We'll wipe out Boko Haram — Cameroon

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62252

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

MORTGAGE BANKS: From left: CEO/Executive Secretary, Mortgage Banks Association of Nigeria (MBAN), Kayode Omotosho; MD/ CEO, TrustBond Mortgage Bank, Adeniyi Akinlusi and MD, Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank, Ben Akaneme at the launching, in Lagos, of the first mortgage bank syndication of real estate development in Nigeria.

Ex- Bayelsa Gov SYNAGOGUE BUILDING: Alamieyeseigha's Coroner son dies in Dubai inquest begins 7

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We'll wipe out Boko Haram — Cameroon

By Adekunle Aliyu, Ben Agande, Favour Nnabugwu, with agency report

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•Their activities'll be drastically curtailed — GEJ • Meets foreign ministers of neighbouring countries

•Multi-National Joint Task Force to be deployed next month in Borno

AOUNDÉ— CAMEROON’S President Mr Paul Biya vowed, yesterday, that his government would go after the Islamist group Boko Haram “until it is totally wiped out”. His Nigerian counterpart, President Goodluck Jonathan, on his part, was confident that the activities of insurgents and other cross-border criminals will soon be drastiContinues from page 16

COLUMNISTS: What exactly is ‘clueless' about Goodluck Jonathan?

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Does America underrate her women?

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Mr & Mrs

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OKEY WALI: More groups, individuals demand immediate 12 release

Power brokers in South-South states

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FG backs tech start-ups with N1.5bn 9

In sid e

ACCESS BANK—From left: Mr. Obinna Nwosu, Group Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank Plc; with Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc and Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman of Access Bank Plc, at the bank's Extra-Ordinary General Meeting in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

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Alamieyeseigha's son dies in Dubai zPresident Jonathan assures family of govt's support

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ARRESTED: The suspects and (INSET) the recovered car.

‘We sell stolen vehicles in Benin Republic’

By Evelyn Usman & Esther Onyegbula

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self-confessed leader of a robbery gang, yesterday, gave an account of how members of his gang overpowered three mobile policemen during an operation in Ajah area of Lagos two months ago and snatched their service rifles.

The gang leader, a Beninoise, who identified himself as Bernard Bongi, also disclosed that members of his gang usually snatched vehicles from victims in Nigeria and export same to Benin Republic where they were sold to ready buyers.

Bongi and eight suspected members of his gang met their waterloo last Thursday,

following their arrest by operatives of Special AntiRobbery Squad, SARS. Recovered from the suspects were two AK 47 rifles snatched

from the Mobile policemen and a Toyota land Cruiser Prado SUV, with registration number AAA 690 BH. Also recovered were motor parts, which the suspects intended to replace the engraved parts of the stolen vehicles with.

Jilted man attempts to set lover's house ablaze

By Onozure Dania & Hope Ofobike

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AGOS—A man, Sunday Ishiaku, who was jilted by his lover was, yesterday, arraigned before an Ijeshatedo Chief Magistrate’s Court over alleged attempt to set his lover ’s apartment ablaze for refusing to sleep with him during their three-year relationship.

Ishiaku, who is facing a two-

count charge of breach of public peace and attempted arson preferred against him by the police, was docked before Magistrate Abegunde Davis.

The defendant, an indigene of Borno State, was alleged to have carried a keg of petrol to the house of the said lover, Kadijat Saga, a Togolese, at 14, Bamishile Street, IdiAraba, with the intention to burn her property before neighbours intervened and

DISCO staff, 19 others nabbed over stolen cables

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—AS Nigerians lament erratic power supply across the country, Oyo State Police Command has arrested 20 suspects, including a staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Centre, IBDEC, Mr. Olanrewaju Isaiah, for selling stolen cables and other electrical materials at Salvation Road, Oke Padre, Ibadan.

The command also recovered from rustlers 17 goats, stolen in Ogbomosho and Oyo towns in the state.

Although the IBDEC staff claimed it was his first time of selling the company's property, there were indications that he had been vandalizing same for some time.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kola Shodipo, said of the arrest: “On October 6, the patrol team attached to Ile-Ido division, while on visibility patrol at Akinbiyi village, along Ido-Eruwa Road, intercepted a Passat saloon car with number

Parading the suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja, the command’s boss, Mr. Cornelus Aderanti, explained that the suspects stormed a residence at Eletu Ogabi area of Victoria Island last Thursday, and snatched a Prado jeep.

plate AV 577 KWL, conveying some cables and other electrical appliances.

“When the driver of the said vehicle, one Amaechi Obi of Salvation Army, Oke Padre, Ibadan, was questioned about the items, he claimed to have bought them from a contractor.

“When the contractor was picked, they confessed to have stolen the cables from Eruwa.”

On what pushed him into selling the company’s cables and other property, the suspect, who said he was a worker on contract, confessed that he actually stole the cables with the intention of selling them to his customer at Salvation Army.

The command also recovered 17 goats from goat rustlers and 41 exotic cars stolen at gunpoints in different parts of the state within the last three weeks.

One of the suspected goat rustlers, Mr. Tunde Kazeem, said he and his gang members usually stole goats in

Ogbomoso and Oyo towns, adding that they would take the stolen goats to Mile 12 in Lagos State for sale to Asun (roasted goat) merchants.

handed him over to the police.

The defendant claimed that Saga refused to sleep with him after collecting his money for the three years they were together.

The complainant, on her part, said she did not consider Ishiaku as her lover and was only accommodating him in her house without attaching anything to their relationship.

She said she was surprised when her neighbour called her on phone to inform her that the defendant broke into her room with the intention of setting it ablaze.

Ishiaku pleaded not guilty to the charges, even as the complainant informed the court that she would want to settle the matter out of court.

Suspect remanded in prison over drug trafficking

By Innocent Anaba

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Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the remand at the Kirikiri female prisons, 32-year-old woman, Ifeoma Eze, who was arraigned before the court over an alleged illicit drug deal.

Trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, gave the order after she pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of trafficking about 6.200 grams of Indian hemp.

The accused was arraigned

by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The court ordered the remand of the accused in custody until

October 24, when the facts of the case will be reviewed, and her sentence pronounced.

Prosecutor, Mr. Ernest Agwu had earlier told the court that the accused was arrested on July 21 at the MMI Airport, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers on a flight to China.

The prosecutor said the the substance was concealed in a large envelop, carefully tucked in the luggage of the accused, adding that the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

After Eze's plea, the prosecutor made an oral application for the remand of the accused.

ENAGOA—THE first civilian governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha’s son, O y a m u y e f a Alamieyeseigha, is dead.

Though the cause of the death of the 32-year-old could not be ascertained at press time, it was learned that he was found dead outside his family's apartment in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in the early hours of Saturday.

A source said Oyamuyefa might have been strangled to death and his body dumped in front of his family house.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, assured the Alamieyeseigha family that Federal Government would work to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death.

Vanguard learned that the deceased was the fourth of five children of the former governor.

The family, in a statement

by Prince Opukiri Ere, said a delegation, comprising members and associates, had left for Dubai.

The family thanked the government and Nigerians for their support.

According to Dr. Reuben Abati, “the President received with shock and immense sadness, the news of the death of Mr. O y a m u y e f a Alamieyeseigha in Dubai at the weekend.

“On behalf of his family and the Federal Government, President Jonathan extends heartfelt condolences to Oyamuyefa’s father, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and his entire family on the untimely loss of a very dear son in the prime of his life.

“The President and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, share their pain and grief over the death of Oyamuyefa in circumstances that are still unclear.

“President Jonathan assures Chief Alamieyeseigha and his family of the full support of the Federal Government as they strive to unravel the true circumstances of the young man’s death.”

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8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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BUJA—THE National Judicial Council, NJC, will today, continue hearing on circumstances that led to the barricade of the High Court Complex in Ado Ekiti by armed security operatives, contrary to its earlier directive that the courts should resume their judicial functions.

This is even as political forces within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continued to allege plot in some quarters to thwart the swearing-in of the governorelect of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Thursday.

Already, a suit to that effect is currently pending before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

The suit with registration no FHC/Abuja/CS 709/14 was lodged against Fayose, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and others,

by Young Democratic Party.

The party is seeking a court injunction stopping the inauguration of the governor– elect pending the hearing and determination of their substantive suit.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that though the Council had invited the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola to attend its meeting yesterday in order to explain the rationale behind the continued closure of courts in the state, it however could not delve into the judicial crisis currently rocking the state, owing to “other exigent matters begging for attention by the Council.”

Consequently, the Council was said to have deferred the Ekiti State matter till today, even as it issued stringent warning to all its members against talking to the media.

Among the issues that were considered by the Council yesterday included the continued exposure of judges and top judicial officers to security risks, a situation that was heightened by the recent kidnap of the immediate past National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, who is also a member of the NJC. Wali was on Saturday night, abducted around Rumuologu Road in Port Harcourt by unknown gunmen, who abandoned his car at Ozuoba area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

No group claimed responsibility for his kidnap nor demanded any ransom, a situation that was said to have greatly disturbed other members of the NJC that attended the meeting yesterday.

Meanwhile, a source who attended the NJC meting yesterday, confirmed the attendance of the Ekiti State CJ, even as he disclosed that the Council might take a very decisive action with regards to the judicial impasse in that state today.

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EKITI CRISIS: NJC adjourns sitting till today Council is not happy with the turn of events in Ekiti State.

Although we had intended to deliberate on it today (yesterday) that was not to be considering that we also had other pressing issues that were left out the last time we met.

“However, our meeting will continue today and that is all I can tell you. As for the Ekiti State case, I can tell you that nothing was mentioned about it. We have already directed the Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter and prosecute all the culprits, nevertheless, I guess that the continued closure of courts in the state which has greatly

hampered judicial activities and the administration of justice there calls for more action by the NJC. Let’s wait till tomorrow (today) to see the next line of action that will be taken by the Council.

“Let me also tell you that the Council is not happy with the frequent misrepresentation of its proceedings. It has decided to always issue an official press statement at the end of each of its meetings and will accordingly do so tomorrow (today)”, the source who craved anonymity added.

It will be recalled that the NBA, recently demanded the immediate opening of the High Court of Justice Complex, Ado-

Ekiti, to allow for resumption of work by the Courts.

In a statement by its National President Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, the legal body said it was alarmed at the barricading of the High Court complex by security agencies on the basis of an alleged bomb threat to the complex.

It bemoaned the fact that judicial officers, staff and litigants were not allowed access into the High Court complex, noting that all the High Courts of Justice at Ado-Ekiti were completely sealed up.

“The Nigerian Bar Association believes that any alleged bomb threat must have been effectively neutralised by the Security Agencies utilising their bomb disposal units.

VISIT: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (left) welcoming the commandant and members of the course 23 of the National Defence College, Admiral Nnamdi Aholor (right) to Government House, Asaba when the team from the college visited him, yesterday. Photo by Henry Unini.

“The NBA demands that the High Court of Justice Complex, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State should be opened immediately to allow for resumption of work by the courts.

“The security agencies should provide a safe and conducive environment for the effective administration of justice, not create a situation that makes it totally impossible for High Courts in Ado-Ekiti to carry out their constitutional roles of providing justice for all”, it added.

The NJC had at the end of its emergency meeting on October 2, insisted that it would not rest until those that masterminded the attacks on two judges in Ekiti State were arrested and prosecuted.

The Council, in a statement that was signed by its Acting Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, requested the Inspector-General of Police to personally “take-over and investigate the alleged attacks on Hon. Justices John Adeyeye and Isaac Olusegun Ogunyemi, some members of staff of the court and vandalisation of property of the High Court of Justice, Ado-Ekiti and bring the culprits to justice.”

The meeting, which was held at the NJC headquarters situated inside the Supreme Court complex at the Three-Arms-Zone in Abuja was chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar herself.

According to the Council, “Following the recent unfortunate and worrisome incidents in Ekiti State Judiciary, particularly in the High Court Complex, Ado-Ekiti, the National Judicial Council held an emergency meeting on October 2, 2014, under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Aloma Mukhtar, and considered the various complaints and petitions forwarded to it.

Okomoyon to FG: You can’t extradite me to UK

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA—IN a dramatic move to stall his extradition to the United Kingdom for trial over alleged bribery scandal, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company of Nigeria, Mr. Ehidiamhen Okoyomon, yesterday challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal Government to extradite him to Europe for prosecution.

As soon as the case was called, Okoyomon rose through his defence counsel, Chief Alex Isiyon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and told the court, presided over by Justice E.S. Chukwu, that it did not have jurisdiction to send him to the UK for trial over the alleged bribery scam.

…Judge forced to shift trial to Thursday The lawyer, who had already filed a preliminary objection to the move to send his client to the UK for trial, argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to even hear the case since there was no extradition treaty between Nigeria and that country.

Isiyon argued that his client must be shown the document containing the extradition treaty between the two nations to warrant the trial or it should be discontinued forthwith in the interest of the law.

He said:”We want to be shown where this is in the law.

What we have is only protocol not extradition treaty.”

However, the prosecuting counsel, M.S Hassan, told the court that he had not been served with the application and urged the court to remand

the accused in prison custody, pending the hearing and determination of the matter.

After hearing both sides in the matter, Justice Chukwu was forced to adjourn hearing till Thursday this week.

He, however, asked the EFCC to keep Okoyomon in its custody until the adjourned date.

The extradition process is being initiated by the Office of Attorney General of the Federation, OAGF. Okoyomon’s extradition is being sought by the UK government over his alleged role in the bribery scandal involving officials of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company, NSPMC, and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008.

For the first time since it came into power, the Jonathan administration is making moves to hand over a financial crime suspect for trial in a foreign land, apparently to prove that it is actively fighting corruption.

Okoyomon, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, was the chief executive of the NSMPC until November 2013 when he was suspended by the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the wake of the disappearance of printed N1000 notes worth N1.2 billion from the premises of the company in Abuja.

Before then, he had been under investigation since 2012 by the anti-graft agency following request by the British National Crime Agency over a different matter, the alleged collection of N750 million Naira bribe from Securency of Australia for the printing of polymer notes for Nigeria.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 9

FG backs tech start-ups with N1.5bn—NITDA

By Adekunle Adekoya, General Editor

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UBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — THE Federal Government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will support the nation’s technology start-ups with N1.5 billion, to encourage more techpreneurs, including existing ones.

NITDA’s Director-General, Peter Olu Jack, said the Federal Government is committed to driving increased investment to the country’s ICT sector with focus on how foreign investors can support indigenous OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and local techpreneurs, adding government is also hopeful of removing impediments attached to doing business easily in Nigeria.

Jack spoke at the ongoing Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, yesterday, and stressed Nigeria’s determination to achieve maximum growth in the ICT sector, “because technology is the life wire of any economy. ” According to him, “As part of the drive, Nigeria, which is the official country partner, will today hold an Investment Forum to further highlight the investment potentialities of the nation’s ICT industry.

“This year, Nigeria hopes to further leverage on the global exposure presented by GITEX to spotlight its local software industry and other sub IT sectors and that is why we have occupied the centre of activities at the five day event as GITEX Official Country Partner.

“Specifically, we would be having the ‘Nigeria Investment Forum’ which is a major event that we have planned to attract global IT investment into the country. Outcome of this event will, no doubt, has far-reaching positive impact on the investment inflow into the country in the coming years to boost our current FDIs of $32 billion.”

Jack also explained other socioeconomic benefits to Nigeria as being official partner to technology show.

According to him, “Being a GITEX Official Country Partner would, among others, enable Nigeria to increase its brand presence on a global scale where more than 140,000 trade visitors will understand what Nigeria have to offer.”

“It will also help in breaking down the perception of the risks associated with working in Nigeria’s flourishing but often misrepresented technology sector.”

Through the Investment forum, Jack said, “Africa’s most

populated country of over 170 million could also win the interests of investors for its various in-country projects to increase its FDI; and open up channels of dialogue between NITDA and other similar government bodies from Africa, Europe and the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, as the country’s agency responsible for ICT policy formulation and implementation under the Ministry of Communication Technology, Jack said NITDA was committed towards ensuring that ICT contribution to Nigeria’s GDP increases to 15 per cent within three years.

Jack stated that NITDA has a national ICT Strategic plan with a time line of 2010-2015, whose implementation will help in advancing the auspicious target.

He said the implementation of the plan in sectors such as education, agriculture, health, human capital development, governance, judiciary and national security, has propelled the level of development in the ICT sector in Nigeria.

He added that the impact of the plan and its implementation will be measured and reviewed by next year.

“The vision of the national broadband plan is for Nigeria to be one of a society of connected communities with high speed Internet and broadband access that facilitates faster socioeconomic advancement of the nation and its people,” he said.

BRIEFING: Special Adviser to the President on Aviation, Captain Shehu Iyal (centre) flanked by the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, Alhaji Mukhtar Usman (left) and the General Manager, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Mr. Nnanna Ugbanga during a press conference on the achievements of the Goodluck Jonathan administration in the aviation sector at the Presidency, Asokoro, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

Health workers to begin nationwide strike Thursday

By Chioma Obinna

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HE respite the nation’s health sectors have enjoyed since the suspension of the nationwide doctors ‘strike appears to be short-lived as health workers across the country have threatened to resume its suspended January strike this week.

It could be recalled that the health workers last week postponed its 15 days ultimatum to the Federal government following a proposed meeting

Ex-PTF scribe, Akpata dies at 83

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ORMER Trustee and Executive Secretary of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, and a one-time Commissioner for Education in old Bendel State, Chief Tayo Akpata, has died.

He passed on peacefully at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence around 10am yesterday. He was 83.

A statement from the family, confirmed the passing unto glory of the elder statesman and astute administrator who was the ‘Ima of Benin’.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course, according to the press statement.

He is survived by his widow, Olabisi, children and grandchildren.

An alumnus of Edo College, Benin and University of Hull, United Kingdom, Akpata served as the Deputy Registrar of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

He was a Director of Bendel Feeds and Flower Mills (BFFM) and Chairman of I.B.M (Nig) Ltd. He was also a one-time chairman of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of NNPC, as well as the Chairman of Siemens Nigeria.

by the government to resolve the pending demands of the aggrieved workers.

Announcing the commencement of the industrial action in a press statement made available to Vanguard and signed by the National President, Comrade Felix Faniran and General Secretary, Obinna Ogbonna, Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, said the government has failed to respond to the Union’s ultimatum which expired on September 30, 2014.

According to them, “Since the Government had decided not to respond to our ultimatum which expired on September 30, 2014 and our demands, the Union has no choice than to call out her members for an indefinite nationwide strike.

“This strike commences by 8.00am of October 16, 2014 until further notice,” they stated.

Apologising to teeming patients and the entire members of the public for the avoidable action, the Union said government should be held responsible for the strike.

According to the statement; “One of the causes of incessant strikes is the attitude of Government/Employers in

reneging on agreements.

Members of the Union did not go on the strike despite the expiration of the ultimatum because of Sallah festival and holidays, showing our respect for the members of the public.

“While our members nationwide were agitating for the commencement of the strike on October 8th, 2014, the leadership of the Union persuaded them to hold on for a meeting called by the Government for October 9, 2014 hoping that the Federal Government would release at least 6 to 8 circulars of various issues which have been lingering over the past four years.

“When the Government called the leaders of JOHESU for a meeting held on October 9, 2014, none of our demands was met which infuriated members of the Union demanding for the immediate commencement of the strike not later than October 13, 2014.

“However, the leadership of the Union was forced to summon an emergency meeting of the National Administrative Council, NAC, on the 13th of October, 2014 to receive the reactions of our members to the report of Federal Government/JOHESU meeting of October 9, 2014.

FG approves importation of 600,000mt of PMS

By Michael Eboh, with Agency Reports

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HE Federal Government, yesterday, issued supplementary permits for the importation of 600,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, for the month of October 2014.

According to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, the permit is

under the third quarter import programme, especially as it is yet to get approval for the fourth quarter allocations An online news website, Platts, quoted a source at the PPPRA as saying that “The supplementary allocation was approved last week and it will be just for the month of October.”

Another PPPRA source told the website that the

supplementary allocations would serve as a stop-gap measure while the agency awaits final approval from the oil ministry for the fourth quarter allocations.

With the latest permits, the source said, oil companies, such as Oando, Conoil, Aiteo, NIPCO and Folawiyo Petroleum, each got allocations to import 90,000 mt of gasoline in October, adding that other small fuel marketers got

permits to import 45,000 mt of gasoline each.

The news website explained that Nigeria usually aims at building fuel stocks to the equivalent of 30 days’ consumption to prevent shortages.

The website, however, declared that domestic fuel supplies have dropped following declining capacity utilisation at the countries refineries.

10— Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Court reserves judgment in Ajudua's bail appeal

By Innocent Anaba &

Onozure Dania AGOS—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, yesterday, reserved judgments in two separate appeals by Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua against the ruling of a Lagos High Court, which refused his bail application.

Trial judge at the lower court, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye had refused Ajudua’s application, in a charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against him over alleged fraud.

Ajudua in the charge was said to have defrauded former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd) of about $8.4 million.

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Aggrieved lecturers storm Fashola's office

ARRIVAL: Olori Folasade Adeyemi (2nd left), her husband, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, greeting President Goodluck Jonathan (right), deputy governor of Lagos State, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (2nd right), and others, during the President's arrival, at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

SYNAGOGUE: Coroner inquest begins zAsks victims' families to donate blood for DNA test

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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A G O S — A G G RIEVED lecturers of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Ijanikin, yesterday, stormed Lagos House, office of Governor Babatunde Fashola in Alausa, Ikeja, to protest over the failure of the state government to remit over 17 months deducted funds into their pension accounts and non-payment of pensioners’ benefits for three years.

The lecturers, numbering over 100,ledapeacefuldemonstration, displaying placards with various inscriptions.

llorin residents cry out over 2-month blackout

By Demola Akinyemi LORIN—THE residents of SaboOke in Ilorin, Kwara State, have called on the state government and other stakeholders to rescue them from the darkness they had been thrown into for over two months, following disconnection of power to the community

by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC. The community pointed out that the development had exposed the area to armed robbery attacks and other criminal activities.

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By Abdulwahab Abdulah &

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Bartholomew Madukwe

AGOS—THE coroner inquest into the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, took off yesterday with the Coroner Judge, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe requesting the South Africa government to allow families of the deceased to donate blood for DNA test towards identifying the victims.

This he said will facilitate early release of their corpses for burial after identification.

Also, the Coroner Judge, disclosed that the court was not constituted to witchhunt, but to find the cause of the building collapse and the deaths as well as making necessary recommendations to prevent future occurrence in line with the state coroner law.

Magistrate appeals

In his appeal, Magistrate Komolafe explained that the DNA examination was a major aspect of the inquest, noting that it would be difficult for the pathologists to carry out their work if the deceased relatives were not available to identify their deceased relations.

Majority of the victims recovered from the debris of the building collapse were South Africans.

Komolafe said: “I sympathize with the families of the victims as well as South Africa government,

but I want to seize this opportunity to state the importance of the DNA to this inquest.

“Relatives of victims should donate blood to enable the pathologists identify the bodies. The medical team and pathologists are working because the court has directed them to carry out the activities and report back.

“It is important for the South African embassy to ensure that relatives of the victims come forward for the pathologist to get the needed samples to compare with the bodies.

“Those corpses have to be properly identified and when that is done and the process completed, the bodies will be released to the South African government and they can

take them home if they so wish.

“We have to work together.

We should not allow anything to cause misunderstanding between Nigeria and South Africa because we are one, at least we are blacks. Please, let us work together to make this process a success.”

Church assures on support

While the church represented by Prince Lateef Komolafe also promised an absolute support to the Coroner, the court urged necessary parties in the proceedings to cooperate with the court so as to come out with adequate information and recommendations.

Considering the procedure

to be adopted to enhance smooth and speedy result, Magistrate Komolafe agreed with counsels representing the parties by allowing them to file their testimonies through affidavit deposition as well as allowing oral evidence from witnesses.

He stated that the court was not going to be rigid in the application of the rules of evidence and other court rules except where it becomes extremely necessary.

However, he warned that he will not spare any witness who disregard a court summon by compelling his appearance.

Counsel to the church, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the state represented by Mr. Gbolahan Adeniran and the State Police Command, represented by Mr. Chukwu Agwu had had a tough time agreeing on when to visit the scene of the incident.

APC PRIMARIES: Buhari, Kwankwaso mobilise

support in Osun

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By Gbenga Olarinoye

SOGBO—LEADING presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress APC, former military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), and the incumbent governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso have intensified their campaigns ahead of the party’s primaries as the two aspirants stormed Osun State to mobilize for support.

The two aspirants visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola at

Government House, Oke Fia, Osogbo separately.

While Kwankwaso according to sources visited Aregbesola on Sunday night, General Buhari was said to have paid his visit yesterday.

Credible source informed Vanguard that the two separate visits were not unconnected with the consultation and desperate moves to curry the favour and support of critical stakeholders in the South West ahead the primary election of the APC, where the candidate of the party in February, 2015 presidential

election would emerge.

The source siad: “It is true that Kwankwaso visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Sunday night. I can tell you that he was also with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade at his palace.

His visit may be part of his preparation to shore up his support against the APC primary election for all the presidential contenders.”

Both Buhari and Kwankwaso were said to have held separate close door talks with Aregbesola, which sources hinted lasted for more than 30 minutes.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 11

Osun govt alleges plot to destabilize state

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—OSUN State House of Assembly has asked the people of the state to ignore the calculated attempt by some people it described as “unscrupulous faceless people” whose partisan interest was to service the diabolical plot of the opposition to truncate the democratic experiment in the State.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Goke Butika in Osogbo yesterday, the state Assembly said it has unveiled a plot by some chieftains of an opposition party to cause unprecedented mayhem in the history of the state with a view to truncating the swearing-in of Governor Rauf Aregbesola next month.

The parliament stressed that the credible report at its disposal showed that the party after losing the last governorship election, has drawn contingent plans that could fetch the mandate freely given to Aregbesola to it through the back-door.

APC accuses Mimiko of forcing House members to defect

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By Dayo Johnson

KURE—THE opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State has accused the state government of arm-twisting members of the state assembly to defect along with Governor Olusegun Mimiko from the Labour Party, LP, to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. Chairman of the Party, Isaac Kekemeke, had alleged that the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko threatened to declare the seat of any member of the House of Assembly who failed to defect with him to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, vacant.

Kekemeke said: “ A good number of the lawmakers have shown their intention to join the APC but were hindered by the threat from the governor to declare their seat vacant if they join the party."

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Kasamu faults Obasanjo on US indictment zDescribes Obasanjo's claims as cocktail of lies

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By Daud Olatunji

B E O K U T A — C H A I R M A N , Mobilisation and Organisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu has faulted the claim by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he has been indicted as a drug baron in the United States as a cocktail of lies.

Kashamu was reacting to Obasanjo’s response to the pleas by some leaders of the PDP, seeking his forgiveness.

According to Kashamu, Obasanjo said; ‘’I am one of the many issues that he had pointed out and still pointing out.

Although he did not state what the other many issues were, he made a heavy weather out of my purported indictment over some drug-related offences.

Coctail of lies “First, his statement is yet another cocktail of lies served with his legendary deceit as shall be shown shortly. He said he was displeased at my allegedly being made the leader of the party in the South West. First, it should be noted that as against his earlier assertion that; "I am a wanted habitual criminal...for whom extradition has been requested by the US Government..., he has now described me as an indicted drug baron wanted in America. “ The undebatable fact of history that Baba Obasanjo has not told the world is that it was during his first tenure as President that he and former Beninoise President, Matthew Kerekou directed the relevant security agencies to give truthful evidence that exonerated me. “ That was why the Interpol in

Nigeria and Benin Republic as well as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, came to the London courts in 2000/2001 to give evidence during my incarceration and trial. That also explained why when I returned I became his associate.

“He used me to prosecute his battle against former Governor Gbenga Daniel. When it was time to field candidates for the 2011 general elections, he brought his stooge, Gen. Adetunji Olurin, and asked me to roll the party structure behind his anointed candidate. In his usual holier-than-thou manner, he talked about not being able to work with me because of his principles, honour and integrity.

Questions for Obasanjo

“But the questions Nigerians should ask him are: Where were his principles when he used to take me into the inner recesses of his abode? Where was his honour when he served me breakfast, lunch and dinner in his Hilltop mansion? Where was his integrity when he mounted the rostrum to sing my praises, praying for me as he did in May 2010 during a reception for the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye? “ I can go on and on! Despite his pretensions, the reason I have become the target of Obasanjo’s wicked campaign of calumny and blackmail is his perceived loss of political relevance in Ogun State and the South West.

'Obasanjo against Jonathan's 2nd term ambition'

He is against the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and he had wanted to use the erstwhile National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; the former National Auditor, Bode Mustapha and the ex-National Vice-Chairman, Segun Oni, to thwart Mr. President’s reelection.

“The almighty Allah Subhana wa tala used me to stand up to him and the rest is history. Before his very eyes, the PDP in the South West is on a rebound and we are winning elections free and square unlike what obtained during his reign when contrived electoral victories were being easily upturned."

CONDOLENCE VISIT: From left: All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant, General Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, and Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, during a condolence visit to Sen. Fasanmi on the demise of his wife, Felicia, at their Osogbo residence, Osun State, yesterday.

Fayose raises alarm over Fayemi's plan to raise fresh N1bn loan zAs Governor holds valedictory session with Assembly

By Gbenga Ariyibi DO EKITI—EKITI State Governor-elect, Mr Ayo Fayose, has raised an alarm that the outgoing government of Dr Kayode Fayemi has finalized arrangements to raise a sum of one billion Naira fresh loan from a new generation bank barely four days to the end of its tenure.

In a letter with reference number OGE/EK/ADM/ 094 dated October 10, 2014 and signed on the behalf of the Governor-elect by the Chairman, Ekiti State Transition Committee, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, to the Managing Director, of the concerned bank in Lagos, the Fayose team, said it has it on good authority that the new loan will be used to settle the severance allowances of some political office holders.

This came just as the committee equally condemned

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the outgoing government for alleged illegal transfer of over N856 million from SUBEB project account number 0065385894 with Access Bank Plc. to another account.

According to a statement by the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, the money was the state’s counterpart contributions to the Federal Government Intervention Funds.

He said: “Please be informed that going by UBEC Financial Regulations, it is absolutely unethical to transfer any part of the fund that is available for SUBEB/UBEC project execution in the state without valid instruction.’’

Reacting on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Information, Ekiti State, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, dismissed the allegations, saying he was not

aware of such arrangement His words: “I was not in any meeting where such a decision was taken to borrow any money to pay severance allowances of public office holders. It is one of the lies they are telling to confuse the people.

“If we could not take loan to pay salary which is statutory, how can we take loan to pay severance allowances.

“This move will definitely wane down the reputation of the state as one of the least performing states in the federation.”

The committee, however, warned that if its appeal to the bank is not considered and the bank went on to approve the loan, it vowed that the incoming government would not honour the deal.

“Besides, we shall not hesitate to explore all administrative and

legal means and processes to deal appropriately with the conduct of your bank ,’’ the statement added.

Fayemi holds valedictory session

Meantime, the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has lauded members of the State House of Assembly, saying the House has passed no fewer than 70 bills in the last three and half years.

Speaking during a valedictory session at the floor of the House in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Fayemi said the lawmakers have surpassed their colleagues in other states of the federation The governor said: “There is no other State Assembly in the federation that came anywhere close in the number of bills passed by the Assembly in the last four years.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

2015: Oba of Benin decries spate of violence by political party supporters

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—AHEAD of the 2015 general elections, the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, has decried the spate of political thuggery and violence being perpetrated by supporters of political parties in the country and urged party leaders not to plunge the nation into crisis.

The monarch, who apparently was reacting to Saturday's mayhem at the Edo State House of Assembly quarters in Benin City by suspected political thugs, urged political leaders to be mindful of the fact that “only the living can play politics.”

The Oba, who spoke through the Iyase of Benin (Traditional Prime Minister), Chief Sam Igbe, said political leaders would be held responsible if anything went wrong with the nation’s democracy, asserting that “they must know that violence is an ill wind that does no one any good.”

He said: “As political leaders, you are supposed to show good examples for the younger generations to emulate, rather than recruit them as thugs.”

While stressing the need for politicians to refrain from politics of bitterness, the revered monarch directed the Enigies,

Chiefs, Igiehon and the Edionwere in Benin Kingdom “to pray for the country ’s peaceful co-existence and also to move to their various dukedoms to sensitize political aspirants, political parties and their supporters in their areas of the need to live in peace and harmony.”

Meanwhile, the member representing Owan Federal

Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives, Mr. Pally Iriase, has described the alleged attempt by nine Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers in the state House of Assembly to plunge the state into crisis as madness, insisting that it will be impossible for the minority lawmakers to take precedence over the APC majority in the House.

Iriase spoke at a rally in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Council where he was endorsed for a second term

by APC members including elected councilors from the two local governments that made up the constituency, market women groups, youth groups and the National Association of Owan Students .

Komolafe

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has said that oil revenue contributed N3.6 trillion to the federally collected revenue in the first half of this year.

This represented 13.9 percent increase when compared with N3.12 trillion contributed by oil revenue in the second half of 2013.

On the contrary, nonoil revenue fell by 16.7 percent to N1.49 trillion in the first half of the year from N1.79 trillion in the second half of 2013.

The CBN stated this in the economic report for the second quarter of the year published on its website yesterday.

The report stated: “Total federally-collected revenue during the second quarter of 2014 stood at N2,601.98 billion, an increase of 4.3 per cent above the level in the preceding quarter.

It, however, declined by the same margin when

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...As Anenih, Clark meet on date for formal declaration

By Henry Umoru

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CONVENTION: From left: Her Royal Majesty, Queen Juliana Ameh-Oboni, Vice President, Arik Air; Mr. Rob Thomas; First Lady of Kogi State, Hajia Halima Ladi Wada and Vice President, Igala Association in the Diaspora, USA/Canada, Mr. Jonathan Adejor, during the Annual Igala Convention in Washington, USA.

Nigeria earns N3.6tr from oil in six months —CBN

By Babajide

2015: Jonathan to declare re-election bid soon

compared with the proportionate quarterly budget estimate.

“The development relative to the quarterly budget estimate was attributed to the fall in non-oil revenue. Non-oil receipts (gross), at N806.45 billion (31.0 per cent of the total), fell below the proportionate budget estimate by 13.1 per cent, but rose above the level in the first quarter of 2014 by 17.4 per cent. The decline in non-oil revenue relative to the

proportionate budget estimate was due largely to the decline in receipts from Education Tax and FGN Independent revenue “At N1, 795.53 billion, gross oil receipts, which constituted 69.0 per cent of the total, fell by 0.7 per cent below the receipts in the preceding quarter, but rose marginally by 0.2 per cent above the proportionate budget estimate. The development relative to the budget estimate was attributed, largely, to the

increase in other oil revenue during the review quarter."

The CBN report also revealed that the Federal Government overspent its budget by N570 billion in the first half of the year. This represents 22.7 percent decline when compared with the deficit recorded in the second half of 2013.

The report revealed that the Federal Government revenue fell to N1.77 trillion in the first half of 2014 from N1.96 trillion in the second half of 2013.

2015: Enugu monarchs endorse Chime for Senate

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—TRADITIONAL Rulers in Enugu State have declared their support for the senatorial ambition of Governor Sullivan Chime, saying his selfless leadership qualities and unprecedented achievements in office informed their decision to endorse him.

The position of the royal fathers was part of a ninepoint communiqué issued yesterday at the end of the quarterly meeting of the Enugu State Council of

Traditional Rulers and signed by the Chairman of the Council, Igwe Ambasador Lawrence O.C Agubuzu.

The royal fathers noted with “delight the unparalleled, amazing and spectacular quantum leap to modernity which the urban centres and rural communities in Enugu State had taken in the past seven years under Chime's governorship.”

They also commended Governor Chime for “not being boastful about his outstanding achievements; for not wasting the resources of Enugu State

in advertising his achievements; and for his resolute and genuine efforts in entrenching a positive culture of investing the funds of Enugu State in the development of the state.

As members of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, we are prepared to support Governor Chime if he seeks elective office in 2015 because of his selfless leadership qualities.”

The Council expressed hope that the “next governor of Enugu State in 2015 will emulate Governor Chime."

BUJA—STRONG indications emerged yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan would soon tell Nigerians the date for the formal declaration of his re-election bid ahead of the December 6 National Convention where his sole candidature of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would be ratified.

Vanguard gathered that as a prelude to the president’s declaration, former Federal I n f o r m a t i o n Commissioner and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark and the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, met privately on Sunday.

A source told Vanguard that Chief Clark, who arrived Chief Anenih’s Asokoro residence at 4.08 pm, left at past 5 pm, after fruitful discussions were held between the two elder statesmen.

Chief Clark, the source said, used the visit to welcome Chief Anenih back from his foreign trip.

According to the source, the two leaders delibrated on a possible date for Jonathan's formal declaration, though the date has not been disclosed officially.

According to the source, “they will formally brief the president on the need to officially declare his ambition.

It was gathered that the two leaders also discussed the ongoing sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for the governorship election in some states, the state and National Assembly elections, just and the issue of Delta governorship election as well as Edo State House of Assembly and National Assembly elections.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—13

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14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—15

Okey Wali: More groups, individuals demand immediate release

By Jimitota Onoyume & Samuel Oyadongha

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ORT HARCOURT— MORE groups and individuals, including former President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief O.C.J. Okocha, SAN, have condemned the abduction of the immediate past president of the NBA, Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, and demanded his immediate release unconditionally without harm.

Some of the groups are Port Harcourt branch of the NBA, Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, and University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association.

Chief Okocha, who pleaded for Wali's unconditional release, said it was sad that anybody could contemplate abducting the immediate past NBA President, describing him as a complete gentleman.

He said: “The abduction is condemnable. This is very shocking. He is not a money bag, or a politician with money he can’t account for. I appeal for his unconditional release.”

In the same vein, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, who called for the unconditional release of the former NBA

president condemned the abduction, saying “it is a sad development.”

He enjoined the state government and security operatives to step up action to protect lives in the state.

Similarly, Port Harcourt branch of the NBA, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Angus Chukwuka, appealed for Wali's unconditional release and urged security operatives in the state to swing into action to

COMMISSIONING: From right: Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Uche Sekondus; PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mua'zu; Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike; Dame Blessing Nsiegbe, member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2, in the House of Representatives and PDP Chairman, Rivers State, Mr. Felix Obuah, during the commissioning of Adult Education Centre, Rumuwoji, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

....As ex-Edo Attorney General condemns kidnap

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ORMER Attorney General of Edo State and a delegate to the just concluded National Conference, Chief Charles UwensuyiEdosomwan, SAN, has condemned the abduction of former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA , Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, and appealed to his abductors to release him without harm.

In a statement yesterday, Chief Uwensuyi-Edosomwan said: “The news of Okey Wali’s abduction came to me as a rude shock.

What would make anyone go after a lawyer whose calling and professional path have been of remorseless work and advocacy for the Rule of Law and the extermination of oppression of the lowly?

It all argues for a more aggressive security policy reforms that would bring national policing to the rescue of all the exposed citizens of this country, rich or poor.

“I appeal fervently to Okey’s abductors to show C M Y K

mercy to him and his family and the larger NBA family and release him without harm. All in Rivers should by now be tired of the tensions that have lasted too long, which has all but brought the Rule of Law to its knees. Please increase the peace in Rivers by releasing him immediately.”

Edosomwan called on the president to accelerate action on the resolution of the recent National Constitutional Conference that recommended states and community policing.

“This is the better model for a country as geographically immense and culturally variegated as Nigeria,” he argued.

APC condemns attack on Edo legislators' quarters

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unmask the abductors.

"The abduction is unfortunate.

We are calling on the state government and security bodies in the state to swing into action to ensure his release," Port Harcourt NBA said.

LL Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned last Saturday’s attack on Edo legislators' quarters, saying it had raised the “level of impunity under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to a level not even contemplated in the days of military rule.”

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said that based on the ease with which the thugs invaded a facility that should be well secured and the ample time they had to

damage over 30 cars and inflict injuries on legislators and their families, there was no question that the attack was carried out with the collusion of an increasingly-partisan police.

The statement said: "Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the government got intelligence report on the attack and informed the State Police Commissioner.

Instead of sending reinforcement to prevent the attack, the few policemen attached to the quarters were withdrawn."

2015: 50,000 S-South youths endorse Jonathan, Ochei

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R E S I D E N T G o o d l u c k Jonathan’s re-election and the governorship ambition of Mr. Victor Ochei received boost, weekend, during a grand reception where 50,000 youths under the umbrella of the South South Youth Political Struggle, SSYPS, endorsed the duo.

The event, which was initially slated to hold at Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South West Local Government Area, was later shifted to Udu Playground in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

National Chairman of SSYPS, General Emma Satu (retd), used the occasion to appeal to President Jonathan to reconsider the Amnesty phase three issue and find a lasting solution to it.

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

POCKET CARTOON

ATIKU PICKS FORM—From left: All Progressives Congress, APC,

National Secretary, Mai Mala Bunu; National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun; former Vice President, Alh. Atiku Abubakar and Director-General Atiku Campaign Organization, Chief Babalola Borishade during the collection of Presidential Nomination Form by Atiku Abubakar at the Party’s Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

We'll wipe out Boko Haram — Cameroon Continues from page 1 cally curtailed with the intensification of joint patrols, military operations and intelligence sharing by Nigeria and neighbouring countries as agreed by their leaders in Niamey last week.

Mr. Paul Biya, who spoke after the release of the abducted 27 hostages comprising 17 Cameroonians and 10 Chinese said: “The Cameroonian government assures you that it will ceaselessly continue to fight Boko Haram until it’s totally wiped out”.

The 27 Cameroonians and Chinese were delivered to authorities on Friday night. The government has not said how they were freed, but a security source told AFP that “a ransom” was paid and around 20 imprisoned Islamists were freed in exchange.

The Chinese were seized in May from a construction camp in Waza, near the border with Nigeria in an attack that left one Cameroonian soldier dead. The Cameroonians — including the wife of one of Cameroon’s deputy prime ministers — were abducted in July during two simultaneous assaults, also blamed on Boko Haram, in which at least 15 people died.

One of the released Cameroonians, Seiny Boukar Lamine, told state radio, “ we were in these sort of huts in a pretty dense forest, it was in a savannah with big trees and a lot of brush. We slept on the ground”. He said he was held with his wife and six children.

Another former hostage Abdouraman Seini, who survived a gunshot C M Y K

to his hand, told VOA he and the other captives were forced to eat whatever was provided and at times went for days without water to drink.

He said they lived in miserable conditions and that they were tortured by men armed with knives and guns. “Freedom is a good thing, I pray such a thing never happens to anyone”, he said.

Abdouraman Seini added that he did not see any of the more than 200 girls from Chibok, Nigeria that Boko Haram claimed responsibility for kidnapping in April.

According to him “ women are separated from men in the various detention camps run by the militants in the bush”.

Seini also told VOA he believes it is very likely Boko Haram fighters will continue their attacks because they are running out of food for the hundreds of fighters and the hundreds of captives they have.

We'll curtail their activities — Jonathan Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati quoted the president as telling the ministers of defence and foreign affairs of Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic that such international collaboration was essential for success in the war against terrorism.

The Ministers were in Abuja to work with their Nigerian counterparts on a legal framework for the

cross-border military operations which President Jonathan and neighbouring heads of state approved in Niamey.

President Jonathan reiterated his belief that such collaboration was essential for success in the war against terrorism.

According to the statement, the president was pleased “ with the decisions taken in Niamey to enhance and boost joint actions against Boko Haram and other crossborder criminals because we have to work together to defeat Boko Haram and other extremist groups in our sub-region.

“I believe that if we cooperate more and monitor our borders closely, the movement of criminals and terrorists as well as small arms and ammunition across our shared borders will also be drastically reduced,” The visiting ministers were accompanied to the Presidential Villa by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

The President said that with their collective experience and professionalism, he expected the visiting ministers and their Nigerian counterparts to come up with an effective action plan for the successful implementation of the decisions reached by the leaders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic at their meeting in Niamey on October 7, 2014.

It would be recalled that at the meeting in Niamey, Niger, the leaders announced plans to step up the fight against

Boko Haram.

A communiqué issued after the meeting said that a command centre for a multinational force headed by a chief of staff will be in place by November 20.

The leaders also agreed to finalise the deployment of troops promised by member states to form the multinational force within their national borders by November 1.

The visiting ministers at the audience with President Jonathan were Niger ’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Bazoun; Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Mr. Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo; Chad’s Minister of Defence, Mr. Benaindo Tatola; Chad’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Muossa Faki Mahamat; Niger ’s Minister of Defence, Mr. K. Mahamadou; Benin’s Minister of Defence, Mr. Robert Yarou; Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Nassirou Bako Arifari and Cameroon’s Minister of Defence, Mr. Edgar Alain Debe Ngo’o.

Multi National Joint Task Force readies for Boko Haram In a related development, the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, comprising soldiers from countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission have decided to establish the MNJTF headquarters in Borno State next month.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb Aminu Bashir Wali disclosed this, pointing out that troops of the task force will be deployed into action next month to checkmate the tendencies of Boko Haram terrorists crossing into border communities to wreak havoc.

According to Wali, after the meeting of LCBC member states in Benin Republic, it was agreed that the MNJTF headquarters be established in Baga town in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, on November 20, 2014.

He said the choice of Baga was in tandem with the decisions reached by Heads of State and Government of member states of Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC for which the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence met in Abuja yesterday.

He said the resolution would be forwarded to United Nations Security Council, and African Union to put the legal frame work in place against insurgency.

The Minister noted further that the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in

Baga, which served as the epicentre of their strategic activities in terms of arms procurement, planning for attacks and reception centre for foreign insurgents or mercenaries due to its proximity to porous borders, justified the expansion of the Task Force’s mandate in April, 2012 to include the fight against terrorism.

His words: “Our meeting today underscores our common commitment to good neighbourliness and fine-tuning our collective resolve and strategies for confront terrorism.

“It is an established fact, which we have often stated that terrorism is an international phenomenon that has to be addressed through collaborative efforts at subregional and global levels.

“As a sub regional body, we are at a crossroad. We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, which we must win or else, it will define us”.

At regional level, we have succeeded in enhancing cooperation in border patrol with neighbouring countries. We have also succeeded in deploying troops along our common borders.

“A new Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit, RIFU, has since become operational. Various forms of assistance have been received at bilateral and multilateral levels from our development partners and friends in terms of training.

“Most of these initiatives were sound but regrettably, resulting in certain inconveniences which have raised questions about the balance that we must strike between our commitment to democratic values, our interests in security and other national priorities”.

In an Interview with Vanguard, the Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Engr. Sanusi Imran Abdullahi said members states were more than determined to fight terrorism as a collective menace in the region.

“We had the meeting of ministers of defence and chiefs of defence staff

and chiefs of security of the member countries and Benin in Niamey July and we discussed the current security situation and the deployment of troops by member countries as agreed by the heads of state.

"Each country is to give an equipped troop, battalion to the Multinational Joint Task Force.

“As at that time, Niger and Chad had already deployed their battalions at locations within their countries. Of course, Nigerian troops are already there in Baga more than even a Battalion.

“But Cameroon was preparing to deploy their contingent. So we are hopeful by the end of this meeting today and before the end of the month as agreed at the extra ordinary summit, Cameroon should have deployed their own contingent of a battalion within their border in the Lake Chad Basin until the legal arrangements are finalised for the operation of the force together to work across borders”.

Abdullahi disclosed that the president of Benin Republic, Dr Boni Yayi, had promised to deploy a battalion which he described as a plus to us to member states.

“The Multinational Joint Task Force is to give us a tool for the fight against all forms of terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin and in the member countries or at least in the member countries that have signed this declaration at the extra ordinary summit”.

Dasuki unveils new approach to couter terrorism

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, yesterday in New York unveilled Nigeria’s new approach to countering and dismantling violent extremism in Nigeria. The Countering Violent Extremism programme, according to Dasuki is aimed at identifying the underlying causes of terrorism and to develop strategies to solve the problems.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 17

I

am the Chairman of Financial Nigeria International Limited. As chairmanships go, it is an honorary position. All the work is actually done by the Managing Editor, Jide Akintunde, who is really my employer; and his able assistant, Martins Hile. The company publishes Financial Nigeria magazine; a development and finance journal that provides an indepth digest of the Nigerian economy and other frontier economies in sub-Saharan Africa every month. I write a column in this on “Nigeria and the World.”

If you want to know what is happening in global development and various sectors of the Nigerian economy, presented from an objective and non-partisan point of view, you cannot do better than Financial Nigeria.

Over the past five years, Financial Nigeria has organised what we call the Nigeria Development and Finance Forum, NDFF. This colloquium is held in leading (financial) capitals around the world. The first three were held in London, England. Then we moved to Washington D.C., United States. The one of this year was held in New York, U.S.A. The purpose is to provide policy briefings and investment opportunities in Nigeria to the international community and Nigerians in the diaspora; and to tell them why we believe that Nigeria is now a major frontier market they need to come and invest in.

What exactly is ‘clueless' about Goodluck Jonathan? (2) would not be doing this if we did not know that Goodluck Jonathan’s Transfor mation Agenda is laying a concrete foundation for Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

Economic renaissance When you point to the giant strides Nigeria is making under Goodluck Jonathan, in spite of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, some cynical Nigerians maintain you are either looking for a government “brown envelope,” or you want to replace Reuben Abati as the government spokesman. But I wonder who else is hankering after a handout from Goodluck Jonathan.

Could Barack Obama also be looking for a job

,

,

Few governments of Nigeria have been as purposeful as that of Goodluck Jonathan

Financial Nigeria is a private non-governmental organisation. We are neither backed nor financed by the government. But we contribute our widow’s mite to Nigeria’s development by showcasing Nigeria to the world.

Therefore, we fly government functionaries, captains of Nigerian industries and other members of the Nigerian intelligentsia to these NDFF gatherings, and give them the platform to tell the world the changes that are now taking place back home.

Those who have participated at these sessions from Nigeria include Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Power; Dr. Sam Amadi, Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission; Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria; Mr. Roberts Orya. M.D., Nigerian Export-Import Bank; Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, M.D., Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria; and Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Chairman, UAC Nigeria Plc. The U.S. Department of Commerce has become one of our organising partners for NDFF conferences in the United States.

Financial Nigeria would not be doing this every year if we did not believe Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is making a major difference to the Nigerian economy.

We

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as our president’s press secretary?

At the U.S.-Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation of the Americas, NIDOA , in Washington DC in 2012, Obama acknowledged Nigeria is now a strategic centre of gravity in Africa, even proclaiming the country “the world’s next economic giant.”

He declared U.S. readiness to invest in Nigeria’s success on a wide range of issues. This perspective cannot be divorced from the salutary measures put in place by the Jonathan administration.

Later that year, Obama sent Hilary Clinton, his Secretary of State, to Nigeria. Clinton’s visit was followed by the signing of a bi-national commission agreement to facilitate U.S.Nigerian cooperation on issues of common concern and shared responsibility. It is on record that Nigeria is the only African country with whom the United States has signed this kind of agreement, and it did not take place until Jonathan became president.

Africa’s economic giant Under Jonathan, the Nigerian economy has been growing at an average annual rate of 7%.

After a number of postponements by previous

administrations, the Jonathan administration re-based the Nigerian GDP. The new figures released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics indicate that Nigeria’s GDP is now $503 billion; nearly double the previous estimates. This means Nigeria has leapfrogged South Africa, whose GDP is around $350 billion, to become by far the biggest economy in Africa.

This has pushed Nigeria up by 12 places to become the 23rd largest economy in the world; level-pegging with Poland and Norway, but now ahead of Belgium, Venezuela and Austria. Some of the sectors that showed marked improvement include those where the Jonathan administration made judicious interventions: including agriculture, housing and (Nollywood) entertainment.

This shows the government’s economic policy is well-aligned with the growth sectors, and it belies all the negative noises currently being made by the “born to rule” delusionists of the APC. Nigeria’s emergence as Africa’s premier economy under Goodluck Jonathan is bound to give a filip to the economy by attracting even more foreign investment to Nigeria. Indeed, within the last three years, Nigeria has emerged as the preferred destination for foreign direct investments in Africa. For the second year running, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, has ranked Nigeria as the number one destination for investments in Africa, and as having the fourth highest returns in the world.

T h e World Bank also forecasts that Nigeria will receive this year an inflow of $21 billion in remittances from Nigerians living and working abroad.

This will place Nigeria as the top recipient of foreign remittances in Africa; followed by Egypt with projected remittances of $18 billion.

In addition, Nigeria became this year the first country in West Africa to host the World Economic Forum, WEF. It was the most successful forum of its kind in history, boasting a global reach of 2.1 billion people according to estimates.

It raised $68 billion in investments for Africa, according to Dr Philip Rosler,

the Managing Director of the For u m .

S u r e l y, these developments are not the outcome of “clueless” economic policies by the Jonathan administration.

Agriculture In the agricultural sector, there is a major revolution unfolding under Goodluck Jonathan’s Transfor mation Agenda. There is now more private investment in agriculture, including bank lending, than ever before. The new regime of fertiliser subsidy is well-targeted. Middle-men and ghost-farmers have been eliminated.

Fertilizer distribution and allocation has been digitalised, thereby eliminating the fraud and nepotism that characterised the process in the past. Farmers now receive assistance in the form of loans, equipment on lease and seedlings.

The result has been dramatic. Under Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria has reduced its food imports by over 40% as of 2013, moving the country closer to self sufficiency in agriculture. The increase in food production has helped to stabilize food prices, driving down inflation into single digits. Today, Nigeria is now the largest producer of cassava in the world, with an output of over 45 million metric tonnes in 2014, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, FAO. The Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, is determined to bring about a seachange in the way Nigerians regard agriculture. The new operational philosophy is that agriculture must be seen as a business and not just as a means of livelihood.

Capital market In the capital market, President Jonathan is proreform and a firm supporter of institution-building. His support has been instrumental to the sustenance of the reforms instituted by the DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh. These reforms have restored confidence to the Nigerian capital market in the aftermath of the crash of 2008/2009.

Today, the main index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the All Shares Index, has surpassed

its pre-crisis level.

It is significant that the Nigerian capital market and the naira have held firm; unlike other frontier and emerging markets which experienced downturns when the reversal of capital flows followed the slowdown (or tapering-off) of the bondbuying programme of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States.

Under Goodluck Jonathan’s leadership, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, was established by law to manage Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, as obtainable in almost all oil-producing countries of the world. This Fund of funds is an important assurance that Nigeria’s oil wealth will be transgenerational.

Industries All indications point to the revival of the industrial sectors and the Small- and Mediumscale Enterprises, SMEs, under the Jonathan administration.

For example, FBN Capital, one of the leading financial services groups in Nigeria, avers in a recent report that there is “a dramatic increase in manufacturing growth” in the country. The pool of vocational skills to support the industrial sector is being developed with the revival of the Industrial Training Fund, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria and other vocational centres that are designed to provide manpower for the development of the industrial value-chain.

An industrial revolution has been re-ignited with the revival of automobile assembling plants in Nigeria under the leadership of the indefatigable Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga and with the full support of President Jonathan. Under this administration, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, IVM, Nigeria’s flagship indigenous automaker, began the sale of its first madein-Nigeria cars and SUVs in August 2014.

Nigeria has now become a major destination for multinational investment in car manufacturing. Big auto giants, including Peugeot, Nissan and Hyundai, now either assemble, or entirely manufacture, their cars, SUVs, trucks and buses at various locations in Nigeria, The evidence is over whelming: “Clueless” Jonathan has revolutionized Nigeria in more ways than many have perceived or are willing to acknowledge. Under his administration, Nigeria has made and is making giants strides.

Perhaps the administration should be blamed for not tooting its own horn more stridently. But the truth is that many people who are against South-South rule have simply been maligning the government. These attacks have no validity in fact.

Nigerians should not allow themselves to be deceived.

There is no doubt that on the basis of merit alone, Goodluck Jonathan deserves another term in office. Few governments of Nigeria have been as purposeful as that of Goodluck Jonathan.

To be continued

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 HOW many prison breaks would it take to secure our prisons? Like in Akure in July 2013, where armed robbers let 175 criminals loose, while freeing their colleagues, last week’s incident in Kirikiri, Nigeria’s prime jail, Kirikiri would soon be history.

Before Akure there have been jail breaks in Ibadan, Warri, Bauchi, Kano, Abuja (at the anti-robbery detention centre), and Port Harcourt. The reactions have always been the same – media talks, promises to address the situation, and forgetfulness until the next criminals free themselves.

A jail break is at one of the highest points of criminality. Its consequences depend on the criminals involved and their motives.

What all these point at is that the authorities have failed to realise the importance of securing convicts and detainees. There is still a high tendency of dismissing the schemes criminals can plot even while in jail. More importantly, the reactions after jail breaks had been to descend on the prison authorities. We are aware that prisons are at the lowest rungs for budgetary allocations.

By Chika Onuora

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HE All Progressives Congress, APC, is at it again. The party does not fail to live to its billing in raking up unnecessary controversy all in an effort to play what it understands as “opposition politics.” Just when we were settling to enjoy the last Muslim festival holidays, its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed barged into our consciousness with an attempt to turn logic on its head. The issue this time: President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should not take full credit for the country’s successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD. To him, “a collective effort” should not belong to the Federal Government alone.

As usual, Lai was lying and trying to distort facts. The President had, in his speech at the church service to mark Nigeria’s independence anniversary at the Ecumenical Centre, alluded to the defeat of Ebola in Nigeria as the fruit of bi-partisan cooperation. While paying tribute to the health workers who paid the ultimate price in that war against Ebola, Jonathan commended the non-partisan collaborative approaches that resulted in containing the spread of the virus. In spite of that statesmanlike speech, Lai Mohammed preferred a special credit to the APC governors of Lagos and Rivers states, two of the states in which it was reported. It didn’t matter to Lai Mohammed that the contribution of both governors mainly centred on coordination of the various volunteer groups that sprang up to assist in managing the crisis.

Again Jail Break Break,, Same R eaction Reaction Security at our prisons is left mostly to warders who are poorly armed and easily over powered. It has happened many times.

Furthermore, the extent of the alertness, the number of warders deployed to man these facilities, and the equipment at their disposal make the jail breakers’ job easier.

The most recent incident is rooted in inmates’ anger at being denied their rights.

Abuses of prisoners’ rights are plentiful, from miserable meals to their poor living places. Medicals are barely available. None of these would be surprising, considering how Nigerians who are not in jail live.

If one listens to Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior, little, would be done. Without an investigation, Moro has given congestion as one of the reasons for the commotion that claimed lives. It is an old story. For more than 15 years of civil rule, committees, conferences, and similar conjectures have been thrown at prison congestion. They achieved nothing.

Kirikiri Medium, for instance has 2,536 inmates, by the latest census. Only 98 or less than five per cent, are convicts, the remaining 2,434 are awaiting trial, a plight they share with more than 36,000 others across Nigeria. Comptroller General of Prison Zakari Ibrahim told a House of Representatives Committee that of 50,601 inmates in the various prisons, 36,934 were awaiting trial. Last June, Moro said 70 per cent of inmates were awaiting trial.

The over-crowding in our prisons should be treated as emergency. It is a tasking process that would see Nigeria tackling unemployment and changing the slow gears that drive the justice system. Like earlier prison incidents, Kirikiri is a symptom, not the illness.

OPINION APC's Ebola mischief It is either Lai Mohammed does not understand the context in which President Jonathan spoke or he is deliberately distorting the issue in his usual effort to justify his position as APC spokesman. Why would he prefer to draw the lines of party affiliation in that humanitarian issue in which Nigeria has received collective commendation across the world? It can only be for parochial reasons. Like in every issue of this nature in which people’s welfare must be considered first, Jonathan has played down the political leanings of governors of those states. Like the war on insurgency which was started in states managed by APC governors, efforts to eradicate Ebola in Nigeria were not waged with partisan political considerations in mind.

It is difficult to understand Lai Mohammed’s argument, and what political capital he intends to get from the argument. While in one breath he acknowledged that Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, exhibited uncommon professionalism and purposefulness, in another breath he claimed that it would be uncharitable for the PDP-led Federal Government of which he is part, to take credit. That is the height of illogic by a man blinded by hatred for this single national accomplishment. Truth be told, if credit must be given at all, the Jonathan administration has fully earned it and it is not something Lai Mohammed should be hysterical about.

While the World Health Organisation, WHO, commended the Nigerian Government’s efforts in containing the spread of Ebola, an impressed US Government has even sent

experts to understudy how the Jonathan administration accomplished the feat even without medical support from the US and WHO. At the emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Ebola, the WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, had told participants to take a cue from Nigeria’s success in tackling “the greatest peacetime challenge that the UN and its agencies have ever faced”.

For a disease which infected over 5000 people and killed 2,500, according to reports, Nigeria recorded 19 confirmed cases with only seven deaths. This came about due mainly to the Jonathan administration’s promptness, purposefulness and doggedness in facing the unusual challenge. To further underscore Nigeria’s success, the last case of the disease was successfully discharged a clear 30 days back on September 10 from the Ebola Isolation Centre.

The APC behaves like a child that wants to have his cake and still eat it. It is envious of the commendation being showered on the Jonathan administration on the Ebola issue; it prefers its governors in Lagos and Rivers to be given the credit, yet it wants its governors in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa absolved from their seeming failure to combat Boko Haram and rescue of the Chibok girls. The question is: Would the lying party have blamed the APC governors in Lagos and Rivers states if the Ebola issue had been mishandled and turned to an unsavoury story for Nigeria?

While it is not a time here to apportion blames, the failing of the Rivers and Lagos states

governments in managing the crisis are all too obvious. That of Lagos is summarised in the statement by Ada Igonoh, a doctor at First Consultants Hospital, an Ebola survivor who had certified Sawyer dead. She had described the environment at the “female ward” she was admitted into at the state-government-run Lagos Mainland Hospital – the main infectious diseases facility, as shocking with poor sanitary condition. “The sheets were not changed for days. The floor was stained with greenish vomitus and excrement…

Mosquitoes were our roommates until they brought us mosquito nets…”. How Governor Fashola managed, or mismanaged the N200m Federal Government donation to the Lagos State Government to help in curtailing the spread of this deadly scourge and in the management of its impact, is an issue for another day.

While the President and the Health Minister have severally commended the governors of the two APC states hit by Ebola for their contributions towards the successful containment of the virulent disease, it is obvious that the Jonathan-led federal administration guided the battle against the disease. But Ebola was not a political party matter and the unfortunate demise of Mrs Adedevoh and other health officials who paid the price in the battle to contain it, are not issues that APC can appropriate for partisan political gains.

Like the CDC Director Tom Frieden stated, Nigeria’s “extensive response to a single case of Ebola shows that control is possible with rapid, focused interventions.” *Mr. Onuora, a public affairs analyst,wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—19

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E have succeeded in establishing the fact that the foundation for corruption in this country was in the beginning, through the falsification of records and distortions in geographical mapping, coupled with rigged census and elections. It was the foundation for white collar criminality- one committed through the pen and books- and white collar criminality is the most dangerous to a nation. It stunts growth and development. It is not openly manifested but deadly as worm eaten houses.

Forget all the noise about the British bureaucracy and rhetorics: they are the foundation for corruption in this country and they replicated it in several parts of the world. Check out the following British former colonies: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and many others, all of them rank very highly in the corruption index. The case of India is very perplexing: With all the strides they have made in medicine, engineering and ICT, the DNA of corruption refuses to be expunged from their system.

It has now become a pathological case and the people have learnt

to live with it.

Such is the situation in Nigeria but in India, they have been able to combine theirs with development. They have isolated their science and technology from the murky politicians and their world of corruption. In Nigeria, the more we learn to live with corruption, the more it is choking and threatening to destroy us as a nation. Are we going to let it destroy this country?

Incidentally, we are having new generations of Nigerians who are not well informed and have been made to grow up with tainted accounts of the country's history.

Unfortunately, history, we are told, has been removed from our educational curricula. How we intend to learn from the failures of our past is beyond my imagination, as we cannot move forward, without a proper grounding on our past.

Almost all of our founding leaders- except a very negligible few like Aminu Kano- developed acquisitive tendencies of the ultra- capitalist cadres and were prone to their ethnic and regional interests. There is, therefore, no single role model in the form of Mahatma Ghandi of India or

We need a Nigeria of integrated, detribalised amalgamation of tribes where the interest of both the majority and minorities are factored in and institutionalised

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Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

As a politician with acquisitive tendencies, there is no way you will practise your trade without compromising on your integrity and the spill over effects can be seen in our present day politics.

Corruption everywhere The new generation would have been better placed to sort this out, as they were not part of the rotten foundation. Unfortunately, they are also learning very fast.

So, how do we tackle the challenges of corruption in this country? Again it is a matter that requires our collective efforts. It must be accepted by all that corruption is killing this country.

The way everyone sees the deadly Ebola virus, same should be the case of corruption. An emergency should be declared and it must start from the head - I

Of new wine and old bottles

By M.A.Agbamuche

T

HESE are strange times in Nigeria.

Change is in the air and I do not just mean the transformation agenda of the present administration. A case in point is the decision of the just concluded National Conference that 18 additional states should be carved out of Nigeria. That such a fundamental decision could be arrived at so easily within the three months life span of an ad-hoc conference is astonishing.

This matter of state creation predates the independence of Nigeria from colonial rule; indeed the agitation for more regions / states was seen as the only means by which minorities could escape from oppression by the majority sub-nationalities in the then three regions of Nigeria. So convincing were the agitators that the British colonial authorities felt obliged to set up what was called the Willinks Commission whose mandate was to gather evidence and consider all the groups ,receive suggestions and make recommendations ,all these with a view to addressing the fears of the minorities before independence.

It is interesting to note that the Willinks Commission rejected any suggestion that the minorities should be granted the status of states within Nigeria. The country then proceeded with the preparations for independence in October 1960 with the minority problems unresolved. That, of course, only left room for the minorities to remain with their dissatisfaction and continued agitation for reform.

Such suggested reform invariably became agitation for the creation of new states/regions. Of course in the atmosphere of unresolved discontent, it was no surprise that the problem of the minorities remained unresolved by the concept of federalism .With the benefit of hindsight the idea that federalism could assuage the fears of the minority is confounded by the type of party politics that accompanied independence.

Political parties dominated by the major ethnic groups in the region could not have been expected to do anything other than protect the interest of their majority

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sponsors.

At this junction, the reader would allow me to cite as a case study the agitation of the people of what now constitutes Delta North Senatorial District for selfdetermination /recognition as a distinct political element in Nigeria to be known as Anioma. The Anioma area right from the outset was a dissatisfied minority. It attained self awareness as part of what was called Benin Province which meant that from day one it was an oppressed minority .Its leaders almost from day one coined the name Anioma even before independence of Nigeria in a bid to begin to forge a sense of identity.

Regrettably, their representatives did not play a very prominent role before the Willinks Commission hearings as I pointed out in my contribution to the seminar work NIGERIA: A CENTURY OF CONSTITUTIONAL EVOLUTION 19142014 edited by Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN in chapter 7 -"MINORITY RIGHTS IN FIRST REPUBLIC NIGERIA".

To a large measure the Willinks Commissions proceedings and hearing were dominated by minorities within the Niger /Delta regions, in particular the Ijaw.

Interestingly the Igbo of the then Eastern Region played no significant role in the affairs of the Willinks Commission even as they dominated the political party (NCNC) that controlled the Eastern Region and the then Mid-West area occupied by the Anioma.

This may not have been unconnected with the fact that the NCNC being controlled by the dominant Igbo of the Eastern Region saw no reason to support or participate in anything that may have ended with the reduction of their sphere of influence.

The end of the civil war did not mean an end to state agitation. As a matter of historical fact, the Gowon administration at that time, before the shooting started, sought to out-maneuver and in fact succeeded in out-maneuvering the Igbo by creating new states, including states for the riverine sub- nationalities and the Ibibio/ Efik groups.

Not surprisingly, the beneficiaries of the new states saw no reason to support the idea

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By Sunny Ikhioya

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Nigeria's corruption challenges — what to do

mean the presidency. In their thoughts, actions and body language, it must be clear to all that they are ready to put this corruption issue to rest.

Corruption cannot be eliminated from this country without good leadership examples. As corrupt as the Indians are portrayed, they are never compromised by issues that affect the common progress of the country. For example, you cannot import just anything into the country when it is placed on the prohibition list. In Nigeria, the reverse is the case; that is when waivers are granted and smuggling intensified; that is why the policies on rice and imported vehicles will not work.

Everyone of our policies are deliberately contrived to make some people rich at the expense of the generality of the citizens.

Unless our leadership at all levels accept to set positive examples, we will not eliminate corruption.

We need a Nigeria of integrated, detribalised amalgamation of tribes where the interest of both the majority and minorities are factored in and institutionalised. We all need to come out clean in this country; there should be no need for falsification of population and election figures.

Let us have men that are ready to use their education correctly for the advancement of this

The biggest surprise of all is that the Urhobo are fully in support of the creation of Anioma state... because they reason that when Anioma go, they will be left with the remaining ethnic sub-nationalities to dominate easily

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of Biafra. Indeed ,the master stroke of giving them states satisfied their age-long resentments of Igbo domination of the then Eastern Region. So deep was this resentments that up till date the Igbo language, the lingua franca of the then Eastern Region, is deliberately not spoken by the leading riverine politicians and people who were of age by1966 even when it is common knowledge that they all speak and understand Igbo.

T

he creation of 12 states by Gowon and the apparent benefits for the beneficiaries only fuelled the desire of other state agitators but significantly such states creation only succeeded during military regimes. The Mid West Region exception to this rule remained singular and its success is pointedly located in the politics of that era during which there was a universal gang-up by the Federal Government and its allies to undermine and deal with the main opposition party who dominated the then Western Region.

It is against this background that my reader is invited to consider what I called the astonishingly speedy decision of the National Conference to create 18 new states.Unless these states are going to be created by an executive fiat which is only possible in a military regime, it must mean that the confab delegates expect their proposal to go through all the rigors and obstacles put in place in the Constitution regarding state creation or even local government creation.

That means that the reason that has made state creation difficult in any dispensation other than military government will apply

country. The Indians have just launched a successful space mission to planet Mars, with a budget as low as $73-74million, ten times cheaper than what the US would have expended. This is made possible by the focus of the intellectual class. They have concentrated on their researches and achieved ground breaking feats in various endeavours.

Because of their peculiar circumstances- the average Indian is relatively poor- they have always churned out products that the ordinary man can afford through frugal technologies. That is the story of India; that despite the corruptive tendencies of the politicians and their like,the intellectuals/ researchers are pushing the country ahead to the top of global forums. Why can't our intellectuals do same?

It is not all about money but passion and interest. Our intellectuals must set the examples and the Ministry of Science and Technology must be involved in this drive. That Ministry is too passive, as it is now. The shackles of corruption can be broken in this country, we need leaders who are ready. Are we ready to break this barrier?

Who will bell the cat? *Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

to this suggestion of the National Conference since President Goodluck Jonathan has no power to create any new state by executive fiat.

The Mid-west Region experience is necessarily instructive. I urge my readers to read the seminal work of Dr Nowamagbe A. Omoigui, Benin and The Mid-West Referendum, easily found on the internet. The work reveals that much more effort must be put into the quest for a new state by its protagonists than appears to have been done by present day agitations for new states. The success of the proposal to excise the Midwest Region from the old Western Region was dependent firstly on the mutual desire of all the sub-nationalities in the area concerned to be part of the new Mid-west region, thus escaping what they conveniently saw as Yoruba domination.

With such an enabling atmosphere, it was no surprise that the constitutional requirement that a referendum of all the people that constituted the proposed new region was easily satisfied. My reader would note that despite conflicting political affiliations of the leading politicians in that region, nobody dared to speak against what amounted to the wishes of the people. One can easily see the same scenario repeating itself today with regards to any of the areas from where 18 new states are now proposed to be created easily.

In fact, any proposed state from one area of Nigeria in which the opposition dominates should forget the matter.

The biggest surprise of all is that our main rivals in the present day Delta state, the Urhobo, are fully in support of the creation of Anioma state not because of any new found love for Anioma but because they reason that when Anioma go, they will be left with the remaining ethnic sub nationalities to dominate easily.

I can only say in that regard that just as it is wise to dine with the devil with a long spoon, so it is that in sharing a glass of wine in celebration of this opportunity for emancipation supported by our main detractor, we will sip the wine of brotherhood with caution. *Chief Agbamuche is Owelle of AkwukwoIgbo, Oshimili North LGA, Delta State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, OCTOBER 14, 2014

V

*Carcass of the fuel tanker and the burnt remains of nearby shops. INSET: Oliver Dike, one of the victims Photo by Dare Fasube

Torrent of tears as Ibadan tanker fire victims count losses

BY OLA AJAYI, Ibadan lost a Volkswagen Golf car to the fire.

Another victim, Abduraheem Aliu, said the fire had consumed all he had. Though his stock is only worth N100,000, he said that was all he had to cater for his family. He was selling electrical materials.

He said those who died were mostly commuters who were there to board commercial to their respective destinations, as well as some private car owners.

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ICTIMS of a fuel tanker ex plosion at Molete in Ibadan, Oyo State which claimed about 15 lives and left several others severely injured last Saturday have been counting their losses since the unfortunate incident happened.

Among the victims was pregnant woman who died with her children.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that the accident happened when a fully loaded tanker had brake failure which made it lose control and emptied its highly inflammable contents on the road.

The victims were rushed to the Accident and Emergency section of the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

Apart from human casualty, property worth millions of naira were reduced to ashes. According to an eyewitness, 50 shops, 13 vehicles, three houses, seven commercial motorcycles, three commercial tricycles and several other items were lost to the accident.

While some of victims thanked providence for making them escape the raging inferno, they were complaining bitterly about the debt incurred due to loss of their property.

One of the victims who identified himself as Chigozie Eze said the accident had left him completely “naked”. Chigozie, who sells drugs said: “I had left the shops and was on my way home when I received a call that my shop was on fire”. He continued: “When I got there, I was shocked to the bone marrow seeing the extent of the accident”.

Giving vivid account of how the accident happened, the highly depressed trader said: “I learned that the truck driver was trying to avoid a bad spot on the road when negotiating the roundabout but lost control of the vehicle in the process. The contents spilled on the road and was followed by an explosion. God saved my brother who escaped through the back door but we lost everything. I had more than N400,000 in the shop. One of our customers was unlucky as he lost his life in the raging fire”.

Another victim, Subairu Ajayi, a building tools seller, said he lost all his stock in the fire.

While lamenting the ugly incident, he explained that five of his colleagues sharing the same shop with him lost their wares worth N1.2 million. One of his colleagues, Isiaka Bello, lamented that they were caught in the incident because most times they would be forced to wait till late in the night since they hardly have good sales during the day. He said he also

message that a petrol tanker lost control and fell at Molete roundabout and spilled its fuel which resulted into fire. When I got to the market, the fire had spread everywhere at the roundabout. If not for the river behind the market, the fuel would have flooded the whole area and caused more death.

“I noticed that 13 vehicles, seven commercial motorcycles and three commercial tricycles were burnt, 10 people were roasted and 45 shops were burnt. We don’t know the actual number of those who died in

I noticed that 13 vehicles, seven commercial motorcycles and three commercial tricycles were burnt, 10 people were roasted and 45 shops burnt

Others, he said, are people who were not part of the market during the day, but took advantage of the night to do their businesses.

The Iyaloja of Molete Market, Alhaja Iswat Oyinlola, said the casualty figure would have been more but for a nearby river. In her own account, she said: “I was at home around 10 pm when I got the

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the inferno but from the list I have with me, 10 people were confirmed dead. Others were taken to the hospital.”

Mrs. Oyinlola further said that commercial bus drivers have turned the roundabout to their park. I learned that the truck was unable to negotiate the bend smoothly, and because it had full load of fuel, it lost control and fell”.

Also, another trader who managed to speak with newsmen that stormed the place, Mr. Ahmed Adeoye, said many of the casualties were roadside traders who allegedly defied government order to stop selling wares by the roadsides.

“I thank God that nobody sustained injury in my shop. Many road side traders were unlucky as they lost their lives and goods to the fire”.

He said he counted about 15 bodies very late in the night when the fire was put off, adding that he lost property estimated at N2 million.

At the University College Hospital, the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ayodeji Bobade, said out of the 11 victims comprising a young girl, six males and four females that were rushed to the teaching hospital late on Saturday, two of them have died while the hospital is still managing the remaining nine.

At the time of filing this reports, he said he could not say if they were responding to treatment or not.

He also hinted that the Caretaker Chairman of the South East, Mr. Abas Bolaji Najeemdeen had given the sum of N300,000 to the victims one of which “died later in the night

as all of them suffered severe burns”.

Meantime, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the state has called on the relevant authorities to encourage concerned relevant governmental agencies in creating or fortifying special units or departments that would be dedicated to control of activities of owners and drivers of fuel tankers and other heavy duty vehicles with a view to reducing the cases of incessant loss of lives and properties which they cause the society.

“In view of the avoidable carnage on our roads often caused by these these tankers, trucks and other heavy duty vehicles, we call on the governments at all levels to mandate agencies such as; Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, and the Nigeria Police Force to either create, or fortify existing units and departments needed to checkmate the activities of owners and operators of these ‘mobile lethal vehicles’ on our roads in order to reduce the incessant cases of avoidable accidents and attendant gnashing of teeth which they cause the public,” the party said in a statement.

Vanguard, TUESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 21

From left : J.P Morgan Vice President Sub-Sahara Africa Research and Strategy Global Economic Research, Ms Giulia Pellegrini, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and Deputy Governor, Monetary Policy, Mrs. Sarah Alade, during J.P Morgan Investors submit held at Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC.

FG to promote creation of 1,500 SMEs via new technologies

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

he Director General of Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO, Dr. Gloria Elemo, has said that an estimated 1,500 small and medium scale enterprises are expected to be set up across the country in the next one year through the 250 Research and Development

(R&D) technologies/outputs developed by the institute.

Speaking ahead of the Investment and Technology Week being put together by the institute, she said that not less than 50,000 direct job opportunities will also be created following the adoption of the technologies by the 774 local government areas in the nation, even as

she said that 75,000 entrepreneurs have so far benefited from FIIRO technology transfer.

She noted that the 250 R&D outputs to be showcased at the four days event, which kicked off today (Tuesday, October 14, 2014), would also spur more Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, interest into the country.

Elemo added that the

investment week is part of the institute’s effort to deliver more effectively on its mandate for rapid industrialization of the national economy, as well as create employment opportunities to reverse the worsening unemployment in the country.

“The overall aim of the

Shareholders okay Access Bank’s N68bn rights issue

BY PETER EGWUATU

S

hareholders of Access Bank Plc, yesterday endorsed the proposal by its Board of Directors to raise N68 billion additional capital by way of rights issue.

The shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in Lagos hailed the move by the bank to enhance its capital to meet current challenges.

Speaking at the EGM, the Chairman, Advancement for the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders, Dr. Farouk Umar said “The initiative to raise additional equity capital is laudable given the increasing demand for loan.

The CBN has initiated a lot of policies that will need banks to raise capital in order to

remain in business. The CBN is gradually removing COT, so it will be turf time for banks to make huge profit and that is why raising capital is necessary so that our bank can be able to loan money to the productive sector. The price for the rights issue must be considered in order to attract shareholders to pick their rights.”

The President, Nigerian Shareholders Solidarity Association, NSSA, Chief Timothy Adesiyan said “It is good to raise capital but the bank should make the price for the offer attractive. Also, we would like the bank to assure the shareholders that in the future we would get better dividend for taking our rights.

The issue of underwriting is even immaterial since it is a

rights issue.”

Other shareholders group leaders, such as Sir Sunny Nwosu, National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Mr. Boniface Okezie, Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, PSAN, Mrs. Bisi Bakare, Chairman, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, and others commended the plans to raise additional capital.

According to them “ The rights issue should commence as quickly as possible taking consideration of the pricing and ensuring that all shareholders get the rights circular. We don’t want any body to be shortchanged.

Once the price is right, shareholders will pick up

their rights, but for some that may not have the financial capability to pick their rights they can trade the rights issue on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE. Consequently, all the shareholders approved all the eight special resolutions put before them at the meeting.

Some of the resolutions include: increase in authorize share capital from N13 billion made up of 24 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo and two billion preference shares of 50 kobo each top N20 billion by the creation of 14 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobbo each.

programme is to showcase the institutes over 250 R&D outputs suitable for investment by micro, small, medium and large scale entrepreneurs to enhance job creation and improve on the national Gross Domestic Products.

“We are hoping that at least 35 technologies would be well structured and adopted in all the local governments, which is 774. So, the projection is that if every local government tries to adopt at least two technologies, we will have a total of about 2,000 jobs each.

“When you look at others that are coming in to buy into the technologies, various c o m m e r c i a l organisations, students coming in, National

Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, organizations like SURE-P and other organized sectors, we are expecting that minimum expected jobs that can come out of this catalyst should be at least 250,000. This will definitely reduce unemployment level in the country,” she said.

“We just concluded training of a number of youths on our National Techno-entrepreneurs Initiative, but our target is 2,000 youths on annual basis as part of our contribution to national development and corporate social responsibility programme, to transfer technology to them and also lead them to proper infrastructure that will definitely establish them on the field.

USC 190.80

USC 4.75

USD3,318.00

USD 7.00

USC 15.73

USC 0.32

USD 97.20 USD 0.20 USD 94.55

DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

USD 1.01

154.75 155.25 249.7046 250.5114 195.4957 196.1273 161.737 162.2596 1.4217 1.4263 0.2783 0.2883 228.7066 229.4455 25.2068 25.2887 41.248 41.3812 26.2595 26.3444 229.8502 230.5928

155.75 251.3182 196.759 162.7822 1.4309 0.2983 230.1845 25.3706 41.5145 26.4292 231.3355

CBN Exchange Rate as 13 /10 /2014

22— Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

A rational thinking individual would naturally be suspicious when somebody is offering what is way above the industry average. It is not so with somebody controlled by greed

INVESTORS ,

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Shareholders confront Conoil over shortcomings in corporate governance

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

S

hareholders of Conoil Plc have raised concern over the shortcomings in the company ’s corporate governance practices, especially the continuous absence of the chairman, Mr. Mike Adenuga, from the Annual General Meetings, AGMs. Specifically, they said that Adenuga has in the last 10 years absented himself from the AGMs, noting that his absence is detrimental to the interest and progress of the company, being the majority shareholder.

This is contained in a letter addressed to the chairman of Conoil Plc by members of Renaissance Shareholders Association, RSA, signed by their president, Amb. Olufemi Timothy.

They also criticized the company for frequent change in managing directors, MDs, saying that the company has produced more MDs than any of its peers in the petroleum marketing sector as it has in the last d e c a d e engaged not less than 10 managing directors, having an average of one MD per annum.

Querying why the company could not sign on one MD for at least a period of five years, they said that a stable management is necessary for consistent policy implementation and a steady growth.

“If we may be correct, you have not been to the company’s AGM for over a decade now, (10 years). This to us, who are concerned about your stake and that of other 26 percent holders of the equity of the company, is a disservice to the company and its business.

“A leader must always be seen leading its team at all times. No report of events at the AGM to you could be as accurate as when you are present to see the feelings; hear the comments, compliments and the body language of people by yourself.

We wish that you will have a change of mind, attitude on this. Come to the next AGM wherever you know will be secure enough for you and your team, if security is your concern,” they said.

The shareholders frowned at lack of confidence shown in the affairs of the company by the directors as manifested through their lack of having shareholding in the company. According to them, only three out of the 10 directors hold interest in the company.

They also called on the company to appoint more non-executive directors, especially independent and minority shareholders into the Board, saying that having a Board of Directors consisting of five executive and five non-executive

directors is against the recommendations of the Code of Corporate Governance that states that non-executives directors must be more than the executives who form the management team upon which the Board has an oversight function.

“Please, we recommend that you appoint more non-executive directors, especially, independent directors and minority shareholders’ representative.

Since a few years ago that the two directors representing minority shareholders (holding 26 percent) left the Board, you have not replaced them accordingly,” they noted.

On the account for the year ended December 31, 2013, they said that it would have been impossible for the company to achieve such a robust result without the extraordinary income earned from the debts owed the company by the federal government on delayed payment of subsidy on imported fuel.

Consequently, they argued that the N2.77 b i l l i o n dividends declared for the year would not have been possible without the extra-ordinary income and would not be sustained in the subsequent years if the management could not produce profit before tax and gross operating profit of N4.5 billion and N20billion in 2014 respectively.

They said, “The accounts for 2013 year-end appear to the best in the last five years. But can it be sustained? If the results in the statement of profit or loss on page 24 is anything to rely on, the statement of profit or loss states that our gross profit was N17 billion while other operating income of N2.5 billion was recorded, as a result of interest paid to our company from the debts owe the company by the federal government on delayed payment of subsidy on imported fuel.

“What happens in a year without this kind of extra-ordinary income, payment? We should work harder and improve on our revenue and not rely on other, extra-ordinary income (occasional).

“Our actual PBT was N2.57 billion, while PAT would have been - N1.07 billion for the year 2013 end. We could not have been able to declare N2.77 billion cash dividend in the year, if not for the extra income.

“We believe that; to sustain this dividend payment in the 2014 yearend results, the management must produce PBT of N4.5 billion and above without extra-ordinary income, while the gross operating profit must move up to about N20 billion.”

Why wonder banks, fake capital market operators persist (3)

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

T

he greed factor is the reason why some people fall prey to the antics of wonder banks and illegal capital

market operators. It is also the same reason why it would be almost impossible to eradicate them.

In the case of wonder banks, the bait is usually unreasonably high interest rate.

MARKET NEWS

Nestlé advocates long-term value creation

By GABRIEL OLAWALE

N

estlé Chief Executive Officer, Paul Bulcke, has charged all business operators to focus more on long-term value creation for shareholders and the society which has lasting impact for growth of the communities.

Speaking during the live webcast of the sixth edition of Nestlé Creating Share Value, CSV Forum held in Switzerland and monitored from Nigeria, Bulcke called on business operators to desist from short-term thinking and focus instead on long-term value creation for shareholders and the society at the same time.

“The global debt crisis was, in many ways, a values crisis.” He, therefore, called for combination of holistic thinking, long-term goals and a return to strong and clear values, based on respect as the only way forward.

This year’s CSV Forum, held in the presence of the President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter and co-organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, focused on how to create a new role for industry, at the heart of the societies in which it operates.”Too many

people and businesses had been seduced by or pressured into delivering on shortterm egoistic targets and there was a general shift in thinking towards ‘me-now’ instead of ‘us-tomorrow’,” Bulcke said.

“Leaders need to demonstrate their respect by going back to the basic role of business – value creation for society as a whole with a long-term perspective.”

Accelerating development of over 20 leading international experts from government, academia, civil society and business joined hundreds of others at the Forum to discuss how to accelerate sustainable development, focusing on the key areas of nutrition, water and rural development.

Nestlé believes that for a company to be successful over the long term and create value for shareholders, it must create value for society. Nestlé announced that Honey Care Africa, an East African fair trade honey firm working with 35,000 farmers in South Sudan, had won the company’s Creating Shared Value Prize. The prize, an investment ofCHF500, 000 shared between the winner and runners-up, rewards innovative businesses that create value for their

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 23

While in the case of Illegal capital market operators, it is mouth watering return. For example, interest rate on bank deposits presently hovers between 10 and 15 percent. A wonder bank would offer something like 25 to 30 percent and offer to pay the interest upfront. This has always been the bait or strategy.

The illegal capital market operator would also promise returns of 50 percent in one year on funds placed in its c a r e .

Meanwhile a v e r a g e market return h o v e r s between 20 to 25 percent.

A rational thinking individual would naturally be suspicious w h e n somebody is offering what is way above the industry average. It is not so with somebody controlled by greed. A greedy person wants everything for himself; he wants more than he needs. He is controlled and blinded by the desire for more. As a

result, he is blinded to the risk, or the possibility of losing his/her money. When confronted with the mouth watering interest rate or returns offered by the operators of wonder banks or illegal capital market operators, his focus is the huge returns he will make. He does not care if what is being offered is way above industry average, or the genuineness of the investment. He is just concerned about making more money. Even if somebody tries to call his attention to the risk involved, he would dismiss such concern as fear.

The wonder bank surely does pay the interest rate, and at the maturity of the investment, this encourages the greedy individual to roll over the investment and even increase the amount. In addition, he invites others to come and invest, touting the returns he has made from his investment. This way, many people are sucked in, and by the time the game is over, they have lost millions.

Beware of Greed! The desire to have more is common to all, but it is very dangerously strong in some people, such that they are blinded to risk and dangers. If you are always looking for above average returns and interest rate, you stand the risk of being victim of wonder bank or illegal market operator. It is a matter of time, so you better watch out.

communities by addressing issues of nutrition, water or rural development.

Madison Ayer, of Honey Care Africa, to help farmers become commercial beekeepers, said he was delighted with the win.

”The Creating Shared Value Prize is such a wonderful recognition of the hard work and passion of our team, farmers, and customers in Africa,” he said.

Stanbic IBTC holds business leadership forum

S

TANBIC IBTC Holdings Plc has announced the start of its Business Leadership Series; an annual event to help create deeper connections and build a new cadre of leadership among business leaders in Nigeria. The series will focus on improving leadership with the underlying goal of advancing Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

Participants are drawn from various sectors including regulators, investors and the business community. The first edition of the series will hold on October 16, 2014 in Lagos.

In this year’s edition, international speaker, Vusi Thembekwayo, will lead the session along with Sim Shagaya, founder of online retail chain, Konga. Jointly, they will share insights from the businesses they run and how they have kept these businesses on the cutting edge.

South African-born Thembekwayo has won international acclaim as a business speaker who empowers his audience with new knowledge and tools that they can immediately apply in their businesses or careers to achieve positive outcomes.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, stated that the Stanbic IBTC Business Leadership Series is part of customer engagement tool.”We will be looking at business leadership from various angles”. Key focus will be given to leadership in the digital age and how e-Commerce is changing the face of business globally,” she stated.

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FORUM

Ordinarily, rights issues are supposed to be issued at a discount. This means that the price at which the offering is made to the existing shareholders should be less than its current market price at the secondary market

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From left: Deputy General Manager, Research & Business Development, Mr. Kunle Ajayi; MD/CEO, Mr. Gbolahan Olutayo and Deputy General Manager, Life & Pension, Mr. Kamoru Sule, all of Goldlink Insurance Plc, at a press conference to announce steps being taken by the company to avoid delisting from the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE.

Investors’ right under CAMA on new issues

BY PETER EGWUATU Companies and Allied T he Matters Act (CAMA) has provided opportunity for both existing and prospective shareholders of a company to partake in new issues.

By new issues, it means fresh offering/ shares by a company inviting the general public to subscribe to its new shares, which will enable it to raise additional capital that would boost its operation.

Also, CAMA allows public companies to issue bonus shares to their shareholders. Therefore, it is the right of a shareholder to benefit from such bonus whenever it is declared.

Like I said last week, many operators have said that the return of retail investors would encourage companies to issue Initial Public Offerings, IPOs, in the very near future.

Many retail investors took part in IPOs during the last market boom .Although some of them got their fingers burnt, many others really reaped significant capital gains. Such investors are eagerly waiting for another round of IPOs in the market. Primary market activities of any capital market remain one of the cardinal fundamentals for gauging investors’ confidence, liquidity and health of the market.

Meanwhile, bonus shares are free shares given to existing shareholders as compensation for their loyalty and support throughout the running of the business.

The bonus shares are paid from the undistributed profit or retained earnings kept by a company over some years of operation.

Any shareholder who is denied of bonus shares whenever declared by a company has the right to seek redress in the court of law.

Another class of share is rights issue.

Existing shareholders have the right to partake in rights issue. By rights issue, it means additional new shares created by a company for its existing shareholders. Rights issue is not meant for the general investing public. So, an existing shareholder can either exercise his/her rights or trade it at the secondary market when he or she does not feel like partaking in the offering.

For example, if a shareholder currently owns five per cent of the total shares outstanding and the company decides to double the amount of shares issued through rights issue, a shareholder has the option to exercise his rights and purchase enough shares to maintain his five per cent interest.

If an existing shareholder fails to partake in the rights issue, the company has right to distribute it to other shareholders who might have shown interest. So, it pays the shareholder to take up his/her right even when he or she does not have money to pick it. What the shareholder needs to do is to seek assistance of any registered and licensed stockbroker to help him or her trade the rights at the secondary market on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Ordinarily, rights issues are supposed to be issued at a discount. This means that the price at which the offering is made to the existing shareholders should be less than its current market price at the secondary market.

But in recent times, some companies do not give any discount for rights issue.

They have argued that since existing shareholders benefit in bonus shares, they should equally patronize and support their companies to raise additional funds and by so doing, their shareholdings would not be diluted.

24 —

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

PPMC exports N117bn fuel oil in one year

By Michael Eboh

T

HE Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, exported 1.33 billion litres of petroleum products, valued at N116.672 billion in 2013.

The products exported by the PPMC in 2013, according to data obtained from the NNPC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2013, are Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), and Naphtha.

Specifically, the PPMC exported 791.932 million litres of LPFO valued at N65.462 billion, while it exported 541.52 million litres of Naphtha valued at N51.21 billion.

A breakdown of the figures revealed that the PPMC exported about 207.672 million litres fuel oils in January 2013, valued at N19.46 billion; 183.23 million litres in February, at N17.613 billion; and 237.186 million litres in March, worth N20.65 billion.

Similarly, about 113.35 million litres were exported in April, at N9.352;

126.35 million litres in May at N10.56 billion, while 159.536 million litres were exported in June at N12.984 billion.

Others are: July - 50.996 million litres at N4.342 billion; August 83.545 million litres, N7.284 billion; September - 89.676 million litres, N7.924 billion; October - 55.051 million litres, N4.337 billion; November - 13.184 million litres, N1.052 billion, and 13.686 million litres in December at N1.115 billion.

Furthermore, the NNPC report

From left: Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, (DPR) Mr. George Osahon, receiving a Communiqué on Fluid Metering & Accounting in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry on behalf Nigeria’s Minister of the Petroleum Resources from President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, (NAPE) Mrs. Adedoja Ojelabi, with President –Elect (NAPE), Mr. Chikwendu Edoziem at the Department of Petroleum Resources Office in Lagos.

Forcados Terminal records 14-year export safety milestone

T

HE Forcados Terminal operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC operated Joint Venture in the western Niger Delta recently recorded a 14-year safety operation in oil exports.

The incident-free milestone was recorded between September 2000 and September 2014, during which about 1.25 billion barrels of oil passed through the facility.

The safety milestone translates into a daily average of 300 staff handling nearly two export tankers every week.

“This is a significant achievement in a work environment that involves

multi-disciplinary staff teams and contractors,” said SPDC Managing Director and Country Chair, Shell companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu.

“Over the years, SPDC has improved work processes and trained staff leading to the introduction of the Goal Zero initiative on safety. We’re happy that the improvements continue to manifest not only at Forcados Terminal but also in other installations,” Sunmonu added.

Over the past 365 days, a number of high risk maintenance and engineering activities had also taken place at the Forcados Terminal. This included the rehabilitation of crude

oil storage tanks, subsea repairs to the tanker loading system, and upgrade to the jetty amongst others.

The asset did not record any disruptions relating to these multiple concurrent activities, which is also evidence of the sustained and proactive engagement of the host communities.

The Forcados Ter minal was inaugurated in 1971, and was upgraded between 1994 and 1998.

The terminal receives, treats, stores and exports crude oil produced by SPDC and other operators in the western Niger Delta, and has an installed storage capacity of 6.3 million barrels.

indicated the quantity of fuel oils the PPMC exported in 10 years, from 2012 down to 2003. These included 821.97 million litres, in 2012; 1.369 billion litres in 2011; 699.86 million litres in 2010, and 821.97 million in 2009.

Others are 957.94 million litres in 2008; 1.43 billion litres, 2007; 2.076 billion litres, 2006; 2.623 billion litres, 2005; and 1.11 billion litres in 2004.

Poor refining capacity However, the report revealed the poor refining capacity of the local refineries, as the PPMC last exported Premium Motor Spirit, PMS or petrol in 2005 with 77,000 litres.

The low petrol export is indicative of the very poor state of the nation’s four refineries, which have since been producing more fuel oils than white petroleum products. Nigeria had to rely more on imported white products including kerosene and diesel to meet its domestic needs.

Accordingly, Nigeria last exported Household Kerosene, HHK, in 2008, with 12.135 million litres. Just as in a 10 year period, it exported only 30.281 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO/diesel in 2005.

Increase in imports Poor refining capacity meant that Nigeria had to import more refined products, as the NNPC report revealed that the country imported 6.649 million metric tonnes, MMT, products in 2013. These included petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Specifically, the PPMC imported 4.387 MMT petrol; 2.175 MMT kerosene; and 86,350.14 MT diesel.

Explaining further, the NNPC report said: “PPMC evacuated 4.708 million metric tonnes of petroleum products from the refineries. And it also imported 6.649 million metric tonnes of PMS, HHK and AGO for distribution at no cost since the discharges were from Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) and Crude oil for product swap arrangements.

“PPMC sold a total of 12.63 billion litres of various grades of petroleum products through depots and coastal lifting. During the year, 1.33 billion litres of LPFO and Naphtha worth about N116.67 billion was exported.

“A total of 21.816 billion liters of petroleum products was distributed nationally giving an average daily consumption of 43.55 million litres of PMS, 7.76 million litres of AGO, 7.30 million litres of HHK and 1.17 million litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene, ATK. “Out of the total volume distributed, NNPC Retail outlets handled 1.645 billion litres which is about 7.54 per cent of total volume.

“The distribution by zone shows the South-West with the lion share of 38.83 per cent followed by the South-South with 15.43 per cent, North West with 15.04 per cent, North Central with 9.09 per cent, North East with 8.83 per cent, South East with 6.40 per cent and FCT with 6.39 per cent.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 25

Aiteo acquires Shell’s OML 29, Nembe pipelines …Deal sealed with $2.7bn

By Clara Nwachukwu

By Jonah Nwokpoku

T

HE Aiteo Group has finally confirmed the acquisition of 85 per cent equity in Oil Mining Lease, OML 29, being divested by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. The purchase of the asset, reputed as one of Shell’s most prolific oil block has been enmeshed in controversy.

Clarifying the purchase of the block in a statement signed

by Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Aiteo said its consortium sealed the deal with $2.7billion, which also included the Nembe Creek pipelines.

Oluwatuyi, therefore, discredited earlier reports claiming OML 29 had been acquired by the ‘Taleveras-led consortium’, also interested in the asset.

The statement read in part: “It is a total misinformation in the local and international media that it is the ‘Taleverasled consortium’ that acquired the assets divested by Shell.

Therefore, it had become necessary to correct the misleading media reports about the acquisition of OML 29, the most prolific of the oil blocks sold off by Shell.”

T

COCKTAIL: From left: Dr. Tunji Olaopa, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology; Ms. Schola Nwabueze, Lead Analyst, PEPCO power and transmission company, Washington DC; John Nwabueze, Director-General, Philip Asiodu Economic Initiative; Ambassador Joe Keshi, former Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc; Engr (Mrs) EbeleOkeke, former Head of Service; Lady Nwadibia Anyanwu, Retired Federal Permanent Secretary; Chief Philip Asiodu; Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Chairman House Committee on Health; at a cocktail party celebrating the conferement of the National Honour, Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Asiodu, in Abuja.

The statement also clarified the shareholding structure of the consortium, which had 2.7 billion unit shares with Aiteo Energy Resources Limited holding a total volume of 2.294 billion units. Tempo holds 270 million units representing 10 percent equity, and the balance of 135 million by Taleveras.

The Africa Oil & Gas Report

had estimated OML 29’s proven and probable reserves (P1+P2) at about 2.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, BOE. Its hydrocarbon fields could deliver as much as 160,000 barrels of oil per day, and 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmsc/d) at peak output.

Shell, the operator of the oil

block in joint venture sold its 30 percent stake in the block and pipeline. France’s, Total divested its 10 percent, while Italy’s Eni SPA sold its five percent to the indigenous consortium. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, retained its majority 55 percent under the Joint Operating Agreement, JOA.

DPR to resolve sediments, water allocation issues … As NAPE presents communiqué T

HE Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has promised to adopt measures to address the lingering issues of back allocation of basic sediments and water, BSW, during crude oil production reconciliation.

Such measures will also address the imposition of disproportionate volume of lost crude by some facility owners on indigenous operators.

The Director, DPR, Mr. George Osahon, made the pledge recently while receiving a communiqué from a workshop on “Fluid Metering and Accounting in the Oil & Gas Industry” on behalf of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The workshop was organised recently by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE. Osahon said: “You will recall that there have been a lot of issues regarding NEITI and metering and about what we need to do, some of these issues emanate from here and we are paying a lot of attention to them.”

Nigeria needs 6.5m pre-paid meters in five years — Onyema

He added that “the document (communiqué) will come back for us to study and advice again on what we should do, how we should do it, and when we should do it.

We will turn that into a plan of action of what we will do so that at least those companies that are suffering now especially those that are co- utilising facilities will have a new lease of life.’’

Also speaking, the NAPE President, Mrs. Adedoja Ojelabi, explained that the workshop was a demonstration of NAPE’s commitment to resolving issues that impact negatively on the oil and gas industry.

She said: “the production of the document has come out from a lot of work, meetings and the consensus reached by stakeholders. We hope that the document will be useful to the DPR, the government, the oil and gas industry and particularly Independents.

“We also see that industry is likely to witness more and more of such issues but we hope we can nip them in the bud before they become major irritations in the industry.”

She added that one of the ways NAPE does this is by providing platforms like the Special Management Workshop.

Also present at the occasion was NAPE’s President-Elect,

Mr. Chikwendu Edoziem, who expressed optimismc that when adopted, the communiqué will bring lasting solutions to the issues of fluid metering and accounting in the oil and gas industry.

Angola to overtake Nigeria as highest crude producer by 2016

By Michael Eboh, with Agency Report

A

NGOLA will overtake Nigeria as the largest crude oil producing country in Africa by 2016, the International Energy Agency, IEA, declared yesterday.

According to a report by the IEA, factors that will work against Nigeria include the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and crude oil theft.

The IEA said, “The shift will in part be due to an expected increase in production in Angola, but much of it is the result of domestic issues in Nigeria.”

According to the IEA, Nigeria currently loses 150,000 barrels a day to oil theft, the equivalent of $5 billion a year.

“On top of that regulatory uncertainty, the result of a seemingly-permanently stalled Petroleum Industry Bill, has led to delays in investment decisions,” it said.

Commenting on the development, IEA’s Chief Economist, Fatih Birol said: “What will put Nigeria second are uncertainty over the Nigerian investment framework, oil theft and governance issues.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in its Annual Statistics Bulletin for 2013, put Nigeria’s total crude oil and condensate production for the year at 800.488 million barrels giving a daily average of 2.19 million barrels per day, dropping by six per cent from the previous year’s production.

ECHNO Gas and Power, a subsidiary of Techno Oil Limited has hinted that Nigeria’s power sector needs at least 6.5 million prepaid meters to meet the energy needs of electricity consumers and help investors in the sector recoup their investment.

For this reason, the company said it has sealed a deal with a Bulgarian Metering Solution company, Incotex to produced 350, 000 pre-paid meters yearly in Nigeria.

Managing Director of Techno Gas and Power, Mr. Collins Onyema who disclosed the partnership to newsmen in Lagos said the country currently has over six million deficit of pre-paid meters in circulation that needs to be addressed.

The partnership became necessary to urgently address the vacuum created by the inability of the erstwhile Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN to provide meters where they are needed.

“We are all aware of the discomfort suffered by millions of electricity consumers nationwide, who are unable to get electricity meters due to no faults of theirs,” he said.

He explained that the current Nigeria meter market is worth over N150 billion.

Mr. Oyeama also hinted that the planned Techno Gas and Power meters will bring succour to investors in the sector because they are “tamper proof” “The practice of many consumers to bypass meters and connect directly would be a thing of the past. The meters would read even when it has been bypassed by customer and at very low voltage,” Mr. Oyeama said.

He equally noted that Techno Gas and Power decided to tackle the problem of meter short fall in the sector by entering into the partnership with the European firm to make meters available to Nigerians Oyeama lamented the difficulties many electricity consumers often go through to get meters starting that “I can now assure Nigerians that the era of ‘no meter’ or estimated billing will soon be over with the decision of Techno Gas and Power to embark on mass production of meters in partnership with Incotex.”

He further hinted that his firm and Incotex has held exploration talks with electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs in Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja and Eko DISCOs to ensure smooth business relationship.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

UNIDO, FG collaborate on power for industrial clusters

By Chris Ochayi

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HE United Nation’s Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, has promised to work with the Federal Government to make power available to industrial clusters to ensure maximum production in the country.

UNIDO Country Representative, Mr. Patrick Kormawa, who disclosed this in an interview in Abuja, noted that the major goal of government to create jobs for the teeming youth will be realised if industrial clusters had power.

He also revealed that UNIDO in collaboration with other development partners have funded a $5 million, five tonnes per hour rice production in Ebonyi State.

Kormawa said UNIDO has big donors agencies like the European Union, EU; the World Bank; French Agency for Development; African Development Bank; and the German International Agency, to turn around the state of power supply in Nigeria.

According to him, “UNIDO is a technical agency that stands to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development, and why are we interested in power? We are interested in power because without power industrialisation remains a mirage. Without power, we cannot lift the majority of Nigerians out of poverty which means industrialisation will not happen.

“If you look around the world, prosperity and access to power are highly

correlated, so that is one point. Now UNIDO, its interest here is to work with the Federal Government to ensure that power is available to industry clusters and when industry clusters have power, of course the major goal of government which is job creation for the teeming youth would be achieved.

“Now UNIDO is the co-chair of the donor coordination group on power, and the donor coordination group on power comprises of big donors in this Nigeria. You have the European Union who has a huge programme on power, which is also supporting the power sector. We have the World Bank who is contributing towards the

power sector development in this country.

“We also have the French Agency for development, they are also investing huge amount of money in the power sector. We have the African Development Bank. We have the German International Agency.

“All of these are working together as a group to ensure that there is what we refer to as development assistance to the Nigerian Government in terms of the power sector yielding the necessarily impact. That there is coordination among the team to make ensure that they can provide the needed support that is required by the government.

“Take for instance, throughout the privatisation process, some of these agencies supported the federal government in terms of analysis, in terms of capacity building and in terms of linking them up with financial institutions. These are some of the supports the group is making for the country.

“In particular for UNIDO, the organisation that I lead, our interest is to support the development of renewable energy sources in Nigeria.

Why is that important to us? It is important because Nigeria has the three major sources of energy from which we can have renewable energy. They have abundant number of rivers which have the

From left: Chairman/Managing Director, KAM Industries, Alhaji Kamaldeen Yusuf; Minister Of Industry Trade And Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga; Managing Director\Chief Executive Officer, Bank Of Industry (BOI), Mr Rasheed Olaoluwa; Executive Director, Small And Medium Enterprises, BOI, Mr Waheed Olagunju And General Manager, Large Enterprises, BOI.

Lagos educates residents on energy conservation

By Bose Adelaja

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S part of activities marking the 2014 Energy Conservation Month, the Lagos State Government has embarked on a community sensitisation road show to educate people on how to conserve energy.

The programme is being executed through its implementing agency, the Lagos State Electricity Board, LSEB. Speaking at a road show in Ajah, Lagos, LSEB representative, Mr. Adedeji Akolade, said: “the Energy Conservation Month initiative was launched last year as a Behavioural Change Campaign to instill the habit of efficient use of electric power in the residents. The campaign dubbed, ‘Conserve Energy, Save Money ’,

CESM, runs throughout the 31 days in the month during which the key messages of the benefits of efficient use of available power are espoused to the residents.

“Like we are doing here today, our personnel would move round Lagos to educate residents that conserving energy is saving money. And we are going to demonstrate this to them practically using the Lagos Energy calculator to show how much they can save by conserving energy,” he said.

Akolade added that the road show would move across five select regions in the state namely, Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, and Oshodi to enable more residents to be well informed about the benefits of energy conservation.

A participant at the road

show and a prize winner, Mr Ganiu Mabifa, said the energy conservation campaign is a welcome development at this point in time when the country needed more electricity power to develop the small and medium scale enterprises, SMEs. “If other states can invest in a campaign like this it will really help the nation as the value chain benefits are enormous”, he said.

Another participant, Mr. Gbenga Akeju, expressed delight in the campaign, “I never thought it is important to conserve energy until now that the Lagos State team has educated me on its importance. I’ll definitely take this message home to my wife and kids and ensure that we switch off all our appliances that are not in use,” he said.

Encouraging Lagosians to take energy conservation

seriously, Akolade noted that in addition to helping them save money, conservation also preserves energy for future use as well as protects the environment.

He enjoined all energetic Lagosians to be part of the energy conservation culture by being involved through the online media via the Hash Tag ‘Are You In Or Out’. He also appealed to the residents to watch out for the robust conversations on Twitter, follow the movement and become an ‘INsider’.

Recall that the Lagos State Government had successfully launched three Independent Power Plants, IPPs, in the past four years. All the power plants run on natural gas thereby reducing carbon emissions and promoting a safer and cleaner environment.

potential to provide energy.

“We have been able to map all those potential areas together with the Federal Ministry of Power, and we have just provided a map. Hopefully, we would be calling an investors’ forum to showcase what the potentials are, what the investments required are, and what are some of the incentives that government is giving so that the private sector can engage in them.

“Second, is the area of solar.

You know this country is blessed. In the northern part of this country, you have longer sunlight even down to below the Niger. All of these areas from Sokoto down to the South of the Niger have abundant sunlight. So how can we promote investment in solar energy so that household in rural communities can also enjoy the benefit of electricity?

“The third area is what we call biomass, waste either from municipalities can also be used to generate energy. For that particular programme, UNIDO has done a prototype in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, and now we are working with the Governor of the state, Chief Martins Elechi, to have a five megawatts project. And he has already awarded the contract and by the next 18 months that power plant would come on board.

“Why is that important? In his development programme, he has put in place what he calls a rice processing cluster knowing that Abakiliki is known for rice. He has galvanised all the rice millers in the three separate locations, and he wants to ensure that they have uninterrupted supply of power.

“The most important and most interesting thing here is that, the waste from the rice processing is used as a substrate to produce energy.

That will really reduce the cost of rice processing in that area and will make rice available to the Nigerian populace at an affordable price.

Those are some of the examples that UNIDO is introducing into the country.

Kormawa, who said UNIDO is not involved in funding projects directly, explained that, “in terms of money, as I mentioned to you, UNIDO is a technical institution. We do not give money directly, but our partners that we work with support the programmes. So working with UNIDO, we provide the technical assistance.

“For instance, the programme in Ebonyi may never have come on board without our assessment of how that state can be a leading quality rice producer of this country.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 27

BRIEF

British firm to invest $400m in Egyptian gas fields

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British company is likely to invest about $400 million to develop the Rashid and Burollus fields.

Mohamed El Masry, president of Rashid Petroleum, which operates the gas fields, stated that the investment will increase production from 400 to 450 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, reported Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS).

El Masry did not reveal the name of the company.

However, local newspaper Daily News Egypt, quoting the official spokesman of the Ministry of Petroleum Hamdy Abdel Aziz, reported that the investing company would be British Gas (BG Group).

According to Daily News, with addition of new wells in the Rashid and Burollus fields last week, Rashid Petroleum’s production rate in the area has increased to 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day, which represents a quarter of gas production in Egypt.

Spain’s Gas Natural to launch takeover offer for Chile’s CGE

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PANISH gas and electricity firm Gas Natural SDG SA will launch a takeover offer for Chilean electricity distributor Compania General de Electricidad SA, the South American company said late on Saturday.

CGE’s controllers, the Marin, Almeria and Perez Cruz families, inked an agreement with Gas Natural to sell the Spanish utility their combined 54.19 percent stake at 4,700 Chilean pesos ($7.92) per share.

According to the terms of the agreement, Gas Natural will launch an offer for all of CGE’s shares, and will need to acquire a minimum of 51 percent for the transaction to be successful, CGE said in a statement with Chile’s securities regulator.

CGE, which has a market capitalization of around $2 billion, said earlier this week that the shareholders had received a non-binding approach that could lead to a full offer, and had agreed for a due diligence report to be undertaken.

CGE owns a controlling stake in gas transporter Gasco SA .

Council urges FG, states to allocate 10% for power

By Chris Ochayi

T

O ensure adequate power generation in the country, stakeholders have called on the federal and state governments to allocate a minimum of 10 per cent of their annual budget provisions for the development of power projects.

They also advocated that 50 per cent of this allocation be dedicated to rural electrification projects, while state governments should be encouraged to take stakes in Independent Power Projects, IPPs.

This is meant to motivate private developers into the development of small scale power plants to boost power generation.

The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the first National Council on Power, NACoP, held recently in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The communiqué read in part: “That Federal and State Governments allocate a minimum of 10 per cent of their annual budget provision for the development of power projects. Council further recommends that 50 per cent of this allocation be dedicated

to rural electrification projects.”

The Council also mandated the Federal Ministry of Power to conduct a long term power generation planning and demand forecast study, as well as more feasibility studies to identify additional hydro and renewable energy sources.

It also recommended that the federal and state governments encourage the development of small scale power plants as embedded generation; and for industry regulators to ensure timely issuance of necessary licenses and permits for

development of new IPPs. The communiqué also said that all rural electrification projects should be implemented within a framework based on community ownership/partnership, rural electricity users’ cooperative society.

It added, “The ministry (Power) should send the draft copy of the New Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan to state governments and other stakeholders for comments and contributions before approval by the relevant authority.

The Council also acknowledged the need for the ministry to clearly outline the roles of Federal Rural Electrification Agency, REA; State Rural Electrification Boards, REBs, and other stakeholders in the implementation of the Operation Light-Up Rural Nigeria project for its effective implementation.

UAE to help finance Oman’s $200m wind farm project From left: Chairman, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), Mr. Ladi Jadesimi; Managing Director, Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, Mr. KS Lee; Vice President of Sapetrol, Sen. Daisy Danjuma; CEO of International Energy Service, Dr. Diran Fawibe; and Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the megafabrication and integration yard, SHI-MCI Free Zone Enterprise, at the LADOL Base in Apapa.

Tanker drivers explain suspension of strike in Rivers

By Chris Ochayi

T

HE Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, said it has directed its members currently on strike to suspend the two-week industrial action following the intervention of some relevant authorities.

The National Chairman of PTD, Comrade Salimon Olatunji, who gave the directive in Abuja, assured the striking drivers that relevant government agencies have agreed to mediate with a view to addressing their grievances.

Recall that the Port Harcourt unit of union commenced strike a fortnight ago in protest against the deplorable condition of the Port Harcourt Eleme-Onne Road that is the only access to the refineries and petrol tank farms near the

state capital.

Olatunji, however called on the Federal Government to immediately carry out palliative measures on the affected roads.

He recalled the union issued an ultimatum last month, where it warned of an impending strike in parts of the South South and South East, and specifically called for urgent repairs of PortHarcourt-Eleme Junction Road, Okigwe-Umuahia and Jebba-Ilorin Road.

According to him, “Expectedly, our members had on the expiration of the ultimatum boycotted these roads and refused to lift products from those axes for the second week running now, and the situation is becoming unbearable. More so, we want to extend same action to other parts of the country.

“After due consideration and wider consultations, and the

intervention by the Department of State Service, DSS, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, among other stakeholders, we directed our members to resume work in these areas, where we had earlier withdrew our services.

“We also feel the pain, if not more, and thus advise the Federal government to send emissaries to verify the state of these roads and take palliative measures.”

Regretting the plight of fuel tanker drivers as result of the dilapidated federal roads, he said, “The road from Jebba to Ilorin, a distance of about 100 kilometres usually takes a whole day for our members to cover. Port Harcourt to Eleme Junction, a distance of about 15 kilometres takes over five hours and the same thing goes for the OkigweUmuahia Road.”

O

MAN plans to build its first major wind farm at a cost of $200 million to generate electricity in its southern governorate of Dhofar, as part of efforts to limit the use of oil and gas in power generation.

Electricity demand is rising rapidly as the country pushes large industrial projects, but Oman’s oil reserves are not as ample as those of its wealthy neighbours, so it is exploring the use of renewable energy.

The wind farm at Harweel will have a capacity of 50 megawatts, enough to meet about 50 percent of demand in the governorate during the winter, and is expected to begin operating early in 2017, state-owned Rural Areas Electricity Co (RAEC) said in a statement seen on Sunday.

The project will be coordinated by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co (Masdar) and financed by a grant from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, RAEC officials said. The United Arab Emirates is a significant aid donor for Oman.

The turbines will be made in a Western nation while local contractors will be given a large share of the construction work, RAEC said without elaborating.

28—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

A model housing estate in Abuja

FG boosts housing stock with 43,126 units in 4 years

By Jude Njoku & Caleb Ayansina

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HE Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and two of its agencies – the Federal Housing Authority, FHA and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, added 43,126 housing units to the nation’s housing stock between July 2010 and last month.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi who disclosed this at the 2014 Ministerial Platform hosted by her ministry and the Federal Ministry of Information, said the Federal Government has created the enabling environment for the private sector to take the front seat in the provision of housing for millions of homeless Nigerians.

Eyakenyi who was making her maiden appearance at the Platform having been appointed the Lands, Housing & Urban Development Minister barely seven months ago, however reeled out a plethora of achievements recorded under her watch.

She gave a breakdown of the 43,126 houses which were added to the nation’s housing stock to include 710 units under the prototype housing scheme, 7,869 units under public-

private partnerships, PPPs, 3,302 units through FHA and 5,0076 units through FMBN. Similarly, 17,240 units were built using the estate development loans provided by the FMBN while 8,998 units were delivered through contractor-finance initiatives.

The Minister revealed that the sum of N8, 110, 389, 817.

79 was generated by the Ministry as revenue in the last four years. The money which was generated between 20102014, came from various revenue sources which included ground rent, premium on land, title registration fee, consent fee, C of O processing fee and survey fee.

Giving a further break-down

of the money generated in each year, the Minister said N932,660,908.11 was generated between May and December 2010, N2,283,000,000.00 in 2011, N1,301,558,726.90 in 2012, N1,704,581,553.14 in 2013 and N1,888,588,629.64 between January to August 2014.

Mrs Eyakenyi said her Ministry has commenced the process of issuing Certificates of Occupancy, Cs of O in respect of the 635 core assets of the successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN to the eleven electricity power distribution companies. Those to benefit from the title document perfection are the DISCOS in

Mrs Eyakenyi, Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban development Abuja, Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Yola.

Other major achievements of the Ministry as reeled out by the Akwa-Ibom State-born Minister include, the revision of the National Building Code to ensure quality and enhanced standards in the housing and urban development sector; the development of a zero-draft National Land Policy which will be validated at a stakeholders’ workshop in the first quarter of 2015; the validation and adoption by stakeholders of a roadmap to guide the housing and urban development sector in the next 30 years and the

development of a framework for conducting a National Housing Survey with the overriding goal of establishing whether Nigerians are adequately housed or not.

The Minister said that the survey would also help the Ministry to establish the number of housing deficit in the country instead of relying on forecasts and the quantum of the investment needed to meaningfully address the housing gap.

She reiterated her resolve to collaborate with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala to deliver 10,000 housing units in different parts of the country through funds provided by the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, NMRC. “While the Federal Ministry of Finance through the NMRC is handling the demand side of the provision of 10,000 mortgages as a pilot scheme, the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is facilitating action on the delivery of 10,000 housing units that the mortgage facility of the NMRC will support,”she said.

On building materials affordability, Mrs Eyakenyi said a building material concession initiative has been entered into by her Ministry and building/construction materials producers and suppliers with a views to bringing down the cost of housing development in the country. Under the initiative, the Federal government will grant tax relief and concessions to these producers/suppliers On public buildings, she disclosed that apart from efforts being made to rehabilitate and maintain 23 existing Federal Secretariats, the Federal government through her Ministry is constructing six new secretariats at the cost of N15.284 billion.

In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku said the Goodluck

Continues on page 31

London house prices fall in September for first time in 3 years — RICS

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ONDON house prices fell last month (September) for the first time in more than three years, and prices nationwide showed their smallest increase in 15 months, a major house price survey showed on Thursday.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, RICS said prices in London fell for the first time since January 2011,

ending the longest unbroken run of increases in more than 20 years.

The signs of a cooling in Britain’s housing market are likely to be welcomed by the Bank of England, which earlier this year warned that Britain’s economic recovery would be at risk if house prices continued to rise far faster than wages.

The RICS national balance

slid to +30 for September from a downwardly revised +39 in August, a much bigger drop than the easing to +38 forecast by economists in a Reuters poll and its lowest level since June 2013.

“Fading price momentum is more than just a London story,” RICS said.

The RICS data is based on its

members’ views on whether house prices in particular regions have risen or fallen in the past three months.

Last week data from mortgage lender Nationwide - which is typically more volatile than the RICS index - showed the first month-on-month fall in house prices across Britain since April

Continues on page 29

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 —29

London house prices fall in September for first time in years — RICS Continues from page 28

Illustration of Grand Lake Estate

PMIs pool resources to finance Grand Lake Estate

By Kingsley Adegboye

T

HREE national primary mortgage institutions, PMIs – Messrs Imperial Homes Mortgage Limited, TrustBond Mortgage Plc and Abbey Mortgage- have concluded plans to come together as a syndicate to finance the development of Grand Lake Estate.a housing project in Ajah area of Lagos.

The proposed estate which would be sited on 93 hectares of land, is located near Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate along the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.

Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank is leading the syndicating banks to bankroll the project. The partnership agreement was finalised in Lagos last week.

The trio, are also partnering with Gran Imperio Group (the lead developer ) Ocean Springs Estates Ltd, Vestril Ltd and White Oak Real Estate Ltd to to provide decent, affordable and functional homes for the middle class segment.

The coming of this syndication, according to the partners, underscores the need for the newly established Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company, NMRC to provide housing stock very fast in order to meet up with the increasing demand for quality, yet affordable homes.

The 554 housing project which would be completed between 18 -24 months, is expected to make a significant impact on the nation’s housing market, especially for prospective middle income home buyers.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gran Imperio Group, Mr. Adeyeye Ogunwusi said at the event that

said other developers, who wish to come on board for various kinds of concepts and designs to fit into the entire Grand Lake concept, are welcome. He added that developers that have capacity to handle a minimum of 10,000 sqm to 20,000 sqm, would be brought in as the scheme progresses.

The scheme, according to him, is an affordable residential community development offering spectacular ambience, detailed finishing, security and recreational facilities.

Striking in its design is a unique man-made lake with a relaxation centre to complement the magnificent landscape.

“Grand Lake comprises one, two, three and four bedroom exquisitely finished terraced bungalows as well as other housing types that suit the overall design of the emerging city in the Lekki corridor. It would be delivered in phases with air conditioning, PABX system, CCTV, Stone coated roof tiles, swimming pool, bar and lounge, astro turf football pitch, gym, good quality finishes, fully fitted kitchen and recreational facilities. The scheme will also feature site and serviced plots for residential and commercial developments offering three different plot sizes to suit your requirement. Prices and payment options are flexible, as the project financiers have

between five to 20 years payment plan for the subscribers,” he said.

Continuing, |Ogunwusi said: “One-off payment attracts five percent, payment in three installments of 30 percent, 40 percent at roofing stage and the final 30 percent at completion.

While a bedroom is going for N7,950,000, two bedroom would cost N10,950,000, three bedroom is up for grabs at N13,950,000, and the four bedroom terrace is for a token of N17,950,000 . Under the serviced plots, a square metre in the residential 600 square metre would cost N30,000, while a plot goes for N18,000,000 “, Ogunwusi said.

2013.

Rival lender Halifax said on Wednesday that although prices rose more rapidly than expected in September, growth looks likely to moderate going into next year.

British house prices are around 10 percent higher than a year ago, and house prices in London have risen by more than twice that.

But RICS said its members did not expect this type of price rise to continue. Over the next 12 months, they predict prices will rise 1 percent in London and 2 percent in Britain as a whole.

Over the next five years, it expects average annual price growth of just under 5 percent.

RICS Chief Economist, Mr. Simon Rubinsohn said that the slowdown in the housing market was “a healthy development”.

“Part of this is down to the Bank of England becoming more vocal about the risks, part of this is down to affordability, part of this is down to the new mortgage rules and part of this is down to expectations of higher interest rates,” he said.

QSRBN gives FG blueprint to stem corruption in construction industry

By JUDE NJOKU

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ORRIED by increasing level of corruption in the construction industry, Nigerian Quantity Surveyors have called on the he Federal Government to set up a Nigerian Construction Industry Transparency Initiative, NCITI to promote probity, accountability and transparency in this construction industry.

The construction cost experts also want anti-graft agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission, ICPC and the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to beam serious searchlights on construction projects to curb the use of such projects as conduit pipes for money laundering and looting of public funds by

public servants.

These recommendations were made by the cost experts at the end of the 24 th Annual Conference of Registered Quantity Surveyors, put together by the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, QSRBN in Abuja. The two-day conference had “Global perspectives on quantity surveying, cost engineering and project management” as its theme.

In a communique signed by QSRBN Chairman, Mallam Hussaini Adamu Dikko and Registrar, Mr Godson Moneke, the construction cost economists further called on the the Federal Government to provide the resources and other supports necessary for the QSRBN to establish both a National Construction Cost Database

and a Data Centre for effective management and control of costs of construction projects in Nigeria.

The conference charged registered quantity surveyors to engage in life-long learning to sharpen their skills and acquire new knowledge to enable them cope with the challenges of the increasing demands on their competencies by governments and society.

The participants also sought regular review of the curricula of quantity surveying as taught in universities and polytechnics in the light of emerging trends, expanding scope of the body of knowledge of the profession occasioned by rapid advancement in technology and globalization.

Other recommendations canvassed by the Board include:

* Projects controls, planning, scheduling and benchmarking techniques should be promoted across the built-environment as veritable cost management tools available to quantity surveyors for enhancing project procurement efficiency in Nigeria * The Federal Government should strengthen the cost management function as a way of ensuring value for money for its huge investments in strategic assets in the oil and gas sector and to protect national interest and security. *Registered quantity surveyors in the public sector should be given more support to attend seminars, workshops and conferences both local and international to enable them benchmark their competencies globally like their colleagues in the private sector.

30—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

A housing estate in Abuja Owners are required to fumigate them at least thrice every year

AEPA orders fumigation of Abuja estates to check outbreak of diseases

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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HE Abuja Environmental Protection Agency, AEPA has ordered the fumigation of all estates in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT at least three times every year.

AEPA explained that the directive was part of efforts to contain further outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus disease, EVD. The chairman of AEPA’s

board, Mr. Sam Gbadebo disclosed this to Vanguard Homes & Property during a special training organised for staff of Samgee Continental Services Limited on facility and general management environmental enhancement services in Abuja.

He said the board was worried about the increasing activities of quacks in the sector, especially in the FCT and decided to issue the order

in order to complement the effort of the Federal government in fighting the EVD and keeping Abuja clean.

Mr. Gbadebo, who is also the Managing Director, of Sangee said the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency had waged a war against quacks, after discovering that they (quacks) use fake and hazardous chemicals to fumigate peoples

LASBCA boss seeks stakeholders’ cooperation to stem building collapse

By Kingsley Adegboye

I

N SPITE of the efforts of Lagos State Government and other concerned organisations to bring the incidents of building collapse in the state to the barest minimum, occupants of public buildings in (such as Barracks) with structural defects are not cooperating with the government to achieve a building collapsefree state.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency LASBCA, Mrs. Bimbo Animashaun who disclosed this at a recent interactive session with the media said her Agency which is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing building control regulations and the implementation of the 2010 Physical Planning, Urban Development and Building Law, has identified many partially collapsed buildings in Police Barracks and other public places.

Mrs. Animashaun regretted that all effort to make the occupants of the structurally defective buildings to see reason

and vacate the houses for necessary corrective measures to avert their imminent collapse, have fallen on deaf ears.

Describing some premises as empires because of their exclusive nature to members of the public, Mrs. Animashaun revealed that several of such premises have structurally defective buildings that cannot be seen from outside. He lamented that the owners of such premises will never cooperate LASBCA officials even if there are clues that illegal construction activities are going on within their premises.

Decrying the lack of cooperation from defiant developers, she noted gave instances where her Agency had sealed up some sites for not adhering to building regulation only for the developers of the sites to remove the seals on their premises and continue with work.

For the enforcement of the state building regulations to be effective, the Agency, she said, has concluded plans to hire the

services of approved building inspectors who will be assigned to construction sites to monitor construction activities and ensure that the right things are done by developers.

According to her, a developer must obtain development permit from the State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA, adding that the development permit authorises construction and is valid for two years. To obtain this permit, a building development plan portraying the intended uses and the proposed development on the site and the effect on adjacent developments and neighborhood must be prepared by a professional.

“Legally, a pre-approval inspection is required. This onsite visit is made to verify that the land is located where the owner has said it is, also to check whether construction has not already started. There is no need for the owner to be there during that visit. For construction involving a structure of more than two floors the developer or owner,

Continues on page 31

homes and offices.

“We are worried about quacks because they cannot provide good cleanliness, especially with this outbreak of Ebola. That is why the AEPA board itself has issued an order that all estates in the FCT must be fumigated three times in a year. ‘We are trying to identify certified practitioners. We know where the quacks are and we will soon begin trying them in

court for illegal operation in the FCT. Efforts are also ongoing to sensitise the people on why they should not patronise quacks,” he said.

On the existing urban slums in the city, Gbadebo described them (slums) as a major contributor to the filthy environment of the city. He however noted that government is putting measures in place to address them by providing the inhabitants alternative locations before demolition.

“The Minister of FCT is planning to offer inhabitants of urban slums alternative accommodations before demolishing them because they do not have a place to stay now. In the next one month, the Minister will be talking to citizens on all these. The law has been there since inception. The AEPA is a regulatory body, that is why it deals with professionals and has decided to flush out quacks that have no addresses or means of identification, because they are silent killers,” he said.

Gbadebo said the agency has set up a team of sanitary inspectors that move around the city to inspect the environment.

On the training, he said the idea was to sensitize the staff of Samgee on the latest techniques and technology in the facility and environmental services delivery.

He said the company is determined at rendering professional services using hitech equipments and processes.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 —31

Experts seek effective use of environment statistics

By Funmi Olasupo

T

HE Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam has charged members of the recently inaugurated National Steering Committee and Technical Committee on Environment Statistics to ensure that Nigeria puts the United Nations revised framework on environment statistics to use in developing the country’s environment. She maintained that there could not be a healthier management of the environment without credible and reliable data which, according to her, becomes imperative for the development of environmental

statistics in the country.

Vangaurd Homes & Property learnt that the dearth of up-tothe-minute and effective data is hampering environmental sustainability in the country. It is the view of stakeholders that if statistics on environment are adequately utilized in the country, Nigeria will progress at a faster pace with better environmental potentials and prospects than currently being witnessed As of today, there is no coordinating office recognised by the United Nations that manages comprehensive statistics on environment in the country.

Part of the information sheet

from the ministry reads: “People use different methods in collecting statistics and they have different indicators they are using or looking for; they collect whatever is of interest to them but what is expected internationally is that there is a required format and we are not there yet. The statistics are there but in their raw form and there are lots of gaps because most of what is known are outdated.”

Also speaking at the inauguration of the committee, the Permanent Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta said the country needs accurate, reliable and qualitative environmental data to help it tackle the mirage of

challenges facing the environment.

According to her, given the fact that the national environment statistic is scientific, the nation needs the right equipment, a costconsuming fund to be able to generate and sustain a data bank that it could proud of.

Mr Odele Muyiwa, an official of the UNDP noted that “statistical information is essential for understanding our complex and rapidly changing world. We cannot discuss the issue of environment if we discard the place of environmental statistics in solving our ever-increasing environmental problems”.

He described environment statistics as integrative. “It measures human activities and natural events that affect the environment, monitor the impacts on the environment and the social responses to environmental impacts. It is indispensable for evidencebased policies and decision making to support sustainable development.”

FG boosts housing stock with 43,126 units in 4 years Continues from page 28 Jonathan administration looks at housing as a people-driven sector where the government will create the enabling environment for the private sector to come in and tap into the huge potentials in the sector. According to him, the housing sector has contributed significantly to the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Maku who said President Jonathan has begun a revolution in the housing sector by providing the enabling policies and frameworks for the private sector to play the leading role, however warned against cutting of corners in the construction of houses as such measures contribute to the rising occurrence of collapsed buildings in the country.

LASBCA boss seeks stakeholders’ cooperation Continues from page 30 shall at the time of submitting his application to commence building works to the Building Control Agency, hire an engineer”, she said.

On the the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010, she said the law gives the Building Control Agency the power to carry out inspections of buildings under construction when necessary.

The functions of LASBCA include: the inspection of building works and the certification of various stages of building construction and keeping of such records; removal of illegal and non-conforming developments; identification and removal of distressed buildings to prevent collapse and; the issuance of certificate of completion and fitness for habitation.

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

By Theodore Opara

Ade Ojo advises regular vehicle maintenance •Commends customers loyalty

T

HE founder of Elizade Nigeria Limited, the number one Toyota dealer in Nigeria, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, has advised customers to ensure regular maintenance of their Toyota vehicles, especially at this time when import duties and taxes on new vehicles have risen to as high as 70 per cent.

Chief Ade Ojo who was speaking at the 2014 fleet manager’s forum organised by his company for their customers, said it is in the interest of the vehicle owners to take care of them if they want the best from the asset.

Comparing the vehicles to human body, the Elizade Nigeria founder explained “as you grow, the body needs attention just like the car. It is important, one takes care of his vehicles.

Continuing, he said, “one of the personal asset that people own is vehicle. It is important to support the vehicle, if you don’t take care of small problems, they will become bigger problems in the long run.”

According to him, Elizade has put in place world-class workshops and qualified technicians to handle customer’s vehicles problems in various locations of the country.

Also speaking at the occasion, the chairman of Elizade Nigeria Limited, Dr. Herbert Ajayi commended the customers for their support over the years, adding that the customer loyalty programme was designed to serve the customers better.

“The theme of this year ’s customer loyalty programme tagged: “Toyota my brand, Elizade my choice aptly describes our very strong and focus relationship. We have both fallen in love with the number one auto brand in the world, Toyota. You have also chosen Elizade as number one Toyota dealer and service provider in Nigeria,” he stated.

The chairman further pointed out that the company ’s focus has remained “customer first” adding that they will never be satisfied until customers are satisfied.

Describing this, as both a pledge and promise to customers, Dr. Ajayi pointed out that customers have been the reason they are a “living

C M Y K

corporate colossus” in Nigeria today, despite being a whollyowned indigenous company.

“Since the establishment of Elizade, over four decades ago, we have been consistent in celebrating our customers.

We celebrate you because we believe in the prime of place you occupy in our corporate affairs.”

He told the customers that their loyalty to their twinbrand, Elizade-Toyota can never be misplaced, as they have on their hands, quality products, backed by excellent after sales services and genuine spare parts.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of Elizade Nigeria Limited, Mr. Demola Ade-Ojo, said that without the customers, the success they recorded in their over 40 years of existence would have been impossible.

“Permit me therefore to applaud you for your unflinching support for our twin-brand “Elizade-Toyota.”

You are indeed the reason we have been able to weather the very inclement economic weather for over four decades of our existence as a worldclass indigenous corporate entity."

L-r, FRSC Sector Commander, Lagos, Hyginus Omeje, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo founder Elizade Nigeria Ltd, Dr. Herbert Ajayi Chairman Elizade Nigeria, Ltd and Ademola Ade-Ojo M.D. Elizade Nigeria Ltd. at the 2014 edition of the Elizade fleet Customer Forum in Sheraton Hotel Lagos.

Elizade, he said, has been in the forefront of rendering world-class service both in the sales and after sales arm of our business.

This, he said was perhaps the reason they have not only remained very relevant in the scheme of things in the auto sector of the Nigerian economy, but have also remained the undisputed leader and force to be reckoned with in the industry.

He added that the customers' varied contributions have

helped them tremendously in remaining very relevant at the top of their sector of the Nigerian economy.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director disclosed that in their drive to serve customers better they have moved to increase their presence all over the country with additional outlets in Lagos, Ikeja and Victoria Island, all medium smart 3S facilities of world standards.

He also noted that they were strengthening their Lekki, Ibadan and Akure 3S facilities

to improve service delivery.

In the South east axis, Ade Ojo said that they are in Port Harcourt, Uyo, Asaba and Umuahia while Enugu facility would come up next year.

Apart from Ogba Ultra Modern 3S facility in Lagos, the managing director said that they have safety workshop in Lekki, Marina, Anthony and Oregun beside the state of the art facility in Abuja, while Akure and Ibadan are available to SouthWest customers.

ABUJA MOTOR FAIR:

CIG Motors to sponsor first 10 buyers to China

C

IG Motors, sole representative of GAC Motors of China is poised to reward customers who purchase their vehicles at the fair ground of the forthcoming 16 th Abuja International Motor Fair.

The company’s Sales and Marketing Director, Mr. Kayode Adejumo hinted that the first 10 customers who will purchase their vehicles at the fair ground will be sponsored to China with an all expenses paid business trip for seven days.

CIG Motors, will be showcasing two of its latest models at this year ’s Abuja International Motor fair.

The two models currently making waves in Nigeria since arrival few months ago are GS5 powered by a 2.0litre engine, a mid luxury SUV and the GA3 1.6L saloon.

Disclosing this in Lagos, the Sales and Marketing Director,

said the high quality auto brand will leave no stone unturned in making visitors to the 16th edition of the Abuja Motor Fair happy. According to him, Nigerians will have a feel of the global automobile appeal and experience at the fair.

Mr. Adejumo added that the car company is here in the country to offer Nigerians value for their money.

On his company’s level of involvement and participation at the auto fair, Adejumo said: “We plan to create excitement with our special promotional offer on the GS5 model with an all expense paid business trip to China for 7days for the first 10

*GS5 SUV

people who purchase the vehicles.”

He further revealed that GAC brands’ unique selling points are irresistible to prospective car owners. Some of these, he hinted are advanced world class factory with.

Anenih remains Edo political oracle PAGE 6

Confusion in Rivers’ schools over Ebola equipment

CELEBRITY KENNETH GBAGI: The world of Delta’s huge investor PAGE 8

PAGE 2

VOL. 1: NO. 19

TUESD A Y, OCT OBER 114, 4, 20 14 TUESDA OCTOBER 201

LIVING ON THE EDGE: This aged storey-building, along Robert Road, Warri, Delta State, is filled with tenants, who seem to see no looming

calamity. PHOTO: Egufe Yafugborhi.

Power brokers in South-South states

By Emma Amaize

C

URRENTLY , the South-South geopolitical zone does not have a consensus political leader, probably because of the multifaceted dynamic forces in the zone. However, there are movers and shakers whose actions and idiosyncrasies have not only shaped, but continue to outline governments in their respective states.

In Bayelsa State for instance, neither C M Y K

President Goodluck Jonathan nor Governor Seriake Dickson is considered the most powerful political figure in the state. The big gun is astonishingly a close pal and schoolmate of the President. He is His Royal Highness, King Amalate Johnnie Turner, Obigbo Mikimiki I, Obanema of Opume, Ogbia, Ogbia Local Government Area.

In Akwa Ibom, regardless of what was thought to be the loss of power by

former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, given the state of affairs between him and his successor, Governor Godswill Akpabio, Attah still remains the most revered political leader in the state.

Although the politics in Delta State is quite animated, it can be said that the political lord of the state is the former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark.

However, the national chairman of

Urhoho Political Forum, UPF, Chief Ighoyota Amori, senatorial aspirant, Mr. Solomon Edoja and others, said the most powerful political living figure in the state is the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and Minister of State (Education), Ezenwo Nyemson Wike, it is still uncertain who the political

Continues on Page 2

2—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Confusion in Rivers’ schools over Ebola equipment RIVERS… THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION

Continues from Page 1

By Davies Iheamnachor

P

ORT HARCOURT:— THERE was apprehension in many government secondary schools in Rivers State after resumption, last week, when some students complained that their schools were not supplied with Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, protective facilities, as directed by the Federal Government and refused to resume studies until they are provided.

When Niger Delta Voice visited Emohua, Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, three days after resumption, it was observed that while students had resumed in some schools, others bluntly declined, citing the absence of Ebola testing apparatus.

Head teachers, who spoke to our reporters, bemoaned the attitude of students that declined to resume, saying late resumption would affect academic performance and pleaded with them to start, as there was every indication that the government would provide all needed facilities in the fight against Ebola.

Why we won’t resumeStudents Some students seen in the communities visited, maintained that they would not recommence academic activities until they were sure their schools were suitably ready to control and prevent Ebola outbreak.

Principal of Community Secondary School, CCS, Rumuekini in Obio/Akpor local government area, Rivers state, Mr. V O Enyindah, said the virus had generally been defeated in the country, but regretted that it had affected the academic calendar to an extent.

Enyindah asserted, “I thank the governor for the proactive actions he took to ensure that the virus was stamped out of the state. The state government has released the equipment needed in our school, although we are yet to receive our own.”

Another teacher who corroborated his statement, said, “We have not gotten the equipment in the government schools in the entire local government, but we just got call to send representative to the zonal board in that reC M Y K

Powerbrokers in SouthSouth states

One of the Primary Schools in Rivers State visited gards. Before then, as we resumed on Wednesday as directed by the government, we had none of the equipment, so we took other remedial actions on our own.”

Emergency management Commenting on how he handled the situation in CCS, Rumuekini, Mr. Eyindah said, “I bought some disinfectants like hand sanitizers, dettol, izal and soap, which I instructed the students to use in disinfecting the classes before they entered. The sanitation team was also instructed to clean up the environment to maintain good hygiene.

“I ensured that every student that was in school that first day of resumption was tested to know if the temperature was high through ordinary hand touching. I believe that by Monday, the school will be having its own Ebola testing kit, so every student that comes to school will be tested on arrival before such student will enter the school premises.

“As a way of getting an Ebola-free school in the community, I have already warned all the parents not to allow their wards come to school when they are sick.”

Academic calendar affected Head teacher in State School 1, Rumuji, Emohua, Mr. Edmond Ohaka, expressed worry that the term had already been affected and that could affect academic performance.

Ohaka, also the Secretary of Association of Primary

School Teachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Rivers State wing and immediate past chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, Emohua, said,

”Because the number of weeks that this first term will last has reduced, we started

Continues on Page 7

leader of the state is. But political pundits believe that the leadership baton of “The Treasure Base of the Nation” will be decided in 2015.

In Cross River, Governor Liyel Imoke is indisputably the political generalissimo.

For Edo State, despite the political ascendancy of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, is the commanding officer in the state.

There might not be a consensus leader for the geo-poitical region at present, but the 2015 general elections will certainly streamline area of influence.

This edition of Niger Delta Voice examines politics of the region.

Iyase, Enigies‘re brothers— HRH Igbinudu EDO...

HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

By Simon Ebegbulem

U

DO—THE Iyase of Udo in Edo State, HRH, Ekhoeutomwen Igbinudu, has clarified that his community had no axe to grind with the Enigies in Benin Kingdom and that his loyalty to the Oba of Benin remains unwavering.

I don’t want problem HRH Igbinudu, who was reacting to the controversy generated by a recent report in Niger Delta Voice on the sovereignty of Udo in Benin kingdom, said, “Some people said I tried to compare myself to the Oba, but I did not because I believe we are all subjects of the Oba, representing him wherever he sends us. Nobody is next to the Oba. But I want to say that the Enogie and the Iyase of Udo are all brothers, I do not want any problem.

“The publication of September 9 says that I compared the Odionwere and the Enogie, which is not true.

Enogie have their own dukedom and every village under the Enogie has

Odionwere and those Odionwere are under the Enogie.”

Enigie has no lifespan — IDU AKENZUA The Enogie of Oghobaghase, HRH, Idu Akenzua, who reacted on behalf of the Enigies in the kingdom, asserted, “Firstly in Benin Kingdom, Enigie are not appointed, they are born as Enigie or invested with their title by the Oba of Benin.

“Appointment has tenure of office or life span, but Enigie titles have no life span. They are perpetually from father to eldest surviving son forever, following in the principle of primogeniture that governs the Benin monarchy.

“Secondly, it is not true that the Iyase of Udo is more powerful than the Enogies because of the exploits and awesome prowess of one of its progenitors.

“At best, the Iyase of Udo enjoys the status of an Enogie, albeit falsely; but most importantly, it is not a hereditary title founded on the principle of primogeniture or from father to eldest surviving son.

“The title rotates between the Iyase of Udo and the Uwangue of Udo. Where any Iyase of

Udo transgresses the Benin monarch, the paramount ruler and overlord of Benin Kingdom, or becomes an enemy of the Oba, for whatever reason, the Oba transfers the title to the Uwangue and confers him with the powers to administer Udo. “The day may not be too far now when the title may even pass on to the Eribo if there is any such title there.”

THE TEAM Emma Amaize, Editor Jimitota Onoyume Samuel Oyadongha Tony Edike Simon Ebegbulem Gabriel Enogholase Festus Ahon Egufe Yafugborhi Emmanuel Unah Akpokona Omafuaire Godwin Oghre Tom Moses Chioma Onuegbu Ike Uche Davies Iheamnachor Emem Idio Emmanuel Okolie Brisibe Perez Barnabas Uzosike Nath Onajoke Chijioke Nwankpa

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—3

Duku harps on peace in oil communities DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

Jonathan’s friend, HRH Amalate Turner calls the shots in Bayelsa BA YELS A ...

BAYELS YELSA THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS

By Festus Ahon

U

G H E L L I — CHAIRMAN of the Association of Community Leaders of Nine OilProducing States in Nigeria, Delta State, Mr. Patrick Duku, has charged communities in the state to embrace peace, a basic ideal of the group, to attract more government presence and benefits from oil companies operating in the state.

Addressing newsmen shortly after a meeting with stakeholders in Ughelli, Duku said the body was out to unite all community leaders for the purpose of peace and development and to collaborate with national and international organisations for the promotion of amity and sustainable development of the oil-producing states.

Calling for the active involvement of communities’ leadership in the activities of the association, Duku reiterated the determination of the organisation to continue to draw the attention of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC to the plights of the people of the communities.

He disclosed that the association formed because “there is no organised body, no voice to articulate and address issues of concerns to the communities in the Niger Delta region.”

By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio, Yenagoa

Y

E N A G O A — ORDINARILY, the President and Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from Bayelsa State, could best be described as the most powerful living political figure in the state which he hails from, but exact opposite is the case.

The astonishment is not that the governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, who is eying a second term in office has built himself an independent political structure that has vanquished that of President Jonathan or that of former gover nor, Chief Timipre Sylva, now an APC chieftain, had performed an overnight political wonder.

It is also not that former governor-general of Ijaw nation, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has pulled the rug under President Jonathan.

The bombshell is that the man, who calls the shots in the state is unarguably a retired permanent secretary in the state civil service, His Royal Highness, King Amalate Johnnie Turner, JP, Obigbo Mikimiki I, Obanema of Opume, Ogbia.

He is a childhood buddy and school mate of President Jonathan.

How he installed Gov Dickson

OBONG VICTOR ATTAH: Father of new Akwa Ibom AKWA IBOM...

LAND OF PROMISE

By Tom Moses & Chioma Onuegbu

U YO—AKWA-IBOM State comprises three major

ethnic nationalities - Ibibio, Annang and Oron, which separately had produced top shots that served the state and nation distinguishably in different capacities, including military, civilian governors, ministers and senators.

Continues on Page 4

King A. J. Turner The royal father, it was, who pulled Hon Dickson from the House of Representatives to contest for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship ticket after the then incumbent governor, Timipre Sylva, was shut out of the leadership of the party.

Informed sources told Niger Delta Voice that the royal father’s Abuja residence was the rallying point for the anti- Sylva forces, under the Restoration movement, which perfected the ousting of Sylva from Creek Haven, the Bayelsa Government House.

Government House, Yenagoa

Not the noisy type Amalate Johnnie Turner was born, September 30, 1956 at Opume community, Ogbia to the royal Kulo, Bugo, Latei, Orukari, Ineyougha, Koko and Yekorogha group of Houses all in Nembe, and the influential Efamo group of Houses in Opume.

He is not the boisterous type even though he has the ears of the President and could reach him at the shortest notice.

King Turner ’s lifelong endeavours and unflinching commitment to duty have been long acknowledged and commended by those who have worked closely with him and had the privilege of interacting with him on different issues.

and all those who consider him as somebody committed and responsive to their needs.

Beyond his recognised contributions to the improve-ment of his immediate community, King Turner is courteous, a trailblazer and model of good leadership.

King Turner’s relevance in the political scene of the state, according to analysts, is hinged on his reputation as an unbiased conciliator whose vast knowledge of the intricacies that define political moods is incontestable.

“This is one of many reasons why his wise counsel is sought after by many, both within and outside Bayelsa state,” said a close associate.

He was an avowed supporter of the defunct Green Movement, the campaign machinery of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan when he was governor of Bayelsa state, which later metamorphosed into the Restoration outfit that scuttled Sylva’s second term bid.

Why he’s loved Within his Opume community, King Turner enjoys fabulous veneration, his kingdom

Unassuming life In spite of his towering stature in the politics of the state, King Turner has maintained a

simple life that has mostly been marked by continued focus on meeting the responsibilities that he carries as a monarch and a respected personality in the state.

The king’s consistent efforts to live up to these responsibilities are evident in his commitment to service, which Niger Delta Voice learnt, has helped to yoke the Restoration team. …his prevailing power King Turner, who is the main financier of Dickson election, has continued to be dominant in the socio political development of Bayelsa state in particular, and Nigeria in general, considering his role as a traditional ruler, entrepreneur and a leader of thought.

He remains an influential personality in the Restoration of the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson, where he serves as chairman and latter has never failed to extol his support and leadership qualities at any given state function he (Turner) attends.

C M Y K

4—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

OBONG VICTOR ATTAH: Father of new Akwa Ibom

Obong Victor Attah Continues from Page 3 The big guns include a twotime Chief of Air Staff, Air Commodore Nsikak Eduok, former military administrator, Idongesit Nkanga and former governor, Obong Victor Attah.

Engendered unity However, Obong Attah appears to be the most respected political leader in the state and this is not unrelated with his copious exceptional contributions to the development of the state and involvement in both local and national affairs.

Besides his fight for resource control in the Niger Delta, which won him names like ‘Apostle of Resource Control’ and ‘Advocate of Resource Control,’ what really commended him to the people was that his administration nurtured the unity existing today among the different ethnic blocs in the state.

For that reason, Obong Attah is perceived by many as a detribalized, generous, accommodating, principled and visionary leader, who laid the solid foundation for the physical and economic development of the state.

The Ibom International Airport, Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Course were among projects put in place by his administration.

Creation of Akwa Ibom Available record showed he played very significant role in the creation of Akwa Ibom state, about 27 years ago, which is C M Y K

traceable to his genial relationship with the then military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd). The singular act won him the name, ‘Father of new Akwa Ibom.’

Highly trusted As far as Akwa Ibom state is concerned, the people do not only respect Attah for his past achievements, they have strong belief and trust in his capability and competence to handle and defend their interests whenever the need arises at any level of governance.

His competence and intellectual capabilities informed the people’s decision not only to choose him as one of the delegates to the recently concluded National Conference, but as the leader of that delegation, and the call by the former Nigeria Governor’s Forum to lead them to the same conference, further attests to the fact that his admirable leadership qualities go beyond the state.

He was also selected as the Chairman of the Committee on Devolution of Powers simply because of the recognition that he has the ‘I can do attitude’ and admirable leadership principles.

Achiever His laudable achievements informed the grand reception organized by the Akwa Ibom people, recently,

where he (Attah) was formally proclaimed the Leader of Akwa Ibom people at the Asan Ibibio ground.

The recent conferment of the traditional title of Mkpisong Ibibio on Obong Attah by the traditional institutions in 21 of the 31 local government areas of the state also speaks volume of the acknowledgement of Obong Attah as an iconic personality and the most powerful living political leader in the state.

Folks speak Former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Major-General Edet Akpan (rtd.), who spoke with the Niger Delta Voice in Uyo, extolled Obong Attah for his protuberant role in the creation of Akwa-Ibom state, design of the structure and developmental blueprint of the state and his strong conviction in the sustenance of the unity of the various ethnic nationalities and tribes in the state.

He also eulogized him for his generous vision and leadership style, especially his disposition to the clamour that all the three senatorial districts of the state should be accommodated in the leadership and governance of

the state for equity and fairness to prevail and for setting the pace of development of the state, which the present administration, as piloted by Akpabio, has emulated.

Benevolent leader Acknowledging Attah for his flowering leadership role in the state, governorship aspirant and the immediate past Commissioner for Finance in the state, Obong Bassey Albert, said he is a true and magnanimous leader that has continued to toil for the realization of the dreams of the forebears of Akwa-Ibom state.

The banking guru expressed high regards for Obong Attah for his liberal disposition to would-be leaders by encouraging even those who sought to take over from him, Governor Akpabio inclusive, to remain in office and campaign without discrimination and victimisation as is the case with most leaders.

His Lordship, Bishop Samuel Akpan, Obong Umanah Okon Umanah, Obong Insima Ekere, all governorship hopefuls in the state nodded their heads to Attah’s unsung contributions to the sociopolitical and economic development of the state, leading to his continued relevance and acceptability across the various tribes and ethnic nationalities in the state.

2015 to determine who runs Rivers' politics pens within the party in the state.

RIVERS… THE TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION

The battle within This probably explained why some governorship aspirants recently rallied a group, Save Rivers PDP to lobby that the state executive be replaced with a caretaker committee on grounds that the former was serving the interest of the minister.

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— RIVERS state is symptomatically different from other states in the South South region when it comes to politics.

You could without fear of contradiction single out one person as the most influential politician in other states of the region, but in Rivers, it is a different ball game.

The unpredictable state of affairs is as a result of the rumbling political divide in the state.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi came on board as governor of the state on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Nonetheless in the middle of his second term in office, he parted ways with the party, voyaging to the All Progressive Congress, APC, an audacious stroke that has made the APC the ruling party in the state with the PDP as a sturdy opposition.

Wike Governor Rotimi Amaechi Amaechi’s power Unmistakably, on matters of governance,Amaechi exercises the final authority by virtue of his position as governor of the state. It is surefire that he is a resilient and influential politician.

Political loyalty But when Niger Delta Voice sought the views of citizens on who is the strongest and most influential politician in the state, many from our observation, spoke largely from the slant of their political allegiance.

Some asserted that the upcoming general elections will determine the most powerful politician in the state, adding that at the moment, the focus should be identifying the most powerful persons in the two top contending political parties.

Between Amaechi, Wike They said that within the APC, Governor Amaechi calls the shots and is the rallying point, while within the PDP, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is the issue. Wike is believed to have the state structure of the PDP in his firm grip, so he determines very largely what hap-

2015 holds the ace “Rivers state does not have this type of ‘almighty’ political leader you find in some other states. So this issue of who is the most powerful politician in the state should be looked at from the angle of the weight the person exercises within the two top parties”, a resident, Fred Kpeba said.

Another resident, ThankGod Friday, said if the state government had remained the way it came, a PDP state, it would have been easy to say Mr. A or B is the ultimate factor in the politics of the state.

“However, as it stands now the election in 2015 will answer the question of who is the most powerful politician in the state,” he added

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—5

CROSS RIVER… THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE

Imoke, Cross River’s man of power *His political empire, strategies; larger-than-life status

By Emmanuel Unah

C

ALABAR—SINCE his assumption of office in 2007, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, has fully metamorphosed as the political C in C of the state.

His calm appearance could be deceptive to those who do not know him closely, but anybody conversant with his persona knows that his political influence is not just within the confines of the state, but up to the nation’s capital, Abuja, where he is a strategic player in the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

He did not acquire this larger than life political status overnight. It was built through several decades of consistent and deliberate planning, spreading of goodwill and reaching out to people in divergent strata of society.

Self-effacing beginning His background as the son of Dr Samuel Imoke, an acolyte of Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who rose to become the Minister of Education in the First Republic, also contributed to the power Imoke wields today.

Senator at 27 In 1992, at the age of just 27, he was elected Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River state above notable contenders for the position and this feat was majorly based on his father’s reputation in the society.

Political dynasty He learned the ropes from then and in 1996, he and his

INSET: Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State friend, who later emerged governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke pitched tent with the DPN and before that era crumbled under the military regime, they had built a political structure across the state with Imoke as the principal driving force of the political empire.

When in 1999, Duke became governor of the state; Imoke was seen as the force behind the throne. He, Duke and Gershom Bassey were the arrowheads of the dynasty and Imoke ensured stability of the

Duke administration in the state even when he was functioning in Abuja as Special Assistant and later Minister of Power and Steel to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

When it was time for Duke to vacate office in 2007, having served two tenures, it was obvious that the next person to step into his shoes was Imoke and this he did effortlessly, as there was no serious opposition to him. But, it is not clear Bassey will step into Imoke’s shoes with unfolding political develop-

Duku harps on peace in oil communities DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Festus Ahon

U

GHELLI—CHAIRMAN of the Association of Community Leaders of Nine Oil-Producing States in Nigeria, Delta State, Mr. Patrick Duku, has charged communities in the state to embrace peace, a basic ideal of the group, to attract more government presence and

benefits from oil companies operating in the state.

Addressing newsmen shortly after a meeting with stakeholders in Ughelli, Duku said the body was out to unite all community leaders for the purpose of peace and development and to collaborate with national and international organizations for the promotion of amity and sustainable development of the oilproducing states.

Calling for the active involvement of communities’

leadership in the activities of the association, Duku reiterated the determination of the organisation to continue to draw the attention of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to the plights of the people of the communities.

He said the association was formed because “there is no organized body, no voice to articulate and address issues of concerns to the communities in the Niger Delta region.”

ments in the state.

His style He has rallied support from all and sundry, including opposition parties whose presence is hardly felt due to his preponderant power in all sections of the state.

Imoke is consistently seen as the political father of the state and anything he wants done is achieved with microscopic struggle. It is his singular decision that the governorship position should be zoned to the Northern senatorial district of the state by the PDP. Though, the decision did not go down well with many stakeholders, nobody had the impudence so far to challenge him.

Refusal to anoint successor Even when over 20 persons from the north are jostling to succeed him, he has refused to anoint any one of them which would have facilitated an easy ride to Government House for such a person.

He has continuously insisted that such an action would be immoral and tantamount to trivializing the position of governor. Reiterating this position, October 1, while addressing stakehol-

ders during the state’s Merit Award ceremony, Imoke said those waiting for him to anoint them as his successor would have to continue to wait until he swears in the new governor without their ambition coming to fruition.

According to him, the office of governor is such an important position that the person occupying it takes charge of the affairs of millions of people and should, therefore, not be toyed with, just for personal interest.

He said though the position has been zoned to the northern part of the state, the contestants from that zone must go out and sell their vision to the party organs and people to enable them make an informed decision and elect who they consider fit to occupy the position.

The new Cross River ”The challenge we faced to build the new Cross River should not be forgotten and if today we make a governor by appointment, the governor will owe allegiance to his masters.

“Today I see public office holders becoming contractors, beneficiaries of everything with nothing left to trickle down to the people.”

C M Y K

6—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

EDO...

HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

By Simon Ebegbulem

Anenih remains Edo political oracle

B

ENIN— THE Iyasele of Esan land and chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, is the most powerful living political leader in the present day Edo state.

Though, there are other persons of influence in the state such as two- time former governor of the old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia and Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Anenih has created a niche for himself when it comes to the politics of his home state.

He was instrumental to the emergence of former governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion in 1999. He fell out with Igbinedion during the second term of his administration and vowed to wrestle power from him.

His war with Igbinedion factionalized the PDP in the state but he was able to make Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor governor in 2007.

However, at the moment, the PDP in his native state is in tatters, particularly with the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as governor, first under the platform of the Action Congress AC, later Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and now, All Progressives Congress, APC, after forging alliance with other parties. It was the infighting in the PDP that provided the cannon fodder for Oshiomhole’s conquest.

From 1999 till date, there is no decision by the PDP in Edo state that will see the light of the day without getting the endorsement of the man known as Mr. Fix it. It is popularly said that though Anenih is from Edo Central senatorial district, that is the Esan area, but he can fix a councillor, who has shown loyalty to his leadership in South and North, the other two senatorial districts in the state hassle-free.

Oshiomhole’s confession During the early days of Governor Oshiomhole in office, he buttressed the fact thus: “When I was in the NLC as President, then I use to interact with Anenih a lot because of my fight with the government. I recall that each time our people in Edo wanted to hold a Local Government election, some of my close friends and brothers from Edo North will come and appeal to me to talk to Anenih to either make them chairman or councillor.

“But I use to ask them how can that

Benin City

Chief Tony Anenih be possible because the man is not from our side, he is from the Central, they will tell me that it does not work like that, that without going to Uromi to prostrate you cannot get even the position of a ward leader in your area.

“And I asked them, are you not going to vote, if the leaders of our area decide on candidates, how is he going to change it? They will always lecture me that I do not understand the chief, that without him, nothing will be possible and that I should go and beg on their behalf,” he said.

As a matter of fact, Oshiomhole tested his own bitter pills in the hands of Anenih during his first few months in office when he had to go to Abuja with the state budget to get approval from the ‘leader’.

Oshiomhole was handicapped then because the PDP dominated the state House of Assembly. He had to stoop low to conquer. The father and son relationship went sour after Anenih openly scolded Oshiomhole. The comrade governor went on all-out attack thereafter and succeeded in deposing the PDP leadership in the House.

How he outfoxed Obasanjo A special uniqueness of Anenih is that he is known to be a long distance runner in politics unlike many politicians, who easily give up when hard times faced them. When he was removed as BoT chair by Obasanjo, he recoiled for a while, strategizing on how to hit back.

Propitiously for him, he got his pound of flesh during the Jonathan presidency when he was assisted by other influential persons to arm-twist Obasanjo to resign as BoT chairman.

He sprang back a second time. …don’t treat rebels gladly He is known to reward loyalty, but hardly forgives when you betray his trust. Today in Edo state, there are people who have suffered politically and are still suffering because they were not loyal.

People like the current Secretary to the Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, former governor of the state, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor, Senator Domingo Obende, Senator Yisa Braimoh, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Lucky Igbinedion and many others, had all experienced the angst of Chief Anenih.

Despite the attempt to stop other aspirants from contesting the PDP 2007 governorship primaries against the “anointed” Prof Osunbor at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Ihonvbere defied Anenih’s instruction by going to the stadium to run for the primaries. Anenih never forgave him, particularly after Ihonvbere hauled over the coals on him for purportedly skewing the primaries in favour of Osunbor.

Though Ihonvbere later worked for the emergence of Osunbor, Anenih made sure that even with Ihonvbere’s influence at the presidential villa, Abuja; he was not made a minister or given any appointment that matched his sacrifice in the party. Ihonvbere’s glaring marginalization in the PDP led to his exit from the party to the APC today.

Apostle of no vacancy Anenih accused both Osunbor and

Delta govt, DESOPADEC, others get 28-day ultimatum from HOSTCOM

By Brisibe Perez

U

GHELLI—THE Host Communities of oil and gas, HOSTCOM, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, has given a 28-day ultimatum to the management of the Delta State Oil C M Y K

Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC, the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, and Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to intervene on the deplorable state of roads at Afiesere and Agbarha-Otor communities.

The group, in a statement by its chairman and secretary, Mr. Agwarive Pender and Mr. Shikaleke Okiemute, respectively, said the road had long been damaged and efforts made to seek attention of the state government and the interventionist agencies to rehabilitate them yielded no result.

Igbinedion of forming parallel PDP structures in the state and might not have forgiven them till date. The moment you are not loyal to him as governor of Edo state, the soft- spoken leader would tell you that there is vacancy in Osadebey Avenue, which is the seat of power in the state, but once you are loyal, he will equally tell others that there is no vacancy in Osadebey Avenue.

How Igbiendion survived Ex-governor, Igbinedion, was able to clinch his second term ticket because he played the game with the ‘leader,’ but moved to the trenches to battle him politically during the tail end of his administration.

How Oshiomhole displaced his structure But with the coming of Oshiomhole, Anenih can only boast of influence within his PDP in Edo state and not the entire state any more. Oshiomhole, who watched Anenih from afar while he was NLC president, came to dig out the political structure of the ‘leader’ through his war against godfatherism in the state.

Anenih tested defeats in the hands of Oshiomhole in all the elections held since 2007 in the state, but has been able to hold grip on his senatorial district. Though Oshiomhole won his re-election in the entire 18 local government areas of the state, including Anenih’s domain, the PDP leader still has control over the senatorial and House of Representatives seats in Edo Central.

Never- say- die spirit Anenih may not be finding it cool due to the influence of Oshiomhole in the current politics of the state, but anybody that knows him, recognizes that the leader never gives up. For him, 2016 is just tomorrow and he is unquestionably waiting long-sufferingly and strategizing on how to pay Oshiomhole back by re-installing a PDP governor in the state.

As BOT chairman of the PDP, his influence in national politics is still soaring and sure, he will have the wherewithal to battle the APC in his home state come 2015 and 2016.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—7

Confusion in Rivers’ schools over Ebola equipment A senior teacher in the school explained there was uneasy calm, but confirmed that the school was yet to receive the Ebola equipment.

He said some private schools in the area had gotten it because they were compelled to do so, adding, “government will soon send equipment to us, so students should come back for studies.

“Definitely, some weeks have been lost so the scheme of work will not be covered adequately.”

Mr. Edmond Ohaka, Headteacher, State School I, Rumuji Continues from Page 2 teaching as we resumed on Wednesday. There is now pressure on the teachers because we need to cover the scheme of work for the term.”

Test kits provided On the issue of Ebola test tools, Ohaka said State School 1, Rumuji, UBE and other secondary schools in Emohua have all gotten the Ebola testing and precaution materials provided by the state government.

His words: “We are ready to fight Ebola in our school. We have people who have been trained by the government and we have received the equipment the school needs.

“Last week, I invited all the parents for a meeting; we also sensitized them because controlling Ebola will not only be in the school. So we have to encourage them to maintain good hygiene at home.

“The union in the local government wanted to stop us from resuming because on the

resumption day, we have not gotten the equipment, although with understanding, they allowed us, but we now have the equipment.

Government on its own has provided everything needed to fight Ebola. Every school in Emohua has all the facilities.

“I think Ebola is no more a case in the local government. I thank the governor of the state for being very proactive in handling issues relating to students’ health and welfare,” he asserted.

Students boycott school At Ikwerre local government area, particularly Government Secondary School, Aluu, the case was a bit different. The students were yet to fully resume for academic activities when Niger Delta Voice visited.

A student who Niger Delta Voice encountered at the school gate said, “We are yet to start, we are afraid to come back now because of no Ebola equipment.”

Commissioner Parker speaks Reacting to the mix-up, Commissioner of Health, Rivers state, Dr. Sampson Parker, said government had provided facilities for over 1,206 schools in the state and urged the head teachers to go to their zonal offices and pick the kits meant for their schools.

“We partnered with the Ministry of Education and have provided sufficient materials that will go round the schools in the state. The ministry is vigilant in case of any challenge. I do not know why students do not want to resume studies,” he stated.

NUT chairman pleads for understanding In the same vein, the state chairman, NUT, Mr. Godfrey Wogu, implored teachers in the state to resume academic activities, saying that government was determined to provide all the necessary facilities needed in the schools.

“The directive is with immediate effect. All teachers in the state are expected to resume school on Monday the 13th October, 2014. Any teacher who fails to resume school on the said date will be sanctioned,” he said.

Clark

Clark, political VIP in Delta *Amori, Edoja, Ofa, others disagree … pick Uduaghan, Ibori *No political leader in Delta— KOKORI

DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi & Brisibe Perez SABA—FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, is unquestionably the most powerful political leader in Delta State.

The only other living politician that would have stopped him in the state is the former governor, Chief James Ibori, but unfortunately, his arrest and incarceration for money laundering abroad, has created the opportunity for Clark, one of his formidable foes, to have a field day.

A

Political Mecca Last month, September, Kiagbodo, the home town of Chief Clark in Burutu Local Government Area of the state was turned to a political Mecca as politicians, particularly those seeking elective positions,

trooped in large numbers to the elder statesman for consultations.

From the former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Tony Obuh, Obarisi Omo Agege, Mrs Esther Uduehi and so on, there was no day since the 2015 general elections climaxed with the release of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, timetable for primaries that one or two governorship aspirants and aspirants for other elective offices, would not visit Chief Clark to seek for his support and blessings.

In fact, even when some people did not know that the man, who spends most of his time nowadays at Abuja, has returned to the nation’s capital city, some governorship aspirants, including Mr. Andrew Warri, trailed him to Abuja to receive his blessings.

For many politicians in the state, the anointing of Chief E.K Clark is the beginning of

Continues on Page 8

DELTA LG POLL COUNTDOWN: Why we want to rule—IKPOKPO, EDEMA,ETAGA covenanted children of God, can go into politics and come out clean. “

By Emma Amaize & Egufe Yafugborhi

S

OME chairmanship aspirants in the October 25 Local Government Area election in Delta State have spoken on why they want to govern their respective Councils.

Service PDP standard bearer in Isoko South, Mr. Itiakpo Ikpokpo, aka Malik, “We can no longer depend only on allocation from the Federal

Itiako Ikpokpo Government, we need to invest as a people, this will create employment for people. I am convinced about this and this is why as a servant, I want to render service to my people.”

Mofe Edema Integrity Former chairman, Warri South Local Government Area, Mr. Mofe Edema, who is seeking a comeback on PDP platform, said, “I have been there before and I dare say the

Etaga people are the better judges of my track record.

“However, this time around, I am in the race to show to both believers and unbelievers that good Christians, who are

Transformation Paul Etaga, also PDP candidate in Ughelli South, said: “My mission to lead Ughelli South council is to bring about positive transformation for the people and environment.

“I will ensure conscientious harnessing of resources available to the locality for even development of infrastructures and human capital.”

C M Y K

8—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

CELEBRITY KENNETH GBAGI: Golden Tulip

The world of Delta’s huge investor Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi

W

ARRI—STUNNED by the audacity of a young Midwesterner, who mobilized workforce to a swampy location near his habitation, on Deco Road, Warri, more than two decades ago, a former military governor of the defunct Midwest Region, confronted the fellow to find out if he understood the enormousness of the task he had undertaken.

To the retired military officer, it was a staggering undertaking for a single individual to reclaim the marshy land and so he interrogated the guy, who stood before him on his identity and what exactly the Federal Government wanted to do with the property.

The gentleman flabbergasted him the more when he told him that he was the chairman of GKO Properties Limited, which had bought the land and that it was not a government project.

On the once boggy location stands, today, the biggest shopping mall in Delta state, known as Robinson Gbagi Plaza, which provides means of livelihood for over 3,500 Deltans.

Venture capitalist extraordinary The man, who had the farsightedness to provide the leading trading centre for Deltans in the oil city of Warri, years ago, is criminologist, lawyer and former Minister of State (Education), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi. He proudly calls himself a trader.

To those who know him, Gbagi’s confidence in the state is unflinching. His investments speak for him. From the shopping mall, he built the Woodridge Hotel, Effurun, near Warri and had also set up a cluster of companies, including paint, water and pet-preform producing factories in the state.

He recently added the first five-star hotel, Golden Tulip and the first digital cinema in the state, managed by Silverbird to the unending list.

Uduaghan attests to his prowess The state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, saw and C M Y K

noted the single-mindedness of the man, who is among those seeking to take over from him in 2015, many years ago. And in August, last year, when Gbagi visited him (Uduaghan) at Government House, Asaba, he said, “Kenneth Gbagi is one of the highest investors, if not the highest indigenous investor, in Delta State.”

He thanked Gbagi for his faith and continuous investments in the state and urged other well placed Deltans to emulate him.

Why I want to rule Delta Speaking to Niger-Delta Voice, Olorogun Gbagi, a leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial aspirant from the Delta Central senatorial district, said, “What is extremely missing in our life today is character, people have become characterless without integrity.

“That is what I want to bring

back to the state. I have been involved in building and I will continue to build the state. That is what I want to do in Government House, Asaba.”

On his grilling by the former military governor, he said it was a fact that he was confronted by the retired army officer he commenced work on the swampy site, over two decades ago and “I told him I bought the place and wanted to develop it, he thought I was a contractor executing a project for government and wanted to know more about the project. I told him and he was marvelled.”

According to him, “I am a trader and realized that one of the greatest problems people had in Warri was getting shops to rent, that was what gave rise to my decision to build Robinson Plaza, Warri with over 500 shops, named after my father, and today, over 3,500 families are eking out their daily bread from the place.”

Gbagi added, “I was renting the shop for N2, 000 but people were subletting it for N90, 000.

Till tomorrow, my joy and happiness is seeing that people are

Chaotic planning threatens Uyo—EX-COMMISSIONER

By Tom Moses

U

YO— FORMER Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Akwa Ibom State, Professor Charles Akpan, has raised the alarm over looming disaster in Uyo, the state capital, in 10 years, resulting from faulty design.

Professor Akpan, currently Head of Department, Civil Engineering, University of Uyo, told Niger Delta Voice, shortly after presenting the 41st Inaugural Lecture of the university that the state government was not following the proper plan of the city put on ground in 1989 by the administration of a former governor, Godwin Abe. The don, who extolled the ex-governor for the wonderful structures he put in place in the state in 1989, said unless the state government re-planned and gave the city a facelift, the disaster was bound to occur, adding that he had discussed the establishment of multi car parks and railway lines with some government officials to check the ugly trend.

The don, who commended the former governor for giving Uyo shape, said, “If he did not do those Ring Roads in 1989, you would not have them today because by the time we started building, there would have been so many buildings on the rightof-way that you might have to knock down some and spend up to N5 to N10 billion on compensation to the owners.

“Go to Mbiabong area behind Shelter Afrique; when I was the Commissioner for Lands, we planned that area. People are just building carelessly; you cannot put pipe or electric pole anyhow.

The streets are too narrow.

“Ten years from now, people will not be able to move round Akwa Ibom State, as there is no provision for parking around the city. People will be stuck in traffic for four or more hours as is the case in Port-Harcourt.”

benefiting from it.

With the shopping plaza, over 3,500 persons were automatically removed from the jobless market and the hopelessness of the situation to put food in their mouths.”

Employment for Deltans He asserted, “Golden Tulip alone is employing over 350 persons, the cinema has not less than 30 persons in gainful employment. Thousands of people go there to ease pressure. There is paint, water factories, pet-preform factorieswhat you blow to produce bottle and so on. The totality of staff there is no fewer than 260.

“The old Woodridge is being renovated with a view to starting a school, Saint Thomas Moore Schools as soon as possible.

“I believe in Delta; I will not run to anywhere. If I had taken these investments to Lagos, the returns would have been phenomenal. But I want them to be in Delta State.

“I know I was born to bring joy to mankind and change the situation of things around me, which is what I want to do in the state.

“God is biased towards me in this regard and I do not want to fail Him. That is why I am determined to provide leadership as governor of the state.”

Clark, political VIP in Delta Continues from Page 7 victory. Even National and State Assembly aspirants outside Chief Clark’s constituency still visit him to seek for his support.

This is a pointer to the fact that the Ijaw leader is undeniably very powerful and influential in the politics of the state.

The search for the most powerful living politician in state expectedly provoked divergent views. Niger Delta Voice spoke to cross sections of Deltans.

Former NUPENG General Secretary, Chief Frank Kokori, said, “No one in Delta state fits this description of being most influential, what we have in government are opportunists.”

Uduaghan, Ibori influence However, some politicians rate the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan higher than Chief Clark in terms of political powers and influences. Of course, there is no gain saying that the governor is also very powerful and influential given the fact that he holds the ace in state PDP. But even at that, the governor himself still rallies round Chief Clark for support and blessings in the day to day running of the state.

Despite Ibori’s absence, some persons see the former governor as more powerful and influential than Clark. They hold strongly that Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and others exercising political influence in the state, except Chief E. K Clark, are all

products of Chief Ibori.

According to them, even in his incarceration, politicians were being air lifted to the United Kingdom, week after week to seek, for the blessings and support of Chief James Onanefe Ibori. So one can better imagine how dominant he would have been if he was in the shores of this country.

But Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Governor, Chief Ighoyota Amori, asserted ,”The governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is the most influential politician in the state because he is the head of the government of the state.

Whoever is a politician comes under his leadership.

“There is no way anyone can be more influential than him coupled with the fact that he influences political decisions in the state. The next person is Chief Edwin Clark, who has a national reach in terms of politics.”

For the former member representing Ethiope Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Solomon Edoja, “Politics is all about governance and the governor, Dr. Uduaghan, being the number one citizen and head of state is the most influential because he influences all the decisions in the executive and legislature through the State House of Assembly.

“Personally, I think the governor fits this position as the most influential.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 33

By Theodore Opara

S

EDANS, SUV’s, Mini Vans, buses and trucks from the stables of SAIPA Automobiles of Iran and Shineray Automobile Co. of China, will lead the pack of new entrants of automobiles that will be on display at the Eagle Square, venue of the 16th Abuja International Motor Fair holding from 22 to 30 October, 2014, Disclosing this to newsmen over the weekend, the Managing Director of BKG Exhibitions, Mr. Ifeanyi Agwu, organizers of the event said that this development is a pointer to the fact that the Nigerian Automotive sector is seriously becoming the leading investment destination in the Continent because of the enormous potentials and benefits it offers.

“It equally shows that with time the new thinking in the industry in Nigeria will achieve the desired end of boosting investment and socio-economic development of the nation”.

Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, who is also the Chairman of Organising committee of the auto show said that it is a reward for the hard work that his company has been making since the inception of the event Fifteen seven years ago. According to him “it did not come as a surprise because we have been strategically working for the fair to gain more international recognition and acceptance which the coming of these companies attests to.

According to Autodex Nigeria Limited the franchise holder of the Shineray brand in Nigeria, “these vehicles are globally trusted for their durability, ruggedness, aesthetic excellence, superb agility, modern engineering, high fuel efficient engines and advanced safety devices which can be relied on to deliver high standard performance at all times”. The company which owns an Assembly Plant in Abuja said that with the current development in the Nigerian automotive sector, they are poised to harness the abundant potentials to become a big player in the industry in SubSahara Africa with Nigeria as its centre of operation.

SAIPA which comes with the models: Tidoa, Saipa132, Tonda90, Mega, Ron2, is staging an intimidating comeback into Nigeria’s

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*Saipa Salon Car

SAIPA, SHINERAY lead debutants to Abuja Motor Fair automotive market courtesy of Sparkling Energy Resources Nigeria Limited. It is storming Abuja with a strong team from the parent company SAIPA of Iran. According to a source, the Iranian automobile maker has concluded arrangements to commence the assembling of some of its vehicles in Nigeria.

Mr. Agwu stressed that the Abuja international Motor Fair remains the unparalleled

gathering of established brands as well as new entrants, ranging from passenger busses, cars, trucks, spare parts, accessories, lubricants, financials and many more; adding that the importance of continuously staging the show cannot be over-emphasized as all hands must be on deck to promote and support investments into the sector, as it occupies a strategic position in enhancing the economic development of Nigeria”

“As part of our efforts in promoting investment in the automotive sector, in addition to the usual display of products and services by participants, this edition has a Managing Directors’ of Automobile Companies Forum with Heads of arms of government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies which activities impact on the sector. Virtually all the major brands of automobiles, spare parts, accessories, lubricants, banking,

insurance, regulatory and policy making agencies and bodies are taking part. Feelers from most of the participating firms indicate that visitors to the various stands will enjoy lots of goodies. Some have packaged gift items, lucky dips and many other forms of entertainments which according to sources will last all through the fair. We have packaged a fair that has something for everybody; visitors, participants and other stakeholders.”

Hyundai Nigeria signs dealership pact with Truckmasters

H

yundai Motors Nigeria Limited has appointed Lagos-based automobile vending and aftermarket shop Truckmasters Nigeria Limited as one of its provisional dealers at a sign-on ceremony in Lagos, where it charged the new agent to be steadfast and extend its role beyond being a simple sales and service shop to become customers’ lifetime companion.

Mr. Parvir Singh, Managing Director, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Stallion Group who recently made this appeal said Truckmasters facility will provide sales and technical support to teeming customers in Maryland, Ikeja and its environs He urged the newly commissioned agent to embrace Hyundai global vision of being “Life time partner in automobiles and beyond,” while moving one step closer to customers by making Hyundai buyers’ beloved brand.

“It isn’t enough to be successfully certified and expect your organization to keep performing at high level, using smart practices rather, you need to be focus and make compliance to standard an on-going habit,” the Hyundai Motors director counseled.

Mr. Singh encouraged the new agent to embrace the principle of maintenance and improvement as standard ways of working throughout an organization, adding that Hyundai Motor Company

Parvir Singh, Managing Director, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Stallion Group presenting a copy of the provisional dealership agreement to Mr. Anthony Arenyeka, Managing Director, Truckmasters Nigeria Limited at the signon ceremony in Lagos recently. recognizes the importance and impact automobiles have on society and mankind.

He said: “A car is no longer simply a means of transportation that links people to people but a life space that occupies a central role in people’s lives.”

A robust automobile brand, Hyundai has made remarkable strides at local and global markets owing to high quality and emotional appeal of its

products, which have become part of the brand’s modern premium strategy and brand direction to ‘Live Brilliant’.

Hyundai vehicles are also celebrated for their stylish, sleek curves and fluidic sculpture designs that not only implies a sporty and dynamic style, but improves aerodynamics to lower air resistance and enhance outstanding fuel economy and quiet cabin space.

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

By Theodore Opara

Ford projects annual global sales to increase 45 to 55 % by 2020 F

ORD Motor Compa ny has outlined its 2020 vision, which includes plans to substantially increase its global vehicle sales and automotive operating margin, and achieve more balanced geographic profitability.

By 2020, Ford projects annual global sales to increase 45 to 55 percent to approximately 9.4 million. Its automotive operating mar-

gin is projected to improve to about 8 percent during the same period, with a long-term target of 8 percent to 9 percent.

“Our long-term plan underscores the commitment we have to our One Ford plan, while accelerating our pace of progress, delivering product excellence and driving innovation in all areas of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president and CEO. “We remain completely fo-

cused on offering customers thefreshest line-

up of world-class vehicles to meet their

needs.”

Ford anticipates that, by 2020, all five automotive business units and Ford Credit will contribute to the company’sprofitability.

Today, the company’s profits are more than explained by NorthAmerica and FordCredit, with growing profits inAsia Pacific, while it continues transforming its Europe, SouthAmerica and Middle East &Africa operations.

As it continues expanding in new regions, Ford is aggressively moving to match production to growing customer demand and achieve benefits of global scale.

In addition, by 2020, the company projects its breakeven volume will be two-thirds of its wholesale volume.

By 2020, Ford Credit expects managed receivables to increase by about 50 percent.

Meeting customer demand

Ford’s 2020 vision is driven by the company ’s confidence in its global product plans.Those plans focuson delivering a full family of vehicles that meet and exceed customer expectations in Ford’s four brandpillars — quality, green, safe and smart — across the world.

Ford will continue to be a leader in bringing new features to market and will seize opportunities

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to differentiate itself from competitors.Those vehicles will target a diverse set of customers, from valuebuyers in developing regions to luxury customers in the U.S. and China and truck and utility customers globally.

Ford, with the 2015 F150, is the first automaker to use highstrength, military-grade aluminum alloys in the body of a mass-market vehicle and plans to expand its aluminum use to include the next-generation Super Duty.The use of aluminum allows Ford to maintain its truck leadership, improve capability anddurability across its entire lineup, and deliver better gas mileage.

Furthering the company's emphasis on innovation, Ford will continue to grow its presence in Silicon Valley by expanding its PaloAlto Research and Innovation Center with a new focus and expanded talentfrom different industries and backgrounds. Ford will remain a leader in technology and will continue tofocus on the research and development of in-car connectivity and automated driving technologies, key components of Ford’s Blueprint for Mobility.

Ashift in customer and regional trends means small vehicles will play a larger role in Ford’s productportfolio.

Global models like the Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport, and regional nameplates such as the Figo, Ka and Escort, will comprise a greater percentage of Ford’s sales.

Fuel-efficient and versatile sport-utility vehicles and crossovers, like the Edge and Explorer, will alsomake up a larger portion of Ford’s overall sales total, especially as those models become available innew regions.All segments will grow volume compared to today’s levels.

The company is on plan to have 99 percent of its global sales volume built on nine platforms by 2016 and is furthering its strategy by consolidating its long-term product plan to eight platforms.

The company will generate positive automotive operating-related cash flow throughout its planning period, and capital spending is expected to increase to about $9 billion annually, up from $6.6 billion in2013.

The end result: Ford plans to refresh its global product portfolio one-and-a-half times through the end of the decade — an expected industry-leading refresh rate.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012 — 35

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IGERIA’S biggest pop icon, 2Face and the starboy, Wizkid are about to turn the Artistry season a notch higher as the headliners move out of Nigeria for the first time ever this weekend to deliver the biggest Hennessy Artistry international concert in the city of Accra, Ghana.

With two of Nigeria’s biggest music acts 2Face and Wizkid performing alongside buzzing Ghanaian artistes like 4x4, Edem, MzVee and South African duo, Mafikizolo, the Hennessy Artistry concert will hold this Saturday, October 18th at the Accra International Conference Centre.

2Face, Wizkid in first collabo as Hennessy Artistry goes to Ghana

Talented artistes Lere Awokoya, Brand Manager for Hennessy Nigeria commented, “Our choice of bringing together these talented artistes from around Africa was influenced by the convergence of Africa and Africa’s taste in music. Just as Hennessy is consumed in different countries in Africa, Africa has gotten to a point where countries are sharing similar music tastes. 2Face and Wizkid have visited a variety of

African countries including Ghana repeatedly and this is evident in their relevance in the African continent today” The 2014 Hennessy Artistry

headliners, 2Face and Wizkid made their second club tour appearance on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at the Cosmo Lounge in Port Harcourt and left

fans, lovers of Hennessy and music. They kicked off the show with a pulsating performance of their first banging collabo track, “Dance Go” as they mingled

with guests present. Guests also surprised the headliners as they sang to the upbeat track line by line.

Omotola admonishes music producer-son as he gains university admission

BY AYO ONIKOYI

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OLLYWOOD leading diva, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde took to Facebook on Saturday to celebrate and admonish son, 16 year-old Mathew Ekeinde Jnr, a music producer who just gained admission into a university to be careful and not let music get into his head. Recall that Omotola’s son,

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who goes by stage name Captain E recently came third at an international music conference producer showcase competition in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where he was the only African.

Displaying the certificate her son won and some pictures of them together, Omosexy wrote poetic lines to teach the budding music producer a lesson or two on fame and education.

“So, as you start this new journey in the university, we love you; believe in you, and trust you will be deluged by, in all your choices. I say we, because, remember, you have a lot of mummies and daddies watching you here too. Okay boy, enjoy the campus life but don’t relent on the music (they think you are great already) but you can still be whipped if you take a wrong step.... be confident and believe in yourself” she stated with flourish and ended her message with various hash tags like; The only one from Africa; youngest contestant, Africa’s youngest music producer, etc.

I have tried so many times to succeed but failed, cries Star The Winner Is winner

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By Ayo Onikoyi

ALL it a twist of fate, pure luck or even a trick of destiny but Michael Achu has emerged the maiden winner of Star The Winner Is reality TV show, with a prize money of N10 million, a brand new car and recording contract with Universal Records.

But if not for twist of destiny, Michael wasn’t supposed to be the winner because he actually lost the final duet duel to Job who got 57 votes to Michael’s 44 votes. But Job lost his guts and opted out on easy street taking N2 million escape money, in a bid to get something or nothing, should he lose eventually. Anyways, Michael’s guts and

luck held on the fateful Friday night and he became the winner.

“This is totally a dream come true for me and my family. I have tried so many times to succeed in my music career but failed, and I am very grateful that at last my persistence and perseverance has paid off, I can’t thank Star Lager and Nigerian Breweries enough,” said an elated Michael at the victory party held on Friday night.

“When I was informed about the Universal Records deal, I had to pinch myself severally because I thought I was dreaming. My dreams have indeed come true”, added an overtly excited Michael.

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40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Old Oshodi showing commotion and noisy environment

HORN-FREE DAY:

Mixed feelings as Lagos moves to tackle noise pollution M

ixed feelings have continued to trail efforts of the Lagos State Government to tackle the menace of noise pollution in the metropolis, whose population is put at 21 million.

While speaking last Thursday, at the First Lagos Drivers’ Appreciation Day, a programme organised by the state‘s Ministry of Transportation, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry House, Alausa, Ikeja, to sensitise drivers on the maiden horn-free day slated for tomorrow, the state governor, Babatunde Fashola called on residents, particularly, motorists to desist from activities capable of generating needless noise in the state, saying a noiseless society is possible.

At the occasion, where no fewer than 25 distinguished professional drivers were rewarded for obeying traffic

regulations, Fashola had affirmed that noise pollution can be reduced in the state, if residents collaborate with government just as they did in the containment of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD. As typical of various Lagos metropolis and suburbs from the Island to the Mainland, such as Apapa, Ikeja, Alagbado, Iyana-Iba, Alabarago, Okokomaiko, Ajegunle, Ojuelegba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikotun, Iyana-Ipaja, Ojota, Ketu, Mile 12, Mile 2, CMS, Igando among others, the blaring horns from vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles is usually so deafening to behold.

A recent research by the National Research Centre states that noise levels produced in different sources at different times of the day are well over the level set by the Environmental Protection Agency and that noise pollution do contribute to many health problems.

Thus, environmental experts put harmful noise level at 70

decibels and above, while the global standard for measuring noise puts 90 decibels as rather too high and harmful to human health.

Against this backdrop, the state government instituted “a day without horn in the state.”

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BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI, DOTUN IBIWOYE & IKENNA ASOMBA

Transport and the Law Enforcement Institutes, with about 3,000 men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, are expected to implement as well as monitor and ensure maximum compliance by

Reduction in noise pollution would clearly bring about better life, a healthier life and a more prosperous life. If you and I make the commitment to do something positive in order to reduce noise, clearly you and I will benefit

Tomorrow, it is expected that motorists, especially commercial bus drivers, sirens from emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police escorts among others are expected to limit the use of their vehicle horn as sparingly as possible.

LASG’s preparedness In preparedness, the state’s Ministry of Transportation and all affiliated agencies, the Drivers’ Institutes, the

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motorists on the day.

The governor said: “This initiative is for our own good, it is for our own health, it is for our own life. It is not because Governor Fashola said so. It is not because Lagos State Government said so. It is simply because it is good for us. Doctors have told us it is for our own ultimate good.

“What we see in a way that we now choose to live is that because we live in a very noisy

environment, which we can really diminish, we tend to be very noisy ourselves. We speak at the top of our voices, we play music at very high decibels and we do very many things at very high levels.”

According to him, the campaign against noise pollution was a response to the petitions and complaints of “citizens and tax payers who, on daily basis, write and petition us that somebody is preventing them from sleep either from the noise they are making or from other uncharitable activities they are carrying on without regard for the wellbeing of their neighbours.”

Fashola said in some other parts of the world, one could spend days on their roads and would not hear any noise from the horn.

He further recalled, “Occasionally, when you hear a siren you know something has gone wrong in that system; you know that either an ambulance is on its way to an emergency or firemen are on their way to a fire or policemen are tracking and chasing criminals; and I said why should we be different, are we not Nigerians?.

“Reduction in noise pollution would clearly bring about better life, a healthier life and a more prosperous life. If you and I make the commitment to do something positive in order to reduce noise, clearly you and I will benefit.”

Similarly, in her lecture titled, “Noise Pollution Is Too Serious To Be Ignored,” the guest lecturer, at the event, Dr. Kubie Layeni-Adeyemo, described noise as an unwanted sound, noting that if it is not below 70 decibels, it is like spending a day in a factory full of noise.

She cited such noise to include those from generators, aircraft, and even dogs, stressing that noise pollution contributes to many health problems.

According to her, such health problems caused by noise pollution include “partial or permanent deafness, loss of concentration, nervous breakdown and other physical and psychological problems.

Noise pollution is excessive noise which may harm our

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

— 41

Mixed feelings as Lagos moves to tackle noise pollution

More commotion caused by Okada riders

Why we honk our hornsDrivers Lukman Akinlawal, a driver who plies the ApapaOjuelegba route, who stated that he was unaware of the horn-free day said: “I am just

getting the information from you now. Though, I have not seen any of the Lagos State officials coming to our garage to sensitise us about this day. ‘’I make use of my horn because most Lagosians are usually absent-minded while on the road, especially because of the myriads of personal and family problems they are faced with. For instance, I had hit a passer-by some time ago, who just

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activity or balance of human or even animal life.”

On his part, the state commissioner for transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, assured residents that Lagos drivers have been mobilized for the day, adding that all the motor parks in the state are wearing banners put up by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other stakeholder unions, even as contact had also been made with drivers’ employers within and outside the state for the occasion.

Opeifa, who said the Drivers’ Appreciation Day programme is initiated to celebrate those drivers who have contributed to safe driving habits on the roads, however said that government would not sanction any driver for honking on the horn-free day. This is even as he stated that the state government’s desire to promote safety on the road, made it set up the Lagos State Drivers Institute in 2009 to retrain, re-certify drivers and correct the deficiencies identified in their drivers’ behaviours.

Mixed feelings H o w e v e r, despite this assurances, when Vanguard visited parts of the state’s metropolis, commercial bus drivers, tricyclists and motorcyclists, who spoke to us, gave several reasons they make use of their automobile horns while driving.

While some said they blare their horns to draw the attention of other road users to steer clear their right of way, others said they blare their horns to call-in passengers into their vehicles. This is even as a few others said they blare their horns to call the attention of friends for greetings, as they drive.

Also, while some drivers said they were aware of the hornfree day, as their unions have sensitised them about it, others however feigned ignorance of the day, adding that it was difficult not to honk or blare the horns of their vehicles considering the congested nature of the state.

when some of my colleagues who are bus drivers carelessly pick and disembark passengers on the road. So, I use my vehicle horn to call their attention to steer clear off the road.’’

Olamilekan Ahmed, who plies the Ojuelegba-Ojota route said he was aware of the day. He said: “I am aware of the day. I had already disconnected my vehicle horn last week, because I thought

The vehicle horn is very important that it can never be relegated to the background. But let us try it first on October 15, to see how it will work

jumped into the road without looking carefully. It took the man four days in the hospital before he could remember where he was. According to the man, the only thing he could remember was that he alighted from a commercial bus and just walked into the busy expressway.’’

Another driver, Adebayo Adesokan, who plies the Ajegunle-Ojuelegba route said: “Our National Union in Ajegunle gave us circulars yesterday (Thursday) to intimate us of the October 15 horn-free day. I honk my vehicle horn at occasions

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it was last Wednesday that the horn-free day was to be observed.

However, considering the congested nature of Lagos, it is near impossible for drivers not to use their vehicle horns while driving. Like yesterday, just along the Ikorodu road, a young man was just walking aimlessly on the busy road.

Despite my blaring of horn, the young man couldn’t still leave the road. It took the intervention of a soldier inside the my bus, who tapped him on the back, before he left the road. The vehicle horn is very important that it can never be

relegated to the background.

But let us try it first on October 15, to see how it will work.”

A driver who plies the KetuOjota route, but pleaded anonymity lashed at the his colleagues who are drivers saying, “The horn-free day can’t happen here in Lagos.

For example how will it be enforced on all these boys (drivers) that run the KetuOjota routes without clothes but just singlet. Those boys just see their horns as a toy, so they will never obey that day. For me, observing the day will be possible because I don’t have horn, I only use my lights to call the attention of other drivers obstructing my right of way.”

However, Oluwaseyi Faro, a tricyclist who plies the Yaba route said he was not aware of the day but noted that it was impossible for him not to use his tricycle horn while driving.

His words: “I have not heard about the horn-free day, our union has not informed me.

However, I honk my tricycle horn to draw the attention of other road users obstructing my right of way. So, government wants me to kill and inflict injuries on pedestrians, who walk aimlessly into the road.

Infact, I am going to use my horn always. That directive is not for me. Lagos is too congested to observe this kind of regulation.”

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Enugu 2015: Intrigues around consensus The political landscape in Enugu has been charged with the endorsement of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the choice of the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to replace Governor Sullivan Chime. But other battle fields are still smouldering

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Francis Igata

I

T has been hailed as Governor Sullivan Chime’s boldest political move in recent years. Who would have expected the governor who is presently in combat with some sections of the ruling party in the state to pick one of their own in the National Assembly as his successor.

Rep. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s endorsement as the consensus candidate of the mainstream PDP seems to be settling down in the minds of many political stakeholders despite earlier revulsion in some interested

Chairmen, party officials and people from the private sector who benefit from politics have already expressed felicitation to Ugwuanyi in newspaper advertorials in major national dailies, an indication observers say, some say may impede the wheels of democracy in the state.

As the clock chimes towards the November 16 date for gubernatorial primaries of PDP nationwide , the political firmament in Enugu State is already smouldering as alignment and re-alignment have reached a feverish pitch between the power merchants struggling to control the party's structure.

Remarkably, the choice of Ugwuanyi has been hailed as a

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Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s endorsement as the consensus candidate of the mainstream PDP seems to be settling down in the minds of many political stakeholders despite earlier revulsion in some interested quarters quarters.

Other aspirants at the meeting where the endorsement was first reached like Senator Ayogu Eze representing Enugu-North senatorial district and the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo had initially promised to reject Ugwuanyi as the product of a crooked process.

However, beyond the initial rejections nothing much has been heard from them and Odo has apparently fallen in line after some threat of impeachment in the House of Assembly. (See accompanying story: Enugu House: Hand of Esau, Voice of Jacob) Already, Ugwuanyi’s billboards are now dotting around major streets of Enugu metropolis and beyond following his endorsement by the stakeholders.

The inscription which is the same in all the billboards reads: "Ndi Enugu (People of Enugu), Thank you all." From the message in the billboards, Ugwuanyi is already thanking the people for electing him the governor having been anointed by the governor and most stakeholders.

Most Local Government

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bold political move by Governor Chime given the legislator’s

*Ugwuanyi: Consensus candidate popularity among the citizenry and political class.

He is especially said to be a bridge between the governor and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy of the Senate, who leads political stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that are at variance with the mainstream as led by Governor Chime.

The choice of the ever smiling Ugwuanyi, who is popularly

called Gburugburu was described in some quarters as a masterstroke by Chime to empty Ekweremadu of any reason to fight given the fact that Ugwuanyi was from the National Assembly and had not deliberately gone out of his way to antagonise the Ekweremadu group.

What may have prompted the governor to pick Ugwuanyi despite his seeming antagonism towards members of the National

Assembly remains a mystery.

In fact some have read it as a way of making peace with the group led by Ekweremadu, but that has apparently not been the case given the continuing media war between the two camps.

Sources revealed that prior to the endorsement that the governor had invited Ekweremadu to the meeting of PDP state stakeholders at the Government House, Enugu.

Ekweremadu, apparently as a result of the stand off between both men at the same venue few months back declined. He, however, subsequently agreed to a meeting at a private hotel in Abuja where the governor brought up his proposal on Ugwuanyi.

For whatever reason, Ekweremadu was said to have agreed.

But given Ekweremadu’s own political activism it remains yet unknown whether the approval given by Ekweremadu should be taken for granted.

Indeed, few days after the meeting with Ekweremadu, one of the gubernatorial aspirants in the PDP in the state and known to be a loyalist of Ekweremadu Chief Anayo Onwuegbu picked the governorship form to contest the primaries.

The development came in the face of insinuations that Ugwuanyi despite being an Abuja based lawmaker may not be in the good books of the powers that be in the federal capital.

Enugu House: Hand of Esau, voice of Jacob WAS there an impeachment plot against the speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly over his reported rejection of the consensus on Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi or was it mischief makers at work?

By Austin Ogwuda, Enugu

T

HE popular Shakespearean quotation that, “there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face” obviously, played out at the resumed sitting of Enugu State House of Assembly on Thursday, October 9, 2014.

While the allegation of impeachment plot supposedly sponsored by the State executive arm of government against the Speaker of the Enugu House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo was still fresh, the House returned from break to sit last Thursday.

The basis of the alleged moves against the speaker was his perceived effrontery in opposing the choice of Mr.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the consensus gubernatorial candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for Enugu State as facilitated by Governor Sullivan Chime.

Odo who is in the contest for the governorship ticket had allegedly taken issues with the choice of Ugwuanyi and hence the alleged moves against him said to be spearheaded by the agents of the administration in Enugu.

So, when the House resumed last Thursday, eyes were keenly watching out for a possible drama from Odo and his supposed antagonists especially the House Leader, Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye, who had been accused of collecting signatures to effect the removal of Odo.

But last Thursday nothing happened until Ude-Okoye moved for the adjournment of the House, an opportunity that allowed him to address the speculations around his reported moves against the speaker.

Speaking during the motion of adjournment, he categorically denied the insinuations saying “I want to state categorically that it is all lie. That Mr.Ude-Okoye of Awgu North (Leader) has never been in anywhere where the impeachment of Mr. Speaker was discussed.”

Describing it as “pure figment of the imagination of those politicians whose stock in trade is to knock heads together and heat up the polity,” he said: “My distinguished colleagues, I want to say categorically that I did not collect any signature for the impeachment or removal of Mr. Speaker or any member of this hallowed chamber.

I want to also let the press know and Continues on page 43

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—43

ENUGU: The Senate contests

BY FRANCIS IGATA

T

Chief Frank Nweke Jnr. Nweke was until recently director-general of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, and before then a minister in the second term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

Before moving to Abuja, Nweke was an integral part of the Chimaroke Nnamani Ebeano family and served as coordinator of the Enugu State Community Development Programme 2000– 2001 and subsequently became Chief of Staff to then Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, a position he held until June 2003. He declared his intention to run for Enugu-East senatorial seat on 2nd February, 2014 saying his decision to join the Senate race was,” borne out of his desire to provide quality representation to people of the zone.”

*Nnamani: Set to beat the Ebeano beat

*Nnaji: Incumbent

*Nwobodo: Woman of power

ENUGU-EAST: A battle of wits His posters dot every nook and cranny of Enugu-East senatorial district with the inscription, “let’s change the game.” Widely adjudged as an urbane, civil and result oriented man, his challenge will be his aloofness from the current authorities in the state who have

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HE Enugu East Senatorial seat had for long before the present incumbent almost always attracted national figures.

It was the seat occupied by Senators Jim Nwobodo, Ken Nnamani and subsequently, the Ebeano phenomenon player, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani.

The present occupant, Senator Gilbert Nnaji though of no little political antecedent, has, however, not shown the kind of sophistication or class pulled by his predecessors.

Four major aspirants including the incumbent are contending for the ticket of the PDP in Enugu-East senatorial district. Their aspiration is against the background of insinuations that the ticket has been zoned to a prominent woman in the Sullivan Chime administration, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo.

Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo Although the Chief of Staff to Enugu State Government House is yet to declare her intention openly for the Enugu-East senatorial district, even the blind man can vividly see the hand writing on the wall. Allegedly regarded as the power behind

Their aspiration is against the background of insinuations that the ticket has been zoned to a prominent woman in the Sullivan Chime administration, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo

long ago endorsed candidates for various elective and appointive positions in the state.

One prospect for him could be the recent cancellation of all endorsements by the state chapter of the party.

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the throne in many quarters, observers say her senatorial ambition predates 2011.

She has amassed the feat of being the longest survivor in the office of the chief of staff having been in the saddle from the

inception of the Sullivan Chime administration in 2007. She has understandably, fought more political battles than many other political office holders in Enugu but this battle would surely test her prowess.

Her campaign billboards, posters are widely distributed across the six council areas that make-up Enugu-East senatorial district.

A major challenge to her would be to fight off the allegation that she is from Enugu West and not from Enugu East by birth and that she is stepping on the platform of her marital relationship to an Enugu East man to contest the Senate.

If she is able to overcome the challenges against her, the claim in some quarters is that she is being positioned to contest the governorship of the state in eight years time.

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani

Enugu House: Hand of Esau, Voice of Jacob Continues from page 42 they should also note it that the 24 members of this House of Assembly have been working harmoniously and as it is today, the 9th day of October 2014, there is no divisibility among members of Enugu State House of Assembly.

Following him, about ten other members of the House spoke in condemnation of the purported impeachment plot and washed their hands off it completely.

Some even feigned ignorance about the move while a female member said, she only heard about it when she stepped into the chambers that morning and the moment it came up for discussion. She went further to say that she had travelled to her village during the recess to cool off.

The spate of denials,

*Odo however, took another shape when a member, Mr. Matthew Ugwueze, representing IgboEze South constituency in the House came out openly to confirm that the impeachment plot was really true. He

confirmed that he (Ugwueze) was actually approached to position himself to succeed Odo being that the two are from the same Enugu North axis of the State where the office is zoned to.”

I received a text message that I should position myself to assume the Speaker position because the Speaker is going to be impeached and I replied thus, ‘You are a mischief maker by writing to me without a name. You are a fool,’ and he replied ‘You are a chickenhearted politician but don’t go ahead to panic, keep it to your heart.’

Immediately, he mentioned ‘chicken hearted politician’, the atmosphere changed as members cringed apparently in reference to the recent impeachment of the erstwhile deputy governor of the state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi whose

removal was styled as Chicken Impeachment.

At the end of the debate on the issue which lasted for about one and half hours, the speaker dismissed calls for an investigation saying it was unnecessary.

That, however, has led to the question on whether there was actually a plot to suppress the alleged impeachment plot.

As some asked, could there be smoke without fire?

Was it not true that agents of the State government moved in quickly and m opped up copies of the newspapers that published the story that fateful Tuesday morning and what was the aim of the mop up if there were no hands of Esau and voice of Jacob?

Finally, who chickened out and jumped ship?

Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani held sway as governor of Enugu State from 1999-2007 during which period he founded the Ebeano dynasty from where nearly all the major political office actors presently in Enugu State sprang from. He was elected as a senator representing Enugu-East zone in 2007. His bid to return to senate in 2011 was hamstrung as he was defeated by the PDP candidate, Gil Nnaji having contested on the platform of Peoples Democratic Change,PDC. Senator Nnamani has since returned to his roots in the PDP and last February declared his intention to contest for the Enugu-East senatorial zone.

However, the Ebeano boss is yet to hit the ground running as his political structure seems to have been decapitated. Political watchers are taken aback as to the disconnect between the former governor and the present crop of politicians wondering how he intends to actualize his senatorial ambition come 2015.

Senator Gil Nnaji Nnaji served two terms in the House of Representatives between 2003-2011 before his election to the Senate in 2011.

The soft-spoken senator has attracted an ultra modern Information Communication Technology, ICT, centre, distributed transformers and bursary awards to his constituency among others. He is hoping to run re-election for the senatorial seat on the crest of his royal blood.

Senator Nnaji had in the past complained about being molested by a big woman in the Enugu State government who he insinuated was after his seat.

Some of his constituency outreaches were according to him sabotaged by local political actors allegedly on the instruction of the big woman he claimed was operating from the office of the Chief of Staff.

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Enugu guber: The search is over

BY FRANCIS EDE

B

IG, bold, and formidable with urbane and charming mien and baritone voice that has a likable pitch, with the name ‘gentle giant’ as a befitting sobriquet; Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is the rave of the moment, the new kid on the block in Enugu state politics. Ever since his unanimous adoption as the consensus candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forth coming general elections in the country early next year by all the stakeholders of the party in the three Senatorial zones of the state and the expanded state caucus, his name has been on everybody’s lips.

It is an interesting leap of faith for both the state and the candidate, that while other states are contending with a barrage of problems arising from the question of who will succeed their incumbent governors as their tenures gradually come to an end by the month of May next year, the people of Enugu state

*Chime have by that singular stroke of unanimous endorsement of Hon. Ugwuanyi resolved their own and eagerly await the election day.

A member of House of

Representatives in Nigerian National Assembly, representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Maritime, as well as the Chairman of

Enugu State Caucus of the same house. A man of tact and dignity, who has shown strident focus on anything he puts his mind to, the joy of the people know no bound as we regale in the euphoria of his choice as a successor to Governor Chime. In the words of His Excellency, Governor Sullivan Chime who coordinated that epoch making exercise, ‘people are happy and excited about his choice. So I thank God that such character came up and I didn’t have to beg anybody, plead with anybody or start selling a very bad product. I have a good product to sell and that makes the whole thing a lot easier’.

It was indeed, a triumph of character and determination as His Excellency, the governor has said, for Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi believes like former American President, Lyndon Johnson that ‘ with industry, temperance, promptness and generosity the persistent man would inevitably triumph’. And he also believes that when success comes, it must be used to the benefit of others.

In fact, fewer politicians understand the import of what is

Enugu West: Rekindled rivalry BYEMMANUELAZIKEN SENATOR Ike Ekweremadu who has represented the senatorial zone since 2003 was allegedly considering other political ventures in 2015 when he heard of moves back home to unseat him by Governor Sullivan Chime who would not be eligible to contest for the office of governor.

Ekweremadu, one of Enugu’s most entrenched politicians with a knack for battle, it was learnt, then refocused his strategies to return to the Senate and confront the governor headlong. Some see the conflict between the two men as a battle of ego arising from their time in the Chimaroke Nnamani administration.

Ekweremadu had first served as chief of staff with Chime serving as an adviser on legal matters. Subsequently, Ekweremadu was appointed the secretary to the state government, SSG while Chime also got his promotion to the full cabinet as a commissioner.

When Ekweremadu became deputy president of the Senate in 2007 Chime also became governor and at that time both men sought of managed their relationship at least in the open. But behind there were tales of mutual aloofness that was only scented by few.

At the peak of the war between Governor Chime and then national chairman of the PDP,Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo in 2011, there were suggestions that Ekweremadu was tempted with the governorship ticket of the PDP as a way of pulling him away from Chime but Ekweremadu was said to have walked away on it preferring solidarity with Chime and his position in the National Assembly.

However,mattersgottoaheadbetween the two men few months ago at a stakeholder’s meeting in the Government

House, Enugu when a 0shouting match between the two men was said to have erupted after the governor allegedly instructed that members of the National Assembly who had served two terms should not re-contest. That was the last time Senator Ekweremadu entered the Enugu Government House and thus began a brutal political offensive between the two men and their associates.

Given Governor Chime’s relatively impressive infrastructure landmarks especially in Enugu city and Ekweremadu’s own impressive representation of Enugu West, many eyes have focused on the senatorial contest in the constituency as one that is bound to elicit all manner of intrigues.

*Ekweremadu: Incumbent

known in local parlance as ‘stomach infrastructure’, better than he does and fewer have worked so hard to assuage the hunger among the local populace than him.

‘Now is the summer of our happiness and things have falling for us in pleasant places’, says Barrister Eugene Edeoga, who also had kind words for the over 13 other eminent governorship aspirants from Enugu North Zone who willingly stepped down for Hon. Hon. Ugwuanyi, saying that ‘this is the spirit with which true brotherhood is forged’. He called for all hands on the deck, since it is only one person that can be governor at a time.

While Chukus Ugwu, also a lawyer, believes that ‘Hon. Ugwuanyi’s emergence and popularity is dependent upon his service to the community, and his accessibility, an indispensible attribute for any leader who wants to earn the love of his people’.

He said that ‘Gburugburu is industrious, upright and thoroughly an honest man, *Francis Ede, a public affairs analyst wrote in from Abuja Via 07030183783.

It was so last Friday when the party zonal chairman for Enugu West summoned a constituency meeting through text messages to various stakeholders including Ekweremadu. Given the chasm between the Chime group and Ekweremadu group, most had expected Ekweremadu not to attend, but he did setting the stage for what supporters of the two men have gone out to spin different stories.

The Chime group allege that once Ekweremadu arrived the venue that the stakeholders fled the venue and abandoned him and his supporters.

The Ekweremadu group, however, differ and allege that the Chime supporters mostly local government chairmen who were shocked by the decision of Ekweremadu to come hurriedly left the meeting leaving party officials and other stakeholders to proceed with the session.

Old story in Enugu North FRANCIS IGATA

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ENATOR Ayogu Eze is the incumbent senator who has held the seat since 2007. He has also delicately navigated the face off between Governor Chime and Senator Ekweremadu trying to put himself in no harms way.

Senator Eze who has been quietly preparing for the governorship with the expectation of succeeding Chime was disappointed by Chime with the choice of Mr. Ugwuanyi. The senator has, however, pledged to continue his campaign saying he was not bound by the consensus arrangement that favoured Ugwuanyi.

However, his capacity to upturn the consensus arrangement or fight off the governor and his men is doubtable. Should he fail in the battle, any expectation of returning to the Senate would have been soured by the bad blood over his resentment of the consensus arrangement.

His seat would be in tussle mainly between two major aspirants namely, his

one time boss, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo and Mr. Chuka Utazi, the incumbent commissioner for transport.

Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo Nwodo was the first elected governor of Enugu State and former national chairman of the PDP. His tenure as national chairman was truncated amidst intrigues framed by the PDP governors in the days leading to the 2011 presidential convention of the party.

Given the wide rift between Nwodo and Governor Chime at that time and the fact that many of the judicial instruments used to unseat Nwodo came from Enugu, few are shocked by the seeming calmness in the relationship between the two men.

It is reported that both men have made up and it is widely insinuated that Nwodo is the governor’s candidate for the PDP ticket in Enugu North.

The permutation is that the governor is allegedly paying him back for the support the Nwodo dynasty is allegedly throwing behind his anointed gubernatorial candidate, Ugwuanyi.

A major challenge, however, is the increasing discomfort among some political stakeholders in the zone on why it should again be another Nwodo that is getting the pie from Enugu North.

Hon. Chuka Utazi Utazi, the incumbent Commissioner for Transport hails from Nkpologu in UzoUwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, an area that is said to be widely marginalized in the scheme of things in Enugu State. He had a shot at the senatorial seat ahead of the 2011 general election but was asked to step down his ambition for the incumbent senator with an alleged promise that it will be his turn in 2015.

Although he has declared his intention to run for the Senate again, he appears not to have gained the massive support needed to propel the wheels towards the attainment of his goal and the governor’s earlier endorsement of his effort seems to be in doubt.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—45

Family, associates hold 10-yr remembrance for Capt Agbeyegbe

MEETING:

From left— Mr. Obinna Nwosu, Group Deputy Managing Director; Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman; and Mr. Sunday Ekwochi, Company Secretary, all of Access Bank Plc, during the bank's extra-ordinary general meeting in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau.

By Kenneth Ehigiator

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EN years after a p t a i n Jerry Agbeyegbe was felled by bullets from yetto-be-identified assassins in Lagos, family members, aviation industry players and associates yesterday held a remembrance in his honour.

Captain Agbeyegbe, an activist, was killed on October 12, 2004, at Alapere, Ketu, Oworoshoki axis of LagosIbadan Expressway. He was just 49.

The anniversary, which held at the family residence at Ifako Ijaiye, Ogba in Lagos, also offered the family the opportunity to reflect on the life and times of the pilot who fought corruption in the aviation industry with passion.

He founded Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative, NASI, an NGO with which he fought the ills in the aviation industry.

The family, in a statement by the late pilot’s son, Mr. Orighomisan Kay Agbeyegbe, said: “Exactly 10 years ago, on a regular Tuesday morning on October 12, 2004, Captain Jerry Eyituoyo Omakpome Agbeyegbe was felled by the bullets of assassins.

“Today, we look back and imagine all what could have been, were our husband, brother and father still with us today.

“We are, however, much grateful to God for his mercies and consoled by our belief that he is resting in the bosom of the Almighty. Or maybe not, as we also imagine that Jerry, the aviation activist popularly called Mr. Safety, would be standing up in the heavens, still keeping a watch over the Nigerian skies, with his charismatic broad smile on his face and saying: “ ‘As regulatory officials, airline operators, air traffic controller, pilots and engineers, we must all strive to conduct our operations with the highest consideration for safety, even at great economic risk’.”

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#BringBackOurGirls march to Presidential Villa today

By Laide Akinboade

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BUJA—IN continuation of Global Week of Action by the #BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, campaign group to commemorate the sixth month of abduction of 219 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, the group is set to march to Aso Villa, Abuja, today.

The group, in a statement by its Media Coordinator, Mr. Rotimi Olawale, yesterday, said it had already sought audience with President Goodluck Jonathan and would be going there today to meet with him.

The statement read: “#BringBackOurGirls Abuja family wishes to notify members of the public that we have requested for an appointment, and will be marching to meet with our President on Tuesday (today) October 14.

“The objective of our march to the Villa is to convey the urgency for the immediate rescue of our girls and to hear directly from our President and the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces the accurate status of the rescue effort for our Chibok Girls, whose six months in captivity remains a source of deep anguish to their parents,

Nigerians and people all over the world, who believe in our shared humanity.

“The last 180 days have been one of dashed hopes, intense pain, and confusion for the families due to the lack of accurate information from

government on the current status of rescue operation.

“The march will be joined by some of the parents of the abducted girls, as we continue to stand in solidarity with the abducted 219 girls and their families.”

‘FG committed to gas-to-power initiatives’

By Chris Ochayi & Clare Ubawike

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BUJA— THE Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said the Federal Government is committed to pursue an aggressive and robust implementation of the various initiatives designed to accelerate the provision of adequate gas supply for power generation in the country.

Her declaration came against the backdrop of plans by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, and Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc to invest $200 million to develop and deliver gas to the emerging Azura-Edo Power plant.

Alison-Madueke recently announced the N213 billion inter-agency initiative to facilitate the liquidation of

legacy gas debts in the power sector.

She said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in collaboration with its joint venture partners, was determined to surpass its mandate of providing the required fuel as well as gas infrastructure for the smooth operation of power plants in the country.

On gas supply to Azura-Edo Power plant in Ihovbor/Orior Osemwende communities, near Benin, which foundation laying ceremony was performed by President Goodluck Jonathan last week, the minister said the 450mw IPP would be supplied with 120mmscuf/per day through NPDC, and Seplat joint venture, from its new gas processing facilities at Oben Gas Plant.

Stanbic IBTC holds leadership series

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TANBIC IBTC Holdings Plc has announced the start of its Business Leadership series, an annual event to help create deeper connections and build a new cadre of leadership among business leaders in the country.

The series will focus on improving leadership, with the underlying goal of advancing economic growth and development.

Participants are drawn from various sectors including regulators, investors and the business community. The first edition of the series will hold October 16 in Lagos.

International speaker, Vusi Thembekwayo, will lead the session, along with Sim Shagaya, founder of online retail chain, Konga.

Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, stated that the series was part of customer engagement tool.

“We will be looking at business leadership from various angles, with key focus on leadership in the digital age and how eCommerce is changing the face of business globally,” she added.

... reiterates determination to reposition aviation sector

By Favour Nnabugwu

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B U J A — A V I AT I O N Minister, Mr. Osita Chidoka, yesterday re-echoed the Federal Government’s determination to make the country a hub in West Africa.

He also spoke of government’s desires to establish an airlink with

several other countries of the world, especially South-East Asia nations.

Chidoka, who spoke at Course 36 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos, said the efforts at repositioning the aviation sector could be boosted with direct flights to other countries.

He said: “The desire of the Federal Government is to establish Nigeria as an aviation hub for the West African sub-region, which can only be achieved by making it attractive through the adoption of international best practices in the management of the airports.

“The absence of any kind of

direct link between Nigeria and the growing market of Asia, denies the nation of revenue accruable to both local airlines and the nation.

“The industry is properly positioned to contribute more to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, through the establishment of a baseline for effective service delivery.”

46 — Vanguard, TEUSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

How Africa can surmount developmental challenges, by Jonathan

53 journalists for Media Merit awards

By Charles Kumolu

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By Ikenna Asomba

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YO—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said that greater cohesion between African countries was the key to surmounting developmental challenges on the continent.

Jonathan spoke weekend, when he received the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize for Leadership LAAP, for National Cohesion and Stability In Africa, by the Millennium Excellence Foundation, MEF, at an event which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He was represented on the occasion by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to Sambo, Umar Sani, Jonathan said that ‘’unity among fellow African countries would not only help stabilize the continent, but also help remedy the challenges we face, real or contrived.”

The President said Nigeria stood for the ideals of PanAfricanism observing that “No matter how independent we may be as individual African countries, the truth was that, we are indeed more interdependent

AGOS—NO fewer than 53 journalists who met the prescribed benchmark of 70 per cent total average score will be awarded in various categories at the 22nd edition of the Nigeria Media Merit Award, NMMA, taking place in Owerri, Imo State,from Friday, October 31 to November 2, 2014.

Speaking at the NMMA Lagos secretariat, during the presentation of the assessed 2013 submitted entries to the Mr. Vincent Maduka-led Board of Trustees, veteran mass communication teacher and Chairman, Panel of Assessors, PoA, for NMMA awards, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, who noted that for the first time in the last five years, winners are declared for all the 53 NMMA award categories, however, said this marked a general improvement in the entries assessed.

He said: “A total of 1, 307 eligible entries were received from 886 entrants. 1,124 entries from 774 entrants were received in the Print categories, 97 entries came in from 79 entrants in the Radio categories and 86 entries were received from 63 entrants in the Television categories."

y Hero is CPL Usuah who displays joy, happiness and entertainment under sun and rain when discharging his duty on the traffic, not bordering by challenges he might be facing. Mr. Charles O b u m n e m e Commenter C M Y K

stressing that the surest way of defeating them, was through collective efforts.

His words: “We must again lean on cooperation, collaboration and shared experiences as we battle the degrading ills of poverty, illiteracy and underdevelopment.

“We must work for unity, we

BRIEFING: From left: Mr Erik Van Der Staaij, Ms Franesca Rosset, Director Kinabuti Fashion Inititative, and Ms Monique Gieskes, Vlisco Group Brand Protection, during the briefing by Vlisco-Kinabuti Fashion Ltd on the youth empowerment initiative, in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

NASS: NDDC boss visits Warri monarch for blessings

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ARRI—FORMER Commissioner of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Ada Arenyeka, yesterday, visited the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse II in order to receive blessings for his ambition to represent the Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives next year.

Areyenka, who was led by a former Chief of Staff to the Delta

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than we so often realise. ‘’We are one people from the womb of one Africa! Whatever affects one may affect the other positively or negatively.”

Jonathan further said that national boundaries should not be a clog in the fight against terrorism and other social vices, as well as diseases like the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD,

must cooperate, and we must stand together.”

President Jonathan commended Nigerians for supporting Government its pursuit of peace, equity and justice in the country noting that this support saw the country through a civil war, militancy in the Niger Delta, Ebola Virus Disease and other social upheavals, emphasizing that it was also this cohesion that would see the end of terrorism in the country.

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oodluck Ebele Jonathan and Dr. Adedevoh who was able to stop the suicide carrier of deadly Ebola virus Patrick Sawyer from killing us all. These categories of people will forever be remembered.

Mr. Clive OsarogiagbonWorker

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State Government, Mr. Solomon Arenyeka, said he was in the palace to notify the monarch about his aspiration.

Giving account of his stewardship while in NDDC , Arenyeka stated that he attracted developmental projects to Warri, adding that the KokoOgheye road project was prominent among them.

He said: “When I assumed duty as NDDC Commissioner, my preoccupation was on how

y o u r

or being a democrat to the core; for spearheading the recent revolution in our power sector; for honoring very ordinary Nigerians; His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, is my hero.

Mrs Ifeoma Ayambuba- Worker

we could link the riverine communities with the mainland. I started-off with the Koko Ogheye road project.

With the aid of the Netherlands Group Design, which was originally initiated by the late Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, thus I started the spade work for the Phase 1 of the project which encompasses 15.4km with a major bridge that was to link the Ologbo Bridge.”

He also commended the

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astor T. B. Joshua is my hero for healing the sick, for his u n p a r a l l e l e d philanthropic works that bring smiles and succor to the poor and needy.

This is what Christianity should be and not the other way. Mr. Ogbonna Chibuzor- Deck Cadet

monarch for what he described as regal disposition and wisdom in insisting that the constituency be effectively represented.

The House of Representatives hopeful promised that if elected, he would lobby his colleagues, to ensure the speedy dredging of the Warri and Koko seaports.

The monarch, who blessed Arenyeka urged him to continue to be upright in his service to the nation.

Continuing, he said that the Arenyeka family had contributed immensely to the development of Itsekiri nation.

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ora Akunyili, Gani Fawehinmi and others that died fighting for the betterment of a common man. Out of the living ones: Fashola, Okagbare, and Marwa.

These are passionate Nigerians and patriotic citizens. Ms. Kubura Aremu- Model

I

will recommend the Minister of Agriculture,for transforming our agriculture on African level. He is relatively unknown but doing a great work and his ministry has achieved a lot for Nigeria. Ms. Esther Nonye- Student

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 47

Seizure of $15m by South Africa shameful, embarrassing — BUHARI

By Tina Akannam

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UTSE—A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari has described the controversial seizure of Nigeria’s $15 million meant for the purchase of weapons by the South African government as not only embarrassing but shameful.

Buhari, also, blamed President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the insecurity in the country.

He spoke at Dutse, the Jigawa State capital weekend saying that his party was the only political party that would restore the country’s lost glory if voted into power in 2015.

His words, ‘’I want to assure you that when APC takes over power in 2015, the party will give priority to the welfare of civil servant by boosting their salaries, creating job opportunities, as well as improving the educational, health, and agricultural sectors.’’

Buhari who was represented

by General Lawan Jafaru Isa, retd, stressed that the merger of the three political parties that formed the APC was part of the grand plan to takeover power from the PDP next year.

He further said that the APC

was discouraging ‘’money politics and politics of bitterness,’’ hence any qualified member of the party could vie for any position in the country.

Earlier, the Jigawa State APC gubernatorial candidate in the

AWARD: From left; Senator Gbenga Ashafa; First place winner, Aniema Udokang; Group Managing Director, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Deepak Singhal and Group Managing Director, First Bank Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, at the 2014 Indomie Independence Day Award in Lagos.

Kebbi, USAID partner on war against malaria

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IRNIN KEBBI—THE Kebbi State United States Agency for International Development, USAID-funded training by Health Communication Advocacy Collaborative (HC3) has mapped out media campaign strategies on the elimination of Malaria.

The state HC3 Consultant, Mr Sammy Olaniru, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Birnin Kebbi yesterday that the Kebbi Malaria Elimination Committee had been trained on the effective strategies to be adopted to eliminate the disease.

He said the training was also supported by United Statesbased John Hopkins School of Public Health and Center for Communication Programme

last election, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar had donated 37 cars worth N30millions to the party leaders at the state level and local government chairmen as well as other ward leaders.

Nigeria, CCPN, on the Malaria elimination programme.

He said the training was aimed at enabling the state to develop a comprehensive state-level Social Behavioural Change Communication, SBCC, programme on Malaria elimination by 2020 in line with Federal Government policy.

Olaniru explained that the programme would also reduce the huge epidemiological burden of Malaria disease on Nigeria that had affected economic development.

He called on the State Government to sustain support to the programme especially in developing strategic framework for maximum capacity building on elimination of malaria.

The consultant said modalities would be evolved to adopt the national policy on Malaria elimination appropriate for the state.

“The document would guide the state and partners to plan

and implement communication interventions with focus on right message to the right audience for effective elimination of Malaria,” he said.

NAN reports that Kebbi and Akwa Ibom states are the beneficiaries of the USAID, John Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Centre for Communication Nigeria and

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HE Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operation Unit, Zone ‘C’ has impounded over 88 exotic vehicles estimated at N140 million after bursting a smuggling ring.

The command said the vehicles were impounded in the Southeast and South-south geo-political zone of the country by the operatives of the zone.

20 persons were arrested in connection with the smuggled vehicles, with additional six smugglers apprehended in

connection with other goods.

Its Area Controller, Mr Victor Dimka, said it was gathered, deployed over 20 officers in mufti in Benin/Agbor axis and other communities to track the smuggled vehicles.

The vehicles included Lexus Jeep, Sienna Bus, Toyota and Nissan cars among others.

Smuggling is said to be on the increase in the areas, following the collection of 35 per cent duty on used vehicles.

Customs officers in the zone, it was learn t, are making life difficult for smugglers by also impounding

By Peter Duru

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AKURDI— GOVERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has set up an eightman advisory committee for the creation of new Local Government Development Areas, LGDA, in the three senatorial zones of the state.

Speaking on the occasion yesterday in Makurdi, Suswam asked the members to tour the entire state with a view to advising the government appropriately on the communities that would benefit from the new LGDAs. He explained that the choice of the members underscored the importance of the assignment, adding that local governments in the state were in dire need of expansion hence the decision of his administration to the LGDAs. The committee’s terms of reference include, “To extensively consult with communities, stakeholders, groups development associations and their leaders and traditional rulers, to invite written/ oral memoranda and make recommendations to the state government and to advise on boundary adjustments.

US varsity to celebrate Nigerian don, Onwueme

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HE University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire in the United States will, on October 18 host the celebration of Archival Collection in honour of Professor Tess Onwueme, its eminent Professor of Global Letters. In a statement by the Office of the Chancellor of the university, the event is in recognition of “her exceptional achievements and contributions

to World Literature/Drama, the University of Wisconsin system, the Africana, and the world at large.

To mark this historic event, international scholars, writers and speakers are expected to dialogue and participate in the celebration of the remarkable Archival Collection of the literary icon now being acquired by the University

Customs seizes N140m worth of vehicles

By Ifeyinwa Obi

Suswam sets up committee on creation of new LGDAs

576 bags of rice.

Others items seized by the command, findings revealed , included 458 two stroke engine generators and 2,060 gallons of vegetable oil and 18 used tyres with DPV of over N150million Contacted, Dimka said that 89 exotic vehicles were impounded and a trailer load of 1,620 cartons of vegetable oil cleverly concealed with empty jerry cans to deceives is officers and men were seized and the driver arrested on the Benin – Ore road and detained.

Giving the breakdown of the

seizures made, Dimka said his officers on the Owerri axis also seized a container load of 112 bales of textiles material, 40 feet container comprising garments and assorted types of furniture.

The Controller added that four trucks containing 1,932 (50kg) bags of rice was impounded on the Benin axis; while eight bags of Indian hemp weighed 399.5kg was found in a luxury bus at Udi LGA on the Onitsha/Enugu, which was neatly concealed with passengers luggage. The driver and the items, he said, are in Customs custody.

of Wisconsin, in addition to showcasing a production from Onwueme’s award-winning plays during the event.

Dr. Onwueme is the recipient of several prestigious national and international awards, including the Fonlon-Nichols Award, the Phyllis Wheatley/Nwapa Award for outstanding black writers, the Martin Luther King, Jr./Caeser Chavez Distinguished Writers Award, the African Distinguished Writers Award, and the Association of Nigerian Authors Award (ANA).

The Archival Collection, including the author’s original manuscripts, creative life-work and other materials related to her scholarly and professional career are being donated to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation.

Born in Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State, Onwueme obtained her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in 1979 and 1982 respectively from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and later, a PhD in African Drama from University of Benin in 1988.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

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50 — Vanguard, TEUSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

L-r: Former governor of Anambra State, Sen. Chris Ngige, Sen. Annie Okonkwo, Sen. Ben Obi, and Igwe Kris Onyekwuluje of Umunya, at the funeral of Senator Obi's younger sister, Prof. Josephine Obianama Anagbogu in Awka, Anambra State.

Kenyan scholar, Prof Ali Mazrui dies at 81 R

ENOWNED Kenyan historical scholar, Professor Ali Mazrui is dead. He was 81. He died in Binghamton, New York, in the United States.

He will be buried in his ancestral home in Kenya next to his parents in Mombasa according to his wish. He was born in Mombasa in 1933 – but spent most of his time abroad where he studied and lectured African history. Marzui was appointed Chancellor at the Jomo Kenyatta University in 2003.

According to Wikipedia, Mazrui’s research interests included African politics, international political culture, political Islam and North-South relations.

“He is author or co-author of more than twenty books. Mazrui has also published hundreds of articles in major scholastic journals and for public media. He has also served on the editorial boards of more than twenty international scholarly journals. Mazrui was widely consulted by heads of states and

*Professor Ali Mazrui

governments, international media and research institutions for political strategies and alternative thoughts”.

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—51

Does America underrate her women?

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OMEN in America have recorded phenomenal achievements and left indelible marks in U.S. history. Take a look at the U.S. Supreme Court. There, three women sit on the bench with six men. This is a statement that women have paid their dues so to speak alongside men in this country that consistently boasts of equal opportunity based on ability, and uses every chance it gets to

preach the same message to the rest of the world.

But, just looking at the U.S. Supreme Court will not tell the full story of women and their quest to be recognized and accorded their rightful place in the U.S. For instance, it wasn’t until 1981 that the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, became the U.S. Supreme Court judge, despite the fact that women had

long before then earned the right to sit on this throne of justice. Over the years, women in America have struggled to hold their heads high in the country. In spite of what the rest of the world has been made to believe, all is not rosy with American women. A number of man-made road-blocks have been placed on their way to success. Is it not a marvel that prior to 1920 women in America

did not have the constitutional right to vote at elections in the great democracy in our world?

If you say that 1920 is a long way in the past, how about something more modern?

Startling as it may sound, the reality in modern U.S. is that overall, women and men do not earn equal pay for the same work done. All available statistics point to the reality that for every one dollar earned by men, women get seventy-seven cents. The situation is even worse than it looks because, according to a White House website, 51 percent of women in the U.S. workforce say that in their offices they are discouraged from discussing matters that relate to their wages.

In other words, they are encouraged to take what they get and simply shut up.

This unwritten rule against discussing their wages and being placed as second-hand citizens in the workforce was what led a lady, Lilly Ledbetter, to challenge a system that underpaid her for equal work done with her male counterparts before her retirement from the Goodyear tire plant in Alabama.

She was a supervisor

that Nadella’s surprise statement was made in the course of his invitation to discuss the “celebration of women in computing.” He had said all nice things about this topic, when he made this disconcerting declaration about women and equal pay: “It’s not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along…..Because that’s good karma. It’ll come back because somebody’s going to know that’s the kind of person that I want to trust.”

Good natured person Put simply, Nadella was advising hard-working women not to bother asking for a raise in their offices, even if they thought they should, because somehow and someday in future, a goodnatured person would recognize their good work and reward them accordingly. That is what good karma is all about: keep doing good and working hard because someday something good will come your way.

CEO Nadella has since taken back those words in the face of massive outrage across the nation. He admitted that he was most inarticulate in his response

Nadella was advising hard-working women not to bother asking for a raise in their offices, even if they thought they should at the plant. Her suit went nowhere, as the Supreme Court ruled that it had become time barred. All attempts to redress the situation through the legislative process were unsuccessful, as Republican lawmakers scuttled every move to make women earn equal pay for equal work. However, things changed in 2009 when Senator Barbara Mikulski introduced a bill in the senate to change this awkward situation in democratic America.

Fortunately, her bill passed. The House of Representatives also passed the bill and President Barack Obama had the historic fortune of signing the bill into law in 2009, the first bill he ever signed in his presidency.

But, law and reality are not necessarily the same thing.

Women in America continue to be discriminated against even in pay. This reality was once again brought home in a statement made last week by, of all people, the CEO of Microsoft, Mr. Satya Nadella. The irony is

about women and equal-pay karma. He wrote: “I answered that question completely wrong.

Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work.”

Good talk, but the genie had escaped from the bottle. Even if you give Nadella the benefit of the doubt, his initial statement still gives credence to the prevailing situation of unequal pay for equal work. In fact, male dominance of the workforce is still a thriving phenomenon in the U.S. Here is how Charlotte Alter of Time Magazine responded to Nadella’s statement: “Microsoft’s leadership is only 17.3% female.”

Then she reminded her readers that “women make up less than 30% of the entire company as a whole.” These are shades of uncomfortable truth.

This discrimination against women shows its face in other ways. Think about this: Michelle Obama is a lawyer by training, practice and experience before she became the first lady of the U.S. But, should she make any comment about a contemporary issue in her country, you are likely to see an avalanche of tirades from men, and surprisingly from some women, that she should just keep off politics and play the role of chief hostess at the White House. The fact that she was already practicing law before Barack Obama came along might not matter at all. Michelle should just be another piece of ornament at the White House.

52 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Ebola epidemic may lead to failed states, WHO warns ... Israel steps up efforts to contain Ebola in W/Africa

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HE Ebola epidemic threatens the “very survival” of societies and could lead to failed states, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

The outbreak, which has killed some 4,000 people in West Africa, has led to a “crisis for international peace and security ”, WHO head Margaret Chan said.

She also warned of the cost of panic “spreading faster than the virus”.

Meanwhile, medics have largely ignored a strike call in Liberia, the centre of the deadliestever Ebola outbreak.

Nurses and medical assistants had been urged to strike over danger money and conditions. However, most were working as normal on Monday, the BBC’s Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia said.

•Health care workers are most at risk of infection A union official said the government had coerced workers - but the government said it had simply asked them to be reasonable.

In a speech delivered on her behalf at a conference in the Philippines, Ms Chan said Ebola was a historic risk.

“I have never seen a

health event threaten the very survival of societies and governments

in already very poor countries,” she said. “I have never seen an in-

fectious disease contribute so strongly to potential state failure.”

She warned of the economic impact of “ rumours and panic spreading faster than the virus”, citing a World Bank estimate that 90% of the cost of the outbreak would arise from “irrational attempts of the public to avoid infection”.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, (MASHAV) will send three mobile emergency clinics to areas in Western Africa where there is a high risk of infection with Ebola.

In response to re-

quests by many governments, the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, the DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization as well as Israeli and international aid organizations, the Foreign Ministry has decided to increase Israel’s contribution to the international effort to prevent the spreading of the Ebola epidemic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has authorized MASHAV to send three mobile emergency clinics to areas in western Africa where there is a risk of infection with Ebola.

Vatican pushes to embrace homosexuals

I

N a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said that homosexuals had “gifts and qualities to offer” and asked if Catholicism could ac-

cept gays and recognise positive aspects of samesex couples.

Roman Catholic gay rights groups around the world yesterday hailed

paper as a breakthrough, but Church conservatives called it a betrayal of traditional family values.

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Church should challenge itself to find “a fraternal space” for homosexuals without compromising Catholic

doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church’s condemnation of homosexual acts or gay marriage, it used less judgemental and more compassionate language than that seen in Vatican statements prior to the 2013 election of Pope Francis.

Oscar Pistorius trial: Call for community service angers prosecutor

S

OUTH African athlete Oscar Pistorius should not go to jail over the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, his sentencing hearing has been told.

A probation officer appearing for the defence said Pistorius should serve house arrest and community service.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel described the suggestion

as “shockingly inappropriate”.

Pistorius was found guilty of the culpable homicide of Ms Steenkamp last month - but was cleared of murder. The decision was criticised by the victim’s family.

Pistorius faces up to 15 years in jail, although Judge Thokozile Masipa may suspend the sentence or impose a fine.

Kurds retain hold of Kobane

A

TTACKING Islamic State jihadists met firm Kurdish resistance in the Syrian battleground town of Kobane, as neighbouring Turkey heeded pressure to intervene and handed the US access to its air bases.

In Iraq however, Islamic State (IS) fighters have government forces under strong pressure, and a roadside bomb killed the police chief in Anbar province between Baghdad and the Syrian

C M Y K

border.

Farther north, around Iraq’s key oil refinery town of Baiji, the army and Sunni Arab tribal allies came under fresh IS attack, prompting a first resupply operation by coalition aircraft.

In Kobane, on Syria’s border with Turkey, a pall of black smoke hung over the strategic town as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy jihadist losses.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—53

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54—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

4,000 PDP members defect to APC in Edo

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, received over 4,000 members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into All Progressives Congress, APC, even as he called on the state Police Command to stop arresting innocent people over last Saturday’s violent attack on the state House of Assembly quarters in Benin.

Similarly, the governor alleged that the meeting on how to attack the Assembly quarters was held at the residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who recently defected from APC to PDP. He, however, appealed to APC members not to retaliate, explaining that the only way to deal with PDP in the state “is not to march them violence for violence, but to keep them out of power.”

But in a swift reaction, IzeIyamu declared that he knew nothing about what the governor was talking about, declaring that “no meeting was held in my house and I will challenge anybody to prove me wrong. He is talking rubbish. I do not know when he became a security man.

“Dr. Mayor, who he is talking about, was in APC until we left.

He is the one carrying all the thugs in town and he knows the cases against those people.

“He cannot continue to accuse people recklessly.

Ask Ihonvbere; I expressed shock that day at the airport because I never believe in violence. I never got involved in that.

“I joined PDP in May. Why will they accuse me of everything that happens? There was no meeting held in my house. He knows he created all these problems. I have left APC. Why is he accusing me wrongly.

Most of those guys in APC are my people, so why will I go and kill them?”

But Oshiomhole, who addressed the PDP defectors, led

by former Secretary of PDP in Ikpoba Okhai, Mr. Onaiwu Ugbogbo, five ward chairmen of PDP and other APC supporters, said: “All the people who carry Bible in the afternoon and plot about

killing of human beings, political hell will be their portion.

“I just want to advise all those plotting violence that Edo State cannot be conquered by small time criminals. We have

the capacity and the capability to protect ourselves.

“We will not go for anybody’s blood because we do not need it; but we will keep them out of power. Never will they smell Osadebey Avenue.”

By Festus Ahon

A

LEGAL: From left— Chief Victor Sam-Ateki, Deputy Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly; Barr. Kemasuode Wodu, state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Mr. Valentine Ntom-Chukwu, state Commissioner of Police; Governor Seriake Dickson and Justice Kate Abiri, state Chief Judge, during the 2014/2015 Legal Year thanksgiving service in Yenagoa. PHOTO: Goodluck Ayebatonye.

Community institutes N500m suit against oil firm

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—OGHOBAYE community in Ikpoba/ Okha Local Government Area of Edo State has instituted a N500 million suit against an indigenous oil exploration company, Dubril Oil Nigeria Ltd, as general damages for illegal trespass into the community’s land.

The claimants are Chief J. J. Osaghae, Odionwere of Oghobaye community; Paul Osaghae, Chairman of Oghobaye Community Development Association; Godwin Izeko, Friday Aghahowa, Edobor Omorogbe, Joseph Aigbe

and Roland Evbuomwan.

In the suit before a Benin High Court, they prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Dubril Oil Nig. Ltd, whether by themselves, servants, agents, privies or any person connected or related to them, from further trespassing and demarcating the community’s land known to both parties.

The leaders of the community in the suit, through their counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, wanted the court to order that the parcel of land, measuring about 300 hectares at Oghobaye, belonged to the community.

They said they had been

farming on the land for many years and were surprised when the oil firm brought in bulldozers and destroyed crops worth millions of naira on May 23.

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has told stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State to ensure transparency so that a popular aspirant that can lead the party to victory in the 2015 general elections was fielded.

President Jonathan said: “PDP is not ready to lose any of the South-South states and will not gamble with presenting a candidate that is not popular with the people, regardless of the personalities backing such aspirant.”

The President made these remarks when he received the

leadership of Anioma Congress, the socio-political organisation of Delta North, in Abuja.

Anioma Congress, under the leadership of Obi Chike

Edozien, presented a list of aspirants to President Jonathan, who told the delegates that PDP would abide by its principle of rotation which was introduced by the

T

HE Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, has debunked report that Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency had been zoned out of the 2015 governorship race.

founding fathers of the party to ensure equity, justice and fairness.

The President advised all stakeholders in Delta State to harmonise the list of aspirants.

I'll focus on infrastructure devt—UDUEHI

D

ELTA State governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Esther Uduehi, has promised to embark on massive infrastructure development and job creation, if elected Delta State governor in 2015.

She told newsmen in Asaba, the state capital, that she had

a rich manifesto for Deltans, adding “I have human capital development plans for the state if the mandate is given to me.

“There will be massive infrastructural development and total overhaul of the education and health sectors.”

She said free education and empowerment programme for youths and women were part

SABA— THE Delta North Zonal Coordinator of Arise Deltans for Ochei, ADO, Chief Ifeanyi Iyoh, has enjoined Deltans to give the immediate past Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, the opportunity to govern the state in 2015.

Iyoh, who spoke when he led members of the group on a solidarity visit to Chief George Oyefia, Director General of Victor Ochei campaign organization, expressed readiness of the group to mobilize support for Ochei’s gubernatorial ambition, describing him as one of the most credible candidates in the governorship race.

In his remarks, Oyefia commended members of the group for their support, saying “you are the true democrats, judging from the support Ochei enjoys from all the local government areas of the state.”

Aniocha, Oshimili not excluded from governorship race—NWAOBOSHI

DELTA 2015: Jonathan insists on popular choice, transparency

By Hugo Odiogor

Arise Deltans canvasses support for Ochei

of her agenda.

Uduehi, who lauded the Delta Beyond Oil initiative of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, said: “Delta State is blessed with other mineral resources waiting to be tapped and I believe we can create enough jobs by citing industries in the rural areas where such resources are found.”

Speaking during a consultative visit to Mr. Victor Ochei, a Delta State Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant, Nwaoboshi said: “In my capacity as the party chairman in the state, I neither attended nor presided over a meeting where the decision to exclude the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency from the 2015 governorship contest was taken.

“Those who know me will always attest to the fact that I say things the way they are. I fear only God and respect human beings.”

Continuing, the senatorial hopeful revealed that such statement should be regarded as an expression of personal opinion, which did not represent a corporate decision.

Earlier, he had solicited Ochei’s support for his senatorial ambition, noting that as a leader in Delta North senatorial district, Ochei’s backing will go a long way in enhancing his electoral success.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 55

ENUGU GOV: Unions support adoption of Ugwuanyi

Let's emulate Scotland and work for Nigeria's unity — SENATOR

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

NEWI—SECOND Republic Senator, Chief Nathaniel Anah, SAN, has called on those advocating Nigeria's division to emulate the people of Scotland, who voted to remain in United Kingdom, saying it was the will of God that Nigeria will be big as a united country.

Speaking to Vanguard, the 86year-old former senator, said Nigerians should not be in a hurry to dissolve Nigeria, “So let us work together to work out how best the unity of the country will be guaranteed, division cannot help us, unity is our strength,” he counselled.

Senator Anah said Nigerians should not because of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents be calling for the division of the country. “They are misguided Northern youths who do not have the blessing of the Northern elders and youth in their activities. I have no doubt on my mind that the issue of Boko Haram will be resolved by prayers of Nigerians because prayers have started to storm the gates of heaven and we should not be discouraged in any way or discontinue our prayers, Nigerians should not relent in their prayers,'' he said.

On the choice of President Jonathan by his party as the sole candidate for the forthcoming presidential election, Chief Anah said “The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has spoken my mind by adopting President Goodluck Jonathan as it consensus candidate for the 2015 Presidential election, considering all the circumstances of his administration, Dr Jonathan by all standards has performed creditably well to deserve another term.''

However, the success the

By Ifeanyi Okolie

A

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: From left: President, Family Ark Mission, Dr. David Oludare Mark; Director, Lagos State Blindness Prevention Programme, Dr. Olufunmilayo Shokunbi; Perm Sec, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi; MD, Nature Crest Home & Rehabilitation Centre, Dr. Yetunde Onajin; Member, Mrs. Elizabeth Adewale; and Program Coordinator, Mind Trust, Mrs. Thelma Animasahun, during the awareness walk in commemoration of 2014 World Mental Health Day in Lagos yesterday. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi.

‘Neglect of Zik's mausoleum, a national embarrassment'

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

N

NEWI—OBI of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has expressed concern over stoppage of works on Zik's Mausoleum and the five star hotel in GRA, Onitsha.

Speaking during his 13th Ofala Festival, the Obi said it was becoming a national embarrassment that the Nigerian government had not honoured late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the mausoleum project that it started over 20 years ago had not been completed.

He said “We acknowledge the progress of work on the second Niger Bridge and Onitsha Shopping Mall and the preliminary work on second Niger Bridge project. However, we are concerned that work has stalled at Ziks Mausoleum and

Ex-NLC scribe joins Enugu gov race

E

NUGU—FORMER Enugu State Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and a don, Dr. Ifeanyi Asogwa, has declared for the governorship race in Enugu State on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, and promised to transform the economy of the state in the same manner as the Asian Tigers.

Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Asogwa said he had a clear vision on how to transform the state, lamenting that the bane of the state was lack of good governance.

He said: “My dissertation is in understanding the dynamics of developing societies. '' I have followed developmental trends in the world, in the advanced countries, in emerging C M Y K

economies and I have an idea of how these economies have grown like the Asian Tigers. For instance in 1967, the economy of Eastern Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in the world but today where are we if you check the development index?

“From the point of academia, I have taught in the university and I have been able to interact with people from all places, all cultures and I have an idea that human relationship is actually what derives the society and your ability to interact with people will help to very large extent. I see myself intrinsically as a democrat in the sense that I like a fair society, I want the society to be good, to be run well, a good for the common man.''

the 'five star hotel in GRA after several vicissitudes, work on the Mausoleum resumed with vigour at the start of the present tenure of President Jonathan was stopped suddenly. It is a national embarrassment that we have not duly honoured this great nationalist.”

The Onitsha traditional ruler also expressed worry that globally, the past year was dominated by strife, particularly in the Middle East, Ukraine and Nigeria.

“It is very disconcerting in this 21st Century people will still opt for violence, rather than dialogue and persuasion, in resolving issues. It is even more painful that the poor and helpless, particularly women and children bear the brunt of the resultant pain and dislocation. The Boko Haranm insurgents have become very audacious. The kidnapping of the Chibok school girls has become iconic for a very sad reason, no doubt international terrorism has arrived in Nigeria and is a distinct affront to our sovereignty.

“It is therefore incumbent on all well meaning citizens, irrespective of our diversity, to rally behind Mr. President to defeat this invasion. We support the government’s strategy to cooperate our neighbouring countries and the wider international community in meeting the challenge. Modern terrorism knows no boundary and therefore must be confronted on a global cooperative base strategy,” he added.

Speaking on the upcoming general election, Igwe Achebe said “already intense positioning for the national elections due early next year has started. We implore the political

parties to follow the best tenets of democracy, mainly freedom of expression, robust debates on hard issues, and free, fair, peaceful, and orderly elections, as was witnessed recently during the referendum on independence for Scotland. That is the model that we must seek to emulate.

Two events in Nigeria at the national level boosted our faith in our governance, namely the recently conducted National Conference and the Ebola Virus Disease crisis.”

SSOCIATION of Enugu State Development Unions, AESDU, Lagos, has thrown its support behind the adoption of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Enugu State, as consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election.

President of the association, Martins Nnebedum said in a statement, that the association welcomed wholeheartedly the adoption of Ugwuanyi, who is from Enugu North Senatorial Zone as its consensus candidate for the PDP in the 2015 governorship elections.

The statement read: “It is gladdening to hear that the PDP caucuses for Enugu East and West Senatorial Zones have also endorsed his candidature. That indeed goes to show that he is the best candidate for the job and we pray the Lord Almighty to grant him the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to pilot the affairs of Enugu state when elected.”

...As group commends Chime, PDP caucus over his emergence

N

SUKKA Professionals Group, NPG, has commended Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, caucus over the emergence of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.

The group in a statement signed by its President, Dr. Basil Onugu and Secretary, Otoboeze Chikwado, noted that Ugwuanyi emerged as the consensus candidate of his party, because of his sterling qualities that earned him the confidence, trust and respect of both stakeholders and his fellow aspirants.

The group stated: “There is no iota of doubt that Hon. Ugwuanyi is eminently qualified, competent, and has the right compliment of skills set necessary to, not only sustain but, also advance Gov. Chime’s enviable legacies to the next level. Above all, unity and

peace remain not only a sinequa-non but, also most imperative for the sustenance of the current tempo of development in the state. Hon. Ugwuanyi is not only an epitome of peace but also large hearted and quite accommodating to the weak and mighty alike. He is a team player of choice.

“We will also thank Governor Chime and the leadership of the party in the state for their consistent demonstration of dedication and commitment towards ensuring that Enugu North Senatorial Zone produces the next governor of the state, come 2015. It is not common in our political clime to find leaders who are concerned about equity, fairness and justice as demonstrated in the course of this exercise.

“NPG therefore, earnestly salutes His Excellency ’s courage in instituting and defending the exemplary internal democratic style devoid of thuggery, rancour and violence.''

56—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Lagos tackles mother-to-child HIV transmission — Set to unveil Dame Abimbola Fashola as ‘Face of PMTCT/Maternal Health’

By Sola Ogundipe

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ORRIED by the high rate of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV, MTCT, and overall high maternal death rate in the state, the Lagos state government has put together a renewed campaign to accelerate the Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV, PMTCT, towards reducing maternal death in the state.

Under the strategy, Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, is to be unveiled as the face of PMTCT/Maternal Health in the State.

The strategy will also provide an update on progress towards elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission, eMTCT, of HIV in the State in the light of the global plan targets highlighting achievements and gaps.

Goal of the initiative, which is being carried out in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS, UNAIDS, United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and other relevant stakeholders, is to catalyse high level support for eMTCT of HIV and maternal deaths through the mobilisation of strategic stakeholders, including women of influence, to improve the demand for quality PMTCT services and to encourage healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies.

Lagos is working to achieve this goal to tackle concerns that in spite of existing facilities and services, the State contributes significantly to the unacceptably high national maternal deaths and the national burden of HIV, due to low utilisation of PMTCT and Family Planning services.

HIV prevalence

Data from the Lagos State Bureau of Statistics, show that with a population of 21,883,048, Lagos, with a HIV prevalence of 5.1, is one of the 12+1 States that account for 70 percent of the nation’s burden of children born with HIV based on the 2010 National HIV Sero - Prevalence Sentinel Survey.

In a statement the Lagos State Ministry of Health, noted that the campaign will enable infected pregnant mothers to have increased access to services to prevent their babies from being infected, as well as to encourage more families to embrace family planning practices.

The campaign will also stimulate commitment of critical stakeholders and provide vital information on PMTCT and a directory of functional PMTCT sites in the State.

Further, it was gathered that UNAIDS is committed to revolutionising HIV prevention policies and practices that will ignite policy makers, opinion leaders and community gate keepers to focus on populations and programmes that will make a difference attaining zero new infections.

One of such programmes is the elimination of vertical (mother-toC M Y K

child) transmission of HIV and the reduction of AIDS-related maternal death by half in 2015. This mandate is clearly in line with that of UNAIDS “3 zeros” target of zero infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and UNFPA: delivering a world where every birth is safe and where every woman is treated with dignity/respect.

Projected population figures for Lagos State in 2012, showed 1,060,225 women got pregnant in that year. At an HIV prevalence of 5.1 percent, about 54,071 pregnant women are living with HIV approximately onethird of whom would, in the absence of any intervention to prevent motherto-child transmission of HIV, pass on the virus to their babies.

This translates to 16,468 preventable HIV infections among infants in the State in 2012 alone.

With a maternal mortality ratio of 555/ 100,000 live-births, Lagos State has a burden that is higher than the national figure of 545/100,000 live births, a development that negates UNFPA's mandate of a world where every birth is safe and every child is born free of HIV. It is against this background that the UN health agencies are supporting the State government to convene the highlevel meeting of women decisionmakers in the State and other critical stakeholders to identify their roles in eMTCT and maternal deaths.

• Pregnant women at a health facility in Lagos. Inset: Dame Abimbola Fashola.

Leave our jobs alone, AGPMPN tells teaching hospitals

By Chioma Obinna

M

EMBERS of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, Lagos State Branch, have urged University Teaching Hospitals across the Federation to steer clear of rendering primary health care services.

The Lagos State Chairman of the Association, Dr. Adeyeye Arigbabuwo, said the rate at which teaching hospitals have opened doors to patients with minor ailments has become worrisome to primary and secondary health care givers in the state, noting that it was high time tertiary health institutions focused on handling complicated ailments and referrals for which they are primarily designed to cater for.

Arigbabuwo insisted there must be a total disengagement of tertiary institutions from primary health care delivery, especially insurance operation of the Lagos State Health Insurance Maintenance Agency, for doctors under their aegis to feature prominently as major stakeholders.

He explained that tertiary hospitals should focus on CT scan, chronic disorders and other cases at the extreme.

“They should stop taking these cases.

In fact, if tertiary institutions don't dabble into primary health care, they will serve the public better," he said.

Unveiling the branch's new executive members, the Chairmanlamented that private medical practitioners' services were more becoming social rather than commercial.

He decried that 70 per cent of their activities were sacrificial-render without being paid for by clients. He explained that the practitioners were not permitted to detain patients who are unable to pay their medical bills.

Lamenting the untold effect on health service delivery, Arigbabuwo called for a compulsory tax holiday for all medics in Lagos State saying it was necessary and urgent, as part of emergency health intervention to recover from what he described as economic crisis threatening the medical private sector of health care industry.

He said the private health sector had always been at the forefront in combating

public health issues, citing the recently contained Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria as an instance.

"We were the first people that were called to face the Ebola saga. Remember government doctors were on strike then we were called. The Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu acknowledged our role in curtailing Ebola in the country."

Recognising the role of health insurance in driving health sector to an enviable height, Arigbabuwo stated that the association remained ever ready to embrace insurance package for the benefit of Nigerians. He noted that the era of out of pocket medical service was gradually becoming history.

The Association's First Vice Chairman, Dr Tunji Akintade, said as private health care providers, AGPMPN was willing to ensure that everybody has access to good health, including that poor woman selling on the street.

The private practitioners all regulatory agencies to help the association flush out quacks from the sector, revealing that most the anti-proficiency agents operate without signboards.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 —57

We are neglected, women living with HIV cry out

By Gabriel Olawale

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HEY wore long faces, h e i r cries and lamentations loud and clear. With a common voice, they stated their case, telling stories of woe and anguish. As Persons Living With HIV/AIDS, PLWHA, they share a common destiny but with a common hope. They were united in their situation, bordering on what they termed negligence by the government, leading to inadequate welfare and poor outlook to life.

Presenting their case during a peaceful protest organised by the Coalition for Women and Children Living with HIV/AIDs in Nigeria, in Lagos weekend, the group of PLWA expressed heartfelt reservations about their plight. Take the case of Favour Obius, 32, who tearfully narrated how she lost her pregnancy. In an emotionladen voice she disclosed that she was doing well prior to being subjected, along with others, to ART treatment.

“I began to notice some changes. At times, I felt like vomiting, my body was weak and I felt dizzy. When I complained at the clinic, they told me they had given all they had and urged me to purchase a single dose of Nevirapine, but since I could not afford the drug, I eventually lost my pregnancy,” she recounted.

Abiola Akeem’s story is similar. The 27-year-old, who recently got married, disclosed that her annoyance was the long hours she has to spend at hospital before been attend to.

“Depending on the number of doctors on duty and patients like me on appointment, sometimes I spend between 812 hours before being attend to.”

She added that even after gaining entry to see the doctor, it was discovered that the quality of ART drugs dispensed t

• Lucy Attah. to them was no longer the same. “In fact it is substandard and the manufacturer changes almost every month. Some of the drugs break like chalk.”

Continuing, she stated: “Majority of the PLHA on single dose drugs, maybe because they have kidney problems or are underweight, now buy drugs. For instance,

those on single dose ART therapy now buy drugs like Abacavir, Lamivudine, Nevirapine, and Zidovudine at a cost of over N25, 000 monthly.

Drug adherence becomes a very big issue and we are told that the wellbeing of positive living hangs on 90 to 95 per cent drug adherence.”

However, Coordinator, Coalition for Women and Children Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Lucy Attah, cautioned that if care and proper action was not initiated on the issue of HIV/AIDS in the country, it could re-generate more harm and take the country back several years and jeopardise efforts already invested.

“We learned that some patients who ought to be on drugs are not as a result of excuses raging from faulty CD4 machines, non-availability of necessary drugs among others.

“On several occasions, new patients who present to the facility get discouraged due to long queues and depression

arising from lack of proper counseling, confusion poor nursing care, which cause some patients turn back and never present again for treatment.”

Lucy said the CD4 count machine which is key to HIV treatment is often faulty. In Nigeria, only eight centres can boast of functional viral load machines as a result of which patients placed on drugs have never had access to the test machine in the last seven years.

“Only pregnant women that should undergo compulsory tests, do the viral load test, even though there are times they are unable to afford it in view of the high charges. They can’t afford it because charges for viral loads test range from N25, 000N30,000 which is one factor hampering effort towards attaining sustainable PMTCT serv ces in Nigeria,” she remarked.

Attah who called for more commitment said more volunteers preferably PLWA with higher level of learning should be trained to assist in all facility centres advocated for fee pregnancy and child birth services for all women in the country especially at the grassroots

Heart health: Beware of animal fat, Nigerians warned

By Chioma Obinna

U

NHEALTHY foods, notably animal fat, alcohol, high salt intake and inactive lifestyle took centrestage on this year’s World Heart Day, organised by the Nigeria Heart Foundation NHF, in Lagos.

In the view of a professor of Nutritional Biochemistry, Olusola Omueti, consumption of animal fat, is recognised as a dangerous source of bad fats, classified as unhealthy oil.

Omueti, who is the Nutritional Director, NHF, also condemned foods sold at eateries, explaining that they are over processed. She frowned at Nigerians who use such fats for frying or cooking, stating that they are capable of causing stroke and heart attack.

She noted that such overprocessed foods do more harm than good to the heart. Also of concern was the habit of people using used oil to prepare foods, which she said was a gateway to free radicals that block the heart arteries from functioning properly, and consequently lead to deadly diseases.

In keeping the heart healthy, Omueti recommended greens to Nigerians, listing vegetables, fruits, revealing that they were good source nutrients and antioxidants. She added that greens help to break the circle of free radicals from blocking one's system. The nutritionist further advised people above age 40 to avoid taking meat but to rather eat fish, especially mackerel specie.

"Once you are up to 40 years, avoid meat then eat more of fish, though you may take meat once in a while. Take red beans, soya beans, snail, moi moi, local rice and many other local foods, which are good sources of protein and vitamins," Omueti said.

In her remarks, the Chairperson, NHF's Organising Committee, Mrs. Pamela Umebuani said the meeting was to re-emphasise that heart disease and stroke remain the world's leading causes of death.

Perturbed by such unhealthy development, she said the Foundation was undaunted in encouraging people to take action to protect their heart health.

Corroborating Omueti's position, she said about 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented by addressing risk factors such as salt intake, physical inactivity, tobacco and harmful use of alcohol.

Harping on the theme of 2014 Heart Day: 'Creating HeartHealthy Environment', she said: "Too often, the responsibility for lifestyle changes is put on the individual; to stop smoking, eating unhealthy diet and not exercising. However, what is often forgotten is that many people don't always have the opportunity to make the right choice.

"For instance, people who live in urban areas are often exposed to increased fast food outlets and advertising. In developing countries, billions of people face unsafe cooking environments, such as cooking with traditional cooking stoves or open fires, facing high exposure to smoke and fuels. Health systems in many countries have not kept pace with the explosion in rates of CVD. People in more rural areas do not always have access to health services to advise them on heart health and access to the right medicines," she highlighted.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO launches Peak 850g

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•L-R: Prof. Suleiman Akanmu, Head, Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH; Coordinator, Chevron Nigeria Limited,CNL, Mr. Okegbenro, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Akin Osibogun, and the Acting Director of Administration, LUTH, Mr. Babajide Grillo during a facility tour of LUTH-Chevron Molecular Biology Research Laboratory by members of AWARES Class 14 last week in Lagos.

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AIRY sector leader FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, makers of the premium brand Peak milk, has launched its new Peak 850g milk value pack in Lagos. Public and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Ore Famurewa, said the company launched the refill pack to meet growing consumers’ demand of a top-up pouch whenever they need to save money on the purchase of other Peak big pack formats.

“Peak is the only milk brand in Nigeria that offers the full

range of dairy products with several line extensions like the Unsweetened Evaporated Milk, Peak, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Instant Milk Powder and Choco. Peak is enriched with 28 vitamins and minerals and endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria” she stated.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO has been in Nigeria since 1954.

The company is an affiliate of Royal FrieslandCampina in The Netherlands, the largest dairy cooperative in the world.

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58—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Experts launch campaign against tooth decay, cavities

By Sola Ogundipe

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N the bid to stop the menace of cavities and tooth decay in the country, leaders in dentistry and public health recently launched a national campaign in Abuja.

Spearheaded by the Alliance for a CavityFree Future, ACFF, the campaign called for national collaborative action to check the prevalence of the disorderr which is preventable and reversible in the early stages.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in world, affecting five billion people, or nearly 80 percent of the world's population. Many nutritional problems will affect the mouth before the rest of the body because the cells in the lining of the mouth - called the oral mucosa - are constantly being created and destroyed

with a whole new group of cells taking the place of old cells, in three to seven days.

Speaking at the launch, the Alliance Chairman and President of the Nigerian Dental Association, Dr. Olabode Ijarogbe said in line with the vision of the Oral Health Policy of the Federal Government to improve the oral health status of Nigerians, the Alliance intends to partner with key stakeholders in oral health in Nigeria to achieve a caries free population by the year 2026.

Ijarogbe said the Alliance is committed to stop caries initiation and progression and move toward a cavity-free future by working with countries to build on existing initiatives with a new understanding of caries as a disease continuum and to adopt comprehensive strategies for caries prevention and management.

• L-R: The Corporate Communication Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. Samuel Adenikan; Coordinator, Nestle Nutrition Institute, Mrs. Chioma EmmaNwachukwu and the Brand Manager, Latunji Motayo during the 2014 Creating Shared Value Global Forum discussion in Lagos recently.

Immediate goal of the alliance, he noted, is commitment to ensure that by 2015, 90 percent of dental schools and dental associations should have embraced and promoted the "new" approach of "caries as a continuum" to improve dental caries prevention and management.

"By 2020, regional members of the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future should have integrated, locally appropriate, comprehensive caries prevention and management systems and monitoring approaches developed and in place while every child born from 2026 should stay cavity free during their life time."

Highlighting ACFF focus area in Nigeria, Professor Nigel Pitts, of King's College London Dental Institute, London, UK said the alliance will focus on manpower development with particular emphasis on the training of Primary Health Care workers; Oral health/caries awareness with focus on caries prevention; Revision of cariology aspects of undergraduate dental curriculum; Common risk factor approach to caries prevention and Intervention research studies.

"We are partners in the fight against global tooth decay and committed to working synergistically to achieve the common goal that every child born from 2026 should stay cavity free during their lifetime,” he reiterated They also discussed the development of comprehensive programmes for prevention and management of cavities in Nigeria.

The ACFF is a worldwide group of experts promoting integrated clinical and public health action to stop caries initiation and progression in order to move towards a Cavity-Free Future for all age groups.

PSN targets best practices as 87th conference holds

By Gabriel Olawale

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N its quest to raise the standard of pharmacy practice to meet the expectations of Nigerians and in line with global best practices, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, is set to hold its 87th annual national conference with a symposium designed to put into consideration how transformation could cut across various dimensions of pharmacy practice.

The event, slated for November 3-8, 2014 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, will put into consideration how pharmacy practice can be transformed for better outcomes that will reflect greatly on the well being of every Nigerian.

Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Pharm. Chijioke Onyia said the conference comes with new packages including the maiden Deans’ Forum, Directors of Pharmaceutical Services Forum, and Head of Pharma, Federal Health Institutions Forum as part of agenda to boost human relationships management including the Board of Fellows and Young Pharmacists Group.

Onyia said under arrangements with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, to revolutionalise Mandatory Continuing Professional Development, MCPD, credit point earnings, the continuing education segment of the conference is billed to hold hold at the ultra-modern e-library facility of Akwa Ibom State Government in Uyo. During the event, four Nigerians who have distinguished themseleves will be conferred with Ambassadors of the Health Sector even as the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio chairs the programme.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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don’t always enjoy sex – Sherifat Don’t fake it if you don’t enjoy it but men need to know when their women are enjoying what they are doing.

Your husband wants to pleasure you and only you can tell him when he is doing it right. So when you are enjoying the intercourse, make the usual noises. It is called verbal affirmation and it is your way of signaling satisfaction. Verbalizing the pleasure you feel also heightens sexual pleasure for both of you. But if you don’t enjoy it, don’t keep him in the dark. Let him know.

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When these tissues are further expanded through enlargement to hold more blood, penis growth occurs. It is that simple. If you want a bigger penis, you can use reliable enlargement supplements such as Extenze Plus or Potent Developer Pump. But you must be patient. All forms of penis enlargement occur over months of consistent use - Uche The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments can call us on 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 59

AWC: Pinnick charges Falcons to seal semi final ticket A S the high –flying Super Falcons are set for their second match of the 9th African Women Championship in Namibia, after earning three maximum points in their first match against Cote d’Ivoire, President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has charged the players to go for a comfortable win that will seal their place in the semi finals of the competition.

The Confederation of African Football is using the tournament in southern Africa to pick the continent’s representatives to next year ’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Canada, with the top three teams at the end of the championship due to fly Africa’s flag at the global event.

Oshoala

it was regrettable that since the embarrassing 1-0 defeat in the hands of the less fancied Sudan the NFF was yet to make any statement concerning the future of the coach.

He further added that it looks like there is nobody in charge because in an ideal situation the federation should have summoned Coach Stephen Keshi and his technical crew to read the riot act to them ahead of the remaining matches. But a move by the board to take action was frustrated by certain quarters which revealed that the new board may not have free hands to administer football the way it deems fit even after President Goodluck Jonathan recognised the new board and charged them to grow Nigeria’s football. The goings on in Eagles have shown that Stephem Keshi lacks the motivation to take the team to another level. Immediately after the World Cup defeat by France, he vowed never to coach Nigeria again even if President Jonathan intervened.

But he, apparently, changed his mind after the many offers that were said to be lined up

HE Sports Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has lamented the poor showing of the Super Eagles in the African Nations Cup qualifier which has placed them at the bottom of their group.

This is on the heels of the superlative performance of the national female team, the Super Falcons whom he congratulated for beating their Cote’dIvoire counterparts 4 – 2 on Saturday at the on-going African Women championship in Namibia.

Dr. Danagogo described

Afcon 2015: Danagogo charges Eagles, coaches to produce results as unacceptable the 0 -1 lack – luster performance of the Eagles against Sudan who overtook them to the third position on the table with three points to the Eagles one.

He has therefore charged the Nigeria Football Federation,

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IFA licensed stadium facility expert, Ebi Egbe has faulted Stephen Keshi’s decision to use his army of Euro-based professionals to prosecute last

for him failed to materialise. Said a football federation source yesterday: “The situation is very regrettable because Nigeria is now in a position where we are not sure of going to Morocco to defend the trophy which we won last year. The Super Eagles have really let the country down by their poor showing. The NFF wants to make changes but they cannot because of the selfish interest of those frustrating them. They are not in charge of Nigerian football at the moment. That is the truth.

“The worst part of it is that the NFF seems not to know what to do because in an ideal situation the leadership of the federation should have, by now summoned Keshi and his crew to find out what happened in Sudan and to give them a mandate ahead of the remaining matches.

“But that is not what we are witnessing because some highly placed Nigerians are insisting that it must be Keshi and to add insult to an injury it was the NFF leadership that went to meet the coach

weekend’s game against Sudan in Khartoum.

Egbe said the Eagles would have gotten a result both in Calabar in the game against Congo and the Khartoum outing if Kesin his hotel.”

The latest happening was a shocker to the new board who appeared to have understood why the Maigari board could not manage Keshi.

Before the Brazil World Cup, the federation concluded that Keshi needed help to take Nigeria beyond the second round in the World Cup. Keshi bluntly refused and the federation could not do anything. The coach was untouchable and the result were the blackmail the federal government faced with the demand for FIFA grant by the team and the defeat by a beatable France. And now the game has continued in the face of glaring avoidable failures.

Our source further added that it is nemesis that is catching up with Keshi whom he accused of always playing the boss before the NFF because of the ‘powerful’ people backing him.

The Super Eagles is rooted at the bottom of the group A with just one point while Sudan are with three points while Congo and South Africa have six and seven points respectively.

hi had fallen back on the home-based players who are used to the poor pitches in Calabar and Khartoum.

In Egbe’s words: “I think the pitch in Calabar and that of Sudan contributed a lot to our poor run. You can clearly see that the Eagles were a lot better in Cape Town against South Africa because the pitch there was good. Our boys play on good turfs out there in Europe, so coming home to play in that kind of rugged Khartoum pitch wont be an easy task. I think

F

ORMER FIFA World Player of the Year and Liberia legend, George Weah, has joined the bandwagon of those criticizing the performance of

what Keshi should have done was to use some home- based players who are used to that kind of terrain.” The London based soccer buff expressed confidence that Keshi and his boys will bounce back to pick a Nations Cup ticket, insisting that it is not all over yet for the Eagles.

the Super Eagles in the African Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Sudan last weekend.

Commenting on ABN Sports channel, the retired AC Milan and Paris SaintGermain star said that Nigeria disappointed by not beating the Sudanese.

The retired Liberian skipper also pointed out that Sudan, who had been written off before the tie, caused a sensation by defeating the defending champions.

In his own words, George Weah said that Nigeria did not do anything meaningful during the contest at the Khartoum Stadium.

Musa misses training

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SKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa could be a major injury concern for Nigeria

Bizarre Continues from BP by some people, who I won’t mention their names but who know themselves. They want to run this team down,” blasted a bitter Keshi, who has only won a game in his last 11 matches.

“Some people are ready to sell this country for a dime. They want to sabotage the Super Eagles.

“It’s a shame. They don’t want this team to get to the AFCON, they want this team to lose outright. But they are not God. “And this is not Keshi’s team. This is a national team. Keshi is a professional coach and after this (assignment), he will get another job elsewhere.”

But Keshi’s remarks appeared a ploy to attract sympathy. His team did not play well

(NFF), the Coaching crew as well as the players to ensure that this kind of performance is not repeated in the remaining matches of the qualifiers beginning from the Wednesday clash against Sudan at the Abuja National Stadium.

Weah Criticises Super Eagles

FIFA man blames pitches for Eagles poor run

Keshi

Continues from BP

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in the last three games.

They neither suffered poor officiating nor bad treatment in the hands of Nigerian authorities.

His selection has been questionable and he now attributes his failure to his enemies or critics.

“The fact that he has failed to realise his mistakes and take corrections is even worse than the matches he has lost because it means he is not admitting his failures,”an ex international said on phone last night.

Nigeria host Sudan, who are now third in the standings with three points, in a reverse fixture on Wednesday in Abuja.

And next month, they then travel to secondplaced Congo before they welcome Group A leaders South Africa to round up the qualifiers.

for Wednesday’s AFCON clash against Sudan after he skipped training on Sunday and Monday.

Team officials said Ahmed Musa is nursing a knock he picked up from Saturday ’s 1-0 loss in Sudan.

The flying winger has started the Eagles last three matches.

Nigeria missed Stoke City star Victor Moses and Ukraine-based forward Babatunde Michael for the first AFCON qualifier in Sudan on account of injury.

The African champions host Sudan on Wednesday by 5pm in Abuja.

Obuh Continues from BP helped his cause.”

Obuh has coached the likes of Emem Eduok, Juwon Oshaniwan, Ejike Uzoenyi, Ramon Azeez and Ogenyi Onazi at club and youth level at various intervals before their breakthrough into the Eagles.

The list also includes Kenneth Omeruo and Osaghona Ighodaro.

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Aftermath of Eagles loss to Sudan

Okocha screams: Our football is 'dead'!

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USTIN Jay-Jay Okocha has defended Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi following the weekend’s loss to Sudan in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The Super Eagles were defeated 1-0 in Khartoum and are now in danger of not being in Morocco next year to defend the title they won in South Africa in 2013.

Okocha has pointed to the recent Nigerian Football Federation’s leadership squabble as a major contributing factor to the Eagles’ struggles in the qualifiers.

“We are in a very unusual situation,” the former midfielder tweeted.

“The question is, do we deserve better considering the state of our football affairs in recent time?

“Anyone that blames Keshi or the boys is shortsighted. Our football is long dead and gone. This is just the confirmation.

“Well done SA (South Africa). Not the result most Nigerians expected (against Sudan) though.

We have to step up our game and grab the next six points to have a chance,” he added.

Nigeria are currently bottom of Group A with one point from three matches, with South Africa sitting at the top of the standings, followed by Congo in second place and Sudan in the third spot.

CONTEST......Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel (L) defends against Sudan’s Muhannad El Tahir (C) during the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifying match in Khartoum on October 11. Sudan won 1-0. AFP PHOTO

Essien: I don’t have Ebola A

Milan and G h a n a midfielder Michael Essien has been forced to respond to rumours after it was suggested that he had contracted Ebola.

The 31-year-old, who has made just three appearances for the Italian club this season, took to various social networking platforms at the weekend to deny claims made on Twitter.

“I’m very fit and very healthy,” Essien posted on Instagram. “No truth in the internet rumours that I have contracted Ebola.

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“I’m well & will be training as usual tomorrow. The Ebola virus is a very serious issue and people shouldn’t joke about it.

“Whoever wrote this article is very unprofessional and insensitive...!!! #Jahbless.”

A club statement read: “AC Milan categorically denies alleged news from abroad about its members.

“Such news, totally unfounded, however, has never been confirmed by any employee of our company.”

•Essien

We will finish Congo off — Meyiwa

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RLANDO Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa is happy with his progress as the Bafana Bafana number one in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

“It shows that patience pays,” the former youth international said. “I think at Pirates we have a very good foundation from developmentandthatiswhat makesmeperformwellatthis level.

“Coach Augusto Palacios demanded a lot from us in developmentandIguessthat is where I got this desire to fight hard for what I want in football.

“It is nice (to be captain); it shows the coach believes in me. It is hard sometimes to be the captain as you have to be ready to protect the team; but everything is

•Meyiwa

going okay and I’m satisfied with what I have done so far being the captain “I see us beating Congo on Wednesday.Wewillfinishthem off”.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014 — 61

Nigerians won’t spare you if..., D Uduaghan tells Pinnick

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ELTA State Gov er nor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan,has said that followers of the round leather game would not spare the new Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick and his board if they failed to reverse the current sorry state of football in the country.

He declared unequivocally that football was at its lowest ebb in the country and challenged the newly elected President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Pinnick to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service at the First Baptist Church,

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Warri, held in honour of Pinnick, Governor Uduaghan said he knew that the new NFF boss was under pressure to quickly develop and improve the game because of his strong passion for the game.

The Governor particularly lamented the defeat of the Super Eagles in Sudan, noting that it was the worst result the country’s football has experienced in the recent past.

This state of affairs the governor observed actually required divine intervention as well hence the President’s decision to thank God and dedicate his victory to God He showered encomiums on the President of the Football Federation for developing himself ahead of his current position.

•Pinnick

ESPITE Nigeria’s loss to Sudan, former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo believes the national team would still qualify for the African Cup of Nations in Morocco.

His words; “Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. I have seen many of such moments in my football career.

At such times, I have learnt never to give up.

This team is passing through a phase and I know they have what it takes to weather through the storms”.

The 101 capped ex-international however said that

Yobo drums support for Eagles resolve to go all the way. I the onus was on the players to negotiate their way out of the current situation.

“I have no doubt in the quality of players I left behind in the national team.

They have to talk to themselves and find a solution.

At times like this, the players’ motivation is key. You know in 2012, we failed to qualify for AFCON, but in 2013, we made up our mind to win the trophy against all odds. Now that the odds are against the team, the players should

have no doubt that Nigeria would still defend the trophy in Morocco. The boys just have to dig deep and find the inner strength”, he said.

•Yobo

Give Eagles another chance — Giwa AMBASSADOR Chris Giwa has appealed to Nigerians to give the Super Eagles another chance.

Giwa made the plea after the Eagles lost to Sudan 1-0 in their Nations Cup qualifier in Khartoum at the weekend.

With the defeat, the Super Eagles now have one point from three matches. Their chances of defending the trophy they won in South Africa last year now depends on their winning their remaining three matches against Sudan and South

Africa at home and Congo away.

South Africa and Congo must also slip before Eagles can qualify.

But despite the bleak situation, Giwa believes that “cutting off the head is not the remedy for a headache.”

“I can assure you that the players and the technical crew are not happy too. Stoning them is not the solution. We also need to support the players and the coach during this trying period, they can still qualify”, he said.

62—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014—63

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VANGUARD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

BIZARRE:

Keshi alleges sabotage C

OACH Stephen Keshi has alleged there is a gangup against him not to succeed as Nigeria face

Keshi: NFF hands are tied

•Keshi championship.

“There is a sabotage Continues on Page 59

AWC: Pinnick charges Falcons to seal semi final ticket — Pg.59

Give me Eagles job –Obuh begs F

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

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HE inability of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to officially react to the dismal showing of the Super Eagles in the ongoing 2015 African Cup of Nation, AFCON qualifiers has been blamed on the interference of some people in high places.

A reliable source at the Secretariat of the NFF who pleaded anonymity told Sports Vanguard yesterday in Abuja that

Continues on Page 59

elimination from next year ’s AFCON in Morocco.

The African champions are rooted to the bottom of Group A with a single point after three rounds of matches in the qualifying tournament for Morocco 2015.

They must now have to win their remaining three matches and hope other results in the group go their way if they were to qualify for the

ORMER Nigeria Under-17 and Under-20 coach John Obuh says he deserves to be given a back room role in the Super Eagles.

The Enugu Rangers gaffer said his experience with working with some of the Super Eagles players at youth level should be a reason for him to be employed.

“At least 6 players in

the Eagles squad have played under me at various levels,” he said.

“If am in the set-up, I will advise and guide on their usage as I know their strengths and weaknesses, I am ready for the role if called up.”

On the usage of players who have played under him at youth level in the Super Eagles, Obuh cited Ramon Azeez as a victim of poor

usage.

“Ramon Azeez’s case is pathetic. He is such a good player but used wrongly, hence he failed to sparkle,” he added.

“Yes I admit he is played in the same role he has been used in at his club, but he is more defensive than offensive, if I was in the team I would have Continues on Page 59

Musa misses training — Pg.59

MUSA: Missing in action

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Belief (5) 7 Strand (5) 8 Stadium (5) 10 Insect (5) 12 Mineral (3) 13 Condition (5) 15 Middle (7) 17 Menace (6) 19 Shelter (3) 20 Smallest (7) 23 Call (4) 25 Lean (4) 26 Came (7) 30 Shrub (3) 31 Remorse (6) 34 Stretch (7) 37 Scorch (5) 38 Mine (3) 39 Animal (5) 40 Start (5) 41 Guide (5) 42 Material (5)

DOWN 1 Nativity (5) 2 Box (5) 3 Reiterate (6) 4 Heroic (4) 5 Demur (7) 6 Skulk (5) 9 Stray (3) 11 Liberate (7) 13 Endure (5) 14 Fragrance (5) 16 Born (3) 18 Neatest (7) 21 Prickle (5) 22 Combine (5) 24 Inconsistent (7) 27 Manage (3) 28 Stop (6) 29 Eject (5) 32 Circumference (5) 33 Heron (5) 35 Hog (3) 36 Nobleman (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Solid 7, Snip 8, United 9, Adage 11, Her 13, Dig 15, Iris 16, Hem 18, Jeer 19, General 20, Huge 22, Mean 23, Lasting 25, Seer 27, Hot 28, Mere 30, Tit 31, Did 33, Badge 36, Revoke 37, Foil 38, Great.

DOWN: 1, Enter 2, Spa 3, Lea 4, Due 5, Wig 6, Belie 10, Glen 11, Highest 12, Ringlet 13, Deleted 14, Granted 16, Heath 17, Meant 18, Jam 21, Ear 24, Iota 26, Eider 29, Rigid 32, Cow 33, Beg 34, Die 35, Eft.

How to Play Sudoku

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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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