Govs set for showdown with Buhari, Tinubu

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•Muyiwa Afolabi, MD, Frontiers International Services, Shey Shay, performing artiste and winner, ‘Meet The Executive’, an entrepreneurship project sponsored by Sterling Bank , Gbemisola Eso, receiving her prize money at the ‘Get Ready for Work ’Concert held in Ibadan.

From L – R: Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Obinnia Abajue; Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha and Chief Executive, Personal and Business Banking, Standard Bank, Mr. Peter Schlebusch, at a dinner in honour of Schlebusch in Lagos.

ALARM BELL: Religious war looms — Soyinka

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure WO candidates who sat for the Unified

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE, Osogbo

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OBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has warned Ni-

gerians to beware of being pushed to the point where adherents of religious faiths would engage in a war, stressing that the outcome of it may be very devastating for the country.

Speaking yesterday in Osogbo at a press conference to herald a three-day colloquium organized by the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, CBCIU, in collaboration with Osun State Government, which begins tomorrow, Soyinka noted that activities in recent past in the country pointed to the fact that religious war was looming.

Tagged, ‘All Comers Colloquium’, under the theme: ‘Fundamental Imperatives of Cohabitation: Faith and Secularism’, the event is expected to bring Christians, Muslims and traditionalists to discuss ways of preventing religious war in the country.

Soyinka, who is the Chairman, Board of Directors of CBCIU, represented by a member of the Board, Prof. Wale Adeniran, stated that with Nigeria surviving a civil war, the next war the nation may fight is religious war.

“I pray this does not happen because this may lead to disintegration of Nigeria as no nation in the world has ever fought a religious war and remained the same,” he said.

He blamed Nigerian leaders for consciously using religion to divide the

country for their selfish interests, adding that the secularity of Nigeria is very clear.

His words: “Religious crisis in Nigeria today is assuming a dangerous dimension. The secularity of Nigeria is very clear. There is no ambiguity about it.

Should religion be allowed to really have impact on governance? What is important and should be paramount is who you are and not your religion. Religion should not be brought into

governance”.

Discussants at the colloquium include Professor Dawud Noibi, who will speak on Primordial Spirituality as Agent of Development; Mr. Modupe Oduyoye: Religion and Development; Dr. Abiodun Agboola: Equilibrium that Adjusts the World; Mr. Mustapha Adebayo Bello: Quest for Peace; and Dr. Michael Adekunle: Pluralism and Accommodation in a Democratic Society.

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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W O - T I M E governor of the old

Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, has faulted the decision by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to participate in the on-going National Conference, saying the conference, set up by President Goodluck Jonathan, will find solution to many of the nation’s problems.

While backing the idea that the decision of the conference should be subjected to a referendum, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader urged Nigerians to continue to support the programmes of the Jonathan administration which, according to him, will take the nation to the promised land.

The elder statesman spoke in Benin, yesterday, after a meeting with members of his group, geared at returning Jonathan for second term. However, Sunday Vanguard observed that members of the group are only keen about reelecting Jonathan but are also not bothered about the fate of the PDP in Edo State.

Some of them said they were disenchanted with the style of the leadership of the party in the state, which they said was not directed at strategizing in winning elections in the state.

Ogbemudia, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, said, “I think that APC fears are misplaced, they should send somebody to the confab and with their own mandate and, if they

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completion, the monorail project is the ingenuity of Governor Liyel Imoke to facilitate smooth, seamless and convenient traffic movement from CICC to the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort.

Offering insights into the uniqueness of the monorail project, Commissioner for Special Project, Mr. Bassey Ika Oqua, said: “Calabar monorail will be very unique because it is the

kind that will run through the Convention Centre at ground level, and go over an elevated lake before stopping at the Tinapa Hotel at a high level. So there is going to be an elevator at the Tinapa Hotel location where people would be expected to either use the staircase or the elevator to board the rail and then it will climb again further to the parking area of the emporiums.

It was learnt that the tipper overtook the Peugeot J5 vehicle while trying to negotiate a bend before ramming into the Nissan car conveying the candidates.

The Head of Operations of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ikare Akoko, Mr. Samuel Ibitoye, confirmed the death of the can-

Police arrest fake DSP in Warri

BY EMMA AMAIZE, Warri

A NATIONAL CONFAB: APC’s fears are misplaced — Ogbemudia

Excitement over Calabar monorail HERE is palpable excitement among the people of Cross River State and tourists as the construction of the monorail project designed to link the Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC) under construction to Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort reaches advanced stage.

Designed with ten coaches or cabins to ferry 80 passengers at a time upon

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Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yesterday, lost their lives in a multiple road crash along OwoIkare road in Ondo State.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that the auto crash involved a tipper, a Nissan car and a Peugeot J5 vehicle.

Eyewitnesses said two out of the vehicles were coming from Offa in Kwara State when the crash occurred.

UTME candidates killed in Ondo auto crash

dismissed police officer, simply

are defeated, they will know they were defeated, if they win, then they have won and their matter will be before a referendum, but not sending somebody there is not being helpful to Nigerians who, after 100 years, are looking for a new mandate to continue the relationship”.

He went on: “My view is that the decision of the conference should go for referendum. After the people have approved, the National Assembly will merely turn it into law. We had one during Obasanjo’s time. I don’t know what happened to it; if we are not careful, this may go the same way”.

identified as Abiodun, has been arrested by operatives of the Quick Response Squad, QRS, Warri, Delta State, for allegedly parading himself as a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, attached to the squad.

Police spokesperson in Delta, DSP Celestina Kalu, said, yesterday, that the suspect had “defrauded many people of various sums of money under the pretext of helping them to secure approval from the Com-

didates.

Ibitoye said three other sustained various degrees of injuries and were on admission at Ikare Specialist Hospital.

He added that the corpses of the two candidates were deposited at the hospital mortuary.

Ibitoye pointed out that the deceased candidates could not be identified.

missioner of Police, Delta State, to post both conventional and mobile policemen to guard their homes and business premises.”

According to her, “The suspect was arrested at Ugborikoko axis, Warri, when he showed up to collect the sum of N400, 000 from one of the operatives, who posed as a company owner.”

“He has confessed to the crime. He also claimed to have been dismissed from the police in 2001 at Port-Harcourt,” she added.

Orukele is PTI acting Principal

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ETROLEUM Train ing Institute, PTI, Governing Council has appointed Mr. Aruakporeta Jacob Orukele as Acting Principal/Chief Executive.

This was contained in a letter signed by the Chairman, Governing Council of the institute, Mr. G. A. Osahon.

The appointment of Mr. A.

J. Orukele was sequel to the mandatory retirement of the former Acting Principal/ Chief Executive, Mrs. N. C. Dennar, on the attainment of 60 years of age.

Until his appointment, Orukele was the Deputy Director in the Petroleum Marketing and Business Studies Department (PMBSD) of the institute, with years of experience in the oil and gas sector.

2 dead in gun duel between security forces, suspected kidnappers in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE, Warri

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HERE was mayhem in Kokori, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, at the weekend, as remnants of the suspected Delta State kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, currently facing trial, engaged the police and soldiers in a shoot out.

Two of the gunmen were shot dead.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that there was tension in the community in the

past two days over the reign of terror by some gunmen.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed the bloody exchange, saying, “The remnants of Kelvin’s gang are in the bush causing trouble everyday. We are pursuing them, we have arrested some of them, charged to court and we will continue to go after them.”

Trouble reportedly started when one of the gangsters, said to be in the habit of extorting money from people, accosted a prominent com-

munity leader, and attempted to extort money from him under the guise of security levy.

The community leader refused to pay and the suspected gangster dealt him a machete blow on the neck.

The suspect was reportedly arrested by the police, but granted bail.

“Instead of allowing peace to reign, the bailed gangster mobilized other members of his group and stormed Kokori to wreak more havoc on the people,” a source said.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014 — PAGE 5

APC CONGRESS

One dead in Edo, violence in Oyo •No parallel exercise in Ogun — Amosun

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, (BENIN-CITY), OLA AJAYI (IBADAN), DAUD OLATUNJI (ABEOKUTA) AND DEMOLA AKINYEMI (ILORIN)

L-R: Deputy Governor, Ekiti State, Prof Modupe Adelabu; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Managing Director/E-i-C, Champion Newspapers, Mrs Nwadiuto Iheakanwa; Ekiti State Governor/ Awardee, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal; and former Ekiti State Governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo , during Fayemi’s investiture as Champion Newspapers’ Governor of the Year (2013) in Lagos….on Friday.

NE person was shot dead, O yesterday, in ward 8, Ovia North East Local Government Council of Edo State during the rescheduled ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in seven local government councils of Edo South.

It was learnt that some soldiers, who allegedly shot the

boy, took to their heels when party members who queued for the exercise attempted to attack them.

There were equally gun shots in Oredo Local Government Council as supporters of the deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, and those of the former Vice Chairman of the party in the South- south, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, battled for the soul of the party in the area.

Meanwhile, Odubu’s chairmanship candidate, Chief Isaac Omoruyi, emerged the chairman of his ward in Urghonigbe, after polling 514 to defeat his opponent, Anthony Edegbe, who polled 244.

2015: MUSLIM/MUSLIM TICKET TEARS APC APART

Govs set for showdown with Buhari and Tinubu Continued from page 1 and Lagos, over the weekend by Sunday Vanguard suggests that the disquiet in the APC over who flies its banner in the 2015 presidential race may not be a mere rumour after all.

The plot to ensure that Buhari and Tinubu both emerge is thickening.

By the same token, opposition to the scheme heightened at the weekend based on contacts with some APC governors.

The other leg of the twist to the emerging katakata in APC is the alleged position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is said to favour the emergence of K a n o S t a t e g o v e r n o r, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as the party ’s presidential candidate.

Yet, there is the downside of how to convince a few Christian leaders of the APC who are be-

mused by the possibility of a Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket.

However, Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that the whole idea of a Muslim/Muslim ticket is being promoted by the Presidency in order to sow discord in the ranks of the opposition.

Governors Kick A dependable source said: “The seed for the emergence of a Muslim/ Muslim ticket was sown when the two major promoters of the merger which became the APC (Buhari and Tinubu) signified their intention to run.

The source, a northern state governor, told Sunday Vanguard in Abuja, last week: “But the realization that there might be a very serious challenge against the candidacy of Buhari created the ground for the proposition of a consensus arrangement”.

That was not all.

Indeed, the consensus ar-

SOLUTION

rangement is expected to throw up Buhari as the presidential candidate while Tinubu would be his running mate.

“The electoral calculation has already been concluded and the party leaders are upbeat that they would defeat President Goodluck Jonathan with what they have seen on ground regarding their SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis – this is principally based on the perceived numerical strength of Muslims in the North and South West geo-political zone.

“Let me tell you, to convince them otherwise would be difficult and they believe they can pull it off, especially with the perceived lack luster disposition of President Jonathan”, another leader of the party from the South-west said.

At separate fora with Sunday Vanguard, three state governors told Sunday Vanguard that they would resist that “type of imposition”.

It was gathered that no fewer that three APC governors are angling to emerge as either the presidential candidate or running mate for the 2015 election. Information made available at the weekend suggested that the state governors are in a better position to mobilize supporters at the national convention of the party.

With their numerical advantage, the state governors are mobilising to ensure that they are not made “to appear like stooges”, a source said.

Interestingly, it was learnt that former President Obasanjo has not hidden his preference for the emergence of Kwankwaso as the presidential candidate of the APC. “He has made it known to a few of his associates”, a source said.

“All these stemmed from

the belief at inception that the creation of the APC would pose a very strong, balanced opposition to the PDP and its handling of the nation’s affairs; but it appears that their hopes are being dashed, except, of course, this nonsense (Muslim/Muslim ticket) is not true”.

Christian Leaders of APC Angry Apart from the state governors, some Christian le aders in APC are also frowning at the purported APC Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket and “ wish that it turns out to be mere r umour ”, a former minister said.

In fact, the likes of “Chief Audu Ogbeh, Second Republic Minister of Communication and former National Chairman of PDP, as well as Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher of Leadership newspapers, have “ vowed to resist any such imposition if true and are ready to fight it to the end”.

Presidency behind purported ticket claim – APC However, just as Sunday Vanguard was about to go to press, an APC leader, who did not want

to be mentioned, disclosed that “all these misinformation about a Muslim/Muslim ticket is the handiwork of the Presidency ”.

He went on: “Some people in the Presidency have seen how potent an opposition the APC would be; so the only way they can attempt – and I use the word well (attempt) – to try to dampen the enthusiasm of our supporters is by playing the religious card.

“Between you and I, have you seen Tinubu going from mosque to mosque to worship on Fridays and make a big show of it? Have you seen General Buhari going from mosque to mosque and making a big show of it?

“It is President Jonathan who is using the church to promote politics. It is because a section of Nigerians has posed questions, critical questions at that, to the seeming incongruity between Nigeria’s multi-religious status and the President’s public display of faith, that is why the Presidency is now selling this dummy to Nigerians about the APC presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket”.

But there was no election in Ugboko Niro, the ward of IzeIyamu, after supporters of the deputy governor insisted there should be accreditation before voting could commence.

But Ize-Iyamu explained that the register was clumsily put together and advised that people should be allowed to vote as long as they had their party cards. But his argument was rejected by the Odubu group which prompted the officials to cancel the exercise in the ward.

Reports from Oyo State said there was violence in some local government areas during the council congress of the APC in the state.

The councils where violence marred the congress were Ibadan North East, Egbeda, Iseyin and Ibarapa.

According to sources, the council’s Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan North East, popularly called Alatise, was whisked away by security men to prevent him from being attacked by angry party members.

Though the number of injured people could not be ascertained at press time, it was gathered that the congress was bloody at Ibadan North East. Apart from these councils, the congress was peaceful in the remaining local government areas of the state.

However, the congress was more of popular affirmation than election in the state.

This, Sunday Vanguard gathered, was to take care of interests of political parties that formed the APC. There was no congress in Atiba and Oyo West local government areas where ward congress was put on hold as a result of violence.

In other parts of the state, Sunday Vanguard gathered that the congress was generally peaceful.

The congress was hitchfree in Ibadan North West, Ido, Ibadan South West and others.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday on the election in his council, Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North West, said it was a peaceful exercise.

In Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun described the APC Congress across the 20 local councils in the state as hugely successful, inclusive, free and fair.

Police arrest 5 with human head, parts in Ogun DAUD OLATUNJI, ABEOKUTA

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GUN State Police Command, yesterday, arrested five suspected ritualists, including two women, with human head and other parts in Joju area of Ota in Ado Odo-Ota local government.

This came barely one month after a herbalist was caught with 18 human skulls in the same

local government.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said the suspects were arrested during a joint operation by men of the state Police Command and the Special Anti- Robbery Squad from Lagos Command.

The suspects were reportedly caught following a tip-off.

“The Divisional Police Officer in charge Otta Di-

vision, CSP Gabreal Idibie, led a team of operatives to assist the SARS Lagos, who got first hand information, to Joju area where the five suspects were arrested and exhibits recovered for further investigation and adequate prosecution,” Adejobi said.

“The suspects arrested are Kubura Salami, Tantolorun Abimbola, Kafaya Popoola, Wahid Ibrahim and Adamu Rafiu.”

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

Why Jonathan must contest in 2015 —N4GG Director

BY EPHRAIM OSEJI

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L-R: Bishop Diocese of Remo, Methodist Church Nigeria, Rt. Revd Michel Olusegun Akinwale, with the Guest Preacher, Rt. Revd. Michael Olusina Fape, Bishop Diocese of Remo, Anglican Communion at the 2014 annual Synod, Diocese.

Gov Seriake sacks two commissioners

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA,

Yenagoa

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overnor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has sacked two commissioners following the scrapping of the Ministry of Capital City Development and the splitting of the Ministry of

Local Government and Community Development, and the Ministry of Energy. The affected commissioners are James Dugo of Local Government and Community Development and Barrister Zuwa Konugha of Capital City Development Ministry.

Dickson, in a Government House statement, yesterday, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said their removal was in line with the government on-going reorganisation and repositioning of the ministries, departments and agencies.

s the controversy over the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to recontest in 2015 rages, Network for Good Governance (N4GG) insists that Jonathan must vie in the next presidential election in order to complete the good work he has started.”

Making the declaration in a communiqué signed by Northern Regional Director of N4GG, Malam Mohammed

Goni after rising from the North-East Zonal meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State, the group argued that it is preposterous to ask a sitting President not to go for a second-term when he is entitled to do so, stressing that those opposed to him should challenge him at the polls if they could.

N4GG pointed out that it is the constitutional right of the President to seek second term, having only been elected into the office once, adding that

Mimiko gives ambulance performed the certo Ondo LGs Mimiko emony at the Governor’s

overnor Olusegun G Mimiko, at the weekend, presented ambulances to five local government areas in Ondo State to enhance primary health care services. It is the first phase of a gesture that will see all the 18 LGAs in the state getting an ambulance each.

Office, Akure after a stakeholders’ meeting of the state task force on polio eradication and routine immunization. He warned that the ambulances should be used strictly for primary health care services like the free shuttle buses to convey students to and from their schools.

in the interest of peace, justice and equity advocates of equitable power sharing in Nigeria should support the President second term bid.

“If Nigeria must continue to remain one as we all desire, there must be equity and fairness, and we have not seen any damage it will do to any zone in Nigeria if someone from the South-south geopolitical zone that produces the bulk of the resources on which the country is sustained is allowed to rule for eight years as guaranteed by the constitution,” the group argued.

It explained that besides infrastructural achievements, Jonathan’s government has enshrined workable rule of law, respect for humanity, credible electoral system and freedom of expression which is now being enjoyed by everybody.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 7

Trouble in Assemblies of God •My case against church leaders, by suspended General Superintendent Emeka

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SSEMBLIES of God Church Nigeria General Superintendent, Rev. Paul Emeka, suspended over allegations of misconduct, financial misappropriation and other matters by a group in the church, in this interview, fires back at his accusers, saying his only offence was that he tried to protect the church. The embattled Rev. Emeka was reinstated by a court order but denied access to his office. Excerpts:

What is your position on the crisis rocking Assemblies of God Church?

Everything has immediate and remote causes; so in a situation like this, you don’t really know where to start. I must let you know that there was a time we got license to operate the Evangel University. The Board of Trustees employed people and, of course, members of the church, but they began to mis-run the university, making it too expensive for us to continue. They employed without looking back, they employed without consulting, because, by the law of the university, statutorily as the General Superintendent, I am the Chancellor and the Visitor. I am the proprietor, so I was concerned that they were spending too much.

We had 73 students but they employed 135 workers. In their first salary schedule, they brought six million naira. We protested but helplessly paid. In the second one, it went up to nine million naira and it never came down until it came to thirteen million naira.

Each time we called them to give account, they said no, that they were not accountable to the BOT or even the Executive Council of the church, that they were accountable to the Governing Council. So there was a problem, nobody was accountable to us. So the BOT, in the process of recognising and adopting a pragmatic approach in the running of the university, suspended them and set up a panel to look into how the university was being run. But these people ran to what we call Ambassadors of the Kingdom made up of those my predecessor felt had served the church and gave them the recognition as ‘Ambassadors of the K i n g d o m ’ .

It was not meant to be an association; it has no place in our constitution or organogram of the church. But somehow the people (Ambassadors) came together and began to see themselves as a pressure group or the political arm of the church. The Vice Chancellor of the university happens to be a member of the body and he ran to them and called on them to help him out. They came to the Executive Council (EC) to see us and we asked them to wait, that we will invite the BOT and explain everything to them.

They laid their complaints that the young university will soon be closed, that they were

not happy that the people were suspended and didn’t care to know the reason for our action. Few weeks later, they came up with a write up that they addressed to the Presbyters (these are pastors in Assemblies of God and are up to 2,000 in number). They didn’t address it to the EC members which is the highest decision making body of the church.

This was where trouble started. All of us had different approach towards resolving it.

Germany house

They came up with so many allegations that didn’t have to do with the university but other things. They alleged many things against me. For instance, they talked about a house we bought in Germany. The allegation associated with the Germany

,,

BY TONY EDIKE, ENUGU

They laid their complaints that the young university will soon be closed, that they were not happy that the people were suspended and didn’t care to know the reason for our action

house purchase are very shapeless, the story keeps increasing by the day. They also alleged that we created the Assemblies of God Ministers Benefit Fund. The pastors every month make contributions to that fund and, each time a pastor retires, he is given what he contributed with interest and the balance remains with the church. They also alleged that I made a pledge to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria without consulting the EC, that my brother-in-law was the one hiring equipment and being given two million naira each time we were to do a programme and helping himself from that. The truth is not far-fetched because the purchase of the project in Germany was started by my predecessor, the advance which was twenty million naira was paid by the General Treasurer who was serving under him and later on there was this election that brought me in when he retired and we continued from there. The church obtained a loan from GTB and it was the responsibility of the General

•Rev. Paul Emeka Treasurer and the accountants there to pay and they paid and kept remitting the money to the company until the transaction was completed. I didn’t have anything to do with the money, all I did was to go and see if it was true, the General Secretary equally went and the Assistant General Superintendent also went, all these things are in our minutes. But when they were making their allegations, they didn’t do them as if all these things are in the minutes; they talked as if I woke up one day and carried the money to buy a property in Germany.

Retired pastors fund

The allegation on the Pastors Benefit Fund started about 16 years ago. Each pastor contributes automatically to the fund and goes home with what he contributed on retirement with interest. But I discovered that each month, all the ministers of Assemblies of God contribute an average of thirty million naira but the ministers who retire in a given month don’t take up to six million naira and there was a Board set up to use that money and invest. It was from there that we built our bank called AG Homes; that continued for many years until I became the General Superintendent. I proposed before the EC that here you have one man managing the millions of naira that the ministers are contributing and here you have the bank. He is the Managing Director of the bank as well as the Chairman of the Board, that it would be nice that we separate it so that he will continue to be the Chairman of the Board and another person the Managing Director. The Committee bought the idea. I equally said that the ministers retiring, and given what they contributed with interest and the money remains there, they are not coming back at any time to benefit from the investment that their money was put into. I said the only way these people could have a share is that since this body doesn’t give them pension and since what the General Council pays to them as pension monthly is too small, we should do something to enhance their living standard from the money. By the time the former Board was handing over, they had already about N2.5billion and I said it was possible to take part of this money to increase the pastors pension so that they don’t suffer too much. They accepted and adopted it unanimously. I proposed N350 million but they handed over about N1.5million and said they had invested the rest. We said they should

give us N200million so that we start helping the retired pastors and they sent it from AG Homes to the General Council account. It did not go to my personal account. The General Treasurer received it, receipted for it; but when they were writing, they started alleging and talking as if I had direct access to the money and using it on my own. It was credited to the General Council account.

Donation to PFN

On the allegation about making donation to the PFN, we went to the NAC (National Advisory Committee) meeting of the PFN, all the church leaders were there. So there was this spontaneous fund raised, people were pledging fifty to one hundred million, but, on behalf the Assemblies of God, I pledged ten million naira and that was not to say I paid it immediately. When I came back, I brought the matter before the Executive Council meeting and they approved that the General Treasurer should pay. Nobody gave me cash, it was a cheque credited in the account of the PFN. But here they said the Executive Committee did not know about it even when they paid willingly.

Another allegation about my in-law hiring equipment; the truth of the matter is that whenever we are doing a big programme, there is a central committee that will meet with sub-committees.

At a time, the committee told us they now had a company owned by one Okezie and that they supply power and sound to the government at Okpara Square each time they had a programme and that if we would hire them, they would do us good. We told them to bring them and they brought them. The central planning committee would always haggle the price with this man depending on the nature and duration of the programme.

We would agree and immediately we agree on price the manager of the company would go to the accounts office where he would be given a cheque and that ends it. Nobody gives me the money and that is the structure of the church. The General Superintendent does not have anything to do with money, we take the decisions and it is the responsibility of the General Treasurer with the people working under him to take action. Now when the Ambassadors brought their complaints and started alleging all these things, they were

Continues on page 8

PAGE 8 , SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

‘My case against Assemblies of God Church leaders’ Continued from page 7 not in a position to know since they are not in the organogram of the church. It was somebody that made them to know and they came up with these allegations that never existed. They are alleging over N450 million.

The Executive Committee members working with me who know when all these decisions were taken, I thought they would come to my aid when these allegations were raised but some of them were of the opinion that these Ambassadors will be brought and they would be made to repeat the allegations and I would answer.

That continued until a certain time when they appealed to the General Committee. The General Committee, judicially speaking, is higher than the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee makes decisions. The General Committee is called twice a year but if a General Committee is needed, the General Superintendent can on his own call it but if it is called without the General Superintendent, the constitution says they will obtain 33 percent signatories of the members of the General Committee and they will lay it on the table of the General Superintendent and he will invite the people for the General Committee and he equally will determine the terms to be discussed with members of the Executive Committee. Now they called the General Committee without respect to this process. They

were not able to obtain it because the constitution says that the General Committee will serve as a court of final appeal and I told them that if the General Committee will serve as the final appeal, it means that the Executive Committee will serve as court of first appeal. First of all, we have to look at it so that if the General Committee sits, we will now tell them the extent to which we have looked at it. But I never knew there was a political plan to be hatched that day. They never allowed me to execute it as constitution demands and that was on the 6th of March. I told them I wouldn’t attend because it fell short of constitutional demands. There were text messages here and there but, before that day, I had called the police to say I was not comfortable with the meeting and asked them to stop it but the police said no, they didn’t have the right to stop a private meeting of the church, that all I needed to do was to obtain a court order to stop it.

Court order

I invited my lawyer to prepare a court order to the effect. It was not to be a court order against the Assemblies of God but against certain individuals I perceived were responsible for the General Committee. But along the line, I called the lawyer and said I would want to terminate the suit, that I would be misunderstood and I asked him to leave it. But on that very day of the meeting, somebody from among the Ambassadors and the eleven Executive Committee

members standing against me was sent to go to court and look for the abandoned suit and he brought it to the General Committee. In that meeting, the Legal Adviser of the church was the one who read it that the General Superintendent had taken the church to court and should be suspended. But some others said he didn’t take the church to court, because the Trustees are not there, the General Council is not there and Assemblies of God is n o t there but those there are individuals, but they wouldn’t listen. He also failed to let them know that the suit was abandoned and the court wrote to that effect, that the suit was not in existence.

Nobody was served any summons.

What is happening is that there is a group of men in the church whose interests became threatened and they felt I was the one anchoring it.

But when I was making the reorganization, I didn’t deliberately do it to step on any toe, I was doing what I felt would help the church to go forward because to me, I didn’t feel comfortable that every day you stand before the church to go and raise fund, instead of people hearing sermons, you are telling them about money whereas we have ventures here and there that could yield money for the church.

Without worrying people, our offering and tithe should be enough.

That was my aim. We had money. If you invest N250 million very well, it will increase the revenue of the church. As at last year, the pastors fund generated N2.5 billion from

the time that scheme started, all that had been paid to the pastors was only N123million in 16 years, up to N300 million and more was spent on office. The purpose of that scheme was not to run office or other things but to help our pastors in retirement but many of them are suffering and we felt free to our conscience to allow them in that state and pay lip service to our holiness. They said Rev Chidi Okoroafor becomes the acting General Superintendent. This is what has been rocking Assemblies of God.

But we learnt some members of the church later went to court. Is this true?

I didn’t go to court. Dr Nathan Udeze and another one who is a lecturer in one of our Bible schools, Dr Ekenedilichukwu Offodile, they didn’t like what happened, they went to court and sued and the nature of the suit was in representative capacity, not only for the two of them but for any other person who did not like what happened. We went to the court for hearing three times and the court said, return to status quo and, by this I am still the General Superintendent and Chidi remains the assistant and there is nothing like acting. Yet our people have decided to ignore the court order.

This is what is happening and on daily basis they keep writing against me. In the Assemblies of God, the maximum punishment is suspension; after suspending me, you say you are setting up a panel,

so when the committee must have concluded its work, what other punishment will you give me? If you have allegations of fraud, the police is there to look into it.

How do you feel about what is happening and at what point can you leave it for God. What will be your advice to members?

I have already left it for God. What I am doing is simply what God wants me to do. I have tried my best; a man does not praise himself. I have not laid bad example - morally speaking or with money.

You cannot say that you found Paul Emeka messing up with women or in fact that you suspect him at all.

The salary I take is enough for me; forget about what they are writing about. Think about it, in a corporate organization, you cannot steal money alone, you cannot go and take half a million alone, there is a Treasurer and you cannot in the name of General Superintendent pounce on people’s money and you begin to cart it away. The national leadership of PFN has come and they keep turning them here and there. They should tell the world what is happening.

Somebody is retired and wants to be the father of the Assemblies of God and that is why I believe it cannot last for long because the people do not like it and God himself does not like what is happening. But we will not chicken out for them to continue even if I am out.

Husband begs court to release alleged kidnapper-wife *Police say no *Court discharges, orders re-arrest, re-arraignment of accused persons

BY EMMA AMAIZE

From left: Gloria Anozie-Young, actress; Biyi Bandele, Director; Chiwetel Ejiofor, award winner, actor and Yewande Sadiku, Executive Producer, during a press conference on the Nationwide release date of the film, 'Half of a Yellow Sun' held in Lagos. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele.

Today is Palm Sunday

BY SAM EYOBOKA & OLAYINKA LATONA, with Agency reports

hristians are today marking Palm Sunday, a C moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four canonical gospels. In many Christian churches, Palm Sunday includes a procession of the assembled worshipers carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem.

On Palm Sunday, Christians celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the week before his death and resur-

rection. To many Christian churches, Palm Sunday, often referred to as “Passion Sunday,” marks the beginning of the Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday. The Bible reveals that when Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the crowd greeted him by waving palm branches and covering his path with palm branches. Immediately following this great time of celebration in the ministry of Jesus, he began his journey to the c r o s s .

According to a release signed by the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Msgr Gabriel Osu, Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the triumphant entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.

staffer of the Depart Ament of Petroleum Resources,

DPR, Mr. Jude Obi, whose 33-yearold wife, Mrs. Grace Obi, was arraigned at a Magistrate Court, Otor-Udu, Delta State, for allegedly masterminding her own kidnapping and collecting N1.5 million ransom from him, has pleaded with the court to free his wife.

Mrs. Obi and Ogbona Onu were arraigned on March 21, on a three-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.

Mr. Okoye, however, told the court, “I want to go home since it is a family affair and the person involved is my wife. I do not want a broken home.”

He said he was the one who reported the matter in the first instance at the Ovwian Police Station and no longer wants to prosecute the case, having forgiven the accused persons.

The DPR staffer also told the court that he had sworn to an affidavit to that effect, which he submitted at Ovwian Police Station, but the police insisted on charging the matter to court. It was learnt that the wife needed money for her business, but her persistent plea to

the husband to give her money was rebuffed, which made her to resort to the kidnapping and extortion.

She was also said to be pregnant and the man did not want her to go through the ordeal of trial.

Based on the formal withdrawal of the matter by the complainant against the accused persons, Senior Magistrate Duku Tadafe discharged the accused persons and struck out the case. Responding to the order, Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, said the magistrate had no authority to discharge and acquit a kidnap suspect and challenged her to prove otherwise.

The magistrate reportedly realized her error and got Mrs. Obi and Onu back to the court on March 26 for fresh arraignment, but the police prosecutor, Corporal Godwin Ovuefere, was said to have refused to prosecute the matter, saying his superior, who had written the court for the formal proceedings of March 21, directed him to steer clear.

Left with no option, Senior Magistrate Tadafe made a fresh order, April 1, nullifying her March 21 order that discharged and acquitted the accused persons.

National coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights

Defence, FJHD, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, whose organization conducted inquiry into the matter in conjunction with the Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, CENTREP, said the police should comply with the order of the court to re-arrest and re-arraign the accused persons, rather than castigating the magistrate.

30 winners to emerge in LG quiz

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

way of giving back Atos aconsumers, LG Electron-

ics has announced that 30 winners are expected to emerge in the ongoing ‘LG Mosquito Away’ Air Conditioner online quiz.

Speaking at the launch of the quiz, General Manager, Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions, LG Electronics, West Africa Operations, Mr. Junhwa Jeong, stated that the competition is a way of testing as well as assessing how well consumers know about the newly introduced LG Mosquito Away air conditioner.

SUND AY SUNDA

KILLER CHILD-BRIDE SPEAKS:

‘I regret killing my husband, 17 days after wedding’

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD

C

hild-bride, Wasila Umar, accused of killing her husband and three of his friends while injuring many others after she served them poisoned food, in Kano, says she regrets her action.

“Mine was a classical example of youthful exuberance; it dawned on me shortly after that it was a joke taken too far to resolve a forced marriage question”, Wasila, 14, said. The killings happened only 17 days after their marriage.

The suspect, in tears as she spoke to Sunday Vanguard at Bompai police headquarters, Kano, where she was being detained, added: “I have never enjoyed the opportunity of going to Islamic school or acquiring Western education. My father forced me into this mess by stubbornly forcing me into a relationship I was not prepared to live in “.

The girl, who hails from Yansoro- Kademi in Gaya local government area of Kano State, revealed that “though my target was my late husband, I must confess that my blood went cold when I realized I had committed mass murder”.

Wasila is in police custody for killing her husband, Umar Sani, 35, and three of his friends on the spot even as 10 others were hospitalized shortly after eating a local meal mixed with rat poison at Yansoro –Kademi, last week.

Narrating how she executed the mass murder, she said, “On the fateful day, my husband’s meal was prepared by the senior wife and put in my room as I was due in fulfillment of his rotational duty in a polygamous setting.

“I obtained the rat poison for just N100 and, at my convenience, mixed it with the local dish prepared for him.

When he returned home for the feast, he came with those who were destined to die with him. I was restless but could not stop it from happening.

“I felt normal and slept after the incident but the consequence of my action was clear when I was picked up by the police and I felt cold for the first time”.

She explained that “destiny appears to have played a wicked one on me at this early stage of my life and I would rededicate the rest of my life to sincerely seek Allah’s forgiveness”.

However, despite the overwhelming evidence the police have to prosecute the alleged culpable homicide, they seemed to be in a dilemma due to age of the suspect. Commenting on the development, Kano State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, said “the case has been referred to appropriate

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PPA AGE 9

Anger in southern Kaduna over ‘ceasefire’ with Fulani Natives claim 37 attacks, 4,000 dead The threat to go to ICC

BY LUKA BINNIYAT here was palpable anger in southern T Kaduna after a group led by the President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples

Union (SOKAPU), Dr. Ephraim Goje, and another, led by Alh. Ahmadu Suleiman, Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter, agreed to a ‘ceasefire’ between the people of southern Kaduna and Fulani herdsmen residents. The ‘deal’ was brokered by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Michael Zuokumor, the Chairman, Peace and Security Committee raised by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), in Kaduna on Tuesday.

This came just as southern Kaduna people said they had compiled attacks on their villages by herdsmen for the International Criminal Court (ICC) attention while the Fulani in the area said they had also been targets of violence by southern Kaduna farmers.

“The main characteristic of the on-going assaults on our communities is that they are carefully planned, organised and executed with heartless viciousness and on incremental basis. Between 1981 and 2010, there were just 16 incidences of such attacks. However, between 2011 and 2014, over a period of four years, 37 such attacks have been launched against our hospitable, accommodating, peaceful and law abiding communities by Fulani herdsmen. These planned, systematic and coordinated attacks have claimed the lives of over 4,000 innocent southern Kaduna people”, a coalition of seven groups representing southern Kaduna, led by a former Kaduna State Commissioner of Justice, Zakari Sokfa, said in Kaduna on Wednesday, in their apparent rejection of the `ceasefire’. hree Moroa communities in Bondong T District, Kaura Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State were

authorities for the next line of action”. Majia told Sunday Vanguard: “I am assuring you that Wasila would appear in court soon because we have limitation on the

number of days we can keep a suspect no matter the perceived weakness of the case or the personality involved”.

attacked by what the villagers said were Fulani gunmen. Not less that 149 lives were lost and estimated 300 homes burnt, according to the villagers.

The coalition said the deal was a charade, and that it lacked credibility since it had no endorsement of their chiefs and community leaders.

According to them, the SOKAPU President had no authority to enter into an agreement with the Fulani on his own terms, without the congress or even the Exco of SOKAPU agreeing on what to table, and how.

The National Youth leader of SOKAPU, Sabastine Luka, who said he was speaking on behalf of southern Kaduna youths, condemned the agreement and was signatory to the press statement read by Sokfa on behalf of the coalition.

But DIG Zuokumor dismissed the protest

Continues on page 11

PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

2015: Trouble looms

T

he Senate, for some time, has witnessed relative peace and stability in its leadership. It is not that once in a while the prefect of the class of 109 members does not exhibit the dictatorial tendencies typical of an army general, but because, despite his unconscious display of absolute monarchy especially when it has to do with the opposition view, he has also exhibited sterling leadership and all inclusive quality.

However, since the state governors started taking the Senate as their retirement benefits, the Red Chamber is beginning to witness tensed and turbulent sessions.

Although, one hardly sees the former governors now in the Senate especially those that served between 1999 to 2011 during plenary with the exception of the erstwhile governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and his counterpart from Yobe, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, it was gathered that some of them are the arrow-heads of the defection saga in the Senate. Whether the leadership of the Senate acknowledges it or not, Senators Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, Abubakar Goje of Gombe and Abdulahi Adamu of Nasarawa State are former

governors who are very powerful in the Senate and could pose a headache for the leadership if not well handled.

Even as the Senate President, Senator David Mark, is managing to control the erstwhile governors, he will be facing a strong opposition should he decide to run for another tenure and win as available information has it that governors serving out their second tenure have decided to join the Senate race. With the party machinery in their hands, they may not have stiff opposition to maneuver their ways to the Senate and this will pose a great problem for Mark who may decide to retain his seat as the head boy of the class.

Already, some of these governors are known for imposition of candidates.

Their emergence as senators would likely turn the Senate into a theatre of war.

A good number of them have initiated moves to stop serving senators from their constituencies from re-election so that they could take their positions especially in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. There is really fire on the mountain.

Pension Bill intrigues

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU The intrigues and ethnic sentiments which characterized the consideration of the Pension Reforms Bill was put to rest on Tuesday, as the Senate braced the odds and passed the long awaited bill into law. Although some senators from a particular geo-political zone backed some clauses in the bill to make way for a former Director General who had served two terms of for years each rooted the insertion of third term with pioneer Commissioners, the Presidency removed the third term from the bill.

Now that the Senate has crossed the hurdle, the ball is in the court of the House.

The present leadership in Pencom seems to have blocked all the loopholes in stealing the retired workers money with the introduction of Pension Transition Arrangement Department, PTAD, which will stop Nigerians from different parts of the country from going to

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

The 2014 budget anti-climax A

t last, APC and PDP members in the House of Representatives, on Thursday, buried their differences and approved the 2014 budget proposals.

This came five months after the Presidency laid the budget for legislative deliberations on December 18,2013. The APC had vowed to block all executive bills.

The lawmakers, however, on Tuesday, after a three-hour closed door meeting, buried their differences and endorsed it on Thursday. While briefing journalists, Hon Zakari Mohammed, the House spokesman, said”despite all the political polarisation that engulfed the House, we decided to put the interest of Nigerians first. “ ”The budget has been passed and the MDAs now have eight months ahead to fully implement the budget”.

Hot air over kerosene The Chairman, House C’ttee on Downstream Sector, Petroleum Resources, Hon Dakuku Peterside, threatened to blacklist companies involved in the hoarding of kerosene. Peterside dropped the warning at the resumed

investigative hearing on the supply, distribution and subsidy expenditure on kerosene between 2011 and 2013.

He said,”If a company deliberately misleads the nation, we will not hesitate to ask that the company be blacklisted and prosecuted. ”We are not here to witch hunt anybody but to help the country.

One thing that is not in dispute is that there no kerosene anywhere.

You sign everyday receipts of the product but how it develops wings and flies away is what we don’t know,” the lawmaker told one of the cargo inspection companies, Marine Technical Services Limited, while making presentation at the hearing on Wednesday.

The company, through its Executive Director, Bankole Ogunsoya, denied involvement in superintending the importation of either the House Hold Kerosene (HHK) or the Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), and that neither was it involved in the ship-to-ship transfer of the

Abuja to queue to collect their pension. President Goodluck Jonathan bought the idea of PTADs to lessen the suffering of pensioners and zonal offices are being opened in the six geo-political zones of the country.

The PTAD is designed to take over the payment of pensions to pre-2004 Pension Reform (retirees under the old pension scheme) from the Police Pension Office; Customs, Immigration, and Pension Office, and the Civil Service Pension Department.

It is designed to have money of this set of pensioners transmitted directly into their bank accounts rather than through a third-party (the pension departments).

Presidency loses the power to appropriate In a bid to stamp its authority as the arm saddled with the responsibility of appropriation, the Senate has stripped the president and his minister the power to make

products in the period under investigation.

He said it operates at the Apapa petroleum jetty, and only superintended allocations to major oil marketers.

On what may account for the differential in the declared imported quantity of the product and the discharge, Ogunsoya and representatives of other inspection firms separately blamed the development on flashpoint of the product, and the subsisting temperature and humidity.

Duplication of Bills

It is a common practice in this 7th Assembly to watch lawmakers on the floor of the House step down bills billed for second reading due to duplication.

Hon Victor Ogene’s sponsored bill tagged: ‘A Bill for an Act to authorise for free PreNatal and Post-Natal Health Services to every Nigerian Woman Pregnant with Child in every Government Hospital’ was stepped down due to duplication.

Ogene had barely finished his presentation when another lawmaker stood up to say a similar bill had been presented six months ago.

The presiding officer, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, was forced to step down the bill and he directed the Chairman of Rules and Business, Hon Sam Albert-Tsokwa to look into the matter and report back to the House. Duplication of bills has become a regular feature in this Assembly.

What are fishermen doing in the House?

Apparently disturbed about the loss of their livelihood due to the effect of Shell’s Bonga oil spill, the umbrella body for

appropriation for the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, saying neither the Presidency nor the minister has the constitutional powers to make appropriation.

The removal of the Presidency from making appropriation was contained in the bill seeking to amend the Companies and Allied Matters Act Cap. C20 Laws of the Federation, 2004 passed on Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Odion Ugbesia, representing Edo Central Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade, makes the CAC to subject the appointment of its Chairman to Senate confirmation while also providing for the appointment of Secretary of the Commission.

It also makes it mandatory for the Commission to submit its annual estimates and reports to the National Assembly and not to the Presidency or the ministry as it was previously the case.

Ugbesia explained that the objective of the bill was to strengthen the CAC, which he described as the gateway to the nation’s economy.

He said the bill stipulates that the appointment of the Commission’s Board Chairman and its members should reflect federal character as provided for in the 1999 Constitution as amended.

fishermen in the country, Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria, has asked the House of Representatives to push for compensation by Shell, the company whose field the spill allegedly came from.

The fishermen demanded for N433million to alleviate the problems the oil spill had caused since they stopped fishing.

The association, led by a non governmental organisation, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth(ERA), said, while telling the lawmakers on Tuesday their plight after the spill, that no effort had been made to address the effect of the spill on their livelihood.

The spill affected four states: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo and Rivers.

The delegation told the legislators that they had been facing untold hardship since the spill after National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, asked them to vacate the sea due to alleged contamination from Bonga field. Chairman of the association, Bishop Godknows Nefipre, said, “We want you to talk to Shell and NOSDRA to look at the plight of artisan fishermen numbering over 35,000 across the five impacted states...we are here to ensure that the right things are done at the right time no matter whose ox is gored”.

Responding, the lawmakers, led by Hon. Kingsley Chinda, assured the delegation that they will take up the matter with the relevant committees.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PPA AGE 11

Anger in southern KKaduna aduna oover ver ‘ceasef ire’ with FFulani ulani ‘ceasefire’ Continued from page 9

Fulani hersdmen ...controversial over killings “We the affected villages believe that the Fulani should be the ones to sign agreement with government promising not to attack us again.

“We are unhappy with this kind of political tricks while we are still under the fire of the Fulani.

“Right now, we are waiting for the soldiers who have gone to engage the Fulani to come out and tell us what is going on”.

‘Playing politics’ Waney spoke about 24 hours after the ‘ceasefire’ deal, and the same day the coalition of seven southern Kaduna groups, among them, Forum of All the Tribal Associations of Southern Kaduna, said the agreement lacked credibility.

Speaking at a press conference, the convener of the coalition, Sokfa, said Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero has not demonstrated any interest at ending the violence against the people of southern Kaduna by alleged Fulani gunmen. The

“Why is Dele Sobowale introducing religion into politics?”— (2) “To know what before us lies in daily life/ is the prime wisdom/ what is more is fume.”

John Milton, 16081674.

(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 275). wrote the first part of this series on Sunday, March 30, 2014. On

I

Monday, March 31, 2014, THISDAY published a lead story alleging that a Muslim-Muslim ticket was being planned by the All Progressive Congress, APC. According to the paper, General Buhari (rtd) is proposed to be the presidential candidate, while Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would be the Vice Presidential candidate. I smiled; because it was no news to me.

First, I have been informed about the development a few days before. One of the two had visited someone in Abuja; and, he made the point that ‘ANYBODY CAN DEFEAT JONATHAN’ [capitals mine]. And on that basis, it was decided that A Muslim-Muslim ticket was safe – after all Christians voted overwhelmingly for the AbiolaKingibe ticket. Christians, again, failed to protest, vigorously, the Buhari-Idiagbon military leadership

– both of which were Muslim-Muslim teams. I had smiled when this was mentioned to me – because I expected it. Why? Let me explain. But, first, permit me to make two pertinent comments.

One, the minute anybody starts having independent thoughts, then, the person starts occupying a different space in the history of the era. Politicians and politics constitute one of the longest entries in my VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS. I must have read close to four hundred books, articles and commentaries on politicians, politics and power to distil the few essential entries.

From these, I had reached a conclusion. Politicians don’t want those they lead to think for themselves.

They love the “ yes-men” – those who swallow, or pretend to swallow, totally, all the few truths, the larger half-truths and also the big lies they peddle to win elections and to retain power – irrespective of political association or party. And, I made up my mind, years ago, that under no circumstances will I surrender my brains (as some of my cocolumnists in various newspapers have openly done)

to any politician to be used to foist falsehood on Nigerians. These days, I feel embarrassed opening some of the Political papers, when I read the stuff people I had long respected write. If the owner of the paper takes a position, you can predict what will follow on the pages on Jonathan, CONFAB, Sanusi, Okonjo-Iweala, Alison-Madueke, INEC, election results; court judgments etc. (Incidentally, I had made no comments on Oduah’ sack, Alison-Madueke, Moro etc precisely because those shouting most have ignored the matter of Lagos State Speaker ’s case). Is it possible for twelve columnists, thinking independently, to arrive at the same conclusion on everything?

Group-think, obviously has crept in and people just park their brains at home and wait for “pronouncements” from the LEADER. Well, God is my LEADER. I may be wrong, and, sometimes I am; but the thoughts are always my own.

Two, good old Goethe, 1749-1832, the German philosopher, had already warned me (and perhaps you also) that “It is unthinkable that wisdom should ever be popular.”

(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 275). To that, late Professor J.K. Galbraith had also added that those who deal in ideas must welcome attack. So, courting popularity had never entered my head.

Thus, when I set out in 2011 to place religion on the Lagos State agenda, it was deliberate. I knew, as far back as 2011, instinctively, that since “all pow-

convener said the governor was hiding under the cover of a hurriedly convened peace deal by a police boss, to make it look as if he was concerned. The group also condemned what it said was the tendency of

Kaduna State government to take the tragedy of the situation into politics.

Said Sokfa: “I want to make it very clear.

The southern Kaduna people are not the only ones to go to the ICC or other international fora to seek justice. Actually, the African Union, AU, charter encourages us to do that. And the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is such that does not discourage us from going to the ICC. What we are saying is that government should be enlightened enough to understand that there are some issues you can’t play politics with. And this is one of them. The agreement, said to have been signed by the Fulani and our people, is a ruse, and, in as much as we desire peace, we don’t see it as sincere and genuine as our bonafide traditional rulers and community leaders were not in attendance”.

Also speaking at the press conference, Glorial Ballasom, the leader of the Southern Kaduna Lawyers Forum, said: “Many times when issues like taking

er corrupts”, the cult of personality which was building up will lead us to the front page of THISDAY on March 31, 2014. It only came sooner than even I expected. Call it Area Boys’ street wisdom or what you will – but it was clear to me back in May 2011 that we were headed for this conflict.

As long term readers of this page would recollect, it was in May, 2011, when I got published, a three part article titled: LAGOS STATE GOVERNORSHIP: 2015 CHRISTIAN AGENDA. It was received by most Muslims as heresy; followed with curses and maledictions. And, with fear, alarm and derision by most Christians –

,

as the handiwork of those who benefit from violence. He said the affected communities were happy with the peace agreement.

In the meantime, Mr. Nuhu Waney, the coordinator of the camp holding about 2,000 Mora refugees from Tekum, Ma Gata and Sankwai, the three communities attacked by suspected herdsmen, last month, in Bondong district, told Sunday Vanguard that Fulani herdsmen may attack the district again. He said: “As I speak to you, scores of armed Fulani men have entered Bondong with plenty cows. Those who saw them said they were carrying weapons and hiding among their cattle.

Soldiers have been called in, and our people have fled.

“We at home are shocked and angry that some people sitting in the comfort of their offices in Kaduna would concoct a socalled peace agreement with the Fulani.

“We do not know the content of the agreement, and we were not informed. In any case, we are not at war with the Fulani. Let the Fulani come and tell us what is their grouse with us, and then we will know. What kind of peace agreement will you sign with someone who would come into your home in the night, kill your wife and children and burn you alive and you have no idea of any wrong you have done to him?

“Do they want us to sign that we have given them our lands, then we move so that they come and take over?

someone to the ICC comes up, people wonder if the ICC is not in this world. But it is not a bid deal getting to the ICC. And for anyone to think that we are issuing empty threats on the ICC amounts to that person joking with our resolve. If after a while, we discover that the state government, or outside authorities are not taking our plight seriously, we shall take our complaints to any international court in the world, and ensure that we get the justice that we deserve. So, the issue of ICC at the Hague is not a threat, it is an avenue, it is just another option we hope to take, and we are working on it”.

On his part, Dr. Bonnat Zwahu, speaking on behalf of Southern Kaduna Development Association, said that any Fulani that is signatory to any agreement would mean that he was in the know of the massacre of the people of southern Kaduna. He said that such a person should be arrested and made to face justice.

‘People against peace’ But DIG Zuokumor, in a chat with Sunday Vanguard, however, dismissed the anger over the ‘ceasefire’. He said, “I am not surprised that there are some people against peace in southern Kaduna. These are the people that benefit from the violence. If not so, why should anyone say that he does not a peace agreement? The good thing is that I saw both farmers and Fulani from southern Kaduna looking very happy about the agreement. I thank the Inspector General of Police for this initiatve. It is working wonders in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Plateau states.

And it will work here too”.

er to take people at face value; and NEVER, NEVER judge a politician by what he says but by what he does. The old magicians’ trick – “the more you look, the less you see” – was first introduced by politicians since the dawn of history. Billions of dollars are disappearing in front of our eyes everywhere – and we clap for them. On my own, I patiently undertook a close study of the appointments, selections, and impositions (yes IMPOSITIONS) within the so-called Progressive movement since 1999.

What I saw was so frightening that I concluded that the deliberate and unjust treatment of half the people of Lagos, based on their

I patiently undertook a close study of the appointments, selections, and impositions (yes IMPOSITIONS) within the so-called Progressive movement since 1999. What I saw was so frightening

at least the avalanche of text messages which came in, on account of Part 1 alone, proved that conclusively. I was undeterred; partly, because, not being a journalist, I had actually believed the old mantra that part of the duties of journalists was “to set the social, economic and political agenda of their era”. I was a lone voice speaking in a crowded, noisy and hostile market. Still, I was undeterred. Why? Because, my extensive readings, before publishing the BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, had taught me nev-

,

faith, could not, and should not be allowed to continue...

Unfortunately, we had not finished working on the Lagos agenda when the APC agenda exploded on us two weeks ago – thanks to THISDAY. At least, now, Nigerians can see more clearly those who have brought and enthroned religion into politics. Unlike the politicians, I am not a hypocrite. I only insist that since religion IS in politics, then justice demands that there should be no discrimination against anybody.

The bogey notion of MER-

IT should be set aside once for all. It has been used to justify imposition of people whose elections are then followed by propaganda aimed at covering up lapses. I will address that issue later on….

803-331-5473 You said it the way it is. Congrats.

803-331-5474 Tanx 4 today’s piece. Was it Uncle Dele dat asked Fani –Kayode to warn APC against one faith based ticket for 2015?.. Leo, Ijesha 0802-842-6559 I couldn’t have agreed more with ur today’s article..Am on the same page with you. Prince O Benson BIRTHDAY WISH Let me now announce what will be my birthday wish. Not money; not long life (because I have broken enough records and somebody else in the Sobowale family should try to be 80).

It is very simple really. I want the National Conference initiated by President Jonathan to succeed. Success is here defined as moving us significantly towards a better Nigeria. I don’t expect it to solve all our problems.

And the reason is simple.

Those who think that Jonathan might obtain political mileage out of it, forget that all Nigerians will also benefit from its outcome. Those wishing political damage to Jonathan should remember that “For each folly [read failure] of their leaders, the people feel the lash.” We will not only lose N7 billion; but hope as well.

V i s i t : www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/ biolasobowale

PAGE 12----- SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Oronsaye Report: No one should panic logical Agency. The three agencies are to fuse into a new body to be known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority while their respective enabling laws would be amended accordingly to reflect the merger.

Expectedly, those who imagine that they could be adversely affected by the development have already developed high blood pres-

,

A

LTHOUGH, I am yet to meet anyone who has seen the ‘White Paper ’ on the report of a panel headed by Steve Oronsaye, a former Head of Service of the Federation to rationalize government organizations, the media has disclosed the release of such a 105-page document.

With proactive investigative journalism aided by our new law on freedom of information, why not get the details; I asked myself? I was honestly not excited about that because history teaches me that in Nigeria, an official document called ‘White Paper’ is by tradition a “stereotype”- something that takes the same pattern all the time. However, it is good to hear from the media that government has approved Oronsaye’s recommendation to among other things merge three aviation agencies – the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the Nigerian Meteoro-

I doubt if the tension is worth the while because no Nigerian Government has the political will to sacrifice political patronage. There is in earnest nothing in the Oronsaye report that is new just as government reaction to the report has revealed no departure from past practices. There is therefore no need for anyone to panic because the issue would once again take the same pattern that we experience regularly with fuel shortage - a little while there would be long queues that would fizzle out the way they emerged.

Elsewhere, aviation will not qualify to have a full Ministry in a nation that also has a Ministry of Transport since aviation is only a form of transportation.

But here, it is in order just as we have a Police Service Commission (PSC) and a Ministry of Police Affairs

sure. One version suggests that over 7,500 various cadres of aviation workers may soon be thrown into the labour market. The workers have thus begun subtle moves through their various unions and professional bodies to resist the issue.

,

In any case why should people fear when we have had panels upon panels whose reports are never implemented? Apart from the recent ones, we have had that of: Mbanefo 1959, Morgan 1963, Adebo 1971, Udoji 1972-4, Dotun Philips

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of

08116759758

The anti-intellectual character of Nigerians (2) leading expressions like the ones the Professor used in describing my essays.

Now, to the question of who an intellectual is, and the features that someone must possess to be appropriately described as such.

An intellectual is a person who has an elevated power of understanding or is endowed with a superior intellect. This means that before someone can be called an intellectual, he or she must have an above average intellectual capacity, which should manifest in the daily activities of life no matter how mundane or sublime. A genuine intellectual, in my opinion, must be enlightened. The person must combine cognitive intelligence with emotional intelligence, that is, the capacity to blend the power of knowledge with practical sagacity and relevant social skills that promote successful life.

Thus, every intellectual must be knowledgeable, an unrelenting seeker of knowledge in its various ramifications. Very importantly, he or she must be willing to apply such knowledge in practical matters of vital concern.

Therefore, a certain level of education, preferably to the tertiary level, is advantageous, though not sufficient, before one can claim to be an intellectual in the contemporary, knowledgedriven, globalising world.

Ordinarily, people with

doctorate degrees and high academic designations should belong to the class of intellectuals. However, there are those with such academic qualifications, even with the title 'Professor,' yet when you interact with then or observe their behaviour you will wonder whether their academic titles are just for decoration; you will be reluctant to call them intellectuals. Similarly, because of the nature of their professions, lawyers, diplo-

,

N

OTWITHSTAND ING overempha sis on publications by the system, I give priority to good performance in the classroom, lecture theatre, and laboratories where students are expected to learn from their teachers.

The ability to impart knowledge effectively and carry out sound research transcends highfalutin academic titles alone. Like every area of human endeavour, excellence in the academic profession depends a lot on individual ability, dedication, commitment and love for the job.

Hence, promotion or no promotion, I will continue to state my candid opinions concerning any important matter related to university education. Ill-tempered, hasty, and unwarranted criticisms devoid of sound logic and evidence cannot stop me from criticising government officials responsible for education, lecturers, university management and so on whenever there is good reason to do so. My major concern, as a philosophy teacher, is to ensure that at any time my views have what John Dewey, one of America's foremost philosophers, calls "warranted assertibility."

In other words, I will always endeavour to support my views on any subject with valid arguments and relevant facts, not with emotionally charged and mis-

1985, Ayida 1994, and Joda 1999; to mention but a few.

In spite of all of these, Nigeria has not been able to follow international best practices in the management of governance. All she does is to set up panels whose reports are never implemented. For instance, to brainstorm just our Police issue alone, we have in the last two decades had no less than eight different panels. The one chaired by a former Inspector General of Police, M.D. Yusuf in 2008 produced a report with 125 recommendations. Not having done anything of note with the recommendations, it appears that we have, as a nation, developed a purposeless penchant for setting up panels as if the mere setting up of a panel can on its own, reform an issue. In other words, our governments have been doing the same thing while expecting different results making it clear that for now, a new panel is not the issue.

We are aware however that government has since publicised its plan to implement the latest ‘White Paper’. According to Labaran Maku, our Information Minister, President Jonathan has already directed the constitution of a special committee for the purpose.

Unfortunately, the assignment has been passed to both the Secretary to the Government and the Head of Service of the Federation which suggests that it might

be business as usual. The office of the Secretary to Government has in particular used bureaucracy to undermine such reform initiatives in the past. Therefore, no one should be surprised if the subject is ‘minuted’ from one table to the other to ‘treat’, ‘handle’, ‘deal’ ‘discuss’ or the notorious ‘for necessary action’ (‘fna’). This culture of footdragging is encouraged by the existence of a long list of officials who have no specific duties and are thus engaged in the transmission of purposeless messages. Indeed, the high degree of lethargy in our bureaucracy is so endemic that when the Oronsaye committee was set up, it could not obtain official copies of previous reports of similar Committees set up by Government because they could not be traced!

But we do remember that some 14 years back, the panel headed by Ahmed Joda had a well-considered report. Among other things that panel had recommended and Government had accepted in a ‘White Paper’ that some Parastatals and Agencies should either be scrapped, commercialised, privatised or self-funding.

Regrettably, many of such affected bodies are till date, allegedly still receiving full government funding, which runs into billions of Naira.

It stands to reason therefore that there is no need to panic because there is no evidence that government

would act differently this time around. Aviation workers for instance need not fear because unlike other nations of the world where big government is no longer in vogue, we are still comfortable with a convoluted government and a bloated aviation sector.

Elsewhere, aviation will not qualify to have a full Ministry in a nation that also has a Ministry of Transport since aviation is only a form of transportation.

But here, it is in order just as we have a Police Service Commission (PSC) and a Ministry of Police Affairs.

The nation would have saved costs without a Ministry which duplicates the functions of the PSC. But in our country we are not likely to take such a step that would reduce the number of bodies which exist just to award contracts. So, why should our aviation bodies worry? If it is because of the revelation that one of their Agencies - the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority had 253 Assistant General Managers, that is not a big deal in Nigeria.

After all, the Board of Directors of the National Film and Video Censors Board alone had 54 members. What those who are worried should note is that in our own democracy, proper lobbying of legislators; can legally increase “overnight” the strength, powers and functions as well as the budget of an organization in Nigeria

lectual must be prepared to question tradition and authority, no matter its origin or duration. A real intellectual cannot say, "This statement uttered by so-and-so or written in a holy book must be true irrespective of what the facts might be."

For such a person, it is always wrong, everywhere and for everyone, to believe anything based on insufficient evidence. Consequently, a healthy dose of scepticism is fundamental in the attitude of anyone who truly deserves to be called an intellectual.

It must be pointed out that being an intellectual does not mean that one cannot make mistakes, or that the person concerned is immune to the vicissitudes of life. On the contrary, the intellectual, just like everyone else, is subject to the turbulence of life, to the existential dichotomies of human existence eloquent-

would try to gather the necessary information relevant to a situation before taking a decision. Now, if the decision turns out to be mistaken, he or she would accept responsibility and learn appropriate lesson from it.

On the other hand, ordinary people do not like to accept responsibility when they make mistakes. That is why scapegoatism is a hallmark of the anti-intellectual attitude to life.

Nigeria is an anti-intellectual haven, a country thick with the choking atmosphere of religious superstition. From holders of the highest political and religious offices in the country down to the so-called common man, irrational superstitious beliefs predominate. Now, although an anti-intellectual attitude to life is bad and deplorable, one can understand it in the case of the average person in the street. After all, as the Spanish philosopher, Ortega y'Gasset argued in his book, What is Philosophy? If people are faced with challenging situations, the first thing they will drop is the intellect, which is relatively a recent phenomenon in evolution.

That is why the intellectual life is rare in human communities.

When anti-intellectual attitude pervades the temperament of the ruling elite, there is good reason to be apprehensive. This is because if the people entrusted with political and economic power in a society for whatever reason consistently fail to apply the powers of reason in decision-making and policy implementation, the community retrogresses. Nigeria is a paradigm example of a rich country of poor people. She has been under the iron grip of self-replicating sets of vicious antiintellectual cabals motivated solely by the desire for

primitive accumulation.

Nothing exemplifies this more than the heart-rending level of corruption, financial rascality and indiscipline by the rulers, particularly since 1985.

An intellectual in leadership position knows that governance is about people, about harnessing human and natural resources within the community to serve the interests of its members. Of course, he or she would avoid primitive accumulation, knowing that it is ultimately futile and detrimental to the collective wellbeing of the society. For a leader imbued with intellectual discernment, only the best is good enough for leadership positions. He will not compromise merit and excellence because of nepotism, godfatherism, political patronage, and other Machiavellian considerations.

Corruption, indiscipline, and impunity in governance are the fruits of mediocre intellectual acumen of Nigerian leadership. The situation is worsening, to the extent that Nigeria is now rated one of the most corrupt as well as the poorest countries in the world.

The increasing influence of religion in governance is clearly part of the problem: it is an index of the abdication of reason by the ruling class.

Since the country became independent in 1960, all constitutions operated thus far have always permitted religious freedom, while simultaneously insisting on the separation of state from religion. Excessive public display of attachment to their personal religion by our leaders is inimical to national unity, because it creates the impression of religious favouritism capable of exacerbating schisms among adherents of different faiths in the country.

To be continued

Nigeria is a paradigm example of a rich country of poor people.

She has been under the iron grip of self-replicating sets of vicious anti-intellectual cabals

mats, medical doctors, pharmacists and psychiatrists, especially the experienced ones among them, should be intellectuals. But we know that many senior lawyers, diplomats, doctors and so on behave as if their intellects are on extended sabbatical leave.

To be an intellectual, you must be a firm believer in the powers of the intellect.

You must accept that genuine human progress is a worthy pursuit achievable through appropriate deployment of reason, not by debasing worship of a supernatural being. An intel-

,

ly analysed by the psychoanalytic philosopher, Erich Fromm, in his books, especially Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics. Human beings are fallible. As a result, excellent intellectuals make mistakes like other less intellectually endowed people. The fundamental difference between the former and the latter is the thought process that goes into decision-making as well as the kind of responses in case a decision brings unintended negative consequences.

Depending on the circumstance, an intellectual

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 13

REBASING: TRUTHS AND FALLACIES – 1

Questions Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala must answer

By DELE SOBOWALE

“

If a man stands with one foot in a bucket of boiling water, the other in a bucket of ice, statistically, he is comfortable -” VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 233).

Before going into the substance of the matter, rebasing the economy, that is, permit me to make a few observations which are pertinent to the discussion, as the readers will soon discover.

That entry, in the Book of Quotations, was made after years of observing the uses and abuses of statistical data like the figures just released after rebasing the Nigerian economy by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. That exercise also reminds me of the quip by Mark Twain, 1835-1910, the incomparable writer of one of our best childhood classics – THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. Mark Twain, who had an abiding distrust for statisticians, once said, “There are three C M Y K

kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics -” (BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 130). Twain was not, and is not, the only person to take a pessimistic view of statistics, especially when released by bodies, particularly governments,

Federation, Yemi Kale, must be deeply disturbed at the degree of skepticism which had greeted the release of those figures last week.

Nothing hurts a professional more than

It mostly seeks to correct a lot of assumptions about an economy without immediately conferring any economic advantage on the people which have lost credibility. Even, when the figures presented are true and correct, and I am not saying these are at the moment, the messenger becomes part of the message and both are thrown into the garbage can immediately.

The Statistician-General of the

seeing his best efforts publicly rubbished by the people he intended them to help.

For that he has my sympathies; but that is all. He, like every public official, must carry his cross.

With little doubt of contradiction, it is true that rebasing is more an exercise

in statistics and less of an economic process. It mostly seeks to correct a lot of assumptions about an economy without immediately conferring any economic advantage on the people – as most people, including government officials, suppose. Indeed, Kale can observe the tendency to exaggerate the benefits, if any, of rebasing in some of the comments made by the Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, regarding the increase in in-flow of Foreign Direct Investment that might follow the exercise.

For a former Managing Director of the World Bank (Okonjo-Iweala), this is an inexcusable attempt to turn information into propaganda. It was not surprising, therefore, that the day

Continues on page 14

PAGE 14 — SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Large economy, poor infrastructure,

by Hon. Yusuf

By EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

H

on. Tajudeen Yusuf, an economist, is the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on ICT. He represents Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Kogi State. In this chat, he speaks on the rebased GDP among other national issues.

Excerpts: The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, just rebased Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. What does this portend for Nigeria?

In the first place, it is a welcome development, but with the state of our infrastructure we may not get to the promised land. We need to put regular supply of electricity at optimal level, revive the rail sector and try to reduce the present road transportation by one third. If this can be achieved, then we can rapidly climb the ladder of development in this part of the world.

Again, remember that these statistics are basically on goods and services consumed in the last 20 years. But, generally, it is a welcome development that our economy is the largest in Africa.

You represent a federal constituency where lawmakers elected into the House of Representatives do not have the privilege of having a second term

and this has been on since 1999. What is the reason?

Kabba/Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency has three districts of Kabba people of the old Kabba Province, having the privilege of being the headquarters of the constituency, Bunus, our brothers and the Ijumus.

We have two local governments, so, in order to foster harmonious relationship, bridge the gap and reduce the fear of domination, there was an unwritten agreement that this position should rotate between the three districts which was started in 1999.

In Kogi, the Igalas seem to be the dominating power at the state level.

Do you think there is need to revisit this idea of power rotation in the Constitution?

In the 7th Assembly constitutional review, especially in the House of Representatives, the idea of rotating power among senatorial power came up. The beauty of democracy is that all have their say but the majority will have their way. So it is important that you lobby and canvass your way in such a manner that the dominant group will not feel threatened that when power leaves their hands and come to you, you will not use that power to retaliate and they will regret ever giving you power. Trust must be there as nobody gives out what he has

without trust. We must continue to build bridges across. It is on the table right now and I am sure we will get there.

You are a member of the National Unity Group in the House and there has been the controversy between the APC and PDP about who controls the majority. Also, with the court ruling on the defected members causing confusion in the House, we learnt that the PDP has given your group a directive to ensure that the 37 defected members are eased out of their seats. But, along the line, at an executive session, you were prevailed upon to step down your position. Can we hear from you what actually transpired?

There has never been a time that the APC had the number to become the majority in the House. It was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public by certain elements in the APC. We are lawmakers and expect everyone of us to be in the forefront of those who want to rule by the rules. If you have majority, call the clerk of the House on the floor and call for change in the leadership of the House. You cannot take what you can’t have. On the ruling, I want to state clearly that it did not state that the 37 members should vacate their seats. It says they

Questions Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala must answer Continued from page 13 after the new GDP, $510billion, was announced, the World Bank felt called upon to correct the misinformation, deliberate or inadvertent, by OkonjoIweala. According to experts from the World Bank, policies and profitability, as well as security were more critical elements in the determination of Foreign Direct Investments; and not the size of GDP. I will return to this later.

So, if Kale is in search of an answer to why most Nigerian received his figures with disbelief, bordering on derision, he can start by reading again what Federal Government officials are saying about what this new figure represents – which are mostly fallacious.

The Statistician General of the Federation knows that I am one of the few Nigerians who were not surprised by the figures released. In fact, it was expected – almost to the letter. As far back as last year, the NBS had hinted at these figures and the announcement, then, tucked inside newspapers, had attracted very little attention.

But I was among the few Nigerians, economists or laymen, who paid close attention. I even made a comment about the exercise, at the time, which resulted in a long conversation, lasting almost two hours, on the phone, C M Y K

between Kale and I. My misgivings about the entire exercise were made known to the Statistician-General. So, unlike most commentators, my reactions now are by no means, spontaneous and illconsidered. I have had almost a whole year, waiting for these figures to be released in order to join the debate on it publicly.

One thing which strikes me forcefully, now is the fact that I was under the impression that the hints, given last year, did not represent the final position; that those were preliminary figures which might change. But, what was released, last

other countries we have now overtaken in one leap of giant data. The coincidence between the lowering of noise, for almost a year, about VISION 20:2020, and our new status as the 26th largest economy, from 39th last year, is the sort of thing which had left most Nigerians scratching their heads in disbelief. Obviously, the NBS has a lot of explanations to give to persuade Nigerians that the motives behind the release of these disputed figures, at this time, are professional and honourable.

However, before closing this first part in the series, on rebasing, let me leave all Nigerians, including government officials, with s o m e questions to ponder. Some of those questions were asked, last year, w i t h o u t satisfactory answers being provided.

If I recall accurately, Kale had pointed out that rebasing should be undertaken every four/five years and that the last one was conducted in 1990 – almost 15 years ago. If that is true, one exercise should have been

The NBS has a lot of explanations to give to persuade Nigerians that the motives behind the release of these disputed figures, at this time, are professional and honourable week, was almost the same set of data which were labeled ‘Work-In-Process’, last year. Very little has been changed.

Then, as now, it was claimed that the Nigerian economy was already bigger than that of South Africa and all the

*Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf cannot participate in anything that has to do with change in leadership.

However, there was a ruling on Monday. The Constitution in Section 68 clearly states how you defect, so anything that you do that contravenes the law is a nullity before the law.

They went to court on December 17, 2013 asking for an injunction to restrain the Senate President and the Speaker from declaring their seats vacant knowing that if they make that move, the Constitution empowers the presiding officer to declare the seats of whoever moves from his party vacant because, in Nigeria you don’t contest any party sponsorship, that is why Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State became governor without standing for election.

conducted in 2009 and another in 2004. Okonjo-Iweala was the Finance Minister in 2004. Why was the rebasing exercise not conducted at the time? Or is she just hearing about this for the first time in her career? President Goodluck Jonathan was the VicePresident in 2009 and he became President in 2010. Why was there no rebasing at that time? How many times since independence has the rebasing exercise been carried out? We need to have answers to these questions in order to be convinced that the exercise is totally professional and was not conducted for ulterior motives.

Finally, how much was spent on the exercise? Was the amount budgeted and approved by the National Assembly before it was undertaken?...

To be continued.

The three text messages chosen randomly represent the hundreds received; virtually all of them don’t believe government (NBS).

0802-320-6209 ..How can Nigeria be the largest economy in Africa with very high rate of employment, no light, nothing?.

0708-879-5164 .. How true is it that Nigeria’s economy has overtaken that of South Africa?

Collins N Unozie, Asaba.

0810-675-1048 ..Nigeria’s new GDP shows Nigeria as the 26th economy in the world and largest in Africa. As a laymen this doesn’t seem real to me..Ed

SUND AY SUNDA

Y

EMI KALE, Nigeria’s statistician-general, is not the type of person to be in any way associated with the sort of double-your-money scams his country is known for. Yet on April 6th he found himself explaining that his estimate for Nigeria’s GDP in 2013 had been revised from 42.4 trillion naira to 80.2 trillion naira ($510 billion), an 89% increase. Sceptics might assume that the remarkable new numbers have been fiddled. In fact, it is the old ones that were dodgy.

The revision means Nigeria leapfrogs South Africa to be Africa’s largest economy. It rises to 24th in the list of the world’s big economies, behind Poland and Norway and ahead of Belgium and Taiwan.

The upgrade is the outcome of a process known as “rebasing”. GDP is typically measured by reference to the shape of the economy in a “base” year. Statisticians sample businesses in different industries to see how fast they are growing. The weight they give to each sector depends on its importance to the economy in the base year. As time passes the figures become less and less accurate. Nigeria’s old GDP data relied on a hopelessly dated snapshot of its economy in 1990. The new figures (which have 2010 as the base year) give due weight to fastgrowing industries such as mobile telecoms and film-making that have sprung up since then.

Indeed the telecoms industry accounts for more than a quarter of the upgrade in GDP. In 1990 the state telephone company had just a few hundred thousand fixed-line customers. There are now around 115m mobile-phone lines in use in Nigeria. Manufacturing also looms larger than it did. Factories that have opened since 1990 are being

NIGERIA’S GDP

Step change

counted. As a result the sector ’s share of the economy has grown from less than 2% of GDP to nearly 7%.

Film-making had not shown up at

The paradox of rebased GDP—Chukwu As Nigerians continue to reflect on the declaration of the country’s economy as the biggest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world the Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Ltd., Mr Johnson Chukwu, says with the continued dearth of basic necessities of life, the increased size of the GDP does not make much meaning to Nigerians. He spoke to Chinweoke Akoma in Lagos.

W

ith the rebasing of Nigerian GDP, the total monetary value of final output of goods and services produced in the economy in 2013 was stated at N80.2trillion or $509.9billion, an increase of 89.2 percent over the previous estimate of about $269billion. The new Nigerian GDP had given the country’s economic managers some bragging rights having thumbed the South African economy which hitherto was

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 15

the biggest economy in Africa. While the Government may be right to gloat over the fact that Nigerian economy is now the biggest in Africa and the 26th biggest economy in the World, these facts do not necessarily affect the living standards of the citizens. For Nigerian citizens, what counts is the availability of jobs, the size of their personal income, access to basic amenities such as light, water, transport infrastructure,

all in the old figures; now the industry’s size is estimated at around 1.4% of GDP. Nigeria’s number-crunchers have improved the gathering of statistics

security, etc. With the continued dearth of these basic necessities of life, the increased size of the GDP does not make much meaning to Nigerians. The existence of abject poverty in the midst of a big and growing economy seem to be a paradox. The reason for this anomaly can however be traced to the structure of the economy which is skewed in favour of the services sector – 52 per cent share of the GDP. The dominance of the services sector can be blamed on the absence of basic infrastructure which has made real sector economic engagement unattractive. With the dominance of the services sector, it is obvious why the economy cannot create jobs. To address this anomaly, the government needs to improve on the factors that impact on the country’s competitiveness and easy of doing business.

in other ways too. For instance, the old GDP figures were based solely on estimates of output. The new ones are reconciled with separate surveys of spending and income.

Perhaps the greatest advance is the inclusion of the activity of small businesses. The sample of firms from which the GDP data are calculated has increased tenfold to around 850,000 establishments, including many small ones. The traders who weave between the Lagos traffic are not captured; only businesses with a fixed location qualify. But the informal shops that account for the bulk of retail and wholesale trade are now part of the GDP picture.

Indeed after telecoms, trading makes up the biggest share of the revision. A near-doubling of GDP is a hefty change. Other African countries have also bumped their numbers up a lot by shifting the base year, but not by quite as much.

The International Monetary Fund advises that the base year should be updated at least every five years.

Nigeria had left it much longer and as a result the revision is especially dramatic. However, Nigerians are no richer than they were before the GDP figures were revised. The majority of its 170m-plus people live on less than $1.25 a day. Even so the new figures show that Nigeria is much more than just an oil enclave.

The weight of the oil and gas industry, at 14% of GDP, is less than half what was previously thought.

There are more factories. Service industries are booming. Nigeria now looks like an economy to take seriously.

CULLED FROM THE ECONOMIST

Chukwu

C M Y K

PAGE 16 — SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

NIGERIA:

Huge economy amid widespread poverty – Agboola, CIBN boss

By UDEME CLEMENT

M

r. Abolade Isaac Agboola is the Chairman, Lagos State Branch of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). An investment banker, he is also the Executive Director, CashCraft Asset Management Limited. He speaks in this interview, on the GDP rebasing rating of Nigeria as the biggest economy in Africa, among other issues.

What is responsible for the decline in Nigeria’s economy with prevalent unemployment rate of about 24 per cent and poverty rate of 70 per cent?

The decline in the nation’s economy is not unexpected but the reality is that we are not producing enough locally. We must remember the fact that there was a global economic crisis between 2008 and 2010 and we are just recovering . Crude oil price, which has been the main stay of our economy, declined in 2008 from 147 dollars per barrel to about 40 dollar, and, today, it is just about $100.

Now, the oil market has recovered and we are selling for about 100 dollars per barrel, which is not up to what we sold before the global financial melt-down in 2008. In oil production, we are also not producing optimally because we are not meeting the OPEC quota. So, this is also a challenge facing our economy. There is also the Niger Delta crisis, which has disrupted the production capacity of crude oil. The issue of oil theft is another thing.

Beyond these challenges, the key element is that the demand for foreign goods has escalated and we are facing the problem of erratic power supply. So, government has to start depleting the foreign reserves, because government believes there is need to maintain the exchange rate stability. Maintaining exchange rate stability has to be with a cost. You either deplete your foreign reserves to stem the demand or devalue the local currency to achieve the same objective. Once you devalue, you must continue to devalue, because we are import-dependent. We are not producing enough locally to meet the increasing demand of local goods consumption in the country. Nigeria is also not exporting enough, that is why we continue to devalue the Naira, but the thing is, when we devalue, it does not really favour our economy.

Some experts are of the opinion that oil has created many problems in Nigeria’s economy. What is your take on this?

Oil has been a blessing and a curse to the nation because of the way it has distorted our economy .For example, 85 per cent of our annual budgetary income is from crude oil sales while 95 per cent of our foreign exchange earnings come from oil. The first problem is that of employment because of the limited linkage between oil and other sectors of the economy. For example, not up to 1% or 1.7million of estimated 170million Nigerians are working directly in the oil industry.

As a nation, we consume like the rich Arabian countries, which have very small population and small land area .The way we manage our public resources does not take into consideration our huge population and vast land area . Imagine the amount of money we need to build modern rail lines ,power grid ,road network to link our cities that are far apart and dams

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to supply water for our teeming population .

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing rating revealed that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa, and has overtaken South Africa. How true is this rating, considering the high level of poverty in Nigeria, which stands at 70 percent, and unemployment rate of 24 per cent.

We are rich in natural resources but poor in terms of infrastructure development.

Our population is an asset but could become a problem if we don’t manage it well .We need to have the right family size in order to manage over population in the country.

Unfortunately, our culture encourages people to have as many children as they could.

* Abolade Isaac Agboola

We are rich in natural resources but poor in terms of infrastructure development It does not occur to most parents that when they have a child, they must provide all the child would require until age 18 to 25 years, when he could stand on his own.

This is also another challenge facing us a nation.

The World Bank rated Nigeria, China, India, Indonesia and Kenya, among the 10 countries accounting for two third of the world’s poor people. What are the indices of poverty in Nigeria that made the World Bank to categorise Nigeria as a poor country and what steps should be taken to get the nation out of this situation?

That is true because heavily populated nations have higher absolute number of people living below poverty line. However the situation may be untrue in percentage terms. If 10% people of a country with 1.5billion people are living below poverty line, it means government has to worry about the fate of 150million people which is almost the size of a nation like Nigeria .

You can appreciate the indices of poverty in Nigeria if you estimate the per capita income of a family of four (father ,mother and two children) earning N50,000 per month. The par capita income of that family will be about $880 .(N50,000 multiplied by 12 divided by N170 and 4). You can relate that to our minimum wage of N18,000 and the massive underemployment and unemployment in the country . My take is ,we all have a lot work to do to reduce poverty in the nation.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves have consistently dropped since 2008. The latest drop, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is about 5.7 per cent. Experts said money from the reserves have been used to shore up the value of the Naira and fuel imports, as well as the importation of manufactured and industrial products. What is the

economic implication of this depletion in the foreign reserves?

What we must also look at is the fact that since 2008, we faced a major economic crisis, which is a combination of our local stock market and banking crisis and the global financial crisis. The multiplier effect of that global economic melt-down pushed the crude oil price downward from 147 to 40 Dollar per barrel and that affected Nigeria’s economy, as oil is our major source of revenue. After that, the oil price went up to about 100 Dollar per barrel, which is what is being sold currently. Following that effect, our foreign exchange also declined and when our economy eventually recovered, it could not really get back to where it was before 2008.

The foreign reserves were also depleted recently to shore up the Naira because we wanted to retain the hot money that came to the economy to some extent .

Otherwise, the investors will just take their money to other countries. The reason being that investors always move to economies where they can have more returns on their investments. Globally, money chases investments for higher returns. Once investors realise that the returns in your country cannot be sustained, they will take their money away.

Is the value of the Naira sustainable now?

That is a major challenge, which the new Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will attend to .As expected, the sudden exit of the former Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, created some panic in the system, which has subsided now . Aside from sustaining the local currency, I think government is also conscious of the fact

that something must be done to tackle oil theft, pipeline vandalism and disruption in crude oil production in the Niger Delta.

That, I think, will enable us get closer to our OPEC quota and boost revenue earnings Budget 2014 has just been passed by the Senate, what impact will it make on the economy?

It’s good news but it came too late. The budget came out early last year earlier and we thought this year we will be better by getting it out in January but that was not to be. Budget must be treated on nonpartisan basis .I hope 2015 will come earlier so that the economy can run on seamless basis from year to year.

The banking reform embarked upon by Sanusi was designed to consolidate banks to lend to agric-enterprises and the real sector. Following the reform, the number of banks shrank to about 21.

How do you rate Sanusi on the reform?

Now we have new generation banks focusing mainly on core banking activities and there is room for good corporate governance. The regulatory oversight has also improved, because the banks are few and functions are streamlined. The thing now is that banks are not into too much real sector lending, which is going to be a challenge for the new CBN Governor.

Lending to the real sector is important for us to achieve optimum productivity. I believe the power sector will improve for the real sector to pick up, because banks cannot lend to non-profitable ventures.

Banks should start engaging agricultural officers to expand lending to agribusinesses. The agricultural officers should go out and educate farmers on the information needed on every aspect of farming, so that they can utilise agricultural lending well. These officers need a book like Agricultural Finance (written by him), to give them vital information, in order to educate the farmers.

I believe with stability in the financial sector, gradually, agriculture will have good lending. This is the essence of the banking reform.

Economic reforms are often carried out so that if crisis occurs, the economy will not be devastated and there should be institutional safeguard for the economy.

Are you saying that Sanusi did well on the banking reform?

Yes, you can not fault Sanusi in terms of his courage in doing certain things in the sector. He made impact, though there were area, he could have carried out the reform to make similar impact without causing so much panic in the system.

Agreed that he made positive impacts, he made mistakes in some areas, because there were some things he did, which could have been done in a better way to achieve the same result.

What are those things you think Sanusi could have done better to achieve similar result?

If you look at it from the global perspective, there was panic in the system. He could have still achieved those things without causing panic. If you look at the American example, you will see that at the time Sanusi came in, every bank was at a precarious situation. The local currency was devalued so much and the price of crude oil had dropped from 147 to 40 dollars per barrel, the reserves were

depleted. So, it was the weak financial institutions that were vulnerable. Those institutions could have actually been taken out in a calm atmosphere, and not in a manner that created panic in the eyes of the people. The role of government is to create more institutions, get the weak ones out for the economy to thrive. As a nation, we went through a trauma and the manner we navigated out of the situation is a subject for future review.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 17

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I’d rather be miserable than be in a relationship...

— Yvonne Okoro V

OLUPTUOUS beauty, half-Nigerian, halfGhanaian actress, Yvonne Okoro, isn’t exactly the kind of damsel you would think is in distress. She has nothing on her to cut that image and it doesn’t appear her career is in danger either. If the beautifully endowed sexy actress should come under any observation, I guess the lots would be in her favour as she seems to be doing better than ever, career wise.

But her post on the Instagram last week placed a huge question mark on the state of mind of the actress.

The declaration “ I would rather be lonely and miserable than be in a relationship” wouldn’t pass for any woman who is fulfilled as a woman, even though the career is on the up and up.

It wasn’t until further checks were run on what could have brought about that rather gloomy assertion that the whole scenario began to make sense. It turned out Yvonne’s post was an extract from a previous interview the talented actress granted on relation-

ships.

“If you give me all the attention and make me laugh I think that’s it. I am not in a relationship, not because I don’t want to. Let me correct that, because you go somewhere and people say `oh, I am happy with just my job’ but the truth is nobody is happy being single. Again you hear `I don’t want to get married now’ I think it’s a lie.

“In my opinion, it’s because your master hasn’t come yet. My mother always says that once your master comes you don’t need anyone to tell you to go, you’ll go. I haven’t had my master yet but the truth of the matter is, because of what I do, I meet people.

“However, it’s so difficult for me to meet single people, it’s so difficult as well to trust people and that is the problem. At a point, you realize that they treated you like a trophy and showed you off because you are on television. The ideal relationship for me would be to hang out with my boyfriend and his friends, who won’t

even care that I am an actress.

“At this age, I don’t see the point of dating someone and knowing deep down that it’s not going to go far. I would rather be lonely and miserable than be in a relationship and be happy for a short while; then walk away because I realized this is not the kind of man I want to be with.

I’d rather stay put until my master comes. But what if my master comes at a time I am with somebody, then what, I have to bounce him”.

Going by her post last Wednesday, it does appear, the actress hasn’t found her master yet and this must have bothered her enough to reach out and tell the world she is still single, willing and very much available.

To like someone is not same as having a crush — Emma Nyra F

AST-rising hip-hop singer Emma Chukwugoziam Obi, known by her stage name, Emma Nyra, hasn’t been having a ball since she granted an interview with Saturday Vanguard, where she reportedly stated she has a crush on the ‘Ginger Your Swagger’ sensation, Terry G. Emma, a Southern University, United States of America graduate of Health Administration, was quoted as saying “ I have always had a crush on Terry G, I like people who are their own person. He does his own thing, his own sound” when she was asked who her celebrity

Nothing can make me cut my dreadlocks — Phyno N

•Phyno C M Y K

•Yvonne Okoro

O doubt, Phyno is coming to his own, not only by distinguishing himself as a Rastafarian with a touch of class but also by giving the hiphop, Afrobeat guys a run for their money, in the music scene reggae guys are packing up their stuffs. Having done a collaboration with a Jamaican reggae great, Cocoa Tea, Phyno has also taken his music around the world, touring Europe and Asia, after seeing just about too much of Africa.

He is a cool dude, who does everything every Rastafarian does except looking gaudy like the most of them we have seen. He’s got the dreadlocks like most and he is as crazy as the next Rastafarian about it.

In a recent chat with Potpourri, Phyno revealed he has had his dreadlocks for thirteen years now and he doesn’t see how he would ever be seen without it “Someone has actually begged me with a hundred thousand to have it cut. But nothing can make me cut it. It’s my identity, I’m a Rastafarian. I believe in living natural, the way God made me. I feel naked without my dreadlocks. When I was younger, my mum used to cut my hair and I used to feel so shy and naked. It gives me a lot of confidence” he said.

crush is.

Obviously disturbed by the heat the interview generated, Emma has come out to explain what she meant by ‘crush’. She spoke with me on phone and she was all American cream (must have been touched up by her Houston grooming), all lady-like, without any trace of anger. “ Yes, I have always liked Terry G’s music, his style and sound but there’s nothing attached to it. I like the guy but crush? I don’t have a crush on him. I don’t have a crush on anybody. To like someone is not the same as having a crush on the person” she told me.

Emma Nyra is an accomplished runway and print model and she has walked in over 50 fashion shows in Texas, Florida, and New York, representing the Nigerian Reunion Association. Her official singles, Ori Mi Wu, Everything I Do featuring Iyanya and ‘Kereshere’ with two vidoes are still being widely enjoyed across the African continent.

•Emma Nyra

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

Rukky Sanda reveals how she fell for acting S

INCE beautiful Rukky Sanda became a known face in the movie industry, there is little that is unknown about the graduate of Banking and Finance from Lagos State University, LASU. Following her childhood passion, Rukky came into Nollywood in 2004. Between then and now, Rukky has featured in numerous films, winning many awards along the way for her talent and ingenuity.

Even though when her first shot as producer didn’t come off as sweetly as she had thought it would, in her ‘Lethal Woman’, the severally tattooed Thespian never gave up, until she started making good ones, becoming a producer many of her colleagues look up to.

Highly opinionated, liberated and vocal, Rukky has said she is still a Muslim, having been born to Muslim parents, even though she has admitted at various occasions she isn’t a practicing one.

So much has been written about the stylish actress with no clue on how she was bitten by the bug of acting. But the piece in that puzzle was provided by Rukky herself in one of her Instagram posts last week where she got emotional and revealed how she fell for acting and made up her mind to become an actress.

“Never knew her name, I still don’t, but all I knew was I wanted to be on TV just like her... Lol! Watching movie tonight*** so 80’s I know, but am weird like that*** Must have watched this movie over a hundred times as a child” she wrote.

The film, Rukky was referring to was the 80s Indian movie, Yeh Va Daraha, a moving love story, brought to live by actors Rishi Kapoor, Poonam Dhillion and Tina Munim.

Rukky said it was the character ‘Sunita’ who made her fall in love with acting and the longing to be on TV, meaning it must have been either Poonam Dhillion (Sunita before surgery) or Tina Munim (Sunita after surgery) in the film, that charted the path Rukky has followed.

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My heart has been broken, shattered, scattered...

— Lillian Esoro

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HEY say no two separate jour neys of life are ever the same.

The path some have found so smooth is the same path others may see as bumpy, uphill and rough. For Nollywood beauty, Lillian Esoro, popular for her role as ‘Nurse Abigail’ in the TV soap ‘Clinic Matters’, her romance with the word ‘love’ has been as sweet as it has been unsavoury. “ Let’s just say I have fallen in love before. Eh, everyone has fallen in love before.

Love is a beautiful thing.

When I was in love it was like Heaven and I wished the feeling never went away. It was good while it lasted. It’s an experience everyone should have” she had told me.

But that experience, according to her doesn’t always end well as she made me understand when I asked her if her heart has ever been broken before.

“Oh, broken, scattered, shattered, ironed and everything. It was actually my broken heart that led me to success. After I fell out of love I was so heartbroken that I could not get my mind off it. So, to get my mind off it, I decided to do something else and that led me into forming my own company to start event management business but I don’t want to talk about it” she said As hurtful as the experience was for her, beautiful Lillian still believes in love and feels the right man might just be right at the door.

•Rukky Sanda

•Lillian Esoro

What’s on Tope Osoba’s mind?

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ULTRY Yoruba actress, Tope Osoba, is just beginning to find her feet in the movie industry, having featured in a number of good movies, which include ‘Gucci Girls’, Igboro Ti Daru and many others. The actress just scored a big one as a producer, after wrapping up the shooting of her own first produced film ‘Single Ladies’.

Tope isn’t much of a mystery, the actress opens up as easily as possible on any issue presented to her. She had once told me she isn’t so fussy about who ends up with her heart and that she hasn’t built any fence around herself, conceding it is not possible to sustain a relationship without having to dish out sex every once in a while.

But her Instagram post last week, showed something must be disturbing that little pretty mind of Tope to have come out sounding like she has an axe to grind with someone “I am I,do not change me,condemn me nor put me down, accept me for what I am, No........you need not agree with me,but accept me for I am total in being. I have my faults,I have my guilt but that is who I am.

Perfect, I will never be, allow me to be uninhibited,do not pressure me into feeling what I do not feel. Accept me when am flying high,as I will accept you when you will fly high Do not put me down...nor make me feel unhappy about myself. I am I and I like being what I am....Me. Love me or Hate me I will always be me” she wrote.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 19

What Uche Jombo, Mercy Johnson have in common N

OLLYWOOD A-list actresses, Uche Jombo, and Mercy Johnson hardly run with same crew. While Uche struts most of her stuff with her Royal Arts Academy cronies, Mercy, largely hangs out with the Asaba crew.

Uche has produced more than 10 movies of her own while appearing in many cinema movies but Mercy, as big as she is, has never even shot one cinema movie, let alone produce one. Her first cinema movie has only recently been shot “Thy Will Come” and it was produced by Obi Emelonyi.

But what they have in common right now is that both are expectant mothers. While Mercy will be having her baby number two after baby Purity, Uche is just having a taste of motherhood, expecting her first child with her Puerto-Rican husband

•Mercy Johnson

Uche Jombo

Tonto Dikeh reveals feud with siblings

Gbenro Ajibade’s object of obsession?

N

ollywood controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh, has never stepped too far away from controversies. The wild, what-the-hell diva revels in it.

On Friday, when people were posting lovely pictures of themselves and their siblings on various social media to celebrate the World Siblings Day, the actress had various pictures of herself alone in different postures, with a caustic, venomous post; “National siblings day,I am my own family/Sibling.. For those of you with worthy siblings/family, don’t forget to show them love today and continually”.

Now, what could Tonto have against her siblings and family that she could not stand them even on a special day preserved for family?

A

Eldee’s daydreams

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anre Dabiri, known by fans as Eldee, the Don, is a successful Nigerian musician and rapper, who lives more abroad than at home these days. No doubt, he is living his dream but it seems the star still has some things far beyond his reach. Last week, he posted the picture of the latest Lamborghini, Lamborghini Aventador which goes for about six hundred thousand dollars, about some eighty-five million naira and added, “Not now but soon”

Don Jazzy flaunts fiancee’s shoe closet

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EING named among the richest musicians in Africa isn’t something that doesn’t come with some perks of life. Don Jazzy is sure in the upper reef of the entertainment world and the multitalented producer made a meal of the fact on Friday when he posted shoe closet of his wife to-be, chiming “Meet my bestie’s closet, Lady Don Dada, she invented balling”.

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CTOR and model, Gbenro Ajibade, has an image and a profile as clean as a whistle. The Lion of Gboko as he likes to call himself has escaped all sort of scrutiny until a few days back when the guy let off some dark side of himself, that is, if you could call it that.

Gbenro posted a picture of this raunchy woman, whom I later found out to be an American of no particular importance or popularity in show business or anywhere else by name of Sheera Josette. Gbenro didn’t say much, but the picture says so much, isn’t it?

Tuface Idibia on the streets of London

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ultiple award-winning music superstar, Tuface Idibia, obviously has a list of itinerary, probably as long as that of any top government official and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if he hardly has any time to eat.

No doubt, this picture must explain the guy ‘eats as you go’ as he was caught doing justice to a chicken kebab on the streets of London on one of his recent tours. He wasn’t caught off guard, he actually posted it on Instagram to show level of freedom he has abroad compared to home.

PAGE 20 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

I avoid some female fans like plague

relevant in the next generation.

Genre of music I really don’t have a genre of music, what happens is that the music comes, sometimes I write my music, at other times, I work with people. I basically don’t have a part to play when the rhythm comes, sometimes I will be lying down, or doing something else when the inspiration comes. It comes in soft rock, soul, R&B, highlife or reggae .

— Timi Dakolo

Timi Dakolo came into limelight after he won the maiden edition of Idols West Africa several years back. Since then, his life and career have taken a turn for the better. Recently, Esther Onyegbula caught up with Timi and he opened up on how it all started, the journey so far, the challenges, the aspirations and the future.

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y grandma’s death and the Nigerian Idol West Africa During the competition my grandmother who I lived with for many years before I got into the competition passed on, I was down and I wanted to quit the competition but I stayed back because of the encouragement I received from friends and fellow contestants.

And I noticed that each time I went out with other contestants people would tell me not to disappoint them, and that they were voting for me. From top ten to top three and as God would have it, I won.

Unlike most celebrities winning ten thousand dollars and a brand new car, didn’t change him, he was still the same old loving, talented Timi.

“After winning the ten thousand dollars and a brand new car I didn’t change.I was still my old self because I would still board a bike on the street, buy gala on the road. But life generally changed, apparently in the whole of West Africa when I won the Idols.

Anywhere I go, people recognized me, complimenting my unique voice, which was contrary to what one music director once told me that I should join the drama group and stop singing, because according to him, I didn’t have a good voice.

Milestones and career investment I have achieved a lot.

Before the show I didn’t know much about music, but after I won, I had to invest in my music career. First I had to learn the rudiments of music, learn the business side of music, learning what it takes to write good songs.

In the process, because I am an introvert, it took me time C M Y K

Coping with female fans I appreciate my female friends a lot, but I tell them that I can’t promise anything, I am not just married but I am happily married.

Although some female fans don’t care if you are married or not, those are the female fans I avoid like plague.

Actually I haven’t had any scandals because I spend a lot of time with my family except when I have shows.

From a distance I can smell trouble.

to realize that in music you can’t do it alone. You need people who know the nittygritty of the business. And I had to learn fast because I didn’t want people to be holding me ransom for any reason. So I had to read a lot of online articles and books because I have always loved to read. In the process, my status changed, I was making money, and things changed, people I used to depend on started depending on me.

Marriage changed my life After I got married and started having kids, my life changed, I no longer think of myself alone. I no longer do ‘wants’ I do ‘needs’, not that I can’t afford to do ‘ want’ but because I need to plan for the future of my kids.

Marriage has made me a full grown man, I have left ‘ wants’ for ‘needs’, I think for a lot of people, not just for my immediate family, and I save and invest more. And I look at things differently. I learn a lot from my children, just by watching them do their thing. I create balance between work and family life, so that one doesn’t suffer for the other.

Initial challenges I have always been a very meticulous person; I have always known what I wanted in life. Even before I won West Africa Idols, I had written my goals within a five year time frame, the kind of music that I want to do, where I want to be in five-years time, the knowledge I want to acquire in five years time, the type of instrument I want to be playing in five years time.

While I was busy equipping myself, people were worried that the runner-ups of the competition were in the limelight while I was no-

•Timi Dakolo where. My response to their complaint then, was that for everything under the sun there is a time. I would rather be slow and hit it late than rush and miss it. And if I miss it they are going to be the same people that would crucify me tomorrow if anything goes wrong.

One of the challenges that I faced was that, even though people loved my kind of music they doubted if

kind of music that I want to do in this part of the world and all that.

Inspired by evergreen music I grew up in a house where they used to play those turntable records and we used to play a lot of deep reggae music, like Burning Spear and Bob Marley. Music that would leave you with a message. And each time I

I grew up in a house where they used to play those turntable records and we used to play a lot of deep reggae music, like Burning Spear and Bob Marley I could survive in the industry. Because they felt my kind of songs are not meant for this industry. Music must not be shallow, or too deep, music cuts across barriers, because it is more of the spirit than rhythm. Financial challenge of doing it all by myself, and trying to convince people that this is the

listen to deep music it triggers the thinking part of me. I see myself doing music for a long while; I don’t want to be a flash in the pan. I don’t want to do songs that after three months people would have forgotten it. I want to do music that will outlive me. I want to do evergreen music that will be

The Nigeria music industry The Nigeria music industry is not well structured, like the music industry of the western world or South Africa. When you talk of royalty payments, artistes are not benefiting as much as they should from their intellectual works. A lot of things are involved in music, from the record label, to the song producers, to the publishers, to the radio stations. In a standard clime, a lot of people get paid, from a song, the producers, song writers, artiste, record label, but in Nigeria it is not like that. Basically, what artiste make money from here, is ring back tunes and shows, that is because a lot of things are not in place. The biggest problem we are also facing is piracy.

The future I want to continue doing good music, being a good husband, and winning awards. Sincerely I am interested in doing good music, if in the process awards are won, it is an added bonus.

Message to my fans Fans….get ready, I am coming out with a new album titled ‘Love and Consequences’. Love is one part of it, the consequences of love is another part of it, inspired by my experiences and that of others. I am also working on the video for Iyawo Mi.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 21

All letters bearing writers' names and full addresses should be typed and forwarded to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, Kirikiri Canal, P. M. B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail: sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com

Still on Ibadan house of horror: Matters arising Dear Sir,

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E would have laid this issue to rest but for the security matters that are arising from it. The

issue that concerns us more was the manner in which some of the victims fell into the trap of these kidnappers.

Some fell into their trap through public transportation while others were abducted in broad – daylight in the street or right from the front of their houses!

According to a feature published in one of the dalies, a woman narrated that she remembered boarding a taxi at the Oke – Bola area of Ibadan three months ago, intending to go to Challenge ( another community about 3 Kilometers away). That was the last she could remember until the day she was rescued from the forest house. Another rescued victim, said he was working as a bus conductor when he was abducted. Much more disturbing was the account of another rescued lucky victim – Titi “ who still looked traumatized, emaciated and weak, told Saturday Tribune that she was 45 years old and a native of Ibadan. According to her, she was abducted right from the front of her residence at the Oke – Bola area of Ibadan!” And she had spent almost 3 months there before rescue came.

Suffice to say that the activities of these kidnappers/ritualists portend grave danger to the internal security

of the area concerned and the nation in general. For instance, the way and manner street urchins turned Local Government ‘Officials’ operate in Lagos while making some spurious arrest of some pedestrians crossing the roads could be used as cover or a decoy by some ritualists to kidnap unsuspecting members of the public who may be going about their normal business like the man who was abducted in broad – daylight while hawking his jedi – jedi (pile) medicine. Or what reasonable conclusion can we make of a 45 years old woman who was abduct-

ed right in front of her house?

Apart from making sure that the illegal activities of some Local or State Governments who employ touts /area boys to harass and molest people are checked, there may be the need to encourage the police and even the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) to stop and search private and commercial vehicles at random, while the passengers should be asked to introduce themselves.

Through such stop and search operations (not regular checkpoints), some victims of kidnappers can be rescued

while still in transit. As the nation draws much closer to the general elections year (2015), the activities of the kidnappers/ritualists may be on the increase and so the surveillance apparatus of our security agencies must improve too with a view to nip the activities of these criminal elements in the bud. We hope the relevant authorities concerned will act accordingly Gbemiga Olakunle, General Secretary, National Prayer Movement, gbemigaolakunle@yahoo.co.uk gbemigaolakunle.blogspot.com

SOS to Governor Amaechi on State School, Umuebulu Dear Sir,

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TATE School Umuebulu 1, is a primary school, located in Etche local government area of Rivers State. The school has every facility required of a state school, like standard football field, spacious and serene environment but the classrooms are virtually empty, as there are no seats and desks for both the teachers and pupils. In other words, the pupils sit on the bare floor while writing, while the teachers make any improvised arrangement for their seats and tables.

This scenario negates the Federal Government proclamation and declaration to make education superb by the year 2015. In fact, the site is so pitiable that reconciling it with government promise to restore education to its former glory by 2015 makes the whole scenario a sheer mockery.

If the government is determined to match words with action, all schools in the federation, primary, secondary as well as tertiary institutions should be made to be at the same level with schools in other advanced climes, especially as the year 2020 has been made the bench mark for reaching the long awaited cherished status.

Against this backdrop, I earnestly appeal to the state government under the able leadership of Honorable Chibuike Amaechi to detail his lieutenants in the education ministry to provide furniture for the school so that both the teachers and pupils will have a sense of belonging.

I wish this clarion call will be given the attention it deserves so that by the beginning of next term in April the whole classrooms would wear a new look.

Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt 08072257360

PAGE 22— SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

BY EMMA AMAIZE, REGIONAL EDITOR, SOUTH-SOUTH

I

T’S not easy to seize a prey from the mouth of the tiger, but that was exactly what the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, did, last Sunday, when it forced kidnappers of Mr. Ebikeme Clark, son of a former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, to unconditionally release him, four days after he was taken hostage in Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State.

THERE was an instantly recognizable vibrancy in the tone of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, as he spoke to Sunday Vanguard, on the release of Ebikeme.

His joie de vivre, it was later found out, had to do with the novel strategy deployed by the DWSC to secure the release of the victim.

DWSC, a security group, comprising former Niger-Delta agitators, youth leaders and professionals, is the first committee that Uduaghan inaugurated on assumption of office in 2007, to ensure peace and security on the waterways of the state, and provide intelligence to security agencies, among other things.

Uduaghan was understandably worried that Clark’s son was kidnapped and, given the information available to him, it was a matter that native intelligence had to be applied.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that Uduaghan, who insisted that no ransom should be paid, contacted the leadership of the committee and tasked it to secure the release of Ebikeme.

He said, “The committee has justified my confidence in it with the adroit manner it went about the rescue operation.”

Strategy that paid off

A top member of the committee said, “When the governor spoke to the leadership of DWSC, it was obvious to us that we must perform since the marshy terrain will be difficult for the police, the army and DSS to penetrate.”

He then narrated the strategy that rescued Clark’s second son: “What happened is that we first went on intelligence gathering to find out the people who carried out the kidnappin.

We sent our boys in Ijaw axis to find out the gang that abducted Ebikeme and its whereabouts; the DWSC member said.

“Our machinery worked well and we got information on the gang, their leader, simply identified as Joshua. We arrested a member of the gang, who claimed he only participated in the planning and the man whose speed boat was used to whisk Ebikeme to the den of the kidnappers in the creek. They were handed over

Ebikeme Clark

EVIL PEOPLE’S APOL OG Y! APOLOG OGY!

My kidnappers begged for forgiveness – Edwin Clark’s son

zThe intervention that rescued him from captors to the police and they made useful statements on the crime and their co-conspirators.

“Thereafter, we traced some of the family members of those holding Ebikeme in the creek.

Our plan was to arrest more of their family members, but satisfied that we had them where we wanted them with the arrest of three suspected members of the gang, we called them on the phone number we obtained from their men in our custody that the game is up.

Linchpin “It was in the course of investigation that we found out that the kidnapping was masterminded by the driver to an ex-militant leader in the Niger-Delta. He hails from Kalafigbene in Bomadi council.

He was the one that provided the AK-47 rifle used for the operation.

“His boss did not know anything about his involvement until we informed him and he worked with DWSC thereafter.

“At first, they played hard, but when we made their members in our net to speak to them, they understood that we had gone ahead of them, as we threatened that if Ebikeme was not released in less than three days, we will go after their other family members.

“The gang thought we were bluffing when we told them we knew them and had some of their family members with us, which was why we made their loved ones to speak to them. I believe that was what weakened them.”

New tune At this stage, the suspected kidnappers, the DSWC official stated, began to beg that we should spare their families and save them from going to jail, but we told them that they must release Ebikeme hale and hearty.

Release “When the fear-gripped kidnappers dropped Ebikeme, they sent a message to the Vice

Sunday morning when the gang released Ebikeme.

“I am, however, pleading that police should release the wife and children because they had no hands in the kidnapping.

Mr. Dickson Bekederemo, a cousin and legal adviser to Clark, told Sunday Vanguard that the rescue of Ebikeme was the handiwork of DWSC. He said a member of the committee contacted him in the early hours of Sunday that the kidnappers sent a text message to the effect that the victim had been released, adding, “I joined him and we went to Bomadi with a team of security to bring him.”

Ebikeme himself said he was astounded hours before he was released, when the kidnappers started begging him to forgive them and plead with government not to kill them or harm their families.

He spoke of how they tied his hands and legs, and took him to the high sea, threatening to throw him into the water because his father was “stubborn” and refused to pay them ransom.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, said his command was worried over the whereabouts of other members of the kidnap gang still at large.

“Other gang members still at large, according to him, include Timi, Abel, Ndamaw, and Jacob. “The suspects further confessed to being behind the kidnapping of one Madam Rose at Udu Road, Warri, from whose family they collected a ransom of N1.8 million,” Aduba added.

The State Police Command’s spokesperson, Celestina Kalu, who paraded the suspects on March 7, said one of them, Joshua Ogofa, was the master mind.

Another, David Emevor, a native of Kiagbodo, was said to have been “the Judas” who plotted the kidnapping as an insider. Ebikeme told Sunday

Ebikeme himself said he was astounded hours before he was released, when the kidnappers started begging him to forgive them and plead with government not to kill them or harm their families Chairman of DWSC that they had dropped him at a location,” he said. “Following the text message, DWSC mobilized to Bomadi, between 1.00 am and 2.00 am. It was the committee that informed Ebikeme’s father, Chief Clark, about the rescue and he told us where to take him to.”

The official said the wife and children of the one of the suspected kidnappers, who were arrested by DWSC, were still in police custody on

Vanguard that the suspect kept tab on him for two months. Bosin Kevwe, a native of Aladja, allegedly provided the Audi 80 saloon car used for the operation.

Sylvester Dio, a native of Isaba in Ogbe Ijaw, Warri South West council, was said to have provided the speed boat. Pius Arhavwaren, a native of Olota in Ughelli South council, provided the motorcycles used for the operation.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

What wouldn’t she do to get back her youth!

R

UNNING into Flor ence, an old schoolmate recently brought a lot of memories, she was one of a gang of four who did things differently to how the authorities wanted, and we were often in trouble. Florence, a very brilliant student wanted to go straight to the university and, according to her, sample more matured men. As a teenager, she’d always gone for boys older than she was. According to her, they didn’t seem as immature as the boys our age, and there were the trappings that came with an older man his own car, cash and his life experience. To a young girl, desperate to grow up, that was so tempting - and sexy!

She was the first to net a proper boyfriend at age 15.

“He’s an articled Clerk at a firm of chartered accountants”, she’d gushed. “‘He was 24 and his salary looked a small fortune compared to the peanuts we got as pocket money. He wined and dined her, taught her how to make love and got her pregnant as soon as she finished her ‘0’ levels.

Needless to say, she had a shot-gun wedding.

“But after we married, I didn’t feel as secure and supported like I had expected. Instead, I felt trapped and controlled,” she’d said. “A couple of my husband’s relatives lived

with us as helps and he was struggling to payoff the plot of land he just bought. He wasn’t into socialising or trips to restaurant. He was happy quietly watching TV or reading the papers. It was so depressing realising we really had so little in common.

“1 tried hard to share his interests, and to get him to come out more with me,:but after he’d paid off the piece of land he bought and he’d signed up to a hefty mortgage, he was less interested in partying and worked all hours to earn over time. I can’t describe how bored and lonely I felt ... “ But at age 25, when her son was five, Florence was mildly surprised when Kanbi, her husband, agreed she could further her studies.

“I got admitted to the university easily and suddenly, I realised what I’d been missing out on,” she said “All my new friends were years younger. luckily, I’d always looked young for my age, so I didn’t stand out when we went to parties or drinking on the premises. Soon I was out clubbing with them the weekends I didn’t go home to boring housework. We also went to the cinema often and ate out. Being teenage girls, they took every opportunity to chat to other male students. And there were hordes of 17-18 - and

19-year-olds, so full of testosterone with their baby faces and well-groomed hair. And one wonderful night, one of them turned his attention to me.

“Femi was only 20, with dreadlocks and baggy jeans. Not only was he gorgeous, he told me I was really sexy! Later in the night, I confessed I was actually five years older and married, but he just seemed to like me even more. I was thrilled and soon, drunk on plastic glasses of red wine, I was kissing him on a grubby sofa. It was my weekend to go home, but I didn’t leave him any doubt I intended to take things a lot further.

“At home and in bed with my husband, I was shocked to realise I didn’t feel a scap

of guilt. In fact, I felt nothing for him. But remembering Femi and his sexy body, I felt so alive for the first time in years.

Back on the campus, we snatched meetings whenever we could. He treated me as if I was some kind of incredible fantasy woman, and I have to admit I indulged his fantasies. Some day, we’d make love at his place when his parents were out and I booked us into a motel a couple of times. He made me feel like a love goddess and I loved it. What’s more, I was totally in control. I was surprised when I realised he was a virgin and it gave me such a buzz to see him so excited to be doing things

for the first time.

“After I graduated, I sat my husband down and told him it was over.

There was just no point pretending our marriage could work when I didn’t love him any more. He refused to let me take our son even when I found myself a decent bed-sit.

And I didn’t stop visiting the clubs student frequented. Because by then I was hooked on their youthful bodies. Every weekend, I let my hair down, pulling the occasional lovely young man.

I’m always drawn to the 20 and 21-year-olds, and I’ve had several wonderful flings. I go with them to gigs and drink in noisy bars full of young, lively people who haven’t grown tired or cynical yet. The bonus is, at the end of the night, I’ll take one of them back to my flat for a night of energetic, enthusiastic sex.

It’s so much fun, and such a confidence boost., “By the time I turned 30, I still hadn’t got over my obsession with younger men.

And the moment they wanted something more serious, I remembered how trapped I felt in my marriage and I took off.

Needless to say, my behaviour caused a few broken hearts along the way.

One guy, Folly, was a 22year-old drama student who I dumped after six months together. He cried for hours on my sofa. But a few weeks later, he saw me in a club, all over a sexy 20year-old and all hell was let loose. He called me so many unprintable names and told all who cared to listen how old I was.

“It was then I realised I was hurting people and that I couldn’t keep doing this for ever. So, I cut ties with my college teeny-boppers and found a” man I could settle down with. After I got married though, I discovered that my teenage obsession was too much fun to give up. The bubble burst when one of my victims actually called at the house and told my husband what I was up to - and how many. young men I’d tossed on the garbage heap after bonking the day lights out of them.

“Of course I denied every thing when I saw the disbelief on my husband’s face.

That brought me to my senses and I’m now trying to stay on the straight and narrow. Once in a while, I see one of these tighthipped young thing and wondered - could I? ... “

08052201867(Text Only)

Don't allow excess body fats destroy you

F

C M Y K

AT is a necessary component of the human organism.

It serves as a source of energy; you need it to maintain proper body heat when the surrounding atmosphere takes a dip in temperature; it serves as a carrier of Vitamin A, D, E and K and it is also a source of energy.

It is the excess of fat that is dangerous. With too much of fat there obtains the situation where there is not enough skin area for the body to regain its optimum temperature when there has been some vigorous activity.

The fatter the person the quicker it takes for the body’s temperature to rise and the longer it takes it to cool off.

While the lean individual can race up a flight of stairs with very little effort, the same activity at the same pace will almost kill a fat person.

A fat person pants too quickly in the body’s attempt to maintain the correct body heat.

The action of the lungs is tied to that of the heart.

C M Y K

When you have to breathe faster, the heart naturally beats faster. Too fast a heart rate, and the heart itself is denied of enough oxygenated blood for its own upkeep.

The picture is clearer now as to why the fatter the person, the worse a state his heart will be in.

Now, you think you need to cut down on the amount of fat you’re carrying around. Good.

But the problem must be approached with caution.

You must have a weight loss programme that your body can tolerate. Too great a pace and the attendant exhaustion might discourage you from trying anymore.

The sensible thing to do is to modify the diet and introduce the kind of regimen that the body can take and not leave you feeling totally wiped out, as it were.

As far as diet goes, I favour a breakfast of fruit and a lunch and dinner that has a lot of vegetables.

Fruit being predigested, leaves very little residue in the system. When you eat

fruit, you save enough energy, that way your body has enough power of its own to start dealing with all the toxins that have come about on account of an improper eating pattern.

The practice of deep breathing will enable you cut down on a runaway appetite.

When the appetite is unbridled, you can almost eat or feast to death. Come to think of it the human being is about the only animal on earth that does not wait to be hungry before eating. Little wonder, we seem to be the only creatures with a weight problem. Animals fare much better as regards food.

They only seem to have problems when we domesticate them, turn them into pets. That way we spoil them and soon they become affected with all kinds of conditions.

We should heed Hippocrates advice that our food should be our medicine.

So, you have resolved to deal with your excess fat.

In that case, here are some

exercises that will really help you achieve your goals of a sleek and efficient machinery of a body.

The Triangle: Technique: Standing with feet about 3 feet apart, bend the left knee to the same level with your hip. Keep the right leg straight with the foot placed horizontally to the left foot which is facing leftward.

Leave the left hand open and placed next to the left foot. Straighten the right hand and bring it down so that your bicep touches lightly your right ear.

Stay in the posture for some 15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Benefits: The triangle posture firms the thighs.

It reduces fat on the sides and upper arms The Single Leg Raise: Technique: Lying flat on your belly, place the hands by your side. With your chin on the floor, raise up the left leg to an angle of about 90 degrees from the floor.

Hold the posture for about 10 - 15 seconds.

Change legs and repeat.

Benefits: This posture tones up the muscle of

the legs. It firms the buttocks by reducing excess fat.

* The Triangle Pose

Yoga classes STARTED at 32 Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am on Saturdays

P AGE 24—SUND AY Vanguard , APRIL 13 , 2014 SUNDA

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

“She went after my husband right before my eyes!"

I

S it possible to stop a woman deter mined to snatch your husband from right under your nose? A few years back, Juwon thought she had the perfect marriage. An ambitious husband, who in the space of the 20 years they’d been married had made millions of Naira in his construction business so they could boast of houses here and abroad.

When Kole, her husband, hinted he would need the services of a personal assistant full time - one name instantly came to Juwon’s mind – Louise.

“A friend of mine runs a secretariat cum finishing school,” Juwon explained, “and she had talked glowingly of Louise’s performance at being a top professional.

Any boss would be happy to have her, she said, and I immediately contacted my friend to send Louise over for an interview. 1 didn’t see her when she came for the interview but Kole’s report of her was glowing.

I didn’t get to meet her until months after, by which time she’d got her claws into him. She was tall all right, pretty and very high-maintenance in looks. A girl who would think nothing of betraying her ‘benefactor’ as she blatantly pursued her husband. I would never have believed that anyone would be so aggressive in pursuing her prey in front of a wife like Louise did my husband. (‘ “My friend, through whom I contacted Louise was very apologetic when she learnt of what hap-

pened. Louise not only chased after Kole, she flaunted their love affair.

Office staff were wary of her as Kole made it clear her authority was not to be taken lightly. The more I protested the more hostile my husband became. Inevitably, they both went public with the affair and I was in shock when my husband moved into the new house the whole family was to occupy when completed.

“He told me it was for him to have a breathing space from my nagging.

Later, it became a trial separation until it became apparent that they were now living together.

Kole then told me she wanted a divorce.

Louise· was pregnant and had never been married, so he would want to make a decent woman of her. I on the other hand, had been married for over 20 years with four kids.

Surely, I wouldn’t be-

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES" BEWARE OF MAJORITY Never be enticed or carried away by public views or majority stand.

To join the crowd is to get lost in and with the

grudge Louise of the opportunity to experience a bit of what I’d had?.

“It was a nightmare. It still is. I thought we were going to work on our marriage after he’d had a fill of her, but that obviously wasn’t the case with him.

Emotionally, I can’t even describe how I felt. It has been a very hard road.

Pity I didn’t even see it coming. Over the years, I’d been disappointed by my husband’s desire for fame and wealth - and he’s been taken over by both. When we first met, he didn’t have much but his ambition to ‘make it’.

I stayed in the background and let him do what he had to do. He was the one with the drive and contacts and I was very supportive and so happy for him.

“When I realised he was intent on divorce, I decided to fight back. I got one of the best lawyers and was mildly surprised when Kole agreed

to a lot of the terms of settlement. I got the family house, a flat in London and cash in the bank. It was obvious our divorce had become just another business deal to him and he wanted to get the best business deal possible. As long as I was financially well off, he believed I had nothing to grumble about.

“Living with somebody whose goal is to be as rich as he possibly could, I made a lot of sacrifices. I was like a single mother with the kids a lot of the time. I was determined to be the best mum and I definitely know I accomplished that. I was devoted to that megalomaniac in every way. I thought I was the best wife, but I guess I wasn’t.

I loved that man with all my heart and soul and he effectively killed that love.

I’m no longer in love with him, but my heart needs time to heal”.

crowd.

Always stand on what is right and not on what is popular. God boycotted the popular majority to bless the 'minority' Elisha with double portion of the anointing. God is never moved by the majority, but by a heart that greatly pants after Him? II Chron.16.9, Isa.66.1-3.

But why do people easily drift to the majority and popular side? Fear of being different, fear of being alone and fear of being maligned Beware, if you bend, you will blend and if you blend you will lose your identity and if you lose your identity you will lose your uniqueness.

Chris Onunaku 08032988826/08184844015.

The moment I think of you The moment I think about you I go to another world

Why Left-handers are ‘More Likely to be Psychotic’ Left-handed people have a strickenly higher chance of suffering from schizophrenia, suggests a research. A study revealed left-handed people accounted for a third of those with the mental illness. However only around 10 per cent of the general population is left-handed. It is thought that the changes in the brain that make people left-handed may also contribute to schizophrenia.

Famous left-handers include Barack Obama, Prince Williams and Governor Babatunde Fashola. Researcher Jadon Webb, of the Yale University, US, said: “our results show a strickenly higher prevalence of left handedness among patients with psychotic disorders”. In contrast, just 10 per.cent of those be-

ing treated for bipolar disorder or depression were1eft-handed - a figure much more in line with the rate of left handedness in the general population.

Nick Craddock,” a psychiatrist at Cardiff University said: “This link between left-handedness and psychosis builds on previous work that seeks to understand how the development and connections within the brain help us to better understand schizophrenia.

That is an important prelude to developing better treatment. It also serves to highlight that severe psychiatric illness like schizophrenia have a very real physical basis in the brain and body and are not just “all in the mind.”

Despite the link, most schizophrenics are not left-handed - and most people who are lefthanded do not develop schizophrenia. , Right Place. Wrong Time? (Humour} A man arrives home from a business trip to find the dining table set for two people,” with candles flickering romantically and a bottle of champagne on ice. He walks into the kitchen to find his wife cooking a slap-up meal. Best of all, she’s wearing nothing but an apron.

‘This is a surprise,’ the man gasps. ‘Damn right it is!’ his wife shrieks, spinning round. ‘1 wasn’t expecting you back until tomorrow night:

A world where you love me too And where I can never be hurt The truth is I don't know what to say My mind goes completely for you!

CENT OBAMA centobama@gmail.com +2348061379003

My Princess

Looking back those beautiful days when it all started, I felt and thought it humanly wise to appreciate you. My Princess,words are never enough for me to express my inner most feelings towards you. You gave me love and care even till this wonderful moment and i cant help,but to say... I love you and I will always cherish you my adorable Princess... CHEERS James N. Okonkwo C freesoul@yahoo.co.uk

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 25

Men from hell snatch 20 children in Calabar W

ith over 20 kids abducted in three months in Calabar, the stories surrounding their disappearance are like tales from the moon, but what is happening to kids between the ages of three and six in the Cross River State capital, is far from tales; they are real life incidents which are sending fear down the spine of many parents.

Since February, men from hell have besieged the city, snatching children suspected for ritual purposes or sale to barren women around the city who allegedly pay triple digit amounts for the kids.

The Cross River State House of Assembly and the State Security Adviser, Mr Rekpene Bassey, disturbed by the trend, raised the alarm but this has not yielded any results. The police in the state are yet to make arrest on the kidnapped children.

Describing the modus operandi of the abductors, Bassey said they would position themselves in busy areas to watch out for parents who park cars with children inside to abduct the kids. In other cases, the thieves abduct children playing outside their residences. Others are snatched while on errand or on the way to or from school.

And in some daring cases , the abductors snatch kids from parents while pretending to offer them lift.

The security adviser warned parents to beware of child kidnappers and assured that security agencies had been placed on the alert over the situation.

In one of the cases of child kidnapping which occurred on March 23, a four-yearold, Nsew Udo Akpan, was snatched by abductors while playing outside his home with his sister at Atekong Street, Biq Qua Town.

Another 4-year-old-boy, Effiong Edet, was abducted in Ikot Onim area of Calabar by hoodlums who raided the community in an Audi car with the number plate covered.

The kidnappers struck at C M Y K

about 8:30 pm on Wednesday March 12 while the local vigilante members, majority of whom are said to be football lovers, were preoccupied with watching the Arsenal match against a Turkish football club in the European league.

The gang , on arrival at the community, reportedly drove to the Edets compound where they sighted the boy (Effiong) and his friends playing.

The hoodlums first attempted to whisk away a six-year old boy, identified as Joseph, who resisted his assailants by crying and biting one of the kidnappers on the hand which caused them to abandon him and then seizing Effiong who they bundled into their car and sped off.

In February, a three-year, old-boy, Victor OffiongEdem, was taken away by unknown persons at the Assemblies of God Church, located at 14, Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Calabar South, during Sunday service.

The father of the boy, Mr Offiong Edem, a staff of the College of Health Technology, Calabar, told Sunday Vanguard that he took his family to the church on the fateful day. After the offering, he went to work and left Victor in the company of his wife, Angelica, and his other son, Samuel, but was later informed that Victor had gone missing.

“I work on Sundays. After giving my offering that day, I went to work leaving behind my wife, Angelica, Samuel, my first son, and Victor in the church only to be called later that Victor had gone missing ”, Edem stated.

Mrs Angelica Offiong, mother of the missing boy, said after the close of service, she had a short meeting with some church members. “After the meeting, I went to pick my bag where I kept it not far away from where I stood and, when I turned back, Victor was nowhere to be found”, she narrated, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The kidnapper, according

to her, must have been monitoring her and the children and as soon as her eyes were turned away from the child, he took away the boy.

Pastor Chukwu Ekeke, the head pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, said this was the “first time an unfortunate incident like this would take place in this church”. He added, “Prayers have been said and I know God will certainly bring back that boy”.

In January, two siblings, Goodluck Charles Eyo and Promise Charles Eyo, were playing in front of their residence, located at 98 Eserebom Street, Calabar South, while the mother, Uduak Charles, went to the back of the house to take her bath. When she stepped out of the bathroom, the two kids were gone. Their father, Charles Eyo, a Keke Napep rider, said he had done “everything spiritual and physical to get the children back to no avail”.

Also in January, a mother, Janet Ekpe, was walking along Bakoko Road, at 8 Miles, Calabar, when two men in a car stopped by; she thought they wanted to find

,,

BY EMMANUEL UNA

In February, a threeyear, old-boy, Victor Offiong-Edem, was taken away by unknown persons at the Assemblies of God Church, located at 14, Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Calabar South, during Sunday service

out how to locate a place.

“One of them was in the car while the other came out. I thought he wanted to ask me the number of a street but, before I knew it, he snatched Junior out of my hand, ran into the car and they sped off”.

The lady, who said she was stunned to know what was happening, said she came to her senses after the car had gone far. By the time she started screaming, the thieves had disappeared.

A member of Cross River State House of Assembly, Ngim Okpo, brought a motion of urgent public interest “on the increasing incidents of child snatching where, in recent time which have seen cases of kidnapping of innocent

children by some unscrupulous elements for alleged ritual purposes”, before the House.

He called on the House to pass a resolution to compel “relevant government agencies to sensitize members of the public against falling prey”.

The police, on their part, said efforts were on to unravel the syndicates behind the stealing of children in Cross River State. Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman for Cross River Police Command, told Sunday Vanguard: “Police cannot be every where; members of the public should volunteer information on those they suspect to be the brain behind abduction in the state”.

PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Watch it!

That building may collapse —Whistle blower Over the years there has been incidents of building collapse in different parts of the country.

Several factors have been blamed for it. Use of substandard building materials and products seems to top the list.

In this interview with Peace Onyeukwu, a whistle blower, Austine Otuoke, laments the spate of building collapse. He also shares what the Building Collapse Prevention in Amuwo Odofin ‘cell’ which he leads, has been doing to find lasting solution to the problem.

be achieved. But the problem is that government agencies distance themselves from the guild because they are suspicious of the guild.

The guild has made impact

What are the causes of building collapse? lot of factors are respon sible for building col lapse in Nigeria. The activities of quacks, to a very large extent, is responsible for the trend. Quacks do not understand the nitty-gritty of building construction. The use of sub-standard materials also leads to building collapse. Every building operation is procedural; if you don’t follow the right procedure, you have challenges. For instance, when I went to the site of a collapsed building at Trinity Estate in Amuwo Odofin, it was very evident that the building failed because the foundation was not properly done.

OVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has not concealed his disgust at the dirty nature of Warri and environs in recent months. So when on April 2, the State Executive Council, at a special session, constituted a 25man adhoc committee on environmental sanitation, led by the deputy governor, Prof Amos Utuama, to oversee the clean-up of Warri, Uvwie and Udu council areas within one week, it was understandable why the “ war against filth” was waged.

Five days after the team was inaugurated (April 17), it set out on the mission at about 8.00 am, from Enerhen Junction, Warri, pulling down illegal structures.

No fewer than 1,600 ‘Sanitation Marshals’ were engaged to enforce the new sanitation order.

With the deputy governor on that day were members of the committee, including Health Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Otumara, Frank Omare (Environment), Mr. Ben Igbakpa (Transport), Dr. Chris Oghenechovwen (Water Resources), Mr. Richard Mofe Damijo (Culture and Tourism) and Chike Ogeah (Information) who were assigned specific roles.

Utuama said, “We are here to clean up the filth in Uvwie, Udu and Warri and restore sanitation in the three local government areas. This will involve removing all illegal structures, granite sites, dump sites, clearing of vehicles unlawfully parked along the road, clearing of containers, etc. We want to restore environmental order to these areas.”

Though, roadside traders who were displaced cried blue murder, the committee members were focused on the new look Warri, Udu and Uvwie would wear af-

A

What is the way out?

There is so much government can do to curb this menace. One of the things government should do is to ensure that its agencies are effective. Most of the agencies are not effective.

We are whistle blowers, we are not an enforcement agency, we agree to carry the government along to see for themselves when we raise issues, most times, government agencies don’t act upon them. There are several cases we have reported to the agencies; sometimes we even report them on facebook.

Government need to get its agencies serious, up and doing.

There is need to allow the agencies synergise with voluntary organisations like guild, because the guild is made up of practitioners with several years of experience. If there is synergy between the guild and government agencies, a lot would

C M Y K

especially in the area of awareness and sensitization. The biggest challenge faced by the Building Collapse Prevention is educating and creating awareness. When people are enlight-

ened about the risk involved in employing the services of quacks and using substandard materials, they make sure the environment is not made vulnerable to building collapse.

Again we achieve a lot in terms of whistle blowing, which is getting government agencies to know that they are one or two buildings that are in critical condition and they need to act fast.

We educate prospective building owners on the need to use their resources judiciously.

If you want to build a house and you can only afford ten bags of cement, reduce the size of the house to the ten bags of cement, so that the cement will be strong enough to withstand the vagaries of the environment. You can’t build a hotel with ten bags of cement. Everybody can own a house, everybody can build but it is important to build according to acceptable standard.

People should not be afraid of the procedure of acquiring a building permit. Many people believe they cannot get a building. Agencies are created to harmonise and make building easy for them. Also people should not run away from pro-

fessionals. Professionals are not cut throat people; with professionals makes the entire process cheaper and a lot easier.

You are having a conference.

What is it all about?

The conference is another milestone aimed at entrenching the practice of the Building Collapse Prevention in Amuwo Odofin in accordance with the objective of the guild. We are building structures that will sustain the operations of the guild in Amuwo Odofin. The conference brings together stakeholders under one umbrella, to discuss ways of preventing buildings from collapsing. When it comes to building collapse, everybody is a stakeholder, developers, professionals in the field as well as the general public; as anyone could be victim. The conference also educates on building on standard safe practices. We have different committees and sub-committees with different functions, like the whistle blowers in charge of inspecting ongoing sites, hazardous building, buildings that are about to collapse and report to the appropriate agencies.

SAD SANITATION DAY

Baby, 14-yr-old crushed

BY EMMAAMAIZE

G

ter the exercise, as measures were said to have been put in place to sustain it with the engagement of ‘Sanitation Marshals’ to ensure cleanliness and mobile court to try offenders.

The committee continued work on the second day, April 8, but it ended in a tragedy at about 6.30 pm, around the Water Resources Junction, Effurun, when the driver of the pay loader, one of the heavy-duty vehicles hired by the committee, crushed two persons, a 14-year-old boy and an infant.

Commissioner for Information, Ogeah, in a statement said, the sanitation committee was deeply saddened by the incident.

The accident happened when the pay loader lost control and, the process, killed the victims and injuring four others. He said that the committee members, who worked in the axis, led by Water Resources Commissioner, Oghenechovwen, on hearing of the accident, mobilized to the scene to rescue the victims. Ogeah explained that the government

team immediately commenced treatment of the injured persons and evacuated all those involved to hospital, adding that the medical team, coordinated by the Health Commissioner, Otumara, facilitated prompt treatment of the injured persons at the Central Hospital, War ri.

One of the victims, Mr. Eze Emesiobi, a welder, was reportedly discharged after treatment, while three others, including a six -year -old girl, were receiving treatment at press time.

Preparing DELSU for engineering

BY FESTUS AHON Mr Jahswill Asaba is the Special Project Director, SPD, in charge of Faculty of Engineering Complex Project in the Delta State University, DELSU, Oleh campus. In this interview, he speaks on projects under his supervision.

Excerpts: You were appointed in July, 2013 as the Special Project Director, Faculty of Engineering Projects, DELSU, Oleh campus.

What would you say have been your major challenge?

I inherited some administrative challenges which were compounded by the absence of a Project Implementation Committee (PIC) necessary to midwife the project to a logical completion. This gap provided the opportunity for some entrenched interests to meddle in the affairs of the project.

They perceive the project as an opportunity to better their lot to the detriment of the overall objective of government and sworn to frustrate it. The state government is not unmindful of these challenges and has stepped up

action to address the issues and ensure the project is completed on schedule.

I have spent the last few months sharpening my axe and I am now ready to chop down the tree. Work is in full swing at the project site.

As soon as we secure the necessary approvals of the State Tenders Board and EXCO for some reviews requested by the contractor, you will witness a level of speed unprecedented since the project commenced.

As the Special Project Director and Chief Executive of this project, what have been your achievements and present position?

We have achieved some milestones within this short period of time. For instance, under my watch as Special Project Director, the maintenance workshop, which was at DPC level, is now completed awaiting painting.

The gate house was constructed under my watch. Other achievements under my watch include erection of electricity poles and perimeter fence at the campus as well as the construction of workshop laboratory block, etc. A lot have been done and I want to as-

sure you that the project would be completed on schedule.

Recently, you issued a stop work order the contractor handling the project. Why was that?

I visited the site on March 11 and found some technical lapses which have to do with soil application. I tried to get tangible answers from the contractor but answers were not forthcoming. I got in touch with the project consultant who told me that he had queried the soil application in some sections of the network of road two weeks earlier, but that the contractor brushed aside his objection. It was at this point that I had to issue the ‘stop work order’.

We are in a hurry to complete the project but not at the expense of quality. Government is spending a lot of money on the project, we therefore have no excuse whatsoever for delivering a shoddy job. Remember, I am from Isoko and this project is very dear to my heart and that of the Isoko people. If I do a sub-standard work here, I won’t have any hiding place tomorrow. It will certainly haunt me for the rest of my life.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, Page 27

Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

coming in for this event.

They also had so much people coming in from all over the world, so I was really excited that I got to do that. I also got to dress up the team of youth.com for a whole year which took place two years ago. These have been my major accomplishments.

Every Business Involves Risk Taking

Where do you get your inspirations from?

I get my inspirations from everything, everywhere, around me or on the streets.

I could get my inspiration by staring at a moving vehicle, but basically, from things around me. From things going on around me and from people around me. I could see a very bad fashion style, put my mind to it and bring out something more beautiful from it.

— Lara Faseyitan

•Lara Faseyitan

Lara Faseyitan, MD/CEO of Lardiva Clothing and Events, is a fashion designer and events planner, par excellence. This is easily seen from the ambience she exudes all around her. She is on the board of Fashion Management Agency Ltd along with three others, a place earned by a scorecard of exceptional achievement, in the fashion industry.

In this interview with Sunday Vanguard she talked elaborately about the fashion sense that distinguishes her from all others. Excerpts.

By ANINO AGANBI

W

hat does fashion mean to you?

Fashion is a way of communicating without speaking verbally. It is the way people view you. People can access who you are through your style and fashion sense. Fashion to me is my whole life. I have been in fashion since I was a little child. I have always enjoyed being a fashion designer. I started by using some of my mum’s old wrappers which I used to make clothes for myself. Back then, lots of people used to compliment me on them; my friends also liked what I made. My dad was a disciplinarian. He worked as a banker and a journalist, so he wanted me to have a formal education first which I did. After graduating from the C M Y K

university, I worked in the construction industry for about three years but did not find satisfaction in what I was doing so I resigned and went into fashion fully in 2008.

What do you like best about fashion designing?

It gives me an opportunity to express myself in a way I would not have been able to do if I were to express myself verbally. Fashion is a way to interpret what I am thinking in my head. It is the way I feel.

H

ow do you define your personal style?

My personal style is vibrant, young, trendy; not too sexy but still cutting the edge. I like to be viewed as young and fresh all the time. I also like keeping my fashion statement young and fresh.

I like to do my work at night because that is when everywhere is quiet and I can actually think out of the box How long does it take you to do a piece?

It depends on how elaborate a piece is. It also depends on how simple or elaborate the piece is.

Ideally, I like to do my work at night because that is when everywhere is quiet and I can actually think out of the box. It is at this time I can actually think without any distractions. If I was working at night, I would say a

couple of hours but when you are working during the day, there are more distractions then; therefore, it takes a lot longer.

W

hat are some of your accomplishments as a designer?

I was able to dress up the models of Flour Mills, Nigeria for their 50th anniversary. There were lots of foreign expatriates

What celebrities have you worked with locally and internationally? If any, what challenges did you face?

Incidentally, I have not been able to work with any celebrity both locally and internationally so far.

A

side from fashion designing, what else do you have passion for?

Apart from fashion designing, I am an events planner. I have a passion for throwing parties. I also have an events centre called Lardiva Events. We organise parties, generally. We also handle weddings, decorations, Conferences, Seminars etc.

What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?

First and foremost, I would like to tell them it is not usually easy, so they have to keep at it. They have to know what they want and go after it. You do not give up at the slightest obstacle you face because every business has its obstacles. Every business involves risk taking, and this often goes with its ups and downs. If you have a passion for it, go for it with all you have, with all you can muster and set a target with the sky as your limit. All you have to do is give it your best. Put your best forward and follow your dreams. Hard work is the key.

PAGE 28 — SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

sion of ourselves, our values and indignity, corruption. Structure matters but, in the opinion of some of us, it comes a very distant place compared to some of the things that hold Nigeria down and we are going to end up with this obsession of sharing power and all of that with a dead document.

Interestingly, in the last two weeks, I have received calls from people who try to hold some of us accountable for pushing for this conference. And we are actually in deep consultations with professional bodies, even with some ethnic nationality groups, especially with the youth groups because young people were significantly marginalized in the process of constituting a group to look at the future. And these are very smart young people. People think when you say youth groups; you’re talking about ‘area boys’, that’s not what youth groups are. Indeed if there’s anything anybody understands about this economy, the new growth in this economy is significantly driven by those who are about 30 years old without us being aware of it.

National Conference is incapable of engaging the future — Pat Utomi

•‘How banking reform set Nigeria back by 20 years’

By OMOH GABRIEL, Business Editor Professor Pat Utomi is an economist and a politician. He co-founded the Lagos Business School, now Pan African University. In this interview, Utomi speaks on the on-going National Conference and the economy among other issues.

O

NE of the biggest issues in the country today is the National Conference. We have optimists concerning the conference. We also have pessimists. There are those who are neither here nor there. Where do you stand?

I have made it part of business to keep challenging us about what our consciousness should be. In recent times, we have begun to focus on two sets of activities to deal with this matter. The first has to do with the hope that was raised that a national dialogue could result in a certain understanding of what has kept us back and how we could look at the future so that we could make the C M Y K

But I am deeply sad at what came to be known as the National Conference. It’s a tragedy for Nigeria that we ended up with how the body was constituted progress that is deservedly ours given the endowment of our country.

In that regard, I was the convener of the National Summit Group which began the formal canvassing for National Conference. But I am deeply sad at what came

to be known as the National Conference.

It’s a tragedy for Nigeria that we ended up with how the body was constituted.

It is incapable of engaging the future; it is talk on the past and the personal quarrels of yesterday. It lacks the capacity, in terms of many of the people who are there and in terms of their endowment not because they are good or bad people, to engage the future. And so, many people are now dismissing the conference as a waste of good time, good money and all kinds of motives are now being imputed on how it was constituted, why it was constituted, and all of that.

That’s far from what we had in mind, I think there’s an obsession, given the place many of the members are coming from, with perhaps issues of structure and power completely oriented by several decades of primordial politics, the politics of sharing. So how do we share better, how do we share more effectively?

Whereas I think the biggest things that challenge Nigeria today are the issues of national character, rethinking the vi-

I n other words, nothing good is likely to come out of the conference.

When you exclude that kind of people from discussing the future; then you don’t understand the future that is coming. And this is what this conference has fundamentally done and so we are in consultation with all these groups. There just might be an alternative National Conference that can engage the problems of Nigeria.

I have always thought of Delta as the new UAE where, literally, you can create a Dubai, an Abu Dhabi and all of that. Yet it remains ravished with poverty in the midst of so much. Of course, there have been talks on ‘Delta Beyond Oil’, that oil can bring savings that can help to advance other sectors the way Dubai is.

I am particularity pained because I have been a part of a process of looking at Delta’s prospects.

Former Governor James Ibori constituted a think-tank on Delta State development chaired by Deacon Gamaliel Onosode. I was a part of that think-tank; we marked Delta State. For those who might have followed my writings on matters of political economy, factor endowment, driven value change into global market, those are the basics to grow Nigeria.

That is, mark the endowment of Nigeria at the national level. And this has been well marked in all the works of the Delta think-tank on Vision 2025.

But I don’t see change principally being developed to create the opportunity for growth. And so we talk so much, whether in the civil society or in government, but the problem is how do we walk our talks; what can we do to begin to translate our public or private resources, because there are so many things you can do even with private resources? Let us look at the example of the Second Niger Bridge.

Any time somebody wants to run for election, he will promise to build the bridge. But what is the big deal about a bridge across the Niger? (Governor) Fashola (of Lagos State) built one from Ikoyi to Lekki that is not shorter than the Niger Bridge. We can have three new bridges across the Niger built by the private sector and they will be profitable. I frequently cross from Onitsha to Asaba which is now a nightmare, there are people who live in Asaba and are actually working in Onitsha. So it is like crossing a creek bridge from Onitsha to Asaba with only one bridge. And yet we play football with something which simple creative application of the mind can solve.

I can guarantee anybody who wants

Continues on page 29

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014 — PAGE 29

Utomi: Nigeria beset with the Continued from page 28

issue of national character

Of course Capland is not a magician, he is not a prophet; he is just an intelligent person who inclined himself with a particular trend he saw in a part of the world the way he did and predicted what we are now experiencing. I am sad that many Nigerians have not come into the light that we are in a major war.

More people die in Nigeria everyday than in Syria, than those that die in major civil wars of the world and we talk about war in Syria but think we just have a small problem in Nigeria; what we have in Nigeria is not a small problem because Nigeria is at war, a major war.

And if we don’t rise to intervene on the side of the poor, it will consume us all.

to try me that three Niger bridges are easy to formulate and execute.

Look at the Australian bank which has become the greatest financier of infrastructure in the world, how they built that expertise; we have the money; the will and all we need to do to show we are serious, trust worthy and will follow laws.

This is why a National Conference is not just about how many states and federating units do we have or whether we adopt a British type Westminster parliamentary model or the presidential system; it is national character that can make it easy for an Australian bank to think of coming to build a bridge across the Niger knowing that it will not have the problem of a governor coming it two years’ time to say ‘I cancel the deal’ which is what happens routinely in our country.

W hat kind of conference would you have loved to see?

The conference should be building national consensus, talking about acceptable norms. To return to Delta, a couple of weeks ago I talked about this movement for a new Delta; I said that one of the easiest ways to characterize a new Delta is a programme that I called ‘Aregbe Times 20’. What does ‘Aregbe Times 20’ mean? There was a lot of talk on how many pupils/students were in school in Osun State because they get free lunch.

You can give breakfast and lunch in a state like Delta and not encounter any challenge finding the resources to execute it. If any progress must take place, there are two things government must do: education and healthcare. People who are well and educated will create their future. And so when you look at what (Governor) Aregbesola is doing, you will see it translate, in few years, into a different kind of Osun State. It is not by accident that today we keep talking about the advantage that the Southwest has because of Chief Awolowo’s policy on education in the 50s.

I don’t want to talk about how much I have tried to push these issues privately with people who have been in the leadership in Delta State over the couples of years, that it is not a big deal; you stimulate the agricultural economy of the state by simply collaborating with farmers who will provide the food that will feed the children to attract more children to school; and then ensure that you give them the best possible education and training and retraining for teachers by using remote teaching possibilities that technology made possible to ensure that the best education get to kids across the state. You can also create this competitive economy where you can create a new city not far from Bomadi that will grow not like Abuja; if I have my may, I will bomb Abuja out of existence because it is a major part of Nigeria’s problem.

That point I am making is that, nearly 39 per cent of the federal revenue goes to Abuja. North-east takes1.6 per cent of the revenue and you are talking about Boko Haram, why will it not happen?

South-east of Nigeria 2 point something per cent; so why won’t you have kidnapping in there?

A federal administrative capital does not grow the way Abuja has grown. It is because of the huge channeling of resources into Abuja for the comfort of the administrative elite that you are creating exactly those conditions that Robert Capland talked about in his anticipaC M Y K

•Pat Utomi...Economy driven by people under 30

When you exclude that kind of people from discussing the future; then you don’t understand the future that is coming tion of the West Africa of the future.

But if, organically, you take somewhere around Bomadi and create a base on its factor endowment, the hydro carbon value chain that goes into the global economy; go to another part of Delta like Koko and take an agro allied endowment, say rubber. You create an industry for it through which you generate employment and you take the resources available there into the global economy, invest in all the skills of people getting practical skills through vocational skill and all of that by working within that industrial park. You go to somewhere around Iseluku, create another city that is also based on factor endowment on agriculture into global value chain, you will find Abu Dhabi and Dubai emerge organically.

Any serious minded person can create a full employment economy in a state like Delta. The whole essence of the Bretton Wood institutions after World War Two was to attain a full employment status for the global economy.

Our failure Leaders of the free world got together and said, ‘Let us create institutions that will ensure that we are not exporting

problems from one economy into another and not exporting inflation and that trade continues to flow’. The thinking gave birth to the IMF, the World Bank and of course their subsidiaries.

And so the idea of a full economy is not a utopian idea. Delta State has the endowment to ensure that everybody, over 21, who has no job is immediately put to work, paid some stipend and, where he or she has no re skill, be programmed and deskilled within a short period of time and then you can create an economy that can become a driver for the growth of the rest of Nigerians.

O ur failure as a people is to say why can’t we get our society to do this that is possible? It is something that all of us will be judged one day. And this is the trouble that I have put myself to in the last two years at different levels. And, sometimes, some people think I am crazy, but I am looking at how I will be judged.

My hope is that this movement for a new Delta State will bring in people from all sides of the divide, political, ethnic and wherever, because the strength of Delta is in its diversity. And that through this movement, we can put a game plan in place that is clear. I have an inclination that is left of the political center. In terms of political affiliation, I am a member of APC and I say it very clearly that I am a part of the making of the APC manifesto which is people-centered, and the ideal is that if you take that kind of people-centered approach, you will renew this country and the coming anarchy may be averted. But not to have that kind of leadership orientation, we will thoroughly experience the anarchy that Capland said is coming to Africa.

After Capland finished his analysis, he said that a point where there is a significant convergence of this malfunction and cleavages is a city in Nigeria call Jos. My friend, who was a security chief at a time, when I gave him the book to read, finished reading on a certain Saturday morning, called and said, “I want to find this man called Robert Capland”.

T he economy is still down despite the efforts of government to revive it. How do we get it right?

Property right constitutes a major part of the constitutional arrangement that makes an economy advance. Now, until the people have a philosophical understanding of what property right means, that country is going to work very hard to make major progress.

For a long time, I was in a position to be called and I still get called by people who want to invest in Nigeria. Before IBM decided to re-enter Nigeria, I spent time with their executives around the world. As the discussion went on, on whether they will be coming to Nigeria with any significant strength, I was contacted from London, Washington and all of the calls I received were laced with skepticism about the system and I kept on persuading them on why they couldn’t afford not to be in Nigeria.

Scared People are scared about Nigeria because there is impunity, and property rights are not certain. Later IBM decided to come into Nigeria, and also GE. So many came to me and said if they have any trade dispute in court, they will never get a resolution. On the basis of this, their thinking is, ‘I would rather go to a place where the challenges of doing business are lower and there is a higher certainty’. Because of this, I wrote a book in 1988, entitled: ‘Managing uncertainty; competition and strategy in emerging economies’. Because of the issues of institutions and economic performance, properties rights are so fundamental and that is why people don’t understand when some of us raise some fundamental issues.

Infringement For instance, when this banking thing came, it was a grievous infringement on people’s property rights. And what did the media do? They were cheering, saying “catch those thieves” but Vanguard was exceptional because it was the paper that projected the plan and that it was a conspiracy to do what was done in the banking industry.

This famous reform has set Nigeria back by 20 years, I assure you. Peoples’ banks were stolen to their face. But we celebrated the deception and created one more reason people should not invest in Nigeria because property rights are violated. A Peruvian economist wrote this book on the mystery of capital and the essence of his thesis is that the problem between the rich and the poor is that the poor has assets but it is dead capital, not fundable and not translatable into capital.

PAGE 30, SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

By JIDE AJANI

T

his report will show that there is a serious challenge of not only ineptitude and incompetence but also ethnicity, nepotism and perception of alleged partisanship in the conduct of the affairs of the legal department of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The resultant consequence of this is that the Commission may be in danger of creating unintended problems for itself as the 2015 general elections approach. That is what Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman, insists would not happen. This is a first in a series in the build-up to next year’s elections.

NEC AND THE JUNE 12, 1993, SAGA

The department stole the thunder and unleashed it.

Headed by a young, intelligent and vibrant man, the legal department of the then National Electoral Commission, NEC, played a very strategic, nay positive, role in the political chess game that served as a precursor to the eventual annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

The head of the department was one Bukhari Bello. Once the confusion over the continued release of the results of that election suggested that some vested interests, ably encouraged by the then military junta, were determined to scuttle the process, especially with the role the then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Clement Akpamgbo, was playing, it was up to the legal department of the electoral body to either acquiesce to the egregious game plan or save the situation by seeking judicial redress. And whereas it had become all too clear that the courts in the Federal Capital Ter ritor y, FCT, Abuja, were under the jackboot, Bello headed to Appeal Court, Kaduna Division, to institute an appeal against the court order of Federal High Court, Abuja, stopping the continued release of the results.

By so doing, Bello sought to protect the integrity and sanctity of not just the Commission but its leadership as well as the professional capabilities of the Commission’s legal department.

Unfortunately, however, once the federal authorities at that time discovered that all indices suggested that the appeal would pass, an unsigned statement was innocuously issued from the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, annulling the election.

But even with the annulment, Bello and his department proved one point: That it is possible to stay above the fray, keep your head high and maintain a decorum that is at once engaging but also protective of deep sense of value.

Today, Professor Attahiru Jega is Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. For a man of immense goodwill, goodwill hoisted on his pole of demonstrable integrity, a wealth of integrity that Jega himself guards with massive jealousy, there have been some unnerving developments at the headquarters of the Commission.

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

9tion 3 which gave original jurisdiction to determine whether the term of office of a governor or depuC M Y K

2015 ELECTION SERIES (1)

INEC: The parable of ignorance on steroids * Why the Commission must look carefully into its legal department

ty governor has ceased or become vacant to the Federal High Court.

Yet the legal department of INEC was totally ignorant of this development.

Does this seeming lack of understanding of the provisions of the law a function of ignorance at the top or an inadvertent slipshod?

IN THE BEGINNING

Sometime on the 13th day of June, 2012, Jega, at a retreat for senior officers of INEC, was confronted with what looked like a mini-rebellion from the lot. The bone of contention was the report of the Senior Staff

recommendations on restructuring INEC”. The documents quoted the INEC boss as saying the consultant completed this task and submitted four volumes of its report between February and May, 2012, after conducting staff interviews, reviewing pertinent documents and drawing from comparative international experiences.

“The objectives of the Commission in requesting this consultancy from PwC were to create an administrative structure that would ensure a trim, effective and efficient electoral management body that would deliver

Were the problem only restricted to the issue of lopsided composition, intellect and a deep knowledge of the law would have been expected to make up for that Establishments Committee’s (SSEC) review of the findings by the consultant the Commission had hired.

According to documents, Jega had explained at the retreat that “PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was appointed as a consultant by the Commission in October 2011 and tasked with the development of

better elections in 20I5 and beyond,” he added. The outcomes of this engagement were understood to be a recommendation on restructuring INEC’s operational functions, clarification of job descriptions and a proposal on a new remuneration scheme in line with market rates.

The SSEC Report is a response and

*Professor Attahiru Jega commentary on the PwC report, offering an alternative ‘structure’.

That alternative structure, Sunday Vanguard gathered, became controversial to the extent that its objective analysis by Jega created a controversy of its own.

Indeed, it was at that retreat that the issue of “Accounting Officer ” created a tussle between some senior staff and the Commission Chairman.

The INEC boss concluded thus: “Arising from my review of and comments on the SSEC Report on PwC Report, I wish to recommend as follows: “1.At this Retreat, we should not conflate the issues of restructuring and reorganization of the administrative structure of INEC and those of making National Commissioners as Executives.

If we have to do the latter at all, the best forum might be in our interactions with the members of the National Assembly as they undertake the review of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. We may then wish to ask them to make explicit provisions in the laws as to who is the Accounting Officer of INEC, whether National Commissioners are also Executives, and so on.

“2.Let us then review the

Continues on page 31

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 31

INEC: The parable of ignorance on steroids Continued from page 30 recommendation of the PwC, those of the SSEC and mine and see what kind of trim structure we may come up with, to reduce over departmentalization and sectionalization; to remove duplication of functions and responsibilities; and to make for efficient and effective service delivery of lNEC’s programmes and projects even before the Constitution and the Electoral Act are further amended”.

RESTRUCTURING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT

It was while executing the recommendations of the consultants that a tsunami swept through INEC via the instrumentality of a ‘ restructuring’ exercise.

What the Commission did was to attempt to put square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. Some heads of department were redeployed while some were promoted.

The massive waves, which swept

The legal department of a very strategic institution like INEC should be structured in such a manner as to guarantee a wholesome discharge of its responsibility through the Commission, touched every department – including its legal department.

The strategic nature of the legal department was such that, very competent sources disclosed to Sunday Vanguard, that even some of the legal consultants the

Commission uses to prosecute its cases “had expressed some form of concern about the department”.

In fact, that was the reason the searchlight was beamed specially on the department during the restructuring.

Some officers of the department were moved around.

The then acting head of department, Ibrahim K. Bawa, was also moved out of the department.

Indeed, a review by one Madaki concluded that there was need to reenergise and infuse fresh blood into the legal department – that was how Bawa was removed However, by a stroke of fortune, after the waters of the tsunami receded, Bawa was returned to head the department.

Part of the concern of some sources at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, is that the counsel of some of the very senior lawyers who consult for the Commission may have been suffering injuries on account of how the department functions.

For Jega, whose integrity remains a driving force for the enthronement of peaceful, free and fair general elections in 2015, “he may have to look critically into what goes on in that department of the Commission”, a federal commissioner told Sunday Vanguard last week in Abuja.

“The legal department of a very strategic institution like INEC should be structured in such a manner as to guarantee a wholesome discharge of its responsibility. That was why the first wave of restructuring made a sweep of the department. But if the current trend is allowed to continue, the commission should be ready for whatever fallout from engagements on its behalf by its legal department”, another federal commissioner said.

No matter. It should be consoling to Nigerians that Jega’s integrity, which has been keeping the Commission afloat and above the fray, would play a pivotal role in redeeming the alleged discounts highlighted.

Still on the Ndokwa 2015 quest VIEWPOINT

BY TOJU EGHAREVBA VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Equity and collaboration as factors in Delta State next election

T

HE future of Delta State and the unity of this multi-ethnic state is at stake. Since its creation by General Ibrahim Babangida on August 17, 2001, Delta has been a curious piece of work and one that has continued to be subject of interest to its people and the watchers of the state. Years after its creation, cobbling a Delta that everyone can see as one indivisible state with shared aspiration is still work in progress.

Whether we accept it or not, Delta remains a divided state. The issues that divide Delta can be traced to its birth. The aspiration to have a Delta for all in the present form was not met. There is still the feeling that Delta is perhaps the only state in Nigeria that has two capitals. One in Warri, the other at Asaba. Was this avoidable? My answer is yes. But that did not happen because the leadership of the nation under Babangida did not handle the issue of the capital properly.

Today, there is a hardcore belief in some quarters that the true capital of Delta has not been created. Is this position justifiable? My answer is that there is some validity to it. I say this, because by not adequately resolving some issues properly, a section of the state felt cheated. If anyone feels unjustifiably treated, then the person will be hurting and will do whatever it is, in his or her power, to show his rejection of his position.

For some non-Anioma, there is a clear lack of appreciation of Delta as C M Y K

created, in particular the issue of capital. For the Anioma person, there is clear dissatisfaction with Delta as structured. For the non-Anioma, the issue of capital, economy and power sharing is not fully resolved and continues to hold him back from embracing the state as it is. For the Anioma person, the issue is pretty simple: he feels marginalized and unwelcomed in a state he feels does not deserve him. Which is perhaps why, more than any other ethnic group, the Anioma people have agitated the most for the creation of a different state.

In other words, Delta is a state not many really want or feel fully represent their wish. And so whether it is perceived in the public space, the issue of governorship will take colorations which will unfold along some of the lines of my argument. Should power shift; if so, where and which section of the where? From comments I have read in the papers and the posturing in political circles, the Urhobo of Delta central are not prepared to look the other way, not minding that since the creation of Delta, they have governed the longest. Governor Felix Ibru and Governor James Ibori from Delta central have a combined rulership of 10 years and, for this reason and to many non-Urhobo, an immediate return to power by them is unacceptable and not representative of fairness and equity.

In politics as in other things, there are those who have rigid posture and there are those who are liberal.

From what I can see, some Urhobo leaders don’t really mind if it rotates to other parts of the state. If by 2015, this were to happen and the Urhobo support power shift wholeheartedly, I would consider it the most significant statement affirming Delta in its present form by them. With incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan from

Delta south ending his tenure next year, there has not, as I write, a strong move by Delta south to present another candidate. Godsday Orubebe, erstwhile minister of Niger Delta, has his own unique interpretation of power shift in Delta.

To him, the Ijaw in Delta have been the most neglected. The hurdle for Orubebe is that not many people are buying into this argument and it re-

I think having studied the dynamics the Ndokwa people, who, though are part of Delta north, have been relentless in campaigning that, in considering power shift, it should come to their area mains to be seen how many people he can use his point of view to persuade his ambition with.

While Orubebe struggles to reach out, politicians from Delta north, many

of whom naturally feel that for equity sake, power should shift to their area, have been going about canvassing this position. They have set up different organizations to mobilise their people and reach out to the rest of the state to support their zone. What cannot be missed is that the most sensitive issue in Delta north is whether power will shift to their zone or not.

And I think that is why the people are so emotional about it.

I think having studied the dynamics the Ndokwa people, who, though are part of Delta north, have been relentless in campaigning that, in considering power shift, it should come to their area.

The language I have heard them use over time is: we are the bridge connecting all other parts of Delta.. We are oil and gas producing, we have riverine terrain, and so far even though we are geographically at the centre of the state, we have nothing to show for it. We are the least developed in Delta north. In fact, the Ndokwa has even played the ethnic card in saying we inter-marry with others easily because we share common borders and so we speak other languages that are not traditionally ours. And so we are less likely to inspire doubt and suspicion.

The claim by the Ndokwa people, while true to some extent, is one that harks back to the point I made earlier about the politics of creation, capital location, ethnic configuration and economy. By coming out boldly, the Ndokwa people are stating a claim that, to some extent, will have some impact in 2015 politics. Whether they will succeed depends on the extent they are able to persuade others, a feat I think is not going to be easy.

* Egharevba lives in Delta State

PAGE 32—SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

2015

Why APC will not zone the presidency – Gov. Oshiomhole

to their own personal problems.

Even in the education sector, if you are rich, you take your children to US, UK, even Ghana. If you are poor, you look for a private school set up in a three-bedroom flat, and if you are too poor, you are trapped in your poverty.

Everybody should find the courage to confront the problem of bad governance. Some of our people come to me and say: ‘ you should take it easy with these people because politically they are very sensitive’.

What can be more sensitive than compromising the future of our children? You cannot be in government without driving change. If our electorate were sensitive, by the time WEAC results are out and a particular state records 70% failure, the party in power will never rule again in a long time. Two weeks ago, I was in London, and the debate was that the performance of children in British schools in Mathematics had declined. The British government was looking in the direction of encouraging Chinese to come and teach Mathematics in British schools. Nobody needs to be in government office if he does not have the liver to deal with the problems threatening the future of our country. My fear for Nigeria is not just the number of unemployed people but the fact that 90% of these people are unemployable.

As our economy gets bigger, many big industries will be coming up, but do we have the skilled manpower to fill them? So, I am very passionate about this and I have no choice but to push it to conclusion and damn the consequences.

Some weeks ago when the assessment test was held, it was reported that only about 70 teachers were accredited as the rest refused to turn up. Why do you think teachers are shying away from an exercise aimed at assisting them to get better in their chosen profession?

Those who know they are not supposed to be addressed as teachers will do everything to block it. Many fear that they will not pass. It is not about pass or fail but to see how we can help those who need help.

Many of them turned up but the union officials prevented them from going in to do the test. There were scuffles in various locations, and to avoid violence the security agents decided to manage the situation. Another thing was this black market injunction which was issued by the President of the Industrial Court. I use my words carefully: a black market injunction purportedly issued by Justice Adejumo. Because the court is a creation of the law, it cannot do violence to the law. The NUT, I understand, had applied for injunction at Akure Division of the court which covers Edo State. The judge, in his wisdom, asked that the government be placed on notice and fixed a date for hearing, only for Justice Adejumo, in Abuja, in another division of the same court, to issue another injunction restricting Edo State government from assessing its teachers. It is so ridiculous. This purported court order was never served on us, but I heard that NUT officials photocopied the injunction and were circulating it. We have written a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC). Justice Adejumo cannot turn the Industrial Court to his own instrument that he can use according to his own whims and caprices. We will see to the end of it. I have a duty to the Edo child, to the Edo people. The responsibility of government is to protect the interest of the public, particularly when it is clear that if certain things are not done the collective interests of our people will be compromised.

The bane of our society is that people look at what is politicially convenient, but I believe in the dictum that a politician looks at the next election but a statesman looks at the next generation.

What strategies are you employing to overcome the infrastructural deficit of Edo State?

We adopted a programme to open up the state to develop the rural areas and pursue urban renewal. Lee Kuan Yew says “from the airport you make a statement”.

I remember when we started to do the Airport Road, the PDP said it was not viable, as we would destroy people’s homes. Even a section of the Oba’s palace was at the risk of being demolished. We had to do a

*On his battle with NUT: We have too many quacks masquerading as teachers

By Ochereome Nnnana

G

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the question of his party, All Progressive Congress (APC), zoning the presidency in the 2015 general elections does not arise as the party has no provision for it. The governor also, in this interview, speaks on his running battle with teachers over qualification, his efforts to address infrastructural deficit in Edo and the National Conference, among other issues. Excerpts: The last time we heard you, you said you would never rest until all those responsible for the murder of Comrade Oyerinde Olaitan, your Principal Secretary, including the senior police officers allegedly shielding them, are brought to justice. What is the situation now, about one year later?

The last time I spoke on this was at the House of Reps, almost a year ago. I understand the House of Reps has released their report in which they advised the police and SSS to harness their findings and hand over the findings to the Edo State Director of Public Prosecution. That was the last I heard on the issue. I said everything you attributed to me, but I also have to recognize that there are things that are beyond me. They say may God give you the patience to bear what you cannot change. I don’t have a police force. I have pushed the matter to the best of my ability. I have no new card to play. At this point.

I hand the matter over to God. I can’t do much more than I have done, but it is a heavy burden in my heart which I have to live with.

The burning issue right now in Edo State is your effort to reform the educators. You have rebuilt schools but the people who make good education possible – the teachers – you have been having running battles with them over the need to identify the qualified ones among them through competency tests.

Even though the problem is there all over the country, can you describe the peculiar situation in Edo State?

We have abandoned the idea of competency test for what we now call assessment test. The basic difference is that we want to assess the teachers in our employment to find out what is the level of their competence. That way we will be able to establish the level of assistance they require.

For instance, a man who has a National Certificate of Education (NCE) but can’t teach will be put in the hands of experts to determine the kind of training he requires to make up for his deficiency. If he has the knowledge but does not know how to impart the skill, an appropriate training can be designed. On the other hand, if we find that someone was not supposed to be a teacher at all; he is not even educated but somehow, due to corrupt practices, either through monetary inducement or political manipulations by successive governments and they were dumped on the system, such that their weaknesses cannot be cured through training and retraining, we will decide what to do with them. If they cannot be redeployed to other areas where they can be useful, then they have to give way to others who have what it takes. We want to understand the nature of the problem besetting education in Edo State, that is why we call it assessment.

We can help teachers to be upgraded through in-service training and refresher courses.

We need a lot of investment in education because that is the most important infrastructure. Infrastructure like roads, hospitals, electricity, water – those are conventional infrastructure that people can see. The most important infrastructure is human capital. And the foundation is primary and secondary education.

I think that is the logic behind compulsoC M Y K

Adams Oshiomhole ry basic education; that every child, irrespective of his economic circumstances, should have quality basic education. If you get the buildings, the furniture and other things right but the teacher is not competent, then all that investment will be wasted.

As I walk round the state, I often come across young pupils going or coming from school, most times in company of their parents. I look at the uniform and realise that it does not belong to one of the government schools. Some of the m are attending these mushroom private schools.

Some of the schools operate from uncompleted buildings, no playgrounds, no sporting, recreational facilities. Then I ask the kid, why do you like to go to that school?’ Or sometimes I ask, ‘have you seen the government schools, the red roof schools?’ They say ‘ yes’. ‘So why are you not attending there?’ ‘My mummy or my daddy said no I should attend this one’. A couple of times I have had to interview their parents. They tell me they are happy with the way we have rebuilt the public schools but they are not sure of the teachers.

Across the country, everybody recognizes the crisis in the education sector. It is easy to see the dilapidated school buildings. What is not easy to see is the quality of the teaching staff. The result is that every year West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other examination bodies announce 70 per cent failure. And we just move on. We are producing children who do not have what it takes to be employable, or go into the university or polytechnic or even acquire technical education. You now have educated people who cannot read and write.

To underscore the problem, I came across a woman who, in the course verifying her credentials, could not read an affidavit. Instead of “I solemnly declare”, she said “1 Solomon”. Instead of “Judicial Province”, she said: “Onitsha Prophet”. “Judicial” starts with “J”, yet she was confusing “Judicial” with “Onitsha”.

“Province” is “Prophet”. We asked yet another teacher: ‘how many local governments are there in Edo State, list some of them?’ She said: “UNIBEN”. UNIBEN is

Those who know they are not supposed to be addressed as teachers will do everything to block it. Many fear that they will not pass. It is not about pass or fail but to see how we can help those who need help

a local government! I mean, I don’t want to talk about it. We saw things like these in the process of checking credentials, and we realised that the problem goes beyond ghost teachers, or teachers refusing rural postings, but that there are people parading as teachers who are not. We have too many quacks masquerading as teachers.

And the moment I realised this, it was only natural that I had to find courage to deal with this human element which makes all the difference. I started meeting with the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), civil society organizations, we had town hall meetings. In all these meetings, civil society, human rights organizations, royal fathers, community leaders, market women all said yes, teachers must do this test. The more the teachers are hesitant, the more members of the public are wondering: ‘ why are you refusing to do this?’ Governance has deteriorated in Nigeria, and everybody has tried to find his own private solution. There is no way society can make progress when those who should find solutions to problems are finding solutions

Continues on Page 33

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014 , PAGE 33

Continued from Page 32 couple of things which every governor should do: find courage to remove illegal structures. The real challenge was in finding the funds but I have since realised that it is not how much you have but how you manage the little that you have. Across the three senatorial districts we built roads, hospitals and connected many areas with modern amenities.

The PDP in Edo State appears to have reunited its factions and are now saying they will retrieve the state from APC come next election. What is your reaction?

Perhaps they think they want to rule a conquered nation. They underestimate the capacity of the people to resist what they do not want. I have taken risks to serve this country. If people want to manipulate themselves into power against the wishes of Edo people, we will fight; there is no doubt about that. I know, as things are today, PDP cannot win election in Edo State. If they are saying they will will use federal instruments to criminally rig elections, it remains to be seen whether they want to kill all of us or how they want to do it. For the remaining years of my life, I will stand on my fight to fight for truth and justice, as for free and fair elections, not only in Edo State but the nation at large. Edo people have accepted the principle of one man one vote. We launched it here, and even the President has keyed into it. The federal agencies are not PDP agencies. The uniform of the armed forces are for Nigerians, not for a political party. The country is greater than any political party. I want to tell the old men who use such terms that even though they introduced rigging they should repent because if they die in sin hell will be their portion.

Does APC believe in zoning of offices like the presidency, governorship and others? If the answer is yes, then what is the difference between APC and PDP?

As far as I know, there is no provision for zoning in the APC constitution. And, therefore, it means that there is no zoning.

But it is already widely speculated that the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2015 election will come from the North?

The way to find out is to look at the APC constitution and see whether there is provision for zoning. It is not about what the people say or speculate. In the PDP, it is in their constitution. In the APC constitution, there is nothing like that. Number two, the organs where a decision is taken is during a convention where rules are made, amended or approved, or at the National Executive Council where major decisions are taken. To the best of my knowledge, at no meeting of the organs of the APC have we ever discussed zoning let alone adopting it.

I know you are not an enthusiast of the ongoing National Conference, but can you suggest how it can help to reduce the cost of governance in the country?

In Edo State we did not have to do do a state conference in order to be able to increase capital vote or put more money in order to carry out projects. Nations do not need National Conference in order to restructure expenditure.

When I got to Edo State, 80% of our annual expenditure was for recurrent vote leaving 20% for capital. Even the quality of the capital vote was a problem. We decided from day one that we were going to revise it to 60/40 ratio, 60 capital and 40% recurrent. I did not need to convene a conference of Edo ethnic nationalities to reduce the cost of governance, so I do not believe a conference is required to achieve that purpose. Cost of governance cannot be addressed by a conference.

I am surprised that you think it can. Cost of governance is not in the rules. It is in the habit. It does not require a serious research to establish what is already in the public domain, namely, that what is required to maintain a senator the president of the US does not

‘We have too many quacks masquerading as teachers’

Avwomakpa Oshiomhole

The country is greater than any political party. I want to tell the old men who use such terms that even though they introduced rigging they should repent because if they die in sin hell will be their portion earn it. So it is not even the presidential system that is responsible for the high cost of governance in our democracy. There was this report a couple of years ago which showed that some members of the British parliament made some double claims, some claimed ten thousand pounds for accommodation and

other small expenditures, and for the British media and public this was a scandal. And I remember the Prime Minister, David Cameron, saying that any of the members involved would lose their seats, and they did. Here we are, we public office holders have suites in the first class of British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates and Qatar Airways.

How we structure our budget is not a function of the style of our government. This goes into the heart of what we call good governance.

Is it a party or government of the day that makes this decision? Given the number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government, more than 500 of them, what can a regime really do to pare down the recurrent wage bill unless the constitution devolves power and reduces the size of government?

No, no, no. that is the black-

mail element. The recurrent expenditure is not synonymous with salaries and wages paid to workers who work. If you analyse the content of recurrent expenditure carefully you will be shocked that wages are not the major problem. I know for a fact that when we went for conferences, the Nigerian delegation was (and still is) the largest. And yet when you get to the committee levels, the Nigerians are not present. They are all at the various shopping malls. That was where I learnt one interesting thing about foreign travels, and why it is a major source of selfhelp in the public service. If a minister says he is travelling for a conference of three weeks he collects the estacode for three weeks, he collects the estacode for three weeks, spends five days and comes back. He doesn’t need to retire the daily travel allowance he collects. It is not uncommon to find a man whose salary is N100,000 a month, his estacode is $600 a day. One day estacode can pay his salary for one month. If he manages to corner two weeks trip he has earned over a year salary. It is all part of the recurrent expenditure. There are all kinds of wastages in the system. That’s why the most booming industry in Nigeria is seminars and workshops, and the new thing the public service does is to organise these seminars and workshops through consultants.

Consultancy is the best way to defraud a government because there is no price on the shelf. It is a willing buyer and a willing seller. The simple gadget these days is an ipad and a small projector for powerpoint presentation and you can just pick up a million dollars, two million dollars consultancy. Wastages in the system go way beyond salaries and wages.

‘We cancelled APC ward congress in Edo South to institutionalize internal democracy’ SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

OVERNOR Adams Oshi omhole has been facing seG rious political challenges in Edo

State in the past one week, this time around not from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but from his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The last Tuesday ward congress of the APC almost tore the party apart in the state after the ward congress which loyalists of his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, claimed victory in Edo South while those of the former South-south Vice Chairman of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, cried foul over the exercise and called for its cancellation. Ize-Iyamu complained that there was no result sheet and “officials assigned to conduct the congress became ghosts”. He therefore stressed the need for the party to live up to its name and cancel the exercise.

But Odubu countered the argument, arguing that the party members who came out to vote made do with the materials available and that the exercise was a huge success.

Oshiomhole, on Thursday, announced the cancellation of the exercise and gave reasons for his

action. “There was a huge turnout; however, in most cases, officials assigned to conduct this exercise did not get to the venue on time and, where they showed up, they did not carry materials, such as the registers and the result sheets, with them. Without the register you cannot carry out accreditation and for any election to be meaningful, particularly an election that is not open to every voter, but one that is open only to members of the party, it is absolutely necessary that all those who came to vote that they are accredited and verified as real members of the party,” the governor said. “So, the absence of any formal accreditation will undermine a very important rules of the game which cannot be cured by action. So that fundamental defect of conducting election without accreditation made the exercise a complete nullity and it cannot be remedied because we cannot even vouch for the authenticity of those who voted. And I will like to explain that I have no doubt whatsoever that majority of those who came out to vote, they were members of our party. However it is impossible to say that some of those who had voted were actually members of

the party because accreditation was not carried out. In some other instances, not only was accreditation not carried out, those who were to conduct the election were not available and therefore many people decided to resort to self-

came to vote. And you found that in many parts of Oredo, this kind of thing happened, where people ran away while trying to cast their votes. Now we have listened to reports from all the local governments in Edo South and it was

If ordinary people at the grassroots cannot determine who their ward leader is, at what level of the party structure can they have a say? So, for us, it is better we do the exercise over and over again until we get it right help. People who turned up, now on their own, appointed among themselves individuals to conduct the election. Consequently you will find that in an area, two people declaring themselves as winners. All of these has cast serious doubt on the integrity of the entire process”.

He continued: “There were areas where people used unfair tactics to scare away people who

clear that what was done was not absolutely satisfactory. And therefore we have decided that rather than lay this kind of foundation, we will in line with the commitment to democratic principle and ensuring that our members have a party that is founded on popular participation, one that is not driven by god fathers or by selfimposition; the only way to cure this serious defect on the guide-

lines of the election is to cancel the exercise. And we all agreed yesterday that the Tuesday exercise be cancelled in Edo South so that we can conduct a free and fair congress which has now be rescheduled. We have also decided on those who were assigned to conduct this exercise, because of the incompetent way they handled it, that these people will not participate in this and we will appoint fresh people from other parts of the state who are neutral to conduct the election. “For us in APC, I believe that we must try to change the old attitude of trying to cheat ourselves. The foundation of one man one vote, and for sustainable democracy, dictates that there must be internal party democracy and the real test of that internal party democracy lies in the conduct of ward congress. If ordinary people at the grassroots cannot determine who their ward leader is, at what level of the party structure can they have a say? So, for us, it is better we do the exercise over and over again until we get it right. Our party is the All Progressives Congress and we cannot be said to be progressives if we are doing exactly the same thing the other party is doing”.

PAGE 34 —SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

A nation without fuel!

*Our demand for six new refineries – PENGASSAN

BY UDEME CLEMENT

The move by the Federal Government to privatise the four nation’s refineries is unsettling for many stakeholders in the oil and gas sector. While some stakeholders are against the idea, saying the privatization of enterprises like Daily Times, Air Nigeria, NICON Insurance and, most recently, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are not yielding the desired result, others advised government to build more refineries and give them to third parties who can run them prudently and pay government every year to recoup its investment. The Lagos Zonal Chairman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Folorunso Oginni, spoke on the controversy surrounding the refineries, subsidy crisis, persistent scarcity of petroleum products, casual workers in the industry and the urgent need for government to invest in refineries to meet the demand for products in the country.

W

HY do we have persistent scar city of fuel despite the fact that Nigeria has crude oil?

To start with, Nigerian government does not have any reason to import fuel.

We have four refineries that were built around 1979. If these refineries are producing at 100 per cent capacity, they ought to produce about 18.2million litres daily. Today, these plants are producing less than 30 per cent of the installed capacity. According to statistics, we consume about 32.8million litres of petrol daily. If you look at the difference between 32.8million litres and 18.2million installed capacity, you can see the wide gap, but, unfortunately, we are not even producing up to the installed capacity.

Look at the sad situation. Even when at 100 per cent capacity, there is a wide gap, let alone now that we produce less than 30 per cent of 18.2million installed capacity. Then we ask the question, why do we engage in importation of fuel, when we have crude oil and the man power ready to work in these plants? Today, our economy is at a cross roads, as many graduates who left school three years ago have no jobs, and we remain backward where we are; a nation without tangible economic development.

Comrade Folorunso Oginni As the senior arm of oil workers in the country, what is PENGASSAN doing, in terms of advising government on how to tackle petrol scarcity in the system?

We have been appealing to the Federal Government to build new refineries, at least one plant each in the six geo-political zone of the country. Government refused to build plants, saying Nigerians are not managing government enterprises prudently. We came out to say that there is a way out of the issue of mismanagement, which government is using as an excuse.

What do you think is the way out of this mismanagement barrier?

The way out is to build more plants and give them out to third parties who will run the plants profitably. In doing so, government should have agreement with them on how much they will remit every year; and within a short period, government will recoup its investment, after which more money will still come in as profit from the plants.

For example, there are many hotels built in Lagos and given out to people to manage adequately. Because the owners realised that they do not have the technical-know-how to run the hotels, they built, equipped and gave them out to experts to manage.

Why is government not yielding to your suggestion?

I want the media to investigate the reasons behind huge subsidy allocations and issuance of licences for importation of petroleum products. It is glaring that if you close subsidy and importation, it simply means you are closing the sources of their income.

This is because our government takes delight in importation and subsidy. I want the media to investigate the reasons behind huge subsidy allocations and issuance of licences for importation of petroleum products. It is glaring that if you close subsidy and importation, it simply means you are closing the sources of their income. So, you can see the situation we are in this country. The sad thing is that the import licences are issued to their friends and cronies, who are making a lot of money for themselves, to the detriment of the masses of Nigeria. The subsidy account cannot be reconciled because of the corruption embedded in it. People have asked several questions, no answers. The situation can be described as the more

you look, the less you see.

Importation and subsidy allocations have become veritable sources of income for some individuals, while most Nigerians live in abject poverty and unemployment. This is why government is not interested in building more plants to reduce importation of fuel. That is why our economy is going backward.

Our elders usually say if you fail to plan, it means you are planning to fail.

This is our situation in Nigeria today.

Another challenge is that the Naira often slides to the dollar. For instance, if someone placed importation order last December when Naira was 155 to the dollar, can he still bring in product now that Naira is between 165 to170 per dol-

lar? It is certainly not possible, because of the slide in the Naira. So, the importer will not bring in the product again. Does it even make any economic sense for Nigeria, which is one of the largest crude oil producing countries, to import refined petroleum products? We have what it takes to build refineries but those in authority are not interested due to selfish reasons.

Singapore has no crude oil but that country has over 30 refineries. They buy crude oil from outside, refine and sell to develop their economy. Recently, it was reported that government refused to issue import licences in December 2013, and that is partly why there is scarcity now. That took place three months ago and the supply chain was disrupted due to the three months gap. Once the supply chain is disrupted, there is bound to be scarcity of product. The problems are not diversion of product and hoarding as they are making Nigerians to believe, but corruption associated with issuing import licences and subsidy.

Why didn’t we have scarcity of fuel in December when most people travelled across the country? They are telling lies against Nigerians, so that government will put everything at the door steps of few individuals to enrich themselves. You can only hoard a product that is scarce.

Judging by the analysis, who should be blamed in this situation between government and oil importers?

Government is to be blamed because since government refused to plan, it planned to fail. Look at Saudi Arabia and other countries where there is crude oil. Is any of them importing fuel? The fuel they sell in Saudi Arabia today when converted to Naira is N11.25k per litre, while Nigeria is selling at N97 per litre, and government keeps telling us that they are subsiding fuel. So, who is subsiding who?

Since the masses are not benefiting from fuel subsidy, who are those actually enjoying the subsidy money?

This is the question government must answer. We are telling this government to build refineries and close subsidy. There is no point subsiding fuel. We are not interested in subsidy.

Government should invest in refineries to remove us from this ugly situation, because it is obvious that the masses are not benefiting from the so-called sub-

sidy. In Nigeria, nobody is ready to tell the masses the truth and that is why we are in this shameful situation.

Can you give us the monetary estimate in naira and kobo how much government needs to build refineries?

Government can build a modern refinery for $4billion. We advised government to build at least one plant in each geo-political zone in the country. What obtains all over the world now is modern, automated refinery and not analogue.

Our consumption rate currently is 32.8million litres daily. If we can meet this production capacity, why do we need to deceive ourselves with importation of fuel? South Africa has a population of over 40million, yet they generate 36,000 mega watts (MW) of electricity, while Nigeria of over 160million people generates only 4,000MW. What a shame! You can see that our economy is at a cross roads.

What exactly is responsible for this sudden decline in Nigeria’s economy and prevalent rate of unemployment.

Here we are only looking at the decay in the oil and gas industry but it is quite clear that deception is the order of the day in Nigeria.

Niger Republic built a refinery of recent; when their President was asked what their plans were, since they cannot consume everything that will come out of the plant, he said they will sell to neighbouring countries, including Nigeria. Can you imagine how our situation has deteriorated so that Niger, that desert country, is targeting Nigeria to sell fuel to? Does it not speak volumes, the negligence of our government?

Look at young Nigerians who were into tailoring, welding and other small scale businesses all on the streets as Okada riders just to earn a living. They have nothing to do because there is no electricity for their businesses to thrive. In my area now, there is no electricity. Foreigners have taken over our economy. Some buy over our local companies and move abroad to get their people to work in Nigeria, while our youths are rooming the streets unemployed. Few of them who engage Nigerians treat them as slaves in their own country.

(This is the first part of this interview. The second segment on privatisation of government enterprises and the resultant effect will be published next week.)

SUND AY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 35 SUNDA

2015

APC and the Muslim-Muslim ticket gambit(2)

BY FEMI FANI-KAYODE

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RESENTING a Muslim/Muslim ticket for the 2015 presidential elec tion, no matter how cleverly rationalised, defended or justified, in the pursuit of an ideal or in the name of ‘’political correctness”, will be a terrible insult to the 80 million Christians that are part and parcel of this country and it would result in their voting, en masse, for another party.

My candid advice to those that are moving in that direction is that they should perish the thought.

As far as I am aware, the APC is not an affiliate of Al Qaeda and neither is it a Boko Haram party, a Janjaweed party or a Muslim Brotherhood Party. I have had cause to say so and to defend the intellectual integrity and what I consider to be the multi-religious and secular ethos and composition of the party on numerous occasions. And, of course, it is a privilege for me to do so simply because that is what I honestly believe and because I happen to be a secularist myself. Like millions of others from all over the world, I believe that religion ought to have no place in the running of the affairs of any country.

However, that does not mean that we ought to ignore the very delicate religious balance that we have in Nigeria. To do so would be disasterous for the fortunes of the party and for the future of our nation.

As a matter of fact, we would be opening the gates of hell and we would be courting catastrophe. Anyone who doubts that should consider the ugly events that are unfolding in the Central African Republic today or that took place in the Sudan before the country broke into two. We must never allow such things to happen in Nigeria by any act of commission or omission.

As far as I am aware, the APC is a party for both Muslims and Christians. It is a vehicle for change and not one that seeks to give the impression that Christians don’t matter or that they are second class citizens. If I am wrong, then those who claim to know better or believe they own the party should please tell me. If it is a party where faith and religion has no place, as some would have us believe, then they should let us know. We have an image problem which we need to deal with.

Permit me to share just one example of the factors that have sustained that image problem. We have a leading member of the party who has been consistently accused of being the sole founder and originator of Boko Haram.

In fairness to the individual concerned, the allegations about his personal involvement in these ugly events remain unproven yet all the same they remain serious and grave and they cannot be ignored for much longer. He must provide direct answers to the serious allegations so that, if they are all false, we can make it our business and duty to defend him. Until then, being in a political party that harbours and attracts the sympathy and support of such a person puts some of us in a very awkward position.

Muslims in our country in the last three years.

Whether we like it or not, we must go out of our way to try to let the world know that we are not a party of Muslim fundamentalists and closet Islamist and, if we choose not to bother to do so, it simply means that we are arrogant and that we have lost touch with reality.

All the clever rationalisations and justifications in the world for

•APC National Leaders: Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Senator Bola Tinubu

presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket will not enable us to escape this ugly tag. As a matter of fact, they will simply confirm it.

We have a lot of work to do in this respect and permit me to share just one of the things that we ought to do very quickly if we wish to avoid the consequences of our own folly. We must go out of our way to redress the religious imbalance in our Interim National Executive where you have virtually ALL the KEY positions in the hands of Muslims and where it is only the lesser positions that the Christians occupy.

The charge that there are far many more Muslims than Christians on the Interim National Executive Committee is false be-

,,

Touch with reality If such things do not make some people uncomfortable, they certainly make me very uncomfortable. This is especially so given the atrocities that Boko Haram has perpetuated against both Christians and

If those that disagree with me wish to expel me from the party for saying so, please go ahead. It will only prove my point

cause the number of Christians and Muslims in that distinguished body are more or less equal. The numbers are not the problem but rather the fact that virtually all the key positions on that 35-man Executive Committee are in the hands of Muslims.

The Christians that are there are either ‘’deputy” or ‘’vice” to one of their Muslim colleagues or the other. Does anyone have an idea what signal this sends? Do they care about the consequences of such a signal? Was this done by design or was it just an innocent mistake? These questions must be answered.

We have been saying all this quietly for a few months now but nothing has happened.

No-one seems to listen and no-one seems to care. Worse still, instead of reaching out and allaying our fears, we are now being fed with subtle yet insulting and unacceptable rationalisations and justifications for what is essentially politically explosive and electorally suicidal nonsense. If there

is no Christian in Nigeria that qualifies to be President or Vice President and that does not have the noble qualities of ‘’integrity, capacity and competence” that were listed, then they should tell us and we will know what to do. The whole thing is beginning to move in a certain direction and it stinks.

Christian/Christian ticket An illicit and subterranean agenda seems to be unfolding and instead of assuring us that such a thing can never happen or even be contemplated in today’s Nigeria, they are telling us to live with it and that, all of a sudden, religion does not matter anymore. If it does not matter anymore then, why not present a Christian/Christian ticket? If it does not matter anymore then, why give the impression that you are interested in the Christian vote? If it does not matter anymore then why the resistance in some quarters for a Christian presidential candidate for the party?

Meanwhile, it matters enough to those who want a Muslim/Muslim ticket to be secretly advocating it and to be openly suggesting it. This is nothing more than an Islamic agenda in the making and to those who have such an agenda and who wish to use the APC to effect it, I say ‘’that which you want to do, do it quickly and see the result of the work of your hands”. Make no mistake about it: I speak the minds of millions of self-respecting and discerning Christians in this country when I say these things and I have consulted very widely before saying them.

I say them because I am a committed and loyal party member who want the party to fare well in the 2015 elections and who want them to win. I will not sit back and remain silent when I see such a precious vehicle heading for the rocks and when I see it courting self-destruction. Only the irresponsible, the sycophantic and the opportunistic would do that together with those who have a hidden agenda and who do not give a damn about the consequences of this reckless course of action on the fortunes and image of the party.

If those that disagree with me wish to expel me from the party for saying so, please go ahead. It will only prove my point. I have a soft spot for the APC and I have tremendous respect and affection for my friends and brothers who established it and who represent the more liberal and enlightened wing of the party.

I am talking about people like our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, our National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, Governor Murtala Nyarko, Governor Tanko Al Makura, Governor Adams Oshiomole, Governor Rochas Okorocha,

Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Senator Joseph Waku, Senator George Akume, Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya, Senator Borriface, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Lawal Shuaibu , Chief Sam Nda Isaiah, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief John Oyegun, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamilla, Hon. Yusuf Tuggar, Prince Tony Momoh, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, Senator Femi Ojudu, Senator Jide Omoware, Senator Buki Saraki, Senator Danjuma Goje, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, Alhaji Bello Masari, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Rt.Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora and so many others, all of whom I have been very close to for many years and all of whom are far more to me than just being mere friends or political associates.

These people, together with a number of others, are the heart and soul of the party and they are it’s saving grace. I say this because, unlike a handful of others, they are essentially moderates and liberals and they represent the forces of light within it’s ranks. Yet the truth must be told. And true friends and brothers always speak the truth to one another no matter how bitter that truth is.

If speaking that truth will cost me, then so be it. At least I will sleep very well at night with a clear conscience knowing that I have done my very best to steer the party in the right direction and stop it from destroying itself. One thing that I will never do, no matter what, is to allow anyone or any group of people to denigrate or insult my faith or the adherents of my faith and relegate us to the position of second class citizens. This matter must be taken very seriously indeed because the consequences of not doing so will be swift, far-reaching, irretrievable and very grave for the APC. This is not 1993 This is 2014 and not 1993 and today things are very different. Christians cannot and must not be taken for granted and no-one should attempt to sacrifice them on the altar of political expediency. Any party that seeks to do that ceases to be a political party and can be better described as a religious cult. And no Christian worth his salt can or will ever be the member of such a cult. The choice is for the leaders of the APC to make. If you are a cult then continue on the path of self-destruction but if you are a political party then learn to be fair to Christians and to appreciate their sensitivities.

The desire for a vice presidential candidate to emerge from the south-west is very strong and, if the APC really wants to win, it is the smartest thing to do. Being an un-

Continues on page 36

AY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014 PAGE 36 — SUND SUNDA

APC and the Muslim-Muslim ticket gambit(2) Continued from page 35 apologetic Yoruba nationalist, not only am I at the forefront of that struggle but I also believe in it passionately. I believe that that is the right and proper thing to do and that that is our due. I also believe that if the person that the leadership of the Yoruba APC eventually decide to field as a vice presidential candidate is a Muslim then the North must field a Christian candidate for the presidency.

Conversely if the person that the leadership of the Yoruba APC eventually decide to field as a Vice presidential candidate is a Christian, then the North must field a Muslim candidate for the presidency. That is the way out and that is the winning combination and formula. The way to failure, disaster and ruin is to ignore this counsel and to field a northern Muslim as the presidential candidate of the party and a Yoruba Muslim as his running mate.

Yet all hope is not lost. There are many leading northern Muslims who are highly respected elders and leaders within the ranks of the opposition who have been quietly advocating for a northern Christian that can be trusted by them and that is competent and reliable to be the candidate of the APC. They see this as the only way to ensure that the ugly tag of being a sectarian party is finally removed. They also see it as the only way that President Goodluck Jonathan can be defeated simply because a combination of the northern Christian and Muslim vote, coupled with a strong and credible Muslim running mate from the South-west that will garner the support of all the Yoruba regardless of their faith, cannot be defeated.

Jonathan, Sultan and Muslims I am constrained to make reference to a rather strange and curious event which

took place just last week and which has some relevance to this discourse. The Sultan of Sokoto, who is the leader of the Muslim community in Nigeria, led a delegation to Jonathan to complain about what he described as the ‘’under-representation of Muslims’’ at the National Conference.

The President, in an uncharacteristically frank and candid manner, hit back immediately by asking the Sultan why it was that the Muslim governors of the Northwest do not sponsor members of their Christian community to pilgrimage in Jerusalem in the same way that they sponsor the members of their Muslim community to Mecca. He urged the Sultan to tell the governors of the North-west to sit up and do the right thing by being fair to all. This was excellent counsel from our President and he has won many new converts and friends by asking the Sultan a pertinent question and telling him the simple truth.

Frankly, I never knew that the President had it in him and I am pleasantly surprised.

If the Christian population in the core North could be treated with such contempt and so unfairly by the core northern governors, I really do wonder what their plight would be under a Muslim/Muslim President and Vice President. Perhaps those who tell us that ‘’religion does not matter’’ could enlighten us about this.

Permit me to end this piece with the words of a young, keen and insightful mind, Miss Ayobami Animashaun. In my view, Ayo has put the case against a Muslim/ Muslim ticket in a succinct, compelling and simply brilliant manner. In an interesting and somewhat heated facebook discussion, she wrote as follows: ‘’The presidential ticket in Nigeria is usually shared between the North/South and Muslim/Christian. To have a South/South

or North/North or Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim will be a complete and total failure in the Nigeria we live in today. If it is true that a Muslim/Muslim ticket is currently being considered by APC, then this is evidently the handiwork of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘prayer warriors’! He shall have a very easy ride back to Aso Villa in 2015. I am an APC supporter but should the party field a Muslim/Muslim ticket I shall be jumping ship over to PDP for sure.

“Someone within APC isn’t thinking right! 99% of Nigerians are extremely religious, and I am one of them. I make no apology for that. This country has over 85 million Christians and for anyone in the APC to say they cannot find one out of 85 million to be on their ticket is extremely insulting.

“No self-respecting christian would support an all Muslim ticket in Nigeria today.

Neither would Muslims accept a Christian/ Christian ticket and neither should we expect them to do so. We already hear people openly refer to the APC as the Boko Haram and the Janjaweed Party. Presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket would only confirm this. That is absolute logic!

“Some say only a tiny percentage of our people care about religion or the faith of the candidates on the Presidential ticket?

That is complete and utter bollocks! We will all be here to see the outcome of this folly! Meanwhile I will re-consider my support for the APC, because I cannot continue to be associated with people that are religiously insensitive!

“This is a party whose key substantive officers in the National Executive Committee are ALL ‘Muslims’ ! Meanwhile we are in 2014. Did I see someone compare 1993 to today? That was 21 years ago for goodness sake and so much has happened

between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria since then. I am not religiously intolerant, I am simply being politically realistic in the climate we have in Nigeria today.

“Trying to sound politically correct can only score you little brownie points on a small facebook thread. It is not common sense to come up with a Muslim/Muslim ticket in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural state where over 50% of the population are Christians. To do so not only makes no sense but it is also politically suicidal.

“Go to the Christians of the North-central, the North-west and the North-east and tell them that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not stone you! Go to the South-south and the South-east and tell them that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not spank you. Go to the Southwest and tell the Yoruba Christians that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not insult you. If you like, go ahead and try it!

“This will not be the first time that arrogance and the lust for power overrides sound judgment and wise counsel. I am seeing something very ugly behind the mask of the APC now and it is called religious bigotry.

“My advice to you is to rid yourselves of it otherwise no self-respecting Christian would support you. No matter what you say or do, no one can use the back door to Islamise Nigeria”.

Miss Ayo Animashaun has spoken courageously and she has voiced an inconvenient and bitter truth. I need say no more. I rest my case.

*Fani-Kayode was Minister of Aviation under the Obasanjo administration.

Why we are rewarding excellence in SMEs– Talabi

BY ADEOLA ADENUGA The maiden awards to recognize excellence in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), tagged Nigeria SMEs Awards for Excellence (Nsafe Awards), holds later this year, according to the organisers, Lakewhyte Communications. A Director of the company, Mrs Taiwo Talabi, in this interview, says the organizers are collaborating with all stakeholders, including government, to make the awards ceremony a grand event.

Excerpts: HE latest news from the SME sec tor is that there is a process to re ward operators for excellence and the initiative is being driven by your organisation. What are the awards all about?

The initiative, christened Nigeria Small and Medium Enterprises Awards for Excellence (Nsafe Awards), is primed as the focal awards for small and medium scale businesses and will benchmark the progress of small businesses in Nigeria in line with the country’s developmental agenda. SMEs have been fully recognized by government and development experts as the main engine of economic growth and a major factor, by extension, in promoting the realization of the financial systems strategy Vision 20:2020. This is because the development of this sub-sector is an essential element in the growth strategy of the world’s economies. SMEs are seen as the catalysts for achieving equitable and sustainable industrial diversification and dispersal. In many countries, SMEs account for well over half of the total share of employment, sales and value added. Notwithstanding the gargantuan role SMEs play in economic development, and the challenges they invariably face in the course of carrying out their activities, however, we do not have a process geared exclusively at rewarding excellence in this important segment of the economy. That is the vacuum we intend to fill.

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• Mrs Taiwo Talabi We want to promote the cause of SMEs by rewarding excellence so that operators can do more to contribute to economic development. We need all hands on deck during this period of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda so that every sector can contribute significantly to national growth. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying we do not have pockets of awards for SMEs operators. Nsafe is coming as a project that will hand awards exclusively to SME operators. It is geared at providing an outlet for SMEs to thrive in Nigeria. The awards will encourage the growth of SMEs; find creative solutions to the peculiar challenges that confront them while doing business and open up access networks to these fledgling businesses.

The awards will serve an advocacy role in the SMEs business terrain and act as a nexus between operators and government.

The awards will also follow well-honed credibility and transparency pathways and renew hopes of entrepreneurs in a challenging Nigerian business landscape.

We have awards here and there. What

makes the Nsafe Awards different from others?

These are not your everyday kind of awards. These are awards to celebrate SMEs and we are doing everything humanly possible to make it a grand awards ceremony. We are not sparing any effort to make it the flagship awards for SMEs in the country. The maiden ceremony holds in October. To leave a long lasting impression and build on the momentum the inaugural awards will inevitably signpost, a lot of planning and brainstorming is being done by Lakewhyte Communications with various stakeholders and opinion leaders in the larger Nigerian society.

Who are your partners?

Government is our chief collaborator because this project touches on the economy. There is no way you want to engage a large segment of the operators in the economy without involving the government. We are well aware that there is an agency of government charged with the responsibility of promoting the activities of SMEs in the country. This only shows how large the interest of government is in SMEs as the catalyst for economic development. We must, as a matter of necessity, collaborate with this government agency.

There are other stakeholders in the economy who have one thing or the other to do with SMEs. We must also collaborate with them. We know, as a matter of fact, that there are many banks out there promoting SMEs. This is a good time to partner with them. It’s like everybody is interested in SMEs….possibly because of the vital role they play in the economy. For instance, some telecommunication firms are involved with SMEs; there is no way we will run away from these stakeholders in rewarding excellence in SMEs through Nsafe Awards. Even state governments are in the picture because you now find many of them giving the requisite attention to SMEs as a way of empowering their people and addressing the challenge of unem-

ployment facing the nation. It is such a wide range of stakeholders that you have on SMEs that we will be dealing with.

Are the awards open to all SMEs in the country and how will the Nsafe Awards winners emerge?

Participation in Nsafe Awards will be open to all SMEs in Nigeria. A “Call for Entry ” form will be made available through various mainstream and online media channels for organisations, individuals and businesses who intend to participate. The form will detail the criteria for selection of winners in each award category. Communication channels will thereafter be opened between Lakewhyte Communications and all interested participants. A shortlist of participants will ensue and the Jury put together for the purpose of the Awards will decide winners in line with the benchmarks and criteria for selection of winners in each award category. Winners who emerge after the Jury sittings will be announced at the Nsafe Awards gala night.

The Nsafe Awards verification team will visit projects and offices cited by organizations in their entry documents to have a first-hand feel of the stated projects and documents sent, in readiness for the Jury sittings. All projects cited in the entry documents will go through a stream of video and still- photography and beneficiaries and/or employees of the organization will be on the record. Most of the video evidence collected on the field during the verification process will be streamed (documentary) to the audience during the Awards gala night. The Jury has been constituted into a governing and decision-making organ for the Nsafe Awards. Selected jurors will be intricately involved in the various processes and provide input into the annual processes that determine the design, thematic focus and implementation of the Nsafe Awards.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 37

Traditional rulers are not getting what is due to them

al rulers can only advise government and leave them to take it or leave it.

We have square-peg in a round-hole.

Our self-employed people pay for electricity to work in their various workshops but don’t get it. Government at the centre thinks it can do it alone.

This can be delegated to states to handle. As traditional rulers, we can only advise government on challenges, cannot force them to implement.

Are you insinuating that traditional rulers are not given their rightful roles under democracy?

Yes. They are are not given their rightful role in Western democracy that is full of corruption. It is not about taking care of the traditional ruler alone, taking care of the citizen is part of it. It’s not an easy thing, stipend is given to traditional rulers, but many challenges are facing them in their domains. People will converge in the morning to ask for help, as a traditional ruler, you have to attend to them because they are your people. For instance, all the people that live on family property that are taken away by government are suffering because nothing is given in return.

Some families have property such as farmland that has been taken away by government. When they take people’s property, they should take care of such people. But Lagos State government is doing well in terms of caring for citizens. If you look at other Chief Tajudeen Eletu, Eletu Odibo of Lagos. states, they are emulating Lagos.

How do you rate the current civilis because there is no firm punishment ian dispensation. Is it better than for Nigerians that embezzle public military regime? funds, especially people that embezIt is not better under military. There zled funds meant for the provision of is nothing like democracy under the electricity for the masses. Somebody military and those serving under the will have the guts to sit on it. Nobody regime only obey orders. What is brought them to book. What sort of agreed by everybody, military boys can government is that? decree to nullify it. During the Buhari Are traditional rulers not bothered regime, a decree was promulgated about the poor power situation in the against hard drug which attracted country? death penalty. Three Lagosians who There is nothing they can do. Inves- committed the crime before the law tors power is not delegated. Tradition- came into existence were executed by

—Lagos traditional prime minister

BY ALADE AROMASHODU

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HIEF Tajudeen Gbadesere Eletu, JP (Justice of Peace), is the Eletu Odibo of Lagos and traditional prime minister to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1.

Eletu, a white cap chief, is also the head of Akarigbere in the hinterland of Lagos Island, popularly called Isale Eko. In this interview, he speaks about democracy and the traditional institution under democratic government in Nigeria. Excerpts: What is your view about traditional institution under democracy in Nigeria?

We play our role traditionally. There is no interference from government. Let us take it from the grassroots, the community in the local government operates under the state and federal governments. But the community is not just under the local government or even the state and federal governments but also operates under an institution which is traditionally inclined. This is where traditional rulers come in. That’s democracy - government of the people by the people and for the people.

It has been like that for a long time, the traditional institution is drawn to rule in a democratic government.

When we talk of democracy in the olden days, we had soldiers, the police (Asolu), who operated better than the ones Western democracy brought and we are practising now. Some people who committed crime and were sentenced to jail. You will find such people after completing their jail term moving around shamelessly. It wasn’t happening like that in the past. Such people would not have a place in the community after release from prison as they would be ostracised, but nowadays, the reverse is the case.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) makes arrest and prosecutes but the corrupt person is soon released. The corrupt Western democracy allows this to happen.

Is there any way traditional rulers can stem corruption in Nigeria?

Yes. If they are given the chance, they have the solution. We need to go back to the beginning of governance in Nigeria, where from the village head, people are ruled. Today, government override everything. China came into limelight because they fight corruption in a way people must abstain.

In China, if anybody is tried for corruption and found guilty he would forfeit all his property to government. It

The day monarch broke the yoke of poverty

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

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HE entire city of Itori town in Ogun State recently went agog for a whole week when the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Abdulfatai Akamo, celebrated his 10 years anniversary on the throne.

The ceremony which attracted personalities from different walks of life will for a very long time be the talk-of-the-town.

High point of the glamorous

ceremony, for so many, was the rich display of culture and tradition, while for few others it was the award of chieftaincy titles to some individuals at the well-attended ceremony. But for the celebrant, it was the charity activities which preceded the ceremony.

For the fashionista monarch, nothing can be more fulfilling and satisfying as identifying with the under-privileged and putting smiles on their gloomy faces through his Oba Akamo Great Expectation

firing squad. That is part of the wrong doings of military regime, no democracy.

Can you tell us the role traditional rulers play in a democratic government?

I’m a member of Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs. We have committees on conflict resolution, welfare, upgrading, among others. All these committees work with clear mandates.

For instance, there is a law that says a community of up to 500 is eligible to have 2nd class Oba. There is another part of the law that says “all the traditional white cap chiefs, requesting for upgrading will automatically be 1st class Oba if granted”. But Lagos traditional white cap chiefs have no grade whereas we have Grade II baales; and the traditional white cap chiefs have been in existence before the coming of the Portuguese.

It is like the white cap chiefs is peculiar to Lagos.

It is only in Lagos that you find white cap chiefs. You can’t find them elsewhere, even before the coming of the Portuguese, the chiefs were there. Now we are looking forward for election to come, politicians will start moving round to deceive the people to vote for them, forgetting what such people passed through in the past. One of the problems facing this country is our inadequate computer education. China products flood the world market because of their technological know how.

I lived and trained in Britain, I know how things are done over there. If party members are not doing well in office, members of the party will vote against them to pave the way for change. But in Lagos State, wonders have been done since 1999 when Bola Ahmed Tinubu was governor. If not for federal might, the state would have excelled more.

What can you say about Eyo masquerade being part of many Lagos programmes?

Eyo is important in Lagos. It is staged during the final burial of people who contributed immensely to the progress of Lagos. Also, it is staged when an Oba (king) passes away; before the next Oba can be accepted or is coronated, he must perform Eyo for his predecessor, otherwise, his coronation is in vain.

Foundation which is his brain-child.

The charity train led by Oba Akamo in company of his wives and some of his chiefs kicked off at the Juvenile Remand Home in Abeokuta Ogun State where Akamo, assisted by others, donated cash, food items and other household items.

Speaking shortly after the visit, the monarch said, “on a daily basis, I attend to many people who come to my palace for one assistance or the other. It will be a sin if we pretend as if some people don’t go to bed hungry because some of us are a bit privileged and we don’t expect government to do everything.

Hence, I deemed it right not to just to host my friends who will come back tomorrow to appreciate me, but

Continues on page 39

PAGE 38, SUNDAY, Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

BY BENJAMIN NJOKU njokujamin@yahoo.com

ALI BABA OPENS UP!

‘My wife pushes me too hard’ Ace-comedian, Atuyota Akporobomeriere, a.k.a Ali Baba, shares the story of his eight-year-old marriage to his wife, Mary. He has always testified that marriage has brought him happiness, and fulfillment. Their marriage is blessed with six children, including an adopted duaghter. hat marriage has done to me Marriage has been good.

It’s a stablising factor, it helps one to plan properly.

It also redefines your responsibility pattern. When you are a young man, you don’t have the kind of responsibility you should have as a man. For instance, if somebody says ‘let’s go partying in Ghana,’ you are ready to storm Ghana without anything holding you back. But when you get married, you will no longer take that kind of decision on your own. It means that a lot of things you do will now have to be shared with your partner. Marriage also helps you not only to reorganise youself in respect of how you want to live your life, but, more importantly, how you spend the money that you make in your business.

Meeting my wife I met my wife after I had started my comedy business.

My wife being my fan Not at all. She was my banker. I met her while I was banking with the now rested Citzens Bank.

Proposing to her It took a long time. For the kind of person that I am, particularly in my own kind of business and also, in her own kind of profession, she needed closure and a lot more to be offered to her.

Given my kind of business, you don’t blame her if she’s skeptical because of the exposure that comes with it.

I think sincerity of purpose was one of those reasons that made her to accept my proposal.

How long I have been married I have been married for eight years. But we have C M Y K

been together for over 16 years.

Courtship before marriage Yes, courtship with a purpose, indicating that this is where I am going to, and it would be nice if you would go with me. Unlike when you say, ‘this is where I am’, and your partner says, ‘okay, I am thinking about it’. You will be compelled to convince the person that you are actually going in that direction.

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ecrets of the success story of my marriage My wife has been the secret of our success story in marriage and God. She is the glue that keeps holding us together. She holds the home front, she also manages me. I am not the easiest person to live with, considering the fact that I am an artiste and always on the move. She’s somebody who believes in firm planning.

She likes to do everything according to plan. I am the kind of person that works on the fly and I think on the fly as well. But she finally began to make me to fall in line. She’s a stabilising factor in my life.

Having admirers in marriage You will continue to have admirers even after marriage. It’s natural that everybody gets attracted to what is good. And so, for anybody who becomes a celebrity, you would see people who would want to associate with you, not because of your real person, but because of the popularity and cloud of celebrity that surrounds you. It’s a mix of all of that and you decide on how to handle the situation.

Love at first sight It was a case of getting to

know the kind of person she was, and knowing that she was a family oriented person. She’s also a very professional person, and it took a cousin of hers to introduce us to each other.

Your parents opposing the union Not at all. My dad’s main concern is whether she’s somebody that ‘ you are comfortable with, somebody who can support your dreams and make you grow as you would want to grow.

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My wife has been the secret of our success story in marriage and God. She is the glue that keeps holding us together.

‘I keep my distance from Ali Who is Mary Akporobomeriere?

I grew up in Calabar, in a family of eight, seven were directly from my mom and I was the last child.

Unfortunately, I lost my mum to cancer as I was about to get into the university. I refused to go to school for one year because of grief; as a result, I missed out a whole session in the university. I eventually went to University of Benin to study theatre arts. I did my Youth Service in Citizens Bank before moving to Platinum Bank which later merged with Habib Bank to

become Bank PHB. Our relationship He was a customer and I was his banker. I was drawn to him because he had the ability to simplify big issues and introduce laughter into difficult situations.

What I saw in Him Although he is a comedian whose business is to make people laugh, he always believed that being funny is a serious business. There was that seriousness in him and determination to turn his laughter business into a major

commercial success. As his banker, it was my duty to give him valuable financial advice along that line.

How I met him I met him at work, he was a customer, I gave him the same kind of advice I gave to all the other customers. I counselled them on how to properly plan their finances and generate wealth for themselves.

Attraction I became interested in the person that he was. It was not about marrying Ali Baba, it was about marrying Atuyota

SUNDAY, Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 39

The day monarch broke the yoke of pover ty If she’s, then we will support you’.

Pitfalls in marriage When respect is eroded and when the causes of happiness are missing in marriage. If your spouse is somebody who likes to be pampered and you do not have the means of pampering her or don’t have the time to pamper her, it begins to get at her. So, in every relationship, once your partner begins to want something that is supposed to make him or her happy, it systematically leads to break up of that relationship.

But beyond this, issues of infidelity, jealousy, incompatibility and inreconcilable differences could also lead to break up of marriages. You need to know the kind of person you are going to spend the rest of your life with.

What I don’t like about her There are a lot of things I don’t like about her just as there are lots of things I like about her. Sometimes, she pushes me too hard. She’s like telling me ‘ you can do it, give it a trial’. Sometimes, I resist the pressure she mounts on me. But later, I discovered that after I have done it, it actually works out well.

She sometimes feels I am not where I am supposed to be yet. And the pressure is not about her, rather it’s

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To me, your happiness in marriage is key to every thing. That is not to say, for every flimsy excuse that you have, you walk out of your marriage

about where she feels you are supposed to be, and you are not.

That’s positive. But there are some people who can’t take that.

Hanging out We hang out a lot. She’s always a busy woman, but as much time as we have, we hang out. She dances very well, but she’s not the partying type.

Attraction A lot of things attracted me to her.

Apart from being a professional, she’s a stablising factor in my life.

She has great sense of humour, she cooks well and she’s a very pretty woman. She understands the thespian in me, having read Theatre Arts as her first degree. Above all, she normally sees where my dreams are going.

Advice for young couples Getting to understand themselves.

For a lot of young artistes, it’s not knowing who you really want to settle down with because fame has crept in. You find it easy to settle down with somebody who wants fame to set in. But when you now become popular, you do not know who really loves you for who you are, or because of the fame. What I’m saying is that, as a celebrity, it pays if you get married before you achieve fame. This is because, as soon as you become famous, a lot of distractions and camouflaging will come into play.

Break up of celebrity marriages I don’t have issues with that. To me, your happiness in marriage is key to every thing. That is not to say, for every flimsy excuse that you have, you walk out of your marriage.

But if the person you finally got married to, turns out to be somebody totally different from somebody who you thought he was, or totally different from who you expected the person to be, you are in such a situation where the person is key to your happiness, you prefer to be away from home in order to find happiness than to come back home and break down.

Baba’s female friends’ as a person. I saw his qualities; the fact that he would make a good husband and father. In addition to that, his ability to make me laugh gave him an edge because I love to laugh.

Female admirers At such times I walk away and just watch from afar. I cannot do anything about that. We go for events and people turn up and want to take pictures and all that. It comes with the territory and I give him that space because he needs it.

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Basirat Kareem told Sunday Vanguardin tears.

Iyaloja of Itori market, Alhaja Basirat Ejire, when contacted, eulogized Akamo for identifying with the less-privileged in the society.

“To say I am dazed by his gesture is an understatement. How best can I describe this great man who in his magnanimity decided to bring smiles to the faces of the lessprivileged in Itori Land,” Ejire said.

“I have also been giving scholarships to 20 students in the town in conjunction with Alhaji Alabi Wasiu Pasuma every year. I also have about five students in university that I cater for.

Two out of these five students are my relatives, while the other three are sponsored students who are not related to me,” the traditional leader further revealed shortly after Oba Abdulfatai Akamo, Olu of Itori. supervising the distribution of items to the less-privileged.

Continued from page 37 There were also enlightenment to also celebrate the less-privileged lectures on breast cancer, challenges in our society.” of women in the family, HIV/AIDS, Not forgetting the home front, personal hygiene and many more. many were dazed by the philanNot even the crown can take thropic gesture of Oba Akamo in Itori socialisation away from Oba Akamo as he doled out some tools of trade who is vast in national and global and also gave out start-up capital to issues; he is a patron of the Associasome indigent persons in his dotion of Nigerian Theatre Practitiomain. ners, ANTP, both in Ogun and Lagos A widow who had lived hopelessly States. The astute administrator, since the demise of her husband was successful entrepreneur, intense among the beneficiaries. For over 20 facilitator and harbinger of grassroots minutes, she knelt down in tears development also combines royalty praying for Oba Akamo. with a sense of history, tradition and “Since my husband died seven modernization. months ago, my three children and I Oba Akamo was enthroned Olu of have been living at the mercy of our Itori beyond his wildest dream in neighbours. At times, my first child February, 2004, by late Oba Oyebade sneaks out to go beg for alms in Ifo Lipede, the then Alake of Egbaland. just to keep us alive. I don’t know In the course of his eventful sojourn how Kabiyesi learnt of my predicain Lagos he was bestowed various ment because I don’t stay around his chieftaincy titles without an inkling palace neither have I ever come in that those titles and their inherent contact with him. It came as a responsibilities were preparing him surprise to me when they brought for greater services later in life as this refrigerator to my house. I can’t Olu of Itori. help but cry. How on earth would I His Oba Akamo Great Expectation have been able to gather money to Foundation focuses on the empowerpurchase this? The yoke of poverty ment of the less-privileged and the has broken in my life as I will make dependent middle class in a manner good use of this precious gift. I don’t that would enable them utilize their need to beg before I and my children potentials towards the attainment of eat and can never beg again,” economic sustenance.

Delta 2015 guber: Group counsels Ijaws on unity

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ONCERNED group for Orubebe has advised the Ijaws to be united to ensure that their first chance at holding the governorship position of Delta State in 2015, is realised.

Leader of the group, Opukeme Ebiarede, who stated this noted that Delta Ijaws in their minority status in the state would not gain the support of other ethnic groups on 2015 governorship, particularly the larger Urhobos

and the Aniomas if Ijaws resorts to fielding multiple candidates.

“The point is that Delta Ijaws are the only ones yet to taste the Governorship or even serve as Deputy. If we are to break this jinx in 2015, we must reason, talk and work with one voice.

Under the circumstance, Elder Godsday Orubebe stands out to every Ijaw as our most serious contender. We must all therefore rally round him for our neighbours to follow”, Ebiarede said.

PAGE 40 — V anguard Vanguard anguard,, SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014

Crimea crisis re-echoes Bakassi's ordeal — Ekong

With the hindsight of the Bakassi peninsula crisis, what is your reading of what is happening in Crimea in relation to the attitude of the US and its EU allies?

WELL my views on the situation in Crimea is the traditional views of the interests at all cost. It does not welcome a situation where there is a parallel power.

During the period of struggle to retain Bakassi Peninsula, you will discover that Nigeria did not have the type of military and diplomatic might and resources that Russia is deploying to defend its interest in the crisis in Crimea.

Nigeria is also having problems with his democratic system and the west has its oil in the masrshes of Bakassi. When one looks at what is happening in Crimea, you could see parallels and interconnections.

The West is uncomfortable that Crimea going to Russia would give Moscow enormous oil resources. Crimea also possesses several natural gases both onshore and off shore. The republic also possesses two: one onshore and another one offshore, in the Black Sea. The West has been uncomfortable with Russia’s economic rise. The West is also not comfortable because of the strategic defence the Black Sea gives Russia to the Black Sea. Unfortunately for them, Russia has the military might, the economic as well as diplomatic strength to withstand the pressure from the West in NATO and in the UN Security Council. It wields veto power and when the push comes to the shove, it can count on the support of China, so the West can only bark.

What do you consider to be the key issues in the Crimea crisis and what are the paradigms with the Bakassi peninsula crisis?

The central issue in Crimea is that in 1954, Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the chairman of the ruling party in the Soviet Union.

He is a Ukrainian as his own village is about 3km from Crimea. It was in 1954 that Khrushchev “dashed” Crimea to Ukraine, to mark the 300 years of the relations between Russia and Ukraine.

Many people believe that it was an attempt to make Ukraine ecoC M Y K

nomically strong but under the Soviet Union, such considerations were not important because nobody anticipated that one day, the USSR would dissolve.

Besides, democracy was not the vogue in USSR, so the people were not given the option to choose whether they liked the idea or not. But 54% of the population of Crimea were of ethnic Russian origin. The Ukrainians had 245 while Tartar has 12% of the population. People were not asked to decide their future on the matter.

Consequently, their history, culture and identity were not considered. But they did not protest because part of the policy was to make demographic shifts in the old Soviet Union. There are other regions that are in Ukraine and in the other republics that have strong ethnic Russian population.

That is the problem that Ukraine will face in future. Don’t forget, the crisis in the Caucuses in 2008 when Georgia republic moved against the autonomy of South Ossetia.

But when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the indigenous Russian population began to raise their voices.

It is symbolic that former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was on holiday in Crimea in August 1991 when some Generals tried to topple him. It took the resistance of Mr. Boris Yeltsin to stop

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N this interview, Chairman of Save Bakassi Movement, Chief Maurice Ekong, argues that the story of Bakassi people is not over as the ethnic Russian population in Crimea has exposed the West and the UN system on the right of indigenous people to determine their future.

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor.

Chief Maurice Ekong, Chairman of Save Bakassi Movement of late Sani Abacha with access to the massive oil deposit in Bakassi peninsula.

When General Obasanjo became president of Nigeria, he could not do much to save Bakassi because of his own personal political ambition. Unlike in the case of Bakassi peninsula, the people in Crimea held a referendum and decided to opt out of Ukrainian rule.

Even if the UN decides to hold another referendum there, the 54% Russian population would overwhelm the 24% Ukrainians

The people of Crimea peninsula insisted that they are of ethnic Russian and invited Russia to protect them

them. Thereafter, the West promoted Yeltsin to succeed Gorbachev and used him to dismember USSR, so Crimea has become focal point of the centre for geopolitical tussle in Europe.

Like I said, there are close similarities between Crimea and Bakassi. To preserve the unity of Nigeria, General Gowon who was a military dictator then, dashed Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

He did not secure the consent of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) at that time.

He did not seek the consent of the people of Bakassi who were mainly of Efik and Efut nationalities. We do not have ethnic Cameroonians on the Peninsula then and now. But the people, their heritage and culture, were dashed to Cameroon. At the time the issue began to rage, Nigeria was not a democracy.

The West was not prepared to reward the military government

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and 12% Tartar population there.

We must also put the events in Crimea into proper perspective.

You will recall that the deposed Ukrainian president, Yanukovic was pro-Russian and did not want Ukraine to join the EU. The issue split the country down the middle and there were months of proand anti-government protests.

The president was forced out of office and he fled to Moscow. Because of the high level of structural organisation of state in Europe, Crimea, which as we said before, is a Peninsula with indigenous Russian population, it has its own state structure.

Since the 19th century, Russia has maintained a military presence in Crimea, with a naval base at Sevastopol. The situation in Crimea peninsula became contentious when members of the militia became conscious of the security needs of the Peninsula. In Bakas-

si, we were not that organised or sophisticated.

The people of Crimea peninsula insisted that they are of ethnic Russia and invited Russia to protect them. It takes a student of International History to know why the West is linking Putin to Hitler.

Of course, we know Nazi Germany was the last foreign power to occupy Crimea during the second world war.

When you talk of the Parallel with Bakassi, what do you mean?

You will remember that a certain General Yakubu Gowon, at the head of a military junta, behaved like Khrushchev, when for the sake of unifying Nigeria, “dashed” Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. Gowon sacrificed Bakassi and its people, its culture and heritage, for the unity of Nigeria.

When Khrushchev gave Crimea the Ukraine, he did not anticipate that one day Soviet Union was to disintegrate. Just like Khrushchev, Gowon took a unilateral decision which was not ratified by the ruling Supreme Military Council. In the case of Crimea, it was approved by the Politburo because USSR then was one country .

Khruchev was the chairman of the politburo, so anybody that opposed him would be at risk.

What are the lessons of the unfolding event in Crimea?

Some people have accused those of us in Save Bakassi Movement of a sell-out. Others said that we chickened out, but that is being very unfair to us. First we lack the strong state backing which Russia is giving to Crimea.

Ukraine cannot use force on Crimea, without thinking of the reaction of Russia. When General Abacha moved troops to protect the people of Bakassi and the

Peninsula, the opponents of the regime accused him of using that move to divert attention.

When Gen. Obasanjo came into office, he traded Bakassi away, just like Gowon before him. Save Bakassi Movement is not a liberation movement, it is not an armed group. We are not sophisticated for that type of struggle, but that is for now. We lacked what it takes to confront a police state like Cameroon with the active military and diplomatic support of France from what is happening today.

You can see that President Jonathan met a situation where the internal environment would not have allowed him much room to maneuver. The intelligence report at his disposal shows that it would have been so much to deal with France whose new policy in Africa is to grab as much territory and resources on the continent.

France is all over Africa. It also is influential over our Francophone neighbours who would have been used to compound the raging insurgency in the North.

France understands that there is lack of internal cohesion in Nigeria and they exploited it to the advantage of Cameroon.

We believe that the story of Bakassi people is not over. When Nigeria overcomes, it will go back to this issue. The Crimea crisis will be a reference point for us because the decision to give Bakassi away was not based on a referendum. That was the least that ICJ could have done, that is what President Obasanjo owes Bakassi people. Don’t forget that the Save Bakassi Network stopped the final demarcation of the Southern axis which would have affected the Ikang area.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 41

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PAGE 42 — SUNDAY, Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Noble cheers for Odeyemi @ 75

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otable business man and Industrialist, Chief (Dr.) John Agboola Odeyemi, the Obasewa of Ife and Chairman, JAO Investment Company Limited, was recently joined by Ife prominent indegenes, including the Ooni himself, top businessmen and family to mark his 75th birthday. The celebration was preceded by a thanksgiving mass at Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist; Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Photos by Dare Fasube.

L-R: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, and the celebrant, Chief (Dr.) John Agboola Odeyemi.

Admiral Akin Aduwo, his wife, Bukola, and a guest.

L-R:Obalufe of Ife, Chief Omisakin; Chief Joop Berckhoot, Lowa of Ife; Chief Ijaodola and Olorogun Sunny Kuku.

The Rachael Bunmi and Rufus Femi wedding

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ACHAEL Bunmi, daughter of the late Mr .

Emmanuel Olayiwola said ‘I do’ to Rufus Femi, son of Mr. Israel Adebayo, on March 15, 2014. Their union was solemnised at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Rock of Ages Parish, Satellite Town, Lagos.

L-R: Balogun Bisi Omidiora, Prof. Olawoyin and Chiel Alex Duduyemi.

From left: Ms. Titi Jolaoso, Financial Controller, Vanguard, Rufus Femi and his wife, Rechael Bunmi

Chief Olusegun Oshunkeye and his wife.

L-R: The celebrant, Chief (Dr.) John Agboola Odeyemi and his wives; Cecilia, Victoria and Kofoworola.

Madam Simiat Bayewu laid to rest

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INAL burial ceremony of the late Madam Simiat Ayinke Bayewu, mother-in-law of Vanguard PhotoJournalist, Wumi Akinola, took place at the sport field of Rev. Kuti Grammar School, Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

From right; Imam Saliu Akinola, Mr. B. A. Akinola, Hajia Rasidat Akinola, Wumi Akinola, Alhaji Agba Akinola and Yinusa Akinola.

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L-R: Mr. Lanre Bayewu, Hajia Rasidat Akinola and Pastor J. Bayewu

L-R:Mr. Victor Gotevbe, Admin. Manager, Vanguard, Rufus Femi and his wife, Rechael Bunmi

L-R: Mr. Olabode Olayiwola, representing father of the bride, Mrs. Lydia Adebayo, groom's mother, Rufus Femi and his wife, Rechael Bunmi, Mr. Israel Adebayo, groom's father and Mrs. Victoria Olayiwola, bride's Mother

SUNDAY, Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 43

Gospel artistes’ competition A

competition for gospel artistes from different churches in Abuja was held at the ThisDay Dome, Abuja.The competition was put together by Spirit and Life Bible Church, A.G.O Perez Music House and I AM Event Managers. A blind artiste, Emmanuel Daniel, won a brand-new car out of the 10 finalists who competed at the Grand finale.

Altogether about 250 gospel artistes were auditioned before the grand finale.

Emmanuel Daniel with his brand new car

From left: Gospel music sensation Frank Edwards, Emmanuel Daniel and CEO of IAM who was also MC for the night.

Behold the Knights of Saint Mulumba

T L-R: Exco member, Mr Sunday Muobike (Fotos), Chairman, ODETA, Mr Nathaniel Anigbogu, Pastor (Mrs) Iwunze, Chairperson, Patrons Forum, Hon. Ayo Adebowale, Chairman, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Mr Abraham Ukah, Vice chairman, ODETA, Mr Anselem Nwugo and another worshipper, during a thanksgiving service at Love Base Assembly, Festac Town, Lagos, over successful election and Inauguration of Oloyo Traders Association’s new exco.

HE Order of the Knights of Saint Mulumba, Lagos Metropolitan Council recently held its 4 th degree investiture at the Catholic Church of the Ascension Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road, Ikeja.

A cross section of the newly inducted 4th Degree Knights at the church service that commemorated their induction.

The Adeola Adenuga and Toluwalope Kolawole nuptial

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T was a great day for former Miss Adeola Adenuga and Mr Toluwalope Kolawole as they exchanged marital vows.

Family, friends and well wishers joined them to celebrate the special day at Yaba Local Government registry, Lagos.

The Supreme Knight Anthony Onuh (in the middle) cutting the investiture cake flanked by the Noble president of LSM Lady Ngozi Pat Nwachukwu and a cross section of the newly inducted 4th Degree Knights.

Toluwalope slips the wedding ring into his wife’s finger

Lagos Metropolitan Grand Knight, Charles Mbelede, Supreme Knight, Anthony Onuh, Noble President of LSM Lady Ngozi Pat Nwachukwu and other top officials of KSM.

The couple, flanked by the groom’s father, Mr Michael Kolawole (left), and the bride’s father, Mr Wale Adenuga.

The couple, flanked by their parents C M Y K

Mr and Mrs Kolawole with the chief bridesmaid, Miss Taiwo Adenuga (left), and the best man, Mr Sola Kolawole

The Supreme Knight of the Knights of St. Mulumba, Anthony Onu presenting a gift to Rev. Fr. Umoh, parish priest, Church of Ascention, Murtala mohammed international Airport road, Ikeja.

PAGE 44—SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

The PDP, APC war in America

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

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he policy forum on Nigeria’s plans and preparations for the 2015 round of elections in Washington D.C, USA, on Monday, presented Nigerian politicains as the lot quick to agree on the basic tenets of democracy, but, perhaps, only on foreign soil.

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Dr. Doyin Okupe claimed that issues about Nigeria should not be brought to the outside world.

He was, however, quick to indicate the coming tone of his roar when he sternly warned Mohammed not to bring the President into consideration in the discussions. ”Alhaji Lai Mohammed must restrict himself to the questions being asked. He must not under any circumstances cast asperson on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If he does, he knows me,” he said to some applause obviously from sympathisers of the administration in the CSIS hall.

The senior presidential aide was to further assert that President Jonathan had promised not to allow the shedding of blood for the purpose of winning an election.

His assertion was, however, interjected

by Ms Cooke who observed that the President’s election in 2011 was trailed by more than 200 deaths.

Okupe, in defence, threw the fault to those he described as desperate politicians who he claimed instigated the post-election violence. ”There are desperate people in Nigeria who, unfortunately, went and incited these people to go on the rampage. That is our problem in the country. It is not the process of the election that killed them. If the winner clearly emerges and the loser is a spoil sport, what can we do about it? That

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IT was an unprecedented sight for many onlookers, on Monday, when self-styled attack lion of the president, Dr. Doyin Okupe embraced Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the spokesman of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. Of course, it did not happen in Nigeria.

It was in Washington D.C., United States, US, at a forum on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2015 round of elections where the inner instinct of being your brother ’s keeper initially prevailed over the mutual antagonism that has marked utterances between the two major parties in the high stakes rivalry for political power.

The forum organised by the Washington based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS, was a follow up to the January forum featuring the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. However, the initial camradiere immediately turned stormy once Okupe roared like a lion in defence of his principal, President Goodluck Jonathan.

The forum was attended by many stakeholders in the Nigeria’s democratic project and many Africa specialists from within the US. Okupe led the joint delegation of the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that also included a Senior Special Assistant to the President, Sanya Awosan; political adviser to the governor of Delta State, Fed Majemite; and Mr. Oma Djebah, senior advisor to the Delta governor on foreign affairs.The APC was represented by Mohammed and Senator Babafemi Ojudu, APC, Ekiti Central. Among dignitaries present at the forum were Ambassador Howard Jetter, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, and Dr. Usman Bugaje who served as political adviser to former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar. The programme moderated by Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa programme at CSIS, kicked off with opening statements on preparations by the two sides ahead of the 2015 elections offered by Mohammed and Okupe.

‘Our concerns’ The APC spokesman started by noting his party’s preparations which he said was flagged off with ward congresses across the country the week before the programme.He, however, drew attention to the party’s concerns on free and fair elections and particularly on the integrity of the voters register. He was quick to note that recent experiences, particularly the 2013 governorship election in Anambra State, did not give much room for confidence. ”Elections are not rigged only on election day, it is the process that leads to election day that are so crucial. I am happy that we all agreed on one issue, that is, a credible voters register,” Mohammed said. ”If the voter has no access to cast his vote, that election is flawed and the experience we had in Anambra State where different sets of registers were given to different political parties and another one on election day and where many people ran around and they couldnt find their names, a situation where even the Chairman of the commission had to admit that one of his officers was induced with money to disenfranchise thousands of people is worrisome.

We are not asking for much, we are only asking that, let there be a voters’ register which is credible, let the people be able to vote and let their votes count.” ’Desperate politicians’ While the APC spokesman was disposed to the intervention by the CSIS and saw it as a way of securing Nigeria’s democracy, Okupe was clearly reserved as he calmly

Alhaji Lai Mohammed pening in Nigeria should be restricted to Nigeria,” he stated.

Ojudu cited what he claimed as challenges to free and fair elections fanned by the administration. Prominent among them was what he called the President’s dithering procrastination on giving assent to the State of the Nation Address and the reluctance of the ruling PDP to push through a Bill to provide for debate by candidates for election. ”People would like to ask what you (candidates) are going to do about employment, and you keep on hearing of $20 billion missing and people want to know,” he said as he noted that the PDP candidate in the 2011 presidential election debated with himself ahead of the vote. ’The deaf conversation’ Cooke was, quick to thumb up the idea of debate among candidates and jocularly said the CSIS would willingly offer to host such a debate in the US.Before asking Majemite to answer how the PDP would select its candidate, Okupe quarreled with the anecdotes contained in Ojudu’s contribution, saying the senator deviated from answering the questions to throwing brickbats. ”We have to turn this discussion away the conversation of the deaf. I can also pretend to be deaf,” Okupe warned.

Majemite, in his own contribution, used the opportunity to throw darts at the APC,

Elections are not rigged only on election day, it is the process that leads to election day that are so crucial. I am happy that we all agreed on one issue, that is, a credible voters register

is what we should be discussing.”

The President’s spokesman was to add that he met with his principal just before departing Nigeria who told him to tell the American people that he had not made up his mind on seeking re-election.

Following him, Senator Ojudu, who made name in the Nigeria’s pro-democracy agitations in the 90s, was quick to dismiss Okupe’s assertion of internalising Nigeria’s democracy contentions as he was called upon to answer how the opposition is preparing to select its candidate for the 2015 presidential election. ”The world is one single humanity and whatever affects the people of Nigeria affects the world. I believe today that there is nothing happening in Nigeria that is not known to the world and it was only in those dark ages that one would say what is hap-

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pointing out that the PDP has a history of internal democracy. ”We have a history of internal democracy, we do not impose candidates,” he said as he went on to dismiss Ojudu’s claim of lack of transparency in the management of oil receipts.

Focussing on the senator’s claim that the PDP is fearful of debates, he said: ”The issue of debate is not new to us, we have been having debates; so I don’t know why the distinguished senator is saying that. We are not new, we have been having congresses. Alhaji Lai Mohammed just said that they are having their congresses, so let them come out with their officials and it is only then we will know whether the APC will stand or not.”

Credible polls Following that, Cooke charged the two parties to state what they believe would be

the basis of credible elections.

Mohammed itemised issues including biometrics, the removal of soldiers from election process, the design of a ballot paper not to confuse the electorate and the integrity of the media. He also charged that international observers must look at elections beyond what happened in urban centres and focus on what happens in remote areas where the INEC on election eve normally came up with polling booths only known to the ruling party.

He called for the removal of religion as an issue in politics. “A situation where our President has been going from church to church to make pronouncements on policy issues is not helpful,” The APC spokesman said.

Okupe dismissed APC’s call on the use of biometrics as he said that INEC had made it clear that it is not possible. ”When they lose elections, they say biometrics was not used. Biometrics or no biometrics, nobody is going to be specially favoured and let the APC know that now so that when the elections are won and lost, nobody would say it is because they didn’t use biometrics and that is why we lost.”

The presidential aide was to further agree with Mohammed that the voters register is the most crucial element in the election process as he called on the APC to join the PDP in ensuring the integrity of the register. ”So that we can avoid what happened in Anambra State where there were two sets of voters register. Some said this is the new one, some said it is that,” he said as he claimed he was being “honest” with Anambra.

His sincerity was soon taken up by Ojudu who lauded him on his sincerity in claiming that the Anambra election was marred by fraud as claimed by the APC. As Ojudu said that to the obvious embarrassment of Okupe, the audience muttered with suppressed applause. But, the President’s spokesma was to press on with what he described as his boss’ sincerity to free and fair election saying: “The man at the helm of affairs presently is a man that is committed to rebuilding Nigeria and he recognises that the starting block of this is by having free and fair elections. He has distanced himself and resisted party pressure to intervene in elections that have taken place since he became President and to ensure that the will of the people is not thwarted. There are many elections that have taken place where PDP, the party in power, lost.”

Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, in his summary of the discussions, praised the two sides, saying the articulation of the two parties was reflective of the high level of political discourse in Nigeria. He, nevertheless, warned the two sides not to wash the country’s line in public even as he raised questions about Nigerians coming to discuss their country in the US.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 45

2015

PDP constitution fully recognises power rotation in Delta – Okubor

*‘Why I may run for governorship’ Born on October 12, 1960, Dr. Festus Goziem Okubor, an indigene of UteErumu, Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State and the Chief of Staff to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, is a trail blazer, with remarkable achievements in various facets of life. Strongly guided by the objective “to join hands with all who believe in applying themselves diligently towards the enhancement of humanity and realisation of Nigeria’s destined greatness”, Okubor’s immense contributions to national growth and development cannot be over emphasised. As a medical doctor, Okubor recorded ground breaking achievements in his professional field before venturing into politics. He was the first Nigerian to practice the health insurance scheme; his presentation on health care financing at the first National Health Summit resulted in the adoption of health insurance as the preferred national policy for healthcare financing. As an expression of his passion on driving rural development in Nigeria, he established the first private hospital in Biu, Borno State in 1986.

Prior to his appointment as the Chief of Staff to Delta State Governor in June 2011, Okubor was exposed to grassroots politics in various capacities between 1996 and 2003. His wealth of experience at the state level sprawled from serving as the Director General, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council between 2010 and 2011, Commissioner for Health from January 2007 - May 2007, and the Commissioner for Information between March and December 2006. Okubor was the Commissioner for Special Duties from January 2006 - March 2006, and the State Director of Protocol from 2003 - 2005.

Okubor holds an MBBS degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,which he obtained in 1983.

He attended Edo College Benin City, 1972 – 1976 and St. James Primary School Agbor between 1966 and 1971.

Married to Christine and blessed with four children, Okubor is a holder of the Paul Harris Fellow medallion of Rotary International. In this interview, Okubor discusses his views on politics, his political aspiration and noble intentions for the people of Delta State. Excerpts:

W

HAT motivated you to go into politics?

I would say that the annulment of the 1993 election which Chief M.K.O Abiola clearly won under the SDP platform spurred me into politics.

I thought the annulment of that election result was unjustifiable and I was deeply motivated to join other progressive thinkers in the fight against that

injustice. I noticed a lot of abnormalities and wrongs in the system, and I knew the only way I could avail myself to be of service, and to right the wrongs, was to get actively involved and express my views. That was the beginning of my journey into active politics.

So far, will you say you are satisfied with your political journey on the PDP platform?

I am very satisfied with my political journey on the PDP platform. The PDP is a winning party. It is only normal for me to be fulfilled because the party offers a large platform for progressive thinking. Specifically, PDP has offered me the platform to serve my people for which I am very grateful. I don’t regret my political journey with the PDP. On a scale of 1 – 100, how do you rate the out-going government’s performance in Delta State?

I would give this administration 97%, that, is an ‘A’ grade performance. Reasons being that the government has recorded significant achievements. The rapid urbanization in the state capital as well as other cities speaks for the government. In the education sector, schools have been refurbished and upgraded with up-to-date facilities to enhance learning. Road construction and maintenance are currently on-go-

Dr. Festus Okubor....I am very satisfied with my political journey on the PDP platform What is the PDP’s stand on rotation of power to Delta North Senatorial District come 2015?

Rotation of power was clearly enshrined in article 7.2 (c) of the PDP constitution, which states: “In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels”. The PDP as a custodian of the constitution

Politicians should understand that politics is not always a win-win situation.

We need to be able to take the heat in politics. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. In any case, we should stick to our original ideology rather than decamping to other parties at the slightest disagreement

,,

BY UJU MBANUSI

ing to improve the transportation network and create easy accessibility to towns across the state. This has given Delta a new look. I am very sure that even if the indigenous Asaba ancestors were to come visiting today, they will not recognize Asaba based on the level of urbanization. It is the same for other towns in the state. Delta has also recorded tremendous peace during this administration. Overall, I will say that the PDP earned a high score in its performance in the state since the 2011 elections.

Any challenges?

There have been no challenges. However, it is normal for minor divisions to occur when governing people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Nevertheless, this has not posed a challenge to the government.

in Delta State upholds this. In a multiethnic society like Delta, power rotation ensures that all ethnic groups are duly represented in government, more so that all parties get to have their turn in governance, so no group feels marginalized. It is constitutional and the PDP in Delta fully recognizes this.

What is your view on the recent court order that all PDP decampees should resign their political appointments?

The issue of decamping started in 1951, when a politician from the West was able to influence his kinsmen to decamp from the political party on whose platform they won elections. The result of that action was not good; if we allow the trend to continue, the outcome will not be good for the future of politics in Nigeria.

Consequently, I am very much in support of the court order of perpetual injunction issued by Justice Ademola, restraining decampees from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Representatives. Politicians should understand that politics is not always a win-win situation. We need to be able to take the heat in politics. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. In any case, we should stick to our original ideology rather than decamping to other parties at the slightest disagreement.

Are you interested in running for governorship in 2015 Delta State?

Yes I am, if God wills it. I am only a servant in His hands; if it is His will that I join in the campaign to lead the state, I will not object to it.

Why do you want to become the next governor of Delta State, if God wills?

I have served in various appointments in the past. It is in this same stewardship spirit that I aspire to serve the great people of Delta State. I am only a vessel in the hands of God and His will alone will be done. I have always depended on the will of God to prevail over my personal ambitions.

What are the cardinal points of your election manifesto, and how do you intend to achieve them?

The key points of my manifesto are to revolutionalize employment generation in Delta State, embark on societal development, growth, ensure peace and justice. To achieve this, there is the need to, first and foremost, embark on industrialization across the state; and ensure that these industries are located in the areas where raw materials are produced. For example, an industry that produces chocolate will be located in the same area where cocoa is massively grown; the same applies to other products. Another step will be to create an environment for peace and security in the state, in order to sustain development.

PAGE 46—SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Critics of Aregbesola are anti-people — Bashiru

BY DAPO AKINREFON Mr Ajibola Bashiru is the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties in Osun State. In this interview, Bashiru takes a swipe at critics of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration and explains why the governor deserves second term at the Abere Government House. Excerpts:

O

•Mr Ajibola Bashiru, Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties in Osun State have done that in many aspects.

The idea of the inter-denominational centre came barely two months after the governor assumed office. The governor felt that with the high concentration of Christian leaders in Osun State, particularly around the Ijesha axis, if we could have a centre that can attract people to worship, it will not only open up the place, it will also be a source of economic activities.

The community, on their own, gave land to support that drive. Since the governor assumed office, all the three major religions have been given equal opportunities. But, for people who cannot point any inadequacy in the formulation or implementation of our policies, they can only appeal to sentiment.

Majority of members of the cabinet are Christians. It will be insincere for anybody to level allegations bordering on

The antecedents of our party and our leader do not indicate violence. Those talking about violence are those with the antecedents of violence. The mere mention of the names of some of them evokes fear in the people. Those known to have pedigree of violence are leveling that allegation, it is illogical.

Are you saying the PDP is no match for Aregbesola in the coming election?

Not at all. The only threat is the threat to the peace in Osun because of their inordinate ambition and apparent readiness to cause havoc. A former governor, Isiaka Adeleke, attested to this when he allegedly said he was manhandled by one of the aspirants.

Having said that, we have a record of history and justice and maintaining security. They have an antecedents of violence.

Are you not disturbed that the PDP

,,

NE of the selling points of the Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is the reclassification initiative which seeks to revamp the education sector in the state, but the opposition has since criticized the policy saying it has caused more harm than good. How do you react to this?

The allegation by the opposition is clearly ill-conceived, ill-motivated and borne out of mischief. In the first instance, the PDP, by its antecedents, was in government for seven and a half years and within that period, the education system in Osun State went down. Facts available show that the education infrastructure went comatose. Even the so-called schools were not a place you would be happy to put your kids in.

In terms of the quality of education, only three per cent of the students from Osun State were not matricutable. After we carried out an audit of the school system, many schools had inadequate teachers. It was this situation that led to the intervention and there are results showing improvement. If anyone says it has created confusion, it is all propaganda. Having said that, the reclassification has made education more accessible for the people of Osun State.

On the simulated crisis by the opposition, we investigated the school that was said to be in crisis and found that it was orchestrated by the PDP, seeking to discredit the government.

The opposition was trying to use religious camouflage to discredit the programme. We also found out that some of the students who wore hijab were actually Christians and some of those who wore Christian gowns were actually Muslims.

The governor set up a committee headed by a former Attorney General of the state, Chief Gbadegeshin Adedeji, which found that it was just people trying to fan embers of religious discord in order to discredit the government.

Outside that isolated incidence, people have been enrolling their children in the schools and they have been relating very well. We have been able to create a qualitative atmosphere for access to education to all citizens of the state irrespective of the circumstances of their birth or the economic circumstances of their parents.

Having said this, how would the Aregbesola administration ensure the continuity of this programme and the maintenance of the schools to prevent decay?

Our aim is to strengthen institutions.

We want to entrench these institutions and make them viable. We are confident that when the people of Osun State give Aregbesola another four years, he would do more to strengthen some of these landmark achievements.

Another policy that has painted the Aregbesola government in bad light is the plan to construct an ecumenical centre. It is deemed ill-conceived.

One of the policies of the Aregbesola administration is to create a level playing ground for all religious organisations. We also intend to create economic activities and open up the state and we

The opposition was trying to use religious camouflage to discredit the programme. We also found out that some of the students who wore hijab were actually Christians and some of those who wore Christian gowns were actually Muslims

ulterior motives against the governor.

Ahead of the August 9 gubernatorial contest, the opposition PDP has alleged that there are plans by the APC to instigate crisis in Osun. How true is this?

might rely on the federal might to win the election?

One can only appeal to the Federal Government not to cause problem for Nigerians by trying to impose unpopular and rejected persons in the South-

west, not only in Osun State.

When you look at the history of Nigeria, it was an attempt by the Federal Government to impose unpopular people on the South-west that led to the collapse of the first republic. We hope they will not allow themselves to be used to cause the same problem.

That should serve as a note of warning and caution to them. For the people of Osun, our appeal is that they must rise up and defend their votes, they must rise up to ensure that nobody imposes unpopular and discredited politicians on them.

They must allow the elections to be free, fair and must be seen by all to be free and fair. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. We have to be vigilant and we have to be committed to ensure that we defend democracy.

Why should the people of Osun cast their votes, the second time, for Aregbesola?

There are several reasons but I will mention three of them. First is that Aregbesola, by his programmes, changed the fortunes of Osun for the better in many respects. Today, you have massive road construction, many if them completed and many of them on going.

You have schools being constructed all over the state, irrespective of the locality. You have youths, hitherto unemployed, being given hope. It is not only through the OYES programme but also through some other interventions.

Today, in the education sector alone, 10,240 teachers have been employed, for primary and secondary schools. We have been able to give hope to the youths.

We have been able to feed school children and it is done five days a week and it has also brought up the employment of food vendors. They have been equipped to become community caterers.

Also, the school feeding programme has created market for those that engage in agricultural produce. We also give N10,000 relief allowance to people, who are above the age of 65 and those who do not have anyone to take care of them. The fidelity of the government to the promise it made is one of the reasons we need to sustain this development and get our state to retain the position it has gotten to now.

It may interest you to know that Osun has been rated as one of the seventh largest economies in the country.

Another reason is that the government has been truthful to the constitutional mandate where he has ensured security of lives and property. Since this administration took over, there has been peace and security in Osun.

Criminal activities has been brought to the barest minimum and this is verifiable.

Again, Aregbesola has been able to provide leadership to ensure good governance in Osun; none of the so called gladiators can match that credential because their antecedents are not along the line. To sustain democracy in the state, I think Aregbesola deserves another term.

Do you see the Independent National Electoral Commission conducting a free and credible election in Osun considering recent elections conducted by the Commission?

Beyond the conviction that our people will rise up to the occasion, we are not confident that INEC will do a good job. But with the collective resolve of our people, we must force them to ensure that they conduct a free and fair election.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRI L 13, 2014, PAGE 47

Explore the art of kissing (2)

By Yetunde Arebi

H

i!

Last Sunday, I brought you the first part of this article which could not be concluded due to space constraint. Below is the concluding part. Happy reading and do have a beautiful Sunday.

The next group of kisses are what I call facial kisses or the Pecks. Like the French kiss, this come in various styles so you can apply according to the situation. Pecks are simple kisses done with closed tight or soft lips on the Cheeks, Jawlines, Earlobes, Chin and the Lips.

Though the Peck is usually a polite kiss, it can mean several different things, depending on the person and how long two people have been dating. It is used as an expression of friendship.

On a first date, it may also be a means of testing the waters without seeming too aggressive. The peck is a short,

tight lipped kiss on the lips or cheeks, capable of sparking romance between two people.

A peck on the lips is a suggestion that there is to be much more smooching in to be done in the future. It is very sensual, yet still somewhat chaste and restrained.

Then there is the Woodpecker, rapid, cute and playful fire pecks. Like the peck, you can convey a lot of affection without allowing things to get too hot and heavy.

The message being passed here is, “I really like you, a lot, but I don’t want to get myself all randy right now.”

The woodpecker is also a good option when it comes to Public Display of Affections (PDAs).

No one wants to watch you swallow each other’s saliva or faces.

The Cheek kiss is a closed mouth kiss on someone’s cheeks and can be used to flirt, pass a friendly greeting or to

say goodbye to someone you love. In fact, apart from a friendly hello, a cheek kiss can be a cute way of saying a flirty ‘thank you’ to someone or a cute appropriate signing off after a first date that has gone well.

Another facial kiss is the Jawline kiss which is done by people who are well known to each other or already dating.

You should never try this kiss on someone you just met.

A Jawline kiss is a firm kiss on the lower side of the jaw where the neck meets the jaw. For those already in a relationship, it is usually fun to kiss a partner’s jawline after having some

kisses. From the hands to the legs, these kisses can be very chaste and erotic depending on how it is applied. The Hand kiss dates back in history and was performed with a bow to show deference to a lady. It was used to demonstrate respect, adoration and kindness.

However, over time, being one of the first physical contacts between a male and a female, especially in public gatherings, not a few men often use this gesture to make their intensions of an intimate relationship known by gently gracing the inside of a lady’s palm with their fingernail.

intense French kissing. If they respond well to it, make a path of jawline kisses up to their ear and give them an Earlobe kiss.

This involves taking your partner ’s earlobe between the lips and tugging gently upwards or downwards.

This kiss can be made more intense by gently rubbing the tongue in a circular motion, or using a gentle sucking motion on the earlobe.

Avoid making loud sucking noises as ears are sensitive noise detectors. Finally, you have the Chin kiss which is done simply by holding your partner’s chin with your fingers; middle, index and thumb. You can combine this kiss with the French kiss for effect too.

I call this next group the Limb

This can be very tickling and erotic, though some find it quite distasteful, especially if the female does not share your kind of enthusiasm.

Then, there is the Foot kiss which though also used in some cultures such as the Indians to greet or show respect, is also both a romantic and erotic gesture.

A friend recently told me about her passionate encounter with a guy she met recently who turned her on to no end with an erotic foot job, a massage interrupted with sensuous kisses. The best time to do this is after you are freshly showered as the feet might be dirty. Keep your toenails neatly trimmed and manicured too.

The Thigh kiss is simply what

it implies. It is kiss applied to the thighs and is highly effective as one of the kisses for foreplay.

This kiss can be applied outside or inside of the thighs, from the hips to the knees as many times as possible, depending on the objective of the game. This kiss is so erotic that even the worst of kissers can easily score very high points.

The Wind kisses comprises of two major types when it comes to romantic kisses, the Breath and the Vacuum kiss. Both kisses are more of games than kisses and they create major anticipation in an already hot moment.

First, you and your partner should part your lips slightly, barely touching them. Inhale deeply and lock lips (like you’re performing CPR). Slowly exhale into their mouth while they’re inhaling and then begin to share your partner’s breath.

You can move your heads to experience different sensations and touch your lips on and off slightly.

The Vacuum kiss is simply the opposite version of the Breath kiss and involves sucking of air from your partner instead of blowing it in. Kiss your partner with an open mouth and suck in so deeply that you’re sucking away your partner’s air. Gently begin to kiss him and share your air with him. Fresh breath is also a must for these kisses, remember!

Finally, there is the Teaser or Travelling kiss. Just as the name implies, this is a kiss meant to tease and tantalise a partner’s senses and bring out their passion.

When done correctly, this kiss can be quiet useful if you mean to turn your partner on and make them want more than just kisses. It is a kiss that can start from the forehead and then travel down the entire length of the body. If you do not have sex on the agenda, do not encourage to be kissed this way.

Stop at the shoulders.

No matter the style or type of kiss you adopt, a kiss given with tender, loving thoughts about your partner remains the best kind of kiss ever. Whether it’s on your partner’s mouth, neck, ear or forehead, the love kiss is the most romantic kiss you can give.

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You might not realize it, but your kissing style can be influenced by whatever is on your mind about the person you are kissing. Smooching with love on your mind will make your kisses extra soft and sweet.

Ways to spice up your kisses Whether you’re an experienced kisser or you’re still learning the ropes, you can add spice to your kisses by introducing some elements into the act, just like spicing up sex with sex toys.

Follow these few tips: All you have to do is trade off, exchange or pass substances from your mouth to your partner’s. You can only do these with someone you are already comfortable kissing.

During this kiss, each person should have a different flavour of candy of their own. You can slowly switch the candy with each other during the kiss, mixing the flavours in your mouth. Be careful not to choke on them. You can also do this with chewing gum, chocolate or sweets.

Choose something with a sexy flavour, like strawberry or mint.

This simple sexy act can be replicated with liquids too. An exchange of your favourite drinks. Be careful to start with small sips to avoid spilling. You can also try chewing on an ice cube until your mouth is freezing.

Then, kiss your partner, sliding your tongues. You will feel a sexy chill if you do it right. For the female partner, the lip gloss kiss can be a perfect way to have some lovey-dovey fun with your partner too. Splash on a harmless amount of lip gloss on your lips and then rub it on your partner’s until they are coated.

Don’t forget to use one with a very sexy flavour.

If you’ve had a great time learning to kiss or sharpening your skill, please let me hear from you. You may also wish you share one or two kissing experiences with other readers. Or perhaps, you wish to ask any questions concerning relationships. You may reach me via the email a d d r e s s : inthelovezone@yahoo.com Cheers!!

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PAGE 48—SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

FESTIVAL

A

fter series of delay, the 2 nd Anambra Book and Creativity Festival (ANBUKRAFT), a literary event that brings together, many like minds in the creative industry not just to discuss creativity but also issues pertaining to nation building, was finally kicked off at Awka, the state capital with all the challenges and prospects.

The festival which was initiated to prove to many that Anambra could still be transformed despite all those sad tales coming out of the state, lived up to its bidding as it featured various activities as its name implies, the second festival embodies art, craft, books and other forms of creativity. Within this broad framework, there were exhibitions, roundtables, workshops, lectures, and a commemorative conference cutting across disciplines.

Held at King David hotel, Awka, the event themed “Reinvigorating the Literary, Creative and Cultural Enterprise in the Realities of the Millennium Turn” featured various activities and presentations from seasoned and young artists, educationists, writers, publishers, literary and art critics, art lovers, film makers, craft makers, actors,

Kudos, knocks for ANBUKRAFT 2014

•Musicians from University of Nigeria, Nsukka performing at the festival poets and musicians from different parts of Nigeria and beyond in addition to several

,

By JAPHET ALAKAM

conference and works presented for the exhibitions were a great improvement on the 2012 collec-

All the works attempt to re-enact moments from the epic novel, Things Fall apart, exploring the link between visual and verbal metaphors

roundtable discussions and a five-day exhibition of books and crafts.

There were thought-provoking presentations at the

,

tion. As the 2nd edition of the festival was dedicated to the memory of Chinua Achebe, a son of Anambra State and one of the brightest jewels of the

human race, there were a collection of drawings and paintings by four artists deriving from selected moments in Things Fall Apart, Achebe’s evergreen work.

While the drawings by Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi, Chijioke Onuora and George Odoh are rendered in pen and ink and charcoal, the works by Henry Mujunga, a Ugandan artist, are brilliant configuration of watercolour, ink, graffiti and collage. All the

works attempt to re-enact moments from the epic novel, exploring the link between visual and verbal metaphors.

Also displayed were several paintings on the NigeriaBiafra war and a host of other paintings and crafts, some of them with Uli influences.

Beyond this unique collection, there were other works; paintings, sculptures, textiles, fashion, video and crafts. The paintings by Tony Nze, Matthew Ebere, Walter Okpogor, Catherine Okananwa, and Juliet Uwaila, address various issues in the society as do the textiles of Chinwe Onwuasoanya, and Nkem Udeani.

There were also books on display by old and young authors as well as publishers. Outstanding in the list are Osita Amakeze and Nduka Echezona, two young authors who have had their first works of fiction and poetry published.

There are also presentations by Professors Damian Opata, Ben Obumselu, Chimalum Nwankwo, Ola Oloidi, Frank Ugiomoh, Dr Peter Ezeh, among others.

The theme of the event which was further dissected into various presentations, saw speakers cum artists like Prof. Ben Obumselum, Rev. Fr. Ositadinma Amakaeze, Prof.

Damian U. Opata, Prof. Ayo Oloidi, Mr Lasse Lau and a host of others speak, engaging the participants in series of discussions while the programme lasted. The event which had renowned poet and literary critique Prof.

Chimalum Nwankwo, The Chief Judge of Anambra state Justice Peter Umeadi and the Vice Chancellor of Madonna University Prof. C.E Ezedum in attendance climaxed with an award ceremony which saw a number of artists and other participators in the industry rewarded for their contribution to the creative industry.

Drinking from Oba Erediauwa’s fountain of ideas Memories of Darey’s Lo Love Likee A Mo Movie concertt ve Lik vie concer

By PRISCA SAM DURU

E

tisalat Nigeria reiterated its commitment towards supporting the development of the country’s entertainment industry when it endorsed Darey Art Alade’s ‘Love Like a Movie Concert’ which held recntly.

This year’s event, held on the 15 th of February was memorable as it was groundbreaking. Fun loving Nigerians thronged the Ocean View grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos venue of the concert to watch American Kelly Rowland wow the audience with a mind-gripping performance.

Tagged “Love RollerCoaster ”, it was indeed a sight to behold from inception to its final performance. As guests watched with keen attention, as the dynamics of mid-air manoeuvres, choreography, pyrotechnic displays and world-class performances played out. Members of the audience were taken to a whole new level of entertainment with live music production from performers and choreographers, who were adorned beautifully, to add colour to the occasion.

It was thrilling as Darey Art Alade made his opening performance by majestically appearing 50 feet above the stage in a glistening silver box, descending on the stage singing “Kiss From A Rose”, an ever-popular love song by international R&B and soul singer, Seal.

Adorned in a beautifully embellished Ankara satin print crop top and pants outfit, diva of the event, Kelly Rowland, opened her performance with her 2002 hit song “Dilemma.”

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CONCERT

The minds of guest were taken to a whole new level in entertainment with live music production from performers and choreographers

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As a bonus, she took the audience back in time with some hit singles of her former girlgroup, Destiny’s Child.

The appearance of Kelly Rowland in Nigeria shows that

•Dary Art Alade Nigeria is firmly established on the entertainment map in the world.

Etisalat Nigeria’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Willsher, expressed his company’s delight to be a sponsor of such an entertaining concert.

“What stands us out as a telecommunications company is our unique ways of doing things.

Love Like A Movie shares that

same energetic, customercentric, and one-of-a-kind experience as Etisalat Nigeria.

Etisalat is not just a network, but an experience; and it remains committed to supporting initiatives that resonate with the passion of its consumers and reminds them of who we are and what we stand for.”

owever, one noticeable flaw was that the interesting and highly educating programme was almost marred by a low participation, especially by people from the state, but resilience and dedication by the organizers and the participants ensured that the event ended on a very happy and promising note.

The festival was thus a mixed bag in a positive sense, for the simple reason that it paraded masters and burgeoning artists and writers. The event, thus represents a platform for instrumental dialogues at various level, dialogues that beget new relationships, new networks, new goals, new horizons and new achievements. And this is the fundamental essence of ANBUKRAFT: to create an annual festival and celebration of creativity which the people can look up to every year with a sense of pride and enthusiasm.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 49 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

es account of treac her Sykes treacher heryy How we administered N3b Nollywood Syk in decayed system fund.....Olusi

By PRISCA SAM DURU

By UDUMA KALU

REVIEW

MUSIC

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On February 28, applications for the Film Development Fund component of Project ACT-Nollywood came to an end. Over 250 online applications were received and a Panel of Assessors – made up of 6 professionals with experience in film and project appraisal – has been formed. In this interview with Dr. Supo Olusi, the Project Coordinator of the Fund explains how it is being administered.

•Dr Supo Olusi applications window shall remain open until the depletion of funds (N300m). The applications are pre-qualified by the Project ACT’s Project Implementation Unit(PIU) in the Federal Ministry of Finance based on the published criteria. All pre-qualified applications are then reviewed and scored by a panel of assessors based on clearly defined and weighted

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Tell us about the Fund Project ACT is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria, led by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Project’s objective is to encourage the sustained growth of Nigeria’s movie industry to realize its potential as a significant creator of employment and contributor to national GDP. The Project is to alleviate the obstacles to the sector ’s growth and promote key components along the movie value chain through the provision of grants to support existing or aspiring practitioners within the industry, including in the diaspora.

How do you administer it?

The scoring guidelines and criteria have been defined and the panel will soon meet for the first time to agree on the team work dynamics. Grants are to be allocated approximately. For grants up to N10m, preference is given to film projects already under implementation so as to reduce the risk of allocating grants to film projects, which may not eventually be implemented or produced. For substantially larger size grants, amount awarded will depend on merit and is agreed on a case by case basis. These are special movie projects that have the potential to position Nigeria on the global stage of movie making and to raise the bar on innovation, quality and experience in Nigeria’s motion picture. The grants are accessed through an online application portal launched in July 2013.

What of the other two components of the Project?

Thank you. The CBF online

ponent; and where there is a small up-keeping component this is disbursed to the individual near the training date.

For institutional grants, these are earmarked to specific components of the applicant’s proposal and to specific procurement/activities.

Payments are milestone-based and where possible , directly made to the supplier (for in-

The training part of the capacity building is dedicated to training and skills acquisition for Nigerian movie practitioners

criteria. Thereafter, successful applications undergo another round of due diligence: for individual applicants, the training institute where the student has secured a place is contacted to confirm the training, is taking place in the announced dates and to confirm amount of training fees and institution’s bank details. or training institute ap plicants, the institutions are visited by the panel of assessors to confirm the information provided and ascertain where the grant would add the most value and in which amount.

Successful applicants are requested to review and sign a grant agreement contract with the FMF to ensure they commit to using the resources as stipulated in the agreement.

For individual grants, funds are disbursed directly to the training institutes for the training fee com-

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stance in the case of equipment procurement).

What is the Capacity Building Fund meant to achieve?

The Training part of the Capacity Building Fund is valued at N150 million and is dedicated to training and skills acquisition for Nigerian movie practitioners in all competencies along the entire value chain of Nigeria’s movie industry. These include Scriptwriting, Directing, Production and Production Design, Special Effects, Lighting, Sound, HD Techniques, Acting, Cinematography, MakeUp, Editing, etc.

All these for N3b?

Project ACT has three main components and has a total budget of N3 billion. These are: Capacity Building Fund (CBF) – N300million, Film Production Fund (FPF) – N700 million, Innovative Distribution Fund (IDF) – N2billion

Okara, Amadi, Nnolim honour Maduka

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he beehive of cultural activities in Port Harcourt continues as literary heavyweights in Port Harcourt , today, Sunday, 13th April at Lema Halls and Gardens gather to honour eminent literary scholar, Prof. Chidi Maduka of the University of Port Harcourt.

Maduka will be conferred with the Lifetime Literary Achievement Award by the Literary Appreciation Society, a literature enhancement non-government organization in Port Harcourt.

A statement issued by Barr. Angus

Chukwuka, Coordinator of the Society, said four young writers will also will receive Literary Commit-

ment Award for their service to their immediate environment through Creative Literature. Maduka is honoured for his powerful use of literary criticism to develop Literature, Humanities, and Society. Maduka is a fellow, Nigeria Academy of Letters and Member Board of Trustees Igbo Language Academy. here will also be a presentation of two books writ ten by Chukwuka that day. The books, Standing Divided, published by Jemie Associates, Lagos, is a collection of poems and a play, The Wedding,Kraftbooks, Ibadan, which is an attempt to X-ray the eternal dispute between the male and female folks.

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igeria has for years, engaged herself in a very deadly romance with destructive mechanisms characterised by looting of public treasury, unpatriotism, bad governance, child abuse, sexual violence, corruption, moral decadence and most recently, terrorism which seems to have placed her on a keg of gun powder.

This litany of woes which seems endless with no solution in sight, is the focal point of The Deck of Cards, a 357-page fiction authored by Sykes Adimora.

The Deck of Cards is an intensely moving narrative of corruption, treachery, violence and struggle against vicissitudes of life and Sykes, a fresh literary voice that sounds as strong as those of established writers, technically weaves this theme with story-telling skill spiced with some element of humour and so much poetic flavour.

Cleverly fusing romance with serious issues raised for the development of the plot, the book lays bare, a cascade of ugly scenarios that contributed in shaping the history of a country still groping in darkness in spite of its endowments.

At first, events quite different from the main thrust of the novel which portray the level of moral decadence amongst teenagers who rather than study while in school, experiment with drugs, sex, gambling, cultism, and other immoral behaviours that translate many into drug traffickers and assassins later in life, are treated.

This makes the reader ponder what the writer is driving at but as the story progresses with so much twists, events and characters begin to connect as the gamblers are seen caught in the very web they consciously fight against. resented in a total of 54 chapters, written over a period of seven years as “an aide-memoir for the survivors of those perilous times”, Sykes unearths the intrigues surrounding the 2004 Central Bank reform program for the nation’s banking industry which required a minimum of 25 billion naira fresh capital from commercial banks, resulting into series of mergers and acquisitions of banks in order to beat the 31st December 2005 deadline.

The Savannah Trust Bank (STB), a metaphor for plight of distressed banks, their customers and of course, the workers, are

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caught in the web of the deadline. And from Lagos, the bank treacherously schemes against CBN’s impending deadline, capturing four men who are imprisoned in the cage of intense adversity; love, infidelity, family, money and brotherhood. The situation births kings and queens of the game, scheming their way into an impending doom. Families are thrown into mourning, rattling machine guns disrupting peace of inhabitants, imprisonment, jail break and the height of betrayals, all race towards tragedy as the nation sadly, awaits even the ugliest atrocities in history. ith a complex plot and excess characters, though well handled by the author, the book under review is an enthralling, compelling and suspense-filled narrative that combines the forces of an alluring glossy and esthetically designed cover as well as power of description so irresistible that the reader’s interest is captured on beholding the book. Events and characters also help in transporting the reader into a robust crave for the climax of the story, having been engulfed in the interesting world of the

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The Deck Of Cards by Sykes Adimora. Published

by Paper Boat Publishing House, Lagos. 2014, PP.357 game players.

The author is creative enough to paint vivid pictures of every detail in every action. His documentation of events surrounding the result of the Apex bank’s directive, plane crashes, terrorist attacks, unholy scenes depicting what transpires between public officers and their mistresses and how the nation’s fund is diverted into such disgraceful ventures, etc, are done with an amazing brilliance.

Sykes Adimora has shown so much ingenuity and creativity especially in the use of figures of speech which are beautifully applied, even as a debut fiction author and should be commended for adding his creative talent to the literary industry.

Except for too many characters scampering to earn the reader’s love which tend to get the reader slightly confused at some point, The Deck of Cards makes an interesting read and is recommended to all.

PAGE 50----SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014 sameyoboka@yahoo.com

08023145567 (sms only)

Enter Holy Week 2014

By SAM EYOBOKA with Agency reports

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FTER almost 40 days of fast ing and prayers orthodox Christians across the globe today begin what is known as the Holy Week and runs till Saturday. Holy Week also known as the Passion Week, in Christendom is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. It includes the religious holidays of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It does not include Easter Sunday.

In Eastern Orthodox tradition, Holy Week starts on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday. (Easter Sunday, for context, is the first day of the new season of the Great 50 Days, or Eastertide, there being 50 days from Easter Sunday through Pentecost Sunday.) It is followed by Easter Week.

Penitential season

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oly Week 2014 therefore is the final week before Easter 2014 and the last week of Lent 2014. Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church. A penitential season marked by prayer, fasting and abstinence, and alms giving, Lent begins on either Ash Wednesday and ends on either Holy Thursday or Holy Satur-

day. Lent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the greatest

Christian mystery, the death of Christ on Good Friday and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Since Easter Sunday is a moveable feast, Lent, too, begins on a different date each year.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Western calendar, falls 46 days before Easter Sunday.

For Eastern Catholics, Lent begins on Clean Monday, two days before Ash We d n e s d a y.

Lent is 40 days long, but there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, and Easter. So how are the 40 days of Lent calculated?

The answer takes us back to the earliest days of the Church. Christ's original disciples, who were Jewish, grew up with the idea that the Sabbath— the day of worship and of rest—was Saturday, the seventh day of the week, since the account of creation in Genesis says that God rested on the seventh day. Christ rose from the dead, however, on Sunday, the first day of the week, and early Christians, starting with the apostles saw Christ's Resurrection as a new creation, and so they transferred the day of rest and worship from Saturday to Sunday.

Since all Sundays—and not simply Easter Sunday—were days to celebrate Christ's Resurrection, Christians were forbidden to fast and do other forms of penance on those days. Therefore, when the Church expanded the period of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter from a few days to 40 days (to mirror Christ's fasting in the desert, before He began His public ministry), Sundays could not be included in the count.

Passion of Christ Thus, in order for Lent to include 40 days on which fasting could occur, it had to be expanded to six full weeks (with six days of fasting in each week)

Continues on Page 51

What Christians get wrong about the Easter story

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everything together as a whole and cohesive narrative, it becomes a story where the climax is not the Cross, but the resurrection.

For much of my life, the climax of the Passion narrative, Lent and Easter put together, has been the Cross. The Cross is the place of salvation, the place where sin is forgiven, the place where Christ ransomed the world from the powers of death and darkness and atoned for us. That was, in my mind, the climax of the story. Yes, something really awesome happened with the resurrection, but I have heard so much through songs and theology that I should “cling to the Cross.”

This Lent however, I began to grow frustrated with this looking at the Cross. I decided that I wanted to begin living as if I should “cling to the resurrection,” but this also is missing the big picture.

See, what has been lost on so many of us, and even someone like me, who grew up fasting during Lent, is

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By THOMAS TURNER HE season of Lent comes with a steady dose of drama.

The temptations of Christ get the ball rolling, and then as we journey through His earthly ministry we always have the benefit of knowing how the story of Lent ends: conspiracy, intrigue, betrayal and the scattering of Christ’s friends closely followed by his torture, passion and then death upon the Cross.

As many of us journey through Lent with our families and faith communities, we tend to think like people who do not know the end of the story. We become so focused on the suffering and the death of Christ that we are like people watching a movie that just stops, and we do not know the rest of the story.

I realize we all know the rest of the story here, and that it is what we celebrate on Easter. But how we view Christ’s story throughout Lent and Easter influences our theology and how we see the Cross and the resurrection functioning together.

The separation of the Lent and Easter seasons does not exactly help here. Darkness, suffering, temptation, repentance and death: that is Lent. Joy, celebration, fish breakfasts, long walks with Jesus and resurrection: that is Easter.

However, if we start to look deeper into the intent of the Lent and Easter seasons, there are not two separate stories with two climaxes, one culminating in death and the other culminating in resurrection. No, when Lent and Easter are placed together as one big story, when we look at

We need to re-train ourselves to think about the death and the resurrection of Christ not as two separate and climactic events but as one single event

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that the time of repentance and contemplating the death of Christ is not supposed to be separated from the resurrection of Christ like it often is now. The resurrection that happens Easter morning is the end of the Passion story, and it cannot be forgotten, either during Lent or our daily lives.

There is a temptation to then shift the focus from the death to the resurrection, from one central point to another. If we have the Cross as the center of our spiritual lives and focus for so long, the natural response if we want to shift the focus is to just start emphasizing the resurrection over the Cross. We can change from “cling to the Cross” to “cling to the resurrection” kind of people. But this is to just oscillate between two parts of the story.

To properly focus on these climactic events that shaped Christian history, we need to re-train ourselves to think about the death and the resurrection of Christ not as two separate and climactic events but as one single event, one climax in the Passion narrative: death and resurrection together.

The Church has had a name for this during its history, and like so many other ideas of significance, it has a cool Latin name: Triduum. This is the name given to the three days that encompass the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that happen on Maundy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday (Death), Holy Saturday (Burial) and Easter Morning (Resurrection). Grouping these events we often view separately together makes

a profound theological statement: if we want atonement, forgiveness and new life, we need to have both death and resurrection—the whole Passion narrative all at once.

The final words of John 16 sum up the importance of viewing Christ’s death and resurrection together: “But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Through death Christ overcame sin, and through the resurrection Christ overcame death itself.

What more could cause us to take heart than this? In the span of three days, Christ has turned all the powers of darkness over and birthed the joy of resurrection life into the world, but not before passing through death and darkness.

Our Christian life is always full of the tension of death and resurrection together. We take communion and try to grasp the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for us even knowing in the back of our minds that Christ conquered death. And we take joy in the baptism of others into new life while at the same time knowing full well that the new life we experience in the Christian life was bought with the ultimate price, a perfect sacrifice and a harrowing journey into darkness.

Life and Death. Cross and Resurrection. To know full well the magnificence of Christ’s power, we must cling both to the Cross and to the resurrection. Only then will the story be complete.

*Thomas Turner, a graduate of Rutgers University and Cairn University, is program manager at International Justice Mission.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 51

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WOMAN brought an ala baster jar of very costly perfume and poured it all on Jesus.

Jesus’ disciples were indignant, asking: “Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matthew 26:8-9). But ultimately, perfume is meant to be used. Even if it is sold, the person who buys it would still “waste it” by using it.

Expensive perfumes are not intended for use by the poor. They can only be afforded by the rich. So what are Jesus’ disciples saying inadvertently? Is Jesus not rich enough to use expensive perfume? If not, who then can use it without it being a waste?

This raises a number of other questions. What makes something valuable? Is something valuable because of its cost, or is it valuable because of its use? Child of God, don’t make the same mistake as the disciples of Jesus. Don’t determine the value of something by its monetary price. The valuable things are those things that are useful to God.

Overrated money Money belongs to Caesar: it does not belong to God. (Luke 20:23-25).

That means it is not valuable at all. Money can only buy earthly values: it cannot buy kingdom values. Money cannot buy life. It cannot buy peace. It cannot buy the

Mrs. Fashola sues for peace, unity

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IFE of Lagos State gover nor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, has urged Nigerians to work for the peace and unity of the country, reports WILLIAM JIMOH. Mrs. Fashola, who made the call at the fifth Awesome Treasure annual national women prayer summit held in Lagos, thanked God for opening the eyes of women in this generation to foresee the nation's problem, and the need for all Nigerians irrespective of their religion to pray for leaders with integrity and sincerity of purpose.

According to her, Nigeria needs people-oriented, value motivated

MONEY IS NOT VALUABLE joy of the Lord. For this reason, Peter rebuked Simon the Sorcerer, saying to him: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” (Acts 8:20).

The things of God are bought without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1).

Paradoxically, only the poor can afford the things of the kingdom of God. It is far too expensive for the rich. The rich usually have the means to pay for all the things of this world. But when a rich young ruler who desired to inherit eternal life was told the price, he discovered it was far too costly for him.

The cost of eternal life is a man’s life. However, the rich love their lives.

They consider themselves to be blessed precisely because of the privileged lives they live. Therefore, they are not prepared to relinquish their riches for the sake of the kingdom.

That is why Jesus says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24).

The devil’s agenda Money cannot be valuleaders who are more interested in investing in human capital. She used the occasion to appeal to politicians seeking to occupy various offices in 2015 election to shun religious sentiments, ethnic divide and selfish interest and be more concerned about the needs of the masses, orphans and the less privileged in particular.

Also speaking, Mrs. Olajumoke Adenowo, founder, Awesome Treasure Foundation, ATF, a faith-based organisation, noted that it is high time God remembered the cry of Nigerian women and restore the country to her glory days.

The valuable things are those things that are useful to God able because we are always giving it away in exchange for something else. Surely, the more valuable things are what we use money to buy.

But then there is yet another imponderable here.

It is difficult to think of anything of intrinsic value that can be bought for money. This presents a dilemma. We work all day to make some money and then use it to buy what is not valuable.

This provides a framework for wasted lives.

Satan says: “All that a man has he will give for his life.” (Job 2:4). He does not say a man will give all he has for his money. But he implies he will give all his money for his life. This shows even the devil recognises that a man’s life is more valuable than his money.

Without life, a man cannot even spend money.

So what does the devil do? He creates a world in which a man gives his life for money. He creates a world in which a man

spends his life making money; thereby ensuring that he wastes his life.

In order to make money, we have to spend something. In this world, what we spend is our life.

In order to earn money, we have to spend life. An employer takes eight hours of our daily life and gives us money for it.

More often than not, we spend our life making money but never even make enough money to become rich.

When a man spends his life making money, at the end, his life would have been spent. At the end of his life, his life would have been wasted; even if he might have made a lot of money. Moreover, at the end of his life, the money becomes useless to him: “For he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.”

(Psalm 49:17).

A man who spends his life making money cannot serve God. Jesus says: “No one can serve two

masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).

Theft of God Jesus says furthermore: “The thief comes not but to steal, kill and destroy.”

(John 10:10). What has the thief come to steal?

What do we have that if it is stolen from us, will lead to our death and destruction? What was the devil determined to steal from Job? He was determined to steal God from him.

God is by far our most valuable possession.

The devil brings adversity in order to drive us away from God. Thus, he said to God concerning Job: “Stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:5). After he had severely afflicted Job, he then sent his wife to finish the job: “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’” (Job 2:9).

Don’t be deceived: money is never the true cost of a thing. Money is not a currency of the kingdom of God. The

Adeboye tasks youths on hard work

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ENERAL Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church Of God, (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye on Sunday advised youth to be diligent, hardworking, and always exhibit the fear of God in order to succeed in life, reports OLAYINKA LATONA. Adeboye made the charge at a special thanksgiving/prayer service organized for students by the national headquarters of the church, Throne of Grace, Ebute Metta.

According to him, there are several opport-unities for young people who will

dare to dream big and work hard to-ward actualizing the dreams with Godly prin-ciples.

The man of God noted that there are many youths who are shortchanging themselves from their God-given talents and opportunities because they lack foresight, vision and goals for themselves.

He reminded the congregation that during his days as a lecturer at the University of Lagos: “l had a goal to become the youngest vice chancellor in Africa and I worked hard at achieving it but God had a better plan for

me and I am grateful to Him”.

Using biblical Joseph as a case study, Adeboye said: “The life of Joseph is a lesson for every one of us as he took a decision that no matter the condition, he would work hard and will not sin against God as he walked up to the top of the ladder in life”.

Continuing, Adeboe said: “I am ready to offend the whole world as long as I will not offend God. It is never fun to offend God. If you want to follow the crowd, you will end up in perdition with the crown."

Manna Prayer Mountain holds 4-day fire programme

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ANNA Prayer Mountain Interdenominational Ministry, Orioke-Ogudu in Lagos

will organize a 4-day revival fire programme that will lead to deliverance and breakthrough.

The General Overseer of the ministry, Bishop (Dr.) Chris Kwakpovwe said the theme of the

event slated for April 1620 at 6.00 p.m.-8.00 p.m. daily is 'Talithacumi!---I shall arise again.'

kingdom currency is righteousness. The cost of your car is not how much money you paid for it.

The cost is how much righteousness you had to forsake in order to buy it?

Job says: “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” (Job 27:6).

Therefore, “offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 4:5).

Never keep any valuables in the house or even in the bank. Only keep your valuables in your heart. That should indicate what your valuables can possibly be. Jesus cautions: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20).

God is our only treasure, and he dwells in our heart. All the rooms in the inn of our heart must be occupied by the Lord.

The Lord once asked me a characteristically loaded question. He said: “Femi, what do you own?” While still pondering how to answer, he decided to help me out.

He said to me: “If what you have can be lost, then it does not belong to you.

If it can be stolen, then it has no value. If it can be burnt or destroyed then it is illusory.” Then he asked me further: “So what do you have left?”

The Holy Spirit helped me out: “The only ‘thing’ you have left is Jesus.”

Church donates SUV to pastor Continued from Page 51

from the streets and clean them up and help them to discover their potentials and guide them to engage so that they may have a better future. This is part of job description of the Church”.

Prof. Anigbogu said one of the solutions to the nation's current challenges is for both leaders and individuals to tolerate one another and build a selfless spirit towards one nation, adding that it is impossible to build a nation where there is no rule of law and the justice.

His words: “I do not believe in the disintegration of the country. Once you start dividing into the different tribes, at that level, you will still discover differences. The answer is not division.”

PAGE 52—SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

NJC vs. Rivers State: Vertical and horizontal dividing lines VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Litmus test for separation of power

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HE vertical and horizontal lines that define our system of government are the key battlegrounds at which issues of democratisation will be joined. If we remain firm in our resolve, we will be well on the way to building the kind of institutions that are the surest bulwarks against the ever-present threat of the rule of man. The vertical lines separate executive from legislative from judicial, while the horizontal lines separate federal from state from local government. The parity implicit in vertical lines reflects a reality in contradistinction to the assumption of hierarchy innate in horizontal divisions. It is at these places – these junctures – that the path to democracy is trod and epochal battles won and lost.

The legal right to appoint a state Chief Judge lies with the governor of the state; period. It is not an unfettered right; the governor has a duty to consult the National Judicial Council

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to solicit its views and hear it out.

The NJC can counsel and recommend, it cannot appoint. That is the law.

Then there is convention. There is, for example, the convention that the most senior judge ought to become the head of an appellate court when an opening arises.

That is convention, it is not law.

Conventions do not have the force of law. So it is that Justice Nnamani could be elevated to the position of Justice of the Supreme

Between the President and Okonjo-Iweala VIEWPOINT

BY JOEL ISIDORE TRIBUTE IN BRIEF

What the Coordinating Minister of the Economy is not getting right T is interesting to observe the holier-than-thou attitude of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, whenever issues of integrity are raised against President Goodluck Jonathan administration,which has entrusted her with so much powers and responsibilities.

I learnt that some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs are worried at the non-committal attitude of the minister. I heard some of them are indeed blaming the President for keeping faith in a woman who would not standup for the administration on critical matters.

I am one of those who are surprised that despite the hue and cry

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about corruption in Nigeria, nobody has been able to besmirch the financial integrity of President Jonathan. In fact, some have said, rightly or wrongly, that he is the cleanest President Nigeria has ever had. Unfortunately, the cold stance of the minister on issues raised in the polity against the Jonathan administration casts doubts on the integrity of the President. According to some members of the party, OkonjoIweala is not the kind of person the President needs as his coordinating minister.

About a fortnight ago, the minister issued a statement which the correspondent of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) rightly interpreted to mean a declaration of semi-independence from the administration. The correspondent, in his accompanying note to his editor on the minister’s statement published on the BBC online website, said, “I therefore want to see on the face of it, this looks like a declaration of at least semi independence by the finance minister from Niger-

ia’s President, who has been accused of punishing the central bank governor for raising concerns about the allegedly missing oil billions.”

This BBC statement, according to PDP bigwigs, shows how the minister smartly washes her hands clean and lets the President down, despite the trust bestowed on her by the President as his “Coordinating Minister of the Economy”. It is indeed difficult to understand how a minister in charge of finance could just dance away from controversies surrounding earnings and expenditures of revenues belonging to the federation. It is incumbent on the minister to monitor and manage accruals and payouts from the earnings of government. It is therefore logical that in the events of shortfall, she should be able to properly investigate the causes and sources and properly account whenever required. That is what Nigerians expected from her. That is what both the Senate and House of Representatives required of her.

But she would rather play smart

Court of Nigeria without ever spending a single day on the bench prior, and our jurisprudence is all the richer for his elevation.

Again, convention was done away with when Taslim Elias was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (the pinnacle of the judiciary) without having spent one day prior on the bench; his experience was as an academic and as an Attorney-General. I offer these examples to demonstrate that in the highest and most hallowed of our judicial halls, conventions do not have the force of law.

It is axiomatic that in a federal system (horizontal lines), a power residing with the governor of a state (to appoint a state judge) cannot be subsumed to the centre in the person of the NJC. Once the governor has satisfied himself that the person being considered is qualified (i.e. has ten years at the bar, is of sound mind etc.), the final decision is his. For a federal quasi-judicial organ to arrogate to itself the

,

BY BIOLA PHILLIPS

Amid the din and clamour, it is yet again Rivers State that is the lab rat in our nation’s journey in evolving a democracy. Of particular interest in the ongoing struggle to appoint and dismiss the Chief Judge of Rivers State is the fact that both vertical and horizontal dividing lines are simultaneously tested. And in the process, legal rights and political expediency are joined.

I was once under the sway of a professor whose lenses were principally those of realpolitik and so I am periodically prone to seeing things as they are rather than as I would wish them. The distinction is important in understanding the way and manner a governor would come to a decision on the appointment of a state Chief Judge. The legal right to appoint a state Chief Judge lies with the governor of the state; period. It is not an unfettered right; the governor has a duty to consult the National Judicial Council. The governor is not required to accept the NJC’s recommendations but he is required

,

VIEWPOINT

The world expected her to speak up. She is the only voice the financial world would believe more than Sanusi’s in this circumstance.

,

by trying to distance herself and her office from the inquisition and attacks that followed the allegations by the suspended CBN governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. When the Senate committee probing the allegations sought her opinion on the matter, she said her ministry lacked the “capacity and expertise” to guarantee the authenticity of documents, and will prefer an independent forensic review to “satisfy Nigerians,” leading the upper legislative chamber to order a forensic review of documents presented by the Nigerian

power of veto is ultra vires the NJC. The considerations that exercise the mind of a governor appointing a CJ are of interest but he is not bound to share them.

Once the mandatory boxes (including consulting the NJC) are ticked off, the governor is unfettered. He will address his mind to a range of other considerations, including those that reflect the political facts on the ground. So, in the case of Rotimi Amaechi, I would fully expect those political facts to include the intentions and mindset of those with whom he has been joined in a titanic political struggle.

He would do well to recall how easily the high places of state judiciaries are subverted by rampaging executives; witness the haste with which the sitting Lagos State CJ at the time Femi Pedro was being summarily evicted convened a tribunal. Amaechi will be wary of a judiciary in the hands of persons potentially close to his adversaries.

To be concluded National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

She was also quoted to have said in a recent statement that she wants to see “the truth from an investigation under the auspices of the Auditor-General, which … should be undertaken as a matter of extreme urgency by independent external auditor.”

Because of her pedigree and World Bank background, Okonjo-Iweala is the only person in the administration that could counter the allegations by the suspended CBN governor.

The world expected her to speak up. She is the only voice the financial world would believe more than Sanusi’s in this circumstance.

The minister cannot say she does not know the truth. She went through the books. She has been minister of finance under two different administrations, which places her in good stead to say whether what the corporation has done is different from what it used to do or ought to do. The administration needed her strong voice to end this matter once and for all.

•Isidore lives in Enugu, Enugu State

Local rice: ‘Nigeria to make N360bn, Ekiti N6bn’

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI, Ado Ekiti

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kiti State can make N6billion annually from the production of rice while N360billion accrues to Nigeria every year.

Ekiti State is one of the leading 13 rice producing states in the country,and was leading in the first republic with the production of Igbemo rice.

Speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday,the Public Relations Officer of Association of Rice Processors,Millers and Traders Union(ESARPROMT), Mr Segun Filani, urged the state government to assist in the production of rice by giving about 5,000 rice growers an

enabling environment. ’’The daily consumption rate is over N17million.

That translates to over N6billion naira per year in the state”, Filani said.”The sector will definitely increase

the IGR of the state, create large employment throughout the value chain right from production to distribution. ”It will further encourage urbanization of the rural areas due to industrialization and

this will curb rural-urban migration”.

The image maker listed the health advantages of eating local rice to include production of fatty acids that make healthy forms of cholesterol

Carnival Calabar Queen for unveiling C arnival Calabar Queen 2013/14, Miss Nancy Olive Aisagbhonhi, will be presented to the public today at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Abuja.

The Carnival Queen initiative, a brainchild of the wife of the Cross River State governor, Mrs Obioma Liyel-

Imoke, was set up in 2007, in response to her concern for the alarming rate of abandoned babies in Cross River State. The lucky winner doubles as the face of Mothers Against Child Abandonment (MACA), another initiative of Mrs Liyel-Imoke as well as the face of tourism for which Cross River State is known. This landmark event, a

first of its kind, will pull in stakeholders in government and diplomatic circles as well as organizations who are concerned about the issues of gender and child welfare.

Expectations are rife that the seventh carnival queen, Miss Aisagbhonhi, who contested as Mary Slessor, would rise to an enviable height of advocacy for

because of its fiber richness and ability to keep healthy bowel function. ”Brown rice keeps things moving in a way that promotes weight-loss and metabolic function”, he added.

abstinence among teenagers as well as create more awareness about the dire consequences of child abandonment. Carnival Calabar Queen Pageant is a fund raiser for the MACA initiative. Visitors to the event would also have the opportunity to learn more about the Destiny Child Project, another initiative of the Imokes.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 53

LEAGUE: CHAMPIONS LEA GUE:

Guardiola sees ‘real’ obstacles in Madrid

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ayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola believes Champions League semifinal opponents Real Madrid may boast the finest squad in world football.

Bayern, who are hoping to reach a fourth Champions League final in five years, were handed a repeat of the 2012 semifinal in Friday’s draw and former Barcelona boss Guardiola is well aware of the threat the Spanish giants pose.

“It will be an outstanding match,” Guardiola, who will return to the Spain for the first time since taking charge of the European champions, told a news conference in Munich.

“I am delighted.”

Guardiola believes Bayern, who have already retained their Bundesliga title this season, will have to be at their very best to keep their European hopes alive when they face Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

“Their strength is the quality of every single player,” he said.

“They have outstanding players.

The quality is just... wow!

“They are strong. Every player can win those two matches by himself. In Europe, Madrid might have the biggest quality. But Bayern also. In the end, tactics are important, the stamina as well, but the quality of the players is the most important thing in football.”

He added: “When you can’t control Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Gareth] Bale, you are broken.

When we allow them time to think

Daniel Sturridge and Lius Suarez ready to run down Man City

— with [Luka] Modric, [Asier] Illarramendi, [Xavi] Alonso, Isco there too — then they have a lot of quality. They can do everything.

We must be capable of creating a lot of chances in the first leg [in Madrid].”

He said Madrid are “the best counter attacking team in Europe, alongside Borussia Dortmund” — the team Ancelotti’s side eliminated from the competition after a battle at the Westfalenstadion this Tuesday.

“It’s a huge scenario,” he said.

“They have fast players in attack, a fast moving back four, a great keeper. I know Real very well, as a player, as a coach. I know how difficult those games will be. But I like playing the best players, the best teams and the best coaches in the world. Madrid have everything. It is a big test for us against one of the best teams in the world.”

Guardiola stressed that, regardless of Madrid’s quality, Bayern must focus on their own responsibilities.

“I have been to the semifinal five times,” he said. “The motivation is still very high. All of Europe will be watching us. For such games, you are coach, you are footballer. I know their strengths, will analyse them and then convince our players. When we play well, we can reach the final.”

Liverpool crowd power will finish City — coach L

iverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has warned Manchester City he will “unleash” the power of the Anfield crowd when they meet today.

Rodgers wants to take full advantage of a fired-up crowd who are dreaming of Liverpool winning their first league title since 1990.

“Liverpool have been playing to a really high tempo at home and I would expect them to do that again. It means the opposition midfielders have their heads down when the ball comes to them in C M Y K

Cour A Courttois: UEF UEFA rules against Chelsea U

Gareth Bale in action.

Can he deliver for his club in the semifinal match against Bayern Munich?

EFA says that Chelsea cannot stop onloan Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois facing his parent club with the two drawn together in the Champions League.

Atletico president Enrique Cerezo claimed this week that a clause existed in the loan agreement between the clubs prohibiting the Belgium international from playing should they meet, barring the payment of a large “penalty” sum which the financially troubled La Liga outfit could not afford to pay.

This appeared to ensure that Courtois would not play should Chelsea and Atletico meet in either the semifinals or the final of this season’s competition.

But European football’s ruling body released a statement on Friday morning, just ahead of the semifinal draw, saying that any such clauses were against the “integrity of sporting competition” and were “null, void and unenforceable” as far as UEFA was concerned.

“In response to media reports referring to the situation of Club Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, UEFA would like to reiterate its position. The integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle for UEFA,” the statement read. “Both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations contain clear provisions which strictly forbid any club to exert, or attempt to exert, any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match.”

“It follows that any provision in a private contract between clubs which might function in such a way as to influence who a club fields in a match is null, void and unenforceable so far as UEFA is concerned.

midfield because they have no space and time.

“It will be interesting to see how City deal with that, because they have not coped too well when teams have pressed them like that this season.”

“We will unleash the supporters yet again on our opponents,” said Rodgers.

“I sense a real nostalgia about the place, a feeling of the old Liverpool. It will drive us, not hold us back.”

He added: “It has been a long time since the league title was on Merseyside.

“The most important thing is to get into the Champions League because I know what that brings economically.

“But if we can continue to play

well, get a little bit of luck then hopefully we can make their dreams come true. We will give it absolutely everything.”

The Premier League leaders have a 100% home record this season against teams currently in the top seven.

City, in third, are four points behind Liverpool but have two games in hand.

Rodgers, who has just been handed the Barclays Manager of the Month award for March, has no new injury concerns ahead of City’s visit, although left-back Jose Enrique remains absent with a long-term knee injury.

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero will be available for City for the first time since their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on 12 March.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini believes the match against Liverpool will not determine which team will ultimately become champions.

PAGE 54 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014

Basketball World Cup: Why I was chosen to officiate — Ojeaburu •Calls for more govt support for basketball

BY OLUWAFEMI ADEFESO Most of you reading this are thinking which referee is that?

A Nigerian referee will be going to Brazil for the World Cup? When did FIFA name the referees for the World Cup? Well it pleases me to inform you that football is not the only sport celebrating its highest Mundial in 2014. Come August 30, 2014 Spain will also be agog and Basketball is the reason why.

The FIBA World Cup will hold sway this year. Though Nigeria didn’t qualify to play she will be fully represented at the Mundial by one of her referees, Kingsley Ojeaburu.

I caught up with Ojeaburu at the National Stadium Abuja during the Zenith Bank Female Basketball league, and he told me how he took the news of his nomination and his preparation for the Big Stage and the need for government to support basketball Ojeaburu, 36, a 2005 graduate of the University of Lagos where he studied Human Kinetics,is happily married and blessed with kids. Enjoy it.

HEN did you start offi ciating?

Kingsley: I started officiating in 1994 in Ilorin. When I was still in secondary school.

Was it a tournament you were called to officiate or how did you step onto the court?

There wasn’t actually a tournament, it was a clinic for new referees. I took part and I passed the exams after the clinic. That same year I was called to officiate a tournament. That was how I started.

So when did you become a national referee and a FIBA Badge Referee?

I became a national referee in 1999 and I got my FIBA Badge in 2005. But ever since then I’ve been attending clinics and I have been passing all the clinics I have attended up until this moment.

All your hard work seems to be paying off. You officiated at

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•Ojeaburu C M Y K

•Kingsley Ojeaburu in action at the 2013 Afrobasket in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire the Afrobasket (Nations Cup) in Abidjan. What’s the feeling like knowing you will also be officiating at the World Cup? (Smiles) Its more of a challenge than a feeling because there are some requirements that need to be met. The FIBA Technical committee has already sent us the list of things we need to do to be prepared for the world stage. It also includes me going to the gym, to add some weight and also improve on my fitness, which I’ve started already. (Smiles).

Now that you are preparing for the World Cup, what message do you have for your colleagues here in Nigeria who want to follow in your footsteps?

The first thing is you have to love what you do. I love officiating and I’m putting so much into it. I think that was what helped me to get better in all the stages I went through. At the World Cup. I am not just representing Nigeria, I’m equally representing Africa. It is just three of us from Africa

myself, Mr Jose Carlos Julio, from Angola and Arnaud Kom Njilo from Cameroon. So its a big challenge for me. I know if I can get to this stage, anyone with the same dedication and hunger can also get there.

How did you get your invitation, through telephone or email? email Tell me, what was your first reaction when you saw the mail?

(Big Smile) I smiled! I smiled because while I was at the Nations Cup in Abidjan, the referees’ co-ordinator called me personally and said he sees the potential in me but I need to go to the gym and add some flesh.

I then told one of my colleagues who is far more experienced than me, so he told me to expect a nomination. So when the mail came, I remembered. (laughs) oh! I think they were actually preparing me for this.

Now Basketball has been playing second fiddle to football yet no football referee has been able to achieve the feat of being at the World Cup. You as an ambassador of basketball, what message do you have for government as regards support for the game?

Football is supported because a lot of people are passionate about it. Some of us have the same passion for basketball but unfortunately those in the helm of affairs don’t have passion for basketball like football. Nevertheless we’ve been able to show them from the little we have that we can go a long way and do well. I also want to add that DStv has helped grow our basketball because people watch it all over the world and we can see potentials in the league. But still we need more support from the government. We can’t do it alone.

You’ve seen basketball played across Africa and now the World stage is beckoning. What do we have to do to get to that level of basketball that is obtainable across the globe?

(Big Smile) There is so much to do Femi. Every society that had this work for them have structures, they have plans and they have programs. Passion alone can’t get us there. These three things must be in place if we want to get to the promised land.

It’s been nice chatting with the first Nigerian Referee to officiate at the FIBA World Cup? (Laughs) It’s my pleasure.

Impact of Orubebe Golf still being felt in Sapele — Barrister Agbajoh

BY YEMISI SULEIMAN She was the force behind the recently concluded Orubebe Invitational Golf Tournament.

A silent achiever, Mary Oyibocha Agbajoh is not one that can be rated as a run of the mill lady. Barrister (Mrs) Agbajoh a business woman, politician, media consultant and event planner par-excellence, was born on the 6th of February, 1972 in Delta State, Nigeria.

She is somewhat of pacesetter and in this Interview with Sunday Vanguard sports, she tells the story of the Orubebe Golf tourney among other achievements. Excerpts: OW were you able to package such a great golf tournament?

For me it was God all the way.

The whole idea started when I was called upon by a friend in Ikoyi Club saying ‘Una do Centenary Tournament you no invite me’. So I checked and was told, Yes they did celebrate, but it was very low key and my spirit ignited that why will Sapele be celebrated in low key after been the 1st Golf Course in Nigeria? As a member of Ikoyi 1938, I know what they would have done if given the opportunity of being the 1st. So I discussed it with Elder Godsday Orubebe knowing his desire of reviving/showcasing the God given potentials embedded in Delta State and I knew he will like the idea. True to type, he embraced the Idea fully and preparations began almost immediately with different levels of contacts between far and wide.

What challenges did you

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•Barrister Agbajoh on a golf course

face?

I encountered numerous challenges from both being a woman with very strong character and a golfer for over 16 years running. I didn’t allow those challenges pull me down, but rather, I gathered resources from friends and colleagues in the game of golf. I said to them in the series of committee meeting what I was made to face. “I am not a novice in the area of such event, and so please bear in mind that I know whatever that will be done to make the event successful and huge.”

And of course, because of the standard I was made to deliver compared to the one they previously conducted. The truth is that, I refused to be tossed

around this time around, but surely focused on achieving the best and nothing but the best to showcase widely what we can gain using golf as a tool. It was not easy I must confess. Golfers are highly intelligent people who one cannot undermine but for the fact I know the terrain I faced it squarely. It got to a point when I prayed passionately to God asking for his direction and support for timely helpers when it seemed that all odds were against me. But no matter what, it has recorded a huge success because Sapele has never seen a turn-out of investors and visitors like that, which was 22nd of February 2014.

How do you feel treading in the zone traditionally meant for men?

Remember the adage “What a man can do a woman can do better.” I have never seen any task too big to handle in this life. This is because I have been through a lot of things in life being a very successful single mother from a very tender age, organising events and handling even heavier tasks as I would naturally handle. These challenges I have faced in life have contributed immensely to my today’s strength and ability to take even greater tasks bigger than me. So, this is just the beginning of new things and I am so happy that I and my team came out with success stories at the end of the event.

As we speak, the impact of the event in Sapele is still being talked about till date. We have made history and I know, history will be kind to me for making me available for the tasks.

Tell us about your life. What are your next career goals?

I was born into the popular sport loving Oyibocha family of Warri where love rules and was so loved by my late father of blessed memory. He gave me so much support that boosted my confidence as a child. I grew up in a family where you are taught to stand up for the truth at all times, no matter the circumstance. Growing up in the heart of Warri, “Sido Street” I saw Life as a stage where you must play your part and let nobody hold you down. So, all my life I always stand up for the truth and that has made me very comfortable with everything I have embarked upon. I have been involved in several developmental projects in Delta State, the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large. Hence my friends tag me Princess of The Niger Delta.

How come you work with Uduaghan yet stay in Abuja?

I am a full Jonathan faithful right from the beginning of my entry into Nigerian politics as Chairperson/National Coordinator of a Group called GOODLUCK INITIATIVES ’07 (Gi07), a Non Governmental Organisation (NIGER DELTAN YOUTHS & WOMEN SUPPORTING JONATHAN) based on my efforts during the 2007 Electoral Campaign, I was invited by my amiable Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to come work with him after the 2007 Campaign for Jonathan and because of my nature of work, SOCIAL/ PRINT Media, I can work from anywhere hence, even though I am in Abuja, I see Asaba more than being there.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, APRIL 13, 2014, PAGE 55

Ba Bayyelsa, Nembe City battle in the creek B

ayelsa United coach, Richard Bubara has said his players were ready to face Nembe City in a Bayelsa derby in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match schedule for this afternoon.

The derby, a Week 6 encounter, will hold at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Omoku, Rivers, the home ground of Nembe City.

Bubara said that he was confident that the position of both teams on the NPFL log would determine the outcome of the match.

Bayelsa United are occupying the fifth place, while Nembe City are at the bottom of the table.

“The result should be positive on our side because looking at the league table; Nembe City are supposed to be afraid of us.

“The intimidation and pressure will be on Nembe because they have not won any match. We are all from Bayelsa but with different management.

“At the end, I know that something good will come out of Bayelsa United because we are highly motivated by the state government and club’s chairman.

In other Week 6 NPFL encounters for today, Nasarawa United FC will host Crown FC of Ogbomosho, while Sunshine Stars will trade tackles with Warri Wolves FC in Akure.

Gombe United will face Sharks of Port Harcourt, Kano Pillars will face FC Taraba, while El-Kanemi will engage Lobi Star of Makurdi, in a rescheduled encounter.

Both matches will also be played at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: 11 boxers depart for Sophia

D’Tigress star,Ogoke gets WNBA draft invitation O

ne of Nigeria’s influential players at the last African Basketball Championship in Maputo, Mozambique, Sarah Ogoke has been invited to the WNBA Draft for 2014.

The Draft which is used to pick standout college athletes into the pro- league is set to take place at Mohegan Sun (Hotel) Uncasville, Connecticut on Monday April, 14, 2014.

Ogoke, a graduate of Biology from Southern Polytechnic University, Atlanta, was part of Nigeria’s squad to the 2013 African Women Basketball Championship in Maputo, Mozambique. Though not from a highly rated school, Ogoke’s outstanding performance has given her an opportunity to represent one of the 12 franchises in the WNBA Also Nigerian American College Stand Out, Chiney Ogwumike is touted as No. 1 or 2 pick. Ogwumike led Stanford to the 2014 NCAA Final Four but lost to eventual champions University of Connecticut

Ogoke in action for College team

NFF NFF,, Malta Guinness sign deal M

alta Guinness has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and thus became the official malt drink of the Nigerian National team ahead of the FIFA World Cup coming up in Brazil in June.

Besides promoting the National Team, the

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partnership is expected to further boost the development of football in Nigeria on and off the pitch.

Explaining reasons behind the partnership, the Marketing Director, Austin Ufomba disclosed that it was in line with the brand purpose which is to galvanise the rise of Nigerians to achieve their goals and aspirations.

“We see the national team as an embodiment of the Nigerian spirit.. Nigerians have a resilient spirit which is why as a people we often take risks and do

leven Nigerian junior boxers and two coaches at the weekend departed for Sophia, Bulgaria for the International Amateur Boxing Federation world youth championship which started on Thursday and will run through April 25, 2014.

Seacretary of the Nigeria Boxing Federation Olusola General Minimah, President of Luke who disclosed this in the Nigeria Boxing Federation Lagos, said the boxers were selected at the last National Youth Festival held in Abuja based on merit.

They include Kazeem Isiaka, Oladimeji Salami, Aliu Ibrahim, Muyideen Oyakojo, Henry Effiong, Oluwaseun Alani, Mutiate Adebayo and s the countdown to the election of Celina Agwu. Others are Yetunde Dunuga, presidential in of the FHA Tennis Club Okejimi Ayankola and Victor Dooga who is the Festac Town intensifies, one of the leading team captain. candidates, Models Ezeamama has said The two coaches are Tony Konyegwachie and he intends to consolidate on the giant Adura Olalehin while the NBF Secretary strides recorded by the current General is the leader of delegation. administration led by outgoing president, Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Boxing Okey Agu. Federation General Kenneth Minimah who is Ezeamama who is the current Vice also the Chief of Army Staff has charged the President stated this during a chat with team to do well at the championship.

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C M Y K

things others might not do.We feel that Malta Guinness as the official Malt drink for our boys through this tournament will give that support.”

Mr Demola Olajire, [Assistant Director of Media], who spoke on behalf of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) expressed delight in the partnership.

“This is a welcome development and the management of the NFF is glad that it is coming as Nigeria prepares to make her fifth appearance at the foremost football event as it will serve as a morale booster for World Cup bound players” Olajire said.

Ezeamama vvo ows tto o transf orm transform FHA TTennis ennis Club

newsmen at the club’s house in Festac Town. He revealed that he will achieve his dream of taking the club to greater heights within the first six months of his administration “I have lot of things to give to this club. I have been a member of the club for the last 15 years which has given me enough experience to manage the club.

As a former treasurer, assistant captain and captain who has devoted so much. I intend to leave a lasting legacy.

My plan is to build a Squash Court, provide interlocks on our driveway. We are planning to build a pavilion and also provide a training wall for members.

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 13, 2014

Nigerian refs to get world cup chance in 2018

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BRUISING BATTLE••• Wigan Athletic’s Scott Carson (L) saves a shot by Arsenal’s striker Yaya Sanogo (R) during the English FA Cup Semi-final match between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London. Arsenal won 4-2 on penalties. Photo AFP.

FA CUP: Arsenal survive Wigan scare •keep trophy hope alive

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RSENAL fans breathed a sigh of relief as the Gunners came back from the dead to snatch a win over Wigan Athletic after going down 1-0 with 20 mins left to play in the semifinal of the FA Cup. They subdued Wigan last year’s winners 4-2 penalty shootout.

The FA Cup represented the only realistic chance of Arsenal winning a title to end their nine- year trophy-less campaign.

Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was the hero as Arsenal reached their first FA Cup final since 2005.

Fabianksi saved from Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison before Mikel Arteta, Kim Kallstrom, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla scored from the spot.

Wigan had gone ahead through Jordi Gomez’s secondhalf penalty, after Callum McManaman had been brought down by Per Mertesacker.

Gomez was made to wait several minutes to take his spotkick, as Nacho Monreal received treatment before being substituted for Kieran Gibbs, following a challenge on him from McManaman in the buildup to the penalty being awarded.

However he kept his cool, striking the ball beyond the reach of Fabianski to make it 10 on 63 minutes.

It looked like Arsenal’s nineyear wait for a trophy would go on, with Bacary Sagna agonisingly heading against the

TODAY’S MATCHES Liverpool Swansea

v v

Man City Chelsea

1.37 pm 4.07 pm

DSTV BASKETBALL RESULTS Kada Stars Plateau Peaks Mark Mentors Niger Potters Islanders Oluyole Warriors Dodan Warriors Royal Hoopers

50 75 78 58 75 93 53 71

Gombe Bulls Kano Pillars Immigration Bauchi Nets Kwara Falcons Union Bank Customs Police Batons

60 82 40 64 55 82 62 57

woodwork and Stephen Crainey clearing off the line after Scott Carson had got a vital touch to Gibbs’ goalbound header. But Mertesacker atoned for his earlier error by heading in Alex Oxlade-Cham-

berlain’s mis-hit shot at the back post with just eight minutes remaining. Hull City and League 1 Sheffield United play the other semi-final today and the winner will meet Arsenal in the final next month.

RESULTS Crystal Palace Fulham Southampton Stoke Sunderland West Brom

1 1 0 1 0 3

Aston Villa Norwich Cardiff Newcastle Everton Tottenham

0 0 1 0 1 3

IFA referees assistant programme instruc tor, Lee Kim Chong stated in Abuja that Nigeria referees could get the chance to officiate in their first ever world cup in 2018.

Kim Chong said that with the kind of programme the Nigeria referees embarked upon, they are most like to finally make the cut for the list of referees for the world cup.

Chong who was the center referee when the Super Eagles won Zambia 2-1 to lift 1994 Nations Cup in Tunisia also pointed that unlike before Nigeria now has more qualified referees who are called to officiate at international competitions.

He said “Nigeria is coming up gradually and has many referees who are fit. This year alone, a good number of them have officiated at CAF organized competitions and they did well.

“There are lots of potentials who I have seen myself and I know that before 2018, some of them will be mature to be selected to officiate at the world cup. I have been in Nigeria severally; I was in Aba when I officiated Enyimba match. I have also been involved in some qualifiers involving Nigeria.

Chong bemoaned lack of tactical and technological know how by some Nigeria referees but implored them to brace up to square up with challenges ahead.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Islamic militants (4-5) 5. Headgear (3) 7. Hausa boy’s name (5) 8. Big stream (5) 9. Mother (3) 10. Comforted (5) 12.Leaves out (5) 15. Regret (3) 16. Hobo (5) 18. Secure (6) 19. Shelters (6) 21. Caution (6) 23. Endured (6) 24. Housekeeper (5) 25. Vapour (3) 27. Cardinal point (5) 29. Snares (5) 31. Crazy person (3) 32. Soothsayer (5) 33. Picture’s bordering (5) 34. Utter (3) 35. Combative rebels (9)

DOWN 1.El-Kanami’s State (5) 2. Hurts (5) 3. Living space (4) 4. Create (4) 5. Century (7) 6. Meddles (7) 11. Therefore (2) 13. Pumpkin (5) 14. Breakaway group (7) 16. Object (5)\ 17. Song of praise (5) 20.Upright (5) 21. Turbines (7) 22. Authenticate (7) 26. Egyptian Sun-god (2) 27. Begin (5) 28. String instruments (5) 30. Appear (4) 31. Carpenter’s tack (4)

SOLUTION on page 5

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