ARMSs DEAL: Well' return Nigeria's $15 soon - SAFRICA

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62253

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Fashola, Onolememen abandon Oshodi/ Apapa Expressway ...as traffic gridlock returns >>51

From left: Regional Manager, Anglophone West Africa, MoneyGram, Mrs. Kemi Okusanya; GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; and Executive Director, Treasury and International Banking, UBA Plc, Mr. Femi Olaloku during the launch of Nigeria’s first outbound money transfer service by UBA and MoneyGram in Lagos, Monday.

ARMS DEAL:

We'll return Nigeria's $15m soon— S-AFRICA

By Emma Ujah & Emma Ovuakporie

•Says Nigeria is a brother, big political ally A •Ready to continue sale of arms to FG •How Nigeria can be made great, by Amuka, Fashola Pgs.52-53

BUJA—SOUTH Africa has promised to return the $15 million arms deal money it earlier seized from Ni-

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COLUMNIST:

Islamists •P.17 Mr & Mrs

FOR CHIBOK GIRLS—US singer-songwriter Alicia Keys (C) joins the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign during a demonstration in front of the Nigerian Consulate in New York, yesterday, to mark six months in captivity of the over 200 Chibok girls. Inset: Policewomen block supporters of the #Bringbackourgirls campaign in Abuja, yesterday. Photos: AFP. See story on Page 9.

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POCKET CARTOON

INAUGURATION—From left: Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi; First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide at the inauguration of Oyo State Women For Change and Development Initiative official bus in Ibadan, yesterday.

We'll return Nigeria's $15m soon— S-AFRICA Continues from Page 1 geria. The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Myakayaka Manzini, who featured in a programme on African International Television, AIT, "Matters Arising", yesterday, said the process of refunding the money was already on.

He said: “Both countries have decided on a political solution to the issue. Nigeria is a big ally and a brother."

According to Manzini, South Africa will do everything to maintain cordial relations with Nigeria and would not do anything to hurt her national interests.

He added that South Africa had been selling arms to Nigeria and that his country was prepared to sell arms to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram.

The envoy, however, did not give the timeline when the seized money will be returned but assured that it will be very soon.

South African authorities had seized US$5.7 million arms money from Nigeria, just three weeks after another $9.3 million cash reportedly smuggled by two Nigerians and an Israeli for arms purchase from the country was confiscated, bringing the total amount seized to $15 million (about N2 billion).

The private jet conveying the $9.3 million stashed in three suitcases had landed at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg, on September 5. The

South Africa Revenue Service, SARS, said customs officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage were unloaded and put through the scanners.

The National Prosecuting Authority, NPA, in South Africa said there was an invoice for helicopters and armaments intended to be used in Nigeria.

The second transaction, was between Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, and Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, said to be a Nigerian company based in Abuja.

It was gathered that the deal, however, collapsed after Cerberus which had earlier received from Nigeria R60 million (N1.02 billion) in its account at Standard Bank, tried to repay the money as it could not resolve its registration formalities with the South African authorities.

Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), but the registration expired in May this year.

The marketing and contracting permits also expired at the same time.

The company has since applied for re-registration, but the application lay in the NCACC’s mailbox for more than two months.

It was said that an alleged attempt by Cerberus to pay the

money back to the Nigerian company, alerted bank officials who became suspicious.

The Nigerian government, however, argued that both transactions were legitimate and there was nothing shady in the arms deal.

Cash-for-arms deal shady— APC However, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has slammed the PDP-led Federal Government for what it called insulting and disingenuous explanation aimed at deceiving Nigerians over the US$9.3 million cash-for-arms deal that went awry in South Africa, saying everything about the deal was shady.

In a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the deal violates the foreign currency laws of Nigeria and South Africa; violates Nigeria’s Money Laundering law as well as the Public Procurement Act and makes a mess of the Federal Government’s cashless policy. In addition, it said, all the circumstances surrounding the transaction were umbrageous, including the fact that the funds involved, though in cash, were neither declared before departure in Nigeria nor declared on arrival in South Africa.

"Based on these shady circumstances, one can safely conclude that the

arms to be procured, if at all, were not meant for any Boko Haram fight as claimed by the government but perhaps a ploy to stockpile arms for the private militia of the PDP ahead of next year’s general elections.

"As we said in our earlier statements on this issue, the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, cannot and does not procure arms for the armed services.

These services procure their own weapons.

Therefore, it baffles that the office of the NSA issued the end-user certificate for the transactions.

This is a shady deal," APC said.

The party said in order to buttress its assertion that the whole deal was shady, there are questions that the Federal Government has bluntly refused to answer in connection with the ill-fated deal. These include why a private plane was used for a supposedly-official deal when there are over 10 aircraft in the Presidential Fleet.

"Nigerians are also eager to know why the money for the purchase of the arms was not transferred to the country’s Embassy in South Africa for onward transfer to the contractor, if indeed a contractor was used as claimed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or the money transferred directly to the contractor, and why the Nigerian government chose to deal with an arms contractor with questionable registration in South Africa.

"If indeed the transaction was clean and official, which representatives of the office of the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff were on the dollar-ferrying plane?

Who indeed was the arms meant for? And perhaps the most important information of all: Who and who were on the plane?

"Nigerians are more interested in who was on the plane rather than who was not on it, hence the government should stop hiding behind ‘national security’ and come out to identify those on the plane", APC said.

The party said "irrespective of the feverish moves by the Federal Government, using lessthan-sincere officials, to spin the whole shady deal and make it look clean and official, the truth is that even terrorists could not have been engaged in a shadier

and more crooked deal to obtain weapons."

Reps bicker over seizure of $9.3m Members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, bickered over the seizure of the $9.3million for the purchase of arms by the Federal Government.

At the centre-stage of the whole drama were the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, PDP, Delta and the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who drew the first blood raising an order of privilege.

Gbajabiamila, who read extensively from a newspaper, said: ”Leo Ogor as a principal officer is free to speak on his own without quoting the whole House and this issue has embarrassed the House”.

At this point Ogor raised a point of order but Gbajabiamila continued: ”If smuggling arms into the country is the only alternative to defeat the insurgents, we owe no apology to anyone.

“I want to extricate myself from this. ”Over the week, there have been many editorials concerning the conduct and position of the House on the smuggling of the seized $9.3million as voiced by the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, where he said that ‘WE’ (the House) owe no apology to Nigerians regarding our action to kill the motion on the matter during plenary. ”This matter raised serious concern to the extent that a constituent of mine challenged me saying that the House is a part of the problem bedeviling this country due to the comment of just one member who instead of speaking for himself choose to use the word, ‘WE’.

“Now, Hon. Ogor is a

principal officer. But he does not have the right to speak for the collective interest of members except for himself. So, I take an exception to the use of the word, ‘WE’, when he should be speaking for himself ”, he said.

Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after he listened to Gbajabiamila, voiced consternation at the Minority Leader for raising the matter at that stage.

Tambuwal said: “Hon. Femi, I’m surprised that you are bringing this matter up at this stage.

Have you made any effort to reach Hon Leo Ogor, asking him whether he actually said what was published?"

This did not go down well with Ogor who repeatedly shouted point of order until the presiding officer, Aminu Tambuwal repeatedly shouted “sit down gentlemen” sit down gentlemen” before he granted him audience.

Leo Ogor said that he was disappointed with Gbajabiamila.

He said that they had seen each other severally, and he (Gbajabiamila) never asked if he (Ogor) actually said the House owes nobody any apologies for killing the said motion on the $9.3m controversy. ”My respected colleagues, I want to start my submission by expressing my deepest disappointment at my colleague, the Minority Leader for seeing such a publication and never bothered to find out from me if really I granted the said interview or said what was being published”.

In order not to stress the obvious; Speaker Tambuwal suspended further comment on the matter and ruled that both members see him in private after the plenary.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Lovers accused of kidnapping 6-yr-old

By Onozure Dania

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AGOS—AN unemployed man, Pius Ogbonna, 35, and his lover, Ijeoma Odoka, 30, were yesterday arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Oyingbo, for allegedly kidnapping a six-year-old boy, Jeremiah Agbase.

The lovers were charged before the court on a two-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful capture and kidnapping, preferred against them by the police.

They were alleged to have on August 22, 2014, at about 19.30 hours, at their residence, 1, Adidas street, Tolu, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, kidnapped their victim, whose aunty is their next door neighbour.

It was gathered that the victim who is yet to be found, came to Lagos from Anambra state, to spend the long vacation with his aunty when the defendant kidnapped him. The prosecutor, DSP Etim Nkankuk, told the court that the victim’s aunty brought the victim to Lagos because of school and the victim’s elder brother, who came from Anambra to spend the holiday with her.

He said the victim got missing while his aunty was still at work, adding that the defendants had sent the victim to buy sachet water and also sent the victim’s elder brother to buy cigarette.

But before the elder brother of the victim came back, the victim could not be found.

Meanwhile, one of the defendants, Ogbonna, raised alarm and they started searching for the boy, adding that the victim was still missing.

According to the prosecutor the offences committed by the defendants is contrary to sections 269 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The counsel to the defendants, Ola Ogunbiyi and Beauty Otigi, urged the court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms as they are still presumed

innocent.

They told the court that the bail applications were in pursuant to Section 35 (5) of 1999 Nigerian constitutions and Section 115 (2) of Administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State, 2011.

Consequently, Magistrate, A. A. Demi-Ajayi, granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

She also ordered that the defendants should deposit the sum of N20,000 each in the account of the Chief Registrar of Lagos State.

And that the sureties must produce evidence of three years tax receipt payable to Lagos state government, sworn to affidavit of means; and that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the defendants.

The matter was adjourned till November 26 for trial.

THE NORM: Traffic gridlock on the bad Cele-Ejigbo-Ikotun Road stretched for miles yesterday. INSET: An accident on the road. PHOTOS: Aliyu Adekunle.

Nollywood actor, policeman killed, as robbers attack bullion van

By Ayo Onikoyi & Festus Ahon

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SABA—POPULAR Nollywood actor, Mr. Clems Onyeka, and a policeman died yesterday, when armed robbers attacked a billion van in Asaba, the capital city of Delta State.

The robbers, according to dependable sources, trailed the bullion van from the Benin/ Asaba Expressway through

CUT DOWN: Mr. Onyeka.

Summit Road and intercepted it on the DBS Road, by U & I Foundation, where they engaged the police on escort duty in a shoot-out and the Nollywood ace was hit by a stray bullet.

A dependable source said the robbers, numbering over eight, came out from their Sienna Toyota car in a commando style.

The shootout, which lasted for over 20 minutes, according to the source, caused pandemonium on the ever busy DBS Road, a few meters away from the State Police headquarters and office of the deputy governor as motorists, pedestrians and other road users scampered for safety, abandoning their cars.

Noting that the bullion van driver escaped with the van intact, the sources said the office complex of the U & I Foundation being run by Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, was riddled with bullets.

Confirming the attack, the

state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, said Mr. Clems Onyeka was hit by stray bullet during the shootout, but said no police officer was killed.

He added that one of the robbers was also killed by the police who repelled them.

Kalu, however, said the armed

Soldier goes berserk in Bayelsa, kills colleague

By Samuel Oyadongha

Y

ENAGOA—ONOPA area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, was thrown into confusion Monday night as a soldier attached to the 423 Battalion, Elele Barrack, in Rivers State working in Bayelsa, went berserk and shot dead his colleague.

The victim, a sergeant, was simply identified as Ishiaku.

‘I drug motorists, steal their cars, sell in Aba'

By Emma Una

C

ALABAR—A 25-year-old man, who gave his name as Simon Monday, has said that in the past nine months, he has drugged over 10 people and taken their cars to Aba, Abia State, to sell.

Monday said his trick is to engage the services of owners of cars he wants to steal at very attractive fee and become friendly with the driver during journey.

He then offers the driver Five Alive juice, laden with drugs. The driver sleeps off

and he takes the car to Aba, where there is a ready buyer.

Monday said he does not live in Calabar, but comes to the city to steal cars.

He said that between December 2013, when he started and this month, he had stolen over 10 cars in Calabar

gang escaped with the corpse of one of their colleagues killed in the shootout, adding that the suspects abandoned the Sienna car they came in and escaped with another car snatched from an unsuspecting motorist.

She said the police was still on the trail of the armed bandits.

and sold same at Aba. He said: “I operate alone because when the person takes the juice, he immediately sleeps off and I can then drive the car to Aba and hand it over to the buyer before the owner would even wake up.”

The incident, which occurred at about 11pm along the Onopa end, some distance away from the Banquet Hall of Government House, jolted residents as nobody could explain what led to the dastardly act.

It was learned that the soldier, a Lance Corporal, identified as Muazu Haruna, shot his colleague at close range and the victim died before help could reach him.

The suspect was reportedly arrested and taken to the Area Command Division of the Police and later released to the Joint Task Force due to the alleged intervention of an unnamed Captain.

Another source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the erring soldier might have acted under the influence of alcohol.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—7

Man, 35, defiles 13--yr-old boy

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—A man, Ilesanmi Omojuyigbe, 35, has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old boy, Babatunde Adebayo, at Iju area of Ondo State.

Vanguard gathered that the victim was lured to the suspect’s room on the pretext that he wanted to buy frozen fish from the boy.

The victim, on entering the room, was said to have been held down and his trouser forcefully torn before the suspect defiled him.

His mouth was said to have been covered by the suspect so that his cries and shout would not attract neighbours to his house.

After the indecent act, the suspect appealed to the victim and promised to buy him whatever he wanted.

The matter was said to have been reported to the police, while the suspect was later arrested.

Police image maker, Wole

Ogodo, said the suspect lived at 24, College road, Iju, in Akure North local government area of the state.

He pointed out that the suspect had confessed to the crime and would soon be charged to court.

In another development, Ogodo said four persons had

TASUED Deputy Vice Chancellor kidnapped

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—A gang of four gunmen Monday kidnapped the Deputy ViceChancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Prof. Olusoga Olusanya.

Olusanya was said to have been abducted by the suspected kidnappers along the multiple bridge area, Ososa, in Odogbolu Local Government area of the state.

Hoodlums invade North-East PDP scribe's home

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—HUNDREDS of armed thugs yesterday invaded the residence of the Publicity Secretary for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the North East, Sani Alamin Muhammad, at Tirwun, along Maiduguri road and threatened to burn his house for supporting the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The youths, who chanted antiJonathan songs, threatened to kill their target over his insistence to continue to support the President.

It was gathered that some of the hoodlums on arrival at the residence of their victim, ordered his wives, children and other occupants of the house to vacate the place or face their wrath, while others demanded that the PDP publicity secretary come out and give explanations

on why he was supporting Jonathan’s endorsement.

The angry youths also threatened that any politician in the state who supported President Jonathan ahead of 2015 election, would either pay with his life or relocate from the state with his family.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, said the invaders, who started converging on the residence of the party scribe in the early hours of the morning, were in possession of dangerous weapons, such as bows and arrows, sticks.

He said they were ready to resist anybody that would prevent them from lynching their target, following his recent media reports of supporting Jonathan as sole PDP candidate ahead of 2015 election.

“During the attack, the hoodlums said Alamin Sani

JTF, pirates clash in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio

Y

ENAGOA—A soldier attached to the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, was yesterday feared dead, while a boat driver sustained gunshot injuries after a violent shootout with suspected pirates along OgbiaNembe-Brass route in the Bayelsa East senatorial district.

However, the authorities of the Joint Task Force said one of its operatives was wounded

during the incident, while others returned safely to base.

An eyewitness in the area told Vanguard that the attack occurred along Opukiri fishing port, along Nembe Creek.

The source hinted that an exchange of gun fire ensued between the sea pirates and soldiers, with one of the soldiers reportedly killed.

The source added that the locals were instrumental to rescuing six men of the Joint Task Force, noting that while four were unhurt, one was in critical condition.

been arrested for cultism in Okitipupa area of the state.

The suspects, according to him, are “Augustine Belief, 22, Adie Kelly, 22, Ikenna Ekenna Eze and Okepeke Ogechukwu, 28, all living in Okitipupa Town.”

Ogodo said other members of the group were still at large.

spent millions of Naira allegedly given to him by President Jonathan to support PDP. “It took the intervention of armed policemen to control situation.”

This came a week after the mother of a lawmaker in the state, Remmy Hassan, who was abducted, was released after a ransom was paid.

Vanguard gathered that the victim was returning to Ijebu Ode from an official assignment in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta when he was abducted by the gunmen.

It was further gathered that Olusanya was at FUNAAB as an external invigilator at the ongoing post-graduate examination.

A source told Vanguard that the four gunmen overtook the official car Olusanya was travelling in with his driver, and blocked it at a failed section of Odogbolu-Ijebu Ode-OreBenin expressway .

He was said to have been abducted alongside his driver.

29-yr-old man sleeps with 3-yr-old girl

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NITSHA—THE police at Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have arrested a man, 29, for allegedly defiling a threeyear-old girl..

The man (names withheld), who hails from Enugu State, is said to share a three-bedroom apartment in the area with the parents of the girl whose name was also withheld by the police..

Speaking to newsmen about the incident at the Fegge Police station, brother of the little girl who declined to mention his name, disclosed that he and the girl lost their mother a few months ago.

He said: “The little girl had gone as usual to embrace the man when she came back from a kindergarten private school, near their residence before the man lured her into his room and defiled her.”

Ebonyi Police arrest pastor over stolen goods, 5 others for theft, vandalism

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—EBONYI State Police Command yesterday paraded a selfacclaimed pastor of Assembly of Redeemed Christian Church, Ikwo, Samuel Obura, aged 35, over stolen goods.

The command also arrested two other suspects, Samuel Edet, 25, and Moses Alibo, 25, who specialised in stealing motorcycles from Ebonyi and ferrying them to Cross River State.

Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, stated that the pastor, who hailed from Ohalaekwu Amagu community in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State, was a habitual thief and receiver of stolen goods.

“When the police conducted a search of the suspect’s house at Ikwo,13 brands of motorcycles were recovered from him.

In a related development, three vandals of electricity installations in different locations in Ebonyi State are

now in police net.

One of the suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Okoye, from Njikoka local government area of Anambra State, was caught vandalising the transformer feeder pillar, D-fuse high tension downdrop cable and one upriser cable at Nduogbu Ndieze Iboko community in Izzi Local Government Area.

Two others, Sunday Mathias of Isiekeukwu-Orlu,Imo state and Nwabueze Oriele of Akuna-

kuna village,Ikwo local government area, were caught by the vigilante groups while attempting to vandalise the transformer situated at Onyikwa,Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo local government area.

Public Relations Officer of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Lazarus Onyearugbulem, said the situation was unfortunate and wondered why people took pleasure in causing discomfort for others.

One of the suspects, Ifeanyichukwu Okoye, and his loot.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

$1BN LOAN: Nigeria to pay back in seven years

PDP govs, Jonathan meet over cancellation of endorsement today

By Emman Ovuakporie

A

BUJA—FEDERAL Government of Nigeria is expected to pay back the $1 billion loan to be collected for the purchase of security gadgets to combat Boko Haram in seven years. This was revealed on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday.

Chairman of the House committee on finance, Abdulmumin Jibrin, who made this revelation said during their interaction with various stakeholders on the matter, they discovered that the country would cough out about N30 billion annually for seven years to settle the debt.

Also President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday forwarded to the House of Representatives the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the period 2015 to 2017 heralding the presentation of the 2015 budget proposal.

Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal read the letter from the president conveying the message.

Jibrin further explained that the N30 billion to be paid annually would form part of Nigeria’s budget from 2015.

Expectedly, the country will pay the sum of N210 billion to repay the loan, out of which only about N165 billion is for the actual loan, while N45 billion will be for interest, based on current official rate.

The lawmaker however said that the committee on debts and loans and that of finance which are saddled with the responsibility of interfacing with stakeholders on the loan must ask some relevant questions on the issue.

He said the committees were trying to establish the portion of the military hardware that would go to each security agency among other issues.

The lawmaker added that some of the security agencies do not even know what they would get from the equipment to be procured, hence the need to do a thorough job before coming to the House.

He requested the House to give them two weeks to conclude work on the loan, but Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal directed them to present their report “latest by next Tuesday.

By Henry Umoru

A

BUJA—GOVERNORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will today meet with President Goodluck Jonathan to express their displeasure over nullification by the National Working Committee, NWC of their consensus endorsement of their candidates ahead of 2015 general elections and their own candidature.

A very reliable source at the Secretariat of the Governor Godswill Akpabio-led PDP Governors Forum told Vanguard that some governors were already in Abuja for the meeting slated for 9 pm today at the Banquet Hall of

the Presidential Villa.

According to the source, the PDP governors will first meet with the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu at 3pm at his Asokoro residence.

The source told Vanguard that the agenda of the meeting is the proposed primary elections for aspirants of the party as well as inform the National Chairman that they were not happy with the decision of the NWC to cancel their endorsements.

Since the PDP announced the cancellation of all endorsement by the governors, zonal and state leadership, there has been a cold war between the outgoing governors who want to pick their

successors as they leave office and the NWC. The governors at the meeting, the source said, will remind the president and Muazu of how they endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole presidential candidate of PDP ahead of the December 6 National Convention and the February, 2015 general elections, which the party’s National Caucus, Board of Trustees, BoT and the National Executive Committee, NEC thereafter agreed with and to be ratified at the party’s national convention.

The governors, the source said will also discuss the on-going

PARLEY: From left; Mrs. Rukayat Yusuf, Group Head, National Secretariat, Abuja Annex, The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Mr. Seye Awojobi, FCIB, Ag. Registrar/Chief Executive, CIBN; Hon. Justice Rosemary Bozimo, OFR, Administrator, National Judiciary Institute, NJI; Deacon Segun Ajibola, FCIB, 1st Vice President, CIBN and Mrs. Sena Ayodeji, ACIB, Group Head, Learning & Development, CIBN, during stakeholders engagement between CIBN and NJI, in Abuja.

sale of forms, especially with regard to the governorship forms being obtained at the party’s National Secretariat. It was gathered that the governors will urge the President and the National Chairman to allow them choose their preferred candidates, having endorsed President Jonathan.

Meanwhile, following the cancellation of endorsement, many aspirants have come to PDP National Secretariat to pick their expression and nomination forms, just as they are calling for open primaries and a level playing field for all aspirants.

A statement signed on Thursday

by PDP National Secretary, Prof.

Wale Oladipo read, “The National Working Committee (NWC) at its meeting today, Thursday, October 9, 2014 noted that some elected officers of our great party at the state level have continued to engage in processes aimed at endorsing candidates for the 2015 general elections despite warnings from the national leadership that they, as unbiased umpires should not involved in such.

“The NWC strongly frowns at this development and issues this as a final warning to all elected party officials and chapters at all levels, and shall not hesitate to sanction such erring officers or chapters.

“The sanctity of our nomination processes must be protected at all times. We therefore wish to assure all party members that there shall be a level playing ground for all aspirants intending to participate in the nomination processes.

ICT share of GDP’ll outpace oil and gas by 2020, says NITDA boss

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UBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)— CONTRIBUTIONS of the ICT sector to the national GDP will outpace that of oil and gas by 2020 if the present tempo of activities in the sector is sustained and leveraged on, says Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mr Peter Olu Jack.

Mr Jack made this assertion in his remarks at the Nigeria ICT Investment Forum, holding as part of activities at the ongoing Gulf International Technology Exhibition, GITEX, in Dubai.

Nigeria is Official Country Partner of GITEX 2014.

The NITDA boss told his audience that “Nigeria is a country of over 170 million people, and with the rebasing of our GDP, the largest economy in Africa.”

“We are confident that ICT can eclipse oil and gas as major revenue earner for the Nigerian economy. We already have Vision 20-2020, and by that year, ICT

contribution to our GDP will exceed that of oil and gas.”

H e further told the audience, which included delegates from Dubai Exports and businessmen from other Gulf nations of several initiatives in this regard, including a Smart City in Lekki, Lagos, in the pipeline.

The investors at the ICT forum were then walked through a presentation anchored by Dr Armstrong Takang, a leading ICT expert and consultant.

Takang highlighted Nigeria’s enormous market potentialities and urged investors to take advantage of opportunities in the areas of Connect Nigeria; Connect Nigerians; Local content, and ICT in Government.

I n addition, Ta k a n g explained that huge investment opportunities exist in f i b r e optics as the nation’s fibre optics network largely serves mainly the urban population.

Seventy per cent of the population, he noted, live in the rural areas where fibre optics may not reach. As such, last mile investment opportunities abound.

Apart from these, other investment openings mentioned by Takang are in the areas of financial inclusion, e-commerce, and broadband.

Of broadband he said Nigeria currently seeks to increase penetration from a

mere six per cent at present to at least 30 per cent by 2018.

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission was also present at the forum to assure investors. In a presentation, NIPC told the audience that Nigeria now has OSIC - One Stop Information Centre - to process investors’ needs from registration to obtaining permits and licenses. Mr Obioha, speaking for NIPC, said 26 government MDAs have been brought together under one roof to register businesses, get expatriate quotas, and generally fast-track other protocols of business registration.

In his remarks, Dr. Mike Omotosho, Nigeria’s ConsulGeneral in Dubai asked the investors not to let “the excitement about Nigeria end here”, urging them to take things up immediately, and pledged to render any assistance that may be required of him or the Consulate generally.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 9

Release of Chibok girls, my priority — JONATHAN ...Security agents frustrate BBOG march to Aso Villa; FG, Obasanjo differ over rescue

By Emman Ovuakporie, Caleb Ayansina & Laide Akinboade

to pretend like this problem will go away if we maintain an unsustainable status quo and silence.”

BUJA—PRESIDENT The role of the opposition, the Goodluck Jonathan said President insisted, must not be yesterday that the release of the to throw tantrums at government over 200 abducted students of and undermine the efforts of the Government Girls Secondary security but work with his School, Chibok, in Borno State, administration not only to rescue was a priority dear to his heart. the abducted girls but also end This came on a day the march insurgency in the country. to the Presidential Villa by “I seize this opportunity to call #BringBackOurGirls, BBOG on the opposition to quit family was disrupted by heavily politicization of the abduction armed anti-riot police men, as saga and join me to solve the all the roads leading to the villa problem together,” he said. in Abuja were blocked.

The President commended the The Federal Government also, strategies so far adopted by yesterday, sharply disagreed security agencies in combating with former President, Chief terrorism and other security Olusegun Obasanjo, over a challenges. statement credited to him that He also promised that his the “Chibok girls may never administration would not return.” disappoint Nigerians in fixing the President Jonathan, however, current security challenges and warned members of the other problems facing the nation, opposition to stop politicizing and called on every Nigerian to the abduction saga and join support his government to forces with his government to achieve the feat. rescue the girls.

However, the march to the Jonathan made the Presidential Villa by #BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, Abuja family, was yesterday, disrupted by heavily armed anti riot police men, as all the roads leading to villa in Abuja were blocked.

The protesters, stopped by armed anti-riot policemen, were prevented from entering the villa from Yakubu Gowon crescent, Asokoro.

The anti riot police didn’t allow most of the protesters to join the protest as they blocked the road from the three arms zones to Police headquarters junctions.

Both vehicular and people walking to enter the Yakubu Gowon crescent, which was the take-off point, were also disallowed.

The protest, which started around 3pm, was later addressed PLEA FOR RESCUE OF CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRLS: Convener of the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG group, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and her followers making a case for the immediate rescue of all the by the Minister of Women Affairs, schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok to the Presidency, through the Women Affairs Minister, Hajia Zainab Hajia Zanaib Maina, who represented President Jonathan, Maina at the Fire Service gate, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida. saying the Federal Government

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declaration at the National Conference on Environmental Security, Awareness and Enforcement in Nigeria, organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment at Transcorp Hilton,Abuja.

The confab was attended by Service Chiefs, security experts and environmentalists.

Although he did not give any time frame for the rescue of the girls or what his government was doing to address the problem, President Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, assured that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the girls breathe air of freedom.

He said: “As an elected official, I want to solve the problem of the Chibok Girls. It is a priority on my-to-do list as President “I refuse to pass it onto somebody else. Our security interests will not permit us to withhold legitimate actions that will bring back the girls. Our

institutions won’t allow it either.

And neither should our conscience”.

Urging members of the Boko Haram sect who abducted the female students in April to release them unconditionally, President Jonathan commended the BringBackOurGirls group for mounting intense pressure on the government for release of the students.

He however, admitted that rescuing the girls would not be easy but reassured that his government was taking every legal measure to get them out of the claws of the insurgents.

The President said further: “Clearly, this moment demands that the insurgents lay down their arms; it demands the unconditional release of our abducted Chibok girls.

“I agree with the BringBackOurGirls Campaigners, especially for piling up pressure on us on the issue. But, there are no neat or easy answers to bringing back the girls. I wish there were. But I can tell you that the wrong answer is

15 girls die in Kano boat mishap

By Abdulsalam Muhammad

K

ANO—KANO was thrown into grief and shock yesterday when 15 teenage girls lost their lives in boat mishap at Jobawa village, Garin Mallam Local Government Area of the state.

The teenagers, who were between the ages of 8 and 14 were said to have boarded the boat to cross the river from a suburb called Lanjan to the Jobawa village to supply cassava for sale at Garin Mallam town when their ferryboat capsized.

A community leader at Jobawa village, who identified himself as Utubatu Yaro, disclosed that the incident occurred on Monday evening when rainstorm rocked the boat and made it to capsize with the girls on board.

Utubatu Yard explained that “They normally come here to supply cassava for sale around Garin Mallam town and they don’t normally stay till evening but because God has destined that the incident will happen, they were here till evening prayer.

He added that “There was a

violent rainstorm as they were going back and I suspect this must have overturned the boat.''

Yaro disclosed that “We have been able to find the bodies of nine of them, and we are searching for the bodies of the remaining six.”

Yaro further revealed that the driver of the boat reportedly escaped unhurt because “he could swim but could not save any of his passengers.''

However, father of one of the victims, Mallam Saleh, said he was shocked with the story of his 8-year old daughter’s death, pointing out that he has accepted

it as an act of God. Rendering his account of the tragedy, Sale disclosed” She was sent by her mother to buy cassava. After Magrib prayer, we learnt that a boat capsized with fifteen girls of our town, including my daughter. I was shocked, but I must accept it as an act God. It is her time to go”.

Confirming the incident on phone, the acting Police Public Relation officer, DSP Mustapha Abubakar disclosed that 15 girls were involved in the boat mishap, but five bodies have been recovered while ten are still missing.

Mr. President is very busy today.

He cannot come out, he has meetings and since already you are out, that’s why we are asked to come here and meet with you and to apologise for his inability to be here personally.

“But you can see we are all members of the Federal Executive Council. Even though you wrote a letter to the President, he can ask us to come and address you. That’s why we are here to address all of you here.

“You want to meet with Mr. President and find out why up till now the girls have not been rescued to be reunited with their family. We are here to reassure you as a responsible government, there’s no government in the world that will sit back and be comfortable while the citizens of the country are abducted and we don’t know their condition.

“The government is doing all it can to make sure that these girls are rescued and back to their families alive. It is not as if the government is sitting back and watching.

“Government is trying all it could to make sure that these girls are brought back. They are our daughters. We are all mothers; as much as it hurts you, it hurts us even the fathers. You know as well as we do some of you are very much aware of the efforts that the government has been making to make sure that these girls, our daughters are brought back alive.

“There are some technicality issues that border on security, we all know that our military personnel are out there in the bush doing what they can. It is not that they cannot force themselves in there but they have some technical ways of doing their things which we civilian do not know. “ Coordinator of the group Dr. Oby Ezekwezili, while addressing the ministers, said: “You have joined the Police who have prevented us from meeting our President and Commander-in-Chief, the Commissioner of Police did indicate we should wait and then we will be able to proceed to have the meeting.

“We had written the President as part of our global call to action concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls that we would be visiting him exactly on the day that marks six months of the Chibok girls abduction.

“We have come to join up and have that meeting so that we can listen to Mr. President and convey to him the incredible urgency that we desire concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls and to hear from Mr. President what exactly is going on concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls. We are not sure why we are not being allowed to proceed to see Mr. President and so we need to get answers to that.”

10— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

APC have shamed grassroots critics

EBOLA: Fashola urges FG to reinvigorate ports' health facilities

—Commissioner

By Monsur Olowoopejo AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to urgently reinvigorate the port health facilities to forestall probable outbreak of fresh cases of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in the country.

Meantime, Fashola has commissioned an energy academy, aimed at bridging the huge skill gap in the country’s energy sector.

Fashola who spoke at the flag-off of the 64-page Electronic Passport (E-Passport) at the State House Alausa, Ikeja, lamented that the country could not afford to go through another harrowing Ebola experience after it dealt with the first index case, Mr. Patrick Sawyer.

According to him, “This is the time to reinvigorate our port health facilities. This will afford us the opportunity to detect immigrants who has been infected by Ebola virus. And it would aid easily and quick containment at the border posts.”

The governor explained that the border posts are the first line of defense for the country, saying, “It is what passes through the borders that other agencies-police, health officials

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By Ikenna Asomba

AGOS—THE Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mr. Ademurin Kuye has lashed out at the opposition parties for criticising its creation of additional 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs to the exiting 20 Local Government Areas in the state, in 2003.

The commissioner who was speaking yesterday at the official presentation of over 16,000 free school uniforms, bags and exercise books to pupils of the 23 public primary schools in the Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, by the council boss, Hon. Fatai Ajidagba, said the grassroots transformation recorded in the Ifelodun LCDA within three years has proved critics wrong.

Reeling his account of stewardship especially on the area of education, Ajidagba noted that education and youth development remains the bedrock of any society that seeks to develop.

Ikuforiji lauds firm's investment in Lagos

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By Providence Obuh

AGOS — S P E A K E R , Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has lauded Nutricima Limited for its investment in the state, saying that Lagos market remains the hub in West Africa.

He made the commendation when he received the management of Nutricima, led by the Managing Director, Mr. Suneel Vasudevan, during a courtesy visit to his office ahead of the formal launch of Olympic Milk brand’s new identity and product range.

Friesland appoints new MD WITH effect from January 1 2015, Peter Eshikena, outgoing Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, will be appointed Managing Director of the new Operating Company, FrieslandCampina Africa. In his new role, he will be responsible for the accelerated growth of FrieslandCampina’s business in North Africa, East Africa and West Africa respectively and assess further business development priorities of the broader African continent.

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and others, will have to work on.”

While warning that Nigeria is not yet free from the deadly EVD, the governor said: “Yes, we have dealt with EVD but the risk of the infection remains, as long as the disease is yet to be curtailed in Liberia, Guinea and others parts of the world.

“ We must strengthen our screening at the country’s border posts to know where anyone who is coming into the country had earlier visited and to alert the relevant agencies when there are needs for further actions.”

Speaking earlier, the Comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Lagos

State Command, Mrs. Justina Ahmadu, said plans have been concluded to establish two additional passport offices in the state.

Ahmadu said: “This is to ensure seamless and quality service delivery continues in the state, which is the commercial hub of the country.”

LAUNCHING: From left: Mrs. Omowunmi Kalejaiye, Zonal Head, Victoria Island zone, First City First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Amarjeet Singh Sachdeva, GM, Sales, Dana Motors Ltd, Mr Olufemi Bakare, ED, FCMB Ltd and Olu Akanmu, Senior Vice President, Divisional Head Retail Banking, FCMB, at the FCMB/Kia Auto Loan Alliance media launch in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau.

SERAP drags CBN to court over Boko Haram sponsor

By AbdulwahabAbdulah &

Onozure Dania AGOS—THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over its alleged failure to expose those involved in alleged money laundering to fund the dread Boko Haram terrorist group.

In an originating summon filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, with suit number FHC/L/CS/1547/2014, the group was asking for a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the Defendant is under a binding legal obligation to provide the Plaintiff with up to date information relating to those involved in the alleged money laundering.

Counsel to SERAP, Tokunbo Mumuni, submitted that the body had written to the apex bank, requesting for information regarding the person or persons involved in the money laundering to fund Boko Haram insurgents.

SERAP submitted that, “CBN has so far failed, refused and/or neglected to provide the

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Plaintiff with the details of the information requested.

“By virtue of Section 1(1) of the FOI Act 2011, the Plaintiff is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information which is in the custody or possession of any public official,

agency or institution. By the provisions of Section 2(7) and 31 of the FOI Act 2011, the Defendant is a public institution.

“By virtue of Section 4 (a) of the FOI Act, when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution

or agency, the public official, institution or agency to whom the application is directed is under a binding legal obligation to provide the Plaintiff with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received."

Army chief pledges support for injured soldiers

By Kingsley Omonobi

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BUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt. General KTJ Minimah, yesterday, pledged the readiness of the Army authorities to fly out any soldier who sustained serious injury capable of incapacitating such soldier, to any part of the world to get the best medicare.

Minimah gave the pledge at the 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration briefing just as the Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau, called for support for the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against Boko Haram and appreciation for those who have paid the supreme price in defense of the nation.

The Army Chief said, “We have made provisions that officers and soldiers who are killed or wounded in action, disabled, incapacitated or permanently deformed as a

result of our operations in the battlefield are well taken care of. If a soldier dies in action, such a soldier according to our rules, is buried in the cemetery in our barracks close to the battlefield. But for death occasioned by natural causes or sickness, the families of such persons have a right to determine where such a soldier or officer will be buried. In any of the burials, however, the immediate family members must be represented.

“Regarding injuries in battle, for operation ‘Zaman Lafia’, we have our hospital in Maiduguri for minor injuries and after treatment you can return to battle. If the injury is the one that needs bigger attention, such wounded soldier or officer is transferred to the 44 Reference Hospitals, Kaduna where we opened a special unit.

But if the injury is very serious

and capable of incapacitating such a soldier who has vowed to put his life on the line for the country, I have directed that such a soldier should be taken to any part of the world to get the best Medicare”.

Explaining further why some of the soldiers who died in battle cannot be buried with funfair, the COAS said, “Troops killed in action, troops fallen in action or troops fallen in battlefield get military burials. They are buried in cemeteries close to the battlefield.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Micah Gaya, said that out of N105m that was pledged by various individuals and organizations during the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, only N20m has been redeemed while about N85m was yet to be redeemed.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 —11

Ekiti courts re-open as securitymen keep vigil A

By Gbenga Ariyibi

DO EKITI—COURTS in Ekiti State which had been under lock and key for the past three weeks have been official reopened.

However, there was noticeable presence of heavy armed security operatives mostly soldiers, mobile policemen and officials of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, at the court premises.

The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola had on 25 September this year ordered the closure of the court after the disruption of the court and alleged harassment of some judges.

Apparently acting on the order of the National Judicial Council, NJC, the Chief Judge has through a statement signed by the Chief Registrar,Obafemi Fasanmi ordered the immediate re-opening of the courts When Vanguard visited the courts yesterday, workers, however, did not report for duty as members of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, were on strike called by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress over unpaid salaries and allowances.

Those who refused to turn-up for duty included court bailiffs, court clerks and registry personnel among several others.

The statement advised persons having one case or another to pursue at the courts to use the opportunity to come back for adjudication.

Vanguard gathered that the Governorship Election Petitions

Tribunal which earlier adjourned till Tuesday could not seat as a result of the development.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Victor Babayemi said the continued presence of armed personnel at the Judiciary headquarters was in accordance with the directive of the NJC to the Acting Inspector General of

Police that adequate security be provided for Judges and staff in Ekiti courts.

Vanguard gathered that the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, about three weeks ago, ordered the closure of all the courts in the state as a result of attacks on Judges and some court workers by persons suspected to be political thugs.

CELEBRATION: From left: Mr Wale Onaolapo, MD/CE, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Alhaji Remi Bello, President, Lagos Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Hon. Abike DabiriErewa, Guest Speaker, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi, President, Jericho Businessmen Club, Chief Bayo Adelabu, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Dr Adesola Adeduntan, ED/Chief Financial Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Plc., at the celebration of Excellence in honour of Jericho Businessmen Club members in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

ALLEGED SACK OF LAWMAKERS: You lied against

Appeal Court, Osun AG tells PDP O

By Gbenga Olarinoye

SOGBO—OSUN State government yesterday condemned what it called the habitual proclivity of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state to mislead members of the public.

In its official position over claims by the PDP that the Court of Appeal in Akure, last Friday, sacked all federal and state constituencies' lawmakers from the state elected in 2011, the state government, through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Afolabi, said the recent brouhaha sponsored by the PDP in its deliberate

misrepresentation of facts and distortion of the decision of the Court of Appeal on suit concerning Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Mr. Rufus Oluwatoyin Akeju vs.

Peoples Democratic Party – Appeal No. CA/AK/46/2011 called for sober reflection.

Saying that his office had obtained a certified true copy of the judgement of the Akure court, the Attorney General argued that though the freedom of expression permits opinions over decisions of courts, the right does not give room for deliberate manipulation of facts.

The Attorney General stated,

“We have obtained a certified true copy of the ruling of the Court of Appeal delivered on Friday, October 10, 2014, carefully read and digested the three-page ruling and are appalled to note that no sentence or paragraph of the said ruling decided any issue pertaining to the 2011 election of any member of the House of Assembly or National Assembly.

“In no part of the ruling did

the Court of Appeal nullify any election but rather held that the Notice of Appeal filed by INEC was incompetent and thereby struck out the said Notice of Appeal”.

The substantive suit is still pending before the Federal High Court while appeals by other parties on the same interlocutory injunction are still pending at the Court of Appeal up till this moment.

I'm PDP's best option to recover Oyo—Olaosebikan

By Emmanuel Aziken BADAN—FRONTLINE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo State, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan has presented himself as cleanest aspirant with the best potential in the party to win back the Governor’s Office for the party.

Olaosebikan who boasted of his close attachment to the grassroots in the state spoke when he collected his gubernatorial form at the PDP secretariat.

The PDP state public relations officer, Mr. Kehinde Salawu who formally presented the forms to Olaosebikan at the occasion asked party members to disregard speculations of an

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anointed aspirant among the many aspirants as he said that the party was determined to ensure the best aspirant emerged as candidate.

Olaosebikan, a former journalist, senior official in the defunct Lam Adesina state administration and local government chairman said he was entering the fray because of his strong desire for service and empowerment of the common man.

He said: “I am the person that can win the gubernatorial election with ease for our great party, PDP. Without any influence of money or any extravagance whatsoever, I have the strongest connect with the grassroots and the elite."

Ekiti people should be thankful to Fayemi —Gen Akinrinade

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SAN EKITI— FORMER Minister of Agriculture, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd) has urged Ekiti people to be thankful to the outgoing Governor of the State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for expending the State resources in transforming the state.

The former Minister who gave the charge during the commissioning of the State College of Technical and Commercial Agriculture, Isan Ekiti and Fountain Food Processing Company in Ayedun Ekiti, yesterday, said the people should be thankful that Fayemi worked for them and did not pocket their funds.

Akinrinade who was also a former minister of Industries stressed that Ekiti people may not at present appreciate the various people-oriented projects of the outgoing government, the efforts of the outgoing administration would one day become a reference point in the State.

...as market women urge support for Fayose

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EANTIME, WITH only two days to the swearing-in of the governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose, market women in Ekiti State under the aegis of Council of Iyalojas and Iyalajes have described those opposing Fayose’s assumption of office as selfish, saying; “Having been overwhelmingly elected by Ekiti people, what all lovers of peace in the State should do is to pray for the success of the new administration.”

Speaking through the Iyaloja of Ekiti State, Mrs. Bisi Okunmolale, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the market women said they were solidly behind the governor-elect, noting that no right thinking Ekiti indigene should do anything against the popular wish of the people.

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

NIS recruitment victims protest alleged neglect

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—VICTIMS of the ill-fated Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, recruitment which claimed the lives of 18 applicants across the country, yesterday in Benin City, protested alleged failure by the Federal Government to implement the compensation package promised them.

One applicant died while over 20 others were injured in the stampede at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, venue of the exercise in Edo State.

Over 20,000 applicants turned up for the test.

President Goodluck Jonathan had, on March 19, directed that three employment slots be reserved for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede during the recruitment.

He also directed that all those who sustained injuries and were hospitalised be given automatic employment in the service.

The victims, however, alleged that nothing had been heard from the Federal Government regarding its promises to the victims in Edo State, forcing them to take to the streets in Benin City yesterday.

The victims and their families had placards with inscriptions which read, “We are traumatised immigration victims still without jobs,” “Please, allow the souls of the departed NIS recruitment victims to rest in peace” and “Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, we are still waiting for your promise.” They appealed to the Federal

Government to fulfill its promise.

One of the victims, Austin Amu, who lost his wife during the exercise, lamented that he and his three children aged eight, five and three, had been languishing in pain since the death of his 27year-old wife.

Amu, who also participated in the exercise, narrated how he discovered that his wife had died, saying that he had paid several visits to the NIS office, none of which yielded good result.

“Getting to different hospitals, they told me that they had discharged those who were

injured. They showed me a list but my wife’s name was not there.

When I got to the Specialist Hospital, they told me that the only corpse brought by the NIS had no name. When I insisted on seeing the corpse, I discovered that it was that of my wife. I have visited the NIS office many times but they keep telling me to be patient because there has been no response right from Abuja.

That was why I decided to cry out to let the public know my feeling because carrying these children alone is not an easy task for me.”

Another victim, Timothy

Omoagbon, said life had been difficult for his family since the incident. Omoagbon, lamented: t“I saw my wife lying on the ground In fact, my wife collapsed in the stadium. It took the efforts of immigration officials to revive her, pouring water on her before she stood up. But later she started coughing out blood and couldn’t breathe very well. We went to immigration but they told us that they are waiting for directive from Abuja and would let us know when get it. But we have not had anything till now. We are appealing to the President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfil his promise.”

VISIT: From left: Chief Emmanuel Ejiofor, Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant; Sir Tony Obuh; Senator Patrick Osakwe; Chief Fred Majemite; Chief J.E. Imudia and Architect Ambi Okuhor, when Obuh visited the senator at Ugiliamai, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday.

2015: Why I want to be Delta gov —Olejeme

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA—AHEAD of the November 29 governorship primaries of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2015 general elections, a governorship aspirant in Delta State, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, said yesterday that her dream was to preside over a Delta State that would be functional, productive and prosperous to ensure that no citizen of the state lacked basic necessities of life.

She also said she would declare free and compulsory education from primary to secondary level while tertiary education would be highly subsidized to an affordable level.

In a statement, Olejeme said if she became governor of Delta State, her administration would be anchored on agriculture, education, healthcare delivery, industrialization and mass housing scheme, among others.

She also promised to run an administration where no group or section of the state would be shortchanged or

marginalised in the scheme of things. “It is going to be a one family state,” he said.

Olejeme, in a statement through her media aide, Mr. Chukwuemeka Clement, reiterated that she had developed a road map for a better Delta State.

On health, she said: ”All these are to ensure that no citizen of

Delta State would die because of inability to afford medical bills or children denied education because parents or guardians could not afford their school fees.”

Olejeme, who also promised to give priority to agriculture and industrialization to achieve the twin advantages of food security and employment

opportunities for youths, said: “These are my plans to diversify the economy and open windows of opportunities for both local and foreign investors. If we are given opportunity to govern and implement our programmes , no son or daughter of Delta state would travel abroad in search of greener pasture because there would be opportunity for everyone here."

Oil marketing firm takes Kero-Direct programme to Delta communities

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ARRI—AN oil marketing firm, A & E Petrol, has said that it decided to move its “Kero-Direct” programme for Delta riverine communities to Pessu Market Waterside in Warri, Warri South Local Local Government Area, to enable people from Ogbe-Ijoh area, Aladja and other neighbouring villages access kerosene at a cheaper rate.

The company yesterday promised to liaise with the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Maduekwe, and Delta State Government to incorporate the sale of subsidised petrol in the programme across the riverine communities of the state Chief Executive Officer of the firm,

Chief Ayirimi Emami, gave the explanation, at the Pessu Market Waterside in Warri, while supervising the sale of over 500,000 litres of kerosene to thousands of traders and other business owners in the area.

While thanking the federal and state governments for choosing A & E Petrol to assist the less privileged through the sale of subsidised kerosene at N50 per litre, Chief Emami promised continuity of the kero-direct programme and possibly include the sale of subsidised petrol so long as his company got supply consistently.

Edo senator commended over social security bill

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KOKO Edo Local Government Council, Edo State, has commended the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, in the National Assembly, Senator Domingo Obende, for sponsoring the social security bill, saying it would be of immense benefit to Nigerians Speaking through the Special Adviser to Local Government Chairman, Mr. Sani Ojo, the council said it had never had it so good.

He said: “Nigerians and Edo North people in particular, were excited when the news of the Act to Provide for the Establishment of the National Social Welfare Commission being sponsored by Senator Domingo broke on Monday.

“The menace of robbers, miscreants and area boys roaming the streets and constituting threats to lives and property would have been addressed by the singular effort of Senator Obende. Those eyeing the senator’s seat should have a rethink and backpedal because we have never had it so good in the history of Edo North. What else can a senator do to empower the people than sponsoring a bill that will eradicate criminality?"

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—13

NBA President begs abductors to release Okey Wali

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARC O U R T — PRESIDENT of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, has pleaded with the abductors of the immediate past president of the body, Chief Okey Wali, SAN, to release him unconditionally.

Alegeh, who spoke yesterday, at Rumualogu, in Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, flayed the

lingering crisis in the state judiciary that had led to a strike by staff of the judiciary.

Chief Wali was abducted last Saturday at Rumualogu while on his way to visit his brother in the neighbourhood.

Mr. Alegeh led chairmen of the five branches of the NBA in the state to identify with the family of the hostage in Port Harcourt in their trying moment.

He said: “I have come to the family of our 26th

Mark, Bayelsa govt in shock over Alamieyeseigha's son's death

By Samuel Oyadongha & Johnbosco Agbakwuru BUJA—SENATE President, Senator David Mark and Bayelsa State Government, have expressed shock over the death of Oyamiefa, son of former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D i e p r e y e Alamieyeseigha, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate.

Senator Mark, in a condolence message to Chief Alamieyeseigha, the family and the government of Bayelsa State, said: “I share in your moment of grief. I sincerely sympathize with you and pray Almighty God continue to be with the remaining members of your family.”

He said it was painful that Oyamiefa’s youthful life was cut short by the cold hands of death in a foreign land, and urged

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Chief Alaimeyeseigha “to bear this cross with a rekindled faith in God that we shall meet Oyamiefa at the feet of Jesus Christ on the last day.”

On its part, Bayelsa State Government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, while describing Oyamiefa's death as a devastating blow, said the deceased would not only be missed by his immediate family, but also the entire state.

Calling on security operatives in Dubai to unravel the mystery surrounding the death, especially as there were conflicting reports over the manner in which he died, the government stated that this would afford the nation an opportunity to justify the confidence reposed in the security agents.

president, Emmanuel Okey Wali, along with chairmen of branches of NBA in Rivers State and some leaders of the bar to show solidarity with the family; to show the family that the bar is in pains as they are in pains and the bar will stand with them at all times and also to use this opportunity to appeal to anybody who is involved in the abduction of Mr. Wali to please, in God’s name consider releasing him on compassionate grounds.

“He has served the country very well. He has always fought for the defenceless and most importantly, he does not possess the health that would enable him to survive in maltreatous conditions. So we appeal passionately for his safety and release. That is why we have come here today.

“We have always said that the principal function of government is to provide for the welfare and security of the people. That is the constitutional role of government; more important than any other role that government has to play.

“And, if we are faced with situations, where kidnapping still exists in our country, it shows that there is failure on the part of government and we have called on government also to please step up their acts and take more proactive steps at addressing the security situation in the country,” he said.

Orunmwense emerges new UNIBEN V C

By Simon Ebegbulem

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E N I N — PROFESSOR Faraday Osasere Orunmwense, Acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering, yesterday emerged the new ViceChancellor of University of Benin, UNIBEN. The Professor of Mechanical Engineering emerged as Prof. Osayuki Oshodin’s successor after scoring 78 per cent in an interview conducted by the Governing Council of the university.

He emerged top among 18 other candidates who sat for the interview.

His emergence means

another Bini indigene succeeding Prof. Oshodin.

In a swift reaction, Edo Unity League and the Benin National Congress, BNC, socio- cultural organizations in Edo State, hailed Prof. Orunmwense's emergence, declaring that they had no doubt that “he has all it takes to take UNIBEN to the next level due to his outstanding credentials.”

In a joint statement, the groups tasked the new Vice Chancellor to “live in accordance with the template of President Goodluck Jonathan and the aspirations of the host communities. We implore every aspirant to the post

to support him, including attracting foreign organizations as Food Foundation and UNESCO to support the new appointee. He should improve on the legacies of Prof. Oshodin. We pledge our unequivocal and unflinching support for him to succeed as Oshodin’s successor.”

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the University, Mr. Harrison Osarenren, confirmed the development, saying the best candidate emerged “after the interview conducted.”

Prof.Oshodin's tenure will terminate on November 30, 2014.

14 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Oshiomhole's Chief of Staff for Senate

By Simon Ebegbulem

2015: Buhari storms PH, seeks support

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ENIN CITY— AHEAD the 2015 general elections in Edo state, All Progressives Congress, APC, youth in Edo South yesterday, endorsed the Chief of Staff to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Patrick O b a h i a g b o n (Igodomigodo), as their candidate for the Edo South senatorial primaries of APC. The youths urged the leadership of the APC in the South to give Obahiagbon their support, due to what they described as his “outstanding performance when he was in the House of Representatives.

A statement by Kola Edokpaiyi, and Iyamu Osaro, said “no reasonable Edo man will detest the fact thatObahiagbon’s voicewasloud and clear in agitating the right of thecommonmanduringdebates on the floor of the House. Also, he has demonstrated absolute loyalty to his party APC and to the Edo state government where he is currently a serving Chief of Staff.”

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday stormed Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, urging the people of Rivers State and the SouthSouth region, to vote for him in the February 14, 2015 presidential election, should he be picked by his party.

The former Head of state said he was in the state to formerly invite Governor Chibuike Amaechi to attend his formal declaration to run on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC for the presidential election.

Speaking, Governor Amaechi described the former Head of State as a detribalized Nigerian, saying “those who describe you as a religious bigot do not know you.

Frankly, I used to think that way when I was in the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, but all that changed when I joined

the APC and have the opportunity to relate with you very closely as a politician that is truly detribalized in the true sense of the word.

The problem that you have in politics which I have come to observe is that those who managed your image in the past did not manage it properly. They allowed the erroneous label of you being

a religious bigot to stick. Let me take myself for example, if you accuse me once, I accuse you 20 times and then go to the media to tell them my own side of the story.

“As you can see, most of those who have come to welcome you to government house are Christians. The percentage of your

supporters in Rivers State who are Muslims are not more than 10 per cent. So, you can now see that the majority of your supporters here are nonMuslims. It is evident that your support base in Rivers State is not based on tribal sentiments. As for us, you are a detribalized Nigerian nationalist.”

NLC calls for Okey Wali's release

By Victor Ahiuma-Young AGOS—NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, demanded for immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, SAN, without harm.

The former NBA president was abducted by unknown persons in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday.

NLC in a statement by its

L

General Secretary, Dr. Peter I. Ozo-Eson, said: “We are dismayed by the abduction of Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association.

We appeal to his abductors to release him unconditionally and unharmed. Abduction is a criminal act used to extort money from victims or their families or friends. It is also an unacceptable tool of terror which we must all resist or fight.

“We must not succumb to this intimidation. We urge the security forces who have been fighting this scourge to rise to the challenge of rescuing Mr Wali. They need quality intelligence and equipment to get the job done. Their success is also very much contingent upon a vigilant and co-operative public or local populace. We at the Congress earnestly solicit their co-operation at this point in time.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 15

C M Y K

16—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Chime commends Jonathan, World Bank over erosion control

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has commended President Goodluck Jonathan and the World Bank on their efforts at controlling erosion menace in the South-East region.

The governor spoke through his Deputy, Rev. Raphael Ifeanyichukwu Nwoye, in an address during the launch of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, at Michael Okpala Square in Enugu.

Governor Chime said all efforts by the state and local governments as well as constituencies to control gully erosion before now had not yielded the desired result because of improper road designs, inadequate drainage systems and poor solid waste management in urban and semi-urban areas.

Others, he said, “are destructive and unsustainable land use practices that remove

protective vegetation cover, over grazing, deforestation, cultivation of marginal lands and uncontrolled mining for building materials and climate change challenges.”

The governor regretted that the erosion had damaged infrastructural projects such as roads, highways, reservoirs, pipeline networks and natural assets like productive farms and forests.

Noting that Enugu State had the highest number of erosion sites in Nigeria while Anambra State had the worst erosion sites, he, however, expressed confidence that NEWMAP and the World Bank would help the state in tackling the menace as done in China, Brazil and Israel.

Earlier, Project coordinator of NEWMAP in Enugu, Mr. Simeon Nwankwo, expressed

delight that as one of the South Eastern states where erosion challenges led to the birth of NEWMAP, the state had embraced the project promptly.

Nwankwo said Enugu State had fulfilled the first condition given by the World Bank for the state to participate by paying the required initial counterpart fund of N60,000,000 in 2013.

2015: Stakeholders in Anambra South endorse Udeh for Senate

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—STAKEHOLDERS in Orumba North and Orumba South local government areas of Anambra South senatorial zone have endorsed the former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Okey Udeh, for the senatorial election for Anambra South in 2015.

At their meetings in Orumba North and Orumba South, the stakeholders said the area

deserved to go to the Senate because it had not produced any senator for the zone.

They also recalled what they described as the landmark achievements of Udeh when he was in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 before he was elected deputy governor and between 2007 and 2011 when he returned to the House of Representatives.

Mr. Tochukwu Mgbeafuluba, who moved the motion for

Udeh’s endorsement, said he was inspired to nominate him for the senate considering that he had attracted enormous developments to the area, coupled with the fact that other parts of the zone had dominated the senatorial seat.

He said: “Udeh was responsible for the installation of comprehensive rural electrification network in ten communities in Orumba federal constituency."

Jonathan condoles with Oshiomhole over Tayo Akpata's death

P

R E S I D E N T Goodluck Jonathan, has commiserated with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the people of Edo State on the death of prominent Nigerian administrator, educationist and elder statesman, Chief Tayo Akpata.

A statement by Mr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said Jonathan also extended sincere condolences to Chief Akpata’s widow, Chief Olabisi Akpata, his children, grandchildren and other relatives.

He said: “As they mourn their beloved husband, father and grandfather, the President urges them to take solace in the memory of Chief Akpata’s long, and very fulfilled life."

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 —17 “Society performs for itself almost everything which is ascribed to government”.—Thomas Paine, 1737-1809.

I

Islamists sented by their people for being weak and corrupt, for abandoning the interests of Islam, and being the cause of all the fate of Muslims.

There were Muslims from all parts of the world who worried over the perception that Muslims are engaged in a global war with every type of enemy including fellow Muslims, and they cannot understand exactly what the issues are, or how they should judge who is right or wrong.

They resent the term Islamist applied by the Western media to every group that takes up arms and claims to fight for a cause, provided they are Muslims. They worried that the global Muslim community is being weakened by multiple assaults from self-inflicted intra-Muslim conflicts as we see in Syria, Iraq, Iran and many other parts of the Muslim world. They lament the damaging image being created for Islam as a faith rooted in violence from which the rest of the world should put much distance.

Every Muslim now knows of Boko Haram, and wants to know what it represents or if it can get what it wants.

Muslims from all over the world are curious over how Boko Haram, Al Shabbab and AQIM managed to grow into what they are, the social context that gives them succour, and the attitudes of other Muslims towards them. Everyone wants to know if the spectacular emergence of the Islamic State, ISIL, will inspire more Muslim uprisings or serve as impetus for groups under arms to dig in.

The Hajj provided an opportunity for much soul-searching among Muslims, but in truth, there was more pain and anger than studied analyses over the state of Islam in the world. On those rare occasions when discussions moved away from lamentations to the search for solutions, a

few difficult positions struggled to emerge.

One is that the Muslim world is not one world at all: it is a patchwork of Muslim communities each labouring under fairly unique stimuli and challenges.

While it has common irritants such as the brazen impunity with which Israel justifies its security, or a West which both protects it and makes much capital from the weaknesses of Muslim countries, or the humiliating capitulation of leaders of Muslim countries and communities, it is important to understand the basic differences between the goals of Chechnian Muslims, ISIL and Boko

,

SPENT the last two weeks in Saudi Arabia among Islamists. These are Muslims who recognize the imperatives of complying with the demands of their faith to visit Makkah for the Hajj, and are blessed with the means to do so. There were millions of us, all submitting to the incomparable awesomeness of the entire exercise. The bewildering mix of race, age, status, gender, nationalities, sects, political leaning, wealth and poverty, humbled by a breathtaking environment undertook a ritual that had been performed exactly the way we did for more than 1400 years.

For four days, millions of Muslims stood in total submission to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and prayed.

Everyone was there with their private packet of prayers and requests, but virtually everyone shared one prayer in common: that Muslims the world over will overcome the challenges they face with such seeming impotence. You got to know of this when, as I was privileged to do, you mixed with Muslims from all over the world, the category of pilgrims who are knowledgeable, informed, involved and passionate about their faith. Muslims from the Balkans and former USSR speak about the stresses of living with violence inspired by groups bent on pushing back frontiers of oppression from non-Muslims powers. Asian Muslims and millions in many Arab countries speak of unending violence as Muslims take on each other in a vicious struggles to establish a particular version of Islamic system.

The Middle East speaks of blood and guts, of Israel’s callous savagery, the unyielding support it enjoys from the US and its allies, and of the desperation of generations who have known only war with Israel as the basic stuff of life. The Maghreb speaks of turmoil and vicious battles to assume the power to determine how much influence the Islamic faith is allowed in public lives of Muslims. West and East Africa bleed from weak governments and determined groups that have made massive inroads into lives of citizens using terror to prop up Islamic systems.

In Central Africa, Muslims are under attack for just being Muslims. European Muslims are torn between being Muslims and being Europeans. Muslim leaders fawn at the feet of America and beg it to fight their battles for them. They are re-

Our neighbours must be more actively involved in the fight to destroy the rump of the terrorists. Defeating Boko Haram militarily is only a first step towards dealing with this threat. The Northern Muslim establishment must undertake a deep and thorough search into its weaknesses and limitations. Long before it challenged the Nigerian state, Jamaatu Ahlil Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, JASLIWAJ, was pre-eminently a challenge against mainstream Muslim leadership and establishment. Its remote nourishment is still there in abundance: in sects that resist reforms in Islamic education, in poverty and corrupt and indifferent leadership. These have to be faced by religious and political leaders in Nigeria with courage, sensitivity and knowledge.

Some very big obstacles will have to be confronted and overcome. It will be a monumental mistake to assume that some of the most basic problems which generate alienation and anger among Muslims in Nigeria can only be solved by government. Nigerian Muslims lend themselves to weak governments to use, or tolerate practices and weaknesses that weaken Muslims and create conditions which breed fringe groups. It will be equally naive to assume that having a Muslim President alone will dramatically transform the state of Muslims in Ni-

,

They lament the damaging image being created for Islam as a faith rooted in violence from which the rest of the world should put much distance

Haram. There will always be a Muslim group somewhere that will take up arms in the name of the faith, but a world in which the vast majority of Muslims live in peace with themselves and nonMuslims is feasible. More than that, it is now an urgent necessity. The detailed fatwa issued by the world’s leading Muslim leaders a few weeks ago hints at a new thinking around isolating Islam from terror.

Much as we think our version of the threats posed by Boko Haram are very serious (and they are) they pale in comparison with those in many other parts of the world. This is very fortunate for us in Nigeria (and Africa) because it means our own threat is still within the bracket of those that can be contained and, in the longer term, eliminated. But this is not to be assumed. The current appearance of success by the Nigerian state against terrorists must be supported and sustained.

geria. In a Nigerian state whose structure does no favour to Islam as a religion, the Muslim community will have to assume prime responsibility for its condition.

I spent the last two weeks with Islamists more deserving of the name than terrorists who serve anti-Islamic interests.

For us in Nigeria, the real fight against Boko Haram will have to be fought by Muslims, because the Nigerian state cannot respond appropriately to the complex interplay between faith, society and economy which breeds groups such as them. If Muslim leaders do not move with courage and speed to plug the many loopholes in their unity and disposition that will be exploited for the 2015 elections, they will be made even weaker. Then groups like JASLIWAJ will find even stronger impetus to rise against a state they will claim is patently antiIslamic.

OPINION

BY EMMA FEJOKWU

D

EATH no doubt is an inestimable end which must come when it will come. If it comes to a beloved one, the grief of all those affected as a result of the death can best be imagined, especially when it becomes very obvious that never again can such a fellow be seen or heard.

It was the same grief I fell into when my good friend of many years, Olorogun Ngozi Okolie sent me a text message in my phone of the demise of his beloved father, Ogbueshi Michael Eluemuno Okolie at the age of 86 years.

This tribute is in honour of a man of many parts who throughout his sojourn on earth in the various places he worked and positions held and even after he retired meritoriously and engaged in private business and as a prominent community leader, was never found wanting.

I had the singular opportunity of meeting and getting acquainted with the late Pa Michael Okolie about ten years ago. In the cause of my interaction as a journalist with one of his sons, Ngozi Okolie, who then was making moves towards entering politics and becoming the chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Council in Asaba, Delta State. Since then, I established a deeper relationship with the family and I fondly C M Y K

Tribute to an icon of our time called my friend’s father, Papa Okolie till date.

Ogbueshi Michael Eluemuno Okolie, popularly called Okolie Bank, was born on September 28,1928 in Asaba, his home town. His father was the famous Ogbueshi Ochilieme Okolie of Umuezefadia in Umuaji Quarters, Asaba. He was a police constable while his mother was the late Omu of Asaba who was brutally murdered in 1969.

Ogbueshi Okolie lost his father when he was a toddler and was raised up by his illustrious mother. He began his early education at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Asaba and later joined his elder brother who was then an employee of the Nigerian Railway Corporation in Lagos and completed his education there. He gained employment with the then Bank of British West Africa in 1950 at Enugu and was transferred back to Lagos in 1956. He proceeded to Kano on relief duty and later joined as inspector in Jos for training and thus became the first Nigerian to be trained as the bank inspector.

Papa Okolie, a true purist who can best be described as a democrat of our time and one man that brought hope then to the financial sector, was promoted in 1962 to

an Assistant Accountant, a highly valued position at that time when expatriates held sway and was posted to Kaduna.

In 1966, he was sent to London on a course and on his return to the country when the crisis erupted in the North, he sent his family back home to Asaba and moved to Kano.

When the crisis escalated, he and his other colleagues left for Port Harcourt from where he moved to Asaba.In mid October 1966 Ogbueshi Okolie resumed duties at Aba and settled there with his family. Following the civil war and the exit of all expatriate staff from the East, he assumed management of the Aba branch.

After the war in 1970, he reported to Lagos and on completion of an orientation course, he was sent to work at Broad Street Branch and later posted to Benin branch as the Accountant.

Papa Okolie, an unassuming technocrat and a man who in all respects and by all standards has distinguished himself in several ways as a patriot, sacrificed all to assist in stabilising the financial sector, was barely six months in Benin when he was recalled to the inspectorate department head office of the bank in Lagos. From here * he travelled widely to oversee all the

inspectorate departments in the bank, including Calabar, Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt.

In the cause of the Nigerianisation exercise which led to a major re-structuring which brought the appointment of seven Nigerians to replace expatriates, Ogbueshi Okolie was among the seven Nigerians and was posted to Ilesha supervising five branches, and later in 1975 was appointed the first Nigerian manager for the Warri branch and in 1978, was posted again to Lagos as the first Nigerian Chief Inspector from where he rose to become the Regional Manager and posted to Benin as the first Nigerian to hold that position and was in charge of all the branches in the then Bendel State. As a seasoned banker, Papa Okolie attended various banking and management courses in Nigeria and the U.K. He retired meritoriously after putting in 34 years service.

A remarkable aspect of Papa is that he ensured that all his children were well brought up with sound education while he also took time off to visit and play active role in community development. At retirement he set up a sachet water producing company at Asaba which gave job to many.

*Mr Fejokwu, a media Consultant, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 THUGS understand the business of violence. The boldness that has grown from not punishing them is evident in the havoc they are causing. They are appropriating space, the law watches.

From humble beginnings that saw thugs on the fringes of elections, they have assumed commanding positions in our politics. The growth and importance of thugs are sustained by willingness of most candidates to use them.

Thugs are in business because violence is profitable. Thugs are growing in numbers and in the intensity of their actions. They adorn an air of invincibility because society permits them, dreads them, and sometimes adores them.

Elections used to be the season of thugs.

However, profits from the enterprise have seen ambitious thugs extending their business to pre-election matters. Last week’s outing of thugs at the Peoples Democratic Party’s meeting at its national headquarters in Abuja, underscores how bold thugs have become. In the full glare of the nation, they attacked their master ’s opponents, journalists, or whosoever caught their fancy.

A Season For Thugs These are preludes to the bigger ones, the 2015 elections. The choice of PDP’s national headquarters as an early practising pitch, at the level of an intraparty feud, says a lot. All seems to be fair in the war called politics.

Ironically, the PDP event was a reconciliation meeting of its South South members. It could not hold in Port Harcourt because thugs control party affairs in the city. Members confessed that lives would have been lost if the meeting was in Port Harc o u r t .

A consistent attribute of the imposition of thugs is that the police concede space to them. They watched as thugs took over the PDP secretariat in Abuja.

In Benin City, where claims and counter-

claims compete for acceptance in the brutality visited on a legislator, the law watches askance. Thugs have seized authority. Nobody would be punished for these infractions as was the case with the 2011 election riots that swept through many States.

Thugs act for people. Someone controls, equips, feeds, pays and owns them. They are drunk on their principals’ violent utterances, and most importantly, they are assured the law would not inconvenience them. The law should not excuse murderers and arsonists because they act for politicians.

Duplicity in punishing electoral offenders belittles the law.

Every Nigerian has a right to lawful contention for power. We must avoid being so consumed about winning elections that we set the country on fire.

Those who aspire to lead Nigerians should not use violence to achieve their ambitions.

They should tell Nigerians how their leadership would improve Nigeria, instead of promoting violence.

Immunity for thugs and their sponsors approves unprecedented violence. Thugs are overdue for punishment.

OPINION

By Sola Adedipe

B

ARELY five months to the 2015 general elections, and as most political parties and likely contestants are still ‘consulting’, a new unique phenomenon called the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, has taken over the polity.

What actually started as a mere rabblerousing bunch of wanna-bes have now clearly amazed the nation. The group has now proved that they meant business. They have bestrode the nation’s hitherto confused political landscape like a colossus, uniting, unifying, galvanizing and educating citizens through realistic showcasing of achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan. Through a wellpublicized scheduled national rallies systematically planned for each of the six geo-political zones of the nation, TAN has taken the Jonathan-message to every village and hamlet of Nigeria. This has seen the President’s positive perception and social rating among citizens of all class, gender and ages, to soar high to an unprecedented level. It has constantly and regularly continued to bridge all social and political gaps that could have existed.

And this has evidently made the opposition-both the internal and external opponents and enemies of the Presidentlivid with anger. Because, from the deluge of open and secret attacks and brickbats so far thrown at TAN, it was almost giving, albeit the ‘political’ impression that there were more house enemies of Mr President within than without.

From every conceivable angle they have in the recent weeks pounced on the revolution called TAN with so much vigour that if the group had not been imbued with the grace to stave the attacks, it would have been messy. Totally messy.

Without holding forth for Prof Rufai C M Y K

TAN and opponents of Jonathan Ahmed Alkali or Alh Lai Mohammed or others acting behind the scene, it has been funny how those who would have been defending Mr President and his administration have been busy openly attacking those who took it upon themselves to showcase the number one citizen to the world. This people have been clearly so incensed of TAN that they now tell anyone who cared to listen that they would soon “push TAN aside so as to get at Mr President direct”.

An insider told this writer that the fight was over nothing but money and politics.

That while TAN is becoming an unwanted eclipse that has hugely threatened their carrot and stick brand of politics, they cannot sit by and watch it go on. And that they must do something real fast. That was exactly what they are doing right now.

So one wonders whether this same people were actually behind the very poor packaging and reporting of Jonathan in the very many above/below the line media tools in the country. That TAN would forever be recorded in the nation’s history books as the pioneer of realistic political showcasing of a President’s achievements.

That the group’s work was perceived by the nation’s men of goodwill as coming from an amalgam of men/women simply driven by zeal to highlight the numerous epic achievements of Jonathan that were seemingly under-reported, unappreciated and consciously or subconsciously unnoticed by the public and those whose duty it is to do so.

However, what they appear not to know was that the man they had wanted to witchhunt and undermine-Jonathan, is now the greatest beneficiary. His name, his long list of achievements, and his rallies have suddenly taken over the entire television

airwaves all over the country today. Yes, the political hawks are collecting their usual and somewhat ‘statutory’ meal ticket, but have now been unwittingly been forced to do something with it.

They have now been forced by the present realities to do something tangible with it.

At least it is no more business as usual. Chief Victor Umeh’s All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, took the first bait, followed

by Chief Bode George’s South West Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, despite the fact that everyone knows that most of them were merely blowing hot air in public. That a large chunk normally change gear after dusk to nocturnal meetings that negate all what they did in the day time.

Umeh’s long cap which many loved to hate has come out very clearly to show a man who has taken political loud-mouthing business to a new height in this dispensation.

He was said to have reasoned that besides making huge benefit from Jonathan’s presidential campaigns and the state government’s anticipated gracious support, he would also ride and latch on the PDP campaign to push his senatorial ambition project to fruition.

It was obvious he underrated the ability and commitment of those behind TAN when he allegedly subtly planned for its Awka rally of August 16 to fail but failed woefully.

It was so bad he chose to embark on an unscheduled tour of his Agulu-uzoigbo community with all the key journalists in Awka. It took only the dutiful commitment of the TAN organizers to get the media buzzing once again.

Whereas crowd control nearly failed due to the surging enthusiastic crowd that had continued to stream into the expansive Dr Alex Ekwueme Square till after the event ended, some of the governors in the zone

had wished it never happened. Little wonder they have quickly been putting together some hurried patch-patch rallies to ‘promote’ Jonathan.

As the TAN zonal national rallies get to a climax, more and more of these competing rallies have continued. Though the effort at cloning TAN has been painstaking, but TAN remains the original, hence miles ahead in content, commitment, prosecution and execution. There has been a yawning gap between struggling to join the crowd and being the pacesetter. TAN has remained the pacesetter, a new phenomenon in political campaign advocacy.

The organisation has evidently re-written the old syllabus and curriculum in political advocacy for a fast-paced digital manual for only the strong at heart.

Today, the initial, somewhat conspiratorial, silence against the numerous achievements of President Jonathan which Lai Mohammed, his All Progressive Congress, APC and other such individuals and organisations had enjoyed, has given way to a new brand name. Today, many have now known, seen and believed with hard facts that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has long before now already written his name in solid gold in the sands of time as the greatest performing president Nigeria ever had so far. This means that his second term of another four years would usher in an unrivalled transformation that would naturally obliterate any form of political opposition in the polity permanently. But it is clear that people like Lai Mohammed do not want such to happen without a tough struggle.

*Mr Adedipe, a political analyst, wrote from Lagos

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014— —19

, T

HE question of how rich President Goodluck Jonathan is should not come as a surprise to any Nigerian that has been following report of his curious listing by an American publication as the sixth richest head of state in Africa. The implication of this revelation by the online news medium, Richest Lifestyle, whether proven true or not, should also be very clear to every Nigerian, not the least of all the presidency, that has reacted in uncharacteristically prompt and sharp language. The inclusion of President Jonathan on this list of the rich, Rueben Abati, presidential spokesperson says, is an attempt to portray the President as corrupt. What more can anybody add to that?

There is no doubt that was the implication of the report, that is to make Jonathan look like one of those corrupt African leaders of a bygone era, individual sovereigns in their own right, the Mobutus, the Bokassas and the Houphouet Boignys, 20th century throwbacks of mediaeval potentates who had the coffers of their various countries in their pockets and could as they

wish help themselves to the till. This league of rich African leaders is not an enviable one. It is a real egbekegbe, the type Fela says is a bad society in ‘Beast of no nation’. It is only appropriate that the Nigerian government should show all signs of indignation. The President himself should feel personally affronted.

He has not been listed as one of the most cerebral leaders in Africa, even as a former academic. He has not been praised for the worthy manner his country has combated the Ebola Virus Disease threat that even almighty America, we are told, is falling over itself to learn from us.

No, President Jonathan has not been eulogised for being the worthy transformative leader of the country with the largest black population in the world. A country whose achievements under Jonathan some ‘transformation ambassadors’ have been celebrating and touting as reason the President should be returned to Aso Villa for additional four years. None of these apparent and not-so-apparent achievements of the President has been singled out for praise. But rather, like a business

,

tycoon, President Jonathan has been listed in a dubious list of rich leaders, much in the same way that Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and Femi Otedola and company have been put on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world. This is a shame, a tongue in cheek celebration of failure.

Although with an alleged personal fortune of US $100 million, President Jonathan is a poor politician, to say nothing of a president, even by Nigerian standard.

His entire fortune is far less than is coughed out from one of the more modest secret accounts of the Abacha family scattered around the world.

Nearly two decades after the passing of its patriarch, funds looted in their hundreds of dollars by the Abacha family are still being unearthed in different parts of the world. Thus in death, Sani Abacha is still richer than President Jonathan according to this infamous report. But as a man who has spent his entire career in public service, it is a miracle how Jonathan could be expected to have come about the amount of wealth ascribed to him.

The outrage Abuja has shown to

As Delta State gets set for local government elections

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HEN announcing the date oflongoverdue local government elections in Delta State, the chairman of the state’s independent electoral commission, Mr Moses Ogbe, said, in that grating grandiloquence bordering on bombast that Nigerian public servants love so much, as follows: “Having regard to the desire of Deltans for the conduct of a smooth and hitch-free Local Government Election in the state, the commission has resolved that the elections will hold on Saturday, 25th October, 2014.” Simply put, Ogbe wished to inform Deltans that the state’s LGA elections would be held on the given date and the prevailing wish was that they reflect the will of the people. By implication, Ogbe guaranteed that he would conduct exactly that kind of election.

I very much want to believe Ogbe but I’m unable to. Not until the elections are over and the clear verdict is that they were free and fair. Which would be easy enough to tell given the manner of Nigerian politics as currently practised: the ruling party in Delta must not win all, or just about all, of the chairmanship and councillorship seats. I have never met the gentleman, Ogbe. For all I know, he may be a sincere man eager to do his bit to strengthen our fledgling, some would say floundering, democracy. The trouble with elections in our country, however, has never really been with the electoral bodies but the government in power, military or civilian, that would not allow them their independence, bent as they always are on using them to hang on to power at all costs. My scepticism about C M Y K

credible LG elections in Delta is borne of recent experience that shows they have become a huge joke, a cruel mockery of democracy that only those whose view of politics has been irretrievably warped by vicious power games can pass off as democratic exercises.

The matter is as coarse as this: LGA elections are a sham. Most often, the governor awards just about all of the seats to his party’s faithful and the list is sent to the state electoral commission to be rubber-stamped and announced. Just three recent elections will suffice for the point. Quite providentially, the practice transcends party lines.The ruling PDP did not drop a single seat, chairman’s or councillor ’s, in the November 2, 2013 elections conducted by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission. In the May 17 LGA elections conducted by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, all the 44 chairmanship positions were won by the candidates of the party in power, the All Progressives Congress. In the February 25 Plateau State LGA elections, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party won all but one of the 15 chairmanship seats. The lone victory scored by the Democratic Peoples Party was considered an “upset.” State governors see LGA elections as turf wars in which no inch is to be conceded to the opposition parties.

The problem springs from an ingrained anti-democratic mindset that is a carryover from our old and recent history of non-representative government: colonialism and military dictatorship.

District or LG areas have never been truly autonomous centres of government, no

this report is therefore quite in order.

The more so that no evidence was provided by the Richest Lifestyle report as to how the President could have amassed his fortune. This was a moot point on which Nigerians and the rest of the world are expected to make their own deductions.

The timing of this report is not only bad, it points to a breakdown in fiscal governance and responsibility among our public officials. This, now that the country is more or less in a cold war situation with South Africa that has impounded about US $16 million in funds allegedly meant for the procurement of arms for the prosecution of our war against insurgents. The entire process of the arms procurement deal lacks transparency and looks clouded in mystery. The manner of transporting money for the arms purchase, moving raw cash in the leased jet of a Christian preacher, leader and close friend of the President, Ayo Oritsejafor, harks back to what people see as an unholy alliance between the President and private individuals.

Many have questioned the manner in which persons close to the President, including aides, friends, and associates have abused their positions without the President acting. This is when he does not appear to be covering up for their unseemly behaviour with dismissive statements that suggest a huge tolerance for corruption. He does not ‘give a damn’ about what people say about this, he once infamously said.

The national treasury is revealed to be haemorrhaging from different sides, mostly caused by persons and groups in positions of authority and the President perfunctorily ignores these developments as if they mean nothing to him. He splits air that seems merely academic, sometimes disingenuous, often meaningless about the actual meaning of

matter how much the constitution flatters t h e m , erroneously in my view, as the third tier of government.

Consequently, what state governors complain of with regard to the over-reaching Federal Government in Abuja, they replicate, ironically, in their various state houses with respect to LGAs.

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How rich is President Goodluck Jonathan?

The outrage Abuja has shown to this report is quite in order; the more so that no evidence was provided by the Richest Lifestyle report as to how the President could have amassed his fortune

The cumulative effect of endless encroachments on LGA authority has led to their becoming mere extensions of governors’ offices

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The cumulative effect of endless encroachments on LGA authority has led to their becoming mere extensions of governors’ offices, run as slush fund vaults or easy cash centres under the charge of prefects who go by the telling name of interim or transition committee chairman (sole administrator under the military). Consequently, LGAs can no longer pretend to be where government is closest to the people, or organs of rural transformation. Spend 15 minutes with an LGA chairman or head of administration and you won’t fail to hear the loud whine about the inability to pay salaries, statutory allocations often barely enough to pay salaries after

corruption, thievery and all worth not. All of this constitutes the background to the inclusion of his name on the list of richest African leaders.

What is more, the issue of the President declaring his assets has been a recurring one that was only swept under the carpet to stop discussion of it. What has happened now should tell all that in quelling discussion on the matter with blackmailing statements the Jonathan presidency simply kicked the can down the road. This now is the time for the President to declare his asset. In other words, the Richest Lifestyle report is an indirect indictment of the President for failing to do the right thing at the right time.

Had he declared his assets nobody would now hang on him some fabulous wealth he claims he does not have.

Although Dr. Reuben Abati would want us to believe now that the President has always declared his assets but only he believes his own claim. For a while, the question of the President’s assets was one he was not quick to disclose. Not even the reminder that his predecessor in office, Umar Yar’Adua, had made such declaration would make President Jonathan budge. He insisted that it was his choice whether to declare his assets or not, and how. As usual in cases of this type, some people, first class lickspittle out to use the President for their own ends, claimed the demand that the president declare his asset was a political one initiated by his opponents. I won’t be surprised to hear them say this latest report was sponsored by the President’s opponent.

The presidency should make all the right signs of indignation. But more importantly, President Jonathan should declare his asset.

“deductions” at source.

No wonder, then, that LGAs can no longer perform the basic functionsof waste disposal and sanitation, maintenance of markets and rural roads, and the provision of street lights, among others. But for the intervention of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, however shoddy in execution many of their projects are (I have photos of some road projects in my maternal hometown of OtorOwhe), there would be no sign of government in the LGAs today. Such that the streets of Oleh, my paternal hometown, paved with interlocking bricks a mere seven to 10 years ago remind me of those halcyon days when an LGA chairman could execute meaningful projects.

I have heard through the grapevine that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is intent on a free and fair LGA election as his parting gift to Delta State, as one incontrovertible evidence of his “finishing strong.” He does not wish, I hear, to create needless tension and animosity, assured results of rigged elections, which might mar his plan of going to the Governors’ Retirement Home, GRH, known as the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For the sake of democracy, I hope this is the case. In two weeks’ time, we shall know whether or not it is time to abolish state electoral commissions.

20 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 21

World Bank tasks FG to raise excess crude account to $6.3bn

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he World Bank has ad vised the federal government to increase its fiscal buffers by raising the excess crude account (ECA) to $6.3 billion.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed this in Washington DC, saying the World Bank tasked the Federal Government on the need to increase its fiscal buffers by building external reserves to about $6.3 billion, up from the present level of $4.1 billion.

Speaking to Nigerian journalists at the end of the 2014 annual meetings, Okonjo-Iweala assured: “we would look at how we would strengthen the buffer. There is no cause for alarm; we are on top of the game. We have to be realistic about our ability to spend.”

Instead, she said the nation’s economic management team is working on contingency plans, beginning with analysing various modules and scenarios in

terms of oil price shocks.

She said that there had been a contingency plan to ensure that the economy does not suffer in spite the drop in global oil price.

‘First, we have to realize the dimensions of the situation and we are beginning to do that.

“With the team here, the DG budget, the Central Bank, we are looking at various scenarios. We are running our models in terms of the oil price shocks and so on, even quality shocks.

‘And when you look at contingency scenarios, there are three ways you can manage them,” she said.

According to her, you can either go outside or get resources. But we are not planning to do that. We are not going outside to get resources at this moment, that is the pride that we have had, she added. She said that government has no plans of such idea now adding

L-R: Deputy Speaker, Hon. Musibau Kolawole Taiwo; Head of Marketing Nutricima, Wande Oluwasegunfumi; Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Managing Director, Nutricima, Mr. Suneel Vasudevan and Marketing Communications Manager, Nutricima, Mr. Funsho Jacobs, during a courtesy visit to the speaker. that it would look at the revenue and expenditure side to see the level of preparedness in its dealings.

She said that from the revenue side some positive result had emerged with additional help to the Federal Inland Revenue Services.

“Because we were a little bit ahead of the curve, in trying to bring on some extra help to

FIRS, we gave a target of 500 million dollars which is about N75 billion to the FIRS backed by the McKinsey that is helping to strengthen their capacity to improve audits and plug leakages. And I am happy to say that of the N75 billion target, they have already hit N44 billion of additional revenues in July. So, at least we will be able to increase our revenues

that has actually helped us.” she said According to OkonjoIweala, who is also Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the World Bank Group at its just concluded 2014 Annual Meetings deliberated extensively on the very uncertain mode of the global economy at this point with the global economy expected to grow at just 3.8 per cent for 2015.

Investors fret over end of U.S quantitative easing A

survey released yesterday by BofA Merrill Lynch Fund Manager, Bank of America has revealed that investors across the globe are concerned over the imminent end of quantitative easing (QE) in the U.S. saying that it has left investors much less confident in the outlook for the global economy and corporate profit.

It said in the October survey that after sharp fall of more than 20 percentage points from September, only a net 32 percent of respondents expect the global economy to strengthen over the next 12 months. This is the lowest reading in two years. Inflation and earnings expectations have slumped: recent consensus over the world experiencing both below-trend inflation and below-trend growth is even stronger this month at 77 percent.

According to the survey report “Monetary policy underlies this shift in sentiment. Only a net 18 percent of fund managers now view policy as too stimulative, down 14 percentage points to the lowest level since August 2012 – just before the last QE initiative in the U.S. Perceptions of monetary risk have also risen, along with Emerging Market risk.

“Investors’ response has been to reduce riskier exposures.

Cash balances have risen to 4.9 percent, while investment horizons have shortened and equity overweights have fallen rapidly (down a net 13 percentage points month-on-month).

Underweights in commodities have also risen, while sectors sensitive to the asset class like energy and materials have seen large moves to net underweight positions.“Respondents have lost their appetite for Emerging Markets and European

equities. Both current positioning and intentions for the next 12 months have turned negative or neutral. Instead, they have regained faith in the U.S. market and increased their preference for Japan.

“Cash balances are high, but investors are retreating to benchmark positions rather than staging an exodus from markets,” said Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research. “With the European Central Bank ‘hope trade’ gone, performance in European equities is reverting to fundamentals. As our view remains downbeat, we continue to favor defensive dividend yield stocks and expect any rallies in cyclical stocks to be short lived,” added Manish Kabra, European equity and quantitative strategist.

The report also said “Following the European Central Bank’s press conference at the start of the month, respondents are uncertain over policy in Europe. Twenty-six percent of the global panel now does not expect the ECB to initiate a program of QE, up from last month’s 19 percent.

Expectations over Europe’s growth have declined markedly.

Only a net 16 percent of regional fund managers now expect the continent’s economy to strengthen over the next year. This compares to a net 45 percent last month.

The outlook for corporate profitability is heavily affected by this. After a month-on-month decline of nearly 30 percentage points, a net 52 percent now does not expect double-digit earnings growth in the region, while an even high proportion of fund managers judge earnings-per-share estimates for European companies.

$ 190.80

$4.75 $3,318.00 $ 15.73

$ 7.00

$0.32

USD 97.20 USD 0.20 USD 94.55

DOLLAR 154.75 STERLING 248.3583 EURO 195.7588 FRANC 161.8385 CFA 0.2821 230.1829 WAUA RENMINBI 25.2384 RIYAL 41.2557 KRONA 26.2934 SDR 230.0204

USD 1.01

155.25 249.1607 196.3913 162.3614 0.2921 230.9266 25.3204 41.389 26.3784 230.7636

155.75 249.9632 197.0238 162.8843 0.3021 231.6703 25.4024 41.5223 26.4633 231.5068

CBN Exchange Rate as 14 /10 /2014

22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 Pensioners don’t want to hear of another verification, instead what they want is that their pension entitlements are paid regularly and those whose names are not on the list be added to it.

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INSURAN C

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Insurers to consider involvement in disaster mgt

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nsurance involvement in disaster management is to take centre stage at the 2014 National Insurance Conference to be organised by the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB).

In a statement by the Chairman of the events organising committee of the Conference, Mr. Sola Tinubu, the conference which is expected to draw participation from disaster and insurance management institutions in Nigeria and abroad is to further impress the role of insurance industry in disaster management in the country.

Tinubu said the insurance industry, which had the professional obligations of risk mitigation, had often been side-lined in disaster management in Nigeria, against practices in other parts of the globe, as such the conference could not have been more timely than now considering the chain of combustible events happening all over the world leading to unprecedented losses of human and material assets.

It was opined that the Nigerian government would have seen the need to involve insurance practitioners in formulating policies and establishment of institutions to manage disasters and mitigate

losses caused to victims.

The conference which would also feature the sub theme: “Insurance Regulation: The Global Perspective” would provide a robust platform for discussing current trends with regards to insurance regulation in Nigeria.

Also, the conference will provide a platform for the NCRIB team led by the council’s President, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu to generate robust discourse on issue that has continued to affect operation of insurance by professionals in Nigeria.

He stressed that the intention of the choice theme was to allow for ventilation of views and opinions by eminent resourceful professionals and stakeholders drawn from all sectors of the nation’s economy and particularly disaster management institutions.

Dignitaries expected at the conference include, Senate President, David Mark; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; President, Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA), Nathan Adu; Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu; Commandant General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ade Abolurin; Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel; Director General, National

Access Bank, MoneyGram partner for outbound transfer services

By EDIRI EJOH ccess bank plc in collaboration with MoneyGram, has launched its outbound money transfer services tagged ‘Naija sends’, with the indication of a better platform for sending funds outside the country.

Disclosing this at the launch, Group Head Franchise Banking Access Bank, Mr. Ola Isola, noted that this will help alleviate the difficulties associated with sending funds from Nigeria to family oversees and for other legally recognized purposes.

According to him, “this ease in the banking sector started 15 years ago with the introduction of the inbound money transfer services, which allows for the ease of receiving funds from abroad. But now, the transition is not restricted to sending but also paving way for receiving.

“The new offering will present a a great market opening for business partners across the world, and it is loaded with the best services delivery with less time delay and affordable charges” in her own perspective, Regional Manager, MoneyGram Aglophone West Africa, Mrs. Kemi Ogunsaya, added that the offering is set to amend difficulties associated with sending funds outside the country.

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From left: Director-General, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak; Director, Pension Support Services, Mrs. Riz Ben-Okagbue; Director, Parastatals Pensions, Mr. Taiwo Ogundipe, and Deputy General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners(NUP), Abuja, Chief Adeniyi Okunlade, at the sensitisation workshop on pension management organised by PTAD in Lagos.

Pensioners weary of another verification exercise The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) says it has intention of creating a new and genuine database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, DBS, by embarking on a verification exercise in the future. However, pensioners under the scheme are skeptical of any verification going forward

By ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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TAD is an agency of the federal g o v e r n m e n t established in August 2013 in compliance with the provisions of section 30 subsection (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act of 2004 (now amended in 2014) for the management of the pension of the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), that is, pensioners who did not transit to the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. PTAD is responsible for pensioners who have retired before June 2007.

Prior to the establishment of PTAD, DBS pensioners were subjected to various verification exercises to ascertain if they are genuine pensioners or not. Despite the fact that these exercises gulped down billions of naira, nothing came out of them.

Now, PTAD says it plans to embark on a new verification and biometric data capture exercise in order to establish a comprehensive, authentic and credible database of pensioners under the DBS which will ensure effective planning and management of pensions.

According to the Director General of PTAD, Mrs. Nellie Mayshak the verification exercise will eliminate ghost pensioners; eliminate duplication of payments; correct and eradicate anomalies such as over payments and short payments; pay pensions, gratuities, death benefits and other pensioner entitlements; update records of next of kin; and enrol new pensioners.

Contrar y to PTAD’s expectation that DBS pensioners will be happy with this announcement, pensioners say they are fatigued with previous verification exercises and are skeptical of any other one.

According to Comrade David Adodo, a pensioner under the DBS, having gone through two previous tiresome verification exercises in the past, he views any future verification as an effort in futility.

Adodo said that pensioners don’t want to hear of another verification, instead what they want is that their pension entitlements are paid regularly and those whose names are not on the list be added to it.

According to Adodo, there are pensioners who have not

collected their pension benefits since 2007 when they retired; as such, PTAD DG should be bothered about that and not another round of verification.

State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Joseph Dele said that pensioners are tired of completing forms all the time without any result. “We keep completing forms without results and we are tired,” Dele said.

According to Dele, since 2006, after the rightsizing in

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014,

the civil service by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a lot of pensioners have not been collecting their monthly pension while some have not collected their gratuity.

General Secretary, National Union of Pensioners, Chief Adeniyi Okunlade said that the federal government should alleviate the suffering and plight of pensioners by first allocating money for the arrears being owed pensioners.

According to him, the federal government should desist from punishing pensioners that served their fatherland during their years of active service.

However, PTAD DG said that the Directorate was able to restore payment of monthly pension to genuine pensioners removed from payroll, adding “We successfully conducted a mini-verification of some categories of Police and Civil Service pensioners and have been placed on the payroll. PTAD also established a robust complaints resolution mechanism, improves services for pensioners, tackling of reported fraud cases in collaboration with pensioners, unions and agencies, such as; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Moreover, we digitalise pension payments, with huge efforts underway to move from manual to automatic systems and processes, even as we have improved understanding and collaboration with unions, banks and other partners.

Above all, there has not been a single incident of misappropriation of pension funds since PTAD came on board in 2013, thus, exhibiting zero tolerance for corruption,” she said.

Mayshak however said that the Directorate is challenged by lack of adequate awareness by some concerned stakeholders about PTAD, as well as wrong impression of PTAD by some pensioners and critical stakeholders continue to pose a threat on the operation of the directorate.

“Moreover, huge pension liabilities, absence of credible database and resistance to change/entrenched interest are equally a clog in the wheel of our progress,” she stated.

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CE & YOU

— 23

Twenty five years after, we still adhere to these values in our everyday relationship with our customers and business associates, and this is what sets us apart from our competitors

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NSIA success result of core business values – Dozie achieved so far, and noted that church service in Lagos which subsidiaries. The company

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hairman, Board of Directors, N S I A Insurance, formerly known as ADIC Insurance, Mr. Pascal Dozie has attributed the success of the company to its adherence, over the years, to the core business values as initially set by its founder, Prof. Joseph Irukwu, who had a burning desire to set up a model insurance company that will be known for its integrity, prompt payment of claims and pursuance of best practices.

Dozie made the assertion when the company rolled out the drums to celebrate its 25 years of operation in Nigeria. The company marked the anniversary with a thanksgiving

was attended by eminent personalities, including industry giants from across the continent.

Tracing the history of the company, Dozie said a lot has happened since it first opened for business on September 1, 1989 as African Development Insurance Company, or ADIC as it was popularly known. It was acquired by Diamond Bank in 2006 following the recapitalisation of the industry by the Federal Government which raised the capital base for insurance companies to N5 billion.

In July 2011, Diamond Bank sold its 96.15 per cent stake in the firm to NSIA Groupe, an Ivorian firm with footprints in 11 other African countries, as part of a strategy to divest itself from all non-banking

became known as NSIA Insurance. “But the change in ownership had no negative impact on the business, as its customers continued to benefit from the expertise, personal service and range of products they have come to expect from ADIC,” he said.

“Twenty five years after, we still adhere to these values in our everyday relationship with our customers and business associates, and this is what sets us apart from our competitors,” he said. He thanked company’s customers for their patronage and for standing by it over the past 25 years.

Speaking in the same vein, Prof. Irukwu who is widely regarded as the ‘Mr. Insurance’ in Nigeria said he feels fulfilled and elated at what the company has

it has lived up to his original vision of making it a leader in the African insurance industry.

“I feel a sense of fulfilment.

When I started the company 25 years ago, I wanted it to grow and become big, and that has happened. I called it African Development Insurance Company, and it has got to the level where it is truly African Development Insurance Company because it is involved in the development of the continent, and we share in the risks of the other countries in Africa, and we have a board that includes people from other African countries and the company is growing every day,” said Irukwu.

Hitachi, Cambridge interest in Nigeria, a welcome dev.

— Bulama

BY ABDUL-LATEEF LIGALI

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Form Left - Prof Joe Irukwu, living legend of insurance industry at his 80th birth organized by the sector, Mr Ken Aghoghobvia, Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer of Africa Reinsurance Corporation, Africa Re and Gen Theophilus Danjuma at Irukwu’s birthday bash in Lagos last weekend

Lasaco settles N2.417 billion claims

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asaco Assurance Plc has settled insurance claims and benefits totaling N2.417 billion in 2013.

This represents an increase of N1.05 billion over the corresponding amounts settled in the year 2013.

In a statement, the company said that the move is part of the resolve to meet its obligations to its customers as a credible and reputable insurance conglomerate and strategic goal to focus on prompts claims settlement in line with core values of integrity, responsiveness and

transparency.

Managing Director of Lasaco, Mr. Olusola LadipoAjayi said it is part of the organisation’s vision to ensure customer satisfaction and increase its market share and penetration, adding that it is also a customer centric policy consistently focuses on meeting the expectations of clients while adhering to ethical standards.

Ladipo-Ajayi said, “One of the areas we have distinguished ourselves over the years is in the area of prompt claims

s e t t l e m e n t s . We have remained consistent through a dynamic and proactive structure put in place to meet the expectations of our growing clientele.

Ladipo-Ajayi said with deployment of ICT tools, Lasaco is poised to deliver superior value to its numerous clientele across the key sectors of the economy.

He said it is the vision of the company to continue as a market leader in insurance and financial services industry in Nigeria.

he Minister of Science and Technology, DR. Abdu Bulama has said that the move by Hitachi group in partnership with Cambridge university press, to raise a new generation of skilled teachers by establishing world class international teachers training centers in Nigeria is a welcome development.

The Minister stated this at the 2014-2015 HitachiCambridge regional partnership roundtable on education in Africa in Lagos.

These world class international training centers, according to the Minister will be established in Nigeria by investing about two billion Naira in this initiative, and also to establish and equip bespoke world class training for teachers and learners alike, via a real time virtual platform linked to a robust faculty of experts from over 30 leading universities globally.

These centers, according to a report from Hitachi will be established in six states from the six geopolitical spread of the country.

The report further disclosed that the vision is to support forward looking government in raising a new generation of teachers that will be adequately skilled and equipped to integrate the best of global practice in teaching and learning.

24 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

What the next governor of Lagos State should do for us

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NSE boss predicts higher customer base for CWG

BY EMEKA AGINAM

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hief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema has predicted that Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG) would be the toast of customers, following the adoption of her subscription based business model, tagged CWG 2.0.

He made this known during a working visit of the NSE to CWG at the company’s head office in Lagos at the weekend.

“From their subscription businesses which they call CWG 2.0, to their legacy business which is more infrastructure based, CWG has done quite well. We have been to their tier3 Datacentre, which supports multiple businesses. We have seen their contact centre, where they handle inbound calls. In all, it is professionally run. We are quite excited at the possibility of growth and how the Company might be the next Alibaba for Nigeria.”, Onyema said. Speaking about the performance of CWG since her listing last year, Onyema noted

that “CWG has been a very good listed company. They have complied with the pre and post listing standards. They have been a good ambassador of what it means to be listed on the NSE.” “As you know, at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in May, WEF recognized CWG as one of the Global Growth Companies in the world. So, we are very excited about their performance in the ICT sector of the Stock Exchange. They are the biggest security in the sector, and we are very happy at what they are doing”. According to Onyema, the visit is in line with the practice of the NSE. He noted that the visit is paid to listed Companies by the Brokers’ Community so as to better understand their operations, which will in-turn equip brokers with the required information to advise clients, especially at the brokers level.

“These visits are important in making sure that companies areon ground and running, and reflect what they represented to the investing public”, he said.

Similarly, the Doyen of Brokers,

Mr. Sam Ndata, while speaking at the session explained the need for the visit. “We want to be sure that the Company is in existence and doing what they are supposed to do, and based on what we have witnessed, the Company is doing well and we are happy”, he said.

Speaking at the occasion, Austin Okere, Chief Executive Officer, CWG plc, explained that the visit enabled the company to give a feedback of what had happened since she listed on the exchange in November last year. “What this does is to establish a continuum.

People want to know what we are doing with their money invested in the company”, he noted.

Speaking on the CWG 2.0 model, Okere drew a parallel between the initiative and that of the global ecommerce giant, Alibaba.

According to him “There is a parallel between Alibaba and our CWG 2.0 business model. In fact, in our own view, CWG 2.0 is creating the next Alibaba here in Nigeria. Just like Alibaba, we are also focused on SMEs.”

Brunch would advance on going repositioning — CIS President maiden one appeared to be targeted at the

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he President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, Mr.Albert Okumagba has provided explanations for the rationale for the new programme tagged “Brunch with the President. In an interactive session with the capital market correspondents, he said the plartform would advance the on-going repositioning of the institute into a world class organisation.

According to him “Brunch with the President” is the first in a series of events which will be held monthly to keep members of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) abreast of the aggressive steps we are taking to position CIS as one the most strategic professional Institute’s in Nigeria. “The event will also provide members with an opportunity to interact with each other with the focus of moving the institute to greater heights. Several initiatives targeted at these objectives and especially beneficial to all members will be presented and discussed at this Forum. It will therefore be in the interest of members to attend and actively participate. The

Fellows of the CIS.”He further stated “It is our desire to get the fellows of the institute more involved in the activities of the institute.

Attaining Fellowship of the institute is no mean fit and comes with a lot of prestige and responsibility. It is the responsibility of the fellows of the institute to get involved to mould the institute into a relevant, recognised and respected academic institution. Other events are in the pipelines which are targeted at Associate Members and Student Members.”

Continuing, he said “ The next Brunch with the President for Fellows of the institute will hold on Friday, October 17, 2014 at it promises to be a very exciting one.”

On whether, there are some issues that would always dominate the agenda at every Brunch, Okumagba said “The primary agenda for Brunch with the President is moving the institute forward. As such different initiatives focused on this will be constantly placed on the front burner. At the inaugural event, we focused on funding the institute.

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From left: Hon Justice Amina Augie; Ayona Trimnell, Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank Plc; Mrs. Gani Vigo and Hon Justice Chinwe Iyizoba at the “Meet Nigeria’s Women of Vision” organized by Tiffany Amber, sponsored by DiamondWoman, a Diamond Bank proposition for women in Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

ecently, we have been looking at how Governors Jakande, Tinubu and Fashola have brought tremendous changes to the lives of the residents of Lagos State. We are in the period leading to elections early next year and we should challenge the contestants for the office of governor by obtaining from them their plans towards the implementation of things that would bring even greater changes to our lives. We need improvements in the areas of power supply, water supply, food, transportation, housing, education, flood risk management, town urban and regional planning, governance and social inclusion.

We need substantial changes to the available power supply in order to release the creative and employment potentials of our people. A major power station

At present the totalpower available to both the Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies is 26% of what is available in the national grid

,

is being planned for Lagos State, but the power from this station would only be exclusively for Lagos State if the operators build their own transmission/distribution system to the two electricity distribution companies in Lagos State. Otherwise, any electric power in the national grid has to be distributed according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission allocation system.

At present the total power available to both the Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies is 26% of what is available in the national grid.

There are also constraints to the transmission system operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria. For example, several years ago, the Lagos State Government, LASG, made arrangements with a power plant operator to place generating equipment on barges at Egbin Power Station,

Lagos State. As there would be problems getting the generating equipment on barges to work in phase with the major power stations, the generating equipment were connected to a 112kV power line from Egbin through Ikorodu and Ogun State to Ibadan, Oyo State. Thus the power from the generating equipment never came to Lagos State. The major power stations are on the 330kV transmission system which supplies Lagos State.

What would serve Lagos State best in the immediate future is for the LASG to encourage the development of at least 10 small power plants.

The recommended locations of the power plants would be Lagos Island, Isheri North, Shomolu, Apapa, Ikorodu, Lekki Phase I, Ikeja, Alimosho, Ilupeju and the Isasi/ Okokomaiko axis on the Lagos to Badagry Expressway. Each power plant should be capitalised as a joint venture between the power consumers, the power plant operator, the electricity distribution company, LASG and with low-interest loans from the Bank of Industry.

The power plant equipment should be able to use as fuel both diesel and natural gas, diesel would be used initially and there would be a switchover to gas on its availability.

Putting the joint ventures together should not be difficult.

For example, for the power plant on Lagos Island, LASG should encourage the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, First Bank, Union Bank, United Bank for Africa, Wema Bank, UAC, Mandilas Enterprises, Bank of Industry, Shell Petroleum Development Company and other companies on the Broad Street – Marina axis to partner with a power plant operator and the Eko Electricity Distribution Company.

Other locations are feasible, Shomolu has many printing establishments, and a mini water works at Igbobi. Isheri North is an area of Lagos State north of the River Ogun, east of the Lagos to Ibadan Expressway and on the boundary with Ogun State. The area is in the first stages of development and has enough residents and industrial establishments in Lagos State and Ogun State to make a power plant feasible. Next week, we would start with water supply.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—25

DIARY zCisco Connect Sun City, South Africa Nov. 2 - 4, 2014 z Centre Cape Town, South Africa Nov 11-13, 2014

ICT Centenary awards recipients: From left: Emmanuel Ekwuwen, former President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Barrister Chris Onyemenem, Director General of National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology, Ernest Ndukwe, Chief Executive Officer, Open Media, Biodun Christine Olujimi, NCC Commissioner, Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Yusuf kazaure, MD Galaxy backbone and Chairman of ICT Media Initiative, Aaron Ukodie at the Nigeria ICT Centenary awards held last week in Abuja: Photo BY EMEKA AGINAM

Preview

‘Lack of strategic investors, bane of Nigeria’s e-commerce growth’

Avoid excess baggage with the luggage scooter

• As Gloo.ng targets $1m revenue base

N

IGERIA’s economy maintains appreciable growth due to the volume of local and foreign investors in several sectors of the economy. However, the state of the country’s e-commerce sector ought to have been greater than what is available at the moment, if operators, particularly on the online retail genre of the business, found it easy to get support from Nigerian banks and appreciable equity from local investors.

These were some of the concerns expressed by the proprietor and Chief Executive of Gloo.ng, Dr Olumide Olusanya at the weekend. He was speaking on the gains and challenges of running an online retail shop as his Gloo.ng clocks two recently.

D

ragging your luggage around with you is a mundane and painful task, especially on the way back from an action-packed or relaxing holiday.

Well now you can stop pulling around your luggage and wheeling it back home, thanks to this new invention. The Samsonite luggage bag is also a mini scooter, allowing you to scoot around with your luggage safely tucked away.

C M Y K

State of e-commerce in Nigeria According to Olusanya, ecommerce in Nigeria is very lucrative and no investor would regret investing in it, but Nigerian banks and local equity investors hardly take advantage of the ubiquity of the sector.

Backing up his facts, he said, “Market

I N S I D E

Glo says every child’s dream, now possible with Mobile Tutor

value of supermarket sales both online and brick & mortar, in 2014 alone is 44 billion dollars. Yet it grows at 5 percent annual rate. So you can see that investing here does not hurt for those who understand

,

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

Apart from partnership with ePayment and card based companies, they are not strategic investors to ecommerce business

,

the business. However, Nigerian banks still do not play big in the sector. Apart from partnership with ePayment and card based companies, they are not strategic investors to ecommerce business.

That is why, for instance, the online retail businesses which are not assetbased like the brick and mortar genre,

Telecom operators to experience low cable cuts

thrive mainly on equity. Going to the banks means they may not have collateral, and as a result, the bank may not buy into it.

But even in the equity system, getting a sizeable equity that can help, means getting it from abroad. You can only get seed money from the local equity. These are some of the challenges that have bogged down business in this sector” he lamented.

He however argued that the state of Nigerian e-commerce can only get better if practitioners learn how to turn around their challenges to positions of strength.

“For us at Gloo.ng, we set out from the onset to face our challenges and transform them to ladder of success.

From a humble beginning with seven staff, we have managed to increase our staff strength to 20.

As at this time last year we covered about 25 percent of Lagos but now we cover 50 percent and by this time next year we plan to cover the whole of Lagos.

Our target currently is to hit a $1million revenue base and we are sure to meet Continues on page 28

AFRICAST 2014: Stakeholders converge in Abuja to brainstorm on digital switchover

26 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Micro Station improves customer services

By Favour Anthony

I

NFORMATION Technology devices retailing company, Micro Station Limited, has restructured its customer services with the creation of a full-fledged department, devoted to the provision of effective after-sales services to its customers.

The initiative is part of the company’s resolve to continuously delight its teeming customers and enhance their personality, irrespective of their background, vocation and interests.

Speaking on the new exercise within the company, the Managing Director, Micro Station, Mrs. Tinuola Coutroupis, said as a major brand in the mobile devices retailing in the country, the company puts great premium on customer satisfaction.

“At Micro-Station, everything we do is built around our customers, and that is why we have recently undertaken total restructuring of our customer service division to ensure that we have little or zero level of complaints in all our branches,” she said.

Coutroupis said the company now has a fullfledged department in-charge of customer service issues at the Head office, with representation in all its branches.

According to her, “Customers now can simply walk to our customer service desk in any outlet and get prompt and effective solutions to their issues. We are also in partnership with several other organisations and agencies and have put in place, programs to engage our customers and give them value even beyond after sales and our customers are already enjoying some of these benefits.

“We have also established a feedback mechanism where the Management of the company can also directly feel the pulse and opinions of our customers. including their peculiar requests and how to service them better."

Glo says every child’s dream, now possible with Mobile Tutor

By Paul Ikuforiji

S

ECOND national operator, Globacom says that the dream of every Nigerian child for academic success is now a reality with the introduction of its mobilebased educational application called Glo Mobile Tutor.

Glo Mobile Tutor is an innovation with full Junior and Secondary school curricula that had been specially designed to provide instant knowledge and prepare students for examinations. The application is rich in content such as lecture notes, live video lectures, timed mock exams, structured assignments, revision videos and a segment tagged Talk to Counsel.

Delivering her address during the launch at the Mike Adenuga Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, Sales Director, Glo 1 Enterprise, Bolanle Ogundogba said: “Globacom is committed to the

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been conferred with the ‘Grand Commander of ICT Promoters in Nigeria,’ for being Nigeria’s first digital President, at the just concluded 2014 Nigeria Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Centenary awards held recently.

Also honoured at the event, was the immediate past President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, Dr. Chris Uwaje, who was conferred with the indigenous and IT Policy advocate award.

•Mobile Tutor

education because of its belief that good education makes a great nation and encouraged parents and guardians to avail their children and wards of this laudable technology with its pocket-friendly tariffs and rates.

The Glo Mobile Tutor is open to both new and existing subscribers.

Jonathan, Uwaje, honoured at ICT Centenary conference

Founder, ICT with CFA.com, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata presenting the ‘Outstanding ICT Reporter ’ award to Sonny Aragba-Akpore of Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited for his contributions to technology reporting during his days as a journalist with The Guardian, at the event organised by the Centre of Value Leadership (CVL) for achievers and inventors in Nigeria’s ICT sector, in Lagos.

By Emeka Aginam & Emmanuel Elebeke

development and education of the Nigerian child”.

Glo Mobile Tutor provides instant knowledge and puts the power of education within the reach of every child in all the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.” Adding that “Glo, having realized that there’s a relatively low literacy rate in Nigeria and Africa, found the need to introduce this service with the application and contents provided by Roducate.”

The innovation is loaded with both West African and British Curricula and has been endorsed by the relevant educational bodies such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), the National Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) and Federal Ministry of Communication Technology.

Ogundogba assured Nigerians of Globacom’s continued support for

The President, represented by the Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, said the decisive steps he has so far taken to transform the country through the Ministry of Communication Technology were to digitalize the economy.

He said that the federal government has raised awareness about ICT as a critical national infrastructure- in the same mold with power, roads and railways and is committed to the transformation of Nigeria into a digitalized economy.

He explained that he is aware of the key role broadband plays in facilitating the

economic and social development of any nation, and facilitated the creation of a Broadband Strategy and Roadmap Plan for Nigeria and charged the ministry of communication technology to commence the implementation of the Plan. His words: “I am pleased to receive this award because the decisive steps I have taken to transform Nigeria via ICTs are being honoured here today.

I am committed to the transformation of Nigeria into a digitalized economy which was why the Ministry of Communication Technology was created to facilitate this transformation.

“The Ministry immediately set up a Broadband Council that is currently implementing the Plan with a target to increase the broadband penetration in Nigeria currently at about 7 per cent to 30 per cent by 2017. The Ministry with my full support has achieved great strides in my quest to facilitate Nigeria’s transformation via ICTs. I accept this award and assure you that my vision to leverage ICTs for the overall development of Nigeria is being realised and Nigeria will be a reference point for ICT development in the globe,” he said.

The President also described the Nigerian ICT sector as a crucial sector that has added value to the Nigerian economy in a myriad of ways. He listed some of the contribution of the sector to the economy as: increased GDP to 10.44 per cent as at 2013; increasing investments into Nigeria’s ICT sector to $32 billion, making the ICT sector

today as the 4th largest contributor to Nigeria’s GDP. Uwaje honoured Handing over the award, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe referred to Uwaje as “the Oracle of the Nigerian ICT sector who has been at the Vanguard of development of local software solutions. Ndukwe described Uwaje as a man whose name resonates in the ICT sector with deafening precision, one whose words are almost law in the sector. In over 50 years, he has led a revolution that brought positive developments in the Nigerian ICT sector.

Meanwhile, Ndukwe, himself, was named the Pathfinder of every good thing that has happened to the nation’s telecom sector. Other personalities and companies honored at the event included Globacom chairman, Otunba Mike Adenuga, the Chairman of Zinox Computers, Mr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, among others.

Speaking through video conferencing during the forum the Secretary General of the International telecommunication Union, ITU, Dr. Hamadoun Touré, who was conferred with Africa’s ICT Ambassador award at the event, expressed confidence in the implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband plan.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 27

Okorie is Nigerian Telecom Awards’ ICT reporter of the year

By Prince Osuagwu

I

F everything Open Access Metropolitan Fiber Network Operator, Broadbased Communications Ltd, says it is capable of doing pans out correctly, telecom operators who have been complaining of multiple cuts on their fibre cables and other infrastructure, has a reprieve already in their hands.

This is as the company says that apart from providing a solid backhaul that can carry the operators while delivering data services, it is also capable of providing machinery that can lay cables six feet below without cutting the surface of the earth or defacing roads.

This means that cables laid with this instrument would be safe for over 25 years since no road construction or reconstruction would go as deep as 6 feet.

The company says it is providing a high capacity data network, as well as a security network for other Telecom Operators, Internet Service Providers, Banks, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, e-Payment Switching and Processing Companies and other major Corporate clients In a presentation to Top Executives of Banks, Financial Institutions, Telecom Operators and ISPs, during the Launching of their Horizontal Directional Drilling Equipment in Lagos, MD/CEO of the company, Prince Henry Ise-Okojie, noted that Broadbased Communications from inception made a commitment to offer a non compete Open Access Shared Services platform to enable other Telecom Operators and Content Providers to provide services to end users.

What this means is that these Telecom Operators can ride on

Okorie, receiving the award from former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel

By Anuli Edom

C

•Fibre optic cable

Telecom operators to experience low cable cuts •As Broadbased Communications brings HDD tech the back of Broadbased Communications as Fiber Optic Transportation highway to connect their Wireless Base Stations, provide high capacity Fiber Optic links to their Corporate Customers and provide Fiber to the Home Services.

Ise-Okojie stated that the current aggregate spending on Fiber Optic Services by major Corporate firms is less than 5% of their total telecom budget and that this is projected to increase significantly above 90% in the near future.

According to him, worldwide statistics support that the Open Access Non Compete Model is the only viable business model that can survive over time,

adding that the World Bank and other Strategic Investors who have experience in this sector has validated this stand point in other countries around the world.

Okojie claimed that Broadbased Communications has Points of Presence (POPs) in all the major business districts in Lagos, promising that before the end of the year there would be over 30 POPs in Lagos to provide services to these Telecom Operators.

“Each POP is connected by redundant Cable paths and equipped with Network equipment that automatically reroutes traffic if there is a Cable cut on a particular link, ensuring excellent quality of services to our esteemed Customers.”

Broadbased Communications said it has also invested heavily in Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) equipment, which enables it to lay Cables underground mechanically without manually digging up the Streets.

Commenting on this, Okojie said, “we have demonstrated to a variety of clients and the public how the HDD equipment enables us to lay Fiber Optic Cables below roads, Canals, Rivers etc in some cases 22 ft below Canals and 90ft River Crossings. We have also invested in scanning devices to electronically scan for cables and pipes buried underground on the Streets before we start drilling and laying our Fiber Optic Cables.

NCC to announce new Infracos, auction 2.6GHz license soon

By Emmanuel Elebeke

T

HE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that it is ready to announce the successful bidders for the two Infrastructure Companies to manage Lagos and North Central region of the country in few weeks time.

Speaking at the 2014 Nigerian Advancement Award in Abuja, where he was honoured for excellence services to the nation, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah said the Commission had received the bid for the Infrastructure Companies, Infracos for Lagos and North Central and in the next few weeks will announce the successful winners. Juwah, who was represented by the Head of Corporate Communications in the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo said already the bids are in

the process of evaluation and is being done in collaboration with a consultant.

“We have received the bid for the Infracos for Lagos and North Central. Those bid are in the process of evaluation and is being done in collaboration with our consultant.

After which the winning bidders are going to be announced. So, in the next few weeks, we are going to announce the winners to the public,” he said.

The EVC also used the occasion to announce the release of a Memorandum of Understanding for the auctioning of the 2.6Ghz spectrum band to usher in a broadband revolution that will enhance voice calls and boost data usage in the nation’s telecoms market.

He said the MoU will be uploaded on the Commission’s website to afford prospective bidders the opportunity to send in their various bids for the concluding process to commence.“ Also, the

information memorandum for the auctioning of the 2.6GHz spectrum license to usher in a revolution into the broadband process is going to be uploaded on NCC’s website. So, from Friday, the public notice is going to be at public domain.

The organizer of the award, Mr. Derick Akabota said NCC was considered worthy of the award in recognition of its role in delivering quality service to Nigeria people and to highlight the transformation work of the Commission in the telecom industry.

“The NCC, as an agency of government is worthy of commendation for its achievement in the telecoms industry in the last four years in spite of the challenges of poor service delivery.

The industry in the last four years has witnessed a lot of policy initiatives, which have continued to impact positively on the industry with multiplier effect on other sectors of the economy.

ITY People’s Kelechi Okorie emerged as the Telecom Journalist of the Year at the 2014 edition of the Nigerian Telecom Awards. The organisers of the awards which took place at the Incubator Event Centre, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos recently said he was picked as a result of his unique coverage of the telecommunications industry.

According to the organizers, “Kelechi Okorie has been able to create a niche for his medium in telecommunications reportage in the country, making City People Magazine a point of reference for not only the main news, but the news-behind-the-news in the telecommunications sector”. “He brings in an interesting perspective to every story he writes and coverage he does, making otherwise abstract stories, quite appealing to the teeming readers of City People Magazine”.

The Telecom Journalist of the Year category was presented to Okorie by the former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Dr. Josephine Olatomi Soboyejo, former Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs & Social Development in Ogun State.

Etisalat Nigeria, Nokia Networks extend ties on data products ETISALAT Nigeria recently extended its contractual agreement with Nokia Networks for three years to promote its portfolio of voice and data products Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher, at the event in Abuja, said that this extension with Nokia Networks will help to manage, improve network efficiency and ensure the best possible mobile broadband service experience for end users. According to him, the contract extension will promote smoother network operations and maintenance, as well as improving on service performance at a reduced operational cost.

He said that both companies have enjoyed five years of partnership in Nigeria since 2008 and the outcome of their business relationship is committed to helping operators in the country provide world class mobile broadband services.

28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

•Digital broadcast Studio

AFRICAST 2014: Stakeholders converge in Abuja to brainstorm on digital switchover

By Emmanuel Elebeke

A

FRICAN Broadcast p r o f e s s i o n a l organisations, engineers, intellectuals, broadcast equipment manufacturers, content providers, the academia ,broadcast marketing professionals and strategic industry stakeholders and broadcast partners across the globe will on Tuesday 21st to Thursday the 23rdOctober, 2014 converge in Abuja to brainstorm on the Digital Switchover, DSO. The event will be the 10th edition of Africast 2014 conference and exhibition, aimed at appraising the continent’s match to digital Switch Over from analogue with focus on the conference theme :Digital Broadcast Content ; Production, Sourcing and Delivery.

Sourcing and delivery According to the organizers, the Biennial continental broadcast event convened at the instance of the National Broadcasting Commission (Nigeria) promises a huge platform that will connect Content Providers, Distributors and Marketers to network positively in the effort to reconstruct the continent’s digital broadcast migration dynamics with a view to optimizing the positive fall outs inherent in the emerging digital broadcast ecology to the benefit of Africast member state’s organization and participants.

With the convergence of notable global broadcast actors at the continent’s most unique broadcast event, the 10th

edition of Africast, is expected to motivate plausible networking among participants across all broadcast frontiers to provide a veritable platform for the harmonization of divergent digital migration viewpoints for the promotion of accelerated response to digital migration by African Union Member states in line with the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, global timeline for analogue switch off, which has 17th of June 2015 as the terminal date for analogue terrestrial broadcasting.

The event, according to NBC took a cue from the 2012 edition

of Africast, which had as its theme: The Content Rule, with over 317 participants that thronged the two days plenary session to listen to over 17 professional papers in master classes session. Organizers said they anticipated that the 2014 edition will attract more participants to deliberate on the crucial but topical issues on digital switch over in the continent.

Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Mr Emeka Mba, at a recent forum, stated that the 2014 Africast event

will be more purpose driven for resolutions that will shape the next decade of digital broadcasting technology, content sourcing and delivery enrichment than previous editions.

He stressed that emerging digital broadcasting issues at the conference/ exhibition should engage all African broadcasters in the diaspora and at home on strategic initiatives to leverage on for the improvisation of digital broadcasting in Africa with global relevance supported by appropriate technologies that will enhance continental digital b r o a d c a s t productivity for efficient delivery of information, education and entertainment content to target audiences in Africa and the global community.

“Digital broadcast will lead to high quality visual and audio transmission and reception. This qualitative improvement should have a corresponding impact on lives and our interpretation of our immediate universe for the use of all Africans,” said Mba.

‘Lack of strategic investors, bane of Nigeria’s ecommerce growth’ Continues from page 25 the target by December, latest” Challenges “Meanwhile, all these achievements did not go without challenges. We waded through the logistics challenge - the chaotic infrastructure in Nigeria, including bad roads, traffic congestions, among others. However we’ve been able to create proprietary ways of beating that. We do same day delivery.

So this challenge in essence has become our strength as we are known as only online retailer t do so in the market now.

Another one is payment system. The process of online or electronic payment is hard for a Nigerian customer who needs to make up to twenty clicks before final payment rather than in America for instance where it requires just one click to make payment.

Again there is the issue of cost of acquiring customers. This is where funding comes in. You need huge funds to acquire as much customers.

Some of our competitors spend up to $400 to acquire one customer but since we have realized that funding is a problem in Nigeria, we turned the challenge to strength. We deal on household consumables which have almost zero rate of returns, do same day delivery and create shopping list service on our site which recognises our customers weekly or monthly needs and gets across to them without stress.

So in essence we spend less than $14 dollar to acquire a customer”.

Celebrating Gloo.ng To celebrate the two year anniversary, Olusanya said Gloo.ng is organizing a promo, which runs from October 1 to 31, where gifts including two pairs of iPhone six; LED Tv and washing machines will be given to winners. He explained that participants can go to the firm’s website to participate.

2014 Int’l day of the girl child:

Intel says ‘NO’ to gender inequality in IT empowerment T

By EMEKA AGINAM

he current gender inequality in Information Communication Technology, ICT, around the world, especially in developing countries has continued to attract global attention. Experts say this development must be corrected so as to open doors for equal opportunity for women and girls.

Current statistics in Nigeria for instance, reveal that Nigerian women make up 50 per cent of the population but hold less than 20 per cent of ICT jobs in the country. However, Intel Corporation, at the International Day of the Girl Child held in Nigeria at the weekend, drove the message home, that the girl-child must be given equal opportunity in ICT, to correct the imbalance.

Like Intel, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson is passionate about developing technology skills among women. She is worried that Nigerian females are not exposed to technology training like their

male counterparts. So last year, Ministr y of C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Te c h n o l o g y, r e a c h e d a n agreement with Huawei Technologies to train Nigerian girls in information and communications technology.

The idea according to her, aimed at encouraging females to take up interest in technology.

The Nigerian version of the international day of t h e g i r l c h i l d w a s o r g a n i z e d b y Wo m a n ’ s Technology Empowerment Center, WTEC and supported by Intel, Oracle, Idea, and Kravex.

Speaking to about 30 girls from no fewer than seven secondary schools around Lagos at the Idea H u b , Ya b a , L a g o s d u r i n g t h e c e l e b r a t i o n , Olasimbo Olatoregun of Intel in her welcome address told the gathering that there should not be limit to career in IT no matter the gender status.

She said that Intel believes that education is a fundamental right for everyone, and technology opens doors to opportunities.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—29

Oshiomhole: Eyes on the presidency

By Chioma Gabriel

bid to bring the government of the day to order.

Will his pro-people and antigovernment tendencies work for or against his presidential ambition?

Now, the Edo governor is serving his second term in office and is set to abandon it half-way to vie for the highest office in the land. Oshiomhole is on the march again to become Nigeria’s number one citizen and he has drawn up a time table for his nationwide consultation with APC governors, former presidents, opening campaign headquarters in Abuja and Edo State and setting up committees.

It is believed by many that a majority of the APC governors may endorse him as their candidate due to the belief that his popularity cuts across the country, an attribute they intend to explore to stop President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid.

As Labour president, he was perceived to be more popular than the president of the country.

Oshiomhole believes that even in Bayelsa State, the President’s home state, he would defeat President Jonathan at the polls.

F

OR the second time, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has indicated interest to contest the presidential election; the first being in 2006 after retiring as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president and joining partisan politics.

Oshiomhole recently submitted a letter of intent to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to signify interest in the 2015 presidential race. He has also intensified consultations with stakeholders across the country, including former presidents to drive home his point.

Born on April 4, 1953, Oshiomhole rose from being a factory worker to a long career in trade unionism which eventually led to his election as the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in January 1999.

Industrial relations His profile rose rapidly after he studied labour, economics and industrial relations at Ruskin College in Oxford, United Kingdom and later attending Nigeria’s prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru.

As the president of NLC, he fought the government of

Positive changes

•Oshiomhole worked at cross-purposes.

Naturally, his foray into politics was a welcome

,

He also put Nigeria on the spot as the Labour president, repeatedly organising strikes and mass action across the nation in his bid to bring the government of the day to order

former President Olusegun Obasanjo to a standstill over the government’s policy on arbitrary removal of oil subsidies and imposing high cost of petroleum products on the people.

Several times, he was arrested and detained by the government of the day for mobilising workers to down tools to protest hike in fuel prices. He recalled going out on several occasions and not returning home, ending up in detention camps and having his wife Clara (now late) searching for him from one police station to the other.

Oshiomhole is known to have strengthened the labour movement and uniting the unions that had previously

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development as his labour profile and rapport with the ordinary people paved the way for him despite attempt by the government of the day to frustrate him. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared his PDP opponent as the winner of the 2007 governorship election. He challenged the decision at the law courts and won. In 2012 he sought for and got reelected.

Even while many welcomed his foray into politics in 2006, others took it with a pinch of salt, believing his troublesome inclinations would not take him far. His critics thought that having spent his life fighting the

perceived enemies of the people and known to be used to complaining and grumbling, he must have lost the capacity for doing any constructive work.

But they were wrong.

Initially, Oshiomhole was perceived to be angling for the presidency but later trimmed ambition and elected to go for Edo governorship to the chagrin of late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) who accused him of stooping low instead of going for the presidential election he was best suited for. Gani was eminently opposed to Oshiomhole’s adventure into the governorship race and in his usual way said so publicly.

Governorship race He had preferred that Oshiomhole ran for the presidency. According to Gani, Oshiomole was bringing down his worth by leaving the presidency to some lesser men to which Oshiomhole had declared that he preferred to start from

somewhere and gather valuable experience before contesting for the nation’s number one position. But in spite of Gani’s confidence in him, those opposed to his presidential ambition then believed Oshiomhole would have ended up with a similar experience in politics like Fawehinmi when the latter ventured into the presidential race.

Has he gathered enough experience now? Is he now strong enough to politically defeat the incumbent president?

As the Labour leader, Oshiomhole had a niche for always taking on peopleoriented fights and had the advantage of working with organised groups. He equally understood the deceptions, betrayals and internal survival politics within unions and had through the years relied on the people while making sure that they did not fail him. He also put Nigeria on the spot as the Labour president, repeatedly organising strikes and mass action across the nation in his

The Edo governor has confidence that he could bring positive changes in the Nigerian society and the only way to do so is to go for the highest office in the land.

According to him, he decided to team up with the progressives because there is need for a clean break from the sordid past.

“We need a complete break from the past; we are out to set Nigerians free and so, we need a completely new machinery to actualise that dream,” he said.

Oshiomhole ventured into politics on the platform of the Labour Party but later joined the Action Congress (AC), which morphed into Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and recently, merged into the APC. Will he emerge the standard-bearer of APC at the primaries to challenge President Jonathan at the polls? Will he defeat Abubakar Atiku, Muhammadu Buhari and other APC top-shots eyeing the presidential seat?

The answer is blowing in the wind.

30—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

2015: Jonathan’s achievements ‘ll guarantee his reelection — Orubebe EBIS Orubebe, the chairman Niger Delta Youth Leaders Council and director general, Jonathan Youth Vanguard, in this interview says President Goodluck Jonathan deserves to be reelected on account of his achievements. He also speaks on how to sustain peace in the Niger Delta region.

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

O

N what Jonathan o u t h Vanguard is all about Jonathan Youth Vanguard is an official youth body drumming support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election. Its membership cuts across all the states, tribes and regions of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Our job purely is to mobilize youths and women support for the President’s transformation agenda.

On why they are supporting President Jonathan’s reelection We, the youths of this country and Nigerians in general have seen what our past leaders did during their administrations.

Mr. President has done excellently well within the period he assumed office as the President of Nigeria. So, there is need for us to continue to drum up support for his reelection because of his tremendous achievements. We are calling on every meaningful Nigerian to support this transformation agenda.

Y

Transformation agenda Our group as the official youth body is calling on all Nigerian youths and women to support and encourage the president’s reelection in 2015. I also want to use this opportunity to thank the numerous groups for unanimously endorsing President Jonathan for second term, especially the PDP governors Forum, the PDP NEC and TAN. On how they came up with assessment that the president has done ‘excellently well’ On education, as soon he took over, he created nine universities across the six geo-political zones.

Today, all are functional and this has reduced the stress of getting admission into universities. He also provided intervention funds for universities and other tertiary institutions. He has also set up Almajiri’s schools as part of the effort to alleviate the insecurity challenge that we are facing in the country today. This is the first time in the history of the country that a sitting president is such and provided the students with uniforms and education materials. Also, girl-child education is being encouraged.

On security, the president is

doing his best because no president in Nigeria has faced the kind of security challenge that confronted the Jonathan’s administration. But you can see the successes his administration has recorded in recent time in the fight against terrorism in Borno and Yobe states.

The president means well for this country and he is determined to fight terrorism to a standstill and we are beginning to see the successes. He has signed bilateral agreement with some western countries to improve on the fight against terrorism in the country, especially in the northern parts of the country.

In the Niger Delta, the situation is no longer the way it used to be before he took over. He has been able to bring to a standstill the crisis in the area, especially militancy through the amnesty office and we are all enjoying peace in the area. Even in the South-East, the kidnapping problem has also been put to an end. So, the president deserves commendation not condemnation.

As the chairman of Niger Delta Youth Leaders Council, how do you manage the restive Niger Delta youth?

I am a peace loving person. I play my role as a leader and if I see trouble anywhere I try to restore peace. If people are

agitating or protesting, I talk to them. Some of them may be acting based on ignorance or misinformation. So, what I plan to do is to continue to talk to them to ensure peace and come up with ideas that will improve the situation rather than applying violence which used to be the situation in the past. So, you can see that our orientation has changed. We are building a new Niger Delta, we are trying to educate them on the need to come up with brilliant ideas that we can sell to government and various government agencies in the Niger Delta area.

On sustaining peace in the Niger Delta We thank God for giving us the wisdom to lead our youths. We are working together with government agencies to ensure that our youths are taken away from the streets. I thank the NDDC for introducing several schemes to empower and build our youths.

Volunteer service scheme Recently, they initiated a programme called ‘Niger Delta Volunteer Service Scheme’ as a way of engaging our youths. The new scheme by NDDC to help unemployed youths in the Niger Delta is a laudable programme that would go a long way in reducing social vices associated

•Orubebe with youths as a result of idleness. I just hope the programme will be sustained to accommodate as many youths as possible. So, I advise that they involve those that are really in need of job.

The NDDC is just one of the federal government agencies in the region. I urge the other federal government agencies to develop youth empowerment programmes as NDDC is doing and in doing that, most of our youths will be taken care of.

The NDDC is about to begin a training programme in Benin Republic. They want to train people in various schemes especially in carpentry, POP making, so that when you want to build, you don’t have to ‘import’ people from Ghana, Togo and other countries. I want to personally thank the entire board of the NDDC especially the MD/CEO Dan-Abia and his SA Youth, George Turnar, for the

wonderful programmes they are implementing to help the youths of the Niger Delta.

His advice to Niger Delta youths and Nigerians ahead of the 2015 general election?

Like I said earlier, I am a peace loving person and for that, I will not allow any Niger Deltan to take up arm against anybody in 2015 general election. The President has said this on several occasions that his ambition does not worth the blood of anybody. We, in the Jonathan Youth Vanguard, are peace loving people.

So, if people in other quarters are hoping to make trouble, we believe that the security agencies are capable of handling any situation. Even if we are provoked, we know the security agencies will handle it. So, we will continue to advise Niger Delta youths to continue to take the position we have agreed on, to continue to live in peace.

Why PDP peace meeting for Rivers was ambushed

BY SOBOMA FYNEFACE

I

T was shocking and embarrassing to me as a Rivers man to witness what happened on Thursday, October 09, 2014, at the Legacy House, Abuja, venue of the Zonal Integration Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. This seemingly commendable effort of the party leadership to resolve the intra-party issues before next year ’s general elections was again ambushed and hijacked by a group unabashedly representing the morbid interests of one of the governorship aspirant and discredited state chapter of the PDP. If it was not ambushed, the truth about who and what have been the real causes of the problem would have emerged.

It was, therefore, imperative for the clique that has been fuelling the problems within the party in

Rivers State to engage the services of hoodlums to ambush the exercise and diminish its relevance to the party’s stability and peace in our state.

Curiously and, in fact, strangely, a meeting that was supposedly arranged to reconcile the different tendencies that have clearly emerged within Rivers PDP ended up excluding almost all the aggrieved parties, and admitted mostly those people against who petitions have been written, including their allies and collaborators.

Allies and collaborators So, the critical question to ask really is: who and who would this important Committee actually reconcile? If those to be reconciled are chosen from one faction and the other side was literally excluded and intimidated out of the venue by

paid hirelings and over-doped hoodlums, who are those to be reconciled? These are the crucial questions that many stakeholders in the party in Rivers State are beginning to ask.

I was there and I saw five hoodlums stationed at the main entrance leading into the venue.

They were dutifully stopping and pushing out even government officials who visibly had around their necks their identity cards. I saw prominent aspirants and party elders like Major Lancelot Ayanya, Prof Owate Israel, Engr Beks Dagogo-Jack and many others, and Chief Anabs Sara Igbe, people who are critical to the reconciliation efforts of the national leadership of the party, being physically denied access to the venue of the meeting.

If this were done or undertaken by law enforcement agents, I could have quickly told myself that they may be trying to keep law and order, but this ugly exercise was the baby of hired

hoodlums.

I have serious doubts about the acceptability of whatever decisions may come out of this failed-on-arrival exercise, because they may not lead to any genuine and enduring reconciliation of the aggrieved persons in Rivers State PDP. It is now clear to many party members and close observers that the discredited leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP and its notorious paymaster are hell bent and totally decided on keeping and consolidating their infamous grip and stranglehold on the party in the state.

The objective is clear to many PDP stakeholders: the political concoction taking place is to be deployed as a political machine waiting to be put to full use in favour of “the emperor and paymaster” to control and pervert the governorship and other

Continues on page 31

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—31

Rivers 2015: I am the Ogoni face of hope – Lee Maeba Senator Lee Mae ba represented Rivers SouthEast in the Senate on the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). During his stint in the Senate, he was chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum and one of the strong voices of Ogoniland. Now aspiring to succeed Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Maeba, in this interview, speaks on his vision and mission for Rivers State, his chances and what the state would gain from his administration, if elected.

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

YOU aspire to be the gover nor of Rivers State, how prepared are you?

I am very prepared to govern Rivers State. I have been working on a blueprint for the development of River State since I left the Senate in 2011 and I have put together what I say is my vision and mission based on the reality on the ground, I have taken stock of the performances of the previous administrations since the creation of Rivers State and I have a lot of things to offer to harness the full potential of the state.

Now, my blueprint is ready. I had extensive consultations with people of the state, stakeholders, women, men, youth groups, students, everybody and the kind of support I have received from all indicate that I will make a good governor, so I have no other choice than to declare for the race.

What is the focus of your blueprint?

My blueprint is focused on about seven vital areas: education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and culture, women and youth development.

Youth development With God on my side and the people with me, we will transform and rebuild Rivers State to a situation where people won’t need to travel from their rural areas to Port Harcourt. We will make sure that we change Rivers State that has been a single city state since creation. That is what I am setting out to change. There must be one or two alternative cities, you will see second city, third city of Port Harcourt so that those cities will be new cities, built in our own fashion and taken into cognizance that we come from a state where our cultural heritage is one of the best in the country. So, we are going to do a lot of things to make sure that Rivers State is made an emerging Dubai in Nigeria.

•Maeba The current administration in Rivers State is considered to have done a lot in education and agriculture, how do you intend to sustain these achievements?

The current administration has done a lot of things in primary education and nursery education, beautiful classroom blocks abound.

There are complaints that the buildings are so beautiful but they arenotbigenoughtoaccommodate allthestudents.Sowewilladdmore blocks.

In tertiary education, yes, they movedintobuildingnewschools,but therearehistoricschoolslikeBMGS, Canty Grammar school, Crowther Grammarschool,etc.Thesetypesof schoolsarenotschoolsyoujustallow to decay. So, my focus is to rebuild these schools that were named after our founding fathers. I will rebuild these schools to international standard.

And when we talk about agriculture, yes I see Songhai farms, but when you go to the farm like the one in Ogoni land, you discover that they don’t have processing plants. You can’t plant banana and plantain without processing plants. What I need to do is that if the farm already exists and you don’t have processing plant, we install processing facilities and administrative facilities so that these farms become a total farm.

Also, I will rebuild farm houses so that key technical, engineering and support staff live on the farm.

That is what an idea of a farm is, people stay there, live there and work there. It cannot be a complete

farm when there are no processing facilities and administrative facilities. So, we will make these farms complete farms.

In addition, we will do our own.

In every local government we will focus on cultivating up to 50,000 hectares of farmland. We will be processing maize and when you say maize it is real maize, maize powder, etc. We will have pineapple farm where you really

make pineapple juice fresh from the farm, millet farms and soya beans farms where you produce soya milk right from the farm.

Are you favoured by the permutations on zoning of the governorship?

The only senatorial district that has not produced a governor is the South East Senatorial District where the Ogoni are. That is where I also come from. The

Ogoni fought and died for democracy. The Ogoni confronted the military and made all the noise and today we have democracy.

An Ogoni man has not been a governor, an Ogoni man has not been a deputy governor, an Ogoni man has not been a speaker, an Ogoni man has not been a Chief Judge. What has the Ogoni done wrong?

Since the military administration made Dr. Ben Birabi a minister of state for Sports in the early 90s, all successive administrations have ignored the Ogoni. As I speak, there is no prominent Ogoni man in any position in this government, there is no prominent Ogoni man holding any position as a minister, ambassador or chairman of any federal board. What have the Ogoni done?

That is why the Ogoni project 2015 has received my blessings, it is an encouragement to everybody.

So we are appealing to every son and daughter of Rivers State to give us a sense of belonging.

If the PDP denies Ogoni its ticket, will there be protest votes for an Ogoni running on the banner of the APC? This is democracy. Once the primary is done and a candidate emerges and he is not me or another Ogoni man, that will not make me not to be a member of the PDP.I will work for my party to make sure that my party wins the election.

But if another party, for instance, the APC produces an Ogoni governorship candidate, it becomes a challenge and the PDP must do more work to win the votes in Ogoni land.

Why PDP peace meeting for Rivers was ambushed Continues from page 30 primaries when the time comes.

This endangers the possibility of PDP maintaining its dominant position in the state. This will certainly give Chibuike Amaechi cause to smile and continue his interference in Rivers PDP by proxy.

It is hoped that what is happening among our politicians, especially those who behave like thugs and employ the services of hoodlums, are not signs of what the people of Rivers State should expect as we move gradually to the 2015 general elections. If the excesses of some politicians in our state are not curbed now, our dear Rivers State could slide into unimaginable anarchy. I say this because it looks like this is exactly what a few Rivers State politicians are assiduously working towards, and I can see a disaster coming.

I am hoping that this is not going to be a prophesy come true. We eagerly await the outcome of this

clearly ambushed reconciliation exercise, because if the party leadership is unable to take the right decisions and promptly too, I foresee protest actions and protest votes against the PDP in Rivers State in the coming general elections.

Simple opinion And this is not mere wishful thinking: a simple opinion survey in our state today would clearly reveal that there is an overwhelming body of sentiment against the idea that an Ikwerre man should succeed the incumbent governor, Chibuike Amaechi, himself an Ikwerre. Also, and this very clear, the people of Rivers State appear to be insisting that power should shift from the upland section, where it has stayed for 15 unbroken years, to the riverine part, in line with the age-old sharing formula that made our

state the bastion of peace, equity, peace and harmony all these past years.

My honest advice to the National Chairman and to the National Working Committee of the PDP is to cancel the charade that was called ‘reconciliation meeting’ conducted on Thursday, October 9, and organize a betterplanned repeat of the exercise which will not only be transparent, but be seen to be so by all stakeholders. And finally, I should mention this: perhaps this is the best time and a golden opportunity for President Goodluck Jonathan, as the national leader of the party, to intervene and probably wield the big stick before the crisis in Rivers State PDP deteriorates and degenerates to uncontrollable anarchy that could lead to mass desertion of the leading party in the state. *Mr. Fyneface, a retired top Oil Executive, lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

32 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Babatunde out of

Sudan clash

S

uper Eagles midfielder, Michael Babatunde has said that he will be unable to play any part in today’s 2015 Africa Nation’s Cup qualifier against Sudan.

Babatunde missed the reverse fixture in Khartoum on Saturday because of an injury complaint and he has now confirmed that Wednesday’s game against the Falcons of Jediane will come too soon for him.

The 21-year-old did not train on Tuesday along with CSKA Moscow winger, Ahmed Musa.

“I have not completely recovered (from the injury). I am still doing some medical

work and will only be fully fit by the middle of (October). I won’t play on Wednesday (today) against Sudan,” Babatunde said.

The midfielder then took the time to plead with Nigerians to support the team on today.

“I believe that if we beat Sudan (on Wednesday), we will win our remaining two games (against Congo and South Africa).

“That will see us qualifying for the (Afcon) so

I am begging the fans to please support us and give us the necessary drive.

“The spirit in camp is very high and we badly want to win this game,” the Volyn Lutsk man said.

Babatunde has seven senior caps for Nigeria.

2015

Algeria Moro *Egypt

Mali host bottom placed Ethiopia E

thiopia will face a tough test when they play away to the Mali Eagles today in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier.

After losing all their three games and being bottom of Group B, there is a lot of pressure for the Ethiopian players and technical bench as they battle in West Africa.

But their Head Coach Mariano Barreto has insisted that he is building a team and results will come with time.

Barreto will hope that Yussuf Saleh and Gateneh Kabede who netted some goals in the qualifying campaign can turn on the style in Mali and shock the hosts.

A

FIXTURES Cameroon v S Leone 3.00 pm.

Togo v Uganda 4.00 pm.

Cape Verde v M’bique 4.30 pm.

Angola v Lesotho 5.00 pm.

Ghana v Guinea 5.00 pm.

Nigeria v Sudan 5.00 pm.

Zambia v Niger 5.00 pm.

Egypt v Botswana 6.00 pm.

Iv Coast v DR Congo 6.00 pm Burkina F. v Gabon 7.00 pm Mali v Ethiopia 7.00 pm South Africa v Congo 7.05 pm Tunisia v Senegal 8.15 pm Algeria v Malawi 8.30 pm

*Kabede

lgeria will qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations if they beat Malawi today, while wins for Cameroon and South Africa will put them within touching distance.

The Desert Foxes have shown why they are Africa’s top-ranked side by winning all three of their Group B games, two of which were away from home, And it is expected they will capitalise on home advantage against Malawi to book their place at next year’s finals in Morocco with two qualifiers to spare.

All today’s games are the reverse fixtures from last weekend - the second of the double-header ties that pitted two group teams against each other home and away in the space of a few days.

In Blantyre on Saturday, Algeria’s slick passing had Malawi chasing shadows at times and it is hard to think they will not repeat or better the 2-0 victory they achieved then.

Once again Sofiane Feghouli and Yacine Brahimi will look to

run things from midfield.

Cameroon are also at home - although their fixture against Sierra Leone last weekend was also played in Yaounde because of the Ebola outbreak in their opponents’ country - and they are desperate to improve after surprisingly being held to a draw.

Until that point the Indomitable Lions had been flying in Group D, leading the table after two wins including a 4-1 thrashing of Ivory Coast.

And coach Volker Finke wants a return to the form that delivered that impressive victory when they meet the Leone Stars again.

France-based attackers Vincent Aboubakar and Clinton N’Jie, scorers of three goals each in the qualifiers, will be eager to rediscover their cutting edge.

Maximum points for Cameroon would open the door for Ivory Coast to also seal a finals slot by

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 33

COTE D’IVOIRE VS DR CONGO:

Elephants to stamp revival home

T

NATIONS CUP:

a close in on occo finals t, Nigeria struggle completing a double over DR Congo having won 2-1 in Kinshasa.

The Ivorians succeeded in Kinshasa despite Swansea star Wilfried Bony failing to convert a penalty, and they boast a home record of only one defeat in 51 qualifiers.

In Group A all eyes will be on Nigeria, who are in serious danger of failing to qualify to defend their title.

Off-the field problems have translated to their results and the shock 1-0 loss away to Sudan has left the super Eagles bottom of the table and without a win.

Coach Stephen Keshi, who is working without a contract, has blamed the team’s recent failures on “sabotage”, claiming some people in Nigerian football are desperate for the Super Eagles to fail.

Nigeria meet Sudan in Abuja knowing anything other than a win could be disastrous for their hopes of a recovery.

Group leaders South Africa have impressed under new

coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba and go into their game against Congo full of confidence after they beat them 2-0 away at the weekend.

A belief in youth has been a big factor in the Bafana Bafana revival with Mashaba preferring teenage defender Rivaldo Coetzee over 30-year-old Tefu Mashamaite in Congo.

“The first time I coached South Africa against Congo in 1992 we scored once, the second time we scored twice last weekend, so I am hoping for three come Wednesday,” said Mashaba.

Strikers Bongani Ndulula and Tokelo Rantie struck the goals that conquered Congo in Pointe-Noire and they are likely to start in a side that has not conceded a goal in three qualifiers.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Borussia Dortmund strike Aubameyang is Gabon’s big weapon up front

Like Nigeria, record seventime title-holders Egypt and shock 2012 winners Zambia need home victories to keep alive hopes of qualifying.

However, a 2-0 victory in Gaborone suggests Egypt can defeat Botswana again and put pressure on Senegal and Tunisia in Group G. Botswana will be without India-based midfielder Ofentse Nato, who has retired from international football at the age of 25 after accusations of coming to camp drunk.

For Senegal or Tunisia to secure a place, one of them must win in Monastir and hope Botswana stun Egypt.

Having being thwarted in Dakar by a packed Tunisian defence, Senegal coach Alain Giresse will hope attackers Papiss Cisse, Sadio Mane and Dame Ndoye can benefit from greater space.

Zambia should end a threematch winless run having held Niger goalless in their Group F match in Niamey.

he Ivorian team will go for broke to subdue their central African visitors in Abidjan, to brighten their Afcon chances and also appease local sceptics Cote D’Ivoire’s most difficult hurdle after their 41 debacle against Cameroon in the second round had been the DR Congo first leg clash. However, the Elephants returned from their trip to Kinshasa with a decisive 2-1 win that instantly quelled fears back home and temporarily quietened growing criticism of new coach Herve Renard.

Now sitting second with six points in Group D, the Elephants will smooth their path to the Afcon finals if they carry off today’s encounter. But a disastrous outcome will not only put their campaign in jeopardy once more, it will awaken animosity towards the team and perhaps prompt calls for the removal of the Frenchman.

With Paris Saint Germain defender Serge Aurier quite doubtful for the meeting after picking an injury in the reverse fixture, Renard would have to introduce the best replacement to tone up his spongy back half against fast moving Youssouf Mulumbu and Zola Matumona.

“We’re not going to be carried away by the 2-1 win over DR Congo. We want to remain concentrated and win the return leg which is very important for our qualification,” Renard said at a press conference in Abidjan.

The Yaya Toure – Gervinho and Wilfried Bony triangle has been thriving and the coach is expected to stick by it once more against the Leopards, who will be playing for survival as well.

DR Congo have been overtaken by Cote D’Ivoire for second spot in the group, while the Central Africans now sit third with three points.

Losing in Abidjan will likely pull the plug on their campaign, after three losses. Thus, they will put up a fight to claim all three points or bear down on their hosts to snatch a draw, at worst.

MKHALELE: Congo

will pose a threat B

afana Bafana legend, Helman Mkhalele, says he was left impressed by the national team’s display against Congo Brazzaville in the 2015 Afcon qualifier on Saturday.

Shakes Mashaba’s side lead Group A with seven points after clinching a key 2-0 away win in tough conditions in Pointe Noire.

Congo Brazzaville, who trail South Africa by a point, will be looking for quick revenge when they do battle with Bafana again today at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Mkhalele, who won the Afcon title with Bafana back in 1996, says there is no room for the national side to take the foot off the pedal as they seek to stay top.

“I was impressed with the way the boys absorbed the pressure playing away from home and also how they adapted to the artificial pitch.

*Meyiwa

34 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Linda Ikeji

W

ho reigned in the past week but the undisputed queen of blogosphere herself, who appeared at first to be in hot soup with Google closing her famous blog for- wait for thisplagiarizing.

Matters arising are innumerable, and while some rejoiced over her perceived down fall, others predicted she would come out on top of the whole thing.

The latter are right, and it’s now being conjectured that the whole affair was contrived in the first place.

Interesting world, the Nigerian cyberspace, and who would know it better than it’s undisputed queen?

Malala Yousafzai

B

S

eventeen-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize Friday.

She was the runner-up for Time magazine’s 2012 Person of the Year, losing to President Barack Obama, who also has the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to his credit.

She so impressed Jon Stewart last year, hours before she won the Sakharov Prize, Europe’s top human-rights award, that The Daily Show host actually asked the girl if her father would be mad if he adopted her.

A teenage advocate for education with a brave and buoyant story to tell, Yousafzai shares with Kailash Satyarthi, who has campaigned against child trafficking and child labor in India.

Malala is by far the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. That distinction used to belong to Tawakkol Karman, an activist in Yemen who was 32 when she shared the award with two other women in 2011. The average age of winners the year they won is 62.

logosphere was thrown into mourning last week when Former Presidential spokesperson, Felicia Oluremi Oyo, OON, passed on in London, eleven days before her 62nd birthday after a prolonged illness.

As senior special assistant media and publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007, Mrs. Oyo was the first female to hold that position. Before then she had served as the first female president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. She later served as the first female managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria, 2007 to 2013.

An indigene of Usi-Ekiti, she studied mass communication at the University of Lagos, Akoka and international relations at the University of Kent, Canterbury.

She began her journalism career at the Federal Radio Corporation, Ikoyi and later worked at the News Agency of Nigeria, and the Romebased development agency, International Press Agency where she was bureau chief.

She is survived by her husband, Vincent Oyo, a son, daughter and several grandchildren.

Commentators described her as a lively and witty soul, and a dependable ally, who would be missed in the media.

Remi Oyo (1952-2014)

Jennifer Lopez/Kim Kardasian

A

fter months and months of endless controversy, the Securities and E x c h a n g e Commission (SEC) boss with nine lives Arunma Oteh appeared to have moved out of the public domain but not anymore, as last week she was the subject of much discussion following her speech on the sidelines of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions ( I O S C O ) an-nual meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Arunma Oteh

Back to talking about the economy, the SEC boss said that the Af-rican Development Banks said in the next 10 years Nigeria’s infrastructure need would be about $350 billion.

She said that in view of the challenges governments are facing and with banking finance being short termed, in-cluding some of the more dif-ficult regulatory requirements that banks are facing, the alter-native was to basically struc-ture different kinds of vehicles that allow one to go to the capital market to raise money.

This can be structured such

F

oremost female activist Jo Okeit’s been a war of the “booties” Odumakin was one of following the release, a those that were fortnight ago, of a photo on endowed by a social media showing rap national honour and, superstar Kanye West to the shock of her grabbing the admirers and unlike considerable derriere of many of her mentors, his fiancée screen she accepted the superstar Kim Kardasian honour. as they went down some As congratulations stairs. poured in on social But the game has been media for her, she took upped when entertainer and the opportunity to business mogul Sean Combs explain her reason for made a comparison between accepting the national said derriere and that of his honour. ex girlfriend, Jennifer Following series of Lopez, calling Lopez’s a pressures, I consulted great work of art that will with people I would forever go down in history. respect their counsels, Speaking to the TV show host including my leader, who mischievously provoked the Pastor Tunde Bakare. controversy by asking if Kim I’d love to state here that our heroes was even in the same (with humble regard to my leader, Chief conversation, he replied in Gani Fawehinmi) realized later that words that have been they needed to implement the changes Jennifer written in social media they yearned for, and would require marble: No way! No Kim political platforms/power to do so. disrespect to Kanye and Kim Hence, Chief Gani Fawehinmi formed but that thing right there is a political party (NCP) to enter the something special. space -although Of course, blogosphere is dying of excitement and is happily comparing and contrasting! it was late.

I

that peo-ple can match long term liabili-ties with long term assets. So it also gives an opportunity that other kinds of vehicles may not give you.

So you can either have project finance where the spe-cific structure that is set up, where the flows that are re-ceived from that particular in-frastructure project are used to meet the obligations from that particular structure.

So you can have securitisation, you can have project finance, you can have a variety of options which are available in the capital mar-ket Everyone loves a smart lady, as shown by the commentary.

Jo Okei-Odumakin We no longer have to wait till later, we may begin exploring little avenues open to us to effect the changes for which we always yearned.

This does not mean I’ll accept every offer that comes my way.

Already, I have been awarded so much, including internationally, such that awards compete for space in my office.

It is not necessarily required that you add “MFR” to my name.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 35

Personal Finance: women are not being true to themselves — Omilola Oshikoya, Personal Finance Coach

After over 11 years in finance/investment banking, Omilola left a thriving career in pursuit of her passion and her true calling. Omilola Oshikoya is a UK certified life coach, personal finance/ business coach, columnist, entrepreneur and media & publications specialist. She exudes the fervor of a woman who is built to transform lives through her gospel of financial intelligence.

She has a background in finance investment banking and accounting .This also extends to corporate finance, auditing and also different sectors like aviation, infrastructure , healthcare, real estate, hospitality etc. She is a UK certified life coach, a wealth and business coach and a public speaker.In this interview she reveals the common mistakes women make when it comes to their personal finance amongst other issues.

I

What made you quit your regular paying job?

It was a call for me. I had a fantastic job, I loved my company and I had a very successful career and also great career prospects .However, I got to a point in my life where I knew there was more. It’s more than just following somebody else’s vision.

Time and money I needed to spend more time with my children. I began to understand the value of time. Time is precious and costly .I think time is more important than money. You only get one chance at life so why not use it in doing something you won’t feel you wasted your time on? For me,it’s not just about here it’s about the afterlife.

Was that your wake -up

Do you think the Nigerian woman is educated about personal finance?

Personal finance is actually just a small aspect of what I am about. Essentially one of the things I talk about is wealth. Wealth is divided into four things: how to create wealth (Business), Second thing is how to manage wealth. A lot of people want to get out of poverty. They create wealth , they have money, but because they don’t know how to manage it, it goes .There was a time in my life when I was making much money and with everything in life we move from paycheck to paycheck The thing is how to grow your wealth? How to take it to the next level However, wealth is not just about money, because health is wealth. What is the point of having all the money in the world and you have to lie in

•Omilola Oshikoya

.

What drives you? have a passion for seeing people be what they were created to be; for them to be all they can be- basically seeing people move from where they are to where they ought to be. My driving force is God essentially and being all that I was created to be fulfilling my purpose.

call?

2012 was the year that God really called me , a lot of things happened. My mum was diagnosed with a brain tumor for the second time, a schoolmate of mine passed away, and the Dana crash happened.It was like, “Tomorrow is not certain” What is the point of having money and not leaving a legacy? Then it was all about my career but I had to realign and re-prioritize with God.

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By KEHINDE AJOSE

A lot of people want to get out of poverty.They create wealth , they have money, but because they don’t know how to manage it, it goes

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the hospital bed. It is also notable that power and influence are wealth.

Someone like Pastor Adeboye may not have as much cash as Bill Gates, but he has influence.

If he says today that he wants to travel to Dallas, a hundred people will make their master bedroom

available.I don’t believe in chasing money, when you create value money will chase you.

How would you measure the level of financial intelligence amongst women?

The first thing is being aware of who you are and where you are, which is what you call the law of awareness.

Where am I financially? Where do I want to be?

Financial intelligence

importance of having a piggy bank. For example in my home, over the Christmas my kids ages 3 and 6 made customized bracelets .They sold them and made a lot of money. They got a lot of order and got one to make bracelets for a birthday party and with that money I introduced the piggy bank to them . I am beginning to teach them the value of money. It starts from childhood. So you listen to people like me. Read my books, attend my seminars, you have to educate yourself.

So when you are aware of where you are and where you want to be, you then need to determine how to get there.

So a lot of people need to be educated. It starts from childhood . Ideally, if you have financially intelligent parents , they will begin to teach you the value of money even from a young age so they will teach you the

What steps have you taken to preach the gospel of financial intelligence?

Like I said, I contribute to two magazines, I have a blog, and I also use the social media.I have been on radio a couple of times and also have a YouTube channel where I post my videos. I am also working on a talk-show.

36 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 —37

38 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

a kind of covert operation that many countries do all the time because of the need to prevent information about the nature of arms getting to the knowledge of the enemy.

Although the Federal Government immediately denied allegations that the cash was a product of corrupt practices, it (Government) maintained that the money was actually meant for arms purchase to help fight terrorism through a third party arrangement.

According to Mr. Karounwi Adekunle, the spokesperson for the office of the NSA: “A business transaction actually took place between a legitimate company in Nigeria and another legitimate company in South Africa through the bank.

In the course of events, the South African company could not perform and decided to refund the money.

What is illegitimate in this transaction done through the bank?” Despite this explanation, the South African authorities who benefitted the most from Nigeria during the period of apartheid,

Military weapons

War on terror: Disturbing tales of conspiracy, sabotage •The South African connection and the enemies within

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IGERIA and South Africa have in the past three weeks been embroiled in a serious diplomatic and economic dispute over the twin arms purchase deals that would have seen South African Concerns playing the role of third party in the arms purchase transactions.

Also curiously, the United States of America, USA and its European allies have not responded positively to the sincere requests made by the Nigerian military for arms acquisition from their countries, especially as it concerns weaponry needed to prosecute the war on terrorism and other contemporary challenges threatening the country.

The feeling in government quarters is that the US, UK, Canada, France, etc, have always openly pledged and promised to support Nigeria, but do little in the area of supporting the country with the required modern weaponry to deal with the terrorism menace.

A recent case in point that has been cited was the pledge made by these world powers to assist Nigeria following the public

outcry and world outrage that greeted the abduction of about 276 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok. Not satisfied with the way they felt Nigeria was handling the rescue of the girls several of these countries pledged their readiness to come to Nigeria with the latest technology in satellite tracking, imagery, aircraft manouvering and drone technology, to help rescue the girls.

Experts and latest technology But months after the arrival of these ‘experts’ and ‘latest technology,’ which was celebrated to high heavens, nothing has been achieved other than the claim by these foreign experts that they know where the girls are.

Indeed Vanguard Features VF discovered that after being granted free access to Nigeria’s airspace and military facilities based on request, the US and its allies have turned around to claim that they were not here to rescue the girls but only to provide Nigeria with information for that purpose. ”That means that while they are in Nigeria, using their

satellite equipment and drones to scan the country, if they see Boko Haram terrorists moving in a convoy to attack a community, for instance, or they are already in a location killing and maiming innocent citizens in communities, they (foreigners) will do nothing about it. They will only observe,” a senior military officer said.

Sabotage alleged: Apart from this, VF gathered that the military knows that there is sabotage from within its ranks. Some military personnel allegedly connive with the terrorists, leaking operational roadmaps and strategies to the insurgents which

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By Kingsley Omonobi & Charles Kumolu

*Sambo Dasuki, NSA personnel in military courts for alleged conspiracy, desertions and willful damage to operational equipment, among others.

The most recent and hard to take occurrence which made an officer to wonder whether a

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Nigeria is desperate to counter activities of terrorists no matter what it takes even when some of our friends are not being fair to us

results into soldiers being ambushed and killed by the terrorists. It was further alleged that these saboteurs willfully donate arms and ammunition, including armoured personnel carriers, APC to them (Boko Haram).

The Military authorities have therefore decided to take the bull by the horn by arresting and arraigning several of its

group of Nigerians, particularly top politicians are out to ensure that the fight against terrorism fails, is the arms cash debacle between Nigeria and South Africa.

Firstly, it was the seizure of $9.

3million cash ferried to South Africa by the private aircraft of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, which security sources said was

went ahead to seize the money.

VF learnt that the Federal Government and top officers of security agencies in the country, are worried about the increasing trend by South African authorities to frustrate efforts by Nigeria to acquire weaponry and equipment needed to contain the deadly Boko Haram terrorism in North Eastern Nigeria.

As if this unbelievable occurrence was not enough, another arms transaction involving the sum of $5. 7million which was legitimately conducted through the banks and a bona-fide company in South Africa, months back, was again seized simply because the South African authorities delayed in renewing the license of the company which is not the fault

Continues on page 39

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 39

War on terror: Disturbing tales of conspiracy and sabotage Continues from page 38

of Nigeria.

South African media exonerate FG of money laundering Although several media organisations inside South Africa have investigated the arms deals independently and discovered that both transactions were legitimately done and that the cash were not proceeds of money laundering to be kept in foreign banks, yet the South African government has refused to budge.

One of such investigations done by ‘Rapport and City Press’ vindicated the Federal Government’s official position that the transactions were legitimate. They confirmed and showed that end user certificates and a ‘shopping’ list accompanied the transactions as well as a note from Nigerian government authenticating the deals”.

Security agencies The reports cited documents showing that the earlier consignment was approved by the Nigerian government – through the Office of National Security Adviser, NSA, which is officially mandated to issue the end-user certificate for such transactions that involved security agencies in Nigeria.

An entire “shopping list” was also said to have been supplied

Soldiers with their amunition Top politicians fuelling the impasse Meanwhile, the Federal Government has expressed worry over the true motive of South Africa and its collaborators in Nigeria who sources have fingered to be top notch politicians. One of these is alleged to be angling to become the nation’s number one citizen.

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The fact that the NSA signed the End User certificate for the arms importation is not a license for the companies involved in the deal to breach the laws of South Africa

with the certificate, which included everything from helicopters to unmanned aircraft, rockets and ammunition.

A top security source in the intelligence service also disclosed that “in issuing enduser certificate, the Office of the National Security Adviser ensures that it carries all relevant agencies and stakeholders along. Therefore, such a responsibility is not a unilateral development. ”For security reasons, the chains leading to the issuance of end-user certificate cannot be put in the public domain,” the source said. “The recent interest in arms purchase was informed by the challenges of insurgency which our nation had been grappling with in the last few years.

“Nigeria is desperate to counter activities of terrorists no matter what it takes even when some of our friends are not being fair to us,” he added.

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These same politicians according to investigations, are the ones shouting themselves hoarse that terrorism and insecurity have killed the nation, while the Federal Government is treating the issue with kid gloves.

One security source noted that the people behind this plot to scuttle procuring weapons for the military are not difficult to know.

He added that investigations have pointed to those who have certain investments and relationship with the powers that be in South Africa. ”They feel that if the military is better equipped and Boko Haram terrorism brought to its knees quickly, the Jonathan administration would have secured a moral and psychological victory on one of the planks they intend to capitalise on as a campaign material in the 2015 elections, hence they are doing everything to frustrate the success of the

arms purchase deals,” the source alleged.

“The curious interest in the nation’s arms deal in the past few weeks appears to suggest that some vested interests do not want the nation to win the war against insurgency. Some fifth columnists are certainly at work to achieve a clandestine purpose,” the source further alleged.

Legal way to buy arms -Tsav A former Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, however, said there are many unanswered questions in the way the arms transaction was handled.

“There are many things involved in this matter. Maybe someone is using that method to launder money. Perhaps, the person wanted to divert the money for his own personal use.

Otherwise, if you want to buy arms, the arms dealer must have an account. And the money should be transferred through the dealer’s bank account. And if such must be done it must be according to all known legal procedures of arms purchase,” he said.

Legal procedures of arms purchase Continuing, Alhaji Tsav asked: “What is the reason behind the purchase of arms? Is it to fight terrorists?

“There are many questions that are unanswered on that issue.

And the people advising President Jonathan are not doing him good. His advisers ought to

have told him the proper ways of purchasing arms. What stopped them from transferring the money through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN? If they are claiming that some Western countries have refused to sell arms to Nigeria, then they should make the purchase legal.

The way things are going on in this country raises a lot of questions. Nigeria has a very strong army that is respected in the continent and beyond. But unfortunately, defeating Boko Haram has become a big challenge. That our troops have not gone to Sambisa forest is also a surprise to all those who respect the Nigerian Army,” he said.

Falana absolves FG of complicity But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and well known critic of the Federal Government, Mr. Femi Falana, in an article published in Sahara Reporters, an online publication, absolved the Federal Government of complicity in the transaction. He however blamed the office of the NSA and the companies involved in the transaction for failing to conduct due diligence.

Falana wrote: “It is interesting to note that the NSA has not said that it was the Federal Government that transferred the controversial fund to South Africa. Neither has the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA indicted the Federal Government for the alleged criminality associated with the transaction.

In fact, the NPA has not questioned the legal status of

both companies.

What is being investigated by the NPA is the legitimacy of the receipt of $5.7 million by Cerberus Risk Solutions of South Africa whose license to deal in arms had expired before it entered into the contract. In actuality, it was the Standard Bank through which the fund was transferred which reported the “suspicious transaction”. And the NPA promptly applied for and obtained an order of the High Court for the seizure of the fund.

Both companies-Cerberus Risk Solutions of South Africa and its Nigerian counterpart, Societe D’Equipments Internationale, are yet to challenge the interim order for the confiscation of the fund.

“Therefore, contrary to the mismanagement of information traceable to the office of the NSA, the Federal Government did not place any direct order for the importation of arms from South Africa. The fact that the NSA signed the End User certificate for the arms importation is not a license for the companies involved in the deal to breach the laws of South Africa.

In other words, the Israeli and two Nigerians who were arrested last month for smuggling the sum of $9.3 million and the Nigerian company involved in the transfer of the $5.7 million to South Africa are not public officers. As independent contractors they were awarded contracts for the supply of arms by the Federal Government and paid accordingly.

It is indubitably clear that the suspects were negligent for failing to conduct due diligence”.

40— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

REIGN OF TERROR IN EDO:

How Majority Leaders, lawmakers escaped death •We must get to the root of this madness — Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem HOUGH those who have been following the crisis bedevilling the Edo State House of Assembly for some time now knew that the centre could no longer hold between the 15 All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers and the nine Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members, what they never knew was that it would result to reckless bloodbath. Last Saturday, at about 6:30am, armed men numbering more than 100 stormed the Assembly quarters which houses mainly the APC lawmakers, singing wars songs and screaming PDP!PDP! They went to the homes of some key lawmakers such as the Majority Leader of the House, Philip Shaibu, Bright Osayande, Folly Ogedegbe, Sunny Aghedo and Bamidele Oloruntoba (Akoko Edo constituency 2).

Unfortunately for the invaders, they could not find the lawmakers

Vehicles destroyed by the hoodlums at the Edo Legislative Quarters

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Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole a loud noise at the gate and saw more than 100 boys with AK47 and different types of guns entering the compound. They were screaming PDP! PDP! One of them saw me and screamed, 'Get him, he is one of them'. So I took off immediately, leaving my aged mother inside the house and my family. They shot

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My son fell from the fence and I had to struggle to defend myself. I had to use everything at my disposal to fight and luckily for me the guy fled and that was how I sustained injuries in their homes. They shot sporadically, turning the entire Ihama Road into a war zone. A lawmaker, Oloruntoba, who told Vanguard that the incidence happened at about 6:30am, asserted that the entire episode reminded him of the activities of ISIS in Iraq. Narrating the incidence to Vanguard, the lawmaker representing Akoko Edo constituency 2, Oloruntoba said, “my mum came around and I planned to travel to my constituency. I woke up and had my morning prayers then decided to come out to clean my car.

Immediately I came out, I heard

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at me immediately but I was lucky to escape. That was why they started shooting all the cars in the compound, destroying doors and windows.

I ran towards the Speaker’s lodge and informed him that armed men were in the compound and they were so many. I told him to instruct his security men to return fire, else we were gone. And that was how they started returning fire while the Speaker was making calls to the Commissioner of Police and other people. The shooting went on for more than 40 minutes and what was shocking was that

throughout that incidence, the police never showed up to help us.”

The Majority Leader Shaibu was their key target, because he was accused of beating up the PDP lawmaker, Rasaq Momoh, penultimate week. Shaibu and his family escaped death through the perimeter fence but sustained serious injuries.

Shaibu who spoke to Vanguard shortly before he was rushed to hospital with his wife and son said, “We heard they (PDP) held a meeting to come and attack us but we did not know that they would be this wicked and callous. Immediately I heard the gun shot, I took my son through the back to jump the fence with my wife. While trying to take the son outside the fence, one of the boys attacked me with a knife.

"My son fell from the fence and I had to struggle to defend myself. I had to use everything at my disposal to fight and luckily for me, the guy fled and that was how I sustained injuries. I was shocked that the policemen detailed to the quarters were withdrawn this morning while security was beefed up at the Continues on page 41

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 41

Vehicles destroyed by the hoodlums at the Edo Legislative Quarters

How Majority Leaders, lawmakers escaped death residence of Chief Dan Orbih, the PDP chairman and other PDP leaders. What these people did was to frame up Rasaq and get people to beat him up so that it would seem as if we were the ones that did it to enable them execute this plot. The PDP has been singing my name that I masterminded the beating of Momoh which is not true because I was not even there.

Scaling of the perimeter fence "If I had seen Rasaq I would have told him that his PDP people set him up so as to achieve this invasion and he should hold them responsible.” It would be recalled that Rasaq Momoh was an APC lawmaker before he defected to the PDP with four others. But sometime in July, the House declared his seat vacant which barred him from entering the Assembly quarters.

Penultimate Tuesday, it was learnt that he came to the Assembly quarters but was refused entrance by the security men and other lawmakers around.

He decided to scale the perimeter fence after which he was beaten up by some boys within the premises. Until now he is still receiving treatment at the hospital. The PDP accused the APC of masterminding the attack on Momoh which the APC described as arrant nonsense.

Tension heightened last Friday when President Goodluck Jonathan visited the State for the foundation laying of a $1 billion (about N165 billion) Azura Gaspowered Independent Power

Project in Benin City. The thugs loyal to PDP physically assaulted some senior officials of the Edo State Government including Secretary to the State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Patrick Obahiagbon, Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Anselm Ojezua and some civil commissioners.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions including placards of some PDP aspirants, the thugs disrupted activities at the Airport for several minutes as a combined team of soldiers and Policemen had a hectic time controlling them. It was the next day Saturday, that they proceeded to the House of Assembly quarters for the mayhem.

Destruction of cars Governor Oshiomhole who spoke while inspecting the destruction of cars and houses by the hoodlums at the quarters, said “the PDP leaders had a meeting where it was decided that thugs should be recruited using one Idehen to come and perpetrate this attack. It is very clear that the Police granted permission for this attack.

"The Commissioner of Police was informed at about 10:00pm of the plan of the PDP to attack the Legislative quarters and the APC office. We made this intelligence available to the Commissioner of Police and you can see that even the minimal police presence here was evacuated so that these thugs

could come and have a free reign of terror. This morning, when they assembled at a point they were meant to assemble, the fact was conveyed to the Commissioner of Police. They actually assembled at George Idah Primary School this morning before they proceeded and the Police provided supervision for this very serious criminal act. It is very clear that the police command granted permission to PDP to carry out this heinous crime.

“I think for all Nigerians, at a time when we are confronted by insurgency and other forms of violent crime, one will expect that any functionary of the other party will share the concern of the President on peace and security.

You can see some of the PDP Leaders in Edo State having lost out and rejected by the people believe that they can create a situation that will make Edo State ungovernable and create complete distraction in their futile calculation that they can remove themselves from power. This is a very dangerous thing. I am not so much worried about the violent character of the PDP, I am more worried by what seems to be the police readiness to provide them with cover.

Police readiness The State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke on the attack on a former member of the State House of Assembly, Mr Rasaq Momoh, said, “You will recall that during the Local Government Election, Razaq Momoh was arrested by the police with two guns, a pistol and a double barrel gun. As of that time during that Local Government election, he was still a member of ACN. When he was arrested and the facts were brought to my attention, I asked the police to ensure that he was prosecuted according to law. He was remanded by court in prison for four months before he was granted bail and as we speak that matter is pending at the High Court. About six months before the election, Razaq was shot by his criminals and he was taken to the hospital.”

The governor said he encouraged Rasaq Momoh to

disclose who shot him and he claimed he didn’t know. This is someone who has a history of violence, history of carrying guns and attacking people with guns and I have insisted and I still do that everyone who has committed crime must be prosecuted according to the law of the land. The fact that he is a Lawmaker makes it imperative for him to be seen to obey the law and the police told me then that when he was arrested he asked whether the police knew who he was? That he is a member of the House of Assembly and the police had to remind him that he doesn’t have immunity.”

But responding to the allegations, the PDP Chairman, Chief Orbih, said, "there is no truth whatsoever in the governor’s allegations. After welcoming Mr President to Edo State on Friday, many of us went to our houses, had a light dinner

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Continues from page 40

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 the APC why is he accusing me wrongly. Most of those guys in APC are my people so why will I go and kill them, that is impossible. I don’t know what he is talking about”.

But Oshiomhole who reacted again on the issue while receiving PDP defectors into the party in Ikpoba Okhai declared that “those who are preaching violence should know that Edo State cannot be conquered by a bunch of criminals. He said, "We have the capacity and the capability to protect ourselves.

However, we will not go for anybody’s blood because we don’t need it. Last weekend, people who have nothing to offer, who have no stake in our environment were the ones rooting for violence. It was at the pastor's campaign office that they held the meeting where it was decided that they should kill a

Anybody who brings violence to Edo State, violence will consume. I want to advise all those who are preaching violence that Edo State cannot be conquered by a bunch of criminals and went to bed. It is common knowledge that what happened may have been borne out of the attack on Hon Rasaq Momoh and the fact that those accused are now free today. What happened was not the work of our party. We believe in the law enforcement agencies to deal with the situation. The governor is the one brewing thugs in the state and we all know them. He decides to cry now because they attacked the Assembly quarters, why did he not react when the PDP lawmaker Rasaq was almost killed by his thugs.”

Also reacting, Ize-Iyamu said, "no meeting was held in my house or my office and I will challenge anybody to prove me wrong. The governor is not saying the truth.

When he became a security man I don’t know. Dr Mayor whom 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

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number of people and they got the police support and they went to the legislative quarters with firearms and wanted to kill our assembly men. The pastor collected money promising that he would take over the House of Assembly and he failed. Contrary to their calculations, we have shown that we are totally in charge. We have presented our budget for 2015 when many PDP Governors are still struggling to prepare their budgets.

Everything they think we cannot do, they saw that we are doing it better.

"When they were blocking the Ring Road, we moved our people out of the Ring Road. They could no longer block it, so out of frustration, they decided to resort to kill. When a man embarks on sucking the blood of young people, we leave him in the hands of God. I want to warn the Pastor, if he brings violence to Edo State, the violence will consume him. Anybody who brings violence to Edo State, violence will consume. I want to advise all those who are preaching violence that Edo State cannot be

42—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Lagos seeks support for people with mental disorders

By Chioma Obinna IN line with its resolve to reduce the burden of mental illness in the state, the Lagos State Government has called for care and practical support for people living with with mental disorders.

Addressing journalists during a road show/awareness walk to mark the 2014 World Mental Health Day with the theme, "Living With Schizophrenia", the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who observed that people with such disorders like Schizophrenia; a long term disorder of the brain which affects how a person thinks, feels as well as act deserved enormous support from friends, families and the public.

Idris who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. ‘Modele Osunkiyesi said there is no single test to diagnose schizophrenia adding that the condition is usually diagnosed after assessment by a specialist in mental health.

"The treatment available for the disease will include a combination of medication, psychological therapies and rehabilitation” stressing that most people with the condition will make a recovery with appropriate treatment, although some may experience the occasional return of symptoms.

“We are better at treating it and minimising its consequences now than at any other time in previous human history. However the man-made consequences, the collateral damage caused by widespread stigma,

ignorance and general negative attitude and lack of understanding on the part of the public need to be vigorously tackled.

Idris opined that there is the need for more mental health workers employed and deployed at the grassroots for the care of the populace adding that the best place for a person with any mental illness to live ultimately is the community and not the hospital.

“Even if a person with Schizophrenia is admitted for treatment in a specialist facility, it is necessary that a system of Community Care be developed to help him ultimately fit back seamlessly into the community.”

Maternal mortality: WARDC urges political will

By Gabriel Olawale THE Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, has urged Government at all levels to deploy resources in addressing maternal mortality and morbidity in the country.

Making the appeal during a media sensitisation workshop on Right issues in Maternal Health Care and Accountability, Akiyode-Afolabi lamented the high rate of maternal and child death in the country affirming a more realistic approach to the issue of mother and child health.

• L-R: 1st Vice Chairman, Tunji Akintade, Chairman, Adeyeye Arigbabuwo and 2nd Vice Chairman, Obiora Agu, all of Lagos State' Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, during the unveiling of its new Executive members, recently in Lagos.

“The government, in its current report to the African Commission states that the MMR has reduced from the 2008 ratio of 545 deaths per 100,000 live births to 487 deaths per 100,000 live births. While same report shows that the MMR has shown great improvement by further dropping to 350 deaths per 100,000 live births.

“However, the 2013 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (2013 NDHS), which was published in June 2014 reveals a different picture and shows that the MMR has worsened— increasing from the 2008 ratio to 576 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013.

“This upward trend further reflected in the World Health Organisation’s 2014 report on maternal mortality which states that Nigeria’s MMR is 560 deaths per 100,000 live births and that Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of the global maternal death.

“Reducing high maternal mortality in Nigeria can only be done effectively if mothers and child have unhindered access to adequate health systems, skilful birth attendants, and low cost medical interventions, the requirement for preliminary authorisation, compulsory donation of blood by spousal, distance from health facilities and public transport. This qualitative access can reduce new born death rates by 75 per cent.”

Akiyode-Afolabi however called for appropriate mobilisation and educating women on what to do when they notice they have missed their period in order to be on a saver side when they reached delivery time.

Mind your language T

HE title of this article reminds me of a TV sitcom in the Eighties where a Spanish guy, in a UK class of multinationals, was asked to give an example of a "metaphor".

He leapt up and said: " I went to this Club, saw this girl and met-her-for a drink!"

It is not such linguistic challenges that this article refers to, however.

It is the careless public use of inappropriate verbal communication that enhances conflict rather than address the actual subject of communication.

I had a patient in my London clinic recently.

"Where is your pain?" I asked.

He began a soliloquy of disgruntled complaints about doctors and the healthcare system.

I sat back and listened, looking at the clock hanging behind him.

Consultation Nine out of his 35 minutes consultation had drifted away; still I knew nothing about his condition.

Eventually, he directed his anger and abuse at me in a generalized sort of non-specific way.

I folded both hands behind my neck and slid my chair backwards.

Calmly, I interrupted: "Sir, I am sorry you feel that way about 'us lot'. I think you will be better served by a second opinion elsewhere."

My English rolled out as if I was Prince Charles's cousin.

The man stared - what's that cliche? - "like a deer in headlights".

Here was a patient with many years of severe incapacitating pain, bounced around the system for years, whom after many months of waiting, now sat in front of the one individual that he has been told would help solve his problems.

What does he do?

He launches into a tirade of anger and abuse.

I seized on his blinded-deer silence. "The consultation is over, sir. Pleasure to meet you."

My Nurse stood up to escort him out.

The UK National Health Service does not tolerate abuse of any member of its staff, irrespective of cadre.

Such aggressive behaviour is common in frontline specialties like A/E, Xray but we sometimes see it in the Pain Clinic also, because of pain and pain medications.

Later that evening, while browsing Nigerian newspapers online, I observed, sadly, a similar verbal attitude amongst many in our public arena.

From those out of office to those in office, to those seeking office; from has-beens to have-nows and want-to-haves; between knowns and unknowns, famous and infamous....the dialogue sometimes turns sour. In front of a global public audience, aggressive, abusive and acrimonious words flow like an undiscovered burst oil pipe.

Flamboyant colourful accusations exacerbated by angry disdainful responses.

In the political field there should be more address of policies and less denigration, or aggrandizement of personalities.

doctor@lagospainclinic.com

People first Nigerians want to see a dignified discourse that puts THE PEOPLE first, and not the person speaking; a verbal tone that respects an individual's earned or elected position, whether the individual is liked or not.

As for my rude patient...if prostration was permitted in European culture, as we in Nigeria show to our elders and Royalty, this gentleman would have dived to the Clinic floor and burst into push-ups!

Such was his profuse apology.

Of course, my threat was only a means of halting his monologue, and redirect him on the issue at hand...his chronic pain.

The consultation proceeded well and ended amicably. On the last day of a highly charged political campaign for Scottish Independence, a prominent TV news reporter said, referring to the Scottish National Party, the Conservative and Labour parties, all of whom had different agendas: " The discourse was excellent, the argument coherent and the attitude of all sides, impressive."

This is the language we want in Nigeria's political airspace.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 43 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 VIRGO: Whatever anybody says or does, you will have both your say and way. Venus and Jupiter may tempt some of you to embrace illicit (or secret) romance within your base of operation.

LIBRA: Venus and Jupiter at positive angles may tempt you to join some of your friends who are already onboard of merry making train. Watch your health.

SCORPIO: Good luck may smile at many of you today and induce love of luxury, merry making and romantic liason. Genuine lovers will need to be on guard against deceit from new admirers.

SAGITTARIUS: Both financial success and emotional satisfaction are closed to you than before. Those of you travelling because of maters-of-the-heart are in for an exciting romantic day Those ambitious career-wise will succeed after few struggles.

CAPRICORN: Many members of your opposite sex will go out of their ways to attract your romantic interest. This is the wrong time to engage on unnecessary argument.

LEISURE

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

Of Income And Expenditure

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NCOME is the money we earn while expenditure is the expenses. In order words, expenditure is the things we spend our money on.

One of the basic economic problems

man is saddled with is how to keep expenditure below his income. In other to meet up with this challenges, some of us keep postponing

TERROR MUDA

doing certain things we ought to have done now, hoping that we will do it when our finances improves. But the reality is that we will

in “Never say goodbye”

never have enough money to spend as our income will surely rise up to our expenditure.

We will never earn enough income to match up with our expenditure but we can earn enough to creatively cater for our need.

By Lanre Kehinde

AQUARIUS: If your priority is love, much of it would come your way as desired. But here is a better day for more ambitious members of this Star Sign in the business world.

Don’t allow anybody to deceive you over money.

PISCES: Those of you with secret admirers within your working area will have the needed opportunities to make the needed moves. Resist the temptation to deceive others.

ARIES: Although matters-of-the-heart may give you cause to smile broadly, if care is not taken, you would cause friction that can’t help your cause at work. This is the wrong time for unnecessary scheming within your working arena.

TAURUS: Those of your who are red-blooded for romance may have an exciting and satisfying day. Happenings within your social circles must be taken more seriously.

GEMINI: Confrontation may come your way in the circle but the heavens are working favourably for you. Some dose of romance is not too much for you on a day like this.

CANCER: Provided you don’t allow your innate ability to be as diplomatic as necessary desert you, things’ll work favourably for you to the betterment of your finances.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

LEO: Many of you will be in sentimental mood and exhibit strong romantic desire openly. But then, if care is not taken, you may be carried away to the detriment of your finances.

Serious minded lovers are in for happy day.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

My Comprehensive Horoscoope please!!!

Dear Joshua, I am a middle aged lady born on September 13, 1962.

Although I am fairly successful, I want you to give me my comprehensive horoscope, especially what my special gift is.

Which day of the week was I born? Where were my natal planets and their meanings? Who am I? Ngozi, Abuja.

Dear Ngozi, There is no space for comprehensive horoscope but what you’ll have here -under is answer to your questions/ You were born on a Thursday and your special gift is LEADERSHIP quality.

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA Date of Birth: Thursday, September 13, 1962 Sun Sign: Virgo: Sun in 20th Degree of Virgo Moon Sign: PISCES: Moon on 10th Degree of Pisces Mercury in 16th Degree of Libra Venues in 5th Degree of Scorpio Mars in 13th Degree of Cancer Jupiter in 6th Degree of Pisces Saturn in 5th Degree of Acquarius Uranus in 2nd Degree of Virgo Neptune in 11th Degree of Scorpio Pluto in 10th Degree of Virgo North Node in 6th Degree of Leo South Node in 6th Degree of Aquarius Quality and Element Cardinal and air star signs hosted two planets each fixed and earth three each, no planet in fire while mutable and water star signs hosted five planets each.

Pushful influence = 20% Non- pushful element = 80% Final dispositor = Lucky Jupiter GENERAL ANALYSIS Just 20 per cent of pushful influence in your chart can deceptively present you to others as a soft (or even timid) person but practical Virgo that hosted nothing less than three heavenly bodies when you were born and Astrological aspects between Mercury (mental focus) and aggressive Mas in you r chart are pointers to the contrary.

Yes! You are highly intelligent and your mind works the same way detective’s minds do. It is true, there are little contradictions between your inner self and your emotional being as indicated quality, water element and Virgo characteristics.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—45

Sapele women promise to deliver Ayomanor as DTHA member

LECTURE : High Chief Michael Uwaka, Delta State governorship aspirant on the platform of P e o p l e s Democratic Party, PDP (left), and Mrs Pamela Esiri, F o u n d e r , Physically Challenged Foundation, during the foundation's 7th anniversary lecture in Asaba, Delta State.

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ONCERNED P e o p l e s Democratic Party, PDP, Women for Lucky Ayomanor has promised to deliver Chief Lucky Ayomanor as Delta State House of Assembly candidate for Sapele Local Government Area.

The group made this known during a solidarity march in Sapele, with placards bearing different inscriptions such as “Say No to Third Tenure,” “Ayomanor has done it for us before, we want him in a big office,” “Ayomanor is our choice,” “Sapele must grow, we need fresh air.”

Leader of the group, Mrs. Joma Obule, who spoke during the solidarity march, said the women had been playing politics and mobilizing for PDP’s victory at all levels in Sapele council and would still repeat same for Ayomanor.

She said: “Our efforts during electioneering campaigns to ensure the party emerges victorious have not been of benefit to us.

“Immediately after elections, the elected and appointed political leaders become elusive and any attempt to reach them becomes a mirage.”

She, however, noted that the only politician in Sapele council that was accessible is Chief Lucky Ayomanor.

“Ayomanor has made us understand the content and meaning of democracy through his e m p o w e r m e n t programmes as DLA Director, Delta Central,” she added.

C'River govt deposes clan head

By Ike Uchechukwu

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A L A B A R — GOVERNOR Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has withdrawn the certificate of the Clan/Village Head of Adim community, Biase Local Government Area of the state, Chief Otu Agriga, for alleged misconduct.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. John Eyikwaje,

who disclosed this at an emergency meeting with traditional rulers in Biase held at the council headquarters, said this was to serve as deterrent to other erring chiefs in other communities in the state, who believed that they were above the laws.

The Special Adviser, who was represented by Mr. Gabriel Kogoko, a Director in the Department, told the traditional ruler that he (Igriga) was

I'm always ready to serve, says Ihonvbere

By Kelechi Azubuike

S

ECRETARY to Edo State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, has said he is prepared to serve at any level to better the lives of the common man and fight against oppression and injustice.

Ihonvbere, who was in Etsako Central Local Government Area to inform the people of his readiness to serve Edo North as a Senator in 2015 said: “When Governor Adams Oshiomhole asked me to serve in this present position, people said I will not last one week as Secretary to Edo State Government.

“They said how can a professor, who has worked inside the Villa, travelled round the world with

President Olusegun Obasanjo and had ran for governorship twice, come down to be SSG. “I said to them that if the reason to be in politics is to serve the people, you can do it at any level, including being a councillor, council chairman, permanent secretary, SSG, and so on.

“I have dedicated my entire

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and other community relations matters, as a host community.

Displaying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters blocked the ever busy Airport Road, Warri.

Mr. Cyril Eboh, Chairman of Okere Urhobo Development Movement, said Okere had written

political life to the struggle to empower people; to liberate people from poverty and to fight injustice. It is that fight against injustice that took me to exile.

“I will continue to fight against injustice, poverty, oppression, marginalization, corruption and abuse of power till I die.”

Ex-militants urge Manager to join Delta governorship race

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VER 2,000 ex-militants from Warri North, Warri South-West, Burutu, Patani and Bomadi Local Government areas of Delta State, yesterday, stormed Bomadi town to call on Senator James Manager, who is representing Delta South Senatorial district, to contest the governorship slot in 2015.

Okere Urhobo protest alleged marginalisation HEAD of the opening of Delta State’s Revenue House in Warri today, hundreds of indigenes of Okere Urhobo Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area, stormed the premises yesterday, protesting alleged refusal of the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Mr. Onowakpor Thomas, to grant them audience on employment

served his letter of removal in February for the purpose of engendering peace and security within Adim and its neighbouring communities.

A statement by Eyikwaje said the “crimes and other robbery attacks within Adim has been reduced to zero level, as the new leadership, police and other law enforcement agents now carry out their function without fear of molestation.”

several letters on the issues to Mr. Thomas and Chief Dennis Omovie and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, President-General of Okere Urhobo Kingdom, expressed shock that the leadership of Okere Urhobo Kingdom knew nothing about a project about to be commissioned in the area.

Mr. Preye Ekpebide, who coordinated the ex-militants, said the move became necessary following Manager ’s unprecedented developmental strides within and outside the state.

Ekpebide described Senator Manager as an astute politician, who had served in various capacities such as the first state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairman, commissioner for works, housing and sports, positing that he has the pre-requisite knowledge to govern the state.

According to the ex-militant leader, “we urged him to heed to our clarion call.

“If he declares his intention, Deltans would be happy because they see him as their messiah based on his antecedents.”

Onobun declares for Edo Assembly

By Simon Adewale

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XECUTIVE Director on Youth Affairs to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Marcus Onobun, has declared his intention to contest for the House Assembly position in Esan West Constituency, on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. He promised to use his position as a member, if elected, to create employment and attract development for his constituency among others.

Mr. Onobun, who is also a member of National Consultative Committee on Youths Mainstreaming in Nigeria, spoke during his tour in Esan West to solicit for support in the forthcoming general elections.

Delta governorship aspirant canvasses support for Jonathan

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Delta State governorship aspirant, Chief Johnson Opone, has asked Ndokwa people to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection in 2015.

He spoke during his consultative visit to Ndokwa and Ukwuani communities in Lagos, saying “Jonathan is an epitome of good governance, detribalized and a man on the service lane.”

Responding, Chief Joseph Olise, President General of the community, Ukwuani Foundation Union, UFU, wished him well and assured him of their support for President Jonathan.

Conference

T

HE Help International Conference, organized

by Keeping Marriage Alive Initiative, KMA, will hold next Friday and Saturday at the National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos.

Th event, tagged Impossible, will have Pastor Poju Oyemade, Professor Pat Utomi and Mrs Ibukun Awosika as speakers.

46 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

IMO GROUP TO JONATHAN: Resist Okorocha's

Group tasks Chukwu on NAUTH crisis

planned return to PDP

A

O

WKA—A nongovernmental organisation, Concerned Progressive Professionals, CPP, has called on the Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, to resolve the protracted crisis over who was the substantive Chief Medical Director, CMD, of Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Anambra State, without further delay.

In a statement by the Chairman, Bonny Obinadike, and Secretary, Acada Okongwu, the group frowned on the continued renewal of Dr. Tony Igwegbe as acting CMD when a substantive one was alleged to have been appointed since March last year.

The statement explained that the 1999 Constitution as amended, allowed three months acting capacity for such an office and wondered why the Health Ministry allowed such an anomaly to continue.

The group, however, urged the Health Minister to stop forthwith the renewal of Dr. Igwegbe as acting CMD and appoint a substantive CMD to assume office without further delay.

The CPP also threatened to take legal action against the minister and the Health Ministry, if the required change in the institution’s leadership was not effected within the shortest possible time.

By Chidi Nkwopara

WERRI—IMO Progressives and Consultative Assembly, IPCA, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to resist Governor Rochas Okorocha’s alleged subtle moves to rejoin the party and seek re-election under its platform in 2015.

The group in a statement

by Nze Benjamin Irohah and Benjamin Ogoke, IPCA Coordinator and Secretary, respectively in Owerri, claimed “Governor Okorocha would definitely become a liability to the people, as Imolites would not hesitate to desert PDP and seek alternative platforms to pursue their political ambitions.”

The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the clandestine moves by Governor Rochas Okorocha to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and seek for re- election as governor of Imo State under its platform in 2015 after he had left the party on

two occasion since the return of democracy in 1999.

"This permutation we gathered was hatched upon realizing that his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has become the biblical ‘forbidden fruit’ in the South East, as part of the designed strategies to continue his

inglorious Government of the Family, by the Family and for the Family beyond May 29, 2015.

“Information available to us suggests that Governor Okorocha has already recruited some powerful individuals to besiege and

PRIMARIES: Abia sets up 11-member congress c'ttee to elect adhoc delegates

U

By Anayo Okoli

MUAHIA—AHEAD of 2015 governorship election in Abia State, the state chapter of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has inaugurated an 11member State Congress Committee to elect adhoc delegates for the governorship primaries billed for November 29, 2014.

The Committee is headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, while the party’s Legal Adviser; Chief Gab Igboko, will serve as Secretary.

Other members are the

former Secretary to the Abia State Government, Mazi Donatus Okorie, former PDP Chairman, Chief Ndiidi Okereke, the state’s Administrative Secretary of the party, Mr. Uzodinma Ugele, the PDP Deputy

GBOR—IKA South Local Government Area of Delta State has appealed for urgent intervention from the Federal Government, through the ecological fund, to arrest the worsening erosion and environmental degradation ravaging Agbor metropolis and its environs.

Chairman of the council's transition committee, Mr.

Andrew Obiazi, made the appeal while monitoring the ongoing drainage construction in the metropolis.

The drainage construction being executed by the council from Ebeye Street by Baleke Street Junction to Queen Street and from Queen Street by Ebeye Street Junction to the New Lagos/Asaba Expressway.

According to him, the

Chairman, Chief Allen Nwachukwu. Also in the committee are Allen Nwachukwu, Tony Ezebuiro, Chika Obike, Chijioke Nwakodo, Mrs. Ngozi Eruba and Obi Chimaobi.

Salami, 3 others for NICE Warri seminar four distinguished engineers

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ARRI—THE Project Engineer for the upgrading of Osogbo Railway Station and National Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Institution of Civil Engineers, NICE, Olalekan Salami will be among the

Ika South LG sends SOS to FG over erosion assistance will go a long way menace in ameliorating the plight of

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possibly convince President Goodluck Jonathan into believing that re-admitting him into the PDP will automatically destroy and unsettle APC as well as diffuse any form of opposition against his reelection in south east and some northern states."

residents of Agbor who had been suffering the effects of ecological problem occasioned by gully erosion.

He noted that unless something was done urgently to address the situation, residents would no longer feel safe to live in the areas as they currently lived in perpetual fears for their lives and properties.

billed to deliver lecture at the 2014 NICE Warri seminar holding in Warri, Delta State, Saturday, October 18, 2014.

According to a statement by Chairman of NICE, Warri, Donald Okeke and Secretary, Isaiah Ogho, the seminar taking place at MIMI Suite Annex, Bendel Estate, Effurun will also feature lectures from John Agori, Dr. Constant Omamogho and Mr. Bisola Smith.

This year ’s seminar tagged “development and deployment of sustainable construction materials in Nigeria,” is part of the institution’s effort to check the poor state of infrastructure in the country with a view to avoiding construction collapse.

The event which will commence by 9.

00a.m.,willalsohavepractisingengineers, engineering students and other stakeholders in attendance.

What is your view on FG silence over $15m Arms Deal?

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an anybody explain to me, what is an ex militant, a notorious criminal, doing with the business of buying arms for Nigeria government? I really cannot fathom its rationale and this kind of thing brings shame on the country. Mrs Bolaji AjibadeBusinesswoman C M Y K

I

think we enjoy running mouth, even when what we are clueless about is true. We are already in it. The best I think is that, what you find right to do, just go ahead and do. Nigerian way of reacting to issue is disturbing. Mr. Apostle Sunday- Clergy

I

f you cannot be and remain a priest, then be anything else and stop mixing things up.

Christians have had enough of the odious hypocrisy coming from the pulpit. Why should our leaders in the Pentecostal gospel business be hiring out aircraft for profit? Mr. Lemmuel Odjay- Worker

S

aying the second controversial deal has legitimized the first because it was a normal banking transaction is incorrect. They should stop trying to cover and to convince Nigerians on this so called arms deal.

Mr Nnagozie MightiyWorker

T

he methodology may not be holy but expedient. What patriotic persons would criticise is the modality not the intent. But trust the opposition, all they care is to repeat lies many times in order to convert them to truth.

Ms. Mabel OgechiBusinesswoman

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am wondering whether Russia and China are part of the countries which will not sell weapons to Nigeria.

This is money laundering. The second deal was arranged to make the first one seem legitimate. Ms. Oluchi John- Graduate

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 47

2015: We'll regard anyone that vote for PDP as enemy of North — NEF

By Suzan Edeh

B

AUCHI—THE Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has said that any Nigerian who voted for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 general elections would be regarded as an enemy of the north.

The forum also said that northerners had lost confidence in some of their governors who

By Levinus Nwabughiogu entered into secret pact with President Goodluck Jonathan to contest that election in 2011 without necessarily telling their constituencies about the unbecoming act.

Secretary of the NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi made this known during an interview in his office in Bauchi yesterday.

According to him, “the northern governors should be bold to tell President Jonathan that he has no

right to contest election based on their earlier agreement for power rotation between the North and South in the country under the auspices of the PDP. “It was only recently that the Governor of Niger State, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, who is currently the chairman of the Northern Nigerian Governors Forum, NNGF, came out with the revelation that they had a secret deal with Jonathan to

contest the 2011 election.

“Common sense should have dictated to the PDP that there would be four years to pay the North back from 2011 but as you have already seen, the governors sold the slot. They sold us out,” he lamented.

Abdullahi wondered why Aliyu is still supporting the candidature of President Jonathan for 2015, describing his action as condemnable.

INSURGENCY: Suswam seeks increased funding for armed forces

By Peter Duru

M

A K U R D I — GOVERNOR Gabriel Suswam of Benue state has called for increased funding for the the armed forces to enable military effectively tackle the problem of insecurity facing the country.

Suswam spoke yesterday, during the flag off of the Nigerian Navy Small Arms Firing Competition, NNSAFC, in Makurdi, the state capital, adding that no nation could attain any level of development without a well funded military.

He was represented on the occasion by his deputy, Chief Steven Lawani.

Suswam said, “there is no contestation about the issue of improved funding for the armed forces. In fact, the armed forces require the best funding we can think of at this moment; more so that without adequate security, no nation can attain desired meaningful stability and development.

“There are also strong reasons for government to always support the Nigerian Navy because the force is the tireless and vigilant custodian of the security of our maritime environment.

“It is statutorily empowered to provide security to the vast oil and gas industry in the nation’s waters as well as our strategic lines of communication, and given our present dependence on oil revenues, the Nigerian Navy is undeniably a major contributor to the economic mainstay of the country.”

Speaking, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jubrin lauded government’s huge investments in the force and urged officers and ratings to use the competition to prepare themselves for greater responsibilities.

Ugwuanyi: Enugu youths back Chime

BRIEFING: From left; Yemi Ejidiran, Director, Business Development, UACN Property Development Company, UPDC; Ede Osemwengie, Chairman, Lawn Tennis Section, Ikoyi Club, and Brian Greenaway, Director, Technical Operations, UPDC, during the media briefing for UPDC tennis grand slam tournament in Ikoyi Club, Lagos. Photo By Akeem Salau.

I'll not anoint anyone as my successor, says Lamido

By Tina Akannam

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UTSE—GOVERNOR Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has said that he would not impose any candidate on the people as his successor in 2015, as according to him, he would not be a political godfather to any one that wanted to succeed him.

Lamido spoke yesterday when the five Emirs in the state paid him a Sallah homage at Government House, Dutse, the state capital.

The monarchs were led to the Government House by the Emir of Gumel, Alhaji Ahmad Sani.

However, Lamido said it was undemocratic for him to impose a candidate on the people, thereby playing the role of a political godfather to any aspirant.

Said he, “Presently I am not, a political son to any one in this country and after my tenure, I will also not be a political god-father to anybody.

“I am not interested in going to the Senate or going for any other

elective office after my tenure as the governor of Jigawa. Those spreading the rumour are trouble makers.

“The person that is going to succeed me will be a son of Jigawa people, not my political son.

He will emerge democratically.”

He then thanked the Emirs for the visit as well as their support in the past seven years of his administration in the state.

Replying on behalf of the monarchs, the Emir of Gumel, Alhaji Sani said they were at the Government House to welcome the Lamido who returned from pilgrimage in Saudi-Arabia as well as to pay him Sallah homage.

The monarchs also commended the governor for the transformation of the entire state and pledged their support for peace, development and mutual co- existence among the people.

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BUJA—ENUGU North Youth Alliance, ENYA, has commended Governor Sullivan Chime for endorsing Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from Enugu North Senatorial District as his successor in 2015.

Ugwanyi, who represents Igboeze North/Udenu Constituency in the House of Representatives was chosen as Chime’s successor at a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leaders from the Enugu North about three weeks ago.

Youths from Enugu North living in Abuja situated Chime’s decision alongside the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by PDP for a second term, describing the action as democratic.

ENYA President, Madason Chukwunedum, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, said “Ugwuanyi is eminently qualified to be the governor of Enugu State. Having been a threeterm member of the House of Representatives where he currently is Chairman of the Committee on Maritime, Ugwuanyi has been a valuable asset to Enugu people and we are in support of his choice as successor to Chime.

“Youths across Enugu State will testify to his kindness and large heartedness. He is a man who empathises with the weak and the strong; the rich and the poor. He identifies with everyone irrespective of his place of birth. He is astute and methodical in whatever he does.

“Chime has managed Enugu very well. He is focused and has refused to be guided by those who think Enugu State is all about them.''

ASUSS blames govt for collapse of education

By Boluwaji Obahopo

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O K O J A — T H E Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, has attributed the collapse of the education sector, especially the mass failure recorded in the last West African School Certificate Examination, WAEC, to the failure of the government to invest in the development of teachers.

ASUSS also said the mass failure was a direct implication of the series of vices that had bedevilled

the education sector in the country over the years.

The Kogi State Chairman of the association, Mr Ojo Matthew Ranti who spoke in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, yesterday, however charged stakeholders in the education sector to accept their responsibilities by finding solution to the ugly trend.

His words, “Government has done little or nothing to the problems of empty laboratories and libraries, acute shortage of teachers especially in key subjects.

“It has done nothing towards solving the problems of dilapidated structures, unsuitable teaching and learning environment, poor mobilisation and funding of the supervisory and inspectorate units of education ministry and parastatals.

“Even if all other stakeholders, including government fail to brace up to this challenge, we must in order to sustain the integrity of our profession, put in extra effort to remedy the ugly situation.”

48—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

IWA-IJI: From left— Sentor Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President; Chief Osita Chidoka, Minister of Aviation; Mr. Ikechi Uko, Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, during the 3rd Iwa-ji and Obiora fesitval of Eze Iweka III, in Anambra.

MEETING: From left— Chief Sam Uhwujohwovho, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman, Udu Local Government Area, Delta State; Mr. Humphrey Uzuakpundu, President, Uduehi Solidarity Movement, USM, and Dr. Esther Uduehi, Delta State PDP governorship aspirant, during Uduehi's consultative meeting with stakeholders in the local government.

EMPOWERMENT: Senator Bukola Saraki (left) and Mr. Zakari Mohammed (right) at Mohammed's empowerment programme for his constituents at Baruten Local Government in Kwara State.

TRAINING: From left— Dr. Patrick Iraboh, Director, Product Design and Development, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi; Pastor Emmanuel Ndu, Participant; Dr. Gloria Olemo, DG, FIIRO, and Dr. Chima Igwe, Director, Chemical Fibre and Environmental Technology, during a certificate award ceremony for participants at a techno-entrepreneurship development training for youths by FIIRO in Lagos. PHOTO: Ovadje Elliot.

(Left)CASHLESS: Members of Mobile Payment Agency Cooperative, MPAC, led by their President, Mr. Gbemi Adelekan (middle), during cashless policy awareness walk in Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele.

DEATHT-TRAP: The sorry state of Bomadi-Orhoho Road.

C M Y K

LABOUR: Mr. Shehu Sani, President, Civil Rights Congress, CRC, and All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial aspirant for Kaduna Central (right) and Nigerian railway pensioners in Kaduna. PHOTO: Olu Ajayi.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 49

C M Y K

50 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15,

2014

C M Y K

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 —51

•Heavy traffic on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, in Lagos yesterday.

Photos: Joe Akintola, photo editor and Diran Oshe

Fashola, Onolememen abandon Oshodi/Apapa road •Traffic gridlock returns

By Kingsley Adegboye

T

HE unending traffic gridlock along OshodiApapa Expressway, especially at Mile 2, the major route to Nigeria’s busiest seaports such as Tin Can and Apapa ports, appears to be worsening by the day, as motorists and commuters

Nigeria Plc. Sections of the road have been barricaded thereby forcing road users to ply a single lane which cannot absorb the heavy volume of traffic, the cause of traffic gridlock at Berliet axis is due to deplorable conditions of some portions of the dual carriageway.

These portions of the

,

Motorists and commuters have nightmare passing through the road, as they spend several hours to get to Apapa

spend several hours to get to their various destinations. The same traffic nightmare is being experienced between Berliet and Cele Bus Stop of the ever busy expressway by Apapa bound motorists and commuters.

This is because the construction company, Julius Berger Plc, which is working on the carriageway at Cele has barricaded that section of the road thereby diverting traffic to the service lane. This caused heavy traffic jam on the road on Monday and yesterday that extended to Ilasamaja area. Motorists and commuters have nightmare passing through the road, as they spend several hours to get to Apapa. Also, there is Berliet to Ilasamaja traffic gridlock that has become almost permanent now due to bad portions between the two bus stops.

The Mile 2 traffic is attributed to the reconstruction of the dual carriageway by Julius Berger

,

expressway, have garnered notoriety for traffic slow motion as a result of craters and ditches that are the common features of the highway. The situation becomes more terrific when it rains, as it causes traffic to stretch from Ijesha to Ilasamaja. During the just concluded Sallah festival

when the road was busy because of the last minute business closures, motorists and commuters went through hell as they spent hours on the these bad spots.

But the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, which is responsible for maintenance of federal roads across the country has denied neglecting this side of the expressway, adding that routine maintenance is being carried out generally on the dual carriageway whenever the need arises.

According to Afolabi Oladele, the FERMA engineer in charge of Lagos 2 West which comprises Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, that portion of the road is under the third phase of the reconstruction of the entire expressway which begins from Cele to Oshodi end.

The FERMA official said that

Reconstruction work at Cele bus stop his Agency has been intervening commence immediately. on the expressway even before Afolabi said, “FERMA has been the idea of reconstructing the carrying out routine maintenance entire stretch of the Oshodi/ on those spots by applying Apapa Expressway, stressing boulders and stone base materials that to ameliorate the current as well as cleaning of drainage situation at the affected portions, channels and culverts around boulders and stone base materials Berliet and Ilasamaja. have been carried to the spots for ‘’This is still ongoing before intervention. permanent reinstatement of the He said the reason the portions expressway by the Federal have not been worked on, is Ministry of Works and because of water on the spots, Infrastructure. The problem with explaining that whatever is done that part of the road is that it is now with rain still falling, will be low point of the road. This washed away. He said as soon explains why that part of the dual as the water on the road dries carriageway is usually flooded off, palliative work will whenever it rains.”

Traffic build up at Cele bus stop C M Y K

52—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, AWARDS PRESENTATION The Leadership Annual Conference and Awards Presentation, with the theme Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from Other Lands, held at THISDAY Dome, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTOS: Gbemiga Olamikan, Henry Unini.

Mr. Sam Amuka, Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers and Chairman of the occasion (left), presenting award to General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.).

From left: Chief Sam Nna-Isaiah, Publisher of Leadership Newspapers; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, honoured with Leadership Governor of the Year 2013 award, and Mr. Ndudi Elumelu.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (right) and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State.

From left: Mr. Reuben Adedoyin, Special Adviser to Kwara State Governor on Communication Strategy; Governor Uduaghan; Mr. Sam Amuka; Mr. Nda-Isaiah; General Gowon; Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, Group Managing Director, Leadership Newspapers, and Mr. Akinwumi Adeshina, Minister of Agriculture, cutting the celebration cake.

Mr. Opuihan Dirican, President (left) and Mr. Elcan Ulpun, SecretaryGeneral, both of Ufuh Dialogue Foundation.

C M Y K

From left: Mr. Audu Sama, Special Assistant to Sokoto State G o v e r n o r ; P e r m a n e n t Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Mr. Abubakar A m z u z w a , member, Sokoto State House of Assembly.

Participants.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014—53

How Nigeria can be made great by Amuka, Fashola •Nigeria not failed state, says Gowon; advises them to criticise policies not leaders •Uduaghan wins Leadership Governor of the Year •G7 govs named Leadership politicians of the Year

By Joseph Erunke & Levinus Nwabughigu

A

BUJA—FORMER Head of State, retirerd General Yakubu Gowon, yesterday, tasked politicians in the country to refrain from personal attacks on those in leadership positions, saying what they can do was to argue on administrative policies being adopted.

Gowon equally frowned at those he said, were describing Nigeria as a failed nation, and describing such people as unpatriotic even as he asked them to either get out to live in their chosen nation or remain silent.

Speaking at the 2014 Leadership Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in Abuja, General Gowon said to politicians: ''We should not condemn ourselves in such a manner that outside world will think that we are not good. We must deal with only policies and not individuals.

You can help and correct the individual in leadership by ensuring that you give him advice in a way that his person is not important but what he is doing.

Is he doing it for the people, is he doing it for the interest of the nation at large? ''That is what I think we need to do. Because when we complain about people calling us all sort of names, where do you think they get it? They get it from us, either from our magazines, or from our newspapers and some times, some of our public speeches.

Public speeches “What is important is that let all of us love Nigeria Honestly, unless you love and accept your country as a nation, then whatever you do is not worth it and that is what I am going to ask all Nigerians, of all political parties. Let us not say that Nigeria is not a nation, whenever I hear that, it really makes me feel sad and I would say to such people that if Nigeria is not a nation, get out of it and go and choose a nation or live in a nation of your own.

“That is what we must all think and do and make sure that we really look forward to a better country that can satisfy the needs of most people because I can assure you that no one, even within the family, can satisfy

everyone within the family. You can do your best, some will accept it, some will reject it but let us love our country, let us accept our country as a nation and put things right. Advice the leadership to do the things that are right and may God give them the wisdom to listen to others, to listen to criticisms and try to put things right for the sake of Nigeria and for the sake of the people.”

Uduaghan charges Deltans to develop right frame of mind

•Dedicates awards to the state Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, who was one of the awardees at the event, said for Delta to achieve its dream of striving beyond oil, the people of the state must develop what he referred to as the right frame of mind. The governor said: “I thank God once more for this award which I am dedicating to every hard working Deltan. Whatever we have set up to achieve today can only be achieved if we all, as Deltans put up a right attitude and the right frame of mind to achieve our goal which is Delta Beyond Oil. I am happy to stand here with General Yakubu Gowon, who as Head of State, I was one of those drafted to stand by the road side to wait for him while he was passing and wave to him.

Amuka advocates return to descent civil service system On his part, chairman of the occasion and publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, advocated a return to what he called decent civil service system, regretting that the present situation has politicized the service. According to him, the decent civil service was sacked by the military.

He said, “Nigeria celebrated its Centenary Anniversary with pomp early this year but could only mark its 54th independence anniversary because of the security challenges confronting the country. It is noteworthy that for more than 40 years after the amalgamation, Nigeria was administered by the British Colonial government and six years after independence, the military took over the civilian administration through coup. It was started by Aguiyi Ironsi and

From left, Minister for Ariculture, Akinwumi Adesina, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka at the 2013 Leadership Award, yesterday, in Abuja.

Photo: Henry Unini

later Yakubu Gowon.

“However, one solid basis which strengthened the Nigerian state was the civil service despite the military interruption. The solid civil service sustained the social and economic structure of the country even despite the civil war which lasted between 1967 and 1970. But when the government of Yakubu Gowon was toppled in 1975, the then vibrant and solid civil service was sacked by the military and since then, Nigeria has never been the same again.

Public service became self serving and lost focus. ''The development created part of the problem confronting us a nation till today. The Super Permanent Secretaries who were the power behind the military government were sacked and this abuse of power affected the integrity of the once vibrant civil service and the rule of law was ignored.”

Where we missed the goal—Fashola Going down memory lane, Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, in his lecture entitled Rebuilding the Nation; Lessons from other Lands, recalled the significant promise made by the then Minister of Finance, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, at a function on behalf of General Gowon, of fully realizing Nigeria’s potentials shortly after the civil war. He regretted that many years after the war, Nigeria was still crawling.

According to him, all that Nigerians, especially the present crop of leaders needed to do was to re-imbibe moral consciousness and patriotic zeal towards the development of the country.

Fashola who posited that those circumstances that pushed Nigeria to a cross-road are currently playing out, noted, “This is because the circumstances which thrust a young General Gowon upon our nation as a leader in the 1960s are not too different from what appears on Nigeria’s political and social landscape from what any honest Nigerian can see.

“Indeed the dark clouds that

gather are this time prefaced by an ominous prediction about the continuity of our union from a place far away. If anybody has any doubt about what I say, I will recall history and go back to a speech delivered on Sunday 5th February 1970 in which it was partly said as follows: Before and since the end of the civil war, we have heard a good deal about physical reconstruction, with particular and almost exclusive reference to the reconstruction of roads, bridges, airports, buildings, market-places and other such-like material and concrete objects which were damaged during the war.

“I know, and I want to assure you, that all the Governments of the Federation are already busy making gargantuan preparations to the end that every trace, however slight, of the extensive physical damage done during the war shall be totally erased within the next year or two. But, if the rebuilding of roads, bridges, etc. were all that needed to be done, then the task of reconstruction would be an exceedingly easy proposition. For Nigeria has the requisite material and financial, as well as the human resources to tackle these jobs effectively and expeditiously. In addition, it has a large circle of friendly countries which are prepared to come to its aid as and when required.

Material reconstruction ''But before we have travelled far on the road of material reconstruction, we must realise, and do so vividly and truthfully, that the most crucial areas of reconstruction are the minds of Nigerian citizens on both sides of the fighting line. In other words, in addition to material reconstruction, there is an urgent and massive need for moral and spiritual reconstruction as well: the kind of reconstruction which will help to demolish morbid desire for naked power and domination; abuse and misuse of power and office; greed, selfishness, and intolerance; nepotism, favouritism, jobbery, bribery, and other forms of

corruption; and erect, in their places, probity, tolerance, altruism, and devotion; equality of treatment, justice, equity, and fair play to all.

“This speech was given by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. For those who still need to be persuaded, I ask further, why would we gather to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of General Gowon, who led us through a bitter civil war, inaugurated a rebuilding process built on 3Rs of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation and 44 years after that process we will gather to discuss a topic such as “Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from other Lands” if all was well with Nigeria.”

Fundamental question Raising a fundamental question of Nigeria’s backwardness and underdevelopment, Governor Fashola, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria would be great again. “Why are we not at this occasion celebrating our arrival on the moon? I do not know how General Gowon feels inwardly as he continues to lead prayers for Nigeria, but I would not be happy that today’s Nigeria is what lives were sacrificed to keep together, if I were him.

Nevertheless, I personally know that all is not lost. I am an optimist.

I am convinced that the problems are man-made, and therefore men and women can and will solve them.

“I have believed as a child and continue to believe as an adult in the great promise of Nigeria.

Whether we like it or not, the promise of Nigeria will be fulfilled. What I do not know is when. Whether it will happen in my lifetime or after. It would be nice to experience it. I can visualize it. The world’s largest collection of black people, blessed in many more ways than one, diverse in human and material resources, and if only it can unite in its purpose and mission. I would love to live that dream. And it is possible. But it must start with us. ''

54—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Senate promises to pass 2015 Appropriation Bill soon

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—AS the National Assembly still awaits the 2015 Appropriation Bill from President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate yesterday assured that it would be passed into law before the end of 2014.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary while welcoming senators from the Sallah break, announced that in a few weeks, the Senate would receive the 2015 Appropriation Bill from the President for consideration, adding that it would be passed before December this year.

Senator Ekweremadu also assured that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and the Constitutional Review Amendment Bill would be given accelerated hearing for passage.

But the letter from President Jonathan to introduce the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the 2015 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act was not read.

Meanwhile, the Senate has passed into law the Bill establishing the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, and mandated the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, to contribute at least two percent of its gross receipts for the university.

The Senate also recommended that the university shall offer courses in Petroleum technology, provided overseas courses would be sponsored by the PTDF and other government agencies only in respect of the courses not available at the university upon certification.

The Senate also adopted the Harmonized Conference Report on National Health Bill, 2014, which was recently passed into law by the National Assembly and urged President Jonathan to expedite action in appending his signature to the law.

HONOUR: From left— President, Cambridge Graduate University, Dr. Tim Howard; Chairman, Organisation & Mobilization, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-West, Prince Buruji Kashamu, and Director of Graduate Programme Operations, Cambridge Graduate University, Dr. Ankur Mehta, during the conferment of a honorary doctorate dergree on Kashamu by the university.

BFIG has no claim to ALSCON— BPE

By Emma Ujah

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HE controversy over the privatization of Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, has continued to rage as Bureau of Public Enterprises, PBE, said yesterday, that BFI Group, BFIG, had no basis to lay claim to the company.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, had on September 30 decided that BFIG was the owner of ALSCON. BFIG won the original bid for the nation’s only smelter company, but in a twist of high level power-play, the company was given to RUSAL, a company which was publicly disqualified by BPE at the financial bid opening for submitting “a conditional bid.”

BFIG, therefore, went to court to challenge the action of the Federal Government.

The case was decided in its favour by the Supreme Court in 2012 after nearly a decade of legal battle.

However, Rusal and BPE argue that BFIG had failed to

comply with the Supreme Court judgment of July 6, 2012, as it had not paid for the company and, therefore, had no right to the shares of the company in question or to ALSCON plant.

BPE’s spokesman, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, said in a statement in Abuja, yesterday: “Following various media accounts on the alleged takeover of ALSCON by the BFIG, BPE would like to put on record that it has not

handed over ALSCON to BFIG or, for that matter, any other group other than the present managers, RUSAL. “It is important to note that BPE only hands over Federal Government assets to those who bid and fully pay the bid consideration. BFIG has not paid a kobo.

“As a result, BPE’s position has long been that it performed its obligations under the Supreme Court decision of

CONSTITUTION REVIEW: Reps begin voting on harmonized amendments

By Emman Ovuakporie

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives will, today, begin clause by clause voting on the 71 harmonized proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution in the committee of the whole.

All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers also yesterday stopped their Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, colleagues from reversing the

absolute powers granted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the deployment of troops during elections.

Presiding officer at the plenary, Aminu Tambuwal, announced the decision of the House to commence voting, shortly after the presentation of the report of the conference committee on a bill for an act to further alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as

Ndoma-Egba describes Wali's kidnap as brigandage

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—CONDEMNATIONS have continued to trail the recent kidnap of the former National President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Chief Okay Wali (SAN), as the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, described the abduction as an act of

July 6, 2012.

“But BFIG failed to perform its part of the obligations. The result being, in our opinion, that BFIG has no right to the said shares.

“The decision of September 30 of the Federal High Court in Abuja in BFIG’s case against BPE to “enforce” the Supreme Court judgment, in our opinion, is in error.”

“That decision is already a subject of an appeal.”

brigandage.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, called on President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and state governors to adopt swift, decisive and intelligencedriven mechanism to tackle the menace of kidnapping in the country.

The Senate Leader also called for a thorough

investigation into the death of Oyamieyifa, son of former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Senator Ndoma-Egba, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Ignatius Uzuegbunam, deplored what he described as “senseless kidnapping of Wali,” adding that Wali was neither a moneybag nor a politician.

amended) by Emeka Ihedioha, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on the Review of the Constitution.

While announcing the decision to begin voting on the amendments, Tambuwal advised state caucus leaders in the House to mobilize their members for the exercise.

The Speaker asked the lawmakers to begin to lobby their counterparts at the state Houses of Assembly to approve the proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

He said: “I, therefore, ask that all of us should act as advocates and lobbyists to the state Houses of Assembly to approve what we have passed here.

“I will also plead with all of us to be here tomorrow for the voting. I also plead with state caucus leaders to get across to their members to be here tomorrow so that they can vote on the amendments.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 55

2015 guber: Enugu PDP concensus crisis'll boost our chances — APC

By Austin Ogwuda

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N U G U — A L L Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State, yesterday, said the current wrangling in the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the controversial consensus candidacy would boost the fortunes of the party in 2015.

Speaking through one of its governorship aspirants, Dr. Ifeanyi Asogwa, the party said neither it nor its aspirants were

intimidated by the incumbency factor of the ruling PDP, led by Governor Sullivan Chime.

“Do I need to be intimidated?

No, I don’t know how they (PDP) made the consensus. The drama is still playing out but God knows it is to our advantage. Head or tail it is to our advantage. ''We, as a party, are going into our primaries and consensus is agreement. If you hear there is consensus in our party, then there is an agreement

at least the majority of all of us and we are going to confront them in that election. There is no need to be intimidated because the process of emergence will give us an edge. ''People want radical change from the history of anointing in the state that doesn’t work. If you change the game then you see a better result and the state will be better for it,” he said.

On the acceptability on APC in Enugu State, he said, “This gives us the opportunity of

expressing our party. APC is not alien to our people. People misunderstand issues because they get the wrong information.

Now, of all major positions in this government under the PDP government, none is in the south east. ''Is it in terms of roads, a drive from Port Harcourt to Enugu will tell you that we are not part of this country, same from Onitsha to Enugu, where then is the federal presence that PDP claims to be giving to us?

Beware of selfish politicians, Okorocha warns persons with disability

By Chidi Nkwopara

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WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has appealed to members of Joint National Association of Persons With Disability, JONAPD, to distance themselves from politicians who want to use them for selfish ends.

Okorocha, who spoke when he hosted the group at Government House, Owerri, noted that his “rescue mission' administration came on board not for the cabals but for the masses, including the physically-challenged, known as the special citizens.”

He pointed out that the Rochas Foundation was established to accommodate the group, stressing that he was in office to serve them without expecting rewards.

The governor who regretted what he termed 'the politicisation of the association by their previous executives', also urged the group to be painstaking in choosing its leaders and avoid people who will use them for their selfish

Adegbenro foundation lecture

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HE maiden edition of Dauda Adegbenro annual lecture holds today with the foundation presenting awards to the best Political Reporter at the event.

According to the Chairman, organising committee, Jare Dada, the lecture, with the theme: “Is Nigeria Democratising”, will be delivered by Professor Ademola Popoola, former Dean, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State at the Multi Purpose Hall of the state-owned Television, Abeokuta.

GOOGLE HOUSE EVENT: From left; Country Marketing Manager, Nigeria Google, Affiong Osuchukwu; Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Adebiyi Mabadeje; Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Google West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade and Public Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google Nigeria, Titi Akinsanmi, at the ongoing Google House event yesterday in Lagos.

PDP c'ttee decries condition of federal roads in S'East

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

U

MUHIA—SHOCKED by the deplorable condition of federal roads in the South East, Chief Olisa Metuhled Publicity and Evaluation Committee of the PDP, has vowed to summon the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, for urgent intervention to save the people of the zone from avoidable road carnage.

Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, decried particularly the state of federal roads in Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, saying the roads deserved urgent attention.

According to him, apart from deplorable conditions of Federal roads in Aba, there is also the need for the minister to visit all the federal roads in the entire South East zone, most of which were dead traps.

Speaking after inspecting some on-going and completed projects by Chief Theodore Orji-led government, Metuh said though some of the Federal roads in the zone were being reconstructed, there was more

...To summon Works Minister work to be done in that sector.

“During our tour of Abia State, we were able to see the diagnostics centre, dialysis centre, and eye and heart centres at different parts of the state which the people of the state and others from outside the state have been assessing for their health problems.

''We also saw the new international conference centre which is the best in the zone and number three in the whole country, including the twin state secretariat for workers and the E-library which is the only one of its kind in the entire South East zone.''

“We cannot stop talking about

APGA House of Reps aspirant gets party’s flag country.

By Tommy Anaduaka

T

HE national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, has presented the party ’s flag to a House of Representatives aspirant for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the 2015 general elections, Chief Tony Azuya.

The flag was presented to the aspirant in Asaba when he declared his intention to contest the election before his supporters and leadership of the party from all parts of the

Chief Azuya said his desire to represent Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency was to enable him contribute his quota to the infrastructure and socio-economic growth of the area.

According to him, youth and women empowerment be given due attention, if elected, while assuring that APGA had all that was required to bring the needed change to the state.

Chief Umeh said Chief Azuya was a tested and trusted hand that could give effective representation to Aniocha/ Oshimili Federal Constituency, if

APGA'll never collapse into PDP, BoT member vows

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—A member of Board of Trustees, BoT, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, has dismissed insinuations that the party will collapse into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for any reason whatsoever.

Speaking yesterday, he said APGA would rather accept entering into an accord, merger or alliance with PDP for the interest of both parties, if need be, particularly for the purpose of returning President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office in 2015.

Ezeonwuka said, “In the second republic, what was Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP founded by Zik of Africa when Governors Sam Mbakwe of old Imo State and Jim Nwobodo of old Anambra State did m a r v e l o u s developments in the present South East zone, just like what APGA is doing in Anambra state now. Did they defect to the then National Party of Nigeria, NPN?

2015: Obada joins Delta gov race

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HE Chief Executive Officer of Slimburg Limited, Votu Obada has declared interest to run for the 2015 governorship election in Delta State.

Obada, son of former Federal Commissioner for Works, General Osio Obada (retd), indicated his interest to run for the post, having garnered considerable experience in service delivery and politics both home and abroad.

His declaration was made known to journalists when the group, Concerned Deltans for Good Governance, CDGG, paid him a visit in his Lagos office.

Endorsing him, the group expressed its concerns over what they call recycling of old hands and expressed hope that ‘’youthful agent of change like Obada would be given the chance to bring the dynamic change Delta State needs.’’

56 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

L-R: Chairman, Dugo Limited, Dr. Nwachukwu Nzegwu; Managing Director/CEO, Mrs. Ngozi Nzegwu; Pastor Taiwo Odukoya and his wife, Pastor Nomthi, at the inauguration of Dugo Limited 's world-class showroom in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau

Opusunju joins Rivers gov race

By Hugo Odiogor

A

PEOPLES Democratic Party Governorship aspirant for Rivers State, Dr. Silva Opusunju, yesterday, outlined a seven point programme of action to reposition the state as a safe destination for habitation and re-industrialisation.

Opusunju, who hails from Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area in Rivers South East Senatorial District of Rivers State, told Vanguard that he was seeking the governorship ticket for the 2015 gubernatorial election based on “his experiences in private and public sector institutions, domestic and international spheres of human endeavours” which prepared him for the job.

Specifically, Opusunju said “he wants to make Rivers State a more united, better and safer place to live and work.”

According to the aspirant, he also wants “to ensure that the wealth of the State is channelled into the hands of Rivers man and woman through our local

content policy. The surest but painstaking way to secure a sustainable future, growth, jobs and opportunities is through deliberate policies of reindustrialization and entrepreneurship programmes consistent with the experiences in the 70s and 80s.

“No nation-state or people have achieved any modicum of greatness without excellence in

industrialization, science, technology and innovation.

Our team believes that technological advancement is not the exclusive preserve of the West and its filial cousins and promised to re-inject and promote a culture of regular consultation and respect for the opinion of traditional institutions, elders and founding fathers of the State.”

Obahiagbon guns for Senate seat

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY— AHEAD the 2015 general elections in Edo state, All Progressives Congress, APC, youth in Edo South, yesterday, endorsed the Chief of Staff to the Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Patrick O b a h i a g b o n (Igodomigodo), as their candidate for the Edo South senatorial primaries of APC. The youths urged the leadership of the APC in the South to give Obahiagbon their support, due to what they described

as his “outstanding performance when he was in the House of Representatives.''

In a statement by Kola Edokpaiyi, and Iyamu Osaro, said “no reasonable Edo man will detest the fact that Obahiagbon’s voice was loud and clear in agitating the right of the common man during debates on the floor of the House. Also, he has demonstrated absolute loyalty to his party APC and to the Edo State government where he is currently a serving Chief of Staff.”

CAN tasks FG over Oritsejafor’s jet

T

HE South West chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has berated the Federal Government for giving Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christain Association of Nigeria, CAN, a bad name over the use of his private jet for the procurement of arms for the country.

The association said in a communiqué signed by its chairman, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade in Osogbo, Osun State, that the National Security Adviser, and Defence Minister should be questioned to explain what they knew about the deal, resulting in the seizure of

$9.3milion arms funds by the South African Government.

CAN said the whole issue looked like a set-up because its national president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor whose jet was hired for the arms purchase is neither a government official, nor

had control of the jet when it had been leased for whatever purpose the hirer used it.

It said, “Dasuki and Gwarzo should be questioned and they should provide urgent answers to this national embarrassment to Nigerians.”

PAC calls for peace over NUJ-Mbu saga

T

HE Police Assistance Committee, PAC, has called for peace between the Police and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in the interest of the nation.

PAC made the appeal against the backdrop of a raging public issue between the Police and the NUJ, following the feud between a

journalist, Mr. Amaechi Anakwe of the AIT and AIG Joseph Mbu in charge of Zone 7, Abuja.

PAC's Director-General, Dr. Martins Oni, said it would not be in the interest of our democracy for such important institutions to be at loggerheads with each other.

VANGUARD,WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 57

BRIEFS US Ebola patient re-emerges on Twitter

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Dallas nurse ‘doing well’ after transfusion

A

Texas nurse who became infected with Ebola while treating the first patient diagnosed in the U.S. said Tuesday that she was “doing well,” while the World Health Organization projected that West Africa could see up to 10,000 new infections a week within two months.

Nurse Nina Pham was among about 70 staff members at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, according to medical records.

The 26-year-old nurse was in the Liberian man’s room often, from the day he was placed in intensive care until the day before he died last week.

“I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers,” Pham said in a statement issued by the hospital, which said doctors were hopeful that she would recover.

She and other health care workers wore protective gear, including gowns, gloves, masks and face shields — and sometimes full-body suits — when caring for Duncan, but she became the first person to contract the disease within the United States. Duncan died Wednesday. Pham understood the risks and tried to reassure her family that she would be safe, according to a family friend.

When Pham’s mother learned her daughter was caring for Duncan, Pham told her: “Don’t worry about me,” Christina Tran told The Associated Press on Monday.

Vatican synod: Victory for Pope Francis on gay issues H

ALFWAY through the Vatican synod on the family, Pope Francis has scored a first quiet victory. He has convinced many Catholic Church leaders to moderate their formerly strongly critical language about gay unions, and to admit that homosexuals may have “gifts and qualities to offer”.

The tone of a preliminary position paper drawn up by about 200 bishops after a week of closed-door discussions shows compassion and understanding not only towards people in single-sex unions, but also to heterosexual couples who live together without marrying and divorced couples who enter a second marriage without bothering to ob-

tain a Church annulment.

The bishops made it clear that there can be no change in basic Catholic teaching on the permanence of the marriage bond, and insist that a valid marriage can only be between a man and a woman. But Pope Francis’s change of emphasis on concentrating upon positive rather than negative aspects of human sexuality seems to have won over many bishops attending the synod. His predecessor, Pope Benedict, referred to homosexual relationships as “intrinsically disordered” in a Vatican document written in 1986 when Benedict was chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II. Bishops attend synod,

October 13. About 200 bishops and cardinals are meeting behind closed doors at the Vatican Pope Francis on the other hand told journalists last year: “If a person seeks God and has goodwill, then who am I to judge?” He is the first pontiff ever to have used the word “gay” in public rather than refer to “homosexuals”. Breakthrough or betrayal?

First reactions from Roman Catholic gayrights groups around the world were favourable to the discussion paper issued in Rome. The London-based Catholic association Quest described it as a “breakthrough” and the leading American Catholic gay-rights group New Ways Ministry called it a “major step forward”.

WHO raises alarm on the rising spread of Ebola

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HE Ebola epidemic is still spreading in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and the number of cases in West Africa will exceed 9,000 this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

The death toll so far in the outbreak, first reported in Guinea in March, has reached 4,447 from a total of 8,914 cases, WHO Assistant Director General Bruce Aylward said.

While there are signs that rates of infection are slowing in some of the worst-hit areas, Aylward said the disease has now reached “more districts, counties and prefectures” than it had a month ago, and said case numbers would continue to rise.

He stressed it would be “really, really premature” to read success into the

•Nina Pham, 26, who became the first person to contact Ebola in America.

apparent slowing numbers in some areas, noting that by the first week in December, WHO projections suggest there may be between 5,000 and 10,000 new cases a week.

“It could be higher, it could lower but it’s going to be in that ball park,” he told reporters from WHO’s

Geneva headquarters.

“In certain areas were seeing disease coming down but that doesn’t mean they’re going to go to zero,” he said.

The WHO has repeatedly said Ebola cases are under-reported in the three hardest-hit countries, and that understanding the scale and pace of the outbreak is crucial to stopping it. “We adjust for the numbers reported,” Aylward said.

The WHO multiplies the numbers from Guinea by 1.5, from Sierra Leone by 2 and from Liberia by 2.5 to get a more accurate picture, he said. The published data could also be misleading because the number of known deaths is less than half the number of cases, but that gave a false impression, Aylward said.

US Democrats drafts Clinton into Mid Term election stomp

A

RKANSAS Democrats are again enlisting their favorite political son to fend off a Republican drive to claim a U.S. Senate seat and other top offices, announcing Tuesday that former President Bill Clinton will return to the state to campaign for the second time this month.

The party said the former president would make a series of appearances in Arkansas over the weekend, starting Friday night with a rally in Hot Springs. The visits also come days before early voting begins Oct.

20 for the election.

“In Arkansas he’s still seen as local, as popular, as understanding how important this election is,” state Democratic Party Chairman Vince Insalaco said. “He wouldn’t be spending this kind of time here if he just did not see the stakes as high as they are.” Clinton remains a beloved figure in Arkansas, where his presidential library is located and where the Little Rock airport is named for him and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

He’s been a regular presence on the cam-

•President Obama paign trail in Arkansas and helped kick off Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor ’s re-election bid last year. Pryor ’s race against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton is key to the net gain of six seats Republicans need

to win control of the U.S. Senate.

He also boasts longstanding ties with the state’s top candidates this year. Pryor ’s father, David, is a former governor and U.S. senator who was Clinton’s mentor. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mike Ross got his start in politics driving Clinton around the state during the 1982 gubernatorial campaign. Ross is running against Republican Asa Hutchinson, a fellow ex-congressman who served as a House manager in Clinton’s impeachment trial.

US photojournalist who was sickened with Ebola in Liberia and evacuated to Nebraska for treatment emerged on Twitter Monday saying he was feeling better and planned to blog about the experience.

Ashoka Mukpo, 33, was working as a freelance cameraman for NBC News in Monrovia when he fell ill with the virus that has killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa.

He arrived at Nebraska Medical Center on October 6, and his symptoms were “not extreme,” his mother said at the time.

“Back on Twitter, feeling like I’m on the road to good health,” he wrote on the popular microblogging site, under the Twitter handle @unkyoka. “Will be posting some thoughts this week. Endless gratitude for the good vibes.”

UN worker dies of Ebola in Germany

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United Nations medical worker who was infected with Ebola in Liberia has died despite “intensive medical procedures,” a German hospital said yesterday.

The St. George hospital in Leipzig said the 56-yearold man, whose name has not been released, died overnight of the infection. It released no further details and did not answer telephone calls.

The man tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 6, prompting Liberia’s UN peacekeeping mission to place 41 staff members who had possibly been in contact with him under “close medical observation.”

He arrived in Leipzig for treatment on Oct. 9. The hospital’s chief executive, Dr. Iris Minde, said at the time that there was no risk of infection for other patients, relatives, visitors or the public.

The man was kept in a secure isolation ward specially equipped with negative pressure rooms that are hermetically sealed and can only be accessed through a number of airlocks. All air and fluids are filtered and all equipment is decontaminated after use, Minde said.

Putin lauds Russia, China ties

R

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin yesterday praised growing economic ties with “natural ally” Beijing as he hosted Chinese premier Li Keqiang for high-profile talks.

Li’s three-day visit to Russia comes as the Kremlin is locked in a battle of wills with the West over Ukraine and is seeking to ramp up cooperation with Asia and Latin America. “We are natural partners, natural allies, we are neighbours,” Putin told Li during talks at the Kremlin. “We are setting large-scale, absolutely realistic goals for ourselves and no doubt this will serve our peoples well,” he added.

The Chinese prime minister for his part praised the “inexhaustible” potential for cooperation between China, the world’s largest energy consumer, and Russia, one of the largest energy suppliers.

Kobane: US strikes slow ISIS

U

S-LED aircraft hammered Islamic State jihad ists with 21 bombing raids near Kobane on Monday and Tuesday amid signs the strikes had “slowed” the group’s advance on the Syrian border town, the American military said.

In one of the heaviest bombardments so far against the Sunni jihadists encircling Kobane, coalition air strikes “destroyed” two IS staging locations, a building, a truck, two vehicles, three compounds and damaged several other targets, it said. A separate air raid in eastern Syria struck a small oil refinery, it said.

Obama to nominate new AG after November 4 elections

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RESIDENT Barack Obama will wait until after November 4 congressional elections to nominate a new U.S. attorney general, a White House official said on Tuesday.

The decision to delay allows Obama more time to pick a replacement for Attorney General Eric Holder and means the new nominee will not get mired in electionyear politics in the final weeks of the congressional election campaign.

A delay in the announcement had been sought by some Senate Democrats who wanted to avoid a fresh controversy ahead of the elections.

Obama is considering a number of people with legal experience for the position, including former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler, Labor Secretary Tom Perez and U.S. Solicitor General Don Verrilli.

58 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Musa promises birthday goals

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S has become the tradition in the Super Eagles camp, Russian based striker, Ahmed Musa received a surprise birthday gift when all the players took turns in bathing him with water during Tuesday early morning training session of the national team.

The players took the petit winger, who returned to training on Tuesday morning after resting for a day following a knock he received in the first leg game in Sudan by surprise. Those who could not grab water cans, poured balls on him before training started under the early morning breeze of Abuja.

Speaking when the team returned to its camp base, Musa said he has suspended celebration till after the much desired win against Sudan on Wednesday. “After that we can paint the town red because we would have gotten our qualification hopes back on track. However, team skipper Vincent Enyeama, said there will be a short cake cutting ceremony during dinner, according to him, just to show him that he is loved by all and sundry in the team”.

Abdulhammed wins Usoro Cup

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UNJI Abdulhammed and Titilayo Osagie have emerged winners of the annual Lawyers’ Table Tennis championship, tagged Mfon Usoro Cup, in both male and female categories.

Promoter of the Championship, Mrs Mfon Usoro, has called on female lawyers to show more interest in the championship as she promises to make the tournament bigger next year. The event held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos at the weekend.

In the men’s finals, Abdulhammed defeated Segun Fabunmi in two straight sets 11-1, 11-5 to successfully defend his title.

Titilayo Osagie proved to be too tough for he opponents in the women’s category as she easily thrashed her perennial rival, Sisan Eziekpe, who is nursing a baby, 11-2, and 11-8, to claim the title for the fourth time in a row.

Osagie, who drewn bye in the quarter finals, defeated Adeola Folarin in two straight sets 11-2, 114 in the semi final.

•Jubilant Super Eagles players after Afcon 2015 victory. The Eagles have a must win match against Sudan today.

Maroc 2015: Danagogo so sure of Eagles I

T was a busy and ex citing Monday for the Super Eagles and their crew as Sports Minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo accompanied by the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye and NFF President Pinnick Amaju, paid a surprise visit to the team during its evening training session at the mainbowl of the National Stadium in Abuja.

The Minister in his brief address to the players said he was doubly sure that Nigeria will qualify for the championship in Morocco, adding that obstacles that have been noticed have been eliminated. He assured players and officials of the team of President Goodluck Jonathan’s support in the remaining three qualifiers leading to the finals in Morocco.

The Minister said the team must not be distracted by criticisms from Nigerians, adding that they were doing that because of the huge belief they had in the capacity of the team to deliver.

“If someone has absolute belief in you and you disappoint him a little he gets overboard, but go and re-

•As Amaju meets Eagles Technical crew, players store that belief by winning the remaining three matches which will ensure you land in Maroc 2015”, he said.

The NFF President spoke in a similar vein, declaring that whatever

the team will need to qualify, including his possible resignation for qualification will be made available. Amaju later came to the Eagles camp at the Bolton White Apartments, where he held two sepa-

rate meetings behind closed doors, first with the technical crew led by Stephen Keshi and later with the players. He refused to disclose his interaction with both parties, saying he was only

Fashanu: Lack of competition harming Eagles F ORMER Wimbledon striker John Fashanu is of the opinion that the lack of battle for spot in the Nigeria senior national team is harming the team performances.

Fashanu said that first team players of the Super Eagles are not pushing to hold on to their spot unlike the past and that has affected their performance.

“We have a set of players who know their position in the first team isn’t under threat, they are now complacent and their performance is a proof,” he said.

“In the last two years they were home based

•Fashanu players who were preferred ahead of the foreign professionals.

“They were on their toes and the foreign pros were eager to displace them

and claim their spot.

“It brought about a healthy rivalry which culminated in the team lifting the Cup of Nations, but after that we lost it.”

Fashanu insists that competition for spots in the team was not fresh after the AFCON victory as players called up are below the standard of the first team players.

“The players called up to the Eagles after the AFCON triumph are way below those they are supposed to displace and it has been a case of working with a set of 13 players,” he added.

making consultation with them because he wanted a very strong and positive start for the new leadership of the NFF, which he heads.

7 Nigerian refs set to get FIBA Badges

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IGERIA may we:l boast of 10 FIBA referees by the end of October should Lagos referees Lai Alimi, Olusegun Adekanmbi, Samuel Sofoluwe, Razak Okedeyi, Joseph Patrick alongside Musa Gambo from Kano and FCT referee Opeyemi Ogunleye succesfully complete the FIBA referee clinic and examination which starts in Cotonou, Benin Republic today to end October 17th.

The 3-day assessment will see the 7 Nigerian regional referees join their other African colleagues to be tested on the newly revised 2014 Official Basketball rules approved by the FIBA central board as well as physical evaluation.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 59

Don’t be in a hurry to score, Marotske warns Eagles

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

A

S the Super Eagles go into the facesaving encounter today against the Falcons of Sudan in the ongoing 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, the players have been advised to take the game calmly.

Former coach of the defunct Green Eagles, Heinz Marotske told journalists in Abuja yesterday that there is a huge opportunity to win the match if the players will shun the temptation to rush for early goals.

According to him when a team goes for the early kill and that does not happen, the tendency for the players to become tensed up will be high and that will not augur well for the team.

“Personaly I have confidence in the team because they never intended to lose to both Congo and Sudan but I must warn that they must be patient and not be in a hurry to score. If we play 0-0 from there we can get one goal and win the game, don’t let us rush for goals.

“We all have seen that the defense has not been

like it used to be in the past so they may be tempted to go out for goals but they should be very patient on the ball and we will win this match”.

The German-Nigerian also advised the football authorities and the coaches to open the camp so as to give other young and upcoming players the opportunity to fight for shirt.

However while admitting that there is the need for the technical crew to do more, Marotske said the coach should be given a contract if truly Nigeria wants him to handle the national team.

MBASSADOR Chris Giwa, owner of Giwa United football club of Jos has urged the Super Eagles of Nigeria to win today ’s Africa Cup of nations qualifier against Sudan.

In a goodwill message to the team, Giwa called on the players to put their recent defeat behind them and concentrate on the big task ahead of them today.

“You are the African

F

psychological trauma they have subjected Nigerians to.

As with majority of Nigerians, he blamed the lack luster performance sorely on the doorstep of the coach who he says “ seems to have come to the end of the road “Keshi has done his best. We cannot take it away from him. He has delivered and he should also know when to bow when the applause is loudest…..”

Does he have any solution in place? “Yes” he says. “A Westerhof is needed. Someone who does not have to have a super name, but who is ready to work. “ Westerhof knew his

HE Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Michael Ikpoki has linked the continuous achievement of the tournament MTN Lagos Street Soccer to the partnership between the MTN Nigeria and the Lagos State Government.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of Season 7 of the championship at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos on Sunday, Ikpoki, declared that, the project was a success story of private-public partnership in socio-economic development of the society. “This soccer tournament helps to channel the energies of the youth constructively, thereby diverting them from negative practices which are detrimental to their future and the society. In this regard and in others, relating to education and empowerment, we believe that we are partners with the Lagos State Government to develop the youth and position them for a successful future.” He said.

Continues from BP

•Musa

Champions and you cant just exit the stage in this way. You must try to surmount all criticisms by winning today’s match. If you win today, then there will be chances for you to qualify for the Africa cup of nations in Morocco next year” Giwa said.

The club owner who is holding on tenaciously to the leadership of the NFF also solicited massive support for the Super Eagles. Giwa urged

football loving Nigerians and supporters to conduct themselves well today at the Abuja national stadium. He appealed to fans not to boo or haul stones or sachet water bags at the players even when they fail to meet the expectations of the fans, “rather we should pray and cheer them to encourage the players to perform optimally on the field of play”.

Ikon dreams another Westerhof, lauds Akpabio on Stadium Eagles knew the limitations and worked the standard of the

OR those who believe football in Nigeria is solely in the domain of “stake holders” then this is worth reading.

The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elder Sam Ikon is “devastated” that the Eagles lost to Sudan and put their Nations Cup qualification in jeopardy. It was not all sadness though, as he was all smiles when the issue of the brand new stadium in Uyo came for discussion.

Speaking at Uyo on Sunday as Guest of Honour for the Akwa United –Abia Warriors League match, Hon Ikon wondered whether the

T

Pinnick

Giwa sends goodwill message to Eagles

A

MTN Lagos Street Soccer final thrills Ikpoki

on them. He brought in a Bonfrere Jo who did most of the technical work and he concentrated in managing the team.

“Managing players is a difficult task, yet Westerhoff found a way around it, by making the players feel like a family and ready to die for him” He believes the Eagles can still qualify for the the Nations Cup but confesses that qualification has become very difficult.

“The aura and psyche around the team carries a lot of negative vibes and until the Technical crew is changed we may not go far” He offered.

Hon Ikom also had a lot of positives for the league, claiming that

match between Akwa United and Abia War riors was unbelievably high.

“I cannot wait to see Akwa United play on the turf of our brand new stadium. A match like this would have kept spectators on their seats throughout the 90 minutes duration” He was all praise for Governor Godswill Akpabio for the legacy of a world class stadium which he will bequeath to the youth of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria. “ We see things like this when we go out. now it is in our backyard, our domain and we are very pleased with our Governor for this” he said.

Wednesday, I have the strong feeling that we will qualify and get to the finals and win the Nations Cup again.”

After Saturday ’s shock loss in Sudan, Nigeria are now bottom of Group A with a single point halfway through the qualifying tournament.

On Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria host

Sudan, who are now third in the standings with three points.

And next month, they travel to second-placed Congo, who defeated them 3-2 in Calabar in September, before they welcome group leaders South Africa.

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 championship.

Falcons Continues from BP Super Falcons who are looking to regain their top position in Africa and also make a huge impact at the Women World Cup next year.

The Falcons haven’t faced the test of rivals Cameroon, Ghana and South African who seem to be struggling in group B. In their first game Cameroon beat South Africa 1-0 and Ghana were shocked by Algeria with the same margin.

However, judging from their outing yesterday against Zambia’s ‘Shepolopolo’, the Falcons have the bragging rights to the title.

Striker Ngozi Akobi opened scoring in the 2nd minute of play and defender Osinachi Ohale added the second in the 6th minute.

Desire Oparanozie fired home the third from the spot, after Susan Banda handled the

ball in the box. Those goals confounded the Zambians and they had no clue to the free flowing passing game of the Super Falcons. But for poor finishing, the Falcons would have scored more goals.

Grace Zulu was sent off for a second bookable offence after she tripped Oparanozie, but the Falcons failed to make the extra number count until the referee signaled for the end of the first stanza.

At the break, Asisat Oshoala who had three clear one on one chances with the goalkeeper Hazel Nali scored the forth from a header, while Oparanozie added the fifth. Veteran Perpetua Nkwocha came from the bench to slam in the sixth goal and it was good night to the Zambians in this tournament.

“We had a very good game. It wasn’t easy beating the Zambians, but our intention was always clear, we want to win all our matches in the t o u r n a m e n t , ” Oparanozie.

60 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Messi shines for Argentina

FA charge Ferdinand

Q

UEENS Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand has been charged by The FA for misconduct in relation to a comment he made via social media.

It is alleged the comment posted on his twitter account was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper. It is further alleged that this breach is aggravated pursuant to FA Rule E3(2) as it included a reference to gender.

The player has until Tuesday 21 October 2014 to respond to the charge

A

MAGICAL......Argentina’s Lionel Messi (right) beats an unidentified Hong Kong player during yesterday’s friendly match at the Hong Kong Stadium.

Argentina won 7-0. Photo: Getty Images

RGENTINA bounced back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Brazil with a 7-0 rout of Hong Kong in T u e s d a y ’ s international friendly in the Far East.

Coach Gerardo Martino overhauled his starting line-up from the one that succumbed to two Diego Tardelli goals on Saturday, and it proved to be a one-sided affair with Gonzalo Higuain, Lionel Messi and Nicolas Gaitan all netting doubles to add to Ever Banega’s opener.

Hong Kong were looking to build on their recent 2-1 win

over Singapore and claim the biggest upset in the region’s history against the 2014 World Cup finalists.

However, they trailed in the 18th minute when Banega stabbed home on the rebound after the ball had come back off home goalkeeper Yapp Fai. Messi came off the bench to turn in goal number five, chipping the ball over the Hong Kong g o a l k e e p e r. G a i t a i n completed his brace, tapping home an assist from Messi, and the Barcelona star rounded off the scoring six minutes from time with the best of the night, carving a path through the home defence before smashing an unstoppable effort past Fai.

Neymar strikes 4 past Japan

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•Ferdinand

EYMAR scored all four goals as Brazil eased to a 4-0 friendly win over Japan in Singapore.

The 22-year-old has now taken his tally to 40 in 58 internationals.

He rounded Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and slotted

in for the first, before adding a second from a pass by Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.

The Barcelona forward, who helped Brazil to victory against Argentina on Saturday, swept in to make it 3-0 and headed the fourth from Kaka’s cross.

Neymar also went close with a free-kick that hit the post, while Kaka’s header was pushed on to the bar by Kawashima.

Japan forward Shinji Okazaki also struck the woodwork with a fierce right-foot drive.

Arsenal: We can’t replace Wenger Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis says Arsene Wenger is a managerial ‘giant’ and replacing him will be their ‘biggest challenge’ Gazidis told the club’s official website: “So much of the attention on a football club is around an individual and that’s very understandable at Arsenal because we have a giant who’s managing

•Wenger

Ferguson: Van Gaal needs time

S

IR Alex Ferguson believes Louis van Gaal will get things right at Manchester United if he is given time after likening the Dutchman’s start at Old Trafford to his own.

“He’s not been getting the results that are expected but when I came to the club [in

November 1986] I didn’t get the results I expected myself at the beginning,” Ferguson told MUTV. “Once I got settled into the club, everything was fine. Louis is going through that same process and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will sort it out.”

•Van Gaal

us.

“Arsene has been a fantastic driver and has put the club in a great, great position.

“The biggest challenge we’re going to face as a club is that, when the transition from Arsene to the next manager of our football club happens – and I don’t know what that’s going to be – that we come through that strongly. Winning the FA Cup was a fantastic moment.' In my life, that’s one of my greatest moments. The moment you get away from the euphoria of the moment, the next question is, ‘How do we have more of that?’

“We want this football club to be at the top of the world’s game. If the manager believes in someone like Mesut Ozil, he can buy him. It’s the same with Sanchez.''

•Neymar

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 61

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62 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15,

2014

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 — 63

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VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014

Don’t go from hero to zero, Pinnick tells Eagles N

FF president Amaju Pinnick has predicted Nigeria will bounce back in the AFCON qualifiers on

Falcons show Eagles how to play •Spell Zambia with 6 goals N

BRACE GIRL... Desire Okparanozie

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

•Pinnick

Arsenal lead chase to sign £15m Emenike

BY BEN EFE, Windhoek IGERIA’S Super Falcons yesterday booked a place in the semi-final of the African Women Championship with a convincing 6-0 win over their Zambian counterparts.

The Nigerian women set the tone for their male counterparts, the Super Eagles who play Sudan in a must win reverse match of the Nations Cup qualifiers after slumping 1-0 to the Sudanese last week. A win could relaunch the team’s battle to qualify after picking a point from three matches.

Against Zambia yesterday, it was more of a practice session for the Continues on Page 59

their way to retaining the continental crown.

The NFF boss while addressing players of the Super Eagles in Abuja said, “We want you all to continue to be heroes.

Not from heroes to zero.

We can do it, we have done it before.

“Whatever is happening right now is just a phase, we see you guys play and know you are capable.

“If we win this match on Continues on Page 59

D

•Emenike

ESPITE investing over £50m in Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez the Metro claims that Arsenal are readying a £15m bid for Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike.

The Nigerian international has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League for the best part of two years and has been a moderate success in Turkey but one wonders quite why Arsene Wenger would feel the need to target the former Spartak

Moscow man.

Emenike has scored 12 goals in 28 matches last season and picked up nine assists but given that both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are nearing returns from respective injuries there seems little reason to bring in another forward, let alone one with very little top league experience.

Wenger may be better off investing the £15m in the signing of a much needed defensive midfielder.

QUICK CROSSWORD

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Divide (4) 4 Jump (3) 6 Choose (4) 8 Earlier (6) 9 Mad (6) 10 Elderly (3) 12 Started (5) 14 Under (5) 15 Elbow (5) 18 Writer (6) 20 Guide (6) 24 Nude (5) 26 Kingly (5) 28 Adored (5) 30 Marry (3) 32 Figurine (6) 33 Shrewd (6) 34 Trampled (4) 35 Dance (3) 36 Sand-hill (4)

DOWN 2 Stood (5) 3 Drums (7) 4 Idol (4) 5 Settled (4) 6 Adhesive (5) 7 Comfort (7) 11 Record (3) 12 Coach (3) 13 Gist (3) 16 Lair (3) 17 Moose (3) 19 Maker (7) 21 Fish (3) 22 Assumed (7) 23 Wand (3) 25 Hatchet (3) 27 Performed (5) 29 Consumed (5) 30 Departed (4) 31 Moist (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2 Creed 7, Fibre 8, Arena 10, Aphid 12, Ore 13, State 15, Central 17, Threat 19, Lee 20, Tiniest 23, Name 25, Thin 26, Arrived 30, Rue 31, Regret 34, Expanse 37, Singe 38, Pit 39, Tapir 40, Begin 41, Steer 42, Cloth

DOWN:1, Birth 2, Crate 3, Repeat 4, Epic 5, Protest 6, Sneak 9, Err 11, Deliver 13, Stand 14, Aroma 16, Nee 18, Tidiest 21, Thorn 22, United 24, Erratic 27, Run 28, Desist 29, Expel 32, Girth 33, Egret 35, Pig 36, Earl.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Ag. Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

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