Jonathan, Obasanjo peace meeting flops

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62319

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Buhari was not indicted Robbers kill 4 policemen, 11 others in Ondo over PTF —Obasanjo >>6

>>11

Jonathan, Obasanjo peace meeting flops •President’s ‘motor park touts’ reference to elder statesmen not unconnected

•Why ex-president invited Adeboye, Oyedepo

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA — THERE were indications last night that the elaborate meeting on Monday geared to wards ending

Continues on Page 5

COLUMNIST:

Other side of Rev. Father Mbaka's prayer

Buhari: Beyond tribal, religious and ideological fallacies •P.19

Mr & Mrs

VISIT:

From left: Chief John Oyegun, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC; Professor Yemi Osinbajo, APC Presidential running mate; Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) APC Presidential candidate and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President, during a visit of APC campaign team to Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday. Photo: Wunmi Akinola.

BALOGUN MARKET DISASTER: Traders count losses >>7 C M Y K

US working hard to ensure non-violent elections in Nigeria — US Ambassador >>39 & 41

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015,

C M Y K

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4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 —5

POCKET CARTOON

VISIT: From left: Chief Christopher Egbulem, Ugo Ndi Igbo 1 of Ikosi Isheri and Chairman Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Ikosi Isheri; H.R.H. Eze Stephen Ejiogu Elugwu, Eze Ome Udo 1, Ikosi Isheri, LCDA; Chief Sunday Nwachukwu, Ego Di Nma 1 of Ikosi Isheri and Vice Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Ikosi Isheri, LCDA; Chief. Sunday Ossai, Dike Igbo, Ikosi Isheri and the Prime Minister and Com. Nze Anthony Osuji when the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Ikosi Isheri visited Vanguard, yesterday. Photo: Oscar Ochiogu.

Jonathan, Obasanjo peace meeting flops Continues from Page 1 the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo ended in fiasco.

Vanguard learnt from competent sources at the meeting that President Jonathan and other top leaders of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, who requested for the meeting with Obasanjo, felt disappointed with its outcome and may not push the idea of mending fences with the former leader again.

One of the sources, who was present at the meeting, told Vanguard that Obasanjo merely accepted to allow Jonathan and other PDP chieftains to visit him as a mark of respect to the

office of the President and not to make peace with him.

According to the source, Obasanjo deliberately requested two prominent clergymen to be present as witnesses at the meeting to prove the point that it is Jonathan who actually caused disaffection between them by reneging on previous decisions they jointly reached.

It was learned that but for the respect Obasanjo has for the office which he once held, he would not have accepted to host Jonathan because of his recent provocative utterances against prominent Nigerian statesmen, including him (Obasanjo).

Why the meeting flopped

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal — Tagore

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O extend your creativity from smaller goal into larger ones will often require more efforts in your ability to focus on the process of actualising. You need to plan for short and long term. Not merely because we are human and filled with desires or face cahllenges that could get in the way, though that’s certainly part of it, but because we tend to operate using only a small part of our energies.

We get so used to acting on the surface of our lives, so used to coping with the numerous demands of work, family, friends, and the time it takes to do mundane activities; pay the bills, and take out the trash, that we too often forget to knock on the doors of our stronger powers and say: hey, wake up, I need some help.

Tune into your higher self, be it through prayer, spiritual exercise, meditation or therapy so that you don’t have to rely on sheer will-power to keep you on track.

The source said Obasanjo was irked by last Sunday’s statement in which Jonathan referred to some elder statesmen behaving as ‘motor park touts’, a classification, Obasanjo reportedly took in bad faith.

The source said that at the meeting, Obasanjo opened up to those present and the two clergy men he had invited to ask Jonathan whether he had been honest with him and those he had assured he would run for a single term, if they supported him to win the last election.

The source said: “It is true that Obasanjo invited the two clergymen to witness the meeting which he grudgingly accepted to host because of the respect he has for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He did not want to turn the president and his entourage down since they requested to see him in his house as part of their rally in the state.

“But the truth of the matter is that Baba has not shifted grounds on any issue since he feels that Jonathan has not been fair to him by not adhering to any of the previous agreements reached with him.

Motor park touts classification

“What really irked Baba is the reference by Jonathan to some Nigerian elder statesmen as behaving as ‘motor

park touts’ a day before begging him to grant him audience in Abeokuta. The man really feels insulted by such unfortunate outburst from the president of a country.

“There was no need to enter into any peace deal with Jonathan because similar deals done in the past only resulted in more attacks by him and his aides on Baba only for them to come begging for forgiveness once it is close to election.”

Obasanjo and Jonathan with members of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, met for about three hours in Abeokuta on Monday with a view to settling the differences between the

two leaders and to seek his support for the president’s re-election, next month.

Obasanjo, who appears upset by the way Jonathan has so far run the country, has often

taken to public fora to criticise him, including an open letter entitled “Before it is too late” and a critical book entitled “My Watch” which a court had barred from being circulated.

Foreign importers of rice owe FG N36.56bn — Adesina A

BUJA — THE Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural D e v e l o p m e n t (FAMARD), yesterday, dismissed as false reports that N40 billion government revenue was lost over alleged indiscriminate granting of waivers and issuance of rice import quotas to investors who had no investments in the industry.

Rather, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said “there is N36.56 billion owed to government by foreign importers of rice (and a few local ones) who wish to run their own rice policy.”

Adesina told media executives in Lagos yesterday that contrary to speculations in a section of the media, “there is no N40 billion missing, rather, there is N36.56 billion owed to Government…”

He said the Federal Government’s policy of encouraging local production of rice, with a view to attaining selfsufficiency in the sector, was giving sleepless nights to those determined to undermine the policy.

Adesina noted that now that Nigerians have become major investors in the local rice sector, “the fear of competition….and their unwillingness to pay to the treasury billions of Naira is what is driving a devious media

campaign against the rice quota allocation”.

He said to encourage investment in local rice production and milling, the Presidency approved an import duty differential on rice (brown or polished)imported by rice investors, compared to rice traders.

He said: “Investors that have milling capacity with verified Domestic Rice Production Plans (DRPP) enjoy an import duty of 10 per cent and levy 20 per cent, while traders will pay an import duty of 10 per cent and levy 60 per cent.

“The new rice policy also stated that importation of brown or polished rice should be limited to the national supply gap for import-grade rice to be determined by an interministerial committee.

“Without waiting for the determination of supply gap by the interministerial committees or issuance of quotas, two Asian companies— Popular Farms and Mills, owned by Stallion Group; and Olam, had imported 390,145.53MT and 244,126.63MT respectively, of polished rice as at December 3, 2014, at the preferential duty of 10 per cent and levy 20 per cent.”

According to the minister, Popular Farm and Mills imported 390,143MT, instead of the 89,939 approved quota and hence, liable to pay N2.2 billion as tariff on approved quota, and

N17.2 billion as tariff on excess import, bringing its total indebtedness to Nigeria to N19.37 billion.

He said that on the other hand, Olam imported 244,126MT as against the 133,963 approved for it, thereby owing Nigeria N9.03 million as duty payable on both approved quota and excess import.

Adesina said that three other importers would also have to pay about N8 billion to the Federal Government on the same issues, bringing the total to N36.56 billion.

The minister said: “The national supply gap of import grade rice is expected to decline to one million MT in 2015, 0.3MT in 2016 and to zero in 2017 when the country is expected to become self-reliant in rice production.”

According to the minister, it has been discovered that some of the rice importers are bagging rice produced in Nigeria, passing them as foreign, because the nation has succeeded in bridging the quality gap with good quality seedlings and adequate processing plants.

Adesina said that the government’s effort in making rice and other food stuffs available locally had prevented the country from experiencing high inflation, and that the move was being applauded by foreign governments and international organisations.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

NEMA puts IDPs at 981,416

By Laide Akinboade

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BUJA—THE National E m e r g e n c y Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday, said over 981,416 people have been displaced across the country as a result of insurgency and natural disasters.

The Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammad Sani-Sidi, who spoke in Abuja, during a humanitarian meeting between the United State Aid, USAID, and the agency, expressed concern over the number of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, as recorded by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, IDMC. He added that said 9.6 million people have been affected by the insurgency in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, adding that 120,077 students were affected by the insurgency.

He said the International Organization for Migration, IOM, had already verified the data provided by the agency on the number of IDPs across the country, adding that “those figures being brandished by international non-governmental organizations, NGOs, and the media are not correct.”

Sani-Sidi accused NGOs of scaling up the figures of the IDPs to attract more funding from international donors, as IOM, an international NGO, came up with figures that were not quite different from that of NEMA. According to him, “I am happy with this meeting because this is the kind of platform we have been looking for, particularly when the media, local and international, quote different figures of displacement and people making pronouncements that have no basis. We are concerned with such baseless figures.

“We are happy that our figure had been verified and IOM has come up with a figure that is similar to ours.

Anybody interested in carrying out a scientific information gathering can go ahead.”

It will be recalled that IDMC, in its global estimates of IDPs, put the number of displaced people in Nigeria at three million.

Crash at Asolo Bus Stop, Ikorodu-Mile 12 Road, Lagos, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.

Robbers on rampage, kill 4 policemen, 11 others in Ondo bank robbery

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—FIFTEEN persons, including four policemen, were feared killed during a bank robbery in Ikare area of Ondo State, yesterday.

Eleven of those feared killed were transacting business inside the banking hall and the ATM of the first generation bank.

An unspecified amount of money was reportedly carted away by the robbers.

A police station on Ikare/Owo Road was their first port of call, where four of the policemen on duty were gunned down, while others fled.

After the attack on the police station, the robbers, said to be dressed in army uniform, headed for the bank located on Jubilee Road.

According to an eyewitness, the entrance of the bank and the strong room were reportedly attacked with dynamite by the gang, which reportedly split into two groups on arrival at about 3p.m.

Vanguard learned that their dressing deceived the security men at the bank.

The security men, according to sources, thought that they were in the bank to transact business only to discover later that they were robbers.

It was gathered that the robbers carried out their

operation unhindered for over one hour, following the havoc they had earlier wreaked on the police station.

The police station was deserted, following the attack

and the killing of the policemen by the robbers. They were said to have come in two military vehicles. Vanguard learned that after the robbery, they fled through the road to Edo State.

Contacted, the police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said he had not been briefed on the robbery.

Meanwhile, there was tension in the town after the robbery incident.

Woman seeks disolution of 2-yr-old marriage over hubby’s drinking, smoking zShe's disrepecful 'cos she picks the bills—HUSBAND

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businesswoman, Celestina Falaye, 33, pleaded with an Igando Customary Court in Lagos, yesterday, to dissolve her marriage, citing her husband’s heavy drinking and hemp smoking habit as reasons.

Celestina told the court that her husband drank a lot of liquor and smoked Indian hemp, after which he often misbehaved.

She said: “My husband takes alcoholic drinks excessively and gets drunk after which he falls inside gutter, misbehaving and disgracing me. Neighbours will be calling on me to come and carry my husband who has fallen into a gutter.”

Celestina said that after smoking Indian hemp, her man would always start acting strangely.

“My husband is always

mentally disturbed after taking hemp and he always descends on me, beating me,” she said.

The petitioner said she established a business for her husband, who was jobless but that the business collapsed after just two months.

She said: “I opened a bookshop for my husband, but he mismanaged it. The capital and profit were spent on beer.

He depends solely on me for feeding, paying the children school fees and paying house rent.”

The mother of two begged the court to dissolve the two-yearold marriage, saying the love she had for her husband was gone.

However, the respondent, Segun Falaye, 40, said he was used to drinking, but that he was not always drunk. He denied ever taking hemp.

He said: “I have never taken Indian hemp, but I take alcoholic drinks moderately.”

Falaye said he used to pay bills when he had a job, but now that he had no job, he could not steal to fend for his family.

He said that his wife wanted to turn him into a house boy.

“She controls and commands me as if she was talking to her baby, all because she pays our bills,” Falaye said.

He described his wife as an aggressive fellow.

He said: “My wife is aggressive. She gets angry easily, slaps me anytime we have a misunderstanding and tells me that I have no say.”

He, however, begged the court not to grant his wife’s demand as he still loves her.

The President of the court, Mr Ruphus Adeyeri, adjourned the case till January 21.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—7

BALOGUN MARKET FIRE DISASTER:

Traders count losses

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—FEW hours after the combined emergency team put out the blazing fire at Balogun Market, Lagos State, which razed 10 buildings, 100 shops and makeshift structures within the axis, traders have continued to count their losses.

The fire, which started in the early hours of Monday, was finally put out yesterday.

Some property affected were OK Plaza on 44, Balogun Street; Rich Plaza, also on the same Balogun Street; Global Plaza on 42, Balogun Street, Onikoyi and the building on 38, Balogun Street.

‘I couldn’t save my goods’

EFCC quizzes Ebonyi commissioners, AG over LG funds

By Soni Daniel

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WO serving commissioners in Ebonyi State and the state Accountant General were, yesterday, quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged graft.

The interrogation of the

Fuel tanker crushes one to death in Lagos

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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N unidentified lady was crushed to death on Monday when a fuel tanker fell at Bogije end of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, who confirmed the incident, said: “The fuel tanker lost control and fell on the young lady, who was standing by the road. The truck smashed her head and she died instantly.”

He noted that the corpse was handed over to the Police.

Fadipe added that 15 fire disasters were recorded on Monday alone.

three took place at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Vanguard gathered that the trio of Igbele, Accountant General; Timothy Odaa, Commissioner for Finance, and Cele Nwali, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, were interrogated for hours on allegations of corruption and financial recklessness involving local government funds.

They were particularly asked to explain all they knew about the Asphalt Project earmarked for the 13 local governments of the state by the Elechi administration for which money running into millions of naira was allegedly deducted at source from the council account.

Vanguard learned that it was Nwali that allegedly directed all the 13 local governments in Ebonyi State to set up Asphalt complexes in their council headquarters.

It was learned that six of the councils complied, while seven did not. Yet funds were deducted from the accounts of all the councils.

Nwali was also accused of being the brain behind the deduction of N1 million from each of the councils to fund the production of T-shirts for the centenary celebration.

There was no evidence that the T-shirts were produced, while the N13 million remained unaccounted for.

Mrs. Vera Ezenwa, one of the traders, who lost everything in her shop, said: “I could not salvage my goods from the inferno. I deal in shoes and bags. I own shop 35 in Rich Plaza.”

Pointing to her shop, she said: “That is where I

displayed my goods last week.

They are all gone.

“I received a call at 5a.m., yesterday (Monday) that my shop and my warehouse had been gutted by fire. And I quickly rushed down here to salvage some of the goods, but when I arrived, I could not salvage any.

“These were the goods my husband, who went to China last year, sent to me two weeks ago. I cannot believe that all the goods he sent last week are all gone. I wish I was able to save some of the goods.”

Where are my goods, others ask

For 60-year-old Mrs. Rafat Adeyemo and Mr. Chukwu Azubuike, both traders, the incident was like a Nollywood movie. They could not believe that their goods were gutted by fire.

Adeyemo said: “Where is my goods and shop? That shop was my source of income. I do not understand why fire would gut my shop at this time. I need to see my goods. I wish I was informed on time to

salvage whatever I could. But I was unable to achieve that.”

Narrating his ordeal, Azubuike said: “I was one of the traders displaced by the Tejuosho inferno. My goods were razed.

“Just like how Tejuosho fire disaster razed my warehouse few years ago, this inferno has again dealt another blow on me. I wish I could rewind the hand of clock.”

Traders blame council chairman

Traders at the popular market, yesterday, blamed the former Lagos Island council chairman for the delay in putting out the fire.

Mr. Obinna Chukwu, a trader, who said he lost everything, said: “The former council chairman erected Klee-Clamps on the setbacks available within the market.

“And these structures affected the emergency teams from getting to the source of the fire.

“I wish the governor would come and see how the council chairman have destroyed the market master plan.”

A commercial bus, popularly known as Danfo, gutted by fire on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.

Abuja residents decry ban on unpainted taxi

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BUJA residents have decried the ban on unpainted taxis operating within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, by the Transport Secretariat.

Mr. Tochukwu Ikuazum, a public servant, said, yesterday, that workers would be stranded after close of work without unpainted taxis.

He said: “After closing hours, it is always the civil servants who use their vehicles to convey workers, especially along the Nyanya-Mararraba axis.

“The number of painted taxis in the FCT is not enough to convey workers during rush

hours.”

Mr. John Isaac, also a civil servant, who lives at one of the estates in FCT, said painted taxis were not allowed into the estate.

Isaac said the transport authority should advise estate owners to allow taxis into their premises.

He said: “Painted taxis are not allowed to enter the estate where I stay, so it will be difficult to pay for what will not provide complete service.

“Painted tax will only drop me at the gate, which is some distance to my house. I know the ban is for our own good, but

the authority need to address issues like that of the estates and also provide enough taxis to convey people.”

Ms Janet Nwachukwu, a selfemployed lady, said major hotels in the FCT do not allow painted taxis into their premises.

Nwachukwu said the FCT transport authority should meet with hotel owners to address the issue.

She said: “If you pay N300 for a painted taxi to take you to Nicon, the driver will only drop you at the gate due to the hotel management policy of not allowing such taxis in.”

8—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Nnanna cleared as CBN Deputy Governor

RESUMPTION: From 3rd left— Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; Deputy Speaker, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; Leader, Mulikat Akande, and others proceeding into the chambers for the first plenary of the year, yesterday.

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HE National Assembly, NASS, yesterday, approved the nomination and appointment of Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna as the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The Senate ratified Nnanna’s appointment, following the consideration of the report of his screening by the Chairman, Joint Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Bassey Otu. The committee had, in its report, described the deputy governordesignate as very resourceful, articulate and a vibrant economist per excellence, who convinced members of the panel that screened him of his ability to efficiently handle the job.

Senate President, David Mark, congratulated Nnanna on behalf of his colleagues and noted that CBN would play a crucial role in the current economic situation of the country.

Mark urged the apex bank to work assiduously to make sure that the country does not find itself in a fix economically, in view of the declining price of crude oil in the international market.

Nnanna had told the committee that one of the ways to wriggle out of the economic crisis in the country was to recapitalize development banks with a view to encouraging them to lend at controlled interest rates.

He said: “My take is that since we have development banks like the Bank of Industry, Nexim Bank, Bank of Agriculture, and so on, we can recapitalize all of them and mandate them to lend at a fixed interest rate for the entrepreneurs and other investors willing to invest in the Nigerian economy.”

He noted that the nonperforming loans in the country were very high and that banks’ balance sheets were landing on non-performing loans, stressing that the nation had passed the era of fixed interest rate.

You must avoid post-election violence, Kofi Annan cautions Nigerians

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—FORMER Secretary-General of the United Nations, UN, and Chairman of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, Mr. Kofi Annan, yesterday, urged Nigerians not to resort to violence should their choice candidates fail to win at the forthcoming general elections.

Addressing a coalition of over 60 civil society organizations in Abuja, yesterday, on their role in ensuring electoral integrity, Annan warned politicians to be careful with their language to avoid post-election violence, which he described as the bane of elections in Nigeria since 1999.

He said that many elections that were conducted across Africa within the past two decades gave democracy a bad name, noting that “flawed elections have eroded the trust of citizens in the democratic process.”

Annan maintained that Nigerian leaders should think about the next generation rather than focusing on winning the next election at all cost.

He said: “What the experience of the last 20 years teaches us is that elections are not enough if they are not conducted with integrity and able to reflect the real will of the people.”

Debate

A debate stated after the National President of NLC, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, insisted that there was nothing wrong with Nigerians collecting back from politicians the money that was stolen from them.

zAs Onaiyekan, NLC, NBA disagree on money-for-vote He posited: “Let us determine that money will not control us. Let them bring it; it is our money. Let whoever wants to take money, take it.

But let it not influence our decision.”

His position was, however, opposed by NBA, which maintained that it was wrong for the NLC boss to support ‘money-for-vote’ politics.

Represented by its General Secretary, Mr. Afam Osigwe, the legal body argued that politicians should not be allowed to share money, adding that the problem of

leadership plaguing the country is traceable to “the corrupting influence of money in our electoral process.”

Supporting the view of NBA, Cardinal Onaiyekan, who contended that there had been no record of free, fair and credible elections since the return of democracy in Nigeria, said it was not proper to encourage electorate to collect money from politicians.

He said: “I agree with you that we should not condone the sharing of money, even

though it is ours.

“The President has promised us free, fair and credible elections and I know that it does not cost money to fulfil such promise.

“What he is, however, going to do with those billions of Naira that we heard was contributed for him, I do not know.”

On her part, National VicePresident of Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, FOMWAN, Farida Yusuf, while lamenting the incessant cases of violence in the North-East, said they would deploy over 2000 Muslim women to monitor the elections.

PDP loses nine Senators to opposition

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—NINE serving Senators of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, defected to All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Labour Party, LP. While some of the Senators left PDP after they lost at the primaries, the opposition parties had willingly accepted them and gave them the ticket to run. One of them is Senator Atiku Bagudu Abubakar, representing Kebbi Central, who joined APC and was given the party ticket to contest the governorship election.

Another PDP Senator, Prince Bassey Otu, who lost the party ticket for Cross River South Senatorial District to Chief Geshom Bassey, Chairman of the State Water Board, defected to LP, where he has become the party’s candidate.

It was also the same case

with the erstwhile National Chairman of PDP, Senator Banabas Gemade, who had a long battle with Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State on who flies the flag of the party for Benue NorthEast Senatorial District.

Senator Gemade defected to APC to seek re-election for a second tenure in the Senate.

Senator Mohammed Magoro, representing Kebbi South on the platform of PDP, also joined his colleague, Senator Bagudu in APC, while Senator Ita Enang, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business and one of the staunch members of PDP, also joined APC. Senator Ita Enang, Akwa Ibom North-East, told Vanguard: “I am working for APC to ensure that it wins governorship election and any other position. I will only

work for Jonathan for presidency.”

It was also expected that Senator Helen Eseune, who was one of the aggrieved 22 governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State that rejected the outcome of the primaries that handed the governorship party ticket to Emmanuel Udom, would also join APC. Before the defection of 11 PDP senators, after the crisis that gave birth to the defunct new-PDP, the ruling party had 72 senators, while APC had 33; LP, three; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, one.

Senator Nurudeen Usman, Kogi Central, has picked the ticket from Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA; while Senator Saidu Alkalirep, Gombe North, has also dumped PDP for APC. Senator Ahmad Zana from Borno Central, has finally joined the main opposition party and had been given the APC ticket for re-election to the Senate.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 9

INEC registers 68.8m voters zClears 14 candidates for Presidential election

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By Jude Opara

B U J A — T H E Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, said that it registered 68,833,476 voters for this year ’s general elections.

Similarly, the commission has also cleared 14 presidential candidates for the presidential election, 739 candidates for the Senate while 1,780 candidates are for the Federal House of Representatives election. It also said that schools would be closed few days to the elections to allow those that would be used for the election duties time to do so.

INEC Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega told a news conference that the action was in line with the requirements of the relevant laws which stipulate that the list should be made public 30 days to the polls.

He said the names had been sent to the political parties and published on their website.

Jega, however, added that the

names of the candidates cleared for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly would be published by the 27th of January, 2015.

He further said that the Federal Government had released all the fund needed for a successful conduct of the elections, but declined to disclose the exact amount the commission received saying it was a public document which was open for anybody to see.

Throwing more light on the issue of the Permanent Voters Cards, PVC, he said that about 38million cards had been

distributed even as he regretted that a lot more were yet to be distributed and urged the people who ere yet to collect their cards to do so before the February 14 election.

“We still have a lot more cards to be collected so I want to appeal to Nigerians to go out there and collect their cards. I have directed that the time for the distribution be extended. To this effect, the Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, have been directed to ensure that the cards be ready for distribution from 8 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Saturday.

“We have taken delivery of additional cards and hopefully before January 20 we will take delivery of all the cards for onward distribution to voters and I want to plead again that people should go and collect their cards.

“A lot of speculation has been taken that INEC does not have the card readers. Let me repeat that there would be card readers and as I speak, we have taken delivery of over 130,000 card readers and we have started moving them to the states and

by January 24, we will take delivery of the rest” Jega added.

FASHOLA TO JONATHAN: You, not my generation failed

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, publicly disagreed with President Goodluck Jonathan over the

statement that his generation has failed Nigeria, saying, “You (Jonathan) failed Nigeria because my generation did not fail this country.”

President Jonathan made the statement last Thursday while addressing youths at the flag-off of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP campaign held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS Lagos.

F a s h o l a however reacted at the 2015, First Quarter of the Town Hall meeting with stakeholders in the transportation sector held in Agidingbi, Ikeja, which also had in attendance Governorship

candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and others.

The governor urged Jonathan to accept responsibility over his failure to address the challenges confronting the nation over the last six years of his administration rather than point accusing fingers to past leaders, “late President Musa Yar ‘Adua’s short tenure was better than that of this administration.”

Fashola said; “He (Jonathan) said his generation has failed, he should account for himself because I refuse to join the generation the President was referring to.

According to him, “He is in his 50s, I am also in my 50s, and we appear to be, because I don’t even want to join that generation because my own generation has not failed, I have done well on my job and I am proud to say so.

If he has failed, let him account for himself, he should not join us”.

Reps to probe alleged planned hacking of DSS database

By Emman Ovuakporie

A

B U J A — APPARENTLY disturbed by the allegation made by the Department of State Services, DSS, that the All Progressives Congress, APC had planned to hack into the data base of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the House of Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the matter so as to unravel the matter.

Towards this, the House resolved that it would set up high powered committee to investigate the allegation and report back to the House within two weeks.

This was sequel to a motion brought to the floor of the House under Matters of National Importance by the Deputy Majority Leader, Rep Leo Ogor, PDP, Isoko Fed Constituency.

His motion was entitled: ’The unauthorized and alleged hacking into the INEC Data Base.”

Ogor in his submission had argued that” the INEC is vested by the Nigerian constitution with the responsibilities to carry out the functions of conducting elections into elective positions in the country.”

He said: ”The DSS allegations relating to the alleged plan to hack into the INEC data base is a very serious allegation”.

OMBATSE KILLING: Jonathan Campaign

accuses APC of insensitivity

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, yesterday, accused the All Progressives Congress, APC of being insensitive and opportunistic, using the Ombatse killings in Nasarawa State as an example.

The PDP said that there was an ongoing process to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to book and forestall a recurrence, adding, “we will not join the APC in the distasteful exploitation of the deaths of our security personnel for political gains.”

In a statement yesterday by the Director, Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the PDP noted that the charge that President Goodluck Jonathan was not serious about the welfare and security needs of the nation’s security agencies as evidenced by the Ombatse killings in Nasarawa State in May 2013 was another example of what he described as the “unconscionable insensitivity and crass opportunism of the All Progressives Congress, APC.” “It also shows how the

desperation of the opposition APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, for power has pushed his party’s campaign organisation into a frenzied search for any imaginable reason or ground to accuse President Jonathan of incompetence in the handling of security matters.

“The crisis that led to the death of the security personnel, in the first instance, was as a result of in-fighting within the political echelons of Nasarawa State, which is controlled by the APC."

10— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Fashola visits burnt Balogun market zPledges to assist affected traders zAs Agbaje commiserates with victims

L

By Dapo Akinrefon & Monsur Olowoopejo

AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has said the state government will assist traders who lost their shops and wares to Monday‘s fire incident at the Balogun Market to get back to business.

Fashola made the pledge, yesterday, when he visited the scene of the incident to sympathise with the traders and ascertain the extent of the damage.

An inferno at three multistorey plazas at the Balogun Market, Lagos Island on Monday razed no fewer than 150 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of Naira.

Fashola said the government would work with officials of the market to verify losses, adding that relief would be provided to victims as soon as enumeration of traders was completed.

The governor described the incident as pathetic and promised that the government would replace buildings and structures lost to the inferno.

Fashola said: “I sympathise with you on this incident, especially you women trying to earn a living and keep body and soul together. This is indeed a very pathetic incident.

“Be assured that our government will stand with you at this difficult period and we will help you get back on your business. That is the reason I have come with the Commissioner for Special Duties.

“I am working with the Iya Oloja and other market women to authenticate and verify all legitimate losses to the incident and this will apply to all affected in all the plazas.

“Once everyone has been identified, we will do our best to put you back to business and that will include replacing as many destroyed properties and buildings as possible.”

The governor, however, said the incident was a compelling reminder of the need for the traders to insure their businesses against losses.

Fashola explained that insurance, apart from providing compensation for losses, would also help to reduce risks associated with business.

He also urged traders and all residents to always take precautions against fire outbreaks.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to all Lagosians that this is the dry season. We have two seasons in our state, the rainy season and the dry season.

“The rainy season, where we

have the risk of flooding, we have successfully contained that. We are now in the dry season, where we have the risk of fire.

“We must be interested in our own safety and security.

I appeal to you to stop storing inflammable materials in your homes and business places.

“Residents should cultivate the habit of turning off their electrical appliances not in use. It is the harmattan period and the harmattan wind makes fires easy to start and difficult to contain.

“As at yesterday, we were dealing with 18 fire incidents. That should tell anyone that a lot more precautions are needed

during this season,” he said.

Fashola, while commending the state‘s fire service for responding adequately to the incident, noted that the new fire engines acquired by the state in November greatly helped to contain the fire.

Briefing the governor on the incident, Director of the state‘s Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, said the cause of the fire had not been ascertained, but an electrical fault around the market was suspected.

Fadipe said it was a great challenge putting the fire under control as there were too many illegal structures around the market which limited access of equipment

and men to the scene.

“We are happy that at last the fire was brought under control. What we have now is smoke billowing from the destroyed market and that poses little threat.

“We are still here, we will ensure that the smoke is gone before we vacate here,” he said.

Agbaje commiserates with victims

Meantime, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje yesterday promised better conditions for markets in the state if elected as governor on February 28.

Agbaje, who was in Balogun Market to commiserate with victims of the fire outbreak decried the condition of some markets and the plight of traders in the state.

We're preparing to monitor coming polls —NSCDC

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AGOS—MR. Gabriel Abati, Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Lagos State Command, on Tuesday said the agency was making adequate preparation to monitor the general elections in February.

According to him, the NSCDC would deploy 2,000 of its personnel to curtail any form of violence that could arise during elections.

The commandant said that the agency had a department that took care of pre- and postelection security as part of the mandate given to it by the Federal Government.

“The security of lives and property during and after the election is part of our mandate and our personnel have been preparing to curb violence during the elections.

“The NSCDC will be on ground to do everything possible to ensure security and protection of the country’s pipelines, eradicate illegal bunkering and protect the nation’s properties as part of our responsibilities,” Abati said.

Falana fears for suspects remanded in police custody

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

L VISIT: From left: Dr. Femi Oke Osanyintolu, GM, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Mr. Razaq Fadipe, Director of Fire Service, Lagos, during a visit by the Governor to scene of the Balogun Market fire incident at Central Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

UPN disowns former scribe, Abubakar, restates support for Jonathan

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By Onozure Dania

AGOS—THE Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, has distanced itself from its former National Secretary, Alhaji Sokoto Abubakar, who this week said that he has dissociated himself from the recent National Convention of the party held in Lagos.

The party said Abubakar no longer has the power to represent the party, having been voted out at the National Convention which was held on Friday.

Abubakar had said no one

had been mandated to express UPN’s support for Nigeria’s seating President Goodluck Jonathan in the next election.

“Up till last week, all officers in the National Executive Council held their position in the interim capacity, including our former National Secretary, Alhaji Sokoto Abubakar, and even the National Chairman, Dr. Frederick Fasehun,” the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Adeoye Jolaosho, explained in a statement yesterday.

Jolaoso said that the National Convention, in Lagos last week,

has established a substantive National Executive, and the National Convention dropped Alhaji Sokoto from being part of the new setup.

According to Jolaosho, the National Convention chose a new National Secretary in the person of Dr. Yusuf Alli, from Bauchi State, to replace Sokoto.

Jolaosho cited Article III Section 3(11) of the party’s constitution, which empowered the National Convention “To conduct elections into the National Executive Council of the Party.”

AGOS—ACTIVIST lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, challenged the police to produce evidence of the trial of over 500 criminal suspects paraded by police last year, maintaining that he exercised fear that majority of them may have been extra judicially murdered.

At a press conference addressed at his Ikeja, Lagos office, Falana said from investigations conducted by him, it was evident that most of the victims of high profile cases across the country are no where to be found.

He said specifically that “what is appalling is that after the police may have paraded them before the press, and sentenced them to media trial, you will hear nothjing about it. Some of them may have been extra judicially killed.”

Falana claimed that no fewer than 527 suspects were arrested and paraded by the police across the country in 2014 alone.

He challenged the police to declare the courts where the suspects are being tried and the stages of their cases in court.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 —11

Buhari was not indicted over PTF — OBASANJO zAs Buhari pledges not to be dictatorial if elected A

By Daud Olatunji

BEOKUTA—FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, said the report of the probe panel he set up when he held the sway as the president of the country did not indict the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari of any corruption while he was administering Petroleum Trust Fund.

Obasanjo, however, said the probe panel discovered that, Buhari-led PTF was inconsistent in its policies, saying other probe attempts on the activities of the former Head of State "was immaterial."

The former President who stated this while playing host to Buhari who visited him at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta as part of his campaign for his presidential election, disclosed that he had to cancel all his engagements to host Buhari.

The APC Presidential candidate who was accompanied by his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the party's National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National leader of the party and former governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Bernabas Gemade, former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni and the host governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun was in the state as part of his presidential election campaign.

While receiving Buhari who arrived his house around 11:20am, Obasanjo said his path and that of Buhari had crossed on many occasions.

According to Obasanjo, the two related closely when Buhari was Federal Commissioner for Petroleum.

Obasanjo said: “Another thing that I want to say, when you were going to become manager of PTF, we talked about it and when you finished and I took over, we looked into it again. ‘’When we looked into it, there was really nothing amiss except that, that organisation went from road building to mosquito net buying and all sort of things.

“Although there was an investigation, its report was not of any material importance. I thought that I should say it today that I have this opportunity because I hope people will face issues rather than trivialities.”

Exchange of letters

While speaking on the disagreements he had with Buhari over his presidential ambitions, Obasanjo disclosed that he and the APC Presidential candidate had exchanged a lot of letters since he began the political

journey especially for 2015 election.

He said: “Our paths have crossed on a number of occasions and when I was told you are coming to Ogun State, I wasn’t sure whether you will come here or not. But I told my boys; whatever programme we have outside Ogun State for today, let us shelve it just in case Muhammadu, his party and his team decide to visit us.”

“You will remember when you decided to contest, you wrote me a letter. And I replied your letter.

When you became the flag bearer of your party, you wrote me another letter. I replied your second letter because I believe that you have honoured me by writing and I should of course reciprocate by also responding to your letter.

“You have kindly underlined what I want everybody to remember; that I am a cardcarrying member of another political party. But I have always said that party or no party, what is paramount for me is Nigeria.

Obj makes case for infrastructure devt

“I will beg of you to add infrastructure development on your agenda. It’s very important.

You may take it as part of economy but I will take infrastructure as special and give it special attention. For all political parties that are trying to woo us to vote for them in the coming election; let’s go away from trivialities, let’s face issues and tell the people of this country what we will do to deal with these crying problems of our country.

In his remarks, Buhari who also had on his entourage, his wife, Aisha; wife of former Ekiti State governor, Bisi Fayemi among others pledged not to be dictatorial if he is elected as the President of the country in the coming election.

Buhari said he had made a lot of efforts to woo Obasanjo to APC but, did not succeed, describing Obasanjo as most experienced leader in Nigeria.

A

By Dayo Johnson

I

BADAN—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, Oyo State chapter, has commiserated with the family and friends of Madam Bola Amole, a L o n d o n - b a s e d businesswoman and former member of the Accord Party in the state who died mysteriously in the early hours of Sunday.

Madam Amole was said to have been hale and hearty until she passed on.

In a statement issued by the state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olawale Sadare, on Sunday, the party said it felt the grief of Amole’s family at this moment, especially taking into consideration her high hopes of contributing her quota to the development of the state through involvement in politics.

Madam Amole was said to be one of the Accord Party faithful and aspirant for the House of Representatives seat of one of the federal constituencies in the state, Egbeda/Ona Ara, who was denied nomination by the party.

The APC claimed that Amole had made overtures to join the party until her sudden demise.

Olubadan counsels politicians

I CAMPAIGN: From left: President Goodluck Jonathan, former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Vice President Namadi Sambo, and the PDP governorship candidate in the State, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, at the presidential campaign rally in Abeokuta.

Femi Agagu, 47 PDP chieftains defect to APC in Ondo KURE—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains and some members across Ondo State yesterday defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress APC citing the need for a change from broken promises and future as their reasons.

Leading them was the younger brother of the immediate governor, late Dr Olusegun Agagu, Femi and a former Commissioner in the Federal Civil Service Commission, Hon. Victor Olabimtan.

Femi was the Chief of Staff

Oyo APC mourns late ex-Accord Party member

to his brother for six years while Olabimtan was also a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly in 2003 Others include a State party chairman and working committee member, members of National Assembly, Speakers and members of Ondo State House of Assembly, commissioners and Special Advisers.

Some foot soldiers of the former governorship candidates of the party in the 2012 election Chief Olusola Oke were also among the defectors fuelling speculations

that he approved their defection.

They include his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kunle Adebayo, former member of OSOPADEC and former S A to the governor, Yinka Orokoto and a former local government Chairman, Dr Banji Ajaka.

Former Commissioners that defected included Niran Sule, Special Duties, Mrs Bukola Tenabe, Women Affairs, Tola Wewe Tourism,Boye Adegbemisoye, Community

Development, Olaitan Ayeni, Works and Tola Aworh, Information.

A former Speaker, Taofiq Abdusalam and a House of Representatives member representing Owo/Ose, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule equally defected.

Femi Agagu at the occasion said; “Our hands are now on the plough and there is no looking back. Indeed we are convinced that in the battle between the people of Nigeria and PDP, the people shall surely win.”

Receiving them, the party

By Ola Ajayi

BADAN—THE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana has appealed to all politicians and voters in Oyo State to allow peace to reign during the February election.

The monarch made the appeal yesterday in Ibadan at a book launch in honour of Social Democratic Party, SDP, state governorship candidate in the election , Seyi Makinde.

Olubadan, who was represented at the occasion by the Ekerin Olubadan, Alhaji Tajudeen Abimbola, while making comments on the title of the book, “Election Law Practice in Nigeria”, said, “As we approach the forthcoming election, I want to appeal to all of us to ensure a violent free election. I want voters too to conduct themselves peacefully. A polling point is not a place where we go and canvass for votes ;it is not a place we go and campaign.We should go there and cast our votes peacefully.”

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

FEB POLLS: Okowa assures on PDP's victory in Delta

By Emma Amaize, Godwin Oghre & Theresa Ugbobu

O

GHARA—BOLSTERED by a massive crowd that thronged Oghara, Ethiope Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, for the flagoff of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship campaign for next month’s elections, the governorship standard bearer, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that his party will win the state with a landslide.

Flanked by his running mate, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, Okowa, who started by singing praises to God and promising to look up to Him, said: “I thank Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for providing the platform for us to emerge as candidates of the party.”

Okowa said he wants party members to forget about division and work collectively as reconciled faithful to ensure a landslide victory at the polls, adding, “I will treat everybody equally.”

He urged Deltans to forget the opposition parties and their confused candidates in the state, who, he said, keep changing their platforms every voting year and stay put with the winning party, PDP, which

has been delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.

He said: “We will develop agriculture in such a way that Deltans will be happy. We will ensure accelerated industrialisation of the state.

Governor Uduaghan started the Warri Industrial Business

Park, WIBP, we will ensure that core investors are brought in.

We will partner the private sector to establish two other industrial parks to develop the state.

“We will restructure the educational sector for the people to acquire skills and be gainfully employed; we will

continue to emphasise quality education. Uduaghan has done well in the medical sector. Women are happy because they do not pay for their children under five years too. We will ensure, through legislation, that there will be a health insurance policy in Delta State and that way, everybody will benefit.”

CAMPAIGN : From left: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; his deputy, Prof.

Amos Utuama and Delta State Peoples Democratic Party governorship flag bearer, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, during the state PDP campaign flag-off in Oghara, Delta State, yesterday.

Photo: Henry Unini.

FEB POLLS: Aguariavwodo urges Urhobo to vote Jonathan, Okowa

By Festus Ahon & Perez Brisibe

U

GHELLI—SENATOR E m m a n u e l Aguariavwodo has enjoined the Urhobo nation to vote massively for President Goodluck Jonathan and the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in next month's general elections.

He also advised Okowa to meet with the leadership of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, to “negotiate, confirm and conclude” on the stake of the Urhobo in his administration, before the polls.

Speaking during his New Year media/constituents briefing at his Okpare-Olomu, Ughelli South Local Government Area country home, the senator representing Delta Central senatorial district at the National Assembly stressed the need for true unity in the state “and for the Urhobo to be in the scheme of things both at the state and national levels as the injustices against us are being addressed.”

Saying that the UPU had already declared its support for President Jonathan “based on concrete promises made by the President when a delegation of UPU visited him on December 23 last year,” he appealed to the Urhobo apex socio-cultural body to look at his canvassed position and

support it.

Describing Okowa as a brilliant and gifted individual, with a vast knowledge of politics, business, government and what it takes to manage the affairs of the institutions of the state at all levels, he said: “I also know the candidates of the other political parties

vying for the office of the governor, since they are my brothers. They are also very experienced in many areas of life, but not in the business of government.

“I will never betray the Urhobo nation for a pot of porridge. I will always look out for the interests of the Urhobo,

Why we revived SDP, by Falae

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

E N I N — N AT I O N A L Chairman of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, has said that the party was revived due to the failure of the two dominant parties in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to promote the ideals of democracy.

Chief Falae, at the Palace of the Otaru of Auchi, Edo State, when on a courtesy call on the monarch during a campaign tour of Edo North senatorial district, said that the errors made by both parties were the gains of the SDP as the welfare of the people remain its focal

point.

He said: “We decided to revive the SDP when we noticed that other political parties were not giving the people the ideals of democracy. I have never been

found wanting in all the offices I had held either as a Managing Director of a bank, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister and others."

Give your best to Nigeria —NIMASA BOSS

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—THE Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi, has urged Nigerians to give their best service to the country to enhance the living standards

of the people.

Akpobolokemi, at Sabageria in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, during the funeral of late Dr. Pressy Jombo, his Special Assistant, Technical, said: “For the country to move forward, we need courage, faithfulness and uprightness in all our endeavours in the service to the nation.”

SENATE: Delta Youths root for Manager

H

UNDREDS of youths from Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo and non-indigenes of Delta State, have restated their willingness to deliver Senator James Manager in the February general elections.

The youth coalition, which mobilised its members to Oghara, headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government of Delta State, to witness Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship campaign flag off, noted that Manager had always demonstrated himself as a true democrat.

One of the leaders of the coalition, who is also the Chairman of Ogboinama Political Forum, OPF, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, said youths from Delta South senatorial district, had decided to pitch tent with Manger in next month's polls to enable him continue the good work he has started.

Madam Iduemre for burial

M

RS. Rebecca Iduemre (nee Orhiunu), of OkpeOlomu Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, is dead, aged 84.

Funeral service will take place on January 16 at St. Peter ’s Anglican Church, Oteri,Ughelli, while interment comes up same day at her residence, Okpokpo Street, Okpe, Olomu.

She is survived by children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and other relatives.

Late Madam Iduemre

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 13

C M Y K

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—15

I spent more on military equipment than Jonathan —Buhari T

HE CAMPAIGN team of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), yesterday, tackled President Goodluck Jonathan on his comments during his presidential campaign flag-off in Lagos that Buhari did not equip the military when he was head of state.

Citing a comparative study of the amount spent by various governments on military hardware as part of total defence budget, the Buhari team in a statement by Mr. Dele Alake (Director, Strategic Communications, Buhari Campaign Organisation), said the Buhari administration spent more than the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration in real terms.

Published in the Journal of African Macroeconomic Review, Volume 2 Number 1, the study, entitled: “ Comparative Regime Analysis of the Trend and Structure of Military Expenditure in Nigeria, 1980-2010,” revealed that while the Buhari/Idiagbon spent 38.68 per cent of total allocation to the military on capital items such as military hardware between January 1984 and August 1985 when it was overthrown, the Yar ’Adua/ Jonathan administration spent 34.67 per cent of military budget between May 2007 and May 2010.

Authored by Anyanwu Sarah, Egwaikhide Chris and Aiyedogbon John Olu Coris, the study observed as follows: “Buhari/Idiagbon in 1984 also allocated 38.68 per cent and 61.32 per cent for capital milex and recurrent respectively. They spent approximately 16 months. The Ibrahim Babangida regime (1985-1993) spent 19.58 per cent on capital milex and 80.42 per cent on recurrent milex. Abacha/ Shonekan/Abdulsalam (19931999) regime expended 24.10 per cent on capital milex and 75.9 per cent on recurrent milex.

The civilian administration of Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) for a period of eight years, spent 17.44 per cent of her total milex on capital milex and 82.56 per cent on recurrent milex.

Yar’adua/Jonathan (2008-2010) had so far spent 34.67 per cent on capital milex and 65.33 per

JOGS 74/79 meets

T

HE MONTHLY meeting of Ijebu-Ode Grammar School Old Boys Association, JOGS, holds January 18, 2015 by 2pm.

A release jointly signed by the president of the association, Mr. Dimeji Ogunniyi and Secretary, Mr. Adelana Adeola, said venue is: No. 3 Lekan Carena Avenue, Fidiso Estate, Kingdom Hall Bus-Stop with Bernad Carrena, Partner, Ernst and Young, EY, Marina, Lagos, as the host.

cent on recurrent.”

Milex refers to military expenditure.

Other studies show that since Jonathan took over the reins of leadership, the capital budget for military hardware has been decreasing while recurrent has been increasing.

For instance, analysing the 2012 defence spending as proposed by the Jonathan administration, APC Governorship Candidate for Kaduna State, Mallam Nassir elRufai observed: “When one

carefully peruses the capital budgets of the DHQ and Army, most of the capital spending is going towards buildings, some ammunition and vehicle spares.

This year, we are not buying any equipment for the armoured, artillery and other mechanisation needs of the Army – at least not anywhere in the budget.

"The Navy and Air Force are slightly better. The Navy is buying two (yes only two) offshore patrol vessels and six coastal patrol boats and some spares. The Air

Force intends to acquire 12 Augusta 109 helicopters, some uniforms, the reactivation of C130, G222, Alpha Jets and maintenance, and some buildings. No new fighter jets this year!”

The situation was worse in the recently signed Budget 2014 which allocated 90 per cent of military expenditure to salaries and other recurrent needs while a meagre 10 per cent went to military hardware.

Hajiya Aisha Buhari, wife of All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (left), and APC Vice Presidential Candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo's -Mrs. Oludolapo Osinbajo, during APC Presidential Rally, at Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Buhari'll remove shady transactions in NNPC —APCPCO

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA — THE All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation, APCPCO, has said its candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd)will lift the veil of secrecy and shadiness that has characterised the transactions of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, if elected.

APCPCO’s Directorate of Media

and Publicity made this known in a statement in Abuja yesterday, saying it was apparent that the reason why the country ’s economy came under serious shock any time there was instability in the global oil market was because of corruption, lack of transparency and honesty in the way the NNPC was run.

The statement signed by the organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba

Shehu, assured that an APC-led government would promote credible book-keeping in the dayto-day workings of the corporation.

“To create a level playing field for all operators and investors in the oil and gas industry, there is an urgent need to have a clear and transparent regulatory and fiscal framework for the upstream, midstream and downstream activities,” it said.

...tackle unemployment, bad roads in S-East if elected, Imo traditional rulers appeal

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RADITIONAL RULERS in Imo State have appealed to the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari, to tackle the problems of unemployment, dilapidated roads, and other problems ravaging the people of the South Eastern Nigeria, if elected President in next month’s presidential election.

The appeal was made when General Buhari with his campaign team paid a courtesy call on the state Chairman, Council of

Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, at his palace in Owerri.

Eze Ohiri lamented the long years of the marginalization of the Igbos despite their immense contributions to nation’s building and as a major tribe in Nigeria, describing it as the height of ingratitude.

He noted that the Igbos were denied top federal appointments, job opportunities, good roads, and other developmental projects by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government and hoped that

the All Progressives Congress, APC, would re-address such issues if voted into power.

According to him, the traditional rulers were the worst hit by the level of corruption in the country because of their interaction with the people at the grass-root crying against the constant diversion of federal funds meant for empowerment and developmental projects for personal interest by greedy politicians.

Igbo see Buhari as a dictator — Member, Jonathan Campaign Organisation

By Ovie Azigbo

A

MEMBER of the President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in the South East, Mr. Mark Uchendu, has claimed the Igbo see the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), as a dictator “that does not deserve the support of the Igbo.”

According to him, Buhari had not hidden his resolve to jail Nigerians “like he did as a military President, so it will be difficult to get the support of our sons and daughters in Igbo land because we believe in democracy which President Goodluck Jonathan represents.”

The Imo State born PDP chieftain asserted that, “we have observed that Buhari will never change, he still believes that he is a military man and that is why Nigerians will not vote for him. The Presidential candidate of the APC said in Port Harcourt that he would jail corrupt Nigerians. As usual he is talking like a dictator that he is. He does not appreciate the rule of law."

Oshimili LGA'll vote massively for PDP —Speaker

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ELTA STATE House of Assembly Speaker, Peter Onwusanya, yesterday, said the people of Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State would massively vote for all Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates in next month’s general elections.

The Speaker spoke after he was presented with the party’s flag and confirmed as the PDP candidate for Oshimili South Constituency, Delta State, during the flag-off of PDP governorship campaign at Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area.

He explained that President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa would get 100 percent of their votes as President and Governor respectively.

16 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015— 17

For w ant of a president want president:: The past as prologue

By Uyi Lawani

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HERE is in our country today the sense of a palpable tension concerning our fate as a nation post– February 14th. The choice of who will be our president for another four years starting May 29th will be made on that date.

On the one side of this taut line are those who, satisfied with the status quo, have been vehement in their demand that President Goodluck Jonathan be returned to office come May 29th. On the other side are those who, having found their voice through perhaps the most robust opposition since 1999, demand a change and clamour for a Buhari presidency by the end of May. Add to these the geo-political undercurrents analogous to the present contest, and the perfect storm is “a–brewing.”

In more advanced democratic climes, where the fears arising from questions of nationhood have been significantly allayed, this tension is normal. It is the tonic that enlivens the democratic process of contesting for political power. For us Nigerians however, any inkling of “polity overheat” evokes images of a doomsday scenario for which the collateral is our nation itself as presently constituted. We are continuously (and rightly so) haunted by the images of the carnage left behind in the aftermath of the skirmishes we have had in our past, prominent among which was the “mother” of all, the civil war.

Any well thinking adult Nigerian realizes that the path of post-election violence is one we should not wish to tread. But if there is anything to be learnt from our past and those images, it is that our nation and our people have shown the resilience and tolerance to survive and remain as both because and in spite of those horrid experiences. So, without meaning to undermine or underestimate the likelihood of a post– February carnage, I make bold to say: this too shall pass.

I have a disposition to hope that the storm shall indeed pass. But this hope,even though founded on our antecedent ability to stay buoyant in the face of strife, is heavily tampered.

It is sad to note that after 15 years of sustained constitutional democracy—the longest stretch in our post-colonial history—our level of political debate is at the worst it could ever be. It would have been easy to conclude that the relative negligibility of the 15 year interregnum should occasion no better. Except, our experience in the aborted third republic speaks to the contrary.

Sequel to the June 12 1993 general election, we had the semblance of a debate—a contest of ideas and ideologies.We, the electorate were inundated with discussions and analyses in the media by practitioners and pundits about the platforms and manifestoes of the political parties in the arena. If there is any semblance today of a debate merely six weeks to the general election, it is a rejoinder to the

By Patrick Dele Cole

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P to a couple of years ago, Ukraine seemed to have been at peace with itself and its neigbours. There was admittedly some political hiccups, no worse than in most democracies. The Ukraine was one of the few countries that had a female president (Yulia Tymoshenko)–like most countries, where women become presidents or prime ministers, there was an element of dynastic re arrangement which brought the lady up. She was unable for reasons too complex to go in here, to retain her hold on power; she called for an election and was severely beaten by Viktor Yushchenko.

Ukraine has not been a model of democracy.

Many repressive actions followed President Yushchenko’s victory. The new president felt the future of his country lay in sustained neutrality but paying due respects to Russia, the big Bear as a neighbour.

Those who for geopolitical reasons do not like Russia tried to turn ANY country neigbouring Russia into an anti-Russian country. The EU (European Union) and the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) stepped up their propaganda in Ukraine against Russia. In doing so, the Secret Services of the West mobilised fully to cause daily demonstrations against an elected government and an elected president, weakened by indecision, corruption and ineffectiveness.

Carrots were dangled before opposition from Brussels and Strassburg. The President was to know no peace as weeks of demonstration followed, fully supported by the US who actually sent a top State Department Officer to Ukraine to support the ousting of a democratically elected government and president.

All attempts by the West to destabilise Russia stem from the belief that an unstable Russia is a weakened Russia and a weakened Russia is good for the West and therefore the world. This was the same policy pursued in Estonia, Latvia by the West against Russia.

mundane in our body politic. I will buttress this point by referring to the commentaries or remarks made by no less personalities than two erstwhile media assistants/advisers to former President Obasanjo. Two individuals who by training, vocation and experience, ought to be nearly immaculate in their engagement with the public. As if to demonstrate their prowess as astute media/publicity practitioners, these two individuals (both south– westerners) have been appointed into the PDP campaign council to serve in some media capacity in the effort to get Dr. Jonathan returned to office.

In a series of essays penned in his weekly page in one of the main stream newspapers, one of the men I refer to, has sought relentlessly to draw our attention to the ethnic and religious chauvinism of General Buhari. In his most recent essay, picking on a few isolated strains from Buhari’s historical engagements, he has gone as far as to suggest that Buhari is non-bona fide to the Southwest and is therefore undeserving of their votes. The other gentleman, who as it turns out as

If the past must be prologue, Nigerians are not going to choose one candidate or the other based on whether the fellow says “amen” or “amun”

flipped and flopped between the PDP and the APC, has even been less decorous in his personalized attacks of Buhari. He has reduced the level of debate so low that it will be indecent to make reference to the comments he has placed in the public domain in his bid to defame Buhari and so doing, deconstruct his persona.

In all of these, the average Nigerian, especially if genuinely interested in the policy thrusts of the candidates and the parties they represent, has been completely shortchanged. Rather than populate the media space with discussions on relevant issues and matters of public policy, these individuals leveraging on their media reach, have sought to pander to their partisan audience instead. The fear and anxiety of a Buhari presidency that underlies their position as expressed in the remarks they send out is not only profound, but does very little to bolster the image of Dr. Jonathan, their preferred candidate. It appears that they have since concluded that the only route to a Jonathan return is to question Buhari’s patriotism to the nation, and his tolerance for others.

As it turns out, these gentlemen are both progenies of fathers who in yester-years, left their marks in the political arena of the Western region and perhaps the nation at large. They have had the benefit of proximity to some aspects of Nigeria’s political history as family participants.In very recent times, they have been at the forecourt of the Presidential villa and are aware of contemporary occurrences in our polity. They are therefore better equipped than most to engage the public and direct the course of our debates. But they have become so dogmatic in their bid to pull Buhari down that like dogs gone

Nigeria, Ukrain, USSR and the W est West Consistency is not always a positive element in foreign affairs- hence the phrase most often used in criticizing nations in foreign affairs is a lack of consistency; the use of double standards. Those so accused have a legitimate answer, that their activities are governed by the necessity of national interest.

When Russia (then USSR) wanted to plant missiles in Cuba, the US was willing to go to war to prevent such an eventuality. The US has a policy of sanctions against Cuba for over 50years because Cuba dared to be different within the United States’ sphere of influence.

The US zone of influence-Cuba is less than 80miles to the US. Guantanamo Bay is situated in half of the island of Cuba. Cuba and Guantanamo Bay is on the Caribbean Island. Guantanamo Bay is a US military base yet the US would not allow Cuba escape sanctions despite the fact that the majority of Latinos in Florida are Cuban. Even in as recent as 2014, one cannot buy a Cuban/Havanna Cigar in the US. Last week, President Barack Obama made a move to remove sanctions against Cuba imposed since 1961.

I accept that there are many who would disagree with my interpretation of the US

The other day I was thinking of a situation where the rest of the world could impose sanctions on the West’s unprecedented adventurism especially in Libya, Egypt, Iraq and Afghanistan. No one has the power to do so-true

foreign policy. I am naïve enough to believe that since the US had nuclear bases surrounding the (USSR) Russia that country should not be denied the right of planting its own missiles in Cuba. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Foreign policy of course does not operate along the lines listed above. In most cases, the strong impose their will on the weak. Russia was relatively weak and the US government got away stopping it from making the US uncomfortable by having a nuclear base in Cuba.

Even before the end of the World War II, it was evident that the super powers US and the USSR would try to bend world opinion and actions in each others’ favours. Anything the US can do to weaken the USSR and the successor state,Russia, it would do and vice versa. The argument about nuclear weaponswho can have it and who cannot is based on a similar thesis- The US we can trust, Russia, Iran and Pakistan we cannot trust. Israel, Britain, France we can trust but no one else.

The argument has never been that having weapons that can obliterate the world over a hundred times by the US and Russia should never be owned by one or two countries: rather the weapons are so dangerous that no one would have them. These weapons are continuously minitualised with more available payload capabilities- one day ISIS would have a nuclear bomb!

Back to Ukraine; I saw on CNN a top officer in the state Department of the US sitting and chatting with demonstrators against the elected president of Ukraine. The policy as stated earlier is that anything that weakens Russia is good for the US. In the end, the elected president fled to Moscow and a new government and president were elected without the support of either the Russians who live in the East and others in Crimea.

We have seen the scant respect the West pays to democratically elected governments whose

astray, the sound of their master’s whistle has become unfamiliar. They inundate us with questions about Buhari’s religious waywardness and his ethnic bigotry.Why not seek to unravel the factors that have magnified the image of this one man in the minds of the entire talakawaand large swaths of the middle class across the country?

Perhaps, an exercise of this nature may be useful in making recommendations to their principal on how to bring some nearness between him and the Nigerian masses.

Six weeks may be a short time but is an eternity in politics. Maybe now that they have been formally invited tothe emperor’s table, they will begin to exercise some decorum and make attempts to present the merits of a Jonathan presidency post-May 29th.

If the past must be prologue, Nigerians are not going to choose one candidate or the other based on whether the fellow says “amen” or “amun” or whether for that matter, the candidate speaks, “wa”, “zo”, or “bia”. That choice is going to be based on who is: best able to guarantee the safety of their children and parents; best able to provide access to quality education and healthcare; best able to curb impunity and fight corruption; best able to provide employment and engender an environment for the provision of jobs; and best able to provide a hope that tomorrow will definitely be better than today.

The elections will come and go and Nigeria will be better for it. I am hopeful that our commentators and pundits will do their best to elevate our debate. Our nation deserves it.

Our people deserve it.

•Mr. Lawani, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.

hue they do not like – Libya, Venezuela, Bolivia, Egypt, West Bank-Gaza. The president of Ukraine was removed because the West felt that he was a Russian puppet. But what about the rights of Russians in Eastern Ukraine? A war has been going on there for the past six months; that war has led to the downing of a commercial flight killing over 200 people. The West has imposed economic sanctions against Russia to bring it to its knees. Those sanctions have hurt Europe whose economy flat lined although there is no conceivable effect on the US. But the sanctions has been devastating for Russia.

The other day I was thinking of a situation where the rest of the world could imposes sanctions on the West’s unprecedented adventurism especially in Libya, Egypt, Iraq and Afghanistan. No one has the power to do so-true. But may this not be at the bottom of Islamic radicalism-that a people feel so badly treated and poor that they resort to inhuman behaviour in order to gain the attention of the world? It is a preposterous suggestion or view and “totally reject it”. But the West must tread carefully on its propensity for military, diplomatic and economic adventurism. Most of the world is on the side of the West but power brings about obligations and responsibilities, the most important being when not to resort to power and when to resort to dialogue.

Ukraine has a special place in Nigeria- and this is where I want to turn to next. The Ajaokuta Steel mill was built by Ukraine (on behalf of the USSR) but over 97% of all those who came to Nigeria to build it were Ukranians. They cheated us. The plant was never finished and we had no value for the money spent. Billions of dollars were paid to the Ukranians either in cash or by investible and discountable Nigeria papers, (Bonds) and other derivatives.

The saga of the Nigerian Papers in the hands of the USSR and Ukranians gave Nigeria a bad name and reputation as unreliable borrowers.

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 •Dr. Cole, a former ambassador ,wrote from Lagos.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 THE outcry over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is a bit late in the day.

Politicians and their parties have often seen advantages they could gain from the foibles of INEC, which makes strong cases for itself about its imperfections. It expects us to claim them, maybe, as national assets.

INEC believes in the magic of words. It is ready for every election.

It is armed with excuses for failure of plans it sells to the public as tamper-proof. Every election INEC has conducted since 2011, under the current leadership, has been greeted with irregularities. As proof that it had given up on itself, INEC dubs every election a “practice” for the next one. It learns no “lessons”, but it dabbles into new areas of troubles, raising national tension with its ineptitude.

The latest INEC confusions are its promotion of the Advance Automatic Finger Identification System, AAFIS, and the extra polling centres it created. For INEC, it is an achievement to identify lapse with the voters’ register, more than three years after compilation of the register. The tainted

INEC Must Make 20 15 W or k 201 Wor ork register has been used for all elections since 2011. We must remember that INEC deployed high technology which Nigeria acquired at more than N75 billion in 2010.

It has capacity to thwart multiple registrations, once the details were linked.

INEC never bothered with linking the inputs from the various centres.

The charade that is going on leaves us wondering what INEC plans for the 2015 elections. Rather than clean up the voters’ register, INEC was more interested in creating more polling booths, a controversial decision INEC made without proper reason. The size of the voters’

register, the breakdown by States, right to the wards, would naturally establish the need for more voting points and how the new ones would be distributed.

Without crossing the first hurdle, INEC decided to create new polling centres. What sense does this decision make, when we do not know how people would vote and their locations? Optimism over the success of the 2015 elections is over-stated and without proper bases. If INEC cannot manage one- off elections, the voters’ register, and distribution of voters, cards, INEC has a lot of work ahead of its preparations for next month's elections.

For all the importance elections bear to our future, INEC should not handle them with levity. It should provide the transparency required to make them credible.

INEC should produce a clean register for the elections. More importantly, it should work to avoid exclusion of voters, which its cur rent chicanery does. Finally, it should punish those who inflated the voters’ list, which partly accounts for the present mess.

OPINION Delta guber: Urhobos as comrades of Ulysses

By Bobson Gbinije

“A man can be free even within prison walls.

Whoever has once had it can never lose it.

There are some people who are never free outside a prison.” Berthold Brecht (18981956).

E need no scholastic prolificity, mental binoculars and cerebral virtuosity to know that politics is a game of numerical superiority and Machiavellian acrobatics.

Hence, the lexicographer Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) observed in his Devils Dictionary that “Politics is the conduct of public affairs for private advantage”. But when will the Urhobos know this Descartian truism?

By way of dermatological statistical data, the Urhobo people constitute over 50% of the population of Delta State. They are one of the largest producers of oil in Nigeria, the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria with over 23 kingdoms. But they have no political sense of direction, they lack lebensraum and are cocooned in greed, back stabbing proclivities, deification and apotheosization of money. A nation that is perpetually at war with itself and sunken in the labyrinth and shenanigans of crass disunity.

In the 1958 pre-independence election, the Urhobos spoke with one voice by pitching their political tent with the NCNC. In the 1964 elections, the vast majority of Urhobos maintained an Indian file with the NCNC. They subsequently moved to the NPN, SDP and the NRC. From there they aligned with

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the PDP which has turned out to be their political waterloo and Achilles heel right from Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, through Yar‘adua to now Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It has been a political rollercoaster for the Urhobo people.

They have been wandering in the throes of horrendous marginalization, oppression and horrid neglect because of psychotic and ludibrastic fiscal dopple ganger. What a shame! They have not been able to put their numerical superiority to political advantage.

They are like the comrades of Ulysses, who loved their slavish and brutish conditions as explicitly adumbrated in the Greek mythologies.

After the great Ibori’s sell-out and treachery against the Urhobo people, we thought they will learn their lesson in the PDP gubernatorial primaries. But it turned out to be the mother of all Urhobo political rascality and back stabbing. As it turnedout to be Urhobo against Urhobo; even against the admonition and wise counsel of

The Urhobo people must crassly hold-on to power in Delta state because of their population advantage

the Pan Urhobo socio-cultural and political arrowhead - The Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) that, Urhobo delegate should vote en masse for Edevbie (the urhobo delegate).

In the free, credible and transparent gubernatorial PDP primaries, Okowa from delta north won by 409 votes as against Edevbie’s 299 votes. It means that about 1/3 of the 420 Urhobo delegates did not vote for Edevbie (UPU) Urhobo candidate, neither did they vote for Kenneth Gbagi non Omo-agege.

With Ijaws’ less than 150 delegates votes that was shared between Orubebe and Okowa on 50/50 basics, Edevbie with 100% vote from Isoko, 3% from Anioma and 70% from Itsekiri was defeated because of the over 200 votes which the Urhobo delegates treacherously sold out to the highest bidder through Urhobo warlords and psychotic back stabber.

The Sisyphean albatross and mystery of what Uduaghan, Chief E.K Clark, Tompolo, James Manager, Orubebe, Amori (the Jesus of delta state politics), Igbuya, Evelyn Oboro, Faith Majemite and the Urhobo delegates did to snatch victory from the urhobo candidate is incubating in the womb of history and will be unraveled with the passage of time. Where will the Urhobo nation and its politicians and people go from here?

In this state of political torpsy- turvydom, dilemma and the drowning man holding on the straw syndrome, the Urhobo political machine and its operators are junketing from one party to another to find succour for itself. It must be stated with unambiguous

clarity that the call of this writer is not that the Urhobo people must crassly hold-on to power in Delta state because of their population advantage, but that they should and must be part and parcel of power breakers and king makers in the state to influence and determine at any point in time who wins the governorship,and other etc elections in the state. That is the power of the majority having their way and the minority having their say.

As at now they are in a power salmagundi and mélange. They have become political hustlers and underdogs instead of being Kings and the tail instead of being the head because of their disunity. I assert that Urhobo should call a truce and back one candidate (Ogboru or Emerhor) and then do aggressive campaigning and then try to reach out to the Itsekiris, Isokos, Ijaws, Aniomas etc. notwithstanding their furtive alliances. This will fill the vacuum created by the disgrace of the PDP guber primaries and then we jointly use our numerical strength as bargaining chip on what we want for the Urhobo people. This will make it more integrity-inclined.

Finally, the 2015 elections are already at our door steps, the Urhobo nation must fine tune logistics and orchestrate strategies for political repositioning to ensure that its majority status in delta state and nay Nigeria is not a mere Mephistophelean placebo. The desire is not to make Urhobo the despotic holder of power in Delta state for this will breach the principles of egalitarianism, power equity, dichotomy, fairness and justice. *Mr. Gbinije, a social critic, wrote from Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—19 —19

Other side of R ev. FFather ather Re Mbaka's prayer

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EPORTS of Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka’s New Year ’s Eve sermon had for a short while been generating excited responses in the media before I looked to know what it was all about. I didn’t think it worth my while to pay attention to yet another religious leader making one of their increasingly forgettable remarks on Nigerian politics and the February elections. I could see that the Rev. Father was supposed to have made what appeared to be this explosive remark at one Adoration Ground.

The last time I heard of an Adoration Ground was after scores of worshippers were trampled to death in Uke, Idemili North Local Council, in Anambra State. This was after the visit of some politicians out to canvass votes for the last governorship election. None of the politicians mentioned in that grisly episode took responsibility for what happened. And even though former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, set up a commission of inquiry, nothing has been heard of that since that time.

But it appears there are many Adoration Grounds in the southeast, as Father Mbaka’s Adoration Ground appeared different from

where scores met their untimely death last year. This latest Adoration Ground is in Enugu State. In the meantime, bits and pieces of news trickling in indicated Father Mbaka had until lately been a supporter of President Jonathan’s re-election bid.

He suddenly and unexplainably changed course.

Which reinforced my view that I was right not to have paid any attention earlier when news of his attack of the President surfaced.

Nothing remains the same these days: politicians defect and socalled social critics ditch long-held views without warning. This was the case until I came upon a recorded television transmission of Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s visit to Father Mbaka’s Adoration Ground on NTA. I stopped to see what was going on and watched on to the end.

There on the screen was Mrs. Jonathan on her knees as this man, Father Mbaka, in a priestly robe went on and on in a monotonous tone, oscillating between verbalised prayerful wishes and talking. This certainly was no serious worship. To cut a long story short, his remarks were wholehearted if spiritually

arrogant assertions of President Jonathan’s victory in the forthcoming February polls. He assured Mrs. Jonathan whom he severally called Maama, as she clasped her hands solemnly across her chest that she was God’s anointed to be the country’s First Lady. He warned other women aspiring to Mrs. Jonathan’s office to steer clear and wait for their turn. The entire episode pointed to what religious leaders and their places of worship have become: cheap figures and centres of religious manipulation and blackmail. It was clear that Father Mbaka’s speech was not spiritually inspired. He could not have been speaking from ‘the spirit’, because his words were heavy with stains of current political issues and the politics surrounding them. He would shortly anoint Mrs. Jonathan’s head with oil/ash. The highlight of this religious mumbo-jumbo was the release of some birds.

Since Father Mbaka recanted and rained imprecations on President Jonathan and his political ambition, he has said that

Our politicians follow them into these spiritual homes where those not trampled to death in mindless stampedes are handed back to the same prey they were running away from

Buhari: Beyond tribal, religious and ideological fallacies Come rain or shine, on 14 February 2015 in the Common Era, we will elect either retired Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari or re-elect Dr Goodluck Jonathan president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Nigeria. The two persons saddled with the chief responsibility of conducting the election, President Jonathan and INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, have assured us, solemnly, that it will hold. Barring, of course, any legitimate cause for postponing it—an outcome no one really wants, Pastor Tunde Bakare’s impassioned case for a six-month delay notwithstanding.

Yet with so little time left for the most important political decision a nation is periodically required to make, the discourse that dominates the airwaves is outstanding for the wrong reason: it is best described, in my opinion, as driven by tribal and ideological fallacies. The troubling state of the country—highlighted by systemic and endemic corruption eating the country alive, Boko Haram’s insurgency that is threatening to take over the northeast region and beyond, mass poverty and unemployment that has ground our human dignity into the dust, the electricity crisis that neither NEPA, PHCN, DISCOs and GENCOs (or is it Geckos?) can alleviate, a ruined educational system breeding illiteracy and blighting our future, a stoneage infrastructural base, etc. etc. — predating our nominal independence, demands a non-sentimental cast of mind if we are ever to begin in earnest the task of making a nation properly so-called out of the poor colonial misadventure behind our existence as one polity. A fallacy is a false notion, delusion or mistaken belief, which

leads to poor reasoning and untenable conclusions. To illogicality and an inability to shed light on an issue, never mind solving any problem or problems connected therewith. It goes without saying that if we go to the polling booth under the sway of false presuppositions, then we would have lost again another moment of change, of electing a leader, and not a ruler, for a change.

Chinua Achebe famously defined “the trouble with Nigeria, as simply and squarely that of leadership. The polemical clarity of this formulation remains valid no matter the number of reasons one might adduce in support of the charge that it is perhaps too reductionist and so fails to recognise the complexity of Nigeria’s congenital disease. But no one can doubt the all-important place of leadership in shaping the destiny of a people, of any social grouping, whether it be a clan, a country club or a country. If so, then each one of us should be asking him- or herself only one question: whom shall I vote for as president on 14 February and why?

The “why” part of this question is where the tribal and ideological fallacies that threaten to lead us astray yet again comes in. Tribal sentiments constitute an ideology insofar as they mediate or shape one’s way of seeing and interpreting the world, of understanding events and phenomena.

By tribal fallacy, I mean simply the idea that one’s tribal or ethnic community has an epistemic, political and, or, moral privilege. That the said tribe or ethnic group has a more justifiable case of oppression, marginalisation, and, or, expropriation, than any other. And that consequently, irrespective of any evidence to the contrary, one must vote for one’s tribesman. Char-

the most agile of the birds he released refused to fly. This for him was a sign that signified the rejection of Jonathan by God. He, however, waited several weeks to make God’s position known to his august visitors, his captive congregants who cheered as he praised the Jonathans and the rest of Nigerians who followed all that transpired from the media.

In the light of Father Mbaka’s New Year sermon, President Goodluck Jonathan is bad luck personified. He contaminates everything he touches with bad luck and pretends to be a friend of the Igbo, calling himself Ebele Azikiwe when it is convenient. He said nothing that any clear-eyed Nigerian had not known about the Jonathan Administration. The intriguing thing was the vehemence with which he said it considering his previous support. What happened between the time of Mrs. Jonathan’s visit and the 31st of December 2014? There have been all kinds of speculations, conspiracy theories including allegations of bribery. None of this does Father Mbaka any good. Nor does it do many of his critics and supporters of President Jonathan including members of the Catholic Bishop Conference any good. The Catholic priests and their followers now criticising Mbaka for being political need to tell Nigerians one thing. Which was more political: Father Mbaka’s political mass to endorse President Jonathan and his wife or his New Year ’s Eve denunciation of the President?

Where had they been since the earlier drama of Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s visit?

Although I have yet to see the recorded sermon of Father Mbaka’s New Year sermon but I have read the transcript, and it sounds more inspired than his staged endorsement of the Jonathans. I have no way of

determining how more authentic this is than his special and elaborate mass to endorse President Jonathan. But one thing I’m certain of is that the more responsibility Nigerians take for their beliefs and action the better for our polity and the politics of this country. For however the matter is viewed, there seems to be a clear factor that unites the ruling class of this country be it political, religious or whatever we chose to call it. This factor revolves solely around the sustenance of their hegemony. In other words, the different strands of this country’s leadership are united in their goal of maintaining the status quo. For them nothing must change. And in a classical Gramscian sense, Nigerians are complicit in their own subjection. Or how else does one explain the fact that the same crowd that cheered Father Mbaka as he endorsed Mrs. Jonathan and her husband, that very congregation that struggled to catch a glimpse of this woman and take photographs of her, was the same that cheered as the same Father Ejike Mbaka cursed the Jonathan administration.

Isn’t it clear now why politicians looking for votes make a quick beeline to the nearest church or mosque rather than to potential voters at the campaign grounds as is the case worldwide? Our politicians have reinvented political campaign. Having immiserated the majority of our people and driven them into the waiting hands of religious entrepreneurs in their desperate search for miracles and wonders from the hell of their daily existence, our politicians follow them into these spiritual homes where those not trampled to death in mindless stampedes are handed back to the same prey they were running away from.

acter, competence and vision, can thus have no place in choosing the nation’s leaders.

For, blood is thicker than water; so my brother or sister, country be damned! With only the slightest shift of emphasis, everything that pertains to tribal fallacy applies to the religious: my religion or faith is more persecuted than others; my God is the only God, therefore I cannot vote for the candidate who professes a different faith, reads a different holy book, and observes different rituals when praying to the almighty.

The ideological counterpart, strictly speaking, to this primitive mode of reasoning lays claim to nobler motivation. In the name of adherence to a higher goal, that which does not admit of compromise or a “lowering” of the ultimate objective, such “little victories” as might be attained by electoral politics are derided. Even im-

Chinua Achebe famously defined “the trouble with Nigeria, as simply and squarely that of leadership, The polemical clarity of this formulation remains valid no matter the number of reasons one might adduce in support of the charge that it is perhaps too reductionist

peded. Another name for this attitude is “ideological purity.” It fosters the logic that damns all politics in a non-revolutionary context as bourgeois or petit-bourgeois and so unworthy of any true progressive democrat’s participation. There is never any difference between the “bourgeois and reactionary” parties, nor the possibility of individuals emerging from them who might actually do quite a bit in the short term to ameliorate the unspeakable condition of the masses. The question, What is to be done NOW, in this period and the foreseeable future, when a revolutionary party or other platform of all-sweeping change is not in sight hardly engages their thoughts.

To think and vote under the sway of this strain of ideological fallacy is to vote for incumbency and against change. Yet there is nothing Nigeria, and even the PDP, the self-vaunted greatest party in Africa (only? not the whole wide world?), needs more than change at this point in our history.

Anything short of that, however seductive the ideological fallacy that drives it, is a vote for stagnation and the continuation of all that has bedeviled the country for the past sixteen years. Change demands of us a more nuanced and sophisticated reasoning than “A plague on both the houses of the PDP and the APC).

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 21

Eradicate water front attacks, logistics firm tells FG

ticularly in Lagos waters.

“We had one or two cases, but I think in the last half of 2014, we did not record any serious matter. Although Captains of the (visiting) vessels are also advised to keep a reasonable distance away so they can be According to Seddon, “There free, but a good job has been Managing Director of Union istration and Safety Agency,

By Godfrey Bivbere & Admiralty Nigeria Limited, NIMASA, led to a reduction of is improvement on the issue of done by NIMASA. Agnes Obiabo The Union Admiralty Nigeria UANL, Mr. Ibi Seddon, who such incidents in 2014; there is attacks of vessels. Last year , we HE Federal Government spoke with Vanguard in his of- need to completely deal with the had a few cases, the military Limited boss called on the fedhas been advised to eradi- fice in Lagos noted that though issue in the new year, 2015 if and the Nigerian Navy have eral government to improve incate water front attacks on ves- efforts of the management of the nation’s ports are the hub collaborated with the NIMASA frastructure in Apapa which sels sailing the nation’s port . and they have done a lot par- host the biggest and busiest port the Nigerian Maritime Admin- for sub-region. in the country.

He called for special attention to be paid on the condition of roads in and around the port town as well as connection of the port with rail.

“But let us go back to Apapa as the main shipping port for Nigeria. The roads are down, the export rate is terribly low because the freight is high and this is because ships come in and don’t have access to go. I am collating a document to prove this fact, but look at vessels coming in and going out, you will find out that the number of vessels that came in 2014 are not as much as that of 2013.

“But even if the goods come into the port, last two years , we were fighting to decongest the port and now we have not come to that but with the rate we are going, as soon as business kicks off in 2015, we might end up having congestion “They cannot go out because of bad roads, bad infrastructure. Even coming to Apapa with small cars, sometimes it HANDOVER: From left: Mr. Eric Elujekor, Acting Director, Enforcement and Compliance Department; Hon. takes us four hours. One of the outlets Zakawanu Garuba, Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, SEC; Out gone DG, SEC, Arunma Oteh; Acting is totally condemned. I feel the federal DG, Mounir Gwarzo and Acting Executive Commissioner, Operations, Mr. Abatcha Bulama at the formal handover government should take that road as

by Oteh to Gwarzo in Abuja. priority and look at how possible 2015 we can improve the infrastructure, particularly road so that goods will be able to move more freely,” he concluded.

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Oil drops below $45, US stockpiles may speed collapse

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IL extended losses to below $45 a barrel amid speculation that U.S. stockpiles will increase, exacerbating a global supply glut that’s driven prices to the lowest in more than 5 1/2 years.

Futures fell as much as 4.1 percent in New York, declining for a third day. Crude inventories probably gained by 1.5 million barrels last week, a Bloomberg News survey showed before government data tomorrow. The United Arab Emirates, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, will continue to expand output capacity, while shale drillers will probably be the first to curb production as prices fall, according to Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei.

Oil slumped almost 50 percent last year, the most since the 2008 financial crisis, as the U.S. pumped at the fastest rate in more than three decades and OPEC resisted calls to cut production. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said crude needs to drop to $40 a barrel to “re-balance” the market, while Societe Generale SA also reduced its price forecasts.

“It’s a classic case of supply overwhelming demand,” said Michael Hiley, head of energy OTC at LPS Partners Inc. in C M Y K

New York. “U.S. production will continue to edge higher. OPEC keeps reminding us that they are going to continue to produce.”

West Texas Intermediate for February delivery decreased 73 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $45.34 a barrel at 9:19 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange after reaching $44.20, the lowest since April 2009. The volume of all futures traded was more than double the 100day average for the time of day.

Brent for February settlement slid $1.45, or 3.1 percent, to $45.98 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said crude needs to drop to $40 a barrel to “re-balance”

Europe exchange after touching $45.19.

The European benchmark crude’s premium to WTI shrank to as little as 78 cents, the narrowest since July 2013.

U.S. crude stockpiles probably rose to 383.9 million barrels in the week ended Jan. 9, according to the Bloomberg survey before the Energy Information Administration’s report.

“Prices continue to free-fall and there is little that can stop them,” Amrita Sen, chief analyst at consultants Energy Aspects Ltd. in London, said in a report.

“OPEC remains the only factor that can stabilize markets in the short term. But with the group out of the picture, the market is looking elsewhere for a tangible reaction.”

U.S. production accelerated to 9.14 million barrels a day through Dec. 12, the most in weekly EIA estimates that started in January 1983. The nation’s oil boom has been driven by a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which has unlocked supplies from shale formations including the Eagle Ford and Permian in Texas and the Bakken in North Dakota.

$176. 15

$1.25

$2,914.00

$12.00

$14.93

$0.06

$51.43 $0.33 $48. 99 CURRENCY

BUYING

DOLLAR 167 STERLING 254.641 EURO 198.997 FRANC 165.608 YEN 1.390 CFA 0.293 WAUA 242.0204 RENMINBI 26.843 RIYAL 44.501 KRONA 25.738 SDR 239.394

$1.06

CENTRAL 167.5 255.404 199.593 166.104 1.394 0.303 242.745 26.924 44.634 26.818 240.111

168 256.166 200.188 166.600 1.398 0.313 243.469 27.004 44.767 26.898 240.828

CBN Exchange Rate as 13/01/2015

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Threat of damage, loss, injury or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, the consequences of which may be avoided through preemptive action

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INSURAN

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NIA DG tasks govt on protection of assets with insurance

INSURANCE: Reliable risk transfer mechanism

... As Anchor rewards long-serving employees

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D

IRECTOR General of Nigerian Insurers Association, NIA, Mr. Sunday Thomas, has reiterated the need to protect the huge investments made on improving transportation, power, ports, terminals, and energy infrastructure in the country through insurance risk transfer mechanism.

Thomas, who was a guest speaker at the Anchor Insurance 25th anniversary in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently, said that the Nigerian insurance industry has a key role to play in contributing to the nation’s economic growth as a risk transfer and management mechanism.

Delivering a lecture on: 'Sustaining infrastructural development and transformation initiatives of the nation through insurance,' he maintained that the sector is the growth driver for other sectors of the economy and a huge potential for direct and indirect labour employment.

“It is a provider of long-term capital investment needed for infrastructure projects which will help drive a competitive, healthy and robust national economy,” Thomas said.

Meanwhile, Anchor Insurance said it rewarded some individuals who had contributed to the growth of the firm.

A statement from the company said this was part of activities to celebrate its “Past chairmen and past chief executives, who were awarded and recognised for their dedication and selfless services they rendered over the years since the establishment of the company.”

The sector is the growth driver for other sectors of the economy and a huge potential for direct and indirect labour employment

RE you one of many Nigerians that still doubt that insurance is a reliable risk transfer mechanism?

Well, you need to erase that doubt because one of the principles of insurance is utmost good faith and duty of disclosure, and insurance companies under the regulation of the National

Insurance Commission, NAICOM, are religiously applying this principle.

Hence, as a person, you should be aware of the existence of risk as a natural phenomenon to human existence, as such all individuals have a responsibility to manage risk, for the betterment of lives.

Risk is the probability or

threat of damage, loss, injury or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, the consequences of which may be avoided through preemptive action. In other words, it can simply be described as the probability of losing something of value, for example, physical health,

From left: Engr. Olawumi Gasper, Executive Secretary, LASTVEB; Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, Commissioner for Education, Lagos State; Princess Adebukola Abike Oluderu, Director, Local Organising Committee, Cambridge-Hitachi; Mrs. Lara Erogbogbo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Lagos State during the meeting in conclusion of Lagos State bid of hosting the Hitachi-Cambridge Virtual Learning Centre in Lagos.

Igbuku Foundation gives back to society The firm also recognised employees that had served the company for over 10 years and above with award and various gift items.

It said there was an inspection of the company’s building projects in Uyo, which included the upgrading and facelifting of its existing registered office and the ongoing construction of a multipurpose six floor complex on a 1,500 square-metre piece of land in a commercial high rise location in the state capital. It said it plans to let out more floors in these buildings to boost its income from investment properties.

The company said during the dinner and award that the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who was the special guest of honour was awarded and recognised for his outstanding leadership strides, uncommon transformation culture and dedicated service to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in particular.

The award was received on behalf of the governor by Director General, Akwa Ibom Investment and Property Corporation, Chief Senas Ukpanah.

Anchor stated that as part of its activities, it presented prizes to the winners of its 25th anniversary essay competition for secondary schools. “The winner, Saviour Okon Paul from State College, Ikot Ekpene went home with a cash prize of N30,000 while the school was presented with three desktop computers, exercise books and insurance text books,” it stated.

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HE Austin-Epadi Igbuku Lights on Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, aimed at promoting education has given various awards, including academic scholarship to deserving students and teachers in thirteen villages in Isoko, Delta state.

The Foundation also unfolded plans to spend N3.40 million this year on projects in Aviara Secondary Commercial School Aviara, Isoko-South Local Government Area of the state.

Presenting the awards to deserving students and teachers, Igbuku urged students of the participating communities to study hard as the foundation gives scholarship award to any student who secures admission into the university during the year.

A breakdown of this year’s budget revealed that the sum of N1.0 million will be spent on

the extension of light to Aviara school, N1.0 million on procurement of 15 laptop computers, the annual award ceremony will gulp N500,000 in 10 schools, N400,000 for educational support for 20 indigent students, while maintenance of corps members' lodge will cost N300,000 and procurement of comprehensive sport kits will gulp N200,000.

In a lecture titled; ‘Developing a successful career among secondary school students in Nigeria: A genetic or environmental factor?" Dr Ochuko Ushurhe said parents should not force their children into careers, adding that with parental guidance and support, children should be able to make the right choice.

Ushurhe used the opportunity to thank Mr. Igbuku, the founder and promoter of the foundation for supporting education and called on all sons and

daughters of Isoko land to emulate the good works of the foundation and come up with schemes aimed at developing their communities.

In 2013, the Foundation commissioned a block of 7toilet rooms and water system for the Aviara school. The facilities donated by the foundation to the community were aimed at developing the educational environment that will further boost learning conditions. .The Principal of the host school, Mr. Isaac Ighravwe was very appreciative of the Foundation's contribution to the Community and also to Education in general. He also extended his thanks to all who participated in the event as they have touched the lives of the students by giving them new hope in pursuing their education. The award is an annual event sponsored by the foundation.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015,

property or social status. Risk management refers to the steps we take to mitigate or eradicate the risk.

Accordingly, to effectively mitigate risks, you need to embrace insurance as a risk transfer mechanism, which entails that you transfer your risks to an insurer to carry them on your behalf.

The business of insurance, simply put, is to ensure that full or partial financial compensation is made for loss or damage caused by events beyond the control of the insured. It is a contractual agreement between two parties i.e. the insurer and the insured, under which the insurer covenants to indemnify the other party against a specified amount of loss, occurring within a specified period, provided that the premium is paid.

It is designed to put the

The business of insurance, simply put, is to ensure that full or partial financial compensation is made for loss or damage caused by events beyond the control of the insured

insured back in the position in which he or she was before the occurrence of the loss.

Although to ensure that more people embrace insurance, even beyond the compulsory ones, the insurance industry is doing a lot to create awareness of the benefits of transferring risks through insurance.

In developed countries, personal lines insurance for example, has acquired a cultural status and is given priority as a means to mitigate various risks and reduce incidence of poverty.

It is worthy of note that the insurance sector is a critical part of any nation’s economy and has the potential of galvanizing the optimal performance of other sectors.

The insurance mechanisms reduce the capital needed by firms to operate, increase investments, fosters entrepreneurship by reducing uncertainty and expand available risk management options. It also offers social protection, alongside the State, and reduces pressure on public sector finance.

Meanwhile, NAICOM is saddled with the responsibility of regulating and supervising the insurance industry. The primary responsibility of the Commission is to ensure the protection of policyholders’ interests and rights. Insurance is built on the principle of utmost good faith, thus, every insurance practitioner is expected to uphold this principle both in words and deeds.

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CE & YOU

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Accordingly, to effectively mitigate risks, you need to embrace insurance as a risk transfer mechanism, which entails that you transfer your risks to an insurer to carry them on your behalf

,

From left: Mr Osita Ede, Head, Mass Market Segment, Diamond Bank Plc; Mr Duru Francis, Star prize winner, Salary for Life and Aishah Ahmad, Head, Retail Banking Directorate during the Diamondextra/ Diamond Woman draws prize presentation in Lagos, yesterday.

Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Why states must subscribe to Contributory Pension Scheme

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T is important that states yet to subscribe to the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, powered by the Pension Reform Act, 2014, as amended, should do so and desist from further delay.

Such states should emulate Lagos State which has fully complied with the Pension Reform Act and subscribed to the CPS. Recall that before the Pension Reform by the Federal Government in 2004, our pensioners faced the risk of a life of penury due to the unfunded nature of the Pay as you Go Pension Scheme in the public service and the lack of

provision of pension arrangements for employees in the private sector.

The risk of the elderly not having financial independence and dying in poverty was real and to eradicate this risk, in March, 2007, the Lagos State Government subscribed to the fully funded Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to Lagos State, the move imposed a huge liability as the state needed to pay 7.5% of basic salary, housing and transport allowances as monthly pension contribution; fund the Retirement Bond Redemption Fund Account with 5% of employees monthly total

emolument figure to pay accrued pension rights being

entitlements for years spent in service before the commencement of the contributory pension scheme monthly; pay the annual premium to guarantee the life assurance cover as stipulated in the Law and which is intended to provide a death benefit of at least 3 times the annual total emolument of each employee.

Commissioner for Finance & Budget Planning of Lagos State, Mr. Ben Akabueze said, “We remain resolute in our desire to identify areas that may hinder the peace of mind of the populace and hence we have invested billions of naira towards ensuring that the elderly receive monthly income as pension from their pension provider who could be the Pension Fund Administrators or the Life Assurance Companies who provide annuity for the lifetime of the retirees.”

Client demands full payment of claims by Leadway

By Godwin Oritse

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EADWAY Assurance Ltd client, Mrs Morenike Oladunni has said that her property situated at 8, Aduke Close, Shonibare Estate, Maryland Ikeja which went up in flames on July 17, 2014 was insured and not 5 Olaperi Street, Shonibare Estate, Maryland, as alleged by the insurance firm.

She however said that before now, her property was part of a larger piece of land before it was demarcated and given to a new tenant.

Recall that Leadway has denied insuring any Morenike Oladunni Omorodion, arguing that: “A Mrs. Oladunni Olunike Morenike is our insured, not ‘Mrs. Nike Oladunni Omorodion’ and we are aware she suffered fire damage to a property at 8 Aduke Close, Maryland, Lagos, which is not the insured property." However, Omorodion, a senior Customs

officer told Vanguard that since the incident occurred, she had incurred over N5million in hotel accommodation and several thousands of Naira on the medical bill of five of her relatives who were injured, adding that several efforts to get the insurance firm come to her aid failed as the property was badly damaged by the fire.

She said, “Immediately after the fire, the insurance company sent their staff with a quantity surveyor to evaluate the extent of damage in the house.

Apart from the underwriter that I saw, I have not seen a soul from Leadway again”.

On how she met Leadway Assurance, she explained that her bank, Standard Chartered, introduced her to Leadway, adding that because of the confidence she has in the bank, she just jumped at Leadway.

She also explained that a month after the incident, Leadway still came to her to collect the insurance premium on the

same property they claimed they did not insure.

Confirming the bank’s business relationship with Leadway Assurance, Mr. Abiodun Adagun said that the bank helps Leadway to market some of its insurance products.

However, Leadway denies the allegation of default on its part to meet the claim obligation.

In a statement, Olubunmi Adeleye, Leadway spokesperson, said, “The property insured with us is another property at 5 Olaperi Street, Shonibare Estate, Maryland, Lagos. The property insured with us has not been affected by fire and is the subject matter of insurance. “The

relationship with the insured was effected through Standard Chartered Bank as one of our sales outlets and the insurance application form (which forms the basis of insurance) did indicate the address as 5, Olaperi Street, Shonibare Estate, Lagos and not 8, Aduke Close, Maryland, Lagos.

Send comments and enquiries to insuranceandyou@yahoo.com

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

We’ll sustain Weighted Average Cost of Funds — Unity Bank boss

By Peter Egwuatu MANAGING Director of Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Henry Semenitari has explained that the bank would remain profitable as long as it is able to maintain reasonable Weighted Average Cost of Funds (WACF).

In an interview with newsmen in Lagos on the performance of the bank over the years, he said The most important parameter for us, in terms of looking at our business fabric, and which will remain our watchword as a bank is to sustain a reasonable level of WACF. “The truth is that if you sustain the Weighted Average Cost of Funds, your profit is going to rise, no matter the business you run, the Weighted Average Cost of Funds is so critical for the life of a retail enterprise. We have come from a long range to five per cent as against 6.8 per cent in 2013. The industry average is 5.5 per cent.

In the best practice environment, the ability to price

From left: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo welcoming the Lagos State Commissioner of Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze to the Fidelity Bank Special Thanksgiving Service in Lagos at the weekend while the Executive Director, Lagos and South West Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ikemuefuna Mbagwu looks on. money is very critical. What do you do as a bank? We don’t print money, we don’t own

NSE index, capitalisation drop by 1.14% ... Courtevillle opens new head office

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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he marginal gain recorded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Monday, was erased yesterday with loss of 1.14 percent in the twin market indicators – market capitalisation and the All Share index.

At the end of trading, the market capitalization, which measures the performance of the market, slipped by N114 billion to N9.896 trillion from N10.010 trillion recorded the previous day, while the All Share Index dropped by 344.86 basis points to 29,889.86 points from 30,234.72 points a day earlier.

Meanwhile, Courteville Business Solutions Plc commenced operations from its new head office located in Lagos valued at over N1 billion .The launching of the building coincides with the 10th anniversary of the company.

The new head office is a befitting architectural masterpiece with all the trappings of top corporate offices worldwide. The four storey building has so many features which include panoramic elevators, private lounge, water fountain in the lobby, existing facilities for branch banking and ATM galleries, a 60 person training facilities with modern training equipment, 36 CCTV cameras all wired, teleconferencing system at 3 different locations within the building and Biometric access control. The building and its content values in excess of N1 billion.Speaking concerning the new phase of the company, the GMD, Mr. Bola Akindele said it is a thing joy for all the Courteville family. “ C M Y K

money. It is the money that a depositor gives to us that I give out to a borrower at a margin.

If I take money at a wrong cost, I give it out at a wrong price. And that is where default starts. Eighty

5 companies account for 51% transactions on NSE in 2014 … Stanbic IBTC, Meristem, three others lead the pack

By Peter Egwuatu

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S the management of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) presents the score card of the stock market for 2014 today, data obtained from the exchange had shown that five top stocbroking firms accounted for 51 percent equity transactions valued N1.362 trillion during the period.

The companies are Stanbic IBTC Stockbroking Limited, CSL Stockbrokers Limited, Rencap Securities Limited, Chapel Hill Denham and Meristem Securities Limited.

Analysis of the data which reflects trading statistics on the Nigerian bourse between January 2 and December 31, 2014, showed that the five firms traded 71 billion ordinary shares valued N1.362 trillion.

Stanbic IBTC Stockbroking Limited led the pack with N472.415 billion or 17.5 percent, followed by CSL Stockbrokers Limited with transactions worth N262.988 billion or 9.7 per cent, Rencap Securities Limited, traded equities worth N246.98 billion or 9.2 per cent, Chapel Hill Denham Management Limited accounted for N223.849 billion or 8.3 per cent while Meristem Securities Limited traded shares valued N156.210 billion or 5.8 per cent.

In volume terms, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers maintained the lead, recording 24.781 billion shares which represented 11.42 per cent, while CSL Stockbrokers traded 15.339 billion shares or 7.1 per cent. Chapel Hill Denham Management accounted for 14.849 billion shares or 6.8 per cent just as Rencap Securities Limited traded 12.252 billion shares or 5.5 per centwhile Meristem Securities Limited accounted for 3.783 billion shares or 1.7 per cent.

The Nigerian stock market ended the reviewed year on a negative note as its index dropped by 16.1 per cent compared with a growth of 47.2 per cent in 2013.

Some market operators attributed the lackluster performance of the market to the security situation, the falling oil price and the devaluation of the national currency as well as against the backdrop of the next month’s general elections.

Part of building back the franchises is to“ensure that you gain confidence in the Nigerian public and the existing shareholders

per cent of those defaults are from the fact that the cost of borrowing is abnormal.

Most times, it comes from the cost at which I will price money. Indeed for us, going by the tempo we are going by 2017, our WACF will be about two per cent. It is achievable if we continue to drive low cost. That is where we are. It is a very important index. The next is cost to income ratio, which has a relationship with contribution as well; a relationship to work done as a function of what are you gaining from work” he explained.

Cost to income ratio: When asked what the bank has done in terms of cost to income ratio, Semenitari said “We have gone to 60.03 per cent, industry average is 71.5 per cent. Here we are coming from a negative, same network, same people.

It is all about how have you decided to do your work better.Net interest margin improved to 66.3 per cent. This is better than the industry average of 63.5 per cent Again, there is a link with your WACF. That is why we have to put in order of flow.

“Earnings Per Share (EPS) improved by 28.76 kobo, coming from 4.40 kobo in Q3 of 2013. And the market capitalization is N58.45billion. Now one albatross that hit most institutions with legacy background like ours is non-performing loans(NPLs). We are back on aggressive“recovery drive. On the recovery side, I want to thank the media for assisting us through media education; advertorials, encouraging people to realize that borrowing money is not a crime, but when you don’t repay your debt, it becomes a crime.

“We went on that. Our NPL have“gone down from over 50 per cent, say half the entire loan book we inherited, to 20.43 per cent.

The impact of the recovery drive will be felt more in the coming years which will improve our NPL ratio and our projection is that, coming December 2015, it will get to 10 per cent. I believe it is achievable. And by December 2016, we would be below five per cent, which is the regulatory standard of NPL.”“On capital raising, he said “We embarked on desired capital raising exercise.

“It was inevitable after such write-downs to N33billion loss. There is no way you could tell anybody that your capital is inadequate. Again, I did say, with goodwill, part of building back the franchise is to“ensure that you gain confidence in the Nigerian public and the existing shareholders.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 25

DIARY z ARTEMIS &ITEA Cosummit Berlin Mar 10-11, 2015 zTelecoDays

Prague Marriott HotelPrague Czech Republic Mar 23-24 2015

Nigeria's mobile network needs $3trn, 30 years to meet Int'l benchmark ...as govt budgets $325bn for expansion

By Emmanuel Elebeke

Preview

This new machine prints food!

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NVENTORS of the 3D printer, the machine that can build anything from toy cars to handguns, have unveiled a new prototype they hope will revolutionise home cooking.

The device, dubbed the “Foodini”, squirts out anything from pizza or pasta to cakes in a variety of shapes – from dinosaurs to spelling out names with letters.

Different ingredients are built up in layers following selection of a design on the device’s control panel. The printing process is slow, but faster than regular 3D printing. Other than being capable of creating complex designs, such as very detailed cake decorations or food arranged in unusual shapes, the Foodini can be useful for recipes that require precision and dexterity, like homemade pizza or filled pasta.

Currently, the device only prints the food, which must be then cooked as usual.

But a future model will also cook the preparation and produce it ready to eat.

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OLLOWING the approval of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIIMP, by the Federal Executive Council, recently, about $325 billion is required to expand Nigeria’s mobile network infrastructure capacity to meet international standards.

Under the network expansion Plan, the National Planning Commission, NPC said the broadband fibre optic network would be considered as a priority.

The amount represents about 11 per cent of the total ($3 trn) sum required by Nigeria to attain the benchmark as contained in the master plan over the next 30 years.

The NIIMP, is Nigeria’s blueprint for accelerated infrastructure development. it provides the road-map for building world class infrastructure that will enhance the quality of life of the citizenry and enable Nigeria take advantage of the vast opportunities in domestic and global economies for sustained economic growth and development.

According to NPC, the Plan

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Strict implementation of the NIIMP would be a redefining moment for the fortunes of the nation’s ICT sector

TECNO Mobile deepens penetration with innovative technologies penetration

takes stock of existing infrastructure and identifies the required investments to bring infrastructure in line with the country’s growth aspirations. it also established sector targets, priority programmes and critical enablers for effective implementation.

The Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said, the fund is part of the $3 trillion National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIIMP of the Commission, based on sectoral growth strategies, outcome targets and international benchmarks, spread over a period of 30 years.

From the Plan, Nigeria’s core infrastructure stock was estimated at only 20-25 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP in 2013 and based on re-based GDP figures in 2014, and the country ’s economic growth aspirations, it was estimated that a total investment of about $3 trillion

Tech hub, SmartCity to create 50,000 jobs in Nigeria

will be required over the next 30 years to build and maintain a world class infrastructure for Nigeria.

In the preferred accelerated growth path, the NPC said Nigeria needed to increase investment in infrastructure from the current $1.1 billion annually to above 1.749 billion annually in 2014 and $5.621 billion in 2018, averaging $3.63 billion annually (5.4% GDP) for the five years period (2014-2018).

Thereafter, the Commission, reasoned that the entire investment rate of infrastructure should further increase to 7.9 per cent of GDP by the period 2019-23, and remain above 7 per cent of GDP for the rest of the 30 years plan until 2043.

In the first five years of the Plan, the Commission said investments in ICT will be given priority due to its current relative level of under-investment.

From the investment, the Minister said it is expected that the investments will grow over the next five years annually and that investment in the remaining sectors will grow, but at lower growth rates, adding that investment required in ICT sector would not be less than $22 billion in the next five years.

Dr. Sulaiman, however, pointed out that increased

Continues on page 28

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 —27

Awosika becomes Chams’ Director A typical smart city ...can the tech hub project turn Nigerian cities this way?

Tech hub, SmartCity to create 50,000 jobs in Nigeria

By Prince Osuagwu

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ECHNOLOGY focused Innovation Hub project, SmartCity is targeting no fewer than 50,000 direct jobs in the country in its first five years. This is also as it promises to keep galvanizing economic diversification and moving Nigeria towards a knowledgebased economy.

Promoters of the initiative, including the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria ATCON, disclosed this in Lagos recently at a private presentation of the project to technology industry stakeholders.

Bold Move Conceived in 2011 for development in Lagos and Abuja, Promoters of the SmartCity Innovation Hub described the project as a bold move to bring together technology, government and society in ways that promote the culture of innovation and the competitiveness between allied businesses and knowledgebased institutions.

The holding company for the project is SmartCity Resorts Plc, an investment and infrastructure company dedicated to creating modern real estate and infrastructure projects that allows people to live, work and relax in more pleasant and productive ways.

Cited within same locality as the Pan Atlantic University (PAU) and proposed developments such as Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki International Airport, Deep Seaport Project, and Dangote

Petrochemical Project, the innovation hub is being developed on a 48 hectare land allocated by the Lagos State Government.

Chairman, SmartCity Resorts Plc, Sir Demola Aladekomo, said “the hub is an A-grade technology development infrastructure which will prime the local technology industry for global competitiveness, galvanizing it from crass consumerism towards innovation and world class manufacturing standards.

Upon completion, it has the potential to create about 50,000 direct employments in its first five years. It will be the Nigerian equivalent of the Silicon Valley in the United States of America, which is home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations and thousands of tech start-up companies. It is beyond doubt that Silicon Valley is the world’s leading hub for high-tech innovation and development, and has been pivotal to the global information technology revolution.

Technology City “For the benefit of the Nigerian economy and the local technology industry, we are working with policy makers, regulators, technology corporations and venture capitalists to recreate the same prototype in Nigeria. Collectively, the objective of all stakeholders on the project is to

For the benefit of the Nigerian economy and the local technology industry, we are working with policy makers, regulators, technology corporations and venture capitalists to recreate the same prototype in Nigeria

build a technology city that will be a magnet for technology-led investment, innovation and talent, making it one of the top destinations for technology companies, entrepreneurs and investors on the African continent. The SmartCity Innovation Hub will engender economic diversification and will move Nigeria towards a knowledgebased economy birthing a prosperous, productive and innovative nation.”

Also, Managing Director, Greenwich Trust Limited, the Financial Advisers to the project, Mr Kayode Falowo described the project as well rounded and viable with the prerequisite support from government, regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders. He added that international development funding institutions and local financial institutions are willing to lend developmental and operational support to the project.

Commending the initiative, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, commended the promoters of the project and spoke on government’s readiness to lend support to it within the ambit of its power.

New Urban Development Affirming this, Mr. Funmi Oshinfuye, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, disclosed that the project aligns with the overarching vision of the ministry to transform Lagos State into a megacity through new urban developments that are eco-friendly and socially inclusive.

Already, leading technology corporations that include Microsoft Corporation, Zinox Technologies Limited, MainOne Cable Company Limited, Interswitch Nigeria, Globacom Nigeria Limited, Visafone Communications Limited, Chams Plc, Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, Systemspecs, and VDT Communications Limited are among the current subscribers taking up space at the green 48 hectare SmartCity Innovation Hub.

T

ECHNOLOGY firm; Chams Plc has announced the appointment of Dr. Josephine Awosika to its Board of Directors. The company also named Mrs Christianah Olaniyan as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Dr. Awosika, who also serves on the board of AccessBank Plc and Capital Insurance Nigeria Limited as non-executive director, is a technocrat with extensive and meritorious public and private sector experience. She is expected to bring her wealth of experience at executive and boardroom levels in technology, power and banking sectors to bear on the business of Chams Plc. Dr. Awosika was the pioneer National Coordinator/ Chief Executive of the National Programme on Immunization; Director(Parastatals) in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation;Director (Department of Community Relations & Youth Development) in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior;Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science & Technology.

She retired from the Federal Civil service as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power in January 2013.

On her part, Olaniyan was the General Manager, Special Projects for Chams Plc until her appointment to the new role of Chief Financial Officer. In her new role, she has far reaching financial risks management mandate for the Chams Group comprising of Chams Plc and subsidiaries that include ChamsAccess and Cardcentre Limited.

Olaniyan holds a degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brooks University, UK and is an associate member of the institute of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA, UK).

GOtv extends digital television to more states

D

IGITAL terrestrial pay-TV, GOtv is quickly extending its footprint, now reaching over 20 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The latest cities to receive GOtv signals and share in the enchantment of digital television are Awka, Ilorin, Ikom, Nsukka, Ondo, Owo, Sagamu and Umuahia.

TV viewers in these cities can now enjoy the benefits of the digital television revolution that gives clearer pictures and sound, With GOtv saying that affordability is at the core of its offering, subscribers have the option of two bouquets – GOtv with 28 local and international channels which is accessible at a monthly subscription of N1,000, and GOtv Plus with 41 channels, at a monthly subscription of N1,500.

Both bouquets offer seven programming genres namely; news and current affairs, general entertainment, music, documentary, sport, religion, sport and children’s programming. The channels including Al Jazeera, CNN, SuperSport Select 1 and 2, AfricaMagic, E! Entertainment, Mnet Movies Zone, Telemundo, Televista, BET, Sony Max, Faith Broadcasting Network (formerly TBN), One Gospel, Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, JimJam, MTV Base, Hip TV, Discovery World, Nat Geo Wild, Channel ED and several more provide entertainment which cater to the varied tastes of different members of the family.

GOtv’s general manager, Elizabeth Amkpa.said that “with schools just back in session, teenagers can learn of the latest happenings in the world of science, art and business by tuning into Channel ED on GOtv, while pre-schoolers can be engaged with several programming onDisney Junior, JimJam and Nickelodeon which will enable them to laugh and learn,”

28—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Continues from page 25 private sector participation in the plan would require a supporting environment with stable and transparent government policies, rules and regulations, fiscal and monetary incentives, long term financing mechanisms, strengthened PPP management capacities as being done by federal government.

In addition, the NIIMP is to be structured to provide the framework for investment allocation across the six geopolitical regions in the country.

The investment is said to be in accordance with socioeconomic priorities of each region.

Out of the total investment requirement of about $3 trillion over the next 30 years, $166 billion will be required during 2014-18 period to fund key infrastructure.

Why NIIMP On why the action needed the infrastructure master plan, NPC said current infrastructure stock is inadequate to support socioeconomic development. It also stated that the challenges of coherence, continuity, consistency and coordination in implementation of existing infrastructure was important.

Other reasons listed by the Commission include: growing population and urbanization increase pressure on existing infrastructure as demand exceeds supply; to spur growth with medium to long term and well planned infrastructure investment guidelines; to promote economic growth, equity and poverty reduction and to foster spatial development.

Funding

The share of the public sector(federal and States) in the estimated amount is 52 per cent, while private sector accounts for the remaining 48 per cent.

According to the plan, four options were identified, as possible means of funding the public sector required investment, they include: government budgets; government debt; other government controlled sources such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund and Pension Funds in addition to Public Public Private Partnerships with private, PPP sector participation.

Short and medium term measures

As part of short and medium term measures required to ensure effective

implementation of the NIIMP, the NIIMP outlined some immediate changes required: strengthening the legal framework to allow for private sector participation in infrastructure development; creating an infrastructure delivery Coordinating Unit within the NPC; ensuring financing for priority projects and launching of a broad communication strategy to reach all stakeholders.

Medium Term changes The plan reasoned that optimization of the end-toend infrastructure governance model; promotion of private sector alignment and support and development of large scale training programmes to bridge the capacity gaps in building, maintaining and operating the NIIMP infrastructure, as well as strengthening engineering infrastructure.

In the same vein, the States are expected to develop State Integrated Infrastructure Master Plans, SIIMPs based on their priorities in line with the NIIMP.

Nigeria to spend $325bn on mobile network expansion

NPC said, strict implementation of the NIIMP would be a redefining moment for the fortunes of the nation’s ICT sector and repositioning her self worth as a nation.

It also explained that the integrated approach was adopted by the present administration as an inclusive approach to infrastructure delivery, as practised in some other industrialized nations, to systematically facilitate and promote economic growth and development.

•Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, Minister of National Planning Commission

The NIIMP was on 3 September, 2014 approved by the Federal Executive Council

as a 30 year plan after the presentation of the draft by President Goodluck Jonathan on 21 November, 2012.

MTN preaches digital empowerment with ‘My2015BetterMe app’

By Emeka Aginam

T

HE world is fast becoming a global village with technology taking over lives of people by the day as a result of the digital opportunities provided with access to the internet.

This development has in no small measure has enabled individuals to achieve greater heights and do a whole lot of things faster and better with less effort.

Leading in the delivery of a bold new digital world for its customers, by providing them with limitless access to the internet and the power to do more, MTN last week in Lagos flagged off a campaign last week tagged ‘’My 2015MTN BetterMe App’.

The focus of the new initiate delivering digital products and services designed to make the lives of its customers a whole lot brighter.

Accordingly, My2015 App is an app aimed to enhance peoples’ lives with the power of internet.

It provides e a s y access to a variety of digital content and offers M T N subscribers a single platform to access, view and share new y e a r resolution

The Better Me campaign would build on the innovative drive among the youth and e x p o s e Nigerians from all walks of life on how best they can see the positive value in the internet

& Must-do, 2015 prophesies & events, news, daily deals, gossips, healthy living, lifestyle, among others.

With the initiative, people can become a better farmer, doctor, teacher, trader, student etc. with the limitless opportunities available on the internet.

Telling the story of digital journey last week in Lagos during unveiling of the My2015BetterMe app and three 2015 BetterMe Bundle offerings for its customers across all strata, the company’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ms. Funmi Onajide highlighted the current trend in the telecoms industry as evidenced in the movement from predominantly voice services to data and digital services.

“In the past, the focus was on voice – that is the ability to connect people so that they could make phone calls. This industry has achieved that with well over

100 million active subscribers in Nigeria of which MTN has 60 million subscribers as at the end of 2014; that dispensation was known as Telco 1.5. Now we are moving to Telco 2.0 which is characterized by full scale focus on data and digital services leveraging the power of the internet,” Onajide, she said.

According to her, the Better Me campaign would build on the innovative drive among the youth and expose Nigerians from all walks of life on how best they can see the positive value in the internet while using it to create experiences that are relevant to their peculiar circumstances and enjoying the way various digital and data products and services make their lives better.

Also speaking, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Marketing Officer, Bayo Adekanmbi said that the new campaign demonstrates MTN’s commitment to enabling Nigerians become better in all spheres of endeavour.

Mr. Austin Okere, Founder and Chief Executive officer, Computer Warehouse Group Plc and Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, Founder of Zinox Technologies during a panel discussion with the theme “Leveraging Technology for SME Growth” at the maiden Fidelity SMEs Conference, in Lagos.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—29

By Vera Samuel Anyagafu & Prisca SamDuru

Why Nigerians throng Indian embassy

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CCORDING to checks, more and more affluent Nigerians, top government officials, VIPs, celebrities and even in some cases, commoners throng the Indian embassy in Lagos, seeking visa to receive medical attention from different hospitals in India.

This seems the norm for Nigerians in recent times and the development, Vanguard Consular Advisory gathered, has placed India above so many other reputable medical expertise, in terms of higher patronage in respect to healthcare services.

VCA also gathered that the recent development has contributed to making India a hub for medical tourists seeking diverse healthcare services at affordable cost, as countries like the US, Germany, UK, France and so on seem to be losing out in that regard.

It was gathered that Nigerians travel to India to receive medications that are not trusted in Nigeria and it is also ridiculing that Nigeria’s socalled-renowned medical

practitioners also travel to India to receive medical treatment, ranging from kidney transplant, joint replacement, cardiac surgery, dental surgery, cosmetic surgery, and so on.

However, the development has led to better diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and India, for fact that a good number of Nigerians who embarked on treatment there have one good testimony or the other to tell in respect of both quality and affordable healthcare services.

VCA also learnt that India medical practitioners appear more effective than most others and this has won the hearts of a good number of Nigerian patients, making Nigeria most

cherished patrons.

It is interesting to know also

However, the development has led to better diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and India

that Nigerians have come to the realization that receiving treatment in India is cheaper and or affordable as compared to other countries abroad.

Analysis of report disclosed that India offers them cheaper and more qualitative treatment, hence, the increase in the number of intending travellers at the India’s consulate.

Most Nigerians reportedly acknowledged that surgery underwent in some recognized hospitals in India hardly develop complications leading to their recommending their services to other Nigerians who may need same.

Mr. Davies, 58, told VCA that he went to India for a prostate cancer surgery, and after spending little amount of money, he came back with better result.

He said that, “I am glad I decided to go to India for the treatment. I almost gave up on that until I was assured of their impeccable method of operation.

I am better now and feel like there was never a prostate, hence, advising those who are under the impression that India

is local in terms of proper medication.

I am not going to mention countries here in terms of quality medical services, but it should be on any patients’ interest to consider countries that have recorded no failure in terms of medical services.”

He also told VCA that he paid less for treatment other countries would have taken more than twice the cost. His words, “For instance, the cost of surgery in India can be onetenth of what is obtainable in countries like the United States or Western Europe.

Another consideration is airfare as patients can purchase a round trip airfare at cost far below what you are expected to pay if you were to travel to the US or any of the European countries. Survey made available that India has become particularly popular for heart surgery, and other areas of advanced surgery, little wonder the Indian government has long introduced a ‘medical visa’ for foreigners who are intending migrating to the country for the purpose of receiving medical attention.

30 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 31

C M Y K

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

: o d l a n Ro h c t a c o t I want up with Messi C

Eagles promise not to fail again •As UAE trip excites them

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uper Eagles players who made it to the United Arab Emirates for the double header friendly against Cote D’ Ivoire and Yemen, have been heaping praises on the leadership of the NFF for the forward looking approach to the national team.

The players said the mere fact that the team did not make it to the Equatorial Guinea 2015 Nations Cup was enough to demoralize the NFF, but the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the body, still thought it wise to arrange a January outing for the team, almost the same time the Nations Cup will be starting.

Team Captain Chigozie Agbim and his deputy Azubuike Egwuekwe who spoke on behalf of the players said they were delighted with the trip and the first class facilities that they have been exposed to in the course of the friendly games. “We must say a big thank you to the NFF for this visionary move and all we

can say is forgive the team for not qualifying and we vow that it will never happen again in our time”, Agbim declared.

Egwuekwe added: We know we are better than most of the teams that are going to the Nations Cup but we made mistakes along the line and we must thank Nigerians for forgiving us and also thank the NFF for being forward l o o k i n g despite the mishap, we w i l l reward t h e m next time with another Nations C u p win”, h e said.

•Navas Ronaldo

ristiano Ronaldo has won his third Ballon d’Or. When he stepped up to receive his award, the first thing he did was mention his son, his mother and his family.

CR7 then made it very clear he has no intention of stopping there. He already has his sights set on Messi.

Acknowledgements: “Thanks to everyone who voted for me, to my teammates, my coach, the president and everyone associated with Real Madrid. This is a dream come true for me. I’d also like to thank everyone who has helped make me a better player, my national team and everyone in Portugal”.

Winning another Ballon d’Or: “I never thought I’d win such an important trophy, it’s such a unique experience. It brings up so many different emotions and I’ll use this award as motivation to continue working hard to win more individual and team honours”.

Messi, on the horizon: “This is an unforgettable moment. I’m not going to stop here. I want to catch Messi (he has won the Ballon d’Or four times)”.

Ballon d’Or: Ronal winner — Navas K

eylor Navas praised Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward was awarded his third Ballon d’Or. “He deserves it. I think he’s a rightful winner because he’s worked really hard. He shows he’s the best in every training session and in every match he’s always striving to score goals and help the team”, the goalkeeper remarked.

The Costa Rica no. 1 went on to sound an upbeat note ahead of Thursday’s derby against Atlético, in which Real Madrid need to reverse a 2-0 deficit to reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. “We, by which I mean the coaching staff and players alike, are capable of delivering the goods. We’re all well aware of what the match means to us and our supporters”, he stated. “We need the fans to

YULETIDE TO FORGET:

Aba traders grieve as mystery fire razes 30 shops

VOL. 1 NO 19

PAGE 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

•The new bungalow built for the couple by the church

RAINY SEASON OF GOOD OMEN:

Church donates bungalow to indigent family in Anambra ...former mud house said to be ‘threat to the lives of the occupants’

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M I C H I— T E A R S rolled her cheeks as her husband stared into the air. Their children were standing askance but the matriarch of the family was full of praises.

That was the mood at the family of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ezeimo of Obiagu Village, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State when the Anglican Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Right Reverend Ephraim Ikeazor came to hand C M Y K

over a befitting structure donated by the diocese to the family.

Poverty was written all over them and they could not afford a decent house. Their mud house was at the verge of collapsing, so said the Vicar of Church of the Divine Compassion, Amichi, Reverend Canon Samson Ikedimma.

Ikedimma said that the church members went on a welfare evangelism to the village and visited the couple

to thank God for their new baby.

He said that while they were in their residence, it started raining, adding that the

•Bishop Ikeazor poses with the new landlords impact of the rain was so much that the mud house nearly collapsed on them. According to him, the house was in deed a threat to the lives of the occupants.

So after the evangelism, the Bishop was informed about the condition of the man’s house and instantly, he (Rev.

Ikeazor) approved that the Diocese should build a modern house for the man with a fence.

Luckily, the man decided to start worshiping Jesus Christ in the Anglican Communion although he was born into a

Continues on page 3

ALSO IN THIS EDITION Motorists worry over new ‘road markings’ in Enugu metropolis

— PAGE 3

Enugu community in pains over killing of woman by Fulani herdsmen — PAGE 6

2— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Traditional wrestling competition revived in Anambra ...as Foundation splashes cash on winners

By VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA —THE Obikackson Foundation, a non governmental organization, NGO, founded by a businessman, Dr. Ernest Obiejesi has revived traditional wrestling

competition in Igbo land, with the winners at the maiden edition receiving N2 million cash and a bus.

The competition, which was held at Okija in Anambra State, also saw gold medalists in all categories receiving N200,000 each, while silver and bronze medalists went

•Okafor and Ozobriara during the heavy weight contest. home with N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

The essence of the tournament, Obiejesi said, was to rekindle the native Igbo wrestling with a view to bequeathing to the future generation, a rich cultural heritage. According to him, there is need for Igbo people to use wrestling as part of the celebration of historical events and urged various communities to revive it in their areas.

Aba traders grieve as mystery fire razes 30 shops

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C M Y K

camping in preparation for national and international competitions.

The five gold medalists to be invited to camp are Amobi Nnadiukwu, Agbasi Obiekwe, Chinaba Asogwa, Paulinus Okafor and Ifeanyi Ozobiara. Opia said he was impressed with the standard of the competition and commended Dr. Obiejesi for using his resources to promote the event.

YULETIDE TO FORGET:

By FELIX OGBONNA BA—TRADERS at Ehi Road by Old Court Road and Dan Fodio Road, Aba, Abia State are now grieving over the loss of their goods worth over N250 million in a mysterious fire incident which gutted over 30 shops in the two areas during the Yuletide.

A shop owner at the Ehi Road area estimated the worth of goods lost to the fire to be above N200 million while the Dan Fodio incident could not be less than N50 million.

South East Voice gathered that the two incidents occurred in the midnight on two separate occasions when the traders had gone home for the day just as others had travelled to their respective villages for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

When South East Voice visited the affected shops, most of the traders whose shops were destroyed lamented their fate amid tears.

Mrs. Nnenna Chukwu who deals on tailoring materials at Dan Fadio Road lamented that nothing was saved from her shop as the fire was said have started from her end, adding that the shop had been completely razed before the arrival of the fire fighters.

“All I have laboured for in life have gone with the fire.

Participants at the finals of the wrestling competition were selected from the three zones in Okija and in the end, Ubahu emerged the overall winner, while Uhuobo and Ihite came second and third respectively.

The Technical Director of Nigerian Federation of Traditional Wrestling, Mr. Sunday Opia, who witnessed the competition, said that all the gold medalists at the Okija event would be invited for

...goods worth over N250m burnt in the inferno the time I got here, just like other neighbours, all our goods had been consumed; not even a pin was saved”, Nwokike lamented.

He further

•Governor Theodore Orji Not even a pin was saved from my shop. I just stocked goods for the seasonal sales; everything was consumed by the fire, even the cash I left in my shop was burnt to ashes. How will I start again?

How am I going to cope and feed my family,?” she asked.

Another shop owner at Ehi Road who gave his name as Ifeanyi Nwokike, a dealer on chemicals said that although he had almost sold off his goods before the incident, he lost over N300, 000 to the inferno.

“I have sold off most of my stock, but I lost about

All I have laboured for in life have gone with the fire.

Not even a pin was saved from my shop N300,000 worth of the remaining goods. Nothing was saved. All our goods were destroyed by the fire. I was at home when I got a call that our shop was on fire and by

spoke about the misfortune of his neighbour who brought in a trailer load of chemicals few days before the incident and lost everything during the inferno.

The traders who said they were in a state of shock over the fire incident further expressed worry and surprise that the fire started even as there was no electricity supply in the entire building and appealed to the government and public spirited individuals to come to their aid.

When contacted, Director, Abia State Fire Service, Mr. Victor Gbaruko said though

his men were still investigating to unravel the cause of the two incidents, the issue of surge in electricity current and the effect of stocking of fireworks could not be ruled out.

Gbaruko, however, said that his men were able to save some property at Ehi Road and Dan Fodio markets during the respective fire incidents.

According him, “This year, we have attended to about 10 fire incidents between the first of January till date and we are still counting.”

He then warned residents to avoid keeping inflammable materials in their homes, offices and shops just as he asked owners of warehouses to make their warehouses airy to allow circulation of oxygen to avoid possible fire outbreak as a result of change in temperature.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 3

•Earlier markings on the roads

Church donates bungalow to indigent family in Anambra

•Needless objects on Enugu township roads.

Motorists worry over new ‘road markings’ in Enugu metropolis

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—MOTORISTS in Enugu metropolis are grumbling over the unnecessary mounting of circular metallic objects at the centre of the roads in form of road markings even though the roads had been marked with black and white paints.

The immediate past Commissioner of Transport, Mr. Chuka Utazi who is seeking election to represent Enugu-North Senatorial District in the Senate reportedly installed the white metallic circular objects upon the white paints used to demarcate the roads during his tenure.

South East Voice investigations showed that the roads within Enugu metropolis had been neatly marked with black and white paints which was the traditional way of marking roads,walk-ways and pavements. But the former C o m m i s s i o n e r s ’ administration installed the C M Y K

needless white metallic objects upon the white paints used for road marking which had made driving in the metropolis bumpy and irritating.

Further investigations showed that the roads in the metropolis had walk-ways with well laid out pavements and drainage channels but the former Commissioner again, mounted another Red and white pole-like objects around already existing pavements that were used at junctions and inter-section points.

Motorists lament

Mr. Uche Ene, a businessman lamented the installation of the metallic objects at the centre of the roads saying that it had made him visit his mechanic frequently.

His words, “ you know that the government had demarcated these roads with black and white paints before.

When they (government people) are

driving on the roads with their big vehicles, they do not feel what we, ordinary people who use small cars feel. Driving on those objects causes noise and makes driving bumpy and irritating.

“The road markings were already there. Why did they introduce these circular and square metallic objects for road demarcation everywhere. The installation of those objects will reduce the life span of the roads because the road will start suffering wear and tear from the points of such installation.

“Look at the Red and White poles at road junctions and inter-sections. Those were the avenues through which public funds were siphoned from. The junction and intersections already have existing pavements painted black and white. Why mount another red and white poles around the junction pavement again? It shows how clueless these individuals can be.”

Continued from page 1 Roman Catholic family and all members of their family are still in the Catholic but his mother is a member of the Sabbath.

Dedicating the building amid jubilation and praises, Bishop Ikeakor charged Mr. and Mrs. Ezeimo to enjoy the facility unencumbered as the house was built for them without any strings attached, to enable them raise their young family in a conducive envinronment.

He described the building as a Christmas gift to them from the Anglican Communion.

Ikeakor said: ‘’As God gives us, so we give freely and we urge you to use the building for events that would glorify God. The house is to ensure you and your family relax, by reducing distraction associated with poor habitation while worshiping God.’’ He further said that Anglican Diocese of Amichi was into welfare evangelism for widows, widowers and destitutes in the society hence many had benefited in one way or the other and prayed for God’s protection upon them.

Ezeimo’s brother, Mathew who is a Catholic said that what the Anglican Church did for his brother was unprecedented as he had not seen anything like that from other churches especially in Amichi. He lauded Bishop Ikeazor for taking away poverty by about 70 per cent from his brother whom he described as the latest landlord in town.

He said: ‘’Bishop Ikeazor is a true man of God. I used to hear about what he does for Christians and people of God in Amichi and his home town Umuchu in Aguata Local Government but today, I am witnessing it in my compound.

I glorify God and ask God to grant him long life and good health to fulfil his mission.”

For the Principal of Holy Child Convent, Amichi, Lady Ndoeche Ijeoma, ‘’this is awesome, great and marvellous. Imagine, a

complete house in every sense.

This kind of thing doesn’t happen everyday and it takes a good heart for a man of God to do this without pondering on what to benefit from such venture. This family never dreamed of this and that is the beauty of God’s intervention.

May God equip the Bishop to continue his mission and vision for mankind.

The beneficiary, Thomas Ezeimo said: “I am overwhelmed. I never anticipated this in my life in any way. God has used Bishop Ikeazor to lift my family unexpectedly. They never asked me to join their Church but on my own I decided to join them. If they can dream of building a house for me just because they saw me in pains while on evangelism under the rain, all my life I have been without any assistance. I pray God to continue to renew them for more welfare missions to the less privileged. ‘’I was not a member of the Anglican Church before but I am today a member with my family unconditionally because I have never been remembered by any priest in the Roman Catholic Church. I thought I was in a dream but each day it becomes more real than imagined.”

The Anglican diocese of Amichi equally handed over a fence with a gate to a widow from Obiagu, Amichi whose house, youths had continued to invade to rape her daughter unchallenged.

Her story was pathetic. She was born in Minna, Niger State but married to Amichi indigene before her husband died. She has a beautiful but mentally challenged daughter who was always left alone at home. Each time she was alone, hooligans invaded the house and raped her to the extent that she got pregnant. Having delivered the baby, the church also erected a fence for the widow and her daughter to avoid the trauma she passed through again.

4 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

God praising inmates of Ozubulu RECDOT Centre

•Some of the inmates

...as Bishop Okeke lauds founders of the home on 15th anniversary

O

years Onyebuchi Onukwuli from Obeledu, Anambra state needed the operation.

According to her, RECDOT also needed another N3 million each for such corrective surgery and physiotherapy for another set of 15 inmates, adding that the centre had already expended over N4 million in rehabilitative surgery at Salvation Army Centre Oji, Enugu state and Okani Rehabilitation Centre, Gboko in Benue State for their surgery and physiotherapy. ‘’We have problem of accommodation here because if one person contacts a disease, it would spread to others hence we had a serious case of meningitis which affected four children leading to the death of one even as the other three survivors were left with terrible permanent disabilities. You can imagine seven to 11 children in a room manned by two home care givers bringing the number to 13. So, we need accommodation. It is threatening indeed.”

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Hilary Okeke, has commended the founders of RECDOT, saying that the home has created a deep consciousness in some people who were used to the principle of “survival of the fittest,” as the unfit used to be abandoned to their whims. Okeke, spoke on the occasion of the 15 years anniversary of RECDOT. He observed that RECDOT has taught many people how to be their brother ’s keeper in the society and prayed God to give her the grace to continue the good work, even as he urged the good people of Anambra and Nigeria at large to support her to improve the lives of the physically challenged persons in the society.

Those who attended the ceremony included the Anglican Bishop of Nnewi, Rt. Rev G.I.N Okpala , the traditional ruler of Ozubulu Igwe The home has Nnamdi Oruche and his created a deep Nnewi counterpart, Igwe consciousness in K.O.N Orizu III as well some people as the Chairman of who were used Ekwusigo Local Governto the principle ment Area, Jude of survival of the Mbaegbu, and the fittest Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Norbert Obi among others.

ZUBULU—ANYBODY who wishes to value the freedom and privileges he/she enjoys for being alive without deformity should visit the inmates of the Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, Old and Tramps (homeless beggars), RECDOT, at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

There are over 160 inmates out of which over 40 are imbeciles. Others are either cripples, physically and mentally challenged or vulnerable children between the ages of six and 18.

The greatest weapon these inmates have is happiness in spite of their condition. They sang praises to God Almighty, thanking Him for their lives to the extent that their exhortations drew goose bumps on the faces of their visitors.

Apart from theses, there are others with a medical problem called hydrocephalic (accumulation of fluids in the brain making them filled with water). Such accumulation make it impossible for the patient’s trunk to carry his/her head as the body weighs less, thus making them sit permanently in a particular place.

South East Voice observed that most of the inmates at RECDOT moved around with the assistance of wheel chairs while those who had no wheel chairs rolled themselves over on the ground to get to the next point even as they were guided by the home care-givers; two of whom were assigned to between seven and 10 inmates cramped in a room.

The situation of the children was pathetic as they found it too difficult to do virtually anything; including eating on their own, as they had to be fed by force.

The founder, Mrs. Rosemary Odunukwe told South East Voice that three of the inmates were suffering from the hydrocephalic problem and needed about N1.7 million each for neurosurgery.

Odunukwe said that one of the three, Chizoba Nwogu from Abakaliki had over grown her own health challenges as her trunk could now carry her head but stressed that the remaining two, including a 17 year-old Osita Nnamso and 28 C M Y K

•Children on cultural display on the occasion

•Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, His Lordship, Hilary Okeke, presenting an award to one the recipients •Bishop Okeke praying for the inmates

•One of the inmates

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 5

Why new villages are created by Imo monarch

By CHINONSO ALOZIE,

I

•Mr. Ejiofor taking handshake from exco members after the induction.

HITTE—THE Traditional Ruler of Ihitte of Ihitte Autonomous Community, Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State, HRH Eze Godwin Chukwuemeka Duru has said that the creation of villages would expand development opportunities for the people.

He stated this last Saturday, at his palace while handing over certificate of recognition to Umuorumodo village elders led

by Mike Obineche.

The traditional ruler said that through The C o m m u n i t y Government Council, CGC, a survey was carried out to ascertain the urgency for Umuorumodo village to have a village status.

Duru who confirmed that Umuorumodo was due to be recognized as a village also advised them to unite themselves in order to have one voice, through which their rights and privileges would be given to them.

He also called on the elders of Umuorumodo to go back and elect their village executives, to have administrative body to oversee the activities of their people.

Thanking the traditional ruler for the recognition on behalf of Umuorumodo village Mr. Mike Obineche said that, the certificate of recognition has opened ways for greater things to happen in the village adding that it would increase the commitment of the people, towards community activities.

•Some members of Ambassadors Club of Awka, with Iloanya (middle front row)

Awka Club ‘resurrects’ Prof.

Kenneth Dike, 2 others with scholarship schemes

By VINCENT UJUMADU WKA—AWKA people, under the aegis of Ambassadors Club of Awka, have taken a bold decision to institute a scholarship scheme in memory of an indigene of the town, the late Professor Kenneth Dike, the first vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan. The remembrance came several years after Dike’s death. He was a professor of history and the scholarship would be for those interested in majoring in his area of specialization.

The other two people in whose memories the scholarship schemes were instituted in their areas of study were late Dr. Nwoye Otuo, the first medical doctor produced by Awka, who was a Minister in the defunct Eastern Region, as well as the first law graduate in the town and the first secretary general

A

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of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, late Chief Amanke Okafor. The late Okafor served as secretary general during the tenure of the late legal icon, Chief Rotimi Williams as NBA president.

Modalities for the scholarship scheme are to be worked out by a special committee to be set up by the club, which has membership strength of 75 professionals and business moguls.

South East Voice gathered that the idea for Ambassadors Club was muted in 1991 shortly after the creation of the new Anambra State by some vibrant young men in the community. Though many people did not take them serious at the time, it has turned out to be a rallying point for the development of the town and serving as a bridge between the state government and all the villages in Awka.

President of the club, Chief Collins Iloanya said in Awka during an induction ceremony that Ambassadors Club has become the rallying point in solving internal conflicts in the community, adding that including award of scholarships to three Awka indigenes annually in the fields of history, law and medicine in memory of the three prominent indigenes of the town would take its activities to the next level.

The chairman said: “Our ultimate vision is to transform Awka and indeed, Anambra State and to imbibe on our members the idea of bringing generational change in the way we do things. We want to create an environment that can sustain development for future generations and to revive the culture and tradition of Awka Kingdom.”

Iloanya said that as a young businessman with quality

education, he is determined to broaden the horizon of the club and commended members of the club for giving him the necessary support in the execution of the programmes of Ambassadors Club.

He explained that the club would continue to admit quality people as members, adding that the 15 new members it inducted recently, including the member representing Awka South 1 constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr. Kenechukwu Chukwuemeka, were carefully screened and found worthy to be admitted.

Other new members included Chuka Anueghuagu, Kene Ejiofor, Charles Nwakalor, Obinna Achusi, Omerah Odum and Jekwu Ikem.

Already, a large parcel of land has been acquired in the heart of the city for the construction of a befitting Continues on page 7

REACH US DO you have any news of neglect or abandoned projects or your representative at the local, state or federal governments are not representing you well?

Do you have unique cultural activities coming up or any community news to tell us?

Emeka Mamah (Co-ordinator): 08033218645 Austin Ogwuda(Enugu): 08037136440 Francis Igata 08033387069 Vincent Ujumadu(Awka): 08035804090 Anayo Okoli(Umuahia): 08034046839 Chidi Nkwopara(Imo): 08033391108 Peter Okutu (Abakaliki): 08032680756 Chinenyeh Ozor (Nsukka): 08185664011 Nwabueze Okonkwo (Nnewi): 08037794782 Enyim Enyim (Onitsha): 08169297179 Or: e-mail us: easternvoice@yahoo.com

6 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Fire razes transport firm’s workshop in Onitsha

Enugu community in pains over killing of woman

by Fulani herdsmen

...7 luxury, 6 mini buses burnt, 5 hospitalised

O

NITSHA—

...father admitted in hospital over worsening health condition

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—THE sleepy town of Nkpologu Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State was thrown to mourning when news of the death of a teenager who was killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen who robbed a commuter bus filtered in on December 31,2014.

The victim, Veronica Ezugwu, 20, who hails from Agum village in Nkpologu community died at the Annunciation Hospital, Emene,Enugu having sustained several gunshot injuries from the suspected Fulani herdsmen during the robbery operation. The commuter bus was conveying her and other three occupants home for the Christmas on December 24,2014 when they were attacked at the Camp busstop, Nkpologu community at about 12.54 pm.

An eyewitness said that three Fulani herdsmen clutching pump action double barrelled guns sprang from the bush and started shooting at the bus.

The bus driver escaped into the bush with gunshot wounds while two other occupants sustained minor injuries.

“Veronica was hit by cartridges from the double barrelled guns on the head and eyes. Her brain immediately started gushing out following the impact of the gunshots,’’ he said.

When South East Voice contacted the cousin to the deceased, Chinedu Ezugwu,he said,”she was rushed to University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital,UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu immediately, but we could not get medical attention following the nationwide industrial action embarked upon by health workers.

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•Late Veronica Ezugwu

“We brought her to Annunciation Hospital on December 25, she was operated upon and the pellets from the cartridges were removed. Eventually she died on New Year ’s eve.

“We are yet to come to terms with this sad development.

She was returning home for Christmas and she had got to the bus stop leading to her

village.

I do not think the family can ever recover from this tragic incident.

“The father of the deceased became unconscious when he heard of the incident. He has not been able to talk since then. We have equally rushed him to hospital where they have been trying to revive him to no avail. His health condition has worsened following the incident,” he added.

•Double-decker bus burnt in the workshop

BILLIONAIRE transporter, C h i e f G . U . O Okeke of the GUO O k e k e Group of companies’ fame has lost 13 v e h i c l e s including seven luxury and six mini buses among o t h e r property worth over N100 million following a mystery fire which gutted his workshop in Onitsha on Sunday, January 4.

There was, however, no loss of lives but five people were hospitalized as a result of various degrees of injuries they sustained while fighting to put off the fire.

The fire which started at about 5pm destroyed the vehicles completely while other buses in the workshop were also partially burnt.

South East Voice visited the workshop at OnitshaEnugu Express way section of Ogbunike in Anambra State and observed the huge loss recorded at the workshop during the inferno

which raged for over eight hours.

The Public Relation Officer of G.U.O Okeke Group of companies, Dr. Augustine Okigbo expressed dismay over the inferno as the fire fighting equipment used by workers in the workshop could not put out the fire due to its ferocity.

Okigbo said that the inability of the company ’s fire assistants to stop the fire from spreading from one luxury bus to another resulted to the huge loss to the company.

“We could not put out the fire and it took several hours before the arrival of fire fighters,” he said.

According to him, the late arrival of fire fighters from both the Onitsha Main Market and Okpoko led to the huge loss as they even arrived with only one water tanker each, hence it took them several hours to put out the fire.

Okigbo said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, but recalled that Chief G.U.O Okeke who is the director/ chief executive of G.U.O Okeke Group of Companies had been in the forefront of the campaign against criminals in the state. He appealed to the state government to equip its fire fighting personnel to enable them save lives and property of fire victims.

“They are supposed to be fully equipped to avert escalation of fire outbreak in any part of the state,’ he said.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 —7

Elechi’s wife’s love for orphans, vulnerable children

By PETER OKUTU

A

•PMF 55 CLINIC

Mobile policemen send SOS to Abia CP over lack of accommodation

By FELIX OGBONNA

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BA—THE Police Mobile Force, 55 Squadron, PMF 55, Aba, Abia State has sent a save our souls message to public spirited individuals and the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu to help its members to secure decent accommodation for policemen in the Squadron.

Speaking at the PMF 55’s Unity Garden Estate base in Osisioma-Ngwa Local Government of Abia State during the third edition of its Elephant Day Celebration, Commander of the Squadron, Wilson Dankwano, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, said the appeal became necessary following accommodation challenges facing men and officers of the squadron.

Dankwano told his audience that the Squadron was faced with inadequate barracks accommodation for the officers and men as the 12 blocks of flats allocated to it at the Unity Garden Estate could not accommodate its workforce.

“It has become imperative and the Squadron needs more buildings to accommodate its personnel to complement the available 12 blocks donated by the Abia State government.

The 12 blocks are inadequate for men and officers of the Squadron,” Dankwano lamented.

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He also appealed to the CP, Alhaji Adamu to involve appropriate authorities in acquiring the entire Unity Garden Estate to ensure adequate accommodation for and smooth operations of the Squadron.

He listed other challenges confronting the Squadron to include bad state of its operational vehicles, high cost of drugs at its clinic which renders free medical services to other residents of the Garden Estate and poor electricity supply to the squadron as the 500 KVA transformer procured by the squadron had been installed but yet ‘’powered due to high cost of transformer oil and other accessories.’’

Dankwano further said that there was practically nothing on the ground for the operations of the squadron.

“There was nothing on ground for the take off of the squadron at the permanent site apart from the eight blocks of uncompleted buildings donated by the Abia State government. The support and dogged efforts of the officers and men culminated in the rehabilitation of some of the structures as both residential and office accommodation.

The administration block has been fully renovated and equipped with modern equipment.We have established a clinic, a four classroom blocks for the education of our

•Suleiman Abba, IGP children as well as a 300 capacity church auditorium and a mosque. Most importantly, the benefit of our relocation to the Unity Garden Estate has brought relief and confidence to the residents of Aba, particularly the Osisioma Ngwa area.”

South East Voice gathered that the PMF 55 Squadron, Aba was established in June 2008 by the then Inspector General of Police, IGP, Sir Mike Okiro at the peak of the kidnapping, bank and bullion van robbery in Aba area of Abia State.

The Squadron took off at the former NYSC Orientation Camp at Nsulu Games Village, Isiala Ngwa North council area, but due to the distance of the Games Village from Aba town, the base of the Squadron was moved on December 15, 2010, to the Unity Garden Estate at Osisioma Ngwa.

BAkALIKI—IT had been a long standing tradition by the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi to provide succour to Orphans and Vulnerable Children, OVC, across the state on regular basis, especially during festivities.

These categories of people are those who either became orphans or less privileged because of the demise of their parents or as a result of certain physical handicaps that threatened their existence or livelihood. Mrs. Elechi, however, organised occasions whereby these persons were provided with essential materials just as the lucky ones were given scholarships to study any course of their choice.

On such occasions, the OVC also received free medial services to ease the burden associated with their status.

These children who were usually drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state have become one of the major priority of the governor’s wife.

Apart from providing them with essential materials at regular intervals, Mrs. Elechi had further ensured their regular mobilization from various communities to the state capital, Abakaliki, where they

were taken care of to give them a sense of belonging.

Last week at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, Mrs. Elechi initiated a gathering of these individuals for the purposes of human capital development and training of their caregivers.

She also, asked well meaning individuals in the state and beyond to support her efforts towards improving the lots of OVC in the state, so as to reduce their sufferings.

“This programme is aimed at encouraging our OVC caregivers in their efforts at promoting the well-being of this class of children as well as giving the children a sense of belonging by making them come together to celebrate the new year like other better placed members of the society.

“I want to also call on well placed individuals and groups to assist in our efforts at bettering the lot of the OVC by taking some of the children for care-giving, so as to reduce their burden in our society. “To the OVC, I urge you all to always be obedient and respectful to your caregivers, and ensure that you participate actively in domestic chores as well as your academic programmes, so that you can become better and respectable members of the society in future,” she said.

One of the caregivers, Mrs. Elom Anoke thanked Mrs. Elechi for the initiative adding that she would do her best to ensure that these children were fully equipped to face the challenges ahead of them.

•Mrs Elechi. attending to one of the children on the occasion

•Mrs. Elechi assisting one of the children

Awka Club ‘resurrects’ Prof. Kenneth Dike, 2 others with scholarship schemes Continues from page 5 secretariat for the club and work is expected to commence soon.

Prominent indigenes of Awka, including the former state chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Chief Kelue Molokwu and the state

coordinator of Transform Nigeria Movement, TNM, Comrade Obi Ochije, showered praises on the club and urged its leadership not to deviate from its original vision.

They were particularly elated at the decision of the club to give honour to three late indigenes of the town by instituting scholarship schemes in their name.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

PHILANTHROPIST’S MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS

Bishop Okoh dedicates St Peter’s Anglican Church built by Citizen Ezeemo

By VINCENT UJUMADU

A

WKA — THE Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion), His Grace, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh is a man who appreciates those who use their God-given resources to spread the gospel in their own ways. That is why, despite his busy schedule, he makes out time to personally dedicate churches built by individuals, to serve as an encouragement to them and others who might wish to embark on such projects.

Last week at the sleepy town of Umuchu in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Most Rev. Okoh was on hand to preside at the dedication of St. Peter’s Anglican Church built by an indigene of the community, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo. He was assisted by no fewer than 30 other Bishops at the impressive ceremony.

The Primate, who was delighted that an individual could invest so much to propagate the gospel, said there is always joy in doing things that glorify God. To him, being good does not end with building a house for God, but always doing His will because God desires great commitment from human beings in serving him.

His words: “If you choose where to go, you may be where God does not want you to be. As children of God, we should not manipulate anything. If God has called one to do His bidding, do not hesitate to it.

It is only God who can see vision and dictate one’s pace and obedience to Him should be the ultimate.

“If this Church is a

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fountain of love built on righteousness, then in no distant time, it will no longer contain people, but if it is a place where quarrel will take the centre stage, then nothing will work.”

He advised Ezeemo not to meddle in the affairs of the church because doing so might cause problems, adding that it is the Bishop of the Diocese that is in charge, while the blessings that go with building a church will go to the builder who, in this case, is Ezeemo.

He called on other philanthropists to emulate him, noting that such gestures touch God to open the doors of blessings.

The Primate reminded the congregation that the Church is not just the building, but the people and charged the clergy heading the new church not to try to do things his own way, but according to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Umeh, Ezeemo’s decision to build the Church is a worthy effort and prayed that God Almighty will hearken to the prayers of all who come to worship Him in the Church.

Speaking during the ceremony, Chief Ezeemo expressed gratitude to God for giving him the opportunity to build a house for Him. He said: “I am happy because it is a dream come true. This Church gives me special joy because this is the land where I was born and where my life began. Today we have come to celebrate God and thank Him for giving me and my family life to witness this day.”

• M o s t

Nkpologu community cries out over uneven distribution of electricity

Obiano speaks

Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano said by building a Church for God, Ezeemo had demonstrated that his heart continuously yearns for seamless glory.

According to the governor, “Ezeemo has given expression to the innate touch of light that typifies the Anambra spirit. It could not be by strength alone, but by the grace of God that you have fulfilled your life dream of building this Church. We rejoice with you in appreciating God for His covenant mercy with all who work for Him with all their hearts. We are proud that you are a shinning example of the light we bear and we pray God Almighty to enlarge the coasts of your goodly heritage.”

To the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor

Reverend Nicholas Okoh

By FRANCIS IGATA

E

NUGU—NATIVES of four villages that constitute Akibute zone of Nkpologu community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State are gnashing their teeth following the uneven distribution of electricity in the community.

The natives lament that since the advent of Visit Every Community,VEC, initiative of the Governor Sullivan Chime-led administration which identified electricity as one of the peoples’ problems, the state government in partnership with the local government commenced the electrification of the town.

South East Voice visited Nkpologu community and discovered that the town comprising three zones:

Ejona,Akibute and Ogba.

Ejona had one transformer installed during the immediate past council administration of James Adamu.

However, the Enugu State Rural Electrification Board, ENREB, in its commitment to electrify the community following VECs’ findings, installed another transformer in the village of a politician who just resigned as a commissioner in Chime’s cabinet to seek elective office.

ENREB instead of citing the transformer in a central location to serve the people, mounted it at Ama-Ezike village from where it was difficult for other villages to extend electricity into their villages.

Natives speak Gregory Amah, who hails from Oshagu village frowned at the practice which has cut off people of Akibute from

accessing electricity even though there is power within the community.

“Look at what we are suffering within the same community. Ejona and Ogba now have transformers and they are enjoying electricity.

We have been marginalised because the politicians are self serving. The transformer should be centrally located so that electricity distribution will reach us. If we had a transformer in Akibute, it would have been easy for our people to take electricity lines into their respective villages...

“ENREB has also abandoned the electrification project. I do not know what is happening. They have left the site. Our people are wondering if the project would ever be completed judging from the fact that the administration is almost rounding off.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 33

Cape Verde boost by Congo win C

ape Verde coach Rui Aguas believes that his side’s 3-2 friendly victory over Congo this past weekend was a morale-booster ahead of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Portuguese coach emphasised that the match was a worthwhile exercise despite the long distance travelled and fatigue suffered by his team in their trip from Lisbon, where they were in camp, to Dakar for the encounter against Congo.

The Blue Sharks found themselves 2-0 down against the Red Devils, but surged to a 3-2 win thanks to an own goal from Igor Nganga, Jailton ‘Kuka’ Miranda’s equaliser and a winner from Djaniny Semedo.

•Semedo

Aguas praised the “heart and tone” of his team, believing they were instrumental in their comeback, and voiced confidence that his side will be able to compete strongly in Group B against Zambia, Tunisia and DR Congo.

Congo coach Claude Le Roy, meanwhile, was disappointed to see his side let slip a two-goal advantage, but praised Cape Verde as “a great team that is very dangerous in transition from defence to attack”.

Cape Verde, who have remained in Senegal since the match, depart later yesterday and fly directly to Equatorial Guinea. Their first match of the tournament is against Tunisia on January 18 in Ebebiyin.

Grant almost axe Ayew A

vram Grant nearly sacked midfielder Andre Ayew from Ghana’s camp in Spain.

The incident, which happened last week, saw the 59-year old Ghana boss begin moves to axe the player from Seville after the Marseille man reported late to camp.

But the Vice Chairman of the Black Stars management committee, Kudjoe Fianoo, stepped in and asked the gaffer to reconsider.

“Myself and [committee chairman] George Afriyie had to intervene and apologize on behalf of Andre Ayew for arriving late in camp because Avram Grant was very unhappy about the player’s late arrival in Spain,” the administrator told Happy FM in Accra.

Fianoo went on: “Grant sees Dede as a player who could lead the team in the future and expects him to lead an exemplary life.” Fans of the national team have long wanted the disciplinary whip to be cracked especially after the worldwide infamy the country gained at the last World Cup.

•Ronaldo

•Ayew

Afcon 2015: Multichoice to beam all 32 matches

ldo’s a rightful T come to the stadium and get behind us, because we’re going to give 100% to win the game”, he went on.

The shotstopper claimed that newly returned Atlético de Madrid icon Fernando Torres won’t be getting any special treatment: “We’re not going to pay more attention to any one player; we’re going to approach all of them equally.

We want to win the match and we’ll do what’s necessary to make it happen”.

As for the prospect of extra time and then penalties, if the second leg finishes 2-0 to ‘Los Blancos’, Navas expressed his “full confidence” that his teammates would convert their kicks to win the tie. “God willing I’ll have the chance to save a penalty or two to clinch victory”, he added.

he impending 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be beamed live across the various Multichoice platforms and channels.From January 17 to February 8, the Afcon football matches will be broadcast live on DStv and GOtv with expert analysis

from one of football’s greatest winners, Marcel Desailly, among others. Subscribers will have access to all 32 matches across five channels: SS5/HD, SS7, SS9East, Maximo and Select while GOtv subscribers will have access to a select number of

L-R: Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria; Elizabeth Amkpa, General Manager, GOtv and Felix Awogu, General Manager, SuperSport West Africa during the press briefing on AFCON 2015 to be enjoyed by all MultiChoice Subscribers on SuperSport held, at Regent Hotel, Ikeja, GRA, Lagos.

matches on SuperSport Select 1 including the kick-off and final matches. “Afcon is Africa’s showpiece football event and we are delighted to offer it on various channels and platforms for Afcon viewers across Africa,” said John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, “We have no doubt we will see football of the highest quality, affirming the talent that abounds on the continent.”

Ghanaian-born former France international Desailly will headline the outfits’ stellar line-up of analysts which includes Neil Tovey, former Ghana international Samuel Kuffour and the straight-talking Benni McCartthy.

Desailly’s expert opinion is highly sought-after by broadcasters around the world given that he has won almost all there is to win by an international.

Maboulou o out of Cong squad

C

hristopher Maboulou has not been named in Congo’s final 23-man squad for the upcoming 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Bastia defender had been a surprise inclusion in the preliminary squad, but will not be at the tournament after failing to show up for the pretournament training camp.

Midfielders Scott Bitsindou and Jordan Massengo are amongst the other players cut from the squad as Congo look to impress in their first AFCON since 2000. Former West Brom striker Thievy Bifouma will get a chance to add to his three goals in eight appearances for his country.

Claude Le Roy will also be able to rely on the experience of the likes of Francis N’Ganga, Delvin N’Dinga and Ladislas Douniama.

34—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 2015

Amal Clooney

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t’s only been a few months since she wowed fans around the globe with the Oscar de la Renta dress she’d worn at her wedding with Hollywood’s George Cloony, but this new bride is definitely back in business.

Last week, she told a newspaper that a warning had stopped her going ahead with a Cairo launch for the February 2014 report for the International Bar Association.

But an Egyptian interior ministry spokesman questioned the source of the alleged warning.”We have nothing against her,” he said.

When I went to launch the report, first of all they stopped us from doing it in Cairo, she said. They said: ‘Does the report criticize the army, the judiciary, or the government?’

We said: ‘Well, yes.’ They said: ‘ Well then, you’re risking arrest.

The report, based on a factfinding mission made in mid2013, warned about the wide powers that ministers had

Jumoke Akinjide

Jumoke Akinjide

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Amal Clooney over judges and highlighted a record of selective prosecutions, flaws that Clooney said later contributed to the convictions of three AlJazeera journalists.

Clooney, who is on the

Genevieve Nnaji

Ini Edo

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Genevieve Nnaji

n o t h e r Nollywood beloved trending last week was A-lister Genevieve, who turns out to be a prophet honoured in her own village.

Genevieve bags chieftaincy title of Eze Ada of Amuzu Nweafor in her village of Aboh in Mbaise, Imo state during the weekend.

Hence on her Instagram page she reintroduces herself as Chief G.N (MFR) Eze Ada of Amuzu Nweafor. All hail the chief!

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ongratulations are also in order for another Nollywood great Ini Edo, who officially opened her Multi-million Naira Lekki home last week.

The award-winning actress threw a house-warming party at her new home featuring 2face Idibia, Alexx Ekubo, Former Falcons Player Chichi Igbo and others.

In her words: This is a big achievement for me, I moved into my own house built with my own m o n e y , awesome.

Adunni Bankole

T

he sudden demise of Iyalode Adunni Bankole, astute business woman, socialite and stepmother of former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole; was one of the most discussed issues on the Nigerian cyberspace.

She died, just a few hours before the commencement of the wedding ceremony of her second daughter three months to her 56th birthday.

Bankole was rushed to the hospital last week, and had

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defense team for one of the three — Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy — said the same flaws in the judicial system meant she had little confidence in the retrial ordered by Egypt’s top court.

been in a coma for the last five days.

It is bandied that in September 2011, the society matriarch suffered a massive heart attack.

In attendance at the wedding was her step-son, Dimeji Bankole and his father, Chief Alani Bankole.

Mediline Tador writes, Adunni Bankole (IYALODE) was my junior in secondary school. She was even in those early days a very humble, exciting, and intelligent

inister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Jumoke Akinjide stirred the hornet’s nest last week with a statement attacking presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), for his decision to terminate the Lagos metro line project initiated by the Alhaji Lateef Jakande administration to ease traffic in the metropolis.

She said the former Head of State truncated the opportunity of a free flow of traffic within the metropolis and by extension, the economic growth of the Southwest because of his hatred for the region and his determination to see its growth retarded.

She said the Lagos metro rail project was designed by the

Jakande government to facilitate transportation within Lagos and surroundings, but was terminated when Buhari military regime took over in December, I983.

The visionary Jakande administration had concluded all the plans to finance the project, putting everything in place for its successful execution. My father provided the legal framework in his capacity as the Attorney – General at the time, and the state government had deposited $50million after securing a $450 million loan at six per cent fixed interest rate for 25 years.

Describing the APC presidential candidate as a sworn enemy of the Southwest, the minister said: I don’t see the reason some Yorubas would still gang up with this man to further rip us off.

Phyllicia Rashad

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Ini Edo

young person. In spite of her many accomplishments and pedigree her humility was intact. I was proud of her achievements in life and am glad I told her so.

Meanwhile a debate has broken out on blogosphere whether folks would go ahead and have a big wedding if Adunni Bankole their mother were dying.

ill Cosby’s co-star on the 80s sitcom Cosby show Phyllicia Rashad was trending last week as she got caught in the eye of Bill’s sexual abuse drama.

Forget those women, she purportedly told a columnist a barely a fortnight back but now says it was a misquote.

What I said is this is not about the women. This is about something else. This is about the obliteration of a legacy. I am a woman. I would never say such a thing.

In the face of extreme criticism however, the columnist posted a clarification on his site, writing: I did not misquote Phylicia Rashad. But she didn’t mean for it to be taken the way it was. She meant, ‘those women aside’ - as in, she’s not talking about that, she’s talking about Cosby’s legacy being destroyed.

Phyllicia Rashad

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 2015 —35

Why I’m producing organic food for babies

By Josephine Agbonkhese

I

t is astonishing how a Chemical Engineer with a ten-year oil and gas career experience as a process engineer and project manager suddenly became an advocate for organic baby food. Mrs Debo Adebayo, a UK Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers had worked with companies like Foster Wheeler, KBR a subsidiary of Halliburton and Amec Oil and Gas with assignments in Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Libya and the UK; before the urge for organic food processing engulfed her. She holds an MBA from CASS Business School, London. In this interview, Debo, the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous organic baby food company, Tomi’s Treats, reveals what triggered her interest in organic food processing.

It’s been over a year since you launched Tomi’s Treats; how has it progressed?

The reception has been impressive. A lot of parents use them in their party-packs and we also currently

stock them in a number of nurseries. We are stocked in supermarkets across Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Ghana and have plans to expand to other outlets across Africa.

Tomi’s Treats are organic fruit and vegetable purees that can be eaten by babies from six months and above. They are purely organic with no synthetic inputs.

No chemicals or sugars as well.

There are currently two flavours namely: mango & banana and apple & pear with new ranges in the pipeline. Tomi’s Treats is ideal for weaning babies and also serve as healthy snacks for children.

We feel that not enough babies and children are eating healthy foods. So, getting fruits and vegetables into their diets early on in life is the best way t o help children understand t h a t ‘health

is wealth’. Our aim is to make Tomi’s Treats affordable to everyone but with cost and quality issues, this can never be a simple solution; but we are prepared to give it a go.

It must have been tough getting Nigerians to embrace the product as most parents usually prefer imported purees…

Yes. I remember we met with one of the leading supermarkets in Nigeria last year and they said it was a great product but were reluctant to take it as they felt Nigerian consumers were not ready for it yet. But do you know that supermarket is now our biggest client? With rapid investment in Nigeria and the new wave of supermarkets and malls growing across the country, we hope Tomi’s Treats will have a better standing and will keep thriving as the first indigenous organic baby food brand.

What inspired you to explore organic baby food as a business idea?

I’m of Nigerian heritage but was born in Sweden. Though I had at a point spent some years in Nigeria, I grew up mostly in Dublin Ireland. I’m married now and still based in the UK. So, after I had my first child, I visited Nigeria on holiday a couple of years ago but could not find any organic food to buy for my baby. Hence, on returning to the UK, I decided to follow up this idea while doing my MBA. That was how Tomi’s Treats came about.

How do you source for your raw material and produce the product?

My products are all organically produced

C M Y K

in the EU. Working with my suppliers has been a real learning experience in the organic baby food market. I have been able to leverage on their years of experience in this area to get a quality product into the African market. From sourcing the fruit, agreeing on pricing to shipping the product has really shown me the complexities of business. Our long-term plan is to source and produce our product in Africa.

Currently we are speaking to a number of suppliers/producers who we believe will be able to give the quality we are looking for.

Challenges?

The real challenge has been raising awareness because a lot of people still don’t know what our product is and the health benefits of organic baby food. From the feedback that we are getting, a lot of children love the product and we are steadily increasing our loyal band of customers. We supply to specific markets/ supermarkets.

What’s the hardest fact you’ve realised so far?

The hardest fact is realizing that there is no better person to sell my product than me! When people hear how I started the business they are intrigued especially as my work experience is from a totally different industry.

I spend a lot of time in the business while juggling being a wife and mother to three kids and also consulting in the oil & gas industry. Over the last year, we have got the business to a good level and are now focused on our marketing strategy.

Any major plans for the next five years?

We have just launched our new website which includes a special babyhub section for new and expecting mothers. We envisage 2015 to be a good year with new flavours added to our range, developing our customer base and generating more awareness on our products. We are focused on growth of the brand, more products and entering into more African countries over the next five years.

How did you get finance to start your brand?

Luckily enough, the product and idea sold itself and we were able to get some private investors passionate about health to back our concept.

,

—Debo Adebayo, CEO, Tomi’s Treat

The real challenge has been raising awareness because a lot of people still don’t know what our product is and the health benefits of organic baby food

,

36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Countdown to guineaworm eradication begins ...126 cases reported in 4 remaining countries in 2014

By Sola Ogundipe

C

OUNTDOWN to Zero: Defeating Disease, a new exhibition about scientific and social innovations that are ridding the world of ancient afflictions, opens at the American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with The Carter Centre in New York City today even as a total of 126 Guinea worm cases were reported worldwide in 2014, from the remaining four endemic nations of Chad, Mali, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Data compiled by the Carter Centre, show that cases of the debilitating disease were reduced by 15 percent in 2014 compared to 148 cases in 2013.

When the Centre began leading the first international campaign to eradicate a parasitic disease in 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million Guinea worm cases occurring annually in Africa and Asia. Nigeria was declared guineaworm free in 2013.

“The number of cases of Guinea worm disease continued decreasing in 2014, bringing Guinea worm eradication closer to the finish line,” said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center leads the international campaign to eradicate this waterborne disease.

Most of the reported cases were in Eastern Equatoria state.

The remaining indigenous cases in 2014 were reported in isolated areas of Chad (13), Mali (40), and Ethiopia (3)

• Jimmy Carter addressing a crowd in a villags at one of the remaining Guineaworm endemic countries.

“We believe eradication of Guinea worm disease is very possible in the next few years, but success will require the strong commitment and focus of the four remaining endemic countries and the many international partners in this public health initiative.”

In 1991, there were 23,735 villages with endemic transmission of Guinea worm disease in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. As of the end of 2014, there were only 30 endemic villages in four countries — all in Africa.

South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, reported 70 cases, or 56 percent of the worldwide case total in 2014. Most of those cases were in Eastern Equatoria state. The remaining indigenous cases in 2014 were reported in isolated areas of Chad (13), Mali (40), and Ethiopia

(3).

Considered a neglected tropical disease, Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is contracted when people consume water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae.

After a year, a meter-long worm slowly emerges from the body through a painful blister in the skin. In the absence of a vaccine or medical treatment, the ancient disease is being wiped out mainly through community-based interventions to educate and change behavior, such as teaching people to filter all drinking water and preventing contamination by keeping anyone with an emerging worm from entering water sources.

The Carter Centre, together with ministries of health, local communities, and other partners, has reduced cases by more than 99.99 percent since 1986. The Center esti-

mates that the eradication campaign has averted more than 80 million cases among the world's poorest and most neglected people. Guinea worm disease is positioned to be the second human disease, after smallpox, to be eradicated. It will be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated and the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine.

The South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Programme reported 70 cases January-December 2014 compared to 113 cases for the same period in 2013, a reduction of 38 percent. This was a remarkable success in light of political and ethnic hostilities that broke out in December 2013 and spilled over into early 2014. Ghana, Nigeria, and Pakistan, have successfully wiped out Guinea worm disease.

Spurs (not the football team) I

HAVE seen a few patients in Lagos these last few weeks whose MRI scans show something called osteophytes. Someone, usually a fellow physician, has requested this investigation. A few times the report has already been discussed in detail with the patient. But the patient is not satisfied. He/she is concerned ......a tumour?

A growth? cancer in the bone? The patient wants more explanation and answers. Osteophytes, otherwise known as "bone spurs" are none of these.

The term "bone spurs" is not really accurate. The word "spurs" implies that these bony growths are spurring or poking some part of the spinal anatomy and causing pain.

They are actually smooth structures that form over time.

Above 60 years of age they are quite common, and normal, findings on radiological studies.

The two commonest causes of bone spurs are osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. Osteoarthritis can cause stiffness and lower back pain that is usually worse in the morning, gets better after moving around, and then gets worse again toward the end of the day.

The most common root cause of cervical and lumbar osteoarthritis is a genetic predisposition. Patients may typically develop symptoms of osteoarthritis in their mid 40s to early 50s. Men are more likely to develop arthritic related symptoms earlier in life, however, postmenopausal women with stiffening spines (accelerated bone spur formation) rapidly approach men in incidence and severity of osteoarthritis.

Patients complain of dull pain in the neck or lower back when standing or walking. Radiating pain into the shoulders (often including headaches) for cervical spurs

C M Y K

Radiating pain into the bottom and thigh for lumbar spurs. The symptoms of bone spurs are made worse with activity and often improve with rest.

Lumbar bone spurs often improve when an individual is bending forward and flexing at the waist, such as leaning over a shopping cart or over a cane.

As the nerves become compressed, patients with bone spurs complain of several neurological symptoms including: Pain, tingling and progressive weakness in one or both arms or legs. In very rare cases, bowel and bladder incontinence may occur.

Diagnosis is usually made through radiographs like Xrays, CT and MRI scans. Electromyographic (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCV) also aid diagnosis when nerve involvement is suspected.

Treatment can be divided into three broad groups -Non surgical Conservative Treatment, Injection therapy and Surgical treatment.

Nearly all bone spur related pain will respond well to conservative therapy with medications (anti inflammatories and muscle relaxants) bed rest, and rehabilitation. Bed rest reduces joint irritation.

Rehabilitation over 1-2 weeks will involve physical therapy, exercise, and chiropractic adjustment. These modalities attempt to restore flexibility and strength to the neck and back, improving posture and possibly decreasing any nerve compression.

Injections

Cortisone epidural steroid injections have potential therapeutic value for some patients with facet joint inflammation by reducing the joint swelling and

doctor@lagospainclinic.com improving spinal pain and radiating extremity pain syndromes. The results are usually only temporary, but repeat injections maybe indicated. Pain relief from an injection may allow the patient to progress with rehabilitation.

In my experience with these patients over the past two decades, results for epidural steroids to bone spurs in the neck may not be as good as for the lower back.

Scientific evidence does however support the use of special heating (radiofrequency) techniques to the facet joints in situations of facet joint arthritis.

A surgical consultation (though rare) is appropriate if these nonsurgical measures to treat bone spurs fail. A referral is appropriate if patients suffer from severe pain or there is clinical evidence of nerve compression and damage. I would recommend surgery only in situations of impending nerve damage, paralysis, incontinence or extreme disability.

A procedure such as a laminectomy, is designed to relieve the pain and neurological symptoms by removing the bone spurs and thickened ligaments causing painful nerve compression.

In my experience, the risks of developing a distinct pain condition called "post laminectomy syndrome" remains high. Patients often return to the pain clinic with more pain and debilitation months after any initial good results.

Bone spurs? Don't panic.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—37

•O'tega:Delta people want change

Delta 2015: Why I will win gov polls — O’tega *Says he will not be Urhobo governor because my mission is pan-Deltan GOVENORSHIP candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor in this interview, punctured speculations that his candidacy is largely tied to the Urhobo Progress Union,UPU, noting that his mission is pan-Deltan. He is also confident of emerging victorious in the governorship election.

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

On comments that his support base is largely hinged on the UPU than the APC, and whether the development will not hurt his chances considering the multi-ethnic nature of the state I will not deny my Delta Central Senatorial District identity. It is natural for the ethnic nationalities that make up the state to have interest on who becomes the governor.

There are two types of interests.

This interest is responsible for the reason given by the Anioma for wanting to produce the governor. Delta Central will also give you their argument for wanting to produce the governor. The Isoko have also adduced their position regarding the deputy governorship slot. That is the right they exercise. The APC is a collection of a sizeable number of all the tribes in the

state. It is the prerogative of the UPU, as the umbrella body of the Urhobo, to support me.

I will accept that but it will not stop me from approaching other tribes because I will sell my programmes to every Deltan.

I am not going to emerge as an Urhobo governor but the governor of all Deltans. My responsibility will be for the entire state. The Anioma has also endorsed but that will not turn me into an Anioma governor. We will take these issues along as we strive to emerge victorious. But I will encourage that we look beyond the issue of ethnicity because those are normal cultural instincts. Today the major issue in Delta State is how to bring about real development and the people want to change that.

Delta State is known to be a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Do you have what it takes to face

the party at the election?

The mission of APC generally is to build a new direction in this country. It is to build a formidable alternative political party such that Nigerians can have a choice.

That is what is being practised in so many other countries like the United States of America where there are two strong parties.

That is what is in this country today. As you can testify, Nigerians are beginning to ask questions about the direction the country is headed to. They are also questions on whether we should continue with the kind of stagnation we have had in the past 16 years. There are suggestions that we try a new direction that promises a better deal for the uplifting of this country. It is this same question that we face in Delta State. I came from a business background. I am known to be a turnaround expert.

On comments that he is jittery over the emergence of the PDP candidate Okowa is not going to offer anything new. He is a product of the establishment. And he displayed that by picking his deputy from the same establishment. His deputy is related to a major agitator in the Niger Delta region.

If you look at the linkage, you will discover that it is the same establishment. I represent the new vision in Delta State. I come from a private sector background. I am here to sell the new vision of APC in Delta State. And the mission is to involve the electorate and every one that is unhappy with the current state of things.

The focus is to galvanise them and create development and progress. Delta State is a multi ethnic state. You need to be able to carry all the tribes along. We need somebody who has the ability to bring all the people together and tap from the diversity in the state.

That is part of the plans that I have.

I will put together a representative government that can move the state forward. Delta is blessed with a lot of resources and we also get a lot of revenue in terms of allocation from the Federal Government.

If you evaluate what is on ground today in the 16 years of PDP leadership, you will come to the conclusion that our resources have not been well utilised to impact fruitfully on the economy of the state.

Indices of development are very clear about what I am saying. We still have a large indices of unemployment in

There are suggestions that we try a new direction that promises a better deal for the uplifting of this country

Delta State. Our youths are still roaming the streets without future.

Majority of the youths are commercial motor cyclists while others still engage in thuggery. There is also a huge deficit of infrastructure, the situation could have been better. The major roads connecting the cities are either under construction or not constructed. Things cannot continue this way. We must make a deliberate effort to ensure that infrastructure is provided to allow the state improve its economic activities.

Without infrastructure, economic activities cannot progress.

The health and education sector have deficit in terms of facilities and motivation of players.

The public sector is now a ghost of itself because the facilities for teaching are lacking, while the physical structures are uninhabitable.

I do concede that some structures have been constructed in some places but there is a lot to be done.

In the health sector, most of our public hospitals are unequipped and such situation cannot offer the best health care delivery.

That has forced people to resort to private sector health facilities. We have put together a 10-point agenda to tackle these challenges.

What are the new strategies that you are likely to introduce into the governance of the state if elected governor?

We are going tackle unemployment as it relates to the youths and every stakeholder. In my first 100 days, I will put together a scheme that will be targeted at empowering these three sets of people. I am going to establish a N10 billion fund and call it the empowerment fund.

I intend to put in place access points for this fund.

These points will be in the various local government areas as disbursement and training centres. We will target youths, women and middle tier businesses.

This will support people with ideas in realising their dreams. I will also work with the local government areas.

Presently, the local government areas are experiencing deficit of funding in Delta, that makes them more distant from the people. Most of the funding they get today goes straight to pay for recurrent expenditure making them lack the strength for current expenditure.

38—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

PDP, APC: Who blinks first in Enugu?

BY DAPO AKINREFON

T

HE 2015 general election in the country is fast gaining momentum as electioneering campaigns kick off. Now, the nation’s political landscape is increasingly getting charged with states becoming a beehive of political activities especially where governorship elections will be conducted.

The various governorship candidates have embarked on journeys to seek endorsements and forming alliances to ensure they emerge victorious at the polls.

Also, the leadership of the front line political parties especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are making frantic efforts to ensure their party defeat their opponents on the field.

In Enugu State, the situation is not different.

Though for those who have been following political events since the last governorship primaries of the PDP in the state, the picture of who would occupy the Enugu Lion Building is becoming clearer.

Analysts posit that the governorship candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is merely waiting to be crowned by the crowd of voters rooting for his candidature.

Also, observers of political events concur that if the results of elections in the state since 1999 were anything to go by, there is no gainsaying that Enugu is unarguably a PDP state.

But ahead of the general elections, one question agitating the minds of critical observers is – will the PDP maintain its winning streak in Enugu? While many with the party have high hopes of pending victory, others in the opposition camp think otherwise.

Power must change hand Expectedly, the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr Okey Ezea, holds the view that power must change hands in the Coal City state.

Penultimate Tuesday, Ezea who has been contesting governorship elections since 2003 accused Governor Sullivan Chime of running down the state’s economy, a claim the PDP-led government dismisses.

The APC candidate, who unveiled his manifesto in Enugu maintained that the state had a robust economy but that it was grounded by the PDP-led government.

According to him, “All these have laid the foundation for a

•Ugwuanyi:Merely waiting to be crowned? greater evil- the poverty of morals. As men’s souls are put in crucible, social norms and ethics become luxuries only a few can afford”.

In a six-point agenda, he promised to harness the huge economic potentials of the state for the benefit of the people, assuring that the APC government would implement its programmes without over

Many opine that with the glaring success of Chime’s administration, it will be an uphill task for any other party to beat the PDP in the coming election

taxing residents.

Lamenting the plight of the people of the state, he said, “the poverty level in Enugu State is debilitating with 57 percent of the citizens of Enugu State rated as poor. There is infrastructural poverty through the lack of the most basic amenities- portable water, electricity and shelter.

“There is poverty of the pocket that translates to the growing incidence of hunger as a result of lack of employment opportunities and economic growth. Pensioners drop dead in long queues while waiting for meagre handouts that never come”.

Ezea accused Governor Chime of plunging the state into huge debts, vowing that “we are going to audit all these debt- where and when they were taken and what they were taken for. We can’t pay debts for money used to buy cars for friends.”

While expressing optimism of flooring the PDP, he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify the PDP from participating in the election since it had failed to produce a single candidate.

Since Ezea came out with his critical commentary on the administration of the PDP-led government in Enugu State, tongues have been wagging to interrogate his submission. Not a few argue that rather than criticize the PDP government,

•Ezea:PDP has impoverished Enugu Ezea should rather concentrate on selling the programme of his party to the electorate.

Pundits, have so far, taken exception to Ezea’s claim that Chime’s administration has impoverished the state.

Not a few have forgotten that Enugu made history recently as the only Nigerian city among 35 cities from across the globe invited to join the 100 Resilient Cities Network (100RC) pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, New York.

It would be imperative to note here that the announcement was made during The Rockefeller Foundation’s Urban Resilience Summit in Singapore. The other three African cities that made the list alongside the Coal City of Enugu are Kigali (Rwanda), Accra (Ghana) and Arusha (Tanzania).

The choice of Enugu was predicated on the spectacular transformation the city has undergone in the past seven years under the administration of Governor Sullivan Chime.

This was an addition to numerous national and international recognitions that have been bestowed on Enugu State since Chime’s administration.

The Foundation stressed that Enugu like other Network cities will serve as a model for other global cities that seek to build their own resilience.

According to the foundation, this second wave of cities will

join 32 cities that won last year ’s 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, forming a growing network of urban centres around the world that are ready to respond to the social, economic and physical shocks and stresses that are a growing part of the 21st century.

Many opine that with the glaring success of Chime’s administration that is recognized even globally, it will be an uphill task for any other party to beat the PDP in the coming election in Enugu.

Chime has successfully turned Enugu state, not only as an enviable city and investment destination but also as a veritable choice for family settlement for both indigenes and non indigenes. Also, the avalanche of Chime’s achievements, observers maintain, speaks for itself.

It has also been propounded that one good thing in all these is the obvious and commendable fact is that Chime never lost focus or got distracted in his service delivery to the people.

As the curtain drops on his tenure, many wonder who will step into the big shoe Sullivan Chime is about to leave behind?

It is, however, believes that the choice of Ugwuanyi as a popular candidate by the PDP National Executive Council seems to have put paid to the question given the few dissenting voices to his

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—39

US working hard to ensure non-violent elections for Nigeria — US Ambassador

As Nigeria prepares for its Presidential election, come 14th February 2015, many countries across the globe continue to express their positions.

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador James Entwistle, while explaining the merits of transparent leadership, gave the US position in respect of the up-coming Nigerian election. He said that the US is ever willing and ready to support Nigerian government, stressing that no other country has done more than the US is doing for Nigeria.

Entwistle also stated that the US government is working very hard to ensuring a non-violent election in Nigeria.

In this exclusive interview with Vera Samuel Anyagafu and Victor Gotevbe, Ambassador Entwistle, in addition to campaigning for nonviolent elections in Nigeria, made clear the reason US government turned down the request to sell arms to Nigeria, the mission of Okpabana, and many more.

Excerpts;

•United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador James Entwistle

W

hat is your assessment of the political development in Nigeria?

I think it is quite a tremendously exciting time in the Nigeria democratic rule. One of the things that our two governments have in common is big, huge democracies, and it is a wonderful thing.

As we head towards your general election in February, 14, one of the things that the US is working very hard down here is to talk about the importance of non violent elections.

I have been talking about this for over a year. Our Consul General, Jeffery Hawkins and others have been

delivering the same massage.

But I think it is clearly important to make that case and I would be very impressed to see that Nigerian media and civil society and Nigerian entertainment stars, like Tu-face Idibia and so on, are campaigning and picking this up.

Now,I meet with a lot of Nigerian politicians, I meet a lot of candidates, and whenever I talk to them, I always emphasise the importance of nonviolent elections. And then I ask them if they would publicly take a nonviolence pledge in front of cameras, making clear that they would not condone any fomented or organised

thuggery or form of violence. The response I use to get, we are talking about both sides of the parties here, I usually get a response, something along the line as well, that “myself, I swore non-violence. I would never do that, but if the other man starts it, or if I am not happy with the results, maybe I will have no choice.”

And I always responded by saying that is not enough non-violence pledge.

Non-violence pledge is that I would not do it no matter what. And f I see it starting I will do everything I can to stop it, than to start it.

That is what I mean by non-violent pledge. That is the campaign that I will

continue. That is the campaign that if as we get closer and during elections, there is violence and is clear who is behind it, my government will not hesitated to speak up. But I think it is even more powerful, when it comes to individual Nigerians. When that man comes and he wants your vote, make clear what you expect of him.

I think sometimes our countries settle for too little from the politicians. In all our democracies, we should be tougher and be of higher expectations.

Also in terms of US approach to trying to help INEC a bit, we are doing great

Continues on Page 41

40 — V ANGU ARD, WEDNESD AY, JANU ARY 14, 2015 VANGU ANGUARD, WEDNESDA JANUARY

My son’s stealing from me Dear Bunmi, recently noticed that small amounts of money had been withdrawn from my bank account when I was nowhere near ATM machine. In total, almost N30,000 was missing and there was only one person who could have taken it – my 20-year-old son. He knows my debit card PIN and when I confronted him, he admitted it. He said he’d needed the money to pay off a debt. I forgave him and changed my PIN. Things got better for a while, but lately, I noticed that some jewelries had gone missing, as well as an expensive watch. I don’t want to get him into trouble, but being soft on him has got me nowhere.

Timi By e-mail

I

I want to set a trap for her Dear Bunmi,

M

Y girlfriend can’t stop flirting and I don’t trust her. She started seeing me when she was with another man and I don’t trust her to say no if another man comes along.

She says I’m being stupid and I’m the one she wants.

I’m thinking of putting her commitment to the test by asking a mate to toast her.

If she goes out with him then I’ll know I can’t trust her.

Do you think this is a good idea?

Emeka By e-mail

lack of trust could destroy your relationship. If she rejects

Rather than putting your girlfriend to the test, I would talk to her and explain why you find it hard when she flirts

Dear Emeka, eware of what you’re doing because your

B

your friend then you may feel more confidence in her, but if she finds out what you’re done then you can wave goodbye to your relationship.

Just because she’s a bit flirty doesn’t mean she’s going to go off with someone else. Your jealousy may result in exactly what you fear.

If you don’t show any faith in her then you could push her into the arms of the first man who does show her some trust.

Rather than putting your girlfriend to the test, I would talk to her and explain why you find it hard when she flirts.

If she really does care for you, she’ll tone down her flirty behaviour to reassure you there is no reason to worry.

Can you improve your orgasms?

Dear Bunmi,

I

recently read a report on the internet that suggests the penis only has 10,000 orgasms until it is totally useless.

I have had sex at least once a day for the past twenty years and fear my penis is about to run out of orgasms.

I’m not even 40 yet!

To the best of your knowledge, is it possible to resensitise the penis?

I have heard that if it is possible but I am unable to find out how to do it.

Freddy By e-mail

Dear Freddy, ou must have been warned not to believe everything you read – most particularly on the internet, I’m not sure what report you read but I can reassure you that there is no truth in it whatsoever. It’s complete and utter rubbish! I suspect that what you need was an estimate of how many orgasms the average man has in a lifetime – reports vary but its estimated to be between 6,500 to 8,000.

The good news here is that your penis or orgasms quota don’t have expiry dates and you can happily continue your daily sessions without fear of wearing your willy out. Well done by the way – pretty impressive to keep that up for 20 years – or were you just bragging?

Y

Mum cut me off in her will Dear Bunmi,

M

Y mum single hand edly raised the two of us as our dad wasn’t,:all that responsible.

I was mum’s favourite because I was able to go to the university on scholarship.

I have a great job, am happily married with three lovely kids while my younger sister has spent her life hopping from one unprofitable business to the other.

She spent her life scrounging so she would raise her two kids.

Our mum died a few months ago and I was shocked to learn she left her

three bedroom flat and everything in it to my younger sister because ''she needs them most'' I’m gutted and disappointed.

She could at least have left me something in memory of her.

Feyi, By e-mail.

Dear Feyi, ou can seek legal advice to see if you can contest the will. But if you can’t bear in mind that although your mum may have spent all her life feeling proud of you and all you’ve achieved, she may have been quite worried about

Y

your sister.

At the very end, she may have felt guilty that you were her favourite and she wasn’t, that’s most certainly what motivated her to make her will the way she did. You already live in your own house, have a good job, lovely kids whilst she struggles on. Her will might be a way of adjusting the imbalance.

This shouldn’t make any difference to how cheated you feel about your inheritance, but it may make a difference as to whether you feel she loved you.

And with time, that will be what matters most.

Dear Timi, ou obviously sound like a single mother. Raising an adult son is difficult at times without having to deal with his dishonestly. If he doesn’t have a father figure he respects, you need to involve the police – not because you want to put him in prison, but so they could put the fear of God in him. Make sure he’s not on drugs either or any other habit he could be spending so much money on.

You need to act quickly before he graduates to stealing from close friends and family members.

Y

Would I be right to stray?

Dear Bunmi, ’M in my late 30’s. Six years ago, my husband was in an accident which left him disabled. Although I still love him, our relationship has changed. Our love-life is non-existent and we sleep in separates beds. We have a competent helper and this helps.

At a recent Christmas party, I met a man through a close friend whose wife has cancer. We became good friends but now we want more. Unfortunately, our partners love and depend on us. Do you think an affair in this circumstances will be wrong? I have needs too and I’m not 40 yet.

Yemi, e-mail

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Dear Yemi, do sympathise with your predicament, I’ sure friends would have told you your relationship with your husband has changed and he’s no longer the man you married. That as long as you’re discreet, an affair is fine – it might even enable you to continue caring for your husband without feeling bitter about your situation.

Why not ask yourself how you would feel in your husband’s position – would you understand? Your answer should tell you all you need to know.

I

How do I introduce my lover to my parents?

Dear Bunmi, ’M currently dating a very wonderful girl and would want my parents to meet her. I have met her and they are quite extroverted – they took to me right away. Mum always grills me about bringing my ‘intended. I love this lady but we haven’t discussed marriage yet. She’s quite keen on meeting my parents – but how do I do this without my mum hearing wedding bells?

Jide By e-mail

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Dear Jide, ntroducing your new love to your parents is always little fraught, but here are some expert advice on ways to make sure it all runs smoothly.

Fill your partner in on any family eccentricities. If your dad doesn’t take his eyes off the telly, warn your partner not to feel slighted. Fill your family in on your partner. Explain what he or she does for a living and any significant vulnerable points – for example, a parent who’s recently died or a promotion that’s fallen through. That way, they’ll know to steer of certain subjects.

Make sure your family knows how serious the relationship is, especially if your partner is more serious than you are. He or she will already think meeting your family is the green light for commitment.

Your parents saying things like “You’re part of the family now”, will have wedding bells ringing in your partner’s ears.

If you’re both staying the night, make sure you’ve had where you’re both going to sleep discussion. Don’t quiz your partner relentlessly for their impression after.

Give everyone time to get used to each other.

I

Share your problems and release your burden. Write now to Dear Bunmi, Vanguard Newspapers, P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 41

afterwards.

The first thing I said to him is Mr. President, please let me be clear here, the US wants you to win your war on terror and assist you with equipment. That is as true today as it was when I said that to him.

W

ithout disclosing military strategy and issues of national interest to both Nigeria and US, would you educate Nigerians on the mission of Okpbana?

I will say a few things here, and then Naval Commander Rene Laverde will be glad to tell you more in details.

We have had a good relationship with the any

•Ambassador James Entwistle

Continues from Page 39 with civil society, especially to help to organize and support Nigerian elections observers, which I think is much more important than international observers.

To summarise know the US is incredible excited to support our most important partners in Africa, as it is getting ready to have a huge democratic experience and I think is great.

W

e know the US govt. has made some level of intervention. You have been able to support us with some light military equipment and intelligence. Nigerians would want to know why the turn down on the request for you to sell arms to us to support the fight against terrorism?

Take it from me, as President Obama’s representative to this country. No one is doing more than the United States to support Nigeria. We cannot always talk about the details in public, but I know the corporation continues.

Transfers of equipment are under consideration. Information sharing continues. We continue to train your officers and so on.

Very often, that training focuses on our experience to countering insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And what we have learnt this is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. How do you find an enemy that has mixed itself in the civilian population? Could not care less how many civilians were killed. How do you combat someone like that? That is really hard.

So we are bringing people who have had such experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and sharing that experiences we think can help.

On the equipment issue, you know the US transfers military equipment to a number of countries around the world.

By law, we have to consider it very carefully in each case, we have to look at it in terms of what that country needs.

Is it appropriate, we look at the country’s human rights and its records and so on.

I am not just talking about Nigeria, I mean any country in the world that require this. Sometimes, the answers is yes, sometimes the answer is no.

But it is important to note that regardless of what is happening in this case, or in previous case.

Our bilateral relationship is still strong.

The notion that we have cut you off or

Our bilateral relationship is still strong. The notion that we have cut you off or imposed arms embargo to be undiplomatic is complete nonsense

imposed arms embargo to be undiplomatic is complete nonsense.

In may 2013, when I had the privilege of presenting my credentials to your President and we had a conversation

Nigerian Navy for a long time.

This is the second one that we have transferred. The first one arrived couple of years ago. Basically we see it in our mutual interests to help build the Navy capability to operate effectively in the Gulf of Guinea against piracy, arms trafficking and oil theft.

So it is part of that relationship, that we have recorded we know what we needed, so we can look at transfers.

It is important to note that in spite of the transfer agreement your sailors went to the US, supervised and refurbished all that was needed and then sent it all the way here.

So when it came into the harbor last Friday, it was your Navy that was proudly sailing it. I wasn’t there to see, but Commander Laverde was there and he said it was a beautiful experience, and he can add some expertise I don’t have.

U

S Naval Commander, Rene Laverde The Okpabana transferred to the Nigerian Navy is fully focused on blue water operations.

It is provided to the Nigerian Navy to assist in countering piracy operations, countering bunkering, and it is ultimately up to the Nigerian navy to how best they want to operate it in addition to other vessels that they have

From left : US Public Affairs Officer, Dehab Ghebreab, Consul General, Jeffery Hawkins, Vanguard foreign correspondent, Vera Anyagafu, US Ambassador, James Entwistle, US Naval Commander, Rene Laverde and Vanguard Media Administration Manager, Victor Gotevbe during the presentation of souveniers to the US mission, Nigeria.

in countering levels of piracy operations, illegal arms, illegal fishing, trade and so on The partnership is going to be a long time partnership.

We do not need to determine to Nigeria. Nigerians know and Africans know as well, what matters in terms of security.

So we are looking at individually, in regard to this ship’s spare parts, and other special trainings. We have coming up in end of March, 2015. We are looking at over a dozen countries, basically operating to Ghana, all the way to Cameroun and extending forth.

This is the next piece and we are encouraging and supporting Nigeria more in regional maritime security.

We are not just securing the maritime areas of Nigeria, but also Zone-E.

D

o you think Nigeria needs a Marshal plan for its energy and agricultural sectors?

When you use that term, it implies that your country has nothing and needed other country to come in. I do not think that is a proper scenario, especially in this scenario.

Nigeria has smart men who can come up with solution.

If you walk around this country, you know is a rich country with great future.

You do not need that plan, because Nigerians know what to do.

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re you not discouraged by the level of corrupting in Nigeria?

Discouraged? This is something that Nigeria would have to address. You see in any country, including my own country, I think sometimes you get the government that you are willing to settle for. If an individual citizen believes I work hard, I pay my tax, so why do I have to put up with this stuff. But yes, corruption is a problem. In my country, it is a situation that we take seriously and sometimes, it is included in our discussions here.

It is a huge issue all over the world and again, I do not think it is something outsiders could fix for you.

An individual citizen can get angry, and say, ‘no, enough is enough okay’.

T

alking about the recent oil glut, don’t you think it’s necessary for the US to increase its oil reserves to avoid global recession?

Perhaps it is another way of asking why we no longer buy oil from Nigeria. Well, there is no US policy decision we would no longer buy oil from Nigeria. That was as a result of market forces. Our own domestic production is becoming significant.

We are buying less oil all over the world and this is not something that is directed to Nigeria.

Although, I am no an economist, I know the world market is changing fast. Where some countries are 10 years ago, you never would have expected them there today, and thanks to technology. And countries that have been oil producers for years, suddenly happens realized the game is changing. But I think the whole oil came down with other countries coming online and the world price I understand is down below $50.

These are game changing things, but I think we they have finance and petroleum ministers all over the world scrambling to react.

42 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Euphoria as Nigeria’s solar-powered race car emerges

By Sola Ogundipe

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VEN as Nigerians look forward to the commencement of the forthcoming 2015 general elections in February, another expected highlight of the new year is the scheduled presentation of the prototype of Nigeria’s first ever solar-powered race car, the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car, to President Goodluck Jonathan within the first quarter of the year. he upcoming presenta tion of the innovative design to the president at the State House, Abuja, will be at the instance of the Nigeria Eco-Racing Team, a.k.a.

Team Nigeria, which is competing as Africa’s sole representative at the World Solar Challenge at Adelaide, Australia, later in the year in October.

The 27-year-old World Solar Challenge, a globally reputed competition at which Nigeria showcases as Africa’s only competitor and for the first time, is the No.1 and most keenly contested technology challenge in the Renewable Energy category and Design ecosystem.

In addition to standing a good chance as Africa’s Ambassador at the global event, the greatest expectations of the 9jaBOLT Solar Car technology is its very probable application to cushion Nigeria’s domestic energy problems.

Indeed the story of the origins of the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” has been nothing short of phenomenal, and one worth telling over and over. No one tells the story better than Mr. Ebisike Ebube George, the Creative Director of the Nigeria EcoRacing Team at the World Solar Challenge.

In a chat with Vanguard Features, Ebube George recounted how over the last year, the team has been expanding its research in the first of its kind hardware and software technology de-

T

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sign campaign whilst commencing building of the solar car at its Owode-Onirin base in Lagos.

It all began when Ebube George, an engineer and ICT enthusiast, along with a group of other Nigerian engineers, technologists and scientists got together to design and build the state-of-the-art, concept solar car following an offer to compete at the biennial technological project.

“We have designed and are building the State-of-the-art Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car and look forward to its possible successes whilst attracting the prospects of commercial adoption and mass manufacturing as a product to serve the African continent transportation needs.

The complete car is estimated to cost US$650,000 not including other research being developed in partnership with the Wolfram Research Europe Limited to build the advanced solar car’s intelligence capability,” he explained.

The World Solar Challenge covers 3,021 km through the Australian Outback, from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia. The objective is to promote research on solar-powered cars.

Already, Team Nigeria has successfully completed and achieved proof of concept in its manufacturing process given the birth of its mini model, a prototype made of styrofoam which passed through a carefully tailored process and precise chemical cocktail to achieve the final finish that is comparable to any fibre glass finish.

The manufacturing and assembly processes over seen by Team Nigeria Assistant Director of Fabrication and Engineering, Mr. Dan Mba took 18 months.

Currently, Team Nigeria’s intelligent suit which will be worn by the driver(s) of the solar car at the World Solar Challenge in competition is being designed

by MUDI Africa at its Anthony Lagos couture Headquarters.

The MUDI Sport “9jaBOLT iSuit” as it is called will be impregnated with sensors to cater to the measurement of the

Ebube George (left) with Kehinde Obasanjo and the 9jaBOLT solar race car prototype. driver’s biometrics and state of wellbeing on the 3000+km odyssey across the Darwin Adelaide outback in Australia.

Recently, Team NIGERIA held its first speaking engagement event entitled the “American Management Perspective Forum (AMPF)” put together by Mr. Tobenna Okoli of Solomon Hunt Limited, a Result Engineering Consulting Firm based in Lagos. At the event with the theme “Contextualising Emerging Trends, Defining Management Today”, Ebube George discussed the direct impacts of Management styles on Sci-

In addition to standing a good chance as Africa’s Ambassador at the global event, the greatest expectations of the 9jaBOLT Solar Car technology is its very probable application to cushion Nigeria’s domestic energy problems

ence & Technology growth in Nigeria and across the African continent.

He spoke on the 9jaBolt project and African Design Medal & Festival billed for August 2015 where the solar car will be formally unveiled

by Mr. President. The ADMF is widely acknowleged as “Africa’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize”.

Explaining the benefits, Ebube George argued that the car is designed and engineered to be a grossly efficient clean energy system where there is no release of emission of any kind and the manufacturing process is carried out with the most minimal of carbon footprint exposure.

“The conversion of electromagnetic energy of the sun into electrical energy through the use of photovoltaic cells and that into mechanical energy to drive the car with an electric motor playing a key role at that point is the simple guiding process that can lead an expert team of savvy technologists to achieve a proof of concept model.

“One single charge of its lithium ion battery should carry it for up to 550km and possibly over 750km if powered on its own solar cells. And once drained can be recharged fully in 10hours using a standard power socket at home and in 6-8hours using a commercial power outlet.” He explained.

Further, he noted that given the situation of the drop in global fossil fuel prices the 9jaBOLT has a better eco-

friendliness and economic advantage when calculating its efficiency and cost. “For every 100km covered the 9jaBOLT would cost approximately $0.20 or N37 compared to the average $15 or N2,790 ($1@N186) for the conventional petrol fuelled automobiles.

The solar car ’s windscreen is to be made of e-glass and given our developed and expanding relationships with firms as GE, EATON Industries, Siemens, Mahindra Commviva, University of Delft et al, Team Nigeria will pick up further invaluable 23rd century technological knowhow with diverse and unique scalable management capability.

“The entire system above can be applied to building designs so as to achieve similar efficiency needed to solve our power problem in Nigeria’s quest to cater to our population’s energy quandary as well as the coming of rapid urbanisation and the new media explosion across the country and continent.

“This use of solar panels/arrays and other power system components would be cost effective in the long run and adequate for the development of low cost urban housing that would be independently powered with individual structures contributing to a centralised power generator/ecosystem. And this can be sold to low and middle income families through a properly structured mortgage system,” Ebube George remarked.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 43

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44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015—45

DEMOLITION OF EX-VC’S RESIDENCE: UNIBEN staff demand govt's apology

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—STAFF of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, have asked the Edo State Government to apologize to the people of the state for the demolition of the official residence of the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.Osayuki Oshodin and property allotted to the university by the former governor of defunct Mid-West, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.

But the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Louis Odion, disagreed with them, insisting that “The state government only recovered the property belonging to the state and never demolished UNIBEN property as they claim. This is a legal matter in which the High Court delivered judgment in favour of the state government in a suit filed by the university.”

In a statement by N’Edoghama Osaretin, the staff of UNIBEN argued that the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, personalised the issue by allegedly attacking the person of the former Vice Chancellor while destroying his official residence.

He said: “The state

Youths urge Urhobo nation to hold talks with Okowa

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—URHOBO Youth Congress, UYC, has urged the Urhobo nation to hold a meeting with the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, so as to define their stake in his administration if elected.

UYC, in a statement by its National President, Mr. Nathaniel Okhoroh, stressed the need for the Urhobo to reflect on their past decisions, “Correct them, redirect them, and realign where necessary.

“The first step to that is the much publicised visit of the President General of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Joe Omene, to President Goodluck Jonathan, where the deal to give Jonathan Urhobo votes was reportedly sealed.

“We cannot afford to be wise at the federal level alone as we must extend such wisdom to the state level where the real dividends are shared by ethnic nationalities."

government should apologize to the staff and students of the institution.

“Secondly, the buildings in question were donations to the university at its inception.

Since when did givers of gifts and donations start demanding for those gifts to be returned to them? The question the governor should answer is, supposing Prof.

Osunbor was still in office at the time the High Court gave its judgment last month, would he have taken to undemocratic means to enforce the law? This is a million dollar question Governor Oshiomole should answer.”

But reacting, Odion said: “This has nothing to do with the staff of the university. What

does the recovery of government property that was about to be sold by agents of the university have to do with the students and staff? We have challenged them to present the stay of execution order they claimed they have.

This is a government that respects the rule of law and will never do anything against the will of the electorate.”

RE-UNION FUND RAISING: From left, Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State; President, Alumni Association of the National Institute, AANI, Major. Gen. Lawrence Onojoa; former federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Edugie Abebe and Secretary-General of AANI, Mr. Isa Aremu, during the AANI re-union fund raising in Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Goodluck Support Network calls for commitment

By Daniel Gumm

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O-ORDINATOR of Goodluck Suport Network Campaign Organisation, Delta State chapter, Mr Newportwright Tucker, has charged members of the organisation to rededicate themselves and show renewed commitment to ensuring the victory of the President in the February 14, poll.

Tucker, in Warri, at the state Executive Committee meeting where more hands were added to the various committees, directed members to renew their commitment to deliver President Jonathan.

He said that the organisation has over 300,000 members from all the 25 local government areas in the state and has equally visited all of them and inaugurated their executives.

Tucker said President Jonathan’s achievements were not evident today because of the long years of neglect and decay in the various sectors of the economy imposed on Nigerians by previous administrations.

Edo NMA gives state govt 21 days to pay withheld doctors' salaries

Madam Ejuwa for burial

Salary CONMESS, poor infrastructure and lack of appropriate working tools, poor health care delivery in the state as well as gross shortage of health manpower as some of their demands Omoti, who lamented the dearth of medical infrastructure in the state- owned hospitals and other health facilities, noted that shortage of manpower in the health sector had resulted in the “Work overload for the few available unmotivated hands rendering services in extremely difficult working conditions.”

He said that the state government had withheld the emoluments of its doctors working for the months of July and August 2014, following their participation in a nationwide strike called by the national leadership of the association.

The NMA chairman insisted that the imposition of multiple taxes on private hospital facilities, including inefficient management policy of the government had hampered quality health care delivery in the state.

A D A M Eseoghene Ejuwa of Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, is dead, aged 56.

Service of songs will hold today at her residence, Block 168 Flat 1, Amuwo Odofin Estate, Mile 2, Lagos.

Burial and wake-keep ceremonies come up January 16, at Orire Ofe Oriste Baptist Church, Koko, Delta State, followed by interment at her father's residence in Koko.

She’s survived by children, grandchildren, and other relatives including her twin brother, Ede Ejuwa.

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—EDO State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has given a 21-day ultimatum to the state government to pay the July and August 2014 salaries of doctors under its employment or face a strike action effective from February 2, 2015.

Edo State Chairman of NMA, Prof. Afekhide Omoti, in a statement in Benin, yesterday, said if the state government fails to meet its demands, all doctors working in public hospitals in the state would withdraw their services to press home their demands.

He listed the failure of the state government to implement the full consolidated Medical

I’m optimistic of victory in Delta South —LP SENATE CANDIDATE

By Daniel Gumm

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ARRI—LABOUR Party senatorial candidate for Delta South in the forthcoming February polls, Mr Oniyetsoritse Wilkie, has said that he was optimistic of victory at the polls because “the awareness in politics is such that people have grown and become more enlightened and can appreciate what one stands for. Recent pattern in voting has shown that voters vote according to their conscience, no matter the inducement.”

The Labour Party senatorial

candidate, who was a former member, Board of Directors, Delta Waterways Limited, under Chief James Ibori's administration, explained that his ambition was anchored on courage, purpose and the people.

Wilkie, who said that his acceptance was overwhelming, noted that “The Isokos want to quickly have their turn. The Ijaws are already discontent with having one person take the Senate seat for the fourth time for a position that is rotational between Ijaws, Itsekiri and Isokos.”

M

Late Madam Ejuwa

46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

FUTA, Carnegie scholar partner on Smart Grid Technology

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By Oboh Agbonkhese

HERE is an urgent need to deploy Smart Grid Technology, SGT, to address the power challenges of developing countries, including Nigeria.

This call was made by Professor James Momoh, a visiting Carnegie Africa in Diaspora Fellowship, ADF, programme scholar from Howard University, United States of America, during a workshop at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA. Professor Momoh, who spoke on Deployment of Smart Grid Technology for National Development at a workshop to kick start the collaboration between Carnegie-ADF and FUTA on SGT, posited that power development, generation, transmission and distribution are critical to job creation, security, economic development and environment-friendly society.

Speaking, ViceChancellor of FUTA, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, said there was need for Nigerians in the Diaspora to return and give back to the society.

He said the collaboration with Carnegie-ADF would engender vital researches and meaningful contributions to the power sector of the country.

FUTA: Professor Adebiyi Daramola, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA (middle); on his left is Professor James Momoh, visiting Carnegie-Africa in Diaspora Fellowship, ADF, programme scholar from Howard University, United States of America; and senior academic staff of FUTA, during a workshop at the institution.

Buhari promises to reposition Nigeria T

HE presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has vowed to reposition the country if elected president in next month’s election. General Buhari spoke in Owerri, Imo State, during his presidential campaign rally at Dan Anyiam Stadium.

Among the APC national leaders that graced the occasion were APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun; Director-General, Buhari Campaign Organization, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State; Senator Chris Ngige; Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Senator Bukola Saraki and Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere.

Buhari said if elected president, his administration would focus more attention on infrastructural development, security and economy.

He also assured the people of Imo State that he would embark on reconstruction of all the federal roads in the South-

Delta PDP medical team assures on efficiency

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member of the medical committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign organization in Delta State, Dr. Isioma Okobah, has assured that the team will execute its mandate with the highest degree of professionalism and commitment to duty.

Dr. Okobah, who spoke at the end of the inauguration of the campaign organization in Asaba, pledged that the medical team would be guided by globally-accepted best practices and would bring enormous wealth of experience, time and energy to bear in the performance of their assignment.

Another member of the team, Dr. Nick Azinge, said the medical team would be guided by team spirit and the determination.

East to enhance the socioeconomic activities in the area and as well give soft loans to promote small and medium scale enterprise.

The APC presidential candidate assured the people of Imo State of his determination to eradicate poverty and fight corruption.

On his part, Governor Rochas Okorocha expressed his determination to rid the state of poverty through massive industrialization to stimulate employment for youths in the state.

Rochas vowed to use his position to transform the state into a mega-city through

... as SEPDF launches Fair Competiton Campaign

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—AHEAD of next month’s general elections, Southern Eastern Peoples Development Forum, SEPDF, has called on politicians vying for elective offices in the country, to imbibe non-violence campaigns during and after the elections in the interest of the nation, saying the wellbeing of Nigerians and Nigeria supersedes individuals’ interest.

This call was the high-point of the group’s nationwide Fair Contest Campaign 2015 launch in Lagos.

The group’s Chairman, Mr. Philip Obuesi, called on political parties, candidates and supporters to embrace peace because anything short of free and fair election would not augur well for the country.

Obuesi said the group did not want a repeat of what happened during the 2011

elections to happen again, hence the group took up the campaign of non-violence, free and fair polls.

He said: “Igbo youths are coming up with new ideas to create new platforms for the social political involvement of people and the development of the country.

“Our organization is development-minded and we have being partnering the governments of the southern and south-eastern states on issues of development.”

Speaking at the event, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, who is contesting for Lagos State Central Senatorial district on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, advised politicians to play by the rules in the elections.

He said: “People should play by the rules. The rules are very clear as spelt out by the umpire. People should just play by the rules going

INTERSOCIETY accuses INEC of inefficiency

By Vincent Ujumadu

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WKA—HUMAN rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, INTERSOCIETY, yesterday, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of planning to plunge the country into chaos, alleging

basic infrastructural development if re-elected and urged the people of Imo State to vote for General Buhari to eradicate poverty in the country.

On his part, Governor Amaechi insisted that APC meant well for Nigerians, and urged Nigerians to vote in APC in the forthcoming general elections.

shoddy preparation for the forthcoming elections, claiming that over 35 million registered voters had been disenfranchised by the commission.

In a statement by the chairman of its board of trustees, BoT, Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group said: “It is clear that INEC wants to plunge Nigeria into chaos and

bloodletting. It is also our firm view that remedial measures proposed by INEC are totally smokescreen measures.

“Making empty promises to Nigerians over these monumental demographic and electoral failures are like putting salt into deep body cut. It is totally correct to say that Jega’s INEC clearly lacks capacity and capability.”

outside the rules is not going to give any one any advantage.”

Journalists tasked on professionalism

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HE Chairman of Isoko North Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Igbakpor, has urged journalists to do their job with professionalism.

Igbakpor, however, thanked journalists for the support they had given to democracy in the country.

He spoke when the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Isoko Correspondence Chapel, paid him a courtesy visit to strengthen the relationship between the union and the local government.

Responding, Chairman of NUJ Isoko Correspondence Chapel, Mr. Robinson Oghomu, said the chapel, registered five years ago, would continue to work with the council boss, who is media friendly.

He stressed on the need to fight quackery in the profession and solicited the assistance of the council, especially with the general elections around the corner.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015— 47

You're dirty, corrupt, Lamido tells Buhari supporters D

By Aliyu Dangida

UTSE—JIGAWA State governor, Sule Lamido, has again taken a swipe at supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, saying that they are, ‘’dirty, and corrupt people who were always singing songs of change,’’ to cover their ignoble tracks.

Lamido who spoke while addressing supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, however, reiterated that Buhari as a person ‘’is honest, clean and sincere.’’

His words: “I know Buhari is not corrupt. He is honest, clean and sincere, but what about those surrounding him? They are dirty and corrupt people always singing the song of change.”

The governor who was accompanied by the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim Ringim and his running mate Dr Nurudden Muhammed said that Nigerians were fed up with the senseless noise of change from

those dirty people who defected from the PDP to APC. He then cautioned Buhari to be vigilant of politicians who were bent on hiding under his shadow to win elections.

Lamido, a known critic of Buhari, had been campaigning for PDP candidates without mentioning the presidential candidate of his party, President Goodluck Jonathan even for

once.

Each time it came to mentioning the achievements of Jonathan, the governor would ask the electorates to “vote for your own choice.”

BRIEFING: From left: Mr. Martin Mabatho, General Manager, Multichioce Nigeria Ltd, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa, GM, Gotv Nigeria, and Mr. Felix Awogu, GM, SuperSport West Africa, during a briefing on Supersport Orange AFCON Broadcasting in Lagos.

Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Don't drag us into politics, EFCC warns politicians

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By Soni Daniel

BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday warned the political class not to drag it into the political fray in their desperate bid to win the next month’s poll.

The commission in a statement entitled ‘Our Stand’ and made available to Vanguard, the commission expressed concern over the desperate effort by some unnamed politicians to woo the electorate for votes through frivolous petitions to the commission for actions against their opponents.

The commission said it was alarmed by claims in the media that it was not doing enough to fight graft simply because it had not acted on certain petitions filed by political leaders against their opponents in a bid to give them an edge.

The commission said: “For some category of politicians, elections are nothing short of open warfare where any weapon that can swing the tide in their favour is fair. It

does not matter whether such weapons deviate from the acceptable norm.

“In recent weeks the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been alarmed by reports in a section of the media, accusing it of failure to act on certain petitions supposedly sent to it through the pages of the newspapers.

According to the petitioners, the Commission’s failure to act had reduced their chances of success in the political arena.

“While it is puzzling how the

Commission’s action or inaction could confer political advantage on any aspirant, it is important to educate petition writers that the EFCC has standard operating procedures, which clearly state the irreducible minimum standards which officers must uphold in evaluating petitions for investigation. Where petitions fall short of such standards, the EFCC is not obliged to proceed.

“The Commission wishes to sound a note of warning to politicians not to attempt to use

Kwara APC inaugurates campaign team

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By Demola Akinyemi

LORIN—AHEAD of next month’s general election, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State, weekend inaugurated its campaign team with the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa as the director-general.

The APC leader in the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki who inaugurated the committee assured that the party would record total victory during the elections.

Saraki asked the team to work hard as the APC in the coming elections, was not going out only to secure a

Mrakpor urges support for Okowa, PDP

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SABA—THE Campaign Office of Evang.

Onyemaechi Mrakpor, Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency has restated the need for a total support for the governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as well as that of all the candidates of the party in next month’s general elections.

This was made known in Asaba, the Delta State capital, during the

it as a tool for political warfare, In recent weeks, the EFCC has received many frivolous petitions alleging high crimes against leading political figures. Some of them came from the opponents of such individuals.

“While it is important for citizens to be whistle blowers, it amounts to self help to attempt to instigate the EFCC against a political opponent.

Citizens do not have to wait until election time to report alleged financial malfeasance."

hosting of over three thousand party faithful in Asaba.

Evang. Mrakpor said she decided to host the meeting which also had in attendance all the party stalwart in the four local government areas in her campaign office to be able to distribute to them her own Tshirts, caps and logistics including provision of buses and cars to transport them to Oghara, the venue of the governorship campaign flag off.

Evang. Mrakpor in company

of her husband, described the PDP as the only party that has all it takes to bring good dividends of democracy to Deltans.

In their separate remarks, the Director-General of Mrakpor Campaign Organisation, Prince Austin Chikezie, Chief Felix Ndukwe, Comrade Anene Chigbue, among others commended the initiative, adding that the gesture was a proof of her commitment and dedication to the success of the party.

landslide victory but to send a strong message to the PDP that power belonged to the people.

“We don’t want 60:40, we don’t want 70:30, we don’t want 80:20, a minimum of 90 per cent and above.

“This is your goal; your goal is not just to win but to send a strong message that Kwara State belongs to the people of the state; it does not belong to South-South.

God is here, they should leave Kwara alone; they should not interfere with Kwara,”he added.

Saraki said that the coming elections in the state would be a walk- over, with the calibre of membership of the campaign committee and the verifiable achievements of the disciples of the Saraki political dynasty in governance since 2003.

Yerima, Adamawa SDP gov candidate passes on

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By Umar Yusuf

OLA—THE Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Adamawa State, Rev. Hakila Yerima is dead.

Yerima reportedly died on January 6, barely a month after winning the governorship primary of the party held on December 6, 2014, after a brief illness.

Confirming this development in an interview with Vanguard in Yola, the state Secretary of the SDP, Dr. John Luka said the party’s flag bearer took ill and was hospitalized, but died later.

Luka said:”Our party’s flag bearer Hakila Yerima was hospitalized for liver related illness before the Christmas celebrations in Gombe and he died on January 6.

“Rev Yerima had on December 27, 2014 written to the party that he was withdrawing from the race as its flag bearer because of his failing health.”

Part of the copy of letter of withdrawal of his candidature read, “l wish to tender my letter of intention to withdraw my candidacy in the forth coming governorship election due to my falling health.

“While thanking the party members for the confidence reposed in me, I wish to urge the party to look for a credible candidate that will fly its flag in the general elections.”

Meanwhile, Luka said that the party had notified INEC over the development.

Passage

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HIEF FOLAGBADE Ilawole of Ayeren family of Ikorigho in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State is dead. He was 102 years old.

Chief Ilawole was Balogun Ijo and People’s Warden of St. Paul Anglican Church, IdiOgba until his death.

Christian wake-keep/ traditional rite will take place on Thursday while interment will be on Friday at UleAgbagba Ode-Ugbo, Ondo State.

He is survived by many children, including Mr. Charles Ilawole.

Late Folagbade Ilawole.

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

PDP presidential rallies in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti states

Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Udugale (middle), flanked by President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd left) and Vice President Namadi Sambo (1st right); Minister of State, FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide (right), and Oyo State PDP Governorship Candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, when they paid a homage to the Olubadan ahead of the arrival of the Oyo State Presidential Campaign Rally, at the Mapo Hill, Ibadan, Oyo State, Monday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida & Dare Fasube

President Goodluck, acknowledging cheers from supporters, during Presidential Campaign Rally, at the Freedom Park, Osogbo, Osun State. Photo:

by Abayomi Adeshida

President Jonathan (middle), Vice President Sambo (left), National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu (right), at the PDP Presidential Campaign Rally, in Ado-Ekiti, The crowd at the Ekiti campaign rally Ekiti State, yesterday.

APC campaign visits Obasanjo, holds rally in Ogun

From left, APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, Vice Presidential Candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian President; Chief Bisi Akande, member, Board of Trustees; National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and other top APC leaders, during the visit. Photo: Joseph Akintola & Wunmi Akinola

APC supporters at the rally.

Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibukunle Amosun, during the party's presidential campaign in Ogun State.

National Chairman of APC Chief John Oyegun presenting Party Flag to the Governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun

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I voted Buhari last time, but here’s Oshiomhole revokes MoU with why I now support Jonathan Igbinedion Varsity

By Bayo Adeyinka Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect— Mark Twain.

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OUR years ago I was an avid supporter of General Muhammadu Buhari but now I wholeheartedly support the candidature of Goodluck Jonathan. I have written articles to explain why I no longer support General Buhari but I just realized I should also explain why I now endorse Jonathan.

As a social commentator, critic, analyst and activist, I believe I owe my readers, admirers and followers a duty to explain the basis for my support. I have had people- well-meaning friends- ask me to watch the current of events and not ‘go against the tide’ but I always follow the courage of my convictions as the test of courage comes when you are in the minority. I know leadership is not a popularity contestit is always about doing the right thing.

According to Mahatma Ghandi, “In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place”. And for me this is a matter of conscience.

As a player in the financial sector and a full time resident of Nigeria, I have seen the groundbreaking efforts made by the President to tackle the numerous issues which plague our polity. Just like a friend put it, the fact that you think Goodluck Jonathan doesn’t look, talk or act ‘presidential’ does not mean you should doubt what he has done or refuse to accept the good he has done. That is tantamount to cutting the nose to spite the face.

A few years ago, I lost a very dear friend of mine to a ghastly motor accident on the LagosIbadan Expressway. She was coming back from the Redemption Camp after the monthly meeting and her vehicle ran into another on-coming vehicle while trying to avoid a very big pothole.

It was a very sad moment for me when I visited the widower who was my lecturer in the university and I saw the toddler she left behind. That same road that used to be the nightmare of motorists is now being turned into an amazing infrastructure at a frenetic speed. I am a frequent road-user and I can tell the difference on a good portion of what used to be a death trap.

Others have told me about the BeninOre road and some other roads across the country.

A few months ago, I took the train from Lagos to Ibadan for the first time in this country. While a few of my friends have derided it as locomotive in this time and age, no one can doubt the fact that goods are being transported via trains now. I took pictures of WAPCO LAFARGE and Dangote coaches as they hauled cement on the tracks. Do we know how much our roads have been spared from wear and tear and carnage associated

with heavy trucks and trailers which hitherto transported these goods? The same derided trains carried APC delegates to the Presidential primaries in Lagos from Kano in December. The same trains also carry Osun State indigenes free of charge from Lagos to Osogbo every festive period. There is no denying the success of the intracity trains which daily operates within Lagos and which according to some reports carry 5m people monthly. The PH-Enugu rail line was opened a few weeks ago and Abuja-Kaduna which is a 150km per hour rail line will be commissioned next month.

I have personally visited farms supported by this government through various initiatives such as the CBN Agric Scheme and the Bank of Agriculture. I have heard of how fertilizer scam which was rampant a few years fizzled out under this government through the creation of some initiatives. The rate at which agriculture is being encouraged and developed is unprecedented in the annals of the nation’s history. I have personally visited factories set up in an arrangement with the Bank of Industry. One of them which just started operations and now manufactures a key raw material hitherto exported from an European country, will soon start exporting to Benin Republic and Cameroon. That company has hired 53 people. Many people did not know that the BOI has been in operations for about 30 years. I can see the SME sector gradually getting it’s groove back.

Read on after the cut….A few months after the rollout of the automotive policy, I visited an auto assembly plant that was just established. I watched as 2 brand of vehicles were assembled. I saw the technicians work on the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) parts and pass them through the chassis line up to the final product. That same plant assembles the BRT buses in use in Lagos.

I was informed that auto plant hired over 200 new

The rate at which agriculture is being encouraged and developed is unprecedented in the annals of the nation’s history

staff as a result of that policy. Madein-Nigeria cars are now being sold.

This past year, I visited the creeks of the Niger Delta and saw local companies now benefitting from the Local Content Bill. Jobs that were previously outsourced to expatriates are now being handled by Nigerians.

Major OICs are now forced to look for local technical partners by reason of the Bill. I know a textile factory that recalled workers that had been laid off after accessing the CTG (Cotton, Textile and Garment) Revival Fund managed by the BOI. I can only guess how many jobs were saved or created by those who accessed the fund. I know the new Universities created from scratch by this government – about nine as we speak. The new Universities have created employment and have been able to assist more people have access to education.

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By Gabriel Enogholase

ENIN—EDO State Government, yesterday, cancelled the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it entered with the Igbinedion University Okada, for the use of the state-owned Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital, both in Benin, for the practical training of medical students of the university.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion, said Igbinedion University was indebted to the state government to the tune of N350 million as at 2013, at N50 million per annum for the training of its

medical students.

He explained that the MoU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Chief Lucky I g b i n e d i o n administration to enable the university enjoy the use of the said hospitals, as part of the conditions demanded by the National Universities Commission, NUC and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, to grant it accreditation to train medical students in the clinical facilities.

He said: “Part of the terms of the said MoU was that the Igbinedion University would pay a token as concessionary levy annually to the Edo State Government for the use of the Central Hospital and Stella

....Withdraws ITV correspondent's accreditation

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—EDO State Government has withdrawn the accreditation of the correspondent and cameraman of the Independent Television, ITV, attached to the Government House, for what it called the station’s unprofessional reportage of news and events, allegedly aimed at deliberately misinforming the people on the state g o v e r n m e n t ’ s programmes and activities.

In a letter to the General Manager, Independent Television, ITV, Benin City, owned by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Special

Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which have continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the state.

“As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy, offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National B r o a d c a s t i n g Commission, NBC. “In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”

Obasanjo Hospital for which medical students pay commercial fees to the Igbinedion University.”

He disclosed that upon his assumption of office in 2008, Governor Adams Oshiomhole discovered that not only had the terms of the MoU been mostly dishonoured despite being too generous to the university, no money had been paid to the government.

He added that consistent to his avowed commitment to the principle of probity, accountability and transparency, the governor in 2013 directed the Ministry of Health to invite the authorities of the university to settle the liabilities as well as a notification for an upward review of the annual fee to reflect the current economic realities.

The commissioner said that the university wrote back and offered to pay N50,000 per month for the use of the facilities in hospitals, adding that concerted efforts made to have the university pay up the debt and also agree to an upward review of the annual charge proved abortive.

He added that in view of the above, the governor had no other option than to terminate the MoU in public interest, adding that he had equally directed the Ministry of Health to inform the NUC and MDCAN that both state hospitals would no longer be made available for the use of medical students from the university.

Why I’m not supporting Jonathan —SYLVA

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N A G O A — F O R M E R Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has explained why he was supporting General Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate and not his kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, standard bearer.

He said that current

administration had disappointed the people of the Niger Delta on promised infrastructure.

Sylva, at an interactive session with the people of the state on a private radio station, Royal FM, monitored in Yenagoa, said though the decision to support the candidature of Gen. Buhari was based on conviction and the need for change in the polity, the brotherliness between him and President Jonathan ended when he removed him from office and hatched

series of plots to put him in jail without success.

The former governor reiterated his readiness to work for his new found political friends within the fold of APC than working for Jonathan, who he said has failed the people of the Niger Delta and plotted his political downfall.

He said “Please, go and ask my so called brother, if he is really my brother. I don’t think he is my brother.

Who is your brother? Your brother is one who looks after you, who watches your back."

54 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

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We begged Buhari to re-contest — TINUBU

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BEOKUTA—AS the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) presidential campaign’s whistle stop tour of all 36 states moved to Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday, the party ’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu revealed the party's presidential flag bearer, Muhammadu Buhari’s initial reluctance to run in the elections, saying: “We begged Muhammadu Buhari to contest again.”

Championing the cause of the presidential candidate, Tinubu continued in Yoruba: “Nigeria is challenged and we present to you a great leader who has the ability to think and do and equals to performance. ''Buhari is the man that can deliver because he is honest, he has integrity.”

General Muhamamdu Buhari himself then took to the stage, reiterating his commitment to restoring security, power supply, and infrastructure.

He also spoke on the vital importance of reforming the Nigerian education sector. “Certificates from Nigerian universities must be respected throughout the world,” he said.The delegation was led by Buhari and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Other members of the party were also in attendance including the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the former Governor of Osun state, Bisi Akande. All were received by the incumbent gover nor, Ibikunle Amosun. Hajia Aisha Buhari and Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, the wives of both the presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively, were also present.

The day kicked off with a courtesy with a visit to the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, and then proceeded to the Moshood Abiola Stadium, where party dignitaries addressed the mammoth crowd present.

El-Rufai'll rebuild Kaduna State — OSHIOMHOLE K

A D U N A — GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo yesterday expressed confidence in the ability of APC governorship candidate for Kaduna, Malam Nasiru ElRufai, to rebuild the state, if elected.

Oshomole said in Kaduna at the inauguration of APC governorship campaign in the state that El-Rufai would bring about cogent development and genuinely unite the diverse peoples of the state.

He said: “I am here to affirm that Malam Nasir El-Rufai will rebuild Kaduna state, he will revive the lost glory of the state and fix things right.

“He is a practical and hard working man. Do not believe those that will continue to use religion and differences to confuse and retard development.

“He has done it in the past and will do it again; he has the capacity and basic requisite knowledge needed to rebuild Kaduna State.

VISIT: Mr Akin Orebiyi, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Lagos State (left)discusing with Rt. Rev. Dr James Odedeji, Bishop of Lagos West, Anglican Communion (centre), while Ven. Abel Ajibodu, Dean of Cathedral look on during the Bishop's courtesy call to the INEC office, Yaba, Lagos, yesterday. Photo by Diran Oshe.

“Those of us who lived and worked in Kaduna in the past can testify that we need El-Rufai and the APC manifesto.

“I am equally calling on all citizens of the state to give APC a chance and they will see the

difference,” he said.

APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, in a message described El-Rufai as a competent and tested leader that would bring about positive change to the state.

Oyegun, who was represented by his deputy, Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, pledged that APC would ensure sacrifice and resultoriented leadership that would bring about national rebirth and genuine development.

2015 POLLS: Nigeria’ll not disintegrate — MARK

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

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BUJA—SENATE Pres ident, David Mark has asked Nigerians to stop the blame game and support the Armed Forces to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East, and rescue the Chibok girls, saying that “blasts are nonpartisan in their destructive nature.’’

Mark, who spoke while welcoming his colleagues back from the Yuletide break as the Senate resumed yesterday, said every Nigerian irrespective of tribe, religion or political divide must support security agencies in their task of defeating Boko Haram for the nation to progress.

Mark specifically asked both the Federal Government and the Armed Forces to intensify efforts to rescue the Chibok girls abducted from their school in Borno State, months ago.

“Government must do all it can to end this insurgency. This is a war that we must win and we will win. The tendency is to blame government for this sore state of affairs. Every Nigerian, irrespective of partisanship, must demonstrate patriotism to our country. We must support our Armed Forces and other security operatives to stop this evil. Insecurity plagues all of us and must be tackled holistically,’’ he said.

He spoke as the hope for the

early passage of 2015 budget dimmed with the Senate failing to get the reports on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, which the budget was predicated on.

The two documents were supposed to, among other issues; recommend a realistic crude oil benchmark to be adopted for the 2015 Appropriation Bill.

However, Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Senator Mohammed Ahmed Makarfi, explained that his committee was yet to receive the revised MTEF and FSP noting that as such, no report was ready for consideration.

Mark noted with dismay that activities of insurgents and terrorists in the country, leading to the untimely death of several innocent and productive lives, stressing that the North Eastern part of country was under siege.

According to him, members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies had paid supreme sacrifice to free the country from the activities of insurgents and described the victims as heroes and heroines whose deaths must not be in vain.

“We pray that the souls of the deceased rest in peace. They are our heroes and heroines and their deaths must not be in vain.

We must not dishonour their memory by politicising the secu-

rity challenges in the NorthEast,’’ he further said.

Mark commended the National Assembly for its active roles in the fight against terrorism as well as the relevant committees that had engaged various stakeholders, especially the Armed Forces and other security agencies ''who risked their lives daily to protect our liberty, freedom and security.

On next month’s general elections and other issues, Mark said, “We have a role to play in ensur-

ing that Nigeria witnesses a peaceful general election. Despite the much vaunted fear, apprehension and anxiety that our nation may not survive the elections by some dooms- day prophets, I personally remain optimistic that we have the strength of character, the political will, the perseverance and maturity to rise above all the challenges that lie ahead. We are all leaders and I know that we will work towards peace and harmony. Our nation will not disintegrate after the elections.

Etisalat, FirstBank partner to provide mobile money on easywallet

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TISALAT Nigeria and FirstBank have teamed up to provide Firstmonie on the Etisalat Easywallet SIM application solution.

The partnership between Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company and leading banking institution will promote the use of Firstmonie mobile money on the mobile technology driven easywallet SIM application.

According to Lucas Dada, the Director, Business Segment at Etisalat Nigeria: ''This partnership between Etisalat Nigeria and FirstBank will provide added value to all customers and stakeholders in the mobile

money industry.

“Etisalat easywallet, is one of the most secure and convenient platforms for mobile money services. With the easywallet, Etisalat subscribers can make financial transactions such as Peer-to-Peer transfers, Bills Payment and Airtime topup, directly from their mobile device,” he said.

He added that Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa collectively contribute a lot to the nation’s economy and this necessitates the need to support this segment of the economy by making financial transactions easier, safer, more efficient and innovative.

56 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 , 2015

AirAsia cockpit voice recorder found D

IVERS in the Java Sea have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder from the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501, Indonesian officials have said.

The retrieval comes a day after the first piece of the so-called black box, the flight data recorder, was also found and brought to shore.

The aircraft with 162 people on board disappeared between Surabaya in Indonesia and Singapore on 28 December.

The two devices will help investigators understand more about what went wrong.

Forty-eight bodies have been recovered so far, but most of the victims are believed to still be inside the fuselage.

SB Supriadi from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency told the BBC’s Indonesian service the fuselage had been located by divers about 1.5km (0.9 miles) from where the tail section was found last week.

He said there were no plans yet to go down and retrieve it.

Pilot conversations The voice recorder was discovered close to where the flight data recorder was found on

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Merkel to join German Muslim tolerance rally

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The voice recorder was found by navy divers and then handed over to crash investigators Monday.

Navy divers found it under debris and not under a wing as initially thought, a military official said on Indonesian television.

It was then handed to the Indonesian air crash investigation team.

One records all the sounds on the flight deck. Not just voices, but alarms, switches being moved, engine noise, bangs, even the crew moving about.

This is the one investigators are likely to check first, because it might give a quick answer as to why the AirAsia plane crashed with-

Timeline: AirAsia QZ8501 *28 December, 2014: AirAsia says it has lost contact with flight QZ8501 which was en route from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board *30 December,2014: Wreckage seen floating off coast of Borneo. Later officials confirm it is from the AirAsia flight. A body is also seen. Search and rescue teams navigate high waves, strong currents and bad weather to recover wreckage and bodies *3 January, 2015: The Indonesian weather agency says it believes bad weather was the “biggest factor” in the crash *10 January, 2015: Tail of the plane is lifted out of the Java Sea, but the “black box” is not found where it is usually housed *12 January: Flight data recorder is retrieved and sent to Jakarta for memory to be downloaded and analysed *13 January: Cockpit voice recorder is retrieved from under heavy wreckage, hopefully containing the pilots’ last conversations.

HANCELLOR An gela Merkel is set to join a Muslim community rally to promote tolerance, condemn the attacks in Paris and send a rebuke to Germany’s growing anti-Islam movement.

President Joachim Gauck will address the vigil starting at 17:00 GMT at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate on Tuesday, organised by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany under the banner “Let’s be there for each other.

Terror: not in our name!”

Merkel, to be joined by most of her cabinet at

Kerry urges Pakistan to fight terror groups threatening whole region

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AKISTAN must fight militant groups that threaten Afghan, Indian and U.S. interests, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday as he offered sympathy for the victims of last month’s massacre of children at a Paki-

Victims of France attacks laid to rest

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RENCH President, Francois Hollande has pledged that his country will “never yield” to “terror” while honouring three police officers killed during the attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.

He pinned France’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honour, on coffins draped in flag of France in Paris on Tuesday as the Marseillaise anthem rang out.

“Our great and beautiful France will never

break, will never yield, never bend” in the face of the threat that is “still there, inside and outside” the country, Hollande said.

Seventeen people, including journalists and police officers, died in the

assault on Charlie Hebdo staff on Wednesday and in a bloody hostage situation at a Jewish supermarket two days later.

Franck Brinsolaro, 49 and Ahmed Merabet, 40, were killed during the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

Pope urges the ‘pursuit of truth’ in Sri Lanka

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OPE Francis has called for the “pursuit of truth” in Sri Lanka as

he visited the country still grappling with the legacy of a long civil war.

Pope Francis (left) was greeted on arrival by the new Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena

Meanwhile, crowds and ceremonial dancers welcomed the Pope as he arrived in Colombo.

It is the first papal visit since the end of the war in 2009 that saw the army and Tamil rebels accused of atrocities.

The country’s new president has promised an end to repression of religious minorities.

Speaking on the tarmac of Colombo’s international airport, where he was met by the new leader, Maithripala Sirisena, the

Pope said that peace could be found by “cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace”.

He said that the “pursuit of truth” was important, “not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity”.

All along the 20km (12 miles) highway leading up to the airport crowds gathered on both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.

the event, has spoken out against the rightwing populist “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident”, or PEGIDA, and stressed on Monday that “Islam belongs to Germany ”. PEGIDA on Monday drew a record 25,000 marchers to its 12th weekly rally in Dresden, located in the former communist East Germany, the AFP news agency reported. Flagwaving members held a minute’s silence for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris last week.

John Kerry was speaking after Benjamin Netanyahu’s government suspended negotiations with the Palestinians

stani school.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has long been suspected by the West of playing a double game, fighting some militants while supporting those its generals have regarded as strategic assets to be used against rivals and neighbours, India and Afghanistan.

Visiting Pakistan after going to India at the weekend, Kerry said all militant groups should be targeted to bring security to the region.

“Terror groups like the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups continue to pose a threat to Pakistan, to its neighbours and to the United States,” Kerry told a news conference in Islamabad, listing some of the most feared groups.

Chinese President to pay state visit to UK amid Hong Kong tensions

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HINESE President Xi Jinping will travel to Britain on a state visit later this year, a Foreign Office minister said yesterday , as he fended off lawmakers’ accusations that London was reluctant to confront Beijing over Hong Kong.

Hugo Swire, a junior minister, made the disclosure in parliament after being criticized by lawmakers for

choosing not to summon the Chinese ambassador over China’s refusal to allow them to visit Hong Kong. Swire said he’d spoken to the ambassador about the issue as well as broader aspects of SinoBritish relations in 2015 including Prince William’s planned China visit “and a state visit from President Xi later on in the year.”

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 ,2015 — 57

UN Military Action in DRC ‘Inevitable’

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OUTH Africa says mil itary intervention by its contingent of United Nations peacekeepers is now “inevitable” after Rwanda-backed rebels in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) did not comply with a January 2 deadline to disarm.

In a terse statement released this week, South Africa’s foreign ministry said it had no remaining options against the Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandabacked militia that has sown havoc in the miner-

al-rich eastern region of the DRC. “South Africa reiterates that the FDLR has failed to comply with the 2 January 2015 deadline set by the Heads of State and Government of Southern African Development Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region for the FDLR to disarm voluntarily or face military action, and has therefore rendered military option inevitable,” the statement read.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo is one

of the world’s largest and costliest, with an annual budget of just under $1.4 billion and 22,000 uniformed staff from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania.

When asked about potential battle plans, Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesman for the secretary-general, told reporters at U.N headquarters that the peacekeeping mission would not release plans ahead of a strike.”It’s not something we’d announce in advance of the actual operation,” he said.

Mubarak beyind bars

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak fraud conviction overturned

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court in Egypt has overturned the convictions for embezzlement of former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons and ordered a retrial.

Mr Mubarak was

jailed for three years in May after being found guilty of fraudulently billing the government for $14m (£9.3m) of personal expenses.

But the Court of Cassation found legal procedures were not followed

Zimbabwe Court halts second round of land eviction

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IMBABWE’s High Court has ordered a halt to the eviction of farmers who claim they have been targeted to make way for a game park proposed by First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Police have been demolishing homes of more than 200 families who had occupied land seized under the government’s controversial land reform programme.

The government has denied that Mrs Mugabe is linked to the evictions.

She entered politics last year, and holds a top post in the ruling party.

A farmer targeted for eviction, Stella Nicks, 61, told the BBC she had lived on the farm for the past decade, after seiz-

ing it from a white farmer.

“I’m a strong Zanu-PF supporter and now my party has betrayed me,” she said.

properly.

It was the last remaining case keeping Mr Mubarak behind bars.

The 86-year-old has been in detention since April 2011.

Mr Mubarak’s lawyer told the BBC he hoped his client would soon be released from Cairo military hospital, where is being held.

Charges of conspiring in the killing of hundreds of protesters during the uprising that ended his rule in 2011 were dropped in November.

Captured LRA Commander to be Tried at ICC

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top Lord’s Resis tance Army commander who surrendered to U.S. forces last week will be handed over to the International Criminal Court.

Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Ankunda said in a Twitter message Tuesday that “Dominic Ongwen will be tried at the ICC in the Hague.”

Ankunda said Ongwen will be transferred to the Hague by authorities in the Central African Republic, where Ongwen turned himself in on January 6.

Ongwen surrendered to U.S. military advisers who are helping a Ugandan-led force tasked with hunting down LRA fighters in central Africa.

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62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Transfer Watch...Transfer Watch...

Arsenal push for Perin

Taarabt: I want to leave QPR

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A

HERE are reports in the British Press that Arsenal are considering a bid for Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin.

Perin has been in fine form for the Grifone this season, earning a first official Italy cap and reportedly being targeted by the likes of Milan and Liverpool.

Arsenal are believed to be looking for a new goalkeeper after dropping Wojciech Szczesny after the Polish shotstopper made a series of mistakes and then was caught smoking in the

shower.

According to the Daily Mirror, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has turned his attentions to Perin after missing out on Mainz ‘keeper Loris Karius.

22-year-old is considered by many to be the heir apparent of Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, and was instrumental in Genoa’s win over the Bianconeri earlier this season.

Perin

‘Pogba will leave at right time’ P

Liverpool back for Arbeloa

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EAL Madrid de fender Alvaro Arbeloa is being linked with a return to former club Liverpool in the January transfer window.

Reports in Spain suggest the Spain international is becoming increasingly frustrated at the Santiago Bernabeu, having made just five La Liga starts this term, and has recently been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, the experienced 31-year-old is believed to favour a move to Anfield, where he played between January 2007 and July 2009, and is hoping to seal a move before the end of the transfer deadline in order to gain regular first-team football.

•Pogba

Simeone wants Suarez to stay

AUL Pogba’s agent says the midfielder will leave Juventus but only when the time is right.

The 21-year-old has been touted as one of the most talented young players in Europe, and signed a new contract in October which runs until 2019.

However, the player ’s agent doesn’t believe that his client will remain in Italy for the long-term.

“I knew his talent, but when one moves to Italy so young you don’t expect them to establish themselves immediately,” Mino Raiola reflected in an interview with Mediaset.

“He’s grown rapidly, even I didn’t expect it.

“Will he stay in Italy?

No. It will be up to them [Juventus], we have renewed his contract, we’re happy with Juventus but when the time is right to leave we’ll take that opportunity.

“We’ll see, I don’t know when the right time will come…”

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•Suarez

TLETICO Madrid boss Diego Simeone says he wants Mario Suarez to stay at the club despite interest from Serie A. Both Inter and Napoli have been linked with the defensive midfielder in recent weeks but Simeone insists he is too important to the team.

“Mario is an important player for us and we’ve no intention of letting him go,” the Argentine told Sky Sports at the FIFA 2014 Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich.

“What would we do if an important offer came in for him? You’d have to ask [sporting directors] Jose Luis Caminero and Andrea Berta.”

•Neto

DEL Taarabt says he still wants to leave Queens Park Rangers, and admits he’s had contact with Inter.

The Moroccan spent the second half of last season on loan at Milan, and had been frozen out at Loftus Road after a row with manager Harry Redknapp.

Taarabt returned to the QPR side for the weekend’s win over Burnley, suggesting that the

problems had been put to one side. However, the former Tottenham man has revealed that he still wants a move.

“My agent is working to find a solution,” Taarabt revealed to Tuttomercatoweb.

“I’ve always said I want a change of scenery, and I repeat that. There’s been contact with some Italian clubs, let’s see.

“My objective remains to fight for a place in Europe.”

•Taarabt

Roma snub Neto

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OMA are ‘not inter ested’ in signing Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Neto, according to sporting director Mauro Baldissoni.

The Brazilian shot-stopper has announced his intention to leave Fiorentina when his contract expires in the summer, leading to speculation that the Viola will try to sell the player in January to get a transfer fee.

Roma were thought to be among the clubs interested in Neto, but the Giallorossi’s sporting director has today ruled out a move for the 25-year-old.

“Neto does not interest us.” Baldissoni declared on Lady Radio.

Juventus and Liverpool are thought to be among the clubs still vying Neto’s signature, with the latter thought to be ready to bid around €2.5m for the ‘keeper to replace struggling Simon Mignolet in the Anfield goal.

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 63

Emenike: Fenerbahce deny contact with Spurs F

ENERBAHCE have denied holding talks with Tottenham over the transfer of Nigerian international Emmanuel Emenike.

The striker has frequently been linked with a move away from Turkey, especially after boosting his profile on the international stage during the World Cup. Tottenham are clearly in need of a striker to ease the pressure off the shoulders of Harry Kane, who has only recently come to prominence himself.

U n s u r p r i s i n g l y, Emenike’s agent Erdem Konyar is the main protagonist of the reports, and discussed the subject whilst in London, he said: “Tottenham only really have one striker right now so it is not a surprise that they are interested.

“However, I do not think Fenerbahce have received an official bid yet.

“If Fenerbahce give us permission we could enter negotiations.”

It could of course be a ploy from Emenike’s agent to put his client on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs.

Fenerbahce have moved quickly to quash claims their coveted striker will leave, an official statement read: “Emmanuel Emenike is a Fenerbahce player and has a contract with us until 2017, there are currently no transfer talks.”

If Spurs were interested, it would take a fee in the region of £15million to prize Emenike away from the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

2015 AYC Continues from BP But in a mail signed by City scouting and recruitment operations manager, Fergal Harkin, the EPL side said Iheanacho is injured and may not be fit till midMarch, while Nwakali is about to be loaned out to a club in Europe.

“With regards Kelechi Iheanacho, he is currently injured. We believe he will be fit C M Y K

•Emenike

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graduate of the AKS/NNPC/MPN Schools Athletics Championships in Akwa Ibom State, Ifiok Andrew is the proud recipient of a scholarship to study in the United States.

Admitted to the Middle Tennesse University to study B u s s i n e s s Administration, Ifiok said over the week end that this has been his prayer in the last seven years. “ This is a dream come true. I have been

Oshoala’a CAF awards excite Onyedinma

By Jude Opara, Abuja

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•Oshoala she excelled even as she plays in the domestic league.

She also gave kudos to members of the senior national women team, the Super Falcons for reclaiming the African Women trophy at the championship in Namibia in November

2014.

“This is a great achievement considering the fact that this is the first time a single player is winning the two awards at the same time, moreover, this player is one of the numerous stars we have plying their trade in our local league.

2015 NUGA: We’re serious about hosting the games — Prof Kucha

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HE 25th edition of the NUGA billed for the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State come November, 2015 may still be nine months away but Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Emmanuel Iornumbe Kucha has stated in very strong terms that his institution will not around the middle of March but can keep in contract regarding his recovery,” read Tuesday’s mail in part.

“For Chidiebere Nwakali, we are currently in the process of agreeing his loan deal to Europe and he will not be available to meet up with the national team until further notice.

“At this moment in time, we feel it is best for his development that he cements his place in the club side.”

dreaming about this for so long that I do not know what to say. I am so excited……”

Ifiok who gained the scholarship based on his athletics prowess will henceforth represent the University in track and field from where he expects to rise to stardom due to the quality of coaching that will be made available to him.

Ifiok represented his school for three years in the 100 metres event of the MPN Championship and in 2007 was spotted

by Coach Yusuf Ali in Eket who took him and Enobong James to Lagos and enrolled them in the University of Lagos to study Physical education. Since then, even the sky has not been their limit.

They were guests of the Championships in 2009 as role models after distinguishing themselves nationally.

A permanent fixture in the Nations junior athletics team for the past three years, Ifiok has represented the country several times.

Togo 2015 ITF Junior Africa Circuit: Four Nigerian players qualify for semis

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HAIRMAN of the Nigeria Women League, Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma says she is excited by the efforts of Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala who was voted as the African Women Player as well as the Young Player of the year 2014.

Oshoala set a new record to become the first person to win both awards as she was decorated at the Glo/ CAF awards held in Lagos last week.

Addressing members of the sporting media yesterday in Abuja, Onyedinma said the most interesting aspect of Oshoala’s achievement was that

Ifiok, Mobil star gets US scholarship

wait till the last minutes to get all the facilities needed in place.

Prof. Kucha, while fielding questions on the state of readiness of the university for the Games noted that there is absolutely no reason for the NUGA Council to have doubts over their readiness as work is

already in progress to ensure that construction of the facilities commence by March.

“NUGA Council had their meeting here in Makurdi and I must say that the outcome was not bad from what the NUGA president, secretary and the LOC chairman reported to me.''

International friendly Continues from BP This was revealed by a top football official in the country.

The warm up game, scheduled to prepare both countries for next month’s African U-17 Championship in Niger, has been fixed to be played at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna However, it was specially gathered that the South Africa Football Federation (SAFA) have since asked that the

match be played in Abuja because they fear for their team’s safety in Kaduna, which is about 200 kilometres from the country’s capital city.

“The match is now most likely to be played in Abuja after the fears raised by the South Africans,” a top official informed.

Last week, the South Africa Amajimbos drew 1-1 with Zambia in another warm-up match.

Zambia are in the same first round group with the Eaglets.

IGERIA made good of its promise for a memorable outing as four Nigerian players yesterday booked their places in the semifinal of the ongoing 2015 African Junior Tennis Circuit holding in Lome Togo.

The four players are Martins Abamu, Godsgift Timibra, Adetayo Adetunji and Angel McCleod.

In the Boys 16&Under, Abamu defeated Mannou Sylvester of Benin Republic 6-2, 6-1 while Timibra defied the crowd to beat Togo’s Sewabu Jacques 6-4, 6-2.

The winning streak of Nigerian players was extended by Adetayo and McCleod who defeated opponents from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire respectively.

National junior tennis

coach, Mohammed Ubale expressed confidence in the players declaring they are unstoppable to clinch the top prize.

‘Our preparation for the championship has really helped the players. They are playing better as the tournament progresses.

Ubale, who predicted that Nigeria will be out for a repeat of their 2014 performance at the ITF tournaments, said the future of Nigerian tennis is getting brighter with promising players rising through the ranks.

“We have lots of promising talents in the country with players like McCleod already competing at the senior level. We only need to monitor the junior players’ progression and in the coming years we will be dominating at the senior level of African tennis.”

Sudan

for the game against the Yemeni side. They are staying at the Time Grand Plaza Hotel.

Following the departure of Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, to go and firm up details of his contract with a Serbian side, 19 players and their officials led by NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu and Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, the NFF, Head Technical Department made the trip to Dubai. Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi, gave the players an off day yesterday but declared that rigorous training for the game against Yemen will resume today.

Continues from BP on the scheduled dates.

The Nigeria versus Yemen game will be played at the Sevens Stadium in the bubbling city of Dubai. Already, The Secretary General of the Yemen Football Federation, Dr Hamid Alshaibani, has sent a letter to the organizers a copy which was made available to the NFF accepting to test the might of his side against the reigning African Champions.

Already, the Super Eagles, who lost narrowly by 0-1 to Cote D’ Ivoire last Sunday arrived Dubai yesterday to prepare

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

International friendly: We won't play in Kaduna — SA

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OUTH African dele gation have rejected the Kaduna stadium for the friendly game between the Golden Ea-

glets and their South African counterparts over the security situation in the region.

Continues on page 63

Sudan snub Eagles F

OLLOWING the last minute withdrawal of the Sudanese national team from the international friendly against the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has moved swiftly to ensure the team plays a game on Saturday, January 17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The team will now tackle the Yemini national side on the same date.

Sudan, which gave no reasons for its sudden withdrawal was scheduled to play Nigeria January 17 and Finland, January 22, both games were scheduled for Dubai. But Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, said in order not to distort the schedule of the national team for the New Year, Yemen was approached and accepted to play the Eagles and later Finland Continues on page 63

TODAY'S

•Now to tackle Yemen

•Jordan, SAFA boss

2015 AYC: Man City won’t release Iheanacho, Nwakali

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NGLISH Premier League champions Manchester City have informed Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) they will not release Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali for the 2015 African Youth Championship in March in Senegal.

Both players were among nine foreignbased pros called up by the Flying Eagles for the AYC. They were given a Thursday deadline to join up with the country’s U20s in their training camp in Kaduna.

STOPPED — Ivory Coast’s Gervinho (c) vies for the ball against Egwuekwe Azubuike (r) during an international friendly in Abu Dahbi on Sunday. Ivory Coast won 1-0.

PUZZLE

Continues on page 63

QUICK CROSSWORD

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS: 1 Introduce (6) 5 Frightened (6) 9 Unwilling (5) 10 Daunt (6) 11 Elevated (6) 12 Exclude (5) 14 Pitcher (4) 17 Parched (3) 18 Pottery (4) 20 Challenged (5) 22 Lubricated (5) 23 Fish (7) 24 Material (5) 26 Senior (5) 29 Paradise (4) 30 Marshland (3) 32 Facts (4) 33 Drink (5) 35 Clank (6) 36 Required (6) 37 Change (5) 38 Shore (6) 39 Give (6)

DOWN: 1 Really (6) 2 Quartz (6) 3 Clothed (4) 4 Played (5) 5 Wander (5) 6 Scorch (4) 7 Scamp (6) 8 Evaded (6) 13 Spanned (7) 15 Declined (5) 16 Lac (5) 18 Flourish (5) 19 Readjusted (5) 21 Barrier (3) 22 Individual (3) 24 Wreckage (6) 25 Tidier (6) 27 Dashed (6) 28 Attacker (6) 30 Sphere (5) 31 Fresher (5) 33 Family (4) 34 Unusual (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4 Stain 7, Titled 9, For 10, Per 12, Ladle 13, Maid 15, Besom 17, Fettle 19, Push 20, Cheer 22, Elf 24, Mingled 27, Pea 28, Arena 31, Area 33, Stated 35, Wiser 37, Wind 38, Cedar 39, Dip 41, Row 42, Demean 43, Ashen.

DOWN: 1, Atomic 2, Strife 3, Rep 4, Solo 5, Tramp 6, Illusion 8, Debt 11, Relegated 14, Deem 16, Sell 18, Trip 21, Hairless 23, Feat 25, Ness 26, Drew 29, Edited 30, Ardent 32, Aware 34, Arid 36, Iron 40, Peg.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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