city.

What was then the airport’s domestic terminal operated both scheduled and non-scheduled flights using the same tarmac and terminal facilities.’’

Accordingly, the FAAN boss added: ‘’We wish to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for believing in the potential of the aviation industry to make Nigeria great and for matching this belief withaction,throughtheformulation of the Transformation Agenda for the industry. We also owe deep gratitude to the amazon of the industry, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah for her doggedness in realising the vision of the President for the industry.

The airport remodelling project and other programmes for the industry would have remained mere paper work without the assistance of the National Assembly.’’

L-R: Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha and Minister of Aviation, Princess Adaeze Oduah during the commissioning of the Abuja airport

OFAAC @ TEN:

We’ve exported Anioma culture beyond borders —Ifeadi MR. Kester Ifeadi is the President of Organisation For the Advancement of Anioma Culture,OFAAC,in this interview ahead the ten year anniversary of OFAAC, he disclosed that the organisation has restored the Anioma identity.

Ifeadi also noted that OFAAC has become the rallying point for Anioma sons and daughters since inception. He spoke to CHARLES KUMOLU

H

OW has the journey of OFAAC been since 2003 and how did you get the OFAAC story started?

I am a typical and foremost Anioma son. It was during one of my trips abroad that I discovered that most people are where they are because they are conscious of their culture and where they come from. Anioma nation used to pride itself as a highly refined and cultured people. Some of our elite are losing that because of western influence and education. This shouldn’t be because even the West is trying to trace its culture. We who have a closer tie with our culture are throwing it away.

We have been in the vanguard of creating cultural awareness for our people. Our people over the year s have faced the crisis of identity because we are Igbo speaking generally, but the typical Igbo man does not consider us as Igbos. They call us western Igbos sometimes, but does western Nigeria consider us as one of them? The crisis have got to a level where most of our elite claim other tribes. So, we decided to take the bull by the horn. We are Anioma people and there are unique features about us. This is inspite of our dialectical groupings. Our dressing is unique,and so is our culture; we are a peaceful people. Inspite of all the crisis in the history of Nigeria since independence, we have remained peaceful.

Anioma is still one of the very few places you can go and experience peace and tranquility. With all these beautiful things, we felt there is need to project ourselves strongly as Anioma people. This is mainly to focus on our values and culture. So we have the festival which is the biggest vehicle of culture.

How have you been able to sustain the festival all through the years?

It is all about passion. You don’t succeed in anything you don’t have passion for. We are passionate about it and that is why we are here today. There is also the support of God which is very fundamental. The reasons why we are growing bigger and bigger is because our people found this project a very important one and they have all given their support in every ramification.

Specifically, our royal fathers have been supporting this project wholeheartedly. Today, it is the singular event in our area that attracts over 70 percent of the royal fathers in Anioma at one sitting. I need to also mention the corporate world, who after looking at us with their prism found the festival a

MR. Kester Ifeadi is the President of Organisation For the Advancement of Anioma Culture,OFAAC

worthy one and have come to identify with it.

That is why we have big names like MTN identifying with us over the years.

What new things are to be expected in this 10th anniversary?

I’ll say this 10th edition is going to be more of an assessment of what we have done in the past.

It is going to be all the years in one. It is going to be the definition of where we are and where we are going to. It is going to be a definition of the way forward for our people. It is going to be a complete package of things that people have not seen before.

What was the reaction to this festival 10 years ago?

You know that in Nigeria, nobody does anything without people reading meanings into it. We expected all that. When we started, people thought it was a political platform that will fizzle out. Some even insinuated that we had agenda in terms of self determination. They had reasons to examine us year in year out and found that we are purely a cultural organisation for the advancement of Anioma culture.

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

CONSCIENCE AND HISTORY - MY STORY CONSTITUTION, FEDERALISM AND RULE OF LAW:

The judgment that set Peter Odili free (3) YESTERDAY Justice Buba examines EFCC's preliminary objection and observes that for whatever it is worth, the judgment of the court delivered March 20, 2007 was still valid

T

HE 2nd Defendant/Appli cant submitted that no court can make an order capable of turning a citizen into an outlaw; as this can lead to a state of general break down of law and order and if the current trend of rushing to court for injunctive orders restraining criminal prosecution by some powerful individuals is not quickly halted by this Court, then Nigeria shall soon be witnessing a situation where armed robbery and murder suspects will obtain orders to restrain the Police from arresting, investigating and prosecuting them. After all they too are entitled to secure the enforcement of their fundamental rights under the rule of law.

That on the unequivocal power of the State to derogate from the fundamental rights of citizens to personal liberty where they are alleged to have committed criminal offences, it was held by the Court of Appeal in the case of EKWENUGO vs. FR.N (2001) 6

TIDJANi vs. FRN & ORS. (Unreported Suit No. ECW/CCJ/ APP/01/06) that the member States of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) cannot be prevented from trying any one alleged to have committed a criminal offence in their territories. Notwithstanding that the Plaintiff, a Niger national was abducted by the Nigerian Police in Cotonou, Benin Republic, the application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights was dismissed by the Community Court on grounds that: “Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights duly recognises the right of states to prosecute suspects for criminal offences and does not seek to interfere with that except where the suspect has been arrested, detained and/or tried under or detention or for an offence which did not exist at the time of his arrest or detention.”

It is contended by the 2nd Defendant/Applicant that the fundamental rights of the Plaintiff/ Respondent guaranteed under the Constitution are not absolute.

Neither does the Plaintiff/Respondent have a right against prosecution, having been indicted by the investigations carried out by the 2nd Defendant/Applicant. There are derogations that have been recognised in the interest of public morality. For instance the Court of Appeal in the case of EKWENUGO vs. FRN (supra) held that the right for personal liberty of any person can be justifiably violated “for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court or upon reasonable suspicion of his having

,

The contention of the 2nd defendant/ applicant that this Court has no jurisdiction to entertain both the motion for interlocutory injunction, as well as the substantive suit has not been supported by any argument or decided judicial authority

NWLR (PT 708) at 171 at 185 that: "If there is a reasonable suspicion that a person has committed an offence, his liberty may be impaired temporarily. In the same vein, a person's liberty may be tampered with so as to prevent him from committing an offence. In short, it is clear that no citizen’s freedom or liberty is absolute. The freedom or liberty of a citizen ends where that of the other man starts.”

It is submitted that in the same vein, the Community Court of Justice has recently decided in the case of ALHAJI HAMMANI

,

committed a criminal offence.”

The Court was referred to Section 35(i)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It is argued that the 2nd Defendant/Applicant has averred in paragraph 5 of counter affidavit that the Plaintiff/Respondent along with some officers who worked with him have been indicted by its investigation on allegations of abuse of office, corruption and looting of the treasury of Rivers State of Nigeria, whilst the Plaintiff/Respondent served as the executive Gover-

nor of Rivers State. That these averments in the 2nd Defendant/ Respondent’s Counter Affidavit have not been refuted by the Plaintiff/Respondent. That the position of the law is that these uncontradicted averments should be deemed to be true and correct. The Court was referred to the case of BESTVISION LTD vs. UACN. (2003)13 NWLR PT 838 at 594 esp. 607. And the case

Honourable court in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007, even though he was not, a named party in it.

of HONDA PLACE LTD vs.

GLOBE MOTORS HOLDINGS NIG. LTD. (2005) 11 MJSC at 1.

Therefore, it is contended that in line with decided authorities cited above this court was urged to uphold the second ground of the 2nd Defendant/Applicant’s Preliminary objection and dismiss the Plaintiff/Respondent’s Motion seeking to restrain the 2nd Defendant/Applicant from further exercise of its statutory duties of investigation and prosecution.

The Court was referred to the cases of ATTORNEY-GENERAL ANAMBRA STATE vs. UBA (2006) 16 NWLR PT 1005 at 265 esp 389 where Niki Tobi JSC warned every alleged treasury looter to desist from his nefarious activities as: “the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are watching him very closely and will, without notice pounce on him for incarceration after due process.”

Learned counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. I. A. Adedipe, SAN, submitted that the dominant issues of law that calls for determination by the court by reason of the preliminary objection are two, namely: 1. Whether the purported preliminary objection of the 2nd defendant is a valid and sustainable objection in law capable of terminating the originating summons in limine.

2. Whether the plaintiff has the locus standi to bring this suit on the basis of the judgment of this

FENDANT IS A VALID AND SUSTAINABLE OBJECTION IN LAW CAPABLE OF TERMINATING THE ORIGINATING SUMMONS IN LIMINE It is submitted that the arguments of the 2nd defendant are misconceived as there are no basis for the submissions, as the suit before this Court is not about the distinction between the powers and functions of the 2nd defendant and the Rivers State House of Assembly as regards fighthg corruption. Even if it is about such a distinction; (which point is not admitted), that is not a matter for preliminary objection.

A fortiori, it cannot be the basis of a challenge to jurisdiction of the Court to hear the case. The second point that the plaintiff was not a party to the earlier suit upon which the judgment is based is an argument that is best reserved for the main suit and, not a matter of preliminary objection.

In a nutshell, the contention of the 2nd defendant/applicant that this Court has no jurisdiction to entertain both the motion for interlocutory injunction, as well as the substantive suit has not been supported by any argument or decided judicial authority. Furthermore, it is submitted that the preliminary objection is misconceived and cannot be supported, having regard to the provisions of the law on preliminary objections, interlocutory injunctions as well as the thrust of the originating summons now under consideration.

The plaintiff submits that the starting point is to address the

ON WHETHER THE PURPORTED PRELIMINARY OBJECTION OF THE 2ND DE-

issue of the jurisdiction of this court to entertain both the originating summons as well as the main case.

That the learned authors of Halsbury’s Laws of England, 4th Edition page 323 paragraph 715 defined jurisdictions as follows: “By jurisdiction is meant the authority which a court has to decide matters that are litigated before it or to take cognisance of matters presented in a formal way for its decision. The limits of this authority are imposed by the statute, charter, or commission under which the court is constituted, and may be extended or restricted by similar means.”

The Supreme Court in the cases of JACOB NDAEYO VS. GODWIN OGUNNAYA 1977 1 S.C. 11 at 24, and NATIONAL BANK OF NIG.LTD VS. JOHN SHOYOYE 1977 A.N.L.R. 168 adopted the above definition.

That in the case of MADUKOLU VS. NKEMDILIM 1962 A.N.L.R. 581 the Supreme Court at page 589 made the following observation on jurisdiction and competence of a court. The court stated as follows that a court is competent when -

Exercise of jurisdiction 1. It is properly constituted as regards numbers and qualifications of the members of the bench, and no member is disqualified for one reason or another; and 2. The subject matter of the case is within its jurisdiction, and there is no feature in the case which prevents the court from exercising its jurisdiction; and 3. The case comes before the court initiated by due process of law, and upon fulfilment of any condition precedent to the exercise of jurisdiction.

That there is no suggestion, by the 2nd defendant that, the court does not possess the requisite qualification to preside over these proceedings. There is equally no allegation that the subject matter, namely the determination of the questions raised in the originating summons, cannot be undertaken by this court. No allegation is equally raised about the non fulfilment of any condition precedent to adjudication process.

It is argued that by a long line of judicial decisions, it has been

Continues on page 43

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—43

CONSCIENCE AND HISTORY - MY STORY

The judgment that set Peter Odili free (3) firmly established that it is the claim of the plaintiff that determines the jurisdiction of the court, and not the defence of the defendant. The position of the law was stated by the Supreme Court in the case of ADEYEMI vs. OPEYORI1976 N.S.C.C. PAGE 455 at 464 where the court adopted the position of the law as stated by the W.A.C.A in AJAKA IZENKWE vs. ONYEMUCHE NNADOZIE (1953) 14 W.A.C.A. 361 to the following effect: “... in the first place it is a fundamental principle that jurisdiction is determined by the plaintiff’s demand and not by a defendant’s answer which as in this case, only disputes the existence of the claim, but does not alter or affect its nature. In other words ordinarily it is the claim and not the defence which is to be looked at to determine jurisdiction .”

That it is appropriate, for the court to advert to the claims before the court. The claim had been reproduced elsewhere in this judgment. It is submitted that the Federal High Court is a superior court of record, with all the powers and jurisdiction of such a court, save for matters that are expressly excluded from its jurisdiction by its enabling law. The court is established by Section 249(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The civil jurisdiction of the court is prescribed by Section 251(1) of the said constitution.

Limits of civil jurisdiction That by sections 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Federal High Court Act CAP. F12 Laws of the Federation 2004, the extent and limits of the civil jurisdiction of the court, are spelt out. Under Order 40 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2000, provisions are made for the hearing and determination of originating summons, such as the one filed by the plaintiff. The defendants on record are federal agencies, over whom the Federal High Court is empowered to exercise jurisdiction. It is submitted that from whatever angle one approaches the present case, this court has the jurisdiction to entertain it in the light of the above submissions.

The plaintiff submits that the present preliminary objection is strange and unknown to law.

This is because, the arguments being canvassed to support it, are matters directed at the findings, conclusions and orders of this court in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/ 2007. The best one can say is that those arguments should be taken at the appellate court.

Secondly, the procedure by way

of preliminary point of law is in general only satisfactory when whichever way it be decided, it is conclusive of the whole matter.

The court was referred to the cases of WINDSOR REFRIGERATOR CO. LTD vs. BRANCH NOMINEE LTD (1961) Ch. 0.275 at 382; AINA vs. THE TRUSTEES OF NIGERIAN RAILWAY PENSION FUND (1970) 1 ALL N.L.R. 281.

Thirdly under Order 25 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure), Rules 2000, demurer is abolished, and parties are only entitled to raise by their pleading any point of law, and any point so raised shall be disposed by the judge who tries the cause at or after the trial.

In the case of KWARA HOTELS LTD. VS. ISHOLA (2002) 9.

N.W.L.R. (PART 773) 604 at 627, the Court of Appeal, in dismissing a preliminary objection brought by the defence in that case, construed the provisions of Order 23 of the High Court of Kwara State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1989, which is in pari materia with Order 25 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2000 observed, and held as follows:

Rules of court “I have gone through the statement of defence and it is obvious that the appellant never raised the objections by way of points of law in his defence as required by the rules of court reproduced. To that extent, it is my view that the notice of preliminary objection of the appellant in so far as it purports to be a demurrer which has been abolished, is incompetent before the lower court since it was not raised in the statement of defence" That in the case of AINA vs.

THE TRUSTEES OF NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION PENSIONS FUND 1970 16 N.S.C.C 255 at 229 the Supreme Court cautioned, on this point of raising preliminary objections thus: “It is only in exceptional cases and when it is absolutely clear and it is likely to dispose of the action that a judge should consent to a hearing of a preliminary issue even on a point of law before the action is heard in full - such points could always be taken in the course of the hearing of the action if there is any doubt whether hearing a preliminary issue will dispose of the matter."

It is contended on the state of the available evidence in this case, and having regard to the state of the law, the preliminary objection is misconceived and should be dismissed.

That a major misconception; on the part of the 2nd defendant’s

submission is in the abysmal failure to know that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007 being a final judgment, over an issue, such issue cannot be reopened except by way of review by an appellate court.

Secondly, the judgment, being a judgment in rem is enforceable against the whole world by anyone since it declared invalid, the purported investigations and findings of the 2nd defendant. In the eyes of the law, no findings or investigations by the 2nd defendant exist anymore. It is, therefore, misconceived and unacceptable to refer to it and argue that no court can stop the 2nd defendant from carrying out its statutory functions. That in fact is not the focus of this action; nor is such conclusion the ratio decidendi of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ PH/CS/78/2007.

On the issue that a plaintiff is not a party to suit No. FHC/PH/ CS/78/07 and thus has no locus; the plaintiffs submit that the term locus standi, or standing to sue signifies the existence of a right of an individual or group of individuals to secure the court’s audience over an issue before it. Put in another form, the term denotes legal capacity to institute proceedings in a court of law. The Supreme Court, in the case of SENATOR ADESANYA VS. PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA

,

Continues from page 42

ings and report of mismanagement of the resources of Rivers State while he was governor, between 29th May, 1999 and 29th of May, 2007.

However, the powers of the 2nd defendant to investigate the finances, expenditure, disbursement and operations of the funds of the Rivers State, came up for consideration in Suit No. FHC/ PH/CS/78/2007. A decision declaring as unconstitutional, invalid, null and void, all the investigations, findings and report of findings of the 2nd defendant, was entered, against the 2nd defendant. That decision is just now being challenged. However, there is no order staying the legal operation of that judgment.

That in the circumstances the question that readily comes to mind is: what does a citizen, against whom an agency intends to proceed, do when the basis of such action has been nullified by a competent court of law?

To say that he cannot challenge such move is to be mischievous.

Such a citizen has a constitutional right to approach the court to seek redress against obvious illegality. The contention that the plaintiff was not a party to Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007 fails to take into account the nature of judgment that was given in that suit. Concisely stated, the judgment in that case is a judgment

It is my view that the notice of preliminary objection of the appellant in so far as it purports to be a demurrer which has been abolished is incompetent before the lower court since it was not raised in the statement of defence

(1981) A.N.L.R. 1, discussed at length, the true meaning and incidents of the rights giving a standing to a litigant to approach the court, and held, amongst others that, the question whether or not a claimant has sufficient justiciable interest or sufferance or injury or damage, depends on the facts and circumstances of each case. It is a matter of record, for which this Court can take judicial notice of, that the plaintiff, was the immediate past governor of Rivers State. It is equally matters of common knowledge that immediate past governors across the country are generally accused, of all manners of abuse of office, graft, and other wrongdoings by the 2nd defendant.

Indeed, some former governors are currently standing trial in various courts across the country. In the case of the plaintiff, he had appeared before officials of the 2nd defendant, who had confronted him, with their alleged find-

,

in rem. It is the humble submission of the plaintiff herein that a judgment in rem is a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction which makes pronouncement on the status of a particular thing or subject matter, including a person. Commenting on the nature and effect of a judgment in rem, the Supreme Court in the case of ADESINA OKE vs. SHITTU ATOLOYE & OTHERS (1986) 1 NWLR. (PART 15) page 241 at 242 held that: “a judgment in rem is binding on all the world, parties as well as non-parties.”

In conclusion, it is submitted for the plaintiff that the preliminary objection is misconceived and same should be dismissed for the following reasons.

(1) The Federal High Court is a superior court of record created by the constitution, and its jurisdiction covers the making of such declarations as sought for herein (2) No legal basis exist for this objection as all the conditions pre-

cedent to adjudication have been fulfilled (3) The judgment in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007 is a judgment in rem which has voided the purported investigations and findings of the 2nd defendant in Rivers State Arguing the main application, Learned Senior Counsel for the plaintiff contended that agreed facts showed that on the 20th of March, 2007, the Federal High Court gave a judgment in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007 between the Attorney-General of Rivers State and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which is the 2nd defendant on record. The judgment is the foundation of the present suit.

Up till now, there is no appeal against that judgment by the 2nd defendant. The judgment is Exhibit 'A.'

Appeal against judgment The plaintiff on record was the elected governor of Rivers State between May 29th 1999, and May 29th 2007. The judgment referred to above covers the investigations and other activities of the 2nd defendant, which it carried out between 5th December 2006 and 14th December 2006 pursuant to an alleged petition it received concerning the administration then headed by the plaintifff.

Upon the plaintiff leaving office, however, and without any appeal against the judgment which had effectively nullified the findings and investigations carried out during the tenure of the plaintiff, the 2nd defendant, invited the plaintiff along with other former governors, and confronted him with the report of its findings and investigations. The 2nd defendant equally made known its intentions to proceed against the plaintiff on the strength of the nullified reports and findings.

That indeed, in the counter affidavit deposed to by one James Binang, a chief legal officer of the 2nd defendant, dated 5th October and filed on 10th October 2007, he deposed in paragraph 5 to the effect that indeed an investigation was carried out between 5th of December 2006 and 14th of December 2006, thus confirming the claims of the plaintiff.

The plaintiff submitted that the major, and indeed the dominant issues of law that call for determination in these proceedings are Continues on page 44

44— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

CONSCIENCE AND HISTORY - MY STORY

The judgment that set Peter Odili free (3) Continues from page 43 three, namely the two questions raised under the originating summons as well as whether the 2nd defendant has established a legal basis for the counter-claim it has submitted for consideration.

ON WHETHER, IN THE LIGHT OF THE SUBSISTING AND FINAL JUDGMENT OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT DELIVERED IN SUIT NO FHC/PH/CS/78/2007, ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR RIVERS STATE vs. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION, DATED 20TH MARCH, 2007, THE 2ND DEFENDANT CAN STILL ARREST, DETAIN, INVESTIGATE, ARRAIGN, AND PROSECUTE THE PLAINTIFF AND PURPORT TO ACT PURSUANT TO ANY OF ITS INVESTIGATIVE AND PROSECUTORIAL POWERS, FOR ALLEGED FINANCIAL OFFENCES AS THEY RELATE TO HIS TENURE AS THE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE BETWEEN 29TH MAY 1999 AND 29TH MAY 2007?

It is submitted for the plaintiff, that the present suit, is, in effect an invitation to the court to pronounce on the legality of the defendants, particularly the 2nd defendant’s decision or attempt to ignore the judgment of this Court in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/ 78/2007 which was decided on

defendant, came to the State allegedly in response to a petition against the government of Rivers State, headed by the plaintiff; that it launched an investigation into the finances of the State and arrested senior members of the government; froze the accounts of the government in various banks and disrupted the activities of the government; that the Attorney-General of the State, as the chief law officer of the State, instituted Suit No. FHC/ PH/CS/78/2007 against the 2nd defendant. After a full hearing, this Court entered judgment against the 2nd defendant, and granted all the reliefs prayed for by the plaintiff, in the case.

The Court in the judgment granted a total of four declarations and four injunctive reliefs.

Among the reliefs and injunctions are the following: (1) A declaration that the purported investigation or inquiry carried out by the 1st defendant or being carried out by the 1st defendant into the disbursing, administering, or management of funds appropriated by the Rivers State House of Assembly is unconstitutional, ultra vires the powers of the 1st defendant and accordingly null and void.

(2) A declaration that the defendants are not entitled to rely on, utilize or in any manner whatsoever put to any use any report, findings or conclusion produced or arrived at by the 1st defendant

There is no legal basis for anybody to ignore the judgment of 20th March, 2007. That judgment is binding on the defendants, and the court is urged to so hold

,

the 20th March, 2007 by this Court. The present 2nd defendant was the first defendant to that suit. A certified true copy of the said judgment is the only Exhibit in these proceedings. It is submitted for the plaintiff, that in the light of that judgment, the defendants, particularly the 2nd defendant cannot use the report of its alleged investigation into the affairs of Rivers State, between 29th May 1999, and December 2007 as a basis to arrest, invite, detain, arraign, prosecute or in any manner whatsoever, rely on the said report, or investigation, for any purpose. The bases for the above submission are: That it is appropriate, to begin with facts that are not in dispute, and they are, that between 29th May 1999, and 29th May, 2007, the plaintiff was the elected governor of Rivers State, operating with a House of Assembly; that sometimes between December, 2006 and January 2007, the 2nd

,

as a result of the purported investigation or inquiry into the appropriation, disbursing, administering or management of funds of Rivers State.

(3) An order of injunction restraining the 1st defendant by itself or servants or agents or in any manner howsoever from purporting to investigate or inquire into the appropriation, disbursing, administering, or management of the funds of Rivers State is hereby made.

(4) An order of injunction restraining the 1st defendant by itself or by its agents or in any manner howsoever from disseminating, publishing or circulating to any government, government agency, the news media, or members of the public or in any manner at all, the purported or findings in respect of any investigation or inquiry into the appropriation, disbursing, administering or management of the funds of Rivers State or putting the said report or finding to any use what-

soever is hereby made.

It is submitted that the legal effect of the above declarations and injunctions on the alleged investigation and findings by the 2nd defendant herein, on the alleged mismanagement of the funds of Rivers State, is to render such findings and investigation useless and of no probative value since such report and findings had been declared unconstitutional, and nullified. As the court decreed, the investigation and findings cannot be used, either in part or in whole for whatever purpose. Unless, and until set aside, the judgment is binding and cannot be ignored by the defendants.

That it has been decided by high judicial authorities, that a person who knows of a judgment, whether null or valid given against him by a court of competent jurisdiction cannot be permitted to disobey it. His unqualified obligation is to obey it unless and until that judgment has been set aside. In the case of BABATUNDE vs. OLATUNJI (2000) 2 S.C.N.J. 26 the Supreme Court held at page 33 as follows: “I think the option open to a person against whom an order was made or a judgment given is plain. He should apply to the court to discharge the order or appeal against the judgment that it might be set aside as the case may be. This is good sense, for as long as the order or judgment existed, it must not be disobeyed. A judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction remains valid and binding, even when the person affected by it believes that it is void, until it is set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

Obedience of court orders That in CHUK vs. CREMER (1846) 47 E.R. 884, Lord Cottenham L.C. said: "A party, who knows of an order, whether null or valid, regular or irregular, cannot be permitted to disobey it.... it would be most dangerous to hold that the suitors, or the solicitors, could themselves judge whether an order was null or valid, whether it was regular or irregular. That they should come to the court and not take upon themselves to determine such a question. That the course of a party knowing of an order, which was null or irregular, and who might be affected by it, was plain.

He should apply to the court that it might be discharged. As long as it existed it must be obeyed."

That this view was re-echoed

by ROMER L. J in HADKINSON vs. HADKINSON (1952) 2 All E.R. 567 where he said: “It is the plain and unqualified obli-

gation of every person against, or in respect of whom an order is made by a court of competent jurisdiction to obey it unless and until that order is discharged.

The uncompromising nature of this obligation is shown by the fact that it extends to cases where the person affected by an order believes it to be irregular or even void.”

Presumption of correctness That in the case of BABATUNDE vs. OLATUNJI (supra) the jurisprudential basis for the above position of the law was explained by KATSINA-ALU J.S.C at page 34 of the law report thus: “It is settled practice that there is a presumption of correctness in favour of a court’s judgment.

Unless and until that presumption is rebutted and the judgment set aside, it subsists and must be obeyed. It cannot for any reason under our law be ignored.”

On the same point, in the case of OBA ALADEGBEMI vs. OBA FASANMADE (1988) 3 N.W.LR. (Part 81) page 129, ESO J.S.C held thus: “for a court of competent jurisdiction, not necessarily of unlimited jurisdiction (and I will come to this anon) has jurisdiction to decide a matter rightly or wrongly. If that court never had jurisdiction in the matter, then its decision is, without jurisdiction, void, but then should a court of law not even decide the point? This is, the court without jurisdiction decided without jurisdiction? Should the decision just be ignored? Surely it would not make for peace and finality which a decision of a court seeks to attain. It would at least be against public policy for persons, without the backing of the court, to pronounce a court decision a nullity, act in breach of the decision whereas others may set out to obey it. In my respectful view it is not only desirable but necessary to have such decisions set aside first by another court before any act is built upon it despite the colourful dictum of the law Lord in UAC vs MACFOY” The 1999 Constitution of the country in Section 287 (3) provides as follows: "The decisions of the Federal High Court, a High Court and of all other courts established by this Constitution shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by other courts of law with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Federal High Court, a High Court and those other courts, respectively."

Mr. Adedipe, SAN, for the plaintiff contended further that it remains to add, that it was after the institution of this suit that the

2nd defendant realised that it ought to appeal against the judgment delivered on the 20th March 2007.

To this end, the available records showed that an application for extension of time within which to appeal is presently before the Court of Appeal. It is, however, submitted for the plaintiff, that an extension of time to appeal is not the same thing as a successful appeal, against a subsisting judgment, which enjoys a legal presumption of correctness until reversed or set aside.

Put differently, there is no legal basis for anybody to ignore the judgment of 20th March, 2007.

That judgment is binding on the defendants, and the court is urged to so hold.

It was further argued that in the notice of preliminary objection filed by the 2nd Defendant, contended that the plaintiff herein was not a party to Suit No. FHC/ PH/CS/78/2007 and, therefore, cannot take the benefit of it. In reply to that point, the plaintiff had submitted that the contention of the 2nd defendant was erroneous, that it is also appropriate that the issue be fully addressed at this point.

Judgment in rem It is the submission of the plaintiff that the judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007 between the Attorney- General for Rivers State vs. the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and three others is a judgment in rem. A judgment is said to be in rem when it is an adjudication pronounced upon the status of some particular thing or subject matter by a court or tribunal having the jurisdiction and competence to pronounce on that status. Such a judgment is usually and invariably founded on proceedings instituted against or on something or subject-matter whose status or condition is to be determined. It is thus a solemn declaration on the status of some persons or thing. It is, therefore, binding on all persons in so far as their interests in the status of that person or thing are concerned. That is why a judgment in rem is binding on the whole world, parties as well as non-parties. The above submission is based on the opinion of OPUTA J.S.C in the case of DIKE vs.

NZEKA (1986) 4 N.W.L.R. (PART) 144. The court was also referred to the case of ADESHOYE OLOWOLAGBA (1996) Continues on page 45

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—45

CONSCIENCE AND HISTORY - MY STORY

The judgment that set Peter Odili free (3) 12 SCNJ 95 at 120.

The plaintiff posits further that a fair reading of the judgment of the court under consideration will show that the status of the investigation, inquiry, findings, report, and the right to use, and disseminate the same, for whatever purpose, was solemnly pronounced upon by the court in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007. It is submitted for the plaintiff that the judgment is a judgment in rem, binding on the whole world, parties and non-parties alike. The court is urged to so hold. The submission of the 2nd defendant on the right of the plaintiff to rely on the said judgment should be rejected as misconceived.

In conclusion, the court was urged to answer the question, raised by issue one of the originating summons in the negative, and hold that the defendants cannot ignore the binding judgment in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/2007, dated 20th March 2007. Accordingly, the defendants cannot utilize the purported findings by the 2nd defendant, during the tenure of the plaintiff, as governor of Rivers State as a basis to arrest, detain, and or prosecute him on the basis of such investigation and reports.

ON WHETHER THE PLAINTIFF, AS GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE, FROM 29TH MAY 1999 AND 29TH MAY 2007, HAVING ACTED IN THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, WITH A STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, CAN BE INVESTIGATED, DETAINED, ARRAIGNED, AND PROSECUTED FOR ALLEGED FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT OF THE RIVERS STATE BY THE 2ND DEFENDANT, A FEDERAL AGENCY, HAVING REGARD TO THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT IN SUIT NO FHC/PH/ CS/78/2007?

It is submitted for the plaintiff, that question two raised two issues together namely: the constitutionality of the powers of the 2nd defendant, a Federal Agency, to investigate a state official of a component state of the country. Concisely stated, is it in accord with Federal principle established by the 1999 Constitution that a Federal Agency can purport to act, and superintend the affairs of a state? The second issue is, even if the 2nd defendant can investigate a state official, who has already left office, can it be done by the defendants against the plaintiff herein, in the face of the subsisting judgment in Suit No. FH-

C/PH/CS/78/2007.

It is humbly submitted, that the EFCC has no powers to investigate a state official, who has left office, and who was never accused of wrongdoing by the state House of Assembly that served with him. It is argued that the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 is a Federal Constitution. And in the case of A-G ABIA STATE vs. A-G FEDERATION & ORS. (2006) 16 N.W.L.R. (PART 1005) PAGE 265, the Supreme Court stated thus:

Federal arrangement “This court has construed federalism and the federal structure in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. In AG. Lagos State vs. A-G. Federation, this court held that by the doctrine of federalism which has been adopted by virtue of section 2{2} of the 1999 Constitution, the autonomy of each government, which presupposes its separate existence and its independence from the Federal Government, is essential to Federal arrangement.

Therefore, each government exists not as appendage of another government but as an autonomous entity in the sense of being able to exercise its own will in the conduct of its affairs, free from direction by another government.

In Chief Olafisoye v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) 4 NWLR (Pt.864) 580, this court also held that the concept of State autonomy must be examined in the context of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. This is because it will not be a useful exercise to take the concept outside the constitutional arrangement and therefore in a vaccum or in vacuo. ... Nigeria, as a Federation, operates federalism. This is made possible by the Federal Constitutions enacted in the past, culminating in the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Chapter 1, Part 1, clearly described Nigeria as a Federal Republic. The Part contains three strongly worded sections.

In the true culture and tenet of federalism, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, makes a clear distinction between legislative powers of the National Assembly and House of Assembly of a State.

Section 4 is the source of the legislative powers of the Legislatures. While section 4(1) to (4) provides for the legislative powers of the National Assembly, section 4(6) and (7) provides for the legislative powers of the House of Assembly of a State. Section 4(5) provides for the common law doctrine of covering the field.”

The court was also referred to

the cases of 1. A-G LAGOS STATE vs.A-G FEDERATlON (2003) 12 NWLR. (PART 833) 1.

2.. OLAFISOYE vs. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (2004) 4 NWLR. (PART 864) 580.

That the legal and constitutional implication of federalism was explained by the Court of Appeal in the case of FEDERAL MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS & ORS. vs. SHUGABA,(1982, 3 N.C.L.R. 915 thus: “The president has no power or authority, save as may be clearly provided by the Constitution, to interfere with the powers or authority of a state governor. The governor also has no power or authority to interfere with the functions of the chief executive of the Federation. This same principle applies to the relationship of the National Assembly and a House of Assembly of a State in their respective powers of law making or other responsibility assigned to them by the Constitution.

The same principle of non-in-

,

Continues from page 44

nourable Court had considered the provisions of Sections 6, 7, and 40 of the EFCC Act, 2004 alongside the provisions of Sections 120 to 128 of the 1999 Constitution, and concluded that the two questions formulated for determination by the plaintiff in the suit must be answered in the negative. As pointed out earlier, there is yet no appeal against that decision.

It is argued on the status of the plaintiff, who as at now, is a private citizen of Nigeria. There is no allegation of any type against him as a private citizen. It is the alleged complaint against him, while he was in office, as the Governor of Rivers State, that triggered the investigations, and alleged findings and report, against, him, while he was in office. Indeed, in the counter-affidavit of the 2nd defendant, paragraph 5, it was made clear that it was the conduct of the plaintiff, while he was in office, and those of his government officials that was the focus of investigation car-

It is submitted, that, since the allegations, investigations findings and report, are based on his conduct while in office, they cannot be used as a basis to proceed against him, in his personal capacity. First, in his personal capacity there is no allegation against him. Secondly, the allegation, investigations, findings and report, against him and other officials of his government was nullified in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/78/ 2007

terference applies to the relationship of the Judiciary of the Federation and the Judiciary of a state in the exercise and control of judicial powers and jurisdiction of the courts established for the federation and those for the State."

It is argued that the investigation of a state’s account by the EFCC for whatever reason is unconstitutional. The basis for the above submission is that EFCC being a Federal Agency can only act pursuant to the laws made by the National Assembly in accordance with Section 4(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

Indeed, the Federal High Court, in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/ 78/2007, delivered on 20th March 2007, which is Exhibit ‘A’, in these proceedings had clearly stated the correct legal position, that in a federal set up, it will be inimical to order and good governance, contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers and the principles of federalism, enshrined in our constitution, for the 2nd defendant to interfere in the management of the government of Rivers State. Before then, the Ho-

,

ried out by the 2nd defendan between 5th December and 14th December 2006.

That in the preliminary objection, the 2nd defendant had submitted as follows: “It is submitted in this regard that all lawful appropriation of funds made by the House of Assembly of a state qualifies as law made by the said House of Assembly. In the same vein, it is submitted that where there is any breach of the said state law to the extent that it involves economic and financial crime, the 2nd defendant/applicant has the mandate under EFCC Act 2004 to investigate and prosecute offenders of the said state law."

It is submitted, that, since the allegations, investigations findings and report, are based on his conduct while in office, they cannot be used as a basis to proceed against him, in his personal capacity. First, in his personal capacity there is no allegation against him. Secondly, the allegation, investigations, findings and report, against him and other officials of his government was nullified in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/

78/2007.

It is argued further that the proposed action, or the submission of the defendant, under the existing facts and law, is not in accordance with both the Constitution of 1999. In this connection, the plaintiff submits that the 2nd defendant cannot proceed against him, for any alleged breach of state law; this is because the 2nd defendant, as a Federal Agency, cannot be empowered to enforce any state law. The provisions of the EFCC Act 2004 do not so provide.

And that secondly, as observed by the Supreme Court in Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs & Ors vs. SHUGABA (supra) “The president has no power or authority, save as may be clearly provided by the Constitution, to interfere with the powers or authority of a state governor. The governor also has no power or authority to interfere with the functions of the chief executive of the Federation. This same principle applies to the relationship of the National Assembly and a House of Assembly of a State in their respective powers of law making or other responsibility assigned to them by the Constitution. The same principle of noninterference applies to the relationship of the Judiciary of the Federation and the Judiciary of a state in the exercise and control of judicial powers and jurisdiction of the courts established for the federation and those for the State."

The second observation is that the 2nd defendant seems unwilling to accept the finality of the decision in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/ 78/2007, which had expressly stated that the investigation of the Government of Rivers State is unlawful.

TOMORROW Justice I. N. Buba accuses EFCC of losing sight of a valid judgment of a competent court which had declared its action on Odili ultra vires, unconstitutional, null and void

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 —47

From left: Dotun Adenijo, Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Journalism; Dr. Elizabeth Ikem, Provost; Dele Omojuyigbe, Head of Department, General Studies and Jide Johnson, HOD, Mass Communication, at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism 10th Matriculation ceremony, at the NIJ Campus, Ogba, Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Lady Valerie Ebe, Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor (right), presenting a memento to Dr. Muhammed Ali Pate, Minister of State for Health (left), during the Minister’s visit to Government House, Uyo.

Hon. Justice R.I. Amaize (rtd, left) and Hon. Justice C.O. Idahosa, Edo State Chief Judge, at the valedictory court session in honour of Hon. Justice Amaize, High Court Justice, Edo State, who retired from the service of Edo State Judiciary.

Photos:Barnabas Uzosike

From Left: Mr. Peter Iwegbu, Head IT, Union Bank, receiving a gift from the Signal Alliance team, led by Ngozi Osondu-Akonyiro, as part of the activities to mark the Signal Alliance Customer Week, in Lagos.

Hon. Mercy Uijatalor, queen/daughter of the family, also PDP woman leader in the area, with some family members during the final burial ceremony of Pa Bernard Uijatalor, the Odionwele of EkoOjeme, Ewu, Esan Central LGA, in Edo State.

From left:Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager; Awawu OlumideSojinrin, Marketing Lead (both of Microsoft Nigeria); Gustavo Fuchs, Director, Mobility Windows Phone, Microsoft Middle East & Africa and Olayinka Oni, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Nigeria, at the launch of Microsoft 4Afrika Campaign in Lagos, yesterday.

Eze Hyacinth Ohazulike, Eze Ndi Igbo of Lagos (fourth left); Chief Harris Chuma, Ogene Ndigbo (third left) with other members of Igbo Bu Igbo Council of Ogun State, during a visit to Eze Ndi Igbo, at his palace, in Lagos.

From left: Mr. Gbenga Ajayi, Project Manager, Reliance Referral Hospital; Prince Emma Ajayi, CEO, Swiss Biostadt Limited; Dr. Emmanuel Nyong, Lead Consultant to Reliance Referral Hospital and Mr. Jeffrey Immelt, Global Chairman/CEO, General Electric (GE), during a tour of Reliance Referral Hospital facilities, by GE Healthcare Team, in Abuja.

Barr. Saliba Roli Agba, Legal Director, Tyonex Group; Pharm. Emmanuel Agba, Managing Director/CEO; Pastor Tosin Adu of the Great Horse Assembly, RCCG, Gowon Estate, Ipaja and Pastor Peter Nkereuwem, during the Tyonex Group Annual Thanksgiving service, at the company’s premises, in Lagos.

From left: Bola Akinduro, Human Resources Manager, PKF; Lola Durowoju, Proprietress, Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home; Adebowale Seidu, Director, PKF; Najeem Abdulsalaam, a partner, PKF and Olatunji Ogundeyin, Audit Partner, during the presentation of gifts to the Child Care and Treatment Home as part of PKF 60th anniversary celebration, in Lagos.

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Farmers to get N1bn agric loan in Sokoto

BY ABDALLAH EL-

S

KUREBE

OKOTO—DRY sea son farmers in Sokoto State are to get N1 billion loans to boost food production, Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Arzika Tureta has said.

Tureta spoke during the Second Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, SRRBDA in Sokoto, yesterday.

He said the money would be sourced from the Federal Government Agricultural Credit Scheme.

He said: “The disbursement of the low interest credit facilities, which were guaranteed by the state government will soon commence.”

Tureta further said the state government planned to recruit additional agricultural extension workers that would be equipped and trained to enable farmers in the state to engage in modern agricultural practices.

Reading of JP Clark -A Voyage holds in Ibadan

T

HE literary community and lovers of book will be treated to a special reading of a book titled, JP CLARK -A VOYAGE, a biography of JP CLARK written by Femi Osofisan.

The reading which is packaged by Bookcraft Ltd in partnership with Alliance Française, Ibadan, is billed for Thursday, February 7, at Alliance Française, Iyanganku, beside Magistrate Court, Ibadan. JP Clark and the author, Femi Osofisan and other scholars are expected to be present.

Reception

T

HE Ngor Okpala Community of Imo State in Lagos holds a reception on the 24th of February, 2013 at St.Jude Anglican Cathedral church,EbutteMetta,Lagos, from 12noon prompt.

The reception is to celebrate one of theirs, Venerable Geoffrey EyinnayaOkoroafor, who is the new Bishop elect of Egbu Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Imo state.

COMMISSIONING: From left: Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms Nonny Ugboma; Deputy Governor, Abia State, Chief Emeka Ananaba, and Mr. Dennis Okoro, Director, MTN Foundation, at the commissioning of the upgraded Science laboratory of Ibeku High School, Umuahia, Abia State.

BRIEFING: From left: Mr. Ukah Robie Jay, GM, Mrs. Jibe Ologeh,MD/CEO, Mr Deji Elumoye, NUJ Chairman, Lagos chapter and Mr. Christopher Akioya, Marketing & Brands Manager at the briefing by R Wells Media and Advertising Company Limited, on the forthcoming Mothers’ Day celebration in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

Robbers abandon AK 47 riffle after robbing politician of N2m

BY EMMA UNA

C

ALABAR—A gang of robbers which launched a dramatic operation in Calabar, the Cross River State capital abandoned an AK 47 riffle after carting away over N2million belonging to a politician.

The robbery which took place at a building construction site at Ekorinim, a suburb of Calabar Municipality at about mid morning, weekend, took the politician (names withheld) unawares as he was busy passing instructions to his construction staff when the gang invaded his SUV vehicle and

carted away the money inside.

The victim brought the money to pay for the services of a bulldozer and over 15 casual workers at the close of work but the robbers carted away the money while he was at the slope passing instructions to the workers.

He said: “When I arrived the plot, I securely locked the doors of my car after I had alighted and walked down to the slope where the bulldozer was piling sand but after some time when I went to the car, it was open and the money was no more there.”

He said that while he was passing instructions to the work-

ers who were some distance away from, the hoodlums, “apparently acting on information swooped on the car, used a master key and unlocked the vehicle and carted away my money”.

According to the politician, he and his workers including the bulldozer driver mounted a search operation, only to discover one AK 47 riffle, loaded with a magazine where the bandits had laid ambush.

He said he had since reported the matter to thee Police at Diamond Hill and the AK47 recovered.

DSP John Umoh, the spokesman

Benue records 2 more cases of lassa fever

BY PETER DURU AKURDI—TWO weeks after Lassa Fever claimed the life of a medical doctor and two of his patients in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, two children have been admitted with the virus of the disease at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH.

M

Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Prof. Abraham Malu, made this known, yesterday, in Makurdi when he played host to an investigative team from the Federal Ministry of Health, which also donated drugs to the hospital following the outbreak of the disease in the state.

He said: ”I am pleased to in-

form you that since the initial outbreak of the disease some two weeks back we have had no new reported cases of the disease in any part of the state. ”What we have recorded so far are two secondary cases which unfortunately are the children of the medical doctor who died of the disease.”

Contractors threaten attack on MTN installations

T

ELECOMMUNICA TIONS giant, MTN Nigeria Limited, is facing threat of demolition of its installations in the Niger Delta region over an alleged indebtedness to one of its major contractors, Procomtel Limited, that handled the construction/installations of its facilities in the region.

The threat is coming from Gbaruka Resources, a service provider company based in Bayelsa State, which is a subcontractor to Procomtel Limited, that handled the installation services on behalf of the MTN contractor.

In an official correspondence addressed to the Managing Director of MTN Nigeria Limited signed by Comrade Charles Taylor, Managing Director of Gbaruka Resources, the company claimed that having

made fruitless efforts to get paid for its labour by Procomtel Limited, due to alleged refusal by MTN to settle the latter, it was left with no choice than to return to the trenches.

The Gbaruka Resources group said it had resolved that failure

by MTN Nigeria Limited to settle with Procomtel Limited on or

before February 15, 2013 will see them commence the demolition of all MTN installations in Rivers State by third week in February 2013, those in Bayelsa and Delta states by the end of fourth week of February 2013, and the demolition exercise in other states of the Niger Delta region in the month of March 2013.

for the Cross River State Police Command said the police was carrying out investigation to fish out the hoodlums

Shettima’s wife donates N4,000,000 to widows

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

A I D U G U R I — WIFE of the Borno State Governor, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima, has donated N100,000 each to 40 widows who lost their husbands and their houses burnt during the recent Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

Presenting the money to the widows at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Government House, Maiduguri, yesterday, Hajia Nana, said the aim was to empower the widows to be useful to their respective families and the society at large.

She said as a woman, she deemed it necessary to assist the women folk in the state through her pet project -Support for Women, Orphans and Tsangaya, SWOT. According to her, most of these women were facing a lot of challenges in taking care of their children and families, adding that it would be a continuous exercise.

Delta community celebrates Okribowe festival

W

BY EMMAARUBI

A R R I — T H E Ugbuwangue community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, will Friday, commence its three-day triennial cultural festival aimed at uniting and exhibiting the rich cultural heritage of the people.

According to the chief priest

of Okribowe and Ukpejuku deities, Mr. Sunny Keke and Maxwell Amuduaghan (Babatojeconbif), the festival billed for the village square (Ogwa-baba), will also feature ancient Itsekiri masquerades like Ipi, Onne, Ogoni, Oghoye, Ugwe, Tikoru, Olekun, among others.

The event which will be witnessed by prominent Itsekiri

chiefs, sons and daughters, will also be attended by captains of industries and staff of oil majors in Warri.

Meanwhile, the Olara-Aja (Head) of Ugbuwangue community, Ambassador Preston Egbe, has sued for peace and charged indigenes of the community to be well behaved during the duration of the festival.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 49

50—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I N S I D E

Economy, Politics and Human Rights: Whither Nigeria? (3)

— 52

In 2013, NGOs must return to the trenches (4)

— 52

Conflicting court decisions not a healthy devt — Justice Odunowo

BY INNOCENT ANABA

Though, he sat as a judge during the military era, retired Justice Tajuddeen Odunowo of the Federal High Court was known for his fearlesness in handling of cases that came before his court.

In this interview, he spoke on the need to cut down the number of lawmakers at the National Assembly, standards on the bench, constitutional amendment among others.

Excerpt.

W

C M Y K

* Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN

• Justice Tajuddeen Odunowo (rtd) happened to him, he will follow suit.

That is why things are declining steadily.

I read in the media some months

,

HAT is your position on the accusation of bias against some judges, particularly by prosecuting counsel?

If there is any good reason of doing so, I do not see anything wrong with it. In my time on the Bench, I only had one or two instances like that. It was the defence lawyer that accused me.

After pleading guilty, the matter was adjourned, the next thing was that the accused lawyer came to ask that the case be taken away and given to another judge. When I read the charge against the accused, I realised that his lawyer feared that there was no way that the man was not going to be convicted. One of the allegations was that a car meant to be used for carrying staff, the accused used to carry one of his wives everyday without the consent of the Board of Directors. So, of course, when my attention was drawn to the petition, I just allowed it to go. The matter was then given to another judge.

But in the case where the prosecuting counsel accusing the judge of bais, I am sure that they must have reasons for that. Like we read in the newspapers that judges in some matters have been compromised, if that is true, it makes sense to stop the judge from handing such matters.

Do you think we have a decline in standards on the Bench, when viewed against the complaint by litigants, who accuse judges of playing into the hands of lawyers to delay matters?

Everything in this country, including the three arms of government, is on the downward trend. Like I kept telling people, the reason why things are the way they are here, is the lack of measures to ensure that things work well. In years gone, even in America, Britain, China among others, there are challenges, but the difference between us and those people is that if you steal in America, if you are caught, the law will take its cause. It does not happen here. And when Mr. A knows that this gentleman did this and nothing

I do not think that the amendment of the constitution will resolve the problems facing the country; it would only amend the identifiable problem around those areas

,

ago, on the front-page of a particular newspaper actually, where the reporter said that some judges in a particular election tribunal were investigated and in the account of one of the judges, the report said over $400,000 was found. In another judge’s account, they found many millions of naira. The third judge, a house he built 10 years ago was renovated with

millions of naira.

Whereas if it were in other climates, the authorities would send detectives to investigate the allegation and if these are verified, of course, the judges will be sanctioned.

But here, people just talk and talk, saying somebody took bribe but nobody is ready to give evidence.

Do you support our courts taking a more liberal position in the interpretation of our rules and Constitution?

You see, the moment they begin to put what is not in the law, you are deviating from the proper role as a judicial officer.

But where there is a precedent that does not accord with the ordinary man’s common sense of justice, if you can find a way of distinguishing that common decision, rationalizing it to make it in tandem with the problem at hand, I think it will be wrong for the judge to close his eyes to it. You must give reason and you must state why. But you can’t say because something is right for the people that the judge should put it there. I do not think that is a proper judicial role. There must be legal basis for making such distinction or trying to make it work, it must give objective standards, which will be visible to everybody. It is not something you take simply because you think you just want to defend something. Your role as a judge is to administer the law as it is and not as it ought to be.

Section 2 of the 1999 constitution states the functions of State and the same constitution makes certain issue none justiciable. Is it not proper for the court to say that you cannot on one hand say you have a right to life and at the same time, say you cannot go to court to complain if that obligation was not complied with by the same state?

Speaking for myself, if the Constitution says that certain matters should not be justiciable, I do not think it is the business of any judge to say otherwise. But if what the constitution

say is not justiciable is not in uniformity with the fundamental areas of the Constitution, then you use that as an excuse.

What about the right to enjoy basic things of life. Should Nigerians not have the right to hold government accountable by approaching the court to say that government is not fulfilling its obligations in that regard?

Of course, you are entitled to go to court. You have that right. You are entitled to do that because regardless of what they say, at least, so long as you are a tax payer and an adult, you can approach the court. After all, the Constitution is not just for a few people, it is for everybody.

Currently, meetings are being held over Constitution amendment. Do you think that amending the Constitution will solve the problems we have in the country today?

Not at all. I do not believe that.

There is a limit to which the constitution can address certain issues. For instance, if you have a hole on your dress, there is a limit you can patch it.

Even if you continue to patch and patch it, you can never take care of everything. In other words, once you start amending, it will not stop. In Britain, for instance, they do not have a written constitution, although they have some written documents.

I do not think that the amendment of the constitution will resolve the problems facing the country; it would only amend the identifiable problem around those areas. If you have people representing different ethnic groups, I think that it is better than this process of amendment. Those people (National Assembly) are not put there to amend the constitution for us, it is not their business.

It is the people themselves that can write or amend the constitution, which in turn will give us the peoples’

Continues on page 51

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—51

Conflicting court decisions not a healthy devt — Justice Odunowo Constitution. The people may not even be educated but they have an idea of what they want their constitution to be.

You listen to them and pick the ones that are relevant and then get to the basics. I think that is a better approach than setting up committees. When you talk of constitution, you must look ahead of possible problems that may likely arise.

Whereas amendment is just dealing with the problems you see now, which is why I think that it cannot be the perfect solution, because when future problems arise, are you going to further amend?

Are Nigerians today enjoying dividend of democracy, 14 years into civil rule?

I do not think so. Security is not there. Water is not there.

The roads are bad. The other time, we went to Abeokuta, Ogun State, which is about 59 miles, from Lagos. The journey should have been about an hour, but it took us more than four hours to get back to Lagos from Abeokuta.

The roads are bad, and then a lot of bad driving was noticed because two lanes suddenly turned into five lanes. The police, who were there, just blew their siren and faced uncoming vehicles without any attempt to solve the problem. And in the midst of it, people started driving in the opposite direction. Nobody did anything about it.

But if people are arrested and properly dealt with, I am sure others will learn.

Do you support the call for the scrapping of the House of Representatives?

Yes. Right now, I do not see what they are doing. America, as big as it is, do not have more than 100 Senators. In Nigeria, we have more than they do. How big is Nigeria and what are the resources available to it?

Those people at the National Assembly are just there to enjoy. For instance, a senator here, I read in one of the newspapers, goes home with over $1.7million a year, whereas America Senators do not get more than $5,000 and they are busier and devoted.

If you see our National Assembly on television, you see a lot of vacant seats. There are many of them who you hardly hear of for the four years they stay there. I do not see what they are doing.

If you could remember, when they first came in, what they did was to give Senators N5million each and N3m for members of the House for their personal welfare. And one worrisome aspect is that some, who could not even afford to hire a flat before getting into the House of Representatives, bought themselves very expensive

•Justice Odunowo cars, which other countries do not give.

When people say American system is bad, I think it is ours that is bad. Before independence, take the ordinary local government area, although we had councilors, all they did was formulate policies and only got sitting allowance. It was the Secretary and others working in the council that carry out day to day running of the councils. And if you take a look at our House of Reps today, if they are to sit, our constitution says they should sit for 181 days, how many days are left in a year?

And then, they get all manners of allowances. They just travel all over the globe, in the guise of studying how other countries run their parliaments. When they return, you will not see what they claim to have gone to study.

With over 360 House of Reps members and 109 senators, they should be reduced so that we have about 150 for the whole country, including senators. There is need to cut down their size to cut down on the cost of governance.

With the spate of killings and bombings in some parts

of the country, do you see Nigeria remaining one country in the next 20 years?

If you listen to news these days, there are more intertribal marriages than before.

Now, you would see one Ugochukwu getting married to Bisi. So how are you going to separate them? It is not easy. On the killings and bombings, I think these are issues that require consultations and people should be allowed to come together to express their views. We have 36 states, even though consultation or referendum was not reached before creating states, all the same, having created all these states, particularly local governments, where you see the chairman of a local government area earning more salary than a professor, you do no expect it to augur well for the country when we have a situation where a councilor earns more than a graduate? Yet we do not see what they are doing to justify such earnings.

So how do we address the killings in some parts of the

,

•Continued from page 50

Anybody involved in kidnapping, armed robbery or rape, such people should be given fair trial and if found guilty, the person should be killed

,

country?

Anybody involved in kidnapping, armed robbery or rape, such people should be given fair trial and if found guilty, the person should be killed. If you cultivate cocoa or yam and later found weeds there, what do you do? You first remove the weeds, and burn them so as to allow the crop to grow. This is my personal opinion. Imagine somebody kidnapping an 80

year old woman and keeping her in a jungle where she was feed with sachet water for no reason. If some body comes to your house with a gun to dispossess you of your property, does he have to live?

Whether the person is a Moslem or Christian, it does not matter.

The only thing I advocate is that they should be given a fair trial. If he is found guilty, let the person be executed and the more you do, their numbers will keep reducing.

How would you rate the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan?

People say he is trying but it has not affected me. I do not see light in my house. Every week, I spend close to N10,000 on diesel to power my house, because we hardly have public electricity supply.

Like I told you, I spent four hours on a distance of 59 miles. I do not know how I can say that such a government is performing. People who commit serious offences and are taken to court, after one or two adjournments, you do not hear anything more about their cases.

Look at when Bola Ige, Alfred Rewane and others were killed, till date, nobody had been held responsible for their deaths. The government may have been trying, but it is motion without movement. I do not see what he (Jonathan) is doing.

What is your reaction to a situation where the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, including lower courts, make contradicting pronouncements on similar matters at their respective levels?

It is not a healthy development because no High Court has the power to overrule an order of another court of coordinate jurisdiction. You must give a reason for such decision on a particular subject matter. My problem with the Court of Appeal is that they have quite a number of divisions. For harmony, I

think if any judgment is given by one division, same should be circulated to other divisions, so that they can all be aware of what other division had done.

There are certain issues that you do not to appeal to the Supreme Court. Take the issue of land for example, if a land is disputed in Lagos State and a state high court judge gives a decision, the Court of Appeal should be where the case should end; instead of somebody in Abuja to decide over a land dispute in Ikeja.

In my view, not all cases should end at the Supreme Court, except those relating to life, fundamental human rights and constitutional cases.

We have heard of situation where the Supreme Court held in an election matter that qualification of a candidate is a pre-election matter. Do you agree?

I will not put it that way.

Educational qualification is the basic requirement for any election, that is what I understand. This does not mean that you must go to a university.

If a person is not certified, does that disqualify him from contest an election? If one is not qualified prior to the election, what is the basis of saying he should contest in an election?

My understanding of preelection matter is that before you can stand for any election, you must have certain things.

Anything that you must have before you run for an election, once you do not have any of those elements, then you are out. I believe it is an issue you can rely upon to challenge the outcome of an election, but for the Supreme Court to hold that it is a preelection matter, I do not understand. That was how they declared somebody that did not contest election, governor of a state. I really don’t understand their reasoning.

C M Y K

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Economy, Politics and Human Rights: Whither Nigeria? (3) Odinkalu continues this week with this article on Economy, Politics and Human Rights: Whither Nigeria?

T

HEY can be formed, reformed, un-formed, negotiated and re-negotiated.

In the lifetime of most of us here, for instance, the Soviet Empire has collapsed into middling, hardly remarkable, entities; Yugoslavia disintegrated into a collection of warring states and statelets; Germany evolved into one country from two; Ethiopia went the other way, becoming two countries instead of one, (indeed, Menelik II had sold Djibouti to the French about 116 years ago to finance the modernization of Addis Ababa); Sudan has similarly become two countries (in which further splintering cannot be ruled out) and the United Kingdom itself could be reduced to England and Wales in 2014 depending on the outcome of the proposed referendum on Scottish Independence. A little further back in time but still in the lifetime of some here, Tagore’s India, the subject of the composition “Mind Without Fear” in his Nobel Literature Prize winning collection, Gitanjali, went from one territory to three countries

(India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) in just under a quarter of a century.

While no one who wishes Africa well can desire the “withering” of Nigeria, those of us who are Nigerians or descended from here cannot also afford to take Nigeria for granted. The US Air University scenario paper on possible state failure in Nigeria sums up the considerations why this is so: Nigeria, like many nations in Africa, gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960. It is the most populous country in Africa and will have nearly 250 million people by 2030. In its relatively short modern history, Nigeria has survived five military coups as well as separatist and religious wars, is mired in an active armed insurgency, is suffering from disastrous ecological conditions in its Niger Delta region, and is fighting one of the modern world’s worst legacies of political and economic corruption. A nation with more than 350 ethnic groups, 250 languages, and three distinct religious affiliations—Christian, Islamic, and animist, Nigeria’s 135 million people today are anything but homogenous…. While religious and ethnic violence are commonplace, the federal government has managed to

MAKING OF “A PIECE OF FINE CHINA” The intricate interplay of politics, money and abuse (of power, people and rights) has been central to Nigeria’s narrative since well before the Amalgamation. In very broad strokes, Nigeria’s story has been one of “substance

,

BY CHIDI ODINKALU

•Chidi Odinkalu strike a tenuous balance among the disparate religious and ethnic factions. With such demographics, Nigeria’s failure would be akin to a piece of fine china dropped on a tile floor—it would simply shatter into potentially hundreds of pieces.

These are also the reasons that make this discussion concerning the direction of Nigeria both worthwhile and necessary in this year preceding the Centenary of Nigeria’s Amalgamation. Such a conversation should, however, be based on a dispassionate understanding of where we have come from.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

While no one who wishes Africa well can desire the “withering” of Nigeria, those of us who are Nigerians or descended from here cannot also afford to take Nigeria for granted

,

dependency” first on palm oil and then on the oil of hydrocarbons. Many people here will struggle to remember the days of the Peanut Pyramids of Kano or the development wrought on the back of revenue from Cocoa (Produce) in Ibadan. This dependency is one that has rendered us unwilling, unable or indifferent to the need to care and count our people, our money and our votes.

For many Nigerians, the

In 2013, NGOs must return to the trenches (4)

BY CHINO OBIAGWU

Obiagwu concludes this week, this article on why the human rights community must go back to the trenches.

N

IGERIA’S sincere commitment to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other tropical diseases that pose threat to right to health is deficient and totally intolerable.

Human rights activists must demand in 2013 that key human rights institutions are strengthened and made independent so that they can fight for the rights of the common person. The National Human Rights Commission should be the key driver of the popular human rights agenda. The commission stands as both the vanguard of the rights of the citizens and human rights advisor to government. Since 1995 when it was established, the commission has been underfunded and barely supported by government. Recent developments however show considerable hope. In February 2012, the President signed into law the amendment to the commission’s enabling law, and recently appointed respected human rights activists into its governing council. What is C M Y K

left is to ensure that four key areas of the new law are properly implemented namely: adequate funding of the Commission from the consolidated revenue fund, effective independence of the commission from executive interference, setting up and adequately funding the new National Human Rights Fund, and fully implementing the recommendations of the commission especially in individual cases of human rights violations.

The agenda of strengthening the new Commission will position it to engage government at all levels to implement the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (NAP), and the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review, both adopted by government in 2009.

Nigeria prepared and deposited the NAP with the UN Human Rights Council as its five-year programme for improving human rights in the country but little or none of the agenda has been effectively implemented.

Rather, government has adopted knee-jerk approaches to rights issues, including the insecurity situation.

Rights of women and the girl-children remain under threat in the country. There are widespread reports of

child rape, gender-based violence, torture and killing of children, and widespread social and traditional practices harmful to women and children. The girl-child primary and secondary school enrollment and graduation rate is still less than 60 percent nationally.

Nigeria is not moving fast enough in this area to meet the 2015 targets under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The quality and access to basic education of the girl-children especially in the northwest and north east regions, and of boychildren in the south east and south-south, should be priorities of government at federal and state levels. Civil society must now demand that government pays priority attention to quality education and specifically ensure that at least 26 percent of annual budgets are directed to education at federal, state and local government levels.

Education is key to social and economic development of any society, and the lever for the citizens to understand their rights and to assert and demand for those rights.

The rate of deterioration of the quality and functionality of Nigerian graduates is a cause of concern to development experts. The civil society must demand that

governments at all levels should declare state of emergency on the education sector, and immediately adopt and implement an integrated national education strategy. Jonathan’s administration must target 100 percent enrollment into primary schools and 75 percent into secondary schools by 2015. To achieve this feat, the ministries of education and related institutions should be engaged constructively but also combatively by civil society activists in 2013.

Ultimately, the success of Jonathan’s government will be measured by its human rights record. At the moment the regime has failed woefully. With the highest rate of unlawful killings since civil war, impunity rate of over 95 percent, and widespread corruption among officials including within the presidency and federal ministries, this regime must be told that it is driving this country towards a failing state. It is our duty as civil society actors to rescue our country. The present government has shown no faith and commitment to constructive engagement.

This is why we must return to the trenches now.

* Chino Obiagwu is chair of Human Rights Agenda Network, HRAN.

story of our current travails go back to the Amalgamation. A little heralded event that happened in the year before Amalgamation may have had much greater significance for the future evolution of Nigeria. In 1913, on the eve of the First World War, Winston Churchill, then Imperial Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty, decided that the United Kingdom should change the fuel for its battleships from coal to oil. Former Financial Times correspondent, Michael Peel, narrates that this “marked the start of a century shaped by the geopolitics of crude.”

Upon Amalgamation, official policy and practice granted a monopoly of exploration rights in Nigeria to British companies. On the eve of another World War a quarter of a century later in 1938, colonial Britain granted the milestone license to explore oil in Nigeria jointly to Shell and the then Ango-Iranian Oil Company, later to known as British Petroleum, BP. 18 years later, oil began to flow from Oloibiri in what would later be Bayelsa State. Nigeria was under self-rule, a mere four years from the end of Empire and “our piece of fine China” was already decades in the making.

At independence in 1960, Nigeria inherited colonial institutions that had not been tested by a free people. The Police Force bequeathed to the country in 1960, for instance, was an expeditionary institution with a century of the wrong kind of traditions and history. It largely remains so.

The judiciary, for all the admirable men (they were all men then) that administered it, was institutionally younger than the Police at Independence, but essentially also not much different in its essential philosophies. Fundamentally, the Nigerian legal profession as designed became a statecontrolled entity, not an independent one. All its organs – the General Bar Council, the Body of Benchers, Council of Legal Education, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee – were established as statutory bodies governed in their constitution by in-built governmentcontrol.

The defining landmarks in the early unraveling of the post-colonial legal and political systems were three events that happened in quick succession from 1961 to 1963 in the civilian interregnum that preceded military rule.

First, shortly after Independence, the Nigerian legal system faced its first major test in the treason trial of J.S. Tarka in 1961. Tarka, firebrand leader of the Opposition United Middle Belt Congress, UMBC, was charged with the serious crime of levying war against Her Majesty, the Queen of Nigeria - treason.

•To be continued

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 , 2013 — 53

New skirmishes in Mali as France prepares for withdrawal

A

MID reports of c o n t i n u e d skirmishes with Islamist extremists driven out of the main settlements of northern Mali, France renewed a promise yesterday that its soldiers would begin returning home within weeks, handing over authority to West African and Malian units charged with keeping the vast desert area under government control.

But French officials acknowledged that, despite their claimed military successes so far,

new hostilities had erupted on Tuesday near the northern town of Gao between what were depicted as remnants of the insurgents and French and Malian forces, possibly foreshadowing a new phase in the conflict.

“From the moment our forces, supported by Malian forces, began missions and patrols around the towns which we have taken, we have encountered residual jihadist groups which fight,” Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said

in a radio interview.

He called the conflict a “ real war.” “We will seek them out,” he said, pledging to bring security to the recaptured areas. “Yesterday there was some rocket fire from residual jihadist groups in the Gao region” of northern Mali, he said, without going into detail.

In an interview published in the Metro newspaper, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France said that, starting in March, “the number of French troops should fall.”

Tunisians protest killing of top politician

A

Tunisian opposition politician was shot dead yesterday, sending protesters onto the streets of cities nationwide two years after the uprisings

that swept Tunisia’s president from power and inflamed the Arab world.

The headquarters of the moderate Islamist

Americans debate gay rights in Boys Scouts

T

HE Boy Scouts of America’s policy excluding gay members and leaders could be up for a vote as soon as Wednesday, when the organization’s national executive board meets behind closed doors under intense pressure from several sides.

BSA announced last week it was considering allowing troops to decide whether to allow gay membership. That news has placed a spotlight on executive board meetings that began Monday in Irving, Texas, where scouting headquarters is

located.

BSA spokesman Deron Smith said last week that the board could take a vote Wednesday or decide to discuss the policy, but the organization would issue a statement either way. Otherwise, the board has remained silent, with reporters barred from the hotel where its meetings are taking place.

At nearby BSA headquarters, a handful of Scouts and leaders delivered petitions Monday in support of letting gay members join.

Ennahda party, which rules in a fractious coalition with secularists, was set ablaze after Chokri Belaid, an outspoken critic of the government, was gunned down outside his home in the capital.

Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, who said the identity of the attacker was not known, condemned Belaid’s killing as a political assassination and a strike against the “Arab Spring” revolution.

Ennahda denied any involvement by the part.

Despite calls for calm from the president, 8,000 protesters, massed outside the Interior Ministry, calling for the fall of the government, and thousands more demonstrated in cities including Mahdia, Sousse, Monastir and Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of the revolution, where police fired teargas and

Syrian rebels inche closer to Damascus

S

YRIAN rebels battled Bashar al-Assad’s forces on the edge of central Damascus yesterday , opposition activists said, seeking to break his grip over districts leading to the heart of the capital.

Their offensive aims to break a stalemate in the city of two million people, where artillery and air strikes have prevented opposition fighters entrenched to the east from advancing despite their capture of army fortifications, the activists said.

“We have moved the battle to Jobar,” said Captain Islam Alloush of the rebel Islam Brigade, referring to a district which links rebel strongholds in the eastern suburbs with the central

Abbasid Square.

“The heaviest fighting is taking place in Jobar because it is the key to the heart of Damascus.”

Assad, battling to crush a 22-month-old uprising

in which 60,000 people have died, has lost control of large parts of the country but his forces, backed by air power, have so far kept rebels on the fringes of the capital.

China expresses concern over North Korea threats

C

HINA expressed serious concern yesterday after North Korea stepped up its bellicose rhetoric and threatened to go beyond a third nuclear test in response to what it sees as “hostile” sanctions imposed after a December rocket launch.

“China is extremely concerned by the way things are going. We oppose any behavior which may exacerbate the situation

and any acts which are not beneficial towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

“We call on all the relevant sides to remain calm and exercise restraint and earnestly work hard to maintain peace and stability in the Korean peninsula,” she told a daily news briefing.”

54—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

It's true, there is no constituency allowance for senators — Sen Adokwe SENATOR Suleiman Adokwe represents Nasarawa South Senatorial Zone in the Senate and he is the Chairman, Senate Services Committee, the committee which looks after the welfare of senators.

In this interview, he speaks on hsi duties among other issues

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE WHAT have been your challenges as head of the Senate Services Committee?

The Senate Services Committee, like any other committee, deals with oversight functions.

The major job of any committee in the senate is to oversee departments and ministries. The Services Committee is not different. It is just that in this case, it is an in-house committee that oversees the welfare packages of the senators.

We oversee the management of the senate. The budget of the National Assembly comprises the senate, the House of Representatives and parastatals of the National Assembly such as National Assembly Commission, among others.

We are to ensure that whatever is due for the senate is properly executed. That is the major assignment that we have and on that note, I believe that or job is mainly to ensure that senators have comfortable atmosphere within which to work.

And to that extent, we have tried as much as possible to make the place as comfortable as it can possibly be. You will note that in the last two years including this year, the budgetary allocation to the National Assembly has remained stagnant, so it is a miracle that we are able to retain the basic welfare needs and requirements of the senators.

We are even trying to cut down

circumstances, the manner in which you can amend the constitution, has been clearly spelt out. And so, it is going to be very difficult for us to now unilaterally decide that we will carry out a referendum.

I think the first thing to do if a referendum is desirable, is to amend the constitution to provide for it.

What are you and other Nasarawa public officials in Abuja doing to calm the spate of ethnic unrest in the state?

I want to say that the ethnic clashes that have been going on in my state are not new. When the State was created in 1996, we inherited some crisis like the Toto/ Bassa/Ebira crises. Then, I was Director of Protocol and I know quite a lot of details about what happened. After that, there were other ethnic clashes. And to the best of my knowledge, there has never been an ethno-religious crisis in Nasarawa. It is usually a clash between shepherds and farmers or between one ethnic group and the other. I cannot put the blame squarely on the present governor because these things existed even before the present administration. Those of us at the National Assembly tried to put our heads together with him.

But once you are elected, you should go beyond politics to become a statesman. I do not want to go into criticizing the governor just for the sake of it. The crisis affects everybody, whether you are in CPC or in PDP or any

,

I think the first thing to do if a referendum is desirable, is to amend the constitution to include that at the end of the exercise, such conclusion or resolution should be subjected to a referendum

on areas that we can and possibly improve on other areas.

What is your position on the argument for the outcome of the National Assembly Committees on Constitution Review be subjected to referrendum?

The democratic structure today is governed by the constitution and it is a written constitution.

Under the present

,

ethnic group.

That is why I recommend that when you are faced with crisis, your political platform should not become an issue. Initially, the governor, coming from the private sector hardly understood the nuances of dealing with crises but he had his baptism of fire and I believe that now, he is beginning to understand that government means that there are

overcome the incumbency factor to win the governorship in 2011?

What happened?

The election was conducted and PDP lost. That was what happened. Whatever anybody says will just be a mere speculation. He will just say it is because of one reason or the other, but to the best of my knowledge, the previous governor tried his best. He is the only person who can explain why he lost the election.

Proximity to Federal capital

*Adokwe: No provision for referrendum in our laws institutional breakdowns.

The judiciary is suspected, the executive is suspected, the legislature is suspected.

Everyday, people say you have constituency allowance that is not taken home.

Nobody has shown me that constituency allowance. Most of you here who are journalists covering the National Assembly should help us to educate the public on this. As far as I know, what you call constituency projects are projects you suggested should be cited in your constituency.

For instance, if I want a borehole to be done in my constituency, it will be taken to the Ministry for Water Resources, I don’t award the contract and many of our constituency projects, suffer like other projects that are executed by the executive. It is either it is executed or it is not executed like any other project.

If for instance, I am entitled to constituency projects in my senatorial zone to the tune of N250 million and you give me that amount, then you can expect me to account for it. But if they are measured in terms of specific projects in the relevant ministries, I can hardly account for it. Most of our constituency projects for 2012, for instance, were returned and everybody is crying because the ministries did not execute them.

If they don’t execute them, there is nothing you can do. If an MDG project is cited in your constituency and a legislator claims it, maybe because he suggested for it to be cited there.

Let me say on record that my MDG projects have been executed up to 60 percent and I have never claimed that I am the one who brought them.

Many were shocked that the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC was able to

One thing I can tell you is that Nasarawa State is so close to the Federal Capital Territory, so our elections are closely monitored, there is no room for anybody to rig or manipulate. We are always watched very closely. That is to say anybody that won election won it and anybody that lost it, lost it.

There are calls for laws to be made on what constitute the take-home of lawmakers, what is your opinion on that?

There is already a law in place on how much a senator can earn.

That is as stipulated by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. And it is there that you have your salaries and allowances such as domestic allowances, fuel allowances among others.

What you call allowances, I don’t know. Like any other organization, there is overhead expenditure and if that is what you are referring to, it is not part of the allowances of a senator.

Like you rightly said, it is still in the realm of speculation, because a senator’s salary is clearly defined by law.

Recently, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council,AMAC, accused Nasarawa State of being partly responsible for environmental disaster in the FCT, As a stakeholder in the state, what can be done in that regard?

This is an issue that I have even raised on the floor of the National Assembly, it is a matter that I dealt with when I was the Chairman of Karu Local Government and as a commissioner in Nasarawa State, I know the extent to which we tried to negotiate with AMAC and also the Federal Capital Territory Administration on what should be done. Abuja is the only city where the inner city is dominated by the elites while the outskirts are dominated by the ordinary people. Usually, most cities are for the ordinary people while the outskirts are for the elites. The problem of Mararaba was compounded by the administration of former FCT minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—55

Why we reject Kalu in PDP — Nwaka, Abia PDP boss

SENATOR Emma Nwaka is chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State. In this interview, he sheds light on the controversy surronding the purported return to the party of the former governor of the State,Chief Orji Uzor Kalu among other issues concerning governance in the state.

BY GBENGA OKE

H

2015:

failure is celebrating that he has been accepted into the PDP. Has he been accepted?

Who said so? It tells you something about his person. We are becoming very wary of him.

The fears expressed by some elders of the party are now justified. In fact, God has a way of doing things. Sometime ago, the PDP chairmen of Igbere Ward A (Orji’s ward) and Ward B, returned the wards register of the party to the local government party chairman and said they had resigned from the PDP. Subsequently Orji Kalu invited them for a meeting; that was on the 10th of January; only for us to hear that on the 17th or

In summary, Orji Uzor Kalu is not a member of our party

,

thereabouts that the same people that resigned their membership of the party have readmitted Orji Uzor Kalu into the party. They are no longer members of the party.

On what capacity did they do

Atiku, Obasanjo now friends — Irek, Atiku Coordinator

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

N

*Nwaka

,

OW have you been able to insulate the governor and the government in the regular politicking?

In this state, we have a governor who is disposed to working with everybody.

Although he is doing his last term, he works like a man who wants to do another term.

The political heavyweights in Abia state are pleased with him.

We have realised that for the party to replicate its giant strides in 2015 general elections, we need to maintain the momentum.

What is working for us here is that we have a governor who has respect for all and sundry. He is not into this divide-and-rule thing. In some states, the bone of contention is who will succeed who. But here the governor is maintaining an open mind. I see a situation whereby the person who succeeds the governor is the person who various interests want. For sure, we want the best for Abia State.

Former Governor Kalu left the PDP, and formed another party.

He now claims to be back to the party. Are you aware?

What is new that he is bringing to the party? He couldn’t run his party. He ran it aground. He had Imo and Abia states sometime, and lost both within the first term.

Does that not tell you something about Kalu? Orji Kalu is not a good politician, but a good business man.

I will ask him to concentrate on his business. He has run a party, won two states; instead of maintaining the tempo, he is now running back to the party he left.

And all he has to show for his

that?

As the state chairman of the party, I issue out cards to registered members. In every ward, we assign unique numbers to every ward, accordingly. The card Orji Uzor Kalu is parading doesn’t fall into the register we gave to Igbere Ward A, not even Igbere Ward B. Our book of life in the state PDP is the membership register.

Any person can carry a card, but if your name is not in the register, you are not part of us.

In summary, Orji Uzor Kalu is not a member of our party. In fact, if you know him, he won’t like to end his politics in Igbere wards A and B. One day, he will come to me and I will ask him where he got the card he is parading.

From the picture you painted, a crime has been committed already. How did he get the card?

Check our register whether you can find the number he quoted.

The local government chairman where Orji Uzor Kalu comes from was in my recent press conference. He brought out the register, and you discover that that number doesn’t fall into that category. People print Naira and Dollars; he could have done same.

Why don’t you want Orji Uzor Kalu back?

When you look at the party constitution, it says the ward executive can even refuse anyone membership of the party based on what they know about the person. The stakeholders of the party in Abia State said from what they know about Orji Kalu, if he comes in, there will be trouble.

And there is already trouble. You can see him abusing the state

OT too long ago the two men and their proxies were at each other’s throats. Now, a confidant of Atiku Abubakar, is claiming that the former vicepresident and his one time number one foe, Olusegun Obasanjo are now the best of friends.

Chief Ernest Irek a former member of the House of Representatives and one time coordinator of Atiku’s presidential campaign in Cross River State, is debunking allegations of dissimulation and secret animosity between Obasanjo and Atiku.

Chief Irek in a telephone interview with Vanguard following a meeting with some of the former vice president’s associates in Calabar reiterated the determination of Atiku’s undying followers to realize their long but often imperiled dream of enthroning their man in the presidency. He said that the impression in some quarters that there was acrimony between Atiku and Obasanjo was wrong, claiming that the two leaders had resolved any form of misunderstanding they may have had while in office.

“They have been talking to themselves, they have been visiting themselves. Chief

Obasanjo has not openly declared his support to Atiku, we know his support is paramount, but for now he does not have any problem with him.

“There was the time Atiku visited him in his Otta farm that was the beginning of the peace meeting and Atiku said this man was my boss, my elder brother, I respect him. In African culture once someone gives you that respect, you are bound to resiprocate, I don’t think he has any problem with Atiku for now,” he said. Commenting on the outcome of the Southern Nigeria’s Peoples Assembly held recently in Enugu, Irek advised that Nigerians should always

bring equity and justice to play in whatever they do.

Irek explained that in one of the meetings held in Warri, Delta State, a prominent politician and an elder statesman from the area had canvassed support for President Goodluck Jonathan, but the Enugu meeting was for the stakeholders to chart a way forward as the 2015 was fast approaching.

The former coordinator said it would be unfair to deny the North the right to take their turn, citing the case of 1999 when the presidential field was left for only southern candidates but wondered why the South should usurp the turn of the North because former President Umaru

governor. That’s a man who wants to be member.

He is already saying the state governor will come for social justice and all that. He also says he wants to reclaim the party instead of leaving it to ‘madmen’.

Who are you calling madmen?

The orderliness in the party all this while was because of Orji Uzor Kalu.

Reasonable men like Tony Ukasanya, Ojo Maduekwe, Onyema Ugochukwu and many more said they can’t work with him. Take a tour of Abia State and look for any iconic landmark that Orji Uzor Kalu left behind.

He had eight years and it is just now that we are building the state secretariat and a conference centre, we are now doing those basic things that make us a state.

When the minister for information said he was coming, we were very happy because we had much to display. The minister couldn’t even see one quarter of what we are doing in Abia State.

Within two years of Governor Orji under the PDP, he has done so much. I do not bother him as state party chairman. I do not say there is money, let’s share. We know that the only way I can move this party forward and redo what I did in 2011 is for him to work for the people.

Another chance Then I can boast of what he did and ask the electorate to give us another chance; and that we shall improve on what he has done. This is unlike before when the issue was always ‘bring and let’s share’. Things have changed. It is no more a situation where mother and child will sit down somewhere and take a decision, and say that is the decision of the party. Here I disburse money through vouchers. We have a bank account. To audit the account is the easiest thing to do. We have a picture of how the party funds are expended and that is why we have peace here. I don’t interfere with the state funds.

Has the current administration per formed in the state?

This administration will be two years in May 2013. If you look at Orji’s achievements so far, it cannot be compared to the eight years we had under Governor Kalu, we have so much to celebrate today. Under the PPA, he was unable to do anything because they won’t allow him work but today, the governor assesses whoever is qualified for a position and gives to the person.

Do you foresee the return of Orji Kalu to the PDP? If he wants to come back, it should not be through the window. Again what is he going to add to the party? But this is a man who founded a party and couldn’t run it. The party died in his hand. His party won two states and lost them.He ran a senatorial seat and lost it.

56—Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

STORIES BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has said the rank and file in the nation’s armed forces will suffer in the long run from the exit of the military from the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. President of TUC, Comrade Peter Esele, while blaming the military hierarchy for the exit, argued that though senior officers may not find it difficult to get their pension and gratuities at retirement, the junior officials may not be so lucky.

According to him, “TUC went to the National Assembly and we tried to appeal to the National Assembly not to allow the military to pull out but to no avail. One of the reasons why we were saying that is that the military hierarchy at the very top said that at a particular time they would not be getting as much as they expect, claiming they had reform their pension board. But what I keep saying is one, if there is any irregularity in the military pension

TUC rues military exit from contributory pension …says junior officers will suffer

Peter Esele board, do you expect a corporal to go and demand for his pension as a Brigade General would do? He dares not because the military structure is an autocratic

and they would allow it. But our investigation is that the junior workers like the corporal and the Sergeant and other rank and file, prefer to be in the Contributing

Pension Scheme, CPS, but the military hierarchy said no. The hierarchy said that was what it wanted. If other security agencies are also planning to do the same thing, it is a band wagon effect.”

“But we must not fail to warn, that sooner or later, they will find out that they have made a very grievous mistake. If because you have a good man or woman at the helm of the military pension board today, it does not mean that tomorrow you will continue to have a good man or woman there. I have always believed that I do not need to see you before you pay me my pension that is what the CPS is all about. With my mobile phone I know how much I am contributing and I know how much is there as at yesterday because my Pen-

sion Fund Administrator, PFA, gave me a lot of this information and when I retire tomorrow, when they are paying me my money it will be credited to my account and I don’t need to see the PFA. I hope that military retirees would not be subjected to abuses that were there and I bet you, you cannot rule out one form of abuse or the other because once you have a systemic failure, anything can happen.”

Esele said “I do not really know what their problems are. If they want their contribution to be increased, they can get that done through federal government.

They can demand that the government pays their entire contributions as was canvassed by labour during public hearings leading to Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004, and if they want government to increase it by 20 per cent, fine. But to pull out of CPS, we believe it is a great disservice to the rank and file.”

Employer can’t use PRA to deny workers gratuity, says labour NATIONAL Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has said the no employer can deny workers the right to gratuity using the Pension Reform Act of 2004, which gave birth to the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, saying the agreement between government and Labour on the payment of pension and gratuity to Power Holding Com-

Group seeks law compelling payment of pensioners’ benefits

A

BY DOTUN IBIWOYE

MUSLIM Group, the Mus lim Rights Concern, MURIC, has charged the government to enact a law compelling payment of pensioners’ benefits within six months of retirement.

In a statement by its Director, Professor Is-haq Akintola, MURIC said this would discourage civil servants from indulging in corrupt practices driven by the fear of what awaits them after retirement.

According to him, "this indicates that there is a symbiotic link between corruption and the shoddy way pensioners are treated."

He said some state governments deserve commendation for the increased level of citizens’ welfare, noting that governance must have a human face and the welfare of the citizens must be the cardinal ob-

jective of government, particularly the elderly.

He decried the act where men and women, who spent most of the productive period of their lives serving the country, were being treated like lepers who must be isolated and live the

rest of their lives in penury.

Acording to him, “In their old age, Nigerians who toiled for their country are treated like oranges whose owners peel off the skin and squeeze the juice out of them until they become totally dry and useless.

pany of Nigeria, PHCN, workers, has been faulted.

Before the agreement ahead of the privatization of PHCN’s assets, there had been a fierce debate between government/employers and organized labour on whether or not PRA 2004 abolished gratuity.

NUEE argued that following the agreement, employers who had mischievously contested that the PRA 2004, had abolished gratuity, even when the PRA did not say such, should pay their workers their gratuity.

Speaking to Pension and You, General Secretary of NUEE and Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the battle won over the gratuity in the power sector over was not for PHCN workers alone but, entire workers in Nigeria.

According to him, “We also took

Audu now new Military Pension Board Chairman

A

new Chairman has been appointed for the Military Pensions Board, Abuja . He is Commodore Dalacson Simeon Audu.

Until his appointment, Commodore Audu was the Commander, Central Pay Office, Nigerian Navy, Apapa, Lagos .

He was also at one time, the Director, Navy Pensions at the Military Pensions Board.

The new Chairman, who is a certified accountant and holder of the National Accountancy Certificate, was born on September 27, 1959 in Kagoma, Kaduna State . He attended Sardauna Memorial College, Kaduna ; Katsina College of Arts

and Science, Zaria , for his ‘A’ Levels and Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria.

Commodore Audu joined the Nigerian Navy in February 1984.

Since commission, he has served at various military formations in different capacities amongst which are; Command Accounts and Budget Officer (CABO), Western Naval Command and Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics School, Owerinta. Audu who has since assumed office, took over from Rear Admiral Bala Mohammed Mshelia who is now the Chief of Accounts and Budget, Nigerian Navy headquarters, Abuja.

time to do some major researches on the items that constitute pension, and the items that constitute gratuity. The issue of gratuity was a call to duty for Nigerian workers. We were not doing it for PHCN workers alone but for Nigerian workers because we needed to set that precedence. If they were being intimidated in other sectors to abandon gratuity which was becoming the norm, there was the need for us to prove that the Pension Reform Act, PRA 2004, at no time, merged gratuity with pension, being gratuitous.

The government seemed to have captured many areas, so we decided to prove that PRA 2004 did not abolish pension.”

“By this landmark achievement, every sector will know that the issue of being gratuitous, which is a one off payment, at the end of service, cannot be confused with pension, which is payment for life. This is the major achievement which equally translates beyond PHCN.

Audu

Vanguard , THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—57

From left: Senator Yerima Sani; former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau and Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State during the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, leaders' visit to Kaduna yesterday.

Photo: Olu Ajayi.

STATE OF THE NATION Nwabueze, Maitama Sule, others meet on Saturday zAgoro, PRONACO fault centenary celebration

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

D

ISTURBED by the sor ry state of affairs in the country, eminent leaders of thought under the aegis of Project Nigeria (National Consensus Group) led by elder statesman and legal icon, Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN, will meet with Northern leaders under the umbrella of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, chaired by elder statesman, Dr Yusuf Maitama Sule on Saturday.

Hinting about the meeting, Project Nigeria Spokesman, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, said “the national consultation also becomes crucial against the backdrop of popular concern for political stability in Nigeria beyond the expiration of the 100 years amalgamation of Nigeria designed by colonial Britain to elapse next year January, 2014.

Expected at the meeting are leaders of The Patriots and Pro-National Conference Organisations, PRONACO, leading social critics and rights activists.

Indeed, veteran Presidential Candidate, Dr Olopade Agoro, has picked holes in the government’s celebration of Nigeria’s centenary.

He said: “100 years in the life of any nation is truly a landmark worth celebrating with befitting grandeurs.

However, what was in display yesterday (Tuesday) at Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power was a clear demonstration that our leaders are either short of meaningful

ideas, insensitive and or mentally sick.

That a nation currently brawled in bloody insurgencies terribly associated with religious misplacements will toy with the idea of gambling at such a packed house event of Nigeria’s celebration of its centenary calls for the examination of the brains of our leaders.

“One would have expected something far reaching in human value benefiting projects like the launching “Nigeria Centenary University” and or “Nigeria Centenary Hospital” that

will evoke our need for unity and common good than ‘Project Lottery’ that could later be misconstrued by some religious bigots.”

PRONACO on its part, threatened to stage a nationwide protest against the Federal Government over the proposed centenary celebration if not urgently reviewed.

In a statement by Okunniyi, said the centenary celebration programme put together by Federal Government lacked depth and substance and would amount to a wasteful jamboree.

Group warns Jonathan to 'beware of enemies within'

BY SONI DANIEL & CHRIS OCHAYI

A

BUJA—THE crisis rocking the Adamawa chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took a new dimension yesterday with a faction warning President Goodluck Jonathan to beware of black legs in the party posing as his friends.

The group, Adamawa Democratic Congress, ADC, in a document released in Abuja and signed by its chairman, Engr. Yusuf Garba, alleged that some party chieftains who don’t believe in Jonathan’s administration, were being used in the ongoing crisis rocking the party in the state.

Garba, who advised Jonathan to be cautious with elements within the party, said however, that the President would soon discover who the real enemies of the party in the state were.

ADC accused the national leadership of the party of using the President’s enemies to wage war against the state government, saying that Governor Murtala Nyako and Jonathan were the likely victims of the ongoing betrayal of trust by the elements.

The group accused the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur of using Umar Ardo, the former Special Adviser to erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senator Shade Bent against Governor Nyako.

58—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Being Black

BY IKEOGU OKE

Samples of the returned Nok terracotta

FG seeks support in fight against art trafficking ..As France returns 5 Nok Terracotta

N

OK Art came to lime light in 1928, when Col. J. Dent Young found a small terracotta head amongst the gravels from tin mining operations near the village of Nok in the Jos Plateau of Central Nigeria.

Nok style terracotta sculptures have been found in a wide contiguous area extending over 500 by 150 kilometres from Kagara to Katsina Ala. In all the sculptures from this area there is a uniformity of characteristics, particularly noticeable in the triangular or semi-circular shape of the eyes, whose pupils are represented by deeply pierced holes.

H o w e v e r, Vanguard investigation revealed that most of these Nigerian ancient artefacts have been trafficked to Europe and America, and held by both Public Institutions such as Museums, Universities, Galleries, and private individuals.

In August 2010, French authorities through its Directorate of Custom and

Excise seized near Paris, 5 Nok (Terracotta) Statuettes; the oldest one dates back between 1400 BC and some 700 BC from its citizen who was

,

By CALEB AYANSINA

National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM, Alhaji Yusuf Usman spoke on three ways of collecting Nigerian Artefacts

Nok terracotta’s were neither invented in France nor in other parts of the world except Nigeria

coming in from Africa.

But as the saying goes, French-fries were neither invented in France nor English language was invested in England.

Consequently, Nok terracotta’s were neither invented in France nor in other parts of the world except Nigeria, therefore, whether they were stolen or taken away, they are making their ways back to their country of origin; Nigeria, as the French Authorities handed over the 5 Nok Terracotta figures to the Nigerian Government.

At the handing over ceremony in Abuja last week, the Director General of the

,

by foreign countries.

He said, “The first wave was during colonial period first by invading forces of imperial Britain such as the Benin Punitive expedition of 1897 and later by western anthropologists who carried out field work in various parts of the country. The second wave of collection was in the 1960s and 1970s when the civil war provoked large exodus of our artefacts through our borders with neighbouring countries.

“The third wave of exodus of Nigeria artefacts, which is the illegal excavation and looting of heritage, archaeological sites and

museums by unscrupulous Nigerians and their foreign collaborators.

“Although the looting of heritage and archaeological sites and museums has been an age long and worldwide problem, in Nigeria the problem reached epidemic proportions in the 1990s, when Nok and North Western Nigeria’s archaeological sites especially Kwatar Kwashi were massively raped and ripped off of their priceless objects.

Law enforcement agencies “As for antiquities in our museums, it is pertinent to state that no theft has been recorded from the collection of the National Museums since 1990 to date.

“As we strive to protect what we have in our museums, we need the support of community leaders and the law enforcement agencies to police our heritage sites to prevent looting and our border to prevent illicit export of our heritage resources.”

Also, the French Ambassador Jacques

What does it mean to be African, or black?

To be ever threatened with drowning in a sea of lack?

Does it mean to wake poor, and sleep in squalor, And live as if you’re drained of strength and valour?

Does it mean to doubt the power of your own mind, And be the wagging tail of humankind?

Does it mean to have leaders riddled with maggots of shame – Mostly, that is – and yet unmindful of their putrid fame?

Does being African or black Mean carrying the burden of your past like a hunchback?

Does it mean to forge your own chains even after you were freed – Chains of strife, misrule, of sloth and wanton greed?

Does it mean to declare, “I’m black and proud” Even as your mind whispers, “Shh! Don’t say it loud?”

Does it mean to rule the place of slumber, And lay oblivious of your strength of number?

Does it mean – I ask – Not to know your task Is to rise like the sun you ought to be, And shine your bright light on humanity?

Delabriolle explained that “this return is made in accordance with international law and within the framework of a French policy aiming at fighting the illicit imports, and especially illegal imports of cultural goods.”

Continuing, he added that “we do hope that this return of seized goods will confirm the excellent relations which exist between France and Nigeria, and that it will help preventing further illegal trafficking of items which are part of the Nigerian heritage, and belong to the Nigerian people.”

In his remarks, the minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Agency, Chief Edem Duke noted that art trafficking did no good than distorting stories of the different nationalities and cultures.

He said federal government had initiated modalities of returning illegally exported Benin objects to foreign countries, while challenging security operatives to compliment government’s efforts by preventing such trafficking at the country’s borders.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013—59

How exercise reduces cancer risk

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

F

ATIGUE and loss of func tional capacity have often been implicated as some of the most distressing side effects reported by cancer patients and usually more severe while patients are receiving treatment.

Many may not know it, but exercise does play a protective role and an effective management tool for cancer patient.

Research has shown that the relationship between exercise and improved physical and mental well- being is well established for healthy people as well as people with cancer.

Dr. Bakare Ummukulthoum, a Physiotherapist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, notes that although exercise in general promotes and enhances health studies have shown that exercise play a protective role in the development of cancer in some populations.

Ummukulthoum stated that movement alone promotes system function and thereby boosting immune system. "In recent times there are certain cancers when they are detected early can be

cured. Exercise is found to be relevant when you have structured prescribed exercise t o help your system function better and immune system boosted. We all know that prevention is better than cure. Then if you have your immune system optimized then you can prevent cancer.

"But for those who already have cancer, well prescribed exercise can help them live a better quality of life .

She noted that although more patients are surviving cancer today, each survivors has experienced some type of radiation, chemotherapy or bitherapy which carry potentially harmful side effects like weakness, nausea,hair loss, pain, depression, culminating in a decline of life.

Many of the researches done on cancer and exercise has been in relation to breast cancer. For instance, the first real research linking exercise in 1986 with patients with breast cancer. More than 40 studies demonstrated that physical activity in patients with cancer improves their functioning and quality of life. Researchers found that strenuous exercise more than five hours per week lowered the risk of invasive breast cancer, particularly of oestrogen receptor - negative invasive breast cancer, when compared with less activity.

Bakare said: "For patient to function effectively there are certain exercise prescription in that diseases state to help the person function effectively and optimised function within the limitation of the pathology of cancer.

Multiple studies have proven that exercise has sucessfully reduced cancer -related fatigue, leading some to postulate that exercise currently offers best nonpharmacologic option for reducing cancer - related fatigue. Unfortunately, the best timing, duration, or intensity of exercise is still unknown.

Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians tackle quackery

I

N line with its resolve to improve healthcare delivery, the Optometrists and Registration Board of Nigeria has cautioned against the infiltration of quacks into the dispensing and opticianary profession.

Registrar of the Board, Dr Samuel Edu Ntem, who stressed the point during a courtesy call to the Board of Trustees and executive members of the Association of Nigeria Dispensing Opticians, ANDO, warned that quackery would no longer be tolerated.

Ntem who assured of the Association’s support of aspirations of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria, ODORBN, said the Board would assist in conducting examinations for graduands of the profession before they are fully registered.

There will be Continuing Education programmes to keep the Dispensing Opticians abreast of international developments in the profession. Further, Ntem urged both profes-

sionals to work within limits of their training, so that there would be no cause for friction.

Earlier, the Chairman, BOT, ANDO, Mr. Ezekiel Udom urged for mutual collaboration to bridge the existing gap between Dispensing Opticians and Optometrists, pointing out need for involvement in the standard quality of Dispensing Opticians, technicalities in dispensing lenses, the curriculum of training programmes and ability of Opticians to interprete prescriptions of Optometrists.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

G

OOD morning Uche. I am married but I got another girl pregnant. She thought I was going to leave my wife for her but that is not going to happen. I tried to make her remove the baby and she refused.

Now she is trying to blackmail me. If my wife finds out, I am finished. I regret it and I need your advice – Charles Wow Charles. There is no easy way out here. I know you are sorry but a baby is not something you can hide especially when the mother of the child wants you in her life.

This woman that is pregnant for you will not go away.

So from the way I see it, you will have to tell your wife. I know that is the last thing you want to do but your wife is the only person who can actually solve this problem.

Once you tell her the truth, the secret is out and you cannot be blackmailed anymore. So tell your wife the truth and apologise.

She will be mad as hell for what you have done but she will fight for you. Women know that men cannot be trusted for as long as there are other women in the world so they are a bit prepared for this sort of thing. Your wife cannot let this woman have you even if she thinks you are an idiot. Women are that competitive.

My prediction is that your wife will confront this other girl, reach an agreement with her and make her go away. And then she will deal with you in her own way.

By the way Charles, have you ever heard of condoms?

You should go for a hospital test. You could have other problems apart from an unwanted pregnancy – Uche Dear Uche, please I need your help. Is there any way that you can help me so that my husband can feel me like a virgin please? Farunwa Dear Farunwa, there are vagina tightening lubricants you can use during intercourse to make you tighter. Ask for Tight Stuff Oriental Oil or O Natural Tightening gel. Any of these will help you – Uche Hello Uche, I am very impressed with your operations. I have had bad experiences in the past with Chi-

nese erection medicines so I don’t buy these erection drugs again until I came across your website. After reading up on the Max Intense Testosterone supplement, I bought one to give it a try and I love it.

At the age of 59, I feel strong and sexually hungry again. Before, it was difficult to have sex. I rarely thought about it so I hardly wanted it. It is good to know that there are good people like you out there inspite of all the fakes – Jeremiah Thanks Jeremiah. Max Intense Testosterone supplement is very different from all the libido boosters we have ever had. It works differently by boosting the free testosterone levels in the body. Testosterone stimulates the use of stored body fat for energy and keeps you looking lean.

So Max Intense Testosterone helps fat people lose weight and also helps battle against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and many other ailments.

But in the main, testosterone enhances your sex drive, physical performance and stamina – Uche What are your thoughts on artificial vaginas? Are they really helpful? Chris Chris they are known as masturbators and yes they are very helpful. Sex affects a man’s decision making and makes us do stupid things. There are men today who have impregnated their house maids and such and have spent the rest of their lives regretting it. So yes they are helpful and enable men get sexual satisfaction without cheating or risking contacting sexually transmitted diseases. If you are thinking of getting one, I recommend the Sasha Grey Masturbator or Aphrodite Masturbator – Uche That’s it for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can reach us on 08191978308 or 08027901621 to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com. - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

60 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

C M Y

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 61

Musa dedicates first AFCON goal to unborn baby

Re: ‘Incredible! NFF booked Eagles return tickets before q/final match’

R

UR attention has been drawn to a news report titled, ‘Incredible! NFF booked Eagles return tickets before q/final match’ published in the back page of the Vanguard newspaper of yesterday.

The thrust of the story was that the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation lacked faith in the technical crew of the Super Eagles and did not expect the team to go beyond the quarterfinals of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

According to the outlandish claim by the writer, the NFF had perfected plans for the return of the team before the match against the Elephants of Cote’d Ivoire because it expected the Super Eagles to lose!

We wish to state that there is no grain of truth in this report. It is ridiculous, lacks merit and is the product of the fertile imagination of the author. Even more depressing is the fact that the peddler of this falsehood, a reporter with the renowned Vanguard, lacks elementary knowledge about how international football competitions are organized. If the reporter is sure of his claim he should provide evidence of the so-called travel arrangements and the name of the airline.

For the sake of clarifications, it is the onfederation of Africa Football (CAF), not the NSC or the NFF, that is responsible for the return flight rangements of the teams in the Nations Cup. CAF is also responsible for their accommodation, feeding and transportation to the venue of the matches. It can only book return tickets for a team AFTER it has crashed out of a tournament, not before.

The NSC and NFF have absolutely no role to play in these arrangements. It is absurd for a reporter who should know better to suggest the contrary, except he is pursuing a hidden agenda. That seems to be the only reasonable explanation for the devious report. At a time when all Nigerians are celebrating the Super Eagles for making the nation proud by beating the Elephants of Cote’d Ivoire, the only goal of that report seems to be to demoralize the team and set them against football administrators in the country.

We therefore call on the Management of the Vanguard newspaper to investigate the claims made and take appropriate actions to ensure that this type of devious mischief is not repeated.

The Honorable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has however appealed to the technical crew and the players of the Super Eagles not to be distracted by hearsays and rumors, and to focus on wining their next match. He also thanked the Management of the Vanguard Newspaper, especially the Publisher Uncle Sam, for their support over time.

USSIA’s CSKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa has dedicated his first AFCON goal scored against Mali in the semi-finals on Wednesday in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations to his unborn child.

Delighted Musa said after Nigeria 4:1 comprehensive victory against the Malians.

He scored his AFCON’s first goal in the 60th minutes within six minutes he was brought on in the second half for injured Chelsea’s Victor Moses.

The Super Eagles striker’s wife is currently pregnant and will soon put to bed.

The former Kano Pillars forward got his first goal after has labouring to find his form in the tournament, playing on his third Africa Cup of Nations appearances with Nigeria.

Musa, an AFCON debutant who made the Stephen Keshi’s trusted 23-man final squad must

OUT OF REACH . . . Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa (R) dribbles Mali’s goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa to score Nigeria’s 4th goal during their AFCON 2013 semi-final match in Durban. Nigeria won 4-1. Photo:AFP have justified his addition with his tournament’s opener.

The victory for Nigeria and the opener for Musa could earn a Cup finals slot and give Stephen Keshi a selection headache after the condition of injured Moses is yet to be ascertained.

'Nigeria can win AFCON 2013 trophy' C OTE d’Ivoire de fender Kolo Toure has claimed that Nigeria are more than capable of winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ivorians had been favourites to lift the trophy, but were eliminated by the Super Eagles in the quarter-final, and the Manchester City man believes his side’s conquerors have all the quality it takes to go all the way.

“Nigeria were stronger

than us,” he told Goal.com.

“I am expecting them to win all of their remaining games in the tournament. I mean, they are two steps away from lifting this trophy.

“Stephen Keshi is a good coach and he has changed Nigeria into a respectable team. I think he won’t have a problem beating Mali because he was their coach, he understands their culture.”

Toure

Fortune visits Nigeria

F

Guinness hails Eagles, sponsors fans to watch delight of millions of According to Mr Seni many doubted the abilifinal live Nigerians who have al- Adetu, Managing Direc- ty of this team based on

G

UINNESS Nigeria Plc has congratulated the Super Eagles on their superlative performance against the Eagles of Mali during their semi final match at the on-going African Cup of Nations in South Africa yesterday.

The Super Eagles won the match by 4-1 to the

ways demonstrated their belief in the ability of the team. Prior to the commencement of the tournament, Guinness has been at the forefront of rallying the support of over 160 million Nigerians for the Super Eagles when it launched its ‘Fly with the Eagles campaign’.

O

tor/Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria Plc., the Super Eagles have shown that they can actually conquer the world as a team. “The team is definitely made of more than the eleven players on the pitch.

The team spirit is radiating and we can all see the result. Although

how they struggled through their group matches but Guinness did not stop supporting them because we know those challenges can only bring out the best in the team. Our faith in the Super Eagles has been justified by this win and we congratulate the team for qualifying for the final” Adetu said.

ANS of Manchester United will have the opportunity of meeting with legendary Manchester United former striker, Quinton Fortune when he visits Nigeria from February 7-10, as part of a 4 day visit to Nigeria.

The visit is made possible by DHL who are the official logistics partner and training kit sponsor for Manchester United, the number one football club in the world.

Commenting on the visit, Managing Director, DHL Express Nige-

ria, Mr. Randy Buday said: “Quinton Fortune’s visit to Nigeria will provide us with a unique platform to showcase DHL’s involvement with Manchester United to our key customers and staff locally.

It will indeed be a huge opportunity for people to meet Fortune, and discuss the club’s popularity and success within Africa and globally. The passion and fervour of United fans is famous around the world, and Nigeria is no different.”

62 —

Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Super Eagles road AFCON 2013 final against Mali. Pix AFP

ON TARGET . . .

Super Eagles forward Emmanuel Emenike celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2013 AFCON semi-final match against Eagles of Mali in Durban.

Nigeria won 4-1

THE MAESTRO . . . Super Eagles’ midfielder maestro, John Obi Mikel doing what he knows best to do during their 2013 AFCON semi-final match against Mali.

POINT MAN . . . Nigeria’s forward Victor Moses ( L ) tries to dissect Mali’s defence as he’s checked

by Mali’s defender Mahamadou Ndiaye

CHEERS BROTHER! . . . Super Eagles forward, Brown Ideye (R) is congratulated by a teammate after scoring a goal against Mali

ECSTATIC . . . Members of Vanguard Media Staff celebrating at the Vanguard Newsroom after the Super Eagles of Nigeria beat Mali by 4-1 to qualify for the Final of the ongoing AFCON 2013 in South-Africa yesterday Px Shola Oyelese C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 — 63

President Jonathan congratulates Eagles •To attend final

P

RESIDENT G o o d l u c k Jonathan has congratulated the super eagles of Nigeria on the victory over Mali. In a tweet yesterday evening, the special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Reuben Abati said the president hailed the super eagles saying “we are on course, Up Nigeria”.

Dr Abati said the president celebrated the eagles Victor y aboard the Presidential Jet NAF one on his way to London from Egypt where he attended the Organisation of Islamic.

President Jonathan had had a teleconference with members of the super eagles where he urged them to win the cup and bring it back Home.

Meanwhile, the President will on Sunday be among the

Keshi dedicates win to God, Nigerians

C ADVENTUROUS: Emmanuel Emenike evades Malian defender in yesterday's match. Nigeria won 4-1. Photo: AFP. spectators at the Moses Modiba Stadium in Soweto to cheer the Super Eagles in the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

This was confirmed yesterday in Durban

Super Eagles Continues from BP Echiejile opened the scoring with a diving header from a Victor Moses’ cross. From then on, it was clear that the Eagles were out to rewrite the script for the Nations Cup. Brown Ideye confirmed the Super Eagles intention for the game when he swept in a cross from Emmanuel Emenike. Nigeria made it three, after Emenike’s shot from a free-kick took a deflection from midfielder Momo Sissoko. And this killed off whatever zeal the Malian Eagles had for the game.

The stunned Malians emerged in the second period with a mountain to climb and captain Seydou Keita could have got one back right at the start of the second half, finding space in the box but firing wide from eight yards.

The Nigerians continued to press and substitute Ahmed Musa, who had replaced Moses minutes earlier, beat the offside trap to fire home under Samassa’s body to put C M Y K

the game beyond Mali.

Musa thought he had made it five, when he found the net from close range once more, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Striker Cheick Tidiane Diabate tried to salvage some Malian pride with a shot at the near post, which was smothered by Enyeama, before striker Mahamadou Samassa’s close-range effort was palmed away by the Maccabi Tel Aviv keeper.

At the closing stage of the game, Emenike was forced to retire after he over stretched himself to take a shot at goal.

It was not all good news for Nigeria through as livewire strikers Victor Moses and Emenike – who has scored four goals at these finals – both went off injured, although their substitutions were likely to have been precautionary.

However, coach Stephen Keshi stated that Emenike and Moses will undergo scans to see if they will be fit for the final match on Sunday.

soon after the Super Eagles qualified for the final following

their 4-1 victory over their Malian counterparts.

OACH Stephen Keshi has dedicated Super Eagles 4-1 thrashing of Mali in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations to God and Nigerian fans Speaking at the postmatch conference in Durban, Keshi said that he always knew that his team were going to reach the final if they could qualify from the Group stage.

Mark, Ekweremdu hail Super Eagles

S

ENATE President David Mark yesterday hailed the nation’s Super Eagles for defeating the Mali team.

Pouring encomium on the victorious Super Eagles, Senate President Mark stressed that the victory has restored the pride and dignity of Nigerians in global affairs.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, Senator Mark thanked the Eagles for the victory

and asked them to remain focused ahead of the next encounter.

He also promised to watch the finals in South Africa to boost the morale of the players.

According to Mark:” this victory is well deserved. You have brought pride to the nation. We shall do our own part to honour you. “ The nation is proud of you. Please do more to bring the trophy back home. We are anxiously waiting like an expectant mother.

“Let me reiterate that the National Assembly will do the needful to reward you”.Meanwhile, Deputy president of the senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has congratulated the Super Eagles on their qualification for the final of the AFCON 2013, describing it as “an elixir for national renewal and unity.” He urged the team to go all out to “bring the trophy home as a centenary gift to the fatherland.”

“I knew the first three matches would be difficult but the moment we got it right, that was it. The atmosphere was wonderful, everything just fell into place. On the final, we will prepare ourselves for the final and whatever comes our way, we would take it. But the important thing is that we thank God we are in the final” Vindicated “When I was in Portugal, I had big players who I decided not to take with me for reasons best known to me. I was experimenting on some new things and needed players who would keep a cool head and fight for the team. I know there is a lot of talents in this team and it would take time to get to where we want to reach. We thank God that it is really working” Dedication “I dedicate this victory to God and also Nigerians because they missed this sort of thing for a very long time."

Enyeama Continues from BP captain of the team. I am just acting for him when he is not on the pitch. But when he is on the pitch, he is the leader and captain.

Anybody can be captain of the team. In fact, all the players are all captains. We all have the same purpose, which is to work together for the team’s good.

“I do not want to take anybody’s position and that is the way it is.

Joseph is the captain and if we win the final on Sunday, he will go and pick the Cup as

captain. He has served Nigeria on a number of occasions and he is the man”, added Enyeama, who made some stunning saves to deny Mali of adding to the lone goal they scored in yesterday’s match.

He also noted that God was the unseen hand behind his heroics in the tournament so far.

“As a goalkeeper, I believe so much in God. It is only God who does these things. As the scripture says, the race is not for the swift or the strong but it is the Lord who shows mercy.

•Keshi

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Yobo will lift Nations Cup — Enyeama

S

UPER Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has promised to hand over the captain’s band to Joseph Yobo if Nigeria wins the Africa Cup of Nations this Sunday in South

Africa.

Enyeama, who has been acting as Eagles captain in place of the off-form Yobo, said this yesterday, during the post-match interview, after Nigeria whipped

AFCON 2013: Super Eagles for final •Trample on Eagles of Mali 4-1

N

IGERIA’s Super Eagles established themselves as favourties for the 2013 African Nations Cup , when they

emphatically thrashed Mali 4-1 to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in 13 years.

The Eagles proved that their victory over Cote’d Ivoire in the

quarter-final was no fluke as they dominated play even as the Malians caused some anxious moments early in the encounter.

Defender Elderson Continues on Page 63

Mali 4-1 in the semifinal in Durban.

“Yobo is still the God Continues on Page 63

Presideent Jonathan for Afcon final Page 63

JUBIATION TIME: Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi (L) raises his hands in supplication to God while his players (r) celebrate after beating Mali 4-1 yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Divers (6) 5 Chamber (4) 8 Wrath (5) 9 Tune (3) 10 Record (4) 11 Sport (4) 12 Foot-lever (5) 13 Saved (5) 16 Lump (4) 18 Island (4) 20 Plunder (3) 22 Meadow (3) 23 Every (3) 24 Unusual (4) 25 Thoroughfare (4) 28 Twist (6) 30 Started (5) 32 Petal (4) 33 Nearest (4) 34 Irritate (3) 35 Because (5) 36 Encounter (4) 37 Snake (6)

DOWN 1 Scanty (6) 2 Story-teller (8) 3 Recover (6) 4 Ceaseless (9) 5 Insignia (7) 6 Spoken (4) 7 Modest (4) 8 Serpent (3) 14 Trifling (9) 15 Sick (3) 17 Ocean (3) 19 Torpid (8) 20 Rodent (3) 21 Advantage (7) 26 Coarse (6) 27 Calculate (6) 29 Gloomy (4) 30 Foundation (4) 31 Born (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 3, About 9, Pleasure 10, Solemn 11, Steep 12, Elan 15, Cope 17, Delayed 20, Mar 21, Rabid 23, Step 25, Grin 26, Dated 28, Art 30, Dilated 33, Peel 35, Dire 36, Heron 38, Letter 39, Weight 40, Meant.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Speed 2, Medal 3, Ass 4, Better 5, Used 6, Top 7, Besom 8, Inter 13, Leisure 14, Named 16, Painter 18, Dared 19, Wig 22, Dread 24, Par 27, Disown 28, Apply 29, Testy 31, Tinge 32, Death 34, Mere 36, Hem 37, Net.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place 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: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. 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.

C M Y K