PDP holds the ace today

...towards a better life for the people

**

VOL. 25: NO. 62423

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

NASS LEADERSHIP SHOWDOWN:

PDP holds the ace today •Saraki, Lawan, Dogara, Gbajabiamila slug it out •Aggrieved APC members snub Osinbajo •Govs rally PDP senators to upstage APC lawmakers

GBAJABIAMILA

DOGARA

SARAKI

LAWAN

Boko Haram: France, Canada Germany promise to support Nigeria •Military moves Command Centre to Maiduguri

8&9

COLUMNIST:

Shocking truth of how 38 illicit gin drinkers died C M Y K

ide s n eI Se

Can America wage peace?

•P.38

The 7th National Assembly: A reflection,

by Peterside 34

By Soni Daniel, Emman Ovuakporie, Johnbosco Agbarakwu & Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA—THE contest for the leadership positions in the National Assembly, last night, stretched out for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which battled to contain a rebellion in its ranks.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, apparently aiming to cause maximum damage for the new ruling party, was itself positioning to enter the fray as a united body in the leadership contests against the Continues on Page 5

Ambode sets up c'ttee to check truck drivers' excesses 10

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—3

C M Y K

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 5

POCKET CARTOON

G7 SUMMIT—President Muhammadu Buhari (3rd-r); German Chancellor Angela Merkel (M); U.S. President Barack Obama (5th-r); French President Francoise Hollande (4th-r); British Prime Minister David Cameron (2nd-r); President Ellen Johnson Sir-leaf of Liberia (5th-l); President Macky Sall of Senegal (4th-l); Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalgn; and other delegates at the Working Session of the G7 Outreach Programme in Schloss Elmau, Germany., yesterday. Photo: NAN.

NASS leadership: PDP holds the ace today Continues from page 1 fractured APC. Pleas by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for unity at a press conference, yesterday afternoon, were snubbed by supporters of Senator Bukola Saraki who is aspiring for the Senate Presidency and those of Yakubu Dogara for Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Upon that snub, the party hierarchy brought Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo into the fray through a meeting with the Reps-elect and senators-elect.

The Dogara group was quick to dismiss that meeting with a pledge not to attend, saying there was little political distance between the vicepresident and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who they claimed had railroaded the leadership to endorse Femi Gbajabiamila as the sole party candidate for the position.

However, the vice-

president did not turn up and was represented by the party chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Tinubu and the party leadership were also pushing the aspiration of Senator Ahmad Lawan upon the endorsement of the Yobe North third term senator at the party caucus last Saturday.

Last minute deals

Supporters of Senator Lawan on their part after a meeting at about 8.30 p.m. last night, were said to have resolved to personally approach Saraki to keep the unity of the party and step down. The peace mission to Saraki was, however, yet to see Saraki as it was learnt that the Kwara strongman had become unreachable.

Meanwhile, Dogara’s aspiration which appeared to lose momentum at the weekend following the controversies that trailed the primary caucus, seemed to have recovered following the intervention of two serving governors

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Praise or admiration does not enhance the merits of our deed nor do they increase our well-being.

Our actions speak for us, and they speak loudly — Take heart Quotes

L

IFE is a journey, and I have to see that people, events, and conditions outside of ourselves are not the cause of our happiness or unhappiness. It is our perceptions, our experience of these phenomena that create our quality of life. We can easily give way to undue weight to the words of others if they massage our ego, or conversely, if they confirm any feeling of unworthiness.

Admiration can feel good, but don’t become attached to it. It is like sand castle on the beach, lovely perhaps, impermanent for sure. The vicissitude of life can take us on a stomach churning ride. How easily praise can become blame, fame obscurity, pleasure can become pain, and gain can become loss. Admiration and esteem can feel good, which is fine but don’t look to them for inner peace and lasting happiness.

in the Northwest formerly in the House of Representatives. The support of the governors, it was learnt, were also dousing religious sensibilities after it appeared that many Muslim members-elect had ditched him on account of his Christian background. The support of the Northwest governors including a former powerful official in the House of Representatives emboldened the Dogara camp to insist on taking the battle to the House floor.

The Dogara camp was also banking on the House rules which provides for secret voting, a situation they claimed, yesterday, would allow their closest supporters to vote for him since the votes cannot be traced.

Dogara’s momentum was, however, tempered by the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja to remove Gbajabiamila’s name from the contest upon alleged infractions committed in the United States. The court rather asked that Gbajabiamila be put on notice for the case coming up on June 18.

That decision nonetheless, the Dogara camp spread out word that they cannot afford to have a presiding officer who would be parading the court.

Meanwhile, the aspirations of both Gbajabiamila and Dogara were also being threatened with the alleged plot by the immediate past Deputy House Leader, Rep. Leo Ogor to enter the race for either the position of speaker or deputy speaker.

PDP joins the fray

Meanwhile, the PDP

which had earlier pledged to stay out of the tussle entered the fray in different ways last night.

PDP senators-elect and members-elect, it was learnt, were determined to enter today’s contest as a united body, putting the minority body which commands 49 of the 108 senators-elect in a decisive position to determine the outcome.

PDP governors and immediate former governors including some who have now entered the Senate were also rallying to present a united front in today's election.

The governors of the two major parties have, meanwhile, descended fully into the race.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, OdigieOyegun during a terse press conference where he refused to take questions, affirmed that members elected on the APC’s platform had already taken a decision on whom to elect as Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

According to him, the incoming lawmakers out of their own volition on Saturday organized a mock election that produced Senator Lawan (Yobe State) as candidate for the Senate president and Gbajabiamila from Lagos State as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He reminded the lawmakers that the party provided the platform upon which they got elected and not the other way round.

“I want to appeal to APC members of the National Assembly, both Senate and the House of Representatives to please respect the party, the views of the party and the decision that they

themselves took in selecting the persons that will be presented to the National Assembly as presiding officers: The House of Representatives level, Gbajabiamila and at the Senate level, Lawan.

“I want to make it quite clear that all the party did was to provide the platform for all elected members of the party. No other person joined them in stating their preferences. It is still left for the house itself to elect their own leaders, and the house is made up of both APC and non-APC members.

“But we, the APC, thought rightly in my view that we should provide a platform for our members of the National Assembly to state their preferences for the key offices in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This they have freely done by themselves in the presence of the party leadership and almost the entire NWC. “But it seems that some of the aspirants are not satisfied with the preferences of the majority of the members either of the House or the Senate. So, for me and the NWC, this is an appeal that no individual interest should be allowed to override the interest of the party as a whole.

Members contested on the platform of the party, and the party did not contest on the platform of members. So the party’s views and method of doing things should be respected.

“My appeal is that they respect the arrangement that has been made by the party, that they respect the views expressed in a secret vote that the majority of the members of the House of Representatives and their senior colleagues, the Senate and let peace be.

“We have preached change and you cannot undertake change with a flip. The change must start with the conduct of members of the party themselves. The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo will also address members of both houses, and I hope that thereafter, peace will

prevail.”

However, the Dogara and Saraki camps snubbed the invitation of the vicepresident.

Govs rally PDP senators

Meanwhile, two former governors from the SouthSouth and the Southeast were said to be rallying the PDP senators ahead of today’s contest.

The attention of the President was said to have been drawn to the activity of the two former governors before he departed Nigeria for the G7 meeting in Germany.

Apparently not being able to proffer a response to the development, the president is said to have referred the matter to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, and asked him to take steps to douse the tension being generated over the election of the two principal officers.

However, while Tinubu has waded into the matter with a view to ensuring that the APC produces the two leaders in the NASS, key loyalists of the president, were said to be peeved that many senators and House of Representatives members on the platform of the party had openly revolted against the party.

A top source told Vanguard last night that the affected men would be made to face some disciplinary actions to be decided at the highest level of the party.

“We are sure that some of them would be made to sight their report cards with the new EFCC to be put in place by the president, which will not tolerate graft in any form.

The feeling seems to be that the name of a former military officer being suggested as the chairman of the anticorruption agency is already sending shock waves to some of the political actors in the country and they may not like to be caught on the wrong side of history,” the source explained.

NASS: The men driving the issues See Pages 39 & 40

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

7 arraigned over N10m theft

CBN N8bn: Accused weeps as children appear in court

By Jane Echewodo

L

AGOS—SEVEN men have been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly conspiring to steal several cartoons of milk valued at N10 million.

The accused persons, who were arraigned on a three-count charge of bugling, stealing and conspiracy before Magistrate Y.O. Aje Afunwa, were alleged to have committed the offence on May 7, 2015, at Igando, Lagos.

Those charged for the offences were Hassan Mohammadu, 41; Hassean Wito, 36; Abdulahi Mohammed, 27; Saliya Ali, 26; Musa Mohammed, 27; Kadiri Ibrahim, 36; and Mustapha Mohammed, 27.

They have since pleaded not guilty to all the charges preffered against them.

The defendants have been admitted to bail in the sum of N1million, each with two sureties who are gainfully employed with verifiable addresses.

The matter was adjourned till July 29.

Similarly, Innocent Okemba, 38, has been arraigned before Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for alleged robbery and possession of firearms.

Okemba was accused of arming himself with one locally made cut to size double barrel gun and other dangerous weapons and did rob 10 rolls of aluminium roofing coils loaded in Mack truck with number plates QX 240 LSD, valued at N18 million.

When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate rejected the plea and adjourned the matter till July 9 for mention.

By Ola Ajayi

I

zRelatives to journalists: why focus on this case?

BADAN—ONE of the bankers standing trial for alleged fraudulent activities totalling N8 billion broke down in tears, yesterday, as her three children came into the courtroom of the Federal High Court to greet her.

The suspect, who had been in detention at Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, since the case instituted against them by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, began last week, cried repeatedly even after the children had left.

All the eight suspects in the first batch were led into the court in handcuffs, some minutes before 9a.m., except the woman among them. As soon as they sat down, the handcuffs were removed before the commencement of proceedings.

This came just as relatives of the suspects became hostile to journalists, especially photojournalists who tried to take photographs as they were about boarding a rickety prison bus back to the prisons.

zCall on God, ancestors to rescue suspect

Relatives’ reactions

to the suspects last week, the case was adjourned till yesterday, when applications for bail were supposed to be heard.

At the sitting of the court yesterday, which was presided over by Justice Adeyinka Faaji of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, proceedings were stalled due to processes that had not been served on some of the counsel.

Two cases were heard in batches regarding the fraud.

The defendants/applicants, who applied for bail in the first batch, include Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Toogun Kayode Phillip, all staff of Central Bank of Nigeria.

Others are Isiaq Akano, Ayodele Adeyemi, Oyebamiji Akeem, Ayodeji Alase and Ajiwe Adegoke.

Among the relatives was a physically-challenged woman on a wheel chair, who kept praying for one Deji, one of the suspects, that the ‘good’ he had done and scores of people he had shown kindness would see him through the case.

Another fair-complexioned woman wept uncontrollably, raining curses on those who let the cat of the bag, saying “Deji, God would consider all your good gestures and help you out.

“The ancestors of all of us you have shown kindness in various ways would make you go scot free.”

Also, a man who followed our correspondent to the car, kept asking why should journalists give such attention to the case when there are several people in other sectors stealing billions without attracting any attention or publicity?

After the charges were read

The suspects boarding a bus back to prison in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: Dare Fasube.

Processes, argument

Because some processes of the court were not served on

some counsels to the defendants/applicants, there was a serious argument on whether the bail applications should be heard or not.

When counsel to all the defendants could not reach a common ground as to whether the case should be heard or not, the presiding judge suggested that the case be stood down till 12 noon subject to the agreement of the counsel.

While the prosecution, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), agreed, other counsel expressed fear that the prosecution could still claim he had not enough time to go through the processes.

Of the seven counsel holding briefs for the accused persons, about three said they were ready for the proceedings, when asked individually by the judge.

The judge then told all the counsel to put heads together and arrive at a common position on the issue.

After they had agreed, the

Insurance agent docked for alleged N2.6m fraud

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—AN agent of an insurance company (names withheld), David Owoeye, 27, who allegedly forged company ’s documents to defraud customers of their money to the tune of N2.6 million, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

The defendant is standing trial on a two-count charge

bordering on forgery and stealing preferred against him by the police.

The prosecutor, Inspector Okete Ojiema, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences between January 2012 and May 2015, as an agent with the firm located in Victoria Island, Lagos.

He said the defendant forged the receipts and other documents of the company and used it to collect premium,

valued at N2. 6 million, from various customers.

Ojiema said the defendant stole N2.6 million, which belonged to the insurance firm.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed is punishable under Sections 285 and 363 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

The defendant’s counsel,

Mr. O. O. Odufua, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms.

Magistrate A. Adefulire admitted the defendant N1 million bail, with two responsible sureties in like sum.

He said the sureties must be gainfully employed, have proof of tax payment, be account holders and must show statements of their accounts.

He adjourned the matter to July 1 for hearing.

court then asked one of the senior advocates to speak on behalf of other counsel.

Agreed hearing date

Mr. Jacob then said they had agreed to come back on Thursday when all processes would have been filed.

Justice Faaji then adjourned to Thursday 11 for hearing motion on bail applications and ordered all the accused to be remanded in prison custody.

The second batch of the case involved Oni Ademola Dolapo, Afolabi Esther Olunike, Ademola Ebenezer Adewale, Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru and Toogun Kayode Phillip.

They too were remanded in prison pending hearing of their bail application on Thursday.

Prisons bus drama

Outside the court, there was a mild drama as the rickety bus, with number plates PRISONS PS 577 A0/1, which conveyed the accused to court, was pushed before the engine came to life.

Afterwards, the bus moved to the entrance of the court so the accused could get in without being seen.

Some of the suspects covered their faces, with some of the security agents warning that nobody should take photographs.

Amid tears and fervent prayers by relatives that the suspects be left off the hook, the accused persons were driven away.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—7

Lebanese arrested with cocaine in Lagos airport

By Ifeanyi Okolie

A

23-year-old, Lebanese, Yve Awad, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Lebanon.

The suspect, who was arrested during outward screening of passengers on Middle East Airline flight at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, was caught with 260 grams of cocaine.

Vanguard gathered that the

information leading to the arrest of the suspect was supplied by FAAN officials.

The NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, who provided details on the arrest, said the drug was hidden inside Awad’s boxer shorts.

Police arrest masquerade; 2 others with human parts

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—TWO suspects, identified as Adebayo Saheed and Bello Mustapha, have been arrested by Oyo State Police Command for alleged possession of parts of human skull and hair.

The suspects were paraded along with a custodian of an Ibadan masquerade, known as Ogunmola Adenimodo, for allegedly destroying some vehicles at Ayeye area of Ibadan metropolis.

They were rounded up at Moniya in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

Ibadan masquerade festival had always left on its trail tears, losses, violence, bloodshed and even death in some cases.

However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, insisted that the reign of terror and impunity would not continue.

While parading the suspects at the state Police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan yesterday, the commissioner explained that the ambush squad of the command arrested the two members of a dangerous syndicate who specialized in duping unsuspecting members of the public.

According to him, the suspects, who were allegedly caught with human parts, always pretended to offer their victims spiritual assistance.

He said small pieces of human skull, hair, fake 900 dollars and some charms were

EGUNGUN: Sikiru Ojewale (right), custodian of Ogunmola masquerade of Adenimodo compound accused of destroying property during Egungun festival in Ibadan, paraded by police yesterday. PHOTO: Dare Fasube.

found on the suspects.

While stating that the masquerade custodian had violated an earlier undertaking they made with the police, he said the police would not allow any individual or group to constitute a threat to public peace and order, especially during the on-going masquerade festival.

He vowed that other fleeing suspects would be arrested wherever they might be hiding.

However, Sikiru denied the allegation that his supporters destroyed the vehicles, saying his masquerade was yet to go to town.

He added that since the police had not granted him permit to go out with his Masquerade, he marked the festival indoor.

Umar, who disclosed that the suspect held dual citizenship of Nigeria and Lebanon, said: “I am happy that FAAN assisted us in making this arrest. When the drug was field tested, it proved positive for cocaine.

“The suspect holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria and Lebanon. He was found to have travelled to Nigeria from Lebanon six times since January. The case is under investigation.”

Confession

The suspect, in his confession, said a friend asked him to buy the drug for him.

He said: “I was born in Lagos and I attended Lebanese Community School, Yaba, Lagos. After my secondary education in Nigeria, I got admission to study my A levels at Notre Dame University in Lebanon.

“My friend in Lebanon gave me money to buy cocaine for him. At the airport, the drug was detected and I was arrested and taken to NDLEA office. The drug was tested and it was found to be cocaine.”

Hamza added that the suspect will soon be charged to court for unlawful possession and exportation of cocaine, adding that if he was found guilty by the court, he could spend the next 15 years in prison.

Two suspected fraudsters, Adebayo Saheed, 28, and Bello Mustafa, 30, caught with fake dollars and pieces of human skulls. PHOTO: Dare Fasube.

MD, two staff arrested for fake driver’s licence printing

By Evelyn Usman

L

AGOS—OPERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of Lagos State Command, Ikeja, have smashed a syndicate that specialised in printing fake driver’s licence and company’s vouchers at the rate of N2,000, arresting three suspected members.

Recovered from the suspects, one of who is the Managing Director of Fago Printing Company, Waziri Akinyemi, in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos, were

computers, scanners, fake unclaimed driver’s licences and fake official documents of both government and private companies.

Akinyemi said he bought the special software used to print fake documents from his former boss at N520,000, adding that for each printed fake car documents, he collected N2,000.

The 35-year-old suspect, who was arrested alongside two of his staff, who he described as his errand boys (Adewumi Muyiwa, 38, and Osoko

Lamoni, 32) claimed he did not know the implication of what he was doing until he was arrested.

According to him, “I did not know it was a crime to print fake driver ’s licence and other documents until I was arrested.

I learned the skill from my former boss, Ismaila.

“I met him when I was learning video coverage from my elder brother. Then he (Ismaila) would send me to take the printed documents to their owners and at the end, he would give me a token.

“I was attracted by the token I got from him and concluded I could get more if I learned printing. He did not tell me then that we were into printing of fake documents. I only saw that as an end to a means. My former boss even sold the software used for printing the fake document to me for N520,000, when I graduated as an apprentice and became a master of my own.”

The suspects, according to Police sources, would be charged to court soon.

Lawyer docked over threat, blackmail

By Esther Onyegbula

A

Lagos-based lawyer, Luke Emejulu, 61, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s court over allegations of threat to life of Chief Medical Director of Ikorodu General Hospital, Dr. Mobolaji Olukoya.

It was gathered that Emejulu had approached Dr. Olukoya, saying he had information that Olukoya’s son was arrested and charged to a court in the UK. He allegedly sent text messages to Olukoya, asking him to pay N700,000 or risked the information on his son’s alleged arrest made public.

Despite alleged repeated threats from Emejulu, Dr. Olukoya refused to part with the money.

It was gathered that the police got involved when Emejulu wrote a petition to Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, alleging that he (Emejulu) offered legal services to Olukoya’s son, but Olukoya refused to pay.

Aderanti ordered the Human Rights Resource Centre at the state command to investigate Emejulu’s allegation.

Following detailed investigations, the police invited Dr. Olukoya, who denied employing the services of Emejulu.

However, the case took a new twist when he printed threat and blackmail text messages he allegedly received from Emejulu.

Vanguard gathered that the case was transferred to the X-Squad Unit and Emejulu was subsequently arrested and detained for allegedly providing false information to the police and blackmailing Olukoya.

Emejulu was granted bail after a fellow lawyer, Louis Mbanefo, on January 21, entered into a bond of N500,000 to get him bail.

Police sources, however, stated that Emejulu jumped bail and went into hiding but was re-arrested and charged to court by XSquad officers.

He was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on threat to life and blackmail.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self-recognition.

The case was adjourned to July 20.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Boko Haram: France, Canada, Germany promise to support

By Ben Agande, MarieTherese Nanlong & Agaju Madugba

A

BUJA — THE governments of France, Canada and Germany, yesterday, at the G-7 Summit in Elmau, Germany promised to assist Nigeria fight Boko Haram.

The three countries specifically pledged to help the country with training of military personnel and intelligence gathering on the activities of the sect.

Raising issues of terrorism, Canadian leader at the summit, said: “Like other G-7 members, Canada is concerned about the emergence of ISIS-affiliated groups elsewhere in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Africa, including Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, said Buhari pledged to rout out Boko Haram at a meeting with President Francois Hollande of France after his participation in the G-7 Outreach Programme.

According to the release, Buhari said Nigeria will welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for its ongoing efforts to overcome Boko Haram and restore normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities.

The President said his administration was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram.

Nigeria, he said, would appreciate more intelligence on the terrorist group’s links with ISIS, movements, training and its sources of arms and ammunition.

This, according to him, is to facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved to overcome terrorism and insurgency in the country and its sub-region.

Buhari reiterated that there was absolutely no link between religion and the atrocities of Boko Haram.

He said: “There is clearly no religious basis for the actions of the group. Their atrocities show that members of the group either do not know God at all or they don’t believe in him.”

Hollande lauds Buhari's efforts to eradicate Boko Haram In his remarks, President Francois Hollande of France commended President Buhari’s concerted efforts to galvanize Nigeria’s armed forces, security agencies and neighouring countries for more decisive

zAs Buhari reaffirms commitment to rout Boko Haram zSays insurgents neither know God nor believe in Him zPresident has what it takes to crush insurgency—Useni

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) being welcomed by the German Chief of Protocol, Mr Juergen Mertuer on arrival for the working session of the G7 Outreach Programme at Schloss Elmau in Germany, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.

action to eradicate Boko Haram.

The French leader assured Buhari that France would give Nigeria and its coalition partner ’s greater support against terrorism and insecurity, including military and intelligence cooperation.

He said the support was to help them to overcome the security challenge posed by Boko Haram and its global terrorist allies as quickly as possible.

He also called for greater bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in other areas, including trade, economic and cultural relations.

The release added that Buhari also received similar pledges of enhanced support from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and Chancellor Angela Merkel, who he also conferred with before departing from the venue of the G-7 2015 Summit. The President is due back in Abuja early today.

President Buhari, who was invited to the summit with a wish list, had listed the war against Boko Haram as number one priority presented to the G-7 meeting.

According to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the group of seven leaders spent extra time discussing terrorist threats after a shortened debate on curbing climate change, a topic championed by Germany, France and Italy.

Leaders meeting for the second and final day of the G-7 summit in the Bavarian

Alps switched topics after 35 minutes of their morning session and “opted to dedicate the remainder ” to “global threats to international security,” Canada’s delegation said in a statement.

On global warming German officials said earlier that the whole one-hour session would focus on global warming.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a former environment minister, is hosting the summit six months before a United Nations climate conference in Paris.

Merkel said last week that she wanted to make the summit discussion on climate a priority to help ensure the UN conference’s success.

Group of Seven leaders agreed yesterday to wean their economies off carbon fuels and supported a global goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but they stopped short of agreeing their own immediate binding targets.

In a communique issued after their two-day summit in Bavaria, the G-7 leaders said they backed reducing global greenhouse gas emissions at the upper end of a range of 40 to 70 per cent by 2050, using 2010 as a basis. The range was recommended by the IPCC, the United Nations’ climate-change panel. They also backed a global target for limiting the rise in average global temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial levels.

“We commit to doing our part to achieve a low-carbon global economy in the longterm, including developing and deploying innovative technologies striving for a transformation of the energy sectors by 2050, and invite all countries to join us in this endeavor,” the communique read.

G-7 host, Angela Merkel of Germany, once dubbed the “climate chancellor,” hoped to revitalize her green credentials by getting the G-7 nations to agree specific emissions goals ahead of a larger year-end United Nations climate meeting in Paris.

The leaders stopped short of agreeing any such immediate binding targets for their economies. Green lobby groups nonetheless welcomed the direction of their agreements.

“They’ve given important political signals, but they could have done more, particularly by making concrete national commitments for immediate action,” said Sam Smith, leader of the WWF Global Climate and Energy Initiative.

“We had hoped for more commitments on what they would do right now.” The Europeans had pressed their G7 partners to sign up to legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Buhari has capacity to crush insurgency —Useni On President Buhari’s capacity to deal with Boko Haram threats, former Minister of the Federal Capital

Territory, FCT and Senatorelect for Plateau South senatorial zone, Gen. Jeremiah Useni, said he was optimistic the administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari would crush the sect.

Useni urged Nigerians to be patient and support the new administration in its bid to put an end to insurgency and reposition the nation for the good of the citizens.

Speaking at the weekend in a chat with journalists in Jos, the senator-elect also commended the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, for upholding the rule of law and swearing in the elected Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area, Dan Dul. Useni, who noted that the governor had started his governance on a good footing, also urged him to give priority to the civil servants by settling the seven month salaries arrears owed them, even if it meant suspending the execution of capital projects for the time being.

He, however, faulted the wasted money and time in building of the new Government House by the immediate past administration in the state, saying such huge resources would have been used in other ventures since the state did not lack a befitting Government House.

His words: "It is regrettable the ongoing security challenges, especially in the North-East but the President is doing his best right now to see insurgency brought to an end.

“The Buhari I know will not relent until he brings the perpetrators to book, let us support him, pray for him and be united as a family."

Boko Haram kills security operative Meanwhile, security operative was feared killed yesterday during a gun battle with suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgent group, at Keke-B village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Reports said the two insurgents involved escaped.

According to eye witness, security operatives comprising men from the SSS and soldiers raided the residence of the suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in the area, at about 1am on Sunday.

The eyewitness said the gun duel between the security operatives and the insurgents lasted about four hours and that a security personnel was killed in the process.

“Two suspects escaped but the security men arrested two women who are wives of the Boko Haram people,” the eye witness said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—9

Military bows to Buhari's order, moves command centre to Maiduguri zCreates forward command base for service chiefs

By Kingsley Omonobi & Ndahi Marama

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BUJA — AUTHORITIES of the Nigerian Army said, yesterday, that they have complied with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that the Command and Control headquarters should move to Maiduguri, noting that a forward command base for the service chiefs had been created in Borno State.

A statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, stated that an alternate Command Centre had also been

created in Yola .

The statement read: “In compliance with the Presidential pronouncement and the Chief of Army Staff ’s directive, a reconnaissance and advance team for the establishment of Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) for OPERATION ZAMAN LAFIYA for the fight against terrorism and insurgency has moved to Maiduguri, Borno State.

“The team, which is led by a Two-Star General, has already commenced work in earnest and it is comprised of

elements of the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, all the relevant Army Headquarters Departments and other combat support components.

“The centre will serve as a forward command base for the Chief of Army Staff and other service chiefs.

“The centre is essentially an elaboration of an already existing Army Headquarters Command and Control arrangement.

“From now on, the fight against terrorism and insurgency would be monitored, coordinated and

controlled from this centre.

“I wish to inform also that its establishment would not create another layer of command structure but would add impetus and renewed vigour to OPERATION ZAMAN LAFIYA, all aimed at bringing terrorism and insurgency to an end. An alternate command centre is also being established in Yola.”

Vanguard had reported last Wednesday that the Command and Control Centre of the Army and other services would commence relocation to Maiduguri last weekend, with an advance team that will be followed by the service chiefs.

N275m fraud accusation: Okiro alleges conspiracy, blackmail zSays PSC invited ICPC to probe allegations

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA — FOLLOWING a petition submitted to anticorruption agencies, ICPC and EFCC, regarding alleged criminal misappropriation of funds in the Police Service Commission, PSC, its Chairman, Sir Mike Okiro, came out yesterday to deny the allegation, citing conspiracy and blackmail by the authors.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Okiro said: “In a nutshell, there is no iota of truth in the bogus claim, that a mind-boggling figure of N275 million was misappropriated from the coffers of the commission.”

He said the petition was written by one of his staff, Aaron Kaase, who was currently on suspension over gross misconduct and criminal activities, adding that his petition lacked empirical evidence and substantiation.

Recall that the chairman of the commission was alleged to have attempted to misappropriate N275.5 million meant for training of staff of the commission for purposes of monitoring police activities during the last general elections.

Having obtained N350 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, he was alleged to have failed to utilise the money appropriately for the purpose so demanded, just as the manner of contract awarded was fraught with inconsistencies.

Narrating his own side of the story, Okiro said the blackmail started in April when he received a text message purportedly from a journalist who claimed to be working on a story over alleged N350 million loot in the commission and that a petition was already with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission,

DOCUMENTATION: From left, Speakership aspirant of the 8th National Assembly, Femi Gbajabiamila and Ayo Omidiran, during the documentation of the House of Reps members, at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

ICPC, on the matter.

With a demand to see the Chairman immediately, the caller claimed he had agreed with some editors of six newspapers that Okiro should cough out N10 million for the story to be buried, because once the story was published the chairman will be removed by Buhari’s administration.

Okiro said he stood his grounds, even when the journalist sent his account number in a text message and later came to his house demanding the money, also warning that failure to pay would lead to publication of the story.

Okiro said the journalist also warned that if the story was published, people would not believe his (Okiro) subsequent explanations.

He said: “This man would not let me rest…therefore I sent him

a text that I received the account number, but I can’t succumb to your blackmail.

"I didn’t steal government money and have nothing to fear…I have had enough. Please give me a break. If this persists, I will report you to the Guild of Editors.”

He said since the journalist did not call him thereafter, he felt he (journalist) had gone back to the trenches to adopt another method.

He said considering that the details from the petition came from a worker in the PSC, he handed the journalist over to the State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, which discovered that Kaase wanted to wed in May and needed money and felt the quickest way was to connive with the journalist to extort money from him.

“The journalist was brought to my office and he confronted

Kaase in the presence of the Commissioners, Permanent Secretary, Directors and other management staff; where Kaase also confirmed that he gave my phone number to the journalist to call and demand N10 million,” Okiro said.

Explaining why Kaase was incarcerated, Okiro said it was in connection with a crime he committed outside the commission.

He said Kaase allegedly collected N1 million from a man to assist him secure a USA visiting visa when he was the protocol officer but failed to deliver.

Asked if the allegations by his former protocol officer were true, the former IGP said the case was being investigated by the anticorruption agency, adding that he would not want to touch on those positions.

Speakership: Court declines to disqualify Gbajabiamila over US indictment

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA— LEGAL move to disqualify Femi Gbajabiamila from emerging as Speaker of the House of Representatives failed before Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday.

In a chamber ruling, Justice Abdul Kafarat, instead of restraining the House of Representatives from accepting the nomination of Gbajabiamila as an aspirant for the office of the Speaker, directed the plaintiff to go and put the defendant on notice.

Justice Kafarati ordered the service of all the relevant court processes on Gbajabiamila to enable him appear in court on June 18 to show cause why he should not be disqualified from holding the speakership position, following his alleged conviction by the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2007.

The plaintiff in the matter, the Registered Trustees of Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness Initiative, had in the suit they lodged through their lawyer, Mr. Chukwuma Nwachukwu, contended that Gbajabiamila was not morally fit to head the third arm of governance in Nigeria.

The group adduced evidence indicating that Gbajabiamila was on February 26, 2007, “convicted in the state of Georgia for unethical practices and was debarred as a lawyer for 36 months.”

The group, in an ex-parte motion filed pursuant to Order 26 Rule 8 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2009, yesterday, prayed the high court to stop Gbajabiamila from even presenting himself today for the speakership position.

The motion was argued on behalf of the group by human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozehkome, SAN. Aside Gbajabiamila, the House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation were equally cited as defendants in the matter.

Specifically, the plaintiff prayed the court for: “An order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd defendant from accepting the nomination of the 1st defendant as an aspirant for the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Atuche, 2 Keystone Bank officials in court over alleged forgery

By Bartholomew Madukwe

L

AGOS—A prosecu tion witness, Mrs Joyce Okoli, yesterday explained to an Ikeja High Court how documents that were to be used in strengthening a N27.5 billion fraud charge preferred against the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), Francis Atuche, in a matter, were found at the bank’s Central Shared Services (CSS) Centre.

In a fresh forgery charge brought against Atuche and two officials of the bank’s CSS Centre (Joachim Nnosiri and Uguru Onyike), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the defendants had, on March 4, 2013 in Lagos, attempted to smuggle forged board resolutions of some companies into Keystone Bank.

EFCC alleged that the documents were forged by the defendants to weaken its case against Atuche in another criminal matter, adding that the offence contravened sections 361 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

EFCC said the forged board resolutions emanated from Futureview Securities Limited, Tradjeck Limited and Extra Oil Limited and signed by Mrs. Elizabeth Ebi, the Managing Director of three companies allegedly involved in the N27.5 billion fraud charge preferred against Atuche in another matter.

NAFRC commandant flags off post-service project

By Chris Onuoha

T

HE Commandant, The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Center, Oshodi, Air Vice Marshal M. R. Morgan has commissioned N1.5 billion NAFRC Unity Market Plaza post-service project that will improve the quality of life of retiring service personnel and other residents.

At a ground breaking event at the Mammy market project site, the commandant said the project sponsored by Amas Global Service is a public private partnership initiative that will span for 30 years.

TANKER ACCIDENTS: Ambode sets up c’ttee to check truck drivers'excesses

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—DETERMINED to stop the recurring cases of fuel tankers accidents in the state, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, announced the setting up of a committee comprising of stakeholders to fashion out guidelines aimed at curbing the excesses of fuel tanker drivers.

Ambode had called a stakeholders meeting on ways to prevent future occurrence when he visited the scene of last Friday Midnight IdimuEgbe petroleum tanker explosion in which over 70 shops, 34 houses were destroyed by the inferno.

The committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Tunji Bello, is expected to submit its reports

and recommendation to the governor within two weeks.

The stakeholders at emergency meeting were petroleum, transport union leaders, and road safety officials.

After listening to contributions from leaders of various unions and safety officials, Ambode said, “The state government has resolved to set up a committee that will be chaired by the SSG and will have as its members the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, Special Duties, Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps,, Director of the Fire Service, Representatives of the Association of Maritime Truck owners, AMATO, National Union of Petroleum Energy and Natural Gas, NUPENG, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Driver’s Institute, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Lagos

State Traffic management Authority, LASTMA.” Ambode explained that the mandate of the committee is to examine the immediate and remote causes of the tanker explosions that occurred in the last two weeks.

According to him, “The committee will also prepare guidelines on ethical conducts for tankers and other truck advisers in the state.

“The committee will engage the insurance industry and relevant stakeholders to meet and work out appropriate insurance policy that will protect the masses in whatever havoc caused by future tanker explosions in the state.

“I believe that we have created the platform to provide immediate relief for those who have affected by the inferno even as we wait for the final report on the Iyana-Ipaja and Idimu tank-

er explosion in which we will take appropriate action to provide further relief to those affected by the inferno.

APC seeks stricter regulation for heavy duty vehicles

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed the need by the state government for a better regulation of heavy duty vehicles plying Lagos streets, with a view to curbing the recurring incidents of fatal tanker accidents as well as traffic gridlocks in the state.

The party warned tanker drivers to be mindful of the safety of lives and properties of residents as they go about their businesses.

Lagos State Publicity Secretary of APC, Joe Igbokwe, condemned the development, saying the two tanker incidents were one too many in a spate of days and is worried that re-occurrence will be too much for Lagos to handle.

Obasa emerges speaker as Lagos’ 8th Assembly takes off

By Ebun Sessou

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INAUGURATION: Mr. Ganiyu Abiru, Clerk of Lagos State House of Assembly receiving Proclamation orders from Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, during the Proclamation and Inauguration of Lagos State House of Assembly members, at the Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday. Photo by Bunmi Azeez.

Court re-lists Funsho Williams case

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, re-listed the suit by one, Bashir Junaid, a detainee over the murder of a former governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Funsho Williams, in which he is seeking for an order of mandamus to compel the Inspector-General of Police, to re-open investigations into Williams murder.

The case had suffered a setback when it was struck out by the judge on April 29, 2015, for want of diligent prosecution.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the court, Junaid, through his lawyer, Tunji Adesheye, filed a motion seeking to relist the matter.

Arguing the motion, Adesheye informed the court that his client had affected personal service of the concurrent writ of summons on the defendants that are outside the jurisdiction of the court.

Trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, had earlier granted leave to the plaintiff to effect personal service of the concurrent writ of summons in the suit on the Inspector General of Police, IG, by substituted means.

Other defendants affected by the court’s order are the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Attorney General of the Federation and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. However, It was the inability of the plaintiff to serve the defendants as directed by the court that led to the striking out of the suit.

Adesheye then urged the court

to grant the motion in the interest of justice, saying that the defendants will not be prejudiced in anyway whatsoever.

However, lawyer to the 1st and 4th defendants, Kingson Uwandu, was opposed to the motion on the ground that the plaintiff was yet to pay the N25,000 fine placed on him by the court when the matter was struck out.

He said it was improper for the plaintiff to seek favour from the court when he had failed to comply with its directive.

When asked by the court on when the order for the payment of the money was made against the plaintiff, Uwandu said he could not remember because he was not with the case file.

The judge eventually granted the plaintiff’s request seeking to relist the matter.

OURTH term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of Agege Constituency 1, Mudashiru Obasa, was yesterday elected as the Speaker for the eighth Assembly.

His election confirms an earlier report that Obasa had been endorsed for the position at a meeting of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and members-elect of the House.

Surprisingly, Obasa was proposed as the Speaker by one of his major contenders, Moshood Oshun, representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 2.

Oshun’s motion was seconded by Sola Giwa, a fresh lawmaker for the Lagos Island 2.

Obasa accepted the nomination at exactly 11:15am.

Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni was approved for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House by another lawmaker, Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency 2.

Other principals officers also elected include: the Majority Leader, Sannai Agunbiade, Ikorodu constituency I, Deputy Majority Leader, Muyiwa Jimoh, Chief Whip, Lateef Rotimi Abiru and Deputy Whip, Omotayo Aramide Oduntan. The position of the Minority was however suspended till another date.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 11

NDLEA vs KASHAMU: Court quashes agency’s

warrant of arrest, extradition process

Protests greet Aladetoyinbo’s choice as Deji of Akure

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, quashed the extradition proceedings and arrest warrant procured by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, against Senator-elect for Ogun East senatorial district, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, in his ruling on an application argued by Kashamu’s lawyer, Chief Alex Izion, SAN, quashed the extradition proceedings and arrest warrant issued by another judge of the Federal High Court.

The judge held that the provisional warrant of arrest was obtained for want of jurisdiction in the sense that the judge’s attention was not drawn to the existing order barring NDLEA and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF from taking any further steps on the extradition process.

Justice Abang held that the proceedings at the Abuja High Court was a nullity, as he overruled the preliminary objections raised by the NDLEA and the AGF. Similarly, Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, also ordered the

By Dayo Johnson

A

PRAYER SESSION: From left; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Saudi Arabia Envoy, Mallam Ali Naji; Mr. Kola Omotunde-Young and Former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Kolapo Alimi, during a prayer session for stability in the state in Osogbo.

NDLEA, not to put to effect the warrant of arrest dated April 25, 2015, for the extradition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senator, Kashamu, to the United States to face trial over alleged drug-related offences.

The court also restrained the

agency from arraigning Kashamu on the extradition process filed on April 28, 2015.

According to Justice Buba, the restraining orders were necessary so as not to get conflicting orders whilst cases are pending and judgements or orders are also sub-

Fayose is God’s anointed, Ekiti Reps-elect tell APC zNo, he's not — EKITI APC climbed to the House.

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LECTED House of Rep resentatives members from Ekiti State, yesterday, warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of the consequences of the party’s relentless war against the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, saying the party should stop fighting against God and the people of Ekiti.

The lawmakers-elect, who said it was worrisome that after the failed plot by the APC members of the state House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fayose, the party was still unrelenting in its fight against the governor.

But in a swift reaction, the APC in Ekiti State dismissed the PDP’s remarks, saying the party should stop branding Fayose as Godanointed.

In a statement signed by the six Reps members-elect, Ayo Oladimeji, Segun Adekola, Akin Awodumila, Olamide Oni, Thaddeus Aina and Kehinde Agboola, APC and its leaders in Ekiti State, the lawmakers said it was imperative for peace to reign in the state.

The statement read in part: “Having fought for twelve months (July 2014 – June 2015), trying to get what they lost at the polls through the back door, the most sensible thing for the APC leaders to do now is to allow governance.”

“Telling lies and engaging in childish criticism, like the one on

academic qualifications of new members of the State House of Assembly is a sign that the APC won’t relent in its evil opposition against the people of Ekiti State, and our advice is that they should stop fighting Fayose, because he is God anointed.”

The lawmakers-elect, also stated that “if former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had behaved the way the APC people in Ekiti State are behaving, Nigeria would be in crisis by now.”

While admonishing the House of Assembly members to learn from history, the reps-elect said they should always remember the ladder with which they

Reacting, the Ekiti State APC said the PDP was shying away from the issues raised by the party.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party argued that “It is surprising that PDP in its reaction did not fault any of our claims on the quality of the membership of the House of Assembly as presently constituted, but went on a puerile, petulant and inane attempt to shift attention from our main argument that Ekiti House of Assembly is having the worst membership composition in history in the hallowed chamber to protect the governor instead of quality membership with courage and education to understand the serious business of law-making for the benefit of all Ekiti people.”

sisting, including committal proceedings.

Kashamu, had prayed the court to nullify the provisional warrant of arrest obtained by the NDLEA, in its quest to extradite him to the US to face trial over alleged drugrelated offences.

Kashamu in the application had prayed for an order nullifying the NDLEA’s application to commence extradition proceedings against him in suit; FHC/ABJ/CS /479/2015 at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Kashamu’s lawyer, R.A. Oluyede, informed the court, yesterday, that despite an existing order, the NDLEA was still making plans to extradite his client.

He urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

NDLEA’s lawyer, O. Ichakpa, insisted that the agency has not taken any step to undermine the processes before the court.

Justice Buba, after listening to the arguments of lawyers ordered that the NDLEA shall not in the face of subsisting judgement, orders of the court and processes filed and pending, enforce or put to effect the warrant of arrest dated April 25, 2015.

The matter has been adjourned till June 19 for hearing.

KURE–TWO sepa rate protests yesterday greeted the Ondo state governments approval of Prince Kole Aladetoyinbo as the new Deji elect of Akureland.

A group of market women and residents of Akure Community staged the protests to call on the Ondo State Government to reinstate the deposed Deji of Akure, Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina.

The protesters, who walked from Akure city hall to the Governor’s office, also demanded that the installation process of prince Kole Aladetoyinbo as the new Deji be discontinued immediately to prevent undue instability in the town.

Placards carried by the protesters read; “Mimiko: bring back our Kabiyesi”, “Kole Aladetoyinbo is Apari: he can’t become Deji”, “Iroko save Akure from Fasonranti, Falae, kingmakers” among others.

One of the demonstrators, Mrs. Adero Adebayo said market women would not accept anybody except the deposed Adesina while another protester, Prince Dapo Adepoju lamented that the selection of new Deji violated the culture and tradition of Akure kingdom.

They stressed that deposed monarch was still alive.

No government official was available to address the demonstrators when they got to the Governor’s office at Alagbaka.

However the DPO incharge of ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mr Adekimi Ojo appealed to them to return home and promised to deliver their message to Governor Mimiko.

Aregbesola dares SDP to publish his assets

By Gbenga Olarinoye

O

SOGBO—OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has dared the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the state to go ahead and make public his assets.

The party had said that the governor should declare his assets publicly without delay or it will be forced to publish what it knows about his alleged massive wealth.

SDP described Aregbesola’s

defence on how he spent several billions of the state funds as a mere rhetoric, laughable and inconsistent going by the facts in its possession.

The SDP said it has conducted its private investigations and discovered how the governor allegedly acquired enormous assets in the last four years in a state where millions are living in abject poverty.

The Chairman of the party, Mr. Ademola Ishola in his speech during the party’s Performance As-

sessment meeting held in Osogbo at the weekend to deliberate on how SDP performed in the last National Election said what his party uncovered about Aregbesola’s wealth would stun Nigerians.

But Aregbesola in a statement

by Semiu Okanlawon, Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Osogbo, stated that SDP was looking for things to hold on to ''so as to be relevant”.

The statement read in part: “Our

attention has been drawn to a statement said to have been issued by the Social Democratic Party in Osun where it asked the Governor of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to publicly declare his assets.

“The SDP is obviously looking for things to hold on to in order to be relevant for the party was not the one that asked Aregbesola to fulfil the constitutional duty of declaring his assets before and after his first term”.

“The SDP and it’s leaders cer

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

2016 polls: Bayelsans're wiser, won't elect you again, Dickson tells Sylva

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N AG OA — BAY E L S A State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has reminded the embattled former governor of the state and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, that his era was the darkest days in the history of the state.

Though Sylva has not formally declared his intention to give the Creek Haven a shot, Dickson, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, urged Sylva to consider his ambition of returning to office come 2016, “as an illusion because the people of Bayelsa now know better.”

Dickson, in the statement, was reacting to Sylva, who accused him of governing by intimidation and fear.

He said, “Sylva's remarks epitomized those of a man who has lost focus and not in touch with the realities on ground.

It is heart warming that he (Sylva) is now accusing me of multiple crimes and criminality, secret killings, cultism, large scale corruption and brigandage, which formed the hallmark of his tenure as governor of Bayelsa State.

“Sylva’s era as governor were the darkest days in the history of the state. Bayelsans have become wiser and would not be cajoled or hoodwinked by his antics. If Sylva was a

wise man, he would have seen the handwriting on the wall that Bayelsans have since rejected him by voting massively for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in all the recent elections.

“As a clear manifestation of the peoples’ total dislike for Sylva, he lost in his unit, ward and constituency in the state and National Assembly polls

that were conducted recently in the state. These are ominous signals that he can’t be governor again.”

Dickson wondered how Sylva would, in his wildest imagination, think that, he and the APC stand any chance of defeating a performing PDP governor in the forthcoming election in the state.

But Sylva had earlier in an inter view, weekend in Yenagoa, said that the ruling PDP in Bayelsa State had lost its status and would soon be defeated in the forthcoming election, assuring the people that the intimidating status of the PDP has been reduced by the defeat of the party by the APC in the presidential election.

PROCLAMATION: From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Edoror and Deputy Speaker, Mr. Bright Osayande, after the proclamation of the 7th Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday.

Oshiomhole inaugurates Edo Assembly

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—THE 6th Assembly of Edo State House of Assembly, was, yesterday, inaugurated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, while overzealous policemen at the Assembly detained the Guardian, Nation and Punch correspondents for 45 minutes when the journalists who were prevented by the police from entering the chambers forced their ways in to cover the proceedings. Frantic efforts by colleagues and some lawmakers forced the reluctant police officers to release the detained journalists.

Meanwhile, there was confusion over the authentic nominee from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the position of the Minority Leader, following petitions from some members of the PDP rejecting the nominee of the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih.

The drama started after the

newly elected Speaker of the House, Mr Victor Edoror, announced Mr Folly Ogendegbe, Elizabeth Ativie, Sunday Aghedo and Kabiru Adjoto as Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief whip and Deputy whip respectively.

The Speaker pointed out that

there was confusion as to who the Minority Leader was among the three PDP members in the House following a letter read on the floor of the House by the state PDP chairman, Chief Orbih, nominating Ezehi Gbas as the party’s nominee for Minority Leader, and another letter

rejecting orbih's nomination, adding that as a result, he was stepping down the matter until the PDP resolved the issue amongst themselves.

But reacting to the petitions, Chief Orbih described them as frivolous, saying “Those people are not members of the PDP.”

PDP can't nullify Rivers LG polls —APC chieftain State Independent Electoral

By Davies Iheamnachor

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ORT HARCOURT—A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Kelechi Ubani, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Governor Nyesom Wike cannot dissolve or nullify the May local government elections in the state.

Ubani, while affirming the legality of the council polls, which were described by the PDP as a sham, said that

Governor Wike and his party that boycotted the elections do not have any legal ground to dissolve the already constituted chairmen in the 23 councils of the state.

Ubani said it was only the court that has the power to nullify the election if after hearing the case says that the election did not follow the Rivers State Independent Electoral Act. He said that the APC was optimistic that the PDP will lose out in court because the Rivers

Commission, RSIEC, saddled with the responsibility of conducting the local government elections met all the requirements for the exercise.

He said RSIEC did not contravene any section of the law in the conduct of he last local government elections.

He enjoined all the elected chairmen to carry on with their constitutional duties at their respective councils as the APC was confident of the process that produced them as chairmen.

Appointments: Ijaw protests exclusion from Warri South list

By Emma Amaize

W

A R R I —IJAW people in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, are grumbling over their alleged exclusion from the list of eight persons submitted to the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for appointment into his government.

Chairman of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Governing Council, Lucky Oromoni, in a letter addressed to Governor Okowa, demanded that two Ijaw persons from the area be included in the list of eight persons for consideration by the governor.

Citing previous exclusion of Ijaws of Warri South council from Okowa’s transition and governance committees, the council warned: “Your administration’s deliberate exclusion of the Ijaws of Warri South would only endanger the existing fragile peace in Warri and create unnecessary acrimony."

Archbishop Nwator laid to rest in Rivers

F

ORMER Special Adviser on Health to former President Shehu Shagari, and former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, late Archbishop Friday Nwator, has been laid to rest in his home town, Ogale, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Until his death on April 6, 2015, aged 74, Nwator was the President of the Integrity Bishops and Faithful Ministers Network Worldwide, and a member of Nigeria’s first Constituent Assembly in 1977, an Officer of the Order of the Niger, a philanthropist and bridgebuilder.

In his sermon at the funeral service held at OtorEleme civic centre, a cleric, and senior Pastor of Redemption Ministries, worldwide, Rev. Stephen Akinola, urged Christians to emulate the virtues of the late Archbishop.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—13

Rivers Assembly orders Wike to dissolve RSIEC, RSJSC

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a resolution asking Governor Nyesom Wike to sack members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC and the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, RSJSC over alleged abuse of their functions.

Speaker of the House, Mr Ikuinyi Ibani, read out the resolutions of the House after members voted in support of it.

He said: “Going by the resolution of this House, we do resolve that the governor of Rivers State, Chief Wike, is hereby given the power to remove the members of the RSJSC from office. This House has resolved that His Excellency, Chief Wike, is hereby given the power to remove the chairman and members of RSIEC over misconduct outlined against them.”

He further ordered the Clerk of the House to immediately convey the resolutions to the governor.

The Speaker said the action of the lawmakers was to further deepen democracy, stressing that members of the affected commissions erred in the discharge of their functions.

“There are certain things you don’t allow to occur, while you hold a position of trust. It is my

belief that any decision we take on the floor of this chamber is true and in the best interest of the state.

It is not witch-hunting. The documents we have show a different thing. We must deepen democratic values as lawmakers,” he said.

Leader of the House, Martins Amarwhule, who spoke after heads and members of the two commissions who appeared

before the lawmakers had been thoroughly quizzed, said that they acted in contrast with the oaths they took.

“Members of the RSJSC went contrary to their oath of office pursuant to Section 201 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, by among other issues, allowing the former state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, to derail and shut

down the judiciary for 356 days.”

Chairman of RSIEC, Professor Augustine Ahiozu, who led five other members of his commission tbefore the lawmakers, said he followed the law in the conduct of the last local government elections.

Secretary of the RSJSC, Mrs Kate Baridor led principal members of her commission to the House.

INAGURATION: From left: Mr. Monday Igbuya, new Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly and Mrs. Lynn Ochulor, Clerk of the House, during the inauguration of the 6th Assembly of Delta State House of Assembly, at the Assembly Complex, Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Igbuya emerges Speaker of 6th Delta Assembly

A

By Festus Ahon

SABA—THE sixth Assembly of Delta State House of Assembly has been inaugurated with a proclamation by the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as a third term lawmaker, Chief Monday Igbuya, emerged Speaker.

The Clerk of the House, Mrs Lyna Ocholor, who read the governor’s proclamation letter, yesterday, also presided over the election and swearing-in of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

Igbuya, who represents Sapele constituency, was elected Speaker following his nomination by the member representing Ughelli North I, Samuel Mariere and seconded by Tim Owhefere, representing Isoko North. The nomination was unanimously adopted by the House.

The nomination of Friday Osanebi, who emerged as the Deputy Speaker, was done by the immediate past Speaker of the House, Mr Peter Onwusanya, seconded by Dennis Omovie, Warri South II and was unanimously adopted.

The oaths of office and allegiance were administered on the Speaker and his deputy by the Clerk of the House at the main C M Y K

chamber of the state House of Assembly.

The Speaker, Mr Igbuya in his acceptance speech, said he had gathered experience to pilot the affairs of the state legislature and

called for maximum support from all stakeholders to succeed in the task ahead.

Igbuya assured that the interest of Deltans will remain first in the activities of the House, adding

that the House will perform its constitutional duties diligently and without fear or favour.

The Speaker also swore in other members in line with the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

....As Urhobo leaders thank lawmakers, congratulate Igbuya

U

RHOBO leaders, yesterday, expressed appreciation to Delta State House of Assembly members and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for finding Chief Monday Igbuya credible to be elected Speaker of the Assembly.

Spokesperson of Union of Urhobo People, UOUP, Dr. Joseph Oki, in a statement in Mosogar, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state, applauded the lawmakers and others for selecting a proven leader.

The leaders also congratulated Igbuya on his election as Speaker of the House.

Pledging to support Igbuya

in his new assignment, the leaders said: “We are proud to be associated with you and shall provide all support you shall require for the success of your tenure as Speaker.”

The leaders urged Igbuya to bring his extensive knowledge

and understanding of law making to bear in the service of the state.

“We trust that, like those waiting to see changes in the state, Igbuya will demonstrate a commitment to move the state forward.”

Probe transfer of OML42 to NECONDE, Ogienmwonyi urges Buhari

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—FORMER Minister of State (Works) and former Group Executive Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Chris Ogienmwonyi, has described the transfer of the OML 42 oil bloc being supervised by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, to NECONDE Energy Limited by the immediate past Petroleum Minister, Mrs Dieziani AlisonMadueke, as an abuse of due process and “theft of our national wealth.”

He urged President Muhammdu Buhari to investigate what he described as the rape of due process and “theft of our national commonwealth and ensure a reversal of this monumental theft so as to save the nation’s oil sector from collapse.”

It will be recalled that staff of NPDC in Benin headquarters, have been on strike for over a month following the alleged sale of the OML 42 to NECONDE by the Federal Government.

They described the sale as illegal and fraudulent, adding that the alleged sale of one of the nation’s priced assets did not follow due process.

Ogiemwonyi said the reasons adduced by the former minister for the transfer of OML42 that the NPDC lacks the capacity to run the bloc was untrue and criminal.

Stressing that NPDC had over the years achieved tremendous success in its operatorship in OML 26, 30, 34, 40 and 42, he said it was sad that NECONDE whom the operatorship of OML 42 was handed over to, lacks the wherewithal to run the business.

Corrupt judges promote election rigging —Dugbo

By Akpokona Omafuaire

W

ARRI—RETIRED Justice Thompson Dugbo has said that election rigging in Nigeria continues to prosper due to the politicisation of appointment of judges in the country.

He also called for the immediate sack of judges who

were appointed without due process.

Dugbo, in a statement, yesterday in Warri, pointed out that election offenders are set free because some tribunal judges were bribed into entering wrong judgements in obedience to their masters' wishes.

According to him, “Nowadays, governors have

hands in the appointment of judges. Even permanent secretaries and politicians have hands in the appointment of judges. They therefore, appoint their cronies and stooges who should normally not get near the bench in terms of qualification.

Many of the state judges are not qualified or competent to be judges.”

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

8th NASS: Don’t let PDP defectors clinch NASS

leadership, ex-PDP scribe warns

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA—FORMER Acting National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode Ojomu, yesterday, enjoined the party’s senatorselect and their counterparts in the House of Representatives to apply wisdom and ensure that no former PDP members who joined APC was elected into the 8th NASS leadership.

Chief Ojomo, who issued a statement on alleged disagreement within the ruling APC on who should be the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives during the inauguration

of the 8th National Assembly today, urged PDP legislators-elect to see this opportunity to elect NASS leaders as payback time for the treacherous PDP renegades.

Ojomo faulted some elected members rebelling against those picked by the ruling party to occupy the exalted seats of the Senate Presidency and Speaker of the House of Representatives, adding that APC was right to present a sole candidate for each of the NASS principal offices.

He said: “Let it be noted that if the party was ever right to sponsor Senatorial/House of Representatives candidate for election, it must also be right to determine who to put forward on its platform.

Parley on take-off of modified version of multi-national force begins in Abuja

A

CONFERENCE of Chiefs of Defence Staff of member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission will today hold in Abuja.

A statement by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said the meeting, which is to be hosted by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, is to work out the processes for the operationalisation of the strategic directive for the immediate take off of the combined operation of the

modified version of the Multi-National Joint Task Force in the campaign against terror in the region.

The meeting is Preparatory to the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Governments of the LCBC member countries in furtherance of the multilateral discussion on counter-terrorism operations in the subregion.

Military delegation, led by the Chiefs of Defence Staff as well as intelligence and security of Nigeria,

Niger, Cameroon and Chad, are to participate in the meeting along with Benin Republic.

The meeting will later brief the Ministers of Defence of the LCBC countries towards subsequent decisions on the immediate take off of the mission.

The development is sequel to the recent parleys and contacts between Nigeria’s President and his counter-parts in the subregion in the move to step up the fight against terror.

Ondo police arrest three students for alleged internet fraud

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—A self-acclaimed 300 level student of Computer Science at Joseph Babalola University, JABU, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Fisayo Adetoro, and two expelled students of Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Wale Ayeni and Emmanuel Omole, have been arrested for alleged Internet fraud

by Ondo State police command.

The suspects, according to police sources, have allegedly defrauded unsuspecting members of the public within and outside the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, said the three fraudsters were aged between 22 and 23 years, and that they specialized in defrauding unsuspecting persons through online transactions.

Vanguard learned that the suspects were picked up at a motor park and a hotel used as their hide-out in Akure, the Ondo State capital, acting on a tipoff.

The Police Commissioner said both Ayeni and Omole were expelled students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, while Adetoro claimed to be a 300-Level student of Computer Science at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, JABU, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State.

Eke, who spoke through the Command image maker, DSP Wole Ogodo, said: “The syndicates had sometimes in April, 2015, through online transaction requested for six i-phones valued at N984,000 from one Ajiboye Adeyinka Kabir of Oyekunle Street, Ajegunle, Lagos State. ‘’They lied to Ajiboye that they were C M Y K

working at Government House, Akure.

Ajiboye brought the six i-phones to Akure as requested by the syndicates. “ On arrival at Ondo motor-park, Akure, the three fraudsters took him in their operational vehicle, a Nissan Armanda Jeep with registration number JS-28-EKY, and pretended to be heading for Government House, Akure.

“On the way, they made a detour to Fiwasaye-Ijapo Road, Akure, where they forcefully took the i-phones from Ajiboye, and pushed him out of the vehicle in motion.”

“Ajiboye sustained various degrees of injuries and was rushed by Policemen at Ijapo Division to the Police Clinic, Akure, for initial medical attention.

“The syndicates also contacted one Akinola Segun of Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, and placed order for another set of five i-phones from him valued at N820,000 only.

“They again lied that they were lecturers at the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin. On arrival in Akure, they conveyed Akinola in their operational jeep to a hotel on Ondo Road, Akure, where they drugged his food with swinol tablet and made away with the five I-phones.,” He said the suspects, however, ran out of luck when they unknowingly contacted the same Akinola Segun on a different website and ordered for five i-phones, and deceitfully presented themselves as lecturers from the College of Agriculture, Akure.

He said Akinola immediately contacted the Akure Area Command’s office where the Area Commander, Mr. Edward Ajogun, with his team of detectives, employed best professional tactics leading to their arrest.

“No responsible political party in a democratic process that outlaws individual, independent candidate for elective offices will abdicate its historical and natural responsibility to present a sole candidate for each of the NASS Principal Offices. ‘’It will be unconventional for APC to watch helplessly for its members to contest in a free for all manner in the Red and Green Chambers.

“It is worrisome to observe that; “many of those who walked out were former PDP members who joined APC. “Today, by their actions and inactions alongside other several factors left PDP comatose and one wonders if everybody acted like them who will be PDP Senators and House of Representatives members to be now courted to defend their interest for victory at all cost against their ruling party’s official position.

“I want to appeal to all our PDP Party Senators-elect and House of Representative members elect, for the sake of posterity and stable polity to see the opportunity to elect NASS leaders as pay back time for the treacherous PDP renegade gladiators of the APC now seeking NASS leadership and turn their back against them.

“They decimated the PDP and now want to rely on it as strength to climb to No. 3 and 4 in our nation. That’s crass opportunism and PDP Leaders in the Red and Green Chambers should not provide themselves as ready tools for self-serving

pursuits.

“The cacophonic noise from the Nigeria’s ruling party - the All Progressives Party, APC, over who shall be Senate President and Speaker of the Nigeria's Senate and the House of Representatives respectively signalled a threat to a stable polity as it also showcases a house divided against itself. “'A house divided against itself cannot stand,' is the popular maxim. A crisis in the ruling party is a crisis and trouble for our country. ‘’Therefore, very patriotic citizens and stakeholders in the Nigeria project cannot stay akimbo in a posture of 'what concerns us, it's good for them to fight to finish.' That will be unpatriotic “This is a clarion call on the gladiators who have fallen out of favour with the core leadership of the ruling party to do a very realistic appraisal of the development, which the only reasonable thing to do is a tactical withdrawal. Nigeria doesn’t need this crisis now, we need a stable polity. ‘’That a particular candidate for Senate President/Deputy Senate President and Speaker/deputy Speaker cannot win over the core leadership of the ruling party for its very critical support is in itself a bad omen and to decide to take up head-long the leadership of the ruling party relying on the strength of the opposition party – the PDP – to mudsling their party on self serving political adventure, can lead to fatal political accident.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUN E 9, 2015 —15

Ex-gov Chime’s man emerges Enugu Speaker

By Austin Ogwuda & Francis Igata

E

NUGU—MEMBER representing Enugu East Urban constituency in the last Assembly, Mr. Edward Ubochi, has emerged as the speaker, while Donatus Uzogbado representing Oji River was elected as the deputy during yesterday ’s inauguration of the 6th Enugu State House of Assembly.

The emergence of Ubochi fuelled speculations that immediate past Enugu State governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, was still calling the shots as his preferred candidates scaled through.

Vanguard gathered that Ubochi and Uzogbado, who were members of the last Assembly, emerged unopposed on the floor of the House, following the intrigues that played out during a meeting between the new governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and the lawmakers on Sunday night.

Inside sources confided in our reporters that while the meeting was in progress, the immediate past governor stormed into the venue of Sunday’s parley, where he brazenly presented the names of his preferred candidates as principal officers of the House who all belonged to the group of nine lawmakers loyal to him in the last Assembly, where the last minute impeachment drama

played out.

Apart from Ubochi and Uzogbado, Chime was said to have also presented the former factional Speaker of the last House, Chinedu Nwamba, to become the Leader of the House, which resulted in tempers rising high when Nwamba’s name was put forward.

Consequently, some returning lawmakers, who belonged to the group of 15 lawmakers in the last

Assembly that served him (Chime) impeachment notice, were furious and threatened a walk-out.

At yesterday’s inauguration, two of the aggrieved returning lawmakers, Mathias Ekweremadu and Iloabuchi Aniagu, vehemently opposed Chime’s list, insisting that it was an attempt to witch-hunt them for the role they played in the last House.

Only the speaker and the deputy were elected at yesterday’s inaugural sitting, while other elective positions were deferred, following sharp disagreements.

In a goodwill message from governor Ugwuanyi, he said: “I extend my hand of fellowship to you all bearing in mind that we must assiduously work hard to leave Enugu State better than we met it.

INAUGURATION: Newly elected speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Chief Edward Ubosi (left), taking oath of office before the Clerk of the House, Sir Amadi Chukwurah (right), at the inauguration of the 6th House of Assembly, in Enugu, Monday. Photo: NAN

TRIAL OF 11 BZF: Enugu Federal High Court rules on open

or secret sitting tomorrow

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, will tomorrow, deliver ruling in an application by the Federal Government, seeking to commit the ongoing trial of the 11 members of the Biafra Zionists Federal, BZF, in the open court to secret proceedings with a view to protect the prosecution witnesses.

Prosecution counsel, D. Kaswe Kaswe, a senior state counsel in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation had at the last hearing of the case on May 19, moved the application to continue the trial in secret for security reasons.

He cited section 36 (4) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which exempts members of the public, with the exception of accredited media members, to participate in the proceedings on certain grounds and particularly drew the attention of the court to the secret trial of Kabiru Sokoto, said to be a commander of dreaded Boko Haram sect.

“In that case (Federal Republic of Nigeria and Kabiru Sokoto),

the prosecution insisted that Federal High Court, Abuja, be exempted from the public for the purposes of hearing the testimony of witnesses. In that case, it was even official witnesses. In this case, these are civil witnesses.

That was why we put up this application,” Kaswe submitted.

Lead defence counsel, Olu Omotayo, who opposed the secret trial, argued that “the Constitution in Section 36 (4) 2 stated that the application must come from minister or commissioner in a state. You must come and satisfy the court that there is a public

interest or public danger that makes you to bring the application. It is not just an application that a lawyer must make over the bar demanding that there must be secret trial.”

Omotayo told our reporter, yesterday, that, “we are fully ready and awaiting the ruling of the court Wednesday (tomorrow) For now, I cannot predict the court, let us wait till Wednesday.”

So far, prosecution has called three witnesses before seeking for the secret trial. Prosecution counsel, Kaswe in an interview told reporters that “the 4th and

5th witnesses, who witnessed the incident, should be protected, hence the request for secrecy.”

The 11 pro-Biafra group, Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF led by Benjamin Onwuka, who are facing treason charges over alleged attempt to declare the Republic of Biafra are: Ndubisi Nnamushi, Kelvin Ekeh, Japhet Nwodo and Fidelis Nwonu.

Others were Paulinus Uzoegbu, Sunday Chukwuma, Uduma Uduma, Betrand Obiekwe, Abraham Ugwu, and Ijaga Samson.

They are currently remanded in Enugu prisons.

Two docked over alleged theft of N350,000

By Precious Akubueze

L

AGOS—TWO labourers and a security guard, were yesterday, arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s court, Lagos over alleged theft of N350,000.

The defendants, who are both 27-year old, are Emmanuel Wafudu and Uchenna Ikechukwu.

The defendants are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing preferred against them by the police.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The duo, who both reside at 2 Abhasha Estate in Lekki area of Lagos, were docked before Magistrate O .M Ajayi.

The prosecutor, Mr. Daniel Ighodalo, told the court that the defendants and their accomplices, who are still at large committed the alleged offence on April 10 2015 about 1a.m., at Abamusa Estate Agungi, Lekki in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The prosecutor told the court that the duo stole one deep freezer valued at N130,000,12mm Iron rod valued at N70,000, Elemax Generator valued at N80,000, and two water pumps valued at N40,000, Property of one Mike Iyela.

According to the prosecutor, the offences are punishable under sections 409 and 285(7) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

Magistrate Ajayi granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100, 000 each and adjourned the matter till June 29,2015.

Awka butchers, LG chairman trade words over alleged missing 16 cows, N18.7m

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—MEMBERS of Amansea Butchers Association and the chairman of Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mr. Cosmas Okonkwo, yesterday, traded blame over the alleged disappearance of 16 cows and N18.7 million belonging to the butchers when the council chairman led people suspected

to be thugs to attack the butchers at the abattoir.

Chairman of the association, Mr. Christian Nwankwo, told reporters in Awka at the now desolate abattoir that they were taken unawares when the council chairman came in a convoy of about 10 vehicles and ordered his aides to bundle him (the chairman) into the boot of one of the cars on the allegation that he was the brain behind consistent loss of revenue from

the abattoir by the council.

But the chairman faulted the claim, saying the butchers knew they were occupying the place illegally.

The council chairman also said the police who came with him were witnesses to what transpired there, adding that the butchers’ claim was only aimed at discrediting him.

He said: “We acquired this site from a village in Amansea and we were paying N50 for

every cow slaughtered at the abattoir until the present council chairman came and increased it to N300 per cow.

“However, following the directive by the state government that we should be paying the revenue to the state coffers, we stopped paying to the council. It was even a relief to us because we were paying only N100 per cow to the state government."

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUN E

'Igbo inclusion in Lagos governance unnecessary'

By Gabriel Olawale

L

A G O S — INDIGENES of South-East geo-political zone in All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State have condemned the request for Igbo inclusion in the running of the state affairs by some people parading themselves as representing Igbo interest in the state.

Leader of the group, Chris Ekwilo, who made the condemnation, said that such demand was baseless and should be disregard by the state government.

He said: “This assertion demeans the demeanour and image of an Igbo man and what they stand for.

Igbo are not greedy... ‘’On this premise, we, therefore, condemn in strong terms that act of covetousness, wickedness and greed.”

Ekwilo disclosed that such action should be ignored, since it didn’t represent Ndigbo interest.

9, 2015

EDO CULT WAR: IGP directs cult suspects to

be arraigned in court today

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA— Following the completion of investigations on suspected cult confraternities, leaders and members arrested on May

12, 2015 in Edo State, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has directed that the suspects be arraigned today.

The suspects, who were arrested by a crack team of detectives from Federal SARS,

allegedly played ignoble roles in acts of terror, vicious inter- and intra-cult conflicts that led to destruction of lives and property in Edo State.

A statement by the Force spokesperson, Mr. Emmanuel

Ojukwu, said: “The Police high command further appeals to members of thev public to continue to collaborate with the Police in ensuring that crime is reduced to barest minimum in their areas.”

Irate youth on rampage in Anambra, set widow’s restaurant ablaze

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA — Youths numbering about 50, yesterday, allegedly set ablaze a restaurant belonging to a

widow, Mrs. Nwakaego Okafor at Ogboza Ububa village, Nkpor, Idemili North Local Governent Area of Anambra State.

Allegedly chanting war songs and asking for the owner of the restaurant to explain why she

was allegedly opposed to the continued leadership of one Chief Raphael Nnabuife, as the acting President-General of Nkpor Development Union, NDU caretaker committee, which was appointed by the state government many years, the

You must deliver, Oshiomhole charges Edo Assembly

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY—EDO State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has charged the lawmakers of the 6th House of Assembly to deliver on their electoral promises to their constituents.

Oshiomhole gave the charge,

yesterday, at Government House in Benin City, when he received members of the state House of Assembly, led by the new speaker, Mr. Victor Edoror.

Addressing the speaker and other members of the Legislature, Oshiomhole said: “During the electioneering campaigns, we went round with all of you to

different locations across the state.

"We made commitments about what we will do. We all have great insight into the challenges confronting our people.

"Our people have trusted us on the basis of our past performance but also they believe that we will deliver on the promises that we have made to them."

youths set the place on fire.

It was gathered that when the owner of the restaurant failed to show up, the youths got infuriated and torched the restaurant.

It was gathered that the action of the youths was sequel to a long standing dispute over the control of the NDU leadership.

It was also learned that there had been attacks and counter attacks between the supporters of Nwabuife and the opposition.

Addressing newsmen, Mrs. Okafor said she was able to identify about seven members of the gang from where she hid when the youths swooped on her restaurant.

She expressed regret over what she described as an unprovoked attack on her restaurant, adding that she lost more than N2 million as a result of the attack.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—17

C M Y K

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 NIGERIANS may get a better glimpse of the direction of our democracy when the leadership of the National Assembly is elected today. Ordinarily, it should be the members who should elect their leadership, but it is obvious that there are more external influences than any of the parties would be willing to admit.

Religions, regions, politics of the formation of the All Progressives Alliance, APC, the politics of successions in 2019, have all coalesced into the confusion that is attending a simple exercise that held in the past 16 years without much attention on the external influences that marked it.

Today would mark the first major fight in APC after the election, and a test of the party’s capacities to manage fall-outs of success.

Change could start with the National Assembly, where the numbers are not so clear to give one party the majority. The growing interest in leadership of the National Assembly, unfortunately, would not be for the benefit of Nigerians. From the political parties to the principal holders of political powers, who mostly operate

When Legislators Fight from the background, the contests for the leadership of the National Assembly are beyond interests in law making.

In the absence of resolutions to the factions, internal crises, irreconcilable differences, open disagreements among members of the same party, the National Assembly would take off in its most factious and fractious state since 1999.

Internal party discipline is weak, the passion of those vying for the leadership is strong enough that disagreements within APC may have more consequences for the party outside the working of the National Assembly, Nigerians are aghast at these developments.

Party manifestoes and positions would take a second place in these contentions,

meaning that factions would grow in APC. Parties are now ordinary platforms through which personal desires are actualised, rather than vehicles for delivery of services to the people. While the parties made promises to us during the campaigns, we are dealing with individuals, who are putting their interests ahead of the people.

None of the contestants for the National Assembly is discussing provision of leadership that would cater for the interest of Nigerians. The elections in the National Assembly would pass, even if they turn chaotic. Another way of looking at what is going on is that Nigerians can use the contests to assess the leanings of those they have elected. A National Assembly that from its constitution considers its interests ahead of the country’s poses further danger after the deep divisions that the elections created.

Our dysfunctional political party system, without clear-cut programmes is the main cause of the squabbles we are witnessing in the National Assembly, squabbles that are more widespread than they appear.

OPINION

ARSO President’s Forum: The winners are the private sector

By Chimeziri Franklin

O

NE might think that when the heads of national standards bodies, NSBs, gather, they would have time for only their type, but in the ARSO President’s Forum being hosted by Nigeria at the International Conference Centre, Abuja June 22 – 24, 2015, it will not be so and this is perhaps the largest gathering of NSB chiefs in Africa! Fifty-five of them will fly into Abuja at the countdown to the great convention. And to the company of hundreds of manufacturers and service providers some of whom are sponsors of the event or just exhibitors or seminar participants.

The African Organisation for Standardisation, ARSO, the African Union organ who are the conveners of this Forum, ably assisted by the chief host NSB the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON have seen to it that the business community will buy into the event. First, they ensured the event is legitimately ARSO; the 20th ARSO General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda June last year authorised the ARSO president who is the SON director general/chief executive, Dr Joseph Odumodu, to summon the Forum. Thereafter, Odumodu briefed the Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment on the task. The Minister networked with fellow ministers, setting up an interministerial local organising committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria C M Y K

Police, the Department of State Security, and SON. SON is both chairman and secretariat of the committee. The involvement of the various MDAs in the committee indicates that the full commitment of Nigeria to the success of the event has been secured.

The Forum’s features include the ARSO CEOs Roundtable, the Made in Africa Expo and the African Standardisation Day seminar. At the Roundatable, the business people will join the standardisation chiefs to share their insights and challenges as standardisation stakeholders.

According to the chief host, Dr Odumodu, the interaction with the 55 NSB chiefs gives each participating business owner an opportunity to build a beneficial relationship with them. “The NSB chief,” he explains, “is a very powerful figure in any country because he is responsible for the enumeration and implementation of standards in his country and that’s a large part of the trade and industrial complex of that country. An industrialist who gets such people to support his expansion into their countries would soon have Africa’s 1.1 billion consumers as his market.

A bigger market offers more profit to a manufacturer or professional than a small market; the market is people

Rarely does a manufacturer or service provider get several NSB chiefs to listen to him in one place.”

Dr Paul Angya the chairman of the local organising committee agrees: “The coming of the business people to the conference table of the heads of NSBs in Africa widens the opportunity they have in this continent. A bigger market offers more profit to a manufacturer or professional than a small market. The market is people. The more people there are the more purchases can be made.”

The Seminar has as its theme: "The Role of Standards in Promoting Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security." In this knowledge feast, participants will explore ways of maximizing Africa’s resources and competencies in activities where she has comparative advantage.

The Made in Africa Expo is meant for all products – the certified as well as the uncertified because SON wants all industrialists and medium and small scale enterprises, MSMEs, in Nigeria to show Africa what they have. Dr Odumodu says this has become necessary because “regulatory bureaucracies have probably scared some companies away from certification and it would take emphasizing the voluntariness of implementation of standards to make some of such companies to come near SON and learn the necessity of manufacturing by the standards.”

Participating MSMEs stand a chance of being selected as one of the ten to compete at the African Union Council of Ministers Made in Africa Fair

to be held in Egypt later in the year. They also qualify to be considered for the free certification that will be given to the best ten exhibiting MSMEs. Furthermore, the venue ambience and the convention’s big brochure provide advertising and brand projection opportunities for participants. In addition, participants could project their products and services in special presentations during the Roundtable. These are in addition to the general promotion of made in Nigeria products at the Forum.

Top government officials and diplomats as well as captains of industry are expected at the convention. A hundred and forty stakeholders and journalists attended the ARSO President’s Forum Media Launch which took place recently at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos. During the event, the ARSO president explained that Africa’s economic emancipation and competitiveness requires uniting the continent as a single market through the harmonization of standards and conformity assessment procedures for the different countries. Thereafter, companies and organizations started signing up to sponsor the convention. Additionally, the local organizing committee secretariat has been awash with enquiries about the big three day event. Some companies have already paid for participation.

Historically, the expansion of markets and economic opportunity is led by the private sector while government just provides a secure and enabling environment. Now, governments in Africa through ARSO and SON are taking initiatives in that direction and the business people are only very eager to take advantage. *Mr Franklin, a strategic communication professional, wrote from Lagos

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015— —19

Anymore roles for the god fathers?

By Sunny Ikhioya

W

ITH the exit of Chief Tony Anenih as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the role of godfathers in our politics has again been brought into focus.

We grew up to know about the concept of godfatherism through some Christian traditional practices: The person your parents choose when you were born or one who serves as sponsor for a child at baptism is regarded as godfather if he is a man. With time, the concept assumed a wider dimension as any male sponsor or guardian could be your godfather. In the '50s and '60s, the activities of the Sicilian mafia were transported to the United States and attracted a sort of cultic following.

So, various confraternities and cult groups all over the world have adopted the godfather hierarchy. You choose your godfather from the top: the one that sits at the top of the hierarchy is the Capo Di Tutti, the head or the godfather amongst godfathers. In contemporary times, we can assume the godfather to be any man who makes things happen for you.

And so, we have godfathers in government, in the judiciary, in

our ethnic cleavages, army, police, and so on. It got to a stage that without a godfather link, your job career could be stagnated. It was that bad.

The focus of this piece is political godfatherism in Nigeria, how it has impacted our lives and whether it is still relevant in contemporary Nigerian politics. Godfatherism exists everywhere. In the US, you have the Kennedy and the Bush families, but the difference is in the mode of operation and usage.

From inception, Nigerian politics have always been anchored on god fatherism.

Herbert Macaulay handed over to Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Zik became godfather to many others.

Godfathers are also seen as role models: somebody falls in love with your carriage, eloquence, integrity, hard work, etc and then adopts you as his godfather. Such is the case too of Chief Obafemi Awolowo; he became the god father of the Yoruba West in the politics of the '50s and '60s, while, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, held sway in the North. Till today , many who were politicians in that era see him as their godfather.

The picture of the above is such that if you do not owe allegiance to anyone one of them and you want to come into politics, you will not be recognised. The candidates of the North must have the backing of Sir Ahmadu

Bello, in fact, the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, was a direct nominee and former subordinate of the Sardauna; so the wishes of the sardauna was the wishes of the prime minister.

The rebellion of the godsons started with Chief Ladoke Akintola, who dumped his own party leader Chief Awolowo and formed an alliance with the Northern political elite; the fall out of their conflict led to the first military involvement in our politics and subsequent events that we are yet to recover from.

Since then, we have seen military godfathers who have formed themselves into cliques of coup plotters: you either belong

The godfathers are relevant to the extent at which they can bring succour and development to the people and not in the promotion of their personal interests

8TH NASS: CAN APC STAND?

By Idowu Aremu IGERIA’S democracy is quite speedily evolving, especially with the N relative peaceful and transparent conduct

of the 2015 elections which resulted to the humiliation of the arrogant and contemptuous Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The PDP which prided itself as the largest party in Africa had provocatively deluded itself that it shall be in power for 60 years even when it was obvious that it had long lost focus and largely disconnected from the Nigerian people, having been generally perceived as corrupt and inept.

However, the most critical factors that worked against the erstwhile ruling party outside the armpit of corruption, insecurity and economic mis-direction are impunity and flamboyant disregard for internal democracy which peaked with President Goodluck Jonathan’s endorsement of the Jonah Jang led-16 member Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF over the 19 members led by Chibuike Amaechi. That was the height of PDP’s impunity. It was this same impunity that led to seven serving governors walking out of the party’s mini-convention in Abuja and the eventual evolution of the New PDP. The rest is history.

While the PDP revelled in impunity, arrogance, corruption and insecurity, leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, toiled and laboured for the party to become the choice of Nigerians.

And thankfully at the end of the election, that aspiration, which in a way represented the aspiration of Nigerians for a better Nigeria, became fulfilled with the overwhelming success the APC recorded in all the elections between March and April 2015. The outcome of that election remains a watershed in the political history of Nigeria and has become a veritable reference point not only for our compatriots on the African continent, but also our friends and supporters on the global stage.

And that is why as a critical observer,

C M Y K

one would not want that epochal victory to be rubbished so soon by the emerging scenario in the politics of determining the next choice of leadership in the National Assembly which the goddess of politics has placed on the laps of the APC. Without mincing words, the emerging scenario is troubling and one sees in it a dimension that threatens to negate the core principles that had so endeared APC to the generality of Nigerians.

No doubt, as an individual, one has complete confidence in the ability of the party’s leadership to swim through this turbulent tide, just as it swam against the ocean of expectations that it would disintegrate before the presidential primaries or before the general elections.

Be that as it may, it is pertinent to ask APC leaders to look more dispassionately at the ongoing game of intrigues playing out in the leadership tussle for the leadership of the Eight National Assembly.

Here we have candidates forming alliances outside the party and the floor of the assembly; how the APC leadership allows these alliances. How can something not healthy for our democracy

The process leading to emergence of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly will definately determine how long the APC will remain standing

or you are banished to irrelevance. We have also seen ethnic godfathers, because the central position is so juicy, every tribe that holds sway uses the opportunity to feather its own nest.

Incidentally, the dynamics and behavioural pattern of our politics have brought another set of people: these are the rebel god sons. They use the godfathers to get whatever they want and when they assume positions of control, they dump their sponsors. As it is, some people have the money but no technical ability to run government; while some have the brains and ability but no money.

There are also others who have gone through mentoring under incumbent rulers. So, there is usually an arrangement for the sponsor or godfather to be compensated. Usually, it is in the form of contract awards, percentages and other forms of rewards, including allocation of positions in government.

Overtime, the demands of the godfathers became so stifling that personal interests usually override national or common interests. We saw the battle between Adedibu and Ladoja, Nwobodo and Nnamani, Amaechi and Odili, Akpabio and Attah, Atiku and Obasanjo, Yar'Adua and Obasanjo, Jonathan and Obasanjo and many more. Such relationship were defined by betrayals and parting of ways. There are exceptions like Bukola Saraki in Kwara, Edwin Clark over Jonathan; Obasanjo, Anenih and

determine how the party is prepared for the challenges ahead? By the best international practice, the party leadership is expected to make suggestions on whom it expects should get the slot. But at the end of the day, the eventual choice should be determined by the lawmakers themselves who have rules and regulations guiding their activities and who, upon entering the hallowed chamber of the assembly, cease to be members of any political party but representatives of the voices and aspirations of the larger Nigerian political landscape.

The future of Nigeria, the future of our democracy and the future of the party Nigerians so much love, I dare say, depends on how much of this independence the party lawmakers are allowed to exercise. The party can no longer hide behind a finger that it is oblivious of desperation by some of its perceived leaders to foist their anointed candidates against the wishes of others. This emerging scenero threatens the very foundation of the APC. Glad enough, President Muhammadu Buhari, who himself emerged through a transparent process of internal democracy of the party, has unequivocally distanced himself from insinuation of preference for a particular candidate. But more than standing aloof, the President must put down his feet down that the right thing should be done and seen to be done. This is one way to assure Nigerians that it is no longer business as usual so that he would not be guilty of conspiracy of silence.

Therefore, to now suddenly introduce some new criteria, as we are being made to understand, is a great threat to the President’s integrity which was a major factor of success, rather than the party’s.

When it was decided that the presidential ticket should go to the North, the leadership of the party, even if they had preference for a particular candidate, did not show it and did not introduce conditions that would have disqualified any of the eligible aspirants then. Thus, they all filed to the primary election stage where all aspirants from the North, and even from other zones, were allowed to

the big money bags. It is claimed that Jonathan’s inability to extricate himself from such godfathers and the strong women around him, contributed to his failure in the last election.

Many of these strong men abound in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and some wonder whether President Muhammadu Buhari will be able to put them in check.

For me, the notion of god fatherism is not a bad idea, if such could be used to generate awareness for the populace on their rights, privileges and good governance. What is wrong with our Nigerian godfathers is that they use their position to suppress the wishes of the people through the imposition of unpopular candidates. As a result, such imposed candidates do not owe their allegiance to the masses but to the godfathers.

The godfathers are relevant to the extent at which they can bring succour and development to the people and not in the promotion of their personal interests.

Thank God President Buhari has made it clear in his inaugural speech that he belongs to no one but to all, translated to mean that he will not fall into the strangle hold of any godfather or cabal.

With Buhari’s influence, background and training, it is hoped that the activities of godfathers in the affairs of government will boost positive developments for our democracy instead of the other way round.

campaign and at the end of the day, the most preferred candidate, now Nigeria’s President, Buhari, emerged to the applause of other contestants and the joy of all Nigerians.

It was the failure to follow this path of honour and transparency that nailed the PDP. The APC campaign was against impunity and imposition, whereas the practice in PDP was to impose and teleguide the members. Nigerians saw the clear difference and stood behind APC in a manner unprecedented in the political history of Nigeria. The question now is, should a party that has enjoyed such loyalty now do less than this in the current instance of electing the next level of leadership? As I argued earlier, it will be suicidal to now follow the pattern of the PDP which the APC had so much condemned and vilified to the point of routing it out of power.

For instance, Nigerians are already asking how come they want to introduce new rules in the middle of a competition, when they are not PDP. Are rules not set out before the start of a game? And in this instance, are there no rules within the Assembly norms to determine how this particular game is played out? Must this party allow the desire of some of its selfacclaimed leaders to soil the image and acceptance of a party they laboured to build in the eyes of the Nigerian public?

These purported conditions would have been more apt if they were applied to those who are already in office; to wit that any of the party’s members who is accused of a crime should first step down from that office and allow for investigation to either clear or convict him before deciding what to do again. That is the international practice.

May we tell the APC that we voted for them to get power and we are watching how they are using that power? APC lawmakers are too important to be toyed with. The process leading to emergence of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly will definately determine how long the APC will remain standing.

Mr Aremu, a political analyst, wrote from Ibadan

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Nigeria could boost oil output with changed funding, says Seplat N

igeria can boost its oil and gas production by changing the way capital investments are funded in its joint ventures with energy companies, according to Seplat Petroleum Development Co. Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., or NNPC, holds an average 55 percent stake in five joint ventures with Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., Total SA and Eni SpA that pump more than 80 percent of the country’s crude.

It pays the same share of capital contributions for the operation of the oil ventures.

Seplat, a Nigerian producer now running a joint venture with NNPC after buying assets sold by Shell, wants the current funding arrangement in Africa’s biggest oil producer scrapped in favor of a method less dependent on the government.

The “cash call” requirements are a “constraint” affecting production, Ambroise Orjiako, the company’s chairman, said in a June 5 interview at the World Economic Forum Africa in Cape Town.

“We need to find a situation where the joint-venture partners sit down and agree on what percentage of production should be dedicated on operation and capital expenditures,” Orjiako said. “That way you ensure that growth in the industry is guaranteed, that the production will increase, that the reserves will

$136.40

-3.00

$12.22

0.17

$62.93

-0.38

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

195.95 300.4893 220. 0519 209.9098 1.5744 0.3189 275.4552 31.5815 52.2505 29.4932 274.6043

-0.37

CENTRAL 196.45 301.2561 220.6134 210.4446 1.5784 0.3289 276.158 31.6626 52.3839 29.5685 275.305

196.95 302.0228 221. 1749 210.9802 1.5784 0.3389 276.8609 31.7436 52.5172 29.6437 276.0057

CBN Exchange Rate as at 8/ 06 /15

ing the scope for increasing production. It is currently indebted to companies including Shll, Exxon Mobil, Total and Eni, which had provided loans in the past to fill the funding gap.

‘Engage Communities’

“We would like to see government also thinking about divesting some of its joint-venture assets such that the private sector will drive the industry,” Orjiako said.

As energy companies including Shell, Chevron, Total and

Eni continue to divest assets in onshore areas plagued by communal unrest and disruptions in favor of offshore investments, Seplat will be looking for opportunities to expand.

“We believe we can engage the communities where we operate differently, being Nigerian companies,” Orjiakor said. “We are looking to see more of that happen and that will create more opportunities.”

From left: Prime Minister, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Hailemariam Desalegne; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, right; the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele, second right; Left is the President of the Oromia National Regional State – His Excellency Ato Muktar Kedir, during the commissioning ceremony of Dangote Cement plant in Ethiopia.

1.30

$3,113.00

CURRENCY BUYING

be increased and that there will be room for exploration activities as well,” he said.

The Nigerian government struggles to meet its share of funding to the operation of the joint ventures with energy companies, thereby limit-

— 21

Maersk targets Nigeria, Kenya ports in Africa expansion push

A

.P. Moeller-Mae rsk A/S, owner of the world’s largest shipping container line, is seeking to win contracts to build and upgrade ports in Nigeria and Kenya as the Danish company expands its African operations.

Maersk is awaiting a final sign-off on a contract to help build a new port in Badagry in Nigeria’s southern Lagos state, according to Lars Reno Jakobsen, the company’s senior vice president for Africa.

“That project, once it’s been finalized, could be more than $2 billion in terms of investment,” he said in an interview at

the World Economic Forum in Cape Town on Friday. “Hopefully we can start some time this year. It will provide capacity, not only for containers, but also for oil, break-bulk and offshore.” Maersk employs almost 10,000 people in more than 40 African nations and generates about 10 percent of its sales in and around the continent. Besides its shipping business, the Copenhagen-based company supplies oil- and gas-related services.

The company’s APM Terminals unit operates 10 West African ports.

“We are actively looking in East Africa for opportunities,” Jakobsen said. “There is an ongoing tender process for the port of Mombasa, where APM Terminals has shown interest” in operating two new

berths in the Kenyan city.

Maersk is also working on a $1 billion expansion to Ghana’s Tema port in collaboration with the west African nation’s ports authority. The project includes the construction of four new berths and will more than quadruple the port’s capacity.

Africa Sales In 2013, Maersk partnered with Bollore SA and Bouygues SA to win a 450 million-euro ($500 million) contract to build a second container terminal in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial capital. The terminal would start operating in 2016, Ballore said at the time of signing the deal.

“That’s progressing according to plan,” Jakobsen said.

“It’s in accordance with what has been agreed with the Ivo-

rian government and the port authorities.”

Maersk sales from Africa have been growing at 5 percent to 6 percent a year, tracking the continent’s economic growth and Jakobsen expects the trend to continue. Shipments of agricultural products, textiles and clothing are rising as the continent diversifies its trade away from raw materials, while more electronic and consumer goods are being imported as household incomes rise, he said. “Africa is moving up in the value chain,” Jakobsen said. “People can now probably afford things they couldn’t earlier on.

Underlying sentiment is positive. You are still seeing quite healthy growth.”

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

There is no known forum for bringing depositors of banks together. It just one of those acts of impunity and lawlessness on the side of government and her agencies that played out on Savanah bank saga.

,

TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

BY PETER EGWUATU

C

ostain West Africa Plc led the cream of price gainers on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE last week as its share price rose by 12.77 per cent to close at N1.06 per share from N0.94 it closed penultimate week.

Specifically, Costain West Africa top the first ten equities on the gainers’ chart as twenty seven equities appreciated in price during the week under review, lower than thirty eight equities in the penultimate week. Over the last 60 years, Costain West Africa Plc has executed a wide range of building and civil engineering projects, throughout Nigeria for private organizations, Federal and State Governments. It has been able to leverage the experience and strength of the Costain Group’s worldwide activities.

Costain West Africa Plc went public on the 13th of March, 1974. Its shares were quoted on the exchange subsequently. Costain West Africa Plc was the first construction company to be quoted on the NSE. It is now independent of the Costain UK Group after it was acquired by Shoreline Energy International Limited, a closely held firm with Nigerian interest.

Trailing Costain West Africa on the price gainers’ list was Beta Glass Company Nigeria Plc. It appreciated by 10.08 per cent to close last week at N44.00 per share from N39.97 per share it close penultimate week. Beta Glass Company Plc has proposed a dividend of 62 kobo per share to its shareholders for the financial year end of 2014 as the closing date for its register has been fixed for 12th June, 2015.

The company reported revenue of N16.6billion in its full year result of 2014, indicating a growth of 18 per cent from N14.09 billion in the period of 2013. Profit before tax increased by 63 per cent to N3.3 billion from N2.05 billion in 2013. Profit After Tax, PAT increased by 62 per cent from N1.474 billion to N2.391 billion in 2014, Earning Per Share, EPS up by 62 per cent from 295kobo to 478 kobo in 2014.

INVESTOR'S ,

By Babajide Komolafe

T

HE first part of this article which appeared two weeks ago generated many comments and reactions from readers online. However many of them missed the point and the objective of the series on the savannah bank saga.

Most of the responses dwelt on the past, vis-a-vis the factors and forces that led to the closure of the bank. This series however is about the future, with the aim of highlighting the plight of the depositors of the bank. This is because the past is past. We cannot change the past, but we can influence the future. The damage and losses of the last 15 years of the bank’s closure cannot be undone, but

What should customers of Savannah Bank Do? (2) we can reduce how much will be lost and destroyed in the years to come.

Secondly, irrespective of the forces and factors that occasioned the closure of Savanah Bank, the depositors are the number one stakeholders and they are the ones that suffer the greatest loss. The owners of the bank, or shareholders, majority and minority have the wherewithal to withstand the loss they may have suffered due to the closure of the bank, but most of the depositors do not. And

this is reflected in the account of Mr. Uche Ephraim published last week. The closure of the bank directly and indirectly led to the death of many depositors and pushed millions below the poverty line. Hence efforts should be concentrated on the depositors of the bank, on how to make sure that they do not suffer longer than they have suffered.

That is why the depositors of the Savannah Bank must not allow the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the shareholders of the bank to

B

erger Paints Nigeria Plc occupied the third position on the price gainers’ chart as it rose by 10 per cent to close last week at N11.00 per share from N10.00 per share it close penultimate week.

Berger Paints Plc recently announced the appointment of Peter Bababunmi Folikwe as the new Managing Director. According to the company, Folikwe brings on board over 24 years of experience in marketing, sales/distribution and general management; having worked in a number of top rated companies in Nigeria across a number of sectors in varied capacities.

Commenting on his appointment, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Oladimeji Alo, explained that Folikwe emerged as the candidate most suitable to lead Berger Paints Nigeria Plc into the future after a rigorous selection process.

Berger Paints financial position for 2014 shows that total revenue stood at N3.082 billion as against N2.708 billion; Gross profit for 2014 stood at N1.346 billion as against N1.154 billion, while total operating expenses increased to N1.080 billion from 993 million in 2013.

Occupying the fourth position on the gainers’ chart was Portland Paint and Products Nigeria Plc as it appreciated by 9.62 per cent to close at N3.99 per share from N3.64 per share it close last penultimate week.

The low disposable income of consumers is one of the major challenges manufacturing companies are facing in Nigeria. This has often affected the financial performance of the quoted companies on the NSE. Portland Paints & Products Nigeria Plc (PPNP), for instance, recorded loss in its operations in 2012 partly due to the challenging environment.

However, the company bounced back to profitability in 2013 as a result of various strategies employed by the board and management.

PPNP was incorporated as a private limited liability company on September 3, 1985. By special resolution on April 24, 2008, the company changed its name to PPNP upon becoming a public liability company. It got listed on the NSE on July 9, 2009. UAC of Nigeria Plc later acquired majority equity in the company and currently controls 51 per cent. oneywell Flour Mills Plc was also in the price gainers chart, occupying the fifth position. The share price rose by 6.99 per cent to close last week at N3.98 per share from N3.72 per share it close penultimate week.

Other five equities in the top ten chart was Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc, Trans Nationwide Express Plc , Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Wema Bank Plc and NEM Insurance Company Nigeria Plc. Neimeth rose by 6.67 per cent to close at N1.28 from N1.20 per share, followed by Trans Nationwide which went up by 6.67 per cent to close at N1.28 per share from N1.20 per share. Mobil appreciated by 6.47 per cent to close at N156.30 per share from N146.80 per share, followed by Wema Bank which rose by 6.25 per cent to close N1.02 from 96 kobo, while NEM Insurance up by 3.70 per cent to close at 84 kobo from 81 kobo it close penultimate week.

H

Presentation: From left, General Manager/Head, Listings Sales and Retention, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mrs Taba Peterside; Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Acting Group Managing Director, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi; Group Head, Sales Vitafoam, Mr Sola Owoade and Company Secretary & Legal Adviser, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc at the Facts Behind the Figures presentation at the NSE

MARKET NEWS

Stanbic IBTC lists N15.44 billion bond on FMDQ platform

By Peter Egwuatu

F

MDQ OTC Plc, yesterday recorded another milestone in the history of the Nigerian capital market as it listed N15.44 billion Stanbic IBTC bond on its the platform Speaking at the bond listing ceremony in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, FMDQ OTC Plc, Bola Onadele, said that the listing would go a long way to deepening the nation’s capital market.

He disclosed that the Stanbic IBTC bonds listed and admitted on FMDQ would be traded by Fixed Income Specialists who would act as market makers to the bonds and thus provide liquidity to the market.

“FMDQ provides a platform for the registration, listing,

quotation and trading of bonds and other fixed income securities,” said Onadele.

He said that the company would continue to empower the Nigerian bond market with price discovery, transparency and market integrity through market development initiatives.

Onadele said that listing and quotation on FMDQ provides a host of benefits across the debt market value chain, positively impacting stakeholders in the Debt Capital Market (DCM).

“FMDQ’s value-add to DCM includes visibility and transparency to the listed/ quoted debts, improved secondary market liquidity, benchmark pricing and price formation,” he added.

He added that FMDQ had made the nation’s capital

market globally competitive with continuous disclosure of relevant information on fixed income issues listed on its platform.

The Managing Director of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Yinka Sanni explained that the 10 year bond due in 2025, also qualifies as a tier 11 capital for the bank. According to him, the listing on the platform would avail foreign investors the opportunity to invest in the bond due to appropriate pricing.

He explained that the bank had witnessed tremendous transformation over the years with increased growth opportunities in its core areas of business, which includes investment banking, stockbroking and asset management. He said that the bond had increased the bank’s

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 —23

,

S FORUM determine when they can access their money trapped in the bank. The CBN nor its staff do not and will not incur or suffer any loss irrespective of the number of years Savannah Bank remains closed. Hence waiting for the CBN to access their money may amount to waste of time. But as suggested two weeks ago, the depositors should start with dialogue with the apex bank, with clearly articulated demands and deadlines. But if this option fails to yield positive result, depositors should proceed to the courts. They should institute legal action against the CBN and the owners of the bank.

One of our readers in his response had argued against the suggestion that depositors should come together and take action. He stated, “ I read your comment on this issue but I was not satisfied by your recommendation. I can only

The gap in this response is that the depositors have more locus standing than the minority shareholders of the bank

imagine share holders to “ come together “ to pursue a common objective not depositors that are all over the country and even beyond. There is no known forum for bringing depositors of banks together. It's just one of those acts of impunity and lawlessness on the side of government and her agencies that played out on Savanah bank saga. The bank had obtained court judgement that CBN was wrong in closing the bank but the same court failed to protect depositors.”

The gap in this response is that the depositors have more locus standing than the minority shareholders of the bank.

Secondly, the loss and the pain of the depositors greatly outweigh that of the minority shareholders. Hence their action would carry more weight and likely generate serious reactions from the regulators, and from the court.

Finally, the courts can only pronounce judgement on the matter or case presented to them. The case then did not involve the plight of the depositors and hence the court could not have taken decision on it. Hence, as the owners of the bank sued the CBN to protect their investment in the bank, the depositors too should be willing and ready to sue the CBN and the owners of Savannah Bank to recover their money.

To be continued

(Send comments and enquiries to vanguardinvestorsforum @gmail.com

Participants at the just concluded Microfinance Platform Symposium organised by Lapo Microfinance Bank in partnership with Accion Microfinance Bank Limited and AFOS in Lagos. capitalisation level and would give the bank the capacity to increase more businesses and sustainability. He assured that the bond would translate to higher returns and profitability to shareholders. According to him “ The need for the capital is to enhance our capital base because the bond qualifies us as a tier II capital, it’s a ten year bond. We are delighted of the success of bond raised and we believed that listing the bond on FMDQ

exchange is very significant as it gives us the privilege to join this very reputable and growing exchange in the country.

“We are attracted to this exchange particularly because of the strength the exchange offers.

The Exchange in a transparent manner offers the bond price at market determine. This exchange is very liquid. We are happy to join the legend of other top companies that are listed on the exchange.”

The only shareholders who will be affected by the suspension are those who have given them cash to trade with but it cannot affect shareholders that have stocks with them

,

INVESTORS SPEAK

•Bakere

•Olatokunbo

Shareholders back BGL suspension

S

EC suspended BGL Group Plc from capital market operations after its Executive Management Committee meeting held on May 19, 2015, where it considered the report of a detailed investigation into the various complaints received from investors against subsidiaries of BGL Group.

The commission also said that the Group Managing Director, BGL, Mr. Albert Okumagba, cease dto be a registered sponsored individual with the commission following the withdrawal of the registration of BGL as a capital market operator. Okumagba before the suspension was also the President of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the professional body for all stockbrokers in Nigeria.

By Providence Obuh Alhaji Gbadebo Olatokunbo, Shareholders Activist: It is not only about the BGL Group, this country has been ruled with two sides of the scale, one scale for the powerful and another for the less powerful. The BGL case has been on for sometime, SEC was unable to do anything, now that they are able to do something, good, but they are not doing anything extra ordinary because it is their job to take care of all the anomalies in the market . BGL became too powerful and doing all sort of malpractices is to destroy the market.

If not that the investors involved in the deal took the case to SEC, BGL would have gone away with it. So, immediately BGL noticed that the commission could appoint a receivership, they took SEC to court .

However,SEC discovered lately that it can punish the company as a regulator , hence the intervention. Why do they have to wait till such a time and I am sure that BGL is not the only company involved in such shaddy deals , there will be some others, all I am saying in a nutshell is that SEC should buckle up. When they continue to say local investors do not have confidence in the market, how will they have confidence, when they know that if you are being short changed nothing will happen to those who commit the fraud. The same people who commit fraud are the people who lobbied that the Acting Director General be appointed as SEC DG .I went to Channels TV and said no, he shouldn’t be there, because

the people lobbying for him are the people he is coming to regulate, they succeeded in putting him there lets hope he will have the lever to deliver as expected of SEC as a regulatory authority of the capital market. Am not happy with SEC for not disclosing the amount involved in the case.

When Sanusi asked banks'' debtors to be published, they published names and the amount.

What is SEC covering? Why not disclosed full amount? They know that if they disclose, people will shout and ask questions.

Mrs. Bisi Bakere, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria: If any stock broking firm is found wanting, the authority has no option than to suspend it, otherwise the other stock broking firms will do the same thing and go scot free. So what SEC has done is in the right direction. This has shown that the regulator knows what it is doing. The regulators have to put stop to infractions and atrocities by stock broking firms. If you watch closely, you will find out that the stock broking firms are committing so much infractions and this action by SEC is one way to put a stop .

If their clients have reported them to the authority, of course the commission has the right to deal

If not that the investors involved in the deal took the case to SEC, BGL would have gone away with it

with them . Also, BGL may not be the only one involved in shaddy deals of this for taken the strict measure it took on BGL. The shareholders who will be affected by the suspension are those who have given them cash to trade with but it cannot affect the entire shareholders that have stocks with them because if a stock broking firm is suspended, you can go to another stock broking firm to transfer the stocks you are having in their portfolio.

24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

FirstBank grants N1.47trn loans to oil firms …Records N3bn NPLs, fined N.48bn for infractions

By Michael Eboh

D

ESPITE concerns over rising Non-Performing Loans, NPL, First Bank Nigeria Plc gave out N1.465 trillion loans to oil and gas companies in two years, 2013 and 2014.

This is even as the bank was fined almost half a billion Naira for various infractions for the periods in review, making it one of the highest paid in the financial sector.

First Bank’s loan to the high risk oil and gas sector, according to information obtained from its Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2014, accounted for 36.7 per cent of the bank’s N3.992 trillion total loans to customers for both years.

Specifically, in 2013, First Bank gave out N621.43 billion as loans to oil and gas companies, while the sum increased by 35.78 per cent to N843.767 billion in the 2014 financial year.

The bank’s total loans to customers stood at N1.798 trillion in 2013, rising by 22.04 per cent to N2.194 trillion in 2014.

The loan was in spite of the fact that the bank had burnt its fingers in a few loans it granted some oil and gas firms. All the non-performing

OPEC MEETING: From left: Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha; Head, Nigerian Delegation to OPEC, Dr. Jamila Shuara; and Nigerian Ambassador to Austria, Mr. A.A. Ayoko, at the 167th OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria. loans in its books, except for two other loans granted to Lister Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, were facilities granted to oil and gas firms.

In the bank’s 2014 financial statement, N3.198 billion credit facilities to oil gas firms were classified as nonperforming loans.

Specifically, First Bank’s N2.607 billion loans to Seawolf Oilfield Services was impaired, with the bank classifying the facility as non-

In the bank’s 2014 financial statement, N3.198 billion credit facilities to oil gas firms were classified as nonperforming loans

performing under related party transactions, direct credit assets to directors.

Also, the banks, N350.4 million and N241.07 million facilities to Le Global Oilfield Services Limited and Al-Fil Petroleum Company Limited, respectively, were described as non-performing loans.

While the bank did not state the director involved in the Seawolf deal, it listed Mr. Remi Makanjuola, and Khadija Alao-Straub, a nonexecutive director of the bank, as parties in the Le Global Oilfield Services and Al-Fil Petroleum deals respectively.

In addition to the nonperforming loans, First Bank, in different transactions, gave out a total N5.585 billion to a single firm, Honeywell Oil and Gas Limited. However, all the loans granted to Honeywell Oil and Gas were classified as performing.

Operational infractions In addition to the poor loans record, FirstBank was also fined more than N486.6 million for various infractions in the 2013 and 2014 financial years, distributed at N98.3million and N388.3million respectively.

These are: ...2014: failure to render suspicious transactions to NFIU within 72 hours of transaction - N2 million;

...Failure to conduct due diligence before opening a Politically Exposed Persons, PEPs, - N2 million; ...Issuing a single draft of N30.5 million - N2 million; ...Opening/closing 62 cash centres and 32 branches without stipulated approval from the CBN - N210 million; and, ...Misreporting public sector deposit - N74 million; ...2013: failure to address all observations and recommendations of external auditors - N2 million; ...Failure to address all observations and recommendations of external auditors for the period ended 30 September 2014 - N2 million; ...Delay on unapplied funds - N2.3 million; ...Contravening Section 25(2) of Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act LFN 2004 on rendition of statutory returns through FINA application to CBN and NDIC - N2 million; ...Inability to provide evidence on CBN’s no objection letter to promotions/ appointments of 28 senior officers - N88 million; and, ...Failure to comply with the CBN directives on the issue of Eurobonds - N2 million.

Nigeria looks for buyers as China ignores crude …becomes biggest casualty of US shale oil production

By Sebastine Obasi

N

igeria has a lot to do to woo buyers following the decision of China to ignore crude from Nigeria.

This is happening at a time when the country has become the biggest casualty of the rising United States shale oil production.

China is the second largest consumer of crude oil, and when it does not figure at all as one of your regular buyers, you know you have a problem. And Nigerian crude is suffering because of this.

China likes crude oil that is heavy and sweet, as it fits the appetite of its refineries that produce a lot of fuel oil to keep its industrial and manufacturing economy running, according to a data

from the US Energy Information Administration, EIA. The EIA noted that China also has a lot of complex and sophisticated refineries that can still produce middle distillates by distilling heavy crude oil, making the refiners much better margins.

Consequently, China ignores Nigerian crude for now, as their demand for light sweet crude oil is very sparse.

It is high time Nigeria found a way to attract its crude oil to China, it noted.

Crude exports In 2014, about 45 percent of Nigerian crude exports went to Europe, according to the EIA data. But the issue for Nigeria is that it is so dependent on a region where

crude demand is stagnant as a lot of economies are still stumbling and it needs to find demand in countries that are growing, particularly in Asia.

Nigeria’s condition is made worse by the fact that it has become the biggest casualty of rising United States shale oil production Until about seven years ago, the US, which remains the largest oil consumer in the world, used to buy more than 1 million barrels per day of light sweet Nigerian crude oil, which was almost 50 percent of Nigerian oil exports at the time. In 2014, only three percent of Nigerian exports went to the US, according to the same data published by the US EIA. Nigeria lost its biggest buyer, and the reason has

been attributed to the dramatic rise in US shale oil production.

US shale oil is said to be extremely similar in quality to light sweet Nigerian crude oil, and as more and more shale basins were discovered in its own backyard, the US did not need any more oil from Nigeria.

Last year, there were six weeks in a row starting from early July during which the US did not import a single barrel of crude oil. This was the first time that the US had not imported any Nigerian crude oil for such a length of a time, since US EIA started compiling this data almost four decades ago.

The shale revolution has had a profound impact on the makeup of the US import

market, which has, by extension, greatly altered the direction of crude flows both within Europe and to Asia.

And Nigeria has been the biggest casualty of this, it noted.

However, India has the largest buyer of Nigerian crude, which has been one of the positives for the West African country in the last few years. But demand from India for Nigerian crudes is slightly on the wane as its demand for Latin American crudes is growing sharply.

India is also the largest buyer of Venezuelan crudes, and with refineries getting more and more complex in the sub-continent, their demand for light sweet crudes is expected to tail off.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 25

PIB, deregulation, bane of petroleum industry development

By Clara Nwachukwu

T

he Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil, and the oil industry is driven mainly by the price and the volume of oil being produced. But the government of Muhammadu Buhari is coming at a period of downturn for the industry both locally and internationally.

However, there is a lot of uncertainties within the global industry occasioned by the crash in oil prices at the international oil market, and even worse for Nigeria, which is undergoing political transition and also solely dependent on imported goods and services for its economic survival.

Oil, which accounts for over 80 percent of the country’s revenues, also provides the money that the political class wastes away on frivolities, living large and exotic lifestyle at the expense of the masses.

This is why there is so much desperation to get into politics, so as to get a chunk of the oil wealth at every possible level of jurisdiction.

Expectations from Buhari But while petroleum provides the funds and oils the wheels upon which all other sectors of the economy are driven, there is a high level of disintegration in the industry so much that it contributes less than 30 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. For this reason, there are great expectations from the Buhari’s administration to restructure the industry such that it impacts more on the wellbeing of Nigerians.

Although, Buhari had once headed the petroleum ministry in the past, but it is now a different ball game altogether, as a lot of changes have occurred both in the practice and in the industry, which he must appreciate and align with the needs of Nigerians To achieve this, operators, organisations and other stakeholders urge the new government to put in place policies and measures that will bring about changes, while also throwing up opportunities for the industry to thrive even within current uncertainties.

Although operators are feeling the pinch differently depending on which side of the divide one is operating from, but the major issues of concern are: Petroleum Industry Bill The Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB is all about instituting transparency, due process and accountability for the public and common good.

But varied interests including legislators’ selfishness, the international oil companies, IOCs, nepotism and a host of others contributed in frustrating the passage of the PIB, and have kept the bill at the National Assembly for over 12 years.

However, no matter how much it is stalled, all industry stakeholders are unanimous on the need to have a new piece of legislation that will capture

President Muhammadu Buhari current realities to fast track development in the industry for the benefit of all.

The current drive for transparency, due process and accountability in the Nigerian petroleum industry analysts argued derives mainly from the desire of stakeholders that further exploitation of petroleum resources in the country should maximally benefit the overall population rather than a minority.

According to them, “Because transparency, due process and accountability were hardly of priority concerns in the past, large scale corruption thrived, exacerbating poverty and undermining the development process.

“Notably, transparency, due process and accountability have recently emerged as fundamental principles in ensuring that petroleum resources are efficiently managed and utilised to produce the greatest value for the citizens of newly emerging petroleum producing and exporting developing countries.”

Against this backdrop, the Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, Mr. Emeka Ene noted, “The PIB needs to be passed, and the full implementation of the Nigerian Content Act strengthened to such an extent that we continue to grow the industry ’s capacity beyond mere service contracts to manufacturing and fabrication.”

He also warned that “If the situation is not properly handled, all the gains that have been realised over the past years would be lost, and this will impact directly on all the major projects and investments in the country.” engaging the different stakeholders in the industry on how to move the industry and economy forward is essential figure a way out of the industry downturn.

To do this, access to long term capital remains critical with the cost of funds still very high and not in sync with the requirements of the industry.

In his contribution, the Managing

National Assembly Director/Chief Executive of Oilserv Limited, Mr. Emeka Okwuosa, argued that “the incoming government needs to appreciate the fact that the governing law for petroleum exploration and production is outdated, and is not addressing the current challenges. There is a need to have a change - call it PIB or call it whatever you want to call it; it is overdue, and there is indeed a need to look at the best practice in the industry as far as international standards are concerned.”

Downstream deregulation For years, Nigerians have come to accept fuel scarcity as a way of life, especially since the advent of the subsidy regime. Even Mr. President’s inauguration would have been marred, but for the last minute intervention by concerned parties.

But it is high time Nigerians accepted the fact that there is no alternative to downstream deregulation, as the downstream is the mirror for assessing the success of the upstream.

Indeed, it is a national shame that Nigeria, a global top producer of 2.5million barrels daily crude production, with four national refineries, still imports refined petroleum products to meet domestic need of just about 40 million litres daily.

Although, Buhari had once headed the petroleum ministry in the past, but it is now a different ball game altogether, as a lot of changes have occurred both in the practice and in the industry

Those feeding fat on the sporadic fuel .. shortages, the cabals or whatever they are referred to will ensure that the country remained an importer of products. They include the briefcase companies, supposedly involved in the importation, who are mere fronts for other political interests and will do everything to ensure the refineries do not work.

As the President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, Mr. Chikwe Edoziem, told Vanguard , “the refineries will not work because there is subsidy,” adding that now is the time to remove subsidy.

“Instead of exporting all our crude, government should put in place a regulatory framework and infrastructure to add value to the crude by refining to make Nigeria selfsufficient.”

For this reason, the scribe of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, insisted that “There is only one solution to fuel shortages, deregulation. There must be deregulation, as no business man will come into the downstream to refine crude with a capped price.”

He was also quick to note that deregulation does not mean “do as you please,” but only to allow market forces to dictate price, while government puts in place the framework for efficient processes.

Products transportation The transport and logistics subsector is also major concern, as it cuts across the upstream where the oil and gas resources are being produced, and the downstream where the products are made available to end users through various forms.

The world over, the best industry practice is to move products, whether crude or refined through dedicated pipelines or through the rails. But vandalism has ensured that most of these products are not just wasted but also stolen, with attendant huge losses to the country, while the railway system has almost been reduced to nothing.

The fact that every tampering of the pipelines, especially of gas, causes shortages in power generation and poor electricity supply to consumers is a pointer to the damage being caused by the vandals.

But the vandals are not working alone; they are working with road transport owners, who own the petroleum trucks used for products haulage. They are working with importers of fuel and generating sets, who are smiling to the banks with enormous profits. They are also working with security operatives who give them cover and protection to damage the pipelines and steel the products therein for profit sharing.

This is why oil theft has gained global prominence to the extent that there are calls to treat such economic saboteurs like those of the blood diamonds, and the world is waiting to see how Buhari handles these.

Continues on page 27

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

Natural gas to challenge oil’s monopoly as transportation fuel

By Sebastine Obasi

T

ransporters and vehicle owners in Nigeria will soon have a choice of using petrol or gas to power their vehicles, if the IHS report that natural gas will challenge the monopoly of petrol as transportation fuel is anything to go buy.

This means that Nigerians will no longer be held by the jugular, due to the perennial fuel scarcity which has grounded economic activities in the last few months.

According to IHS, a Londonbased business information provider, the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel will displace more than 1.5 million barrels per day of oil demand by 2030.

It explained that a combination of drivers e n v i r o n m e n t a l , technological and commercial, will drive greater adoption of natural gas in transport. The highest level of adoption will be in high-fuel consuming applications such as trucks and ships.

“The fall of oil prices has diminished much of the glow from what was an overly optimistic market opportunity for natural gas in transportation,” said Michael Stoppard, chief strategist for global gas, IHS Energy.

“Nonetheless, the shift to greater use of gas in trucks is set to continue. It is widely accepted that power generation is the primary growth market for natural gas demand, but gas as a fuel offers a new market with potentially more value.”

The study says that worldwide oil consumption in trucks is almost as high as in cars but notes that it is often more economic for truck fleets to switch to alternative fuel sources.

Truck fleets have a relatively quick turnover which could lead to faster adoption of new technology.

IHS further explained that gas demand in trucks will reach 81 billion cubic meters, BCM, by 2030 and be split between liquefied natural gas, LNG and compressed natural gas, CNG,. An additional 17 BCM in LNG demand is expected to come from ships by that same year. LNG demand in the truck and marine sectors is expected to account for 10 percent of all globally traded

JUNE 9, 2015

NNPC evacuates banned substances from refineries

By Michael Eboh

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said it has evacuated 98 per cent of a banned hazardous substance -Tetra Ethyl Lead, TEL, from the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.

The NNPC a statement said the evacuation is in line with the United Nations’ convention and part of its commitment to promoting a green economy.

the Corporation will continue to execute and encourage policies and programmes that enhance health, safety and preservation of the environment

Speaking at a forum on the World Environment Day in Abuja, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, was quoted as saying that the Corporation will continue to execute and

encourage policies and programmes that enhance health, safety and preservation of the environment in alignment with the UN environment policy.

VISIT : From left: Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, welcoming the Deputy President, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, Prince Dapo Adelegan, to the Shell Lagos office.

Dawha, represented by Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemical, Mr. Gregory Udoh, said the NNPC, like other players in the industry will continue to come up with proactive engagements that will reduce consumption of natural resources for a sustainable productive future.

He said the NNPC has made Health, Safety and Environment, HSE, a core component of all its operations and will enhance awareness on environment safety, while also cutting down on gas flaring and oil spill in order to promote a healthy environment that is safe for all.

Similarly, the General Manager, HSE, Mr. Rabiu Suleiman, said the evacuation of the banned substance from Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries was without any incidence.

NPDC’S OML 34 gas rises to 420mmscf/d …to deliver 600m/scf to national grid …doubles oil production

By Sebastine Obasi

T

he oil mining lease, OML 34, acquired by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NDPC, from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, in its 2012 divestment programme, has recorded its highest gas production.

This is as the oil production from the oil block has more than doubled to 22,000 barrels of oil per day, bopd, within the period of time.

Vanguard learnt that production has recently ramped up to 420 million standard cubic feet daily, MSCF/D from its two plants, comprising of 360 MSCF/D and 60MSCF/D for NAG 1 And UGHE plants respectively.

Before the takeover by NPDC, the former operator SPDC was producing an average of 270MMSCF/D and 60MMSCF/D from NAG 1 and UGHE plants respectively.

The asset is predominantly a gas producing field with Utorogu NAG 1 and Ughelli East (UGHE) gas plants as the two running plants prior to the acquisition. Utorogu NAG 1 and UGHE gas plants have an installed capacity of 360 MMSCF/D and 90MMSCF/

D respectively.

According to a document obtained by Vanguard, the record has never been achieved since the field came into existence in the 1970s. It also revealed that plans were underway to further increase production from the two fields with the completion of Utorogu NAG 2 plant with an installed capacity of 150MMSCF/D. NPDC focus is to ramp up, grow and sustain production from the three plants at 450MMSCF/D by the third quarter of 2015. This would make NPDC the second largest gas producer in Nigeria.

It further explained that the NPDC wishes to achieve this feat through the aggressive gas development campaign currently going-on in OML 34.

This involves drilling of gas wells and completing/ commissioning of the 150 MMSCF/D capacity NAG II plant in the short term. The NAG II plant is said to be 96 percent completed as at the 4th of June, 2015. The company’s medium term plan is to deliver about 600 MMSCF/D of gas to the National grid to support the Federal Government’s gas to power aspiration by the end of 2015.

Daily oil production also increased to about 22,000 barrels per day, bopd, as

against 10,032 barrels per day as at takeover from SPDC. As regards OML30, production was said to have been increased to 60,000 bopd, against 20,982 bopd average daily net productions as at the time of takeover from SPDC. Six wells were being drilled in OML30, while another eight are lined up for 2016.

It also noted that OML 40 went from zero production to 3,000bopd after the oil field was taken over, adding that the target was to triple production on the field in the coming months.

For OML 42, the NPDC stated that when it took over, only one flow station was producing while four others and a central processing unit were down. It explained that the study to further develop OML 42 had been completed and submitted to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR. Since taking over from Shell, NPDC said it had carried out community development activities aimed at gaining the cooperation of the host communities for not just the three assets taken over in 2013, but also the two previous assets, whose operatorship it took over in February 2012.

As part of its obligations to

ensure socio-economic development of the host communities, the company in the past one year initiated quick-win projects, as a stopgap for the Implementation of a Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMoU, which is an agreement between NPDC and its host communities.

A total of 94 projects had been identified and agreed with the communities, while 25 of them were completed by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

“The benefits of these partnerships are already being realised.

The Uzere flow station, which had been closed down for two years following a dispute with SPDC, was restarted in the last quarter of 2013. This was made possible following the signing of an Interim MoU on November 19, 2013.

“Based on this interim agreement, the financial benefits accruing to the Uzere cluster have since been paid to the community. The Uzere community is once again enjoying the benefits

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 27

DISCOs, NERC disagree on limits for estimated bill

Continues from page 25

By Chris Ochayi

A

BUJA: The National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, and the Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, are on collision path following the refusal by the DISCOs to comply with plans by the regulator to set limits on estimated billing.

The development unfolds as the DISCOs kicked against plans by NERC to establish Independent System Operator, ISO, as well as putting a ceiling on the amount that unmetered customers in a particular class could be billed by estimation in a particular month.

The disagreement occurred at a public hearing organised by NERC in Abuja, aimed at seeking stakeholders’ views on the issues. But the representatives of the various Discos rejected both proposals, with some arguing that ceiling on estimated billing is not in the interest of operators.

They also argued that the establishment of an ISO is in conflict with Section 65(2) of the Electric Power Sector Reform, EPSR Act 2005, which empowers the Transition Company of Nigeria, TCN, to engage in system operations (including procurement of ancillary services).

The Executive Director, Regulatory and Stakeholder ’s Affairs, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, Mr. Abimbola Aduniyi, argued that NERC should have sought the amendment of the EPSR Act 2005, before contemplating the establishment of the ISO. He added that this would have removed areas of ambiguity or overlapping of functions of the TCN and ISO. “The establishment of an ISO is in conflict with Section 65(2) of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005, which empowers TCN to engage in System Operations (including procurement of Ancillary Services). Furthermore, Section 66(1) also empowers the TCN as the System Operator to administer the wholesale electricity market, including the activity of administering of settlement payments in accordance with the market rule.

“If the Commission is contemplating the proposal to establish an ISO, it will be advisable to first seek to amend the EPSR Act 2005, to remove areas of ambiguity or overlapping in both the functions of TCN and that of the proposed ISO,” he said.

In his remarks, the Assistant General Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Enugu Disco, Mr. Reuben Okoye, argued that the ceiling on the amount of billing will encourage some customers who are currently using pre-paid meters to tamper with their meters.

According to him, “We think that customers who have meter right now, if such a ceiling order is in place he will have a reason to tamper with his pre-paid meter so that he will get the benefit and maybe recoup all the losses that he had been subjected to

PIB, deregulation, bane of petroleum industr vt industryy de devt

WORKSHOP: From Left: Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, Mr. Femi Ajayi, Director, Technical and Vocational Services, LASTVEB, Engr. Laolu Oguntuyi, Executive, IHRDC, Nigeria, Mr. Tim Denver, Executive, IHRDC, USA, Mr. Brad Donahue, MD/CEO, Niger Delta Exploration & Production, Dr. Layi Fatona, at the 20th edition of Vision 2020. over the years.” management structure and how Okoye also pointed out that the should it operate largely in line with estimated billing methodology put the rules and the Act? forward by NERC has not been fully “As a regulator, NERC has not implemented, adding that while concluded on any of these issues put Discos are already implementing this, forward for industry consideration, the creation of another substitute for and so I will encourage us to grapple estimation is unnecessary. with these issues as robustly as we can The Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam offer our views knowing that there will Amadi, defended that the basis for the be other fora for consideration of these ceiling is to protect those who are issues,” he said. being over billed, adding that the ISO NERC urged Discos to come up with is provided for in the EPSR Act 2005, a reason near scientific methodology and that that the Commission does not have a preconceived position on the issues.

NERC should have According to him, the consultative sought the stakeholders’ meeting is organised to amendment of the allow the industry to determine whether it is appropriate at this time EPSR Act 2005, to establish the ISO, and also to put a before cap on the estimated billing system.

“The ISO is provided for in the EPSR contemplating the Act 2005, and it is now left for the establishment of industry to determine whether it is appropriate at this time. What will be the ISO. the model, what nature will it take, who should own it, what should be the

Gas development In the past, finding gas in the process of oil exploration was a curse, as there was hardly any need for it.

But times have changed and gas is now big business globally.

But as big as it is, there is no concerted effort to explore for gas in Nigeria, and all of the country’s 187 trillion cubic feet of gas reserve are associated gas.

With the fall in oil prices, operators argue that now is the time to refocus on gas development and monetisation to reduce the shocks and effects of the oil price falls on the nation’s revenue and budget implementation.

As the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Frontier Oil Limited, Mr. Dada Thomas, put it, “Gas has done very well for power, agriculture, chemicals and the manufacturing sectors … but government should step up its game on policy in terms of pricing and putting in place long term plans for gas development.”

As a result, he insisted that the new government needs positive continuity of the gas transformation, as an enabler for economic development and ending of gas flaring.

To this end, the Nigerian Gas Associated, NGA, has expressed willingness to work with the Buhari administration “to improve domestic gas utilisation, and to leverage on the increased focus on the collective growth and development of the gas industry.”

NGA President, Mr. Bolaji Shosanya, said the association intends to do this “By appropriately framing and driving the government’s gas policies and focusing investors’ interest on key areas. We will harness our vast natural gas resources as the fundamental driver for Nigeria’s industrialisation.”

Nigerian fuel marketers say they are working to ease shortages …As petrol stations sell above pump price

T

By Sebastine Obasi

HERE are indications that fuel marketers, may have agreed to distribute fuel brought in by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, after talking with the new administration last weekend.

This is as many petrol stations in Lagos still sell above the official pump price of N87, as other cities are still suffering from shortages despite the end of a fuel distribution strike.

After the negotiation last weekend, fuel is expected to become available not just at NNPC retail stations but those owned by major and independent marketers to reduce the queues of double-parked cars.

Nigeria now depends wholly on swapping its crude for fuel imports, Obafemi Olawore, Executive Secretary for Major Marketers

Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) said, as those waiting for subsidy payments are unable to secure commercial loans to bring in fresh supplies.”At the moment we are unable to import because we don’t have the support from the banks,” Olawore told Reuters.

Olawore said MOMAN had contact with President Muhammadu Buhari’s new government and was optimistic that payments of around 291 billion naira (nearly $1.5 billion) promised in writing by the outgoing administration will be honoured.

A spokesman for the presidency said he could not immediately comment. Suppliers, dependent on subsidies, refused to distribute fuel for several weeks in May, over fears that if they were not paid under the old government that the cashstrapped new one would not be able

to foot the bill and would scrutinize the costly subsidy payments that were the source of a $6.8 billion fraud scandal in 2012.

Electricity output was nearly halved and private generators that produce most of the electricity for the nation’s 170 million inhabitants ran out of diesel, days before Buhari’s inauguration as the new president on May 29. Nigeria must import nearly all of the 40 million litres per day of gasoline it consumes as its refineries have been either halted or operating well below 50 percent capacity since last year.

Meanwhile most petrol stations along the ever-busy Oshodi – Apapa expressway still sell fuel at between N100 and N120. The same scenario is applicable to the petrol stations on the Mile 2 – Badagry expressway.

28 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Experts list obstacles to provision of mass housing •Advocate use of unconventional methods

• A mass housing estate... becoming a tall dream to actualise

•Alhaji Murtala Aliyu,

By Jude Njoku & Kingsley Adegboye

N

igeria is said to have a

deficit of about 17 million housing units.

Although this staggering figure has been disputed by officials of the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and some prominent industry stakeholders, what cannot be controverted is the fact that most of the deficit are in the low -income category. What measures should be adopted to cater for the housing needs of this vulnerable segment of the society?

Real estate experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property on this touchy issue canvassed the use of unconventional approaches if the dream of social housing would be actualised in the country.

•Kunle Awobodu, President, BCPG

•Hakeem Ogunniran, MD, UPDC

Affordable housing not feasible he Managing Director of UACN Property Development Company, UPDC PLC, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran described affordable housing as a very touchy issue in Nigeria but regretted that the existing scenario does not support its provision by private estate developers. He enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governors to focus on the provision of primary infrastructure.

“We need to focus on infrastructure, especially primary infrastructure. It is the responsibility of the government to provide infrastructure. If you look at this estate (James Pinnock Estate, Lekki), the access road through which we came here was jointly constructed by our company and another developer. Today,

every developer is like a local government, on its own. You do your primary infrastructure, you do secondary infrastructure, you do your road, you do your power, your sewage and water treatment.

But the more the government takes on its own responsibility of providing primary infrastructure, the benefit will come to the consumers because that will lead to reduced cost of construction and the benefits are automatically passed on to the consumers,” he said.

On whether UPDC will embark upon the development of affordable houses, Ogunniran said, ”It is difficult to answer that question. Our houses are in four categories – luxury, premium, classic and comfort homes. We have also done things at the lower end of the market; we have not done affordable housing.

That’s a very touchy subject in

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•Segun Ajanlekoko, President CASLE• this country. In the future, we are going to do estates in that category as we have done in the past”.

Jettison conventional housing provision methods or the President of the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy, CASLE, Mr. Joseph Olusegun Ajanlekoko, the problem with housing in Nigeria is land availability, funding and design. “If government can tackle infrastructure which is key towards having a decent housing, then the private sector can take over building houses for the people. The social housing which you are talking about, is a government responsibility and government can have access to funds if there is a very articulate policy targeted towards providing houses for the masses. For me, the government has to decide

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to come into partnerships under PPP programmmes. The private sector is more credible as far as funding is concerned.

If the new government can provide the enabling environment, provide the needed infrastructure, I think that funds for housing can easily come in,” he said.

Continuing, the former President of both the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN and Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS said, “ There will be two tiers of funding, the first is for affordable housing and that is why I said design has to come in. We have been living in a fool’s paradise; these kind of buildings that we have here can warehouses at least three housing units effortlessly and they will have all amenities that we need. Seriously, the appetite of Nigerians for big things must be curtailed. We must use unconventional approach to fast track housing.

In America, most of the houses are done on fast track housing; they use unconventional systems. This brick and mortar will not take us far. It is still because we have this mindset of building big, using the conventional building approach, that is the bane of this country. You cannot use expensive funds to build houses, it is not possible. It is a fundamental problem that must be solved by the government.

This again goes hand in hand with land reformation. If you have access to land and have title documents to land, I tell you, you can get funds with it.

Government must provide the enabling environment for housing; they must take care of social housing; they must create the necessary infrastructure so that the private sector can come in to do mass housing. There must also be access to land and land titles and we must curtail our unsearchable appetite for dream housing. We must do basic functional housing, cost effective so that many people can afford it and then whoever wants to go beyond that bracket, can do his own.”

Encourage producers of local building materials n his own submission, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu called on the government to encourage the development of local raw materials in addition to giving incentives to genuine property developers.

“The truth is that there is no Continues on page 29

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 29

A luxury building in VGC. Inset. Mr. Yaakov Chai … Pioneered developments in the Lekki axis

Killing the dream of Lekki’s founding fathers zExperts canvass implementation of corridor’s master plan

By Jude Njoku

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HE Lekki -Epe corridor in Lagos is unarguably, the fastest growing construction corridor in the Nigeria today.

Almost all property investors, affluent Nigerians and those in the middle income bracket, want to build or own properties in this highbrow corridor. The once dreaded swampy neighbourhood became the toast of property investors following the visionary leadership of Mr. Yaakov Chai who presided over Messrs HFP Engineering Limited, the company that developed Victoria Garden City, VGC, the flagship luxury estate along the corridor.

HFP Engineering was one of the 16 private property developers given parcels of swampy land by the Lagos State government in 1992 to build housing estates in the corridor.

While other developers were overwhelmed by the enormity of challenges they faced and backed out of the deal, HFP Engineering led by Mr. Chai (who reportedly passed on in his Israeli home recently), refused to give up. Their doggedness gave birth to the development of VGC Chai is undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of modern developments along the expensive corridor. Apart from the development of VGC, he also superintended over the building of Mayfair Gardens, Victoria Court Cemetery and Ikota Shopping Complex, all located in the axis. Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi was also built by HFP Engineering under Chai’s watch for the Lagos state Development and Property

Corporation, LSDPC. The success of VGC opened the floodgates for hitherto lethargic investors who now see the area as a haven for real estate investments. The number of estates and new towns springing up in that neighbourhood have already stretched the infrastructures available beyond limits.

Vanguard Homes & Property checks showed that although the cost of land in the area is hitting the rooftops, the existing infrastructure is nothing to write home about. Apart from the Lekki-Epe toll road, other roads in the area are usually impassable in the dry season, not to talk of now that the rainy season has set in.

Consequences of unguided developments Built environment experts who paid glowing tribute to the visionary developer, called for the provision of first class infrastructure to take increasing number of migrants to the neighbourhood. They warned that the upward swing in

construction activities in the area, may lead to an environmental catastrophe if urgent steps are not taken to stem or mitigate the effects of the increase in developments.

The President of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, ATPCON, Mr Moses Ogunleye described the major challenge facing the corridor as flooding.

He noted that apart from the Lekki-Epe toll road which has drainage channels, other inner roads in the neighbourhood are usually flooded at the slightest showers because of the absence of drainage channels.

“Infrastructure (drainage channel) is the biggest challenge facing the corridor.

Even those who live in Lekki Phase 1 know that it is a potential disaster area because of the big challenge of storm water control ,” the former Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Town planners, NITP, said.

He noted that people who live in many parts of the Lekki corridor, get trapped for days

each time it rained, because it takes the flood water about three days to recede.

Ogunleye whose firm, Beachland organises the annual Lagos Housing Fair, explained that it would be difficult to control the flooding in the neighbourhood because most of the estates in the area are not linked to each other. They are mini-towns or mini-communities which will make flood control difficult, he said.

Implement Lekki’s land use master plan The settlement expert was however quick to point out that the land use master plan for the Lekki which envisages the Lekki Peninsula as a “Blue-Green” Environment City in Lagos, if implemented, would take care of the problem. The master plan which was prepared by Messrs Dar al Handersah, Shair and Partners, according to the Beachland boss, made provision for flood control in the highbrow axis.

Mr Ogunleye posited that there is no cause for alarm about the durability of houses in the area. He hinged his optimism on the fact that most property owners in the corridor belong to the high income bracket, hence they ensured that they built solid houses that will withstand any adverse weather conditions.

“The building strength is not a problem at all because only wealthy people build in that axis. They usually make use of engineers who advise them to do special foundations like raft or pile foundations,” he said.

He called on the Government to expedite action on the construction of the proposed coastal road in the area.

Lack of infrastructure worrisome Ogunleye’s views were corroborated by the Chairman of the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Pastor Stephen Jagun. According to him, Lekki is fast turning into a slum, a time bomb waiting to explode. He enjoined the government to take proactive steps to provide infrastructure in the corridor.

FCTA defies court, demolishes N85m property

By Henry Umoru

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N spite of a case pending in court, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA through its Development Control, last week, pulled down a structure owned by a a nongovernmental organisation, Sustainable Health Initiative, SHI. The property which is worth N85million was located at Katampe District near Abuja City Centre.

Staff of the FCT Development Control accompanied by military officers and policemen, allegedly demolished the ongoing structure sited at Plot 34, Cadastral Zone B07 of Katampe

District, while the matter was still pending in court.

The structure being developed as the NGO’s storage centre to preserve vaccines and medications that are supplied and distributed by the Ministry of Health.

The suit was ongoing at an FCT High Court presided over by Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf when the demolition took place. In the suit registered as CV/120/14 and filed on their behalf by Deji Soremi, the agency claimed that it has a statutory right of occupancy on the property documented as MISC 82549 dated May 10, 2007.

Experts list obstacles to provision of mass housing Continues from page 28 way government alone can supply housing. Government may continue to intervene, but not in a fundamental way. By promoting serious property investors, I think we should be able to address the housing gap in the country. There are stories that we have about 17 million housing deficit, I think that what is important is to take care of the supply end. The demand will always be there, even in developed countries, there are demands. So, once we are able to attend to the supply end, encourage people that are developing estates at affordable rates, encourage the development of local building/ construction materials and also giving incentives like concessions or whatever to these housing developers, I think we can get out of this housing problems,” he said.

Continuing, Aliyu said: “Apart from blocks, and to some extent, roofs, we import most of our things for low-cost housing. I know that there is an initiative by the government to develop capacity but there must be a deliberate programme to support producers of construction materials locally, That’s the only way we can have low-cost housing. Government can provide the appropriate or enabling environment for housing development. Government should give incentives to the producers of local building materials and also make it easy for developers to acquire land for housing estates.”

Non-effective mortgage system he President of Building Collapse Prevention Guild, BCPG, Mr Kunle Awobodu listed the problems hampering housing provision to include high cost of land and building materials and lack of manpower in the building industry. Others include lack of social housing programmes, non-effective mortgage system and stagnation of the economy.

He decried the rising cost of land and building materials in the country “Another problem is the dearth of skilled and competent artisans in the building sector. Skilled and competent artisans come from the neighbouring West African countries such as Togo, Benin Republic and others to do jobs like tiling and POP in Nigeria. Nigerian youths are not ready for such jobs, they are only interested in what will bring immediate money for them,” he lamented.

The former NIOB chairman also decried the lack of an effective mortgage system in Nigeria.

According to him, the cost of borrowing money from commercial banks to construct houses is so high that by the time the houses are completed, they become unaffordable

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30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

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Classrooms collapse, rats take over hospital in A-Ibom community PAGES 3

Gov Ayade disbands C-River anti-deforestation task force PAGE 6

VOL. 1: NO. 551 1

TUESD AY, JUNE 9, 20 15 TUESDA 201

•Front view of the dog meat restaurant

•The restaurant burnt down my angry youths

R I V E R S D E A D LY G I N :

•Mr. Jerry, just before he died

Shocking truth of how 38 illicit gin drinkers died

By DAVIES IHEAMNACHOR WOJI—HAIR-RAISING particulars of how at least 38 residents of Woji and other communities in Obio/Akpo, Bonny and Gokhana Local Government Areas, Rivers State, breathe their last breath, 24-72 hours after drinking suspected toxic locally brewed gin, popularly known as Kai Kai at a dog meat joint have emerged.

Proprietor of dog meat joint, Mr. Friday Dickson, purported to have laced the delicacy with killerseasoning, hotly denied the allegation. He spoke to Niger Delta Voice at the Woji Police Divisional Headquarters, where he is under custody.

Irate youths razed his restaurant, but Dickson, who has been in the business for over a decade, recalled that a man called Chikobi and Chiefo brought the local gin to his restaurant that Sunday allegedly to celebrate his new chieftaincy title. Curiously, the celebrant did not drink the gin he brought. The wife of one of the victims corroborated Dickson’s story.

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The mysterious Chikobi, said to be a Yoruba man from Ogun state, is on the run after the episode but Dickson said he could recognize him if he sees him.

There is also a puzzle on how the killergin got to Bonny and Gokhana local governments. Chikobi came to Woji but there is no information on who took the gin to aforementioned two local governments. Except he left Woji for the Bonny and Gokhana after the “celebration of death” or they were other merchants of death.

Investigation by Niger Delta Voice revealed that many of the victims expired wrestling with death, vomiting and complaining of abdominal pain.

Some lost their vision, cried of chest and waist pains.

Jarry fought death Niger Delta Voice witnessed the death of a victim, Mr. Jarry, who passed away inside a tricycle that was conveying him home. The poison apparently reacted at the point, as he started struggling with unseen forces at the back seat of the Keke NAPEP. The panic-stricken tricycle driver took to his heels. Our reporter saw him go

to meet his Maker.

I remembered that on Sunday, somebody called my husband while we were in the church and he left me in the church to honour the call

Akpan left church to dine with the devil he death of Engr Joseph T Akpan is pathetic. He left a Church service on the ill-fated Sunday against the counsel of his wife and a church member to partake in the drink at the dog meat joint. Moreover, after the drinking spree, he refused to confess to his apprehensive wife, a nurse, for possible medical assistance.

His bereaved wife, Mrs. Pauline Apkan, “On Monday, I was called that a man is dying within Mini-Woji and that the person drank kai kai. When I got there, I told the people to take him to the hospital that I cannot handle such case and my husband was having pity for the man the way he was shouting and rolling on the floor. Later the man died.

“I remembered that on Sunday, somebody called my husband while we were in the church and he left me in the church to honour the call. A man close to him in the church asked him to wait until after service then he can go and answer the call, but he refused. Maybe

they told him they want to start.

“Earlier on Friday, he told me that there is a man they gave chieftaincy title in his community and he is coming to that restaurant to celebrate it. I told him that he should not go that I do not like him going to that restaurant often, but he started shouting at me, that is it because he told me? I said the man may poison him, he said do I think the man will bring poison to all the people there,” Mrs. Akpan asserted.

Her words: “So when the issue of that his friend, Fabian, that just died and other three people came up and all relating to the people that went to the bar, I asked him to tell me the truth if he went to that bar to drink, but he denied and said he only went there to charge his phone.”

Too late, he died in my hands -Wife She continued, “Later, one man came and told me to look for an antidote for my husband that he met my husband drinking at that restaurant on Sunday. On Tuesday morning, he woke up saying that he cannot see again. I said but it is daybreak, he continued shouting that he cannot Continues on Page 7

2 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

By DAVIES IHEAMNACHOR

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UMUOKANI- THE people of Rumuokani, Ogbakiri community, have denied an allegation by Mr. Mbadiwe Onuekwa of Emohua community, both in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, that their youths purportedly murdered Progress Onuekwa, a commercial motorcyclist- son of the latter over last month’s assassination of their kinsman and former security guard at the Emohua council, the late Mr. Daniel Odike.

The community described the claim

by Mr. Onuekwa as a subterfuge to make the Emohua council renege on its promise to undertake the burial of late Odike, a father of 12 children and other responsibilities to his family and demanded an unreserved apology from him and Emohua community.

Mr. Onuekwa in an interview with Niger Delta Voice last week maintained that Rumuokani youths killed his son when he carried passengers to the community in retaliation of the death of Odike.

Smokescreen pokesperson for Rumuokani community, Chief Emma Ngele, told Niger Delta Voice, weekend, “Our son, Daniel Odike, was murdered by the Emohua people at the Emohua Local Government Area secretariat while on night duty. His corpse was also found at the council premises and the matter was reported to HRM, Eze Vincent Okor, Nyewe Eli Emohua.

“The youths and Council of Ogbakiri Traditional Rulers then sent a message to Nyewe Eli Emohua concerning the death of our son, Odike, in their community. Emohua council secretariat is located in Emohua and they killed the man there. We also registered the matter at the Police Divisional Headquarters, Rumuji.

“Eze Okor has also sent his chiefs to the paramount ruler of Ogbakiri clan over the death of Daniel Odike and they agreed they will look into the matter. The chiefs have not come again until our Highness travelled to Abuja.

On his return, the next thing we heard was rumours that their son came to Ogbakiri with passengers and that the Rumuokani people killed the boy,” he said.

Chief Ngele said, “This news did not go down well with the chiefs, elders and youths of Rumuokani because there has never been a time such thing happened. Such rumour is unfounded and untrue. We demand apology from the Emohua people.”

He asserted, “The allegation is just a ploy to make the local government council not to fulfill its promises to the family of Odike as well not to take part in the burial. We are now like millipede, Emohua people stepped on us, yet they are complaining.”

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•Chiefs and Elders of Rumuokani... refute the allegation against them by Onuekwa

ALLEGED KILLING OF PROGRESS ONUEKWA:

Rumuokani chiefs, youths demand apology from Emohua community *My son was murdered; I want his remains — Bereaved father

RIVERS… THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION “It is a lie against us and we call on Onuekwa to come and apologize to the people of Rumuokani and Ogbakiri on the allegation or we will in due time take up Ikwere traditional measures against him to prove that what he is saying is wrong.

“If what they are saying is true, then they should give the names of the passengers their son took to Ogbakiri.

Since they claimed Ogbakiri killed their son, they should have evidence of their claim; they should tell us how and where he was killed.

“If truly their son is dead as they are alleging, such report should come officially to the ruler and leaders of the community. Until we read the allegation against us, Rumuokani Council of Chiefs is not aware of this issue. No Emohua man has come to lodge official complain to us on this,” he said.

The community leader explained: “We have called our youths and they all gathered in our town hall and the council of chiefs passed a traditional oath on them and they told the council that nothing like that happened in Rumuokani community.

This is the reason why the council of chiefs is bold to say that our youths did not kill

any Emohua son.”

Remains found! ccording to him, “A crime of such magnitude cannot be hidden under the sun. If such thing has happened, you must hear it, either through the women or the children. We heard through rumour that the boy’s corpse has been discovered at Ahian Nkwo Rumuche, we do not know how correct that would be, we only heard.

“Anybody who is saying that the boy was killed in Rumuokani should prove it so that the security agencies can know how to investigate the matter. You do not just accuse a whole community to cover up what you have done to Rumuokani people,” he said.

“Instead of Emohua people to come and plead with us on what they have done to us,

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Anybody who is saying that the boy was killed in Rumuokani should prove it so that the security agencies can know how to investigate the matter.

they are putting up a cover to deceive people. We are happy that of Daniel’s case is on record with the police.

Rumoukani, Emohua living cordiallyMonarch aramount ruler of Rumuokani community, HRH, Eze Michael Bisiokani, said his community has never had any communal problem with the Emohua people, adding, “We are in good term with them.”

Bisiokani said, “They murdered our son when we did not do them anything, I am very surprised at that. At the time when we are thinking on how the local government will help us to bury our son, the next thing we heard was the accusation that our people have killed and buried an Okada rider who brought passengers to our community. It is just a cover up.”

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Family threatens legal action he youth leader of Odike family, Mr Chinedu Odike, said the family was not happy that a lie of such magnitude is levelled on them.

He said that there was no time the people of Rumuokani decided to revenge their brother’s killing, as vengeance belongs to God. The youth leader called on the Onuekwa family to come to Rumuokani community and tender unreserved apology to

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the youths on what he termed defamation of character. He said if they fail to apologize, the family would take a legal action against him.

Responding to the outburst

by Rumoukani people, Mr. Onuekwa described the claim that no formal report was made to Ogbakiri people as standing the truth on the head.

He said he personally went to Rumuokani to make official complain to the community on the issue and information available to him that his son had been killed.

Mr. Onuekwa stated that he had not seen the remains of his son as alleged by Rumuokani chiefs, pleading that if they (Rumuokani chiefs) know the whereabouts of his son, they should please notify him.

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

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 3

Classrooms collapse, rats take over hospital in A-Ibom community AKWA IBOM...

LAND OF PROMISE

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By CHIOMA ONUEGBU

KPA UTONG—THE walls and roofs of classrooms of Saint Peter ’s Roman Catholic Mission, RCM, Primary School, Akpa-Utong, Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State have caved-in, while the community’s hospital has been invaded by rats.

Disgusted citizens, who ply the Uyo-Eket road, where the school is located, are aghast at the criteria the immediate past administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio, which paraded intimidating record of uncommon transformation, employed in determining and executing projects.

Mostly affected are classrooms of pupils in primary one to three and the headmaster’s office.

Niger Delta Voice observed during a visit to the school, last week, the entire structure was dilapidated.

The deplorable condition of the school has no doubt affected the population, as one could easily count the number of pupils, apart from the group referred to as Early Child Class, ECC, comprising children of kindergarten age, about 30 in number.

Govt insensitivity female teacher, who spoke on ground of anonymity, disclosed that the condition of the school has been like that for the past two years and accused government of insensitivity to the welfare of the pupils and staff of the school.

She explained that on three different occasions, officials have visited the school claiming that government sent them to inspect the school and yet, nothing happened.

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Pupils stay at home whenever it rains “Now that we are in rainy season when rain falls, you will not see any pupils in school that day. You can see things for yourself, the buildings are gone, and some reporters have come before now to see the school and they even reported it, but to no avail. It is that bad that when indigenes of this community are posted to teach in this school they refuse to come,” she said.

Call it Akpabio politicsIndigene youth and a motorcyclist, simply identified as Umoh , said, “Our people believe that the past

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• Mt. Carmel Hospital deserted

Primary 1-3 classroom, St. Peter RCM primary school, Akpa Utong

•Headmaster’s office St. Peter RCM primary School Akpa Utong administration deliberately abandoned the school because this community did not vote for Godswill Akpabio during his time. Anybody telling you that the contract was awarded and somebody ate the money, is not telling you the truth.”

Akpabio is someone that if he wants to do something, he will do it, the school is along major road where everybody can see, so if it was actually awarded, he would have asked why the school was still like this. It is politics, we know and it is bad,” he added.

We appeal to Gov Emmanuel Udom – Monarch he village head-elect, Obong Clement Ekpenyong, said because government is a continuum, he believes the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel would continue with communities in the area that the immediate past administration was unable to touch.

He said, “Godswill Akpabio did very well. We all have our flaws, but I will say let the new governor be conscious of his own administration; let him chart his own course. As another government that has come in, we have expectations that Udom Emmanuel will give attention to this area, we have great expectation that he will do us some favour without following past prejudices.

“In this our own community, we are yet to experience transformation in infrastructure.

The school you have gone to see is bad. We sent letters to the state government, to local government; four letters addressed to government, and we even took pictures of the school. May be they had a lot to do, and they could not do all the schools at the same time.

“There was even a time that kidnappers had attacked the school. There is no perimeter

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•Childrens ward in Mt Carmel hospital deserted

•Primary 3 pupils of St. Peter’s RCM Primary School Akpa Utong Ibesikpo Asutan LGA. fence, no gate to block the children from crossing the road, may be trying to catch a ball when they are playing, it is very dangerous, it is risky,” he said.

Hospital, an eyesore kpenyong said, “Also we have a hospital which at the same time is an eyesore. It was one of the most highly rated hospitals in the state then, but go there now, you will see how people planted cassava everywhere. A hospital should be a place that is supposed to be spectacularly clean.

“There are so many buildings in that hospital, the wards and

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proposed theatre have been abandoned for the rats, and the whole place is overtaken by weeds.

“It is quite unfortunate. You look at the school, look at the hospital, the school is gone, and the hospital is collapsing. We are left with only the Churches and may be the churches will help us to pray that one day God will remember us,” he said.

I t ’ s a c t u a l l y embarrassingCouncil chair ontacted the local government chair, Ekpe James said, “I know the school

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you are talking about. It is an eyesore. However, it is under the state government interministerial arrangement. The immediate past administration awarded contract for renovation of the school.

“Between 20 and 25 primary and secondary schools are to be renovated in this local government, which I know.

May be because of the financial crisis in the country, they were not executed.

“The local government equally could have intervened but for the heat of financial crunch that affected revenue allocation last six months. The Mt. Carmel hospital you talked about, also in Akpa Utong, is an ancient hospital and it needs total renovation.

Govt doing something about it “Let us just believe that the new government will do something about it. And I will check to find out if it is on the inter-ministerial budget for 2015 because there are so many hospitals in the state, including some in Ibesikpo that have been earmarked for renovation for 2015,” he added.

We’re the least developed, community tells Okowa

DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

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ARRI— IGOBA, a riverside community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West local Government Area, Delta State, is the least urbanized in the kingdom and urged the new governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to change its gloomy story.

The community in a statement by its leader, Chief

Wellington Bobo, congratulating Senator Okowa and his deputy, Barr Kingsley Otuaro, said there was nothing to talk about in terms of education, infrastructure, social amenities and empowerment in Igoba.

Bobo, therefore, urges the state government to consider the community in the scheme of things in the new dispensation, assuring the governor and his deputy of the unalloyed support of the people to consolidate the gains

of democracy.

Expressing confidence in the ability of Governor Okowa to develop Igoba, he said, “We call on him to tackle developmental and economic challenges in the state, particularly in the riverine communities.

“Deltans, irrespective of party affiliations are waiting for the fulfillment of your campaign promises of prosperity and equal opportunity for all Deltans and we want your administration to finish meritoriously,” he said.

4 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

By GABRIEL EWEPU

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SSIAMA—GIVEN its frightening origin, the people of Ossiama, Oboro clan and environs in Sagbama Local Government, Bayelsa State, would have had nothing to do with the ancient Adiegbe Fishing Lake in the community, but rather than disentangle them, the mysterious occurrences of five centuries ago tied their destiny to the deep.

An Ossiama community leader, Pa Nathan Alade, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, is himself baffled about the mystery, but said it is the chronicle given them by their ancestors.

By the end of this month (June), the people will roll out the drums to celebrate Adiegbe festival.

Pa Alade said: “According to the explanation and stories told by our great grandfathers, there was a married woman in the family of Akodi simply called Sumuh, who went on a particular day to a forest known as Adiegbe to get some food for her seven children.”

Shallow water under a tree with fishes “In the process of gathering what she could take home, she discovered beneath a tree many species of fish swimming in

ADIEGBE:

and before they could realize, it was danger around them ,as the spot they were catching the fishes was eroding in quick succsessions.”

Bayelsa’s strange 500-year-old fishing lake

•Adiegbe Lake shallow water, and was confused on what to do to catch the fishes. She decided to go home and call her seven children to accompany her back to the spot she discovered the

fishes.

“The next day, she and the seven children went to the bottom of the tree, which she saw the migrating fishes. On reaching there, they did not

hesitate to catch the fishes,” he said.

His words: “In the excitement of a great catch by the family of eight, but suddenly, they heard vibration

7 children killed in one day e added, “As the place they were standing started boiling and rumbling, they ran towards different directions to escape to safety.

Their mother, Sumuh could not take any of her seven children to safety, rather she ran for her own life.”

Pa Alade said the quake continued to chase them and in the end, none of Sumuh’s seven children survived, the mysterious depleting site swallowed the children that went for fishing expedition with their mother.

However, their mother succeeded in fleeing to a place now known as Apoi Creek, where Esoni and other communities are settled.

Some villagers, who were paddling canoe saw her and took her to Ossiama town, where she narrated what tragedy befell her seven children. Her story amazed the people.

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Mighty lake hey followed her to Adiegbe forest to confirm her story and saw the Continues on Page 5

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Uncommon honour for Aduba, ex-police commissioner *Joins IBB, Useni, Uwechue in Asaba roll of honour

By FESTUS AHON

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SABA—IN approbation of his first-class performance as Commissioner of Police in Delta State, the Asagba of Asagba, HRM, Prof Chike Edozien, last weekend, conferred the immediate past police chief in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, with a chieftaincy title of Anyanwu Ututu (Morning Star) of Asaba Kingdom.

The Asagba capably supported by his chiefs and subjects also crowned Aduba’s wife, Chizor, as Odoziaku (Repairer of fortune) of Asaba Kingdom.

Ecstasy saturated the atmosphere as the people stormed the palace with various traditional dances to celebrate the Adubas, who stepped grandly into the palace to keep a date with the monarch.

The palace, filled to capacity had top chiefs and prominent indigenes of the ancient Asaba kingdom in attendance.

Conferring the chieftaincy titles on Aduba, currently a retired police commissioner and his heartthrob, the Asagba, apparently full of approval of the former police chief ’s stewardship while in the state, said Aduba is the sixth nonC M Y K

indigene Asaba people were honoring with their revered chieftaincy title.

He asserted that the former commissioner contributed significantly to the development of Asaba, particularly in the area of curbing crime.

He said by his sterling performance, Aduba has entered the good book of the people of Asaba “like Gen Ibrahim Babangida, Jeremiah Useni, Chief Ralph Uwechue and others.”

Chatting with our reporter moments after the conferment, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba blamed the problem of insecurity in the country on the nonchalant attitude of some state governments in Nigeria, noting that the best way to tackle

insecurity was to update the whole country with safety hardware that would meet up with the burning insecurity now.

Aduba said if states like Osun and Ogun could buy new Armoured Personnel Carriers, APCs, “I wonder why some states still indulge in refurbishing APC and buying Pick- Up and Hilux that are totally utility vehicles, unreliable, dead zone and internationally unacceptable for the police.”

He thanked the Asagba and the people of Asaba for honouring him and his wife with the chieftaincy titles in positive reception of his modest contributions while in the state as commissioner of police.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 5

By EMMANUEL UNA

C-River chief, 70, still alive 10 yrs after conducting own burial

WANIKADE—TEN years ago, a 70-year-old man, Chief Ochim Olem, of Wanikade village in North Ukele, 100 kilometres away from Calabar, capital of Cross River State, did the bizarre by conducting his funeral rites, an abomination in the community.

He was 60 years at the time. Olem, popularly known as Ekum, gathered hundreds of villagers, well-wishers and curious visitors from across the community in his compound at Wanezeeta from Saturday, January 7 January 13, 2005, to carry out his interment.

We performed at his burial rites- Okom ocal dance groups, including Akata , Abakpa , Enegbe which paraded several masquerades gyrated “to send the man home to a final rest with his ancestors,” the head of one of the dance troupes, Igbang Okom , recalled, last week.

The chief slaughtered a fattened traditional cow, a number of goats and chickens with mounds of pounded yam served to the teeming guests.

They also drank traditional liquor - palm wine and brukutu supplied by tapers and brewers in large doses to the glee of the ‘late’ man.

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Death dance t the climax of the funeral rites, the chief rose from the mat he laid to dance to a traditional tune played by the Akata musical group to the applause of the crowd that cheered him with the chant of “ubu otom bong, ubu otom bong”, translated “the corpse has danced, the corpse has danced.”

It is the practice for the dance troupes to play a special tune for the corpse to dance to before the final lowering of the departed.

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In the pot boiling are two dogs which I will take to the market today and soon, everything would be bought up ‘I’m strong and healthy’ Olem A decade after the spectacular ceremony, Niger Delta Voice went in search of Olem at Wanikade village. From what we saw, Chief Olem looked in good physical shape at 70. He confirmed it thus: “I am 70 years now and I still feel strong and healthy as I was 60 years ago when I did the burial for myself and death

has not come since then.”

He said though he is yet to die, he does not see any strange images or spirits at night and does not want another burial rite held for him when he dies.

Those who scoffed at me are dead lem added, “I thought that by now, I would have been a forgotten matter but I am still here and many of those who came here to

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mock me for being ‘mad’ are dead and I attended their burial.”

Acknowledged for his dog meat delicacy, he said he still slaughters dogs for delicious pepper soup sold at the local market and people throng to buy and eat, even when sometimes some people mock him as a late man.

“In the pot boiling are two dogs which I will take to the market today and soon, everything would be bought

ADIEGBE: Bayelsa’s strange 500-year-old fishing lake Continues from page 4 unbelievable. The place had turned a mighty lake adjudged the largest in Nigeria and West Africa. There are still traces of the points in the form of little streams, where the seven children of Sumuh perished.

“I can still remember some of the names of the seven children of Sumuh, which are Apele, Opuh, Dimu, Kala, and the little streams are named after them as a memorial. They were children and mainly girls C M Y K

of age seven, who were not married,” he said.

Aladeh asserted the cause of the vibration and quake that resulted to a great lake was traceable to the handiwork of some spirits. He added that following the mysterious occurrence, crocodiles took over the lake and occupied it.

Battle with crocodiles ue to the carnivorous nature of crocodiles, nobody could fish inside the lake and this made Kurubiri

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and Tanyi families of Ossiama to consult some spiritual powers, which they invoked on the crocodiles not to be harmful to humans when fishing, and really, since then the crocodiles have not been harmful to humans up till now.

Money-spinner he 1,000 anglers- capacity lake could generate over N50 million in a period of four months of fishing using canoes and nets due to the depth of the lake.

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“It is not only people from Ossiama who fish in the Adiegbe Lake, but the entire Oboro Kingdom comprises Ossiama, Ekpepoluama, Aweama, and Ogbonuama.

However, due to the largeness of the lake, nobody steps into the water to fish; rather they use nets and canoes to fish.

No go area for non-indigenes “And they all have their own thatch tent accommodation by the lake, where they stay for the period of the fishing, and that

up. It is with the proceeds I take care of myself and my family,” he asserted.

I rejected the plan but he was adamant- Wife is wife, Mama Lihin Olem also narrated to Niger Delta Voice how her husband took everyone in the community by surprise with the burial ceremony, which she opposed, but surrendered when he insisted.

“That day, each of the dance groups played a special song for me and I danced to the admiration of many and they appreciated me by giving me money; it was really interesting,” she said laughing.

She noted that it was common for people to celebrate birthdays, but for one to perform his funeral was unheard of in the community and the clan head warned her husband to abort the plan.

Mrs. Olem observed, “Over the years, my husband has always had a mind of his own and so he went ahead with the ceremony, which caused the clan head to announce that my husband would soon die, but here he is and the man (clan head) had since died”.

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It’s still an abomination new Clan Head espite the unforgettable turn of events, Chief Ogana Ebiale, who succeeded the former clan head, still wondered, last week, why Mrs. Olem and other members of the family allowed their patriarch to “commit such an abomination in our land because what he did has never been heard of in the entire Ukele nation.”

Ebiale was of the opinion that somehow, Ekum would pay for the abomination, adding that he did his burial rites at the age of 60 when some people in the village live up to 100 years.

“Why the haste to die, watch out, he shall soon be gone since he needs death that bad,” he chuckled.

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could be about four months.

People from different parts of the state do come to witness and buy fish, but we do not allow non-indigenes to fish at Adiegbe Lake, but they could have a view of it and also buy fish,” Aladeh stated.

He urged the Bayelsa state government to consider Adiegbe fishing lake as one of the major tourist destinations in the state, saying that would attract more people to visit the place and generate revenue for the state.

“We also need electricity, road and potable drinking water,” he said.

6 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

PODIUM…

He said: “This cartel has been in existence for a long time, they have been doing their dirty deals since 2009. I have lost almost everything as a man. I sold my house and my only truck my children are not even going to school; I am now living on good will from friends.”

He added, “I have left everything in the hands of God, since they collected my money and gave me documents, yet they still came back and seized my wood running into N 14.2 million, how can I ever recover from this?”

By IKE UCHECHUKWU ALABARCROSSC RIVER State Governor, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade, has disbanded the AntiDeforestation Task Force, ATF, of the Cross River State Forestry Commission and directed immediate prosecution of all offenders.

Timber merchants had accused officials of the ATF of sleazy activities during the tenure of the ex- governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, but he did not take action against the task force, which operated as if it was above the law.

The Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barr. Tina Agbor, in a statement, said the governor, who was visibly angry, wants the state’s Forestry Commission and the Task Force “to explain to the people of the state how the forest left in their care was so rapidly depleted.”

In another statement three days after, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Freedom Ejom, said, “Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade has ordered immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the chairman and members of the state Forestry Commission Board and the Anti-Deforestation Task Force.”

My terrible experience- Chief Edem Ayito timber merchant, A Chief Ayito, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice weeks before Ayade disbanded the task force, said life has been a nightmare for him since 7,970 pieces of timber he lawfully harvested from a protected area he acquired at Ekpri Ibami community in Akamkpa local government area were unduly auctioned in bad faith by the task force , last year.

He asserted, “I acquired that place from the village head of Ekpri Ibam community for planting of plantain, cocoa, oil palm and other cash crops but with the trees in the location, my plantain and other things will not do well, I had to fell the trees with proper approval from the Forestry people.”

Seized 7,950 pieces of wood, declared only 2,147 pieces “In the process of perfecting the documents and waiting for a final charting to come from them, they confiscated my 7,950 pieces of timber; I am baffled that they declared only 2,147 in the court order. In addition, while the courts were still on strike, they got an Order to sell 2,147peices of timber,” he said.

Chief Ayito added, “I wrote to C M Y K

•Entrance of Cross River State Forestry Commission

Gov Ayade disbands C-River Anti-Deforestation task force *Orders investigation, prosecution of offenders *Timber merchants lament ordeals in the hands of task force them (Anti Deforestation Task Force) through my lawyer, Barrister Orchardson Umoh, that the wood belongs to me and all necessary documentation is being processed and that I copied the governor too. But to my greatest surprise, within one week, they started selling the wood which is contrary to the Cross River State Forestry, CRSF law.”

He said, “Section 68, Sub section 4 states that the commission may dispose of any items and forest produce, which the owner might have abandoned to escape arrest and it is not found, and remains unclaimed for 60 days,” adding, “They did not even get to Calabar before they started selling the wood.

•Chief Micheal Bassey Ako,Village Head,Ekpri Ibami Community

“Neither did they wait for the 60 days to elapse before selling, not only that, they also got an order while the courts were still on strike,” he further lamented.

His words: “They have turned my life into a living hell, the banks are after me, I am selling off most of my properties at auction price just to meet up with my responsibilities, my family is suffering, my children are almost out of school; I really cannot believe that such a thing is happen-ing in Cross River state.”

Village head confirms Ayito legitimately acquired forest Contacted by our reporter, the village head of Ekpri Ibam, Chief Michael Bassey Ako, confirmed that the land

I had to start from the scratch because of what they took from me, I lost everything to their fraudulent activities with fake receipts, extortion, bribery among other things they did to me

•Chief Ayito Edem Okon, The Victim

acquired by Chief Edem Ayito was not under reserve, but in the protected area, therefore, he had the right to cut the trees and harvest timber.

“Before he even started sawing the woods, Edem went to them to get proper approval and they still turned back to confiscate the timber from him. What they are doing is illegal and it is not right, they are only using the name of government to perpetrate evil,” Chief Ako said.

Dirty deals since 2009- Akpan esides Chief Ayito, another B victim and timber dealer at Akim Timber market, Mr Bassey Akpan, also narrated his ordeal in the hands of the group to Niger Delta Voice.

Task force forced us out of business- Essien Speaking on the matter, the president of Timber Dealers Association, Akim market, Akparawa, David Essien, who commended the Prof Ben Ayade for not only sacking the task force, but also ordering investigation and vowing to prosecute officials found culpable.

“We have been suffocated and exploited in many ways by the task force, take a look at the market, it is almost empty because a lot of us have been forced out of business by ATF,” he said.

Essien asserted, “A lot of my members have died because of what the Anti Deforestation people did during their operation, some lost up to N25 million and we are, indeed, happy that the governor is taking it upon himself to bring sanity to the system.”

They arrest you; sell your timber- Merchants timber dealer at Edibe A Timber Market, Mr Promise Eso told Niger Delta Voice that he lost almost everything to the task force and was happy with the timely action of the governor.

Hear him: “They have been using the task force as their personal business, when they arrest you, they sell the timber without following due process, even if you have the necessary documents they still confiscate your timber illegally and that has been happening since 2009 and they did it with impunity.

Another timber dealer at Akai Effa market, Mr. Victor Bassey, told Niger Delta Voice, “I had to start from the scratch because of what they took from me, I lost everything to their fraudulent activities with fake receipts, extortion, bribery among other things they did to me.”

Also speaking, the welfare chair, Akim Timber Market, Mr. Uwem Edimoh Obot, who commended the governor for taking proactive and drastic measure to sanitize the system, said a lot of fraud has been going on for a very long time in the place and was unchecked.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 7

Shocking truth of how 38 illicit gin drinkers died Continues from page 1 see.

“Soon, he said his waist and chest. That his chest is very hot I called my pastor he said I should pray for him. He started rolling and groaning, then he died in my hands.

“The poison is not from the dog meat, it is that kai kai they drank.

Some people who came here said people who bought only dog meat are not dying that it is only those who drank the kai kai,” she added.

I know nothing about the local gin- Dog meat joint operator wner of the dog meat O restaurant, Mr. Dickson, told Niger Delta Voice: “I have been in this community doing this job and I did not kill anybody. That Sunday, I was inside my restaurant busy with other things I do not know what happened outside.

“I only heard that one man that use to come to my restaurant, he is from Yoruba, brought kai kai for all the people there to drink.

Me I do not know anything about it.”

Asked if he used other special condiments in preparing penultimate Sunday‘s delicacy, Dickson said, “I used all the ingredients that I have been using since my 10 years in Woji. I do not know the man who brought the drink. But I think they use to call him Chikobi and Chiefo, if I see him, I can recognise him but I do not know where he lives.”

Sorrow in Woji oji and other affected communities have been mourning since the incident. Now, all shops that trade on locally made gin in the area have closed down.

The people were still in deep shock when we visited Woji. They were concerned about identifying all those that drank the deadly gin at the dog meat restaurant.

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How death started ommunity Development C Committee, CDC, chair of Woji community, Chief (Dr) Brain Ogbonda, who also doubles as the Secretary, Woji Town Council, said: “On Monday, we received a report that three people have died in the community after consuming dog meat at a dog meat restaurant on Mini-Woji Road. Tuesday, the death toll increased to five, so that Tuesday, the community had Woji Town executive meeting.

“As the CDC chair, I was instructed by the community to follow up the issue. In course of our investigations, we heard three different stories, firstly, that somebody from Ogun state came that he is now a king and the people there crowned him a chief and poured libation that Sunday.

Monday, death started.

“Secondly, we were told that a man came from Ogun state with gin (kai kai) saying that they made C M Y K

•Chief Brain Ogbonda, CDC chairman Woji community

• Pauline, widow of late Engr. Joseph Akpan

him a chief in his state and all of them that were in that restaurant ate dog meat and drank the gin, but that the man himself did not drink.

“Thirdly, that they used the gin in cooking the dog meat and this sounds unbelievable. On Monday when I was at Mini-Woji, I met one of our daughters, Otunahia Chioma. She greeted me, that same Monday night, she started vomiting and then gave up.”

Chief Ogbonda added, “Same Monday, I also saw one Umoh from Akwa Ibom state whose wife is a nurse, he died after awhile. So far, we have recorded 11 deaths.

“Some of the names I have here are Mr. Friday from Akwa Ibom, Miss Otunahia from Woji, Mr. Jackson Adams (popularly known as Scatter), he is a carpenter from Akwa Ibom, Mr. Jerry from Omoku in Rivers state, Umoh from Akwa Ibom and Chief Amadi Odum’s gate man also died.”

the coronation per se, but we want the government to wage into the issue and find out the real cause of the death.

“The gods of our land are not angry that a stranger is crowned a king in our land because the coronation they did was just out of joke. We are a developed people and we do not believe in those fetish things,” he stated.

His words: “We cannot go to juju

Our worries e asserted, “Our fear H now is that we do not know how many persons ate and drank the gin. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Friday Dickson, a member of Man O War is now at Woji Police Divisional Headquarters. We are still trying to identify the man from Ogun state who brought the drink.

Nobody has seen the man, we are still investigating.”

He disclosed, “Mr. Friday Dickson has been in this business of selling dog meat in our place for some years now. Those who eat dog meat in our community patronize him. We are even lucky that most of our youths who eat dog meat did not go there that Sunday.

“One of our daughters was unlucky to be one of the victims.

The relatives of most of the victims have taken their corpses and probably buried them and some of them are in the hospital.

“This is the first time this community is experiencing this kind of ugly situation. We cannot say it is the dog meat, the gin or

10 people died in Woji, Obio/Akpo local government area, 17 persons in Bonny local government area, 11 in Gokhana local government area, totaling 38, clarifying that the deaths were not from the consumption of dog meat.

to find out the cause of the strange deaths because this generation has gone beyond that.

Christianity has taken over; we will only investigate scientifically and come out with the truth.”

Illicit gin smuggled into community he community leader T said, “We suspect that the same gin that killed people in Ondo state was smuggled into our village. Some of the people there have confirmed that those who are dying are those that drank the gin.

That gin should be the cause of this death.”

He added, “And for the man who

•One of the Victims, Late Mr. Joseph Apkan

brought the drink to refuse to take the drink and disappeared till now should show that he imported the dangerous drink into our community. The man is wicked; he does not reside here because we have tried to know whom he is and where he resides.

“He is a visitor to the restaurant and decided to bewitch the community. The owner of the restaurant should tell us more about the man; although it is not every customer that he should know his house.”

Police nonchalant until death escalated imilarly, the secretary of S Woji Youth Association, Mr. Daniel Adolphus, said, “The strange deaths on the streets baffles every one of us. The story we heard is that some people drank local gin on Sunday. The people are Ben, Marshal, Jackson, Fabian, Ojiboy, Chika, Jerry who just died, Otunahia who is from Woji here and Mr. Akpan.

“We as youths, we have tried in our own capacity to see how we can assist them. We have also announced that anyone who visited the restaurant last Sunday should declare himself for help.

There is one funny thing that happened, when the number of death was about three, I called the police to come and assist us, but they said since my relative is not there, I should forget about the matter. However, when the death increased to 11, the police came into the issue.

“When they came, they said they have gone to the scene of the incident that they did not see anybody, I replied them that if they had come earlier, there would have been remedy to the situation. We call on the government to send medical teams to conduct some tests so that we can know what led to this whole thing,” he asserted. …condemns burning of dog meat joint e said, “Some angry H youths from the community have already burnt down the

restaurant, it is condemnable. That is the more reason we needed the police to arrest the situation. Now there is no gin or the dog meat from the restaurant to be used as sample.”

No sample yet for laboratory test he Rivers State Centre for T Disease Control has confirmed the death of 10 persons in Woji area. Director of the department, Obed Rowland Whyte, said one of the victims was female.

“We are advising the general public not to panic but should refrain from drinking locally made gin from unidentified sources pending the determination of the actual cause of the death. The report we are getting is that nine people are now dead, including one female and eight males resulting from the consumption of gin.

“The symptoms presented are similar with that of Ondo state poison, abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of vision. Already we are tracing a victim that is still alive. A sample of the drink will be taken for laboratory test. However, how to get the drink for the test is even a problem because right now, the community youths have burnt down the restaurant.

“If we can get one of the victims who still have clear vision, we can get a lead into what happened. We are doing our best to control the situation,” he said.

Local gin, not dog meat caused deaths irector of Public Health D in the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Nnanna Onyekwere, said preliminary investigation showed locally made gin caused the deaths and not dog meat as being speculated. He said the ministry has taken proactive measures to investigate the cause.

“Initially, they said the people ate dog meat, but further investigations have shown that somebody sold some local drink to them. It is those that took the drink that are having issues, not those, who ate the dog meat. Our health team in conjunction with that of the local government council is already there at Woji going from house to house of those that died to get more information,” he said.

Last Friday, the Rivers State Ministry of Health confirmed the death of 38 persons in relation to the illicit gin in the state. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Somieari Isaac Harry, told reporters that 38 persons have died in relation to the consumption of an illicit gin.

He said 10 people died in Woji, Obio/Akpo local govern-ment area, 17 persons in Bonny local government area, 11 in Gokhana local government area, totaling 38, clarifying that the deaths were not from the consumption of dog meat.

Consequently, Rivers state placed a ban on the selling and drinking of illicit gin in the state.

Dr. Onyekwere explained that the ban was to stop further death, while a task force to check offenders with the assistance of security agencies is already in place.

8—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

AGENDA

By EMMA AMAIZE ASABA- SCRUTINIZING the body language and actions of the new governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa ever since his victory in the April governorship polls and particularly his 11 days in power, it is evident that he does not want to gratuitously be at odds with his friend and predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. However, he is robustly proving to be a man of his own.

DESOPADEC reorganization ne of the last things Uduaghan really wanted done before he left office, May 29, was restructuring of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, for which he sent a bill to the Delta State House of Assembly. However, mixed reactions greeted the bill with leaders of the oil communities divided into two camps.

Okowa did not conceal his stand on the matter, as he indicated soon as he was swornin, May 29, that he would send a fresh bill to restructure the board and management of DESOPADEC in line with the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC model. It was palpable that he was dumping the earlier bill proposed by Uduaghan. Indeed, that was what situation, as the House of Assembly dumped the bill days after by adjourning deliberation on it sine die.

Those, who supported Uduaghan on the bill, are gnashing their teeth, while his opponents are celebrating. What many did not know was that before his inauguration and even when Uduaghan was lobbying for the passage of the bill, Okowa met with a group of the bickering oil communities’ leaders and had made up his mind on what to do before May 29. But, he kept his plans to himself.

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•Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan

•Senator Ifeanyi Okowa

Figuring out Okowa (1)

Immediate suspension of Civil Service flawed recruitment wenty-four hours after taking over the mantle of leadership, he audaciously put on hold the flawed recruitment in the state Civil Service, a more radical step to the suspension of the chair and members of the Civil Service Commission, CSC, by the former administration. To him, it was no time for procrastination.

In a statement signed by the Head of Service, Mr. Patrick Origho, Governor Okowa said, “It is public knowledge that the process was fraught with sharp practices ranging from abuse of office to sale of jobs slots and, therefore, cannot by any stretch of imagination be adjudged credible. No flawed process produces a credible exercise.

“This abysmal handling of the exercise culminated in the suspension of the chairman and members of the Commission and the setting of the Administrative Panel to review the recruitment process,” the statement added.

He appealed to Deltans for support and understanding on the suspension of the exercise assuring that” action will be taken to study the report of the Administrative Panel at the appropriate time with a view to strengthening the Delta State Civil Service Commission and ensuring transparent recruitment

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that the accountant general, who resurfaced after Uduaghan handed over to Okowa must have danced to the music played by a drummer outside the precincts of Government House at that time, and the drummer could not have been anybody than Okowa.

process.”

Friends all the same n May 31, he was at the First Baptist Church, Warri, for the family thanksgiving service by Dr. Uduaghan for successfully governing the state for eight years. Okowa singled out Uduaghan’s dedication of the state to God throughout his tenure as his greatest achievement.

He said Uduaghan’s regular thanksgiving on behalf of the state government and the changing of the state’s slogan to the “Finger of God” had become precedents, which subsequent administrations would emulate.

The governor assured Dr. Uduaghan that he would always consult him in taking certain decisions affecting the state.

Uduaghan also attended similar thanksgiving service organized in Okowa’s honour at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Asaba.

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No eye service t the service, Governor Okowa charged Deltans not to stand up for him while in the church. His words, “Henceforth, when we are in the church, no man should up for me throughout my tenure, if you want to talk to me, don’t kneel down to talk to me, I don’t want the grace upon my life to be taken away.”

Before Okowa’s inauguration, something played out Dr. Uduaghan and the accountantgeneral of the state, Mr. Cyril Agbele, who disappeared six days to the hand over to the new administration. It is suspected

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Accountant general affair kowa has not commented on Agbele’s action, but Uduaghan, who tongue-lashed the accountant general, May 28, a day before he handed over to Okowa, said, his disappearance was in bad faith.

Nevertheless, it is understandable that the evaporation of the accountant general was to prevent the withdrawal of money and payments that would likely make Okowa to start his administration from a wretched financial position. He was surely protecting Okowa’s interest.

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As the name of the Bill clearly implies, the Bill is meant to address the peculiar infrastructural and environmental challenges of the State Capital Territory without prejudice to the functions of the Government House Annex in Warri, or the status of Warri as the commercial nerve centre of Delta State

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On the firing line neasy, says an adage, lie

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the head that wears the crown. Okowa is also beginning to experience the salvos of critics.

One of the bills he sent to the House of Assembly is the Delta State Capital Territory Development Bill, which opponents had slammed him already, accusing him of pursuing an ethnic agenda. In fact, they also accused him of planning to ditch the Government House Annex in Warri, which former governors, Chief James Ibori and Dr. Uduaghan promoted.

The government in a sharp reaction, weekend, said, “The attention of the Delta State Government has been drawn to the rumour making the round particularly in the online media, regarding the promulgation of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Bill which has been approved by the State House of Assembly.

“Specifically, there have been insinuations that the Bill is designed by the new administration of Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to jettison the Government House Annex in Warri. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“As the name of the Bill clearly implies, the Bill is meant to address the peculiar infrastructural and environmental challenges of the State Capital Territory without prejudice to the functions of the Government House Annex in Warri, or the status of Warri as the commercial nerve centre of Delta State.

“His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, implores all Deltans to ignore the rumours which appear to be a calculated attempt by political whore mongers to spread falsehood, engage in cheap blackmail, and cause disaffection in the State. The functions of DSCTDA are clearly spelt out in the Bill establishing it.

“Among other things, the Agency is to formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the State Capital Territory,’ the statement said. (Next week: What moral fibre in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa makes him to outsmart his opponent; is it something in his gene)?

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 33

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34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

The Seventh National Assembly: A reflection potentials. The summit which presented a future and forward-looking master plan for our people also provided a platform for community and traditional rulers, academics, thinkers, businesses, nongovernment organisations, women, youths, the clergy, professionals and our friends to share ideas, shape the economic vision of the constituency, engage and work together for the acceleration of the development of AndoniOpobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency.

By Dakuku Peterside

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HE Seventh National Assembly finally came to a close last Thursday. The legislative journey which began on June 6, 2011, took off on an impressive note. In the House of Representatives where I chaired the Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream, there were high and low moments but the House obviously gave a good account of itself.

Though the jury is not out yet, for a long time to come, the Green Chamber of the Seventh Assembly will be remembered for fighting and defeating leadership imposition and intimidation.

But the House will not only be remembered for courage.

Nigerians will definitely remember its many bills, motions and interventions, even in the face of Executive lawlessness and blackmail.

In many ways, the House of Representatives under the leadership Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a man of tremendous prescience, stood out as the people’s assembly where voices resonated irrespective of class or political affiliation.

Fuel Subsidy

The turning point for the House, however, was the removal of fuel subsidy on the first day of January, 2012. This was another Executive indiscretion that shut down the entire country for nearly two weeks. Apart from the fact that the subsidy removal was ill-timed, being the first day of the year, the Executive apparently did not consult widely before taking the decision.

The House’s intervention which began when it reconvened on Sunday from Christmas break, culminated in the resolution that eventually came after series of negotiations with state governments, trade unions and civil societies, among others.

At other times, the House also demonstrated that it was indeed the voice of the Nigerian people especially when it beamed its searchlight on some critical sectors of the economy. These included but not limited to the petroleum sector (the various probes), including the Malabu Oil scandal, the aviation industry, Police Pension scam and Ministry of Interior where it uncovered inconsistencies, tardiness and corruption.

Unresolved issues

It is, however, regrettable that we could not resolve C M Y K

Bills sponsored and supported

Dr. Dakuku Peterside issues around the missing $20 billion, the Abba Moro Immigration scandal and kerosene subsidy scam even though the Downstream Committee submitted the kerosene report for consideration.

On a personal note, I came to the House with the determination to give a robust representation, first to AndoniOpobo/Nkoro, my constituency, and then to other interests like the environment, education, good governance and issues of human rights, development, gender and Niger Delta, among others.

I feel a sense of pride and fulfilment

I certainly did not achieve all I set out to accomplish within the period, no doubt. But on reflection, I feel a sense of pride and fulfilment because we have raised the bar of representation in my constituency.

Now, a new consciousness exists among our people. I am also happy with my work on the aforementioned legislative interests.

Any fist time visitor to my constituency will obviously appreciate our peculiar terrain. Our towns and communities are far-flung islands that had suffered untold hardship and neglect for many years. So for me, access was an indivisible word throughout my tenure. We engendered in clearly identifiable terms, access to education, quality health care, portable water, employment opportunities and above all, access to a changing world.

This defined my approach to our constituency ’s

multifaceted challenges as a member of the House of Representatives.

For instance, between October 4 and 5, 2012, I convened the First AndoniOpobo/Nkoro Economic Summit which had in attendance the leadership of the House of Representatives led by Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker. Rivers State government was also fully represented by the attendance and input of senior government officials. The summit was inspired by my firm belief that as a people, our potentials are boundless.

It was indeed a robust constituency engagement strategy designed to showcase our investment and economic

I will, therefore, remember this era with fond memories, particularly the life-long friendships, camaraderie and the privilege of serving in an honourable House

My tenure also provided opportunity for me to engage my colleagues and fulfil my election promises which I personally anchored on quality and effective representation.

I was, therefore, determined to be as active as I can in my legislative duties by sponsoring and supporting bills on the floor of the House.

These bills included: 1. A bill to authorise law enforcement agencies to receive e-communication to enhance criminal investigation.

2. A bill to amend the fire arms act so as to increase the penalties for illicit possession, transfer, manufacturing, dealing in and housing of fire arms, small and light weapons.

3. A bill to establish Medical Laboratory Post-Graduate College of Medical Laboratory Science.

4. An act to provide for the establishment of the legal and regulatory framework, institutions and regulatory authorities for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry among other bills I co-sponsored.

Others are my cosponsorship of a motion on the collapse of Dorongo Dam and the urgent need to tackle increasing cases of pipeline vandalism which has led to the death of over 500 persons and loss of over N2 trillion in just one year.

Motions

I wish to also state that I moved motions on the threat of annihilation of some Andoni communities in Rivers State due to accelerated rise in sea level and the need to declare Oil Well 1, Oloibiri, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State a national monument. In addition, I moved a motion against the cancellation of Onne-Eleme Junction/Aba Road Bussection 1 of the reconstruction of the East-West Road contract by the Federal Ministry of

Niger Delta Affairs which has now been revisited.

As chairman of Petroleum Downstream, our committee periodically organised sensitisation workshops to improve capacity. And frequently, we engaged regulators, marketers, operators and all stakeholders in the sector. This is aside our public hearing sessions on the perennial crises of scarcity and corruption that bedevilled refined products which fell under our purview.

Besides, I did not falter in my promise to continually engage and liaise with other government agencies in attracting life changing programmes and projects to my constituency. We did all within our power, not only to improve the living conditions of the generality of our people but also offered hope of a better future.

Outside my core duty in the parliament, and aware of the endless possibilities in the field of education, I encouraged a number of young people in my constituency in their educational pursuits.

I personally provided scholarship awards through Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Economic Zone Development Foundation to some of our youths in universities, both at home and abroad. At the last count, we had over 20 young men and women pursuing different post graduate courses in the United Kingdom under our scholarship.

For good measure, I also personally took our work plan and details of our success story as a constituency beyond our shores. On almost all my foreign trips, both personal and official, I located our people wherever I could find them and enlisted their support in all our programmes. The most remarkable of such encounters was my invitation as co-chair to the 2013 Andoni Forum Convention which held at Hilton Hotel, Rosemont, Chicago, United States from 57 July.

I will, therefore, remember this era with fond memories, particularly the life-long friendships, camaraderie and the privilege of serving in an honourable House. Above all, I am eternally grateful to my people for the rare privilege of representing them.

Dr. Peterside who was the All Progressives Congress APC governorship candidate in the April elections in Rivers State was former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream.

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By Theodore Opara

Mercedes Benz S-Class as segment benchmark A

CCORDING to Mr. Mirko Plath, Managing Director, Weststar Associates Ltd, authorised general distributor of MercedesBenz in Nigeria, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class accounts for more than 75 per cent market share in the high-end luxury vehicle segment in Nigeria.

With its four dealership and wide network across the country, the German auto maker has continued to remain very strong in this segment for many decades with every successful model change, but the current model of SClass has widened the gap between it and its contenders in the highend segment offering world class features, which has endared it to its customers in Nigeria.

The S-Class exploits goes beyond the Nigerian shores. In Germany, Europ3e and America, the S-Class has remain the benchmark in its category.

It is available ordinary version and AMG version with short and long wheelbase.

The S-Class was voted best car in the luxury category; these were the results from the latest reader survey by the specialised automotive publication “auto, motor und sport”. The readers were asked to name the best car of the year, in which the Mercedes-Benz is continuing to earn its place as the reader ’s favourite.

This acknowledgement consolidates the reputation of the S-Class

as a technological trendsetter and the epitome of luxury. The S 500 is the first vehicle worldwide to feature suspension technology that is even able to react in advance to road unevenness. It therefore offers an unprecedented level of ride comfort.The Mercedes-Benz S-Class model has real innovations in the area of comfort, safety, assistance systems and high-value appeal.

Since the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz S-500 via

The S 500 is the first vehicle worldwide to feature suspension technology that is even able to react in advance to road unevenness

Mercedes Benz S-Class

The Cockpit

the Authorised General Distributor of MercedesBenz vehicles in NigeriaWeststar Associates Ltd in 2013, much has been said about it but it cannot be talked about or admired enough. Customers can, no doubt, appreciate its exterior design, which is a union of stylish poise with sporty elegance. The highly-charged feature line, three dimensional radiator grille, and the innovative head and tail lamps with the cutting edge LED technology are all characteristics of the

The rear seat high tech nature of the SClass and help to underline its position as one of the world’s leading Saloons visually as well.

The vehicle is perfect for both relaxing and work.

The interior design of the Saloon fulfils this trailblazing role with its clear architecture which establishes a new vision of a superior, classic yet advanced Saloon. With its harmoniously-matched materials and colour schemes, the exclusivelooking interior presents itself as one beautifully-

moulded whole. The clear craftsmanship and the noble looking finish captivate the eye. One of the first features to catch the eye is the wood trim running all round the interior, in conjunction with the modernistic design; it conveys a feeling of expanse and peace. High-quality controls made from aluminum, together with metallised switch surfaces in pearleffect finishes, are a clear outward sign of Mercedes-Benz quality.

The interior is informed by

a uniquely flowing, sensuously elegant style.

Horizontal elements and lines create a setting characterised by visual breadth and calm solidity.

Living up to its reputation of possessing “Efficient Technology”, the S 500 gives an output of 10KW at 4.4 liters per 100 kilometer, thereby almost halving fuel consumption.

The new S 500 sets benchmarks in the futuristic areas of infotainment and multimedia, too.

Lighter, more economical, faster: The new 911 GT3 R

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ASED on the powerful 911 GT3 RS production sports car, Porsche has designed a new customer racer for GT3 series around the world: The 911 GT3 R. boasting more than 500 hp (368 kW) the new racing 911’s evolution is embodied through lightweight design, enhanced aerodynamics, increased efficiency,

improved handling and further optimised safety, as well as the lowering of service and spare parts costs.

Adapted from its roadgoing sibling but in a race track-formatted model, the 911 GT3 R features the distinctive double-bubble roof, and a wheelbase which has been lengthened by 8.3

centimetres. This ensures a more balanced weight distribution and more predictable handling particularly in fast corners. These important racing attributes are further enhanced through the application of lightweight solutions for the body, add-on parts and suspension, optimizing the car ’s centre of gravity.

The lightweight body design of the 911 GT3 RS production sports car featuring an intelligent aluminium-steel composite, has proven to be the ideal basis for the race car. The roof, front cover and fairing, wheel arches, doors, side and tail sections as well as the rear cover, are made of particularly light carbonfibre composite material (CFRP). All windows – and for the first time even the windscreen – consist of polycarbonate.

Powering the new 911 GT3 R is a cutting-edge four-litre flat-six unit which is largely identical to the high-performance production engine of the road-legal 911 GT3 RS. Direct petrol injection, which operates at pressures up to 200 bar, as well as variable valve timing technology ensure a particularly efficient use of fuel. Moreover, the normally-aspirated engine offers significantly better driveability and a broader usable rev range.

Power from the rear engine is transferred to the 310 mm rear wheels via a Porsche sequential six-speed constant-mesh gearbox. As in the GT road-going models of the 911, the driver changes gears via shift paddles conveniently positioned on the steering wheel.

The aerodynamics of the 911 GT3 R also follow the example of the road

car. The distinctive wheel arch air vents on the front fairings increase downforce at the front axle. Measuring two metres in width by 40-centimetres in depth, the rear wing lends aerodynamic balance.

From its 911 RSR big brother, the GT3 R has adopted the concept of the centrally-positioned radiator. By eliminating the side radiators, the position of the centre of gravity has been improved, the radiator is better protected against collision damage and the venting of hot air through louvers in the front cover is also greatly improved.

The brake system of the 911 GT3 R has also benefitted from further modifications and, thanks to increased stiffness and more precise control of the ABS, is even better suited to long distance racing.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Adesina, Shehu: Good thinking, good product

By Fola Arogundade

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OOD thinking, good product; that was the theme of Toyota automobile’s campaign in the 90s.

It was quite catchy as it said everything: if you put a lot of thought into your production the outcome cannot but be good.

Nigerians, especially media professioners, had waited eagerly for President Muhammadu Buhari to name his media aides. 48 hours after his swearing-in and no names yet from PMB, people had started to fret.

The PUNCH had reported that, 48 hours after his swearing-in, Buhari has kept Nigerians waiting for the announcement of his aides; especially his spokespersons, Chief of Staff etc. Usually, these personnel are named within hours of the President/Governor’s assumption of office.

A journalist, Afolabi Oyeyemi sameday posted on his facebook wall: ‘’I hope it wouldn’t take a government who wants to hit the ground running two weeks to announce his personal aides. We ought by now to have known the SGF, SA on media. Or is Mr. President still consulting?”

Among the comments was this one from me ‘’Granted that he needs to be meticulous in his personnel choices, it doesn’t have to take forever to decide. He’s had almost two months since that historic ‘’I surrender” phone call from expresident Jonathan, so what’s PMB waiting for. What Nigerians don’t need now is a go-slow government”.

And this one from Uzoechi Richard who strongly believed ‘’that he should take his time and do proper consultation before selecting whoever that will make his team. If he gets the wrong team, believe me, he will find it difficult to make any significant impact” That same day, PMB named his spokesmen and it was obvious that a lot of thoughts had gone into choosing two out of the galaxy of eminently qualified men available to him. As Yoruba people would put it-he used his brain, To my mind, five names were prominent in the vanguard of those who formally, and informally, helped in the media campaign for Buhari’s election as President of Nigeria; Lai Mohammed, Richard Akinnola, Mike Awoyinka, Shehu Garba and Femi Adesina( not in any particular order).

Lai Mohammed and Shehu Garba the Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress APC and Director of APC’s Presidential

I daresay PMB has chosen very well.

Round pegs in round holes. Adesina and Shehu both well educated, rose through the ranks to the peak of their profession

Campaign Organization respectively had a job to do, knew how to do it and performed efficiently.

Richard Akinnola, a journalist and a lawyer, probably started off Buhari’s campaign at the motorpark when he told his friends that Buhari ni o -Buhari it is.

Thenceforth he moved on to the social media and, became a oneman campaign outfit. He is one of the first, I think, to engage Nigerians on the social media.

Femi Adesina and Mike Awoyinfa are the earliest newspaper editors and columnist to convert to Buharism, These two Christians ( I think both are Pastors at different denominations) were the first to put the lie to the naysayers allegations that Buhari is a fundamentalist Muslim whose main objective is to Islamize Nigerians. Roaring from their different back page columns in the Sun, as far back as one can remember, the due never tired to wave the flag for Buharis and constantly tell Nigerians-since Buhari showed his face in the political arena in 2003-that the retired General is the right man for the right job.

What set these two apart from other columnists –who equally lent their columns in support of the Buhari project is their early arrival on the scene and their consistency. Dele Shobowale, Frankly speaking is Sunday VANGUARD comes quite close but Mike and Femi have been there since forever.

So, how did PMB settle for Adesina and Shehu from this array of good people? Difficult to tell, but my guess is-these two fit the bill more that the other three.

And they are more qualified.

Lai Mohammed still has a job to do as APC’s Publicity Secretary, especially now that Olisa Metuh seems to have roused his game as the People Democratic Party’s spokesman. Richard Akinnola is of the human right community ad a rabble-rouser (I beg o, I use that word respectfully) and Mike Awoyinka may be considered too self-effacing, apart from various books and biographies he might be working on. Is he going to wrote Buhari biography?

I daresay PMB has chosen very well. Round pegs in round holes.

Adesina and Shehu both well educated, rose through the ranks to the peak of their profession asManaging Director, Editor-InChief of their newspapers (The SUN for Femi Adesina and the TRIUMPH for Garba Shehu).

Both have been two-term president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

More importantly, these are men who have the respect of their colleagues and peers; warm, responsible, proactive, responsive and always willing to lend an ear or borrow one when need arises.

Fola Arogundade sent this piece from Pristine.change@gmail.com

Can America wage peace?

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MERICANS are so used to their country being at war that one of the questions creeping up in the race for the 2016 presidential election is: Can America wage peace?

Waging peace is an old concept being repackaged by one of the politicians who hope to become the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. For a long time, it looked as if no one had the guts to jump into the ring and exchange political punches with front-runner, Hillary Clinton. That state of reticence has since been shattered, and the latest politician to declare his intention to run on the Democratic Party ticket is a man known as Lincoln Davenport Chafee.

Candidate Chafee is not a political neophyte. He had served as a city Mayor, U.S. Senator and governor of the state of Rhode Island. However, you can argue that his declaration to run for the presidency has launched him into national limelight for the first time in his political life. And he came out swinging on the dais. He wants to put America on the same metric platform with the rest of the world, something that is earning him some scorn in the media and among political comedians.

Chafee is serious about switching to the metric system. This is how he framed his argument: “Everybody measures things. It’s not a matter of political philosophy…Let’s be bold. Let’s join the rest of the world and go metric.” His message of integration with the rest of the world is more likely to resonate outside rather than inside the U.S.A. where people still buy gas for their cars in gallons, calculate distance in miles and measure weight in pounds. Perhaps, Chafee’s point is that America’s sometimes isolationist policies do not bode well for the county.

Chafee touched on several issues, including taking measured swipes at Hillary Clinton, while launching his presidential ambition. But, what attracted my attention was his insistence that America has been in so many wars and faces several ugly war consequences that the time has come for the country to wage peace for a change.

In his web site, Chafee articulates in the following words his belief that as a matter of priority, the time has come for America to actively seek peace: “The tragedies of the Iraq War are manifold; lost and injured lives, hundreds of billions of squandered tax dollars, the difficulty of providing just and proper care for our brave veterans, but maybe the most tragic, the loss of American credibility. I commit to the repair needed to all the harm done. Our credibility will be restored when we respect our world partners and truly listen when they speak. In a world of nuclear weapons, the United States must make international decisions with brains and not biceps.”

Chafee is proud of the fact that “Only 23 of 100 U.S. Senators saw the folly of allowing Bush/ Cheney to invade Iraq. I am very proud to be one of the 23.” What is noteworthy about his decision

Chafee’s ISIS talk and the notion of avoidance of war must sound like obscenity to his former colleagues in the Republican Party.

to vote against waging war against Iraq is that he was a Republican senator when he took that principled stand. He has since changed his political philosophy and is now a Democrat. His position against the war was the same as that of then Senator Barack Obama. Even today, Chafee’s philosophy of waging peace is in the same mold as Obama’s constant refrain that America should relate to the world not by the force of its arms but by the power of its ideas, values and vision.

This Republican-turned-Democrat even has a more radical approach to a world without wars than Obama’s current strategies on the same objective. Chafee appeared on CNN’s State of the Union programme and challenged the need for the current U.S. led sanctions against Russia. He told the anchor of the programme that “I don’t know about these sanctions. I should think that there would be better ways of getting rapprochement with Russia.

They’re so important in the world and especially to the former Soviet republic such as Ukraine,” To Chafee, alienating Russia in the modern world is not a good recipe for global peace and security. He even went further in another interview to say that he could not rule out talks with ISIS. Chafee is convinced that the way to go is to give peace a chance.

According to him, “We need to wage peace in this world.”

Chafee’s ISIS talk and the notion of avoidance of war must sound like obscenity to his former colleagues in the Republican Party. Here is how another presidential hopeful, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, framed the ISIS argument when he was asked about Obama’s approach to the on-going tragedy in Iraq and Syria: “We’re fighting a terrorist army, not an organization. It’s going to take an army to beat an army. And this idea we’ll never have any boots on the ground to defeat them in Syria is fantasy…. It’s delusional in the way they approach this…. (ISIL is) intending to come here. So, I will not let this president suggest to the American people we can outsource our security and this is not about our safety. There is no way in hell you can form an army on the ground to go into Syria, to destroy ISIL without a substantial American component.

And to destroy ISIL, you have to kill or capture their leaders, take the territory they hold back, cut off their financing and destroy their capability to regenerate. This is a war we’re fighting, it is not a counterterrorism operation! This is not Somalia; this is not Yemen; this is a turning point in the war on terror. Our strategy will fail yet again. This president needs to rise to the occasion before we all get killed back here at home.”

With this type of sentiment and conviction, Chafee appears to be in a fantasy world to think that the U.S. is ripe to wage peace. Left to people like Senator John McCain, a staunch ally of Senator Graham, the U.S. should have long ago started a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and Assad of Syria. Some of these war mongers do not talk about the real cost and consequence of war.

They are only interested in using America’s military might to settle any conflict. Unfortunately, their voices drown those of the less belligerent Chafees of U.S. politics; people who wish their country could wage peace, not war.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—39

•Buhari: President

•Oyegun: APC chairman

•Tinubu: APC leader

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONTESTS:

The men driving the issues House, having been a central figure in the momentum that pushed Aminu Tambuwal forward to upset the party’s choice of Mulikat AdeolaAkande for the speaker of the House.

Even as deputy to Mrs. Adeola-Akande, he was generally acknowledged as the real leader of the PDP in

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

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HE fangs of the battle A combination of carrot and stick by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC was apparent as the National Chairman of the party, Chief John OdigieOyegun briefed the press in the party headquarters yesterday. Part of the carrot was the softer language and appeal to the sensibilities of members-elect and senatorselect not to break the unity of the newly formed party having its first stay in power in Abuja. The stick was a summons to a meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo which was yet to commence at press time. Recalcitrant members were expected to be put under pressure to succumb to the endorsement of the party which last week put forward Senator Ahmad Lawan and Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila for the posts of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The stick of using the office of the vice-president to whip the recalcitrant APC memberselect and senators-elect was

of little effect last night following the consensus of supporters of Yakubu Dogara to abstain from that meeting.

The men in the frontline Hon. Leo Ogor Hon Ogor is a four term member of the House who first came to the House in 2003 on

the basis of the principle of rotation in his constituency.

Once he arrived the House he became a central figure in the power caucus and was a central figure in many of the power intrigues in the Aminu Masari House.

Ogor was the Deputy Majority Leader in the last

The stick of using the office of the vice-president to whip the recalcitrant APC members-elect and senators-elect was of little effect last night following the refusal of the supporters of Yakubu Dogara to abstain from that meeting

the House after Tambuwal’s exit from the party. His position as PDP leader in the new House is now almost indisputable.

He has been a central broker in the discussions between the agents of Dogora and the PDP caucus. Suggestions were that he would come on board as the Deputy Speaker to Dogara. However, such suggestions are countered by the claim that Ogor would be better as Minority Leader and that moving him to the position of Deputy Speaker would lead to the disappearance of the PDP in the House.

Senator David Mark He is the leader of the PDP caucus in the party who has just left the office of Senate President that is now in contention. Senator Mark had been believed to be wholly in support of Senator Ahmad Lawan’s aspiration as his replacement. That was until he formed a partnership with Senator George Akume, who is well known as a harsh rival of Senator Mark in Benue State.

Senator Akume contested against Mark in the 2007 leadership contest and lost and not too long after shifted to the opposition.

Given Senator Mark’s past lack of cordiality with Senator Saraki and the latter’s purported 2019 presidential aspiration, there are suggestions that Senator Mark may consider Akume a lesser evil he could stomach than Saraki.

Continues on page 40

40—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

SPEAKERSHIP:

Tough battle AS the 8th National Assembly, NASS, is being inaugurated today, it is instructive to note that the speakership race has been characterised by intrigues and horse trading which nearly divided the All Progressives Congress, APC.

By Emman Ovuakporie & Levinus Nwabughiogu

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HE polarisation climaxed as a result of the mock poll conducted by the party for both incoming members of the House of Representatives and senators.

The aim was primarily to produce consensus candidates for the position of Senate President and Speaker of the House respectively.

Expectedly, the outcome of the exercise did not go down well in various quarters for different reasons.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja before the poll was conducted, the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said, “ the aim of the election is to present sole candidates for the position of senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The party is trying to avoid a situation in which its law makers will be divided next Tuesday when the National Assembly election will take place. The party does not want the lawmakers to undermine its supremacy.

What we want do is to avoid crisis. We know there will be hiccups, but we will get through them.”

After the straw poll was conducted, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing minority leader of the House, emerged as the APC consensus candidate while another contestant, Yakubu Dogara and his supporters walked out of the meeting.

Gbajabiamila polled 154 votes while Dogara scored three votes even though his faction had denied participating in the poll.

Instructively, the minority leader’s total number of votes are below the required 181 needed to emerge as the speaker.

He needs 27 votes more to get a simple majority to emerge as speaker.

•Gbajabiamila

However, the chances of Gbajabiamila emerging as speaker may be determined by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers, whose votes could go either way.

The PDP has 146 votes which can be used to determine who emerges as the speaker.

On the other hand, Dogara may not be as popular as the minority leader, but he is believed to have garnered support from his colleagues.

He is also hoping to benefit from the assumed bulk votes of the PDP members.

•Dogara

The PDP members have been supportive of the Dogara faction given its resolve not to succumb to party pressure.

Given how intriguing the race has been, all is set for surprises as there may be last minute shift in alliances.

From the above, if all APC members vote based on party directive Gbajabiamila will coast home effortlessly.

But the challenge from the Dogara camp is strong and may alter the calculation of the Gbajabiamila group.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONTESTS:

The men driving the issues Continues on page 39 Governor Aminu Tambuwal Even though he stepped out of the House less than two weeks ago, Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s popularity remains rocket high among members of the former House.

The governor is known to be pushing the Dogara project and has reportedly been working the phones among fellow governors to canvass consideration for Dogara.

His intervention together with Governor Yari have lately helped to check the religious factor among Northern Muslims who had shifted support for Dogara for religious considerations. Dogara is a Christian from Bauchi State.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu The national leader of the APC is believed to be pushing the party’s position on the endorsement of Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the office of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Tinubu’s involvement in the contest has received mixed reactions with some alleging that it would be wrong for him having produced the Vice-

•Saraki •Tambuwal President to also produce the Senate President and the Speaker.

However, Senator Lawan has not projected himself as Tinubu’s candidate neither has Gbajbiamila. However, the convergence of Tinubu’s political machine towards the aspiration of both men has left little doubt on where the party leader is standing on the issue.

Remarkably, almost all Southwest members-elect and senators-elect on the platform of the APC have openly pledged allegiance to the Lawan and Gbajabiamila.

However, under the cover of the secret voting system, a number of them will depart from the endorsed candidates. That exactly was the reason Saraki refused to participate in the open voting system last Saturday as at least six APC senators-elect from the Southwest had secretly pledged allegiance to him.

The Jagaban as he is popularly called is believed to be pulling out as much

resources as are available to him to push through the party candidates.

President Buhari President Buhari has so far removed himself from the squabble and given his word that he would work with any one that emerges as Senate President or as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, the president’s body language is another thing.

Indications that the body language tilted towards Lawan is said to have been the primary motif Tinubu dropped Akume for Lawan.

A number of the president’s core loyalists in the Senate are also supporting Lawan. But that is where it stops. The president’s inclinations in the leadership contest in the House of Representatives is as vague as anyone can guess.

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—41

ABIA: Ikpeazu's

headaches

AS Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu enters the second week in office, there are growing concerns over enormous challenges to be tackled.

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

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HERE are high expectations that Ikpeazu would translate his many pledges into rapid development of the state.

The new governor had at his inauguration in Umuahia pledged to provide good roads, quality education, good health care system, regeneration of Aba, address infrastructural challenges, encourage increased private sector participation in the economy, and create industrial hubs among others.

These plausible promises topped Ikpeazu’s inaugural speech.

However, some reckon that the pledges are nothing but familiar rhetorics given the failure of past administrations at tackling the numerous challenges confronting the state.

Though Ikpeazu has hit the ground running by flagging off the rehabilitation of roads in Aba, residents of the city have cautioned against constructing poor quality roads.

To achieve this, Ikpeazu must have to embark on desilting of drainages, particularly the drainage channel which connects several parts of the city and empties into the Aba River.

This drainage which was desilted in 2011 by the immediate past administration, had since been blocked by refuse leading to flooding whenever it rains.

On waste management, the

governor certainly has an uphill task as the management of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency ,ASEPA, appears overwhelmed by the high volume of refuse in Aba where refuse heaps dot the landscape.

An aide of the governor, who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that arrangements have been concluded to evacuate 100 trucks of refuse daily from the streets.

Perhaps, that is in line with the governor’s pledge of declaring a state of emergency on waste management in Aba. He had said: “If we can go to peoples houses with a compactor to collect refuse, all the buckets located along the road will disappear. There will be no more

The governor is also expected to tackle the problem of multiple taxation, as such has increased the cost of doing business in the state

By Victor Ndoma-Egba

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WELVE years ago this month, the 5th Senate was inaugurated with Senator Adolphus Wabara as Senate President and I was sworn in as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after my election to represent the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State. I was assigned Committees and made Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals with Senator Cosmas Niagwan of blessed memory as Chairman.

Upon the assumption of the Senate Presidency by Senator Ken Nnamani following the resignation of Senator Wabara I was appointed Chairman of the newly created Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, making me the official spokesman of the Senate. It became my lot to develop a framework and strategy for engagement with the Media, Civil Society and the public at large. It was a challenging, yet exciting assignment. I received a lot of support for which I am eternally grateful from Rt. Hon. Abike Dabiri who was already playing a similar role marvellously in the House of Representatives.

I was also, though a new Senator, appointed to Chair the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the affairs of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) right in the

•Ikpeazu during one of his inspections refuse on the roads.”

To make the job of changing the face of Aba easy, Ikpeazu had during an interactive session with residents organized by the Kezie Abia Group, urged the residents to make sacrifices in the interest of the state.

He accused some of desiring change while their shops are sited on drainage channels.

“They want to make omelette, but don’t want to break eggs,” he quipped.

Instructively, Ikpeazu would be judged in the next four years by how well he is able to transform Aba. The governor is also expected to tackle the problem of multiple taxation, as such has increased the cost of doing business in the state.

In Abia, it is a common sight to see task force teams and touts harass businessmen and residents over various forms of levies and taxes.

Such taxes and levies include infrastructure levy, sanitation levy, fire extinguisher levy, economic levy, ICT levy, among others.

Ikpeazu is also faced with litigations arising from the 2015 governorship election in the state.

In this regard are suits filed before the Justice Mohammed Wakili led Election Petition Tribunal by the gubernatorial candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and All Progressives Congress, APC, Messrs. Alex Otti and Nyerere Anyim.

From a grateful heart

•Ndoma-Egba middle of the sensational disagreement between then Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and his then Vice President, Alhaji, Atiku Abubakar. Those were very difficult times indeed.

I was re-elected to the 6th and 7th Senates and became Deputy Senate Leader and eventually. Leader. I have had very rare opportunities, opportunities far beyond what I deserve, including being elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from the National Assembly, giving me the distinction – the first and only one so far to have been so elevated from outside legal

practice and academies. My country Nigeria and my constituents have been most generous to me. The opportunity to represent a people is the highest privilege that a people can bestow anyone. My people not only gave me multiple opportunities but, also every support any one could dream for. My country on the other hand gave me opportunities to express and exert myself to the limits of my endowments, with the People Democratic Party (PDP) providing the platform for these great opportunities.

I was part of the Leadership that gave the Senate its most stable era in the history of our democratic episodes. The Senate President, Senator David Mark, Nigeria’s longest serving Senator serving out two unprecedented terms, along with his Deputy all through, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who become Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament and earn e d academic P.hD in law, while on that busy seat, and a Deputy Senate Leader, becoming Senate Leader.

Most significantly, it was a scandal free Senate.

I led the successful campaign for the election of Rt. Hon. Bethel Amadi as President of the Pan African Parliament, headquartered in Midrand, South Africa. It was an assignment that took me to many

While Otti seeks the cancellation of the results from Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North local governments , Anyim wants the result cancelled in totality on the grounds of rigging.

The governor is also battling with an alleged tax forgery suit filed against by Chief Friday Nwosu and Dr. Uche Ogah.

There are signs that the governor may have a running battle with the legislative arm of government where the PDP has 12 members while APGA boasts of 11.

The reaction of APGA to the postponement of the inauguration of the House earlier scheduled for June 8, could be likened as an insight into what to expect.

African Countries as Special Envoy of the then President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, being with presidents, Heads of Government, and National Parliaments, It was a great honour to me by my country. I was also President of the first ever, Africa Legislative Summit held in Abuja in November 2013, a Summit that brought together the Heads of Legislatures all over Africa. I was leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the Association of Senates Shooras and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab world (ASSECAA) in Sanaa, Yemen in the 6th Senate and Pan African Parliament Midrand South Africa in the 7th Senate. I was a delegate to the 50th United Nations General Assembly in the 5th Senate.

A parliamentarian is one most misunderstood public officer. While parliament oversights the executive, the parliamentarian is over sighted directly by the public at large, and this is usually a scathing scrutiny.

He or she (the parliamentarian) is often held responsible for duties or failures that are constitutionally not for parliament and is always the ready scape goat for society’s failings. The comfort though, is that no Parliament anywhere in the world that can win a beauty contest.

•Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, was Senate Leader of the 7thSenate.

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

I left office broke, says former Rivers deputy gov

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— FORMER deputy governor of Rivers State, Engr Tele Ikuru, has said that he left office broke as he did not get any parting gift from his boss, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, before they bowed out on May 29 this year.

Ikuru, who spoke in Andoni Local Government Area of the state, during a church service to thank God for his tenure, recalled that he served as deputy governor under former Governor Amaechi for seven years and seven months, adding that he also did five months under deposed Governor Celestine Omehia.

Continuing, he said former Governor Amaechi did not think he deserved a parting gift at the end of their tenure.

He said that as deputy governor, he returned excess cash to the state's coffer at the end of every assignment he was given, adding that transparency was his watchword while in office.

“I served the government for seven years and seven months under Amaechi, because I was

Delta: Burutu women demand appointment for Orounagha

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Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, begins to make appointments, women of Burutu North constituency in Burutu Local Government Area of the state, yesterday, said that they will appreciate if the governor appoints Mrs. Felicia Orounagha as one of his aides.

The Burutu women under the aegis of Concerned Women for Okowa, CWO, in a statement by their spokeswoman, Tare Diatubo, after a crucial meeting on the need to propose one person from the group to represent them at the state level by becoming one of the governor's aides, also congratulated Okowa and his Deputy, Kingsley Otuaro, on their inauguration.

“The reason we are projecting Felicia Orounagha is because when she was elected as Chairman of Burutu council in 1997, one of the significant performance she made was to build the Burutu market which later became a major trade centre," she said.

S

with Omehia for five months. At the end of the seven years and seven months Amaechi did not think that I deserved any parting gift despite the fact that in the course of this administration, by reason of the office I occupied, I returned several monies to him valued at over N2 billion cash at different times during one assignment or another.

“By reason of my contribution, I also saved not less than N100 billion for the state government over the period. At the end of the seven years and seven months, my boss left me hard and dry, nothing and no penny to go home with,” he said.

It will be recalled that the former deputy governor parted ways with former Governor Amaechi

when he dumped their All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, few days to the last presidential election.

Ikuru had told newsmen that his decision to dump the APC stemmed from the need to support the presidential aspiration of his fellow Niger Deltan, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

INAGURATION: From left: Mrs. Lynn Ochulor, Clerk of Delta State House of Assembly; Mr. Monday Igbuya, the new Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Mr. Tim Owhefere, as Igbuya takes the oath of office, during the inaguration of the 6th Assembly of the House at the Assembly Complex, Asaba, yesterday. Photo: Nath Onojake.

Delta NLC petitions gov over activities of former aide

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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ELTA State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led by Williams Akporeha, has petitioned the state governor, accusing a former adviser on Labour Matters to the governor of activities capable of breaching industrial peace in the state.

In the petition, Akporeha called on the state government to call the former adviser to order before the state is engulfed in industrial crisis, alleging that the activities of the former adviser on labour matters were already causing industrial tension in the state.

He said: “It is true that the leadership of the NLC at the national level is in two factions following the inappropriate conduct of the national delegates’ congress which has also affected the state congresses. However, while concerted efforts are being made to restore a united NLC at the national level, the former adviser in his desperation has continued to deepen the crisis in Delta State by his unrelenting divisive and malicious sectionalism in favour of the other

faction of NLC for his personal gains to the detriment of industrial peace in the state.

“Logistics support provided by the state government to facilitate the 2015 May Day activities and to facilitate state NLC leadership attendance of the International Labour Organisation, ILO,

Convention in Geneva, Switzerland were all confiscated by him and shared to the other NLC faction thereby depriving labour and other affiliate industrial unions in Delta State under my leadership from benefitting even though I was the one that formally applied."

Activist faults Amnesty Int’l on Boko Haram

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—A Niger Delta activist and criminologist, Omolubi Newuwumi, yesterday, lambasted Amnesty International for accusing the Nigerian Army of genocide in the fight against Boko Haram, saying that the organisation has lost its credibility.

Omolubi, in Warri, Delta State, said: “Amnesty International should define what it means by genocide. Is genocide committed when a nation’s army defends its citizens from both internal and external aggression?

“Where was Amnesty International when Boko Haram was killing innocent persons, bombing schools, mosques, churches and markets filled with Nigerian citizens? I want the organisation to take a look at the town of the Chief of Army Staff, where the Boko Haram sect killed hundreds of defenseless Nigerians, maimed innocent women and children and destroyed property worth millions of naira and tell us again what they mean by genocide.

“Or they want the Nigeria Army to stand hands akimbo and watch the sect wipe Nigeria out completely from the earth?”

No plan to impeach President General —UPU

By Perez Brisibe

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GHELLI—THE leadership of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, has denied rumoured impeachment threat against its President General, PG, Chief Joe Omene, describing same as unfounded.

Speaking to Vanguard yesterday, Public Relations Officer of UPU, Chief Mike Okenini, said: “It is an unfounded rumour as there is no impeachment process against Chief Omene.”

Reacting to a purported crack within its executive, Chief Okenini said: “There is nothing like that at the moment, neither is there any crack amongst the executives.”

Water hyacinth takes over Bayelsa creeks

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE creeks and waterways of Bayelsa State have been taken over by water hyacinth, making the movement of boats and canoes a difficult exercise for travellers and the rural farming and fishing folks.

Vanguard gathered that the worst affected part of the state are the fresh water zones such as the Ekuraba creek linking Otuasega, Elebele, Otuoke and Kolo Creek also linking several communities in Ogbia Local Government Area, Taylor Creek which links Biseni, JK4 and several other communities in Okordia Zarama and Gbarain axis of the state.

Stakeholders have, meanwhile, expressed concern over the invasion and colonization of the creeks and waterways of the state by the floating plant.

Environmentalist and the Bayelsa Field Coordinator of Environmental Rights Action ERA, Alagoa Morris, who spoke in Yenagoa, lamented that several communities in the hinterland of the state have been cut off by the invading water weeds.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015— 43

Anambra Assembly passes 50 bills in four years

By Enyim Enyim

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NITSHA—SPEAKER of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Princess Chinwe Nwaebili, yesterday, said the legislature passed 50 bills within her four years tenure.

Speaking exclusively with the Vanguard, Nwaebili said out of the 50 bills passed 45 bills were assented to by the

state governor.

According to her, the rapid development of the state stemmed from the cordial relationship that existed between the lawmakers and the executive arm of government.

She urged the incoming legislators to maintain the same cordial relationship with the executive arm to enable governor Willie Obiano to continue to give full blast democracy dividend to the

people of the state.

“I must have to proudly say without sounding immodest that during my four years in office as speaker, I achieved a lot for the House. For example, my office that was a make-shift office was renovated to the standard of a speaker’s office.”

Besides, she said her administration built an ultra modern canteen through the financial contributions by lawmakers in the House.

“We have also put up a legislative building that would provide offices to each of the 30 lawmakers we have in the House and this would be completed before the incoming lawmakers come in.

Appraising her four years in office the outgoing speaker said her four years in office were not only educative but rewarding in spite of challenges mostly from female lawmakers.

Nwaebili further said she was able to make laudable achievements within her tenure with the maximum cooporation from the 30 members of the House, particularly the male lawmakers.

“I had sadness and joy, but I am happy that God saw me through the challenges I had as a speaker. We all worked as a team in the interest of Anambra State irrespective of party leanings.”

Why gov Ikpeazu set up office of Aba Urban Renewal —Abia govt

Mama Angelina Agu for burial

By Anayo Okoli

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AMA ANGELINA Agu (Nne Oha), is dead, age 97.

Service of songs holds today, June 9, 2015, at Agu’s compound, Ubah Ohii Autonomous Community, Owerri West, Imo-State.

Her body will be laid to rest, tomorrow, at St. Philips Anglican Church, Ohii, while reception will hold at Agu’s compound immediately.

Late Mama Agu is survived by six children, 14 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

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MUAHIA—ABIA State government has said Governor Okezie Ikpeazu established the Office of Aba Urban Renewal to demonstrate the high premium he placed on rebuilding the commercial city.

According to Mr. Godwin Adindu, the gover nor ’ s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Ikpeazu’s aim is to hasten the rebuilding of Aba to enhance the entrepreneurial value of the city and its economic contribution to the state.

Adindu noted that rebuilding roads in Aba and the general renewal of infrastructure in the city were top prioriies for Dr. Ikpeazu’s administration.

He said the vision of the governor was to bring Aba back to its pride of place to enable it contribute adequately to the economic development of the state.

Adindu, who spoke when members of Aba Progressive Youth Movement paid him a courtesy visit, said: “The city of Aba is dear to the heart of

Late Mama Agu

the governor and this informs the reason he has decided to operate from the city in the meantime in order to be close to the people and personally monitor the ongoing projects that have been flagged off in the city,” he said.

Adindu explained that Aba Urban Renewal Office would

serve as a key driving force of the administration, adding that the governor would show personal interest and commitment to the activities of the office in order to ensure it performed to utmost expectation.

He, therefore, appealed to residents of the city to

cooperate with the administration, saying many drastic measures would be taken for the general good of the people and state.

Adindu said that while some of these measures might seem harsh initially, the people would be happy at the end.

We didn't bar Medical Director, Uwakwem from duty — FMC striking workers

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—STRIKING workers of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, have denied barring the embattled Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem, from duty.

They also denied engaging in hooliganism and breakdown of law and order in the establishment.

The workers’ position was made public in a six-page press statement by the chairmen and secretaries of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, National

Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP. “The workers have never acted in any form of impunity and never barred the Medical Director from duty. ‘’The use of such derogatory word as hooliganism is an affront and a way to intimidate workers,” the unions stated.

The workers recalled that when they were invited to Abuja, they offered concrete evidences of misappropriation of funds and expected the Ministry of Health to do he needful and save patients from exorbitant bills.

While condemning the current attempt by some people in the Federal Ministry of Health to paint the workers black before the public, the labour leaders also disclosed that their protests held under the close watch of operatives of the Directorate of State Services, DSS. “The need for lawlessness, use of hired thugs, booing and molestation never arose. ‘’We signed a security pact with the Department of State Service, DSS. We only asked the FMC board to reduce their stand on the planned Public Private Partnership, PPP, on paper,” the workers stated.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

Should petroleum products subsidy stay or be removed?

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e do not need the subsidy. Since we do not have working refinery in the country, government has no choice than to help the masses. If the subsidy is removed, that means the market is opened to oil marketers to determine their price. -Mr. Nwodi Daniel, Advocate

F

uel subsidy should remain because Nigeria has no working refinery, and Nigerians won't be able to buy fuel at an exorbitant rate, like we are experiencing now. That is just my view about it. -Miss Oluwakemi Afolabi, CustomerCare

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he APC government will have a difficult time removing it now, with such an ethnically and politically divided Nigerian public, because of the role the APC leaders played in 2012 when the previous administration tried to remove it. -Mr Emmanuel Ohai, Activist

F

uel subsidy should be removed. However, government should work on the three refineries we have in the country to be in full capacity. Nigerians should get used to its removal and know that fuel distribution and price would soon be stable. Prince Bolaji, Civil Servant

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f the government wants to remove the subsidy, then there must be alternative means to help the masses, if not it will be difficult for many people to buy petroleum products because oil marketers are after their profit. -Comrade Barry Nwaihim, Events

Manager

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uel subsidy should be removed, but proper and adequate planning should be made for the products to be available, and competitively affordable.

Attempted fuel subsidy removal by the GEJ administration sparked up a protest by the masses. -Mr. Emmanuel Oweazim Jnr., Politician

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Kaduna Assembly gets new Speaker

Pay attention to sports development, NANS tells Buhari

By Caleb Ayansina

By Agaju Madugba

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ADUNA—CLERK of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mrs Umma Hikima, yesterday, proclaimed the inauguration of the first session of the Fifth Assembly, at the Lugard Hall, following a directive

by Governor Nasir ElRufa’i.

After the inauguration, the nomination of Dr. Aminu Shagali, from Sabon Gari Constituency, as Speaker was unopposed while Gwarzo Audu, from Kachia Constituency emerged Deputy Speaker of the House.

The House has majority 27 members from the All Progressives Congress, APC and minority six members from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In his address, Shagali pledged to sustain the confidence reposed in him by members and also work hard to make laws for good governance of the state.

...As Rurum is sworn in as Kano speaker

By Abdulsalam Muhammad

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ANO—KABIRU Rurum, has emerged as Speaker of Kano House of Assembly, shortly after it was inaugurated by Governor Umar Ganduje, yesterday.

Rurum, in line with set practice subsequently took the oath of allegiance and oath of membership as the Speaker, while others followed suit.

In his acceptance speech, Rurum pledged to operate an open-door policy that will usher in a vibrant House that would also guarantee quality contribution from members.

The Speaker of the 40 man Assembly, said “I accept this call to service with sincere appreciation, each one of us members is capable of leading this House. We thank Almighty Allah, with his infinite wisdom, has destined, through you that my humbled self (Rurum) to be the Speaker of this House.”

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BUJA—NIGERIAN youth have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pay special interest to the development of sports in the country.

The youths, under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, said the government should focus on higher institutions for talents to

be harnessed for the desired results in the nation’s sports.

The body noted that school sports were gradually dying in the country due to laxity on the part of the school authorities orchestrated by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The National Director of Sports, NANS, Godwin Erheriene in a statement yesterday, in Abuja, said the current neglect of the Nigeria University Games, NUGA, by universities authorities would not speak well for the country.

He said “We urge President Buhari to pay keen attention to sports development, especially at the higher institution level and most important the university sports so that our talents can be harnessed and laurels/medals will be won for our nation in diverse sports.

“It is quite worrisome that key stakeholders are paying little or no attention to sports development in Nigerian schools as the glaring results are with us; young talents are lost and youthful energies are channels to wrong ventures.”

Erheriene maintained that the ugly trends could be reversed if all the relevant stakeholders in the sports sector join hands to take the nation sports to an enviable height.

How Nigeria can make meaningful progress — PAMDI boss

By Onozure Dania

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DONATION: Rt. Revd and Mrs James Odedeji, Bishop of Lagos West, praying for the six indigent women who cannot afford their hospital bills at Ilogbo Central Hospital, Ajangbadi, Lagos, after presenting them a cheque of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) to bail them out from the hospital. Photo by Diran Oshe.

Ex-Rep, Ali emerges new Kwara Speaker, promises robust legislation who succeeds Abdulrazaq

By Demola Akinyemi

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L O R I N — T H E immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Justice in the House of

Representatives, Dr Ahmad Ali, yesterday, emerged the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly.

The 24 members of the 8th Kwara Assembly unanimously elected Ali,

College provost lists problems affecting academic programs

By Aliyu Dangida

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UTSE—THE Provost of the Jigawa State College of Islamic and legal Studies, Ringim, Dr. Mustapha Yusha’u, has listed insufficient lecture halls and academic staff as some of the major obstacles bedeviling smooth academic programme at the college.

Speaking with newsmen in his office, the Provost said that it has reach the level where over 1,500 students take their lectures in one hall, adding that some of the lecturers shift their lessons to weekends (SundaySaturday) due to over population of the students.

Mustapha Yusha’u explained

that the College has a number of 101 academic staff as lecturers, who teach about 7,000 students in addition to 60 non-academic and 61 casual, appealing to the state government to rescue the college from these impediments to enable the college compete with its counterpart across the nation.

He pointed out that the college at the moment requires standard Library which will consist ELibrary, Centre for Educational Technology and Entrepreneurship, where students are taught technical crafts, saying that if such facilities were not provided the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCEC will not accredit the NCE courses.

Atunwa, who is now in the House of Representatives.

Ahmad, who represent Ilorin East/South constituency under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, was nominated

by Hasan Oyeleke, representing Ojomu/Shao constituency of Offa Local Government Area.

Ali was unanimously elected by other members of the House.

Speaking after his inauguration, Ahmad said he was honoured to be elected as Speaker considering the status of Kwara State in Nigerian political history.

Ali, who said the tasks ahead were daunting, added that economic reality in the country was frightening as youth unemployment remains high.

“We must be creative in finding short and long term solutions to the challenges, including security of lives and property. We should not be complacent just because there was no opposition or exhibit laid-back attitude. We must always encourage robust public hearing to get confidence of people and be close to them.”

The speaker promised to carry out legislative assignment so that the people would be proud of the House.

AGOS—DIRECTOR General of Public Administration and Management Development Institute, PAMDI, Dr Elijah Ogbuokiri, has said that Nigeria cannot make any meaningful progress in development unless the way institutions are managed are are engineered, as corruption is embedded in all processes and activities in Nigeria.

He noted that there were adequate laws and resources in the country but the institutional framework to drive them for the benefit of the society was weak and poor due to endemic corruption and politicisation of the entire public service system.

Ogbuokiri, who briefed newsmen ahead of its third annual conference coming up in Abuja, with Theme “Building Strong Institutions, a Necessity for Good Governance, Rule of Law, Transparency and Accountability,” said that the conference is one of the ways in which PAMDI used to reach out to government on the urgent needs of Nigeria as a country to build strong public institutions as a remedy for misgovernance and promotion of rule of law, accountability and transparency .

He said that the public administrators would only be able to execute their duties effectively if they were allowed to function without any interference from the political office holders and powers-that-be.

“On an annual basis, huge sums of money are budgeted and released by the government at various levels but it can hardly be identified what such monies are used for. Implementation of budgets and projects has been poorly executed because our public administrators have failed in their duties or are not allowed to function as expected.”

Ogbuokiri, added that in their quest to promote excellent leadership, good corporate governance, accountability and development, the institute was focusing on development management which past Nigerian leaders have neglected to the detriment of the society.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—45

UNILAG: From left— Professor Olajide Abass, Department of Computer Science, University of Lagos, UNILAG; Professor Tabiu Muhammad, Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, guest lecturer, receiving appreciation award; Professor Rahamon Bello, Vice Chancellor, UNILAG and Alhaji Mumin Alao, Chairman, UNILAG Muslim Alumni, UMA, during the alumni's 21st preRamadan lecture. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

All Progressives Congress, APC; Tony Isama, Chairman; Mrs Abike DabiriErewa, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, and Felicity Mbanefo, Women Leader, during the presentation of award to DabiriErewa in Abuja.

COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS: From left— Idowu Olusile, Coordinator, IT Assembling Organising Committee; S. A. Shehu, Registrar to the Council, and Gani Alleru, Director of Finance, all of Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN, at a briefing on 2015 CPN IT Assembly holding in Calabar, Cross River State from June 10 to 11.

PHOTO: Emeka Aginam.

EMPOWERMENT : From left— Mr. Idemudia Dima-Okojie, Regional Manager, West Africa, WeChat; Mrs. Nimi Akinkugbe, Founder/ CEO, Bestman Games Ltd, and Mr. Jaiyeola David, Event and Partnership Coordinator, Jobberman, at the female empowerment workshop organised

by MrsCEOnaija.com, an online blog for graduating students of Babcock University in Ilishan Remo, Ogun State.

NAVY ANNIVERSARY: Rear Admiral Stanley Ogoigbe, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command (right), presenting free mosquito nets to pregnant women as part of activities to mark the 59th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy at Onopa community, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

HOST: From left— Mr. Segun Ekundayo, GM Operations, Tantalizers Plc; K-Peace, Nigerian Idol contestant; Mr. Gbolahan Labinjo, Deputy MD, Tantalizers Plc; Dolu; Nex 2, both contestants; and Mr. Henry Arebun, GM Marketing & Franchise, Tantalizers Plc, when the fast food company played host to the contestants in Lagos.

MICA: A cross-section of children at the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness, MICA, family fun fest at Crescent Nursery & Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

AWARD: From left— Judge Dele Jegede, National Leader, USA Chapter,

C M Y K

FUTA: Professor Adebiyi Daramola, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA (left), and Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, guest lecturer, during FUTA's 69th inaugural lecture on Nigeria’s Agricultural Policy, Productivity and Poverty: The Critical Nexus.

46 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

•Scene of a tanker explosion in Lagos.

INCESSANT FUEL TANKER EXPLOSION

Lagos moves to checkmate menace

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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ORRIED by the alarming rates of fatal accidents by drivers of fuel tankers, carrying either Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, known as diesel or Premium Motor Spirit, known as petrol, Lagos State Government has finally, taken a bold step to stem or at least curb the menace in the state.

It is instructive to note that within a week, at least five fatal accidents involving fuel tankers were recorded across the metropolis last week.

However, like one accident too many, no life was lost in all the incidents but scores were injured while several millions of Naira destroyed.

In most cases, it was weeping, and wailing galore at the scenes of the accidents as victims lamented the ill.

One off the most disastrous accidents, was the early explosion at Mile 2 area of Lagos in 2012, which recorded more than 30 casualties and over 35 vehicles reportedly, burnt in the inferno sparked by the explosion.

Operatives of the Lagos Police Command traffic unit, as well as Fire Brigade, battled for several hours to prevent the explosion from doing much damage.

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Charred remains of the dead littered the area for several hours before being evacuated.

The tragic incident occurred when a tanker loaded with PMS lost control in the Mile 2 area, overturned and emptied its contents on the road before going up in flames.

The latest tragedy which jolted residents occurred in the early hours of last Saturday when a

Ambode, who got to the scene of the accident around 11.35 a.m., wore a gloomy face as he could not believe the extent of damage to properties

tanker, fully loaded with PMS, fell and spilled its content leading to a fire that consumed 34 houses, 70 shops and one tricycle (Keke Marwa) on the Idimu-Ejigbo bye-pass at Idimu Bus Stop. The accident was said to have happened around 12 midnight.

Barely three days after the Saturday tragedy, a similar incident happened in IyanaIpaja area where millions of naira worth of property and goods were destroyed when a loaded fuel tanker fell off the Iyana-Ipaja Bridge, spilled its content and later burst into flames.

According to eyewitnesses of the Idimu incident, two tanker drivers, and a commercial bus driver, had tried to outsmart each other in the approach to the Idimu intersection. It was while trying to avoid a collision, one of the tankers lost control, overturned, spilled its contents and caught fire. The tanker, with registration number KJA 54 XA is said to be owned by Mustuk Investment Nig Ltd. The situation could have been worse but for the timely intervention of men of the Lagos State Fire Service from the Ikotun, Isolo and Alausa service stations, whose combined efforts were able to put out the fire at about 4 a.m.

When Vanguard visited the scene, the area was littered with burnt goods, ashes, and various remnants, an aftermath of the fire.

There were several attempts by the immediate past administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola to redress the situation, but it could not achieve the set aims.

The then Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, tried to regulate the operational movement of the tankers but all efforts could not achieve any substantial result as tanker drivers remained adamant saying restricting their activities to the night would subject them to armed robbery attacks among other risks.

However, the newly inaugurated Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who formally resumed office on June 1st, 2015, was welcomed into office by three fuel tanker accidents. He could only visit that of Iyana-Ipaja to evaluate the extent of damage.

Just when he was about to receive full report of the IyanaIpaja accident from officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, another tragedy struck in Idimu. Ambode once more raced to the scene where

he vowed to stop the menace of tanker drivers forthwith.

Ambode summons tanker drivers to an emergency meeting.

Ambode, who got to the scene of the accident around 11.35 a.m., wore a gloomy face as he could not believe the extent of damage to properties.

Akinwunmi said, “This is another unfortunate incident happening within one week.

Unfortunate in the sense that we are beginning to lose a lot of our assets and properties to fire. I have been briefed that there were two tanker drivers competing on the road as at midnight including a commercial bus driver. As a result, the tanker driver lost control at the bend, and it was 33,000litres of PMS and at a bend, in a sloppy area, you could see the contents went as far as five streets.

“We’ve lost close to 34 houses, 70 shops. We do not want this to repeat itself again. We have said it before, and we need to address our tanker drivers and start to enforce our traffic laws.

“I commiserate with all the people here. I appeal for calm.

We would do immediate relief; we would take enumeration and see in what ways we can address your pain. We would do everything in our power to do everything to help them (victims) get back to their normal lives.”

Though, Ambode in his inaugural speech vowed to run an administration of incentives rather than enforcement, but it is expected that the meeting with the tanker drivers union would come out with measures to ensure strict compliance with the state traffic laws and other necessary steps that would further ensure safety of lives and properties of residents.

Also commenting, the Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Hyginus Umeje said: “When we got the distress call, we responded alongside other agencies. This is another crash too many going by the fact that on June 3, one happened at Iyana Ipaja.

“The Corp Marshall has said we will step up enforcement on these tanker drivers, following the Onitsha incident. We have been liaising with their unions, but it is obvious that the tanker drivers are not just mindful of the risks they are handling.

“I want to toe the line of the commissioner of police that together we will ensure that sanity is restored on our roads, particularly Lagos roads.

Something needs to be done to put an end to this menace, and we are behind the governor for the meeting he has called for Monday which is one step in the right direction,” Umeje said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 47

FLOODING: Residents raise concerns over existing drainage system

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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S rain continues to sweep through Lagos State, residents last week expressed concerns over the efficiency of existing drainage system to withstand the increasing pressure of rainwater without resulting in flooding across the state.

The torrential rainfall experienced in the state corroborated the state government’s claim earlier in the year that Lagos would experience 260 days of rain.

Residents are arguing that the depths of the existing drainages are shallow; and that if not checked urgently, could lead to flooding as against flash floods experienced across the state.

Speaking on the extent of damage caused by recent flooding episodes, some residents posited that extensive damage was done to property especially in the last one week by flash floods.

One community that has been notably hit is Oyatoki, in Agege Local Government where recent episodes of flooding have led to extensive damage

to property.

Vanguard gathered that the community which is less than 10 minutes walk to the Oyatoki canal experiences flash flood whenever it rains.

According to one of the residents, Mr. Ezekeil Osuntade, several shops, houses were destroyed by flood in the community after the downpour on last week Tuesday.

“Whenever it rains, the bridge is submerged with water.

Motorists won’t even know there is a bridge here. The canal is too narrow and shallow, and the government needs to widen it. The bridge is also too low; that is why it is submerged anytime it rains.”

Permanent Secretary of the State office of Drainage Services, Mr. Ayodeji Adenekan stressed that the situation has been compounded by indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains across the state.

The Permanent Secretary, who disclosed this after inspecting some drainages and canals in Agege Local Government, Palmgrove axis and others, lamented that residents have

•Vehicles wading through flood in Lagos turned the natural drains into dump sites, saying “The canals across the state are filled with a lot of disposable cans and other solid refuse. They were thrown from different locations.”

He explained that such acts impede the free flow of rain and waste water across the state, adding “this leads to the flash flooding experienced in the state whenever it rains.”

According to him, “We have started work on the removal of the waste (during rainy season). We have deployed different officers manning

different locations in the state, and their responsibility is to ensure that the drains are clean. It is an enormous work.

“The plan of the government is to ensure that during this exercise, the canals are further dredged to accommodate more water. With this, even if the rain intensifies; there will not be any cases of flash flood in the state.

Aside this, Adenekan said, “We will intensify our sensitization programmes to ensure that residents desist from this act of indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the canals. This is because

dumping of refuse in the canals is not to our advantage.

It blocks the drains.

“Within the programme, we will be working with the Community Development Associations, CDA and Community Development Committee, CDC to help monitor the canals across the state; in order to curb the act,” he added.

The Permanent Secretary stated that they would also embark on periodic checks of the drains to curb indiscriminate disposal of refuse into the drains.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: Stakeholders ponder in Africa’s largest mega city

By Dotun Ibiwoye

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ESPITE the 21 million inhabitants in Lagos, Africa’s biggest mega city, the World Environment Day, WED, 2015 was celebrated last weekend and several possibilities on environmental sustainability was expected in the state.

Several Stakeholders converged and deliberated on how to protect the environment and sustain the ecosystem for the future generations at the celebration of WED organized Ecologistics Integrated Services Ltd at Oriental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos.

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), disclosed that environmental degradation and pollution is not akin to the illiterates but the elites in the society are also culprits.

According to LASEPA’s General Manager, Mr Adebola Shabi, when there are heaps of refuse on th ground, it will affect the underground water. This is also an environmental element that reduces the quality of our natural water.

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•Stakeholders at the World Environment Day 2015, in Lagos.

Shabi noted that everybody knows the law and knows that it is against the law to dumb refuse on the road in the river and the canal but the elites constantly engage in this act.

He also affirmed that Lagos is the cleanest state in Nigeria and Aba, in Abia State the dirtiest state is Nigeria.

“When the Lagos state government started the Private Sector Participation (PSP) in Solid Waste Management Practices in Lagos some years ago, several residents were against it. But today, Lagos

is the cleanest state in Nigeria and Aba, in Abia State the dirtiest state is Nigeria.

We only achieved this through the PSP and proper management of our environment despite the huge population, he said “You are not going to blame the government on everything that is causing a problem. Government is giving us bags and waste bins for free and most of us do not pay.

When there are heaps of refuse, it will affect the underground water. This is also an environmental element that reduces the qual-

ity of our natural water.

“Everybody knows the law and we all know it is against the law to dumb refuse on the road in the river, canal etc but we all do it. Is that a fault of the government? Are we protecting or safeguarding the environment for the next generation but we are not doing enough.

When wast collectors come to our area we don’t pay them. When it is raining we throw our refuse in the gutter. We constantly see rich people throw their gabbage on the street.

The LASEPA boss added: “So environmental degradation and pollution is not akin to the illiterates but the elites are also culprits.

Lagos state government is spending billions of naira to dredge the canals. We need to give love to the environment. I want my great grandchildren to be in a better environment.

On social classification of people living in Lagos, the ageny’s helmsman said that the people living in suburbs and slums pay their bills and encourage the environmental protection agencies more than their counterpart in high brow areas in Lagos.

He also said that the rich people are destroying the environment with their carefree attitude.

“When we also started planting tree we were also accused of wasting government money. We have all seen the advantages it gives when we travel abroad. Planting of trees is means of reducing noise pollution and flooding.

According to the organizer of the event and President of Ecologistics Integrated Services Ltd, Dr. Paul Abolo the environment is speaking to us that we are abusing it.

“Everyone in the world is in a relation with the environment and a time will come when this relationship will breakdown. So everyone needs to make sure that this relationship continues” Abolo said that sustainable consumption and production means using resources either to bring one satisfaction without necessarily using that resource in such a way that would cause problems to the user, other people or the environment; and using it in such a way that it is not going to be wasteful.

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NCAA probes Aero incident

By Lawani Mikairu

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AGOS—NIGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, yesterday, said it would investigate the emergency landing of Kaduna-bound Aero flight at Abuja Airport last Friday.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 – 500 with registration no. 5N – BLE and Flight no. NG 181, departed Lagos at 6.35p.m., with 102 passengers on board.

According to Faan Ndubuoke, General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA: “The Director General, NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman, has indicated that the Aero Contractor ’s LagosKaduna service that diverted to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last Friday, will be investigated.”

It will be recalled that the Aero flight suffered a de-pressurised cabin, which triggered the oxygen masks to drop and the flight diverted.

Borno inaugurates 8th Assembly, retains Speaker

By Ndahi Marama

M

AIDUGURI—THE 8th assembly of Borno State legislature was, yesterday, inaugurated in Maiduguri, the state’s capital.

The inauguration was carried out at the legislative chambers of the state House of Assembly, under the supervision of the acting Clerk of the House, Lawan Gazabure, who administered the oath of allegiance on the retained Speaker, Abdulkarim Lawan, and his deputy, Danlami Gamandi.

At yesterday’s sitting, the lawmakers, who are all members of All Progressives Congress, APC, also voted that officers of the last Assembly should be allowed to retain their positions in the new legislative session.

NBA CONFAB: From left— Mr. Asue Ighodalo, Chairman; Mr. Yemi Adeola, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, both of Sterling Bank Plc, and Mr. Chris Ajuyah (SAN), former Attorney-General of Delta State, at the Nigerian Bar Association’s conference on business law sponsored by the bank in Lagos, yesterday.

Disease centre, WHO call on NAFDAC to probe ogogoro crisis

By Victoria Ojeme

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BUJA— NATIONAL Centre for Disease Control in Nigeria and World Health Organisation have called on National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to conduct an investigation into the 38 persons that died after

drinking ogogoro ( local gin) in Ondo and Rivers states.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, stated this in Abuja, yesterday.

He said NAFDAC will soon begin to confiscate ogogoro and conduct sensitisation across the country.

He said: “Fifteen left over samples of the local gin (ogogoro) were collected by

the officials of Ondo State Ministry of Health and were submitted to NAFDAC Laboratory, Oshodi, for analysis.

“The results of the laboratory investigation revealed Methanol toxicity.

Five of the samples were found to contain high concentration of Methanol in them (4.53 to 16.92%) which

Nigeria hosts joint training for ECOWAS military officers

By Agaju Madugba

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ADUNA—ABOUT 230 military officers converged at the Armed Forces Command Staff College, AFCSC, Jaji, near Kaduna, yesterday, to begin a joint training under the auspices of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Combined Joint African Exercise, CJAX. Organisers of the programme say it is part of efforts at ensuring greater integration among military forces from the West Africa sub-region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, AFCSC Commandant, AVM John Ifemeje, said the exercise will train the participanting officers at the operational level in joint multinational and interagency environment to promote synergy between ECOWAS Command and Staff Colleges.

According to Ifemeje, “it

will promote better understanding of the challenges involved in planning and coordinating a complex multinational peace support operations, PSO. “The exercise will also serve

to promote understanding between the African Union and African Standby Force procedures and forge critically important professional and social links among ECOWAS military personnel.”

is equivalent to 4500mg/L169,200mg/L. “Blood methanol concentration above 1500-2000mg/L will certainly lead to death in untreated patients.

“This high concentration of Methanol contained in the local gin is unwholesome and unfit for human consumption.”

He said samples from there have been sent to laboratories for further analysis and the results will be communicated to the public once received.

He called on the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered spirit and unregistered bitters.

Orhii said: “Immediate reporting and evacuation to the nearest tertiary health institution as quick intervention can save lives. States should collaborate with National Centre for Disease Control in establishing special treatment centres for such cases.”

Labour pickets textile firm over alleged N47m debt deduction, contributory regrettable that a 47-year-old

By Oboh Agbonkhese

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AGOS—THE leadership of National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, and aggrieved workers, yesterday in Lagos, picketed and crippled operations of the Nigerian Ropes Plc over N47 million allegedly owed its workers and non-remittance of some deductions, including pensions.

Other deductions were said to include non-remitted tax

pension and non-payment of N1.8 million death allowance to a late staff.

Others are N3.6 million non-remitted co-operative deductions, N1.3 million staff compensatory benefit, 15 percent increase in salary, N238 union dues and nonpayment of accident claims.

Addressing the workers, General Secretary of the union, Mr. Isa Aremu, said the objective of the protest was to draw the attention of employers to the need for a decent work place in the country.

Aremu said it was

company, one of the oldest in Nigeria, was owing workers 37 months’ salary amounting to N47 million.

He, however, said the Ministry of Labour and Productivity had scheduled a meeting today with the union and the workers to find a solution to the problem.

Contacted, Mr. Chima Orujugba, the company’s Human Resource Manager, said the company did not lock out its workers, saying “we did not lock out workers. The company is temporary not functioning.”

On why the workers were outside, he said: “Sorry, I cannot tell you more.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 55

Vigilance operatives nab kidnap suspect in Onitsha market

Ecobank names Ayeyemi new CEO

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

By Yinka Kolawole, with Agency Reports

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NITSHA—VIGILANCE operatives attached to Millennium Merchant Line, Sokoto Road Market, near Onitsha Main Market, Onitsha, Anambra State, yesterday, apprehended a middle-aged man over his alleged involvement in kidnapping a 12-year old girl in Enugu State.

The suspect, whose name was given as Ambrose Amaechi, according to sources, had allegedly abducted his victim whom he identified on arrest as Miss Charity Okoh in Enugu but on getting to Onitsha, he was apprehended inside the market at “Importers Line.”

The suspect, who claimed to reside at Onitsha Military Cantonment, confessed that he was at the market to buy a new skirt for the victim as her being in her school uniform would make people suspect foul play.

The source said the suspect drew attention of the vigilance operatives and the public when the victim started undressing at the centre of the market, exposing all her body.

The source stated that not wanting to take any chances, the

E

From left; Mr Taj Onigbanjo, Director, Internet Solution; Mr Emeka Eboegbune, Chief Information Officer, First City Monument Bank and Olusola Teniola,Chief Executive Officer, Internet Solution during the Internet Solutions Wine Tasting at XO Winery, Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo by Akeem Salau. traders alerted the chairman of the market, Chief Valentine Ezechukwu and his Secretary, Mr. Ikenna Igboamaeze, who arrived the scene shortly after the suspect and the victim had been taken away by the market security operatives.

On reaching the security office, the victim who had now

regained her consciousness, narrated that she was in her school uniform going to school in Enugu on Monday morning when the suspect called her and she answered, thinking that he had a message for her and hung a necklace round her neck and she immediately became unconscious.

She said that while she became

CPN seeks more investment in IT to drive economic devt

By Emeka Aginam

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HE Computer Registration Professionals Council of Nigeria, CPN, has asked the Federal Government to invest in information technology to drive socio-economic development of 21st century Nigeria.

CPN Registrar, Sikiru Shehu at a briefing to unfold programmes of 2015 CPN organised IT Professionals’ Assembly, said that the government should increase its funding to CPN to enable it carry out its activities and also implement the resolutions that will come out from the 2015 IT Assembly starting tomorrow in Calabar, Cross River State.

According to the Registrar, with proper deployment and funding of IT, issues around corruption and some of the social vices affceting Nigeria would be

reduced to the barest minimum.

“Government must give priority attention to IT for digital economy. IT should be part of the current administration’s agenda. There is need for more support and investment in IT,” he said.

Also speaking, Idowu Olusile, Cordinator, IT Assembling Organizing Committee of CPN, noted that Nigeria can only develop and catch up with the rest of the developed economies of the world if IT was given priority attention.

“I want to see IT in governance. CPN is willing to work with the government in this regard. Social vices will be solved if IT is properly deployed. Government should patronise made in Nigeria IT products and services.

Government should encourage the patronage of original

equipment manufacturers, OEMs in the country as part of its local content policy. This is the only way to develop local capacities,” he said.

Throwing more light on the IT Assembly, Shehu said that the forum will be an exclusive networking event for senior and up-coming IT decision makers, consultants, entrepreneurs, practitioners, teachers, students, systems administrators and other interested members of the public.

unconscious, they both boarded a vehicle to Onitsha, adding that she still remained unconscious until she started removing the necklace hung on her neck while attempting to change to a new skirt bought for her by the suspect on the scene which attracted the attention of the traders and his consequent arrest by the operatives.

The arrest, which drew the attention of the entire market and the adjoining Onitsha Main Market Traders disrupted business activities for about an hour before the Chairman, Ezechukwu; the Secretary, Igboamaeze and other members of the executive ordered the traders to return to their shops.

Meanwhile, both the suspect, Amaechi and the victim, Charity have been handed over to the Department of Security Service, DSS, for further interrogations.

UNIPORT honours ex-President Jonathan

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— UNIVERSITY of Port Harcourt is to honour former President Goodluck Jonathan as a distinguished fellow of the university at its 30th convocation ceremony slated for Saturday.

Vice Chancellor of the

University, Professor Joseph Ajienka, who made this known to newsmen yesterday in Port Harcourt, said 40 students bagged first class honours, adding that 10 of them were from the faculty of humanities.

“Former President Jonathan will be the first to be honoured and we are proud that he took all

Lawmaker hails Buhari over relocation of military command centre to Maiduguri

By Ndahi Marama

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AIDUGURI— THE member representing Hawul in Borno State House of Assembly, Ayuba Wakawa, has commended President Muhammad Buhari and the Nigerian military for moving the

C O B A N K Transnational Incorporated, parent company of the Ecobank Group, has announced the appointment of Ade Ayeyemi as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, with effect from September 1, 2015.

A statement by the panAfrican bank, said Ayeyemi, 52, will replace Albert Essien, who is retiring on June 30, after 25 years of service with the group.

It said an interim arrangement would be made by the bank’s Board for the management of the group during the period July 1 to August 31, pending the resumption of the new boss.

Ayeyemi is currently Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Citigroup’s subSaharan Africa division, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“He is an accounting graduate of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, South-West Nigeria, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours. He also studied at the University of London and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme. ''He trained as UNIX Administrator and Network Operating Systems Manager,” the statement said.

Military Command and Control Centre to Maiduguri to confront the Boko haram insurgency.

Wakawa, in an interview with journalists after the inauguration of the lawmakers at the Assembly complex, said the decision to move the military command centre with all its

service chiefs was long overdue Hawul is from one of the local government areas badly affected

by Boko Haram terrorism.

He said: “The decision to move the military high command to Maiduguri is a welcome development. Our people have suffered much in the hands of

insurgents, many were brutally killed, places of worship, business centres, offices, houses and other property worth billions of naira destroyed.

“I agree with President Buhari’s decision, as this will give hope to our people and end the lingering crisis bedevilling us.''

his degrees from unique UNIPORT. “This rare fellowship is being conferred on the former President in recognition of his exemplary leadership of the country and contributions to the development of his alma mater,” he said.

He said other faculties that produced first class honours were Social Sciences, Education, College of Engineering, College of Natural and Applied sciences, management, agriculture and school of Science Laboratory.

“A further breakdown of the figure shows that in the undergraduate category, 41 graduands earned the First Class (Honours) Degree of the university. Out of this number, 10 are from the Faculty of Humanities,” he said.

56— VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 9 , 2015

Faces of G7 leaders at the Elmau castle in Kruen near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, yesterday.

G7 leaders agree to strive for low-carbon economy G

ROUP of Seven leaders, yesterday agreed to wean their economies off carbon fuels and supported a global goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but they stopped short of agreeing their own immediate binding targets.

In a communique issued after their two-day summit in Bavaria, the G7 leaders said they backed reducing global greenhouse gas emissions at the upper end of a range of 40 to 70 percent by 2050, using 2010 as a basis. The range was recommended by the IPCC, the United Nations’ climatechange panel.

They also backed a global target for limiting the rise in average global temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial levels.

“We commit to doing our part to achieve a low-carbon global economy in the longterm, including developing and deploying innovative technologies striving for a transformation of the energy sectors by 2050, and invite all countries to join us in this endeavor,” the communique read.

G7 host Angela Merkel of Germany, once dubbed the “climate chancellor”, hoped to revitalize her green credentials by getting the G7 nations to agree specific emissions goals ahead of a larger year-end United Nations climate meeting in Paris The leaders stopped short of agreeing any such immediate binding targets for their economies. Green lobby groups nonetheless welcomed the direction of their agreements.

“They’ve given important political signals, but they could have done more, particularly by making concrete national commitments for immediate action,” said Sam Smith, leader of the WWF Global Climate and Energy Initiative. “We had hoped for more commitments on what they would do right now.”

The Europeans had pressed their G7 partners to sign up to legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and European Union took a firm stance on Russia and its involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Merkel said the G7 countries were ready, if necessary, to strengthen sanctions against Russia.

The leaders want Russia and Ukraine to comply with

a Feb. 12 ceasefire agreed in the Belarus capital Minsk that largely halted fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

“We are also ready, should the situation escalate, which we don’t want, to strengthen sanctions if the situation makes that necessary, but we believe we should do everything to move forward the political process of Minsk,” Merkel told a final news conference of a two-day G7 summit in Bavaria.

In the communique, the leaders said they expected Russia to stop its support for separatist forces in Ukraine and implement the Minsk agreements in full. The sanctions, they said, “can be rolled back when Russia meets these commitments.”

The leaders discussed the Greek debt crisis as a group and also in bilateral meetings during the summit at the foot of Germany ’s highest

mountain, the Zugspitze.

Merkel said there was not much time left for a debt deal to keep Greece in the euro zone and that Europe was prepared to show solidarity if Athens implemented economic reforms.

“We want Greece to remain part of the euro zone but we take the clear position that solidarity with Greece requires that Greece makes proposals and implements reforms,” she said.

“There isn’t much time left. Everyone is working intensively. The day after tomorrow there will be opportunity to discuss it with the Greek prime minister. Every day counts now,” she said.

Greece’s leftist government last week rejected proposals for a cash-for-reforms deal put forward by European lenders and the International Monetary Fund, but has yet to put forward its own alternative to unlock aid funds that expire at the end of June.

From left: Nigerian President, Buhari and German Chancellor, Merkel at G7 Meeting in Germany yesterday.

A cross section of G7 participants at the G7 summit at the Elmau castle in Kruen near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, yesterday .

...see window of opportunity for Syria deal

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HE Group of Seven leaders believe a window of opportunity for a political deal in Syria may be opening up that would eventually see President Bashar al-Assad step down, giving way to a new coalition government, officials familiar with the discussions at a G7 summit in the Bavarian Alps said.

The officials cautioned that no breakthrough was imminent and that Russia would need to be on board, but noted that Assad appeared to be increasingly on the defensive after setbacks for his army.

“This could be the opportunity to get a political deal. We need Russia for this,” one of the sources said, adding that the only way for a transition would be for Assad to leave Syria.

Another G7 source said there was a feeling the situation in Syria could be on the verge of change, without giving details.

“There might be more we could do with the regime to work on a transition to different leadership in Syria,” the source said, also adding that this would require Russian involvement. “(We should) work to break the political

deadlock,” the source said.

The sources did not say when or how they would advance such a transition, with no obvious alternative to Assad on the government side.

The view also conflicts with assessments from sources close to Damascus who see a protracted battle ahead and the crisis linked to broader issues including developments in Iraq and the outcome of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Iran is seen as essential to advancing any settlement to the fouryear-old Syrian conflict.

The deputy leader of top Assad ally Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, said last month insurgents would be unable to topple the Syrian government despite their recent gains and that Syria’s allies, including Iran and Russia - would back Assad as long as needed.

The Syrian army and allied militia have lost large areas of land in the past two months to insurgents including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Islamic State, which has seized the central ancient city of Palmyra.

From right: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi outside the Elmau castle in Kruen near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, yesterday.

From left:German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before the second working session of the G7 summit at the Elmau castle in Kruen near GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany, yesterday.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 9 , 2015 — 57

Gambia President wants ICC to investigate migrants' deaths

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UN accuses Eritrea of horrific abuses E

RITREA’S government is responsible for systematic and widespread human rights abuses on an almost unprecedented scale, driving some 5,000 Eritreans to flee every month, a UN investigation said yesterday.

Wrapping up a year-long probe, a UN commission of inquiry on the human rights situation in Eritrea described a nightmare-like society in the authoritarian Horn of Africa state.

The report detailed horrific torture, including electric shock, near drowning, sexual abuse and forcing people to stare at the burning sun for hours.

Its nearly 500-page report details how the country, under Isaias Afwerki’s iron-fisted regime for the past 22 years, has created a repressive system in which people are routinely arrested at whim, detained, tortured, killed or go missing. A system of indefinite conscription of all Eritreans also forces many to toil in slave-like

conditions in the military and other state jobs, sometimes for decades.

“Systematic,widespreadand gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in Eritrea with impunity under the authority of the government,” said Sheila Keetharuth, one of the threecommissionmembers.

The report found that some of the numerous abuses committed in Eritrea “may constitute crimes against humanity”, she told journalists, pointing out that the violations were taking place on a “scope and scale seldom witnessed elsewhere”.

The report provides a list of government and state entities responsible for the abuse, including the military, police, justice ministry and Isaias himself.

The situation has sparked a massive exodus from Eritrea, which after Syria is the second largest source of migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean to get to Europe.

Eritrea, which broke

away from Ethiopia in 1991 after a brutal 30-year independence struggle, is “ruled not by law but by fear,” Keetharuth said.

the hands of ruthless human traffickers.”

The report said some 5,000 people were flooding out of the country

A M B I A N President Yahya Jammeh has called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the deaths of African migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean by boat to Europe.

Nearly 2,000 migrants had died by early May, according to the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Organization for Migration, with about 800 killed in a single shipwreck in April.

Many thousands have reached southern Europe by the sea route. Gambia, with a population of only 1.9 million, is one of the leading countries of origin of the migrants.

“We have a right to call the ICC to investigate not only cases of Gambians but the case of thousands of African young people who have died on the European coast under unusual circumstances,” Jammeh said.

Pistorius to be released from prison August 21

O

•An Eritrean refugee holds his child at Sudan’s Shagarab refugee camp in Kassala.

That, she said, is the main reason why “hundreds of thousands are fleeing their country, risking capture and torture by Eritrean authorities and death at

each month, despite a “shoot-to-kill” policy along the borders, adding to the nearly 360,000 Eritrean refugees counted by the UN last year.

SCAR Pistorius will be released from prison for good behavior on Aug. 21 and go under house arrest after serving just 10 months for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, South Africa’s department of corrections said yesterday.

“He’s behaving himself very well,” Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Zach Modise told The Associated Press. “He hasn’t given us any problems.”

Yet three months after he leaves Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, likely for the comfort of his uncle’s

mansion, the doubleamputee Olympic athlete will again face the possibility of a murder conviction and could be sent back to jail — this time for a minimum of 15 years.

Pistorius was acquitted of murder and found guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, last year for shooting Steenkamp through a toilet door in his home. Prosecutors will again seek a murder conviction at the Supreme Court of Appeal in November, the court announced, also yesterday.

Pistorius’ impending release after serving one-

58—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

THIS WEEK June 8-14, 2015 Aromatherapy Awareness Week aims to bring more recognition of the benefits of aromatherapy and its role in health and wellbeing.

June 12, 2015 World Day Against Child Labour. Established by the International Labour Organisation, is a day to raise public awareness on the need for concerted global action to end the exploitation of child labour.

June 14, 2015

World Blood Donor Day: Marked by the World Health Organisation s around the world. It aims to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank donors for their contribution to saving lives.

LASG, JICA strenghten community health services

By Chioma Obinna & Jennifer Aladetan

I

N a move to improve access to healthcare among residents, the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, have commenced a pro-poor community health project aimed at strengthening outreach services in communities across the state.

The project is also designed to encourage members of the community to take advantage of health care services provided at the Primary Health Centres, PHCs, close to them.

At the flag off in Eti-Osa Local Government Secretariat, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina said the project presently implemented in Eti-Osa LGA, is targeted at poor communities where lack of finance, poor accessibility and limited knowledge is inhibiting access to healthcare services.

She said would-be beneficiaries include Ikota, Bambo, Ebute, Ajiran, Jakande, Ebeute-Ikate areas of the state. The project commenced in 2014 and is expected to run through 2018.

The aim is to expand and improve the concept of universal health coverage, reduce child morbidity and mortality as well as improve maternal health.

"The implementation of the project will include the Continues on Page 36

•Number of Twitter users in African countries like Nigeria has increased exponentially since the onset of the West African Ebola Epidemic.

Twitter users share four billion Ebola messages in a week

By Sola Ogundipe

I

N one week at the height f the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in West Africa in 2014, Twitter users shared over four billion Ebola-related messages.

This discovery is from results of a new study carried out by researchers from Columbia University School of Nursing in New York.

In the study, researchers analysed Ebola-related tweets posted over a week in the early stages of the West African outbreak - from July 24th to August 1st 2014, said Twitter can play a useful role in outbreak monitoring and control.

Over 60 million people received tweets about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, revealed that during the week in question, Nigeria reported its first case of Ebola virus disease, Sierra Leone declared a national state of emergency and the first American was diagnosed with the deadly disease.

It reported that even before official announcements were made by the Nigerian authorities, the World Health Organisation,WHO, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, were sharing news about Ebola cases via Twitter. o

Further, the study disclosed that in the three days prior to Nigeria's official announcement about Ebola, Twitter users had already shared around 1,500 tweets about the outbreak.

Among the first tweets at that time in Nigeria were messages like “#EbolaVirus 1st case discovered Lagos, pls spread the word" and “Guys, #EbolaVirus is in Lagos. Be informed. Be careful."

During the week covered by the study, the researchers analysed over 42,000 tweets - 16,500 of which were unique and over 25,500 were retweets. Over the week, the spread of tweets multiplied by 63 times to over four billion user messages worldwide.

The researchers analysed the timings, distribution and contents of the tweets. The content analysis - using natural language processing techniques - revealed that Twitter users' main topics of discussions were risk factors, prevention education, disease trends, spread and location of Ebola, and compassion for countries in Africa.

The authors note that the number of Twitter users in African countries like Nigeria has increased exponentially, and it is "clear that Twitter is a useful resource for spreading breaking health news in these West

African countries."

They conclude that mining tweets could be a useful way to inform public health education: "The results of this analysis indicate how Twitter can be used to support early warning systems in outbreak surveillance efforts in settings where surveillance systems are not optimal."

Social media allow users to

The number of Twitter users in African countries like Nigeria has increased exponentially, and it is clear that Twitter is a useful resource for spreading breaking health news in these West African countries

play active roles in spreading news. Users can share insights, opinions, fears and ideas, outside the contexts of conventional public health channels.

Twitter is a popular social media application where users can send short messages - called "tweets" - of up to 140 characters. The ability to "retweet" a received message allows for rapid and broad distribution of information.

Worldwide, over 58 million tweets a day are generated by a diverse and growing community of over 645 million registered Twitter users.

Timely information gathering is crucial in outbreak surveillance and an important part of limiting disease spread and ensuring appropriate public health education.

Researchers are increasingly turning to social media as rich seams of data, which, if mined appropriately, can help capture epidemic trends and other important surveillance information.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa - which started in March 2014 - is now the largest and deadliest occurrence of Ebola virus disease to date, with over 11,000 lives claimed and over 27,000 reported cases. In Africa, Nigeria has 9,518 twitter followers, followed by Kenya with 9,246 followers, while South Africa places a distant third.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—59

NMA, Dettol caution against SPDC trains 300 midwives in Niger Delta non-certified products

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By Chioma Obinna

HE Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, and Dettol Antiseptic from RB stable, have warned against usage of noncertified products even as they renewed their partnership on health promotion Speaking during NMA's 55th Annual General Conference held in Ibadan, the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Silivrili Oghuzan, said the on-going campaign is focused on educating Nigerian families about the need for gold standard protection against germs and unwholesome products.

"We see in markets newly introduced sub-standard, non-certified antiseptic and mainly imported products which do not deliver the optimum germ killing benefit to the Nigerian families.

"You cannot take the risk with your loved ones at the end of the day, half protection is no protection, so if your antiseptic liquid does protect you and your family completely. Low price is not good enough reason to buy substandard solutions, cheap products might not always be a better option considering the risk. Dettol is 10 times better in killing germs and is the only proven brand killing 100 illness causing germs," he said.

In her presentation, Member, Global Hygiene Council, Dr. Nneoma Idika commended the initiative which is geared towards ensuring families around Nigeria are not exposed to the possible detrimental effects of using substandard and noncertified products.

"To overcome the health challenges posed by usage of substandard and non-certified products she called for an all-inclusive

effort "Intervention strategies including private public participation such as championed by RB in the 'Anti-Cheapie' Campaign against suboptimal foods, drugs, antiseptics, cosmetics in Nigeria are highly recommended. For improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria, proper coordination of burning issues by stakeholders will be necessary" she said.

Theme of this year's NMA conference "The Nigerian health sector: current trends, burning Issues and what the future holds".

By Chioma Obinna

H

EALTHCARE delivery in six Niger Delta states looks set for the upswing with the training of 300 midwives that will support government’s effort in getting more skilled health workers to rural communities.

The 18-month midwifery certification training which commenced in 2014 aims to produce skilled and motivated change agents in the hinterland, where statistics show that 45 percent of women are

• L-R: Mrs Christy Carew, Media Relation, NACA/SURE-P, Dr Emmanuel AlHassan, Director Partnerships Coordination, NACA attending to the people, during the NACA/SURE-P, Free Medical Outreach in Lagos, at Kairo Market, Oshodi,Lagos PHOTO; Kehinde Gbadamosi

delivered of their babies with the help of unskilled birth attendants, thereby increasing the risk of maternal and infant mortality in such areas.

The initiative is sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Ltd., SPDC, Joint Venture in collaboration with the governments of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Abia and Akwa Ibom states and New Partnership for Africa Development, NEPAD. “This is a unique intervention that invests not only in the individual beneficiaries but also in the people hoping to benefit from their newly acquired skills,” SPDC’s acting Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Akinwumi Fajola, said at a chequepresentation ceremony in Port Harcourt.

“The training is in line with SPDC’s commitment to improving healthcare in rural areas and will make the much-needed difference in hard-to-reach locations in the Delta.”

SPDC’s acting HoD, Partnership and Collaboration, Dr. Dennis Oyakhire, said, “In 2014, the beneficiaries received the first instalment of the scholarship fund and today we are happy to be presenting the second (and final) cheques to them. We are all looking forward to enjoying the benefits of this initiative.” The Director of Nursing Services, Abia State Ministry of Health, Pastor Ekeagba Promise acknowleged the training of the midwives.

As part of the programme, the 300 trainees are studying in accredited state schools of midwifery and also sent on clinical attachments in community hospitals, in preparation for the final qualifying examination of the Nigerian Nursing and Midwifery Council.

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I

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You can also visit www.zeevirtualmedia.comand view the full list of what we have in stock for couples. Your wife might need something – Uche I have a really small penis and I once read about a penis sheath of some kind that you wear

over your own penis to make it look bigger. Please can you help me get it? I don’t know what it is called but I prefer it to taking drugs because those ones take time. Thanks – Timi I believe you are referring to penis extensions and there are two different kinds. One is softer and you roll it over the penis like a condom. It is called a penis sleeve.

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So you can choose from any of these – Uche Please why does my wife complain of pain during sex? At first I thought she was pretending until she showed me the bruises. Now I am scared to be intimate with her – Afis The pain and bruising are due to a lack of lubrication. For sex to take place the genitals must be lubricated. Women are supposed to lubricate naturally but they must be properly stimulated sexually for this to be possible.

Sometimes even stimulation and foreplay are not enough and a lubricant becomes necessary. In times like this, a lubricant like the Colt Slick Lubricant or Mood Water Based Lubricant can come in handy. So get any of these lubricants and use as directed. It will eliminate the pain and bruising – Uche That is all for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 07086754515 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria.

For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

60— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

No hiding place for Chad — Musa

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

A

HEAD of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Nigeria and the Republic of Chad this weekend in Kaduna, Super Eagles striker, Ahmed Musa has boasted that there will be no hiding place for the team.

Musa who recently signed a new four year contract with his Russian side, CSKA of Moscow said the entire team was well aware of the importance of the match which he said must be approached with every amount of seriousness so as to avoid the pitfall of last year where the team failed to qualify for the 2015 edition of the tournament.

According to him, the players have put the issue of missing out of the last edition of the tournament behind them adding that presently the coaching crew led by Stephen Keshi is doing everything possible to put the players in the right frame of mind to give all their best in the match billed to take

place at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

“We have really put the issue of not qualifying for the defence of the trophy in Equatorial Guinea behind us. Right now, we are focused to ensure that we do not make any other mistake.

We are not going to take any team for granted because there is no small country in football again. We are going to approach the game with every amount of seriousness and hopefully the victory will be ours at the end of the day.”

Musa who last Saturday donated the sum of N500,000 to an Abuja-based orphanage home also appealed to Nigerian youths to engage themselves in meaningful activities instead of indulging in some anti social vices which he cautioned will not help them in life.

I'll quit Eagles after 2017 AFCON — Enyeama Page 61

Germany Continues from BP on Sunday in Group B. Leonie Maier found a wide-open for Sasic on the edge of the six-yard box for her first goal in the third minute. Sasic headed in a Lena Goessling cross for her second before Goessling set up Mittag in the 29th minute to fire past Dominique Thiamale in goal. Sasic completed her hat-trick in the 31st minute before Mittag made it five in the first half with her second goal.

Mittag notched her own hat-trick in the 64th minute, beating Thiamale on a breakaway. Simone Laudehr scored in the 71st minute and was quickly replaced by Lena Petermann, who found Sara Dabriotz with a cross for Germany’s eighth goal in the 75th minute.

Melanie Behringer drove through the hands of Thiamale for

the ninth and Alexandra Popp completed the rout from a free-kick in the 85th minute.

The two-times World Cup winners hold the record for the biggest tournament win, an 110 rout of Argentina in 2011.

Norway, runners-up at the 2013 European Championship, brushed aside the debutants Thailand 4-0 in their opening Group B match in Ottawa.

Trine Ronning, their captain, converted a free-kick in the 15th minute and the striker Isabell Herlovsen scored a quick first-half double as the Thais struggled to cope with their more muscular and skilful opponents. Ada Hegerberg added a fourth but the Norwegians also spurned several excellent chances.

Maren Mjelde could not add to their tally from the penalty spot, Herlovsen had a goal

Ex-NOC scribe, Oladapo joins IOC commission

T

O become the second Nigerian in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), former Secretary General, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Olabanji Oladapo has been appointed into the IOC’s Communications Commission.

In a letter signed by IOC President, Thomas Bach and dated May 26, 2015, Oladapo’s app-ointment was based on his enormous contributions to sports in Nigeria, Africa and the World. “Following the

unan-imous approval of Olympic Agenda 2020 during the 127th IOC Session in Monaco, and as per recommendation 40, I have reviewed, in consultation with the IOC Executive Board, the scope and compos-ition of the IOC comm-issions, to align them with Olympic Agenda 2020. It is with great pleasure that I appoint you as a Member of the Communications Commission,” Bach said.

Emenike

•Musa

Maradona

Continues from BP

whose last role in football was as “spiritual coach” to the Primera D side Deportivo Riestra, has been a long-term opponent of Blatter and described him as “a dictator” last month.

Now, it appears Maradona is keen to help out with the restructuring of football’s governing body and has offered his chalked off for offside and Hegerberg hit the woodwork twice.

Holland kept pace with the hosts Canada, who opened the tournament with a 1-0 over China on Saturday, by defeating New Zealand in Group A. A moment of brilliance from Lieke Martens gave her side their first World Cup goal in a 1-0 win.

Martens, who plays club football in Sweden, scored her 21st international goal with a superb 33rd-minute shot from outside the area. It left Erin Nayler with no chance in the New Zealand goal. “It’s a dream come true,” said the 22-year-old. “As a girl you dream of scoring at the World Cup.” The Dutch, playing their first ever World Cup, next play China, with their final group game scheduled against Canada.

services to Jordan’s Prince Ali shoud he win the election. “If Prince Ali wins, I have many chances to become Fifa vice-president,” he said on The Football Show on Argentinian TV channel America.

“If I arrive I’ll clean them all up. Blatter is afraid of the FBI and the Swiss police. He was afraid to leave Fifa in handcuffs.”

Maradona also took aim at the Uefa president Michel Platini, while dismissing the former Portugal forward Luís Figo’s chances of succeeding Blatter. “Before I respected him, but then I realised that his word is worth less than Bernardo, Zorro’s friend,” he claimed.

Continues from BP Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike.

Emenike, is unsettled in Turkey and may be moving in the summer.

In December, Fenebahce president Aziz Yildirim claimed he rejected a Russian club offer of a 10 million Euros for the all-action striker.

Ronaldo Continues from BP (£43,000) in total, Aveiro was way over the €10,000 limit that passengers are allowed to carry in cash without declaring to customs.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo said the mumof-four, who lives between her native Madeira and Madrid, had the cash confiscated after being unable to prove its origin.

Having been stopped at Madrid airport on a flight to Portugal, she was stopped by Civil Guard officers who discovered the fortune in her hand luggage.

Unable to prove the origin of the cash, all but €10,000 was

F/Eagles Continues from BP have checked into Rydges Latimer Christchurch, where their rivals for a place in the last-eight of the World Cup are also putting up.

The Flying Eagles, led

by NFF executive committee member Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’, flew out of New Plymouth, where they have played all their group games, for Auckland.

They had a two-hour transit in Auckland before they departed for Christchurch, which was

And now according to fanatic.com, the Istanbul club are ready to release the Nigerian star for a fee of 10 million Euros.

Emenike managed just four goals in 27 appearances in the justended season, when Fenerbache lost their league crown to bitter city rivals Galatasaray.

in 2011 hit by a massive earthquake. They will have their first training in Christchurch today’s evening by 6pm local time.

Their match on Thursday will kick off at 7.30 pm, which will be 8.30am on Thursday in Nigeria.

The winners of this match-up will battle the winners of another Round of 16 match between Ghana and Mali in the quarterfinals, which will also be staged in Christchurch.

conviscated before she was allowed on her flight.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Madrid said: “This woman was stopped and money she was carrying taken and handed over to the Spanish tax authorities along with a report filed by the Civil Guard.

“She will now have to answer to the tax authorities.

My understanding is she will be asked to pay a fine and will have to justify the origin of the money if she wants it back. It’s not a matter that we’ll get involved in.”

A spokesman for the Agencia Tributaria, Spain’s equivalent of the Inland Revenue, said: “We can’t comment on individual cases.

“We can confirm though that the limit on moving cash or cash equivalents to and from Spain is €10,000 and anything over that amount must be declared using the correct form.”

If Aveiro cannot prove the origin of the money, she will have to pay a fine to recover the remaining funds.

The regulations are in place to prevent money laundering, something the 61-year-old grandmother may not have been aware of.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 — 61

FIFA WWC: Okon vows to produce more Oshoala S

UPER Falcons coach, Edwin Okon stated that his team is not a one woman show as football fans in Canada are expecting much from star player Assisat Oshoala.

Oshoala, powered the Nigerian Under-20 team to the FIFA World Cup last year also in Canada.

She has kept on improving and was recently awarded the BBC women football of the year. Oshoala who plays for Liverpool Ladies is determined to impress and move Nigeria out of the group stages.

“Oshoala is important to the team, just like every other player is to the team,” Okon said.

“She is important because she is a player.

She adds an advantage to the team and we expect to see more of Asisat in this tournament.

“I want to produce more of Oshoala’s here.

Nigeria is going to produce more Oshoala’s in this tournament.”

Okon added that discipline, conditioning and commitment are what is keeping his team

•Okon

By JUDE OPARA, Abuja

S

READY TO GO . . . Super Eagles Skipper and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama in action for Nigeria during one of his numerous games. going. The Super Falcons are one of only seven teams to have participated in all seven World Cups (including 2015), but only once have the Super Falcons gotten out of the group.

Meanwhile Oshoala stated that her last year ’s outing with the junior team will help her in the tournament.

“The Under-20s tournament was also held in Canada and I think it will help me having played there before.''

Ogba gets UNIPORT PhD

A

THLETICS Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba will be conferred with a doctorate degree by the University of Port Harcourt for his developmental stride in sports.

According to a letter of notice signed by Matilda Nnodim (Mrs), Registrar and Secretary to Council of the University of Port Harcourt, the instrument that established the University of Port Harcourt empowers it to award degrees, among others. The ceremony is billed for this Saturday at the the Convocation Arena, University Park, University of Port Harcourt..

“The instrument that established the University of Port Harcourt empowers it to award degrees, among others, to persons who have made outstanding contributions in all C M Y K

I'll quit Eagles after 2017 AFCON — Enyeama

•Ogba recognized branches of scholarship as well as public service, both nationally and internationally.

“It is therefore with profound pleasure that I write to convey the decision of the University of Port Harcourt to confer on you an Honorary Degree of Doctors of Science (D.Sc. Honors Causa) in recognition of your outstanding contributions to Sports d e v e l o p m e n t worldwide,”said the letter from the registrar of the institution.

UPER Eagles first choice goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has restated that he will finally call it quits with the Super Eagles after the 2017 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to be staged in Gabon.

Enyeama who had last year hinted of his intention to retire from the national team also disclosed to journalists in Abuja that his wife and pastor were the two strong influences that made him to rescind that decision after the team failed to qualify for the 2015 edition of the championship.

The Lille of France goal tender further insisted that his decision is final because even if the country qualifies for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he will not be available for selection because according to him there is always a time to quit.

F/Eagles now in top gear — NFF boasts •Says Iheanacho is not bigger than the team

By JUDE OPARA, Abuja

A

P PA R E N T LY basking in the euphoria of the resurgence of the national U-20 team, the Flying Eagles in the ongoing FIFA World youth Championship (AYC) in New Zealand, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the U-20 team of Germany would not pose any threat to the dream of the Flying Eagles to reach the finals of the championship as they clash in the second round of the championship on Thursday.

Chairman of the technical committee of the NFF, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu told the Sporting media yesterday in Abuja that the defeat of Nigeria by Brazil was a blessing in disguise because it re awakened the desire of the players to play well on the championship which they are competing as African champions.

“I think there is no stopping the Flying Eagles. Even though they are playing Germany who are also the European champions, I strongly believe that the team is confident enough to pick the final ticket in this championship.

FLOORED . . . Flying Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi (18) beats goalkeeper, Gyorgy Szekely of Hungary to score Nigeria’s second goal. Photo: FIFA

First ever athletics competition excites Anambra officials •As athletes jostle for N1.5m jackpot

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NAMBRA State sports enthusiasts are excited by the prospect of hosting the first ever national athletics competition in the State.

Anambra, is the home of Nigerian athletics great like Innocent Egbunike and Mary Onyali, but has

no track facility until recent when the State governor, Willy Obiano paid for the installation of a tartan track at the Rojenny Stadium Oba, near Onitsha. The first leg of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria Golden League will be the first meet to be held at the

Stadium and the State.

N1.5m is up for grabs in the competition, which will hold on Thursday.

To qualify for the jackpot prize, an athlete must win in all legs of Golden League and must participate at the Golden League Final.

62 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015—63

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

RESULT: Sweden 3 Nigeria 3

Maradona may become FIFA’s new vice-president

T

HE 1986 World Cup winner and former Argentina coach, Continues on Page 60

Women’s World Cup 2015:Germany 10 CIV 0

Germany run riot on Cote d'Ivoire C

ELIA Sasic scored the fastest hattrick in Women’s World Cup history and Anja Mittag also scored three to fire the top-ranked Germany to a 10-0 victory over Ivory Coast Continues on Page 60

URKISH club, Fenerbahce have put a price tag of 10m euros (about N1.9b) on Continues on Page 60

Ronaldo’s mother’s €45,000 seized at Madrid Airport

D

OLORES Aveiro, the mother of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, was told to hand over €45,000 (£35,000) after Civil Guard officers discovered the fortune in her hand luggage.

Carrying €55,000

Continues on Page 60

•Ronaldo and his mother

F/Eagles land at Christchurch ahead Germany clash

Fenerbache slam N2.2b prize tag on Emenike

T

•Maradona

ON RAMPAGE — Germany’s Sara Daebritz takes on a defender as the favourites destroyed their low-ranked opponents

F

LYING Eagles a r r i v e d Christchurch Monday evening ahead of

No hiding place for Chad — Musa Page 60

Thursday’s U-20 World Cup Round of 16 clash against European champions Germany.

The African champions

Continues on Page 60

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS: 1 Play (5) 5 Parent (6) 8 Sea-duck (5) 10 Pointer (6) 11 Deserve (4) 14 Fur (6) 15 Superficial (7) 18 Males (3) 19 Brown (3) 21 Trade (4) 23 Started (5) 24 Ballot (4) 27 Spot (3) 29 Finish (3) 31 Convent (7) 32 Sour (6) 34 Acceptable (4) 35 Dismount (6) 38 Apportion (5) 39 Stretch (6) 40 Torment (5)

DOWN: 2 Fish-eggs (3) 3 Interfere (6) 4 Sicken (3) 5 Rid (4) 6 Called (6) 7 Disclose (6) 9 Relegated (7) 12 Limb (3) 13 Number (4) 16 Idol (4) 17 Lorry (5) 20 Unaffected (7) 22 Declare (4) 24 Manly (6) 25 Nurse (4) 26 Encipher (6) 28 Encourage (6) 30 Noise (3) 33 Deceased (4) 36 Fate (3) 37 Man’s (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Stream 5, Numb 8, Bonus 9, Vat 10, Lion 11, Mean 12, Anger 13, Gifted 16, Disc 18, Amen 20, Her 22, Set 23, Lag 24, Hide 25, Peer 28, Deface 30, Faint 32, Wait 33, Safe 34, Inn 35, Deter 36, Bred 37, Flagon.

DOWN: 1, Savage 2, Ratified 3, Allied 4, Connected 5, Numeral 6, User 7, Bend 8, Boa 14, Dispensed 15, Peg 17, See 19, Managing 20, Hit 21, Related 26, repeal 27, Penon 29, Swab 30, Fide 31, Tar.

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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