Why we can't probe ex-service chiefs — ARMY

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62691

Savings from fuel subsidy removal rise to N647m daily 9

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N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Dr. Irene Damola, 75, burnt to death in fire incident

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Late Dr. Irene Damola

TWINS: Twice as nice or double the See the new Woman's trouble? •Own on Pages 27-30

Why we can't probe ex-service chiefs — ARMY

By Kingsley Omonobi, Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

•No recalling dismissed 250 soldiers, says COAS •As dismissed soldiers gather, protest in Abuja •Army shuts markets in Borno, Yobe states

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BUJA—THE Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said, yesterday, that the Army cannot probe ex-service chiefs involved in procurement of weapons for the fight against Boko Haram because they had retired.

Buratai, who disclosed this while defending Army’s budget proposal Continues on Page 5

ABUJA LAND GRAB: Senate vows to probe Obasanjo, Jonathan, El-Rufai, others

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Mr & Mrs FOR BEKO—From left, Rights activist, Mohammed Fawehinmi; his mother, Ganiyat; Beko Ransome-Kuti's widow, Bose; Beko's grand-daughter, Nike; President of Women Arise Initiative, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chairman, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd) and Prince Obi Goodluck, during the Commemorative Rally and WreathLaying to mark late Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti's 10th Memorial in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. More on Page 14.

MODIBBO

KAWU

P.19 OCHEREOME NNANNA

Notable new Above Ikpeazu's openings controversial in Adamawa mandate •P.19 C M Y K

P.19 JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN

By 2031, all elections will be nullified!

COLUMNISTS:

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Boko Haram kills 58 in Dikwa suicide blast >7

Lagos seals estate, shopping mall, 15 others over contraventions >10

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POCKET CARTOON

LAGOS @ 50:From left: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with Chairman, Committee for Lagos @ 50, Prof. Wole Soyinka, during the committee's inauguration at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja, yesterday. With them are members of the Committee; Dr. Michael OlawaleCole and Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters.

Why we can't probe ex-service chiefs — ARMY Continues from Page 1 before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, also lamented that the N160 billion budget approved for the Army by the Ministry of Budget and Planning was grossly inadequate to prosecute the war against insurgency in the North East.

His declaration came as the Army, yesterday, said it would not reabsorb the 250 soldiers dismissed last week for failing to join their colleagues posted to the North East. The dismissed soldiers were charged with gross acts of indiscipline, cowardice and absence without leave.

Speaking on the procurement of arms, Buratai said all the service chiefs and other senior officers involved in the procurement have so far retired,

hence the Army is limited on the extent it could go to investigate the procurement.

On Army budget, Buratai said the force had proposed N526 billion for 2016 fiscal year but lamented that only N160 billion was approved.

He pleaded with the committee to assist the force by ensuring that what it had earlier proposed was given so that the Army could carry out all its required assignments, including rehabilitation of the barracks and welfare of officers and men of the force.

He said: “The ministry went below what we actually need minimally.

This honourable House should assist to ensure that what we proposed is given to us.

"The significant drop is not from us but the Budget

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO AILURE is a state of mind, one that is defeated is incapable of seeing that the difference between light and darkness is a single switch. It's up to you.

F

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Gratitude opens the door to power and wisdom, the creativity of the universe —Deepak Chopra

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OU cannot feel envious and grateful at the same time. They’re incompatible feelings. If you’re grateful, you can’t resent someone for having something that you don’t. People who have high levels of gratitude have low levels of resentment and envy. Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we have received. This doesn’t mean that life is perfect; it doesn’t ignore life’s challenges.

But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our lives.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE Who the gods want to kill they first make mad.

Office, but we will appreciate your efforts to make it up so that we can function well.

“If we can get N526 billion today, Nigerian army will not be the same again.

We will make sure that our barracks are rehabilitated and troops and their families taken care of.”

On the release of the 2015 supplementary budget of N3.196 billion for the payment of salaries of Nigerian Army, including N1,987,056,478 for 72 recruitment; N768,637,124 for 62 regular combatant and N440,395,803 for 22 direct short service, Buratai said the Accountant-General of the Federation had announced the release of the fund.

He said: “The Accountant General of the Federation was in my office this morning (Wednesday) and said some funds will be released. I believe it is the supplementary budget.”

The COAS told the committee that the Army had deployed equipment to the North East where there is insurgency and the Niger Delta where there is renewed attacks on oil pipelines.

He said the Army concentrated more on ammunition, adding that the rate of expenditure on ammunition in the North East zone was very high.

The Army chief also lamented what he described as deduction at source by the Ministry of Finance on utility bills, especially power.

Commenting on the dilapidation of barracks across army formations, he said it was unfortunate that the barracks were left to decay for several years, adding that the situation required deliberate intervention by the Federal Government.

He said: “The situation in the Barracks requires

maximum and urgent intervention from the Federal Government. ‘’This unfortunate situation should be reversed for us to perform our duty for the betterment of the country.”

Chairman of the House Committee on Army, Rima Shawulu, called for urgent review of the procurement of arms and ammunition for the Nigerian Army and all the security agencies operating in the country.

Shawulu, expressed concerns over the sorry state of facilities in the 30 military formations and barracks visited recently during the familiarisation tour conducted by the committee.

He said: “In all, we visited and related with officers in about 30 formations in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The findings are sobering and a rethinking of the way we do things.

“It is sobering that the officers and men who have dedicated their lives to fighting to keep us safe, live in such scandalous accommodation. It is also shocking that the decay and rot in the system has been left unchecked and our soldiers fighting without required equipment.

“The controversies over the purchase of arms and ammunition or alleged purchase of inferior or substandard arms call for an urgent review of our processes. Indeed as several scholars, leaders and generals have repeatedly affirmed, war is too important to be left in the hands of generals.

“The world has moved on and in most democratic countries, representatives of the people, the parliament is involved in the details of implementation of budgets and procurement processes.”

No recalling 250 dismissed soldiers

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday said it would not reabsorb the 250 soldiers dismissed last week for failing to join their colleagues posted to the north east.

The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, said the soldiers were dismissed over gross acts of indiscipline, cowardice, and absence without leave.

“The attention of the Nigerian Army has also been drawn to a set of 250 protesting dismissed soldiers in Nigerian Union of journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Kaduna, pleading through the media to be reabsorbed again into the Nigerian Army,” Mr. Usman, a colonel, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“They were part of the 2,023 dismissed soldiers

last year that were earlier reinstated into the Service by the present Chief of Army Staff. However this set of soldiers (the 250) absconded for more than one week when they were told that they were to move to North East on the 6th of January 2016.

“They started coming back when they realised that others were moved to units other than the theatre of operations in the North East. Please note that all efforts were made to make all the reinstated soldiers comfortable and integrate them into the system.

“The protesting soldiers are the few who are recalcitrant to military duties and discipline.

They are simply not interested in army job but want to earn salary. No one should listen to them as they are not patriotic at all,” he said.

250 Soldiers protest over ‘unlawful’ dismissal

The 250 soldiers from the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna, had last Tuesday stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat to protest their unlawful dismissal.

According to the embattled soldiers, they were dismissed unlawfully since 1st of February, this year for an offence they believed was pardonable.

The soldiers said they were part of 3,000 soldiers dismissed by the Nigerian Army last year for various offenses in the North-East while fighting the insurgents but were later reinstated after thorough screening to ascertain their credibility.

The soldiers, who craved anonymity, said they came to the NUJ secretariat to allow the public know about their predicament, especially, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Army authorities.

“We are young and ready to serve our country, we are ready to serve the Nigerian Army. We have families to cater for and we want to be pardoned for any offense we must have committed.

“We want the world to

know that after we were reinstated in the Nigerian Army, we have received three months intensive training and for us to be dismissed now because we came late at the last parade, is inhuman,” one of the soldiers lamented.

On why they were absent at the last parade, one of the soldiers explained: “We had to walk for about 30 minutes before getting to the parade ground because most of the soldiers affected are not mobile and are not living inside the Army barracks.

“Some of us were not even aware of the parade taking place on that day.

It was later we were alerted and when we got to the venue, we were ordered to submit our uniforms and other things belonging to the Army which we did.”

Military to close markets in Borno, Yobe over B-Haram

The Army also yesterday shut markets in Borno and Yobe states which Boko Haram terrorists use as cover to sabotage efforts of the military in the ongoing war against insurgency.

In a statement signed

by Sani Usman, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the Army said the traders engaged in illegal commercial activities such as trading and smuggling, especially during late hours.

The statement read in part: “This is more prevalent in some towns and villages within the North East especially in Borno and Yobe states.

“The unpatriotic and selfish elements have clandestinely been aiding the terrorists with logistics and other supplies, through smuggling and other forms of illicit trading, thus sustaining them, while the merchants of death make money out of it. “From now on, some markets identified to be engaging in this illegal trade with the adversary in Borno and Yobe states will be closed. Any breach of that would be dealt with accordingly. The GOCs and other commanders have been directed accordingly.”

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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Babalola varsity:

Case adjourned, students remain in custody

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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HE trial of the 17 students of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, involved in the violent protest that rocked the institution on Sunday night was, yesterday, adjourned till tomorrow for further hearing by an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Adegboye, who had, Tuesday, ordered the students remanded in police custody till yesterday, granted them N300,000 bail and one surety in like sum each.

Yesterday, he ordered them remanded in prison custody till the outcome of the advice from the office of the state Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, over the fresh charges preferred against the students.

The plea of the accused were not taken as their counsel, Mr. Peter Ogunkile, Chris Omokhafe and eight others, sought for a date of adjournment pending the advice of the DPP office.

10 cheat death as cars fall off cliff

By Prisca Sam-Duru

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BOUT 10 people escaped death, Tuesday, when an ML 230 SUV ran into a commuter Opel Astra car, with both cars falling off the cliff along Iperin-Ijebu Ode Road.

It was gathered that both vehicles were travelling from the Main Campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, to Ijebu Ode when the accident occurred, leaving the Opel Astra badly damaged while the passengers and the drivers escaped with minor injuries.

The driver of the Opel Astra said it was the speeding SUV that suddenly started turning around in a circle and rammed into his car, sending them both off the cliff.

The arrival of men of the police force ensured the occupants of the vehicles were safely evacuated.

Septuagenarian burnt to death

By Angela Okpe

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retired radiologist and the eldest child of late Ologbosere of Warri Kingdom, Chief O. N. Rewane, was yesterday burnt to death in an early morning fire in Lagos.

The cause of the fire that killed the 75-year-old Dr. Irene Damola (nee Rewane) at her 5, Tola Adewunmi Street, Maryland, Lagos residence, could not be ascertained at press time.

Vanguard gathered that the fire started from her bedroom in the duplex occupied by her and a domestic staff.

Eyewitnesses said smoke was noticed upstairs at midnight, following which security men raised alarm. Efforts by the private guards in the street to put out the fire failed.

Eyewitnesses said: “Some people even attempted to move in to rescue Dr. Damola, but the entrance door was locked.

“The young lady living with her later opened the door. By the time the fire was put out by the fire service men, she had been burnt to death.”

Lagos State Fire Service

Dr. Irene Damola (nee Rewane) and her house, inset.

Director, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, said the fire service got to the scene at about 4.02a.m. as soon as they got the information and tried to save the lives of the occupants.

He said: “It is a five-bedroom apartment. The woman, Dr. Irene Damola, lives upstairs,

while the young lady staying with her lives downstairs. The fire started from her bedroom.

“She made efforts to escape, but the fire caught up with her at the door of her bedroom, where my men met her dead.

“We were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the

Suicide bomber kills 58 at Borno IDPs camp T

WO female bombers attacked an InternallyDisplaced Persons, IDP, camp in Dikwa Local Government Area, Borno State, at about 6:30a.m. yesterday, and detonated their Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDS, killing about 58 persons.

However, the Executive Chairman of State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Satomi Ahmed, told reporters that 30 were killed and 78 injured in the attack.

He noted that the lack of telecommunications network in Dikwa council meant that SEMA did not receive word of the attacks until late morning, yesterday.

He said: “We were not informed of the attacks until this morning (Wednesday). As soon as we heard, SEMA and NEMA officials were on the scene. We evacuated 78 injured persons to Maiduguri.”

He added that he could not confirm the casualty figures at this time, but that about 30 people were believed to have died in the attack.

However, rescue workers said more than fifty-five people were killed and that most of the victims were women and children.

The suicide bombing follows the invasion of two communities in Damboa LGA by Boko Haram on Monday, which led to the

death of six people and the theft of food.

A member within the Civilian Joint Task Force, who is based in Biu town, told newsmen that the invaders hit Kalari and

Adikai villages around 2p.m.

Monday.

“They killed six people, wounded two others and burnt down the villages; nothing remains,” he said.

YABATECH students on rampage over colleague's death

By Evelyn Usman

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TUDENTS of Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, yesterday, went on rampage, protesting the death of a final year student at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebutte-Meta.

They said their colleague’s death was due to negligence on the part of medical staff at the hospital, threatened to raze Yaba Medical Centre and the hospital, calling for the Medical Director's resignation.

Late Dazan Mautin Charity, a Higher National Diploma, HND, student of Office Technology, Bilingual (French), was to conclude her final examination next Monday.

How she died

One of the students, Olamide, who rushed late Charity to the hospital, told Vanguard: “We rushed her to the medical centre by 12noon yesterday (Tuesday).

“They told us there was no bed

Late Dazan Mautin Charity space and we waited for four hours before drugs were given her.”

He said although a doctor directed that she be admitted, a nurse sent them away, only for her case to get worse when they got to the hostel.

On returning to the centre at about 10p.m, they were reffered to Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Meta, where they were made to cough out N35,000 before treatment could begin.

It was while all these were going on that Charity passed on at about 2a.m. yesterday

ground floor. The corpse was handed over to policemen from Anthony Village Division.”

Late Dr. Damola retired as a radiologist in Saudi Arabia before returning to Nigeria. She also worked at Lagos University Hospital, LUTH.

18 die in East-West Road accident

By Emem Idio

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ENAGOA—TRAGEDY struck yesterday morning along the Bayelsa/ Rivers states axis of the East-West Road, as about 18 people reportedly died in a fatal auto crash.

An eyewitness said the accident occurred when an 18-seater commercial vehicle heading to Yenagoa from Port Harcourt had a headon collision with a truck coming from Mbiama axis towards Port Harcourt, killing all occupants of the commercial vehicle, including the driver and conductor.

The accident, which was blamed on speeding on the part of the commercial driver, happened in Odhilogbo community of Ahoada West LGA and caused traffic gridlock, with motorists and commuters begging for help to evacuate the victims.

Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Ahmed Mohammed, said five people died, with only one injured, adding that investigations were ongoing.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Abuja land grab: Senate vows to probe Obasanjo, Jonathan, El-Rufai, others

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA — THE Senate, yesterday, vowed to probe former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan as well as ministers who served under them to correct alleged violation of the master plan of the nation’s capital city.

Addressing journalists, yesterday, Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), who did not exempt any former Minister of the FCT or President in the proposed probe, said as a government of change, it was prepared to send any one found guilty to Kuje Prison which he said was not far from the Federal Capital City, FCC. Melaye, while condemning what he described as the bastardization of Abuja Masterplan, however, expressed worry over why former FCT ministers allocated green areas designed for flood drains, city buffers, recreations, urban farming, reserved land and undevelopable areas to themselves and their friends.

The probe may also be extended to former Presidents because by the law establishing the FCT, the President is the governor-general of FCT who appoints a minister to administer the city on his behalf.

Melaye said: “With this administration of change, it is no longer going to be business as usual. Permit me to remind FCT administration again by stating that this committee will not hesitate to ensure that all administrative anomalies, misappropriation of funds or misapplication of laws as the case may be, occasioned by the past administrations of FCT, are fully addressed. This is what justice demands in these circumstances; to right the wrongs.

“Therefore, the committee is worried and frowns on satanic and misleading advice and recommendation to convert very important and beautiful natural endowments or features which are very scanty like the world acclaimed Maitama Hills, popularly known as Ministers’ Hills, which could serve as a tourist attraction to the residents of FCT. “I want to state here again that if the bourgeois of this country need a special allocation, a new district can be dedicated to them and not destroy the beauty of the city centre, a national monument like the Maitama Hills."

Since the inception of the Federal Capital Territory from when it was a ministry to when it became Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, 16 ministers, including the present, Mohammed Bello, had so far been at the helm of affairs of the

city.

During the former President Obasanjo regime, the ministers were Ibrahim Bunu, PDP, 19992001; Mohammed Abba Gana, PDP, 2001-2003; Mallam Nasir el- Rufai, PDP then, now APC, 2003-2007; Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar, PDP, 2007- 2008; Senator

Muhammadu Adamu Aliero, PDP, then, now APC, 2008-2010 and Senator Bala Mohammed, PDP, 2010-2015.

Before former President Obasanjo’s government, other ministers were Mobolaji AiseAdeogun, 1976- 1979; John Jatau Kadiya, 1979-1982; Iro Dan

Musa, 1982-1983; Senator Haliru Dantoro, 1983-1984; General Mamman Vatsa, 1984- 1985; Hamza Abdullahi, 1986-1989; Gado Nasko, 19891993; General Jeremiah Useni, now a serving Senator, 19931998 and General Mamman Kontagora, 1998- 1999.

Reps divided over N6bn Interior Ministry intervention fund

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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VISIT: Chairman, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni (right) presenting a gift to Governor Abdufattah Ahmed of Kwara State when the management team of the company paid courtesy call on the governor, in Ilorin.

FG spends N825bn on travel allowances, stationery, others in 3 years —Finance ministry

By Omoh Gabriel & Ediri Ejoh

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AGOS—THE Federal Government spent N825 billion in three years on travels, maintenance, local and international training, welfare and stationery/computer consumables.

Disclosing this, yesterday, Head of the Efficiency Unit, set up by the Ministry of Finance to streamline government overhead expenditure, Patience Oniha, said from the study of government overhead expenditure it carried out between 2012 and 2014, 60 per cent of Federal Government's overhead expenditure were, on the average, incurred through local and international travels, maintenance, local and international training, welfare, office stationery and consumables, honourarium and sitting allowance, meals and refreshment and books.

She said: “In furtherance of its commitment to re-prioritise spending and cut cost on recurrent expenditure, The Efficiency Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance is planning to introduce detailed price guidelines to ensure value for money in procurement by Ministries, Departments and

Agencies (MDAs).

"To reduce the incidence of cash, the deployment of Ministerial Debit Cards is being piloted. The unit, which carried out an extensive and detailed review of the Overhead Expenditure data of the government for the period 2012 to 2014, found that the overhead spending pattern was concentrated on a limited number of items, including travel, maintenance, local and international training, welfare and office stationery/computer consumables.

“The Cumulative Expenditure on these five items was N825 billion, representing 61 per cent of the Cumulative Total Overhead Expenditure of N1,353 billion for 2012 to 2014.

"This means that the average amount expended annually on these five items during this period was N275 billion. The estimate for 2015 shows a continuation of this trend.

"Overhead spending exceeded allocations to capital in all the years reviewed."

Expenditure on honoraria

Another finding from the review was the large expenditure on honoraria and sitting allowances, refreshment

and meals, books, fuel, publicity and adverts.

In relation to procurement, which had been identified as a major source of potential savings for government, the Efficiency Unit had prepared a list of goods and services which were regularly procured

by MDAs. Oniha said by pooling the demand of MDAs, there wwould be opportunities to leverage the resultant bargaining power and secure price discounts and other benefits from suppliers.

"This strategy will deliver savings and reduce the administrative costs inherent in the current procurement process, which is rather fragmented," she said.

She also recalled that “developed countries such as the USA, UK, Canada and Hong Kong have used this strategy successfully to manage their expenditure. Within Nigeria, large and diversified private sector organizations manage their procurement in a similar manner. As a country, Nigeria should be no exception, more so when resources need to be managed tightly to promote spending on capital projects, such as

BUJA — MEMBERS of the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs were, yesterday, divided over a N6 billion Special Intervention Fund in the 2016 budget for the Ministry of Interior.

The Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazzau (retd) had told the lawmakers that the intervention fund would be domiciled in his ministry for the Police and other paramilitary agencies to draw when they required funds to restore civil authority in the North-East.

Reacting, Jonathan Gbewfi (Nasarawa PDP), said the interventions for the police to address the infrastructure deficit in North-East could be addressed in the Police budget.

Gabriel Onyenwife (Anambra APGA) agreed, saying the plan would create unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks before the funds could be accessed.

In a similar manner, Prestige Ossy (Abia PDP) also argued against the fund, saying: “The police know their emergencies, their hotspots and infrastructure deficit. They should take care of what they need, appropriate the funds to them.”

Chairman of the Committee, Halliru Jika, also spoke in favour of the fund,explaining that it would assist infrastructure development and create a synergy between the Police and the ministry.

At this point, chairman of the committee, Jika, ruled that the matter would be decided in the executive session.

Mr. Bassey Ekpenyong, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, made a passionate appeal for the approval of the fund which he likened to a rainy day fund.

Also at the budget defence, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, warned that the N4.5 billion appropriated for the force, instead of the N18 billion estimate submitted to the Budget Office, could only last for a few months.

He also noted that N331 billion submitted for capital budget was the outcome of zero-based budgeting, lamenting that only N17 billion was allocated.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016—9

Savings from fuel subsidy removal rise to N647m daily PPPRA yet to restore kerosene pricing template

By Michael Eboh

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BUJA — NIGERIA is currently saving N647.2 million daily from the suspension of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.

At the current price of N86.50 per litre in petrol stations across the country, the country is making an extra N16.18 per litre.

The Federal Government had stated that this extra saving was kept in an escrow account to serve as a cushion in case of eventuality, such as if the price of crude oil rebounds, leading to an increase in the selling price of PMS. The saving is partly due to the continuous decline in the price of crude oil in the international market, which dragged the open market price of petrol to N70.32 per litre.

The amount the country is saving is based on a 40 million litres average daily consumption of PMS by Nigerians as declared by the Federal Government.

Since the announcement and commencement of the price modulation regime by the Federal Government, the open market of PMS had fluctuated between N4 and N12 per litre before rising to its current level.

Data obtained, yesterday, from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, in its pricing template for PMS for February 9, 2016, revealed that at a retail price of N86.50 per litre, as approved by the Federal Government, the country is saving N16.18 per litre of the product.

The PPPRA put the landing cost of the product at N56.02 per litre, composed of Cost plus Freight — N51.19 per litre; Lightering Expenses — N2.02; NPA Financing — N0.15, Jetty Throughput Charge — N0.60 and Storage Charge — N2.00 per litre.

In addition, total margins stood at N14.30 per litre, composed of Retailers, Transporters and Dealers margins of N5, N3.05 and N1.95 per litre respectively, while Bridging Fund, Marine Transport Average and Admin Charge stood at N4, N0.15, and N0.15 per litre respectively.

The PPPRA put the total cost of the product, which is the expected open market price, at N70.32 per litre and the ex-depot price, which is the price at which petrol stations owners buy from depot, at N76.50 per litre.

PPPRA yet to restore kerosene pricing template

Meanwhile, PPPRA is yet to resume the publication of the pricing template for kerosene, almost a month after reports that the Federal Government had discontinued subsidy on kerosene, as it hiked the price of

the product to N83 per litre.

The PPPRA had on January 24, 2016 published the revised pricing template for kerosene, where it hiked the price of the product to N83 per litre.

Two days later, the PPPRA yanked off the kerosene pricing template from its website and has failed to restore the template ever since.

In the template last seen on the PPPRA’s website, it was revealed that at N83 per litre, the Federal Government is

making a gain of N10.72 for every litre, as it puts the Expected Open Market Price, which is the Landing Cost plus Total Margins, at N72.28 per litre.

The expected open market price is the prevailing open market rate for the product in Nigeria, after taking certain costs into consideration.

Giving a breakdown of the price of kerosene, the PPPRA template put the Landing Cost of the product at N57.98 per

litre, while the total margin due for middlemen was put at N14.30.

Further breakdown of the total margins showed that retailers’ margin was put at N5 per litre; Transporters, N3.05 per litre; Dealers, N1.95 per litre; Bridging fund, N5.85 per litre; Marine Transport Average, N0.15 and Admin Charges, N0.15.

The PPPRA further put official ex-depot price, which is the price depot owners would sell for marketers, at N68.70 per litre, official exdepot price for collection, N73 per litre while ex-coastal price is N68.02 per litre.

INSPECTION; From left, Director of Operations, Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, Mr. Niyi Alli; member, Senate Committee on Land Transportation, Senator Lanre Tejuosho; Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transportation, Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Managing Director, NRC, Adeseyi Sijuade and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land Transportation, Aminu Sani Isah, during inspection of some railway facilities, in Lagos.

NBA to Buhari: Fight corruption within the law Demands increase of S-Court justices to 21

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA — THE Nigerian Bar A s s o c i a t i o n , N B A , y e s t e r d a y, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his fight against corruption was conducted within the ambit of the law.

NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country, decried what it described as over-zealousness by security agencies currently engaged in the prosecution of alleged corrupt persons, who it said had by their conduct, exhibited little regard for the due process of the law.

National President of the association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, spoke at a valedictory court session held in honour of Justice Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie, who bowed out of the Supreme Court bench, yesterday, upon clocking the 70 years mandatory retirement age.

He lamented that recently,

“security operatives moved inside a court room to arrest a suspect. We wondered why they could not wait for the person to step out of the court before executing the arrest. While we commend the ongoing effort to rid the nation of corruption, what we are saying is that the fight must be conducted within the law.

“The NBA does not condone corruption, our point is that the war can be conducted within the armbit of the law and civility.

Certainly, it can be won without breaching the principles of rule of law upon which our democracy is built.”

Corruption within the Judiciary

On the issue of corruption within the Judiciary, the NBA President acknowledged that there were “bad eggs” within the bar and the bench.

He said: “Petition any judicial officer involved in or suspected to be involved in any corrupt or fraudulent transaction to the appropriate quarters for action.

“The NBA condemns in its

entirety the generalisation and/or categorization of the Judiciary as being corrupt and an impediment to the zero corruption policy of the present administration.

“While acknowledging that there may be a few bad eggs in the system, the NBA restates unequivocally that the categorization of the entire Judiciary as corrupt is a misconception and will stand solidly behind the Judiciary in any attempt to intimidate or harrass its personnel.

“The NBA, however, wishes to sound a note of warning to the few eggs in the system to desist from further causing untoward embarrassment to the Judicial arm of government. We believe that a word is enough for the wise and that wise counsel will prevail in this regard.”

Besides, the legal body used the opportunity to call for an increase of Supreme Court Justices to 21, in line with the provisions of section 230(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

CAS hails Innoson for technical support in battle with Boko Haram

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA — THE Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has lauded the management of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, IVM, Company for providing the needed technical support that had enabled the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, sustain its operations against the Boko Haram insurgents.

Abubakar noted that at a time the NAF would have been forced to ground its entire fleet of Alpha Jets due to lack of brake assembly, the company helped to locally modify and overhaul the brake assembly of the MB339 aircraft for adoption on the Alpha Jets.

This ingenious effort by IVM, Abubakar said, was instrumental to the continued operation of the Alpha Jets, and had helped to save the day when help was not forthcoming from abroad.

Abubakar said the contribution

by IVM deserved national recognition and award, given the important role played by the Alpha Jet in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North-East.

The Chief of Air Staff in a statement signed by Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, Director of Air Force Public Relations and Information, said: “The collaboration between the NAF and IVM is in line with one of the key drivers of the CAS vision which is 'strategic partnership with ministries, departments and agencies for enhanced research and development.'

“The invitation of IVM team to Headquarters of Nigeria Nigerian Air Force, for further discussions was based on this premise."

Receiving the Chairman of IVM, Mr Innocent Chukwuma and his team in his office, Abubakar expressed the willingness by NAF to expand the scope of existing research and development collaboration with IVM. Chairman of IVM, Chukwuma, expressed the readiness of his company to partner with NAF to help manufacture locally some of the spares needed to keep its aircraft operational.

He noted that such synergy, in the mould of the one existing between the NAF and IVM, would help to reduce the dependence on foreign technologies, while promoting self-reliance, as well as technological and economic development.

10 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 , 2016

LAGOS AT 50: Anniversary'll project black race – SOYINKA

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

N

OBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has said that the forthcoming 50th Years’ Anniversary celebration of Lagos State would be used to project the black race at home and in diaspora.

This came as Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, inaugurated a 12-man committee at Lagos House, Ikeja, chaired by Soyinka to organise a befitting Golden Jubilee, 50th Years’ Anniversary celebration of the state, scheduled for next year.

Other members of the committee are: Mr. Rasheed Gbadamosi, Chairman; Hon Habeeb Fashinro, Chief Oluwole Cole, Mrs Sarah Boulous, Mr Abimbola Obafunwa.

Others include: Prof, (Mrs) Senapon Bakare, Mrs. Chika Balogun, Mr. Folarin Coker, Prof Ademola Abass, Mr. Bolanle Austen-Peter and Mrs Olufumilayo Balogun Soyinka in his remark, said the celebration of Lagos at 50 would afford an excellent opportunity for the state to identify with the triumph, losses and experience of the Black Race at home and in the diaspora.

According to the renowned Professor of Literature,”If Well Selected” would work assiduously to ensure that Lagos has the most befitting of the celebration.

He likened the celebration to that of the Black in the Mediterranean Blue”, saying, “It would be used to project the black race not just for the colonial experience and slave trade but also as cultural people” Soyinka thanked the governor for the opportunity and promised a befitting celebration, saying Lagos State deserved a befitting celebration being what it is to Nigeria.

CONTRAVENTIONS: Lagos seals estate, shopping mall, 15 others

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS State Government yesterday sealed buildings in Richmond Estate and a shopping mall in Lekki axis of the state, for contravening the State construction law.

Also, over 15 buildings within Chevron Estate, Dr. Chimezie Street and others in Eti-Osa Local Government were sealed for various offences.

Some of the offences include failure to obtain planning permit, non-conformity with approved plan, failure to observe adequate

NIMASA moves to clear nation’s water of marine waste

L

AGOS—THE Court of Appeal sitting Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till February 22, 2016 to hear a cross appeal

by Ecobank Nigeria Ltd against Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, over alleged N3.5 billion unpaid loan.

It will be recalled that the Ecobank had on

construction law of the state and seal them.

“After sealing the structure, we ask the owner to obtain the necessary approvals. It is until they have complied that we can unlock the building for construction work to continue.

“Through this, we believe that we could stem the increasing tide of collapsed building,” he added.

Head of enforcement of Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, LSMTL, Mr. Adeoye Adeshola, added that the exercise was not to witch-hunt but to save the state from embarrassment.

By Godwin Oritse

L

AGOS—FOLLOWING its resolve to ensure cleaner and safer waters for navigation, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reiterated its commitment to tackle the menace of marine litters in the nation’s territorial waters.

Creating a friendly marine environment is one of the core functions of the agency just as to assist local operators to enhance their capacity.

Disclosing this at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, Acting Director General of the Agency, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro said that marine litters have become a menace which must be tackled with all seriousness.

Jauro, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Labour Services, Mrs. Juliana Gunwa said that management of the marine environment remains a critical component of ensuring safe and secure shipping, adding that it was NIMASA will continue to implement relevant IMO instruments in line with the Agency’s mandate.

SON moves to stem building collapse nationwide

T

By Jimoh Babatunde

HE Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Mr Joseph Odumodu, yesterday said that the organisation will not sit back and watch building collapse in the country with the use of substandard reinforcing bar in the construction industry.

He said henceforth there will be no sales of reenforcement bars in the country without verification scaling which means that if a batch is normally supposed to weigh 40 tonnes, it must be weighed before it leaves the premises of the seller.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, Odumodu said all re-enforcing bar products in Nigeria market must have identity marks and the diameter on the rips of the iron displayed within six months.

Odumodu said SON had always insisted that manufacturers of re-enforcement bars ensure they have the relevant equipments for chemicals and other tests, but regretted that when they thought they were making head way that they discovered manufacturers have stated cutting corners.

N3.5BN UNPAID LOAN: Court hears Ecobank's appeal against Honeywell Feb 22

By Innocent Anaba

metres for the setback, illegal conversion of the building and other distressed buildings.

Speaking with Vanguard after sealing buildings in Richmond Estate, General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Olusola Adeigbe, an engineer, said; “When we arrived, they claimed that they have approvals but we cannot site them. And the procedure stated that all documents must be available on site.

“So we have to seal the buildings. Our aim of moving on the streets is to identify property that are contravening the

November 18, 2015 filed anexparte application before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking an order, freezing the account of the respondent.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the lower court had on the said date, issued an interim order, freezing the respondent’s account, but subsequently varied the order on December 4, 2015,

and held that Honeywell could withdraw a minimum of N15 million weekly.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the lower court, Honeywell through its lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, appealed, seeking an order suspending the exparte orders made by the lower court on November 18, 2015.

NAFDAC approves local production of life-saving drugs

By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

L

AGOS—THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has approved the production of four United Nations life saving commodities for women and children.

The commodities include chlorhexidine gel used in neonatal

umbilical cord care, amoxicillin dispersible tablet used in Pneumonia, Zinc Sulphate for diarrhoea and misoprostol.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who spoke at a two-day Common Technical Document, CTD, workshop in Lagos, said, Nigerians now have improved access to locally produced safe, efficacious

and affordable medicines.

He explained that some of the drugs before now were not manufactured in Africa.

On the life-saving commodities, he explained that the agency decided to give its technical assistance to the production of these drugs to make Nigeria self sufficient in the manufacture and supply of quality, safe and efficacious medicines at affordable prices.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 — 11

PDP ex-scribe, Aluko wants arrest warrant quashed

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

A

DO-EKITI—THE embattled Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Dr Tope Aluko, has gone to Court to seek the vacation of the Warrant of Arrest issued against him by a Chief Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti last week.

Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye, had on February 3, 2016 granted a motion exparte, compelling the Commissioner of Police to bring Aluko to Court for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury.

Aluko was alleged to have recanted the statement earlier made on oath during the trial of the election of Governor Ayodele Fayose at the Election Petition Tribunal, where he served as a principal witness to the PDP in a case instituted by the All Progressives Congress, APC. The PDP Secretary had a couple of weeks ago granted an interview where he made stunning revelations as regard the governorship election of June 21, 2014.

The motion, which was supported by twelve-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Barrister Ayodeji Daramola, the defendant (Aluko) based his plea on the following grounds: that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the application and that the application of the complainant is defective and incompetent; that the application was a flagrant abuse of court process and that there is no prima facie case of perjury against him before the order was handed down.

Also addressing newsmen yesterday, principal counsels to Aluko, Niran Owoseeni and Wale Abimbola described the Warrant of

By Providence Obuh

L

LAUNCH: Wife of the Acting President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo (right) being received by the Wife of Kebbi State Governor, Mrs. Zainab Bagudu while the Senate President's wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki (2nd right) and wife of Imo State Governor, Mrs. Nneoma Okorocha looked on as they arrived for the launch of the UNFPA/UNICEF joint programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Nigeria at the State House Conference Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

Arrest issued by a Chief Magistrate Court against their client as a serious judicial error that needed to be reversed to preserve the integrity of the judiciary.

He said it was rather curious that the court could go ahead and issued a warrant of arrest when there was no valid and existing charge against Aluko, noting that the court must have been misled under this circumstance.

“The perjury allegation against Aluko was still at the real of speculation, so, the order doesn’t comply with the provision of the law and this makes the court incompetent in the first instance, or may be the DPP had read the law upside down”, he said.

APC wants AGF to review Ekiti gov poll

Meantime, the APC in Ekiti State has again petitioned the Minister

of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami , demanding for a review of June 21, 2014 governorship election and prosecution of suspects in the alleged electoral malefeasance that returned PDP's Ayodele Fayose, as the governor.

In a petition entitled “Request for the prosecution of persons involved in conspiring and perpetrating acts of electoral fraud and malfeasance in the governorship election of June 21, 2014 in a manner other than that envisaged by the relevant provisions of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended,” the party said the review of the matter had become imperative in national interest to avoid a cycle of politicians that could seize the reins of government through treason.

According to the petition by the State Chairman of APC, Olajide Awe, the party said its present petition arose from the recent confessions on a national television by the State Secretary of PDP in Ekiti State, Dr Temitope Aluko, published and broadcast on other electric and print media.

It’s a voyage of futility — Fayose

Reacting to the APC petition, Governor Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi said, “It is a futile exercise because the Attorney General of and Minister of Justice has no such power to review the election and the Ekiti State APC chairman, Jide Awe demanding for that is an illiterate, and a comedian playing to the gallery with propaganda.''

OLUBADAN: Seriki chiefs file fresh suit

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—THE installation of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland after the interment of late Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade tomorrow may suffer a hitch following a fresh litigation filed against Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the nine-member Olubadan-in-Council.

The Seriki Chiefs of Ibadanland who feel that the lawful process of selecting a new monarch for the city is not strictly adhered to are praying an Oyo State High Court to address the issue due to its urgency and to prevent High Chief Saliu Adetunji from being installed as the new king.

“There is real urgency in this case because the ‘ res’ to be preserved is the Olubadan of Ibadan Chieftaincy and the respondents have concluded their plans to install the defendant as the next Olubadan in spite of the pendency of the order of interlocutory injunction and in spite of this suit and the claimant learnt of this plan only

Omotoso to speak at AVMCC annual

on February 1, 2016".

In the suit filed by their legal counsel, Mr. Abideen Adeniran, they are praying the court to grant them an interlocutory injunction restraining Governor Ajimobi and other defendants, from filling any vacancy in the

Olubadan of Ibadan chieftaincy.

Ibadan markets to remain shut Friday

AS a mark of honour for late Olubadan, the Oyo State Market Leaders Advisory Council has directed closure of all markets in

Ibadan on Friday.

According to the council, since Friday is the day the remains of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade I, will be interred, all markets should remain shut.

S' COURT JUDGMENT: Ajimobi says no victor no vanquished

G

OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has called on politicians across party divides to see the last Supreme Court judgment validating his election as victory for democracy and development, insisting that there is ‘no victor, no vanquished.’

The governor said this while playing host to members of Olubadan-in-council who paid a solidarity visit to his office, on Wednesday.

He pledged his administration’s commitment to further embark upon people-oriented projects that would better the lot of the people of the state.

“I want to assure all stakeholders

that in that judgment of the Supreme Court there is no victor, no vanquished. All of us must

come together to promote Oyo State, including Ibadan,” the governor said.

Aregbesola signs public procurement bill into law state of emergency.

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state yesterday signed into law the Osun Public Procurement Law 2015 with the warning that the economy situation of Nigeria currently was in a

The Public Procurement Law provides for public dissemination of information on government procurement, which will guarantee citizens, particularly small and medium scale enterprises opportunities to participate in public procurement processes among others.

A G O S — CHAIRMAN, Standard Chartered Bank Plc, Mr. Festus Omotoso, will speak at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral (AVMCC) Annual Lecture Series.

The lecture scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2016 will hold at the AVMCC, Ikeja GRA, at 4pm with the theme: ‘God in My Life’, In a statement signed by the church, the quarterly discourse had in previous years hosted Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Ex-SecretaryGeneral of the Commonwealth, Late Sir Gamaliel Onosode, Former Chairman, Governing Council, University of Lagos, and Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Founder of Elizade University in Ondo State.

However, Omotoso is a former Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and currently chairman of several other well-known companies including John Wesley Investments Limited (a commercial arm of the Methodist Church of Nigeria).

He is 70 years old and a 1969 alumnus of the University of Ibadan and a former Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investments Company Limited. He received the award of Knight of John Wesley in 2009.

Osun Assembly assures sacked lecturers

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—OSUN State House of Assembly has assured that some of the lecturers of the four state-owned tertiary institutions affected by the downsizing of workers in their various campuses would be recalled, if they have genuine cases.

The Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam gave the assurance while receiving the Save-our-Soul message from the leadership of the Osun chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun Tertiary Institutions (CASUOSTI).

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Gov Emmanuel berates opposition for maligning S-Court, Judiciary

By Tom Moses

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YO—Governor Udom Em manuel of Akwa Ibom State has berated the opposition political parties in the state for allegedly maligning the integrity of the Supreme Court for delivering judgments in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Speaking at a special interdenominational thanksgiving service held at the Nest of Champions Stadium, Uyo, yesterday, Governor Emmanuel said that the opposition parties were “walking a slippery slope.”

The special thanksgiving service was graced by six PDP governors and five former governors including the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, among others.

Governors at the event were Chief Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) while Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Martins Orim.

Former governors at the event were Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Group Captain John Ebiye (retd) (Akwa Ibom) and Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd) (Akwa Ibom).

Emmanuel said: “Permit me to use this opportunity to warn those who are lampooning and impugning the integrity of our judiciary to cease and desist from walking

the slippery slope. Certain institutions of governance should be off the limits in our naked desire for power. Demonizing such institutions can be counter productive to our

growth as a nation.

“We should not selectively applaud the judiciary when we receive favourable ruling then cast aspersion on the same institution when we don’t get the

desired result.” He recalled with displeasure that the opposition parties had embarked on campaigns of calumny, blackmail and propaganda to sacrifice the state on the altar of partisan politics.

Two Electric workers electrocuted in Lagos WO Ikeja Electric work an unnamed hospital. An eye rescue him but was also elecT ers were yesterday elecwitness who pleaded ano- trocuted in the process,” an eye trocuted at Kogberegbe Street nymity explained that the witness informed our correin Isolo, Lagos while carrying out their duties. It was gathered that one of the victims died in the incident while the other is in critical condition in

dead victim was electrocuted while trying to clear a fault on a pole in order to restore electricity supply to the area.

“His colleague attempted to

spondent,” the eye witness said. He pointed out that the surviving vic tim has been stabilised in the hospital and is responding to treatment.

VISIT: From left: Mr Gabriel Omoh, Business Editor; Mr Fred Odueme, AGM, Brands; Mr Eze Anaba, Deputy Editor; Clara Nwachukwu, Energy Editor, all of Vanguard Newspapers; Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture and Sir Emeka Okereke, Director-General, during a courtesy visit by the Chamber to Vanguard Newspapers Head Office in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Senate queries Fashola over zero implementation bilize to sites to com- mentation, some collectof 11 contracts ed N500 million and one mence work.

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—THE Sen ate, yesterday, uncovered the release of N4 billion to 11 construction companies to undertake the repairs of roads without mobilizing to sites. The Senate, which frowned at the development at the Ministry of Works, told the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, that zero implementation of 11 road contracts awarded by the Ministry of Works was absurd and unaccepta-

ble.

Chairman of the Committee on Works, Senator Kabiru Gaya, who queried the development, asked the Ministry to go back, check and give the Senate correct information about the projects.

He said some of the construction companies got the sum of N500 million, while others got N1 billion, but failed to mo-

Senator Gaya, who noted that it was sad for contractors not to go to site after collecting N500 million mobilisation, however, ordered the ministry to feed the committee with details of the contracts awarded in 2015 and their status at a later date. He said: “Eleven contractors have collected mobilization fees and there is zero imple-

of the contractors collected N1 billion.

‘For instance, in the case of dualisation of Otukpo township road, N1 billion was paid to the contractors.

“Minister you need to check that and give us details in the next meeting. There is no point giving a contractor mobilization fee when he cannot perform.”

Renewed pressure forces Naira down to N315/ USD1

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

A

renewed pressure on exchange rate surged, yesterday, at the parallel market segment, even as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, window remained stable.

At two of the main market hubs in Lagos, Naira traded at N315 to one US Dollar as black market operators sold at high N318/USD1 but CBN’s rate remained at N197/ USD1, while interbank rate was N199.

One of the black market operators who engaged Vanguard in an argument on why Naira was under pressure, explained that since the apex bank stopped selling foreign currencies to Bureau De Changes, BDCs, there had been acute shortages in the supply of the resources.

He admitted that the black market operators actually got supplies from the BDCs who had sourced the foreign exchange from the official CBN window, thereby confirming the apex bank’s allegation that the BDCs were diverting the official allocation of the foreign currencies for higher rates at the black market.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016—13

Delta govt foils N7bn fraud, seven in police net

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—DELTA State Government has foiled an attempt by some persons to defraud it of over N7 billion meant for January salaries of civil servants in the state.

A dependable government source who pleaded anonymity confirmed that the money was meant for staff salaries. Declining to say the exact figure, the source said, “What is involved is about N7 billion, that is the much I can tell you.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie, in a statement after the State Executive Council meeting in Asaba, said that the swift intervention by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa “saved the state from being defrauded during the payment of January, 2016 salaries.”

Edevbie, in the statement read by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, said: “Salaries for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as the Polytechnic staff, were delayed due to an alert on February 3, 2016 of attempt to defraud the state through the payment of salaries.

“The Permanent Secretary cum Accountant-General, on receiving the alert, immediately informed the governor who directed that the

security agencies in the state and the bank be informed immediately.

“He (Okowa) also directed the Permanent Secretary/ Accountant-General to put in place, additional control measures to forestall future attempts on the account.”

Disclosing that arrests have been made, the Finance Commissioner, said: “This administration has zero tolerance for fraud and we advise all who

have such intent to desist forthwith.”

While enjoining Deltans to always report unscrupulous activities for appropriate actions, Edevbie said that Governor Okowa’s administration was committed to credible, transparent and accountable stewardship to the citizens.

Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Celestina Kalu, said she did not have details of the matter but

would reach out once she was properly briefed on the incident.

However, a senior police officer who did not want his name in print, said seven persons had been arrested in connection with the fraud, adding that the suspects had made useful statements.

Noting that all those involved in the crime would be prosecuted accordingly, the source said the police was on the trail of other suspects.

PRESENTATION: From left: Zonal Business Manager, Edwin Unoko; Head Teacher of the school, Presbyterian Primary School, Cross River State, Mrs. Maria Etaike and Area Business Manager, Emmanuel Nnana, with pupils of the school, during the presentation of school uniforms and other materials to them.

FG persecuting, not prosecuting Tompolo —Rights groups

By Emma Amaize

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ARRI—FOUNDATION for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, FHRACC and Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, have accused the Federal Government of persecuting and not prosecuting the former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

The groups said that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, which renewed the bench warrant on Tompolo, Monday, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were acting out a script by the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government.

FHRACC, in a statement by its National President, Alaowei Cleric, said: “Tompolo, like every other Nigerian, is not above the law but what the government is doing is more of persecution than the prosecution it is supposed to be doing. We condemn in its entirety the renewed order by the court to arrest him after his lawyer had pointed out to the court the legal blunders the prosecution made when it was applying for the bench warrant.

“The continued threat to arrest Tompolo by the Federal Government, even when he had indicated his willingness to appear in the court, in our view, has political undertone. The duty of a

prosecutor is to see that justice is done in any given case and not the conviction of its assailant.

Tompolo has shown willingness as a law-bidding citizen to appear in the court by engaging a Senior Advocate for his defence. We expect that the

government at this time will relax its action and allow the normal cause of the proceedings to take its course,” the group said.

National president of IPDI, Austin Ozobo, said: “We want to unequivocally state that the

court is already taking sides in the matter. The court ought not to assume the position of litigant.

The court should be an unbiased umpire. The attitude of the court appears to be acting on a directive and such is not a known practice in law."

Delta monarch gives Fulani herdsmen nine days to quit kingdom The Idjere monarch said: people. They also defile our

By Godwin Oghre

S

APELE—THE Ovie of Idjere, Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State, HRM Erhiekevwe I, has ordered all Fulani herdsmen operating in his domain to vacate within nine days or face the wrath of his people.

This is coming as the Nigerian Army, 3 Battalion, Effurun, said that it would no longer tolerate any form of violence across the state, adding, “All culprits will henceforth be severely dealt with.”

While the warning was handed down through its Commanding Officer, Lt Col. Igwe Partrick, when he paid a courtesy call on the Ovie of Uvwie, HRM, Emmanuel Sideso, the Idjere monarch’s order to the herdsmen, yesterday, was sequel to recent killings, rape, and destruction of crops by the herdsmen across farm lands in the community.

“Farming is my people’s mainstay. The Hausas/Fulani people rearing cattle here have created too many problems, including killing of innocent

women and destroy their crops while grazing. They must leave in nine days or face the wrath of my people who I will unleash on them.”

Save UNIBEN from erosion menace, university will contact security VC urges FG agents to help it recover the

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

E N I N — V I C E Chancellor of University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, has appealed to the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to save the institution from erosion menace, lamenting that over six houses have been destroyed on the Ugbowo campus of the university.

The VC, in a chat with newsmen in Benin City, also raised alarm over the activities of land speculators, saying that some of the university’s lands have been encroached on by persons from the neighbouring communities, adding that the

lands.

He said: “About six blocks have caved in due to erosion and those buildings were occupied by our staff. The problem is that if nothing urgent is done, the gully erosion will expand to other areas in the university. So, we are appealing to the Federal Government and the NDDC to come to our aid because this is a very serious problem.”

Prof. Orumnwense explained that the university was partnering foreign universities to strengthen “joint research and exchange programmes for staff and students,” while “a number of foreign agencies have shown interest in supporting the research efforts of the university.”

Mastermind of Agip oil pipeline attack in Bayelsa nabbed

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, code named Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, said that its operatives have arrested the alleged mastermind of the attack on Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, manifold in Gbobokiri, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The attack, which caused crude oil to spill into the environment, was allegedly orchestrated by one Prince Alvin Oyegun alias ‘Commander Abula.’

Spokesman of the JTF, Col. Isa Ado, in a statement in Yenagoa, said that the suspect was nabbed at Idema community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

He said: “One Prince Oyegun was arrested in Idema community, Ogbia council of Bayelsa State on January 29, 2016.

“The suspect was alleged to have masterminded the attack on NAOC manifold located in Gbobokiri, Brass council of Bayelsa State on January 28, 2016 which led to oil spillage in the general area.”

No sleeze in Amnesty Office —Lakemfa

By Elizabeth Uwandu

P

RESIDENTIAL Amnesty Programme, PAP, has denied media reports of the spending of N48 billion in five months by the managers of the programme.

Media and Communication Consultant to PAP, Mr Owei Lakemfa, in a statement, said: “The report is constructed essentially on a foundation of lies. The additional sloppiness of the report can be gleaned from the fact that while the Amnesty Office defended its 2016 budget before the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Niger Delta on February 9, the report which came out 24 hours later, claimed that the budget defence took place on February 10.

“This is despite the fact that the budget defence was public and covered by the House and Senate Press Corps which include the newspaper’s reporter."

14 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

10TH BEKO RANSOME KUTI MEMORIAL LECTURE AND LAYING OF WREATH IN LAGOS, YESTERDAY. Photos by Kehinde Gbadamosi, Lamidi Bamidele and Chris Onuoha.

From left; Comrade Goodluck Obi, Chairman, South West,Campaign for Democracy; Mrs Bose Beko Ransome-Kuti, (widow of Beko); Admiral Ndubuisi From left; Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd); Mrs Bose Beko RansomeKanu (retd), former Chairman of NADECO; Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Kuti, widow of Dr Beko Kuti; Dr Otive Igbuzor, representing Minister of Campiagn for Democracy and Women Arise; Comrade Ayodele Akele, General Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Ms Yemisi Ransome-Kuti.

Sec, National Conscience Party, NCP; Comrade Femi Aborisade; Dr Abiola AkiodeAfolabi and Mrs Ayo Obe, during the 10th Anniversary Remembrance rally and laying of wreath for Beko Ransome-Kuti, at the Cenotaph, Anthony , Lagos, yesterday.

Comrade Odia Ofeimun giving an address.

Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin leading a procession.

From left; Ayo Obe; Tony Nnadi and Muhammed Fawehinmi.

What Beko struggled for remain unrealised, activists •Call for release of his son from jail lament

By Gbenga Oke, Ebun Sessou & Chris Onuoha

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AGOS—FRIENDS and associates of the late civil rights activist, Dr. Beko RansomeKuti yesterday remembered his passionate devotion and sacrifices for the dignity of man but lamented that all his efforts remain unachieved.

They spoke at two different events to commemorate the death, ten years ago of Dr. Ransome-Kuti.

He died at 65 after an eventful life of activism devoted to prodemocracy causes, civil rights and promotion of the interests of Nigerian doctors through the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA. The remembrance of Ransome-Kuti was also laced with calls for the release of his son, Brigadier Enitan Ransome-Kuti and other soldiers jailed for failing to stop invading insurgents of the Boko Haram militant group.

They spoke at a public lecture at Airport Hotel, Lagos, and at the laying of wreaths at the Beko Ransome-Kuti Cenotaph in Anthony Village, Lagos.

The showers of commendation were led by Governor Akinwunmi

Ambode of Lagos State who praised his selfless devotion to the common good and the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who hailed him as a man of courage.

Other speakers at the 10th Public lecture were former Lagos State governor and prodemocracy activist, Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, trade-cum civil right activists Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, Odia Ofemium, Ayo Obe, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Mohammed Gani Fawehinmi, Abiola AkiodeAfolabi, Executive Director, WARD-C, Femi Aborishade, founding chairman of the National Conscience Party, among others.

The lecture which had the wife of the late activist, Mrs. Bose Ransome-Kuti in attendance was also graced by Alfred Ilenre, chairman of Beko Memorial Committee, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, Malam Naseer Kura, Tony Nnadi Esq, Chief Doja Adewolu among others.

In his lecture, entitled “Sustaining Nigeria’s Democracy: The realities, challenges and Prospects,” the

guest lecturer, Prof. Sunny Akpotor of Department of Political Science, Delta State University, said the character of Nigeria’s governments since 1999 had shown the failure of its practitioners to understand the tenets of democracy.

He said, “With regards to the quality of governance, the 2012 Mo Ibrahim Governance Index placed Nigeria 14th out of 16 West African countries and 43rd out of a total of 52 nations. The report also said Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt dropped in two of the four categories used to assess good governance on the index safety, rule of law and participation and human rights. It, however, singled Nigeria as the worst performer of the four”.

PDP's total contempt for the rule of law

Continuing, he said: “On democratic realities, Nigeria’s democratic values has hardly been realized. For the 16 years the Peoples Democratic Party was in power, it exhibited total contempt for the rule of law. The Constitution and other laws were breached with impunity, court

orders were disobeyed on a regular basis. The Obasanjo era flourished in a culture of dedemocratisation, carried out by militicians who created an authoritarian culture and the shrinking of the political space.

Threat of impeachment and blackmail with actual impeachment were rife.

Unfortunately, when Nigerians were thinking change has come, the All Progressives Congress, APC federal government led by Muhammadu Buhari has continued with this ugly scenario of disobeying court orders” he maintained.

He nevertheless commended President Buhari for rejecting supplications to devalue the Naira just as he enjoined the guests to tap into the values Dr. RansomeKuti promoted in his lifetime.

In his keynote address, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, a professor of Comparative Politics identified governors in Nigeria as the single most potent threat to democracy in the country saying until Nigerians rose against some of their governors, true democracy will remain elusive.

In their various speeches,

Malam Naseer Kura, Ayo Obe and Tony Nnadi said the struggle for a better Nigeria which Dr Ransome-Kuti stood for remains a mirage.

He lived for humanity — Ambode

Governor Ambode, who was represented by Mrs Funmilola Odunlami, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, described the late Dr. Ransome-Kuti as a selfless defender of the masses.

He said: “Beko will forever be remembered because he lived a selfless life even when he had the opportunity to live and dine with the rich, he chose to stand in the struggle for the masses. Severally, he used his medical facilities to save lives for free, and when he had the opportunity of enriching himself, he never did but stood for justice, humanity and became a hero and motivator for the masses.

“He will forever remain a role model to us because he followed the path of honour and believed that evil done against one is an evil done against all.”

Continue on Page 44.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 , 2016—15

BIAFRA: Over 1,000 of our members killed since Kanu's arrest, detention— IPOB •How pro-Biafra agitators were shot—Police •Ohanaeze condemns killings

By Anayo Okoli, Chimaobi Nwaiwu & Eric Ugbor

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AGOS—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday warned against the careless killing of its members by security agents, lamenting that over 1,000 members of the group have been publicly and secretly killed since their leader was arrested and detained.

Also yesterday, the Abia Police Command explained the death of the praying IPOB members in Aba. The IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful gave the warning while addressing newsmen in Nnewi after their meeting to review their activities and to determine options that will be followed to check the incessant killing of the members for engaging in peaceful protests.

“We wonder what these soldiers and policemen who are killing our innocent members because they embarked on peaceful demonstration to demand the unconditional release of our leader and Director of Radio Biafra Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, are doing in the South East when their marksmanship is needed in the North East to check the activities of the Boko haram insurgents who are killing people on daily basis.

Kanu and emptiness of the APC government

“The case of our leader has exposed the emptiness of APC government in Nigeria and some ex presidents of Nigeria who are supporting the extra judicial killing of harmless IPOB members who have not carried guns or any dangerous weapons for a day.

“If the present government of APC in Nigeria is responsible, law abiding, respectful to Nigerian constitution, and the orders of court of competent jurisdiction, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu has no business still being incarcerated. No IPOB member or anybody should be shot while engaging in peaceful protest but because this is a government of frustrated, confused and power hungry people who never thought that they will ever lead Nigeria for one day, they use intimidation to shoot people as if they are still in the military era.

The groups lamented the frequent killing of defenseless pro-Biafra groups, saying that the security operatives want to “put the nation on fire by the killing of innocent and unarmed citizens.”

Reacting to the killing of IPOB members Tuesday in Aba, the groups urged the Nigerian Army and Police high command to call their men to order and warn them to stop killing innocent youths of the South East.

Activating self-defence mode

Detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu (2nd right).

“We know the activities of a former president of Nigeria who has been visiting and interacting with the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, on how to deal with IPOB members in Abia state.The former President has been romancing with the APC and we are looking forward to seeing him declaring for APC. Let him be bold enough to do that instead of working with Abia state Governor to push out IPOB members for their pay masters in APC. We know their role in the killing of our members and very soon we will ask them questions.

“We must make sure that all the past and present Nigerian presidents who are killing our members extra judicially are tried for genocide. The international community is watching.

They should remember what happened to the former President of Liberia and his Ivorian counterpart who were killing people while in office, and now nemesis has caught up with them. They are answering questions on the people they killed and the same thing will happen to these heartless Nigerian leaders who are not anything better than the Boko Haram insurgents because of their approval and order to the security agencies to shoot at sight, IPOB and other Biafra agitators and people who embark on protest to air their grievances,” he said.

How pro-Biafra agitators were killed— Police

Explaining the killings in Aba yesterday, the Abia State Police Command said that security agents shot dead

two members of a pro-Biafran group for allegedly disturbing students in their school just as the group claimed that 22 of its members have been confirmed dead after the Tuesday shooting.

The state Police PRO, DSP Udeviotu Onyeke said the groups involved were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB. He said: “Some of our men that were on convoy patrol got information that the pro-Biafra groups were harassing students. Then, the Aba Area Commander, Mr Peter Wabara ordered the policemen on ground to go there and make them to leave the place as the schools were in session and if they had wanted to hold their meeting, they should have found another place in order not to disturb anybody.

“So when the police entered the place, they found that the proBiafra groups were relatively calm, so the police took positions to ensure that they did not do any harm. Police was only there to ensure they did not come to cause break-down of law and order on the street. But just as the Police was trying to persuade them to leave the place, soldiers drove in and arrested five of their members and began to take them away but the group members blocked the way of the military personnel. That was when they started shooting at them.

“Before the police left the place, they picked two dead unidentified persons from the ground and arrested 20 others while one who was badly injured was taken to the hospital.”

He admitted that some other persons might have been injured in the stampede which the police

did not know of during the crisis.

However, the state Coordinator of, MASSOB, Mr Anayo Okpala told our correspondent that the police command was telling half truths, stressing that the group had been using the venue for prayers and meetings for many years now.

He said the group met to pray for the release of the IPOB Radio Director, Mr Nnamdi Kanu when the police came and later the Army joined them and began to shoot at them.

According to him, the prayers were held in all the states of the South-East and South-South at the few centres hosting the prayer meetings.

Mr Okpala said: “From yesterday to this morning, we counted 22 dead persons and many had various degrees of injuries who had either been shot or killed in the stampede, while many are in hospitals. Some died at the prayer ground but some others have died in the hospitals where they were taken to.”

He said that he was sure at the last count on Wednesday morning that 22 members of the group comprising of MASSOB and IPOB members were dead.

Okpala also claimed that the security agents arrested five leaders of the group including the Abia state, Rivers State and Imo state IPOB Coordinators and many other members.

Condemning the killings

Worried by the spate of these killings, the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has warned that it would drag the security operatives to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Also, an Igbo group, Igbo Information Network, has condemned the killings and accused Nigerian soldiers and police of committing genocide in the South East.

The directorate of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB said it has adopted self-defence mode as enshrined by the relevant acts and declarations of the United Nations, UN, with effect from Wednesday, February 10, this year.

In a press statement issued yesterday, entitled: "Persistent attacks on Biafrans by the Nigerian state: Our rights to selfdefence is not activated", IPOB explained that if Biafrans commence its self-defence, "let no country or world leader attempt to tag us as terrorists because we are not terrorists, rather we are fighting for our survival and from being exterminated from the surface of the earth."

In the statement jointly signed by their spokespersons, Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, IPOB vowed that they will henceforth defend themselves with everything and anything necessary to avoid "the continuous killing of our mothers, fathers, and children."

According to the statement, "This is the time for all Biafrans to rise and defend themselves. We cannot fold our arms and watch anybody kill us the second time after killing over two million of us in 1968. We have fully and totally activated our rights to self defence."

Spur Steak Ranches opens new outlet in Lagos

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AGOS—SPUR Family Restaurant Nigeria, a member of the Spur Steak Ranches International of South Africa, leading restaurant chain, has opened a new outlet in Lagos known as Amazon Spur Family Restaurant.

Located at Landmark Towers in Water Corporation Drive, Oniru Estate, Victoria Island Annex, the new outlet, offers a wide variety of exotic meals in a warm, relaxed, family-friendly environment.

The new outlet brings to three Spur Steak Ranches’ branches in Lagos, with Seven Eagle Spur Family Restaurant at Ikeja City Mall and Golden Eagle Spur Family Restaurant at Isaac John Street at GRA, Ikeja.

Speaking at the grand opening ceremony, Director, Spur International Nigeria, Ngozi Anifowoshe, stated that the outlet will offer its clientele a spectacular array of meals in line with the group’s mantra - A Taste for Life.

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

SACKED 3,000 WORKERS:

Okorocha bows to Labour

•Recalls sacked workers as organised labour shuts down Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie

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WERRI—IMO State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, yesterday, bowed to the superior force of labour and recalled the over 3,000 workers he summarily sacked mid January, 2016.

Organized labour had made good its threat to shut down Imo State over the sack of 3,000 workers and months of unpaid salary arrears among others, with the commencement of a three-day warning strike.

Addressing workers at the State Secretariat of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, before leading a peaceful procession into the heart of the town, the factional President of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, explained that all the labour leaders in the country emptied into Imo State, to enforce the shut down of the state government activities.

“This is just a three-day warning strike. The leadership of labour will again meet and re-strategize, if the state government fails to reinstate all the workers it summarily sacked without following due process,” Wabba said.

According to the NLC boss, “labour is sending a warning signal to other state governors, who may be getting ready to key into Okorocha’s bad system, about the readiness of NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to stoutly resist such cruel, obnoxious and anti-labour policies.”

Wabba warns

Comrade Wabba also warned that labour would be forced to cut off electricity supply to Government House, Owerri, if Okorocha refuses to recall the sacked workers tomorrow (today).

Some of the placards carried by the aggrieved workers, who also spotted black attire, read: “Failure to pay salaries equals failure of government”; “Okorocha is hereby sacked for lack of productivity”; Failure to pay workers is criminal offence”; Imo workers reject sack and closure by radio announcements”; Rochas must respect labour laws,” and “Rochas is the Pharaoh of our time.”

The industrial action, which hard earlier generated palpable tension and anxiety among residents in the state, led to the closure of a number of establishments and institutions.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the establishments closed by the aggrieved workers, who were irked by the summary dismissal of over 3,000 of their colleagues by the Rochas Okorocha administration, included the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, the C M Y K

Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha. judiciary, public schools, local government council secretariats and ministries.

It was also gathered that several prominent supermarkets, filling stations and fast food centres, shut down on their own volition, for fear of the unknown, even as all the major streets, strategic junctions and the local council secretariats were manned by heavily armed security personnel.

Although, normal business activities continued in the major markets within Owerri municipality, Vanguard, however, noticed low patronage as most residents remained at home.

Similarly, bank customers were seen making panic withdrawals yesterday, even as they explained that they were preparing for the unknown.

Vanguard observed that while the aggrieved workers chanted all manner of unprintable and derogatory songs against Okorocha, they also picketed the Government House.

No government official addressed the protesting workers while the picketing lasted, but Vanguard gathered that Governor Okorocha and his visiting National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, were busy addressing youths in Government House Chapel.

Bowing to superior force

But rattled by the unfolding scenario, Gov. Okorocha swallowed his pride and recalled the sacked workers.

Announcing the news yesterday, when he addressed workers that peacefully processed to Government House, Owerri, the factional President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the governor has recalled the embattled workers unconditionally.

“The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has accepted

to recall the over 3,000 innocent workers he summarily terminated their appointments without following due process,” Comrade Wabba said.

He also announced that since the governor has recalled the sacked workers the warning strike, which ought to have lasted till Friday, was called off and urged all workers,to resume work tomorrow (today).

Speaking also, the Imo State NLC Chairman, Comrade Austin Chilkpu, said: “Since the Imo State Government has bowed to the demand of the organized Labour, the issue of concession would also be jettisoned, as this would ensure that the workers were not unnecessarily victimized by anybody or organ of government.

“Labour is reminding the governor that other issues affecting the workers were not only on the table for discussion, but would be pursued diligently in the days ahead. Similarly, I would like to assure the workers that their rights would always be protected by the organized labour.”

Show of solidarity

Meantime, the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, alos yesterday aligned itself with Governor Rochas Okorocha and urged the organized labour to sheath their swords and support the state government.

The APC bigwigs, who were led to Owerri by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, told journalists yesterday that they were in the state to have first-hand information and assessment of the raging labour crisis.

Chief Oyegun, who called on the Labour leaders to cooperate with Governor Okorocha in his effort to make things work in the state, further explained that his team had the opportunity of discussing with the labour

Factional President of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba. leaders and agreed on a number of issues that led to the calling off of the strike.

“Labour should put the realities on ground into consideration while negotiating with government, especially when considered that the government took proper care of the workers when things were well. The APC took power when the state of the nation was in a total collapse”, Chief Oyegun said.

While saying that there was the need for sacrifice, the APC boss also argued that whatever Nigerians were experiencing now was temporary, adding the APC was poised to take the nation out of the current

economic crisis.

“APC as a party, agrees with the governor that it is not proper to borrow money for salary payment as that will be a dead end and totally unsustainable,” Oyegun said.

The APC National Chairman stated that his team was convinced that the governor’s action was in the overall interest of the people of the state, but however, enjoined both the government and the labour leaders to demonstrate flexibility in their dialogue aimed at resolving all the issues.

Speaking also, Governor Okorocha said his “action was not for personal benefits, or to enhance his political career, but for the overall interest of Imo people.”

N-EAST: Senate turns down budget proposal for Information Ministry

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By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

BUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, refused to treat the budget proposal for the Federal Ministry of Information due to lack of provision for media propaganda in the North East.

The Senate Committee on Information, which took the decision during the ministry’s budget defence, insisted that the ministry must not only rework but also re-present its budget with provisions for effective media propaganda in the North East.

The committee on information, headed by Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South, directed that the ministry should bring a budget that will cater for the needs of its media agencies.

Abaribe’s directive was sequel to the observation raised by a member of the committee

and senator representing Bayelsa North, Ben Bruce, who had decried the non inclusion of budget for media operations in the North East, in the wake of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Bruce, in his remark, had pointed out that during the Nigerian Civil War, the media was effectively used to propagate relevant information.

He therefore appealed that the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, and Voice of Nigeria, VON, should go and add the required component.

He said: “It would have made more sense for the information budget of the Army to be given to the Ministry of Information to equip these stations to be used by the military as a source of communication.

“For instance, if there is going to be an air raid in a particular area, we can warn the citizens to stay off that particular area."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016— —17

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ARRIVED Yola on Monday this week, for my first visit since 2013. But the prelude to this trip came four days before the gubernatorial election last year. As is my wont, I had written my column in the early hours of the Wednesday before the election, during which I endorsed a couple of candidates: Kashim Shettima in Borno; Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna; Aminu Tambuwal in Sokoto; Umar Al-Makura in Nasarawa; Aminu Bello Masari in Katsina and Umar Jibrilla Bindow in Adamawa.

As it turned out, each of the candidates won the election and has inherited the mantle of leadership. The quality of governance in each of the states has varied from place to place, but on balance, I have remained optimistic that each of the governors that I endorsed was still going to make a positive impact on governance.

The fact that I felt a vicarious responsibility for their positions made it imperative for me to also look out for them so that it won’t be that I had endorsed duds and therefore endangered our various states. I have written quite extensively about Kashim Shettima in Borno and a few weeks ago, I made a very effusive analysis of the schools feeding programme in Kaduna state, because of the long-term effect that it would have on education in Kaduna, one of the three places that I live in.

Understanding governance Well, last week, I received an invitation to come to Yola, to see the effort being put into governance, by Governor Umar Jibrilla Bindow. In the company of Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and Garbadeen Muhammed, I arrived on Monday evening into a cool, windswept and hazy Yola city, still firmly in the embrace of Harmattan.

To understand governance in Adamawa, one has to put in context a couple of related issues. This is one of the most complicated states in northern Nigeria, with its overlapping array of language and ethnic groups, as well as serious religious consciousness thus making identity politics particularly keen and central to its enduring difficulties.

There is also Adamawa’s array of heavyweight politicians, bureaucrats and members of the nomenclatural and throw in the succession of thieving governors, and the spillover of the Boko Haram insurgency, then Adamawa’s complications begin to make sense.

The consequence has been the decayed infrastructure; a bloated civil service structure; an under-performing economy; plus a serially disappointed people. Yet Adamawa is a state with tremendous possibilities: rich water resources; a farming and livestock culture; very educated civil service; the diversity of cultures that can become the basis of a rich tourist industry, just to mention a few.

This was the backdrop C M Y K

Notable new openings in Adamawa against which Bindow was elected governor. He was the ultimate outsider, as far as the elite groups were concerned and he was not their candidate; but the past few years under Governor Murtala Nyako had been so disappointing, with its jaw-dropping mix of corruption, crass incompetence and nepotism, that the people made a strategic decision to vote outside of an old loop of power.

It served the rich but left the masses poorer and in acute frustration. In Bindow, the Adamawa people found a young man who could convey their yearning for change. The moment of change found its man!

Social change programme I have held several discussions over the past couple of months with some members of the Adamawa elite, who are literally on exile away from home, having found an early retirement from politics. They were swept away by the Tsunami of change, which also swept the PDP out of power after 16 years. They never had a good word about Umar Jibrilla Bindow.

But when pressed to outline their grievances, they were often related to an inordinate sense of entitlement, which they believed that Bindow has refused to indulge. They want “business-as-usual”; a continuation of a governance process as gimmick, which satisfies elite gluttony but does not deliver on promises made to millions of poor people in the state. They could not be

What I have seen on this visit to Adamawa state leaves the conviction that when there is genuine commitment to the best interest of the people, and there is a vision and a good team of workers to actualise a programme of action, then a lot can be achieved in record time

bothered that the enveloping anarchy associated with the Boko Haram crisis, was directly related to the manner that they have husbanded their state over the past sixteen years. Bindow chose to be people-oriented and that is really his offence as far as these members of the Adamawa elite were concerned!

Governor Bindow received us on Tuesday morning in his office, and he had a team of officers that included the deputy governor, but led by the SSG, Dr. Umar Bindir, to offer us a power point presentation that outlined the programme of social change that they were determined to implement over the next four years.

The most immediate item is the massive reconstruction of roads within Yola/Jimeta; a total of 41 of these roads will be ready for commissioning by June. At the heart of the BINDOW FOR SOCIAL CHANGE programme is an elaborate project aimed at infrastructure renewal and development as well as the economic empowerment of people at the community level.

A pilot project is underway, that will be financed with N500million; and is targeting 15, 000 beneficiaries from the 226 wards of Adamawa state, translating to 66 persons per ward.

Traditional structures The project carried out a census of all the traditional occupational activities carried out by the people in the state and each beneficiary will be given N30, 000 each to improve his/her activity.

The ratio of women to men is envisaged to be 60/40%, but these sums are expected to be repaid by beneficiaries, so that others might also benefit. Each beneficiary must open a bank account and they will be guaranteed by the traditional structures of leadership up to the community level.

The expected outcome is to accelerate the economic activities at the micro-level and get people at these informal levels to become part of a thriving economic life in the state. There is also an exciting agricultural project that is fashioned after the Songhai Farm project in Benin Republic.

The process will commence organic agricultural production in Adamawa, with emphasis on fish farming, citrus crops, and canning. I feel very excited about this, especially because I come from Kwara state, where

the people were hoodwinked through a so-called Zimbabwe farm project that was actually used to pipe hundreds of millions out of the Kwara state treasury! Here in Adamawa, the agricultural project will genuinely be people-centred and is not an avenue of looting the state, like Kwara state witnessed!

Green shoots of growth But Governor Umar Jibrilla Bindow only came to power in May 2015. He has not even spent a year in office. However, the vision that is behind the programme of his government and the quality of the team that he has built as well as the evidence of work being done, show clearly that in this corner of Nigeria, there are interesting green shoots of growth.

Coming after the troubled years that this state went through in its recent past, people’s enthusiasm for Bindow can be understood and appreciated. There is clearly more to governance and delivery than the start made; the government must ensure that it does not derail and the people must remain firmly central to the

vision.

Similarly, the complexities of Adamawa must be taken into account in the manner of implementation of the development vision in the programme for social change.

What is most reassuring, is the fact that the governor and his team, seem to realise that they have a date with history and cannot afford to fail their people as several other governors and administrations have done in the past, and consequently deepening the despair of the people in those wasted years.

Umar Jibrilla Bindow will have to remain permanently under the searchlight, in a season of high expectations, which the slogan of social change has triggered for the masses of Nigerians.

And these changes will have to be delivered at a time of dwindling revenue for government. I do not envy Governor Umar Jibrilla Bindow, but what I have seen on this visit to Adamawa state leaves the conviction that when there is genuine commitment to the best interest of the people, and there is a vision and a good team of workers to actualise a programme of action, then a lot can be achieved in record time.

I will be interested in returning to Adamawa state in another couple of months to see how far the government here would have gone in implementing a well-scripted programme of action that was rolled out for us this week. But we saw enough, especially in the rehabilitation of infrastructure to hope for the best for this very remarkable state, and its very humble and determined governor, Umar Jibrilla Bindow.

Northern governors at the Islamic Development Bank

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T the beginning of this month, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, led a fivemember delegation of the Northern States Governors’ Forum to the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The visit was sequel to a decision of the Forum to seek the assistance of the IsDB, in finding the resources to tackle challenges facing the North in areas like agriculture, education, poverty, maternal mortality and empowerment issues that have been complicated by the Boko Haram insurgency and the changing patterns of weather as they affect the North.

The livelihood of nomadic groups has been seriously eroded and their migration into the hinterlands has led to increasingly bitter conflicts with sedentary agricultural communities. Similarly, the drying up of the Lake Chad has also endangered the lives of millions of people who depend on it. These problems have also fed into the Boko Haram crisis.

Against this background, the Northern Governors chose to act.

Poverty has deepened in the North and the economic choices

made in recent decades have led to de-industrialisation of our region. Jobs have disappeared and the industries that led to vibrant economic activities have collapsed leading to the decay of industrial communities. There is a huge population of young Northerners who have no hope, are angry and are readily available for recruitment by radical religious groups.

Luckily, the current set of Northern Governors are young and have very good education, which allowed them to understand the seriousness of the issues affecting the region. In the weeks leading to the trip, I was part of a team of Northern intellectuals and technocrats that was given the responsibility to put together the comprehensive document that was presented by Kashim Shettima and his team to the Islamic Development bank.

The feedback was that the trip was useful but there must be concerted follow up work to ensure that the IsDB releases the funds to assist the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Northern Nigeria, especially the areas caught up in the Boko Haram insurgency.

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 AS the eighth National Assembly is set to start amending the 1999 constitution, the imperative of fiscal federalism has once again come to the front burner especially with the crash in global crude oil prices. Already, the debilitating oil futures have fallen far below the 2016 budget revenue projection.

Last Monday, while delivering a lecture at the University of Ibadan, former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, called on the National Assembly to convert the existing six geo-political zones into more viable regional federating units. The current 36 states, according to him, will be relegated to the background and function as development zones without full administrative paraphernalia.

Underneath Chief Anyaoku’s thesis is a call for fiscal federalism as most states are increasingly becoming financially unviable. Recently, it took a federal government bailout for some

Time to revisit fiscal federalism of them to pay backlog of workers’ salaries. With the current economic downturn and a looming recession, fiscal federalism may be the way out of over-dependence on oil revenue in the nation.

We believe the time is ripe for it. In federalism, states are not equally endowed in terms of natural resources and wealth. Every federating unit exploits the resources within its territory and pays royalty to the centre.

The reality of the present economic doldrums suggests that this will do the country more good than harm de-

spite fears being expressed in some quarters. Rather than resist its inclusion in the constitution as was the case in the past, fiscal federalism should be accommodated in the current amendment effort. The fear being expressed that it is a ploy to further impoverish any part of the country is laughably unfounded.

Indeed, the founding fathers of the nation agreed that fiscal federalism was the panacea for the country’s development. Their sterling performances in their respective regions attested to this. At the time when there

was no oil revenue to be shared, they performed wonders with proceeds from palm produce in the East, cocoa and rubber in the West and groundnuts in the North.

With abundant untapped natural resources in some states in the country, every part of Nigeria can conveniently survive. Available statistics show that the combined quantity of gold in eleven states in Nigeria is more than that of the whole of South-Africa. But exploiting this is impossible without constitution amendment.

We, therefore, advocate a constitution amendment that reflects fiscal federalism which will enable states to exploit their natural resources. Also, we call for the amendment of the Land Use Act and the removal of mineral resources from the Exclusive to Concurrent List.

Indeed, in proper fiscal federalism lies the very heart of the survival and prosperity of the Nigerian federal state.

OPINION Abia:The

celebration

By Augustine Nkire

T

HE great expectation of Abia State indigenes was finally realised when the Supreme court reversed the judgment of the court of Appeal which nullified the the victory of Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the governorship election of April 11, 2015.

It was a handover of victory to the victor. The Appeal court had, to the shock of many Abians, declared Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] as winner of the election. Indeed, upholding Ikpeazu’s victlory at that election by the Supreme Court is a significant victory for the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] that had declared him winner of the Abia governorship election.

In many ways, it was also a victory for the Abia Charter of Equity enunciated by the founding fathers of the state, wherein it was agreed that there shall be peaceful rotation of power among the three senatorial districts of the state in relation to the office of the Governor of the state.

The Abia North Senatorial District had produced the Governor of the state in the person of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu; Abia Central Senatorial District had produced former Governor T.A. Orji, prompting the shift of power to Abia South Senatorial District which produced Ikpeazu who was validly elected by majority of lawful votes in the April 2015 governorship election.The

of

victory

Supreme court’s decision brought some invincible sanity and peace to the problem of power rotation among the three senatorial districts in Abia state. It was also victory for the people of Obingwa, Osisioma, and Isiala Ngwa North, the three densely populated Local government areas within Ukwa Ngwa political zone of the state who were totally disenfranchised by the Appeal Court judgment which cancelled their valid votes for Ikpeazu. The Apex court verdict was remarkably a triumph for the provision of section 68 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, which said pointedly that a Returning Officer has no power to cancel election results. The Returning Officer in the Abia State governorship election was allegedly biased in his decision to cancel the election results in the critical three local government in favour of Ikpeazu’s major opponent, Alex Otti. In many important ways, the Supreme Court’s judgment represented victory for lovers of peace in Abia State because the unpopular Appeal Court judgment that handed victory to Otti was, indeed, capable of disrupting the peace in

In saner climes, the Federal government would be fully involved in the development of Aba as one of Nigeria’s manufacturing centre

Abia State. It was in that spirit of moving Abia forward and the obvious majority of the votes cast in favour of Ikpeazu on April 1,2015 that may have compelled the governorship candidates of the three other parties that participated in the election to refuse to challenge Ikpeazu’s electoral victory at the Tribunal. They said in a joint statement after the election had been won that “We have implicit confidence that Okezie Ikpeazu will deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Abia State . We also have confidence that he will govern Abia with the fear of God….”

But Otti and some of his elite supporters were more interested in achieving their political goal at all costs, it seemed. It was the same elite in APGA that shot their party on the leg by smuggling Otti through the back door to fly its flag in the election, to the anger of the greater proportion of the party’s membership. This same elite allegedly worked hard through their lawyers to get the elections in Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North local government areas nullified by the Appeal Court that sat in Owerri, Imo State capital, even when another panel of the Court upheld elections in respect of House of Assembly in those areas. Otti hailed the Appeal Court judgment in thesewords: “… the victory of the silent majority over a noisy, unjust and parochial minority.”

Plainly and tragically, Otti’s declaration, soaked in sophisticated blackmail, could not fly. It was a critical mirror broken into a thousand pieces. Such mirrors can only

show distorted details. The chickens of the 2015 Abia governorship election finally came home to roost when INEC told the Supreme Court that “we crave the indulgence of the court to very respectfully refer to an intriguing issue… The court of appeal was wrong in law when it cancelled the results of elections in three local governments of the state. The conclusion that Otti, not Ikpeazu won majority of valid votes cast at the election is neither borne out of the record nor justified under the law… Otti’s Notice of Appeal at the court of Appeal was incompetent and should have been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction”. The Supreme Court agreed with INEC and upheld the election of Okezie Victor Ikpeazu as Governor of Abia State. This decision enables Ikpeazu to continue his government’s policy of delivering good quality roads and other infrastructure especially to the commercial and industrial city of Aba, and across the entire state. “This is a resounding victory for the masses of Abia,” said Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President.

It is also aresounding victory for all who acknowledge the strategic importance of Aba to the South-East and South-South as a manufacturing hub and trading centre.

The city is equidistant to Port-Hacourt, Uyo, Owerri and Umuahia, capitals of Rivers, Akwa Ibom , Imo ,and Abia states respectively. In saner climes, the Federal government would be fully involved in the development of Aba as one of Nigeria’s manufacturing centre.

•Mr. Nkire, acommentator on national issues,wrote from Aba, Abia State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 11 11,, 2016 – 19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Above Ikpeazu’s controversial mandate CAN understand the pains October, 2015. Abbott threw that descended on Dr. Alex himself wholly into the Otti I Otti, the governorship candidate political project and probably of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State during the 2016 general elections. It has nothing to do with the vast personal fortune he sank into the venture. After all, he knew what he was going into and yet went into it, knowing he could win or lose.

It has little to do with not having the opportunity to govern the state. He always emphasised that he wanted to serve and bring good governance. I believed him, and I know that if Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (whom the system favoured to win) continues along the path of promise which has been manifest in the past eight months, Otti will throw his full support behind him (subject to the vagaries of politics).

The pain comes from two main sources. One of them is that he lost his valuable friend who was also my valuable friend and valuable friend to countless people – Prince Otisi Kalu (Abbott) who died of cancer in

(unlike his usual self) neglected his health. The second was the fact that the electorate of Abia State gave majority of their valid and genuine votes to Otti but the system, as I noted before, gave it to someone else.

Both Otti and Ikpeazu, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), went into the race as political dark horses and neophytes. Otti came from the banking industry, being only savvy at boardroom politics. He was never quite the politician throughout the entire process. He believed that one plus one was two. For instance, he had great faith in Professor Attahiru Jega’s Card Reader and Permanent Voter’s Card as foolproof deciders of winners and losers. The APGA campaign lacked the grit and deviousness of experienced politicians, as the few who were around were regarded with distrust.

On the other hand, Ikpeazu, a former Deputy Director in a state parastatal, was backed by an

entrenched and vicious election“winning” machine whose reputation for achieving power even after losing at the theatre of voting dates back to 1998 when Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, the founder of this hardened political platform, first assembled the machine.

It is my considered opinion that the Abia voter did not know (or even care) who Otti and Ikpeazu’s persons were. They simply transferred their frustration at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) track record of poor governance to Ikpeazu and gave their mandate to APGA’s Otti – whoever he was.

Much of the process happened live on radio, television and the Internet. PDP spent a fortune of the state’s money to depict Otti as not qualified to benefit from the privilege of zoning the governorship to the Ukwa and Ngwa areas of the State. They said he was an Aro man, despite the fact that 140 Ngwa traditional rulers came together

We hope Governor Ikpeazu will continue and not stop along the way like his predecessors. We hope he will not create an idol (such Orji Kalu’s “Mother Excellency” and TA’s son, “Ikuku”) for his government and the people of the state to worship

By 2031 all elections will be nullified!

E

ACH time we hear of minority rule, our minds quickly go to apartheid – the former political system in South Africa in which only the white people had full political rights while other people, especially blacks, were forced to live away from the white population and they attended separate schools and churches.

Sufficient Sometimes, too, our minds are adverted to the military rule that, until recently, kept punctuating governments in Nigeria.

In actual fact, we constantly live in a world of oddities, a world ruled by the minority. We have never been excited by the “ninety minutes of legal violence” called the game of football, particularly when it comes to deciding the winner by penalty shootouts. Twenty-two people would work their heads off for 90 minutes plus 30 more minutes of extra time before finally surrendering their fate to one goalkeeper on either side. A better decider would perhaps have been to toss the coin after the 120 minutes of heart-breaking struggle.

It gets incrementally worse as we approach the region of our elections. In abstraction, we profess to be democrats with full entitlement to the universal adult suffrage, which in itself presupposes our sing-song of one adult, one vote.

But in reality, we periodically rush to vote for candidates of our choice, only for our collective decisions to be vetoed at the courts by a microscopic minority of three egg-heads at the Appeal Court or seven others at the Supreme Court level. Where, then, is the much talkedabout universal adult suffrage?

One disturbing trend is fast developing in our polity and if it is not quickly halted, Nigeria heads for imminent danger.

C M Y K

Ordinarily, 2016 is not an Election Year in Nigeria. But all you find across Nigeria today is that the high-wired scheming by desperate politicians over about 82 re-run elections arising from the 2015 general elections has raised the political tempo to feverish proportion.

We still live in the delusion of grandeur that our elections are improving whereas they are getting worse by the day. By statistical extrapolation, by the year 2031, all our election results shall be nullified. The graphic progression is simple: after the 1999 and 2003 general elections, we had near-zero nullification; after the 2007 general elections, only 20 results were nullified nationwide by the courts. After the 2011 elections, the number of nullifications rose to 34; and after the 2015 general elections, the figure took a quantum leap to 82!

Besides the 82 nullifications, there were 15 other elections where the petitioners were declared winners in which case, the courts directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Certificates of Return to those declared winners.

Essentially, the tensed atmosphere we had in the country during the 2015 general elections still persists in many parts of the country; and sometimes, it is even worse! Put simply, electioneering campaigns in the affected constituencies

Should 2031 suddenly arrive, it may be necessary for all interested contestants to apply straight to the Registrar of the Appeal or Supreme Court, as the case may be

to let the world know he was a bona fide son of Ngwaland.

You will recall those coffins in Aba street corners on which were inscribed: “VOTE AGAINST PDP AND DIE”. You will recall the invasion of the INEC collation centre in Umuahia by PDP chiefs led by former Governor (now Senator) TA Orji (Ochendo Global) and the subsequent volteface by the Abia Chief Returning Officer, Professor Ben Ozurumba.

It happened on live TV. You may also recall the burning of the INEC office in Obingwa to prevent forensic experts from ascertaining the genuine votes from the ones thumb-printed to steal the vote. You will recall far much more than I can put in this limited space.

At the end, INEC (even INEC) and the courts agreed that what PDP did was correct and gave victory to Dr Ikpeazu. So, the Card Reader and PVCs were brought by Jega to muscle believers in credible elections out of the contention? When the electoral and judicial systems support the rigging and violent stealing of mandates, who will ever want to submit himself to credible elections?

As it stands now, the election has been won and lost. End of story. The electioneering process is one thing. Governing with the mandate given is yet another.

Elections are merely the means through which one obtains the mandate to govern. There are those who say that when a person emerges through a flawed process, it automatically results in flawed governance. A snake can only give birth to a long object, they say. Again, in the game of politics (in which one

plus one equals two) this is a simplistic deduction.

We have seen flawed mandates that brought people who changed the template of governance for good. In the case of Dr. Chris Ngige’s Anambra State, this assumption was proved wrong.

Ngige went into power, shook off his godfathers, braved abduction by the police and triggered off the good governance that has now become a part of the Anambra political expectation. Once you drive into Anambra State from Imo and Abia States, no one will tell you that you are now in the theatre of good governance.

I am greatly encouraged by testimonies I receive of efforts by Governor Ikpeazu to give, not just Aba, his hometown and the commonwealth of all a new face but all parts of the state (including Abiriba my own hometown). We hope Governor Ikpeazu will continue and not stop along the way like his predecessors. We hope he will not create an idol (such as Orji Kalu’s “Mother Excellency” and TA’s son, “Ikuku”) for his government and the people of the state to worship. I hope BCA Radio of Abia State will start, for once, to broadcast responsible programmes that will inform, educate and entertain the people, rather than praise-singing the governor and his family round the clock.

Our people are very easy to please. They are also very easy to deceive. I believe that if Ikpeazu is able to provide good governance the people will easily forgive and forget what happened to their mandate.

Abia cannot afford to spend another day in darkness.

started in earnest in 2014 and today they are still raging.

This time around, the governorship election re-runs in Kogi and Bayelsa States set the tones for the numerous battles ahead.

Recent Supreme Court decisions on the governorship contests in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Abia and Taraba States may not have succeeded in removing those States from the ambit of States where elections were nullified. Indeed, the struggle in those battlefields remained ever fierce and ferocious with the attendant high casualty rates.

At every level and on every side, elections are expensive; and they constitute a big drain on the nation’s economy. On the one hand, INEC operations gulp hundreds of billions of Naira every Election Year; and on the other, the individual contestants and their political parties never relent in their spate of spending.

At the Election Petitions Tribunals and appeal processes, the cost of retaining the Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, are totally astounding. And in the final analysis, the cost of organising the subsequent re-run elections is prohibitive.

These are moneys that would have been useful in our development efforts.

At the legislative contests – State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly elections – the buck stops at the Court of Appeal. But in the governorship and presidential contests, the cases travel all the way to the Supreme Court.

The power put in the hands of judges is enormous, and subject, like other powers, to abuse; but we are not to flinch from granting it.

Lately, there have been sharp differentiations between the Court of Justice and the Court of Law: the lower

courts – the Election Petitions Tribunals and the Appeal Courts have stood to be counted on the side of justice and therefore they saw no alternative to re-run elections in areas where elections were marred by widespread violence and massive manipulation; and in most of those cases where elections did not hold at all. But miracle results still emerged.

But the Supreme Court appears to wear the garb of the court of law where strict constructionism to the letters of the law holds sway. And nothing else counts. We shall perhaps return to this aspect in a few weeks time – after the highly revered Supreme Court Justices may have honoured us with the real reasons for throwing the decisions of the lower courts overboard.

This piece is like the admonition of an impending danger. Whatever the nullification mix, its spate is worrisome.

There can be no better time than now to begin to think of viable alternatives to our elections. Should 2031 suddenly arrive, it may be necessary for all interested contestants to apply straight to the Registrar of the Appeal or Supreme Court, as the case may be, so that the Honourable Justices can allocate the available seats by themselves, thus obviating all the rigmarole of expensive electoral processes.

Other ideas are invited.

In all this, there is no resting space for INEC. If the Commission is not to go into extinction, it must quickly produce a blueprint to halt the drift. Otherwise, 2031 remains real – we are at the edge of a precipice!

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION CRISIS:

Assemblies of God of Nigeria on the verge of imploding

By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

T

HE lingering leadership succession crisis within the Assemblies of God Nigeria church may be approaching a climax of disintegration as its South-South zone has broken away from the General Council to establish its zonal General Council.

Vanguard Metro learnt that the supremacy and succession battle is being fuelled by the fact that whoever among the warring ministers occupies the exalted position of General Superintendent automatically chairs the General Council, which is the highest decision making body in the church.

Besides the succession issue, alleged marginalisation and gross injustice in terms of remuneration for ministers, unhealthy rivalry among ministers, fraud and inefficient administration, were among the reasons tearing the church apart that informed the decision of the South-South zone to break away from the general administration that has always been controlled by the leadership at the centre.

Leadership of the zone VM learnt that the South-South Zonal General Council which comprises the six states in the zone with its headquarters at Assemblies of God Bible College, Uyo, formally took off on January 22, 2016, while March 6, 2016 has been fixed for the inauguration. According to church sources in Uyo, the South-South zone is the first to break away from the centre to establish its Zonal General Council.

The leadership of the zone said in a press conference recently in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, that it became necessary for them to stand on their own as the leadership tussle which started two years ago between the two factions appears to have no end in sight following perceived signs of fresh legal battle rocking the factions. The press conference led by the chairman, Central Working Committee, SouthSouth zonal General Council, Evangelist Nsikak Akpan, had other executive members in attendance as well as representatives and executives of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Akwa Ibom State chapter.

remuneration for ministers; restore the lost pride and glory of the church by bringing about great awakening and revival as well as restore loyalty to the church”.

The zonal *Executives of the S-South General Council Caretaker Working Committee Chairman who lamented the Evangelist Akpan who church that has led to the birth hardship and untold sufferings expressed concern over the of two general councils, and the ministers at the zonal levels unending leadership tussle breeding fresh crisis in the have been passing through which, according to him, is church across the nation is to over the years due to poor salary portraying Assemblies of God decentralise and re-organise the and other entitlements, noted Nigeria in bad light, said that General Council into either six that the new salary under the decentralising the highest or 12, leaving little economic and present arrangement even decision making body-the administrative power at the impoverished the General Council- into six or 12 centre. The decentralisation of ministers. According to him, a autonomous General Councils the general council at the centre General Superintendent under will address the crisis as well as will ensure effective the Zonal General Councils grievances being expressed by administration in the church, would have the leverage to the different zones. He, promote self-governance at the fashion out a workable however, appealed to the two zonal levels, eliminate poor constitution for his people based factions to shelve their differences by merging under the various zones so as to put an end to the tussle and allow peace and unity to return to the church.

Akpan said that the mother Continues from yesterday’s particular reference to NAUTH, General Council has grown to Midweek features Nnewi. People are undergoing become too large and expensive THERS in the South East bad moments in some of these to be managed and run by the I have contacted are Chief government-owned hospitals. centre, adding that giving Jim Nwobodo, Senator Anyim “I worked in an Old People’s autonomy to the different zones Pius Anyim, Chief Ike Home in the United Kingdom will reduce the administrative Ekweremmadu, Dr Ogbonnaya about ten years ago, taking care burden at the centre, eliminate Onu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Dr Chike of the aged. I was being paid a supremacy struggle among Akunyili, Senator Nkechi large sum of money per hour. If Ministers, and eliminate Nworgu, Chief Ken Nnamani, the British government can pay marginalisation of ministers, Ifeanyi Ararume, George me so much to make people especially in the area of Obiozor and former Inspector- happy and comfortable why can’t remuneration.

General of Police, IGP, Ogbonna the Nigerian government He said: “We in the South- Onovo who replied and said that provide enough drugs and all South zone of Assemblies of God I sent my text to a wrong number that at our hospitals’ emergency Nigeria strongly believe that the but I told him that I knew who I units and other departments only panacea to the crisis in the sent my text to. He did not reply need?” again.

“I equally contacted Emeka Medical Ihedioha and other prominent experience Nigerians such as Alhaji Atiku In his reaction, the Chairman, Abubakar, Professor Pat Utomi, and Advisory Chief Mike Okiro, Chief Ike Medical Nwachukwu, Dr. Arthur Eze, Committee, NAUTH, Nnewi, Dr. Professor A. B. C. Nwosu, Evaristus Ede Afiadigwe who Governor Rochas Okorocha, spoke as the Chief Medical With autonomy Chief Emeka Mba, Professor Director (CMD), Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Victor Umeh, Anthony Igwegbe was said to at the zonal Nnewi Catholic Bishop, Most have travelled out of town, levels, proceeds Rev Hilary Odili Okeke and dismissed Okoye’s claims even Nnewi Anglican Bishop, though he admitted that raised at the Professor G. I. N. Okpala. My Okocha’s stomach did indeed zonal intention is for these people to burst. He said there was no contact President Buhari or the negligence in the treatment of programmes will Minister for Health. This thing Okocha, noting that stomach be properly used must be investigated. Let the burst was a medical experience in developing the Presidency look into how some that could occur any time.

“I heard about the eruption, of these Federal health zones institutions are run with a stomach burst. The doctor

on what is peculiar and acceptable to them in that zone.

“With autonomy at the zonal levels, proceeds raised at the zonal programmes will be properly used in developing the zones, and so put paid to the growing cries of marginalisation and injustices in the church,” he asserted.

Accordingly, he called on the mother general council at the centre to set a date, not exceeding three months from the day when the South-South Zonal General Council took off, for the sharing of available assets and also demanded that ministers pensions be worked out and transferred to their pension accounts under the Zonal General Council Caretaker Committee. The South South Zonal General Council which is the first to break away from the Mother General Council has its Caretaker Committee comprising the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer with 13 others as members.

The near-death experience, ordeal of a Nollywood actor

O

wanted to use Nylon 2 Defilon but what was available was Nylon I. It is not possible that everything you need, the number and quality will be available at every given time. And you know that was on a Sunday. But the Nylon I is used and one still gets a perfect result. I don’t know why this should be made an issue. I investigated the incident by myself and discovered that there was no negligence.

“The Nylon 1 and Nylon 2 are of high quality, even the Nylon 3 you are talking about. Life and death are actually in the hands of God. We did everything humanly possible to save Charles Okocha’s life. And this is what one should be grateful for instead of painting the hospital black. We do conduct audit on how our doctors and nurses work and we have a disciplinary committee which handles erring medical personnel. There is no negligence in this matter. Some doctors even use Nylon 1 ordinarily. It is just that the doctor said he wanted to use Nylon 2. Nylon 2 was available in the hospital but it wasn’t available at the time the doctor was doing the surgery. There was a repeat surgery and it was successful,” the doctor said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 —21

FG begins performance based incentive plan for Customs

By Franklin Alli

S

TARTUP companies in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry across the country are to enjoy tax holidays and special intervention funds from the federal government.

This is to enable them to meaningfully help government to realize the creation of three million jobs targeted by 2018.

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, and Afolabi Imoukhuede, Senior Special Adviser, SSA to the President on Job Creation/Youth Empowerment office of the Vice President, gave this hint when the Minister visited Yaba Technology Ecosystem Hubs in Lagos.

The minister expressed satisfaction at the infrastructures on the ground and said: “As you all know, the ICT innovations is powering economies across the globe, creating employments and wealth. It is impacting on the way we live and the way we do businesses; the Buhari administration is at the forefront of diversifying our economy and he is resolved to develop the ICT sector through Local Content initiative. Government will support Yaba and all ICT hubs across the country because it is a veritable platform to achieve our ICT and job creations objective.

“We are going to replicate what is happening here in Yaba in other parts of the country in partnership with stakeholders. We are going to start in Ibadan and Katsina state in the next three months. Both the governors of Oyo and Katsina have agreed to provide facilities for the establishment of these hubs.”

The minister further noted that countries like Singapore, India, have set up special interventions to support the high growth ICT

I

MOU: From left, CEO, Aggregates & Concrete, Lafarge Africa Plc., Loren Zanin; MD/ CEO, Fortis Microfinance Bank, Tiko Okoye and Executive Director, Fortis Microfinance Bank, Ugochukwu Ezeh at the signing of MoU on affordable housing scheme between both firms, in Abuja.

Technology startups to enjoy tax holiday— FG industry; so, we will be supportive of whatever initiative that you have. Through National Technology Development Agency, NITDA, we are going to introduce ICT Innovation fund to cater for early startups and ICT incubation scheme to support establishment of more high growth incubators across the country. We believe with these incentives, the sector will witness tremendous growth and generate employment and massive wealth for our people.

We are also going to monitor the hubs across Nigeria in order to ensure standards and to mold them for global competitiveness.

Our aim is to make Nigeria the ICT hub for Africa.”

He charged entrepreneurs in the sector to articulate some of the

challenges they are facing and the sorts of intervention they want from government to sustain the existing hubs and more importantly Government has always been the driving catalyst for funding startups.

Imokhuede, added that government is really going to help entrepreneurs in the sector especially startups by giving them tax incentives, in the form of tax holi-

We are going to replicate what is happening here in Yaba in other parts of the country

days.

“We are working on the details.

We have a million jobs to be created this year and we have a target to create three million jobs over the next three years-201619. What is keen for me as the SSA on job creation is for us to be able to look at which sectors we can create jobs, and ICT, for us is a key area for job creations.

For two reasons- you can create jobs within the sector, and you can use ICT as an enabler to also create a lot of jobs. And that is why we are focusing on ICT and digital world for jobs creation; it is therefore important that we visit places like Co-Creation, where you have an organic growth.”

Firm decries multiple taxes by Lagos govt $ 115.10

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

0. 35

$2,833.00

-4.00

$13.17

-0.22

$30.91

0.59

$28.39

0.45

BUYING

196 196.5 282.3576 283. 0779 219.9316 220.4925 199.8776 200. 3875 1.7045 1.7088 0.3125 0.3225 272.5834 273.2787 29.8008 29.8773 52. 2458 52.379 29.4591 29.5342 274. 3216 275.0214

SELLING 197 283.7982 221.0537 200. 8974 1.7132 0.3325 273.9741 29.9538 52.5123 29.6094 275.7212

CBN Exchange rate as at 10/02/2016 C M Y K

A

N Abeokuta-based firm, Mushilab Nigeria Limited, has decried what it described as extortion, illegal and multiple taxation by Lagos State government on federal highways most especially Lagos/ Ibadan expressway.

According to the firm, the state government has allegedly contravened the order which restricts every state or local government from collection of levies on the road.

A statement signed by the company Operations Manager Mutiu Taiwo, says despite all efforts made by the Joint Tax Board to stop illegal tolls and multiple taxation on individuals and corporate bodies, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral resources under the Lagos State Government has numerous illegal toll collection centres most especially on the federal highways.

Mushilab, a haulage firm said last Monday, one of its trucks with number plate SRA 514 XA was illegimately impounded

by Lagos State Task Force at Berger axis of Lagos/Ibadan expressway but taken to

Ikorodu. The firm said the step by the state government has contravened the resolution made by the Joint Tax Board on the 22nd October, 2013 which expressly condemned and prohibits the use of individuals or organizations other than the Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) to collect approved taxes.

Also, it said the government representatives allegedly make use of miscreants who forcefully extort money from haulage drivers through the use of sticks and dangerous objects to stop haulage vehicles to pay levies on taxable items like granite and any other items.

Mutiu said in most cases, the Energy ministry allegedly engage the Nigeria Police Force under the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Task Force) to perpetrate the unlawful acts, ‘’as we all know, ‘’ the Nigerian Police Force is one of the stakeholders that constitute the laws banning illegal road blocks and toll collection throughout the Federation.

N a bid to significantly increase the level of revenue generation from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has disclosed that the agency is working on the introduction of performance related pay to motivate improved collections on the part of the NCS and to reduce corruption.

The Minister explained that a review of the constraints currently impacting performance of the NCS had been undertaken. “This exercise found that the provision of modern equipment, elimination of inappropriate waivers and remuneration emerged as issues,” she stated. She disclosed further that a consulting firm has been hired and is working with the NCS to develop and implement a performance-based incentive plan to ensure that there was an alignment of interest between individual customs officers and the objectives of the Government.

Speaking at a Senate Hearing to review revenue projections in the 2016 Budget held in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister further explained, “appropriate remuneration of revenue collecting agencies to align the interests of staff with maximising collections is critical to motivate performance and to reduce temptation to compromise.” She told Senators that such a structure already existed in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which was working well and needed to be extended to Customs.

The minister also highlighted that, being an import-dependent nation; there is room for improvement in revenue generation from the country’s ports.

She stated that there was a disconnect between the volume of imports and the recorded revenues from NCS which would be addressed by the new strategy being deployed.

She expressed commitment to the provision of all modern equipment needed to minimise discretion in customs assessments and thus enhance revenue. Corroborating the minister’s position, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) said the authorities were looking into areas of improving the performance of the NCS through deployment of technology solutions, training, upgrading of the agency’s infrastructure and improved welfare.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

A service is consumed at the point of sale. Services are one of the two key components of economics, the other being goods

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FG plans N200bn solid minerals devt fund •Set to publish reviewed mining licences

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HE Federal Government has concluded arrangements to set up a N200 billion intervention fund for the development of the solid minerals sector in Nigeria.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Mineral Development, disclosed this at an African mining conference in Cape Town. He further revealed that government has completed a review of mining licenses issued in the country, adding that the results will be published next week. He said those who did not comply with necessary requirements faced having their licenses revoked.

The minister said government wanted to fully activate a solid minerals development fund, already provided for in existing legislation, as a way to kick start investment. “Somewhere in the region of about N200 billion fund that could be accessed by serious investors with bankable plans. By the first quarter of next year I would really like to see this fund in place,” he said.

Fayemi recalled that government launched the review of mining licenses late last year to overhaul a largely unproductive sector dominated by small-scale artisanal miners who comprise around 80 percent of the sector. “We have completed the review and we will be publishing in another week those whose licenses are due for renewal, (and those) who, if they refused to do what is expected of them in terms of the law, would have their licenses revoked,” the Minister at an African mining conference in Cape Town.

He said that an amnesty period for companies to comply would not be extended beyond March 1 as the country aims to grow its nascent mining sector and diversify away from an overreliance on crude oil. According to him, the long-term vision would be to significantly grow the mining sector from the 0.34 percent it currently contributed to gross domestic product (GDP), to between 5 and 10 percent. “The important point here is to let people who are interested in the sector to know that it is now business unusual, we would enforce the law and we would use to encourage serious investors to come into the space,” he said.

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BUSINESS

Starting a service business

By Yinka Kolawole, with agency report Everyone has skills, knowledge and experience, and anyone can turn those assets into a thriving business.

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NYONE and everyone can sell a service. Everyone is qualified because each of us has skills, knowledge or experience that other people are willing to pay for in the form of a service; or they’re willing to pay you to teach them your specific skill or knowledge. Selling services knows no boundaries anyone with a need or desire to earn extra money, work from home, or start and operate a fulltime business can sell a service, regardless of age, business experience, education or current financial resources. The secret to selling services is to be a problem solver.

Service is a valuable action, deed or effort performed to satisfy a need or to fulfill a demand. It is a type of economic activity that is intangible, is not stored and does not result in ownership. A service is consumed at the point of sale.

Services are one of the two key components of economics, the other being goods.

Advantage: There are many advantages associated with starting your own business selling services.

Biggest advantage Perhaps the biggest advantage is you become your own boss, take control of your future, and in effect become the master of your destiny. Operating your own business also gives you the potential to earn more money than you’re currently earning.

Capitalise on your skills: Don’ t worry if you lack business skills and experience in areas such as time management, personalcontact selling, negotiating, bookkeeping and the ability to create effective advertisements.

There’s no question these are all important skills to have, but at the same time they’re also skills that with practice can be learned and mastered. More important is the question, “What skill(s) do you have that can be sold as a service?”

Any skill(s) you possess can be your best, and by far your most marketable, asset. If you know how to plan and throw a great party, that’s a skill people are willing to pay you for as their event and party planner.

If you know how to play the piano, this is a skill other people

VISIT: From left, Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; Director General, Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), Jide Odekunle and Afolabi Imoukhuede,SSA to the President on Job Creation/Youth Employment, during visit of the minister to the Co-Creations Hub in Yaba, Lagos.

will pay you to teach them. If you know how to sell products and services online, that’s another skill that people are willing to pay you for as an online marketing consultant. These are some of the examples of skills that people pay other people to perform, or teach them how to learn.

Every person has one or more skills other people are prepared to pay for in the form of a service provided to them, or to learn.

However, most people have a tendency to underestimate the true value of their skill sets and experiences.

Part time option: The first option is to start off selling your services on a part-time basis, which is a good idea because it enables you to eliminate risk by limiting your financial investment.

Financial investment It allows you to test the waters to make sure that being selfemployed is something you enjoy and want to pursue.

If all goes well, you may decide to transition from your current job, devoting more time to your new enterprise each week, all the while decreasing the time at your current job until you’re working at your new business on a fulltime basis.

There are many advantages to starting off part-time, one of which is building your business over a longer period of time, which generally gives it a more stable foundation. If it turns out you’re not the type of person who’s comfortable being the boss, you’ve risked little and still have the security of your job.

Full time option: You can also start your new services business

full-time. This option would appeal to people without a current job or people who are confident about being the boss and operating a business. There’s nothing wrong with starting off full-time, especially if you take the time required to research the business, industry and marketplace. You must also develop a business and marketing plan, and have the necessary financial resources to start the business and pay yourself until it becomes profitable.

The main downside to starting full time is risk. If you jump ship and leave your job, you risk loss of current employee benefits and have no guarantee of steady income. The upside to starting off full-time is potential rewards, including the opportunity to make more money than you can at your current job, and to gain control of your future. Your decision to operate your new business on a full-time basis will largely be determined by your current financial situation, your own riskreward assessment, and your goals and objectives for the future.

Jumping in full-time will appeal

An example of seasonal services business is summer coaching for students preparing for exams such as JAMB, WAEC, etc

to the true entrepreneurial mindset - people who prefer to blaze the trail rather than follow behind in the wagon train.

Seasonal option: Another option is to start a seasonal service business, which can be operated with a full- or part-time effort. But most are run full time to maximise revenues and profits over a normally short time span.

Seasonal services An example of seasonal services business is summer coaching for students preparing for exams such as JAMB, WAEC, etc. Just about any business can be run seasonally or occasionally, but some are obviously better suited than others.

A seasonal venture will appeal to people who want the ability to earn enough money during part of the year in order to do as they please with the remainder of the year - travel, or pursue education.

The potential to earn a very good living, operating a business only part of the year is a genuine opportunity. The main downside to a seasonal business, especially one that can be operated yearround, is that you don’t want to spend thousands of naira and hundreds of hours promoting your business only to shut it down for half the year, sending current and potential customers running to your competitors while your business is closed. It may prove very difficult to lure them back when you reopen for business.

Retirement supplement The fourth option is to sell services to supplement retirement income or just to have fun and stay active in the golden years.

Retirement businesses have

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 — 23

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& YOU become extremely popular, mainly because the cost of living has dramatically increased, often outpacing wages and retirement savings. The result is that many people head into retirement needing a little extra income to cover expenses and provide an adequate lifestyle or to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle.

For most retired people, starting and operating a business is a way to stay active physically and mentally. Older people also have an advantage when it comes to starting a business and selling services: a lifetime of knowledge and experience that can only be acquired by spending lots of time on this planet. Because of the value of these skills, many people are willing to pay big money for them.

This is why many people who are reaching or have reached retirement age have chosen to start a consulting business selling their experiences, knowledge and skills for the benefit of their clients.

Find a good match: You and your business must be a good match. You may have an interest and even experience in a specific business or in providing a specific service, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good match. Here are a few points to consider when determining a good business match.

Do you have the financial resources to start or purchase the business, and enough money to pay the day-to-day operating expenses until the business breaks even and is profitable? If not, it’s probably not a good match, and you should consider alternatives. Does the business have the potential to generate the income you need to pay your personal expenses, and does it also have the potential to generate the income you want to earn? This is very important because if you can’t pay your own personal bills, you’ll soon be in trouble. And if, over time, you can’t earn the income you want to earn, you’ll lose interest in the business—a recipe for disaster.

Are you physically healthy enough to handle the physical strains of starting and running the business? If not, you may end up having to hire people for the job, which can be problematic if the business revenues aren’t there to support both management and employee wages. Do you have experience in this type of business

Financial compatibility is important when starting a business and deciding what services to sell

or service, and do you have any special skills that can be utilised in the business? You can gain experience and knowledge on the job but skills that can be utilised and capitalised upon right away are extremely valuable.

Are there any special certificates or educational requirements to start and operate the business, and are these readily available? Find out the upfront costs associated with these, how they can be obtained, and the time frame needed to obtain specific certificates.

Training and certification shouldn’t be viewed negatively because often the return on time and investment is substantially rewarded financially.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Will you enjoy operating the business, and does it match your personality type and level of maturity?

This is very important.

Interest in a business If you don’t think that you would enjoy it, then don’t start. The loss of interest in a business is almost certainly the kiss of death. You can’t stay motivated and rise to new challenges if you don’t like what you’re doing.

Financial compatibility: Before you decide to get into business for yourself selling services, there are two issues to consider regarding financial compatibility - income and investment money. First, when deciding what type of service to sell, you have to consider how much money you want to earn and how much money you need to earn. You must be realistic and relatively sure the service you choose to sell has the potential to generate enough income to live on in the shortterm, and the potential to match your income goals in the longer term.

Income doesn’t have to factor into the business startup equation for everyone. If you want and need to earn only a little money from a parttime or retirement business, the income equation will not factor as heavily as other issues.

The second big financial compatibility issue affecting your decision about which business to start or purchase is the amount of money needed to start or purchase the business. Not only will you need to have or have access to the investment needed to get rolling, but you’ll also need extra money for working capital to cover day-to-day operating expenses until the business achieves positive cash flow.

Ultimately, financial compatibility is important when starting a business and deciding what services to sell. If you cannot afford to start the business and don’t have the financial resources to pay operating expenses and your wages until the business can break even, you’ll probably have to look at alternative options, such as starting part time, choosing a different business to start, or waiting until you have acquired the money needed to get started.

•Culled from Entrepreneur.com

It is imperative for us to understand that quick fixes are not long lasting and are likely to fail because they are not holistic or creative enough

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Should CEOs endorse the Quick Fix Approach?

Chief Results Officer, Mentoring Consult Limited “It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem”............................Malcolm S. Forbes

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HERE is a natural proclivity to Since the always look for the easiest way out in problems every situation. Some organizations at one organizations time or the other have sought for quick fix face are to their problems. Much to the chagrin of systemic in these organizations, the more they try to n a t u r e , ‘quick fix’ their problems the bigger u s i n g problems arise. Organizational problems analytical, are always systemic in nature and do not quick fix or always appear simple as we often times piecemeal BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE assume them to be. These issues and approach to problems in organizations are always resolve a systemic problem will lead to chaos interconnected and interrelated. In some and failure. This also explains why some situations, the causes of the problems are organizations end up in chaos after spending not easily seen with our ‘open’ eyes. Quick huge resources trying to fix systemic issues. fixes and other traditional problem solving The good news for organizations is that with approaches are no longer adequate in this Systems Thinking Approach being our ever changing and complex world. institutionalized in their organizations, they It is imperative for us to understand that would be able to resolve all their lingering quick fixes are not long lasting and are likely systemic issues; this is because Systems to fail because they are not Thinking sees the whole or holistic or creative enough. One the entire organization as might ask - why are they not primary. This approach does holistic? They are not holistic not try to break down Has there because they concentrate on the organizations into parts in being a parts of the organization rather order to understand them and than on the whole. In so doing time quick intervene in them. It they miss the crucial interactions fix concentrates its attention between the parts. They fail to instead at the organizational solutions recognize that optimizing the level and on ensuring that performance of one part may paid off in the parts are functioning and have consequences elsewhere your are related properly together that are damaging to the entire organization so that they serve the organization. Having worked and purposes of the whole. interacted with some CEOs, I have Points to ponder: realized that most of them are not • Has there been a time satisfied with the ‘unclassified’ quick fix solutions paid off in your organization? quick fixes they have engaged in the time If your answer is no, then, what are you going past such as: benchmarking, rightsizing, to do differently? value chain analysis, continuous • Apart from the quick fix approach, do you improvement, total quality management, have in your organization a systemic approach process re-engineering, and customer of resolving both your simple and complex relationship management etc. My instinct problems? tells me that someone might be asking, how • Has your organization been able to come all these measures above are quick institutionalize strategic and systems thinking fixes? as a core competence in your organization?

Let’s look at some of the measures closely.

Final note: Looking at process re-engineering for When tempted to use quick fix solutions, instance, even the originator of the organizations must first of all pause and ask approach has admitted that process re- this systems question - what is/are the root engineering concentrated far too much on cause(s) of the problem? Then again, the things that can be engineered at the identifying the root cause of the problem is on expense of the people in organizations. one hand, the other hand lies in having a People reacted and process re-engineering holistic solution finding approach. But interventions failed in terms of securing remember, any approach or measure you will overall improvement. Benchmarking use in your organization that will only encourages looking at the efficiency of the concentrate on the parts of the organization different parts of the organization (e.g marketing or operation or customer separately against external comparators. service etc) as opposed to the whole (i.e. the It fails to see that, even if each part is entire organization) is not holistic and may optimized, the performance of the whole not deliver the desired results. The desired organization can be disastrous if the parts results will be delivered when the focus is on do not interact together well. Total quality the entire organization. So, next time your management, for example, has done a lot manager (from a particular department or to improve process design, but can be unit) comes with a proposal for any measure criticized for ignoring wider structural in your organization, always ask - how can it impact on all the departments in the issues and the politics of organizations. At organization? This is systems thinking at work. other times, even if more parts are Call or email me for your comments, views considered, there is the danger that they or perspectives. are all viewed from the same perspective.

Email: uju.onwuzulike@mclgroup.net C M Y K

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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Morenike Taire, Woman Editor

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OST people are fascinated with twins and other multiple births and when they arrive, everyone around is overwhelmed with joy.

Well, most people. We all have heard stories of fathers of twins and triplets bailing out when their bundles of joy arrive while only one was expected; or when there are already too many little mouths to feed.

A Mr. Egwilo, whose wife gave birth to triplets in Ogun state last year but who chose not to abscond, said he was dazed when he received the news of the arrival of three additional children. He said he later accepted the reality and resolved to face his new status as a father of five kids.

He said his situation now makes him understand better why some men run away when their wives are delivered of twins or triplets. The teacher stated that the responsibility of taking care of even one baby at a time was enormous.

“In those days, when I heard the news that a woman gave birth to triplets and the husband ran away, I would be angry. I would ask, why should a man run away because his wife gave birth? I now know how it feels because the demand is very high.

Myths, fables and superstitions “The hospital alone will demand for so many things which will make the man run away or even collapse if he does not have a heart. But for me, I cannot run away because it is not my wife’s fault. So, I can’t leave her to bear the pain alone”.

Twin myths…There are also a lot of myths, fables and superstitions that go along with having twins. The Yorubas believe twins bring good luck and riches, though many do not appear to remember this when their wives give birth to twins.

People believe that, depending on how they are treated, twins can bring either fortune or misfortune to their families and communities. In some parts of the Ivory Coast, twins are also said to be able to stop the rain and are often called upon when there are manifestations or events and C M Y K

the weather turns inclement.

In Guinea and in the Ivory Coast, when one twin is getting married, the other is also treated like the bride.

There was also a lot of

Having twin babies can also be a nightmare, especially when their birth positions are different

infanticide going on in most of Nigeria until the 20th century, on account of twins being perceived as evil. Twins are also prevalent in Hausa country where they are believed to have special powers to pick up scorpions without being harmed.

Loving twins…Anyway, thanks to all the fascination and well beyond it, modern women are more enamored by the prospects of having twins now than ever.

Since two kids have become the acceptable number, having twins would be just perfect for obvious reasons- saving you the trouble of two pregnancies, not to talk of having a permanent playmate for your child from the word go.

Needless to say, a life with twin

children would be a life of endless fun, not least of all because of all the pranks.

Women who have had twins and other multiple births however warn that it’s not as rosy as it might appear.

Caring for twins…From the very pregnancy, carrying twins means you will have to see the doctor more frequently.

Needless to say, you will also put on a lot more weight, making getting back in shape more difficult.

Having twin babies can also be a nightmare, especially when their birth positions are different. They can be a nightmare to breastfeed as babies and feed later on; then think of the pile of laundry!

All however agree that they are worth the trouble.

How are twins made?

There are a couple of ways that multiples are conceived: Multiple eggs are released or there is more than one ovulation. Both (or more) eggs are fertilized and you have fraternal twins. One egg is released but splits in two, resulting in identical twins. In cases of IVF (invitro fertilization), there are usually 3 or more fertilized eggs put back into the uterus. The rationale is that not all of these will implant, though sometimes they do.

Why do you need extra care for a twin pregnancy?

Once conceived you have a lot of possibilities on placentas, implantation locations, number of amniotic sacs. For example, you can have two babies, two placentas, and two sacs. You can have two babies one placenta and two sacs. It will be important to know exactly what you are dealing with, particularly when it comes to amniotic sacs. Surprises are not welcome.

Why is there a higher incidence of multiple births?

Multiple pregnancies are on the rise in recent years with more and more twins and other types of multiples being born. The majority of the reason for this rise is the increased use of fertility drugs.

How do you know you are having twins?

Some people find a rapid rate of grow in their uterus which leads some to suspect twins. Sometimes multiple heart beats are heard. Some women also find out when they have abnormally high levels on the AFP (alpha fetoprotein) test that multiples are on the way, since multiple babies would increase the levels of these hormones. It’s also sometimes possible to detect multiples with serial hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels in early pregnancy. About 3% of all twin pregnancies are undetected until birth.

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Caring for twins

By Anino Aganbi

It is possible to have an ultrasound without detecting the other baby.

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OR new parents all over the world, caring for one baby is usually tough while having two babies is virtually overwhelming. Speaking to Woman”s Own, some mothers of twin children share their view on how they have been able to cope raising multiple babies.

Speaking to Mrs. Lamidi, she stated that “Raising twins is not as easy as it is made to look. The easiest part of raising twin children is at their infant stage after which it becomes difficult handling them. One would discover that the older twins get, the more stressful they are to manage until they get to be of an age where they can be responsible for themselves.

Coming from a family where I had twins as elder siblings, I didn’t know what tough times my mother had managing them until I had mine.

With twin children, you have to put in twice as much effort as would with one child and also have to be more vigilant because you would never guess how much mischief they could get into the instant your back is turned.

What are the odds you’ll have twins?

There are reasons that may increase your chances of having twins, triplets or other multiples, with twins being the most likely to occur spontaneously. These include: your age, your family history of twinning and medications you are taking. Procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and others can increase the chances that you will have

•Sean and Michael Inone

twins or other multiples. Not only do they increase the risk of dizygotic twins, but also there appears to be an increase in monozygotic or identical twins.

Some people claim that there are other things you can do to have twins such as eating more yams (There is a theory that it is a certain chemical in the yams that helps the women in certain cultures have more twins); and breastfeeding while pregnant (This is said to be caused by the depletion of calcium in your system while nursing and its effect on the egg during conception and ovulation). Welcome to conjecture-land.

Different experience Mrs. Tsolaye Inone also stated that “Raising twins for me has been a whole different experience from the singletons as my two older son’s are not twins. My initial challenge was having to do the exact same things twice at all times.

It was particularly difficult with their night feeds because in my sleepy state, I got confused about who had been fed and who had not. It has gotten a lot easier now though.

While they seem to always be competing for everything, they are less n e e d y emotionally. I guess it’s because they have each other.

Twins are more expensive to raise as all their basic needs are double.

How can you make caring for twins easier?

For most new m o t h e r s , building a routine round the clock makes it easier for the C M Y K

•Mrs. Tsolaye Inone

•Eku And Kessiana Edewor •Nike Oshinowo and twins

•A father feeding his twins

My initial challenge was having to do the exact same things twice at all times. It was particularly difficult with their night feeds because in my sleepy state, I got confused about who had been fed and who had not

mother and the babies. Twins tend to thrive more when they get used to doing certain things at certain times.

This gives the new mother more time to focus on other chores instead of spending the whole day running circles round the twins and before you know what hit you, you find out the day is gone.

Asking for help from those around you does not make you a week or lazy mother but instead gives you time to work around the twins.

Running circles Concentrating on the babies for at least the first three months would leave you less stressed about every other thing but that only works when you have someone around to help out with chores around the house.

Managing with two: When you are still pregnant, you would keep imagining how you would cope with multiple

babies, but the moment they arrive, you would find a way that’s convenient for you and the babies. Twin babies take three times as much time as you would spend with one, so basically you need to give yourself a break and create more time to spend with the babies.

Breastfeeding or Bottlefeeding: It was probably a whole lot easier breastfeeding one baby, but two babies would make most new mothers shudder. More often than not, you can’t be too sure if the babies are feeding to their satisfaction.

The best bet for most mothers would be to alternate between breast-feeding and bottlefeeding at different meal times.

Working with a routine: Twin Babies tend to be well adjusted when you get them used to regular feed hours, bath time or sleep time as they would demand less attention from their mother and learn to play by themselves.

Routines work best when adults stick to them.

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30 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Reportage

Why women are not

Tech Savvy

By Kehinde Ajose

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E live in the era of technological advancement where innovations like computers, phones and even the social media has greatly impacted in the way we live, work and do things. This has made technology essential to economic development and advancement. Even Goldman Sachs listed technological capabilities as one of the top five criteria for Growth Environment Scores, a composite indicator of economic growth.

However, a lot of Nigerian women are not technology savvy to say the least! We see them incessantly diminished in the STEM (Science, Technology, Education, Mathematics) discipline. Just as we have very few of them as Tech Entrepreneurs. The number of Male Directors far outnumber that of Female Directors, hence more males control the content produced using Technology.

Economic potentials This phenomenon invariably extends to the Continent as a whole as African women remain considerably mislaid in the technology sector in terms of leadership, labor force and even usage. Technology has been under utilized in unlocking the economic potentials of women.

Now the questions that seek answers are these: What is responsible for the technological gender gap? Is modern technology out rightly too complicated or is it due to the ancient fiction that girls are C M Y K

But seriously, are we losing our femininity if we embrace Technology? Is that the reason only Daddies fix the light bulb in the home?

just not good enough for the socalled “STEM careers”, or to use technology? More germane question is: Can anything be done to negate this orientation?

Perhaps an excavation of the roots of the problem may help.

From infancy, women or perhaps the girl child is consciously raised to be technologically obtuse. While her male counterpart is privileged to have toys that they can dismantle and re-integrate, the girls are sentenced to a life of hair braiding for baby dolls.

Anyone whose adventurous imagination slides beyond this maternal duties is quickly reminded “ you are not a boy…behave like a Princess!”

In High School, these girls with this kind of upbringing

would natural tend towards the Art courses so you find them in the Home Economics lab as opposed to the Introductory Technology or ICT labs. And this is very normal. As a matter of fact if you have more girls in these labs then it would appear to be an abnormality.

The story does not change in the tertiary institution as the girls outnumber the male counterparts in the Humanities department. While the host of young men flood the Engineering and STEM faculties.

Little wonder in later life, the word technology is daunting and even intimidating to the women folk and even in the very mundane use, we find them lagging way behind. This is the reason you find women with over priced Smart phones yet they only use 3% of its function – Calls, SMS and Chat! Many do not know how to set a simple reminder on their phone or download an App. It is the same reason a woman would rather text a question to her friend rather than type same question on Google! A typical woman would rather ask for your BBM pin rather than scan your Bar Code. A good percentage of them shy away from Internet Banking, booking tickets or anything else online. And guess what? They are

most unapologetic about this! It pretty much feels normal or perhaps “feminine” to be technologically ignorant or naïve!

But seriously, are we losing our femininity if we embrace Technology? Is that the reason only Daddies fix the light bulb in the home?

Masculine culture Is that why installing equipment or gadget in the house is the sole responsibility of the Man? Perhaps that is the reason only our sons get the computer games. I remember while growing up, a lot of boys loved the video games while the girls were not as fascinated.

So while technology may be “masculine culture”, would we say it is not feminine life styles?

Another factor that mitigates against women and technology in Nigeria besides orientation and up bringing is accessibility.

What is the percentage of women that can afford these technological devices, Power a n d

Internet service to enhance their work and livelihood? Therefore to bridge this gender gap efforts must be directed at sectors like Power and ICTs, making same readily accessible.

Seeing where the world is heading with technological advancement, are there areas in which women could and should participate in this ICT revolution? How can women use technology to their advantage? How can it improve their lives?

Whether through the mobile phone, Internet use, new career and Tech Business opportunities, and Nigerian Women can explore ways to utilize technology to facilitate their empowerment and better their lives.

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 , 2016

Oshiomhole commissioned interventionists’ projects at AAU, Orbih insists

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—EDO State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, has maintained that projects commissioned by Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, AAU, were those funded and completed by interventionist agencies including the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, promising to open a can of worms on how the university had been mismanaged.

Orbih also called on the National Assembly to amend the constitution with a view to removing the immunity clause for governors, insisting that the removal would enable corrupt governors to be tried while in office.

He alleged that the Edo State Government had collected over N42 billion as security votes since its inception, saying that there was no Boko Haram insurgency or any other serious security challenge to warrant such security votes.

It will be recalled that the management of AAU demanded a public apology from Orbih over comments he made that

Oshiomhole was commissioning projects in the institution that were not funded by his government.

Speaking in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the state, during a sensitization tour of the party, Orbih said he stood by his earlier statement on AAU, pointing out that the

proper thing was for the management of the university to give credit to who it is due.

He said: “I am not disappointed because it is expected of the university’s management to defend their master. To go to the public and pretend that those projects were executed by the

Oshiomhole administration is, however, a disservice to the university community.

“I challenge the management of AAU to publish the list of projects that were funded by the CBN through intervention fund and the TETFUND. We know that the renovation and furnishing of the Law Faculty and the moot court were funded by the CBN intervention fund."

TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE: From left: Chief Johnson Barovbe, the Okuna of Agbon Kingdom; HRM AVM Lucky Ochuko Ararile (retd), Avwaeke I, Ovie of Umiaghwa-Abraka Kingdom; HRM Mike Omeru, Ogurime Rime Ukori I, Ovie of Agbon Kingdom; HRM Mathew Ediri Egbi, Owahwa II, Okobaro of Ughievwen Kingdom; HRM Nobel Oyibo Eshemitan, Uku-Ogharaname, Orefe III, the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom and Chief Chris Umukoro, the Oruese of Agbarho Kingdom, at the traditional marriage ceremony of Chief Johnbull Ejovi and Emma Akpoigbe, at Okpara Inland, Delta State.

Wike chides Peterside over allegations against S-Court Justices

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has advised the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside and his party to be decent enough to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court on the state's governorship election and stop making unsubstantiated allegations against justices of the apex court.

The governor, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, said that Nigerians should ignore the allegations by Peterside and his party against the Supreme Court Justices, saying that they were reflections of their frustration.

He said: “The APC should stop its campaign of calumny against the revered Justices of the Supreme Court. They should not allow their sole interest in the oil rich Niger Delta to becloud their perception of the Supreme Court judgment that was widely celebrated by the people of Rivers State.”

The governor also accused Peterside of inciting the Federal Government against the state, saying that there was no time he insulted President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wike recalled how former Governor Chibuike Amaechi heaped abuses on former President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that the

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APC did not call him to order.

“Peterside and his APC have not accepted the Supreme Court verdict and would do anything to destroy the apex court and the integrity of its justices for daring

to uphold existing jurisprudence.

“The attack on Wike who merely warned that nobody should come to Rivers State to rig elections is contrived to misinform and create confusion

so that the APC would forcefully intervene in Rivers State by means of election rigging in order to win all the seats up for re-election in the state Assembly with a view to impeaching Governor Wike," he said.

Utomi, good role model from Delta State —Okowa

By Dave Oso

G

OVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has described Prof. Pat Utomi as a good role model from the state.

The governor spoke in Lagos during the activities to mark the 60th birthday celebration of the Ibusa, Delta State-born academic.

Speaking with newsmen at the event, Delta State Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah, who represented Governor Okowa, said the Professor represents all the virtues the present administration and the state preach.

“Prof. Utomi, by all standards, represents what Delta State stands for. He is an epitome of intellectualism, a good role model of what the administration of Governor Okowa and Delta State in general preach: Hard work, passion for integrity and honesty, entrepreneurship, wealth creation and impacting our world positively.

“The SMART agenda of Governor Okowa’s administration is basically

centred on entrepreneurship and wealth creation. Now, oil is no longer what it used to be and the economy is dwindling.

We, therefore, must empower the youths by enabling them to acquire skills that are relevant to providing jobs for them and

they in turn, creating jobs.

Professor Utomi stands for that.

He is not just a respected Deltan, but a respected Nigerian and a respected citizen of the world,” he explained.

The celebration was graced by dignitaries from all walks of life.

NAPIMS gets indigenes’ support over $260m contract

T

By Tare Youdeowei

HE National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, has received the backing of the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, on the approval of $260 million contracts for ExxonMobil’s Usan Field.

A statement by the group’s President, Nelly Emma, said that the contract award followed due process, adding that some elements were just out to tarnish the good image of NAPIMS. “Those behind the story that the contract was fraudulent are not telling the world the whole truth. This contract was

managed by Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, TUPNI, for two years before it was taken over by ExxonMobil and it is not true that NAPIMS allegedly approved the $260 million contracts illegally.

“To the best of our knowledge, due process was followed by NAPIMS in the award of the contracts. Without NAPIMS, it would have been very difficult for Nigerian local contractors to be awarded contracts. The allegation that NAPIMS approved the $260 million contracts illegally for ExxonMobil’s Usan Field is unacceptable to us and the entire people of Niger Delta region,” the group said.

NSCDC vows to deliver on mandate

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has vowed to deliver on its mandate areas, especially in the protection of oil pipelines against vandalism as well as protection of lives and property.

Delta State Commandant of the Corps, Mrs Beatrice Irabor, in her keynote address at a one-day summit on the role of NSCDC in Asaba, said the corps was also combating chemical poisoning, oil spillage, nuclear waste and any activity aimed at frustrating government programmes and policies.

Noting that the corps was into peace and conflict resolution, intelligence and information gathering, Irabor said that the NSCDC had been incorporated into the operation of the Joint Task Force operating in the Niger Delta region.

She said that the Corps had also gone into partnership with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, in which the “Corps has contributed armed personnel to secure NIMASA's facilities while providing round the clock security in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy on the country's waterways to checkmate the menace of piracy, oil theft and illegal bunkering. “ Saying that the Corps was also incorporated into Special Mines Task Force established by the Federal Government to counter the menace of illegal mining activities in the country, she disclosed that the NSCDC, through its peace and conflict resolution unit, was in partnership with the UNDP in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism.

“The Corps has established Emergency Response Units at airports located in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, Port-Harcourt and Kano and has stationed emergency response ambulances along major routes in the country for quick response in emergency situations,” she added.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 — 37

38 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 — 39

Don't expect much from APC — LAMIDO

By Tina Akannam

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UTSE—FORMER governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Dr. Sule Lamido, yesterday dismissed President Muhammad Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC-led government change mantra.

The former governor insisted that with over 80 percent of APC members being Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members who had served in various capacities during the PDP regime, Nigerians should not expect anything exceptional.

Lamido argued that with the calibre of PDP defectors who were at present occupying various positions in the Buhari’s administration, it would be difficult for him to fulfill the promises he made to Nigerians because they joined the APC to achieve their personal ambitions.

According to him: “How can President Buhari say he is fighting corruption when he is surrounded by people of questionable characters, a group of people who were part of the government he is criticizing.

Lamido, who spoke while addressing Global Watch members who paid him a visit, said the problems of Nigeria: “Is not only corruption. We as leaders have failed the nation and the ideologies of our founding fathers that fought for our independent.

The many years of illegal military

A

VISIT: From left — Head, Human Capital Management, Adeoluwatomi oni; Chief Technical & Business Officer, Olasupo Falana; Royal Sun Alliance (RSA) Global Network Consultant, Ignatius Molina; Managing Director/CEO, Jide Orimolade and Head, Technical, Olufolake Afolabi, during RSA vsit to Law Union Head Office to further strengthen business relationship and to conduct technical training for staff in Lagos. regimes and political eras where people joined politics for personal reasons are the bane of our current predicament.

Today, the APC government is fighting only PDP members; they are being persecuted for alleged corruption, when there are records that past military administrations who took over government by force and civilian administrations who ruled before PDP also abused their position. The challenge before us is not about politics, it is about the

chemistry of our nation. What are we not doing right as a people that needed to be corrected? Unless they are corrected, things will continue to deteriorate” The former governor accused the APC led government of putting fears in Nigerians, pointing out that a leader was supposed to make people feel secured not to put fear in them by allegedly imprisoning people indiscriminately.

According to him: “Democracy

should be able to address our problems, unite us and not to put fear in the land, compelling people to be pretending to be what they are not because they don’t want to be imprisoned.”

Earlier, the secretary of Global Watch, Yahaya Idris, said they were in former governor Lamido's office to seek his fatherly blessing in their effort at promoting democracy and unity among the Nigerian youth.

I wasn’t arrested by EFCC over $2.1 arms fund — ABBA DABO

By Soni Daniel

A

BUJA—FORMER Special Adviser on Political Matters to immediate past Vice President Namadi Sambo, Abba Dabo, has said he was never arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with the ongoing probe of $2.1 arms cash.

Dabo, a long standing Nigerian journalist and publisher, however admitted refunding the N25 million he got from Destra, a firm linked to the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, for media campaigns.

Metuh is standing trial for allegedly receiving N400 million from Sambo Dasuki.

He said he had to urgently return the money to the EFCC once he realised that the money given to him was from the office of the former NSA and meant for arms purchase.

Dabo said he had no idea whatsoever of the source of the money given to him until the media started linking it to the NSA, who is standing trial for paying out over $2 million arms cash for other purposes.

The politician denied ever being arrested by the EFCC on ''January 11, this year or at any other time and by any other law enforcement

Facility management seminar holds in Lagos

agency in connection with the said N25 million.

“I wish to say that I was never arrested by the EFCC or any other law enforcement agency on the said date. I am a law-abiding

citizen of this great country and I have always done my best to operate within the ambit of the law and will never therefore not do anything to break the law of Nigeria,” Dabo said.

Dabo has also given the same testimony before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Metuh is being tried for the malfeasance.

N855M ALLEGED FRAUD: Keystone Bank officials for trial March 1 Industries Limited in an upcoming Chukwuma Orji, informed the

By Bartholomew Madukwe

J

USTICE Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, has fixed March 1 for the continuation of trial of some top officials of Keystone Bank (formerly Bank PHB), charged for conspiring to obtain N855 million by false pretence from an oil magnate, Sir Daniel Chuwudozie.

In the charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), against Anayo Nwosu, a deputy manager; Ashok Isran, an Indian National; and Olajide Oshodi and Sunny Obazee, both Managers, alongside NULEC Industries Limited and Keystone Bank, the defendants were accused of obtaining money by false pretence from Sir Daniel Chuwudozie of Dozzy Oil & Gas Ltd. They were also accused of obtaining N855million from their victim under the pretence that the said sum represented payment for preference shares of NULEC

initial public offer, which pretence they knew to be false.

However, the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.

At the resumed proceedings, a prosecution witness for the EFCC,

court of how the top officials of Keystone Bank connived with the Indian national, Mr. Isran, to deceive Chukwudozie to part with N855million under a spurious private share placement deal.

‘APC chieftains did not fight in Atiku’s house' in a number of newspapers, he

By Emmanuel Aziken

M

EDIA Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mazi Paul Ibe, has denied reports of a free for all during an Adamawa State All Progressives Congress, APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Atiku’s Yola residence.

According to him, what was portrayed as a free for all, was an over dramatisation of heated arguments that occurred during the meeting called for by Atiku.

Contrary to what was published

insisted that the narrative that the Local Government Chairman and Chief of Staff were involved in a heated argument that degenerated to physical exchange of blows was not true.

“The meeting was called for the good of the party in Adamawa State by the Turaki.

Yes, there were arguments and heated debate, but there was no exchange of blows by the Adamawa APC chairman and the Chief of Staff,” another source at the meeting volunteered.

three-day training for individuals and corporate organizations on “facility Management Class”, will from Monday, February 15, hold at University of Lagos.

Organised by Max-Migold Nigeria, in collaboration with Next FMS, Canada, the workshop is expected to equip participants with “the practical skills, tools and templates required for world-class facility management in the 21st Century.”

Also, participants will learn current best practices within facility management, ways to operate more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably as well as network with other regional facility management professionals in the area.

Similarly, participants will learn tangible ways to promote the profile/image of facilities management within your workplace.

LENT: Church urges Nigerians to challenge excesses of public officials

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S Christians started the 40-day Lenten period yesterday, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim worldwide has advised Christians in the country to behave like the Biblical Prophet Elijah “who was bold and always spoke the truth to constituted authority.”

The church said it was by speaking the truth and correcting the excesses of those in government that Nigeria would occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations.

“Prophet Elijah never spared King Ahab. He was always telling the monarch the truth, even when it was not comfortable for him. President Muhammadu Buhari is the Commander-in-Chief in the country today. Without God’s backing, he will not occupy that seat but because we are all human, Nigerians must rise against the excesses of some of those around him, which he may not be aware of, for this country to move forward,” said Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II).

Speaking during a special service to mark the beginning of the Lenten period at the Restoration Parish, Akute, Ogun State of the 51-year-old church, Akinadewo declared that “even if Buhari means well for the country, some of those working with him may have other ideas.

40—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

to be in the past. We never hear of cases of high calibre politicians being openly prosecuted, but now you can see the kingpins are being prosecuted everyday, charged, and some of them convicted. I think that is the direction. I can only imagine that as years roll by, more and more will be done to actually give more confidence. Before then, we need to have our eyes on the ball to continue working hard on what we have and develop them.

Do you have any fear in this administration’s programme of ‘change’?

Looking at the men and women in government today, which I am not saying that we won’t have discomfort, I have anxieties and do not have any doubt whatsoever of their doing well.

I know for a fact that any government that decides to fight corruption is going to encounter a lot of resistance and I think that is exactly what is going on.

There is need to institutionalise judiciary reform — Adedeji Ade A. Adedeji is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He is a highly skilled litigation and corporate commercial lawyer.

The Learned Silk has distinguished himself in several areas of the legal Practice and he is currently involved in many contentious litigation for both local and international corporate entities. In this interview, he spoke on the judiciary budget in 2016; the need to institutionalize judicial reform and infrastructural challenges facing the institution as well as other related issues. Excerpts:

By Bartholomew Madukwe

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said that the judiciary is his biggest headache in the fight against corruption, what is your reaction to this?

The judiciary as an institution is a victim of the society. Why do I say so? Quite often, the judiciary receives all sort of knocks from parties when decisions do not swing in their favour. I want to believe that the reason for this statement by the President, with due respect, has to do with certain decisions of the court, which of course are not in favour of government at this time.

Judicial reform Therefore, I am not surprised that the judiciary is getting a knock on the head doing what it ought to do.

There is no doubt that the need for judicial reforms have become very urgent and important, especially to strengthen the fight against corruption.

However, are you satisfied with the way corruption cases are being handled?

To be honest with you, in my opinion, judicial reform needs to be institutionalised. As part of political reform of the country’s judiciary, it must constantly be reviewed or reformed to reflect the constant dynamics of the society. It should not be treated like one off project and be left in a state for a century.

Efficient justice delivery is central to the nation’s economic growth and development. The administration of justice in Nigeria craves for serious reform to meet with the exigencies of growth; hence delay of cases in courts and in some cases failure to deliver justice.

The Federal Government has budget N70 billion for the entire nation’s judiciary in the 2016 budget, which is N3billion lower than the 73billion appropri-

ated for it in 2015. What is your reaction to this?

My opinion is that this is not in conformity with Mr President’s promise when he came to power and said he was going to reform the judiciary. I wish that the government will drive home the point that a lot will be done in the coming year, starting from this year, for the judiciary. Of course, money has to be spent. In a situation where the budget of the judiciary is dwindling by the year, then I think that, if anything at all, it will negate the expectations of many of us.

We have seen conflicting judgements from the Court of Appeal, especially on election petitions issues. What is your view on this?

There is nothing conflicting about the judgement of the Court of Appeal. The judgement of the Court of Appeal can be reversed at the Supreme Court, which was exactly what happened. There is nothing new or strange about it.

Constitutional power The system of adjudication that we have, puts the Supreme Court in a position to review judgements of the Court of Appeal, and where something is amiss, they have constitutional power to reverse such judgement. That was exactly what happened in the Rivers and Abia State governorship elections.

The judgement was reversed as they rightly view it.

Does this suggest that some judges of the Court of Appeal lack basic knowledge of the law, hence, their judgements are reversed as seen in the Rivers and Abia State governorship elections?

I do not believe that a justice of the Court of Appeal lacks basic knowledge of the law because his judgement was reversed by the Supreme Court.

Yes indeed, I have read in news-

Adedeji- We have to make a choice as individuals papers that there are certain conflicting judgements from different panels of the Court of Appeals. Those judgements could be conflicting among panels of the Court of Appeal and I think that is what happened. The card reader was not contemplated at the time of the passing of the law. What is expected from the electronic card reader should now be part of the Electoral Law. Undoubtedly, the infrastructural challenges facing the Nigerian judiciary are enormous and addressing them should be done holistically by the National Judicial Institute and various administrative heads of the judiciary, but how would you describe the state of infrastructure of courts across the country?

You have just said it the way it is. The advantage is that we have a Vice President, who is not only experienced in this issue by virtue of his track record, but also committed to getting us there.

From what happened in Lagos State for instance, I remember the Lagos judiciary of 15 and 20 years ago and I know what it is today. Within that period, sometimes lawyers would not bring-

I think everybody knows this as a fact that the country is under policed

Interlectual Property Company partners law firms on clients services

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ing their clients to court because they did not want them to come and see its poor state.

But now I know of judges who can confidently say that nobody can walk into their chambers to influence their decision. The Vice President did all that as Attorney General of Lagos State and I believe he is going to do it again. As Vice President, I believe he has enough power to ensure that all these things are put in place.

Infrastructural development I totally agree that there is need for infrastructural development across the board; not only at the federal level but even at the state, including the customary court. I believe that we have a huge advantage and that should be done in coming years.

Since inception of the administration, we have seen the EFCC arrest suspects and take them to court. But after the court grants bail and same is perfected, such persons are re-arrested and charged again. In some cases, the suspect is asked to return certain money to the commission before any release can be made. What do you make of this?

Few days ago I was looking at the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, you may be shocked that the new law actually allows for that. I am one of the people who argue that the EFCC, as it is today, should be restructured to enable them function more effectively. I do not think they are on top of the game. I do not think they are effectively performing their duties as expected by the citizenry of this country. One thing is very clear, the EFCC of 2016 is better than what it used

Responsible citizens If you want to fight the established institution, you must be ready because they are going to show you and hit you. That is exactly what is happening. We have to make a choice as individuals, as responsible citizens of this country, whether we want to go forward or back to what it used to be. In which case, of course, we must constantly remind ourselves that if we decide to go back our future generation will not be happy with us because we have a chance to go forward.

The issue of creating state police remains an argument and many Nigerians have said that such is what is needed today. What is your own position?

I think everybody knows this as a fact that the country is under policed. Most of the time people get away with murder in every aspect of our lives. Yes, I believe that the creation of state police is now.

We can then look at which of the police is to handle what matter. Whether we like it or not, we have reached a point where the state is constitutionally empowered to have a state police. Since independence in 1960, a lot of things have changed. You need a lot to be able to control some of these crimes which are intelligence driven.

You really cannot afford to wait for all the bureaucracy in a single police structure to control a lot of things. I think we have passed that stage and we need to come into full realization of the fact that we have moved from that age. This is a new age, a lot of things have to change before we can really say that we are serious in combating crimes.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARU 11, 2016—41

Can we reform Judiciary with N70bn budget?

By Ahuraka Yusuf Isah

D

ESPITE the wailing and crying in the Judiciary over the declining budget share for this third arm of government, the Federal Government has proceeded to budget N70 billion for the entire nation’s Judiciary in the 2016 Budget proposals. This is N3billion lower than the 73 billion appropriated for the Judiciary in 2015.

Indeed, the previous Appropriation Acts have shown that funding from the Federal Government has witnessed a steady decline since 2010, from N95 billion in that year to N85 billion in 2011, then N75 billion in 2012 and again in the 2013 budget to N67billion. In 2014 and 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan, through his administration’s window budgeting principle threw N68 billion and N73 billion respectively to the Judiciary.

A cursory glance again at budget figures in the reference period shows that while the country’s budget witnessed a geometric incremental pattern annually, the third arm ofgovernmentsawaslowbutsteadyparalysis, brought about by a downward trend in its yearly allocation. Indeed it has been debilitated by this funding gap. Why do I say this? Well the figures tell the story once again. Let us examine this poser- while the 2011 allocation to the Judiciary represented 2.2% of that year’s budget, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, the nation’s budget shares for the Judiciary were 1.7%, 1.3%, 1.3% and 1.6% respectively.

The proposed N70 billion for the Judiciary in 2016 (out of the N6.08 trillion total proposals) is 1.1%. By the time the yearly supplementary appropriations are added, the percentage figures of the nation’s budgeted shares to the Judiciary would be less than one percent of the total.

Budgets for the Judiciary Little wonder then that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed had raised alarm during the 2015 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference noting that the waning budgets for the Judiciary not only impoverished the Third Arm of Government but made it less independent, contrary to the intent and provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“It is a source of great concern that in a country where an arm of Government is appropriated with less than one percent of the National Budget, it is difficult to refer to our Judiciary as being truly independent’’, CJN said.

In the speech he delivered at the 2015 All Nigeria Judges Conference, President Buhari urged the Judiciary leadership to carry out various reforms to position and portray the

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri Dayo Benson (Supervising Editor) 08056180119 dayobenson@yahoo.com C M Y K

CJN , Mahmud Mohammed administration of justice system as humane and efficient, adding that, ‘’the Judiciary must go the extra mile to sanitize itself and improve itscapacitytoactindependently,courageously and timeously’.

“This administration is committed to the financial independence of the Nigerian judiciary in accordance with extant laws. We believe that the judiciary must be treated fairly and must be treated in much the same way as the executive and the legislature’’, President Buhari concluded.

With the current cascading crude oil prices, it appears to be out of place to engage in this discourse, except that the President’s promise to treat the Judiciary fairly and ‘’in much the samewayastheexecutiveandthelegislature” still appears a mirage.

The Judiciary has been proposing budget of not less than N150 billion all these years, but unlike the legislature that gets virtually what it wanted, the executive adopts the window budgeting principle to propose any figure it pleases for the Third Arm of Government. Come to think of it, can the Judiciary meets its statutory obligations and at the same time carry out a genuine reform out of the N70 billion allocations for a year?

This administration is committed to the financial independence of the Nigerian judiciary in accordance with extant laws

The answer is no; at least, if the size of the nation’s judiciary and our past experiences are to serve as a guide.

In any case, we can give it to the Nigeria Judiciary, call it a miracle or whatever, that despite the neglect, starvation or declining yearlybudgetaryallocations,ithastakensome strident steps? and made tremendous achievements to position itself as not just the last hope of the common man, but the ligament that holds the reins of our polity or democracy; and consequently binds the Three Arms of Government together. As a necessary illustration, and at the risk of sounding immodest, the current CJN utilized the richness and deep institutional integrity and discipline embedded in the Judiciary in order to prevent the courts from being used by some people to truncate the 2015 General Elections.

The CJN captured this in his Keynote address at the 2015 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference when he stated, thus; ‘’It must also be noted that during the run up to the 2015 General Elections, Heads of Courts, acting under my supervision, worked diligently to ensure that our impartiality, neutrality and independence were at the standard required of a modern Judiciary, in order to create a level playing field necessary for all parties and candidates taking part in those elections. The Judiciary believed that Nigerians should decide and indeed they did so. The 2015 General Elections have subsequently been lauded by the international community and most importantly by Nigerians as being largely free and fair.

Theseunderstatedcontributions,amongthe numerous judicial contributions that are so often forgotten, have nevertheless proven to be pivotal to the strengthening of our democratic values. However, these notable decisions have been achieved in spite of

limitations to the fiscal and physical independence of the Judiciary’’.

Looking at the Supreme Court’s statistics, in the 2014/ 2015 Legal Year, the Supreme Court heard1578matters,consistingof1009motions and 569 substantive appeals, delivering 262 Judgments in that period. Over 500 new appeals were filed in the last Legal year alone at the rate of about ten new appeals per week, most of which are interlocutory in nature. This workload is unprecedented in any Supreme Court in the world.

In seeking to address criticisms of delay in the administration of justice at the Supreme Court, CJN Justice Mohammed constituted a second Panel in the Supreme Court to sit on Wednesdays in addition to the normal panel sitting in chambers on Wednesdays. This additional Panel sitting is a first in the history oftheCourtandithascertainlybeenextremely successful in its operations, disposing of 224 matters and dismissing over 300 other appeals from November 2014 to September 2015. Confronted with extensive reforms required by the Judiciary in the area of Information and Communications Technology as court automation was long overdue, the CJN threw his weight behind a policy framework which been developed by his predecessors in office. This has culminated in the development of the Nigerian Case Management Software.

Commonwealth judiciaries This software, a first of its kind in the World, was developed in conjunction with the National Centre for States Courts (NCSC) andMicrosoftInc.,bothfromtheUnitedStates of America. The Software is a realization oftheinnovativeplanslaiddownbythecurrent Chief Justice of Nigeria and his predecessors in office, to modernise the Nigerian Judiciary. It is now viewed as a model that is worthy of adoption by other Jurisdictions of the World as it is being mooted for adoption in several other commonwealth judiciaries, notably in the Caribbean.

Indeed, delay is being reduced with the adoption of ADR in several courts. Last year, the Heads of the Judiciary acting under the auspices of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute put in motion the mechanism that will further enhance the use of ADR in all State High Courts. The Judiciary will be collaborating with the NegotiationandConflictManagementGroup (NCMG) in this pioneering work, with the aim of institutionalizing the use of ADR mechanisms as alternatives to the traditional route of litigation in every state including the FCT.. Even the Supreme Court has demonstrated leadership in this regard by its recourse to the use of ADR shortly before the end of the last administration to Continues on page 32

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Continues from Page 14 He was a man of courage— Fayemi

In his submission, Dr. Fayemi, who was represented by Dr. Otive Igbuzor, said RansomeKuti remains among the greatest pro-democracy activists who campaigned for human rights during the Sanni Abacha dictatorship adding that his network reached from Commonwealth fora to even local businesses.

What Beko struggled for remain unrealised, activists lament

It's painful no one had good record on Beko — Odia Ofeimun

Literary icon, Odia Ofeimum in his remarks lamented the dearth of records on RansomeKuti’s life.

He said: “One thing that made me sad today is that nobody actually has the full biography of him. He lived an active life, but we had no record or good caption of how he was able to manage those terrible times and that is why I said it is not easy to write about the man Beko Ransome-Kuti.

“If he did not write his own story, the organisers need to get Nigerians who worked closely with him, so that they can write what they knew about him. I wish it were possible to have a good video of his movements, we need to have the video clippings of where Beko performed as an activist, I believe such clippings will help the younger generation on how to deal with tyrants when they come across one”.

Beko remains the best ever— Adewolu

In his message, one of the deceased’s school mates at Abeokuta Grammar School, Chief Doja Adewolu said it was significant that members of the Ransome-Kuti family were almost always first in everything they did.

According to him, “Beko had the best result at Abeokuta Grammar School and as at today, I can say confidently that he remains the youngest personality to qualify as a medical doctor at the age of 21 years old. “As a medical doctor, his hospital provided succour to those Nigerians who needed medical attention but could not afford it. His achievements will go down memory lane in many years to come because he remains one of the pillars of democracy and a courageous activist.”

German President, Jaochim Gauck, and his wife, Mme Daniela Schadt, chatting with Internallly-Displaced Persons, IDPs, at New Kochigoro Camp, Abuja. PHOTO: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Earlier, at the laying of wreath at the Beko RansomeKuti Cenotaph in Anthony Village, associates of the late civil rights activist called for the release of military officers jailed over their alleged failure to repulse Boko Haram insurgents who attacked them. Among the jailed officers is Brig. Gen. Enitan Ransome-Kuti, son of the late activist. Defunct NADECO Chairman, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Femi Aborishade, Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr. Joe Odumakin, President, Women Arise, also spoke.

Kanu, who challenged Nigerians to emulate the virtues of Dr. Ransome-Kuti said that “what Beko struggled, stood for and lived for is timeless.”

Odumakin, while lauding the achievements of the late Ransome-Kuti called for the release of his son, Enitan upon the confirmed fact that the military was deprived of

fighting platforms in the war against the insurgency.

“As we mark the anniversary of Dr. Beko, we remember Brigadier-General Enitan Ransome-Kuti who is in prison now. We want to use this occasion to call for his release and that of other officers who did not have the weapon to fight the dreaded Boko-Haram.”

Comrade Femi Aborishade, founding National Chairman, National Conscience Party (NCP) in his speech said, “When I first met Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti in 1984, I knew him as someone who lived a life of service. He was so committed to improving the life of people. I never knew him advocating or fighting for himself as a person or for family but for Nigerian people, the downtrodden against the rich.

“Beko used his resources, risked his life for my own freedom when I was jailed in 1989, and when I was released, later on in the year, the Free Femi Aborishade Campaign Committee he initiated was changed to Committee for the Defense of Human Rights which later became Campaign for Democracy. It is in this regards that Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti has lived a life that all must emulate.”

WARD-C's Akiode-Afolabi

Also speaking at the event, Dr. Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, Executive Director, WARD-C said: “Beko Ransome-Kuti charted a course for Nigerians. “He had dreams for the country. We must make sure that we do what is right and respect the rights of the peo-

ple. It is a reminder to all us that we cannot forget what Beko left behind, and what he lived and died for.”

Former President, Civil Liberty Organisation, Mrs. Ayo Obe in her remarks, urged Nigerians to use their votes shrewdly towards placing the right persons in power. She said what the last election taught Nigerians is that an incumbent can be voted out.

‘Release jailed Beko’s son’

Also yesterday, the Beko Rights Klub, a human rights group, called for the immediate release and reinstatement of Brigadier-General Enitan Ransome-Kuti and other soldiers jailed for failing to hold their own against the Boko Haram insurgent group in the Northeast.

Led by its convener, Comrade Debo Adeniran, the group staged a protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly as part of activities marking the death of Dr Beko Ransome Kuti ten years ago. They claimed that recent revelations in the country attested to the fact that Brigadier-General Enitan was not guilty of any act of mutiny.

The group charged the State House of Assembly to do all within its power to get the National Assembly to compel the Federal Government to ensure the prompt release and reinstatement of the BrigadierGeneral and others so imprisoned.

“The Beko Rights Klub is utilising this occasion of

the commemoration of Beko’s passage to call on the Nigerian government to grant Brigadier-General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, son of our late hero, Beko Ransome-Kuti, national pardon with regards to the case of ‘mutiny ’ against him following the decision of the military to court martial him after the Baga massacre carried out by Boko Haram insurgents in January 2015.

Brigadier-General Enitan remains in imprisonment till date, even though history has absolved him,” said Adeniran.

Adeniran, who is also the chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, insisted that rather than heap blames on the hapless Brigadier-General, he should be held shoulders high, bearing in mind that his innocence had been proven by the ongoing arms scandal in the country.

“We are strongly convinced that the revelations reeled out from the arms procurement scandal confirm his innocence and patriotism. In fact, we believe, with those expositions, the actions of Brigadier-General Enitan and others are justifiable, reasonable and dialectical,” he added.

Majority Leader

In his response, the Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, said that members of the House shared the position of the group, especially in the quest to have a country where justice, fairness and obedience to the rule of law prevail. He, therefore, said that the House would do the needful in ensuring that the right thing was done to what the group was clamouring for.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016—45

ANAMBRA CENTRAL RE-RUN: Only candidates

cleared in 2015 'll participate —INEC A

By Vincent Ujumadu

WKA—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said Tuesday that only candidates who were cleared and who participated in the March 28, 2015 national assembly elections would participate in the Anambra Central senatorial re-run scheduled for March 5, 2016.

The new Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Anambra State, Dr. Lawrence Azubuike, however, said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would not take part in the exercise.

Azubuike, who did not give reasons for disqualifying PDP, was also silent on the status of All Progressives Congress, APC, whose candidate in the election, Senator Chris Ngige, is presently the Minister of Labour and Employment.

Ngige, had, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka last month, said that he would not take part in the rerun election because he is already serving the country as a minister.

APC subsequently selected Ms Sharon Ikeazor, a former women leader of the party, as its replacement for Ngige after a primary conducted in Awka.

A statement by the INEC in Awka Tuesday read: “The Commission also decided that only the political parties and candidates who participated in the 28th March 2015 senatorial election in Anambra Central Senatorial District, excluding the Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, will participate in the re-run election.

“Flowing from this, INEC, Anambra State, pursuant to the decision and directive of the Commission, reiterates and restates that no candidate who did not contest the March 28,, 2015 senatorial election in Anambra Central Senatorial District is eligible to contest the 5th March

2016 rerun election.

“Further, all duly registered voters are enjoined to go and cast their votes at the designated polling units where they were registered on the aforementioned date.

“In its resolve to ensure a credible election, the commission shall strictly apply all the

provisions of all relevant laws governing the election.

Consequently, all parties, their candidates and supporters are required to adhere strictly to all laws, regulations and guidelines regulating the process.”

Already, INEC has scheduled stakeholders meeting today (Thursday) at its headquarters in

Awka to clarify its position on the re-run exercise.

Vanguard recalls that the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu had on December 7, 2015, nullified the election of Mrs. Uche Ekwunife who contested the election on the platform of PDP over improper party nomination and ordered a rerun.

Anambra hospital performs 5 open heart surgeries According to her, the Adazi diseases and be healthy.

A

By Vincent Ujumadu

WKA—A team of medical doctors based in the United States of America, USA, under the auspices of Global Eagle Foundation, has performed open heart surgeries on five patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State.

The doctors were led by Dr Joe Nwiloh, an indigene of the state and the operation was carried out in partnership with the state government and the Catholic Diocese of Awka.

The hospital’s Heart Centre is named after Dr. Nwiloh, who attracted the project and was supported by the Anambra State Government.

Of the five patients that were operated upon, four were adults, while one was a child. They were all said to be with failing hearts.

The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uju Nwogu said one of the patients was the first in the South East and South South zones of the country to undergo a coronary artery bypass surgery, adding that this was made possible by the sophisticated state-of-the-art monitoring equipment and mechanical support which the centre has for all heart-related ailments.

Nnukwu hospital has become very popular in the area of heart surgery as many people go there for routine checks and consultations.

She called on Nigerians to avail themselves of the great lifesaving opportunity available in Anambra State to treat their heart

Nwogu also called on philanthropic individuals and corporate organizations to contribute to the growth of the center by assisting in acquiring a cardiac catheterization laboratory to enable it complete its diagnostic capabilities.

Owerri Prisons now house over 3,000 inmates--DCP

O

By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—THE sagging infrastructural condition of the Owerri Federal Prison and the over-flowing population of it’s inmates, is giving the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, DCP, Mr. Matthew Kalu, sleepless nights.

Mr. Kalu, made the lamentation during the commissioning of the Information Communication Technology, ICT, Centre, built and donated to the Federal Prisons, Owerri, by the member representing Okigwe South constituency in the House of Representatives, Deacon Chike Okafor.

“This prison was initially built to accommodate only about 500 inmates. When I took over the establishment in August 2015, I inherited 1,906

inmates, but today, we are harbouring over 3,000 inmates. That is the problem.

This is over and above what the prison’s facility can conveniently accommodate at a time”, the DCP said.

While blaming the upsurge of the inmates to the recent prolonged industrial action by the judiciary workers, Mr. Kalu also reasoned that the situation can also be linked to the increasing rate of crime and criminality in Imo State.

“Some of the inmates, who were supposed to have left the confines of the prison, could not go because of the periodic judiciary strike. Again, because of the increase of crime and criminality in the state, the number of the inmates has continued to grow,” Kalu said.

e all know the gov ernment cannot provide electricity for the whole nation. If someone has the idea of how electricity will be stable, even if Nigerians has to pay more, let us welcome the idea and see it work. Mr Kolapo Temidayo, Worker

On hik e of electricity tarif hike tarifff

I

t is very painful that the less privileged are the ones suffering it.

From 3,64560k to 9,56330k without seeing any light. I won’t take it easy with any of them that will come for disconnection at my house. Mr Timothy Chester, Businessman

F

ashola, we know how much we begged the national assembly to make you a minister, but now you teamed up with the electricity providers to rob Nigerians, by asking us to pay for what is not. Prince Samuel Joseph, Self Employed

I

f the new tariff will provide us with constant light, so be it. After all, who ever thought telephone will become so cheap today.

However, that does not mean the tariff should go too high. Mr Harvest Major, Businessman

By Victor Otigbu

L

AGOS—THE SouthSouth Pen Pushers ,SSPP, has dismissed reports accusing Justice Mary Odili of facilitating Governor Nyesom Wike’s victory at the Supreme Court.

A statement by the group's Director of Media, Mr. Ambrose Sule demanded for a retraction from those behind the claims, stating that failure to do so would attract legal action.

The statement read: "To drag Hon. Justice Mary Odili and the Supreme Court as an institution into woeful lamentation, is to say the least, appalling, crass and dangerous to the sanctity of the judicial system in Nigeria.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Justice Odili has earned her place on the Bench through the ranks and not a single malfeasance has been adduced to her except that which exists in the jaundiced minds of those behind the allegations. ‘’To suggest that the Justice Odili ‘compromised’ the legal process at the Supreme Court for Wike to be justifiably returned as governor is to suggest that those behind the allegation had compromised all the legal processes but the apex court.

"We, however, do not hold that to be true. Justice Odili was never near the panel that sat over the matter."

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

W

‘Claims on Wike's S-Court victory false'

T

here is no difference in what we are paying before and the 45% increment, it is still the same. My own desire is just to be seeing constant light because I know how much I burn on fuel for generator daily. Mr Ebofin Adebayo, Worker

I

f they needed to increase the tariff,they should have made meters available to every Nigerian before the increment,and 45% is too much.Like me, l pay N3,000 monthly as an estimated bill for my apartment. Mr Clinton Chimah, Self Employed

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

TEACHER EDUCATION:

Was it wrong to have scrapped teacher training colleges?

By Dayo Adesulu, Ebele Orakpo, Tare Youdeowei & Elizabeth Uwandu

B

OTHERED by the shortage of quality teachers in our schools, concerned stakeholders are suggesting a restoration of teacher training colleges (TTCs), noting that asking graduates of colleges of education (NCE holders) to teach in primary schools has not achieved the desired goals.

Products of teacher training colleges (TTCs) were described as professionals with deep knowledge of the content of their subjects, possessed impressive teaching skills, good work ethics, efficiency and commitment to the teaching profession.

The Grade III and Grade II teachers of yore were known to prepare lessons notes, related with parents on the progress of theor children, and will neither aid nor abet examination malpractices.

Quality of teachers The British colonialists started formal education in Nigeria with emphasis on the three Rs — Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetics.

The first institution set up to train teachers came upin1896,when the Church Missionary Society (CMS), now the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) established St. Andrews Teachers' College, Oyo. This improved the quality of teachers who were hitherto standard six certificate holders. Grade III teachers were then being produced. With time, many more TTCswereestablished.

Baptist Training College, Ogbomosho was established in 1897, followed by St. Paul's Training College, Awka in 1904.

In 1905, Oron got Oron Training Institute, just as Ibadan got Wesleyan Training Institute in 1928. In 1929, St. Charles Training College, Onitsha was established.

In Northern Nigeria, the government was directly involved C M Y K

in the funding and managing of their teachers colleges.

Teachers Training College, Katsina and Toro Teachers’ Training College, are clear examples.

Today, many of the TTC facilities have become an eyesore following adoption of a policy stipulating that that the National Certificate in Education (NCE) be the lowest teaching qualification in Nigeria..

The condition of former Methodist Teacher Training College, Shagamu and Muslim Teacher Training College, MTTC, Oru-Ijebu, left much to be desired when Vanguard Learning (VL) visited these two campuses.

While MTTC, Oru has been occupied for years by Liberian refugees, the structures and facilities have been badly damaged for lack of maintenance. Some of the buildings are used by a nursery and primary school and a church.

One of the refugees who spoke with VL said that the community has resolved to convert the school to a nursing school. According to him; "any moment from now, the community will chase us out of this place."

A signboard of Jafad School of Nursing and College of Health Sciences is mounted at the school gate. Besides the public school occupying part of the land, the buildings meant for the former TTC, are decaying and the gate was under lock and key.

Speaking on the issue of teacher education,,Professor Peter Okebukola who was Head of Science in a teachers' college in the early 1970s, recalled with

Varsities must be research inclined – V-C — Page 47

nostalgia the excellent quality of Grade II teachers.

“Grade II teachers were noted for their professionalism, deep knowledge of the content of their teaching subjects, impressive pedagogic skills, good work ethics, efficiency, commitment to the teaching profession and were hardly known to aid and abet examination malpractice and engage in immoral acts with their students,” he said.

According to him, graduates from teachers' colleges formed a good base for building quality teachers at higher levels of NCE and degree. He lamented that it was such a pain that the institutions were closed down in response to the national policy which made the NCE the minimum qualification for teaching.

Minimum qualification Okebukola who is also the ProChancellor of Crawford University said that he is rather indifferent about getting the TTCs back for two reasons.

“There is no guarantee we will be able to run them as was done in thepastgiventheratherwaterystate of delivery of our education system.

We may end up producing halfbaked Grade II holders relative to what we had in the past.

“Second, it will be an example of

Don tasks Accounting professionals on professionalism — Page 47

another of our numerous policy reversals and flip-flops. If we have settled for NCE as minimum qualification, let us produce quality NCEinthesamemoldastheGrade 2 teachers of old in terms of knowledge, skills and positive attitude.”

According to him, many of the NCE graduates of today are worse than Grade 2 teachers of old. He suggested that the sector focus on how to significantly improve the quality of production of NCE holders rather than take one step backward to return to Grade 2.

“Those clamouring for the return of the TTCs are nostalgic about the quality of teachers the TTcs produced in contrast to the wishy-washy products from many of our NCE institutions. They are right but we must move on and take steps to strengthen our colleges of education so they can produce NCE graduates we all can be proud of,” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Shina Akintolure of the Dept. of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, feels that primary education has been taken care of even though TTCs have been abandoned. Thus, there will be no need for their reintroduction courtesy of the

At present, every college of education in Nigeria has a department of primary education studies

current National Council on Colleges of Education curriculum.

He said: “I would not say it was scrapped, because there was no decree or pronouncement to stop them, but they gradually went into extinction. Government stopped funding and recognising their certificate. Before now, they were the ones employed to teach in primary schools, because of lack of funds they closed down just like technical colleges.

“Nevertheless, at present, every college of education in Nigeria has a department of primary education studies. Then about 10 years ago, the government made it compulsory for the primary education departments to also have early childhood education.

"In fact, every college of education has a school of primary and early childhood education studies, it is bigger than a department, and each half is then a department.

Different combinations Under each, there are different courses; primary education English, Primary education social studies, mathematics, different combinations. These people have been equipped to teach primary schools. They have NCE but they are trained to teach in primary schools, so it is not that they are overqualified.

“Seventy per cent of the universities in Nigeria, in their faculties of education, have first degree, master's and Ph.D programmes in early childhood.

That means they are producing people who would teach those who are to teach children in primary school. That is the way it is now.

“There are also some states that Continues on page 47

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 — 47

Varsities must be researchinclined – VC, Christopher Varsity

By Amaka Abayomi

T

Apostle Alexander Oyewole Bamgbola, God's Overseer, Zion, the City of the Lord Ministries (2nd right) receiving birthday gifts from Pastor Antoinette Omo-Osagie, Principal, Christ The Redeemers College, Sagamu (right) and Some students of the school during the 70th birthday celebration of Apostle Alexander Bamgbola held in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

TEACHERS EDUCATION: A case for the return of teachers' training colleges Continues from page 46

have established colleges of education for primary education alone, for instance, Lagos, which was formerly Lagos State College of Primary Education, now Michael Otedola College of Primary Education. So far, there are roughly nine states that have a separate college for training teachers to teach in primary schools."

On his part, Dr. Shina Akintolure of the Department of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, however feels that primary education has been taken care of even though teacher training colleges have been abandoned.

Lowest qualification Thus, there will be no need to reintroduce teacher training colleges courtesy of the current National Council on Colleges of Education, NCC, curriculum."

TTCs should be re-introduced: For Mr. Sola Okuneye, an educationist with over 30 years experience in the education sector, for Nigeria to get it right, there is need to bring back the TTCs. "We used to have Grades III, II and I teachers but they were phased out and NCE was made the lowest qualification to teach in primary school as part of the National Policy on Education. Now, if you want me to teach at the primary school level, are you training me to be at that level? Most of the NCE teachers cannot cope in the primary school because the curriculum of NCE is quite high.

"If we must make NCE the minimum qualification, then, we have to adjust the curriculum.

The curriculum is not tailored towards the primary school level so the NCE holders can only go to the secondary school to teach.

Most of the colleges of education C M Y K

have their curriculum not on primary education but on secondary education and that is where the problem is.

"So, if you want me to teach in the primary school, are you training me to teach at that level?" he asked.

Speaking on the issue, Dean, School of Education, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Dr. Deborah Dele-Giwa, said scrapping of TTCs was necessary since it was a long process to acquiring knowledge of teaching.

She, however, opined that if it was to be resuscitated, government has to give it the standing and recognition it deserves.

“For TTCs to be resuscitated, the initiative done in 1977 where people completed primary education and went for training in teachers' training institutions for a period of five years. After completion of the training, they don’t just become certificate holders; but Grade Two certificate holders. That was good. So, if Nigeria can go back to that, it entails that we mean business and we are now being serious. But if you want somebody to finish school certificate, and then go for Grade II; from Grade II to NCE. What

If we must make NCE the minimum qualification, then, we have to adjust the curriculum. The curriculum is not all that tailored towards the primary school level so the NCE holders can only go to the secondary school to teach

that means is going through a long journey. And no parent would want his child to do that, when a lot of people are coming in from a shortcut.

"That won’t work. It will only work if we can design some secondary schools, which we had before. The only thing is that they were scrapped. We have those schools, and government should go back to them. For instance, from primary school, you would move in to that school. And from JSS-1, you will be taught as a teacher.

Solid teachers When you come out, you are a certified WAEC candidate passing WAEC and Grade II exams. This process makes them solid teachers."

On NCE graduates refusal to teach in primary schools?

The reason for NCE graduates refusal to teach in primary schools is due to the recognition the society gives to the certificate. If there is no recognition on the certificate, how do you go there?

What we are discussing now goes for B.Sc. And HND graduates. We all know that HND graduates can deliver. But they are not graduates as it were. So, why do I have the same entry qualification and go for something less. That is where we are now. For instance, if I have B.Sc. In Electrical Engineering and I can not do anything. And I have HND in Electrical and I can do so much but am not the manager.

Why should I go for a lower job? I think government should recognise everyone based on performance. And they also should give NCE certificate the importance it deserve.

If we are not careful, National Certificate of Education is going to face the same situation as TCT. The government have to recognise what they have. For example, If you go for NCE, and you are supposed to teach in the primary school, yet, you don’t employ them. What are you saying?

HE Vice Chancellor, Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State, Professor Friday Ndubuisi, has urged Nigerian universities to be research inclined so as to come up with solutions to the crisis the country is facing.

Briefing journalists after a tour of facilities of the newly established varsity which commences academic activities by the end of the month, Ndubuisi said “varsities must produce intellectuals and this can only be achieved if they go into research that would feed government and private sector with useful information, and even when the country is in crisis, come up with ideas or solutions to such.”

Rooting for private varsities

to benefit from TETFUND, the Vice-Chancellor called for the crapping of scholarship schemes and subsidizing of education in private varsities.

He said “most of the best graduates in foreign varsities are Nigerians and they were able to because they had access to student loans and this ensured they concentrated fully on their studies. Rather than spending resources on scholarships, government should set up students loans board and banks for loans that would be repaid upon graduation.”

Christopher Varsity was granted license in March 2015 and is under the mentor-ship of the University of Lagos for a five year probational period. It has three faculties (Business Studies, Humanities and Social Sciences) and 11 departments.

Don tasks Accounting professionals on professionalism

By Dayo Adesulu

A

PROFESSOR of Accounting, currently anchoring the establishment of a PhD Accounting programme at Babcock University Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, has urged the first set of matriculated PhD students to always make professionalism their watchword, just as he told the lecturers to ensure they leave a last long legacy for their students.

He relayed that the target in the first outing was to create a solid platform for a globally competitive accounting scholarship through collaborative strategy and tell the whole world that Babcock University could take a lead, especially with the commencement of the PhD accounting programme, handled by erudite professors and well-researched presentations in Advanced Accounting Theory, History of Accounting Thought, Advanced Management Theory and Advanced Auditing Theory with panelists from federal, state and private universities for cross fertilization of ideas.

The 4-day seminar presentation brought together professors and scholars from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Enugu State University of Technology, University of Lagos State, Unizik, Awka and Olabisi Onabanjo University, AgoIwoye. Akintoye, who counseled students on the need for high impact accounting researches declared that unlike the well informed academic

environment in the global village, the quality of academics in some African countries including Nigeria is dwindling at such a rate that unavoidably alarms the sensitive and rational mind, adding that a number of institutions of higher learning in our country are merely churning out inept Master’s and doctorate degree holders in a bid to meet the ever-growing nationwide need for academics and fastloosing relevance.

He maintained that the worldwide defectiveness in academia is spawning a host of unpleasant effects, including the disempowerment and disillusionment of the country’s academic philosophy, reiterating that hard-earned PhD programme is conceived as much as possible in raising the bar of academic performance and prowess in Accounting research.

He acknowledged the efforts of the National Universities Commission(NUC) at sanitizing academic through her regulatory framework of accreditation now extending to Postgraduate programmes, “We are keen to pilot the creation of an environment that supports competitiveness, the honing of skills, the promotion of international collaboration, and the enhancement of relevance,as a result, it is my belief that your contributions to this noble programme will no doubt enhance its quality as part of our dream for ‘Total Quality Management’ of the PhD Accounting Programme” he declared. Contributors to the Babcock PhD Accounting proggramme include Prof Akintoye, Prof Patrick Enyi,Prof Taiwo Asaolu (OAU), Prof Sunday Owolabi, Prof Agboola Akinlolu (OAU) and Prof Salawu (OAU).

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

European authors give negative image of Africa —Colette Braeckman Colette Braeckman is a Belgian writer and journalist covering Africa for the Daily Newspaper in Brussels since 30 years.

She has published several books especially on Democratic Republic of Congo DRC, Mobutu and the genocide in Rwanda as well as what’s going on in Central Africa Republic.

Braeckman authored the book on rape and violence in Kivu, DRC, titled 'The Man Who Mends Women’, which later metamorphosed into a documentary film by Thierry Michel and herself. Braeckman in a chat, reveals more on her experiences covering war in Africa and her thoughts on African literature.

Excerpts.

By Prisca Sam-Duru

W

HAT informed your decision to work on issues of rape and violence in Africa?

I was so overwhelmed by the violence in Kivu and I was thinking, what can I do as a writer and journalist to help these people live through their trauma. So, I decided to let the world know about their sufferings and come to their aid. I took one person, a Congolese gynaecologist, Dr Denis Mukwege in Panzi Hospital in the outskirts of Bukavu, eastern DR Congowho has been a hero in the sense that he has helped the people especially women and children recover from rape and violence meted out to them during the war. We got the women to stage the scenes through the life and testimonies of Dr Mukwege.

Challenge in finding the people The book was published three years ago and finally we made the film. Thierry Mitchel made the film and I am co-author of the film, ‘The Man Who Mends Women’.

What were the challenges writing the book as well as making the film?

The challenge was in finding the people but that was not so difficult because as I told you, I have known the women, the population of Kivu for a long time for like 30 years. So, I know them and as I went to them, they accepted to testify. Those who were real victims of sexual violence also accepted to testify which is not easy for any victim of sexual violence to do. I knew those people for a long time also.

It was so difficult as we tried to get more respite to the viewers and audience to give their view of the beauty of the country. It is a shame that such a beautiful country like DRC, with such huge potential in human, economic potential and so much more, would be engulfed by so much violence.

So we tried as much as possible to present the scenes not only with the aim of making people cry but so that they will think and ask why things are like they are

in the country.

Are the scenes real?

The scenes are real because we went there. I filmed most of the war situations when they were on and the aftermath while some were from the archives. Scenes of women crying in the graves, burying their loved ones are all real, we went there with them.

The people were happy to reveal their ordeals in the hands of rapists and those who slaughtered their family members because they said we were the first peo-

Nigeria is a fascinating country and I deeply regret that I did not come here earlier

• Colette Braeckman ple to care about what they have gone through. They told us that since 10 years now they have kept silent and the outside world did not know their sufferings.

How long did it take you to write the book?

The book took me several months to write because I went to Kivu several times during research. I spent 2 weeks full time with Dr Mukwege, and took 6 months to assemble the facts together.

Have there been threats to your life because of the book and the film?

The day I will always remember is the day the book was published. We were in Brussels in November 2002 with Dr Mukwege when the book was released and we presented it to the press and the audience. Dr Mukwege addressed the large audience so when we went back

to Bukavu, they laid siege in his home and attempted to kill him.

They wanted to silence him, at least to intimidate him and since the release of the film, I have not been to Congo. Initially the book was prohibited in Congo. They said the army, their officers are angry because the film criticised them a lot. But later they changed their mind because they were under pressure. When they changed their government, the film began showing on TV and publicly within the country. I am going there next week and I can’t guess what the reaction of the people will be. Already they say the film is helping government and authorities to stop the violence. So, I presume the reaction will be positive.

What’s your view about African Literature?

African literature is a powerful tool because it speaks to the con-

science of the people through their imagination and reality and when situation is bad people say its unacceptable, and I am happy that in Congo, many have seen both the book. “The Man Who Mends Women” and the film adaptation and have questioned authority on certain issues.

Is this your first time in Nigeria?

Yes! it is. Nigeria is a fascinating country and I deeply regret that I did not come here earlier.

Have you read books authored

by Nigerians?

Yes! Chinua Achebe’s, ‘Things Fall Apart’. Chimamanda Adichie’s ‘Americanah’. It is a wonderful introduction to Nigeria, I'm really immersed in them and I have bought lots of books from the Ake Festival that I will read when I go back.

Nigeria literature is wonderful.

Two amazing things about them are, the people read, they buy books and are passionate about them and this stimulates authors to write more.

What role should African authors play in the development of the continent?

African authors should describe the reality of the people. They have allowed foreign writers to tell their stories and I hate the image that is given to Africa by so called whites or European authors. They always give very negative or pessimistic image of Africa which is just a part of the reality. There is huge energy especially in a country like Nigeria, dynamic people working for change. Who can explain that to foreign audience if not the authors.

Drop charges against Jelili Atiku, Art Community insists

By Japhet Alakam

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HE community of artists in Nigeria and around the world hereby call on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos to drop the 4-count criminal charge (Charge No MM/E/01/16) instituted against the performance artist Jelili Atiku, widely believed to have been sponsored by the traditional ruler of Ejigbo community, Oba Morufu Adekunle Adisa Ojoola, the Oojon of Ejigbo/Ijan kingdom in Lagos State.

Atiku is being arraigned on criminal charges of “constituting public disturbance, and inciting the public with his performance of January 14, 2016.” The toughest accusation laid in front of the Magistrate court is that the artist conspired with four others to “commit felony” with his art.

Jelili Atiku, winner of the 2015 edition of the Prince Claus Prize for Culture Development, was arrested on Monday, January 18, 2016, after staging a performance art; a genre of visual art conflated with elements of dramatic arts.

He has spent three days in jail in the last two weeks.

We are deeply worried that a display of a visual work of art,

expressed without violence, would have been criminalised by policemen, who arrested and brutalised the artist, and some others involved in the performance of the art.

We express misgivings that an artist would be detained in prison, for three days, in Nigeria, 17 years in the life of the fourth democratic Republic, for simply expressing his view.

We are disturbed that community chieftains would so easily

• A previous performance Jelili Atiku

We are deeply worried that a display of a visual work of art, expressed without violence, would have been criminalised by policemen

take advantage of the state agencies of coercion, to inflict harm on individuals who haven’t themselves resorted to violence in expressing their opinions.

As citizens, we have faith in the country’s judicial process for adjudicating matters of law and disturbance of the peace, but the circumstances surrounding Mr.Atiku’s arrest, harassment and detention are so deeply troubling that they compel us to demand the dismissal of the case.

Mr. Atiku’s recent creation, ARAGAMAGO - a masquerade motif that he proposes as a campaign against the reign of executive terrorism–is at the heart of

his current challenges. In parts, it is an attack on rentier tendencies in Nigerian communities; it bears similarity with many local artistic productions that assail the extremes of the rentier economy in Nigeria, including Benson Tomoloju’s Jankariwo and Wole Soyinka’s Alapata of Apata, Aragamago Will Rid This Land of Terrorism, staged Thursday January 14th 2016 in Ejigbo,community located in the north of Lagos, obviously rankled the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Morufu Ojoola, who felt that the performance was targeted at him, and promptly got the artists arrested.

Vanguard,THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016—49

Labour rejects use of pension fund for infrastructure development Stories By Victor Ahiuma-Young

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GENTS of government have resumed their push for the use of pension fund to finance infrastructure development in the country. The latest of such push came from Minister of Power, Works and Housing; Babatunde Fashola that the nation’s Pension Fund be used for infrastructural development in Nigeria.

Just like earlier suggestions, organised labour is not taking it lightly. Faulting the minister, factional president of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, recalled that the passage of the Pension Reform Act in 2004 was praised by many as a watershed in the nation’s pension administration.

According to him, one of the critical objectives of that act was to unify Pension administration in the country and bring together the private sector pension schemes and the Public sector.

According to Ajaero: “All over the world, pension fund is treated with care and steps are taken by stakeholders, especially the state to ensure the continuous integrity and protection of the fund. It is shielded from the vagaries of the market and the political arena.

“Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, under our leadership views with utmost anxiety the proposal by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, that the Pension Fund be used for infrastructural development.

Infrastructural development We consider this as unfortunate and a threat to the future of Nigeria workers.

Proposal threatens workers' future: “We in NLC hope that the minister is just flying a kite or is testing the waters and therefore not serious about pursuing it. Nevertheless, we make haste to say that was a very dangerous proposal that threatens the security and future of Nigerian workers. We demand that it be avoided before it gains ground within the corridors of power. We have to say, it is a kite the Congress and the generality of Nigerian workers will not want to see fly presently.

Workers' concerns: Nigerian workers are worried when they remember that it was in the midst of the mess that the public sector had its sector Pension Fund scheme that the unified Pension fund scheme was es-

of funds for the Federal Government of Nigeria.

"Congress will not tolerate this seeming “lusting after ” the purse of the pension fund, neither will it take kindly to attempts by any politician to expose workers’ life-savings to the vicissitudes of the politics being played in Nigeria today.

"NLC views such attempts as dangerous for Nigerian workers as it compromises the integrity of the fund and negates the original intention of establishing the fund as a well-known global social protection framework.

Social protection framework

Pensioners protesting (file photo). tablished. The thought of using our pension fund for investment in infrastructure development will be highly frightening given the penchant for mismanagement inherent in public sector institutions in Nigeria."

The NLC factional president contended that the minister, in all intents and purposes was not a stakeholder in the Pension Fund and would not care what became of it in any situation.

He said: “We know that Fashola is not a contributor to the Pension fund, but only seeing a pool of funds that could be annexed by politicians. One ponders how the minister wants to actualise this stated objective when the fund is structured and managed by the Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, under the regulation of National Pension Commission, PenCom. What then will be the mechanism for accessing this fund for infrastructure development without

We say no to the use of Pension Fund for infrastructural development

infringing on the different laws put in place to manage it?

Fashola’s proposal remains unreasonable, founded on the erroneous belief that workers cannot defend themselves. We can and we will, if these onslaughts continue unabated.

Proposal ill-advised: “The proposal is ill-advised and will threaten our collective future.

We remind its proponents that workers work for their retirement benefits. It will be immoral and careless to subject such funds, being the life-blood of Nigerian workers, to the itchy-fingers of Nigerian politicians no matter how well

intentioned especially when we know that “the way to Hell is littered with good intentions. In any case, since workers are the owners of the fund, whatsoever benefits that purportedly will accrue to workers as a result, workers do not want to be part of it.

Before anything can be done regarding the Pension fund, the NLC should be the first to know as the custodians of the interests and desires of Nigerian workers.

Workers’saving in danger: He insisted that “NLC will resist any action or policy designed to turn the nation’s Pension fund into one of the sources

The Pension fund is structured the way it is to avoid actions that could undermine its consistency such as this proposal portends.

Other financing options: “We urge the Federal Government to explore many other financing options available to it to fund its various activities and forget about the Pension Fund.

We have not forgotten the greed with which successive Governments have announced the degree of expansion in the size of the Pension fund. When it was N2 trillion, they were watching, when they announced it was N3trillion, the look on their faces changed; when they said it was over N4trillion, they began to salivate and now that it has grown to about N6trillion, they have become frenzied and delirious in their attempt to annex it. We recognise all of these in body language of those in government. We say no to the use of Pension Fund for infrastructural development.”

Edo pays N2bn gratuities to pensioners

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DO State Government has paid N2 billion gratuity to 539 pensioners from the 2010 and 2011 batch in the state.

The payment of the pensioners’ gratuity is in fulfillment of the promise of Governor Adams Oshiomhole to defray the pension liability to the retired workers.

State Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor who announced the payment of the N2 billion gratuity, said those who got their payment alerts were those already screened and had done their biometrics.

She said those who had errors in their account details, some who didn’t turn up for screening and others whose records were incomplete were yet to get their payment alerts.

She explained that the nextof-kin of deceased staff were also yet to be paid, noting that another date would soon be announced for the screening of

Governor Oshiomhole those who didn’t turn up in the first exercise and the next-of-kin of deceased staff who had the requisite letters of administration.

According to Mrs. Idahor, “one hundred and seventy five pensioners from the 2010 batch and three hundred and sixty four from the 2011 batch who were successfully verified have been paid their gratuities. The verification exercise and payment of gratuities will be a

continuous exercise and a date will be announced soon for pensioners who retired in 2012 to come for their verification and immediate payments.”

It will be recalled that Governor Adams Oshiomhole recently told pensioners in the state that government was doing everything possible to fast-track the process, assuring that “this gratuity will not be paid piecemeal, not that they will give you 40%, 50% and then you come back another day, no, this present gratuity will be paid in full at once.”

“One other decision I took on assumption of office was that I directed the AccountantGeneral to ensure that those who have been cleared to receive their pension are paid the same day those who are working are paid, the day I receive my pay, that must be the same day those pensioners are paid.”

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

By Bashir Adefaka

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HE Ministry of Communications has a past. You are now in its present.

How are you going to manage the present with a view to shaping a better future for the nation's telecommunications sector?

The robust interactions between past operators in the sector and me were with a view to building on the invaluable contributions they had made to the industry.

So, I can assure you that this is one industry where you necessarily cannot but have a foundation.

All those who contributed immensely in the past are being patronised to ensure that I learn from them and continue to seek their collaboration. It is not a matter of politics now. It is a matter of technology and technology has no respect for politics because knowledge is a universal thing and technology is also universal.

So, I am not ignoring the past in shaping the present and the future.

One of your predecessors, General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, deregulated the telecommunications sector. Are you in touch with him?

I have not been in contact with General Tajudeen Olanrewaju. If I have the opportunity of meeting him, I would appreciate it. But what I am saying is that, there is an immediate linkage between me and people like General Olanrewaju. For instance, you cannot underestimate the contributions that people like Ndukwe have made. When I met him at a recent forum I called him the grand father of Nigerian Telecommunications as it is today.

National development These are the foundations that we are working on and, to that extent, I am one person who appreciates the contributions that people made to national development. By the grace of God I will be in good position to build on what they had laid down.

Where does the Communication Ministry under your stewardship stand in the continuing plans to diversify the economy?

In the past, oil was contributing about 90 per cent of our economy.

Unfortunately, price of oil started plummeting at the international market. At the end of it we thought that agriculture would be able to fill the gap. The gestation period for investments in agriculture takes time but the telecommunications, for instance, generally will be the cash-cow if we can encourage a greater participation in it.

Therefore, my office as Minister of Communications provides me with the opportunity that one has to work on, capitalise on and develop so that we would get all the results that we need to further develop Nigeria.

In terms of affordable internet

Why Buhari gave big roles to Yoruba in his cabinet — SHITTU, COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER •Says Buhari model for his ministers MINISTER of Communications, Barrister AbdurRaheem Adebayo Shittu was a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly in the Second Republic (October 1979 to September 1983). He was the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs under the Dr. Omololu Olunloyo administration (October – December, 1983) and became the Commissioner for Justice and AttorneyGeneral of Oyo State in the Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja government in 2003. He was a member of the National Political Reforms Conference put together by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government in 2005.

Shittu schooled at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he read law and is celebrated as one of those who authored the policy direction of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN in the Second Republic.

Shittu, author of 13 books has also been a steadfast political loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He spoke on how he will use telecommunications to move Nigeria forward in an interview. Excerpts:

For me, therefore, my office as Minister of Communications provides me with the opportunity that one has to work on, capitalise on and develop so that we would get all the results that we need to further develop Nigeria

access, how far can we go?

It is still evolving and it is still developing. It is for us to convince ourselves to make things simple. A lot of people even in government in the past never appreciated the extent that telecommunications could grow a national economy and impact on general development. But, like many stakeholders have

said, if Nigeria must develop, we must take technology and ICT growth more seriously than we had in the past. I am passionate about it and committed to it. I am accessible to all stakeholders guaranteeing that I am ready to listen and attend to every good proposal that is brought forward

by Nigerians. And by the grace of God, things will improve for Nigeria.

The whole of Sri Lanka was powered by google to have free internet access and it worked.

Can that be explored in Nigeria?

We will explore every opportunity of making Nigeria great. I will like to make necessary contacts to know what happened in Sri Lanka and how it happened. I will be willing to tap into their experience and see where it could impact us in Nigeria.

His take on the fine on MTN The fines are not arbitrary.

Remember that 5.2 million lines were involved. The guideline provides for $1000 per line and the guideline preceded the commission of the offence. You cannot brush aside or review unilaterally what the guideline has already stated.

The good thing is that the MTN itself admitted this violation and also apologised for the infraction. They have also committed themselves never to

•Shittu: We must take technology and ICT growth more seriously permit the violation to take place again. And it is up for Mr. President and we are sure that he will be guided by the provisions of the guideline to take a decision one way or the other.

What is your assessment on the ease of doing business for foreign investors in Nigeria?

In every country of the world, there are rules that are regulating the conduct of business.

Conduct of business Foreign investors are invited and are welcomed in Nigeria.

But, like in all countries, laws must be obeyed because the laws are made to ensure good governance, orderliness and better society.

I don't think there is any problem for any foreign investor, who is interested in being law abiding and who commits himself to respecting the laws of the host country like Nigeria. So, anybody that is interested will be treated fairly. If they put their money here, it will add value to our national wealth and also improve on employment of our unemployed people.

Chief Segun Osoba recently described the key portfolios given to ministers of Yoruba extraction as big challenge to the

Yoruba race because they require optimum performance.

How are you taking the challenge as one of the ministers?

Our credentials of incorruptibility, great passion, selflessness and dynamism are the selling points. We would do our best to justify the confidence that Mr. President reposed in us.

We appreciate the great favour the President has done to us.

And if you look at the antecedents of all of us, ministers from Yorubaland, you would agree with me that these are people of impeccable character, who have hadknowledge update in public life and have the commitment.

In any case, Mr. President is the model that everybody has to follow. If he was not confident that we could perform, he wouldn't have done it the way he did it. So, I believe that we would not disappoint Mr. President and also, largely, we would not disappoint the Nigerian people.

What will be your word for the Nigerian youths?

My take is that we will improve every facility for the advancement of education and create jobs. I believe that the actual beneficiaries will be the youths and, to that extent, you can be assured that the youths will have the best.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016—51

Let’s end FGM/C in Nigeria, Aishat Buhari Dufil Foods awards N5.4m scholarship to 12 students tasks Governors' wives

Mrs Aishat Buhari

By Sola Ogundipe

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HE wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has urged wives of the state Governors in the country to use their position towards ensuring that the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C) comes to an end within a generation.

Buhari, who spoke Tuesday in Abuja, at the formal launch of a national response to eliminate the practice, told wives of Governors of states where the harmful practice is rampant, to be the voice of the campaign to end FGM/C in their various states.

"We are mothers and women

and have the primary role to use our privileged positions to make lives better for Nigerians, especially women and girls.

"I urge you to be vocal on the need for FGM/C to end in Nigeria and take action that will enable this to happen," she noted.

UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Jean Gough, stated: "Not one of the myths surrounding this practice has any basis in truth. The only truth is that on every level this is a harmful and brutal practice that has a detrimental impact on the health and the human rights of women and girls."

Also speaking, UNFPA Nigeria

Representative, Mrs. Ratidzai Ndhlovu described FGM as an extreme form of violence against women and girls.

"It violates her reproductive rights and her bodily integrity. To end this harmful practice, we must understand not only where and how it is practiced, but also the social dynamics that perpetuate it, so we can use that knowledge to persuade practitioners to end the practice," she argued.

The event was a collaboration between the Federal government and the Joint UNFPA/UNICEF Programme on FGM/C Abandonment, in partnership with several civil society organizations.

The national response to accelerate change and eliminate the practice within a generation estimated at 20 years - will be based on information gathered in a study on the beliefs, knowledge, and practices of FGM/C that was conducted last year by UNICEF, UNFPA and partners in six highprevalence states: Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun, Oyo and Lagos.

Findings of the study highlight the need for sustained communication with communities and collaboration with the media to promoting the social change needed for FGM/C abandonment.

By Gabriel Olawale

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N its bid to stimulate the growth of knowledge in area of nutrition and healthy living, Dufil Prima Food Plc maker of Indomine noodles has sponsored 12 students from the six geo-political zones in the country to obtain their Masters Degrees in nutrition.

The grant which draws beneficiaries from five universities is to encourage and help to build up high level manpower in nutrition that will continue to guide nutrition policy in the country.

Presenting the cheque to the beneficiaries, Public Relations Officer, Dufil Prima Food Plc., Mr. Tope Ashiwaju said their passion to contribute to the field of knowledge particularly in area of nutrition energised their

Our commitment is to join forces in building a society that is well nourished, healthy and prosperous.

commitment to the project since 2010 .

“Our commitment is to join force in building a society that is well nourished, healthy and prosperous. The company hereby presents the cheque of N450,000 each to all beneficiaries to help them in area of tuition, research, study materials among others for their post graduate programme.”

“We have three beneficiaries from Ahmadu Bello University; three from University of Ibadan, four from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, one from Imo State University and one from University of Calabar.”

On his part, the past President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and Panel Chairman Dufil Nutrition award, Professor, Babatunde Oguntona, appreciated the organiser for such initiative and charged all the beneficiaries to be a good ambassador.

“Out of over 100 applications that we received, these 12 beneficiaries should consider themselves lucky. The 2016 applicant will soon be out and will be made open to all eligible students in Nigeria higher institution where they are offering food and nutrition programme,” he said.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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This means that due to performance anxiety or some other psychological factors, you are unable to get an erection. Psychogenic erectile disorders require therapy not drugs.

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52— Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

ACL: Enyimba, Vipers play mind games

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NYIMBA of Aba have overcome a rough welcome and will train today ahead of their CAF Champions League first leg preliminary rounds billed for Friday in Kampala, Uganda.

Enyimba players and

officials were held up at the Entebbe Airport on arrival on Tuesday night by immigration over the inconsistency in the list of players and officials for the match. Enyimba and Vipers officials previously agreed on the list, but decision was changed when the

Okpekpe race to promote Cancer awareness – Itemuagbor

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HE Chief Organiser of the annual 10km Okpekpe road race, Mike Itemuagbor has hinted that the fourth edition of the competition would, apart from helping to nurture the culture of long distance running in the country, be used to promote Cancer awareness among the citizens.

Speaking shortly after the conclusion of the maiden edition of the Lagos City Marathon last Saturday, Itemuagbor who commended the Lagos State government on the successful hosting of the Access Bank sponsored 42km race, advised that such races could be used to promote

tourism and health apart from the athletics benefits.

‘We are using the fourth edition of the 10km Okpekpe road race on May 7 this year in Okpekpe to promote Cancer awareness among the rural women in the locality. I will like the organisers of the Lagos City Marathon to have this in mind when planning for the second edition,’’ he said.

“The health benefits in running a marathon or any road race are huge. Beyond helping you to lose or maintain weight, there are lots of other health benefits,”said Itemuagbor.

“Running will strengthen your heart and ensure the efficient flow of blood and oxygen throughout your body, which helps decrease your risk of a heart attack,’’he stressed.

Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole leading the Okpekpe race

Hotsports will be live in Rio — Ige

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S the build up to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil gathers momentum, Hotsports Nigeria Ltd., have finalised plans to storm the global sports fiesta in a big way with an exclusive coverage of the major events that will involve Team Nigeria’s participation at the Games.

The Chief Executive Officer of Hotsports, Taye Ige stated in an interview in Lagos that the newly acquired studio facilities and ultra-modern equipment by Hotsports will enhance quality coverage of the Games with its production crew firmly on ground at various venues where events will be staged in Rio. “Let me state categorically that Hotsports will be live in Rio. Our production crew will be in Brazil for daily highlights of events of the Games,

especially beaming a searchlight on the Team Nigeria camp from an exclusive angle. This will form the basis of special television and radio programmes that will preview and run through the duration of the Olympics,” Ige said.

It would be recalled that Hotports over the years has developed competence in producing television programmes of countdown and daily highlights of big sports events like the France ’98 World Cup Summit, Korea-Japan 2002 Special, Germany 2006 Guinness Action Diary, South Africa 2010 Super Eagles Peak Moments and a host of other special tournament programmes.

In the last Olympic Games in London, Hotsports produced a special countdown television series titled: Highway To London 2012.

Nigerian club were already on their way for the game.

“We agreed that 25 players and officials will be coming. However, while flying from Enugu to Addis, then to Entebbe, Vipers hurriedly sent another letter, saying they could no longer host 25 persons,” media officer of Enyimba, Farriel Alaputa wrote on twitter.

However, he said Enyimba are focused on getting a good result from the game to boost their chances in the Champions League they won in 2003 and 2004.

They are without their striker Mfon Udoh who is nursing an injury.

Masters of the Game... Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo keep churning out top quality performance in the Spanish League.

Ronaldo, Messi rivalry good for football – Zidane R

EAL Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has reiterated his view that Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s best footballer, adding his rivalry with Lionel Messi is good for the sport.

The Madrid and Barcelona stars have shared the Ballon d’Or for the last eight years and have gone toe-to-toe for a host of individual and team honours in recent years as the two best players in the world.

The pair have played down the importance of their rivalry but Zidane maintains the competition between them is a positive for the game.

“Messi the best player in the world? Cristiano Ronaldo is the best,” the former France international told Record.

“Many things are said about Cristiano, but deep in his heart he is a good person. Messi is his rival and that rivalry is good for football. That’s what people want to see.”

Ronaldo, 31, has been linked with a move to the likes of Paris Saint-

Germain and former club Manchester United in recent seasons but said this week he intends to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

Zidane, who retired at 34 following his infamous sending-off for headbutting Marco

Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, believes Ronaldo has a number of years remaining.

“Ronaldo can maybe play longer than me,” added Zidane, who replaced Rafael Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu in January.

Ogbonna revels in first West Ham goal

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EST Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna was left beaming following his last-gasp winner against Liverpool in Tuesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay.

Philippe Coutinho’s superb free-kick cancelled out Michail Antonio’s first-half opener at Upton Park, which sent the contest into extra-time.

With the game

seemingly set to be decided via a penalty shoot-out, Ogbonna rose highest to meet Dimitri Payet’s cross in the 121st minute and head past Simon Mignolet for a dramatic winner.

West Ham will now face Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round of the competition, but Ogbonna insisted his team-mates are

remaining grounded.

“It was my first goal for West Ham and in front of our supporters, so I am really happy for my teammates, for everybody.

I really enjoyed it.”

Man United job a done deal, Mourinho tells friends

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ORMER Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has told close friends that he will take over as Manchester United manager this summer, according to British tabloids.

The Daily Mail, like the Daily Express and Daily Mirror, reports that he has said it’s done deal for him to replace Louis Van Gaal at Old Trafford.

Mourinho, who has won three English Premier League titles in five EPL seasons, was fired in December by Chelsea, which collapsed this season after winning

last year ’s Premier League title. Two of the three EPL titles came in Mourinho’s first stint with Chelsea, from 2004 to 2007. He went on to coach at Inter Milan and Real Madrid before returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013.

Van Gaal is under contract through the 201617 season, but reports out of England have Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, under presser to appoint a manager who can make Man U a title contender.

The team, which spent $375 million on new

players over the last 18 months, is six points behind the fourth-place team in the league.

*Ogbonna.

Ranieri aims for another fairy tale run

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LAUDIO Ranieri is determined to prevent Leicester ’s successful season from being a one-off, despite saying the Foxes are “having a strange year.”

Leicester have been installed as Premier League title favourites after opening up a fivepoint gap at the top following last weekend’s 3-1 victory at Manchester City.

Ranieri’s side face another huge test of their title credentials at third-placed Arsenal on Sunday, but the veteran Italian says his aims have not changed since his summer appointment at the King Power Stadium.

“When I signed, our objective was clear — to build this team, gradually bringing it to the top spots,’’ Ranieri told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.

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54 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Lagos to host Yobo testimonial T

HE Lagos State Government is set to host a befitting testimonial for former Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo where it expects players like Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, and a host of other global names to participate.

Though the date has not been announced, the Yobo testimonial will be a celebration of the career of the former defender who was the first to reach a century of caps for the Nigeria senior national team, according to Mr Adeboye Anthony Adeyinka, Senior Special Assistant on Sports

to the Lagos State Governor.

After a successful staging of the Lagos Marathon last weekend, the Lagos State Government is starting to look at sports as a veritable way to market the metropolis, and what bigger way than football and Yobo?

“The match will be played in Lagos but it will not be a Lagos thing alone because Yobo played for Nigeria so it will also be a Federation event,” Adeyinka told Goal.

The 35-year-old had a distinguished career which took him to sev-

eral countries and clubs.

He played in Belgium, France, England and Turkey with varying degrees of success.

NFF Continues from BP

aside from making sure that the facilities are in place are also going on a PR mission to get massive support for the Eagles after reports that Oliseh favoured Port Harcourt over Kaduna for the match”, a reliable source informed yesterday.

Sports Vanguard gathered that the football house would also ensure a tighter security around Super Eagles coach because of recent developments. But Assistant Director, (Media) and spokesman of NFF Ad-

emola Olajire laughed off beefing security around Oliseh for the match.

“There will be adequate security for everybody at the stadium. I do not know of security for an individual”, Olajire said.

Nigeria face Egypt in back-to-back 2017 African Cup of Nations fixtures next month. The Eagles are two points behind group leaders Egypt after two rounds of matches with only group winners guaranteed automatic qualification to the tournament in Gabon.

prominent sons and daughters to canvass for full support for the Super Eagles who face seventime African champions Egypt in a must win tie on March 23.

Oliseh had kicked against the choice of Kaduna describing it as playing “AWAY on a home soil”, a situation the football house feel might turn to haunt them if they do not wet the ground ahead of the match. “The NFF

*Yobo

Continues from BP Sports Vanguard can reveal that they resigned en masse following what they described as the mishandling of the Sunday Oliseh’s case by the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick.

After the now infamous “insane” attack on Nigerians by Oliseh on YouTube, the NFF had referred the case to the Technical Committee to recommend penalties to be meted out to the loquacious coach.

Sports Vanguard also gathered that the Committee after exhaustive deliberations were utterly disappointed that Pinnick jettisoned their report and instead ran to

Technical Committee the Youth and Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung who saved the embattled coach by asking for a second chance for him.

“The Committee recommended for his outright dismissal after they agreed that he had violated his contract”, our source said.

Contacted last night, Chairman of the Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green confirmed the development but said that he was working hard to ensure that the “wise” men rescind their decisions.

“It is true that they are not keen to work again

Rio Olympics Continues from BP so I don’t know how long we have to wait but if we have to wait for another week, and that will be another month gone.

“You know that Olympics is a very tough tournament because it is not in the FIFA programme so it is not always easy to secure the release of the players. We have started making contacts but you will know who will come until the tour-

nament starts. We are trying to get the commitment of the clubs because if not you may get some players for friendly games but during the main event they will not be available.”

The former Super Eagles striker further revealed that a number of quality friendly matches have been lined up for the team adding that such will give him the opportunity to evaluate the players.

but I am prevailing on them to think twice because of their love and passion for the game and patriotism for the country. They cannot be treated with levity. They are heavyweights on their own and they are not paid a dime for their services”, Green said.

The Technical Committee have not had a smooth relationship with Oliseh after the coach said he had nothing to do with them when they queried him following a dismal outing in CHAN. A member of the Technical Committee who was visibly angry with the handling of the Oliseh case said that the coach would mess up Pinnick.

“If they fail to take punitive action on him, he’ll mess them up. The problem is with Amaju (Pinnick) because he wants to please everybody. They gave him (Oliseh) the job on sentiment and that is the result. As for me, I can’t stay to watch him insult the Technical Committee.

We all played for this country and deserve respect”, the source, who does not want his name in print, said.

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Rio Olympics: Siasia waits on Sports waiting for the Nigeria Ministry for camping Football Federation

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ARELY five months to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chief Coach of the National U-23 team,

BY JUDE OPARA, ABUJA

the Dream Team VI, Samson Siasia says he is

Oliseh: Technical Committee members resign en masse *Frown at Pinnick

By Tony Ubani

T

*Chukwu *Oliseh

*Lawal

*Dalung

HE Technical Com mittee of the Nigeria Football Federation, made up of such eminent Nigerians like Christian Chukwu, Paul Bassey, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju and Garba Lawal have resigned their appointments.

(NFF) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to conclude arrangements for the team to begin camping.

Siasia who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday said it is important for the team to begin camping because the championship is huge task which needs every amount of preparation.

“Already I have submitted my programme to the NFF, I hope they are waiting for the approval of the Ministry of Sports

Continues on Page 54

Ronaldo, Messi rivalry good for football —Zidane -P.52

Continues on Page 54

NFF romances Kaduna fans

By Tony Ubani

A

*Pinnick

*Adepoju

*Bassey

*Ikpeba

FTER his infamous tirade on you-tube against “insane critics”, and his rejection of playing the AFCON qualifier against Egypt in Kaduna, the NFF are now

working hard to prevent a backlash on the Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh.

The NFF will inspect the facilities of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium today and also reach out to Continues on Page 54

QUICK CR OSS WORD CROSS OSSWORD

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

FRI DAY'S ANS WERS FRID ANSWERS

ACROSS DOWN 1 Short (6) 2 Grade (5) 5 Hymn-book (6) 8 Initiated (8) 3 Circle (4) 9 Appear (4) 4 Anaesthetic (5) 5 Hell (5) 10 Donkey (3) 6 Masculine (4) 12 Coarse (5) 15 Droop (3) 7 Fragrance (5 17 Beverage (3) 10 Advantage (5) 11 Condition (5) 18 Fish (3) 12 Yawned (5) 19 Spring (3) 20 Heathen (5) 13 Harmonium (5) 14 Feeling (5) 21 Stretch (3) 15 Slumbered (5) 22 Golf-peg (3) 23 Mouthful (3) 16 Verdant (5) 25 Angry (5) 24 Fasten (3) 27 Speak (5) 26 Dullard (5) 29 Brown (3) 28 Store (5) 30 Passage (5) 33 Couple (4) 34 Undiplomatic (8) 31 Courage (4) 35 Decay (6) 32 Block (4) 36 Badge (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Hole 4, Don 6, Glee 8, Affect 9, Threat 10, Ale 12, Argue 14, Health 15, Trial 18, Repeal 20, Idiocy 24, Laden 26, Space 28, Night 30, Ado 32, Resign 33, Priest 34, Used 35, Wan 36, Lieu.

DOWN: 2, Offer 3, Execute 4, Data 5, Note 6, Gorse 7, Elastic 11, Lea 12, Air 13, Era 16, Ill 17, Lid 19, Express 21, Den 22, Initial 23, Yet 25, Add 27, Child 29, Haste 30, Anew 31, Open.

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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