I fear Boko Haram'll overrun Adamawa — GOV NGILARI

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62270

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

I fear Boko Haram'll overrun Adamawa — GOV NGILARI

By Ben Agande, Joseph Erunke & Ndahi Marama

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•As Gwoza, in Borno, is renamed Darul Hikma

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BUJA—GOVER NOR James Ngilari of Adamawa State, yesterday, cried out to President Continues on Page 5

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POCKET CARTOON

NESG—From left, Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Foluso Phillips; Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan; and Director-General, NESG, Mr. Frank Nweke, Jr, during the commissioning of the NESG building named: ‘Summit House’, supported by UBA Plc and other corporate institutions, in Lagos, yesterday.

I fear Boko Haram'll overrun Adamawa — GOV NGILARI Continues from page 1 Goodluck Jonathan to save his state from being overrun by Boko Haram insurgents who have already taken over five local governments and are advancing to other towns.

Governor Ngilari took his case to the Presidential Villa, Abuja on a day Boko Haram renamed another town it captured as part of its Islamic caliphate. It also commenced full enforcement of Sharia law in its areas of control.

President Goodluck Jonathan has, however, assured that in spite of the present security chal-

lenges, Nigeria will remain unbroken even as he promised free and fair general elections next year.

Ngilari, who spoke with State Hose correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Jonathan in Abuja yesterday, disclosed that five local governments in Adamawa State have been taken over by Boko Haram insurgents and pleaded with the military authorities to deploy more troops to the state.

Ngilari said that failure to boost military presence in the state may mean that the terrorist group will completely overrun it, noting that

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

If you are to get whatever you want in life, you have to give, so that you can get whatsoever you want others to give to you. Give to them first and see how God gives back to you. In life, you give to get. Whatsoever you lack is probably what you have not given.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

"When you are focused on meaningful work and at peace within yourself, almost nothing can shake you”

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HAVE come to see life as this beautiful dance of joy, this for me is a simple walk into the winds of divine love and that means learning to accept one’s divinity with respect always. I write about experiences with my dad because he is a reference in my life to focus my attention on love and the beautiful no matter what life brings.

All of life is constantly in a flux, changing and transient, but one thing that stays beyond infinity is a loving heart, and that translates to being considerate and compassionate to others and self. When a person sees the beauty in your life. Be grateful to them, for it takes a beautiful heart to recognize another’s inner light.

This is beyond seeking validation, I am Soul, a beautiful light just like you! With this perspective, how much assurance of God’s love for us do we need to seek? None whatsoever! We can embrace life fully with the knowing that our collective light is the truth that fuses the music of harmony which leads to respectfor one another.

the security situation in the state remained fluid and required a more urgent intervention by the Federal Government.

According to him: “The security situation in Adamawa is very dicey right now and we are only trying to do our best to manage the situation.

We are praying that it will improve, but it is really something to worry about”.

Speaking on the number of towns being occupied by the terrorists, the governor said: “I can talk of my entire senatorial district, Mubi senatorial district. Five local governments have been overrun; Gombi was taken and I just got a report now that perhaps they are on the outskirts of Shanli.

“There is a semblance of movement in that area. Really, we need a lot of intervention. We need to move more troops to secure the state.

Really, it is a big challenge.”

The governor played down the seizure of the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, saying that the issue of insurgency was much more than taking one person’s home town.

He stated: “We shouldn’t reduce this issue of the insurgency to simply the taking over of the house of the defence chief. There are a whole lot of things that make the challenge of insecurity.

What about the problem of unemployment? You know it is a whole long story. We don’t just reduce it to the taking over of the house of the defence chief. I think it is more than that. Absolutely it is a challenge.

We look up to God, God is there, there is nothing

impossible for Him. “We will do our best, but it is not something that we should leave in the hands of government. Everybody has a role to play in terms of giving out information timely, in terms of convincing people who are involved. They live with us, they are not from planet Mars, they are part and parcel of the society."

Despite the dismal picture painted by the governor, he expressed optimism that the insurgency would soon be a thing of the past. “I believe that Nigeria will really overcome, but I don’t know the time frame. Anything that affects any part of Nigeria affects the rest. We must all see how we can tame this monster,” he added.

Boko Haram renames Gwoza Meanwhile, Boko Haram has renamed Gwoza, in Borno which it captured in July as Darul Hikma, or “House of Wisdom” according to the residents who fled the area. The terrorists last week renamed Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa as Madinatul Islam, which means City of Islam in Arabic.

Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a video released in August declared that he had made Gwoza part of a caliphate.

“They have given new names to Gwoza and Mubi, which they say are now part of their Islamic state,” said Ahmad Maishanu, who fled Mubi with his mother on Wednesday to Yola.

Tijjani Kalifa, who left Mubi on Monday and has contacts in Gwoza, also reported that Boko Haram was forcing people in both towns to use the new names.

Both witnesses said all the churches in Mubi had been burnt down and that Islamists were patrolling the streets regularly, with no sign of resistance from the security services.

Enforces Sharia Law

The residents also said the insurgents have started implementing Sharia law in the towns they captured. Maishanu said in Mubi that Boko Haram members chopped off the hands of 10 men accused of theft last Friday and burnt down churches. In a video released on October 2, Boko Haram showed the stoning to death of a man accused of adultery, a man having his right hand cut off for theft and a young man and woman given 100

lashes each for sex outside marriage.

Also, the civilian vigilante group was said to have beheaded some Boko Haram terrorists. A member of the group, Umar Hassan, said they and troops ambushed Boko Haram fighters last Friday as they prepared a raid on Sabon Gari village in the south of the state. “We killed 41 of them and decapitated them and brought the heads to Biu, which we displayed to people to demystify Boko Haram,” he said.

Two Biu residents said the vigilantes put the heads on wooden spikes and drove around the town, telling people the Islamists did not have magical powers. “It was like hunters displaying their game after a hunting expedition,” said, one Silas Buba.

Nigeria will remain unbroken —Jonathan

In spite of the security challenges, President Jonathan said, yesterday, that Nigeria would come out stronger than before, insisting that contrary to fears of possible disintegration being expressed by some people, it would remain unbroken.

He equally reiterated his commitment to the sustenance of free and fair election, assuring that the 2015 general election would be conducted according to international best practices just as he charged Nigerians to ensure the principle of “one man, one vote”.

Dr. Jonathan, spoke in Abuja, through his Chief of Staff, Brig-General Jones Arogbofa, rtd, at the launch of a book titled: “Diverse But Not BrokenWake-up calls for Nigeria”, written by Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Canada and one-time Head, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Jos, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher.

The President called on Nigerians to use their voters’ cards to fight for their lives, children and future but said such must be done in a very decent and peaceful manner.

He said: “This is Nigeria and Nigeria belongs to us. We don’t have to run anywhere, but stay here and use our voters cards to fight for our lives, our children and our future in a very decent and peaceful way. The title of the book reflects a lot and speaks volume. It adds colour to the rainbow that we have in Nigeria. We are a diverse people but we are never a broken people. We are all together even in diversity; this has proven itself repeatedly and is proving itself even now."

Insurgents invade Borno village, kill two, burn churches

Meanwhile, no fewer than two persons were feared dead while another person sustained gunshot wounds when a group of terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram sect on Wednesday invaded Whitambaya village of Hawul Local Government Area of Borno state.

The gunmen also burnt down two churches including the Church of Brethren in Nigeria, popularly known as E.Y.N church.

It would be recalled that the Caretaker Chairman of Hawul, Dr. Andrew Usman Malgwi complained of lack of military presence in his Council where a Pastor of Living Faith Church, Pastor Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza and 19 other residents of Shaffa town were slaughtered with over six churches burnt in the last one month.

Mr & Mrs

6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

4 Benin Fed Psychiatric Hospital staff docked for felony

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—FOUR staff of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin (names withheld), have been arraigned before an Egor Magistrate's Court for allegedly stealing an official file belonging to Mrs. Taiwo Agho, another staff of the hospital.

They were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiring to commit felony to wit official corruption; conspiring to injure the reputation and profession of Taiwo, corruptly giving N2,000 to a staff to remove Taiwo’s file and attempt to commit felony by trying to steal a file.

They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

Trial Magistrate, Mrs. Igho Braimoh, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 or a surety in like sum, who must be resident within the Egor district.

The case was adjourned to December 4.

Two shot dead, as Police foil bank robbery in P'Harcourt

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— TWO robbers were shot dead yesterday, while other members of the gang sustained gunshot wounds as Police foiled a major bank robbery in Port Harcourt.

Spokesman of Rivers State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, said N15.6 million was recovered from the robbers during the operation, adding that the Police also arrested five suspected kidnappers when they rescued a kidnapped victim, Mr. Daniel Opiyo.

He said: “Money to the tune of N15.6 million, one AK-47 rifle, one Beretta pistol, two toy guns and their operation vehicle, saloon Golf car, were recovered.”

Also, N300,000 was recovered from the kidnappers, being part payment of the N3 million ransom they demanded.

READY FOR EDUCATION: Internally displaced children line up for enrolment into primary school at Damare Refugee Camp in Yola, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Philip Shaibu was expelled from UNIJOS, says prosecution witness

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN— A Benin High Court was, yesterday, told by a prosecution witness, Mr. Okharedia Ihimekpen, that the Majority Leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Philip Shaibu, never graduated from the University of Jos, UNIJOS, saying he was expelled from the university.

Similarly, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd., Mr. Zakari Ayonote, told the court that Mr. Shaibu was never his staff or an employee of the company.

The Majority Leader is being charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, for criminal falsification of his tax clearance certificate, falsification of University of Jos certificate and the claim that he worked for Zaknote Ventures Nigeria Ltd. Giving evidence before the court presided over by Justice Esther Edigin, Ihimepken, a journalist, who said he was the one that petitioned ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said during investigation, he found out that Shaibu did not graduate from UNIJOS as he allegedly claimed, and that he falsified his tax clearance documents to Edo State Board of Internal Revenue.

He added that Philip Shaibu, as his investigation revealed, was never a staff of Zaknote

from 2003 to 2006, as he claimed.

Zakari Ayonote, who was the second prosecution witness, told the court that the accused person was never a staff of his company of which he is the Managing Director/CEO. He added that he only loaned some money to him to enable him contest the Presidency of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, when he was introduced to him by a former member of Edo State

House of Assembly, Mr. Luqman Muhammed.

He denied ever giving the accused any document to obtain tax clearance from Edo State Board of Internal Revenue.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Ken Mozia (SAN), counsel to Mr. Shaibu told the court that most of the staff in his company were casual workers and were paid in cash.

He also denied ever applying for tax clearance for any of his staff, saying none had ever

requested him to do so.

He also claimed that he gave letters of employment and Identity cards to then.

Meanwhile, prosecuting counsel to ICPC, Mr. Igbadumhe, informed the court that some of his witnesses were being threatened, adding that he was advised by the court to apply for summons to be served on witnesses, who were unwilling to appear voluntarily.

The case has been adjourned to today for continuation.

Man dies in fight with neighbour over wife

By Ifeanyi Okolie

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50-year-old man, Sunday Orochendo, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly killing his neighbour, Rafel Ngbobile, 60, during a fight.

Vanguard gathered that the incident which occurred on Saturday, November 1, at their 30, Magbesa Street residence in Kirikiri Town, Lagos, started when the deceased had a quarrel with the suspect’s wife over a yet-to-be ascertained reason.

Sources disclosed that the wife of the suspect, who is currently on the run, had contacted her husband, who was not at home at the time of the quarrel, on phone and reported the matter to him.

It was gathered that the husband, on his return, confronted the deceased and an argument ensued between both men.

An eyewitness further disclosed that the argument soon degenerated into a fight and Orochendo was alleged to have pushed Ngbobile, who slumped and died.

The eyewitness added that the suspect‘s wife reportedly fled with her children, when she learned of Ngbobile’s death.

Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Ken Nwosu, while confirming the report, said policemen from Kirikiri Police Division had apprehended Orochendo, while Ngbobile was taken to a private hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

Nwosu added that the case

had been transferred to the Homicide section at the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for further investigations.

Court registrar

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—THERE was confusion at the Magistrate’s Court II at Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, when the registrar of the court slapped a woman over N50.

The husband of the woman is said to be unhappy over the development and had subsequently dragged the Registrar to Magistrate Court I

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 7

22-yr-old man hangs self in Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—UNEASY calm now reigns at Umuosinta, Onowo Local Government Area of Imo State since 22year-old Nicholas Okoronkwo hung himself inside his room.

Speaking on the issue, the beleaguered father of the deceased, Mr. Edmond Okoronkwo, recalled that his son returned from Owerri, where he did banister works for a living, and complained of stomach ache.

He said: “However, at about 10am on the ill-fated day, Nicholas went out with his motorcycle and came back with a blue chain and a padlock. I naturally thought that he wanted to use the chain to secure his motorcycle.”

According to the aging father, Nicholas went into his room and no one saw him again until his mother returned from the market a about 2p.m. and started looking for her son.

He added: “It was only at this point that my son’s inexplicable isolation in his private room started evoking serious concern in the family.

“Not long after, I heard a shrill but distressful cry from my wife and I quickly rushed to the scene and behold, my son had hanged himself with the chain he bought.”

While describing his late son as the bread winner of the family, the bereaved father also lamented that he was now

old and no longer strong enough to do any hard work to earn a living.

He said: “My late son started building a four-bedroom bungalow and expressed the hope that he will move into the building this year.

“He also promised to pull down my two-room mud house and replace it with cement. This promise has become history.”

Speaking also, Mrs. Bridget Okoronkwo, said the deceased

Greed led us into robbery—SUSPECTS

By Ifeanyi Okolie

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WO of the suspects arrested by Special AntiRobbery Squad for robbing motorists on Mile 2 axis of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Olarewaju Oladejo and Ibrahim Afolabi, have said greed led them into armed robbery.

Their arrest came against the

backdrop of directives given by the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, to his men to go after robbers terrorising Mile 2 and its environs.

Oladejo, 21, who was arrested alongside Ibrahim Afolabi and Eric Okwaji, said the love of money made him abandon his trade as a panel beater to join a robbery gang.

He said: “Greed led me into

A block of about 80 rooms burnt at NNPC Apata Area, Ibadan, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

r slaps woman over N50 Nono to seek redress.

It all started when Lado Ibrahim, a Fulani woman, who sells fresh cow milk, known as Nono in local parlance, demanded for her money from the registrar identified as Joseph Obaje, in the court premises.

Joseph was said to have bought Nono worth N50 from 38-year-old Lado and had refused to pay.

He was clearly infuriated

was her first son, adding that Nicholas asked her to buy a local Igbo delicacy, Moi-Moi, on her way back from the market.

She said: “I bought Moi-Moi for him and on my return, his father told me that he had been in his room since morning.

“I wondered why he remained indoors all day and since he did not answer when I called him, I traced him to his room and found him dead.”

when Lado persistently asked for her money. But instead of paying her money, the court Registrar was said to have slapped the mother of five and allegedly called her a prostitute.

The development prompted the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Katagum Local Government Area to intervene.

The National Deputy Chairman II of the association,

Muhammad Geri, told newsmen that the matter would have degenerated into a religious crisis, but for their prompt intervention.

He said Lado’s husband felt aggrieved over what happened and was slighted that instead of reporting his wife to him, the registrar slapped her.

“He is a peaceful man and does not want to take the law into his hands, so he went to court,” the Miyetti leader said.

this. I was learning to be a panel beater in Ajegunle and I was also smoking Indian hemp. I used to go to joints at Cemetery Market and I know a lot of these boys who I mentioned earlier, as big spenders.

“I joined them last year when Seyi and Eric brought a commercial bus to our shop for repair. I got close to them and told them that I wanted to join them.

“They accepted and when they took me on operation, they asked that I should be on the lookout for police.

“On our first operation, I was not given any money. But after the second operation I was given N5,000. The third operation was when I was caught and I was taken to SARS. “The police at SARS wanted to arrest other members of my gang and I first led them to Cemetery Market, where we get together and smoke hemp and we caught Afolabi. Later that day we went after Seyi, Popo, Tata, Onyebuchi and Eric and we discovered that they had all absconded.

“Fortunately, we saw Eric on our way out of Nosamu and they apprehended him. But while in the police van Eric told me that he was sick.”

The SARS team, led by Abba Kyari arrested the eight-man gang and recovered a locally made pistol with five live cartridges and a hammer, while five other members of the gang are now on the run.

Sources at the State Command headquarters, who gave the identities of the three arrested bandits, said they met their Waterloo in a recent robbery operation at SuruAlaba/Mile 2 axis of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The sources said they attacked two SUVs belonging to a Chinese national, Fred zhong Guichang, and a woman Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the ‘B Ops’ Department of the State Command, dispossessing them of their valuables.

Nnewi electronics traders protest banks' seizure of property

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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N E W I — ELECTRONICS traders, under the aegis of Electronics Dealers Association, EDA, yesterday, on the streets of Onitsha, protested alleged seizure of their market Certificate of Occupancy and other land documents by banks (names withheld) over the N300 million debts allegedly owed by former executives of EDA. The former executives of the market, led by Chief Joseph Udeh, had during the building of the multi million naira EDA markets, along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, allegedly borrowed N300 million from the banks, but could not pay back the loan before the expiration of their tenure.

The members of the executive were said to have presented the market Certificate of Occupancy and other sundry documents of the market as collateral for the loan before it was granted them.

Meanwhile, the protesters vowed to resist any attempt to seize their market with the last pint of their blood.

Suspected kidnap kingpin nabbed in Ondo

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—35-year-old leader of a three-man gang of kidnappers, who abducted the Manager of a popular supermarket in Akure, Ondo State, has been arrested by police.

The suspect, Geduro, was picked up in Benin, Edo State, after he collected N2 million ransom.

Vanguard gathered that the gang invaded the supermarket during closing hour in a Toyota Camry car.

Police sources said the Managing Director of the Supermarket, Ndubuisi Aghehi, reported the matter at the state headquarters of the police.

He was said to have been blocked by the kidnappers in a red Camry car at Plaza junction, Oke Ijebu, Akure.

8— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

PDP CONGRESSES: You are starving us of funds, lawmakers accuse presidency zSenators meet Jonathan over loss of power to govs

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political

Editor, Emman Ovuakporie, Henry Umoru, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Joseph Erunke & Levinus Nwabughiogu

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HE crisis of confidence between the National Assembly and the presidency arising from the conduct of the ward congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was yesterday boiling over with the National Assembly alleging a deliberate effort to suppress their finances.

The delay in the release of the fourth quarter allocation of the National Assembly, sources disclosed yesterday, was being seen as a deliberate act to weaken the legislators during the crucial electioneering period when they claim they need all the money they can get to prosecute their election agenda.

The cash crunch in the National Assembly has also affected the payment of salaries and yesterday led to an appeal from the workers’ union for understanding over the delayed payment of the October salaries of staff.

Meanwhile, senators seething over their near total displacement from their power bases in their constituencies after the ward congresses were as at press time last night set to enter into discussion with the president over the development.

The meeting with the president is upon protests from PDP stakeholders, mostly members of the National Assembly that PDP incumbent governors manipulated the ward congresses to their favour and against the interest of the legislators.

Exception to the influence of the governors was the development in Cross River and Enugu States, where the governors were said to be under pressure. Governor Liyel Imoke was at the national secretariat of the PDP with key political associates yesterday to lodge a complaint over the alleged manipulation of the delegates list which was allegedly doctored after the congress in Abuja.

It was learnt that the outcome of the delegate election in Cross River State was doctored in a way that put the governor at a disadvantage, a development that forced Imoke to meet with key party officials at the national secretariat.

Governor Sullivan Chime on his part had himself been embedded in the federal capital after those aligned with him stayed away from the ward congresses conducted by the David Aja-led state executive of the party in the state. Mr. Chime who met with key stakeholders on Tuesday night, it was learnt, was

mounting pressure for the cancellation of the ward congresses but his efforts were as at press time not yielding fruits given the assertion by the party that he should channel his complaints through the appeals committee.

Protests against the congress were also said to be strong from party stakeholders in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.

A source privy to the development said yesterday “the pressure is coming from some state governments and some members of the National Assembly particularly those who lost out in the congress. They have tried to impress it on the party leadership and the NWC that only a cancellation would be acceptable.

“For the past three days, the leadership has come under intense lobby that a fresh congress should be conducted by cancelling results already submitted by the various electoral panels. In fact, the lobby has been taken to the Presidency.”

Protesting PDP senators were led to the presidential villa last night by the president of the Senate, Senator David Mark.

The senators who went in a procession from the Apo Mansion of the Senate President were yet to commence the meeting as at press time last night.

Earlier in the day, the aggrieved senators led by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, (SAN) held a meeting with the leadership of the party at an unidentified location in Abuja, at the instance of the Senate President, David Mark.

Senators allege being fenced off by govs during congresses The entire Senate had been thrown into confusion as majority of PDP senators claimed to have been fenced out during the ward congresses by the governors.

The PDP dominated Senate abruptly adjourned plenary on Tuesday and Wednesday without deliberating on items on the Order Paper in protest of their denial of the party’s ticket if nothing was done to reverse the trend and also give them automatic tickets as has allegedly been marked down for second term governors desirous of going to the Senate. A meeting with between the president and the senators scheduled for Wednesday night could not

FLAG-OFF: Secretary to the Government of Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim (middle), Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo (right), and Minister of Power, State, Mohammed Wakil, during the flag-off ceremony of National Sector Apprenticeship Scheme at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida. hold because of President Goodluck Jonathan’s trouble shooting trip to Burkina Faso on Wednesday.

A source within the PDP caucus in the senate, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday explained that the meeting could not hold on Wednesday night because Jonathan returned late from his foreign trip.

A source privy to the development said: “We were already at the Villa last night (Wednesday) for the meeting before a message came that the meeting could not hold again because the president arrived late from Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso.

“We have received messages again this afternoon (yesterday) that the meeting had been rescheduled for this night. We have been asked to converge at the Senate President’s official quarters by 7:00pm today (Thursday). We will move from there in group to the Villa.”

The source further hinted that the aggrieved senators were still speaking with one voice on the issue of securing automatic tickets for at least two serving senators in all the PDP controlled states while the governors could be given the ticket to produce one candidate each.

Senators vows to fight govs till the end A senator speaking on the development vowed yesterday that the senators would not give the governors or the president

a breathing space until their issues were resolved.

Meanwhile, the crisis that arose from the PDP ward congress was about creeping into matters of money yesterday following complaints over the delayed release of the fourth quarter allocation of the National Assembly leading to the delayed payment of the October salaries of staff and the fourth quarter constituency allocation of the legislators.

Members of the House of Representatives are entitled to an estimated N29 million per quarter for constituency duties and staff emoluments.

Many National Assembly staff who spoke to Vanguard under the condition of anonymity expressed regret over the delay saying that salaries which normally should come by the 23rd or 24th of the month were yet to be paid almost two weeks after.

The financial crunch had in itself limited the movement of staff as a number of them have started staying away from the office.

Parliamentary Staff Association appeals to staff over unpaid salary Reacting to the issue in a notice placed on some notice boards in the National Assembly, the publicity secretary of the Parliamentary staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN Comrade Godwin Kyespo called for understanding from staff.

According to him, “It has been observed that the salary for the month of October 2014 has not been paid and on consultation it

is found that the problem is associated with the non-release of fund from the federation account”.

“While we appreciate efforts of management on prompt payment of salaries of past months, we urged the management to do all with its power to pay as staff are suffering”, he added.

“We accordingly urged all members of staff to have a little restraint while the effort to pay very soon is being pursued”.

It would be recalled that last month that power supply to the complex was temporarily disconnected due to its inability to pay N8million electricity bill.

However, some claimed yesterday that the cash crunch was deliberately being done to stifle the legislators in their electioneering campaigns.

“They know that this is the peak time for legislators so one wonders why the allowances should be delayed up to this time.

Legislators have not been paid and their staff have also not been paid.”

The assembly complex which used to be a beehive of legislative activities was a shadow of itself yesterday, following adjournment of sittings by the members of the Red Chamber last Wednesday to Tuesday, next week.

A few senators, who came into the assembly complex, went quietly into their offices either to pick their personal effects or carry out their personal assignments. They, however, could not talk to the press on the abnormal adjournment when approached and left shortly.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—9

FALLING RESERVES: CBN ousts importation of generators, others from official forex zNaira depreciation worsens, loses 285k in interbank

By Babajide Komolafe &

Peter Egwuatu

zInvestors lose N1trn in four days on NSE

D

ETERMINED to stem the continued decline in the nation’s external reserves, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday excluded importation of generators and some items from purchase of foreign exchange from the official foreign exchange market.

Meanwhile, the naira suffered its biggest daily depreciation in the interbank market yesterday, losing 285 kobo to the dollar.

Recall that the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele had two weeks ago promised that the CBN would soon introduce measures to protect the economy and the Naira from declining crude oil prices.

He said, “I am aware that price of crude oil is dropping and that presents some form of vulnerability to Nigeria. I can assure you that fiscal authorities and monetary authorities are taking actions to ensure that we take steps that will help Nigeria withstand the shocks that we see. A number of actions will be unveiled, in fact some have already been unveiled, and more will be unveiled by both the monetary and fiscal authorities to ensure that Nigeria continues to remain strong, healthy to be able to support growth and development in Nigeria.”

The following week, the CBN moved to protect banks from possible naira depreciation, by imposing restrictions on the amount of foreign loans they can borrow.

The CBN limited foreign currency borrowing of banks to 75 percent of the shareholders’ funds.

Thereafter, the CBN banned banks from selling intervention foreign exchange in the interbank or to bureaux de change (BDCs).

Specifically, the CBN excluded importation of electronics, finished products, information technology, generators, telecommunication equipment and invisible transactions.

The implication is that importation of these items would not be funded with foreign exchange purchased from the biweekly Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) sessions conducted by the CBN. This development was contained in a circular signed by the Director of Trade and Exchange Department, CBN, Mr. O.I Gbadamosi. The circular was titled, “Exclusion of some transactions from the RDAS window.

The circular stated, “This is to inform all authorised dealers and the general public that in order to maintain the existing stability in the foreign exchange market and to further strengthen the various policy measures already initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria,

week. Consequently, the CBN has sold $29.9 billion through RDAS this year. This translates to 16 percent increase when compared with the $25.67 billion sold in 2013.

However, the decline in external reserve and the depreciation of the naira was triggered by increased foreign exchange demand driven by apprehension among foreign investors over the impact of falling crude oil prices on the nation’s economy, especially the external reserve, the uncertainty surrounding the 2015 and the insurgency in the north east and the possibility of massive depreciation of the naira.

Investors lose N1trn in four days on NSE

the importation of the following items shall henceforth be funded from the interbank foreign exchange market only: Electronics, finished products, information technology, generators, telecommunication equipment and invisible transactions.”

With this, the CBN has transferred a huge portion of the demand for foreign exchange from the official market to the interbank, with the consequence of further depreciation of the naira in the interbank market.

Reflecting the impact of the

development on the interbank market, the interbank exchange rate yesterday rose sharply to N170.2 to the dollar from N167.35 on Wednesday. This translated to N2.85 depreciation of the naira to the dollar. Consequently the naira has depreciated by N3.55 this week, translating to the biggest weekly loss for the local currency.

External reserves continue to fall

The decision of the apex bank followed the continued decline of the nation’s external reserves owing to increased foreign

exchange sales by the CBN in a bid to defend the naira. The decline in external reserves worsened this week, falling by $603 million to $38.16 billion from $38.76 billion at the end of October. Cumulatively, the external reserve has fallen by $5.77 billion in 2014.

Already, as part of measures to reduce the rate of decline of the external reserves, the CBN reduced foreign exchange sales through RDAS sessions this week. Total foreign exchange sold fell by 11 percent to $799.53 million from $898.85 million last

In another development, investors have lost N1 trillion on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, NSE, between Monday and yesterday, as prices of shares continued free fall yesterday, in response to massive divestment of foreign investors from the stock market.

Market capitalisation, which represents to total value of shares on the NSE, dropped by N1.01 trillion from N12.436 trillion at the close of market last week Friday to N11.42 trillion at the close of market yesterday, representing 8.1 percent decline.

The NSE All Share Index and the market capitalisation both fell by 4.1% as the share of 49 companies recorded price decline, with only five companies shares appreciating in yesterday’s trading.

Nda-Isaiah picks APC presidential form, says all hands must be on deck to rescue Nigeria ...Obuh declares for Delta gov today

By Henry Umoru & Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—THERE was a flurry of activities yesterday as politicians took practical steps towards actualizing their 2015 political ambitions.

Founder of the Leadership Newspapers Group and a leading presidential aspirant, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, obtained the presidential nomination forms of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja at a brief ceremony where he charged Nigerians to join forces to rescue the country.

Also, a host of governorship and senatorial aspirants on the plank of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, returned their forms to the party to beat tomorrow ’s deadline for the submission of the forms.

Among those who returned their forms yesterday were Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (Senatorial, Akwa Ibom); Honourable Victor Ochei (Governorship, Delta); Alhaji Hazeem

Gbolarunmi (governorship, Oyo); Alhaji Musa Nashuni (governorship, Katsina); Senator Mohammed Magoro (governorship, Kebbi).

It’s time to rescue Nigeria –Nda-Isaiah

Picking his forms at APC’s National Secretariat, in Abuja, Nda-Isaiah who formally declared his presidential ambition in Minna, Niger State capital, on Tuesday, said it was time to rescue Nigeria.

He also stated his readiness to support a rancour free primaries of the party.

He said: “Nigeria is just four months away from change and everything has to be done, all hands have to be on deck.

Everybody must be mobilized, all Nigerians must ensure that we rescue our country.”

He assured APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun: “We are going to work by the rules. We are going to ensure that it (APC presidential primary) comes out well without any rancour in the interest of our party and this nation because we know

how important it is for our party to win the next election. “We are doing it on December 8th and we have promised it is going to be rancour free. We will all support whoever eventually emerges. But I intend to win.’’

Responding, the APC national chairman described Nda-Isaiah as a trail blazer and wished him luck in his presidential aspiration.

Elumelu to submit form today, as Obuh declares Meanwhile, another Delta State governorship aspirant, Ndudi Elumelu will submit his form today. He told Vanguard that his supporters are very enthusiastic about the prospects of his contesting in the November 20 primaries and expressed optimism that he will get the ticket.

Elumelu will face a horde of aspirants for the PDP ticket, which includes Sir Tony Obuh, who will formally declare his governorship ambition today in Asaba.

The event, which will hold at the Cenotaph is expected to attract political heavyweights in

politics from the state and beyond.

“I do know that whatever is happening now between the Senate and the party (PDP) or the presidency remains internal affairs of the PDP which we will resolve as a family. There is no reason why anybody should be precluded from showing interest in any position or from having any ambition on the account of his position as a senator or as a governor,'' Obuh said.

With ingenuity, I’ll raise Delta IGR – Ochei

Also speaking after submitting his forms, former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly and a PDP governorship aspirant, Honourable Victor Ochei said he would bring on board his ingenuity to help raise the revenue base of Delta state.

Ochei, who hailed last Saturday ’s Ward Congress against the backdrop that it was held in an atmosphere that was rancour free, said, “We all agree and sat down together, and each local government raised their delegates and we are all happy with the way it was conducted.”

10 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Scores feared dead as fire guts NNPC pipeline in Lagos Evelyn Usman, Bose Adelaja & Ifeanyi Okolie

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AGOS—SCORES of suspected pipeline vandals were yesterday feared killed in a massive inferno that gutted a petroleum pipeline belonging to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, at Ijedodo area of Lagos State.

Vanguard gathered that some suspected pipeline vandals, had besieged the pipeline around 6pm and were said to be scooping petroleum product into jerry cans.

It was gathered that an argument ensued among the vandals as they were scooping the PMS, while one of them ignited the fire that caused a massive explosion that set the entire area on fire.

Residents of Ijedodo and Abulado areas who witnessed the massive inferno called on the authorities to expedite actions and put out the fire.

Meanwhile, Vanguard could not confirm the number of casualties as the fire was still raging at the time of fling this report but South West spokesman for National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, in a text massage confirmed the explosion.

Farinloye, who did not disclose the number of casualties said: “There was pipeline explosion at Ijeododo this evening (yesterday). Vandals were suspected to have broken the pipeline, scooping the product and in the process the pipeline exploded."

Ride for life holds cycling event Nov 15

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IDE FOR life cycling event, created by Children’s Developmental Centre, CDC, to raise awareness for children and young adults with developmental disabilities will be held on November 15.

The starting point for this year’s event is the National Stadium, Surulere, and ends at Maryland.

Registration for the event will commence at 6.30am at the starting point.

COLLAPSED SYNAGOGUE BUILDING:

Sabotage

possible —Police zInguest as a result of public outcry, says LASG

By Innocent Anaba, Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor AGOS—THE Divisional Police Officer of Ikotun Police Station, CSP Haruna Alaba, yesterday, told the Coroner Court investigating the collapse of a guest house within the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, on September 12 that there is possibility of sabotage.

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Investigation ongoing

He pointed out that investigation into the collapsed building is still on at the State CID, Yaba area of Lagos, noting that the incident was recorded in his station on the same day while investigation commenced immediately.

“One of the things being looked into is the possibility of sabotage, structure defect and security concern, we are considering every issue raised.

"The police is investigating the possibility of the aircraft having anything to do with the collapsed building. I never at any time requested for the plan of the building.

"My investigation has not gotten to stage of getting name and contact of the contractor, so I never at any time requested for it. I did not request for the original CCTV footage of the incident either. Nobody complained to us about the aircraft hovering. Nobody is a complainant and nobody was arrested,” CSP Alaba said.

The DPO further told the Coroner Court that the goal of the police at the scene of the collapsed building was to provide enabling environment for rescuers to do their job.

He said: “On getting to the scene of the collapsed building some minutes after the incident, I met rescue operations already on while policemen on duty around the area cordoned off the area to ward off suspected hoodlums from hijacking the situation.

“Most of the things said by the emergency rescuers were not true. I know that the enabling environment was provided for LASEMA and NEMA. What they are saying is not true. I allowed them to work freely at the site. The people we allowed in were officials of government agencies. NEMA and LASEMA and they never complained to the police that members of the church and the crowd prevented them from carrying out rescue operation.

“I will be surprised to hear that they (NEMA and LASEMA) were prevented from working on the first day.

The church members started the operation but I cannot say the

extent at which NEMA or LASEMA took charge. Church members crawled under rubble to bring out people trapped,“ the witness said.

CCTV

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who continued in his evidence yesterday, was shown a CCTV footage of him arriving at the scene of the collapse on the first day.

Countering the CCTV footage dated September 12, which suggested that he was allowed into the premises of the collapsed building without delay, but the LASEMA boss said the video shown was that of the second day.

The Coroner's Inquest was adjourned till November 19 for continuation of police evidence while Prophet T.B. Joshua is

expected to appear on November 20.

Inquest due to public out cry —–LASG

Meantime, the Lagos State Government has told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that the inquest into the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations building was initiated due to public outcry and pursuant to the provisions of Coroner System Law of Lagos State, 2007.

Lagos Government in its counter-affidavit to a suit filed by a lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje challenging the legality of ongoing Coroner's inquest into the collapse of a six-story building within the premises of the Synagogue Church, said that the inquest was not a regular court, but just on a fact-finding assignment to unravel what actually led to the collapse of the building, in which 116 persons died and

scores injured.

The Lagos Government had constituted the Coroner inquest and appointed Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe to unravel the circumstances that led to the incident, with the view to taking necessary further action.

But Ogungbeje had in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit to challenge the composition and any decision of the coroner's inquest.

Lagos State Government, the state’s Attorney General and Justice Commissioner, Ade Ipaye and Magistrate Komolafe are defendants in the suit.

Thedefendantsinacounter-affidavit deposed to by Moradeke Oladunjoye, averred that the preliminary investigation carried out by the Lagos StateBuildingControlAgencyrevealed that the church never got approval for the additional structures on the collapsedbuilding.

Trial judge, Justice Buba consequently adjourned till November 10, 2014 for hearing.

ANNIVERSARY: GovernorBabatunde Fashola of Lagos State (right), Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye (middle), and Chairman, House Committee on Education, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, during the fifth anniversary of Uniformed Voluntary Clubs in Lagos State Public Schools, at Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

VOTERS CARDS: Lagosians

raise alarm over alleged plans to exclude some LGA's Clifford Ndujihe, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo AGOS—AHEAD of today’s commencement of the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to electorate, residents in Lagos, yesterday, raised concerns over alleged plans by the commission to exclude some councils from the distribution of the PVCs in the state, saying “the electoral body is not ready for the exercise.”

The residents who spoke during a sensitization forum in Ikeja, organized by the state government on the need to come out en masses to collect their

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PVCs, also expressed concerns over the competence of the electoral body to come out with popular and an acceptable list Some of the residents, who spoke during an interactive session, raised the alarm that INEC only prepared to conduct the exercise in about 10 Local Government Areas, LGAs, out of the 20 recognised in Lagos.

They, however, threatened to boycott the 2015 general elections if there are discrepancies observed during the exercise.

Among dignitaries at the forum include: former governor of the state, Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson (retd), Senator Gbenga Ashafa as well as party big wigs and loyalists, traditional rulers

and religious leaders, traders and party loyalists, among others.

Lagosians urged to turn up en mass

AS the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, begins the three-day distribution of 4.8 million permanent voters cards, PVC, today, eligible Lagosians have been urged to turn out en mass to collect their cards to enable them exercise their franchise in the 2015 general elections.

The PVCs will be distributed in the 8,465 polling units where the voters were registered in 2006 from today to Sunday November 9.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —11

Osoba's SDP picks gov candidate to tackle Amosun zAs tension mounts over alleged plot to impeach Dep Gov A

By Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—THE Social Democratic Party, SDP, the party to which exgovernor Segun Osoba and his supporters now belong may have chosen a kinsman of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun as it’s governorship candidate ahead of the 2015 election.

The indication emerged following the claim by the Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial district, Gbenga Obadara that his new party, SDP, has adopted him as the governorship candidate for the coming election.

Obadara, also Egba from Odeda was elected senator in 2011 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which has now transformed to All Progressives Congress, APC. He spoke to Vanguard exclusively that, though, he was yet to formalise the defection, he had ‘moved’ to the SDP. According to him; "I am an Egba man, I am using Egba slot.

If my party says I should do one term, I will abide by the position.

“Don’t forget that my mother is from Yewa, Iyesi in Ado-Odo/ Ota. I am half Yewa, half Egba man and I am married to an Ijebu woman. I belong to Bobagunte of Akile Ijebu. I have the reflection of all the divisions of Ogun State,” he said .

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the deputy governor, Prince Segun

Adesegun may be impeached as soon as he declares for the SDP. Vanguard gathered that though it would be difficult for the State House of Assembly to impeach him because the House which is made of 26-member split equally into two factions -13 loyal to the governor and the other 13 making up the opposition loyal to Osoba.

When asked whether the deputy would be impeached or not once he declares for the SDP, a member of the House and leader of the opposition, Remmy Hassan, said his team will be waiting for such attempt to impeach the deputy

governor.

He said; “It will be practically difficult to impeach the deputy governor, because there is no constitutional breach. Except the constitution is amended.

However, everybody is awake even while asleep.

“We have 13 members each on both sides. But the other 13 loyal to the governor is at disadvantage, because the principal officer, the Speaker, is on their side and he could not vote but only preside.

“Moreover, it would amount to a shadow chasing to seek for an

impeachment in the House you don’t have control over.”

Efforts made to speak with the speaker State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi was unsuccessful as his telephone was unreachable.

Meantime, the national leadership of the APC was yesterday said to be making fresh moves to bridge the gulf between Amosun and ex-governor Osoba.

According to usually reliable sources, the ruling party’s calculation is that split vote between the APC and SDP may return the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to power in 2015.

OPENING: Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Education Minister (left) and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, during the opening of the 60th National Council on Education meeting in Abeokuta, yesterday. Photo: Wumi Akinola.

Amosun, others sued over N2bn CBN loan

By Victor Ahiuma-Young &

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Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—OGUN State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the State House of Assembly, Central Bank of Nigeria and state Agricultural and multi-purpose credit agency have been dragged before the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta over a sum of two billion Naira loan.

A Non Governmental Organisation; Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development which filed the suit sought for four relief and a restraining order against the governor and other defendants from disbursing the money which belongs to the CBN. The two billion naira was said to be meant for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, development fund of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The governor had on September sought the approval of the House over the fund and got the passage from the House.

But, the NGO in a bid to stop the government and other stakeholders from disbursing it, went to the Federal High Court

and sought for an order restraining the CBN, it’s agents or any other person from allowing the government getting access to the fund.

The presiding judge, Folashade Ogunbanjo after listening to all the parties adjourned the case to December 10, 2014 for hearing.

Labour union commends

Amosun

Meantime, the Chemical and Non Metallic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, CANMPSSAN, has commended the Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s led government in Ogun State, especially in the area of infrastructure.

President of CANMPASSAN,

Mr. Abdul Gafar Mohammed, who made the commendation at the opening of the union’s 19th annual national Management / Industrial Relations seminar in Abeokuta, said the governor had turned the fortune of the state around within the shortest time he took over the mantle of leadership in the state.

Hearing commences on Omisore's petition Monday

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By Gbenga Olarinoye

SOGBO—THE Osun state governorship election petition tribunal yesterday fixed Monday, November 10 for the hearing of the petition filed by Senator Iyiola

Omisore, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP against the victory of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the August 9 election Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

The adjournment followed a request at the instance of petitioner ’s Counsel, Nathaniel Oke, SAN, who urged the tribunal to allow him open his case on Monday.

Why Nigeria records mass failure in English, Abeokuta.

Maths, by Shekarau According to the minister, the

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By Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—THE Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that, Nigeria recorded mass failure of secondary school pupils in the 2014 Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations in Mathematics

and English language due to lack of skilled teachers of the subjects .

Shekarau stated this yesterday, in his keynote address at the 60th National Council of Education meeting held at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto,

2014 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations indicated that only 529,425 candidates out of the 1.7million candidates who sat for the examination obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Iyorchia Ayu warns against Nigeria's possible break up

By Dayo Johnson KURE—THE former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu has said the consequence of any break up of Nigeria will be too much on other African countries.

He spoke against the prediction of Nigeria possible disintegration next year at the fifth Convocation Lecture of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, AAUA, Ondo State.

The lecture is entitled: "The Break Up of Nigeria: Myths, Realities, and Implications.”

Ayu who said if the prediction should come to pass, the whole Africa continent and the entire black race will be in trouble warned those calling for the break up of the country to desist from such.

He declared that the consequence of any break up of Nigeria will be too much on other African countries.

He recalled that there were many amalgamations of different communities before 1914 that British officially amalgamated the country to Southern and Northern Protectorate.

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Madam Mary Edun dies @ 88

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ADAM MARY Edun is dead, aged 88.

She died after a brief illness.

There will be service of song on Thursday, November 13, 2014 @ her residence, 217, Yoruba Road Extension, Sapele from 4.00 p.m.- 6.00 p.m.

Funeral will hold the following day @ First Baptist Church, Palmer Road, Sapele by 10.00 a.m. to be followed with interment @ her residence @ Jesse town, while there will be reception @ the Sapele Athletic Club, ATP Roundabout, Sapele the next day, November 15.

She is survived by children, including Barr. Joshua A. Edun.

Late Mary Edun

12 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Oil spill: 350 shoreline communities give SNPECo 3-day ultimatum

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—SHORELINE communities in Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo states affected

by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCo's, 2011 oil spill at Bonga, have given the company a three-day ultimatum to commence and conclude the agreed joint dialogue of multiple stakeholders, as ordered by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment or face their wrath.

The over 350 shoreline communities with a population of over 2 million persons, in an open letter to the federal government, United Nations and SNEPCo, signed by Chief Beimonyo Wolo, representing Brass Local Government, Bayelsa and 14 others, said: “The shoreline communities and fishermen are, by this notice, unanimously invoking the ultimatum given by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment directing SNEPCo to ensure that benefits due to communities and fishermen affected by the Bonga oil spill are discussed, agreed upon and signed by all parties (NOSDRA, NIMASA, DPR, NGOs, SNEPCo) and the representatives of affected communities.

“SNEPCo is, hereby, given three clear days to conclude the agreed joint dialogue meeting with NOSDRA, NIMASA, DPR,

NGOs, SNEPCo and attorneys of the shoreline communities, and the meeting shall be led/chaired

by Hon. members of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment as directed. Failure to do so would lead to serious resistance by the communities and fisher persons.”

Alleging that the multinational oil company was dealing with fake agents of the shoreline communities and sidetracking their recommended attorney/ negotiator, they insisted that for the avoidance of doubt, their advocate in respect of any negotiation or resolution relating to the Bonga oil spill was Gbutse

Property Limited.

“It is also on record that the Presidency, Senate and House of Representatives, Federal Ministry of Environment, NOSDRA, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), NIMASA, SNEPCo, affected States and Local Governments, etc, have been writing and meeting with Gbutse Property Limited on behalf of the shoreline communities, satellite villages and fisher persons in respect of the Bonga Oil Spill,” they added.

The aggrieved communities and fishermen called on President Goodluck Jonathan, the United Nations, well-meaning and

corporate citizens world-wide, “to intervene and/or prevail on SNEPCo’s management to follow due process (as directed by the National Assembly and other Nigerian government agencies) to compensate the communities and fisher-persons for damages and injuries suffered as a result of the said Bonga oil spill and avoid acts of inciting communities against themselves which is already causing tensions and agitation within the affected areas. We request NOSDRA to kindly, in line with its enabling Act, carry the needful actions on the Bonga oil spill so as to fasttrack amicable resolution in the interest of all parties.”

MEETING: From left: PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, after a meeting at State House, Abuja, yesterday.

Court orders restoration of two Delta constituencies suspended by INEC

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has ordered the restoration of Ughelli South constituency 1 and Isoko North constituency 1, suspended by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Delivering judgment on the matter brought before it by one Mr. Godwin Sito, and five others against INEC, the presiding judge, Justice Shitu Abubakar, ordered INEC to immediately conduct a by-election to fill the vacant seats created by the

unlawful suspension of the two constituencies.

Before 1999, Ughelli South and Isoko North had two state constituencies each but INEC suspended one constituency each in the two local government areas

in 1999.

Abubakar, in the judgment said: “Accordingly, reliefs one, two, three, four, five, six and seven are granted, while relief eight is hereby refused for the purposes of future elections.”

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. John Okoriko, said: “This is a

landmark judgment which has actually sustained our democracy.

The ripple effect of the judgment is that it has restored the political rights and privileges appertaining to the good people of Ughelli South constituency 1and the people of Isoko North constituency 1.”

ERA/FoEN raises alarm over indiscriminate dredging in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N AG OA — BAY E L S A State Coordinator of Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN),Mr. Alagoa Morris, yesterday, raised alarm over indiscriminate dredging of sand along the already erosion-prone rivers, creeks and rivulets in the state.

Investigations revealed that on the Yenagoa-Agbura-Ogbia waterways, no fewer than ten dredgers were seen mining sand, ostensibly due to the high demand for sand for land filling and construction works.

Morris, in a chat with

Vanguard in Yenagoa, lamented that some of the dredging sites were too close to houses at the

banks and warned that the trend, if not addressed, could spell doom for the communities along the river banks.

Resuscitation of DSC my priority —Odibo general elections.

By Egufe Yafugborhi

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ARRI—FORMER Delta State Commissioner and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Elegbete Moses Odibo, yesterday said the resuscitation of moribund Delta Steel Company, DSC, Ovwian-Aladja, would be his priority, if elected to represent Udu Constituency in Delta State House of Assembly in the 2015

Ahead of the PDP primaries, Odibo, whose ambition is backed

by Udu Political Forum, UPF, said: “Ajaokuta is not producing at all at, but it is still in operation. DSC is moribund. So, we will liaise with the Federal Government and the private sector to see that DSC is revived again. DSC is reputed for producing pellets and fortunately the rail line from Itakpe is through to the plant now."

PVC: Edo declares today work-free

By Simon Ebegbulem

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DO State Government, yesterday, declared today a work-free day to enable registered voters in the state to collect the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, which distribution commences today.

A statement by Mr. Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, said: “The public holiday is to enable registered voters the opportunity to collect the Permanent Voter Cards which distribution will hold from Friday November 7, to Sunday November 9, according to INEC’s timetable.

“Registered voters in Edo State are advised to avail themselves of this opportunity and collect the Permanent Voter Cards within the 3-day period.”

In another development, the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commenced screening of its House of Assembly aspirants in the three senatorial districts of the state.

One of the aspirants in Egor Local Government Area, Mr. Nosa Adams, missed the screening, following his remand by the Magistrate Court in Benin, Wednesday, over alleged attempted murder during the ward congresses of the party last weekend.

The screening was still on at the time of this report.

Akperi passes on

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EACON Anthony Akperi is dead, aged 88.

He served the Baptist Community in Sapele, Delta State, for over sixty years as Pastor of Omatsola Memorial Baptist Church and translator of Itsekiri Bible, among other duties.

Funeral service for the late Akperi comes up today at First Baptist Church, Sapele.

Late Deacon Akperi

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—13

2015: Amaechi tasks Jega on smooth elections

By Jimitota Onoyume

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IVERS State governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday, challenged the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, to ensure the smooth conduct of elections next year.

Governor Amaechi spoke while addressing journalists at Government House, Port Harcourt, on the need for registered voters in the state to collect their permanent voter cards, PVCs, that would enable them vote in the forthcoming elections.

He said Professor Jega’s reputation was at stake and urged him to ensure elections were properly conducted.

He, however, expressed fears that the PDP-led federal government might frustrate Jega’s bid to conduct free and fair elections next year, saying: “What INEC is doing is to say all the elections in the past could not have been properly conducted, now we want to

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conduct a free election. I didn’t use the word ‘fair ’, I hope you heard me, because elections in 2015 may be free but at the end of the day, they may not be fair. If they use police and army to chase away the voters of APC, will that election be fair? For now, we can only assume that INEC will be able to conduct a free election hoping that Prof. Jega will defend his reputation.”

He insisted that the people’s mandate must be protected, stressing that “this time our people’s mandate must be protected. This time your votes must count and journalists should be at the forefront of that fight. Nobody can buy us with money. Someone who was council chairman yesterday, suddenly has mansions left, right and centre.

“Go and get your permanent voter card so that you can vote out PDP. If you don’t have the permanent voter card, you will not be able to vote in the forthcoming elections. I assure you that this time, our votes must count and for our votes

to count every registered voter will have the support of the Rivers State government to go and collect the permanent voters card. Those who have not registered should also get ready to register when the continuous voter registration commences in the state.”

Amaechi urged INEC to rectify whatever technical challenges they had to ensure that Rivers people in the 23 local government areas collect their permanent voter cards to vote at the elections.

At the moment, only seven

LGAs could have their permanent voter cards, according to INEC. Amaechi said: “We sympathize with INEC and we will join them to pray that they find a solution to the remaining Local Government Areas.

In my Local government Area (Ikwerre L GA), there are some units that don’t have, they were registered but their names have been omitted completely and in that case, there will be fresh registration.”

DELTA 2015: I’m not an accidental aspirant —Orubebe

By Charles Kumolu

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OVERNORSHIP aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Elder Godsday Orubebe, yesterday said that the experience he garnered in the various political positions he had held made him the best man to govern the state, declaring that he was not an accidental aspirant.

Orubebe who spoke at Asaba, Delta State, during the formal declaration of his intention to run for the office of governor, said his roadmap for the reinvention of the state was ready insisting that all he needed was the PDP ticket to actualize it.

The declaration was witnessed by some notable elders of the state and other supporters of Orubebe.

JRC alleges plot to disenfranchise voters in Edo

By Simon Ebegbulem ENIN—AS the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, commences the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in Edo State today, Justice Research Center, JRC, yesterday raised an alarm over alleged plot to disenfranchise eligible voters in the state, claiming that some names have been delisted from the voters’ register.

The group also queried the alleged refusal by INEC to disclose the number of Direct Data Capturing Machines, DDCMs, allocated to the state and venues.

The Enogie of Obazuwa and younger brother to the Oba of Benin, had last month, raised an alarm over alleged plot to reduce the voters in Edo South with a view to rigging the 2015 general elections in the state.

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14 — Vanguard, FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 7, 2014

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—15

Navy hands over 31 oil thieves arrested over to NSCDC

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT — NAVY, yesterday, handed over 31 suspected oil thieves to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. Commander of the Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS, Pathfinder, Commodore Godwin Ochai, during the event, said the suspects allegedly carried the act around the Slaughter market.

The Commander represented

by Lt Cdr Abdullateef Mahmud, said his men also impounded 200 drums of illegal crude, nine wooden boats and some speed boats used by the oil thieves.

According to him, “based on intelligence and timely report

'DESOPADEC set up to address problems of host communities'

By Ikenna Osomba

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OMMISSIONER REPRESENTING Isoko ethnic nationality on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Joseph Ajiri Ogeh, has said the commission was set up to address issues affecting host communities producing oil and gas in the state.

He spoke while addressing members of the Isoko community during the inauguration of the executives at Ozoro Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State.

Ogeh said on resumption as the commissioner, the board was faced with myriads of problems ranging from abandoned contracts, debt to contractors, lack of transparency in the payment of bursary to students, over staffing and health challenges of the people.

According to him; “I am aware of my responsibility that is why I joined my colleagues representing other ethnic nationalities to put the commission on a sound footing.

We did a lot of work to correct the anomalies in the commission bearing in mind that it is a new baby with teething problems. As I address you, I can beat my chest that so far I have completed 162 abandoned contracts across Isoko, we have carried out free medical treatment for the Isoko people of which about 3,195 persons were treated free and about 200 surgeries especially of hyania and fibroid were carried out for free.

We did these to fulfill the mandate of DESOPADEC of developing the people and their environment.’’

that suspected crude oil thieves were operating in this area; troops stormed the area to stop attacks on the nation’s oil installations. We raided Slaughter area and impounded about 200 drums containing suspected byproduct of illegally refined crude oil.

“We also impounded about 2, 000 empty drums used for distribution and transporting of products, and nine wooden and speed boats used for their illegal business. After the raid, we were able to arrest 31 male suspects involved in oil theft and bunkering.”.

VISIT: From left, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-in-Chief/GM, Publications, Vanguard Media Ltd, explaining things to Mr. Olabode Joseph, Assistant Manager, Credit, Capital Bancorp Plc (member of The Nigerian Stock Exchange); Mr. Victor Omoregie, Manager, Corporate Affairs/Protocols, Vanguard Newspapers; Mr. Aigboje Higo, Managing Director, Capital Bancorp Plc, and Mr. Seun Oduyemi, General Manager, Credit, during the Capital Bancorp Plc, courtesy visit to Vanguard Newspapers corporate head office, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

APGA petitions against multiple fielding of candidates by PDP

By Chris Ochayi

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BUJA — THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday, claimed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was planning to field multiple candidates for each elective position in the 2015 general elections in Anambra State.

APGA national Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, in a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman,

Professor Attahiru Jega, requested INEC to direct that the commission would only receive one list of candidates from the PDP for the National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Anambra State for the 2015 Chief Umeh, also in a letter to the PDP national Chairman Adamu Muazu, urged him to do everything possible to ensure that the party did not willingly or negligently parade multiple candidates for the coming elections.

Resignation: Presidency lambasts Tinubu

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA —THE presidency, yesterday, took a swipe at former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for seeking the resignation of President Goodluck Jonathan.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said it was clear that Tinubu and other leaders in the APC who made the statement were merely seeking to enthrone anarchy in the country.

The statement read in parts: “The assertion by Senator Tinubu at a political rally in Ilorin, Kwara State on Wednesday that in “civilized” societies, the President should have resigned is unfounded and lacking in historical precedence.

We challenge him to tell Nigerians which part of his “civilized” world has there been a call on a President to resign during an on-going war.

"When terrorists attacked the United States of America in September 2001, leaders of the Democratic Party did not demand a resignation of President George Bush but rather they rose in defence of the American nation to support the various measures

taken by the President to defeat the Al Qaeda terrorists.

“It is perhaps necessary to remind the APC leader that it was leading members of his party who vehemently opposed and openly criticized the proscription of the Boko Haram sect by the Federal Government in 2013 with some of them even going as far as describing it as a move against the North while others tried to incite the Civil Society to condemn this anti-terrorists act."

He threatened that APGA and its candidates would go to court to seek the disqualification of the PDP and its purported multiple candidates for the National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Anambra State in 2015.

Umeh in the letter addressed to Jega, said “we write to bring your attention to another unfolding ugly situation of the PDP likely going to field multiple candidates for each of the elective position to be contested in the forthcoming 2015 general elections in Anambra State following a published letter in a national paper on October 31, 2014, which emanated from the commission , our anxiety over this issue has become palpable.

You will recall that in 2011, the PDP contested the various elections with multiple candidates relying on court orders with the national leadership of the PDP ignoring the court orders and filing separate list of candidates. In the end the PDP paraded more than one candidate for each of the various elections during the campaigns against one candidate sponsored by APGA for each position.

Group commends Jonathan's administration

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GROUP of professionals and technocrats, Nigeria Political and Economic Square, NIPES has commended the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan, stating that his administration has surpassed the immediate benchmark set at inception.

The group also said the economic fortunes of this country has changed for the better under President Jonathan.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the group, Prof Atuboyedia Obianime (JP), he said the negative and

uncomplimentary perception of the gains of Jonathan’s administration is derived from misinformation and outright propaganda being peddled for the of mischievous agenda.

He said, ‘’The legacies of the transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration are there for anyone to see but because we live in a society where perception whether true or false becomes a regular tool for measuring political attainments of President Goodluck Jonathan to be perceived with reason and justice’’.

NDDC post graduate foreign scholars get award letters

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HE 210 beneficiaries of the 2014 Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission, NDDC, Post-Graduate Foreign Scholarship Programme, have received their award letters.

The successful graduates from the nine states in the Niger Delta were given pre-departure briefings and put through a formal orientation ceremony at Port Harcourt.

Addressing the NDDC scholars, Managing Director, MD, of the commission, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, charged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the foreign universities by restricting themselves to their academic programmes, to excel in their chosen fields of study.

The MD, represented

by Mr. Sunday Obiofiong, his Special Adviser on Administration and Human Resources, assured the scholars that funds for their school fees and accommodation would not be delayed for any reason.

He told them that previous beneficiaries of the scholarship programme set enviable standards for them to emulate.

“Those before you did not disappoint us and we trust that you too will make us proud by your conduct and academic achievements,” he said.

16 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Father, 2 sons arraigned for assault, theft of N24,000

By Austin Ogwuda

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NUGU — A 54-yearold man, Mr. Nick Emmanuel, and his two sons have been arraigned before an Enugu magistrate’s court over an alleged assault and theft of N24,550.

Charged along with him were Chimaobi Emmanuel 19 and Chizulum Emmanuel, 17.

Prosecuting police officer, Mr. Osita Atamah, told the court that the accused persons allegedly beat up one Jennifer Chukwu and stole her personal belongings worth N24, 550, an offence punishable under sections 495(a) and 353 of the Criminal Code Cap 30 Vol ll Law of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

He listed the alleged stolen items to include a handbag worth N5, 000, a pair of sandal worth N2, 500, jewelries worth N3, 550, cash of N13, 000 totaling N24, 550.

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Gov Akpabio submits form for Senate

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA — AHEAD of November 22 Senatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governor Godswill Akpabio, of Akwa Ibom State, yesterday, stormed the party’s national secretariat with his loyalists to support his expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the 2015 Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district election.

Speaking with journalists at

the secretariat after submitting his forms, Akpabio who doubles as Chairman of PDP governors’ forum, said the ambition of some state governors to seek election to the senate was not a threat to the re-election bid of serving senators.

Akpabio who assured that the grievances of the PDP senators over last Saturday ward congress would soon be resolved, said only nine governors wanted to go to the senate and should not affect the

senate which has 109 members, saying “the senate has about 109 members and the serving governors of PDP who are interested in going to the senate are not up to nine. So, we have at least 100 chances for incumbent senators and if it is possible for us to return more than 75 percent of our senators to the National Assembly, it will help a lot in legislation to deepen democracy. So, there is no threat where the governors of PDP have interest to go into the senate because I believe just

2015: Abia Police hold seminar on violence free polls

By Anayo Okoli

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MUAHIA — AHEAD of 2015 general elections, Abia State Police Command, yesterday, held seminar on violence free polls and appealed to political parties and their supporters in the state not to see elections as a do-or-die battle.

According to the State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim, the workshop was part of the Inspector General’s efforts to ensure that next year ’s elections would be conducted in a violence and rancor free atmosphere.

He said the police were

determined to collaborate with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that credible, free and fair elections were conducted next year and urged politicians and their supporters to shun thuggery and see the election as a game where one side would fairly win.

Declaring the seminar open, Governor Theodore Orji, commended the police for organizing the workshop and said it was very important and came at the right time.

Governor Orji represented by his deputy, Chief Emeka Ananaba, however frowned at the poor attendance by political party

officials; politicians and their supporters as only three parties, All Progressives Congress, APC, Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were present.

According to him, “this seminar is very important and necessary; but I am not happy with the attendance of the political parties, I expected many of them to be here and take the seminar seriously. The government is aware that the struggle for political power generates tension but the peace in the state will be maintained because the government will not tolerate anything that can breach the peace in the state.”

like the sky, there is enough space for every bird to fly and I think politics is about people and the people’s choice should be allowed to prevail.

“I do know that whatever is happening now between the senate and the party or the presidency remains internal affairs of the PDP which will be resolved as a family. There is no reason why anybody should be precluded from showing interest in any position or from having any ambition on the account of either of his position as a senator or on the account of his position as a governor. So, I am very hopeful that it will be resolved. But note that with 109 spaces in the National Assembly, the number of governors showing interest to go into the National Assembly is not up to nine.

“So, some of the noises you are hearing are orchestrated by some people who think that some of their governors performance must have threatened their interest. But like they say in the Bible, in my father’s house, there are many mansions and I think everything will be resolved through dialogue and at the end, the PDP will be better for it.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —17

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N Tuesday, the Chief of De fenceStaff, CDS,Air Marshal Alex Badeh, announced that he accepted full responsibility for the NigerianArmy’sfailuretoeffectively deal with Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja, Badeh – whose Adamawa State hometown has been overrun by rampaging thugs – calmly informed his audience that he feels equally pained by all military setbacks and terrorist outrages, whether they take place on his native turf or on other peoples’.

I used to be part of the crowd that regards the CDS as utterly useless for allowing his ancestral terrain to be hijacked. But his humble and laudable willingness to take full responsibility for every defeat has really impressed me.

Nigerian dignitaries are happy to take credit for successes and enjoy the perks of their powerful jobs. But most flatly refuse to admit that the buck stops on their desks when things go horribly wrong; and it is refreshing to encounter an officer and gentleman who has the guts to stand up and say “OK, blame me.”

*Air Marshal Alex Badeh, CDS

Badeh’s reaction and Spanish took forever to quell the deadly Irish Republicans, IRA, and dangerous Basque Separatists, ETA; and it really annoys me when Jonathan administration critics breezily carry on as if totally trouncing Boko Haram is an easy-peasy task that can be achieved overnight.

However, Jonathan, Badeh and their subordinates really need to up their games and tackle this tough challenge more dynamically.

I don’t believe cynical conspiracy theorists who keep insisting that

Capture of hometown And I have, on reflection, concluded that Badeh is right to take the view that the capture of his hometown, though no doubt immensely painful on a personal level, is NOT more significant than the capture of anyone else’s hometown.

In this country, we expect Big Men and Big Women to regard the protection and promotion of their backyards as a crucial priority. And if they don’t display a strong commitment to such aggressive favouritism,wemockorinsultthem.

Badeh deserves to be hailed for his civilized, courageous and matureobjectivity,whichisveryrare within a Naija context. BUT his fighters are not fulfilling their potential and he still has a lot of awkward questions to answer.

Even in the relatively sophisticated Western World, governments find it extremely difficult to destroy guerrilla movements.

Americanshavebeenbattlingwith Al Quaeda and its similarly toxic global offshoots for ages. The British C M Y K

Badeh deserves to be hailed for his civilized, courageous and mature objectivity, which is very rare within a Naija context

Boko Haram is being secretly sponsored by the authorities for murky reasons that are linked to the 2015 election. My view of Boko Haram is that it is a criminal enterprise that has a life of its own and cannot be controlled by anyone and must be ruthlessly crushed at the earliest opportunity.

However, the sad fact still remains thattoomanynegativestoriesabout the Army and its political backers are doing the rounds at the moment.

The other day, I was watching an internationalTVnewschannel.The government had recently announced that it had come to a ceasefire agreement with Boko Haram and would soon return the missing Chibok girls to their parents; but the alleged ceasefire had embarrassingly collapsed within hours and the foreign report described Jonathan as “naïve at best”.

Chai! Time to get more serious and claw back some credibility on this front.

Views from my Ogoni brethren

Here are some reactions to some of my recent comments. They were sent to me from an online discussion forum for Ogonis in Nigeria and the Diaspora.

Dear all, there has been in the last 16 years a vast, almost unbridgeable governance deficit and I do not think after six years of President Goodluck Jonathan’ stewardship that he possesses the attributes required to bridge this gap or run a diverse and complex nation like Nigeria.

He lacks the moral sagacity, the ability to aggregate our aspirations

and evolve a visionary goal that would inspire us all as a people to join him in lifting this country to a position of international respectabil-

ity just as the Chinese, Indians, Singaporeans and even the South Africans have done.

On the other hand Buhari has shown by reason of his personal discipline and his refusal to acquiesce to the general propensity for those in leadership positions to loot our common wealth, we could entrust or more appropriately employ him with our votes to provide the solutions to the myriad of problems we deal with daily. I do not think that he necessarily needs to outline full ideas on how he will deal the corruption monstrosity.

He only needs to assure us that both EFCC and ICPC would function without let or hindrance. The EFCC law is amongst the most forward looking globally. These institutions are comatose right now because their heads are constantly studying the body language of the president before deciding whether to act or not.

In essence what is required going forward are strong institutions that are allowed to perform their tasks without having to look over their shoulders. These institutions should be underpinned by persons of impeccable character.

If they fail to live up to expectations, they fail to proffer solutions or the solutions they put forward do not achieved our goals we should be at liberty to sack them withourvoteswhenthetimecomes.

Until we get into the rhythm of holding those who beg to apply as leaders to find workable solutions to our national malaise, we will keepbeingpunishedwiththedregs of society as leaders. Cheers

Between President Jonathan and Gen Buhari

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ORRUPTION is really one of the greatest problems of this country, and anyone who can be courageous to minimise it to a bearable level would get our support.

The greatest challenge President Jonathan faces is that he is sandwiched by patently corrupt folks, though he is caught in the web too.

BuharilikethePresidentisalsosandwiched by mindless treasury looters too, though comparatively, he is better than President Jonathan in terms of corruption complicity. If Buhari emerges as president of Nigeria, is he going to do the selective anti-corruption war like what Jonathan is doing ?

Buhari needs to outline his anticorruption strategies rather than sloganeering anti-corruption as a party campaign tactics. We need to think around this.

No to former heads of state

Dear all, It is my personal opinion that no formerMilitaryHeadofState should rule Nigeria again, no matter where they come from, South or North.

If a former Military Head of State could not transform Nigeria when he had an absolute power of dictatorship, where will the magic come from in a civilian government with a National Assembly in place?

I did not expect anything different from “OBJ” when he first indi-

*Gen Buhari cated interest for the office of the president. After two terms Obasanjo proved to skeptics like me that former Heads of State have nothing new to offer.

Anyone agitating for a former Military Head of State to come back and be president of Nigeria is a blind follower or in the words of Fela, a “zombie.” It is not the birth right of former military Heads of State of Nigeria to come back and rule the country one after another.

Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 675 9752 (texts only).

PLEASE KINDLY NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU REQUEST ANONYMITY, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE PUBLISHED, WITH YOUR NAMES AND CONTACT DETAILS ATTACHED.

18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 ABOUT a fortnight ago, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badey, to the surprise of many Nigerians, gleefully announced a ceasefire with the Boko Haram insurgents. He also disclosed that a deal brokered by the Chadian President, Mr Idris Derby, would see to the release of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped over six months ago.

Accordingly, he instructed the Nigerian troops battling the insurgents to hold their fire in order to allow the “peace deal” to go into effect.

The suspicions and skepticism of Nigerians were soon realised, as the insurgents seized the opportunity of lull in the assault by our troops to launch fierce attacks, especially in southern Borno and northern Adamawa areas, overrunning the Defence Chief ’s hometown and setting his residence on fire, as if to scorn the peace deal he announced.

Rather than leading to the gradual scaling down in the conflict, the one-sided ceasefire afforded Boko Haram the breather to gain more territory, displacing no fewer than 3,000 people from their villages, some

The Botched Ceasefire of them fleeing into neighbouring Cameroun. What really happened? Who negotiated the latest hoax? Would there ever be an end to the embarrassments?

How were the nation’s armed forces and Federal Government, once again, hoodwinked into dropping their guards?

Since this asymmetrical warfare got intensified in the past couple of years, the armed forces and the federal and state governments have shown uncanny gullibility and eagerness to jump at fake offers of peace deals which only led to further intensification and gains by Boko Haram.

It was a similar deception that led to the abduction of the Chibok girls, an event that

hangs on the neck of the country like an albatross. We are dismayed to note that the security and intelligence agencies have allowed this great nation to be exposed to too many expensive hoaxes, which could have been avoided by applying better intelligence gathering techniques.

The military authorities need to exercise more prudence in making public pronouncements. They have to crosscheck their facts beyond doubt. It will be a sad day when the military can no longer be trusted by the public. Some months ago, the military announced the rescue of the Chibok girls. No tangible explanation was given for the blunder which since then has become serial.

Could sabotage in high quarters be responsible for the bungling of the fight with Boko Haram? When are we going to see some of these saboteurs nabbed and brought to book for treason? A nation at war cannot afford to treat sabotage with kid gloves.It seems that the language Boko Haram will understand is crushing defeat on the battlefield; it would be the lasting ceasefire.

OPINION

By Femi Ayelabowo

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PEAKER of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, appears jittery that the House of Cards he built with treachery is about to come crashing on him, and has accused the Inspector General of Police, Sulaiman Abba, of perpetrating an illegality by withdrawing the security personnel attached to him. In fact, he said in Osogbo, Osun State, that he would not be intimidated, a clear manifestation of a man under fire and putting up a face.

His words: "Since the beginning of the public drama in Abuja, I have not made any public appearance or comments on it. Now that I am here, I will take the advantage of the ceremony to thank Nigerians, lovers of democracy, our true friends, members of human rights societies and others for the support extended to me on the matter.

“Since the matter is in court, I will not say much, but I will draw public attention to what is public knowledge. Before my defection to the APC, the governor of Ondo State defected alongside with the speaker of the state legislature. I believe there was no pronouncement from the IGP to the effect that the speaker lost his seat.” Indeed, in a clear case of a lawyer turning the law on its head, this wannabe Governor thinks what applies to a governor should apply to him.

But the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Augustine Alegeh, a much more experienced and practising lawyer had a somewhat different opinion from the rampaging politician from Sokoto. In his view, the Nigerian Constitution did not C M Y K

Tambuwal and his macabre dance anticipate that a presiding officer of the Senate or the House of Representatives would defect from one party to another during the course of his tenure and as such did not capture it.

He identified the lacuna in the Constitution and poor administration of justice in the country, according to newspaper reports, as factors responsible for the crisis trailing the Speaker’s defection. What Alegeh did not say was that the drafters of the Constitution did not think they would live to see the day a Speaker would be so treacherous as to dump a ruling party that brought him to office. But the Speaker's latest chicanery did not come as a surprise, considering the manner he emerged through subterfuge and crass politicking.

Alegeh did not agree the police did the right thing “because it lacks jurisdictional competence to determine whether or not there has been a breach of the Constitution in the defection… That duty is a function of the court. There is no provision in our Constitution that says if you are in PDP or APC and you decamp to another party you automatically lose your position of leadership of the House. There ought to be provision for a situation where a Speaker of the House who is charged constitutionally to declare a seat vacant is the person in the act of decamping."

However, Alegeh did not thoroughly interrogate the position of the Police which relied on Section 68 (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states: "(1)

A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if – (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored; or being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected."

Fearful of a backlash from the majority Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members, Tambuwal and his minority All Progressives Congress, APC, members rushed to court and got an order preventing PDP members from reconvening the House to pull the rug off the Speaker's feet. And as it stands, only the courts can keep the Speaker in place, since it is obvious he is not a man of integrity to honourably resign his office.

Already, some of his foot soldiers are asking to be given automatic tickets by the PDP as a precondition to boot him out, a situation that would simply be paying him in the coin he has used several times to get to where he is today. Five times in the past, the Speaker had exhibited treacherous traits, but he always managed to get away with his

political meanderings, but this may just be the last manouver that rubbishes him.

On Wikipedia as of November 3, 2014, this is the record of the Speaker's political journey thus far: "In 2003, he decided to run for a legislative seat as representative of the Kebbi/Tambuwal Federal Constituency. He was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Few months to the 2007 general elections, he defected to the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, alongside the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa. But when the DPP denied return tickets to former ANPP legislators, Tambuwal swung back to the ANPP, where he eventually succeeded in picking up a ticket for the election.

"But then again, when the ANPP governorship candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 election, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, dumped the party for the PDP, Tambuwal also followed suit. Tambuwal has held several offices in the House. In 2005, he became the Minority Leader of the House until he defected to the PDP. Upon his re-election to the House in 2007, he was also elected the Deputy Chief Whip.

With a treacherously colourful political history like this, there is no telling where the Speaker may end up next; or before the 2015 general elections. With such a rich background, who really needs a dictionary definition of political prostitution?

*Mr. Ayelabowo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from ibadan, Oyo State.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014— —19

By Clement Udegbe

A

LL the military rulers since the civil war were from the North, and did not give Igbos the second Niger Bridge.

The civilian government that followed ignored that need of the Igbos. President GEJ is the one who seems to appreciate this key need of the Igbo people and is working on it. Yet you find the Imo State Governor antagonising the President. The Governor claims that he fetes Chief Sam Mbakwe, but Mbakwe’s political strategies are completely lost on him. Chief Mbakwe was the only opposition governor who got more for his people than even the NPN governors, because he simply was driven by the love for his people.

Our governor preaches the gospel in government house, and celebrates when a Christian converts to Islam. What kind of evangelism is that? The Muslims know that they can confuse the selfish Igbo Christian, and that is why they despise Igbos so much.

I just shudder at these things. It is as if the war never happened!

Why won’t the Hausa- Fulani man despise Ndigbo when he knows that Igbos refused to learn from their own experiences?

After the war, Nigeria reduced all deposits by any Igbo man in the bank to 20 pounds only! It was an economic deprivation policy.

Igbos lamented seriously but trudged on with life. Now, 44 years after that war, has the Igbo

Are Igbo really foolish? (2) nation any plan to ensure the financial stability of day they will be asked to go home to Igbo land, yet their zone? No! Did they learn anything from that they have strangely done nothing to make the Igbo policy by Nigeria against them? No! Did they even land a place of pride in Nigeria for themselves and try to build any bridges with their kith and kin? No! their generations unborn.

Under the late General Sani Abacha as Head of The result is that today, we have people in Rivers and Delta states of Nigeria who bear Igbo names, State, the Catholic Pontif visited Nigeria and Igbo have Igbo traditional institutions and culture, but land. An international airport and a university were deny vehemently that they are Igbos because they to be built in honour of the late Michael Tansi. That do not want to associate with the Igbo man in order airport project was scuttled because Igbo sons in not to curry the displeasure of the likes of Dr. Junaid transport business killed it. Today, Igbos drive to Mohammed who were in power. Since Igbo Asaba in Delta State to board planes to go wherever. neighbours in Rivers and Delta states rejected Igbos How wise have they become in this one?

Ten years after the end of the war by to please their Northern bosses, 1980, they started killing Igbos again should Igbos not plan as a people selectively in Kano; they called it and stop fighting and blocking Maitatsine riots. The Northerners told each other? No, not Ndigbo!

Igbos not to worry, and Igbos listened I have lived in Yoruba land since to them and accepted their situation. the past 34 years, and I keep Some Igbo men joined in shouting that hearing the words “Omo-Ibo” ‘Aje nothing happened. okuta ma mu omi’(meaning people But soon after, the hatred which who chew stones without drinking started because the average Igbo man water), used in a rather derogatory is a Christian and the average manner by the Yorubas when Northerner, a Muslim spread across addressing Igbo people. I have the North and in Plateau State; they asked the offence of the Igbo man started burning churches, killing Igbos against Yorubas, and there was and others as well. Nothing happened none, except that the Igbo came the killings have continued till with nothing after the war, and are This is the Igbo and date. recovering the swampy lands in man’s lot Has the Igbo moved or relocated?

Lagos State, developing them and No! Does the Igbo man have any plan making immense contributions to everywhere in to stem the imminent Jihad that Boko their economy, while shamelessly Nigeria; he has Haram is promising to unleash on their abandoning his own land in the South East. ended up being religion? No! Do they even accept that the war is about their religion? Has This is the Igbo man’s lot trapped in the South Eastern Governors everywhere in Nigeria. He has produced any plan to assist their ended up being trapped in confusion peoples displaced from the North? confusion between his host states between his Nothing like that! and his homeland. The result is Can anyone really blame the likes that in spite of the huge host states and of Junaid Mohammed for telling them investments by Igbos in other his homeland the truth? Every now and then, you zones, they have this fear that one

By Ekanpou Enewaridideke

B

ETWEEN 1996 and 2009, Warri South-West Council was noted for the fierce communal war between the Ijaws and the Itsekiris. The creation of Warri South-West in 1996 with headquarters in Ogbe-Ijoh and subsequent relocation of the headquarters from Ogbe-Ijoh to Ogidigben (an Itsekiri community) were the causative factors of the war.

However, within the turbulent season between the two nationalities, Chief Couple Oromoni democratically emerged as the first Executive Chairman of Warri South-West Council on March 24, 1997. He was officially sworn in by Col. David Dungs (the military administrator of Delta State then).

Regrettably, immeasurable losses in terms of lives and properties were recorded on both sides. This is an agonising experience both sides wordlessly gestured and swallowed as a tribute to the futility of war.

Awakened to the chastening touch from the futility of war, and with the capital of Warri South-West eventually headquartered at Ogbe-Ijoh, the Ijaws and the Itsekiris consensually worked out a power-sharing formula by which they could rotationally claim the chairmanship seat of the Council on democratic basis.

This consensual power-sharing mechanism marked the end of the communal war to some extent, though a cold war, bordering on mutual counterclaims of invasive marginalisation ranging from advantageous manipulation of demographic figure or C M Y K

find some misguided Northerners insulting Igbos and no one responds because the Igbo man wants to protect his investments.

While I appreciate the little wisdom in it, I refuse to accept that Igbos should take any kind of rubbish from these men for no just cause.

APC's Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State was reported recently to have said that he endorses a Jihad in Nigeria.

Jihad means the eradication of all other forms of religion by the use of force. That is APC talking; yet some Igbo governors and sons are busy dancing the shameless dance of death around APC! Sheik Ahmad Gumi has just written open letters, and followed it up with press interviews in which he urged GEJ and Buhari not to contest, in the 2015 elections. His major reason is that Buhari’s many followers have been brainwashed that he will become the next President, such that they will take to committing mayhem should Buhari lose.

Sheik Gumi’s argument cannot stand, because it is certain that in any free, fair and transparent elections, GEJ will defeat Buhari, any day. It appears therefore that they are laying the foundations to target the Igbos and nonMuslims should they lose the elections of 2015. The prime targets, the Igbo people, will refuse as usual to read this handwriting on the wall!

•Udegbe, practitioner, Lagos.

a legal wrote from

Before violence breaks out in Warri South-West data, oil politics, land ownership and provoked by George’s democratic others, still raged between the two enthronement among the Ijaws and nationalities like a flameless glowing Itsekiris, it is puzzling to find mangrove wood in the hearth. clangorous, discordant and puny In 2008-2011, Ekpemupolo George publications aimed at discrediting the became the Chairman of Warri South- performance of the Delta State West as an offshoot of the power-sharing Independent Electoral Commission, mechanism. While Ekpemupolo George DSIEC and personalities like High Chief reigned as the Council Government Ekpemupolo and Chairman, the elective Governor Emmanuel position to the Delta State Uduaghan over imagined roles House of Assembly was on this matter. occupied by an Itsekiri Neither Tompolo nor person. Both the Ijaws Governor Uduaghan should be and the Itsekiris faulted, maligned, blackmailed wholeheartedly embraced and derogated over a this power-sharing democratic action taken mechanism without any collectively by the Ijaws and feeling of rancour and the Itsekiris of Warri Southacrimony. Among many West. Over the years Tompolo chairmen who had is known for his liberation benefitted from this struggle that is clearly devoid consensual political of nepotism and favouritism as a r r a n g e m e n t , none of his blood brothers Ekpemupolo George currently holds any elective or occupies unrivalled appointive position at any position of radiance level, though it would still have because it was he who been counted as deserving transformed the council. George won dividends of his struggle if any Ekpemupolo George of his blood brothers were was recently courtesy of the found in any key elective or democratically enthroned power-sharing appointive position either at as the Chairman of Warri the federal or state level. The South-West. The collective formula spread of his liberation votes of the Ijaws and the between the struggle is national, larger than Itsekiris created this Warri South –West where only two widely applauded some Ijaws inhabit. democratic possibility. nationalities Because Ekpemupolo With the euphoria George won the chairmanship

of Warri South-West on the ticket of PDP, DSIEC is negatively portrayed as a victim of interference by the Delta State Government, and may be by the socalled Tompolo whose name they have a predisposition to invoke and link to anything they choose not to understand.

Statutorily, DSIEC would have been the first to complain of interference if any exists, not outside forces. The fallacy that Ekpemupolo George won the October 25, 2014 local government election because there was collusion between Governor Uduaghan and Tompolo is a derogation that must not be mouthed.

The competent and popular George won courtesy of the power-sharing formula between the two nationalities. Nobody should imagine any political abracadabra from anywhere.

Having lost the election, some elements who have become the megaphone, the town-criers, the apostles of substitution of an existing name with that of George, have just borrowed the position of these attentionseeking elements that the victory of George will provoke a crisis in the Council. It was statements like these that later gave birth to intensified terrorist activities in Nigeria after President Jonathan’s victory in the 2011 presidential election. These elements are probably poised to cause violence in Warri South-West Council between the Ijaws and the Itsekiris. *Mr.Enewaridideke, a political analyst, wrote from Akparemogbene town, Delta State

20 — Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Suspected assassination of businessman: Widow wants justice

BY SUZAN EDEH, BAUCHI

T

HE death of Mr John Udeh, 40, on October 28, 2014 at the hands of unknown gunmen, is currently a subject of police investigations in Bauchi State.

The suspicious circumstances surrounding the untimely death of the Enugu State indigene from Ezeagwu local government has left many people asking questions about those behind what is widely believed to be the assassination of the successful business man.

Mr Udeh who resided in Federal Low Cost area of Bauchi was shot dead by gunmen in the presence of his wife while driving into the premises of his house. It is a tragedy Mrs Udeh is yet to come to terms with as she broke down in tears while narrating the incident when Vanguard Metro, VM, visited the bereaved family.

“I witnessed the brutal killing of my husband at the entrance of our house. We were returning home after closing for business that day. Just

•Weeping widow ...Mrs Udeh

handed over the N309,000 that was in the car to the gunmen .They collected the money and pointed the gun at my husband and shot him in the head and chest. I am yet to wake up from this nightmare because it is a very traumatic experience for me. I don’t know how I will be able to recover from the death of my husband who is everything to me,” she told VM.

•The late Mr. John Udeh when we were approaching the gate of our house, two gunmen suddenly appeared from nowhere and demanded

for money. I was afraid at the time, but was silently praying we would not be harmed. “ I was filled with fear and

ROVING CAMERA

Amazing display...A public performer entertaining his audience

Pix: Lamidi Bamidele

when he heard gunshots. According to him: “Our madam was with him, and two other apprentices were also in the car with them. We went to open the gate for them when we suddenly heard gunshot.

Then I ran away. Later we heard Madam crying, but before I came out the Audi car had left. One of our neighbours had rushed him to the hospital”.

Elder brother of the deceased, Bosco Solomon Udeh, Apprentices of decried the killing, saying that the family is not ruling out the deceased an assassination. “I feel very The woman recalled that her bad about it. I don’t have anyhusband “always told me that thing to say about the securiwe will move to another ty situation in the state. He left state before the 2015election behind four children and a as if he had the premonition wife. I don’t know what will of what was going to befall happen to his children now.

All I know is that my brother him”. was assassinated,” Chimezie Solomon said.

Ugwu, one of the Reacting to the deapprentices of the velopment, the State deceased narratPolice Public Relation ed what Officer, DSP Haruna happened.

Mohammed said that “When I heard on the 28th of Octothe sound of his ber 2014 at about car horn, I opened 6:30pm, gunmen the gate; then I suspected to be heard gunshots armed robbers shot and I ran back. He one John Udeh , of was about to drive F e d e r a l in when he was Lowcost,Bauchi and shot. I did not made away with know that it was N309,000. my boss that was He said police deshot at that time. tectives led by DPO I was afraid to Dutsen Tanshi visitcome back to ased the scene of the sess the situation crime and rushed the because I did not I witvictim to ATBU know if the gunnessed the Teaching Hospital, men were still where he was h a n g i n g brutal kill- Bauchi certified dead. around,” he said According to DSP ing of my Friday Uwakwe, Mohammed, “the another apprenhusband; I police is working on tice who was with am yet to a clue that could lead Chimezie when to the arrest of the he opened the wake up perpetrators and gate for their Oga from this bring them to at about 6pm, said justice”. nightmare he too ran away

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 21

Electricity: LCCI seeks abolition of fixed charges

BY NAOMI UZOR

T

HE Lagos Chamber of Com merce and Industry, LCCI, has said that the concept of fixed electricity charges should be abolished as this is an unfair treatment to consumers.

In a parley with pressmen, President of LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello, said, that the power situation is still a major problem for businesses across all sectors, as energy cost remains a major threat to business sustainability, adding that, expenditure on diesel and other fuels continue to increase and the power sector privatisation is yet to make the desired impact. He further stated that profit margins of firms have been adversely affected.

He said,“There is need for the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to urgently address the growing concerns over the outrageous bills to consumers and the poor quality of service. Most Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs spend considerable sums on payment for public power supply. Often, these firms never get supply commensurate to payments made. Let me again reiterate our position that the concept of fixed charges should be abolished as this is an unfair demand on power consumers.”

Bello said “The good news in all of these is the likely moderation of cost of fuel importation as this is well known to be a major burden on the finances of the country,” adding that, “the share of the nation’s resources committed to fuel importation and fuel subsidy is scandalous. It is hoped that declining oil price would moderate this cost.

“We expect a reduction in the cost of diesel which has become a nightmare

USC 186.70 USC -1.50 USD2,870.0USD -11.00 USC 15.53USC -0.15

USD 83.22 USD 0.40 USD 78.79 USD 1.60

CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

154.78 247.6944 193.4286 160.4104 1.3617 0.2764 228.0521 25.2949 41.2582 25.9816 228.8113

155.28 248.4946 194.0534 160.9286 1.3661 0.2864 228.7888 25.3771 41.3914 26.0655 229.5504

155.78

249.2947 194.6783 161.4468 1.3705 0.2964 229.5255 25.4592 41.5247 26.1494 230.2896

CBN Exchange Rate as 05 /10 / 2014

for many investors. The essence of the foregoing review of the implications of declining oil price is to alert stakeholders in the economy of the challenges that lie ahead of the declining oil prices. Adjustments will become inevitable at the public and private sector levels. Business models

may have to be reviewed to ensure sustainability. There will also be fiscal adjustments in the public sector to ensure governance sustainability as well. It cannot be business as usual.”

Bello noted that the current scenario of sliding oil price is significant and alarming and that it slumped from $114

per barrel in June to $85 per barrel currently, the lowest in three years.

“On top of that, we are struggling with the problem of crude oil theft which is taking its toll on output. For an economy that is 95 per cent dependent on oil for its foreign exchange earnings; and 85 per cent dependent on it for revenue, this development should be a cause for concern.”

FACILITY TOUR: From left: Executive Director, Coleman Wires and Cables Ltd, Michael Onafowokan, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Fidelity Bank Plc., Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, Managing Director, Coleman Wires and Cables, George Onafowokan and Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc. John Obi during the facility tour of the multi-million naira factory financed by Fidelity Bank.

BoI okays PRODA as supplier of cottage fund equipment

By FRANKLIN ALLI

T

he Bank of Industry has approved the Projects De velopment Institute (PRODA) Enugu as one of the technology centres to fabricate and provide equipment to beneficiaries of its N5 billion Cottage Agro Processing Fund The institute was originally the Projects Development Agency under the defunct East Central State Government but later became a Research institute under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) now Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, but still retains the acronym PRODA. The Managing Director, BoI, Rasheed Olaoluwa, during a visit to the Institute in Enugu, disclosed that it was part of a deliberate plan and strategy to link centres of innovation with industry, as a similar visit had been paid to the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, (FIIRO) Lagos.

“This is a journey. We have been to FIIRO and now at PRODA. I think you should watch out for more; Nigeria in the past had invested significantly in a lot of research institutes that have done a lot of work and we need to ensure that those works are commercialised and leveraged by the private sector to ensure that we fast-track Nigeria’s industrialisation. And some of these technologies include the cassava processing equipment, corn flour equipment, the palm-kernel cracker and oil extractor among others,” he said.

Olaoluwa who was conducted round the facilities of the Institute by the Acting Director-General of PRODA, Dr. Charles Agulanna, said: “To my greatest surprise, I discovered this afternoon that PRODA just like FIIRO has also developed a number of technologies over the years and in addition to discussing in theory we actually went to the workshop and we looked at some of those technologies and we actually saw people coming here to take those technologies to set-up businesses in many parts of Nigeria.”

He noted that in addition to the agro-processing equipment production, PRODA also had other technologies such as equipment for producing pencils, which if actually commercialised, will make Nigeria the only country in Africa that produces pencils.

“We also discussed about the BoI’s Cottage Agro Processing (CAP) Fund which we launched recently. PRODA is also going to be one of the equipment suppliers to ensure that people who want to process Nigeria’s vast agricultural produce can come to PRODA and also adopt their technologies, to ensure that those products are processed to final food products or inter-mediate raw materials for industries,” he said.

In his response, Agulanna said: “This visit is a window for the Institute to start to impact positively on the economy of the country and we do have a lot of researched product on our shelves and we think with this coming of BoI, we will be well guided in trying to disseminate some of the technologies that we have here and some of the R&D products.”

22 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

GSK targets double digit growth, as new CEO takes over

BY PETER EGWUATU

G

laxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria Plc has disclosed that its target for the next financial year is to grow major financial indicators by double digit in order to make returns to shareholders.

The newly appointed, Chief Executive Officer, CEO of GSK , Mr. Dayanand Thandalam, who stated this during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos said “Our target is to grow our financials by double digit. However, the economic down turn in terms of declining purchasing power and other economic down turn continued to be a threat. But this is beyond our control. The exchange rate fluctuation of the naira is there. More than 75 per cent of our products are mainly manufactured locally. So we will continue to look backward in terms of our raw materials.”

However, he said that the company will try to minimise cost to drive higher profitability, stressing that promotion of its products through advertisement and other distributive channels are key.

According to him “GSK will continue to add value to its products and grow its bottom line .We will sustain our product development in the consumer healthcare segment and continued sales, marketing and distribution efforts as well as the company’s strong presence across Nigeria.”

He noted that the company has been able to sustain a steady growth due to the brand equity enjoyed by virtue of its parent company and robust product portfolio.

“The continuous investments and technical assistance from our major shareholder, GSK Plc, UK, have been critical to the success of our company and also being the market leader in

the healthcare sector in Nigeria.”

Thandalam, said GSK will continue to invest in Nigeria to ensure that its products are made more available to its esteemed consumers.

He commended the shareholders for their belief in the company and their

continuous investment in the growth of the company.

He re-assured Nigerian consumers that they would continue to enjoy the rich taste of Lucozade and Ribena because, under the new arrangement, GSK Consumer Nigeria will continue to carry on with Lucozade and Ribena

From left: Joyce Dimkpa; GH, Oil & Gas Upstream, Access Bank Plc, Jacques Rooman; President/CEO, Sea Truck Group Limited, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Steve Assiter; Chief Financial Officer, Sea Truck Group Limited and Elias Igbinakenzua; ED, Corporate and Investment Banking, Access Bank Plc at the official signing ceremony of a multimillion dollar facility at the Bank’s head office in Lagos.

CWG repositions for growth, targets N16bn revenue C

OMPUTER Warehouse Group, CWG Plc has said that it is repositioning for sustained growth as it targets N16 billion revenue for the current financial year.

Commenting on the business outlook for the remaining part of the year, Founder/Chief Executive Officer of CWG, Mr. Austin Okere, said the company plans to further execute and recognise revenues from the traditional brick and mortar

business which shall see a 46 per cent increase in revenue from the third quarter(Q3) numbers to N16.5 billion by year end, and a correspondingly higher 61 per cent increase in profit after tax to N300 million.

“This reflects a continuing improvement in margins with a greater efficiency in our operations, and good focus on the growth of our managed services. The company is firmly

Standard Char o Charttered, MNI add Nigeria tto business sentiment indicat or indicator orss

S

business as it would continue bottling and distributing the two brands for SBF following the completion of the deal.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed, GSK Nigeria, Chairman, Mr. Edmund Onuzo, who took over from Chief Olusegun Osunkeye said the company will continue to partner with shareholders and assured them of continuous growth.

TANDARD Chartered Bank has stated that from the end of October 2014, it will alongside MNI Indicators, publish monthly Business Sentiment Indicators for two leading markets namely Kenya and Nigeria in Africa.

The bank through a statement noted that its MNI Business Sentiment Indicators which provides unrivalled insight into business activity, and is expected to be a forerunner in economic analysis in each of the countries Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana inclusive, ensures that companies of varying scale and sectors respond to a consistent set of survey questions covering themes such as orders, production, interest rate fluctuations, credit availability, employment and export trends.

According to the bank, its first MNI BSI Indicators reveal that business confidence

appears to be robust in Nigeria, with demand and output both increasing at the fastest pace since the Standard Chartered MNI BSI series began in March. It further adds that whilst it is likely the holiday season of Eid el Kabir and Independence day celebrations in early October lifted output, activity is usually robust ahead of Christmas.

The statement further noted that while interpretation of trends within the BSI should improve over time, there are a few key observations in the economy. It stated that despite the Ebola virus, business confidence has held up and the economy appears unaffected.. “Although export orders have jumped to a series high, the Nigerian Naira weakness is seen to be hurting business through higher input prices (raw material, consumables, etc) as most of them are imported.

focused on scaling its new subscription businesses, under the CWG2.0 umbrella, in order to see a change in the profitability trend by half of 2015” Okere said.

According to Okere “The Group has made great strides in the introduction of its new subscription based business lines.

“The first amongst them, the SMERP, a cloud based ERP product is ready for roll out and is currently being tested by a few organisations. There are also on-going discussions with multilateral organisations, focused on SMEs and achieving inclusive growth in Nigeria, to collaborate on the roll out of this product.”

He added that there is also the flagship ecommerce technology platform, Openshopen.ng, a product, he said, was running a beta test with a few organisations, with the plan for a mass rollout in the first quarter of 2015.

“There is also the free to air services which the group will be offering in collaboration with the second largest satellite provider in Europe.

Analysts forsee Skye Bank as mega bank after merger

F

inancial analysts have described the current wave of mergers and acquisition in the country as the second round of consolidation and foresee Skye Bank Plc as a mega bank following its acquisition of Mainstreet Bank .

Between September 11, 2014 and now, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has announced names of the preferred bidders for two of its three banks penciled down for sale.

On September 11, AMCON announced Heritage Bank Limited as the preferred bidder for Enterprise Bank and followed up, three weeks after, with the selection of Skye Bank as the preferred bidder for Mainstreet Bank Limited.

Skye Bank, a leading tier 2 Bank in Nigeria, was among the 8 banks recently designated as ‘Systemically Important Banks’, which reflects its industry leadership, strong market share, diverse location spread, and strong brand equity.

AMCON, in a statement signed by its Head, Corporate Communications Strategy and Research, Mr. Kayode Lambo, announced Cedar One Investment Partners Limited as the first reserve bidder and Fidelity Bank Plc as the second reserve bidder for the acquisition of the entire issued and fully paid up ordinary shares of Mainstreet Bank Limited.

However, within four days of the announcement of Skye Bank as the preferred bidder by AMCON, the bank effected payment of the mandatory 20 per cent before the expiry of the one week given. This was on October 9, the same day it signed the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement . And in a display of buoyancy and commitment to see the deal through, the bank again, paid the 80 per cent balance to complete the takeover of Mainstreet with one week to the deadline given by AMCON. AMCON had announced Skye Bank as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of all its interest in Mainstreet Bank, representing the entire capital of the bridge bank.

Skye Bank emerged the preferred bidder after a rigorous bidding exercise that spanned five months, with over 20 bidders contending.

Reacting to the development, Skye Bank said the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank was part of its strategic plan for growth. Skye Bank emerged from the very successful merger and integration of five banks in 2006, following the first phase of the banking industry consolidation.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 23

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Customs agents, terminal operators clash over review of charges

By Godwin Oritse

L

ICENSED Customs agents and terminal operators are on a collision course over the decision of the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) to reduce port charges.

Recall that last week, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council directed that all terminal operators and shipping firms operating in Nigeria should revert to the 2009 port charges approved tby the then Minister of Transport.

To resist this decision, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), and members of the Association of Shipping Line Agencies (ASLA) obtained seperate court injunctions stopping the implementation of the Council's decision.

Ruling on an ex-parte motion brought before him by the STOAN, Justice Ibrahim Buba granted an injunction restraining the NSC and/or its agents from implementing the reversal order pending determination of the substantive suit. He adjourned the matter to Monday 10th November 2014 for further hearing.

But on Monday, Customs agents shut down the A. P. Moller terminal vowing to keep the terminal shut until the A.P. Moller’s management reverse their charges as directed by the Council.

Freight forwarders Similarly, two major groups of freight forwarders, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) have also began moves to shut down the entire seaport across the country over the same issue of uncontrolled charges.

Among other things, NSC ordered an increase in the free storage period at the port from three days to seven days.

The Council equally directed shipping companies to reduce their shipping line agency charges from N26,500 to N23,850 per TEU and from N48,000 to N40,000 per FEU. It also directed shipping agencies to refund container deposits to

importers and agents within 10 working days after the return of the empty containers.

Specifically, the interventions which are expected to take effect from November 3, 2014, include: Progressive Storage Charge and Free Storage Period for terminal operators.

It also came hard on Shipping Line Agency Charge, Container Deposit, Container Cleaning And Maintenance Charge, as well as Container Demurrage, for shipping companies.

In the case of terminal operators, they have been ordered to reverse collections in respect of Progressive storage Charge, Free Storage Period to the preMay 2009 rates that were approved by the Minister of Transport.

Similarly, Council has increased the container storage free days grace to seven days, up from three days that the terminal operators had been allowing.

It also pegged the maximum charge for storage to N10,000, irrespective of the number of days during which imported containers stay at the terminal.

In the case of shipping companies, the Nigeria Shippers’ Council also announced some farreaching decisions regarding: Shipping Line Agency Charge and Container Deposit charge.

Also affected are: Container Cleaning and Maintenance Charge as well as Container Demurrage charge.

Specifically, on the controversial (refundable) container deposit charge, the Council ordered that as from November 3, 2014, the deposit must be refunded to the importer or the clearing agent within 10 days after the return of the container or pay interest rate on such deposit for the number of days they refund was not made.

Similarly, container demurrage-free period has been increased from five days to 10 days, while it pegged the controversial ‘container cleaning and maintenance charge’ at N1,500 only for any category of containers Commenting on the development, President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Chief Eugene Nweke said that the charges are still on the high side

despite the reduction, .

Similarly, a logistics expert, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, explained that high port charges has defeated the objective of a Port reform

adding that the process was meant to achieve reduction in cost of cargo clearance.

According to Amiwero, the port reform process was supposed to improve quality of service, make

the ports client friendly, facilitate further development of the nation’s transport infrastructure, eliminate congestion anf facilitate emergence of

Nigeria as a hub for West and Central African Subregion with a view to creating wealth and create employment. He also said that most of the charges being collected by both the terminal operators and shipping firms are at variance with international best practices and trade conventions.

SYMPOSIUM: From right: Prof. Charles Ukeje, Department of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University; Rear Admiral Francis Akpan (retd.) and Navy Captain Habib Usman, from the Western Naval Command, at a two-day maritime security and safety symposium, organized by Diddan Consulting, in Lagos.

Concessionaires accuse Intels of monopolistic have insisted, and continue practices to insist that these must be

BY GODWIN ORITSE

S

EAPORT Terminal O p e r a t o r s Association, made up of the twenty-six (26) Concessionaires of the ports have accused Intels, operators of the Onne Oil

and Gas free zone of distorting the fact over its alleged monopolistic tendency at the ports.

In a statement, STOAN’s legal adviser, Barr Boye Uzamot said the the group blamed the management of Intels for distortion of fact with a view to taking undue

advantage over the other concessionaires.

“If Intels now debunks the allegation of creating monopolistic environment, they should be asked who coined the nomenclature such as “Oil and Gas cargo” (which is unknown anywhere in the world) and

Akpobolokemi re-appointed as NIMASA D-G

D

IRECTORGeneral/CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi has been re-appointed for another fouryear term by President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR. The re-appointment, which was conveyed in a letter dated October 13, 2014 and signed by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, becomes effective December 23, 2014.

Akpobolokemi’s re-appointment has been widely acclaimed as a recognition of his performance as DG/CEO of NIMASA in the past four years.

In his first term, Akpobolokemi repositioned

maritime administration in Nigeria and made it an important pillar in the nation’s economy.

His activities resulted in a new wave of improved maritime safety and secu-

rity, creating an enabling environment for maritime business to thrive, a development widely acknowledged by the International Maritime Organisation.

Ekeocha wins Igbo maritime forum election

S

IR Mike Ekeocha, a frontline freight forwarder last week won the chairmanship election of the Apapa chapter of the Igbo maritime Forum election held at the Mobil Pagaeus Club Apapa.

Ekeocha who was receive a massive support from fellow freight forwarders beat other contestants by a wide margin.

Ekeocha who will run the affairs of the Forum for another two years will be assisted by Anthony Onuora, as Vice chairman, and Nze Edekobi Joseph was elected as Secretary.

Other elected executives of the Forum includes Assistant Sec..

Emeka Enwelu, who elected as Assistant Secretary ,and Hyginus Odili as Treasurer.

handled only at the port of Onne, Calabar and Warri, which are INTELS terminals ?," he queried Uzamot explained it is not every cargo that is considered oil and gas cargoes adding most of the cargoes handled by Intels can also be considered to be general cargo.

“To INTELS, pipes, dismantled rigs are all oil and gas cargoes and notgeneral cargoes that they are known to be all over the world.

“Vessels carrying pipes and related cargoes calling at, and meant for other terminalshavebeendiverted to INTELS terminals at the instance of INTELS. "In an attempt to buttress this apparent absurdity, INTELS flaunts a copy of the purported terminal classification which they claim to have obtained from a government agency that gives them the exclusive right to handle all so called “Oil and Gas cargoes.”

“Interestingly, the definition of general cargoes in the concessioning agreement between the government and all other parties, which binds all concerned does not admit of the definition INTELS are trying to smuggle into it."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—25

NIHOTOUR plans partnership with Lagos on tourism

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From left: Protogene Nsensumuremyi, Rwandan High Commissioner in Nigeria; Mr Ikechi Uko, Initiator, Akwaaba African Travel Market; Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development presenting an award of Carnival Calabar as the Best Event of the year to Senator Florence Ita-Giwa receiving on behalf of Cross Rivers State Government during the Akwaaba Africa Travel Awards 2014 in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele.

Akwaaba travel show sells Nigeria as tourism destination •SA tourism cements trade pact

S

By Jimoh Babatunde

TAKEHOLDERS in the African travel and tourism sector gathered in Lagos for three days to brainstorm on ways to promote and improve the travel tourism sector in West African at the annual Akwaaba African Travel Market which ended Tuesday.

Akwaaba, according to the organisers of the event is a popular word in the West Africa which translates to welcome in Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire. Over the last nine years, Akwaaba has become the most important travel marketing platform in the region drawing 7,000 to 10,000 visitors from over 20 countries.

Declaring the exhibition open, the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, said Akwaaba gives people in the tourism industry room to interact with hoteliers, travel and transport industry operators and to share their individual experiences.

Individual experiences While commending the efforts of the organiser, Mr. Ikechukwu Uko, the minister described Akwaaba as educative event which broadens people’s knowledge of the field of tourism. “It is equally an avenue for tourism investors to share ideas and proffer ways to develop tourism in Africa,” she said.

Mr. Ikechi Uko, the organizer of the exhibition said that the annual Akwaaba Tourism Fair has become an avenue to market Nigeria as a tourist destination. Uko noted that the country has enormous tourism potential that could be showcased to the international community.

C M Y K

“The fair has opened the door to Nigeria and Africa tourism market and served as a platform for exchange of cultural and tourism potentials among participating countries. “ Uko said.

Speaking on the low turn- out of foreign participants at this year’s fair, Mr. Ikechi Uko attributed it to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) that broke out last July. ”Out of over 15 countries that indicated their interests to participate in this year ’s Akwaaba, only five countries were able to make it.

“The other countries were discouraged because of the outbreak of EVD in West Africa, “ he said. Uko urged the nation’s tourism practitioners to package and market domestic tourism destinations properly.

“Some practitioners do not have the fundamental knowledge of tourism; therefore, it has become difficult for them to market the destination.

He said the industry can only be developed when the nation’s tourism practitioners get it right, noting that Akwaaba fair would always serve as the best avenue for tourism practitioners to learn and understand the workings of the industry very well.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s tourism credentials as a leisure destination were put on full display at this year ’s AKWAABA travel and trade show.

During the three day show, the South African Tourism team pulled out all stops to actively promote South Africa’s unique value proposition as a leisure destination to the West African traveller and trade. Nigeria and South Africa have enjoyed a long-standing and fruitful partnership.

The two countries have many times spoken of their resolve to strengthen relations and work together for the longterm betterment of an economically

vibrant African continent. Travel and tourism has been identified as a key driver in unbridling this potential.

South African Tourism used its time at AKWAABA to meet with the trade, present to them the destination’s value proposition and, most significantly, cement deals which will see South Africa’s destination offering bolstered in the consumer space.

Thulani Nzima, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of South African Tourism said the travel trade are a critical component to the work that they do.

“During AKWAABA we officially announced our partnership with the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) who will help boost tourist arrivals growth from Nigeria to South Africa by developing a range of packages to suit the Nigerian traveller.”

Significant milestone

This partnership, he says, is a significant milestone and one which we believe will go far in reaffirming our commitment to bolstering the economic relations between Nigeria and South Africa. It will also give us access to a wide audience of discerning travellers who contribute significantly to South Africa’s growth.

“Africans should stand together and continue to educate the rest of the world. If we want to continue attracting business and welcoming tourists from all over the world, it is our responsibility as the collective African trade industry to manage these perceptions swiftly.”

HE National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has disclosed plans to partner Lagos State Government to develop the tourism and hospitality industry in the state.

Director-General of the institute, Mrs Chika Balogun, who stated this in an interview in Lagos said that the partnership would help to reposition tourism industry in the state, adding that the collaboration would be driven by the institute and the Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations in the state.

According to her, Lagos State has enormous tourism potential that are yet to be tapped.

“The partnership will serve as an eyeopener for both partners and investors on tourism assets in the state.

“There are so many areas the government is not looking at, but with this teamwork with the institute, it will move the industry to the next level,” she said.

She expressed optimism that the synergy would attract local and foreign investors to the state, who would rejuvenate its tourism and hospitality sector.

“This will be achieved by training government officials, private and public investors, operators and other stakeholders on tourism development and its investment opportunity.

“The institute will also engage in PublicPrivate-Partnership (PPP) to develop the industry,“ Balogun said.

She added that the partnership would also create investment opportunities in the state and encourage classification of hotels.

“I believe in teamwork and I am familiar with some challenges facing the industry.

“I believe that very soon we will make headway and move this multi-million Naira sector forward in the areas of training and capacity building, `` she said.

The director-general promised to improve on condition of service of the institute to enable it meet its responsibilities, especially quality service delivery.

“These we will achieve by introducing professional, technical and specialised trainings as well as post-graduate courses in the travel, tourism and hospitality fields,“ she said

Director-General, Nigeiran Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Sally Mbanefo flanked by the Chairman, Arik Airs, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide (left) and Arik Air ’s Managing Director/Executive Vice President, Mr. Chris Ndulue, at a meeting for collaboration with NTDC, in Lagos

26—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

I N S I D E

Enugu: The last day rebellion of the speaker

Delta: How Uduaghan has touched our lives — Macaulay

P. 27

Kogi West Senate Race:

Adeyemi’s smart moves

P. 28

P. 29

2015: Lagos is now up

for grabs — Oyedokun •Why we begged Jonathan to contest FORMER Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, in this interview, spoke on a wide range of issues including why former President Olusegun Obasanjo should support President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election and the need for Olagunsoye Oyinlola to return to the PDP. Excerpts:

By Gbenga Olarinoye

to be very unhappy with the party in the South-West...

I won’t say he is not happy with HAT efforts are you and the party in the South-West. And other leaders of the PDP if he is unhappy with the party making to reposition the party in the South West because of one in the South-West? single person, that will be very We have made every effort to unfortunate. Unfortunate in the stabilize internally and fill the sense that this is a national issue, gap of those who left. We made this is a global leader whose sure that when they left and in backing has been very most cases, they left with nobody noteworthy on issues and following them. We consolidated, challenges all over the world. This rehabilitated those prominent is someone who has taken people behind them, and through advantage of this same party and the National Assembly, we have he served the people and the been able to stabilize the party. entire nation for two terms of Most importantly, we are trying eight years in governance. And to make functional if today, somebody all the organs of offends him or the party at all somebody annoys levels and him in the party and recently, with the he feels unhappy, I effort of the think it will be very N a t i o n a l unfortunate.

Chairman, No doubt he has Adamu Muazu, also offended many who we now call people and we don’t the "game see anybody changer.” He has complaining. My been able to set up simple advice, if committees for the truly he is unhappy purpose of visiting with us, he has the states and never come up to tell zones, for proper us why he is integration. unhappy with us.

So, through that, Secondly, if he is we are unhappy with the consolidating Lagos State is President, again, it because we want is unfortunate. He to consolidate now ready for introduced us to the properly before we grabs for the president in 2010 start picking our and he told us all his candidates. And PDP. The nonattributes and we the party has really indigenes are bought the idea. stabilized ahead of he has to leave tired of what is theIf president the 2015 election. now, I P r e s i d e n t going on in think we can O l u s e g u n humbly criticize him Obasanjo is said the state that he would be

W

•Oyedokun: Oyinlola's defection was the most painful pain in my political career very unfair to us because we needed to be told why. He has no cause to be unhappy with us.

Given the recent efforts by the PDP Integration Committee, do you see the party winning the 2015 elections in the South-West and particularly in Lagos State?

In the Southwest, the committee is headed by the President of the Senate, David Mark, and he is making tremendous efforts.

Opposition party What remains now, is to get the candidates for various elective posts and once they are able to do that, I believe things would so much change in our favour because of the shortcoming of the opposition party. So that PDP won’t find it difficult at all to regain the lost states.

Lagos State is now ready for

grabs for the PDP. The nonindigenes are tired of what is going on in the state. They are tired of many things and they are buying into the PDP affairs now.

There is hope.

You normally go into primary to choose your candidates, but this time around why the adoption of Mr President as the consensus candidate of PDP? You see, there is a total misconception about the adoption of President Jonathan.

About the primary, what our constitution says is that the party should present the candidate.

And for eight cogent reasons, we saw the need to adopt a single candidate.

Still, it does not prevent anybody who is dissatisfied to come up now and say no, this is my nomination form, I want to contest.

And such person will not be denied. But because of the need

for stability and the need to show the people of this nation an example, we had to adopt President Goodluck Jonathan, who has the right of firstn refusal.

The decision was taken constitutionally because every organ of the party took part separately, independent of the other. Nobody coerced us.

Nobody forced us. We were even begging him not that he is lobbying us. So, that is the difference. And that does not mean that we will not go for primary. We are going for a convention to ratify it. And if there is any move by anybody against the move, then, we will vote.

Your party seems afraid of any of the presidential aspirants in the APC? Not at all. Buhari that they claim is honest ruled this country for a very short period under military dispensation. He was no doubt Continues on page 27

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—27

Enugu: The last day rebellion of

the speaker GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime’s trusted man in the House of Assembly, joins the rebellion against the outgoing governor’s transition programme.

By Austin Ogwuda

E

VENTS of Thursday, October 30, 2014 in Enugu may have finally unfolded the unravelling political drama around the state’s major political actors.

The mask of political deceit as portrayed in the Shakespearean assertion that, “there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face” recently manifested when members of the Enugu State House of Assembly flatly denied a plot to impeach Speaker Eugene Odo. The alleged plot followed allegations that the speaker had turned against the consensus arrangement that had been arranged by Governor Sullivan Chime for Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a member of the House of Representatives to fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the forthcoming governorship elections.

An initial attempt by Odo, who is also interested in the ticket to back out of the consensus arrangement had last month been matched by an impeachment threat which was subsequently denied by House members after Odo supposedly drew back from the contest.

But penultimate Thursday

all such pretences were put away as the speaker decided to speak his mind on the issues. That was the day he formally declared to run for the governorship of Enugu State, describing the emergence of Ugwuanyi, the governor ’s anointed candidate as a private endorsement.

Giving notice of his determination to pursue his ambition to a logical conclusion irrespective of the wishes of the governor, Odo gave newsmen his own perspective of the unfolding drama that is increasingly fragmenting the Chime camp.

He said: “Of course, we were in the meeting and the view of majority will certainly have its way. But we equally have our observations at least on the process. There is nothing wrong with consensus but the process through which consensus is arrived might be an issue. Consensus as a matter of fact, anybody can endorse anybody tomorrow as a consensus. Our national party frowns at party officials engaging in consensus.

“If party officials on their own decide to do so I mean that (consensus) could be seen as a private or rather as an individual effort towards moving the aspiration of a candidate. The consensus I

•Chime and Odo: Who blinks first? think that will make more sense to all of us is that consensus that will be got on the 29th day of November 2014.”

As to whether or not, he has by that implication drawn a battle line between him and governor, he said, “I don’t think so. If we practice democracy I do not think that my declaration for governorship would occasion any problem between myself and the governor.”

“In the first instance”, he went on, “the governor is a democrat and the governor has not in any way prevented or precluded anybody from aspiring to any position of his choice. He has not in any way prevented anybody from collecting party form”.

From that postulation at the press conference announcing his formal entry into the race, it is very obvious that Odo had dammed all the consequences but would not like to be

identified as attacking the governor out rightly but in a subtle way since he was aware that it was the governor that allegedly orchestrated that foiled impeachment saga against him because of the same issue.

What would be his next move should the impeachment ploy be thrown up again, trust Odo, who is known to be a ‘crafty ’ politician who believes in the axiom ‘action is louder than words’.

2015: Lagos is now up for grabs — Oyedokun Continues from page 26 a dictator. And that type of style could not even work under a democratic setting.

I tell you, if Buhari had remained two or three years with his style of governance then, he would have been thrown out quickly.

For Atiku, I said he is a politician indeed, but he has lost many people who could have worked hard for him. And it appears people are tired of going out and coming in with him. He had been stable in the beginning but he has now finally lost his track.

What do you think was responsible for your party’s loss of the Osun governorship election?

There are two sides to it. The state was ready for grabs for the PDP because of many things that the state government here has done wrong. They have really offended the people. They have offended

them economically, socially and politically.

Secondly, the PDP worked hard. There had never been a time in the history of party politics when a party with its candidate campaigned so extensively in Osun State.

Every nook and cranny of the state was combed. People accepted us. We went into the election with hope that we were winning, but something happened somewhere, and that is what we are presenting to the tribunal now and I won’t comment on that.

So, you are in support of the party going to the tribunal?

We were knocked out through tribunal in 2010. I predict that we are going to have it back through the same tribunal.

Many leaders including Isiaka Adeleke and your brother in Odo-Otin, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, have left the party.

Did Oyinlola consult you?

Adeleke leaving was painful. And he has done something which impresses me.

He made it loud and clear that he was fighting an individual not PDP and that PDP had done a lot for him. That he had achieved a lot under the platform of PDP. And he recognises that there are so many good people in PDP. I commend him for that.

You mentioned my brother here, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the reverse is his own case. He was the greatest beneficiary of PDP. He is a junior brother to me, I don’t want to comment much. But, I want to remark that the most painful issue I have ever experienced in my 40 years of party is Oyinlola’s ugly exit from the party.

He has broken or has made attempt to break the ladder which he used to climb to the top. He has polluted the PDP’s drinking water in this state.

And to those of us who laid down all we

had, to make him reach the positions he attained, we deserve an unreserved apology. And the only way he can express the apology is to come back home (PDP).

We have no power over him. There is nothing we can do to him. We will continue to pray for him.

Even, if he had gone ordinarily like others did. Fatai Akinbade left and went to contest on another platform. He (Oyinlola) should not have maligned us, to tell the world that we rigged his own election. I wept that day. He went ahead and abused and cursed those people who supported him to rise in party politics. That is ungodly. I don’t know, may be they used juju on him. He is such a man that is so clever, highly intelligent. People don’t know his quality in intellectual work. If you go into details of his career in

Continues on page 28

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

•Macaulay: Uduaghan has a unique leadership style

Delta: How Uduaghan has touched our lives — Macaulay ON the sidelines of the recent 60th birthday anniversary of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay spoke in an interview with newsmen on the personae and passions of the governor. Excerpts:

By Festut Ahon

W

HAT will you say is his leadership style?

He has a unique leadership style in the sense that he is not the talking type; he doesn’t talk much but that is not to say he is a deaf and dumb person, but he doesn’t just talk for the fun of talking. He prefers to listen more to you than to talk.

He leads by example. He is not the type that goes to bed at 10pm and tells you to be awake till 12 midnight; he is always the last to discharge for the day; so he has a unique leadership style; talking less but doing more.

Considering the complex nature of the state how is he able to manage Delta without any serious political crisis?

I don’t know what you mean by political crisis; he has gone through a lot of political crises.

We are not talking about the court cases he had; we are talking about crises with leaders and the party hierarchy He has not had such open crisis but there have been some pockets of crises. Like I said, his ability to absorb you know, even insults; his ability not to talk when he is provoked brings us to the issue of anger man-

agement. He has the ability to manage anger because there’s no human being who doesn’t get angry but what stands you out is how you are able to manage that moment of anger.

I think these are the things that made it possible for Delta

State as complex as it is to have cerned because that has been the level of peace we have at- able to elevate a lot of persons who are at the very level of peastained.

The governor has a few ants to a level that they can months to leave office; what manage life at least to be able will you say are his star to eat well; clothe their children and send them to school. achievements?

So like I said, we keep on talkAh! They will fill a page but ing about these star projects; you used the word star so it depends on what I term as a star. they are all there depending on First of all, he is the first gover- which angle you see it from.

In short, you can liken this adnor who initiated and completministration to an elephant; you ed an airport under six years.

I used the word under six can look at it from any angle years because by the time it and assess it. But whichever was four years , the airport had way you are assessing it the been put to use but everything man has made credit.

What are some of the put together we can projects put down say under six years to drive the adthe airport was fully ministration’s Delestablished. ta Beyond Oil iniBut you will say tiative? that is for the elites.

There is no project So if we go down he that is said to be is one governor who Delta Beyond Oil; it appreciates the is the amalgamachallenges of the ortion of all of these dinary people and efforts; building of so has been able to infrastructure, traininitiate and sustain ing of manpower, free maternal healthtaking care of peocare. ple's health, bringing From the point of electricity; like you conception to the know Delta State point of delivery it is was the first to confree of charge tribute N15.9 billion whether it is through into the national cofcaesarean section fers for the improveor whatever in any ment of electricity government hospital in the country. in Delta State and of The 145km road course, the way Delfrom Ughelli cutting ta is situated, a lot off the East/West of people from other road into Asaba; the neighbouring states airport like I said are also benefitting earlier; when you from this. want to talk of DelHe is also the first ta Beyond Oil, person to say any these are the child age one to projects. five; ‘everything These are the about your health is projects that will free at least in Delta sustain this state State.’ and attract invesThen as you enter There is no tors into the state to school from that age project that is give employment to again, it is all free until you enter into said to be Del- our people and for the level of the uni- ta Beyond Oil; the state to generate internal revenue versity. so that when the oil The micro credit it is the amalprogramme which gamation of all is not there these projects will sustain he initiated is anoththe state. of these efforts er star programme as far as I am con-

2015: Lagos is now up for grabs — Oyedokun Continues from page 27 education, he is well read. We begged him. I led a delegation of 21 prominent leaders here to go and beg him. And I told him that, even if they don’t want him up there (national headquarters), if he continues to interact with us here, we would tell them that he is our man and there is nothing they can do to him. He has grossly disappointed us, not only in the South-West and in the state alone, but also in Odo-Otin here.

What he said was that when he was having problem with the party secretariat at the national level, some of the people who were supposed to give him support did not show up?

We heard everything and I’m saying it openly, he needed just a little patience. Some people normally did not support him, and I won’t blame them for not supporting him. Some of them have interest in being secretary.

But one way or the other, he took the advantage over them.

And after all, we persuaded these people, and they all stepped down.

But later, we leaders here, we went to his house. We begged him. We didn’t invite him. We went there and begged him, 21 of us, to remain in PDP and he agreed with us.

I think something extraordinary happened especially with the visit of the political night marauders to his house. He fell into their trap.

Continues on page 29

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—29

Kogi West Senate Race: Adeyemi’s smart moves SENATOR Smart Adeyemi’s third term ambition to the Senate has galvanised popular support among constituents in Kogi West Senatorial District, entrenched opponents are not finding it easy.

By Boluwaji Obahopo

T

HE third term ambition of Senator Smart Adeyemi had been an open secret.

However, what was not generally known was the extent of the enthusiasm propelling the former journalist towards an unprecedented third term venture.

Before now, there had been some insinuations that the zoning principle which in time past had stopped even Senator Tunde Ogbeha from a third term would stop Adeyemi irrespective of his achievements on ground.

Indeed, it was claimed that it’s the turn of Yagba people in the constituency to occupy the Kogi West senatorial seat.

However, such impediments became fairy tale on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 when political leaders of all seven local government areas in the senatorial constituency in an unprecedented show of political unity joined forces to obtain the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senate nomination form for Adeyemi.

The outing has been described as a rarity in the country given the enthusiasm shown by the seven local government Chairmen in the axis and the array of funfair that followed their determination to ensure the return of the former national president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ. Besides the local government chairmen in the huge crowd of supporters, were all the serving commissioners, state legislators from the senatorial district.

The top dignitaries in a show of their endorsement were adorned in the popular Yoruba

black cap that has come to be recognised as a signature mark on the senator.

From 8.00 a.m. the JB Hotel in Lokoja, venue of the reception which served as a gathering point, the political associates marched to the PDP state secretariat to collect the form.

Those who could not make it to the hotel were already waiting eagerly to receive their colleagues at the PDP secretariat.

After the collection of intent and nomination forms, the associates returned to the hotel for what was undoubtedly the celebration of an historical celebration.

The political associates of the senator led by the Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government area said their decision to back the senator was in line with the clarion call of the people for him to continue with his good representation.

The huge crowd experienced during the collection of forms paled to the crowd the following Monday when the senator,

Those against me are “opportunists” who were at one time or the other lucky to have been offered political appointments and now parade themselves as political leaders

2015: Lagos is now up for grabs — Oyedokun Continues from page 26 So, if he decides to come back to PDP, is he going to queue behind or continue from where he stopped?

Look at Fatai Akinbade, in fact, it would have been better if Oyinlola left PDP and went to join Fatai Akinbade in Labour Party.

We will know that eventually, when they are there, it would be easier for them to come back.

They are mounting efforts now, they are begging Fatai, and I’m C M Y K

still appealing to him that he should come back.

He is a gentle man. We are appealing to Peter Power, he should come back. Adeleke will come back. I can claim that I am one of his greatest admirers and everybody knows.

It pains me. We nearly met one day. I dodged him because I don’t want to see him now. They are all good people. If we had all been together, APC would not have won like that. It is very painful.

•Adeyemi: Endorsed by all LG chairmen, commissioners and legislators in his district

having listened and accepted the clarion call of the people to run for the third term came in person to the party secretariat to submit his forms.

The submission of forms turned to a carnival. Right from the Jamata end of the town, people of all walks of life already assembly themselves to received him into the state. From 8 a.m. in the morning even travellers through the ever busy Lokoja highway were not oblivious of a major activity in the town.

The movement from the Jamata end of town to the party secretariat which normally would not have exceeded 15 minutes took more than an hour on account of the gridlock arising from the turnout of numerous supporters who came to witness the event. At the party secretariat, it was a tough task for Senator Adeyemi to gain entrance to the venue as security men battled endlessly to control the crowd that followed him.

Why I accepted to run for third term At the Secretariat, Senator Smart Adeyemi gave insight into why he agreed to contest for the Senate seat the third time.

“I accepted to re-contest after seven Local Government Council chairmen from Kogi West Senatorial District and their PDP chairmen came together to purchase a form for me. I had to wait this far because I wanted to be sure that the people wanted me. So, I came to the conclusion that a good percentage of the

people want me to contest for the third time.”

Adeyemi also commented on the opposition by some political leaders. “Those against me are “opportunists” who were at one time or the other lucky to have been offered political appointments and now parade themselves as political leaders.

The people know who their leaders are.

Political leaders I know my own leaders, my followers know me and I know my followers. So, make no mistake when opportunists are speaking. Those who are speaking may not be speaking the minds of the people.

How Tagba gave Smart automatic ticket The opposition to Adeyemi is marshalled by his predecessor in the Senate, Senator Tunde Ogbeha and Chief Sam Akande who have sought to mobilise constituents to support a Yagba aspirant. Their argument was that a third term for Adeyemi was in violation of the zoning principle and as such urged the people of Yagba to push forward their interest as it was their turn.

“Adeyemi’s ambition is an affront on the sensibilities of Kogi West people which must be curtailed,” the former senator said. The meeting which condemned the appointment of the Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government, Chief

Folorunsho Daniyan as Director General of Smart Adeyemi Campaign Organization with a call on him to drop the job and join in emancipation of his people from ‘enslavement’ also called on the five aspirants from Yagba axis to meet with a view to trimming the number to one ahead of the PDP primaries so as to increase the chances of Yagba axis in the election.

At the end of the meeting, all the aspirants from the Yagba axis went into another close door session where they anointed Chief Tunde Olusunle as a consensus candidate.

However, the joy of the Yagba and Lokoja/Koto to arrive at a consensus candidate was cut short when a week after he was chosen, Olusunle in a state radio broadcast announced that he had stepped down and dropped his ambition from the race.

Not done, the coalition immediately announced the choice of Chief Tolorunju Faniyi as the new consensus candidate.

Aside the fact that Faniyi has contested against Smart three times and lost; even at the polling unit in front of his House; Faniyi failed to resign from office as Special Adviser to the State Governor on Security Trust Fund on the stipulated date as announced by the party headquarters.

This development may end up seeing Smart emerge as unopposed candidate at the November 16 senatorial primary for western Senatorial axis of the State.

30 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —31

H

opposite sexes are living together as couple. Technically, I’m married because my fiancée lives with me and my son.

I live like a married man, though without any ring or court pronouncement. Everybody asks me about marriage but hardly talks about divorce. Let’s not go into that aspect so we don’t hurt the victims of that circumstance and if I can say it here, I don’t want to rush into marriage so I won’t become a victim of the circumstance called divorce.

ow down-to-earth could Terry G be?

All the way may just be the answer. The ‘Mad man’ on stage as he is called is a talented and successful entertainer, instrumentalist, singer and music producer. In this interview with Weekend Groove, the father of one talks about his pure water business, his marriage plans, and much more.

How has life been treating you lately?

I thank God, life has been so good, positive and I have been working on the brand, Terry G; making it look more attractive and appealing so that it can be widely accepted.

Why did you venture into pure water business when there are other lucrative businesses?

You know music is a special part of my life; music is a hobby, it is what I love doing. To obey the rule of diversification, I ventured into other businesses beside the music business. Terry G’s water is the first business I ventured into apart from music and it has helped guide me into other businesses.

How is the Terry G’s pure water doing in the market?

It has been doing massively well since we started. Though the challenges we are facing are high; the trucks we are using for distribution are not enough to move the goods around but the demands are very encouraging. In the first two weeks of operation, we ran out of stock, the customers’ requests were beyond our imagination.

Meeting up with consumers’ demands is the biggest challenge we are facing but I can tell you it’s quite interesting.

Is Terry G’s pure water acceptable only within your vicinity or it goes beyond?

It’s 100 percent accepted within the factory’s vicinity and beyond. Like I said earlier, we ran out of stock due to demands. People’s response to the brand is highly inspiring and I’m glad about that. I also thank God for the acceptance because it’s everywhere now.

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Continues on page 36

t u o b a s r G a y e r f r e T y M iage — r r a m Why are you yet to get married to Mimi, the mother of your child?

She’s my fiancée; we are getting married one day but I don’t want everybody pushing us to settle down as if they own our lives.

One thing many of them have not realised is that marriage is a decision we have to make once in life. I don’t want to make a decision now and change my mind later or else everybody looking up to me as a role-model will see me as an irresponsible guy. Besides, I don’t want to make a rash decision that I’d regret for the rest of my life. That is why I have been taking my time, putting things that make marriage worthwhile together and at the end, when that fruitfulness is everywhere we can live our lives together forever. I thank God I have a good and understanding partner and we are working together.

What do you understand about marriage?

I don’t know anything about marriage, because I have never been into it, but I believe marriage is when two

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I don’t want to rush into marriage so I won’t become a victim of the circumstance called divorce

,

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Tim Westwood returns to Nigeria for Heineken Green Light Party

32 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 33

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34 — Vanguard, FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 7, 2014

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TF A launc hes campaign ffor or 1million yyoung oung TFA launches Africans tto o ffight ight Ebola

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULAM

T

HE Central Working Committee (CWC) of Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) has announced the date and host state for the 2014 edition of the event. This year’s event is also dedicated to the cause of fighting Ebola in West Africa. On 11.11.2014, TFAA will launch a global campaign to get 1 million young Africans involved in the fight against Ebola via stopebola.com.

“We are excited to announce that The Future Awards Africa 2014 will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, 7 December.” According to the Chair of the

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CWC and one of Africa’s leading fashion entrepreneurs Ohimai Atafo, “We are thrilled to have the awards return to Lagos where it all started,” said Ohimai Atafo, “TFAA has always been excited to fuse inspiration with the best of pop culture, and this year’s event will underline that tradition – an evening of inspiration, of hope, and of a continent renewed.”

“We are answering to that call to action,” said Mfon Ekpo, Vice-Chair of the CWC and West Africa Representative on the Mandela Washington Fellowship Advisory Board. “If Africa will be saved by Africans, then young people need to

take the lead on the problems we face and take ownership in the solutions we need.” Ebola cases are doubling every 2o days in the worst affected countries, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called it “the largest, most complex and most severe we’ve ever seen”.

TFAA will be deploying its network of winners, nominees, alumni, celebrity, brain trust and continental media partners for this hashtag StopEbola campaign – to get 1 million young Africans to donate social media updates and then for young people to donate a minimum of $25 (4,250naira) each directly to the WHO through the United Nations Ebola Response Fund. It has also selected 50 of Africa’s most influential celebrities to headline the campaign.

The Future Awards Africa 2014 is presented in partnership with Microsoft, the Tony E l u m e l u Foundation and Vitafoam.

•Ohimai

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —

35

Pageant in search of Nigerian lady with cultural values begins

BY JOSEPHINE AGBONKHESE

T

HE race for who becomes the first lady to be crowned as Queen Nigeria has commenced. Organisers of the Queen Nigeria pageant tagged ‘Beyond Beauty ’ staged the first phase of the screening of participants recently in Lagos on Saturday October 25, 2014, after which the second and third phases were moved to Abuja and Port Harcourt on Saturday November 1 and 2, 2014 respectively. The screenings which had about twenty participants in Lagos, twenty six in Abuja and forty seven in Port Harcourt were slated to commence the race to find a Nigerian Lady who will not only be beautiful but also have cultural values and a good understanding of the Nigerian identity.

Contrary to the convention of most beauty pageants in Nigeria, where outward beauty is considered the utmost priority, the Queen Nigeria project is set to correct the moribund state of cultural values in the Nigerian woman of this generation, which the infiltration of the western culture has sprung to a-nearirreparable status.

Judges at the Lagos screening, Muyiwa Osinaike, Brendan Nsikak and Folusho Adebayo, bewailed the fact that just about twenty percent of the ladies who came for the screening could express themselves in their native dialects.

“It is so disheartening that most Nigerian girls do not know how to fluently speak any Nigerian language; lack cultural values and lack good understanding of etiquettes”, Muyiwa Osinaike lamented.

Folusho Adebayo also added that the right culture in the Nigerian woman of this generation is missing and needs to be rekindled.

Other judges, Osarugue Uzamere and Nneka Ibitogbe in Abuja are so optimistic that the Queen Nigeria project would help in restoring the cultural values of the Nigerian woman.

The Queen Nigeria Project, according to Olusegun Famodimu, Chief Executive Officer, Famford Enterprises Limited, the organisers of the

pageant, “seeks to fill the vacuum by re-orientating Nigerian ladies and making them see reasons why they should be culturally sensitive”.

“The project would touch areas like talent appreciation, cooking, dressing, dancing, and knowledge of the geographical and cultural entity called Nigeria. The least of its focus would be on beauty, which other pageants have over explored to the detriment of the core beauty and value innate in every Nigerian lady.

The Nigerian culture is constantly and significantly being eroded by the western community and efforts are in top gear to revive it through Queen Nigeria”, Olusegun emphasized.

Winner of the Queen Nigeria Project will become a cultural ambassador regionally and internationally for the span of her reign; go home with 1.5 million naira, a car and other consolation prizes. According to

•Participants at the screening in Lagos the organizers, Booth camp for the selected participants would run from Sunday November 30 through to Friday December 5

at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, while the Queen will be crowned on Saturday December 6, 2014. Partners

of the project are NTA, Dana Air, Hip TV, CMB Investment, The Beat 99.9 fm and Wilson’s Juice.

FG Yet to Capture Widows in Policy

BY FUNMI OLASUPO

W

IDOWHOOD is believed to be associated with pain, grief and depression especially for women without education and good jobs to fall back on. In different parts of Nigeria, the plight of widows differs depending on ethnicity and culture and often times, they face rejection from the families of their deceased husbands as well as the members of their communities.

Ruth Moti and Ngozi Nwankwo 27 and 30 years old respectively, lost their husbands two years ago and had nothing to fall back on after the death of their husbands.

Ruth, who was full of tears while speaking to Vanguard, said feeding has been a great challenge, adding that her landlord may likely eject her out of the one room apartment she is presently occupying with her two children in one of the satellite towns in Abuja.

“I have gone through a lot since the death of my husband, sometimes I fell like taking my life; the suffering is too much and unbearable. Since the death of my husband, his family has not asked me how am coping with the children knowingly fully well that I have nothing tangible doing”, Ruth lamented.

In Nigeria, the population of widows is steadily increasing as a result of the recent spate of terror attacks unleashed on the society by

some violent groups in various parts of the country.

Nigeria is not alone in this spate of violent attacks that have claimed many lives especially men.

It was in an effort to caution the effects of suffering on these widows that the United Nations some four years ago introduced ‘International Widows’ Day’. International Widows Day (IWD) was introduced primarily to address poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries and was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2010.

The Widows’ Day was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005. The plight of widows world-wide has been the foundation’s focus since it was established in 1997.

According to its founder, Raj Loomba, women in many countries experience great hardship after their husbands die. The observance falls on June 23rd

because Loomba’s mother became a widow on that date in 1954.

Like the Loomba’s foundation, the Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation, RAEF, founded by Evangelist Ignatius Ezeigbo in 2010, is also primarily established to cater for the widows by empowering them financially and engaging them in poverty eradication activities.

In the words of Evangelist Newman, “our foundation will go beyond alleviating poverty, but dealing with it from the root to make the women financially independent and remain in charge of their various means of livelihood”.

Rock of Ages, according to its founder is crafted alongside the dreams and aspirations of the Loomba Foundation with a commitment to empowering widows and to eradicate poverty, alleviate their plights and to assist them also in legal matters.

It was further discovered that the foundation had built houses for widows and had as well taken legal actions to enforce widow ’s rights and their fundamental human rights.

During this year’s celebration tagged: “Joy to the Widows”, Vanguard gathered that, over 140 units of sewing machines valued at N25, 000.00 each were distributed to 140 widows who had undergone training under the supervision of the foundation, another set of 136 widows were equally given the sum of N20, 000, 00 each to start small scale catering services having undergone the training.

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36—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Synopsis

My fears about marriage — Terry G

The film HATESHIP LOVESHIP will be releasing this Friday 7th November, 2014, please find below the synopsis and the attached art work.

Continues from page 31 a social network playing musical instrument; but you earlier said you wanted him to be a footballer?

Yeah, it’s true. All I know is that he will be a great man in life. But I want him to learn how to do many things while he can, so at the end of the day when he gets to a certain age, he will be able to choose and make a decision that suits him. What I’m trying to do is to make him understand different parts of life.

I’m not God, to boldly say he’s going to be a footballer but that’s just what I want him to be. I’m going to put him through by registering him in a football academy in London but when he gets to the age of decision making; he can choose to do whatever pleases him. In any case, we are going to support him with everything we have as parents.

Recently, you reconciled with your long-time foes, including Ozone, Timaya and others, why?

Yes, there’s something about life and it is called maturity. It breeds changes both biologically and psychologically. Change is the only constant factor. At a particular time in life, I realised I need people in my life to be happy and people also need me to meet their needs. I won’t block the flow of love by being adamant. I may be a source of an opportunity and at the same time I don’t want to be an endangered type or a barricade to other people’s progress. I believe in peace, so we make peace to make things happen.

There are speculations that you are relocating to your house in Lekki?

Me ke? I didn’t buy any house in Lekki and I’m not relocating to Lekki. Even if I’m going to relocate to Lekki, it has to be my own house.

Lekki is another environment I would love to reach out to because of my business because my water factory is still in my neighbourhood for now, I can’t just leave here or my business.

As a son of a deaconess, in the church how do people relate with your personality as Terry G? Actually, I don’t go to church always, due to time and my kind of job. But any time I show up in church, people look at me in an odd way. I just have to convince myself that I am in church to serve God. How do you find time to serve God? Going to church doesn’t mean serving God, but I have time for God always. My conscience is for God. I fear God and I know that the grace of God is more than sufficient for me. If you fear God and know that he exists and he’s always around to assist you, you are connected to him.

You recently disclosed on a live

A wild teenage girl orchestrates a romance between her nanny and her father, who is a recovering addict.

TOP MOVIES OF THE WEEK 30 DAYS IN ATLANTA NINJA TURTLE DRACULA UNTOLD 7TH DWARF RECLAIM

Movie schedule from 7th November — 13th November 2014 SILVERBIRDCINEMAS, VICTORIA ISLAND Hateship Loveship : 11:45am,6:20pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 11:50am,4:15pm,6:40pm,8:50pm The 7th Dwarf : 11:10am Ninja Turtles : 11:50am,1:05pm,4:40pm,6:40pm Dracula Untold : 4:00pm

programme that you’ve stopped taking hard-drugs, but do you still take little before going on stage to perform or do you always ginger yourself with alcoholic drinks?

I don’t drink or take anything before going on stage. I live a normal life like every other person but when it comes to a job that makes you who you are, you have to take it very serious, I don’t drink before going on stage because it takes a whole lot of energy and performance requires energy. Once you drink, it exhausts all your energy, so I drink only after performances.

Do you have any retirement plan?

I can never retire from music. Music is for life and forever. I’ll never retire.

I’ll keep spreading my tentacles. I have a dream that one day, my type of music will be like a mission and every member of the society will adore my music more than I expect.

How supportive are you to your brother doing music business like you?

I’m very sure of his confidence, beliefs and creativity. Apart from singing, he also produces. I’m very optimistic that he’ll prove himself worthy in the music scene. He just released a single entitled ‘Salama’ and its video will be shot soon. People can judge him when the video is out.

Do you have plans of going into politics like other artistes?

I’m not a politician; I’m not planning to go into politics. It’s not my way; I can keep fighting for the people with my voice and music. We speak the minds of the masses with our songs and that’s what makes us role models, not politics. I don’t believe we need to join a particular party before we can fight or speak for the people.

But do you support entertainers going into politics?

Yes, I support them. It’s their choice and in another way, it will help boost the entertainment industry and more money may come into the industry.

SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, IKEJA Hateship Loveship : 3:00pm,7:10pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 2:10pm,6:20pm The 7th Dwarf : 10:50am,12:30pm, Reclaim : 2:10pm Ninja Turtles : 11:10am,4:20pm Dracula Untold : 1:10pm,9:10pm,10:35pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, SEC Hateship Loveship : 12:00pm,4:20pm,6:30pm,8:45pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 1:30pm,3:40pm,5:50pm,8:00pm The 7th Dwarf : 1:10pm,2:50pm,4:40pm, Reclaim : 1:00pm,3:00pm Ninja Turtles : 11:50am,1:50pm,6:20pm Dracula Untold :12:20pm,2:10pm,6:50pm The Equalizer : 3:50pm,8:20pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS CEDDI PLAZA , ABUJA Hateship Loveship : 11:00am,12:50pm,4:40pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 6:40pm,8:50pm Reclaim : 1:15pm,4:50pm Dracula Untold ; 11:05aSILVERBIRD CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT Hateship Loveship :11:10am,1:15pm,6:25pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 11:50am,2:00pm,4:10pm,6:20pm,8:30pm The 7th Dwarf : 11:00am,12:40pm,2:20pm Reclaim : 11:45am,3:40pm Ninja Turtles : 11:15am,4:20pm Dracula Untold : 11:00am,5:20pm The Equalizer : 1:25pm,9:10pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, WARRI Hateship Loveship : 5:40pm,7:40pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 2:35pm,5:00pm,8:50pm The 7th Dwarf : 10:50am,12:25pm Reclaim : 11:00am,9:15pm Ninja Turtles : 10:30am,2:00pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, UYO 30 Days in Atlanta : 12:00pm,2:10pm,4:20pm,6:30pm The Equalizer : 1:00pm,3:45pm,6:20pm OZONE CINEMAS LAGOS Purge 2 : 7:00pm Hateship Loveship : 1:55pm,5:50pm 30 days in Atlanta: 3:10pm,7:15pm Ninja turtle: 12:00pm GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS LAGOS 30 Days in Atlanta : 12:10pm,5:25pm,7:45pm The 7th Dwarf : 11:00am,12:50pm,2:50pm The Equalizer : 8:50pm GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT 30 Days in Atlanta : 10:35am,2:55pm,7:15pm The 7th Dwarf : 11:30am GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, ENUGU 30 Days in Atlanta : 10:05am,12:15pm,5:00pm,7:10pm The Equalizer : 2:25pm,9:20pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, LAGOS 30 Days in Atlanta : 11:50am,4:55pm,10:00pm The 7th Darf : 10:40am,12:15pm,5:00pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS,HERITAGE MALL, IBADAN 30 Days in Atlanta : 2:00pm,6:35pm,8:35pm The 7th Dwarf : 10:35am,12:10pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS SAMONDA 30 Days in Atlanta : 10:00am,12:05pm The 7th Dwarf : 10:00am,11:40am FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, CALABAR 30 Days in Atlanta : 10:00am,12:00pm,4:30pm,6:30pm The 7th Dwarf : 10:30am KADA CINEMAS, BENNI The Equalizer : 3:15pm,8:00pm Being Mrs Elliott : 11:00am,1:30pm,4:00pm,6:30pm

Obosi Community cries out over erosion menace

VOL. 1 NO 11

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Bewildered supporters of the group, discusing at the court premises in Abuja.

Page 2

4 MONTHS IN DETENTION

Members of the BZF shortly after they were arrested.

Anxiety mounts in Enugu over non prosecution of 12 pro-Biafra members …as group slams N10m suit against IGP

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—GLOOM, anger and anxiety were visibly expressed on the faces of relatives and associates of the 12 detained members of the Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, following the inability of the prosecution to bring the suspects to court.

The supporters of the Zionists had come to witness the arraignment of the accused persons at the Federal High Court sitting in

Enugu last Thursday.

The police prosecuting officers from Abuja failed to bring along with them to Enugu for the arrangement for that day.

Members of the BZFwere reported to have sometime in June this year allegedly invaded the ESBS in an attempt to seize the radio and television station for a broadcast.

The same group, according to the police purportedly attacked the Government House, Enugu on March 8, 2014 claiming that it had re-

established the Republic of Biafra by hoisting its flag at the Government House.

When the case was called, it became clear to the relatives of the suspects that the arraignment was not going to hold that day and in a twinkle of an eye, the court room which was jam packed with people waiting to witness the arraignment became virtually empty as they filed out in utter disappointment.

The drama started when the presiding judge, Justice D.V. Agashi, after attending to a couple of cases asked the

ALSO IN THIS EDITION Abia communities lament incessant power outage — Page 3 C M Y K

Anambra moves against malaria, distributes millions of insecticidetreated nets

— Page 4

In the circumstance, therefore, in the next short adjourned date we shall ask that the case be struck out because this is a ploy to frustrate this fundamental human rights case

court clerk to call up the case “so that we can de-congest all these people standing around.”

Counsel to the detainees, Mr. Olu Omotayo had told the court that, “they were supposed to arraign them in court today but surprisingly, they have refused to bring them to court and have not written to this honourable court to show reasons why they have not brought the accused persons to court.

“In the circumstance, therefore, in the next short adjourned date we shall ask that the case be struck out because this is a ploy to frustrate this fundamental human rights case”.

The matter consequently adjourned to November 19.

During the court sitting on Monday, October 27, Mr. C.U. Odo, who appeared for both the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State assured the court that a formal charge sheet had been prepared to enable their prosecution, hence the court fixed last Thursday as date for

Continues on page 3

2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

ANAMBRA

An abandoned building due to erosion.

•Anyaoku's house fence being threatened by erosion

Obosi community cries out over erosion menace ...as erosion threatens Emeka Anyaoku’s home

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

S

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NITSHA—THE former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, is at the verge of losing his country home in Obosi to erosion menace.

This was even as the people of the area in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State have continued to lament over the increase in the number and scope of erosion gullies in Obosi.

According to the people, there were presently about 10 identified gullies in the various villages but the most negative impact was mostly felt at Anyaoku’s Ire village in the community. Those identified include the Ama-Ejiofor erosion site at Ire village, Udedike Ogbenso erosion site also at Ire village; the Ama-Udo erosion site equally at Ire village, Odaraba Ire/Umuota erosion site, Alex Iwenofu erosion site at Umuota village, Eze-Ugwu Odaraba erosion site, among others.

The presence of the gullies had already been felt as far back as 10 years ago, which prompted Mr Frank Nweke Jnr. of the then ecological department of the presidency during ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to visit Obosi and Ogbunike, the country home of the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, and one-time Senate President.

After the visit, Nweke Jnr. reportedly recommended some

palliative measures for the control of the sites, even though the gullies had already done unimaginable havoc to the community and psyche of the people.

South East Voice discovered during a visit to the community that the gullies have eaten deep into the fabrics of Anyaoku’s home which, if not checked could lead to its caving in, with the attendant loss of lives and property.

Commenting on the

Obosi monarch, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III.

development, the traditional ruler of Obosi, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III, appealed to the Federal Government to take drastic measures against erosion menace in the area.

Iweka lamented that the community was surrounded by vast erosion sites, adding that the menace had devastated the ancient kingdom.He then called for urgent measures by appropriate authorities to ameliorate the situation.

Iweka disclosed that he went round the town last year to locate the erosion sites in the area, adding that the magnitude of the menace was such that the state government can only assist by way of palliative measure, since only the Federal Government or international institutions or agencies like the World Bank that had the capacity to tackle the problems head on.

He specifically mentioned both the Ire and Ugamuma erosion sites as the most deadly, adding

that if allowed to continue, more roads would be cut off to make families inaccessible to each other, just as more residential homes would sink.

The monarch who had just celebrated his third Iwa-ji and Obiora Obosi Annual Cultural festival since he ascended the royal throne in 2011, also harped on the importance of peace and tranquillity among his subjects, adding,”Obiora is a celebration of new yam.

Campaign posters deface Enugu metropolis ENUGU

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—As the clock chimes to wards the general election which is barely five months away, campaign posters of different aspirants into various elective offices, have defaced the aesthetic and serene beauty of Enugu State.

South East Voice visited some major streets and points of convergence, and discovered that electricity poles, fences and pavements had been taken over by campaign posters of different sizes, shape and colour.

Residents lament A welder, Mr. Edwin Eze whose workshop is situated on the popular Ogui Road bemoaned the situation saying,”the authorities of Enugu State Waste Management Agency, ESWAMA, will not act on the indiscriminate posting of posters in the metropolis because the people doing it are gov-

ernment officials.

“If it is the ordinary people like us, ESWAMA will charge you to court and in a few minutes, convict the person. Look at the whole city, its like a garbage city now. Campaign posters everywhere. We used to enjoy the beauty of the road networks in the metropolis. But now, you can’t look around or sight far objects without the visual obstructions of campaign posters.

“Look at the gates I have displayed for sale, they have used it as cam-

paign poster stands. I know that the former Commissioner for Environment, Mr. John Egbo announced then, that the government had banned indiscriminate pasting of posters in the state. He said that such action will attract punitive measures from the government.

“But look at what is happening now! The lawmakers are flouting their own laws. This is happening because the ordinary man is not involved in the indiscriminate pasting of posters. Poor people do not contest elections.”

Another resident, Mrs. Uche Ali who sells bean balls (Akara) at the Polly Clinic Junction, on Obiagu Road said,” Ah! We are relishing the situation. The people pasting posters have helped us a lot. We do not need to buy polymer bags or old newspapers to wrap our bean balls any more as we tear the posters and wrap akara with them. .

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014—3

ABIA

Abia communities lament incessant power outage ...say we now live in darkness

BY INNOCENT ANABA

U

MUAHIA—THE peo ple of Nsulu and other communities in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, have called on Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, to save them from darkness, lamenting that they are forced to pay for electricity not consumed.

Some residents of Umuosu, Umuakwu and Umuode in Nsulu, who spoke to Vanguard in Umuosu, lamented that while other communities in the state have relative electricity supply, they cannot boast of an hour power supply in a week.

They lamented that most of the artisans in Nsulu area have been forced out of business, while those who are forced to use generating sets, incur additional costs, which makes the cost of their services exorbitant for the local people, most of who are struggling to survive.

•EEDC High tension line An indigene of Umuode, Sunday Eze, said: “It is sad that we are being punished for no just cause. In the days of NEPA and PHCN, life was not this unbearable for us. But with the so-called private ownership of the electricity company in the South East, it has brought no good to us but hardship.

“At the end of the month, the town crier goes round to ask that people pay up for electricity, most times we confront him on why in good conscience any reasonable person would expect us pay for what we did not see or use. His response would always be that they, EEDC, have threatened to disconnect the whole village if we fail to pay. It is sad that most times in a whole week, we don’t see EEDC light for up

Unless there is a collusion between government and the electricity company, because we are in darkness

to an hour. We had thought that with the so-called private power companies, things would change for our people as government claimed. But visit our village, you will realise that the electricity poles and cables are nothing but decoration, because you can’t suggest that their giving a people an hour light a week is by any means providing them electricity.

“We also call on the Abia State government to look into our plight. The Federal Government, which we heard control the power company should come to our rescue, unless there is a collusion between government and the electricity company, because we are in darkness.”

Eze’s story is the same in all

the communities in Nsulu. In Umuakwu, EEDC workers were chased away from the community, when they embarked on disconnection, despite the fact that according to the villagers, they have not had electricity in a long while.

A native of Umuosu, who lamented the maltreatment of Isialangwa North council people by EEDC, noted that on driving from Umuahia through the old federal road; “You will see light at Isi Court, Amakama, but on entering Ngwa area, from Ikputu, you will see darkness until you leave Isialangwa North. We are suspecting that we have been singled out for punishment for no just reason. We are really missing the NEPA and PHCN era.

“Most days, you see the EEDC workers with Hilux van driving round the village and they claim to be tracing faults, it makes me actually wonder if we have a change in poles and cables, were they not the same poles and cables we had under NEPA and PHCN. We are really being punished by this new company, EEDC. If I had my way, I will ask them to return us to PHCN because we have nothing to show for this new people.”

A native of Ikputu, who simply gave his name as Emeka, lamented that they have been in darkness for over 10 months, as their transformer had gone bad.

He explained that like all the communities in Nsulu and most other communities in Isialangwa North, their electricity project was through self help, adding that the community was battling with raising N1.2 million for a new transformer.

He was not too enthusiastic about the community replacing the transformer, citing other communities with functional transformers but no electricity supply. He said that he was happy with the bad state of the transformer, as it had meant that no town crier goes round to ask people to pay for electricity, which he expressed sadness that other Nsulu communities have not been enjoying.

Anxiety mounts in Enugu over non prosecution of 12...

Continued from page 1 the arraignment.

Odo further said then that the Office of the Federal Director of Public Prosecution had filed a charge against the detainees (applicants) in the civil suit instituted against the police.

In the suit, the detainees are seeking the following reliefs: *an order of the honourable court releasing the applicants forthwith from unlawful detention *Alternatively, an order of the honourable court directing the IGP and the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State to charge the applicants to court forthwith for whatever offence C M Y K

they might have committed. ‘’Payment of N10 million being exemplary, punitive, aggravated, special and general damages against the respondents.

The detainees include a lawyer, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka, said to be the leader of the group; Kelvin Eke, Samson Ijaga, Uduma Uduma, Bethrain Obiekwe, Abraham Ugwu, Paulinus Uzoegbu and Fidelis Nwaonu.

Others include Nnamchi Ndubuisi, Michael Olenya, Jeophet Nwaodo and Alloysius Chukwuma.

A 14-page affidavit deposed to, by one Chief Ambrose Ugwu, in support of motion for an order for the

enforcement of their fundamental rights filed before the same court stated that “they have been subjected to humiliation and torture at their present place of detention at the police headquarters, Abuja.

“Access to them was refused by the police as their families and human rights workers including officials of Amnesty International.”

Ugwu further stated that, “the applicants and other members of the “BZF” were not armed or did not carry any offensive weapon on that fateful date they marched to the Enugu State Broadcasting Service, ESBS, owned

by Enugu state and that they

demanded to see the programme producer so that they could, through him intimate the whole world on the plight of the Biafran people.”

Meanwhile, even as the muchawaited charge against them had remained like a mirage, their family and associates continued pestering South East Voice with these ‘funny ’ questions at the premises of the court during the last court sitting thus: “are you sure they are still alive?” Why did they not bring them to court among several others that this reporter was not in a position to provide except the police authorities in Abuja.

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4—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 , 2014

ANAMBRA

Anambra moves against malaria, distributes millions of insecticidetreated nets

•Gov. Obiano performing the symbolic presentation of LLINs to beneficiaries •Fighting the malaria scrouge in Awka

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA—TO reduce the scourge of malaria in the state, Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano last week flagged off the distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets, LLIN, replacement campaign to various households in the state. The last exercise was carried out in the state in 2009 and experts say it helped to reduce the number of people suffering from malaria.

While flagging off the distribution exercise at the rural community of Ebenebe

BY FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—IN a bid to reduce criminal activities to the barest minimum, especially in the rural communities of Enugu State, through the Ministry of Human Capital and Poverty Reduction has commenced moves to pay monthly stipends to members of the local vigilante groups in the 472 communities across the state.

The vigilante groups are headed by traditional rulers, some of who are not recognized by the communities in in the state.

Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mr. Godwin Ogenyi told South East Voice that; “We have launched the payment of allowance to all properly constituted Neighbourhood Watch Groups in the state.

The ceremony was held at Udi Local Government Area and Governor Sullivan Chime has approved the payment forthwith.

“Each community will be paid N100,000 monthly. The money will be jointly signed from my ministry by 10 members of every community Neighbourhood Watch Group. This programme will outlive this present adminisC M Y K

in Awka North Local Government Area, Obiano said his administration took the battle against the malaria scourge serious in view of its adverse effect on the population.

At the flag off, wife of the governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano was named the Net Ambassador for Anambra State LLINs replacement campaign by the National cocoordinator of malaria elimination programme, Abuja.

Obiano said the nets were

made available for distribution free of charge by the Anambra State government in collaboration with the Roll Back Malaria partners in this second round of mass distribution to replace the old ones supplied in 2009.

The nets, according the governor, have been proved to be a cost effective means of controlling malaria by reducing the physical contact between mosquito and man, noting that the distribution exercise would commence in all the Local Government

distribution centres in the state.

He stated the commitment of his administration to support the Roll Back Malaria partners in ensuring that malaria scourge is eliminated in the State and urged citizens to ensure that they sleep under the net rather than hanging it on the doors and windows.

“We want everybody to be healthy and the net is for everybody irrespective of party affiliation, religion or background” he said.

The field representative of

Enugu communities laud govt over pay for vigilante groups tration and is in collaboration with Federal Government, under the SURE-P. “The criteria that qualifies any group is that they must be up-to-date in performance, budgeting and accounting. All those, whose group’s tenure had expired should come to my ministry to re-validate their membership and properly reconstitute their executives.

“All the traditional rulers and town union leaders should approach my ministry where their own groups had not been constituted and follow laid down guidelines for its establishment in the area.

We have over 400 groups presently in the state complementing the efforts of the Police in providing security for our people.

“Also, all the groups should submit monthly report of their budget, containing cost of their operations, human rights observations and fair treatment to my office before they qualify for the next month’s allowance.

•Gov. Sullivan Chime “My ministry will equally ensure that the groups work in accordance with stipulated rules and guidelines establishing Neighbourhood Watch in the state to avert incidents of abuse and human rights violations.”

Community leaders react A community leader in Imufu, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North Local Government, Mr Kevin Eze said the person who the government recognized as the traditional ruler

the Roll Back Malaria partners, Dr. Folanke Olayinka regretted that many beneficiaries do not sleep under the net, arguing that malaria accounts for an estimated 25 per cent deaths in the under five and 30 per cent childhood deaths in Nigeria.

Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike observed that over 95 per cent of Anambrarians are at high risk of the infection of malaria, explaining that two people would be entitled to one net which he said, has life span of four years.

The commissioner pointed out that the most vulnerable in the malaria epidemics were the pregnant women and children under five years who he said, had fragile immune system.

of the community was not chosen by the people, adding that, as such, his own members of the Neighbourhood Watch were not recognised by the people.

According to Eze, the membership of the group were being disputed in court as the list was not approved by the community including Oha Imufu and members of the town union.

However, a septuagenarian, Mr. Gregory Amah of Oshagu village, in Nkpologu, UzoUwani Local Government Area of the state said; “The payment will boost the morale of the group. Since the advent of the watch group in our community, incessant cases of robbery, raping and other vices have been brought to the barest minimum because the members are known to all of us. They have been doing their best for us.

“It is a security system that is all inclusive and self participatory. The group members are natives of the communities and so are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property of their own siblings and relations among others.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014—5

IMO

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

W E R R I — T O D A Y, nothing can best describe what residents and those passing through Owerri, Imo State capital, experience each time the International Conference Centre, ICC, is put into use.

Whoever thought of an enshrined Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, policy must be congratulated for having such foresight.

Again, it is not clear if Imo State government conducted EIA before commencing the erection of ICC in the heart of Owerri. If it did, what was the outcome of the assessment?

For those who do not know, ICC is located on the ever busy stretch of Assumpta Avenue and Bank Road. The heavy traffic from Orlu Road axis, equally terminates at this point.

Similarly, the infamous road project awarded to J-Pros that led to the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, also terminates at this point. What this means is that without any event taking place in ICC, the area ordinarily records heavy traffic on a daily basis.

Government cannot deny this fact It must be acknowledged that this is one project that the Okorocha administration counts as one of its greatest achievements in office. The administration has a right to hold its thought, but it should not be forgotten so soon that the land on which the ICC

•Vehicles passing near the ICC

Imo int’l confab centre of discomfort, pain ...residents want govt to relocate the ICC outside the city stands was formerly accommodating Imo Hotels Limited.

This establishment was leased (or sold?) to a hotelier of repute (names withheld), who had equally started investing some money in the place before the change of guard in Government House in 2011. With the sacking of this investor and demolition of Imo Hotels, several workers were unceremoniously thrown into the job market. Today, nobody is talking or thinking about the people, whose means of livelihood was truncated with a wave of the hand, or their

dependants that have since been sentenced to untold hardship.

Two big events have taken place in this edifice in recent times and in quick succession, too. One was the week-long national conference of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. The second was the marriage of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s daughter, Obianuju and her heartthrob, Dr. Anwuka.

During the events, Owerri literally came to a halt.

Residents, commuters and car owners had different tales to tell about what they went through, while the events

lasted. The centre had insufficient space for cars that came in for the events.

Similarly, government did not make alternative parking space, as cars littered the road.

Residents speak Residents of Owerri had thought that “if the NBA conference was government’s way of testing the waters, it evidently showed how rough and tough it was for the commuters. So government should not have allowed a repeat.”

All the people, who spoke to

Abia communities' natural resources of death, poverty

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—ALL over the world, natural resources are usually sources of wealth, development and joy to the owners of the land where they are found. But for the five rural communities of Lokpaukwu, Umuchieze in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, the opposite is the case.

These five rural communities, Amaubiri, Uru, Eluama, Eziama and Umutu, have granite in large quantity. But it has become a source of death, abject poverty, deprivation, neglect and agony to the people.

No less than 10 companies, foreign and local, are operating in these communities, extracting natural granites and smiling to the banks on daily basis, while the owners of the land are left to suffer all manner of misfortunes.

Sources from the communities indicate that about 800 heavy duty trucks lift granites from the five villages daily and that each truck load costs no

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less than N250,000.

The communities are languishing and crying out that rather than benefit from their God-given natural resources, what they get is death and damages to their buildings, roads, farm lands and deaths resulting from the various illnesses from mining/quarry activities in their area.

They also claim that pollution of their natural streams and rivers has affected their economic life as fishes and other sea foods, some of which the rural dwellers use as a means of livelihood, are no longer there due to the polluted waters.

They equally cited cases of cracks on some buildings in their communities, caused by the impacts of explosives the companies use to extract granites, as part of the adverse effect they suffer.

According to residents of these communities, the dusty environment they live in on account of the massive quarrying/ mining activities of these companies has constituted a serious health hazard as many of

their people have been inflicted with chronic cough, asthma, even as they claim that some of them have died from the diseases.

Covered in dust When South East Voice visited the communities, it was actually a pathetic site to behold.

Most of the houses, both the mud and block ones, were vir-

tually covered with dust and some of the residents were covered in dust and looked haggard, a sign of dying in the midst of plenty.

The entire vegetation of the communities was devastated and covered with cement-coloured dust, and one of the streams which serves as a source of drinking water to one of the villages was confirmed polluted.

South East Voice , were unanimous in their appeal to government: “If this is a listening government, let them do something about the ICC because it is causing more harm than good. In fact, the ICC should be relocated outside the city.”

REACH US DO you have any news of neglect or abandoned projects or your representative at the local, state or federal governments are not representing you well?

Do you have unique cultural activities coming up or any community news to tell us?

Emeka Mamah (Co-ordinator): 08033218645 Austin Ogwuda(Enugu): 08037136440 Francis Igata 08033387069 Vincent Ujumadu(Awka): 08035804090 Anayo Okoli(Umuahia): 08034046839 Chidi Nkwopara(Imo): 08033391108 Peter Okutu (Abakaliki): 08032680756 Chinenyeh Ozor (Nsukka): 08185664011 Nwabueze Okonkwo (Nnewi): 08037794782 Enyim Enyim (Onitsha): 08169297179 Or: e-mail us: easternvoice@yahoo.com

6 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

ABIA

s ’ r o t a Sen t n e m r e w o p m e s t n e u t i t s n o c of ces, n a l u b m s6a ...donatehospitals dr ugs to

BY ANAYO OKOLI.

U

MUAHIA—THE Senator representing Aba South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, says that good representation means nothing without the rural people, the less privileged having assess to the basic amenities that make life worth living.

For him, it is also meaningless if youths have no employment to fend for themselves hence he has in his near eight years at the senate made concerted efforts to do his best by bringing

•Locally made electric transformers displayed at the fair

succour to the rural communities.

As a result of this belief, Abaribe has provided six ambulances to different health institutions in Abia State as

well as other medical equipment and drugs.

Apart from this Abaribe built several boreholes across his constituency to give the rural masses good drinking water.

On the education sector, he built and renovated some classroom blocks in the zone and distributed computers, tables and chairs to some schools to enhance their

Poor leadership killing UNN — Ken Nnamani

BY CHIBUNDU ABUGU

E

NUGU—A former senate president, Senator Ken Nnamani yesterday blamed the dwindling propensity of the viability of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka on the lack of favourable interest, selfish desires and poor visionary leadership.

The former lawmaker who made this statement while delivering a goodwill message in a session organized by the office of the Vice-Chancellor of the institution under the title, “Visioning/ Strategic Planning of All Stakeholders of UNN” stated that, “UNN is blessed in several ways but we have under-utilized the blessings untouched”.

Sen. Nnamani who was duly represented by the Chairman Nigeria

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Educational Council, Prof. Steve Dike stated it clearly thus, “Over the past years, UNN has been stressed by contradictions, challenges, conflicts and temptations. UNN has seen trust betrayed, opportunities held captive and hopes dashed”.

He however observed that all hope is not lost inspite of all the challenges pointing out that the institution could still go back to the glorious days of fighting spirit, selfless service and collective responsibility of the founding fathers.

He continued, “UNN is a place where all things are possible. If individualim has failed us, optimism is our only viable option. I am hopeful and optimistic that this vision and strategic planning will lead us to put our hands together to restore the heritage of excellence and the restoration of the dignity of man”.

However, he reiterated his commitment to continue to offer and garner support for the

school administration to help take the institution back to its lofty heights of old.

“I promise you that I am almost certain that with the leadership of Prof.

Chukwuma Ozumba (the Vice Chancellor of the institution) that we will get there” he added.

Meanwhile, the Alumni association of the institution who were present at the gathering also offered profound support to always stand by the institution stressing through its speaker, Dr. Florence Ohabueze that even at time of crisis that they could not afford to remain mute.

“We (the Alumni) could not keep silent when there was crisis in the University. So, I can assure you that the alumni are ready to offer the necessary support to move this institution forward” Dr. Ohabueze added.

learning environment even as he procured and distributed several transformers to various communities to ensure that the people enjoyed improved electricity in the area.

He also organized a week entrepreneurial/vocational training for 650 persons drawn from across the zone and the sum of N33 million was provided to the participants to engage in their acquired skills.

On entrepreneurial development, he said that he had been promoting made-inNigeria goods, in view of all the Aba-made goods like shoes among others, prompting him to mount a Made-in-Aba Fair in Abuja, where products made by artisans in the commercial city were showcased to the nation and international community.

Furthermore, the senator mobilized and sponsored over 200 machinists, manufacturers and producers to the fair to exhibit their wares.

Products exhibited by the artisans include leather shoes, bags, belts, booths and foundries of all shapes. The exhibited products compared favourably with products imported from overseas.

Meanwhile, the senator, as part of his empowerment programme, told South East Voice that he had secured jobs for 36 people from the area in Federal Government agencies like the NTA, NAFCB, NAN, Immigration, Civil Defence as well as, Etisalat, among others.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014—7

End of road for 2 fake products’ producers in Onitsha O

NITSHA—SOME producers of fake products in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State have now gone into hiding following the arrest of two of their members by officials of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, last week.

SON officials like their counterparts in NAFDAC during the reign of late Professor Dora Akunyili as its Director General, swooped on two factories, Bendusco International Agency and D & K Golden City Investment Ltd, as well as a shop suspected to be a sanctuary for producers of substandard goods in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, arresting some of the operators.

One of the factories, located at KM 15 Onitsha, Owerri Road, Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, just as the shop with number R2/667, was located inside the Onitsha Main Market.

The SON team, accompanied by policemen from the Lagos State Command also arrested 25 workers found working in the factories including nine males and 17 women, two of them pregnant.

The pregnant women who reportedly fainted on sighting the policemen in company of the SON officials, were however, later released after being properly scrutinised even as the SON operatives took time to evacuate about five truckloads of the fake products from the factories including machines valued at N200 million.

Anambra State Head of SON, Albert Wilberforce, who

•Suleiman Abba, Inspector General of Police

,

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

In their first encounter with the suspects, over 200 trucks of BIC brand of shaving stick and other machineries were evacuated

,

spoke to newsmen at the factory site at Obosi said that ‘’the factories belonging to one Benjamin Ugochukwu Nwizu, a self acclaimed pastor of a Pentecostal Church, is now at large’’ adding that his company was allegedly producing fake Dorco Shaving sticks and nine other unbranded substandard products.

Wilberforce further explained that SON obtained a court order to search, inspect, take samples, seize, and seal the companies to compel the respondent to

comply with standards of shaving stick and allied products.

According to Wilberforce, that was the second time SON was sealing off the suspects’ factory, adding that in their first encounter with the suspects, over 200 trucks of BIC brand of shaving stick and other machineries were evacuated.

The SON boss, however, advised Nigerians to patronise made in Nigeria products instead of fake products that could lead to their untimely death.

I'm not tired, says retiring perm sec, Lady Okeke

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO

O

NITSHA—SOCIAL and economic activities in Awka, the Anambra State capital literally came to a standstill last weekend, when people from all walks of life left whatever they were doing to honour a veteran of the Government House, Lady Gloria Nkiruka Okeke, who bowed out from civil service after working for 35years in the system.

For the former Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor in the state, and her friends and well wishers, it was encomium and jubilation galore.

The celebration which started with a thanksgiving service at Winner’s Chapel, was graced by top government functionaries and hundreds of well wishers who gathered to rejoice with her.

Among those who graced the occasion included distinguished personalities representing themselves and the state government like the C M Y K

•Mrs Okeke rejoicing at the occasion

Mrs Ngozi Melifeonwu.

Commissioner for Special Duties, Norbert Obi, Sir Vincent Ezechukwu, the state chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Mrs Ngozi Melifeonwu, the traditional ruler of Achina, Igwe J.N Obiora as well as the President-General of Achina Town Union, Chief O.C Ezechukwu among others.

In his sermon, Pastor Adeyemi Amos of the Winners

Mrs Okeke.

Chapel called on the people to always remember that whatever they were or are had come from God and to Him alone should all the glory return, not to idols.

He commended Mrs. Okeke for realizing that and opting to first of all thank God for the gift of a successful 35years in service to humanity, rather than organising lavish parties.

Adeyemi said, “God has giv-

en us individual talents and His grace has always been with us. It is important that we remember to be responsible and hard working and to do right things at the right time.

This celebration today reminds us on the need to be honest, and that having known Christ, we should maintain our relationship with God...”

Speaking at a reception organised in her honour, Mrs Okeke expressed gratitude to God for seeing her through her civil service career.

She said, “I feel happy and fulfilled because what God sent me to do in the civil service, I consider myself as having achieved. I thank God for

granting me the opportunity and given me good health and I am very delighted for that privilege. ‘’The next thing is cruising level. Now, my service has started for the entire nation. I have retired but I'm not tired.

So, I still offer myself for service, provided such service will be the one that will be of immense benefit to God and humanity”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Okey Okpala charged those who were still in the service to emulate Mrs Okeke’s enduring legacies by always being humble, even as he stressed that nobody could succeed in office without the spirit of endurance.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

ENUGU

Enugu East LG residents allege political domination by late Igwe Edward Nnaji's family

BY FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—THE people of Enugu East Local Government have cried out over alleged political domination of the area by the family of the late traditional ruler of Enugu-Nike, Igwe Edward Nnaji saying that a situation whereby the family alone has produced both the member of the House of Representatives and the Senator representing the people was ungodly.

Senator Gil Nnaji was a member of the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate.

However, his younger brother, Cornelius who is the current chairman of the local government has also bought the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ticket to represent the people in the House of Representatives.

The Spokesman for all the communities which make up the area who is also the state Commissioner for Inter-Ministerial Affairs, Pastor Beloved-Dan Anike has con-

demned the development saying it was against the zoning arrangement between the people of Isi-Uzo and Enugu East.

He spoke in an interview with South East Voice at Nike.

His words: ‘’Elective offices are not about the occupier of the seat alone. Giving the fact that he (Cornelius) is also from the same family that has produced the last House of Representatives member, in the person of Gil Nnaji who is currently serving as a senator and also is his elder brother while he, Cornelius is a seating local government chairman, he should shelve the idea. ‘’Senator Gil Nnaji is contesting the election to go back to the Senate; his brother, Cornelius also wants to contest for House of Reps.

So, assuming all our men and women become blind at the same time, we will now have two brothers as senator and House of Representatives member. That is why the gods are wise. The leadership of the party has declared that Isi-Uzo should be given a fair chance to go for a second term

and that is where I stand. ‘’The two brothers have had it all. Starting with the local government chairman, House of Representatives and now senate at the same time.’’

You people have never complained before, why now? ‘’The issue is that in the past, Cornelius had not been in the same political group with his elder brother. Going by his pedigree, we never campaigned for him to become a council chairman on the basis of family politics. It was based on what we thought he could deliver. But this representation now, is what is putting us back. His action is pushing us into another circle of servitude and domination by the same family. His elder brother has been a local government chairman, House of Reps member and now a Senator. He (Cornelius) also wants to pass the same circle as his elder brother as things are now playing out.

He is now a council chairman and wants to proceed to the House of Representatives

Pastor Beloved-Dan Anike, Enugu Commissioner for InterMinisterial Affairs.

Senator Gil Nnaji, a scion of the Nnaji political dynasty and will also probably want to become a senator. My intention has never been to oppose him but to run for the House of Representatives seat. But I cannot run on my own because our party caucus has taken a stand.

I have to abide by the party’s

decision to allow for fairness.

But Cornelius feels that with his resources, he will find a way or method to make sure that Kingsley Ebenyi is edged out so that he becomes the candidate of PDP. In this state we respect zoning.’’

ENUGU CAPITAL TERRITORY DEVT AUTHORITY, MONDAY EMBARKED ON DEMOLITION OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES

Bulldozers demolishing St Joseph’s Institute at the Independence Layout, Enugu.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—37

Emem Isong debuts as director in Champagne

By Juliet Ebirim

N

I am set for the top —Clevatee N

ew kid on the block, Okunola Babatunde Ayobami popularly known as Clevatee is set for greater heights. The dancehall artiste whose prowess at fusing hiphop with rap is fast becoming a trademark says he is set for the top. “I am set for the top, don’t doubt me, it is for real” he boasts.

Only 15 years of age and an ex student of Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State, Clevatee started singing professionally at the age of 8 and has since become a songwriter, composer and singer.

According to him, he is presently working on his forthcoming album, featuring some renowned artistes in the music industry.

His claim to fame include singles like Ama Duro, Wokilumo, African Lady amongst others. Interestingly, all his singles are receiving rave reviews and enjoying massive airplay.

ollywood film-maker and CEO of Royal Arts Academy, Emem Isong is set to release her first effort as a director in a romantic thriller titled ‘Champagne’. Always one to push the envelope, in this movie she does not disappoint as she explores the concept of an open marriage between a young couple Tare Hopewell ( Alex Ekubo) and his young wife Champagne (Rose Zimu). The couple date other unsuspecting people mainly for money and perks, until they bite off more than they can chew when they meet the enigmatic Mr. Douglas (expertly played by Majid Michel).

Suddenly, this seemingly harmless game of ‘hit & run’ turns into a deadly game of high stakes, where the winner takes all.

Shot in the cities of Johannesburg, South Africa and Houston Texas, U.S.A, Champagne also stars Tana Adelana, Mbong Amata, Susan Peters, Padita Agu and Anita Chris. The movie marks the directorial debut of Emem Isong who also produced the work.

Uduak Oguamanam was the associate producer, while cinematography was by Bianca and Tom Robson on the South African end and James Costello on the American end.

Champagne premieres and screens in cinemas in Nigeria from December 19th.

Tim Westwood returns to Nigeria for Heineken Green Light Party W

orld Famous Hip Hop DJ, Tim Westwood is set to return to Lagos, Nigeria on the 14th of November 2014 for this year’s final of Heineken Green Light Party, at Quilox club, Victoria Island.

Tim Westwood is the only well-known DJ playing Hip-Hop on official radio in Britain. He was named ‘Best UK Radio DJ’ at the MOBO Awards in 2000 and 2003.

Tim Westwood is a very big fan of Nigerian music.

He has featured quite a number of Nigerian artistes on his show from D’banj, Wizkid, Davido, Iyanya to rappers like M.I, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Show Dem Camp and many more.

The Heineken Green Light Party has hosted two international DJs; Benny D and Babey Drew in the last few months, at two premium nightclubs in Lagos.

Mike Aremu, Jessy J to storm Abuja with ‘Sax Appeal’ concert

BY IYABO AINA

L

ive melodious tunes of saxophone impression is reborn as the 4th edition of ‘Sax Appeal’ concert is set to rock the city of Abuja, at the upscale Transcorp Hilton on Sunday, 23rd of November 2014.

Sax Appeal which is Mike Aremu’s invention is a Jazz concert aimed at reaching the hearts of music lovers around the world by providing quality live performances from highly talented artistes within Nigeria and from different parts of the world.

Recall that Sax Appeal 1 and 2 once took

place at the prestigious MUSON centre Onikan Lagos in 2009 and 2010, while the last event tagged Sax Appeal 3 held at the prestigious Eko Hotel Expo centre in 2011 with multiple Grammy Award winner Kenny G headlining the event. it was well attended by the crème de la crème of society including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Senator Udo Udoma, Donald Duke and a host of others.

According to one of the organizers of the event Mr. Shadare:”This year’s edition will feature top artistes like Mike Aremu himself, American female smooth Jazz Latino saxophonist Jessy J with Kunle Ayo, Yinka Davis and Timi Dakolo”.

38—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Anambra North: Why merit not sentiment must guide our choice

By Humphrey Chiwuba

A

Delta LGA elections: Where Ifowodo got it wrong

By Jesutega Onokpasa

V

ARRYING assessments have attended the recently conducted Delta local government elections. As to writing off the process as abhorrently compromised, a perfect specimen would be Ogaga Ifowodo’s last two offerings in his Vanguard column. There is a rumour circulating in Delta to the effect that he wants to run for a position in the federal legislature under the All Progressive Congress, APC. I believe Ifowodo is eminently qualified to be a legislator and if it were not for the potentially irresolvable differences I have with his preferred party, I would not only campaign for him Map of Delta State but go the extra mile by contributing financially to his ambition. Nevertheless, local government elections is as much its being qualified to run for public office does not stock-in-trade as it keeps hypocritically in any way present the aspirant with a blank suggesting is the sole preserve of the PDP. cheque for ignoring glaring truths or conveying When was the last time the PDP won even blind partisanship through the medium of a as much as a councillorship seat in an newspaper column. election conducted in an opposition held Ifowodo painted a picture of absolutely no state? In Edo, Lagos, Anambra and indeed elections held in the two Isoko constituencies, absolutely every state it controls, the going ahead to imply that the entire elections opposition insists on taking absolutely were a farce on that score. Other reports credibly everything! maintain that elections were substantially and Having adopted an uncompromising compliantly held in both areas, save for hitches winner-takes-all approach to local here and there orchestrated by desperate government elections in the states it politicians determined to subvert the controls, the opposition was quite convinced determination of the Delta State Independent the PDP would reciprocate that greedyElectoral Commission, DSIEC, to deliver on hunter approach to electioneering in the credible polls. Ifowodo equally ignored the states it in turn controls. Well, in Delta, the attitude of the opposition to their prospects in reverse has been much the case. In spite of the polls. its utter unpreparedness for the polls, the opposition kept winning councillorship seat Attitude of the after seat in the few local government areas opposition in which it was either serious or lucky enough to present credible candidates in The opposition parties unprofessionally those constituencies in which it bothered to approached the elections with stunning lack of make a stand. confidence, ironically confident that it would One would have expected a man of be business as usual with the umpire merely Ifowodo’s intellectual credentials to have waiting to rubber stamp the dictates of the ruling factored these commendable facts into party.

They studiously constructing a balanced template for undermined the avowed what unfortunately turned out to be determination of the commission a most partisan x-ray of the polls. to conduct meaningful polls, an Rather than suggest that Governor assurance, time and again, Emmanuel Uduaghan was reiterated by its chairman, defending the indefensible in their Akpoyoma Moses Ogbe. social media exchanges, Ifowodo They thus went into the field halfshould at least have acknowledged heartedly, mostly fielding him for not compromising the candidates the Peoples Democratic independence of the umpire, a Party, PDP, had earlier rejected. In stance that ended up benefitting his many constituencies, they opposition friends in deference to campaigned superficially, as if the will of the electorate. merely going through the motions, I would similarly urge him to thoroughly convinced the electoral resist in future, the increasingly contest was already lost even consolidating tendency of his before the battle for votes had bedfellows to play the ostrich in begun. It is indeed stupefying they defiance of even the most even bothered to field candidates compelling evidence. That was for the polls at all. Unfortunately, unfortunately his approach to Ifowodo’s mindset on the polls assessing the Ekiti Governorship perfectly encapsulates this polls when he aligned himself with unfortunate electoral disposition. the APC’s elitist rebuke of the He admitted to have originally electorate for rejecting an out-ofincluded the word ‘charade’ in his touch governor. Had he and his first article on the polls, thereby APC palls taken the commission writing them off even before they In many seriously when its chairman and held. It is thus a wonder he constituencies, commissioners kept harping on their bothered to show up at his polling commitment to delivering on unit to cast a vote he was already they genuine elections, they wouldn’t cast-iron positive would neither be campaigned have suffered anything close to the counted nor count at the end of defeat they ended up superficially, scathing the day. taking home from a substantially Yet perhaps there is an easily as if merely compliant process they had earlier understandable reason why the on hypocritically written off as a opposition was fanatically going sham. convinced the polls would be through the •Onokpasa, a lawyer , wrote from nothing but a grand electoral motions Warri, Delta sham. Scamming the electorate in

S the clock ticks towards the 2015 general elections, political actors, including godfathers have started strategizing towards clinching elective seats and throwing their weight behind their anointed and favoured aspirants or candidates.

Political backbenchers are looking at options available to them, or rather trying to create openings towards having an in road to electable personalities that they can invest on.

These self-anointed godfathers are preparing to anoint candidates into the various state legislatures and the National Assembly to ensure they remain politically relevant in their domains and communities. The godfathers in choosing those to represent the people at the grassroots only consider their pecuniary interests without taking into consideration the capabilities of such individuals to effectively represent and champion the interests of the people they represent.

Since the advent of democratic rule in 1999 and to the followers of events at the state and federal legislature, cases of lawmakers who after been elected fail to contribute to debate, do not attend legislative sessions and generally lack the acumen to discharge their legislative duties to the benefit of their constituents or alternatively, improve the act of democratic governance. When the electorate is disenchanted with the performance of their elected representatives, the law gives them the right to recall such a lawmaker.

But considering the cumbersome nature of successfully recalling a state legislator, House of Representatives member or senator as the case may be, it is no wonder that many lawmakers who fall into the category of non-performing lawmakers have served out their term and in some cases, being re-elected against the wishes and aspirations of their people.

The question begging for an answer is whether the majority of our lawmakers considering their pedigree deserve to be e l e c t e d representatives of the people in the first place? The Map of Anambra State response to this million dollar question will be a resounding no. Based on the foregoing, one will like to beam the searchlight on whether the people of Anambra North Senatorial District had had the kind of representation they deserved since the advent of the present democratic dispensation.

From 1999 to 2003, the flamboyant late politician and former Senate President, Senator Chuba Okadigbo represented the Anambra North at the Senate. However, from 2003 till date, Anambra North Senatorial District has had the ill-luck of being one of the hotly contested and controversial senatorial districts in the entire country. In 2003, Senator Emma Anosike took over from Senator Okadigbo of blessed memory before the court removed him in favour of the former Special Adviser on National Assembly

Matters to President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Joy Emodi.. Her attempt to serve out a second term as senator from 2007-2011 was thwarted by the courts which annulled her election and declared Senator Alphonsus Igbeke as the duly elected senator to represent the zone on the platform of the PDP. Again, in the 2011 general election, Senator Igbeke, John Okechukwuemeka and the incumbent, Senator Margery Okadigbo, slugged it out in the PDP to represent Anambra North in the Senate. But the legal tussle that followed over who the legitimate PDP candidate was ended when the courts declared that Senator Margery Okadigbo was the authentic flag bearer. Thus, she had the singular honour of replacing her late husband as senator for Anambra North.

Senatorial representation It is pertinent to observe here that since the inception of senatorial representation in Anambra North, it has been mostly dominated by people from the Omabala axis of the senatorial district to the detriment of the Ogbaru axis. Also, the two major parties in the state had an understanding by conceeding the governorship seat to Ananbra North Senatorial District with the same Omabala axis producing the two governorship candidates in the persons of Governor Willy Obiano of APGA and Comrade Tony Nwoye of the PDP. It can be argued that based on the principle of equity and fairness, and the fact that the Ogbaru axis had never produced a senator to represent Anambra North, the position should be conceded by both the APGA and the PDP in favour of aspirants from the Ogbaru axis to contest the 2015 senatorial seat during the National Assembly elections.

This argument one believes should be taking into consideration by leaders of both APGA and PDP in the choice of a candidate to fly either of the parties flag in the general elections as there are very credible and capable aspirants within Ogbaru axis who can effectively represent Anambra North in the Senate and attract the much needed development in the multi-riverine, and agrarian communities that constitute the seven local governments in the zone.

Political leaders in Anambra State should remember that one of the cardinal points of the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan is the adherence to the 30 per cent affirmative action in women representation. Anambra, the trial blazing state had always been in the lead in satisfying this global yearning with great women emerging from Anambra North Senatorial District. It is time once again, to return to that glorious era by propping up tested women from the zone who can make Anambra State and Igbo land proud.

•Chiwuba, a public affairs analyst writes from Onitsha.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 39

40— VANGUARD,

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 S flights carrying the Hujjaj arrive at various airports, the ‘arrival halls’are packed and crowded with loved ones, family members, friends eagerly awaiting to welcome the new Al-hujjaj. Their eyes are glued, scanning, looking for their loved ones; and eventually, greetings laced with smiles began to pour.

Returnees dressed in a thowb, head clean shaven, face glowing, further enhanced by the emulation of the blessed beard of the Noble Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) pushing a trolley atop which stands the containers bearing the blessed waters of Zam Zam flanked by his spouse whose Legacies of Prophet Ibrahim beauty now further enhanced by Every valley, gulley, mountain the donning of the Hijab; suddenly from nowhere children who had and paths that the Hujaj passed missed their parents emerge witnessed the Nur (Divine shouting, Mummy, Daddy’ as they Radiance) that they carried with run into the welcoming arms of them into town, city, village. They their returning weary parents. remained unaffected with the Thereafter the elders from amongst legacy of the blessed Haramain family, friends and strangers wait Sharifain.

The legacy of Makkah to greet the Hujjaj and immediately request the dua (Supplication) of Mukarramah being the Tauhid of the Haji as directed by the Noble Allah (SWT), and that of Madinah Messenger of Allah (Peace be Munawwarah, being that of Nubuwah (Prophethood) and upon him) Khatme Nubuwah (the seal of Prayer for Prophethood) In Makkah we have the Kaaba forgiveness which is the symbol of Tawhid ‘When you meet a returning Haji (Monotheism) established by (on his way home) then greet him, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) for the sole shake hands with him and ask him and exclusive worship of Allah to beg forgiveness of Allah on your (SWT). Prophet Ibrahim's life (a.s) behalf before he enters his home, was characterised by total for his prayer for forgiveness is submission to his Creator and accepted since he is forgiven by Sustainer and complete Allah for his sins’ {as narrated by steadfastness in the face of great Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him).

For this reason, it has always been the custom to welcome the Hujjaj, to walk with them and to ask them to pray on our behalf. To all of them, we say Mar aba Allan wa sallan;Nur hibu bikum jemihan.

Qad tuqbil Llah ibaadatih; wa yu bariki Lakum jemihan. Amin.

For this reason, it For all those of us who have been has always been at the airport to receive a returning the custom to Hujjaj, the picture painted above welcome the is a reflection of that experience, to which we can easily relate. Sadly Hujjaj, to walk though, besides this ‘cosmetic’ with them and to change that a Haaji undergoes, ask them to pray there is generally a lack of what on our behalf the Hajj of yester-years held for a Hajj. (There are definitely exclusions)

A

O’ Al-Hujjaj, Mar aba alan wa sallan?

•The legacy of Prophet Ibrahim trials and tribulations like being ostracised by his own community including his father; and subsequently flung into the fire for his strict belief in Tawhid. As a manifestation of one of the greatest miracles, he was divinely protected by Allah (SWT) and the fire was made a place of peace and comfort for him from which he emerged unscathed. When this miracle failed to convince those associating partners with Allah (SWT), Ibrahim migrated from the lands of his forefathers to become a stranger in the promised land of Shaam (SyriaAA), where he continued with his mission and called to the light of Tawhid in the ocean of darkness, ignorance and polytheism.

As he grew older, his desire for a child grew stronger and he prayed to Allah (SWT) thus, ‘O Allah, grant me a righteous son?’ (Surah 37, Verse 100) Against all odds and against every expectation, Allah granted him a son at the ripe old age of 86 (Ibn Kathir) Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) was then commanded by Allah (SWT) to leave the blessed land of Shaam which represented land of material abundance and financial well-being and migrate to the barren desert land of Arabia in the valley of Makkah, devoid of any vegetation or habitation. There, he was instructed by Allah (SWT) to leave his wife, Haajar (r.a) and his infant son, Ismaeel (a.s). He showed unflinching faith and allegiance to the command of his Creator and Sustainer as he never

NAHCON completes airlifting of 76,000 pilgrims

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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HE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has disclosed that it had completed airlifting a total of 76, 000 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in this year holy pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah back to the country.

In a statement by its head of media, Mr. Uba Mana, the commission, noted that the last and final flight of Kabo Air which departed King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah around 12noon last Monday, conveyed 412 Kwara State pilgrims and 88 officials.

According to the statement, the return journey began on Thursday, October 9, 2014 with the expectation that the airlifting exercise would be completed in 27 days, but was completed ahead of the expectation within 26 days with 138 flights.

The statement added that “ a total of 76,000 Nigerian pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj.”

It further stated:”During the outbound flight (September 6 to 28, 2014) to Saudi Arabia, pilgrims were airlifted in 145 flights through airports spread across Nigeria. For the return journey however, all the 37 countries including Nigeria that participated in the Hajj exited the Kingdom through the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. As a result, the Commission, throughout the inbound airlifting, maintained a strict policy of “first to arrive Saudi Arabia, first to return to Nigeria.”

The Commission therefore acknowledged the support of the Federal Government, the National Assembly, the state pilgrims welfare agencies, the private tour operators and all pilgrims for making the operation a resounding success.

Uses of Zam-Zam water

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•HRM, Oba Ajibade Agoro, Ranodu of Imota, left, praising Allah during a visit by Youth Wing of NASFAT , Imota Branch to the palace to mark the new Hijri Islamic calendar 1436 A.H recently.

once questioned the commandment of Allah (SWT).

Equally impressive was the response of his wife Haajar (r.a) who, after being told that this was the Command of Allah (SWT) responded, ‘If your leaving us here is on the command of Allah (SWT) then He will never forsake us!’desperation began to increase

at the sight of her child crying uncontrollably due to hunger and thirst. When eventually, on her seventh ascent (her fourth on Safa), the pendulum of her hopes shifted totally off creation and only onto her Creator, Allah (SWT), the spring of Zam Zam began bubbling beneath the feet of her infant son, Prophet Ismaeel (a.s). The water of Zam Zam which, from that time until today, flows forth in abundance and quenches both the physical and spiritual thirst of the millions visiting the Haramain as well as those that anxiously visit the returning Hujaaj/Umaraa at their homes having hope of being honoured with the good fortune of being offered a drink of this blessed water can be said to be the product of the great sacrifice of the family of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s). Once this water began to gush forth the valley of Makkah began its growth as a habitation with the settling of the Jurhum tribe from Yemen that has today become the most visited and revered place in the whole world.

NE of the many silent miracles of Islam is Zamzam water that is derived from Zamzam well located within the Masjid al-haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. About 66 feet east of the Kaabah.

Millions of pilgrims collect Zamzam water each year during Hajj or Umrah rites to drink from it. Also, each pilgrim is presented with the minimum of one litre when returning to their various countries. There are many Hadiths and reports that affirm the virtues of Zamzam water. But it is disheartening that the present day Muslims particularly Nigerian Muslims failed to recognize the value of this water as they prefer other material things to Zamzam water. Many of them failed to recognize its curative power as a result of ignorance or negligence of the importance of Zamzam water. Zamzam water first emerged during the time of Hajar and Ismail in Makkah. It emanated when Hajar ran out of water and her son became thirsty. An angel scratched the ground with his heels (or with his wings) until water began to

gush out from the spot, that turned out to be the Zamzam well. No one can find fault with it. It has other names apart from Zamzam.

These include: Al-Shabba’ah, Barrah, Tibah, Bushra, and other names. When Jibril opened the chest of Allah’s Messenger (SAW), he washed his heart with Zamzam water. It is regarded as the best water on earth with astounding nourishment and healing prowess.

Apart from quenching thirst, it is used for ablution. Pilgrims drink from it during or immediately after Tawaf. It is used as medicine against certain diseases, it is used as food and for other intended purposes, such as beneficial knowledge, plentiful provision etc.

It is permissible to use Zamzam water to purify oneself but some scholar advised that it should not be used for any inappropriate purposes such as removing impurity and so on. Some of the recommended acts when drinking Zamzam water include: facing the Ka’bah, saying Bismillah, pausing to take a breath three times, drinking one’s fill, praising Allah after one’s fill. It can be sprinkled on the head, face and chest making lots of du’a.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014— 41

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HE Holy Quran says, “ You are the best people raised for the good of mankind.” (3:111).

Sadly, some heinous acts of Muslims have frightened the world, who do not expect any good from Muslims.

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) foretold that the Muslims will plunge into misguided darkness in the latter days and a Messiah will be sent by God to revive the true teachings of Islam.

As Ahmadi Muslims, we believe that the Promised Messiah (as) has come and his truthfulness has been supported by the earthly and heavenly signs.

So, it is the prime responsibility of every Ahmadi to call the world to goodness and being desirous of good for everyone.

Message of goodness Labourer, businessmen, doctor, lawyer, scientists, teacher, farmer ...everyone has to take this message of goodness to their sphere with wisdom; so that the world may get to know of Ahmadiyyat and the True Islam.

We Ahmadi Muslims are embarrassed and saddened to see that the world scared of Muslims. We find it particularly hurtful that those who perpetrate these despicable crimes and bring Islam into disrepute do it in

Ahmadiyya Friday sermon

Strive for goodness and peace for all the name of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), who was sent as the Mercy for whole of mankind.

They totally misrepresent true and exemplary character of the Holy Prophet (pbuh ) to the world.

Islam is not false but rather the actions of these people are at fault who are spreading chaos and disorder in the world in the name of Islam.

Ahmadiyya is acting on these beautiful teachings of Islam.

Because we believe that the Promised Messiah (as) has come and his truthfulness has been supported by the earthly and heavenly signs.

Nevertheless, as an Ahmadi we are not at all dismayed nor do we lose hope seeing these misdeeds. So, to call the world to goodness and being desirous of good for everyone is the prime responsibility of every Ahmadi because Allah, through His Grace and Favour

has bestowed upon us the bounty of having accepted he Promised Messiah (as).

As Ahmadis, we are duty bound to be of benefit to others, because we have accepted the Imam of the age. The blessing of Allah that He guided us to believe in the Promised Messiah (as) compels us to promote peace to the best of our abilities.

We are the well wishers of the Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and the followers of other religions as well as atheists. Because we have the responsibility to show all of them the path that takes them close to God Almighty. We are required to rise to the challenge and do everything in our power to be a source of goodness and beneficence to others and prevent evil and misdeeds.

Indeed we also have desire and wish for good for all people

How MTN made me a better Muslim —Hajarat Ahmed Aboki Hajarat Ahmed Aboki, one of the 20 beneficiaries MTN sponsored hajj to Makkah in this interview, narrates how God, through the leading telecommunication gave her a rare opportunity in fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam.

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OW did you feel emerging a beneficiary of the 20 customers sponsored by MTN to Mecca for this year’s Hajj?

Alhamdulillah (to God be the glory), it is the handiwork of God, through MTN. Well, I, was like other19customersthatwereselected based on the MTN Value Added Service (VAS) we subscribed to. It was a computer-based random selection. Though we subscribed to different VAS contents. Some of us subscribed to daily devotionals, Islamic quotes, sermons, Islamic songs, Islamic caller-tunez and other spiritually uplifting and faith enriching contents.

HowhasitbuiltyourIslamicfaith and moved you closer to Allah (God)?

Insha’Allah (by God’s grace), it has helped me a lot. First, it has kept me and is still keeping me connected to Allah every day. It has added spiritual value in the aspect of receiving inspirational Islamic messages and quotes from the holy Quran through SMS. Sometimes you find yourself in challenging situations and all you need are words of encouragement or quotes, from the Holy Quran about Allah’s promises towards us, so as to boost our faith. Alhamdulillah (to God be

Hajarat Ahmed Aboki the glory), I am a living testimony to such great moments, as these SMS have encouraged me to be strong and stay positive to overcome different hurdles.

How did you feel when you were told that you were among the lucky subscribers to be sponsored to

Makkah for this year’s Hajj?

Sincerely, I felt I was day-dreaming. I told myself this cannot be true. At first, when I received the call, I felt it was one of those fraudsters that wanted to play a fast one on me, all in the name of Hajj.

I dropped the call. Then I didn’t look at the number. Later the number 180 (MTN Customer Care Service number) called me againandIwastoldthat anMTNstaffwouldcall me. In few minutes, I received the call. He broke the good news again to me. He asked me of my location and I told him. He directed me to one of the MTN offices closer to me in Suleja (Niger state).

Though I was still having a little doubt in mind because, I cannot still believe it was true. I summoned courage and went. When I got there, I was congratulated again.

There, I felt convinced that it was true even though I felt I was day dreaming.

we all will be held to account for our actions. So follow the commandments of God Almighty so that you may have a better end. But we cannot make anyone understand this until we practice this ourselves. This is a very great duty that we have to carry out with deligence, care and regular self-assessments.

Being part of the last Friday sermon delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba); Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

involved in every kind of evil including thieves and robbers.This is simply because these are all the creatures of the Lord of all the Worlds, Who has ordained us to be good to every creatures of God Almighty.

By saying ‘ukhray-jat lin-naas’ [for the whole of mankind] Allah has made our field of actions very vast. So for the good of humanity, we have to show them the right paths that lead to God Almighty.

We have to raise awareness that this life•Hadhrat will Mirza Masroor Ahmad come to an end one day and

When did you feel you weren’t day dreaming?

(Smiles) It was when my visa was handed over to me. I told myself, Hajarat, you are on your way to the Holy land.

How many times have you travelled to Makkah?

I have never travelled to Makkah before. This is my first time of even travelling out of the country. This is a once in a life time opportunity given to me by MTN. Sincerely, words cannot express how I feel.

This is a rare opportunity given to me for just subscribing to an Islamic content on the MTN Value Added Services.

Value added service I am saying a very big thank you to MTN because it is not easy for a company to sponsor its Muslim subscribers continuously in the past six years.

How did you feel fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam?

Alhamdulillah (to God be the glory) I feel complete. I feel great. It is not easy for a thirty year old post graduate student who cannot afford an air ticket to sponsor herself to Makkah to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam. You know it is not easy fulfilling this Islamic obligation especially when you are not financially buoyant. Travelling to Makkah was like getting a new experience, in fact a better angle to anewexperienceoflife. Ifeltuplifted

spiritually and fulfilled beyond the level I was. It was a very big opportunity given to me by God through MTN to travel not just out of the country, but having the privilege of visiting places I only read in the Holy Quran and performing the Hajj rites. Words cannot explain exactly how I feel.

How was the experience like?

It was a fulfilling one. A rare experience I never thought I could havethisyearorsomeyearstocome.

A once in a life time opportunity given to me by MTN as I was able to meet people from different background. Apart from seeing places I onlyreadin theHolyQuran, the journey to the Holy land gave me a better understanding about the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

How? Reading the Holy Quran sometimes may appear distant as one is not familiar with particular scenarios in it. But now, I have direct knowledge of these places and this has created better understanding, makes me more familiar, enhanced my understanding about the Holy Quran and this has really enhanced my faith and made me a better Muslim. This I would surely share with my family and friends. It is an unbeatable spiritual experience.

What impact has this experience made in your life?

Alhamdulillah (to God be the glory), it has had a great impact in my life. It has made me a changed person; feeling like new born child, because I felt my sins have been forgiven and washed away Insha’Allah (by God’s grace).

42— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

First, they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

—Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) When has it become a crime to be Christian or moderate Moslem, female and ambitious? Well, from the encounter below, the Boko Haram insurgents are trying to redefine what constitutes a crime in Nigeria.

Maria Matthew is a student of Adamawa State University in Mubi. Wednesday, October 29, 2014 will remain indelible in her memory. That was the day the Boko Haram insurgents invaded Mubi and she was one of those abducted. She shares with Vanguard, their ordeals and eventual escape.

All well meaning Nigerians must rise up and speak with one voice against this evil called Boko Haram before it is too late.

By Ebele Orakpo

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UMOURS: On that fateful Wednesday, October 29, 2014, we were preparing to go for lectures and somebody brought the news that lectures would not hold because there was rumour that Boko Haram insurgents were about to get into Mubi. We started packing so we could go with our luggage but on second thought, we decided to just go with our

handbags. We took Keke Napep (tricycle) to the motor park. But just two minutes to the park, we saw people running and we heard people shouting “Allahu Akbar , Allahu Akbar “ (God is the greatest).

Gunshots & Abduction: Suddenly, we started hearing gunshots all over the place so we turned back in confusion not knowing where to run to. Then we saw some people running to a house and we followed them

BOKO HARAM:

Air Force plane's intervention led to our escape —Victim into the house where we hid. We met 12 other people in the house, a family, so we were 14 altogether. They locked the gate while the gunshots continued outside. That was about 10.00am.

We were in that house up till 4.00pm when I went out to ease myself. On my way back into the house, I saw somebody on top of the roof of the house where we were hiding, he was wielding a gun. When he saw me, he beckoned on me to come and I told him plainly that I was not going to come to him.

Hiding under chairs I ran into the house and told the others and we hid ourselves – some under the bed, some

under the chairs, some under their clothes and all that.

The man on the roof called out to his colleague and the two of them came to the door and were hitting the door, asking us to come out. In our midst were two elderly women who asked them to stop hitting the door, that they will open the door for them. They opened the door and the two insurgents asked us to come outside; we went out and they asked which among us refused to answer their call earlier. I stepped forward and said I was the one and he asked why I refused to obey him and I said I didn’t know who he was, besides, he was wielding a gun and that was why I refused to obey him.

Searching for men: He asked why we were afraid of them, we

said we were afraid because of their guns. He asked where our husbands were and we said we did not know. “What do you mean you don’t know where your husbands are?” they asked us and we insisted we did not know; that we ran to the house and met nobody.

He asked a three-year-old boy where his father was and promised to give him N20 if he goes in to call his father. The boy said his father was inside and quickly went in to call the father.

He came back and told the insurgents that he could not find the father.

They turned to us and asked us why we were looking at the boy as they were asking him question, accusing us of Continues on page 43

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—43

Adamawa State University

‘Air Force plane's intervention led to our escape' Continues from page 42 signalling to the boy not to say anything. We said they could go inside and search the house by themselves. One of them went in and came out without seeing any man there.

Activities in Boko Haram detention house: When he came out, he asked us to move. We all went outside the compound where we met dead bodies of men, so many of them littered the ground. They took us to a particular house and as we entered, we met too many women – young girls, children all crying.

We were over 50 women in that house. At about 6.00pm, they moved us to where they prepared for us. That house belonged to a Christian family who ran away when the insurgents invaded the town. They went ahead to destroy anything remotely pertaining to Christianity in that house. They tore all the Bibles in that house.

Even our Bibles were taken away from us.

Christ, saying that our God is not the same as their Allah because our God has a son, and God does not have a son; that we are mocking God. They said our preachers and parents did not give us good moral upbringing, that we have been deceived.

They said Islam is the only good and acceptable religion in the sight of Allah and that is their mission.

Our crime: They laid emphasis on the fact that one: We are Christians. Two, we are women.

Three, we have ambition of pursuing our education to become something in future. So they want to scatter that plan because according to them, we are supposed to be married and not to go to school.

They said Christianity is not a good way and so it is not good for us. They said anyone who dies as a Moslem will go to heaven even if he kills. They asked us to

Reciting the prayer They locked us up in the house, a two-bedroom flat. We were in that house until 7.00pm when they brought food, water, soft drinks, torch lights and mosquito coils for us. Some Moslem women came through the window to tell us they will teach us how to recite the prayer. Of course, we could neither sleep nor eat. There was simply no appetite and they kept insulting us, calling us all sorts of names – people without religion.

In the morning, they came and greeted us, asking how our night was. Then by 9.00am, they brought in papers and other things and at about 12.00 noon, 1.00pm, they brought in more women they had abducted. At that point, the house was full so some were in the parlour and some in the veranda plus those of us in the rooms.

They then proceeded to preach Islam to us, condemning Jesus

The insurgents had locked us in so we broke the windows and escaped from there. We started running, looking for refuge

bring Bible and they will bring the Kor’an and we will see it. So we told them we had no Bibles because they had seized our Bibles. The next thing they did was to separate us into two groups: the said: “If you want to be a Moslem, go to this side and if you want to remain a Christian, go to that side.”

Majority out of fear, accepted to become Moslems while the rest of us said no, we will continue to be Christians. We were sent back to our rooms where we continued to pray for God’s intervention. It was 2.00 pm now. The other group was by this time receiving instructions about Islam and how to pray.

Becoming slaves They then asked the insurgents: “If we become Moslems, will you allow us to go back to our various homes?” They said “no, because we are not sure you will continue to practise Islam so we will take you around with us to make sure you have proper training, learn how to pray until the time you want to get married; we will find you suitable husbands.” And those of us who said we will continue to be Christians will become slaves and receive punishment. So none of us will go back home.

Intervention: We continued praying while others were still receiving instructions from the insurgents until the Air Force intervened. The Nigeria Air Force plane must have been monitoring the movement of the insurgents and the abducted people. When they located the building where they had taken us, they released a bomb which landed on the roof of the building, killing and injuring some of those in the parlour and veranda. The insurgents had locked us in so we broke the windows and escaped from there. We started running, looking for refuge.

Almajirai & Mallam to the rescue: We entered some houses owned by Moslems, they sent us

away but one received us. We stayed there until morning when we decided to leave the town.

Unfortunately, the insurgents sighted us and began to pursue us. We entered one Almajiri house and hid ourselves. Some women wanted to expose us but the Almajirai and their Mallams

refused. They hid us and later disguised us to be able to get out of town safely at about 12.00 noon.

They helped us to escape and we trekked through villages and bush paths until we escaped.

How did you get fare to Yola?

We had left our handbags with credentials and other things in the first house from where we were abducted. Luckily, school had just resumed and my pocket money ((N20,000) was still with me. I was putting on a pair of trousers so I divided the money into two and as I was folding my trouser to enable me run, I folded the money along so it was from the money I was able to help transport others to Yola.

There were four of us including a 14-year-old girl whose father was slaughtered in her presence and her mother had died four years before. She followed us because she had no one else and nowhere else to go. She is originally from Michika but they lived in Mubi.

44 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

PISCES; The more willing you are to listen to your partners and/or spouse the better for you today. Friends are trying to convince you that the are reliable.

ARIES; Success is boldly printed on your cards today. The more push-full you are along your career/ business lines the better. Embrace new method at work.

TAURUS; Here is a day you are not meant to ignore new ideas that come suddenly. It’s good to take matters of the heart more seriously. Listen to your spouse please.

GEMINI; Lucky Jupiter is joining mighty Sun and romantic Venus bringing you to the fore for collection of well deserved honour, glory and LOVE. Certainly you’re becoming more important in many ways. Be more ambitious.

D

Dwelling on your problem?

By Richard Eromosele

O you have a problem? What is the nature of the problem? How long have you been in and or with the problem?

And what are you doing to solve the problem?

The first thing you should know is that problem is

TERROR MUDA

an integral part of any human being. So, if you have no problem at all, then something is wrong.

in “Never say goodbye”

And that is a problem on its own. In addition, for a problem you can gloss over, do not dwell on it for eternity. So much that you are completely incapacitated...

By Lanre Kehinde

CANCER; Another lucky day for you is here. Although your being co-operative can enhance your scope, your personal ideas and initiative are guarantee for bigger do.

LEO; Those of you who are more consistent will have more to gain. Good ideas on monetary issues will enhance your finances. Be more family minded.

VIRGO; Entrance of lucky Jupiter into Sagittarius is meant to enhance your finances. The more willing you are to take good advice the better. Be loving.

LIBRA; Lucky Jupiter makes an ingress into your positive angle today with good luck to you. Financial success is closer to you than you can imagine. Give big push.

SCORPIO; Here is a good day when influential personalities around you will be willing to assist you but you will need to take the initiative. Take good advice.

SAGITTARIUS; This is your day. The more ambitious you are along your career line the better for you.

And friends are willing to give the needed supports; you’ll be lucky.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN; Your mind is truly active and if you’re more practical about it success’ll crown your efforts.

Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

AQUARIUS ; Coming of Lucky Jupiter into a positive angle to your Star sign is a big plus. On a day like this the more ambitious you are the better. It’s good to be loving .

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

What is my horoscope?

Dear Joshua, I am a young man willing to go higher in life. Kindly tell me everything I should know about my horoscope.

Rasheed,. Oshogbo,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Dear Rasheed, Here-under are what space can take.

ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOROSCOPE Preponderance of fixed quality within the heavenly bodies when you were born pointed to you as a person who always find it relatively difficult to change his mind once you made up your mind on very important issues. And as ambitious Saturn was the final dispositor (that is the only planet at home) when you were born, CAREER&IMAGE always take precedence over all other things when taking important and final decision.

From distance others will see you as a tough and aggressive person but with less than 50% of pushfull influence in your chart you are actually not as difficult as others thought you are. Truly you are loving, caring and your sympathy can easily be aroused. Most of the time you prefer to attract what you want rather than go after such in straight aggressive way. However because you are an Aquarian nobody can take you for granted especially about your personal FREEDOM..

Placement of the Sun (the indicator of everybody’s inner-self and/or conscious self) also Moon (an indictor of emotion/sub-conscious self) in AQUARIUS and SAGITTARIUS respectively are indications of your being mainly an Aquarian and partly Sagittarian.

Meaning that basic characteristics of the two Star signs, are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014—45

Anioma Nation mobilizes for Jonathan

COMMISSIONING:

From left— Dr. Emmanuel Ukpabi, Vice Chairman, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc; Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Mr. Paul Gbadedo, Group Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc; and Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, at the commissioning of an ultramodern integrated feed mills by Eastern Premier Feed Mills Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Flour Mills, in Calabar.

IYDA commends Jonathan on NIMASA boss

T

HE Ijaw Youth Development Association, IYDA, has described the reappointment of Patrick Akpobolokeme by President Goodluck Jonathan as DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria Maritime Administrative and Safety Agency, NIMASA, as a welcome development.

In a statement by Mr. Fiyebo Eperetei and Ibapoi Tombra, National President and Public Relations Officer respectively, the Ijaw youth group said the “reappointment was a result of his hard work and transparency in service delivery.”

They said part of his achievements in his first tenure included training of youths in various sections of the maritime industry such as seafarers, skill acquisition, capacity building and obtaining satellite monitoring system to check piracy and other criminal activities.

They said: “We, however, appeal to him to increase the level of youth employment and empowerment to reduce youth restiveness and joblessness in our country.

“We strongly believe that any public officer, who concentrates on youth development and progress, shall not regret.

“It is clear that so many youths involve in negative activities due to lack of orientation and empowerment.

“We also use this medium to call on the Federal Government to take proper care of youths.”

By Tommy Anaduaka

A

Delta House confirms appointment of 10 new commissioners

By Festus Ahon

A

S A B A — D E LTA State House of Assembly, yesterday, confirmed the 10 commissioner-nominees sent to it by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

The confirmation was sequel to the successful screening of the nominees during plenary of the House, presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Peter Onwusanya.

Those who were screened and confirmed include, Chief Solomon Igrakpata, Mr. Joel Bisina, Pastor Powel Ojogho, Mr. David Anuku, Mr. David Ekerekosu, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Mr. Omolobi Newumi, Mr. Austine Ayemidjor, Mr. Matthew Opuoru, and Mr. Benjamin Iwezu.

The House Majority Leader, Monday Igbuya, who had earlier moved for the screening of the nominees, also in a similar motion, moved for their confirmation.

This was unanimously adopted by members.

Similarly, the House also screened and confirmed all the nominees for Delta State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, as forwarded by Governor Uduaghan.

T h e y a r e M r. Elijah Ologe, as Chairman, while Mr. Emmanuel Amgbadugba, Mrs May Inijei, and Mr. Azikiwe Ako, as members.

Also at the plenary, the House confirmed the four nominees sent to it by the governor as chairman and members of the Local Government Service Commission.

The appointees include: Mr. Olumami Oyibo, Chairman; Mr. Paul Uwechue, Mrs. Catherine Ilolo, and Mr. Peter

zElijah Ologe is SUBEB Chair Abugewa, as members.

The Majority Leader of the House, also moved a motion

for confirmation of the appointees and was also unanimously adopted.

Edo APC mourns Aliu

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN— THE leadership of All progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, yesterday said it was still “dazed” by the death of Mr. Peter Aliu, the lawmaker representing Etsako East constituency, describing his death as a great loss to the party and the entire people of the state.

This came as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Uyi Igbe, and the Senator representing Edo North senatorial district, Senator Domingo Obende, described the deceased as a titan of principle, who exhibited an unwavering loyalty to APC.

According to Domingo, “it is a very painful situation, because this man was a very peaceful man and nice to everybody and everybody called him e r a m a (our father), because of his disposition and the way he handled things.”

The state chairman of the APC, Mr. Anselm Ojezua, who led executive members on a condolence to Aliu's family, said the deceased was a pillar and a stabilizing force in the state House of Assembly and APC in Etsako East constituency, adding “we are weeping because we have lost one of the most dedicated party members.”

A'Ibom bloc insists on zoning in Ukanafun council

T

HE Afaha geopolitical bloc in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has stressed the need for maintenance of the existing zoning arrangements in the council for state and federal constituencies in the interest of peaceful coexistence, brotherly love and unity.

The bloc, made up of three of the five clans of Ukanafun council, made the call after a stakeholders’ meeting at Ikot Udo Mbang.

In an eight-point resolution, the people said: It said, “We condemn the plans by some persons in Ukanafun to deny us of our turn of having a son or daughter in the state House of Assembly in 2015.

“We want to appeal to rightthinking persons in Ukanafun

to avoid the temptation of doing such, as such development is not only alien to our tradition, but capable of turning our now peaceful environment into another theatre of war and bloodletting.”

HEAD of President Goodluck Jonathan's November 11 declaration for re-election in 2015, the leadership of Anioma Nation for Jonathan, ANJ, has mapped out strategies to mobilize thousands of members, including Nigeria Civil War veterans, under the aegis of Care First for the Aged Welfare Development Association of Nigeria, CFAWDAN, for his reelection.

A statement by ANJ National Secretary, Mr. Emma Fejokwu on behalf of the National Chairman/ Coordinator of the body, Chief Sylvester Ebigwei, said the plan and approval to rally round President Jonathan was a result of the massive transformation agenda.

Meanwhile, Chief Ebigwei, who is also the national Patron of the Civil War veterans and immediate past President of Aka Ikenga, has set-up offices in all the nine local government areas of Delta North to serve as coordinating centres for the campaign.

... YYI, too

A

socio-political group, Yoruba Youth Initiative, YYI, SouthWest, has said it was prepared for the endorsement for President Goodluck Jonathan for re-election.

A statement by its President, Mr. Adejumo Ishola, said: “We prepared towards the successful endorsement of President Jonathan in South-West. Mr. President deserves to be acknowledged going by notable achievements of his administration, and a vote for him is not wasted.”

My plans for Delta North—OSAJI

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—A senatorial aspirant from Delta North senatorial district, on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Paul Osaji, has vowed to improve the quality of lives of the people of the district, if elected into the Senate in 2015.

Osaji, who spoke after the submission of his expression

of interest and nomination forms at the PDP state secretariat, Asaba, said he would render effective and purposeful representation to the people.

The aspirant, a former Commissioner for Works, said: “My vision and mission is to use my wealth of experience of over 30 years to improve and enhance the standard of living of the people of the district.”

46 —

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Destiny Revival Church marks anniversary

L

AGOS—THE Destiny Revival Church, Destiny House, Dopemu Area, Lagos will commence its six-day seven years anniversary from November 11, 2014.

According to Pastor Chima Emenuga, there will be revival, Bible quiz, music competition by women, among others. The theme of the anniversary is: “He has shown us Great Mercy and Victory.”

Eminent religious leaders and many other friends of the church are expected to grace the occasion climaxing on Sunday November 16.

Obodoagu passes on

M

RS SEIMIEBI Beatrice Obodoagu, of Adagbabiri, Sagbama L.G.A, Bayelsa State is dead, aged 80.

There will be a Christian wake keep at her Lagos residence; 25, Layinka Street, Ajegunle on Saturday, Novermber 8 and a traditional wake keep at her home town, Adagbabiri, Sagbama on Friday, November 14, by 8pm. She will be buried the following day.

She is survived by children, and many relations, including Ms Bridget Ogboka.

Late Beatrice Obodoagu

This country is finished if 80% of annual revenue comes from unfinished product such as crude oil. Although it may not affect everybody but it is time the leaders started thinking fast. Mrs Christy IjehBusinesswoman C M Y K

S-East NLC give 7-day ultimatum to Enugu Disco over disengaged labour leaders O

By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—LEADERS of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the five South Eastern States, have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, to recall all the labour leaders disengaged or risk unpalatable labour action.

The labour leaders gave the ultimatum yesterday in Owerri, in a two-page communiqué, signed by the state chairmen and secretaries and read by Imo NLC Chairman, Dr. Reginald Anyadike.

While warning EEDC management to desist from acts aimed at dismembering the affiliate unions of the NLC, the obviously angry unionists took exception to what they called “unbecoming and anti-labour disposition of the company management.”

They were particularly angered by the plight of the victimized unionists in the company, coupled with alleged nonchalant attitude of the EEDC management in giving attention to labour demands on the payment of staff allowances.

The labour leaders frowned on the deliberate effort of the EEDC management to deunionize the company, warning that “forms printed and distributed to members to fill for withdrawal of membership of organized labour unions, should be withdrawn and annulled.”

They contended that the forms already distributed to workers should be of no effect, since unions were not organized and run by management.

The union leaders also urged EEDC management to pay the outstanding last quarter bulk

rent and 2013 productivity bonus, as well as effect payment of negotiated statutory allowances, which the EEDC allegedly refused to pay on

the takeover of the company in November 2013.

“That refusal to allow the National Union of Electricity Employees,

NUEE, personnel entrance to address their members amounts to an affront and a deliberate effort to kill the union”, labour fumed.

Ebonyi gov aspirant accuses politicians of selling state to devil

A

By Peter Okutu

BAKALIKI—THE governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Ebonyi State, Senator Anthony Agbo, yesterday claimed some unscrupulous politicians and individuals had over the years sold the state to the devil.

Agbo, who spoke at a briefing in Abakaliki, called on Christians in the state to

rise to their responsibilities and pray fervently for the perfect will of God to prevail in the forthcoming general election in the state.

According to him, if the children of God fail in their responsibility of praying for the next administration, Ebonyi people will get a government far worse than what they were allegedly experiencing today.

He said: “APGA is not

only a great party, but also the only existential hope for the rescue of Ebonyi state from spiritual bondage as well as terror, pains and impoverishment affecting the generality of the people.”

The Senator, who had purchased his nomination and expression of interest forms of the party in Abuja, also said: “Ebonyi State was sold to the devil some years ago."

2015: IGDI backs Ogor, Owhefere's re-election bid

I

SOKO GRASSROOTS Development Initiative, IGDI, a socio-political pressure group, has endorsed Hon. Leo Ogor Okuweh for Federal House of Representatives in the National Assembly and Hon. Tim Owhefere for Delta State House of Assembly.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the group, Dr. Antony Oghomi, Secretary, Odior Bernard, and PRO, Sir Elvis Ovie, the group stated that the duo had been able to represent the interest of Isoko people, both at the state and federal level, adding that IGDI has decided to endorse them for re-election since they had earned the support of Isoko nation.

According to Oghomi, "the

two lawmakers have delivered the dividends of democracy to every door step in Isoko, though there are areas to improve on. We believe in them, they have

been tested and trusted by the Isoko people. IGDI will work tirelessly to campaign and ensure victory for them in the 2015 general elections.”

Mgbidi day holds Sunday

M

GBIDI PEOPLES Union, MPU, Lagos branch, will Sunday hold its ‘2014 Mgbidi Day.’ The event takes place in Festac town.

A statement signed by the President of the union, Chief Innocent Nwafor, said the occasion would be chaired by Nze Okezie Ekezie, an Assistant Director at the National Assembly, while the Deputy

Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Donatus Ozoemena, would be the special guest of honour.

According to the statement, highlights of the occasion include the launch of appeal fund for the completion of Mgbidi Civic centre, estimated to gulp about N50 million.

The chief launcher is Chief Vitus Okafor, General Manager, NNPC, Kaduna.

What is your view on Nigeria’s falling oil price?

The oil price fall could only reflect on the Exess crude account, foreign reserve and non oil revenue that will increase as a load to tax payers, but not the federation accounts. Miss Mabel Nnnenna- Graduate

Nigeria should take authorization to increase production as to meet engagements and reduce the same when the crude oil price rises. However, one does not need to be afraid of oil price fall. Mr Matthew Enyinnah- Author

Nigeria should stop depending solely on oil. It should diversify into other areas like agriculture.

Nigeria is blessed with a lot of natural resources that even without oil, the country can survive.

Miss Esther Adichie- Student

It may be extremely difficult to sell its crude oil. Since July this year the USA, the principal buyer of our light crude oil, has not bought even a barrel of crude oil from Nigeria. Mrs Ifeoma Anyambuba- Businesswoman

When the price of oil was at its peak did it affect the people of Nigeria in anyway? Absolutely no! A nation which should have harnessed its oil resources to develop its infrastructure and other sectors is now sadly at the mercy of world oil price. Mr Femi IgweSound Engineer

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 47

I'll defeat Gemade any day—SUSWAM

By Peter Duru

M

AKURDI—AS the fight between Governor Gabriel Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade gets messier, Suswam has said that he would defeat the former national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in any free and fair election conducted anywhere in the state.

The governor who is locked in a political battle for the party’s ticket for the Benue North East senatorial zone with Chief Gemade who is the incumbent, stressed that he was the most acceptable candidate in the area, hence he did not need to hijack materials meant for the last PDP local government delegates election, as alleged by Gemade.

He told newsmen in Makurdi,

that it was rather Senator Gemade that allegedly engaged in malpractices by circulating invalid and fake nomination forms among his supporters in order to subvert the process.

According to him,”I did not hijack any material as being alleged by Gemade, I didn’t need to do that; the truth is that the night before the congresses, I was in Katsina /Ala to inaugurate my campaign committee.

“That same night I moved to Logo, my local government for the

congress. While there, I received calls that some persons, led by Senator Gemade, had invaded the PDP, alleging that I had hijacked the materials meant for the election even after being told that the said materials were still with the Electoral Committee.

“How could I have done that when I was in far away in my local government where I was also waiting for our own material for the conduct of the exercise?

“Senator Gemade was the one who brought in fake and invalid

delegates’ forms and distributed same to his supporters to subvert the process.

“He eventually ended up holding the exercise here in his Makurdi private residence without going to his constituency.

“The fact of the matter is that our materials arrived late in the state, and because everyone including the committee wanted the process to be free and fair, there was few hours of delay but at the end of the day the exercise went peacefully without problems.

Onokpasa urges support for Delta gov aspirant

W

ARRI—THE convener of Delta Equity Coalition, Mr. Jesutega Onokpasa, has called on Deltans to take a closer look at governorship hopeful, Sir Anthony Obuh, who he said must be commended for not abandoning his right to vie for the governorship of the state.

In a chat with newsmen in Warri, Delta State, Onokpasa hailed Obuh for going ahead to declare today, for a position he is indeed eminently qualified for.

While recalling that he had earlier been at the forefront of opposition to Obuh under the platform of Delta United Against Tony Obuh, he admitted that he had come to the realisation that his initial misgivings about Obuh were inspired by fundamental differences he had with a few of those who were, at the time, promoting Obuh’s aspiration.

His words: “I have come to feel rather bad about attacking an innocent man on grounds of not being comfortable with an infinitesimally small minority of his supporters.

Having, thereafter, fraternized with his core support base while independently familiarizing myself with the fundamental content of Tony Obuh’s character and true personality, I have no reservations in calling on fellow Deltans to take another look at the gentleman for the purpose of assessing him fairly and squarely for who he truly is.

“I believe he has much to offer Delta having not projected himself as an Anioma aspirant but as a truly detribalized pan-Deltan candidate capable of carrying the entire state along. For those of us from Delta Central and Delta South who are comfortable with a detribalized governor from any part of our dear state.''

C M Y K

VISIT: From left; Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Secretary to the Edo State Government, SSG; Lucky Imasuen, former Deputy Governor, Edo State; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State introducing top Edo State PDP chieftains to President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to Edo State at the Benin airport, on official foundationlaying ceremony of the Azura/Edo 450mw Independent Power Project. Photo by Barnabas Uzosike.

Yero blasts El-Rufai, says Kaduna is working

K

ADUNA—GOVERNOR, Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State has lampooned the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, for allegedly making false and unsubstantiated accusations against his administration.

Yero said that el-Rufai tried to portray his administration in bad light ‘’by exaggerating the true situation of things’’ in the state, adding that most of his assertions were ‘’outright lies.’’

In a statement signed by his Director General, Media and Publicity, Ahmed Maiyaki, Yero stated, ‘’While we don’t blame the aspirant for his political gimmick aimed at cajoling members of his party, we believe the former minister deliberately ignored the facts by peddling outright lies in an apparent display of a huge disconnect with the same people that he aspires to govern. ‘’We would have ignored ElRufai’s tirades against the administration of Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, because the former minister is already renowned as loquacious, but we

deem it necessary to address some of the misinformation central to his comment. ‘’For the benefit of the general public, especially those that listened to the former minister

from outside Kaduna State, the administration of Yero remains very popular in the entire state and is working tirelessly to improve the overall living conditions of the people.

Apologize to Clark, Ijaw leader tells Kwankwaso

T

HE coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group and former Publicity Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Comrade Joseph Evah has described the utterances of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State against Ijaw National Leader, Chief E.K. Clark as “irresponsible” and asked the governor to apologize to Clark.

Comrade Evah said in a statement: “The attack on the person of Chief Clark shows that some frustrated politicians seeking higher office have seen the hand-writing on the wall that their dream will never be realised. They have, therefore, resorted to display of outright show of shame in public.

“No normal person from

Northern Nigeria will exchange words with Chief E.K. Clark, who belongs to the generation of Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and Shehu Shagari without caution. ''None of the people I mentioned here can boast of contributing towards national development more than Chief E.K. Clark”, he said.

The Niger Delta leader demanded an immediate apology from the presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that if the late Prime of Northern Region was alive today, he “ will give equal attention defending Northern interest like what Chief E.K. Clark is doing for the South South region.

Enugu PDP: Court rules on delegates election

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE crises in the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a new turn as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday gave an injunction, restraining the party and its principal agents from receiving any other result of the November 1, delegates election of the party other than the names submitted by its acting Chairman, Mr, David Ajah and its electoral committee.

The court presided over

by Justice A. F.A Ademola, gave the injunction, following a suit number filed by Mr Orji Chinenye Godwin, Chiefs C. Akalusi and C. Orji against the PDP and its national Chairman, national secretary and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The plaintiffs may have approached the court, following reports that the Ikeja Asogwa- led faction of the party, planned to hold a parallel delegates election in Enugu Thursday, November 6.

However, granting the order, Justice Ademola said, ‘’an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the first to four defendants, their agents, servants or assigns from taking any step or receiving and acting on any purported report or list of candidates or persons purporting to be the list of elected delegates at the ward congress held in Enugu State on November 1, 2014, from any person or persons other than the Electoral Committee as constituted in Exhibit A, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. ‘’That an order of substituted service is made with the processes in this suit on the legal department of the defendants/ respondents at Wadata House, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja and such service is deemed as sufficient service.’’

Justice Ademola who heard from counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Solo Akuma, SAN and B. K. Abu, adjourned the hearing of the substantive case till till tomorrow, November 7.

48—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 67 2014

AWARD: Wife of Ondo State Governor, Olukemi Mimiko (right), receiving an award of excellence for contribution to the womanhood and society, from the Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Jumoke Akindele (2nd right); Majority Leader, Hon. Ifedayo Akinsoyinu (3rd left), Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Kemisola Adesanya (2nd left), and Hon. David Oleyeloogun (left), in Akure.

VISIT: From left, renowned security analyst, Mr. Mike Ejiofor; Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; Prime Minister of Ubulu-Uku kingdom, Chief Emma Ejiofor, and Odiba Ashibogwu, when the governor visited the Ejiofor’s family in Ubulu-Uku to commiserate with the family for the demise of Diokpa Ejiofor of the family, in Ubulu-Uku, weekend. Photo: Henry Unini

AWARD: From left, Protogene Nsensumuremyi, Rwandan High Commissioner in Nigeria; Mr. Ikechi Uko, Initiator, Akwaba African Travel Market; Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, presenting an award of Calabar Carnival as the Best Event of the Year to Senator Florence Ita-Giwa on behalf of Cross River State WALK: Poliomyelitis survivors and members of Rotary International on an 'awareness walk government, during the Akwaba Africa Travel Awards 2014, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele to end polio' on Saturday, November 1, at the National Stadium, Lagos.

PROGRAMME: From left, Recruiter, Mosunmola Ojo; Funke Olakanmi, Noble Business and Systems Integration Manager, both of Accenture Nigeria; Dr. Bukola Onoshoga, Chairman, Nigerian Computer Society, Ogun State Chapter, and Anthonia Akue, Marketing Communications, Accenture Nigeria, during 6thAnnual Nigeria Computer Society Information Technology Development Programme

AGM: From left, Yetunde Martins, Company Secretary; Dr. Ephraim F. Faloughi, Chairman, and Mr. Wale Onaolapo, MD/CEO, during 19th Annual General Meeting of Sovereign Trust InsurancePlc, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

PROGRAMME: From left, Country Director, Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell; Programme Director, Support for National Malaria Programme, Dr. Folake Olayinka,and Head of Programme, Management, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Audu Mohammed, during the campaign against pre-emptive treatment for malaria, organized by Support for National Malaria Programme, in Abuja.

VISIT: From left, Mr. Norbert Bielderman, new Managing Director, NAHCO AVIANCE; Engr. Sale Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and Ahmed Gulmah, Head, Internal Audit, during courtesy visit by the new NAHCO AVIANCE Managing Director, to FAAN, at FAAN headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos.

MEETING: From left, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, Director-General; Industrial Training Fund, ITF; Mr. A.B. Ogaji, and Mr. Dickson Onuoha, Director, Procurement, ITF, during an Interactive Breakfast Meeting of the Director-General of ITF with stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the Golden Tulip Hotel GRA Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —49

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50 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 —

C M Y K

51

52— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Vanguard CLASSIFIED U WA S O M B A — I formerly known and addressed as Miss Uwasomba Vivian Chinwendu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agwulonu Vivian Chinwendu.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ODOH—I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ijemamaka Gwyneth Odoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ijemamaka Gwyneth Ovia. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

LATEEF—I formerly known and addressed as Miss Lateef Rianat Olamide, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adetoro Rianat Olamide. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O N W U K A — I formerly known and addressed as Mr. O n w u k a Nowegbuchilem Alloysius, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Alloysius O. Nwuzi.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UMUKORO—I formerly known and addressed as Mr. A u g u s t i n e Oghenekevwe Umukoro, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. A u g u s t i n e Oghenekevwe Daniel.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKUNADE—I formerly known and addressed as Miss Okunade Sherifat Adeshola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Balogun Sherifat Adeshola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AY O D E L E — I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ayodele Nusrat Adebimpe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Bello Nusrat Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ABDULRASHEED—I formerly known and addressed as Miss Abidemi Suliyat Abdulrasheed, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Abidemi Monisola Obi Onyetonekwu. All former documents remain valid.

Adekunle Ajasin University, National Open University and APM Terminals and general public please take note.

ESHAMEH—I formerly known and addressed as Miss Beatrice Funmilayo Eshameh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Beatrice Funmilayo Alao. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IJEKPA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Martha Obiageli Ijekpa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Martha Obiageli Uko. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ALIFIA —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Comfort Ajuma Alifia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Comfort Ajuma Obaje.

All former documents remain valid. University of Jos, NYSC and general public, please take note.

UZOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nnenna Stacy Uzor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nnenna Stacy Eche.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

MEBAGHANDUN —I, formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Cynthia Mebaghandun, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Cynthia Omamofe. All former documents remain valid. The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, and the general public, should be aware of this information and take note.

OSUNLALU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesola Funmilayo Osunlalu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adesola Funmilayo Olaleye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OBICHERE—I,

known and addressed as Mrs. Jovita Ijeoma Kamma . All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EDOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Edoh Happy Godstime, now wish to be known and addressed as Edoh Aghogho Godstime.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AGBORUME—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Agborume Najite Ruth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Najite Ruth Aghogho.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Onah Mark Oche, now wish to be known and addressed as Onah Mark Baron Oche.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ILOH —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Grace Chidinma Iloh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ifijen Grace Chidinma. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University ( A.T.B.U) Bauchi and general public take note.

SONIBE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Sonibe Unoma Vivian, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Vivian Unoma Oyibo.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EDEM—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Mercy Ebele Edem, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mercy Ebele Monye. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Government and general public please take note.

DUMBIRI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss O s e n o y e n i m Christabel Dumbiri, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. O s e n o y e n i m Christabel Okonye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

A K P O D UA D O — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Joy Nneka Akpoduado, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Joy Nneka Nwaomucha.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I W E O H A — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Iweoha Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onwenna Blessing.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AJAGBA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugoeze Blessing Ajagba, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Amadi Ugoeze Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OWEIBIA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oweibia Vivian Daupreye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Benatei Vivian Daupreye. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONYEMAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Onyemah Nkechi Vivian, now wish to be known and addressed as Nkechi Vivian Asuquo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NMAUMAUCHE—I, formerly known and addressed as Nmaumauche Rebecca Onyeaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Rebecca Onyea Aya. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

TUNDE—I, formerly known and addressed as Oluremi Samson Tunde, now wish to be known and addressed as Akporua Oluremi Samson. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OSEMENE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Maria Nmadili Osemene, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Mora Nmadili Egbo.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ENAJEROH—I, formerly known and addressed as Blossom Enajeroh Fejiro Miracle, now wish to be known and addressed as Blossom Fejiro Miracle. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NUWHELE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Akpofure Rukevwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nuwhele Akpofure Rukevwe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OJO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Blessing E. Ojo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Blessing E. Osiba. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O M U Y E H — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Regina Orowo Omuyeh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Regina Orowo Wilson.

All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Police Force, Delta State University Abraka and general public please take note.

UNOMAH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Unomah Ebele Clara, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Uchuno Ebele Clara.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note please.

G I D E O N — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Gideon Sophia Ujiro Doris, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Doris Ujiro Odibo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ERHIRHIE—I, Formerly known and addressed as Miss Omonefe Jennifer Erhirhie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Omonefe Jennifer Manuwa. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OYIBODUDU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Maureen Eguono Oyibodudu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Maureen Eguono Akaba. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NNAJI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Cynthia Adaobi Nnaji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Cynthia Adaobi Efeunu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

EGERE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Egere Zita, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Zita Egere Egboge. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ANIYEYE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Augustina Aniyeye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Augustina Ogbe. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONYIA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Onyia Kenechukwu Vivian, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Sodje Kenechukwu Vivian. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

formerly known and addressed as Jovita Ijeoma Obichere (nee Njoku), now wish to be

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 53

Vanguard CLASSIFIED ONYENEKWE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Gloria Kenechi Onyenekwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Gloria Kenechi Makinde. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoh Sandra Chinonyelum, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nze Sandra Chinonyelum. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

N WA B U E Z E — I , formerly known and addressed as Nwabueze Peter Rex, now wish to be known and addressed as Nwabueze Kevin-Rex Akintola Emeka. Holy Family Nursery/ Primary School, Life Camp Abuja, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public please take note.

EMENIKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Emenike Chiamaka Rosemary, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anagor Chiamaka Rosemary. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AGBAI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Agbai Cecilia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Modestus Cecilia. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

ILEKA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ileka Ogechi Ifeyinwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ezenwaka Ogechi Ifeyinwa Natasha. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ODUNZE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Odunze Rejoice Daberechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ekwuribe Rejoice Daberechi. All former documents remain valid; NYSC and general public please take note.

AKPAN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Anthonia Gabriel Akpan, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anthonia Ifiok Mathew. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

LUKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Luke Tuyakizibe Marian, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ernest Peter Tuyakizibe Marian. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Confirmation of name I, Ivinbeke Ebikedoumene Ozuma, hereby confirm that the names Ivinbeke Ebikedoumene, Ebikedoumene Ivinbeke and Ninbeke Ebikedoumene as it appears on my certificates refers to one and same me. All former documents remain valid.

Niger Delta University and general public please take note.

ADVERT HOTLINE 01- 8737025 FOR ENQUIRIES, CALL ADVRT HOTLINE: 018737025, OR 08025781478, 08035449960, 07031322957.

New GSMA report forecasts 500m mobile subscribers in 2020 •525m smartphone connections in 2020 •Lists barriers to digital inclusion

BY EMEKA AGINAM, in Cape Town, South Africa

W

HILE mobile i n d u s t r y contributes 5.4 percent to the African Gross Domestic Product, GDP, a new GSMA report released, yesterday, at the ongoing Mobile 360-Africa event holding in Cape Town, South Africa has projected that the number of unique mobile subscribers in SubSaharan Africa would pass the half billion mark by 2020 as mobile services become increasingly affordable and accessible to millions of currently unconnected citizens across the region.

This is even as the latest report by the GSMA further pointed out that digital inclusion in SubSaharan Africa may be derailed unless many barriers including network work infrastructure and government policy , taxation, locally relevant content, IT illiteracy among others were resolved.

According to the new report, sub-Sahara Africa is expected to see the highest growth of any region in terms of smartphone connections with 525 million smart phone connections in the region

PAC lauds IGP's confirmation

T

HE Police Assistance Committee (PAC) has lauded the confirmation of IGP Suleiman Abba’s appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement in Lagos, the PAC Director-General Dr. Martins Oni, said confirmation of IGP Abba’s appointment was a manifestation of blessing from Almighty God who searches the hearts of all men,as well as reward of honesty and fear of God. While congratulating the IGP to keep on the good job he has been doing, Dr. Oni urged him to brace up to the challenges of his office and quickly come up with fresh ideas that can elevate the performance of the Nigeria Police Force, assuring the IGP of continuous support of the PAC in the area of information dissemination and intelligence gathering to keep assisting the Police and other security agencies in the country.

by 2020, accounting for more than half of the total connection base at that date. The report also highlighted how the taxation of mobile services significantly added to affordability barriers for consumers, giving examples in Ghana, Kenya and Chad which have mobile taxes of more than 25 per cent of revenue.

Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities .

The Sub-Saharan Africa region includes 46 countries in total. The six largest markets, in order of size, are Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, which together account for over half of the region’s unique mobile subscriber base.

Powering the African

economies The mobile industry is a valuable and growing contributor to the regional economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, the mobile industry contributed 5.4 per cent to overall gross domestic product (GDP) in the region, equivalent to US$75 billion; this included a direct contribution by mobile operators of US$27 billion or 1.9 per cent of GDP. It is estimated that by 2020 the mobile industry will contribute US$104 billion to the region’s economy, representing at that point 6.2 per cent of the region’s projected GDP. The industry is also a significant source of employment and job creation in the region. In 2013, the mobile ecosystem directly employed nearly 2.4 million people and indirectly supported a further 3.7 million jobs. The industry also makes a large contribution to public funding in the form of general taxation (US$13 billion in 2013), and through further contributions via licence and regulatory fees and spectrum auctions.

Operators in the region invested more than US$45 billion over the last six years (2008 to 2013) to

expand coverage and increase network capacity.

Capital expenditure over the next seven years (2014 to 2020) is forecast to total around US$97 billion as operators accelerate investments in order to meet rising demand for mobile data services.

Connecting the unconnected Despite strong subscriber growth in recent years, Sub-Saharan Africa is still the world’s least penetrated mobile region and local operators face several challenges in their efforts to expand network coverage on a cost-effective basis to unconnected populations.

According to the report, the implementation of commercially agreed network sharing deals and ensuring the timely release of Digital Dividend spectrum will be important factors in achieving this goal.

Due to the lack of fixedline infrastructure in the region, mobile is established as the primary means of accessing the internet. At the end of 2013, there were almost 150 million individuals using mobile devices to access the internet across the region, over 60 per cent of which were doing so via 2G devices. The mobile internet penetration rate in SubSaharan Africa is expected to increase to 37 per cent by 2020, with an additional 240 million people across the region becoming mobile internet users over the period.

NAF refurbishes aircraft to fight insurgency

By Evelyn Usman

T

HE Nigerian Air Force, NAF, yesterday, said it had sufficient aircraft to fight insurgency in the country, even as it has charged its newly promoted personnel to defend the oath they swore to defend the country.

This is just as the force has disclosed its preparedness to assist the country in ensuring a hitch free elections come 2015.

As first step towards achieving this purpose, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosun, yesterday, commissioned a resuscitated C-130 aircraft to boost the fight against terrorism. The aircraft was re-commissioned after an eight-week C-check inspection work by NAF

personnel under the leadership of the Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar, in conjunction with a foreign partner, Sabena Technics of Italy.

Speaking at the occasion, Air Marshal Amosu who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Olutayo Oguntoyibo, described the aircraft as a force multiplier, disclosing that same checks would be carried out soon on other range of aircrafts with a view to meeting its mandate.

He said, “The aircraft is force multiplier. By this I mean it is s a logistic based aircraft. It's going to help in hauling men and materials in times of war.

Presently we have three different points from where we launch to the

theater of war and this airplane keeps going all over the country to pick men and materials to these places. We have sufficient aircrafts for now to prosecute whatever we have at hand.

“As you can see, this is in addition to our preparation towards the build up for 2015. As politicians are doing their own business, we in the Airforce are also preparing. We are very ready and are poised to assist in which ever way the governments ask us to come up, in terms of moving materials and personnel about. We will work hand-in-hand with INEC depending on their requirement just to make sure that electioneering materials are where they are supposed to be and for quick delivery and timely execution of programmes.”

54—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Lagos sensitizes residents on PVCs

NOMINATION: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (left), submitting his senatorial form at the party headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

A

HEAD of the distribution of 4.8 million Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Lagos, the state government has begun mobilization and sensitization of residents.

According to the government, this is to avoid being disenfranchised in forthcoming general elections.

Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, who disclosed this at Alausa, Ikeja, said the state government had commenced the mobilization ahead of the distribution of the PVC by INEC commencing tomorrow.

He said: “We know that anyone who does not have PVC will not be allowed to vote in next year’s elections.

“It was why we have directed the Community D e v e l o p m e n t Associations, CDAs, officials to sensitize residents under their CDA on the importance of collecting PVC when the distribution commences.

“On Thursday (yesterday), Governor Babatunde Fashola will be meeting CDAs in the state to sensitize them on PVC and stress the importance of collecting the card.”

ASUP commends FG on N500b education fund, but...

By Laide Akinboade

A

BUJA—THE National President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP, Dr. Chibuzor Asomugha, yesterday, described the N500 billion recently released by the Federal Government to tackle incessant industrial action in the country‘s education sector, as a positive development.

Dr. Asomugha, who stated this while responding to the release of the fund in Abuja, said the fund would help to strengthen and ensure peace in the nation‘s education sector.

He said: “Of course, if that is what the Minister has said, I have no reason to doubt his integrity; it is a good development. Mark my word, if that is what he has announced, then it is a very good development.

“I would say it is complementary to every other efforts that all stakeholders

have been making to ensure peace in the tertiary institutions.”

The ASUP President, however, expressed doubt about the sufficiency of the amount to address all the problems in the sector.

He said: “Certainly, this N500 billion will not be enough to solve all the problems and challenges facing higher institutions in the country.

“No amount of money dedicated to the development of higher education will be enough. The fund will not be enough because the need gap

EFCC prosecuting 441 oil theft cases— SCRIBE

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is

People living with HIV/AIDS vacate NASA premises

By Victoria Ojeme

P

ROTESTING people living with HIV/AIDS have vacated the premises of National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, in Abuja, following promises from Director-General of the agency that their demands would be met.

The protesters, acting under the aegis of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, NPWHAN, had on Monday stormed NACA’s head office to protest government’s non-funding of the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan, PCRP, designed to bridge existing treatment access gaps

and vowed to shut its operations for 25 days.

However, findings by Vanguard revealed that the NEPWHAN protesters had vacated NACA premises.

A source at NACA, who pleaded not to be named, said the group has had second thought to hearken to the plea made by NACA's Director-General.

The source said: “They have left the place this afternoon, but they were all here in the morning even though they were not preventing staff of the agency from entering the office.

is so wide; even looking at the agreement universities signed with the government.

“The Federal Government pledged to disburse about N1.3 trillion to public-owned universities in the next five years and this is just N500 billion.”

He urged Federal Government to give proper clarification of whether the money was part of the N1.3 trillion earmarked for universities or whether public polytechnics and colleges of education were factored into it.

“We learned that they have decided to leave the premises because of the promise made to them by our DG. They have left.”

It would be recalled that Public Relations Officer of NEPWHAN, Samaila Garba, said that if the President failed to release money to the agency for implementation of the PCRP, they would shut the agency ’s operations for at least 25 days.

On why they decided to leave NACA’s premises, NEPWHAN National Coordinator, Edward Ogenyi, promised to call Vanguard, but had not done so at press time.

currently prosecuting 441 individuals for allegedly vandalizing oil pipelines and stealing crude oil.

In addition, the commission is still busy with the prosecution of suspected oil subsidy thieves with over 40 persons and organizations currently in court answering charges.

Spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, who spoke at the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies, FOSSRA/ I-Nigerian Initiative media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, said 71 oil thieves had already been jailed by various courts, including 45 Nigerians, 10 Ghanaians, 13 Philippines, 10 Indians, two Togolese, one Cameroonian and one Myanmese.

He said: “The commission has recovered over N5 billion from persons implicated in the subsidy scam and has intensified efforts to bring more suspects to book.”

NASS prescribes jail term for using disabled to solicit alms

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—THOSE who use people living with disabilities to solicit money from the public will now be liable to a sixmonth imprisonment, among other punishments, even as a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities is to be established.

The punishment was the decision of the Senate and the House of Representatives as contained in the harmonized bill passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly that would be sent to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent.

The bill contains provisions that would ensure that the disabled are protected from discrimination and harmful treatment; have access to free education at all levels, basic health care, and employment, among others.

The harmonized bill seeks to ensure that it is only persons living with disabilities that would benefit from government package and be fully integrated into the society while a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities established for them, and headed by a physically challenged person, as Chairman.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 55

Desperate politicians imported policemen for congress — ELECHI

By Peter Okutu

...Says ex-gov deserves commendation, despite defection to PDP

A

B A K A L I K I — GOVERNOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, yesterday claimed policemen from outside the state were imported by some desperate politicians in the last ward congress conducted by the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, blaming them for the violence that occurred during the exercise.

Elechi, who spoke in Abakaliki when the new Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 6, Mark Idakwo paid him a courtesy visit, accused the politicians of arming the youths to unleash mayhem during the congress.

During the congress, no fewer than three persons sustained various degrees of injuries at Onicha Local Government Area, LGA, following attacks by suspected political thugs while six suspects were also arrested by police at Uburu for alleged illegal possession of firearms.

He said: “Some of the desperate politicians are flying their families out of the country and at the same time arming other youths to cause mayhem in the State. The sort of threat to law and order, to peace that we are experiencing now does

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

PRESENTATION: From left; Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Bayo Adekanmbi; Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Mike Ikpoki, and Project Fame Season 7 winner, Geoffrey Oji, at the car prize presentation to the winner of MTN Project Fame Season 7, on Thursday, at Golden Plaza, Ikoyi. not give us cheers for the future and we will only rely on the Nigerian police force to ensure that there is maximum peace. ''That is what many politicians do; a good number of them have flown their families out of Nigeria.

They gave visas and passports to their people to leave the country and gave guns to the youths of their constituencies.

“It is happening here and now in Ebonyi State. If not for

providential intervention, last Saturday would have been bloody.

So, we are appealing to you to draw the drum into the ears of your men at all levels that we as civilians are not ready to accept any falsification of election result. ''We are not ready to be intimidated by forces from outside the state; only the police force duly and dutifully assigned to Ebonyi State should operate here. When outsiders come and bring illegal

forces from beyond the borders of Ebonyi State, it is an indication to chaos and we will not lie down folding our arms, we are bound to react.''

In his remark, AIG Idakwo, who assured that the police in the zone would be impartial during the 2015 general elections, promised to communicate the governor’s complaints, especially on the issue of importation of Police officers to the Inspector General of Police.

No PDP congresses in Enugu, 17 LG chairmen insist

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—CHAIRMEN of 17 local government councils in Enugu State, yesterday, claimed no Peoples

Democratic Party, PDP, ward congress took place in Enugu State last Saturday.

The chairmen in a statement signed by them, said: “The attention of the 17 local

government area chairmen in Enugu State on the platform of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, has been drawn to a false and mischievous claim being peddled in the media

Council urges residents to collect Permanent Voter Cards

M

USHIN Local Government Area of Lagos State, yesterday called on residents to collect their Permanent Voter Card, PVC, at the centers they registered ahead of 2015 general elections.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ consultative meeting at the Council secretariat, Council Manager.

Mr. Rasaq Oladeji, appealed to the residents who had obtained the temporary PVCs to collecting the permanent cards as failure would make them ineligible to cast their vote in 2015 general elections.

According to him, one of the civic responsibilities of a responsible citizen is to vote during elections. ''Only the permanent voter’s cards can qualify citizen to vote during the elections slated for next year. Such elections are State House of Assembly,

Ex-OMATA boss faults attacks on Peter Obi

National Assembly, governorship and the Presidential elections.

These permanent cards are to be collected at the very centres where the registrations were done,” he said.

He assured the residents that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials

would be on hand from 9am to 4pm from today to November 9, 2014. “For those who have not obtained the cards at all and have attained the age of 18, they have Wednesday November 12, to Monday November 17, to register. No eligible Nigerian will be denied their rights to vote,” he said.

by the State Deputy Chairman of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Elder David Ajah, and a few members of the party in the state, that the party conducted what they called successful ward congresses in Enugu State on Saturday, November, 2014.

“In view of the prevailing circumstances and the need to put records straight, we wish to state that we are fully in support of the stance of the state leadership of the party that no PDP ward congress took place in Enugu on 1st November, 2014 due to the non arrival of electoral materials and members of the electoral panel from PDP headquarters, Abuja.''

GSMA lists barriers to Africa’s digital inclusion

By Emeka Aginam

C

APE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA— AFRICA’S journey to digital inclusion may be derailed unless many issues including network infrastructure and government policy, taxation and relevant local contents among others were resolved, the Senior Director, Mobile for Development of GSMA, David Taverner has said.

Taverner, spoke Wednesday during a presentation at the ongoing GSMA Mobile 360 series in Cape Town, South Africa.

He said digital inclusion would support the mobile industry to increase mobile internet adoption and usage, while reducing the digital divide and driving economic growth of the continent.

The GSMA is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting

the standardisation, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system.

The Mobile 360 Africa conference was convened by key stakeholders in African mobile ecosystem to examine the practical steps which can, and need to, be taken by all parties to ensure collaboration, coordinating and enabling policies that promote digital and financial inclusion; extending

N E W I — FORMER President General of Onitsha Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, OMATA, Chief Pius Anaekwe, has faulted attacks on former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, saying he deserved commendation instead of condemnation irrespective of his defection from All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In a statement, Chief Anaekwe, said those vilifying the former governor should search their conscience to know if they had one time or the other not kept to the promise they made to people, adding that nobody was infallible.

He said the former Anambra governor had the right to pitch tent with any political party and had no apology to anybody, other than his God. He said: “Time will tell if his political journey to PDP was a good or bad move”, urging his supporters to continue to have faith in him.

“Peter is not my best friend, I should be one of those criticizing his move, if criticizing him should be based on how his government favoured one and another, but we should be constructive in our criticism because most times we may not be right in our assessment of situations.''

affordable access to mobile and internet services as well as empowering citizens to make the best of new opportunities by supporting the required investment at macro and micro levels, among others.

Under the theme, ‘’Driving Digital and Financial Inclusion,’’ the GSMA Mobile 360 series has a lot of participants by Nigeria operators, who are exploring the key opportunities and challenges facing stakeholders across Africa.

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58—VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

BRIEFS Cameron wants to see British-Asian as PM

Burkina Faso leaders meet to discuss transition O

PPOSITION leaders and members of civil society met yesterday in Burkina Faso to establish ground rules for a transitional government and what they expect from its leader.

The desperately poor West African country’s president of 27 years, Blaise Compaore, resigned last week amid mounting opposition to his bid to seek yet another term in office.

Compaore never identified a potential successor and his departure created a power vacuum that the military has filled, at least temporarily.

International envoys are pressing Burkina Faso to quickly designate a civilian

•Blaise Compaore leader for a transitional period until new elections can be held, and the African Union has threatened sanctions if that doesn’t happen

soon.

Talks on Wednesday failed to designate a leader, but diplomats said some progress had been made: All sides

have agreed that the transition should last one year and elections should be held in November 2015.

“I believe that in days, rather than in weeks, we will be able to reach an agreement and install a t r a n s i t i o n a l government,” Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama, said late Wednesday after meetings ended. “I am certain that we will not reach the stage where the international community will have to impose sanctions.”

Mahama, who currently chairs the regional bloc of West African states, known as ECOWAS, was mediating talks along with the presidents of Senegal and Nigeria.

Hollande popularity deeps in mid-term French poll H ALF-WAY into his five-year mandate the popularity of French President Francois Hollande hit a new low yesterday, hours before the Socialist leader addresses the nation to defend his shaky record on the economy.

In the worst score for a president in modern-day polling, Hollande received a 12 percent approval rating in the monthly survey by pollster YouGov, down 15 percent from the prior month. Other recent polls have put his popularity at 13 percent.

Earlier the chief executive of France’s thirdlargest bank, Credit Agricole, slammed Hollande’s government for its uncertain efforts to kick start the eurozone’s second largest economy.

“The absence of a clear vision and lack of coherence in economic policies is weighing on confidence and therefore investment and economic activity,” CEO Jean-Paul Chifflet said during a conference call to present the bank’s results.

Hollande is due later to face journalists and members of the public for a question-and-answer session on prime-time

TF1 evening television.

He will likely face criticism about broken promises to cut rising unemployment and public deficits.

Hollande failed to meet his goal of reversing the rise in unemployment by the end of last year. A probusiness strategy to boost the economy through tax breaks for companies who boost hiring has alienated many of his left-wing former backers.

•President Francois Hollande

Obama concedes defeat, outline strategies to deal with Congress

F

OR well over an hour at a post election conference, US President Barack Obama refused to give a roomful of reporters the quote they wanted most: A self-flagellating soundbite, succinctly describing his view on the drub-

• President Obama

bing Democrats took at the midterm election on November 4.

O bama waxed both defiant and philosophical in a 74-minute press conference on Wednesday, one day after his party lost control of the Senate in midterm elections.

Mr. Obama pledged to “try different things” to improve his working relationship with top Republicans, “ whether it’s having a drink with Mitch McConnell or letting John Boehner beat me again at golf,” he said, citing the Senate and House GOP leaders.

But the president also refused to back down from his plan to announce executive action aimed at deferring deportation for another asyet undefined class of undocumented immigrants, a long-anticipated move. In 2012, the Obama administration deferred deportations for immigrants brought into the US illegally as children, known as Dreamers.

Obama said that acting on his own would not preclude Congress from acting, and that whatever action he takes would be replaced by what Congress does.

D

AVID Cameron has said he wants to see a British-Asian Prime Minister in the future.

The Prime Minister said there were still “too few people from ethnic minorities in top positions” in Britain and that it was clear this had to change.

Mr Cameron was speaking at an awards ceremony where his Culture Secretary Sajid Javid was named the most influential Asian in the UK. Mr Javid, who has made a rapid rise through the Conservative Party and has been tipped as a future leader, beat Malala Yousafzai, the teenage education activist who was shot by the Taliban, to the title.

As the Prime Minister said he would like to see a British-Asian take the keys to number 10 he looked at Mr Javid and joked “just not immediately”.

Mr Cameron said: “In Britain today there are still too few people from ethnic minorities in top positions, as has just been said the absence is glaring in the boardrooms of FTSE 250, in the chambers of the Houses of Parliament, on football managers’ benches, on high court judges’ benches and in our fighter jets, our naval ships and our armed battalions around the world.”

He added: “When I hear those terms Your Honour, Brigadier General, Right Honourable, more often I want to hear it followed by a British-Asian name.

“And yes, one day I want to hear that title Prime Minister, followed by a British-Asian name - just not immediately if that’s OK by you.”

The annual power list, compiled by the Asian Media and Marketing Group, is in its fourth year.

US, France cite concerns about Iran nuclear talks

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ITH time running out on the latest round of negotiations, France and the United States on Wednesday stepped up demands for Iran to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful — or risk scuttling the closest chance for a deal in years and losing a chance to ease crippling sanctions on Tehran’s economy.

The entreaty to Iran comes days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet with top diplomats to Iran and the European Union to discuss how to break the years-long deadlock before a Nov. 24 deadline. Iran is seeking global recognition for its right to generate nuclear power — which it says it will use for energy, medical and other benign purposes — and the removal of at least some Western penalties against its oil and financial sectors.

But much of the rest of the world fears that Tehran, which has hindered fully transparent inspections of its reactors over the years, wants to build an atomic weapon.

East Africa leaders push South Sudan peace

E

AST African leaders met Thursday in Ethiopia to push warring South Sudanese rivals to end almost 11 months of conflict, amid renewed threats of UN sanctions.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir will later meet with rebel chief Riek Machar alongside the regional leaders, a spokesman in Kiir’s office, Ateny Wek Ateny, told AFP. It follows UN Security Council warnings this week that there is “considerable interest” in sanctions and an arms embargo, to stem violence in the world’s youngest nation that has left thousands killed and forced almost two million from their homes.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is attending the summit along with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, said leaders would discuss how “remaining barriers to the South Sudan peace process can be resolved.”

The leaders are members of east Africa’s IGAD bloc, which is mediating currently stalled talks.

War broke out in December, when Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of trying to stage a coup, with the violence broadening into an ethnic conflict, and now includes more than 20 different armed groups.

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60— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Sunfit Tennis Tournament — Photos: Akeem Salau

•Chizoba Akabuike

•Clement Ayika

•Onochie Anibeze

2015 Elections: Sports Festival will go ahead — Elegbeleye

D

IRECTOR Gener al of the National Sports Commission(NSC) Gbenga Elegbeleye has denied that the National Sports Festival(NSF) was postponed because of political campaigns across the federation.

The sports festival has been postponed to a yet to be agreed date, after it

became apparent that it can no longer be held this year.

Calabar is the host city for the games, but there are reports that they are not yet fully prepared, as they want to put all facilities in place.

However, Elegbeleye disputed that, adding that virtually all the states are not ready for the Sports

Archbishop Martins Cup final for Nov 8

T

HE famous Onikan Stadium comes alive on Saturday, November 8, 2014 as Catholic faithful and other football lovers converge for the final of the Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins football tournament.

Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi would square up against Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Oke-Afa, Isolo in the final game billed to kick off by 3.00pm.

To qualify for the final, Church of the Assumption, Falomo defeated St Gabriel’s Catholic Church, Ladi-Lak, Bariga 5-4 on penalties after full and extra time scores stood 1-1 in the first semi finals.

The second semi final game saw Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Oke-Afa pick the final ticket at the expense of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Arida 3-1 (penalties) having played 0-0.

FIFA writes Pinnick Continued from BP NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick and personally signed by FIFA President, Mr. Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA commended the entire Kano Pillars family for a job well done and also highlighted the capacity of football to transform societies.

“I know that behind this success are the belief and effort of everyone involved.

This is a true team victory, and all of you deserve to share in the accolades: the players and coach of course, but also the technical and medical staff, and not least, the loyal fans. The dynamism and

commitment of the Kano Pillars team have enabled them to win this title for the 3rd time in succession.

“Football is proving more than ever that it can transcend traditional boundaries to become a real driver of development.

It enables players at all levels to develop their individual skills, tactical understanding and personal dynamism, all the while strengthening team spirit.

“Football is truly a school for life and I am convinced that everyone, and in particular the young people of today, can benefit from playing football on both a social and personal level.

Festival.

“I cannot say the festival was postponed mainly because the host state was not ready with the facilities.

All, the states as well as the National Sports Commission were not ready.

“Most of the states had not registered their athletes by numbers while the National Sports Commission was also not ready following the number of programmes we were engaged in this year.

Eagles Continued from BP ponents. Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi, was the one dishing out the instructions, with the assistance of Coach Hyandonou Valere and Ike Shorunmu.

The training which was held at the Practice Pitch of the International Stadium in Uyo, was to later throw up some of the stars that will be seen during this Friday’s game. Apart from established professionals like Chigozie Agbim, Azubuike Egwueke, Christian Osagunna Ighodalo and Gbolahan Salami, there was an excitement in the play of Enyimba of Aba midfielder, Kingsley Isokari and Nigeria league hot shot Mfom Udoh.

At the sessions and those before them, the duo simply stood out and baring last minutes juggling are expected to start the game or come into the match at some point. The coaching crew kept sealed lips about their start list but acknowledged that some new discoveries have been made that will be catapulted even to the main team. “But I will have to discuss that with the Head Coach,” declared Amokachi on Thursday.

Ahmed Musa eyes champions league last 16 S UPER Eagles striker Ahmed Musa stated that it was still possible for his Club CSKA Moscow to reach the knock out stages of the UEFA Champions league after the Russian club humbled big spending Manchester City at the Ethihad Stadium.

German champions Bayern Munich lead group E with 12 points after beating Roma 2-0 Wednesday night. CSKA are tied on points with Roma and Musa is hoping for a big win when they play the Italians next.

“We will take it game by game, and we hope to win the next games in order to qualify. Roma and us have four points.

We hope things will go well for us and that we will qualify,” Musa said.

He was full of praise for teammate Seydou Doumbia after his brace helped the Russian outfit to a memorable 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad.

The Ivorian’s two goals

Continued from BP lead Ghanaian leader, Dr. John Dramani Mahama and Ivorian Head of State, Dr. Alassane Ouattara to the stately Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo this evening, with Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, as Chief Host.

Akpabio is showcasing the majestic facility, which has already been approved by the Confederation of African Football for the crucial 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria and South Africa on November 19, as one of the key points of his uncommon transformation of the oil –rich State.

Apart from Presidents Jonathan, Mahama and Ouattara, a number of Governors from across Nigeria are expected, while President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick and some Executive Committee members and Management staff arrived in Uyo on Thursday evening.

The 30,000 – capacity venue, with a bullet – proof State Box that has 70 seats, has has been described by the Vice

•Musa secured a first away win for a Russian side in England in the Champions League since Spartak Moscow beat Blackburn Rovers

Jonathan President of Ghana Football Association, Mr. Fred Crentsil (who was sent by CAF to inspect the venue) as being “among the best you can find anywhere in the world.”

The high point of the commissioning is an international friendly match between the Home –based Senior National Team of Nigeria, Super Eagles B, and the U-23 National Team of Ghana, nicknamed Black Meteors.

in September 1995.

“He [Doumbia] is very good. He had a great game and he gave us the win so I am very happy about that,” said Musa.

Friday’s match, and the atmosphere, will provide the perfect tenor for the 2015 Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Bafana Bafana in less than a fortnight.

Facilities have been stretched thin in the dainty city of Uyo but the party must go on, and on Thursday, FIFA and CAF Match Commissioner, Etubom Paul Bassey, who is coordinating various aspects of the programme, assured that all arrangements have been concluded for a hitch – free event.

NFF to Keshi Continued from BP group with 8-points and Congo are second with 7points.

The Super Eagles must ensure that they win their two remaining games if they hope to participate in the next AFCON championship in Morocco next year.

“We are in a very critical situation as African Champions lie in 3rd place with 4 points from 4 games, Congo has 7

and table toppers South Africa has 8.

“These two games against Congo in Porte Noire on the 15th on artificial turf and in Uyo on the 19th of November are very critical because those 6 points are non negotiable.”

“We must win those two games to stand a chance of qualifying and hopefully the other results end up in our favor to qualify.” the Federation scribe said.

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62— Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

Messi: Goals scored in finals are the best H

APPY with his team’s victory over Ajax, thanks to his two goals, Barcelona star Lionel Messi has pointed out that goals scored in the finals are the best ones.

The Argentine captain, while pointing out the good game played by their rivals said , “luckily we managed to win and can go home happy....they play very good football, making you move from one side to the other.”

Asked about how he felt after equalling

Raúl’s Champions League goal-scoring record, he commented, “the goals scored in finals are the best ones and the most remembered.”

With Luis Suárez by his side in attack, the Barça No.10 said of his new teammate, “he’s a great forward, adapting well, he’s only been in three matches”, while assuring that, “ we are happy that Luis is with us; little by little he is beginning to fit in with B a r c e l o n a ’ s philosophy.”

Benzema’s best is yet to come

•Benzema

K

ARIM Benzema is on a great run of form, although he is convinced that he has not yet peaked and still has much more to offer.

“I don’t know if I’m at the top of my game, but I’m in great form. I train hard, I’m successful and I’m going to continue along that line. I’m 26 years old and I think my best years are still ahead of me. I’ve always been told that at 26 or 27 years old you begin to play your best football.

“Carlo always had faith in me, as did the C M Y K

president. The whistles aimed at me were only because fans expected a lot from me. I’ve been whistled at the Stade de France before too. I don’t know if they’ll whistle at me again, that’s just football, but I always try to do my best.

“I just keep working hard. In my opinion it isn’t all about scoring goals, it’s more about contributing to your team’s game and creating chances.

Sometimes they go in, other times they don’t”.

Lasisi okays GOtv Boxing Night

BY JACOB AJOM

•Messi (l) and Suarez celebrate.

5th Chukker, Pink Polo rule African Polo

M

OHAMMED Babangida and Adamu Atta, made history at the just concluded MTN African Patrons Polo Tournament, as they powered Fifth Chukker to win the continental championship for the second year in a row.

The duo, unarguably the biggest polo patrons in the country, secured a nail-biting 98 victory over Lawal Mangal’s Max Air in the explosive final.

Having previously seen off Aliyu Wadada’s Keffi Ponys featuring Argentine 7goaler Diego White and Thomas Ursher, Fifth Chukker triumphed over the extremely talented Argentine Bourdieu brothers, (Gonzalo and Pe p e ) i n M a x A i r colours.

The tournament consisted of 12 teams, with players coming from as far as Argentina and South Africa, and saw three great finals in the low, medium and high-goal categories. The finals which ended with narrow victories, were described as some of the most exciting finals of the African Patrons Cup series.

With the finals hanging in the balance until the final minutes of the thrilling games, it was Nigeria’s top rated star, Bello Buba who pivoted DeeBee

•Babangida Hassan (left) of Keffi Pony tussles with Dikko Mangal of Max Air during the final match of the MTN Cup in Kaduna.

Farms to General Hassan Katsina Cup, with a 4-2 victory over Aero Votes, while Keffi Ponys survived a last minute rush by Max Air, to escape with 8-7 victory for their maiden MTN Cup title.

“It was a fantastic campaign, but in the final game Max Air wasn’t an easy one.

They came out fighting and at a point took over the lead. But we were too determined to just let it slip by, and I want to thank my team mates for their concentration and our numerous fans for their unflinching support,” declared Babangida who captained Fifth Chukker in the successful title defense.

His Max Air counterpart Dikko Mangal who was playing his first MTN Pa t r o n s ’ Cup t o u r n a m e n t congratulated the

winners but hailed his teammates for putting up a good fight, though the result was not exactly what they had expected.

Diego White, who piloted the campaign of Keffi Ponys to MTN Cup victory and Patrons Cup runnersup finish and Bello Buba were adjudged t h e M o s t Va l u a b l e Players (MVPs) of the tournament, while Honourable Aliyu Wa d a d a r e c e i v e d a special award as the Best of the MTN sponsored polo extravaganza.

Kaduna State Governor, Dr Ramalan Yero, Bolaji Ojo-Oba who represented the Vice President as the Special Guest of Honour and the Vice Chairman of MTN Nigeria, were on hand to present the African Patrons Trophy and the MTN Cup prizes to the winners and the runners-up.

Former national and Commonwealth Super lightweight champion Joe Lasisi has described the first Gotv Boxing Night as a welcome innovation that will bring out the best from boxers that will be featuring on the bill, slated for November 23 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

A six bout bill which has been put together by Flykite Promotions will feature the national featherweight title fight between Dare “Fighting Machine” Oyewole against Waidi “Skoro” Usman as the main bout.

The supporting bouts include a light welterweight contest between Stanley “Edo Boy ” Johnson and Saheed Olayiwola. In another non-title fight, Adewale Abbey will trade punches with Sunday Olalekan in the heavyweight class.

There are bouts in the Light middleweight and featherweight classes also.

Chief Executive of Flykite Production, Jenkins Alumonu said at a preevent press conference in Lagos yesterday that all the boxers featuring on the bill are insured to the tune of N2m each.

And this caught the fancy of the former boxing champion, Lasisi. Said he, “This is a good innovation as the boxers will be going into the ring with that confidence that anything that happens to them, in terms of injury will be taken care of. In our days it was not so. Once you are in the ring, you are on your own,” Lasisi said.

On its part, major sponsors of the event, Gotv will beam a live telecast of the fights to the rest of the world.

It was indeed a gathering of the old and the new faces of Nigerian boxing.

Veterans such as Obisia Nwakpa, Hogan Jimoh, Ray Amao, Jerry Okorodudu among others were at the conference which took place at the newly constructed Old Skool conference centre at the Brai Ayonote Complex, National Stadium.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 — 63

Irabor moves NPL final day matches to Nov 16

T

O allow for protests arising from some of the season’s fixtures to be conclusively disposed of, the League Management Company (LMC) has announced the postponement of Match Day 38 games of the 2013/14 Glo Premier League to Sunday, November 16.

The season was heading to an end on Sunday, November 9 but the Chief Operating Officer of LMC, Salihu Abubakar said a decision has been reached to shift the end games by another week.

“Some of the protests will affect the final declaration of position of clubs on the log and we are aware that Confed-

eration of African Football (CAF) has issued a November 30 deadline for return of entries for representatives of member federations seeking to play in any of the continental club championships”, Abubakar explained “The LMC is committed to protecting the integrity of all match results and will therefore await pronouncement of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) relevant committees on the outstanding protests in the coming days. This way there won’t be any spill over games after the final day of matches”, Abubakar further clarified.

Ronaldo: I want to stay at Madrid C

RISTIANO RON ALDO wants to see out his contract at Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old Portugal star has interested Manchester United, who were weighing up a bigmoney move in the summer.

Ronaldo said: “We’ll have to speak to Florentino [Perez, the Real Madrid president] about extending my contract.

“I’m very happy, enjoying life and in great form. I try to give my best out on the pitch and achieve everything possible for the club because the thing I like the most is winning.

“I hope to stay at Real Madrid until the end of

•Ronaldo

my contract when I’m 33 and we’ll see if the president wants to extend it for a few more years.”

Ronaldo was presented with the European Golden Shoe for scoring 31 La Liga goals last season.

“The team is important, but the individual is too. I work very hard for this team.

“I always try to do well.

My statistics have been very good in the last five years. The last two have been a little better.

“Being the best in Portugal isn’t enough for me. I want to be the best ever. When I finish my career I want to look back at the figures and see if I’m among the best.”

Afelokhai: Bring on Ghana

EAGLES VS BLACK METEORS

Udoh: I will make my mark T

OP scorer in the history of the Nigerian league, Mfon Udoh has said he hopes to make an impact with the Super Eagles in their friendly game against the Black Meteors of Ghana today at the new Uyo International Stadium.

“I’m really excited with this opportunity and I really want to make an impact,” he began.

“It’s a big one for me because I’ll be playing in my home state but that is not the biggest attraction for me. The biggest attraction is to play well enough and

•Udoh

prove myself so I can get more invitations,” he said.

The Enyimba striker has scored 21 goals in the Nigeria Professional Football League this season, breaking Jude Aneke’s previous record of 20 goals but he admits he still has to make an impact with the “I’m happy with my scoring form for my club but I still have to make an impact. It’s the same football we are going to play, but it’s a different environment and I hope to make the best use of it,” he said.

Big battle for cash, honours at Obudu T

OP class runners will tomorrow turn the serene Obudu ranch resort in Obudu,Cross River state into a battle ground of sorts not only for the $50,000 top prize on offer but also to prove who is the best mountain race runner for 2014.

The ranch will also likely witness a strings of records set by individuals and teams aiming to etch their names in history as Obudu mountain race all-time greats.

Reigning world mounC M Y K

tain running champion,Uganda’s Isaac Kiprop will be hoping to prove once again that he is the best mountain runner in 2014.

Kiprop, who was making a comeback to international running beat a field of runners from Eritrea including Petro Mamu to win his first world title on his debut at Cassette De Misa in Italy last September.

“I am back and I want to win more medals,”Kiprop told Uganda’s New Vision

Runners at last year's Obudu race newspaper in Kampala termined to not only asbefore departing for Ni- sert his supremancy over Mamu but also emerge geria on Tuesday.

In in-form Mamu will the first Ugandan to win have a hard nut to crack. the individual men’s tiKiprop is however de- tle at the race.

•Afelokhai

K

ANO Pillars goal keeper Theophilus Afelokhai has said that he was ready for war with Ghana in today’s friendly at the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo. “I feel happy being with the team and I’m excited that I’ve finally gotten some recognition after years of hard work.

I have been working hard at my club and hoping one day I would get this opportunity and I’m glad I have now, and I’m grateful to the coaches,” he said.

“I still have to work hard here and give my best because this is not

the end of the road, but rather the beginning and I must keep working hard and keep proving myself.

“We have great goalkeepers in the league and I’m glad that I am one of the very few that have been chosen for this assignment. We are ready for the war ” Despite his enthusiasm, however, Afelokhai is not expected to be in goal for Nigeria on Friday as Chigozie Agbim is first choice and captain, while Daniel Akpeyi has also received regular call-ups and was a reserve ‘keeper at the CHAN in South Africa.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

President Jonathan commissions Ak/Ibom Int'l Stadium

T

HERE is a big buzz in the South – South region of Nigeria as three Heads of Governments from across the West African sub –continent gather for the elab-

orate commissioning of one of the most magnificent sporting infrastructure in Africa.

President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR will •Continues on Page 60

NFF to Keshi: 2015 Afcon ticket non-negotiable S

ECRETARY General of the Nigeria F o o t b a l l Federation(NFF) Musa Amadu has said that the Super Eagles are condemned to get all six points in the remaining two qualifying matches of the 2015 African Nations Cup. The Super Eagles travel to Porte Noire next Saturday to play against Congo before returning home to play Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the newly constructed Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo. The African champions are third on Group A table with 4-points, while South Africa tops the

•Continues on Page 60

•President Jonathan

Eagles in bouyant mood for Meteors

•Isokari, Udoh dazzle

T

HE Super Eagles team in Uyo, Akwa Ibo state, for the International Stadium Inauguration this Friday,

have been showing signs of an exciting encounter at training ahead of the match against the Black Meteors of Ghana, with several dignitaries already listed for the match.

At Thursday’s evening training that lasted almost three hours, the players were grilled on quick counter attack, fast breaks, robust defending and the need to avoid unnecessary infringements on the op

•Pinnick

•Continues on Page 60

MAGNIFICIENT: The 30,000 capacity Akwa Ibom International Stadium ready for commissioning today.

FIFA writes Pinnick, congratulates Kano Pillars

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ORLD football – governing body, FIFA has kept its pledge of monitoring intensely

events in Nigeria football, as the body on Thursday congratulated newly –crowned Niger-

ia Premier League champions, Kano Pillars.

In a letter addressed to •Continues on Page 60

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS: 1 Bundle (5) 5 Sweetmeat (6) 8 Store (5) 10 Cave (6) 11 Cupid (4) 14 Spite (6) 15 Outlive (7) 18 Damp (3) 19 Consume (3) 21 Deceased (4) 23 Follow (5) 24 Appear (4) 27 Number (3) 29 Crowd (3) 31 Long (7) 32 Coupled (6) 34 Carry (4) 35 Harmony (6) 38 Apportion (5) 39 Charm (6) 40 Tired (5)

DOWN: 2 Girl’s (3) 3 Operative (6) 4 Obese (3) 5 Pour (4) 6 Duped (6) 7 Stretch (6) 9 Nunnery (7) 12 Uncooked (3) 13 Location (4) 16 Impel (4) 17 Painting-stand (5) 20 Melodious (7) 22 Cunning (4) 24 Lithe (6) 25 Discharge (4) 26 Sullen (6) 28 Light (6) 30 Wager (3) 33 Expensive (4) 36 Present (3) 37 Scull (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Result 5, Dirt 8, Bored 9, Wad 10, Door 11, Fleet 12, Agree 13, Reeked 16m Deft 18, Cuff 20, Per 22, Sit 23, Elf 24, Side 25, Item 28, Novice 30, React 32, Grow 33, Aide 34, Ash 35, Taste 36, Deal 37, Attend.

DOWN: 1, Reward 2, Saddened 3, Lodged 4, Forgotten 5, Defence 6, Idle 7, Tidy 8, Boa 14, Desiccate 15, Off 17, Fit 19, Ultimate 20, Pit 21, Renewal 26, Modest 27, Method 29, Aged 30, Rota 31, Tie.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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