How Olusola Saraki lostbattle to cancer — Son

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61754

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FG revokes N4bn TCN contract

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How Olusola Saraki lost battle to cancer — Son •Kwara Govt declares three-day mourning •Jonathan, Senate, PDP, ACN, Govs, Reps, others pay tributes

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, BEN AGANDE, DEMOLA AKINYEMI, HENRY UMORU & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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AGOS—“HE has been battling cancer for about five years. He was fine this morning. He was comfortable and even

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Mr & Mrs

SARAKI GOES HOME—

The crowd at the burial of late Dr. Olusola Saraki in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday. Inset: From left, Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed; Alhaji Shamsudenn Usman, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Sen. Bukola Saraki (son), at the event. Photos: Dare Fasube. See more stories and photos on Pages 14, 15 &41.

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How Olusola Saraki lost battle to cancer — Son Continues from page 1 said his prayers. He died in the presence of one of my brothers, my mother and my two sisters. He gave up the ghost at about 6 a.m.”

With these words, Olaolu Saraki, son of Second Republic Senate Leader and kingmaker of Kwara politics, Dr Olusola Saraki, told reporters how his father died yesterday in Lagos, aged 79.

Recalling Saraki’s last moments, Olaolu, who spoke at his father ’s residence on Cameroon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, said though Saraki had been battling with cancer for five years, his demise took them by surprise because “he was fine this morning. He was comfortable and even said his prayers.”

As the late political icon was being interred at 4 p.m in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, the polity was hit by a torrent of tributes from all parts of the country.

Announcing the death of the Waziri of Ilorin yesterday, the Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, immediately raised a 20man burial committee, which organised a befit-

ting Islamic burial for the Great Oloye. He declared three days of mourning and made yesterday a work-free day to allow Kwarans attend Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki’s burial.

One of the late Saraki’s closest political associates, Alh Sheu Usma Mustapha, an octogenarian told Vanguard that the elder statesman would surely be missed by all and sundry.

He described him as an exemplary leader, a philanthropist per excellence and a detribalised Nigerian.

He also said the elder Saraki had foresight by tutoring his son, Dr Bukola Saraki, a two-time governor of Kwara State to take over political leadership from him before his death.

Tributes Among those who paid glowing tributes to Dr Saraki, yesterday, were President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo),

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right – Abraham Lincoln.

TAKE HEART

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BY ELLA RANDLE

T has been said that the most powerful form of gratitude is the kind which you express in advance of your actual experience. The expression of faith and trust in the universe that this requires allows for the most effective manifestation of our desires.

Sandy Bidinger a writer and blogger, is very emphatic in her writings about the importance of practicing gratitude when you are following your path to personal development growth. You should think of it not only as a tool for transformation but as a way of life.

Now, if you have wrapped your mind around the fact that we are all energy then you realize there is no separation and we are all connected. Everything is energy with its own rate of vibration that attracts things of like vibrations to it. That of course includes our thoughts. And thoughts and feelings of gratitude are some of the most powerful and they can be a gift of healing for yourself and for others.

Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).

Second Republic politicians and senators such as Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Senator David Dafinone, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai also showered tributes and urged Nigerians to emulate Saraki’s virtues.

Also on hand to condole with the Sarakis were the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy House of Representatives Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and Kwara State House of Assembly, Senators Joy Emordi and Christy Anyanwu.

We’ve lost a political colossus – Jonathan PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday commiserated with the family and people of Kwara State on the death of Saraki whom he described as “one of Nigeria’s most prominent leaders, medical practitioner and democrat” A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan “extends sincere commiserations to the elder statesman’s family and the people of his home state, Kwara to whose service and upliftment he selflessly devoted his long and very successful career in politics”.

While urging his family and the people of Kwara State to be consoled by the knowledge that their departed father, leader and mentor lived a very successful and fulfilled life, the President said the late Dr. Saraki would be “long remembered and eulogized as a consummate politician, an astute grassroots mobiliser, and a political colossus with awe-inspiring powers of political organisation.”

Said Abati: “The Presi-

dent has no doubts that this public-spirited politician will always occupy a place of honour in the hearts of his people, supporters, friends and associates across the nation. He believes that the ordinary people of Kwara in particular will always remember the “Oloye” with great affection because of the constant support they received from him.

“The President further notes that Dr. Saraki’s brand of people-oriented politics and his success in building on his strong support base to contribute positively to Nigeria’s political development as a powerful voice in the nation’s dominant political parties, as the Senate Majority Leader in the Second Republic, and as the ultimate reference point in the politics of Kwara State for decades, have assured him of a place amongst Nigeria’s heroes of democracy. President Jonathan urges Nigerians to emulate Dr Saraki’s patriotic commitment to national unity, politics without bitterness as well as his magnificent spirit of philanthropy”.

He was a consummate politician - Senate To the Senate, Dr. Olusola Saraki was a politician who represented in all its ramifications what a grassroots politician ought to be.

According to Senate President David Mark, Saraki was political tactician and political engineer who navigated the political environment like a colossus.

The Senate President also noted that as a parliamentarian, Saraki distinguished himself and unarguably laid the solid foundation for today’s National Assembly.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, Senator Mark who also portrayed the late Saraki as a political giant and shinning star of the Nigerian politics, stressed that the politi-

cal sagacity of late Saraki helped to midwife the modern day Nigerian politics.

According to him, “Saraki was a political leader who stood to be counted when it mattered. He stood on the side of the people and worked assiduously for the liberation of the down trodden. He was a leader who lived and worked for others.

“We shall miss his fatherly counsel. We shall miss his candor. We shall miss his humility. We shall miss his robust political debate. He was one our brightest and focused political leader.

“Saraki has left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill. The nation has lost one of her best and fertile minds”.

In a text message to Vanguard, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Publicity, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South said he was “a consummate politician, Senator and a true man of the people. He epitomized what a grassroots political leader should be. Nigeria will miss him.”

Saraki was a quintessential politician -Tambuwal SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, described late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki as a quintessential politician and father-figure, who gave his all for the development of the country.

In a message of condolence issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, the Speaker said Saraki had earned his place as one

of Nigeria’s most consistent advocates of democracy.

He said Saraki would be best remembered for his pioneering role in the formation of leading political parties in the country especially during the Second Republic which led to the establishment of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and in the present dispensation, the All Peoples Party, now ANPP. Tambuwal said as the Senate Leader in the Second Republic, Saraki, along with his colleagues, worked assiduously to entrench parliamentary democracy by putting national interest above personal and other parochial interests.

Nigeria has lost a political guru and titan – PDP THE national leadership of PDP yesterday said that the death of the Second Republic Senate Leader, marked the gradual extinction of the last of the Mohegians.

According to PDP, Nigeria as a country has lost a political guru and a titan who must be compared in all its ramifications with the generation of the independent Nigerian leaders.

In a statement by the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP said: “Here was a fine medical doctor, philanthropist, humanist and an astute politician. Here, most importantly was a game changer, a man who changed the destiny of his people. Like the great Zik of Africa, like Ahmadu Bello and like Awo, he was.

“The National Chairman of our great Party, Continues on page 14

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU & MICHAEL EBOH

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AGOS — THE Federal Government, yesterday, terminated the $24 million or N3.79 billion management contract awarded to Canadian, Manitoba Hydro for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, citing lack of due process in the award of the contract.

Strangely, the admission of the management contract not following due process is coming more than three months after the signing of the contract, in July, by the same government, which declared Manitoba as the preferred bidder.

But according to a statement from the Presidency, signed by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, President Goodluck Jonathan cancelled the Manitoba power contract with immediate effect because due process was not followed in the award of the contract.

According to the statement, “the President would not want to compromise due process in anyway. I assure you that this does not in any way affect the on going privatisation of the power sector.”

Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) was scheduled to take over TCN on September 1, 2012 in the management contract worth $23 million to turn around the fortunes of the TCN, as part of the electricity reform programme.

Manitoba signed a contract with the Federal Government, as represented by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE on July 30, 2012.

Presidency alliance with India’s Power Grid However, Vanguard investigations revealed that there is more to the contract revocation than the allegation of flouting due process.

A competent Presidency source, who spoke on phone, revealed that the revocation might not be unconnected with the Presidency ’s desire to hand over the management contract to India’s Power Grid Corporation, one of the three firms originally shortlisted for the contract.

Others being Canada’s Manitoba Hydro, and Electricity Supply Board of

Ireland.

The same National Council on Privatisation, NCP, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, had overseen the contract process, and had approved the exercise every step of the way, including the shortlisting of candidates and the agreements signing ceremony.

The BPP clause and other intrigues Also strangely, the NCP directed that the BPE should have referred to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, to validate the management contract, which in itself was not a procurement contract, but part of the privatisation process.

Besides, the NCP has not been constituted, and as such, there is nobody like BPP. Even more intriguing was the fact that the BPE Act did not stipulate that it can validate its decisions, just like the BPP Act does not extend to the functions of the BPE. Indeed, the exclusive right of the NCP to preside over privatization and sale of public assets was also recognized by the Public Procurement Act (2007), when it stated in Part X Disposal of Public Property (section 55) that “This section shall apply subject to the Public Enterprises (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act 1999.”

Although, the DirectorGeneral, BPE, Ms Bolanle Onogoruwa, simply said “No comments” to Vanguard’s enquiry sent through her email, but our source recalled earlier interpretation of the laws establishing the two agencies, saying: "Our understanding of the above provision is that the powers of NCP to approve

From left: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Aremo Olusegun Osoba and National Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Ogbonaya Onu, at the Roundtable Conference on Lobbying the Lobbyist and the Legislature organised by National Institute for Legislative Studies, in Abuja, Wednesday.

Electricity: FG revokes N4bn Manitoba TCN contract zContract not following due process —Presidency zAs Manitoba cries foul privatisation transactions have not been taken away by the BPP’s Act, but rather constitutes an exception to the jurisdiction where BPP can exercise such power.

“We believe that the assertion in your letter that BPE should take its approval requests to Federal Executive Council (FEC) is wrong and not in accord with extant laws of the land. It further means that BPP cannot confer or arrogate to itself any powers or authority not bestowed on it by the Act of parliament creating it even when it is approached by whatever means to do so as

it will be acting ultra vires its powers and therefore null and void its action.

Revocation throws up new challenge The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission,NERC, Mr Sam Amadi, in a telephone conversation, agreed that the revocation had thrown up more challenges for the industry and the electricity privatisation.

He, however, argued that it was better for the government to admit it had made a mistake now, than

later, when more damage would have been done.

He said: “We will simply have to move on and conclude the process transparently and credibly,” adding that achieving this within the stipulated 30 days is the bigger challenge. .

Manitoba cries foul

However, Mr. Don Priestman, Managing Director, Manitoba Hydro, condemned the cancellation of the contract, saying: “We had a clear contract and we were meant

to be given delegation of authority, but that did not happen.

“There are forces working against reforms of the power sector in Nigeria, as similar contract Manitoba has in Kenya is working well.”

Although, he did not say it, but Manitoba may decide to go to court, to claim damages considering that it had already signed a contract with the Federal Government. Experience has shown that such cases were usually won by the litigants.

England's S-Court wants Terry Waya's confiscation order reduced to £392,400

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HE Supreme Court of England and Wales, yesterday, held that the confiscation order of £1.54 million ordered against Nigerian businessman, Mr Terry Waya be reduced to £392,400.

Lord Walker speaking on behalf of the Supreme Court said in his ruling that confiscation proceedings must be proportionate and that Human Rights considerations must be taken into account when deciding a confiscation order.

He went on to say that

confiscation orders are not imposed to act as further punishment but merely to stop those that are seeking to benefit from their crimes.

The effect of this ruling means that Mr. Waya whose London property is worth over one and half million pounds and which has already been forfeited by prosecution authorities should now be returned to Mr. Waya with immediate effect.

Speaking on the ruling, Mr. Jonathan Chike Epelle of CLP Solicitors, London, Mr Waya’s lawyer, said

justice had been done and that the court had agreed with the position we had argued right from the beginning.

He went on to applaud the court for the common sense approach that it had taken, stating that it was unfortunate that Mr. Waya had to wait almost three years through one Crown Court, One Court of Appeal and two Supreme Court decisions before Mr. Waya could finally get justice.

He said that in Mr. Waya’s case, there had been no loser, no victim,

and any mortgage advance acquired by Mr. Waya had been fully repaid with interest within 18 months, and given that this was the case, it was regrettable that it took the fully constituted 9 Supreme Court judges to change the law relating to benefit in confiscation mortgage frauds for Mr. Waya to get justice.

Speaking at his Abuja residence, Mr Waya said that he was overjoyed that justice had finally be done and wanted to extend his gratitude to the Supreme Court for the decision that they had reached and

thanked his lawyers for their tireless efforts.

The Judgement has overturned a great deal of legal precedent in relation to confiscation law.

The Justices had directed a further three-day appeal hearing in this appeal, originally subject of a oneday hearing in May 2011, in order to hear representations on a number of important issues of principle in relation to the Proceeds of Crime Act which were not, or not fully, explored at the original hearing in the Supreme Court.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—7

Abubakar rescued Nigeria, say Jonathan, IBB at book launch

BY CHRIS OCHAYI

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BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, rescued the nation at a time when its corporate existence was under threat.

President Jonathan who made the remarks in Abuja during the presentation of a book, the “Time and legacy ’ of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, the liberal and solution to stable democracy in Nigeria”, said Abubakar became the Head of State at such a turbulent time in our nation history.

The book written by Abdullahi Modibo Umar was forwarded by the former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Shagari.

Commending the efforts of the former military ruler at resolving the political crisis that engulfed the country at that time, Jonathan noted, however, that under the administration of Abubakar, democracy was restored and the polity was sanitized.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the administration of Abubakar helped to place Nigeria in the enviable position in the comity of democratic nations.

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, commended the courage of Abubakar who he said successively steered the ship of the nation to stability.

Describing him as a nation builder and detribalised Nigerian leader, Babangida praised the former Head of State for restoring peace in Nigeria at that time.

According to Jonathan, “General Abdulsalami Abubakar became the Head of State at such a turbulent time in our nation history and when the corporate existence of our nation was under threat.

“On assumption of office, General Abdulsalami Abubakar did not only

restore confidence in our body polity, but helped in rejuvenating political activities which serve as catalogue to foster consensus building among stakeholders in the Nigerian project, thereby placing Nigeria in the enviable position in the comity of democratic nations.

“His conduct of the 1999 general elections helped to usher in a democratic process which is gradually maturing by the day. He among others, allowed the independent of the electoral empire, created an enabling environment for political parties to evolve through genuine participation, robust political belief and principles.

“This really places the cynics at their proper place, who postulated that no successive transition could ever be achieved in Nigeria.

Having successively issued a successive transition and enthroned a successful government, he brought into light our 1999 constitution through the promulgation of a Decree to that effect."

From left: Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Dr Leke Pitan, former Lagos State Commissioner for Health and Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, during the sensitization/submission of Memoranda of 1999 constitution review for Lagos East Senatorial District at Magodo, Lagos,yesterday.

Lawyers, others fault Evidence Act zSay it can't meet challenges of defamation on social network

BY DAYO BENSON, JOHN ABAYOMI, PRINCE OSUAGWU, ALIYU ADEKUNLE, JOHN EGBOKHAN & MICHAEL EBOH

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AGOS — LAWYERS, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, and Professors of law have, in Lagos, took a swipe at the Evidence Act 2011, particularly the section that has to do with

Reps begin debate on PIB

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA — DEBATE on the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) began, yesterday, in the House of Representatives, with the emerging pattern in the contributions of members indicating regional divide.

The Bill, entitled “A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of a legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the petroleum industry in Nigeria and for other related matters and a Bill for an Act to establish the National New Frontier Agency for the purpose of exploration and production of oil and gas in the Frontier of Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Imo Basin, Benue Trough, Bauchi Basin and Sokoto

Basin and for other matters connected therewith,” was presented for a second reading by the Leader of the House, Mulikat Adeola-Akande.

In her contribution, she stated that PIB sought to harmonise all past petroleum industry laws, adding that the bill was first introduced to the 6th National Assembly in 2010.

According to her, a number of factors prevented it from being passed into law.

She said: “From 1959 to date there have been about 16 laws in our statutes regulating the petroleum industry. Some of these are the Petroleum Profits Tax Act, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act and the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Act.

computer generated evidence and other related online activities, enacted by the National Assembly.

The occasion was seminar organised by G.M Ibru & Co, a law firm, which gathered notable lawyers, media practitioners, educationists among other erudite Nigerians, with a view to fashioning out ways to tame the defamation arising from the growth of social network and other media activities on the Internet in the country.

Reviewing the challenges, key speakers at the seminar tore the evidence act into shreds, saying the preparations were not only shoddy but the document itself might not stand the test of time when adjudicating cases involving online crimes.

They also called for the amendment of the Act to incorporate possible requirements as well as current trends of activities in the cyber space.

Particularly miffed by the composition of the Act, a legal practitioner, Mr Beluolisa Nwofor, described the act as confusing and lacking necessary ingredients to properly handle the issues it was meant for.

Nwofor was among the panel of discussants to the paper delivered by the Editor-in-Chief of the monthly Judgements of

the Supreme Court, Prof Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) entitled "Evidence in the Air: Limits of the Evidence Act in providing defamation communicated by means of social networks.

Nwofor said: “This Act should be amended and in doing that, the National Assembly should not arrogate the powers of knowledge to themselves alone but seek right contributions from experts in the field of law and other relevant fields the Act would affect” Corroborating him, another legal practitioner, Dele Awokoya, also took a hard knock on the inadequacy of the Evidence Act to meet the challenges of defamation on social network. He argued that true regulator of online activities in Nigeria is not known but the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, should step up to the task to hold internet services providers responsible for hosting social networks that publish defamatory items.

Awokoya charges NASS

Awokoya also charged the National Assembly to improve on the legislation of the Act and ensure that it moved with the time.

Also adding her voice, former President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Mrs. Stella Ugboma, noted

that the Evidence Act was riddled with so many errors, saying: “I do not know how the National Assembly wants us to work with such faulty documents.”

Challenges of evidentiary issues

Preparing the ground for all the criticisms, Osipitan had earlier in his paper highlighted the challenges of evidentiary issues in the growing Internet and social networking activities in Nigeria.

He raised questions that doubted the ability of the Act to stand against crimes like defamation committed on social networks .

According to him, “publication of defamatory statements via social networks is different from prints, periodicals and slander for many reasons. Social networks allow many anonymous authors to publish ever than before possible. Also such publications are often simultaneous and spontaneous, such that they remove editorial intermediaries who are responsible for monitoring and checking materials in the print and broadcast media. This creates evidentiary complexities in identifying and bringing perpetrators to justice, thereby stretching the limits of the Nigeria Evidence Act as it currently stands.”

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Banks to commence bio-metric data capture for customers

BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE & ROSEMARY ONUOHA

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AGOS—NIGERIAN banks under the auspices of the bankers committee will soon commence a bio-metric data capture for all customers in the banking sector.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, Mr. Umaru Ibrahim, disclosed

FEC MEETING: From left: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Pius Anyim; Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ms. Ama Pepple; Agricultural Resources Minister, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, and Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu, during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Police, LG boss halt Enugu East public hearing on constitution review •Sen Nnaji accuses Chime's aide of sabotage

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE silent war between Senator Gilbert Nnaji representing Enugu East senatorial district at the National Assembly and Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo, Chief of Staff to Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, was blown open, yesterday, when the public hearing on the review

of the 1999 constitution organised by the senator was stopped.

The Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government, Mr. Ekene Okenwa, directed the Divisional Police Officer in his council, DSP Sampson Ihuabuenyi, to stop the public hearing after the people of the senatorial zone, includ-

ing traditional rulers and stakeholders, had converged for the event.

The DPO, who was accompanied by dozens of armed policemen, approached Senator Nnaji at the Nkanu West secretariat venue of the public hearing and told him that they were instructed by the council chairman to stop him from holding the pub-

Cashless policy has come to stay —CBN

BY NAOMI UZOR

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BUJA—THE Cen tral Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, declared that the impact of the newly introduced

cashless policy on the flow of business transactions, using Lagos State as a pilot test had come to stay, as the POS machines in the system had increased from 5,000 to

Ex-Air chief distances self from Halliburton bribery scandal

BY GODWIN ORITSE BUJA—FORMER Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Mashall A.D. Bello,has denied media reports of his involvement in the Halliburton bribery scandal.

The former Air chief stated that one of the major players in the scandal, Mr. Jeffery Tesler, has written to clear his (Bello) names as he was erroneously mentioned in the scandal Mr. Jeffery Tesler, who is serving jail term in the United States, sent an email to clear AVM Bello of any involvement when the issue relating to prosecuting the principal suspects came up in Ni-

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geria and US. The Halliburton bribery tale has been a worrisome issue since it broke in 2003, following an investigation of KBR, a Halliburton subsidiary, over payments to a range of high profile Nigerian officials in the executive, NNPC and the NLNG. The sum of $180 million was involved over a contract estimated to worth about $6 billion. Kellog, Brown and Root, KBR, the Halliburton subsidiary that got the job, was part of a four-company joint venture on the project.

The company has already pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a fine of $520 million.

over 200,000 to date CBN’s Deputy Governor Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo, made the declaration in Lagos during Cash-less Policy Conference organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI. The Deputy Governor explained that the apex bank had put in place necessary machineries to ensure that issuance of ATM cards was done within couple of hours, unlike now that it takes several days to get the cards.

Represented by Mr. Aaron Yaduma, CBN’s Share Services Officer, he said: “Responses on impact of the newly introduced cashless policy on the flow of business transactions with Lagos state as our pilot test for the take-off is yielding positive results as the OPS machines in use for the take-off programmes have increased from 5,000 to over 200,000 to date”

lic hearing at Agbani.

Although he did not give any reason for halting the public hearing, Ihuabuenyi told the senator in the presence of journalists and participants that they were instructed by the council to stop the gathering.

When the senator attempted to address his constituents to inform them of the disruption of the programme, the DPO and his men rushed forward and snatched the microphone, saying “my friend we have tolerated you enough.”

Indications that the event would be disrupted emerged Tuesday night when the canopy set for the event was dismantled by some staff of the council allegedly on the orders of the council chairman.

The organisers re-erected the canopy Wednesday morning but the venue was taken over by secondary school students for sporting activities, even after the dignitaries had seated.

Addressing newsmen after the public hearing was aborted, Senator Nnaji wondered why the exercise which is holding nationwide should be halted in his constituency due to powerplay and pettiness of a government official who is eyeing his seat in 2015.

Nnaji, who accused Mrs Nwobodo of conniving with Okenwa to disrupt the forum, said he had made necessary contacts with the council chairmen in his senatorial zone and all the stakeholders on the scheduled public hearing but unknown to him some people had hatched plans to scuttle it.

Utomi, Duke, Ben Bruce for Annabel leadership forum

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AGOS—AFRICAN Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate in 2011 elections, Prof. Pat Utomi, Chairman of Silverbird Group, Mr. Ben Bruce, and former Cross Rivers State governor, Donald Duke, are expected to feature as lead speakers in the forum to discuss Nigeria’s problems.

The event, Let’s Focus on Leadership, a leadership summit being organised Annabel Leadership Academy, will hold in Lagos December11-12, 2012.

this yesterday at the ongoing seminar for finance journalists in Dutse, Jigawa state capital.

According to Ibrahim, the banks are in arrangement to have such a system that will capture the data of all bank customers in the country.

He said the national data system had not been forthcoming and that banks have decided not to continue to wait for the purported national data system by the National Identity Management, but to go ahead with their own data.

He said the banks are considering going into partnership with Pension Fund Operators, PFAs, because they have a similar system in the pension sector.

The banks, according to him, were advised to partner with the PFAs so as not to waste resources and because it will help the banking system.

Ibrahim said that an initiative to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria is the cashless policy designed to bring low-cost, secure and convenient financial services to urban, semi-urban and rural areas across the country.

S-East don't qualify to be in opposition, says Orji's aide

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE MUAHIA— T H E people of the South East should be wary of those who come to them chanting slogans of opposition as the Igbo simply don’t qualify to be in opposition since experience has proven that there is nothing to gain from it.”

Mr. Ben Onyechere, Special Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji on Public Communication, said, yesterday, in Umuahia, that the Igbo could only achieve their political aspirations through the Peoples Demo-

U

cratic Party, PDP, since it was unquestionably the party with the spread and capacity to salvage the economy and stabilise the polity, and South East in particular.

He said: “We cannot, therefore, allow ourselves to be deceived anymore by people who have already benefited from PDP platform and are now seeking to mislead those who are politically vulnerable and uniformed among us.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be further ostracised by those who are grandstanding as opposition in Igboland."

PUBLIC NOTICE

HOLY GHOST CHRISTIAN MISSION Notice is given to the general public that the above named church has applied for registration under PART ‘C’ of the Companies’ Allied Matters Act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Prophet Ikenna Miracle Peter 2. Evang (Mrs) Blessing Ikenna Peter 3. Mr Chinedu Nzomiwu 4. Mr Chinonso kelvin Peter 5. Mr Chibuike Aladi 6. Mrs Roseline Philip Eshiet Aims And Objectives: 1. To preach the word of God 2. To set the captives free 3. To deliver the oppressed Any objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescents, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Prophet Ikenna Miracle Peter

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 9

Ex-Bank PHB MD, Atuche’s trial starts 3 years after

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH

LAGOS — THE former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, Mr. Francis Atuche was re-arraigned on a 45 count charge of fraud yesterday before a Federal High Court.

The fresh arraignment was sequel to the transfer of the trial judge, Justice Fatimat Nyanko formally handling the matter at the Federal High Court.

Atuche and an exdirector of the bank, Charles Ojo, have been before the court since 2009.

Also Justice Akinjide Ajakaiye who was previously handling the case was equally transferred out of the

Lagos division few months after he started the case. He had since retired from service.

They are accused of recklessly granting loans, without adequate securities to companies in which they had interest. The duo was also alleged to have falsified the bank’s records.

Atuche was also accused of exceeding his loan approval limit. All transactions are said to involve over N125billion.

Atuche and Ojo are also accused of money laundering.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge yesterday.

Upon their arraignment, lead prosecution lawyer, Kemi Pinhero, SAN, asked that

a date be fixed for trial.

Defence lawyers, Abubakar Shamsudeen and Olumide Adefila did not object to the fixing of a date for trial.

They prayed the court to allow their clients remain on the bail granted them in 2009 by Justice Ajakaiye, which Justice Nyako adopted.

Ruling, Justice OfiliAjumogobia ordered them to file fresh bail applications within seven days. She fixed January 16 next year for the hearing of the bail applications and possible commencement of trial.

The judge allowed them to remain on the earlier bail pending the determination of their new applications.

LASTMA prosecutes 2 suspected impersonators

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & ONOZURE DANIA

LAGOS —TWO men, Bolaji Adigun, 37 and Hakeem Adebesin, 42, were arraigned yesterday, before an

Ikeja Magistrate Court, for alleged impersonation as Traffic Inspectors of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA. The accused persons are facing a four count charge of conspiracy, forgery, impersonation

Airpor t Police Command arraigns 20 miscreants

BY LAWANI MIKAIRU AND DANIEL ETEGHE

LAGOS THE Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. James Olatunji Caulcrick yesterday said that the Command has arrested and prosecuted about 20 suspects in the last three months for various offences.

Speaking with reporters in his office, Commissioner Caulcrick explained that the Command was taking the issue of miscreants very seriously to ensure that the airport was free of them to ensure safety of passengers at the airport.

He said the Command has doubled its efforts to deal with miscreants by carrying out regular raids, adding that a taskforce was already in place to address the menace of motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, within the airport vicinity.

Caulcrick said security has been beefed up in and around airports across the country especially with the ongoing work on remodeling.

He added that more security operatives have been put on alert with the increase in the volume of passengers at the international wing.

and extortion.

They were alleged to have committed the offence at about 11 a.m. on November 13, 2012 at Mile 12, Ketu area of Lagos.

The prosecutor for LASTMA, Babatunde Sumonu, told a Chief Magistrate Court presided by Mr. Olufemi Isaac that the defendants fraudulently used forged traffic tickets purportedly issued by traffic Section of LASTMA. He claimed that the defendants criminally and illegally extorted, demanded and forcefully collected monies from motorists.

According to Sumonu, the offence committed, is contrary to section 411 (1), 78(b), section 364 (1), criminal laws of Lagos.

17 yr old marriage heads for the rocks in Lagos

BY ONOZURE DANIA

LAGOS - A grade A Customary Court in Ojo, Lagos, has fixed judgment for next Tuesday in a divorce case between Mr. Kingsley Obikwere and his wife, Christiana.

The wife, Christiana is seeking dissolution of her 17 year old marriage to her estranged husband, Mr. Kingsley Obikwere.

At the last hearing, Kingsley Obikwere, had told the court that they have been having problems in their marriage for the past 11 years, due to his wife’s infidelity.

But his wife Christana who initiated the divorce suit, denied the infidelity accusation and alleged that her life was being threatened in the marriage.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Osun House rejects Ojo, govt’s CJ nominee

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO — OSUN State House of Assembly yesterday rejected the nominee for the post of the state Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, claiming it based its decision on the rule of

the House and the constitutional clause that bars the parliament from acting on the matter pending in court.

The Osun State governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola had on Monday forwarded Justice Ojo to the state House of Assembly for confirmation as the state

Afenifere canvasses fresh probe of high-profile murders

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

KURE — A passionate appeal has been made to the Federal Government to re-open the murder cases of prominent Nigerians who had been felled by assassins’ bullets in the interest of justice.

The Pan-Yoruba Socio Political Group, Afenifere made the appeal in Akure while speaking with newsmen.

Speaking through its General Secretary, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, the group pointed out that “this would serve as a deterrent to other

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

ORMER PRESIdent, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, will Thursday, November 15, chair the book presentation on Oba Jacob Olufemi Omolade, The Olubara of Ibara entitled: “An Odyssey of a Trailblazer,” written by Prof. Dayo Alao, CEO, Babcock Consulting, Babcock University in Ogun State.

In a statement by Alao, “the event will commence by 2.00p.m. at

Aregbesola's nominee and went ahead to recommend Justice Ojo, who is currently the most senior serving judge in Osun State after the retirement of Justice Olaniyi Ojo last month.

After thorough screening by the state House of Assembly yesterday, members of the House were sharply divided into two camps as a camp supported the confirmation of the CJ's

nominee while the other rejected her.

The leader of the government business in the House, Mr. Timothy Owoeye moved the motion for the rejection of the CJ's nominee and was seconded by the member representing Ife South, Mr. Folorunso Bamisayemi The counter motion supporting the confirmation of the nominee was moved by

Bishop’s Court, Onikolobo, Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The President/VC of Babcock University, Professor Kayode Makinde will deliver the Keynote address, while Sir Kensington Adebutu, CON, will be the Chief Launcher.”

Prof. Alao also added that Prof.

David Babalola, former Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Management Services), Babcock University, will be the book reviewer.

From right: Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Alake of Egbaland, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State Governor, Omooba Segun Adesegun, Ogun State Deputy Governor and Senator Gbenga Kaka, at the Senate's People's Public Session on the review of the 1999 Constitution, at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. Photo: Wumi Akinola

Court over-rules Fayemi on LG appointments

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO EKITI— An Ado-Ekiti High Court has ruled that Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi lacks power to appoint political office holders for the local government chairmen The state House of Assembly had passed a bill into law which empowers the state

governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to appoint political office holders for the council chairmen including their personal assistants.

Upon the passage of the law, a PDP chairmanship candidate in the botched February 4, 2012 local government election for Moba Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Samuel Ajide Olayemi, through his lawyer, Mr.

Obafemi Adewale, had gone to court.

He challenged the constitutionality or otherwise of the Local G o v e r n m e n t Administration (Amendment) Law 2011 passed by the House of Assembly.

Apart from Fayemi, other respondents in the suit were the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, the Ekiti State

UCH faults reports of late Lam Adesina’s transfer I

BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN — CHIEF Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Prof. Temitope Alonge yesterday faulted the claim that the former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina was moved to a private hospital in Lagos when his health condition deteriorated.

He said Lam Adesina who died on Sunday was clinically stable before

Mr. Johnson Ojo, representing Ede South and seconded by Mr. Kamorudeen Akanbi, representing Ede North constituency.

After advancing their reasons for and against, Speaker Salaam ordered the House to vote for and against, at the end of which there was overwhelming majority of the members supporting the rejection of the CJ's nominee.

criminally minded persons.

He enjoined the government to re-open earlier assassination cases in order to get the culprits successfully prosecuted.

Basorun Arogbofa expressed shock over the many cases of unresolved murders in the country.

According to him, there are many murders yet to be resolved, which include that of: the pioneer of Editor-inChief of Newswatch magazine, Mr. Dele Giwa; the former Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige and Chief Alfred Rewane .

OBJ for book presentation

F

Chief Judge following her recommendation by the National Judicial Council, NJC. The appointment of the state new CJ had become controversial following the inclusion of a serving judge in Lagos, Justice Oyewole Olubunmi by Governor Aregbe sola on the list of the three nominees.

The NJC on receipt of the nominees out rightly rejected governor

he was transferred to Lagos.

He disclosed this when speaking with newsmen as part of activities marking the 55th anniversary of the teaching hospital.

Though, he remained non-committal on whether the politician could have lived longer if he had been left in the hospital, he said it was not the hospital that advised the family of the dead politician to transfer

him.

The medical practitioner said,”when late Lamidi Adesina was brought, he was almost in coma”.

Before his arrival in the hospital, he explained that the family had called him and two consultants were waiting for him.

Later, one other consultant joined them and they stayed overnight with him. They were checking on him

every 15 minutes. All these doctors managed to resuscitate him. He recovered from the coma the second day and he started to talk.

“He was not discharged by the UCH, but his political associates and family members transferred him. It was not the UCH that asked him to leave. The flagship teaching hospital offered him everything. He was

attended to by 10 consultants. It was not the inability or nonavailability of facilities but the choice was made by associates and we could not go against it”, he said.

Also,worried over the carnage on the highways involving commercial motorists and Okada riders he recommended test to be carried out on the alcohol levels in their blood as a control effort.

House of Assembly, Attorney-General of Ekiti State and the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Isaac Ogunyemi, said Fayemi lacks the constitutional powers to appoint personal aides for local government chairmen in the state.

The judge said the amended law contravenes Sections 7(1) , 1(1), 4(7), 40, 192 and 208 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria However, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr. .Adewale Omirin, had at various fora dismissed the insinuation that the Assembly was a toothless bulldog and an apron string of the executive arm of government, adding that all the bills were passed in the interest of Ekiti people.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 11

Abe builds primary schools in constituency

S

Inspection of East-West Road by the Minister and Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe and Isiaku Bassar, respectively, with some directors of the Ministry, Monday.

Oil wells saga: Why Presidency is angry with Amaechi

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

R

IVERS State Gov ernor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, must have ignorantly incurred the wrath of the Presidency, following his insistence that Soku/Oluasiri oil wells should not be taken away from him and given to neighbouring Bayelsa State.

Rivers and Bayelsa states, which constitute President Goodluck Jonathan’s home front, are embroiled in a bitter feud over the ownership of the oil wells.

Protesters, including top traditional and political leaders from the two states have taken turns to vent their anger over any attempt by the other state to claim further revenue from the disputed wells.

But in a swift move to prevent the two sister states from fighting over the oil wells, President

Jonathan has held several meetings with the two sides and asked them to sheath their sword.

However, while the rapprochement is ongoing, the Presidency is said to be angry with Amaechi for allegedly being ‘confrontational’ over the oil well saga.

Although Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, has not directly confronted any presidential officials over the mat-

ter, it was learnt that the Presidency suspects that he is being used by some Northern elements to work against the establishment.

According to one competent source, the impression in the Villa is that Amaechi is working towards becoming a vice president to a northern presidential aspirant and has not given due respect to ‘constituted authorities’.

Specifically, the action

Oshiomhole’s successor won't tear Edo ACN apart —Ize-Iyamu

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—THE SouthSouth Vice-Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, yesterday, declared that the 2016 governorship election in Edo State would not tear the party apart as

insinuated.

The ACN leader, who also reacted to rumours that he was in the governorship race for 2016, said the issue of who will succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole was in the hands of God and the people of Edo State.

He said: “I think what is more sensible for now

I wasn't kidnapped —Ugborodo community leader

BY EMMA AMAIZE & EMMA ARUBI

W

ARRI—THE Eghare-Aja (community leader) of Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Wellington Ojoror, alleged to have been kidnapped on

of the governor is seen as an affront on the powers that be and unbecoming of a man who should rally round the President at all times because of his affinity to the President.

The government is said to have been miffed by the governor ’s silence on the amount of oil revenue the Presidency has so far ordered the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to refund to Rivers State based on unmerited claims by other states over time.

Tuesday in Warri, has denied that he was abducted.

Chief Ojogor, who spoke with Vanguard on phone from Ugborodo community, said he returned home to live with his people and was not seized by anybody.

His son, Oyebo Ojogor, also told Vanguard:

“Who is talking about kidnap, who said my father was kidnapped, he was never kidnapped.

“I am with him here in the village. He asked us to bring him to Ugborodo, that he is tired of staying outside the community being in the opposition and wants to perform his traditional duties.”

is to allow the comrade governor settle down and do what he has promised to do, take Edo State to the next level and all those who mean well must assist him to achieve that because if he achieves that, it makes it easier for the party in subsequent elections.

“If Oshiomhole does very well in the second term, the people will place their trust in the party. So the priority for now is to help the governor to perform even better than he did in his first tenure.

“We might have our own personal ambitions but we need to subordinate them for the bigger picture of ensuring that he does well. When it is time to begin to express interest for various positions, those who are interested will ado so.

ENATOR Magnus Abe has commenced the construction of two primary schools in his constituency as a contribution to the efforts of Rivers State Government in the education sector.

The schools located in Rumusoya community of Oyigbo and Sogho community in Khana Local Government Areas of his senatorial district are Senator Abe’s constituency projects for 2012.

The Senator, who represents Rivers South East senatorial district in the National Assembly, disclosed this during the

10th Annual Conference of the Anatomical Society of Nigeria (ASN) at the University of Port Harcourt.

He said Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s quest for an educationally advantaged Rivers State deserved support.

He explained that funds for constituency projects were not given to legislators but put in the budget, and the contracts awarded by the executive, while the lawmakers were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the jobs were executed.

FEC approves N290.34 billion contracts BEN. AGANDE

T

HE FEDERAL Executive Council, FEC, yesterday approved the award of contracts to the tune of N290.34billion in the various sectors of the nation with the Niger Delta region taking the highest chunk of N98.58 billion in the areas of roads and bridge constructions, power generation as well as land reclamation.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku who addressed State House correspondents after the weekly meeting of FEC, said the contracts were to ameliorate the challenges faced in the country by road users.

Mr. Labaran Maku, who was flanked by the ministers of Works, Education, Water Resources and Culture Tourism and National Orientation, noted that the contracts were aimed at improving existing infrastructure both in the nine oil producing states of the federation and other parts of the country.

Speaking on the contracts for road construction in the country, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen said the roads contracts were awarded to take advantage of the onset of the dry season in order to expedite action on their construction and early completion.

He said the roads are located in the Northwest, South-south, North-central and South-

east zones of the country.

He named some of the roads which contracts were approved by council to include the completion of the 24 kilometre Auchi-EkperiUzea, among others, and pedestrian bridge at Auchi Polytechnic's main gate, at the cost of N8.7billion.

The council also approved the construction of WudilUtai-Achika-DarkiJigawa road in the sum of N4.393billion, while section 11 phase one of the Kontagora-RijauTunga Magajia road for N3.698 billion bringing the total contract sum of the phases one and two of the projects to N16.768 billion.

The rehabilitation of the Funtia-Gusua-Sokoto was approved at the cost of N3.431 million For the South-east zone, the minister said Council approved the construction of NnenweUduma-Uburu and Ishiagu-Mile2 road at the cost of N11.603billion Other contract approved by the Council was the argumentation of the Shagri Irrigation project in Sokoto State by N317.9 million(from N1.165 billion to N1.77billion.

In the area of power generation, council approved the e n g i n e e r i n g , procurement and construction of the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power project N162.99 billion to a Chinese company with a completion period of four years.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Jesse crisis: Monarch flees to Asaba ...as Police move 28 suspects

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—THE Ovie (traditional ruler) of Idjerhe (Jesse) kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Erhikevwe I, whose palace was razed by irate villagers, Tuesday, is reportedly taking refuge in Asaba, the state capital.

Meanwhile, 28 persons arrested by the police in c o n n e c t i o n with arson and murder were transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department, SCID, Asaba, yesterday, for further investigations.

A source told Vanguard that the royal father decided go to Asaba because Jesse was no longer safe for him after the incident in which six persons were shot dead and 25 injured by security agents.

Some of the villagers confronted soldiers who went to take away a suspected ritualist who was handed over to the monarch for interrogation and in the ensuing melee, hell was let loose.

The monarch had rejected the plan to lynch the suspect and the alleged killing of some villagers by soldiers provoked them to burn the palace.

Police spokesperson in

the state, Mr. Charles Muka, told Vanguard that the community was calm yesterday, as people were going about their normal businesses.

He said: “The command warns youths not to resort to self help, as persons caught in such act will be made to face the full wrath of the law. People are urged to go about their business without fear.”

Gunmen attack Diden’s aide

BY EMMA AMAIZE

W

ARRI—UN KNOWN gunmen, yesterday, attacked Mr. Omasan Mabiaku, Special Assistant to the commissioner, representing Itsekiri ethnic nationality in Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr.

Michael Diden.

Vanguard learnt that he was ambushed on Eku-Agbor road by suspected assassins, who probably thought his boss was in the car and opened fire.

Mabiaku was traveling with two friends, Messrs. Opiepie Destiny and Fennyson Boyo at the time of the incident.

Kidnappers of Vanguard reporter’s wife reduce ransom to N5m

BY EMMA AMAIZE

E

KU—KIDNAP PERS of Mrs. Marian Onoyume, wife of Vanguard correspondent in Rivers State, Mr. Jimitota Onoyume, who was abducted, Monday, at Eku in Delta State, yesterday, reduced the ransom for her release from N10 million to N5 million.

Vanguard learnt that Mrs. Onoyume, a teacher, was allowed by the kidnappers to speak to her husband for some minutes, but she wept uncontrollably, as she pleaded with him to cooperate with her abductors.

Onoyume, however, said he did not have N5 million to pay as ransom and pleaded passionate-

Constitution: Nigeria undivided on devolution of powers —Amaechi

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HAR COURT— RIVERS State governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said yesterday, that Nigerians were almost unanimous in support of devolution of powers as the nation moves for review of the 1999 Constitution.

Governor Amaechi expressed this view in his remarks at a one-day Public Session held in Port Harcourt by the state government, in collaboration with Rivers State Caucus in the Senate on the review of the constitution.

He said: “We have all agreed that there is too much power at the centre and there is need to reduce the Exclusive List and release some of the powers to the states as the federating unit.

“What is now the issue may be the kinds and levels of power people want transferred to the states.”

ly with the kidnappers to release his wife unconditionally.

He said: “I am so traumatized by the incident that I have been on only water in the last three days. I cannot eat anything. They have been calling to negotiate.

They stepped down their demand to N5 million, but I told them I still do not have such amount of money.

“They asked me if they were being tracked by security agencies, I told them there was nothing like that. I told them that the longer they kept her, the more they would attract attention of security operatives, I pleaded with them to release her.

“They allowed my wife to speak to me. She was weeping while talking to me. She pleaded that I should settle with them to get her out."

LOSS OF INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT A LEBANESE INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT BELONGING TO MR. TANNOUS KHATTAR, A LEBANESE NATIONALE, IS MISSING. THE PASSPORT NUMBER IS RL2011355, ISSUED IN BEIRUT, LEBANON.

IF FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT MR. TANNOUS ON 08138074030.

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

OLOYE OLUSOLA SARAKI (1933-2012) TRANSITION

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

L

ONG before the phenomenon of godfathers in politics came into national consciousness and controversy, Dr. Olusola Saraki had turned the phenomenon into a successful pastime in his native Kwara State. It is to his credit, with the irritating exception of the present governor, Alhaji Ahmed Abdulfatah, that all other civilian governors in the history of Kwara State were handpicked by him. Even Abdulfatah who was elected against his desire, fastidiously lays claim to Saraki’s political parentage.

Dr Saraki was simply a political phenomenon. His political odyssey was, however, not spotless. Ironically, Saraki started his political career on the wrong foot and ended it also on the wrong foot.

The ultimate kingmaker

In the beginning

His first political outing as an independent in the 1964 parliamentary election ended in failure forcing his relocation to Lagos to kick-start what turned out to be a flourishing medical practice.

Just as he started, Saraki ended his politics on a wrong note after his seemingly imperious attempt of foisting his daughter as governor of Kwara State after the eight year stint of his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

But between the beginning and the ending, Saraki’s occupation of the Kwara political plane was totally domineering and sweet.

His political success could be traced to his seamless ability to connect with the avant-garde and the masses at the same time without compromising the interest of either class.

With the rich and educated class, Saraki utilized his powers of persuasion to bring them under his control. With the less privileged, he used his well known spirit of philanthropy as an attraction.

In 1977 Saraki returned to Illorin and successfully won a seat to go to the Constituent Assembly inaugurated by the General Olusegun Obasanjo military regime. In the assembly, he associated with men of like minds who formed the National Movement which eventually transformed into the National Party of Nigeria, NPN. By that time his fame had gone through much of the old Kwara State and he had formed political networks and established a following unprecedented in the state.

The philanthropist

Saraki had wormed his way into the hearts of his people through philanthropy touching the hearts of the people in a way never seen before in those areas.

Senator Smart Adeyemi, PDP, Kogi West remembered Saraki visiting his secondary school in Iyara in the present Kogi State in the mid seventies and donating a princely amount of N10,000 which in those days was able to construct the school library.

“There was hardly any community in those days that Saraki did not touch through his philanthropy and countless number of secondary school students owed their education to him,” Senator Adeyemi said yesterday.

The Oloye

The dominance of Saraki, or Oloye as he was popularly called, was seen when in 1979 he chose Alhaji Adamu Attah,

Continues on Page 15

From left— Late Saraki's widow; Senator Bukola Saraki, son, and a family member. PHOTO: Dare Fasube

How Saraki lost battle to cancer— Son Continues from Page 5 Dr. Bamanga Tukur on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) wishes to convey our sadness on the passing on of this great Nigerian ; a huge loss to the nation.”

The PDP also commiserated with the government and the people of Kwara State on the death of the Elder Statesman, and prayed God to grant them, especially the immediate family the fortitude to weather the storm of this irreparable loss.

A man of immense character— Tinubu

Meanwhile, ACN leader Tinubu has described the late Saraki as a statesman of immense character.

“Saraki was a national hero to many of us in this country and had greatly contributed to the freedom and political emancipation of Nigerian democracy,” said Tinubu, who spoke with newsmen at the Saraki residence in Lagos. His death came as a shock but he has lived a very fulfilling life. His death is a loss to the country.”

Tinubu said that the country should learn from Saraki’s political strategy and maturity.

“The ability to create a political platform that endures is part of his legacies. He understood the country’s political terrain so much and that made him contribute greatly to the evolution of democracy and sustenance of welfare programmes. We have lost a man of immense political strategy at the time Nigeria needs to promote and further our democratisation in a free and fair election that will elect true leaders.”

CNPP mourns

South West Chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, de-

scribed Saraki as a nationalist, whose death as a tremendous loss to the nation and Kwara State.

The South West Secretary of the CNPP, Mr. Austin Nnorom said: “A vacuum has been created by his death.”

Nigeria has lost another political titan— ACN

Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, expressed shock and sadness at the death of Dr. Olusola Saraki, saying the nation had lost another political titan and a legend of his time.

In a statement issued in Lagos, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described Dr. Saraki as a colossus, who possessed an efficient political machinery that he used effectively to rally the people.

“Dr. Saraki defined his era, and since his entry into politics several decades ago, politics has never been the same again, especially in his native Kwara State, where he became synonymous with the politics of the state.

“Any politician who ignored him in his lifetime did so at his own peril, and only the casualties of his deft political manoeuvring can appreciate his clinical political efficiency,’’ it said.

ACN said the death of Dr. Saraki, coming a few days after the passing of another great politician, Lam Adesina, is a big loss to Nigeria, especially at a time the nation needs the wisdom and rich experience of its great sons and daughters to help steer it to less-turbulent waters.

Kwara House, politicians mourn

THE Kwara State House of Assembly in its reactions, via a statement by the Speaker Hon Razak Atunwa, said Dr Saraki was a a true democrat, who championed the cause of democracy

of Nigeria.

“He contributed immensely to our nation’s political development in various capacities. He was a philanthropist, kind hearted, generous and Godfearing family man. May Almighty God grant his soul eternal peace”, he said.

In his reaction, Kwara ACN leader, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) said Nigeria had lost a politician who touched the lives of many people and whose contributions would be debated for years to come.

Belgore, who was ACN governorship candidate in the 2011 poll, was among the early callers at the Ikoyi residence of the late politician on yesterday morning.

Belgore’s media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, issued a condolence statement quoting the lawyer as saying: “We are saddened by the sudden death of our father, Abubakar Olusola Saraki who passed away today. No doubt, Nigeria has lost a political giant.

PDP's tribute

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kwara State chapter in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mas’ud Adebimpe, said: “The exit of Baba Oloye at this critical period of Nigeria political history is a colossal loss not to us in Kwara alone but also to the entire nation as a whole considering the unprecedented role this great leader played to sustained the Unity of dear country.

“The selfless service and unrivalled generosity of the former Senate Leader and Northern Union, NU, and indeed his love and concern for his country, people of Kwara and Ilorin Emirate would remain an indelible mark in our memory for a very long time.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—15

OLOYE OLUSOLA SARAKI (1933-2012) TRANSITION

Late Saraki's junior sister, Alhaja Ramota Sanni (right) being condoled.

From left— Chief Jim Nwobodo, Hon. Sabo Nahkudi, Hon. Mukhtar and Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, at the burial in Kwara State. PHOTO: Dare Fasube.

The ultimate kingmaker Continues from Page 14 from the Ebira-speaking area of the state but now in Kogi State as the gubernatorial candidate of the NPN. It was a choice that could have crashed the hopes of the party given that the candidate was from the minority of minorities in the old Kwara State. But Saraki’s influence and network ensured that Attah became the first civilian governor of the old Kwara State.

Having installed Attah, Saraki relocated to Lagos where he featured as a prominent player in the NPN power club.

The leader's strategy Daughter, Tope Saraki, a lawyer (left) being condoled by friends.

One of late Saraki's sons, Olu.

As Senate Leader he was renowned for combining strategy with realism. Senator Chris Anyanwu who covered the second republic senate as a reporter for NTA remembered Saraki’s deployment of strategy in the running of the senate yesterday.

“Watching him from the Senate gallery in the Second Republic, I saw that several times when Nigeria could have been plunged into a crisis, he had a way with people. He was not hard but had a gentle way of persuading his colleagues to his point of view and pulling Nigeria back from the brink. At that time he was a calming influence in the Senate,” Senator Anyanwu said yesterday.

The 1983 elections

84-year-old Pa Sidi Alli (Snr), late Saraki's friend of 60 years, pays condolence visit in Lagos.

C M Y K

In the approach to the 1983 general elections Governor Attah sought some degree of freedom from Saraki’s hold. Though he successfully won the NPN gubernatorial ticket, Saraki defied party lines to throw support for the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN candidate, Chief Cornelius Adebayo won the governorship election but Saraki in demonstration of his power ensured that the NPN won the State House of Assembly.

Attah’s rebellion was a foreshadow of the tradition of rebellion and betrayal that was to shadow Saraki’s political lordship of Kwara. After Attah, he also installed Shaban Lafiagi in 1991 who also deviated at one time, and after that in 1999, he installed Mohammed Lawal. After the bitter quarrel with Lawal, Saraki looked inwards and fixed his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki in the place of Lawal in 2003.

Where many other political rebels failed, his son Bukola was able to push his father to submission resulting in the retirement of the old man after the 2011 general election.

Oloye’s successes in Kwara were, how-

ever, not wholly reflected at the national scene. Besides his successful stewardship and leadership of the Second Republic Senate, Saraki’s efforts at dominance at the national stage were severally frustrated.

IBB, Abacha regimes

In the Ibrahim Babangida transition he found himself in the Social Democratic Party, SDP and was one of the nearly two dozen presidential candidates barred by the administration.

Following General Sanni Abacha’s schemes and the inauguration of the Constituent Assembly in 1994, Saraki again returned to the national stage and used the platform to groom a new breed of political followers across the country. One of those he picked was Senator (Mrs.) Joy Emodi who mourned him yesterday as an inspiration for her political career.

“Senator Saraki was a leader in the true sense of it who knew how to relate with both the low and the high. He was an inspiration for me personally and was an effective guide and guard in those early days,” Mrs. Emodi, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters said yesterday.

Betrayal

The height of betrayal in the consideration of Saraki’s associates could have been the drama in Kaduna at the 1999 national convention of the All Peoples Party, APP, a party he had inspired, funded and appointed many of its leaders. With the presidential ticket of the party in view, Saraki had helped to plant a national executive with Senator Mahmud Waziri as national chairman.

However, in the wee night deals that transpired, Saraki was edged out from Waziri’s calculations and lost out leaving Saraki embittered. It is not known if he forgave Waziri for that betrayal.

Northern Union

As he approached his twilight Saraki helped to form the Northern Union, NU, using the platform of the body to champion bridge building across the North.

Saraki’s intentions were to use the body as a platform for the North to engage the rest of the country.

Unfortunately, age and the sickness that took his life slowed him down in recent years. But not even death would deny him his veritable legacy of bridge building between the poor and the rich, Christian and Muslim, North and South.

More stories on Page 41

16—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Gunmen kill Borno Water Resources Director

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI— GUNMEN, yesterday, killed the Director of Design and Construction in the Borno State Ministry of Water Resources, Mallam Ali Mohammed Sheriff in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Sheriff’s death is coming barely 24 hours after a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Land and Survey, Mallam Yerima and an-

other lecturer with the Department of Geography, University of Maiduguri, Mr. Babagana Kolo were trailed to their houses and shot dead in Maiduguri metropolis.

Military Joint Task Force, JTF, otherwise known as Operation Restore Order had, last week through its spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir, said government officials were now target of attacks by suspected terrorists.

It was gathered that Ali

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CHANGE OF COMPANY’S NAME RC: 170181 This is to inform the general public that ORBT Insurance Brokers Ltd has now changed its name to LEADRITE Insurance Brokers Ltd. General public take note.

was trailed by his assailants to his house, yesterday morning, and shot in front of his house in Mafoni ward as he was preparing to go his office (Water House) in Maiduguri.

A friend and colleague to late Sheriff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described Ali’s death as “unfortunate.”

He said: “I am very disturbed with the security challenges facing our dear state. As I am talking to

you, we are coming from Gwange Cemetery where we went to bury the remains of our lovely and humble colleague, which we miss dearly.

“I pray that God Almighty will grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest.”

In a related development, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members, shot and killed the uncle (names withheld) to the secretary of the clerk of Borno State

House of Assembly, Bakura Maina, in Abaganaram ward at about 6.25pm earlier on Tuesday.

An eyewitness said the deceased was trailed to his house in the evening; when people in the area were performing their prayers in a mosque and shot him dead.

The eyewitness said: “We heard gunshots towards the direction of his house, and thought that it was the JTF patrolling

the area, only to hear children crying from the same direction.

“People ran into their houses for safety.”

The Information Officer to the Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Kaltume Jafaru, confirmed that the Assembly lost one of the relations to the secretary to clerk of the House, Tuesday, in Abaganaram ward, adding that the deceased had since been buried.

Constitution review: ‘Won't bury our monarch until...'

BY CHINENYE OZOR

N

SUKKA—TRADI TIONAL rulers in Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu State have said the former chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe of EhaAlumona, Dr. Charles Abangwu, who died on July 14, will not be buried unless the proposed Adada State was created as an additional state for

the Igbo.

The traditional rulers gave the condition for the burial of their late colleague at the public hearing on constitutional amendment at Obollo-Afor.

Late Abangwu had asked for the creation of Adada out of the present Enugu State as a parting gift for before he died.

The proposed state topped all the issues discussed during hearing in

the South-East zone.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers and Igwe of Essodo Kingdom, Igboeze North Local Government, Dr. Simeon Itodo, said Abangwu’s corpse would remain in the morgue as long as the prayers of his people were not answered by the Federal Government.

Itodo, a Second Repub-

lic member of the House of Representatives, explained that Abangwu, who died at 96, had been in the fore-front for the creation of the new state in the last 25 years.

He said about four months before Abangwu died, the late monarch had pleaded with the Presidency and National Assemblies to give him Adada State as a parting gift, which was wildly published in the media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 17

S

President Jonathan or dered, ordered, so what?

OBJ's insider

B

ut Obasanjo needed an insider in the financial affairs of his nemesis and to Steve Oronsanye he naturally turned. In the course of a stealthy climb through Nigeria’s system, a man who was never a civil servant became a permanent secretary and against the normal order of things, was appointed Head of Service by UmaruYar ’adua.

He presided over a controversial “reform” of the service that decimated the careers of hundreds of people and gulped billions of Naira. Oronsaye who got many people out of the system, on the basis of length of stay in office,

President Goodluck Jonathan Nigerian money from the oil oligarchy who incidentally, are not only close friends of the administration, but had contributed enormously to the electoral expenses of the ruling party and the president in 2011. It was at this point, that Steve Oronsaye entered the fray.

I have written about this man of many privileges in the past. Steve Oronsaye first entered our public space during the Abacha dictatorship, as an assistant to Anthony Ani, the dictator ’s finance minister. There is not much expertise needed to be an assistant of a minister, especially under a military dictatorship.

,

OME moments stick out in the pub lic space, not just for the drama of the occasion, but for the fundamental impact they make on our appreciation of the depth of the rot which envelopes us as a country. One of such moments happened the other day, within the haloed precincts of Nigeria’s presidency. The NuhuRibadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force had been set up, in response to the earth-shaking events of a national strike in the wake of a hike in the prices of petroleum products. The Jonathan administration had lived on the propaganda of its electoral victory in the previous couple of months, but was badly shaken by the determined resistance of the Nigerian people. The regime was thoroughly isolated and exposed; elements of the resistance even began talking about regime change! It was clear that the administration badly gauged the people’s feeling.

But if an individual carried the greatest opprobrium of the moment, it was the administration’s most powerful minister, Diezani Allison-Maduekwe.

Her controversial leadership of the petroleum industry fed into rumour and perception about her closeness to President Goodluck Jonathan. She seemed the person people really wanted out of the way. But her staying power was underrated! And as part of acounter-offensive, she set up many committees, to stave off the long knives and steal the thunder of her enemies.

The motion of committees was to showcase a pro-active Diezani working for the nation. If regimes set up committees precisely to ensure that problems remain unsolved; under the Jonathan administration, committees serve many ends: they chloroform everyone into stupor for months; get a few people busy and save the administration’s sacred cows.

Unfortunately, in many members of the NuhuRibadu-led Task Force, the administration committed the faux pas of choosing people who will not play ball while taking their assignment seriously; and they did! Therein lied the problem. NuhuRibadu’s team took a look at the industry Diezani rules and saw great levels of fraud. Those who collected the report did not intend to seriously ensure recoveries of

Oronsaye was out of the system!

Today, Steve Oronsaye is a member of the Board of the CBN; he is a member of the NNPC Board; he chaired the committee on rationalisation of government parastatals and agencies and as Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said recently “he is generally regarded as the oneman think tank of the (Jonathan) administration. Steve Orosanye was made the deputy chairman of the NuhuRibadu-led task Force.

Submission point

A

t the point of submission of the Task Force’s report, the drama I alluded to was played out. Oronsaye public questioned ‘process’ in the work done; he had flown into the country that morning for that purpose. In a brazen show of disrespect for Nigeria’s presidency, Steve Oronsaye openly blurted that the president had called for the submission of the report “So What”?

An obviously embarrassedNuhuRibadu eventually told the nation that Steve Oronsaye never attended a single session of the Task Force’s sittings but “jumped in” only when the issue of “ recoveries” came on the Task Force’s agenda! A few days later, Dr. Doyin Okupe spoke his principal’s mind, that the report was “jumbled and fumbled”, and that it was severely defective and

Nuhu Ribadu’s team took a look at the industry Diezani rules and saw great levels of fraud. Those who collected the report did not intend to seriously ensure recoveries of Nigerian money from the oil oligarchy

found his position so irresistibly sweet, that he wrote a memo seeking an elongation of his stay, ostensibly to “finish the reforms”. Thankfully, UmaruYar ’adua did not acquiesce. Yet, so powerful has the man remained, one would be pardoned to feel that Nigeria was unlikely to survive if Steve

,

unenforceable. Months of hard work were rendered to naught and the oil oligarchy gets back its mojo, if it was ever lost. But in truth, it was not NuhuRibadu and members of his team that was rubbished; no. It is Nigeria that has been taken for a ride; for the umpteenth time!

Alhaji AGF Abdulrazaq: Northern Nigeria's first lawyer @ 85 O

N Tuesday, November 13, 2012, people from different walks of life converged at the Abuja residence of Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq, to celebrate his 85th birthday.Alhaji AGFAbdulRazaq is the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria and that in itself, is very remarkable. But his life story is incredibly rich, reflecting the tapestry of modern Nigerian history.

He was born in Onitsha, in the old Eastern Region, studied there as well as in Lagos and in his hometown, Ilorin.

The early decades of colonial rule saw the intensified opening up of Nigeria for exploitation; that led to the movement of Nigerians in all directions within the country. It was therefore no accident, that Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, OdumegwuOjukwu were born in Zungeru, in Northern Nigeria while Cyprian Ekwensi came to live in Minna, also in the North. AGF AbdulRazaq belonged to that sensibility of dispersal within colonial society.

Coming from Ilorin with its ethos of Islam, he nevertheless was a son of the frontier emirate of the Sokoto Caliphate and the place of the ‘dispersal’ that I had spoken about, meant that he could take advantage of the bourgeoning opportunities for Western education, especially in Southern Nigeria, to add to his Qur’anic education. He attended schools in Onitsha, Ilorin, Lagos and Buguma. Even by the more improved standards of travel today, these were far-flung destinations to seek knowledge; but the imprimatur that C M Y K

these experiences burnt on his consciousness, adequately prepared him for the multi-faceted roles he would eventually play in our national history.

Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq was a foundation student of the University College, Ibadan in 1948, before proceeding to the Trinity College, Dublin, while simultaneously registering at the Inner Temple in London, between 1951 and 1954. He would eventually become the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria, enrolling in Nigeria in 1956. AbdulRazaq, the young lawyer, was naturally drawn into the thick of the politics of his time; these were the days of the struggle for independence. He was Legal Adviser to the Northern People’s Congress delegation to the Nigerian Constitutional Conferences.

When Independence came, he served as member of the House of Representatives representing Ilorin; a minister of state for the railways; Nigerian Ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire and in a life of over fifty years of public service, he actively served the Nigerian state and people. Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq single-handedly established a secondary school, the Ilorin College Ilorin (ICI), which was subsequently taken over by government and re-named the Government High School. He was very much a man of his times because members of his generation had the responsibility of achieving an independent nation and laying the

building blocks of national development. They were vilified, especially in the lead to the first military coup of 1966, but it is very significant that Nigerians now look back with nostalgia, to those pioneering endeavours of development, to which AGF AbdulRazaq was a central figure.

Against the backdrop of decades of military dictatorship and the rapacity of the civilian administration since 1999, it is clear that pioneers like Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq, were true giants of decent hardwork and commitment. These are attributes sadly absent in the process of national ‘development’ today. Those who rule us now are an assortment of individuals who carry out grand larceny and heist and in their indecency they corrupt everything they touch, while endangering the national project.

I

n celebratingAlhaji AGF AbdulRazaq’s 85th birthday, we were, in a sense, hugging nostalgia and looking back to a romanticised version of the past; and simultaneously, there is also a feeling of hope, that things can be better, if only we did things with the commitment, honesty and a sense of patriotic decency, which AbdulRazaq’sgeneration deployed to duties which their times called them to carry out on behalf of their people, their country, Africa and of humanity. It was Fanon who said every generation, out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission; fulfill or betray it. I think we

can say with some measure of confidence, that Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq’s generation found their métier in life and did their very best.

He has been very lucky to be blessed with a long life. He sired children who have also found their places under the sun to play notable roles in their country ’s development. I wrote a tribute to his wife on her birthday, a few years ago; and there is no gainsaying the fact, that between Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq and Hajiya Ralia, is an incredible magnetism which only genuine love could have created. It is part of the strength of their union, that the wife was mother to many young people of my generation in Ilorin; her humane disposition strengthened the bonds of affection between the AbdulRazaq's family and people in Ilorin Emirate. My only worry was that the family chose to celebrate the birthday in Abuja; they have however promised that the next one will be in Ilorin. Our hometown has for too long been in the pocket of impostors and frauds who do not share the values of the community. More than ever before, our people long for a return to source, which only its bonafide children can appreciate and provide. It was in fact one of the currents which took so many people out to celebrate the 85th Birthday of Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq: the First lawyer from Northern Nigeria; TafidanZazzau and Mutawalin Ilorin!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 THE contrast was clear. On Tuesday, while Americans were voting for a president, their 10th president since 1961, three of who did two terms, Cameroonians were celebrating the 30th anniversary of President Paul Biya in power. Biya is Cameroon’s second president since the country’s independence from France 52 years ago.

Equatorial Guinea’s Theodoro Mbasogo, His predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo ran 70, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, 88: Cameroon for 22 years, got tired (some say in power for 32 years each. Younger sick) and voluntarily handed power to Biya members of the club are Uganda’s in 1982. Biya, 79, has ruled since them. His President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 68, and supporters are prodding him to stand for in his 25th year in power, Pedro Verona another election in 2018, when he would be Rodrigues Pires, Cape Verde (78) became only 85 years old.

President 21 years ago, but had been Prime Biya was absent, he practically lives in Minister for 16 years. Others are Sudan’s France, where he meets medical Omar al-Bashir (68) 23 years, and Idriss requirements. Cameroon’s 20 million people Deby Itno (60) of the Republic of Chad, 22 wallow in the scourge of Biya who is years. relatively young among sit-tight African The continued presence of these rulers leaders. Their ambition appears to be to beat bears grave consequences for their people the 42-year record of Gabon’s Albert Omar and the continent. The opposition is Bongo, who only death, at 71, could separate decimated and within their parties, there from power. are no successors in sight, it is considered Ahead of Biya in the dictatorship game are treason to discuss succession of the leader.

Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, 70,

Biya Forever

With Biya’s Cameroon still as example, 96.6 per cent of its 21 million population, over 20.28 million, is under 64 years old. A minor part of that group would have been 12 years old when Ahidjo became president. More than three-quarters of the country, 14 million know only Biya as president.

The tragedies are more. Biya tried democratising the country, but his sweeping powers and decision to hold unto to power has left the country fragmented along ethnic and religious lines. The opposition wants to know if his successor, from another ethnic group and another religion would be allowed to rule as long as Biya. The question indicates the dangers ahead.

Cameroonians like Zimbabweans, Angolans and Ugandans would be under worse pressure to find leaders when the dictator expires. Cote d’Ivoire is still in turmoil, 19 years after the death of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, its first president who ruled for 33 years.

African dictators should democratise instead of celebrating destruction of their countries.

OPINION

I

BY EHIS OZEMOYA

JUST finished reading the Ribadu report, both the one leaked to the press and the version submitted to the President, and in my view, the report is virtually inconclusive. And for now, I agree with the Presidency that the committee’s terms of reference was not duly followed. The basic task of the committee is to examine all, total aspect of the Nigerian oil industry, from production to sales, including the actual, exact amount of oil pumped from Nigerian soil each day, and how much royalties, fees and prices are being paid into Federal accounts.

Surprisingly, the committee was given a free hand to hire experts, professionals and even simple fact-checkers to do their job, yet they carried on without verifying almost all their sources or even attempted any collaboration. The committee went on, on paragraph 4 of the report, and agreed that their method of investigation and lack their own collaboration due to time, was flawed.

Why? The committee did not explain in the report. If the committee had asked for an extension of time, it would have been granted, perhaps. Instead it leaked an uncompleted work to the press and still left the verifications of figures with the Federal Government to ascertain. I say Haba!

Also glaring is that the leaked report is significantly different from the final report submitted to the Presidency. In my view,

Ribadu's

report:

Ribadu and his committee did a poor job.

They had a chance to do the people's job, here they failed.

And to compound the messy job, Ribadu accused certain un-named oil barons of trying to influence him and his committee.

Now, since he is off the chain, he owes it a duty to tell the Nigerian people who are these oil barons? And he should name names. It is a duty that he does so; crying for Nigeria is not enough.

In fact, it has been revealed that the committee was supposed to be generating a monthly report akin to being a standing committee, but that was not even touched before producing the final report. Equally so, the documents were not signed by members of the committee. So much is just wrong with this report; it’s so messy. Was the chairman of the committee being deceptive? Ribadu actually acknowledged in an interview that both the leaked report and the final piece presented to the Presidency was one and the same document, but those who read both documents know someone is being mischievious.

Ribadu remains the crime fighter, police lawyer and patriotic Nigerian. So what went so horribly wrong? He admitted thus: "Due to the time frame of the assignment,some of the data used could not be independently verified and the Task Force

An

oily

slip?

recommends that the government should conduct such necessary verifications and reconciliations." The drama has begun.

Just as he stepped out to hand over the Report, His Deputy, Mr.Steve Oronsaye,a former Head of Service of the Federation, raised objections. “I want to say to you, Mr President, that the process that has been followed is flawed...the last time this Committee met was in July when the draft Report was to be considered and I raised pertinent issues."

Ribadu put up a strong defence.

According to him: “During the work of the Committee, Oronsaye got himself appointed to the Board of the NNPC. The other gentleman who spoke, Otti, became Director of Finance of the NNPC and they decided to more or less bully everybody to take over." It was real drama and shameful.

N

ow the issue is, was Ribadu out to report the NNPC or to make recommendations based on the findings of his committee? Did his grouse against fellow members affect his sense of judgement since neither Oronsaye nor Otti saw the report before it was presented? And why did Ribadu have to sign for the duo?

Petroleum minister Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke gave the committee a free hand.

She said: "I never for once called in members to seek to influence them one way

or the other, and I gave them full access to the parastatals, to deal with all elements of their terms of reference to the extent that some members have even said that I was too aloof from their work."

And since Ribadu admitted that his report was inconclusive, the Minister acted well by appointing a committee to look into it. That was when the draft was leaked to international news agency, Reuters. Why this was done is unclear, but it created the impression that government was sitting on the findings.

The Presidency through its spokesman on Public Affairs, Dr.Doyin Okupe, has already faulted this report. He observed that in one of the Committees' terms of reference, they were supposed to "work with consultants and experts to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues [taxes, royalties, etc] due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria". Okupe explained that Ribadu failed in this. "This makes it impossible under our laws to indict or punish anyone except, and until, the Federal Government fully verifies and reconciles the facts as recommended by the committee in its submission to the government."

There you have it, one more opportunity to reform the oil sector bungled. Instead of a thorough work, we got controversy. What an oily slip. * Mr. Ozemoya, a geologist , wrote from Benin, Edo State.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—19

U

NLIKE most public hearings conducted in the National Assembly, the one conducted by the Finance Committee of the Senate on the new Customs Bill was historic. The conveners were convinced that the bill, initiated from the Lower Chamber, was timely. The new legislation sought to repeal the existing Act which has been in existence before Nigeria's Independence. The argument, as presented by the Committee Chairman in his opening statement, is quite simple. Customs roles and responsibilities have changed over the years, spanning different historical epochs.

The Service which started over a century ago as a colonial outfit collecting taxes and royalties on coastal trading activities has evolved to become a large organisation employing over 20,000 Nigerians, with responsibilities cutting across revenue collection, border protection, public health and trade facilitation. The Committee must have thought that all they needed to do was to align the provisions of the new bill with the realities of the 21st Century.

Provisions were, therefore, made for electronic processes of Customs clearance, use of nonintrusive intervention methods to enforce controls and adherence with global best practice in Customs operations.

However, a twist started unfolding when the proceedings of such an important bill was reduced to an unnecessary power tussle on the floor of the committee room.

The first salvo was fired from the most unexpected quarter. The Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , who by virtue of her position is the Chairman of the Nigeria Customs Service Board raised some dust when she expressed concerns over the powers of Mr. President and the Minister of Finance in the new bill.

Committee members must have been astonished as the Iron Lady laboured to sound modest in kicking against the provisions which 'whittled down the powers of Mr. President and the Minister over Customs'. Ahead of the hearing, sources close to the Ministry had indicated that she was primed to shoot from all cylinders, based on the recommendations of an expert group of aviation and maritime lawyers she had commissioned to study the bill.

Another dissenting voice came from the Director of Budget in the Ministry, Dr. Bright Okogwu, whose argument centred on the notion that Customs should not be funded up to the tune of 2.5 percent of Value on Board (FOB)' as provided under Section 18 of the new bill. Though the Director also tried to give the impression of supporting an earlier position canvassed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, it became apparent to all, that the submission was very much like the hand of Esau, echoing the voice of Jacob.

What the Nigerian economy deserves now is an efficient, modern and responsive Customs Service; if the new Bill will give Nigerians a new Customs, so be it

,

It is a fact that many Nigerians were not opportuned to read the bill before the hearing. My interest in the bill was fired by the claim of the possibility of creating a Customs outfit that will be too powerful to be tamed either by Mr. President or the Minister. On the contrary, the bill do actually seek for the creation of a stronger board capable of enunciating policies devoid of bureaucratic bottlenecks. The Minister still wields enormous powers under the new bill, chairing the board and being vested with the power to appoint some board members.

P

erhaps it is the allegation of the bill stripping Mr President of certain powers that provided yet another interesting dimension to the debate. Though protagonists of the argument could not mention specifically the sections which render the President powerless over Customs matters, my understanding of the argument

Softly, softly, CJN Mukhtar!

I

F it is true that morning shows the day, it must also be true that our Judiciary under the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Maryam Aloma Mukhtar, may be heading for troubled waters, if not directly for the rocks.

Understandably, the Senate was in a hurry to make history, the good history of producing the first female CJN, hence it sacrificed excellence on the altar of speed.

By now, the senators must be biting their fingers for taking this woman through a black market confirmation. She probably did not undergo the rigorous confirmation process that her forerunners underwent.

The shorthand process she went through denied Nigerians the opportunity of knowing her antecedent and judging her by it.

We are now stuck with a CJN who is intent on violating the very Constitution which she swore to uphold just a few months ago; a CJN who is bent on defiling the sanctity of the marriage institution; a woman, who rather than respect and protect the gains recorded by the womenfolk, would rather have them completely eroded.

Like all of us, Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo had no control over where she should be born. She was born in Anambra State.

Perhaps, she had a choice as to where she could pick a husband. She got married to a man from Abia State. Her name was submitted by the government of Abia State.

She was duly cleared for nomination as a Judge of the Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council under the chairmanship of the same CJN, Justice Mukhtar! Her name was duly forwarded to the President who in turn nominated her and forwarded her name to the Senate for confirmation. Her nomination was duly confirmed by the Senate.

It was only after her name came to the CJN to be sworn in that the CJN blatantly refused to swear her in, claiming that she was in possession of a petition to the effect that Justice Jombo-Ofo is not from Abia State.

For the first time in our history, we have a situation where a woman like the CJN has been thrown up by the same National Judicial Council that also threw up the CJN; a woman like the CJN was nominated by the President the same way that the CJN was nominated, this woman has gone through the same Senate confirmation as the CJN did; and only to be rejected by the woman CJN whereas she was accepted by the men she met on ground!

Clearly, all the noise about women liberation, “no woman, no nation” and all that jazz are mere noises in abstraction; they are not real! It would be recalled that as a prelude to the 2011 presidential election, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and all the high profile women of the PDP jetted through all the states and pretended to be drumming up support for female aspirants. But at the PDP primary where there was only one female aspirant, that female aspirant got only one vote, which we assume was her own vote! Where did the thousands of other female delegates votes go?

Self-hatred among women is endemic.

The lower women are available to be used as bridges, which the upward mobile women burn off after crossing the river.

That explains why the women who have made it only identify with men and mirror their contempt for women. But that is not the main issue here.

Again, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, we have a situation where the 109 senators co-sponsored a motion on a single

subject – asking the CJN to swear in Justice Jombo-Ofo. Yes, it is good to appeal to her moral conscience but it is still more relevant to challenge her

,

BY GBADAMOSI AIBUKI

,

Much ado about Customs Bill

is that some existing acts will be repealed for this new one to be enacted. Customs currently operates under a multiple of enabling laws. These include the Customs and Excise Management Act, (CEMA)Cap . C45 , Laws of the Federation 2004, which is the principal Act. Others include CEMA C.46 of 2004 on Disposal of Goods, Customs and Excise (Special Penal and other Provisions) Act, CAP C.47 of 2004, CEMA (Amendment) Act no 20 of 2003 to mention but a few. The intention of the 2012 bill is to repeal all these fragmented legislation and consolidate their provisions in a single comprehensive Act. The major omission in the Acts put up for repeal is the Customs, Excise Tariff, etc (Consolidation)Act, Cap C.49 of 1995. The Act provides for imposition of Customs and Excise duties payable on goods imported and manufactured in Nigeria based on a harmonised system of Customs tariff. Perhaps the hullabaloo about the powers of Mr President stems from the erroneous impression that all the previous Acts relating to Customs matters were being repealed.

Section 13of this Act is emphatic about the powers on the muchhyped waivers and concessions.

The section vested on Mr President the power to impose, vary or remove any import or excise duty on goods that are liable to payment of such charges. This provision is still extant.

Opposition to Sections 42 and 43 which sought to prohibit by law the future use of pre-shipment and destination inspection service providers was a source of disappointment to most Nigerians.

Justice Mukhtar is probably unaware that she has vetoed the collective decisions of the National Judicial Council, the President and the Senate

,

demonstration of knowledge of the law and her total lack of sense of history.

J

ustice Mukhtar is probably unaware that by her reluctance to swear in a duly cleared Judge, she has vetoed the collective decisions of the National Judicial Council, the President and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The truth is that the moment a nominee goes through Senate confirmation and is duly cleared, not even the President can change or withdraw the nomination anymore, even where the process of the nominee’s confirmation was demonstrably flawed.

The entire Chapter III of the Nigeria Constitution deals with the issue of citizenship. The learned CJN should have known that a woman is automatically a citizen of her husband’s state. Today, Dame

Leading the pack of opposition was the Central Bank of Nigeria with the argument that the provision 'ties' government hands ', if such service is found necessary in the future.

In 2005, in furtherance of a comprehensive reform program government had contracted these foreign service providers to run such strategic sectors of the economy. Their brief was to put the infrastructure in place, operate and earn huge money and transfer to Customs after seven years. Part of their contractual obligations is to develop the capacity of the Customs to run the project by 2013.

Customs position at the hearing was to express readiness to take over its statutory roles. If there was any doubt about Customs ability, the CBN and the Finance Ministry, both supervisory organs of the destination inspection should be held responsible for the orchestrated effort to perpetrate or institutionalise self-gratifying contracts.

All said and done, Nigerians are patiently waiting for the Distinguished Senators to ignore sentiments associated with the various positions canvassed during the hearing. It should not be about muscle flexing of who wields what powers as was witnessed at the hearing. It should neither be about the office holders, since the Service will outlive the current actors involved. It is about building a strong Customs institution that can stand the test of time. What the Nigerian economy deserves now is an efficient, modern and responsive Customs Service. If the new Bill will give Nigerians a new Customs, so be it. *Mr. Aibuki, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.

Patience Jonathan who is originally from Rivers State is a Permanent Secretary in the service of Bayelsa State. Justice Mary Odili has since risen to the Supreme Court on her husband’s state of origin.

Come to think of it, this CJN is a bundle of duplicity. What did she hope to achieve by submitting Justice Jombo-Ofo’s name for appointment and praying for her disqualification? What role has been assigned to the CJN by the Constitution?

Section 238 of the 1999 Constitution stipulates: “The appointment of a person to the office of the Court of Appeal shall be made by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.”

In a profession where seniority counts the most, Mukhtar has sworn in other Judges cleared with Jombo-Ofo and left her behind. Where do the women groups stand in all this? Will they keep watching while women are reduced to the centre of the sociological marginal theory – unwanted by their states of birth and unwanted by their states of marriage?

Incidentally, the Constitution is silent on who swears in a Judge. If the CJN now throws away the undeserved respect enjoyed by her predecessors, even a junior magistrate could lay wait to perform that function and it will be as valid as any other swearing in! Meanwhile, the learned CJN has violated the due process of law by showing deep disrespect to our Constitution. That’s what the Senate should now be talking about.

20—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

For Ayomah family, a cry for help to keep Ese alive

BY FESTUS AHON

F

OR the Ayomah family of Okpara in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, this indeed is a trying period as time appears to be running out for their 30-yearold daughter, Miss Ese Ayomah, a HND student in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko who is presently lying critically ill.

She is down on account of a kidney problem which she has been suffering from since November 2011. Ese was full of life before being diagnosed of the ailment while performing her youth service in Enugu State. She rounded off her service in June this year.

The 11th child in a family of 12, Ese was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba when her condition became

,

Life is worthless without Ese, hence we have been doing our best to raise the sum; we are appealling to government, corporate bodies, NGOs, wellmeaning individuals and churches to come to our aid

,

critical and she is now on dialysis having been given a referral letter since March 22, 2012 for kidney transplant. The letter read thus: “The above named patient has been on treatment in our hospital for chronic renal disease and currently she is on dialysis. She is being prepared for definitive treatment (renal transplant)”.

T

he family has expended so much resources to keep Ese alive. But the situation has taken a turn for the worse as funds are running very low, a development that has become a source of grave concern, especially with medical experts coming up with a report that about N5 million is C M Y K

*Ese on her hospital bed...Needs N5 million to stay alive rate bodies, NGOs, well-meaning individuals and churches to come to our aid. We have on our own raised N1.8 million”.

Ese, with tears streaming down her cheeks, had this to say: “I took ill on November 2011 at Enugu where I went for my National Youth Service Corps assignment. A doctor

*Ese as a corps member needed to carry out a kidney transplant on Ese in far away India.

Indeed, things have not been the same for the family since they were told of how much they needed to raise to keep Ese alive. One of her elder brothers, Mr Joe Ayomah, who spoke to Vanguard Metro, said they have been running from pillar to post trying to put the money together.

Almost in tears, he said: “Life is worthless without Ese, hence we have been doing our best to raise the sum. We are appealling to government, corpo-

told me that I was suffering from chronic kidney disease.

My family alone cannot raise the money required; I therefore appeal to Nigerians to assist me to be alive.” Compelled by the realization that they alone cannot raise the N5million, the Ayomah family has cried out for help. They are calling on kind-

hearted and well-placed Nigerians to rise to aid and assist in saving Ese’s life, adding with optimism that the young lady may yet live to make her mark in life. Those touched to help can reach the family through Dr Samson Ayomah on 08037464770 or Mr Joe Ayomah on 08035759009.

Free hearing aids for 2,000 Nigerians today

BY BOSE ADELAJA

I

F feelers from a non-governmental organ isation, Starkey Hearing Foundation, is anything to go by, no fewer than 2,000 Nigerians with hearing impairment will benefit from a free health scheme that will kick off in Lagos today.

The programme which lasts till Monday November 15, 2012, was put together in conjunction with BSA Hearing Centre to provide free hearing aids to people from different parts of the country.

A statement signed by Lagos State cordinator of the organisation, Simeon Afolabi, said, before now, a representative of the organisation has gone round the country to assess the scope of hearing impairment, the report which has gingered the officials to provide succour to those affected.

According to the statement: “In 2011, an

official of the foundation, Derek Johnson, was in Nigeria to assess the scale of hearing impairment in the country together with BSA Hearing Centre. Aural impressions of over 3000 individuals who have hearing impairment were taken in different parts of the country many of whom will be provided with hearing devices at the programme.”

Afolabi said the programme will hold at Campos playing field, Ajele, Lagos Island at 9am.“The cost of treatment for hearing problems, particularly for those who need amplification devices is enormous and is beyond the reach of majority of patients. We hope to extend the programme to other parts of the country later. The trip to Lagos is part of a current tour of West Africa which includes Senegal, Liberia and Ghana, ” he said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —21

Nigeria’s increased gas generating potential under threat — Oil & gas professionals

BY MICHAEL EBOH

Petroleum Resources, declared that Nigeria is coming under extreme competitive pressure from its African neighbours.

According to Allison Madueke, who was represented by Mr. Austin Olorunshola, a Director at the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Nigeria’s reporting of new giant oil and

N

IGERIA’s potential of generating about 2.26 million metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas annually will never by achieved, unless the country addresses the issue of infrastructure deficit and lack of access to finance by players in the oil and gas sector.

This was the stand of professionals in the petroleum sector, under the aegis of Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE. NAPE, in a statement at its ongoing annual international conference and exhibition in Lagos, also declared that the attainment of the country’s Vision 20:2020 objective can only be achieved with a stable power supply, with gas production playing a critical role.

The statement presented by Mr. Mustapha Jibrin, further said that recent gas discoveries in other parts of Africa, was negatively affecting Nigeria’s natural gas potential and its competitiveness.

It said, “The competitiveness of Nigeria’s natural gas and the numerous opportunities to monetize it would be impacted by recent discoveries of large reserves of gas in other parts of Africa, especially offshore East Africa, as well as huge exploitations of shale gas in different parts of the world.”

Speaking in the same vein, Mrs. Diezani AllisonMadueke, Minister of

Govt loses N1.7bn monthly to rice smuggling – Millers

BY CHINEDU IBEABUCHI

-6.6

2,378.00

-3.00

19.35

+0.14

85.10 CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

From right: Dr Alex Otti, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank Plc; Mrs Caroline Anyanwu, Executive Director, Risk Mnanagment, Diamond Bank Plc, and Mrs Ayona Aguele, Head Corporate Communication, Diamond Bank Plc, during the univelling of the bank’s new identity, in Lagos. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

146.45

107.77

154.75 246.2227 196.9194 163.359 1.9453 0.2804 235.6144 24.8541 41.2623 26.4002 236.1795

155.25 247.0183 197.5556 163.8868 1.9516 0.2904 236.3756 24.9349 41.3956 26.4855 236.9426

gas discovery by Nigeria’s African neighbours and the discovery of shale gas globally is a major challenge to the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

She further disclosed that lack of commercial discovery of oil in the Chad basin is becoming a cause of concern for the sector.

She, however, allayed fears

that the non-discovery of oil in commercial quantity will affect the country negatively in the long run, saying, “the lack of activity in the Chad basin is not a signal of lack of prospectivity.”

Also speaking, Mr. Andy Yakubu, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, maintained that the security challenges experienced in some parts of the country have contributed in slowing down the level of progress in production activities.

-1.30 -0.47 SELLING 155.75 247.813 198.1919 164.4147 1.9579 0.3004 237.1369 25.0157 41.5289 26.5708 237.7057

CBN Exchange rate as at 14/11/20127

L

OCAL rice millers have raised an alarm that the Nigerian government loses over N1.7 billion worth of revenue every month to smuggling activities in the rice sector . The millers, under the aegis of Rice Millers, Importers & Distributors Association of Nigeria, RiMIDAN, called on the government to ensure a level playing field in the sector and remove waivers.

The Association said this is worrisome owing to the fact that it has a total of about 4.5 million Nigerians employed in its value chain, adding that the figure excludes the not less than 2.7 million jobs created in areas of logistics, handling & sundry services in other sub-sectors of the industry.

Mr. Tunji Owoeye, chairman of the Association disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos after a visit to the National Emergency Management Agency to commiserate with the recent flood victims in the country, with a donation of N50 million worth of rice, Mr. Tunji said, “Rice occupies an

important place being the staple food of Nigerians. According to government statistics, yearly consumption of rice is about 5.5million tonnes. It is also a known fact that local production accounts for about 1.8million tonnes, thus necessitating the need for importation to bridge the gap.

“Unfortunately, 50 per cent of these imports are smuggled into the country. This is why the nation cringes under the effect of any negative or adverse development that affects the agricultural sector. We complained severally in the recent past about the activities of smugglers of rice and its devastating effect on the Nigerian economy.

“From records available to us, the total loss of revenue to the government from this unwholesome activity for the period commencing January 2012 till date is over Two Hundred Million Dollars (N32 Billion).

“We also worked out the simple summation: 30,000 metric tonnes every month as smuggled commodity means that the Nigerian government would be losing over N1.7 worth of revenue every month. This is in addition to the problems it is causing for the local development initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

PSRGRichardson seeks security measures for oil, gas assets

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

S

EQUEL to the spate of pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft in the country which has led to loss of $7 billion, PSRG-Richardson Health, Safety, Security and Environment, (HSSE) has suggested a dedicated division of the Nigeria Police Force to oil and gas companies’ assets.

The suggestion for an oil and gas police division was premised on the belief that such formation, if wellequipped and completely dedicated to the industry will enhance security operations, installations and assets.

PSRG-Richardson HSSE also suggested for the establishment of a National Construction Industry Board.

The rationale behind the proposal for the board is that such a vehicle would enable the country take necessary steps to achieve global standards in the construction industry.

These recommendations were made at the PSRGRichardson Health, Safety, Security and Environment, HSSE forum held in Lagos, tagged “HSSE-Working out an Effective Balance in a Challenging Environment.

Regulation in the oil industry also emerged as another main point of discussion at the forum.

The general perception was that the industry was over regulated with various regulatory agencies working at cross purpose.

It was suggested that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) be adequately equipped and empowered to effectively perform its regulatory functions in the oil and gas sector.

In a presentation tilled “HSSE Confronting the Challenges with Nigeria Oil and Gas Environment” Managing Director of Foisi Global Investment Ltd, Emiry Ikuru, urged the development of a measurable and sustainable HSSE management system in the oil and gas industry.

He called for the implementation of security policy that meets the challenges of increasing crime and effective response strategies to emergencies that threaten the safety of staff, asset and the general public.

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HERE is likelihood of a possible re-direction of investments from bonds to equities market by investors in the coming year, says Financial Derivatives Company, FDC. The Managing Director, FDC, Mr Bismarck Rewane, who said in his monthly review of the economy and financial system for November, observed that the re-alignment would be made possible, particularly now that Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, are gradually developing interest in equities market.

Vanguard recalls that out of about N2.8 trillion pension fund assets, only paltry 12 percent is presently invested in equities, way below the required 25 percent approved by the Pension Commission, Pencom.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, has been in talks with Pencom, to see the possibility of investing up to 50 percent of that Fund in the equity segment of the capital market as part of measures to revive the market.

Rewane noted in the repot that bond yield’s superiority to other asset classes was now a declining function of time, adding that there was no significant change in the asset mix between May and September.

He explained that FGN bond

Focus to shift from bonds to equities in 2013 — FDC still remained the dominant asset in PFA portfolio, saying “Equity mix of PFA asset was 8.5 percent in May 2012; FGN Bonds was over 50 percent of PFA portfolios in May, Money market securities and TreasuryBills are other heavily weighted assets.

Expected rotation from bonds to equity is yet to take shape despite improved market performance and falling bond yields. We expect a rotation from bonds into equity in 2013.”

He said that a swatch of corporate bellwethers provided

uninspiring results leading to an end of month swing in share prices, adding “Now stocks are awaiting a new catalyst.”

He stated that stocks performance in late October was further clouded by weak growth in topline earnings of highly capitalised companies.

•From left: Yvonne Ike, CEO Renaissance Capital West Africa; Mr. Olusegun Akintemi, CEO Renaissance Credit Nigeria and Mr. George Taylor, Chairman, Renaissance Credit Nigeria, during the Renaissance Credit Consumer Finance Business in Nigeria, held at Renaissance Credit, Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Shareholders dissuade Lasaco Assurance from merger ... urge rights issue

BY NKIRUKA NNOROM

S

HAREHOLDERS of Lasaco Assurance Plc have advised the underwriting firm against merging its business with another company, urging it to instead undertake a rights issue.

A cross section of shareholders who spoke at the 32nd annual general meeting in Lagos while reacting to the company’s announcement that it planned to form business combination with another insurance company with a view to boosting its share capital, said that such move does hold much promise to stakeholders.

Speaking, Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President, Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), urged the company to do everything within its power to either recapitalise or acquire another insurance firm to keep its integrity intact.

“At worst, we will request private investors to come in instead of merging. If we are merging for the purpose of boosting our business, we will say go ahead, but if it is for the

C M Y K

purpose of beefing up our capital, I advise that we go for rights issue,” he said.

While assuring that shareholders would take advantage of the rights issue if put together by the company, Adesiyan urged the board to consider paying dividend in 2013, saying that they have not been paid dividend since five years ago.

“In as much as business combination looks attractive, I don’t think it is the solution; capital injection holds the answer. If you are afraid of doing rights issue, you can do convertible shares,” added Mr. Nona Awoh, another shareholders.

Responding, the chairman, Chief Edward Leigh, said that the arrangement was not conclusive, noting that the board will later chose from a number of options available.

He said that the board is working round the clock to ensure that it delivers robust returns to shareholders in the coming years.

He noted that year-on-year, the gross premium grew by 32

percent to N2.7 billion from N2.1 billion in the comparable period of 2010.

He explained that despite the prevalent insecurity and instability in some parts of the country and the impact of a tough economy, the company was able to post 24 percent increase in premium earned which stood at N2.1 billion as against N1.2 billion in 2010.

“Our profit after tax for 2011 was N213 million as against N249 million in 2010 which

had a lower earned premium, reflecting the impact of lowerthan-planned investment and other income and general unfavourable business environment,” he stated.

He assured that Lasaco will continue to look inward for the needed strength to achieve its set goals, adding that the company ’s firm resolution towards remaining the preferred choice in insurance services is anchored on a well motivated staff.

Fidelity Bank adopts Equator Principles

F

IDELITY Bank Plc has demonstrated its commitment to environmental sustainability by adopting the Equator Principles. “This is in keeping with our word to be corporately and socially responsible to the well being of the environment and communities in which we do business,” said the bank.

The Equator Principles are a credit risk management framework for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in project finance. The Principles are adopted voluntarily by financial institutions and are applied where total project capital costs exceed US$10 million.

The bank noted that by adopting the Equator Principles, it has committed to providing loans only to projects that pass environment risk assessment, adding that those that focus on profit making does not endanger human lives.

The Equator Principles were launched in 2003 following the convening of nine international banks in London, together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to discuss the development of a banking industry framework for addressing environmental and social risks in project financing that could be applied globally and across all industry sectors.

This framework is based on the Policy and Performance Standards and the Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines set down by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Fidelity Bank is one of only two Nigerian Banks and 10 African Banks to have adopted the Equator Principles. Some African member banks include Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, Nedbank Limited, FirstRand Limited, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and ABSA Bank Ltd of South Africa.

Global Funds buy more stocks, optimistic on growth — BofA poll GLOBAL investors raised their exposure to stocks to a 16-month high in November, taking a more optimistic view on the world economy despite concerns about the U.S. ‘fiscal cliff ’, a survey has shown.

A net 34 percent believe the world economy will strengthen in the next 12 months, the highest reading since February 2011, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (BofAML) said in its monthly

asset allocation survey.

Investors were also more optimistic about China, with confidence that its economy will strengthen in the coming year at a three-year high among investors surveyed in Asia Pacific, emerging markets and Japan.

The poll showed that 54 percent see the biggest tail risk as a failure by U.S. politicians to reach a compromise on spending cuts and tax rises scheduled to take effect at the turn of the year, up from 42 percent in October.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—23

St akeholder s to contribute to Nigeria’s economic reforms — FBN Capital boss I

N the last decade, Ni geria has had to pursue several reforms as respective governments sought to address challenges in the economy, infrastructure, governance, education, and healthcare, among others.

While some measure of success has been recorded across several sectors, analysts suggest that achieving long-term and sustainable outcomes from reforms would require unwavering com-

mitment and collaboration among all stakeholders.

Conference, seminars and workshops have since become strategic tools in achieving mass stakeholder participation in driving the success of reforms in Nigeria. Last year, FBN Capital, the investment banking and asset management business of the First Bank Group initiated an annual investors’ conference designed to serve as a platform for inspiring dis-

cussions that would facilitate economic growth and development.

Managing Director/ CEO of FBN Capital, Mr. Kayode Akinkugbe, explains that outcomes from last year ’s conference have contributed immensely to the discussion on boosting Nigeria’s image as a foremost destination for investments in sub-Saharan Africa through deepening Nigerian capital markets, improving access to unlisted companies as well

as highlighting capitalraising and growth opportunities.“At our maiden conference last year, we facilitated discussions on Nigeria’s as-

pirations and journey to becoming a recognised emerging market country via the theme From BRICs to BRINCs.

Union Bank assets hit N883.6bn in Q3

By PETER EGWUATU

U

NION Bank of Ni geria Plc has re-

corded N883.62 billion assets for the third quarter financial result ended September 30, 2012, representing an increase of over N831.54 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2011.

In the same vein, it recorded N17.8 billion profits for the same period under review in spite of the harsh operating environment of the nation’s economy.

According to its unaudited third quarter result sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the bank posted a Profit after Tax (PAT) of N17.8 billion versus a loss of N49.3 billion recorded during the corresponding period last year. The financial report also showed a profit before taxation (PBT) of N13.9 billion as against N74.6 billion loss posted last year. It was the PBT plus deferred tax income of N3.9 billion that gave the Profit of N17.8billion.The total comprehensive income for the period also rose to N16.4billion as against the loss of N50.1billion posted during the corresponding period last year.

This translated to earning per share of 290 kobo compared to the loss of 4kobo recorded in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Group recorded a PAT of N17.2 billion, compared to a loss of N59.1 billion posted during a corresponding period last year. Likewise, the group assets grew 104.24 percent to N1, 038.04 trillion from N995.84 billion recorded during the matching period last year. Group total comprehensive income rose to N17.9 billion compared to N59.5 billion loss posted in 2011.This also translated to earning per share of 329 kobo as against a loss per share of 5 kobo recorded last year.

BRIEF

FGN bonds: Yields’ll fall if included in Barclay’s index — DLM

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

T

HE intended in clusion of Nigeria in Barclays’ EM local currency Government Index will trigger a decline in yields of Federal Government securities, says Dunn Loren Merifield, DLM. This projection is contained in the DLM’s weekly review of the Nigerian bonds market tagged, ‘The Nigerian Bond Watch’.

Following its annual index review, Barclays had announced the intention to include Nigeria in its flagship “Barclays Emerging Market (EM) local currency government index with effect from March 31, 2013.

DLM in the report, however, said that the decline will be as much as what was recorded following a similar initiative by JP Morgan in August 2012.

It said, “Since the JP Morgan’s announcement, and Nigeria’s subsequent inclusion in their EM Government Index, there has been a significant drop in yields in the region of 300 basis points from August to date.” result of improved financial stability and optimism over reforms to the banking and electricity sectors. It raised its long term foreign and local currency sovereign credit rating to “BB-” with a stable outlook.

“Among the factors that necessitated this upgrade includes: the rise in Nigeria’s foreign reserves to US$42 billion from $33 billion at the beginning of 2012, the increase in the Excess Crude Account from $2billion in 2010 to $8 billion at present and the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).

24 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

MMIA Customs nabs man for under-declaring hard currency STORIES BY IFEYINWA OBI

T

HE Muhammed In ternational Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it arrested a man for allegedly not declaring a large sum of hard currency found on him on his way to China.

Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Charles Edike, represented by Customs Public Relations Officer, Thelma Williams, said that the suspect, one John Nnaemeka Chukwuonu, was allegedly arrested with US$137,435.

According to Edike, the command had investigated and found out that the suspect had planned to travel to

China with textbooks published in Nigeria, with the intention of reprinting them in China and sending them back to Nigeria.

The CAC explained that a search of the textbooks allegedly led to the discovery of US$ 67,437 undeclared by the suspect.

The Customs chief further explained that on the directives of the Customs Headquarters, via Circular No. 029/2012 of 19th September, 2012 and a letter with No. CB 3380/EFCC/ LS/ ADM/ VOL.1/62 of 24th September, 2012, received from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the command has been authorised to work in collaboration with officials of the EFCC to restrain suspicious bulk

cash declaration.

The CAC noted that the collaboration between officials of the EFCC and the command’s Currency Declaration Desk Officers at the airport is “with a view to ensuring compliance with the provisions of Section 12

of Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act CAP F34 LFN 2004 as amended and Sections 8, 71, 72, 75 and 161 of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45 LFN 2004 as amended.”

PTML Customs warns officers over SGD forms

T

HE Ports and T e r m i n a l Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) has warned its officers to desist from conniving with clearing agents and unknown persons to process Single Declaration (SGD) Forms in the terminal

and gates.

A notice signed by the command’s Deputy C o m p t r o l l e r, Administration, Deputy Comptroller G. Z. Yakubu, stated that any officer found to be engaging in such act of misconduct will be treated as a risk to the government’s revenue generation.

Transport Minister condemns closure of NPA Training School

T

he Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, has expressed his unqualified disappointment at the abandonment of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA's) Training School, Apapa, Lagos, even as Nigeria suffers a dearth of skilled manpower in the maritime sector.

Umar gave vent to his feelings when he paid a working visit to the school at the weekend.

Restating the determination of the President Goodluck Jonathan's administration to address the human capacity deficiencies in the maritime sector, the minister said that the administration is committed to completing abandoned projects littered all over the country.

The minister said that the NPA Training School, which has been the

training ground for many maritime industry personnel, will not be excluded from the efforts of the Federal Government to conclude the various abandoned projects.

He further said that the Federal Ministry of Transport wants to look into making the NPA Training School very functional under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Similarly, at the Badagry site of the proposed Maritime Academy, Umar expressed his displeasure at the culture of abandonment of infrastructure, stating that all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been mandated by the President to evaluate abandoned projects with a view to bringing life into them.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 25

Ph.D holders as truck drivers: Fallout of government’s unseriousness?

By AMAKA ABAYOMI, EBELE ORAKPO, LAJU ARENYEKA & IKENNA ASOMBA

M

ORE knocks than commendation have continued to trail the recent revelations that of the 13,00 applications received, six Ph.D, 704 Masters and over 8,460 Bachelor degree holders applied for the Graduate Executive Truck Driver of Dangote Group of Companies.

According to the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, most of the applicants are from reputable universities and our plan is to eventually make them self dependent.

The drivers will get trip allowances on each trip along with their salaries, and will own the trucks at no interests or repayments after they must have reached 300,000km, (about 140 trips from Lagos to Kano) within two to four years.

Despite these pecks attached to the job, concerned stakeholders believe that more still needs to be done by government to create employment and the enabling environment for the organised private sector to employ more people.

In his reaction, VC, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Professor Isaac Adeyemi, called for the need to evaluate the PhDs. “Several schools offer PhD programmes, but what is the quality of the PhD, how do they run their post-graduate programmes, in what fields and where? Assuming they obtained the PhDs from reputable institutions and in relevant areas, have they sought employment in the universities, polytechnics, colleges of education etc.”

On if the economy or educa-

3,337 corps members sworn in — Page 31 C M Y K

tional system is to be blamed for the apparent anomaly, Adeyemi said the educational system can’t really be blamed because “there are checks and balances in-house in the PhD

certificates from over 90 per cent of Nigerian universities apart from the involvement of external examiners. The provosts and deans of post-graduate schools are streamlining

the procedure leading to the award of PhD certificates. The National Universities Commission also tries to monitor postgraduate programmes.”

Proffering solutions to the

From left: Theophilius Ogunbiyi, past president, Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria; Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda/Guest speaker; and Mr. Akinfela Akoni, President, Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria,at the 2012 Spring lecture, organised by Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria.

problem, the VC noted that the problem should be tackled from two perspectives.

“One, from educational perspective; are we really producing graduates that will meet the needs of the nation? There is need for the educational sector to cooperate with the industrial sector in researches and in training. There must be target production of manpower and constant rubbing of minds.

“Two, our curricular should be dynamic so there is need to have input from other sectors of the economy, else we will not produce the necessary manpower to grow the economy. If we are not careful, we may get to a point where we will begin to depend on institutions overseas to produce the needed manpower for us.”

According to Dr. Lanre Amodu, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Commuication, Covenant University, the unemployment situation may be responsible, but not to the point of having PhD and Masters degree holders as drivers.

“I don’t think that it is as a result of the rot in the educational sector or a question of the competencies of the occupants, it’s just that there are no jobs. Also, the person running the business may just feel that it adds to the ego of the Continues on page 26

World Bank proposes African Centres of Excellence in Nigerian varsities

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

T

HE World Bank has set plans in motion to support Nigerian universities through the establishment of Centres for Excellence (CoEx) in some tertiary institutions in the country.

A delegation of the Bank was in the country recently to discuss with key stakeholders on the establishment of CoEx in

some universities in Africa, as part of its mandate in the Region.

Led by Mr. Andreas Blom, the team said the Bank had earlier met with some senior government officials and the Nigeria Universities Commission, NUC. He added that Nigeria was the first in the Bank’s tour of seven countries because it is the largest and most important

country on the continent.

The visit was meant to achieve two main objectives: of learning from the universities to develop the project design, and also to hearing from the universities on how the project might benefit them.

The eligibility criteria for the universities include academic depth (institutions must offer master and PhD degrees) and academic breadth (pro-

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

We derive useful products from fungal organisms — Page 31

Resuming geeky trends — Page 29

grammes in, at least, one of the three priority disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Health Sciences and Agricultural Sciences).

Blom explained further that the Bank embarked on the African Centres of Excellence Project for two reasons: many countries on the continent had asked for support for their higher education, and that Africa is a continent on the move with high growth rate, skills Continues on page 26

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Adapt, don’t adopt technology

•Expert tells tech education sector

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

I

N T E R N AT I O N A L experts have called on stakeholders in the technical education sector to adapt technologies that are relevant to the African scene instead of adopting European technologies that are not suitable for the continent’s developmental needs.

Leading this call is Mr. Andrew Thompson, international sales manager, LABTECH International Limited, a 21st century learning solutions provider.

Thompson in an interview with Vanguard Learning, said “We have been supplying technical education technologies to the different countries in Africa through development partners like the World Bank and the African Development Bank. But many of these products are expensive and don’t really apply to the African system.”

Continuing, Thompson said: “What these development partners want to be done doesn’t always match the real needs of the economy.

This is one of the reasons why we started our company.

"We are of the opinion that you don’t always have to adopt, you have to adapt.

What we have seen over the years, especially in Africa, Asia and the Middle East is that a lot of the consultants and equipment are from the US and the UK, but since there are barely any similarities between these countries and African countries, it’s like putting square pegs in round holes.

“We have grown to the point where we have over 70 offices

Mr. Andrew Thompson (r), International Sales Manager, LABTECH Int’l Ltd with Mr. Dominic Uveghara, Managing Director, O’Hara Ltd (Nigerian partners with LABTECH). all around the world. What we sell is well below 50 per cent of some of these things that developmental partners supply and is more appropriate for the African setting.

Our company is based in

Indonesia, a country that is very similar to Nigeria in terms of political, and socio cultural framework as well as developmental needs.”

Emphasizing on the need for proper technical education, Thompson argued that the

Education 'll decline further if…- Adesanya

A

one time Chairman of the Colleges of Education Senior Staff Association, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Chapter, and a senior lecturer at the institution Mr. Adeyemi Adesanya, has warned of a further decline in the standard of education in the country if those specially trained to be teachers by the appropriate teacher training

institutions are neglected by government in the employment of teachers in governmentowned schools.

Referring specially to the Lagos State Government, the physical and health education lecturer said it made no economic sense if government invested so much of the tax payers’ money in the training of NCE graduates only for them to be thrown permanently

Ph.D holders as truck drivers: Continues from page 25 business to have such qualified people in such positions.”

For Mrs. Bunmi Etuk-Iren, Chief Lecturer, Mathematics and Statistics, Federal College of Education (Technical), Lagos, “people further their education to the PhD level because they feel it will help them get better jobs, but there are no jobs.

"People who are educated to that level should be able to start something of their own.

That is where education comes in; the issue of entrepreneurship should be taught from the elementary levels of education. That’s why the Japanese are different; they teach their kids to be producC M Y K

employment triangle today is such that 25 per cent of the jobs available are for those with professional or academic qualifications, while 50-65 per cent are for those with skilled labour.

“Employment driven technical and vocational education is what drives any economy today. This implies that we match the needs of the employers of labour with the quality of technical education provided, and this is what should shape the curriculum.

When you talk about education on the professional level, it’s basically cheap; you have to provide some basic infrastructure and books because it is mostly theory.

But technical education is a bit more expensive because not only do you need these things listed, you also need practical equipment.

"For example, if you want to show someone how to repair an air conditioner, they have to see it, touch it and smell it.

You have to engage all the different senses.”

Thompson also advised that to overcome the issue of erratic power supply in the use of technical equipment, the technical education sector should take advantage of other sources of power like wind, sun, etc.

tive from the onset.”

On his part, Captain David Idiye, a retired teacher, said there’s nothing wrong with a PhD holder taking up a job as a truck driver, noting that it’s a matter of choice.

He, however, opined that this incidence is fallout of government’s insensitivity in providing enabling environment for private enterprises to thrive.

“There’s nothing extraordinary for a PhD holder taking up a truck driving job, but if you are an intellectual, you will be shocked. Howbeit, this scenario is not a good example for the younger generation. If a young boy sees a PhD holder driving truck, he will be discouraged from go-

ing to school because what comes to his mind is - what’s the essence of going to school when there are no jobs after graduation.”

On the way forward, Idiye opined that the over reliance on oil continues to spell doom for the country. He urged government to encourage agriculture as it is the backbone of every successful nation.

“Students can be trained on how to engage in cassava, cocoyam and potato plantation, rearing of rabbits, fishes, pigs, and even mushrooms. When this is done, you would have successfully empowered and established a self dependent youth society who will further create jobs in the country.”

to the labour market while graduates of other institutions are employed in their stead.

Addressing participants at the first ever general elections of the association held at the Naval Officers Association Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos, where he was elected President of the Alumni Association of the institution, Adesanya said the exclusion of NCE graduates in the employment of teachers by successive governments has reached a worrisome level and needs urgent attention by all teachers in positions of authority in the country.

“The College of Education is the training ground for teachers as there is nowhere else where a qualified teacher can be trained. I therefore see no reason why an NCE graduate should be left unemployed as a teacher.

"As a stakeholder, I’m ready to partner with all relevant educational bodies in the country to ensure that the standard of the teaching profession is raised to an enviable position so that teachers, especially NCE graduates, will not longer be looked down upon.

"I will also work with my team to ensure that the rights of all graduates of Colleges of Education are not denied them.”

World Bank proposes African CoEx Continues from page 25

gap and need for professional human capital.

Science, he said, had become so sophisticated that everybody cannot do everything. There is, therefore, the need to concentrate on areas of competences, which can be shared.

He said the bank will call for regional proposals, between January and February 2013, through each government agency.

Blom said the need for such CoEx had become glaring as strong economic growth brought about increase in skills shortages in the extractive industries, energy, water, environment, climate change and infrastructure.

He said the CoEx, when operational, would make higher education work for development, build the foundation of excellence, attract talents (faculty and students), governance, autonomy and accountability.

Others include the attraction of adequate and sustainable funding, fund raising through fees, research, consultancies, revenue, donations, and private Welcoming participants to a consultative meeting organised by the NUC, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Julius Okojie, said the timing was right and promised that the opportunity would be used to address the critical challenges facing the region such as food security, availability of portable water, affordable housing, security and technology.

The NUC boss urged World Bank to ensure that the CoEx meets the relevant needs of the country if their objectives are to be achieved.

He advised that an institution hosting a CoEx must have the relevant human and material resources required to sustain it.

Okojie noted that CoExs evolve over time and for an institution to qualify for such a Centre, it must have existed for some years, with good learning facilities and quality research output.

He tasked the 21 universities present at the meeting to remain focussed and provide what it takes to sustain the centres, stressing that first and second generation universities in the country should provide leadership in research.

He assured them that they have what it takes to be Centres of Excellence in Africa and that they could count on NUC’s support.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —27

•Suspected cultists paraded in the community

BY ANZAA MSONTER, BSU

S

USPECTED cultists penultimate Saturday descended on the College of Education, Katisna-Ala, leaving, at least, two people dead, one injured and destroying structures on the campus.

Reports say it all started after a Tiv Day celebration by students of Tiv origin of the College during which a beauty contest was also held.

The celebration itself ended by 5:00pm and students returned to their hostels.

However, at about 8:00pm, news arrived that an NCE3 student of the department of English Theatre, Vihishima Ikyum, was shot dead at the old dinning hall.

This development

Cultists unleash terror on College of Education reportedly incensed the students who dragged the corpse to the security office where they torched some structures, accusing the security personnel of not doing their job.

On Monday, another NCE3 student, Ayatse Selumun Moses, of Political Science/ Social Studies was shot dead at his girlfriend’s house.

Confirming the incident, an NCE3 student of the department of English/ Political Science and President of the Students’

Frequently Confused Words Respectfully, Respectively The two words – respectfully and respectively are not synonyms. They are liable to be confused because they both have ‘respect’ and ‘-ly’ ending in their word formation. Please note that respectfully means ‘ with respect’; respectively means ‘in the order given’.

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Examples I have three girls: Dayo, Seun and Bisola, aged 23, 19 and 14 respectively.

He listened to the elders respectfully.

The actors respectfully greeted the audience.

Remains – Relics

Union Government of the College, Clement Ogabo, said he could not say how the whole thing started.

“I can only narrate what happened. We had Tiv Day celebration and everyone left by 5:00pm. At 8:00pm, I was called that one of our students was killed at the old dinning hall. Students took the body to the administrative block where the security office is.

They began protesting and destroying things.

"One of the suspected cultists could not escape with

his colleagues and was caught and the students said they would kill him. However, the security rescued and hid him, but he was beaten that he is on admission at the General Hospital.

“On Monday, one of the students called me that another NCE3 student Ahangba Tsea, from English Theater department visited his girlfriend and some students knocked on the door and killed him.

"This happened off-campus so I didn’t go there because

There is a strong resemblance in the meaning of remains and relics. Remains signifies ‘what remains’. Relics, from the Latin ‘relinquere’, ‘to leave’, ‘what is left…’ What remains after other parts have been used or consumed is termed remains. Thus the two words express ‘what is left’.

There is, however, a distinction in the application of the two words. ‘Remains’ is of general and familiar application; relic or relics is specific. ‘Remains’ is used as in the remains of a person (dead body i.e mortal remains), the remains of a meal/ chicken/clothes/medicines. ‘Remains’ is also used of old buildings or of buildings mostly after a conflagration. What is left of anything after a lapse of years is

the relic or relics. A relic is a historical object and reminder of the past. There are relics of antiquity in the museum, most monasteries and old churches.

‘Relics’ is also used to denote ‘a part of the body or clothes or possessions of holy person kept after his/her death as something to be deeply respected’. Sometimes, the term ‘relics’ is used to mean what remains after the decay or loss of the rest.

Rest – Remainder – Remnant All these words – rest, remainder and remnant – express ‘that part which is separated from the other’. You can say ‘the rest’ when speaking about ‘who or what remains from an original total’.

Remainder signifies what re-

of security reasons. I told the Students Affairs Officer who told the Chief Security Officer and the police went and took the body away. I have been hearing that five people were killed altogether but I don’t know the other three.

“Again on Wednesday, someone called me that management had ordered the police to arrest the second student’s girlfriend and that they want to expel her, but we will reject it if she is not found to be a cultist. Currently, she is in detention in Makurdi,” Ogabo said.

The Students Affairs Officer of the college, Mr Sebastian Akia, confirmed the death of two students, but declined giving further information.

“I have already told you that the person to talk to you is the Provost who is the chief executive officer of the college.

I have information on all these things, but I can only tell you if the provost directs me,” he said.

Meanwhile, up to the time of filing this report, all calls to the provost, Dr Han Senwua, remained unanswered.

Following the situation, the college was shut and students asked to vacate its premises.

It would be recalled that the College of Education, KatsinaAla, like its other counterparts in the state, is just recovering from months of strike.

The Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Benue State, ASUTIBS, had, in July last year, embarked on a strike that crippled activities in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics in Benue. The strike only ended February this year and the college was just trying to make up for the lost time when this incident happened. mains after the first part is gone.

It is used in a more formal context than the rest. It is usually expressed as the remainder to denote ‘the remaining people, things or time’.

Note that ‘the rest is said of any part, large or small; but the remainder commonly regards the smaller part which has been left after the greater part has been taken’. ‘What is left’ or ‘what remains’ can also be referred to as the remnants e.g. remnants of a meal/of a man’s clothes. Leftovers are ‘food remaining at the end of a meal’.

Examples: The first question was difficult but the rest were easy.

We saw a few remnants of furniture and household goods in the building.

zCONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.D, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

BRIEF

UNILAG gets new VC

Alumnus donates library to YABATECH

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

A

N alumnus of Yaba College of Technology, Mr. Taofiq Idowu Raheem, has donated an ultra modern library to his alma mater in the School of Environmental Studies to aid teaching, acquisition of skills and learning.

In the same vein, Nigerite Plc has equipped one of the Architecture Department Studios of the school with modern set of studio facilities conducive of teaching and learning.

The donor, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Win Development Limited, graduated from Yaba College of Technology over 18 years ago.

He provided all that it takes for a library to take off with over 170 volumes of books, journals, furniture and air conditions for conducive reading and learning.

Raheem, at the commissioning, declared that it is with passion that he is here to give back from what has been bestowed on him.

He added that the dearth of books during his days in Yabatech also motiveted him to do this, coupled with the fact that the lecturers need be have up-to-date knowledge in their areas of focus to be able them meet with the best practice in the world, especially the current trend in any professional career.

From right: Rector, Yabatech, Dr. Kudirat Ibiyeye-Ladipo; Mr. Taofiq Idowu Raheem, CEO, Win Development Limited; and Mrs. Tayewo Adebowale, Yabatech Librarian, at the commissioning of the fully equipped library The chief executive of Win Development Limited argued that knowledge should be created to add value to the society thereby calling on the students to always add excellence with service to humanity and not be enthused by their secondary assignment.

He, however, taske government on the need to have hybrid graduates of both universities and polytechnics if technological development of

the country is to be advanced.

Raheem also instituted an award for the best student in Environmental Studies for the next five years, with a pledge to often update the library with current books from time to time.

While commissioning the studio, the Rector of the College, Dr. Margaret IbiyeyeLadipo, commended the donors stating "there is no doubt that these acts of Corporate Social Responsibility from the two

organisations will, to a large extent, bridge the gap between labour competence and industrial requirement in a technologically dynamic and competitive world."

Also speaking, Dean, School of Environmental Studies, Mr. Inyang Udoh Inyang, said the commissioning was a dream come true of having an Architecture Studio and library which can meet the global standard.

OAU celebrates golden jubilee in grand style

BY SIKIRU AKINOLA, OAU

I

T was indeed a week of glamorous events as the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, celebrated her golden jubilee anniversary.

The week-long event started on Monday with a press briefing which took place at the University Senate Building.

Briefing journalists, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, said the

university has achieved some of the dreams of its founding fathers as it has grown into a very large estate.

Omole observed that research work in OAU has been globally acknowledged as the National Universities Commission (NUC) rated the university as the best in research in the country.

“As at now, the university has produced from among its academia a Nobel Laureate, and six Nigerian National Merit

Award winners.

"Our students have also excelled in national and international competitions. We believe our founding fathers have left unparallel legacy for us and we are endeavouring to keep the flag flying.

"The university landscape which epitomizes this is being improved upon and all abandoned projects are being completed. OAU has been acclaimed the most beautiful university campus in Africa and

•Students at the palace of the Ooni of Ife to mark the golden jubilee C M Y K

fifth best place of real estate in the world. It hosts the only museum of Natural History in West Africa which edifice sits like a colossus on the scenic terrain of our university campus.”

On the second day, academic and economic activities were paralysed at campus and Ile-Ife township as students, staff and university authorities walked round major streets in the ancient city in celebration of the institution’s 50th year anniversary.

Led by the VC, the walk attracted unprecedented numbers of students who used the opportunity to tour the ancient city.

On Thursday, a lecture with the theme: Possesors at the Gate was delivered by Dr. Christopher Kolade, chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, Dr. Christopher Kolade, called for full autonomy for Nigerian Universities.

BY IKENNA ASOMBA & TOSIN ADESILE

T

HE Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, at its special meeting held on November 10, 2012, has unanimously adopted the report of the Selection Board that Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello, FAEng be appointed Vice-Chancellor with effect from Monday, November 12, 2012 for a five-year term.

The Council, led by Deacon Gamaliel Onosode (OFR), approved the appointment of Professor Bello as the 11th ViceChancellor of the University of Lagos.

He was appointed DVC (Management Services) in April 2010 and has been serving as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university since May 12, 2012.

He clinched the coveted position after beating five others at an interview held by the Governing Council.

Born on October 6, 1948, in Iboro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Prof. Bello attended Egbado College, Ilaro, Ogun State and Technical College, Ibadan, now The Polytechnic, Ibadan for his secondary and National Diploma Certificates respectively.

He graduated with First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering (1974) from the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and subsequently, proceeded to the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he earned M.A.Sc. (1977) and PhD (1981) (Chemical Engineering).

He joined the services of the University of Lagos as Assistant Lecturer in 1977 and rose steadily to the posts of Lecturer II, Lecturer 1 and Senior Lecturer, between 1981 and 1991.

He was appointed Associate Professor in 1991 and Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1998. Professor Bello is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers; Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers and Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Engineering and other professional bodies. He is married and blessed with four children.

•Prof. Rahamon Adisa Bello

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A6—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

I N S I D E

w cons titution Wanted: A ne new constitution for Nigeria (3)

Appeal Court: Jumbo Ofo’s appointment cannot be aborted — Lawyers — A7

— A8

CJN vs. Jombo-Ofo: Is Justice on trial?

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

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•Justice Mariam Mukhtar Aloma, CJN issue a formal statement with a view to explaining the rationale behind the CJN’s action, however, it was gathered that the reason Justice Jombo-Ofo who was ab-initio scheduled to be sworn-in alongside eleven other justices, was denied the opportunity,

,

USTOMARILY, standing at the entrance of every court in Nigeria is usually a statue, depicting a blind-folded lady, carrying scales in the left hand and a double-edged sword in her right hand.

That statute referred to as Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, is a personification of the moral force in contemporary judicial systems across the globe.

It is a common assumption that with the scales, she measures the strength of cases presented before her for adjudication, while the sword which symbolizes the power of reason and justice, may be wielded either for or against any of the parties found guilty in the face of the law.

The blind-fold which Justitia who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Dike, has worn since the 15th century, represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of identity, money, power or societal status.

This is further exemplified in the Latin legal maxim, “Fiat justitia ruat caelum” meaning “let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

Significantly, since 1963 when the Federal Republic of Nigeria was proclaimed and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe became its first President, this is the first time a woman is heading its judiciary.

Justice Mariam Mukhtar Aloma made history as the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, having succeeded Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who retired on July 15, 2012. She became the 13thindigenous CJN. Statutorily, as the CJN, she superintends over the Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council, NJC, two key organs of the judiciary that not only wield enormous power, but to a large extent, determine the course of justice administration in Nigeria.

Though varying controversies dogged the judiciary under previous male CJNs, however, Justice Aloma has successfully managed to avoid crisis until last week when she declined to administer oath of office on a female judge who was elevated to the Appeal Court Bench by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Despite the intervention of the Senate, indications emerged that the CJN might have decided to stick to her decision not to allow Justice Ifoma Jombo-Ofo to proceed to the appellate court, owing to alleged discrepancies in her application.

Even though the apex court is yet to

I think it is unconstitutional as well as discriminatory to deprive her of her promotion in her acquired state as a citizen of Nigeria

,

due to a petition challenging her state of origin.

The petitioners had contended that Justice Jombo-Ofo who is currently serving under the Abia state judiciary, lacked the requisite locus to take a slot meant for the state since she was originally from Anambra State, notwithstanding the fact that she is married to a man from Abia state.

The embattled judge who was called to Bar in 1979 and appointed a High Court Judge on November 4, 1998, was said to have transferred her service from Anambra to Abia state

after her marriage, and has worked in the Abia state judicial service for over 14-years.

According to the petitioners, going by the prevailing judicial policy in the country; she is not qualified to represent Abia state.

Meanwhile, despite the deafening silence from the apex court on the matter, investigations by Vanguard revealed that the CJN decided to stepdown her swearing-in, after it was discovered that Justice Jombo-Ofo, in her bid to ascend the appellate court bench, filed two separate applications where she chose both Anambra and Abia as her state of origin.

It was gathered that only recently, when the opportunity emerged for Anambra state to nominate a judge to be promoted to the Appeal Court, Justice Jombo-Ofo, applied, claiming the state as her place of birth.

However, following her inability to clinch the slot, she waited till much recently when it was the turn of Abia state to nominate a candidate, and reapplied again, this time filling Abia as her state of origin.

Thus, when the issue was brought to the attention of the CJN after her nomination had already been ratified by both the NJC and the Presidency, the CJN, was said to have confronted her with the facts, demanding to know the reason behind the mix-up.

It was learnt that Justice Jombo-Ofo on each of the occasions she was queried by the CJN, failed to give

satisfactory explanation in her own defence, a situation that compelled the decision of the CJN to deny her the position pending the outcome of an emergency meeting the NJC is billed to convene over the matter soon.

Not even a quick intervention of the Abia state Governor, Theordore Orji, was enough to persuade the CJN to rescind her decision, an action in-line with the legal maxim, “Frustra legis auxilium quaerit qui in legem comittit”, meaning, “He who offends against the law vainly seeks the help of the law.”

Meanwhile, prior to the entire hullabaloo, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olufunlola Oyelola Adekeye, had in a speech she delivered at a valedictory court session held in her honour, implored the NJC and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, “to review the policy that married women cannot reach the peak of their career in their husbands’ state of origin.”

She said: “complaints of this nature are now rampant. Most women transfer their service to the state of origin of their husbands immediately after their marriage. This is logical and in compliance with the tenets of marriage that the two spouses shall become one. In some native customs particularly amongst the Yorubas, the wife no longer has a place in her ancestral home after marriage. Whenever there is vacancy at the top in the husband’s state of origin, she will be denied the post and there and then referred to her own state of origin, after climbing the ladder and putting so many years into the service.

“On a more serious note, I think it is unconstitutional as well as discriminatory to deprive her of her promotion in her acquired state as a citizen of Nigeria, by virtue of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

As the judicial-abracadabra continues, one thing that remains certain is that justice administration in the country is currently on trial.

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—A7

Appeal Court: Jumbo Ofo’s appointment cannot be aborted — Lawyers

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

F

OLLOWING the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mrs Alousious Muktar, refusal to administer oath of office on Justice Ifeoma Jumbo-Ofo, as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, penultimate Monday, some lawyers who spoke with Vanguard Law and Human Rights on the matter noted that her inauguration as a justice at the Court of Appeal cannot be aborted.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Olanrewaju Ogunlesi, pointed out that it was wrong for the CJN to decline to swear-in the judge for reason of her not being from Abia State, saying that the appointment is like a pregnancy that has outgrown abortion.

Ogunlesi stressed that such development not encourage marriage institution or inter marriage and warned that the issue not be viewed from the perspective of the judiciary alone because it would also affect the civil service.

“Even in America, you can change your state and adopt another state. The decision of the CJN is wrong. Now, nobody would want to marry from another state if he sees that there is no future for him there” he said.

Ogunlesi explained that there is no law stopping Justice Jumbo-Ofo from serving the state of her husband, adding that the Constitution encourages it. He noted that such law applies mainly to men and does not work in abstract situation.

“It must be applied to the facts on ground. For a lady who has served in the state of her husband, the law cannot apply. Nobody is complaining, even the Governor who recommended the judge is not complaining, so why is the CJN, who should promote the course of women in Nigeria, be unwilling to swear her in?” he wondered.

The Senior Advocate further explained that technically Justice Jumbo-Ofois no more a justice of the High Court, since having received her letter of appointment as a justice of the Court of Appeal, adding “she ought to be sworn in as a judge of the Court of Appeal because once you are announced as being elevated, the status-quo no longer obtains. She cannot go back to the High Court.”

He maintained that for there to be a better and united Nigeria, inter-marriage should be encouraged at all levels, saying “in respective of where you come from, once you are married into another tribe or state, and then you C M Y K

have left whatever you have in the former for the latter, whatever benefits that comes from the latter should as well be given to the person who has moved into another state.”

A legal Consultant, Chief Morah Ekwunoh, who also spoke on the matter, said the CJN refusal to swear-in Justice Jumbo-Ofo, as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, on account of petition to her office, is to say the least, unconstitutional and embarrassing, not only to Justice Jumbo-Ofo, but to the institution that the learned CJN represents.

“This is because, the Learned Justice, having fully qualified for elevation to the Court of Appeal; and having been appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the National Judiciary Council (NJC), in line with the provisions of sections 238(1) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended), she should have been swornin along with her eleven other lucky colleagues.

“To do otherwise, would clearly run counter to the constitutional provision aforesaid. Last minute abortion of her swearing-in process, even when she was already seated for same is absolutely wrong in law, since the swearing-in ceremony was merely ceremonial and never went to the pitch and substance of her elevation” he added.

Ekwunoh said the issues of petition against the judge, not having been handled before her appointment, by the President, upon her recommendation by NJC; and upon her appearance for mere swearing-in ceremony, was in the circumstance belated and would not have warranted the undeserved humiliation visited on the Judge.

In his words: “The petition against her would have been

•Chief Morah Ekwunoh discussed by the NJC, qua NJC, and not qua CJN, since it was the NJC, and not CJN, that recommended her pursuant to section 238(3) supra.

The NJC, and not the CJN, would have decided whether the recommendation to the President, for her elevation would be withdrawn.

“In the circumstance, since the CJN does not constitute NJC alone, her singular and unilateral action of not swearing Honourable Justice Ifeoma Jumbo-Ofo is absolutely ultra vires and unconstitutional. It amounted to her unilateral usurpation of the powers of the NJC.” He opined that the petition, at NJC level, against the learned Justice should not have aborted her swear-in process, as she is clearly an Abia state indigene by virtue of her marriage thereat, apart from her inalienable right to non-discrimination, as enshrined in section 42(1), among others, of the 1999 Constitution (supra), and Article 19, among others, of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights

•Mr Qudus Mumuney (Enforcement and Ractification) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, Volume 1, Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to which Nigeria is a leading signatory, adding that both prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex and place or of birth.

However, Mr Qudus Mumuney, a legal advisory, held that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and NJC have over the years adopted a policy for the appointment of Justices of the Superior Courts (Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) to reflect “Federal Character”. In effect, a person may only be appointed a Justice of the Superior Courts if there is a slot for his state.

“But Section 238 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) provides for the appointment of the President and Justices of the Court of Appeal. By virtue of the provision of Section 238 (1) of the Constitution, the appointment of a person as a President and/or Justice of the

Court of Appeal shall be made by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council subject to confirmation of such appointment by the Senate” he averred.

Mumuney, in his own view, pointed out that CJN’s refusal to administer the Oath of Office to Justice Jumbo-Ofo was not because she is not from Abia State as she claimed, it was mainly that she did not state the true position of her indigeneship.

“Justice Jumbo-Ofo is from Anambra State but married to a man from Abia State. There is however nothing in our laws which state that the indigeneship of a woman changes to that of her husband’s state of origin upon marriage. If the policy of the Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council is that a person’s state of origin, for the purposes of appointment as a justice of the Superior Courts, is his true state of origin and not the state of origin of the husband, then that remains the policy until it is changed."

A8—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Wanted: A new constitution for Nigeria (3) Continued from last week

BY THEO NKIRE

W

E shall then have 110 governments (one federal and 109 provincial) – a saving of 691. The reasons are two. States today are so powerful they consistently usurp the powers of the Local Governments. The Local Governments are invariably so small they can engage in no meaningful development projects; and so weak, they cannot assert their rights against the all powerful State Governments. The solution is the province which shall combine the powers of the State and the Local Government and even acquire more powers from the Federal Government; be large enough to galvanize the people for effective development and yet be closer to the people than the present day State.

There is no intention to replace today’s all powerful State Governor with an equally powerful Provincial Council Chairman since the Chairman will first be elected to the Council from his Council ward before he is elected Chairman by his colleagues in Council.

The executive powers of the Province shall belong to the Council and not to the Chairman. Both the legislative and executive powers of the Province shall be vested in the Council.

Abolish The Bi-Cameral Legislature At The Centre Nigeria should abolish the Senate and the House and replace them with the unicameral system we have in the States. In our 17-year old experiment with the presidential and bi-cameral system (1979 – 1983; 1999 – 2012) hardly any disagreement between the Senate and the House de-railed legislation; nor has the absence of a second chamber in our States made it impossible for any State to effectively perform its legislative functions. What then is the advantage of a second chamber in the National Assembly? To make it more representative, an additional seat can be added to each province to bring the total number of members to 469, if need be.

The abolition of a second chamber in the National Assembly will help reduce the size and cost of government. It will also help reduce the length of time a bill journeys through the Assembly and the various bottlenecks associated with its passage into law.

Referendum For Nigerians to give to themselves a Constitution, they must do so through a referendum. The enactment can be done by their representatives in the National and State Assemblies. However the people must be seen to participate by referring the document

to the people for approval issues involved. before it is enacted into law.

The suggested While the people’s representaamendments are tives can amend the Constitunot exhaustive. The tion, only the people can give Seventh Assembly to themselves a Constitution can, for some time, through a referendum. put paid to the After chapters Five, Six, frequent call for Seven and Eight of the existamendments to the ing Constitution have been Constitution. The expunged and other amendimmortal words of ments effected, the resultant humanist philosoedition shall be submitted to pher, Marianne the people of Nigeria for William strengthen approval. It is only after their my belief that the people approved that our National Assembly representatives in the National and State Assemblies can can give Nigeria a •David Mark, Senate president worth Constitution: enact it into law “as is”, without debate or amendment. engender debate on the “Our deepest fear is not that Conclusion we are inadequate. Our subject. I do not claim any I hope this contribution on deepest fear is that we are special knowledge of the the Nigerian Constitution will

powerful beyond measure ………….we ask ourselves ……who am I to be so brilliant, so talented, so gorgeous, so fabulous – who are you not to be?”

Chief Nkire, a former Attorney-General of Abia State of Nigeria, to practise law in Nigeria July 1979, also admitted to practise law in New York, the United States of America, was at different times Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Aba Branch; Member Abia State Judicial Service Commission, National Legal Adviser, National Republican Convention, NRC, and Member of the Constituent Assembly 198889.

How Justice Mustapha was honoured in Abuja

BY GBOLAHAN GBADAMOSI

F

OR more than four hours, Supreme Court Justice M.Dattijo Muhammad, judges of the Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Bar activists and traditional rulers recently in Abuja poured encomium on the former Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha (OFR) during the book launch in his honour.

He retired constitutionally as Chief Judge on September 4, 2009.

The book: “Rethinking The Administration of Justice: Essays In Honour of Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, OFR, FCI, Arb,(Rtd) “ was coedited by Rickey Tarfa (SAN), Prof. Lanre Fagbohun and Gbolahan Gbadamosi.

The ceremony which held inside the Zuma Hall of the New Rockview Hotel, Abuja was also to mark the 68th birthday anniversary of Justice Mustapha.

Among those who honoured the retired judicial officer are the current Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim N. Auta, Mustapha’s successor in office, Justice Dan Abutu (rtd), Senator Isah Muhammad, Waziri of Nupe who represented His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Yayaha Abubakar (CFR), The Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Chiefs.

Leading the pack of praise was Justice Muhammad in his capacity as Chairman of the Day who described the honouree as “Man of many colours”. Guests after guests agreed that Justice Mustapha deserved the honour.

Deputy Director General, Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu who reviewed the 360 page book published by

•Former Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha,(2nd left),Justice of Supreme Court, Justice Dattijo Muhammad, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta and Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN) during the 68th birthday and book launch in honor of Mustapha. Photo Abayomi Fayese Dayo Alabi.

Treating the book chapter by chapter, Ojukwu stated that, “Rethinking the Administration of Justice” has 17 chapters of wellresearched papers on various subjects of civil law and administration of justice”.

“The editors of this book rightly captured the history of Hon. Justice Mustapha on the Bench and they testified that “his years at the helm of affairs at the Federal High Court coincided with a period when the adjudicatory system of the court had become extremely slow, ineffective and highly frustrating for litigants. It was reasonable, therefore, to anticipate a critical reevaluation and re-appraisal of the procedure of the court.

Honourable Justice Abdullahi rose to the challenge. Does Hon. Justice Mustapha deserve this honour of a book in his name, or any other honour ?”

Ojukwu asked.

Answering the question in the affirmative, he said, “ There are testimonies upon testimonies for Justice Mustapha’s dedication,

brilliance, gentility, meekness, love and patience, and for keeping and upholding the rules of justice all the time.” I can personally testify that Justice Mustapha’s YES is YES and NO is NO. He is a man of integrity who showed good examples on the Bench, in his conduct and also in the management of justice. He adjudicated with conscience. Justice Mustapha is a man of character. No other person deserves this honour, any more than him. I recommend Essays in Honour of Hon. Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, OFR, to all”.

From the tribe of members of the inner bar that came to honour Justice Mustapha are: Lucius Nwosu(a contributor), Chief Chris Uche, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, Dele Belgore, Yele Delano , Kunle Ogunba and Ahmed Raji. The Dame of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) and Fellow, Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa, University Centre, Geogetown, USA, Dame Carol Ajie, Baroyin of Yewa

land, Chief Kayode Odunaro, Arc. Olusola Kayode also graced the event.

From the bench were Court of Appeal Justice Ali Gumel, Justices Adeniyi Ademola, Gladys Olotu,Yinka Faji (a contributor), Gabriel Kolawole (a contributor) Banjoko and the newly promoted Justice Stephen Adah to Court of Appeal.

Presenting the book was the President, Dangote Groups, Alhaji Aliko Dangote ably represented by Alhaji Isa Tata. Tata was also supported by Gen. Garba (rtd),Gen. Gana (rtd),Alhaji Ibrahim Dangana, Justice Aliyu Maiyaki of Niger State High Court.

After the cutting of the 68th birthday cake directed by Tarfa, Justice Mustapha in his remarks said he felt honoured to be present at the launching of the book put together by legal luminaries, including the highly distinguished academics, experienced and highly knowledgeable skilled judges as well as legal practitioners of the highest eminence and distinction.

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 29

Federal University Wukari matriculates pioneer students

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

I

t’s amazing how time flies.

What’s more amazing is how time changes style.

Trends that once belonged to the class of geeks have now become common place for the crème de la crème of campus fashion. Today, Quadlifestyle focuses on these geeky trends.

•Geeky Glasses: Since they surfaced on the campus fashion scene a few years ago, geeky glasses have become a sensation not just for Nigerian students, but for young people all over the world. These glasses combine a sophisticated serious look with a playful, fun loving mood.

•Suits - three piece and all: Suits have moved from the closets of really ‘uncool’ lecturers to the shoulders of the most eligible students. From suede blazers to three piece plaids, suits are the trademark of the premiere style.

•Bow tie & suspenders: The village head master ’s style has evolved to suit the undergraduate’s wardrobe needs. Bow tie and suspenders are fast becoming regular choices for the stylish campus undergraduate.

Everything old is new again, and it all begins on your way to class!

•High waist skirts: Gone are the days when it wasn’t hip to wear skirts on your belly button.

From straight to pleated, long skirts to short, nearly every skirt on the runways of university campuses is designed in a pattern that was once reserved for nerds.

High waist skirts:

BY EMMANUEL SHEBBS

A

bia State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has appointed a student leader, Comr. Afulike Don Christian, as Special Adviser to the Governor on students’ matters.

The appointment followed demands from the national executive members of National Association of Abia State Students (NAASS) who paid a courtesy visit to the C M Y K

BY JERRY AMAH, FUW

N

o fewer than 500 pioneer students of Federal University Wukari will be formally crowned studentship of the institution during its maiden matriculation to be held tomorrow in the university, located along Katsina-Ala Road.

This will be followed by a three-day orientation exercise for the new students who were recently registered into various academic programmes which commenced on 13th November.

The exercise shall last for three days beginning with a paper presentation titled; University Education: Bedrock of the Nigerian Future Development by Rev. Dr Joseph Starling, the Students’ Counsellor and Advisor of the Counselling Unit at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. This will be followed by a motivational talk by Josephine Egbor Odey, Professor of Language Education, department of Curriculum and Teaching, Benue State University, Makurdi.

However, all students and guests are expected to be seated at 9am.

The statement further adds that unveiling of the history of Wukari by a member of Wukari Traditional Council and display of cultural entertainment are highlights of day two of the orientation activities.

According to the Acting Dean of Student Affairs, Mrs. Ebele Ebida, the closing ceremony include interactive sessions between students and other staff as well as novelty match between the university staff and Wukari Local Government staff.

Apart from the first day, all the activities featured in the other days of the orientation will start at 10am.

Governor appoints student as Special Adviser Governor.

Speaking at the courtesy visit, National President, NAASS, Comr. Jude Ezeibe, pointed out that the lack of SA to the Governor on students’ matters has hampered the relationship between government and students of the state within and outside the state.

Ezeibe said: "Sir, the appointment of SA to the Governor on students matters will help enhance the governor/students' relationship in the state. This will bring the students closer to your office, thereby making the students to understand your plans for them.

After making the request,

Ezeibe recommended Afulike as a unanimous nominee to the office. The nomination was subsequently approved by Governor Orji.

The Governor applauded the demand and promised that he will keep the students closer to his government.

Comr. Afulike is a former President of the Students

Union Government (SUG), Abia State University, Uturu.

He has been reckoned with high scores of performance during his regime as the President of SUG. A source told Quadlife that throughout his six months period as the SUG President, there was no case of students protest, riot or whatsoever.

30— Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Fashola’s wife, others lead 50,000 schools at global reading festival

BY BOSE ADELAJA

W

IFE of Lagos State governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, and her Kwara State counterpart, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, will be among notable Nigerians who will lead over 50,000 secondary schools to participate in the maiden edition of the largest ever book reading festival featuring “17 Secrets of High Flying Students” in 17 cities across Nigeria and 17 countries across the world.

The event, Gemstone Global Reading Festival, taking place on Saturday November 24, 2012, aims at promoting academic excellence, youth leadership and world peace as well as raising exceptional leaders and change

C M Y K

agents that would bring about national transformation in their respective countries.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, convener of the project and author of the book, Fela Durotoye, said the reading, scheduled for 12 noon GMT, would hold simultaneously, taking into account the different time zones of each reading centre.

“While the reading takes place in Nigeria by 12 noon, other locations like Ghana would be 11am, South Africa at 1pm, Malaysia at 7pm, Maryland (USA) at 7am to mention but a few,” he said.

The reading will afford students opportunity to ask questions bordering on the vision as it

inspires them to strive for academic excellence.

He said in Nigeria, the reading centers will have Lagos as

its hub, with others at Abeokuta, Calabar, Ilorin, Ibadan, PortHacourt, Minna among others while the foreign centres include

Zimbabwe, UK, Uganda, Singapore, China, Thailand, Philippines, and the event will be streamed live on the internet.

Corporate Affairs Officer, Vanguard Media Ltd, Mr. Charles Gerrad, explainning some points on the productions of the Vanguard newspapers to students of Jomal Comprehensive School, Festac Town, during a visit to the Photo: company.

Shola Oyelese.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 31

I

f we can produce our drugs locally with raw materials sourced from our environment, definitely the cost of drugs, and subsequently, money spent on healthcare, will reduce. So researchers like Dr. (Mrs) Uche Kanife, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Science, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, are working hard to see that they get local alternatives to some imported drugs using medicinal plants and fungal organisms. In this chat with Vanguard Learning in Lagos, Kanife talks about her work on the ergot fungus, Claviceps purpurea from which an important drug is made.

Excerpts: The problem: r. (Mrs) Uche Kanife said most of her researches have been on medicinal plants, but during her PhD work, she concentrated on fungal organisms. Said she; “Actually I just concluded a PhD thesis in my area of specialisation, Mycology/Biotechnology, using fungal organisms to derive useful products.

D

I concentrated on fungal organisms, trying to isolate active components from fungi that could be used to produce drugs that can stop bleeding after childbirth. The drug is normally administered to women immediately after childbirth, just few minutes before the placenta comes out, to control bleeding. What is normally used in most hospitals is ergometrine and ergometrine is produced from a plant commonly called rye plant, a temperate plant that does not grow in the tropics.

Unfortunately, the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which produces the active component used for the production of ergometrine, can only grow on the rye plant.”

Breakthrough:

K

anife said in the course of her work on Claviceps purpurea, an ergot fungus, she found out that it can grow on a tropical plant called Panicum maximum, commonly known as Guinea, Tanganyika or Buffalo grass “and we have the Guinea grass growing all over the place. Guinea grass is an ideal forage grass. Apart from being a forage grass, it can be used for phyto-remediation which is the use of living green plants for in situ risk reduction and/

•Claviceps purpurea on rye

• Guinea grass

We derive useful products from fungal organisms – Uche Kanife stance.”

By EBELE ORAKPO

or removal of contaminants from contaminated soil, water, sediments, and air.

“I concentrated on the active component of the fungus that grows in the flowers of this grass, basically because it is a tropical plant; it can easily be cultivated unlike the rye plant that cannot be grown in the tropics.

I was able to come up with an active component which we characterized as an alkaloid. We are yet to introduce it to the pharmaceutical industry but we have registered the findings. It is a novel research work, the first of its kind. The only work that has been done using infected Guinea grass was so many years ago and they only tested the ability of the infected grass to cause any physiological change. In fact, that was the baseline of my work because we felt that if this in-

An alternative:

fected grass that has this fungus can cause physiological changes like changing the colour of the liver, the lungs and all that, it would probably be as a result of toxic substances present in the infected grass, so we took off from there and on carrying out further research, I came up with the source of the toxic sub-

“There are toxic substances present in the infected plant and the toxic substances were produced by the Clavicep purpurea so the fungus’ ability to produce the ergot was our template. Unfortunately, the rye plant grows only in temperate regions and so we keep spending money importing this drug. Since the organism can grow on a tropical plant, the Guinea grass, we went into the research from that angle to produce an alternative, something we can use in place of ergometrine.

We all know the problem of maternal mortality. If you look at World Health Organisation’s (WHO) reports over the years, you will see that it is really on the increase. Most times, women give birth even in local hospitals and because of bleeding after childbirth, a lot of them lose their lives so it has been a problem that even the medical field has not really been able to proffer so-

NYSC scheme, over the years, has become a productive channeling of youthful intelligence, alertness, zeal, energy and skills for national development.

She said that the scheme, among others, aims at instilling in corps members leadership qualities of perseverance,

diligence, determination, loyalty, integrity, courage, discipline of mind as well as ability to live amicably with others under any circumstance.

The State Coordinator who commended the governor of Lagos State for his support towards the realisation of the ob-

Dr. (Mrs) Uche Kanife

lution to.

A lot of toxicity studies have been carried out and we were able to arrive at the fact that they are very safe because they did not affect kidney or liver functions and their enzymes. You know it is the kidney and liver that detoxify drugs.”

Other works:

A

part from that, we have been carrying out researches on herbal plants in a bid to isolate active components but we have not really gone very far in characterizing them. We did chromatographic work, Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), column chromatography before we could get that single active component which we are yet to name but because it is active, I had to get the work registered.

And then we have also tried to look at some other organisms that could be of economic importance because fungal organisms, apart from causing diseases, have a lot of toxic substances that can be used in the production of drugs that can be used as teratogenic drugs ie drugs that can be used to produce contraceptives,” she stated.

3,337 corps members sworn in, charged on skills acquisition

BY DAYO ADESULU

G

OVERNOR Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has called on members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted to the state to add value to the state as they dedicate themselves to build up their God-given talents at their various community.

Fashola, who gave this charge during the swearing in ceremony of Batch ‘C’ 2012 corps member at NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana-Ipaja, said C M Y K

for them to benefit from the national scheme’s programme, they have to be hardworking and dedicated to duties.

Represented by Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Aderanti Adegunle Adebule, Governor Fashola congratulated the 3,337corps members for the successful completion of their academic year, saying without which they will not be at the orientation ground.

Also, in the introductory address delivered by the Lagos State Coordinator, NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, said the

jectives of the scheme said: “while appreciating Governor Fashola’s efforts aimed at providing a befitting permanent orientation camp in the State, we pray that this dream will manifest soonest and a mega camp unveiled in the centre of excellence.”

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Stakeholders seek educational reforms

By ESTHER ONYEGBULA

I

N a conscious effort to address the numerous problems facing the nation’s educational sector, stakeholders within the sector gathered at a two-day conference to x-ray the issues affecting the development of education in Nigeria and find efficient ways of addressing them.

The international conference organized by Quality Assurance and Research Development Agency Nigeria (QAARDAN), in collaboration with HARAMBEE and the Lagos Business School, had the theme: The school, the family, the student, a harmonious triad for successful educational achievement and nation building.

Considering that quite recently the Nigerian educational system underwent a review with some changes incorporated into the curriculum, the curriculum was examined to know if it integrates the two tenets of Nigerian education: character and learning, if character education has been given enough prominence and how it is going to bring about the needed change in educational system.

Addressing the gathering, the Executive Director, QAARDAN, Mrs. Theresa Okafor, noted that the conference is meant to give those in the educational system a platform to discuss the challenges they face in forming character and also enable them come up with concrete resolutions to move the sector for-

ward.

Dr. Ismail Junaidu, Director, Curriculum Development Center, Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), said “over the years, as the society changes so are the aims and goals of education, culminating in series of edition of the national policy of education and invariably the content of education in Nigeria.

"The new Nigeria school curriculum is designed to drive the development of appropriate skills for social, economic and moral transformation, it is expected that a community of Nigerian youths with great intellectual, entrepreneurial skills character values will emerge, by proving support and foundation for higher education if well implemented.”

Participants after the conference

UK approves Peacock College for accreditation

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

P

EACOCK College, Unit ed Kingdom, a subsidiary of Peacock Travel and Tours in Nigeria has been accepted for full accreditation by British Accreditation Council (BAC).

BAC accreditation is recognised by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), part of the Home Office, as a qualifying requirement for institutions wishing to enrol students on student visitor visas.

Students from outside the European Economic Area will only secure a UK student visitor visa if they have a genuine offer from an accredited institution.

According to a statement by the Principal, Peacock College, UK, Mr. Zenon Adamek, the college has proved itself to be a bona fide education institution with all resources and qualities required for accreditation.

The statement quoted him as saying, “This is a first mile stone in the way to establish its presence in the UK education and training provider C M Y K

market. Accreditation by BAC not only opens new venues for Peacock College UK in terms of academic, professional and administrative development but also expose the college to new challenges.

"Peacock College UK is maintaining its high standard of teaching and constantly developing new programmes to suit the demand from customers.

The college is also in the process of developing the English universities and education awareness programme” for Chinese and Nigerian participants. He explained that the college plans to come with the programme to Nigeria late January 2013. The programme will give as much information about the UK universities as possible.

Don makes case for water transportation

BY MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI

A

gainst the backdrop of the menance of flood which has turned millions of Nigerians into refugees in their homeland, the government has been advised to revive the inland water transport system in the country. The advice was given by a university don, Dr. Anthony Donladi Ali of the Redeemer’s University, RUN, at the public presentation of a book entitled; Trade and Transportation in The Lower Niger 18302011, held at the Boja Arts Theatre, Redeemer’s University, Redemption Camp, Ogun State on Tuesday.

Dr. Danladi Ali, who authored

the 296-page book lamented that, “the water transport subsector has suffered neglect due to undue emphasis on road transport, official emphasis has always been on the improvement of road transport.

The organisational and management objectives of the transport sector are established by political process,” adding that Nigeria transport system fell short of standard.

The roads are in very bad conditions, making road transportation a dreaded affair. Air transport could be expensive and hazardous, water transport is inadequately catered for, rail transport was almost forgotten.

SUCCESS RECIPE WITH

UDEME ARCHIBONG

Mastering your internal guidance system W

HY do we think the way we do? Why do we feel the way we do? Why do we act or behave the way we do? What determines our results in life? The quality of our lives is determined by our internal guidance system. Your internal guidance system is the regulator of your entire life; everything in your life rises or falls on it. The outward condition of your life is a reflection of the quality of your internal guidance system. What then is internal guidance system? You may ask. It is the stimulant that triggers a pattern of thinking, talking, acting or behaving in various situations and in every important area of our lives which have been learned from infancy onward which has evolved into subconscious response or conditioning that produces the outcome of our lives.

Most of the behaviour and responses of the adult to various situations or events are on autopilot. Most of the ideas, feelings opinion, beliefs, and attitude were learned during our formative years. And these ideas, beliefs, attitude, opinion, values and experiences to which we were exposed to have been imprinted on our subconscious mind. In every event of your life you draw upon the belief, idea, opinion and attitude that have been filed in your subconscious mind to respond or deal with the situation. Therefore, most of our choices we make in life are subconscious choices rather than conscious choices. If we do not like our behaviour or the result we are experiencing in any area of life, it is needful to change your internal guidance system.

Everything that we have experienced in life either positively or negatively first existed in our minds or in the mind of someone. There cannot be a physical creation without a mental creation. Our lives are being controlled and directed by our mental states; our state of life is determined by our state of mind. Our behaviour and response to life is always consistent with our mental pictures. And our mental picture creates our actual picture or experience. Therefore, in mastering our internal guidance system we need to take heed of the thoughts and mental picture that dominates our minds because it will dominate our life. Most of us allow our minds to operate by default; thinking and imagining all kinds of things that creates a failure-ridden life. We must deliberately choose our dominating thoughts and visualize ourselves taking possession of who we want to be, what we want to do and what we want to have. The mental picture should be clear, held consistently in the mind with an in-depth belief that it is as good as done.

Think of yourself and see yourself as you want to be and not as you are.

We need to issue out commands to our subconscious mind. We need to talk aloud to ourselves and set the course of our behaviour and life with positive words of how we want to lead our lives. Remember, words can create and increate our feelings and behaviour and shape who we are.

You must walk, talk, and act exactly as if you were already the person you desire to be. Let your behaviour and actions be consistent with your goals and ideals.

You need to “live” it before you can experience it.

We are bombarded all our waking hours with negativity.

Therefore, we need to shield our minds from all forms of negativity by feeding our minds with positive information that will improve and upgrade our lives bringing us into harmony with our goals. We must take heed of who we listen to, what we watch and read. Remember, garbage in; garbage out.

Our association determines our acceleration or deceleration in the journey of life. Therefore, associate with positive people who are doing something great with their lives; people who will build you up and help you accomplish your destiny.

Chart your course by mastering your internal guidance system.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—33

FG kick-starts implementation of Sugar Master Plan

T

HE Federal Govern ment has kicked off the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan. The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said the new Sugar Master Plan, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, is expected to raise the country’s local sugar production to a self-sufficiency level and stem the tide of high importation of the commodity; contribute to the production of ethanol/ generation of about 411MW of electricity; and

create 117,181 jobs.

“We held several consultations with all the stakeholders in the sugar industry. At the end of that consultation, the product was a Sugar Master Plan and then a government policy. Again, after further discussions with stakeholders and relevant ministries, the Sugar Master Plan was approved by the Federal Executive Council. Now, we have a Sugar Master Plan, from sugarcane to sugar production.

“This is the first time that we have gone

through the details of the Sugar Roadmap, policies and incentives that are available and the game plan of where we want to be at the end of the implementation of the plan.

As at today, we only pro-

duce two per cent of the sugar we need in the country while we import raw sugar.”

The minister added that if you compare this to other West African countries, that two per cent is the

lowest. For instance, Benin Republic produces 25.6 per cent of their sugar requirement; Burkina Faso, 47 per cent; Cote d’Ivoire, 54 per cent; Senegal, 48 per cent and Mali, 28 per cent.

Govts urged to respect contract, agreement with private sector

BY FRANKLIN ALLI

T

HE Federal and States Government have been called upon to respect contract and

agreement they signed with the private sector and the international investors so as not to discourage investment.

Dr. Chika Eze, the Dep-

uty Managing Director, Aulic Nigeria Limited, (the management of Lagos International Trade Fair Complex), made the call in Lagos while fielding questions from journalists. She lamented that lack of respect for contract and agreement by the public sector is discouraging Nigerians who are in the private sector and the international investors alike.

She pointed out that a lot of investors from overseas are not willing to come to the country because: “If you sign an agreement or a contract today; tomorrow it is in doubt, next tomorrow it is cancelled, the next day, it is reinstated; the international community does not do business in this way, and so it is very difficult for them to move along with Nigerian private sector.

“This is a very big challenge. We want our country to respect agreement and contract, if you send somebody to represent you on a negotiation table, whatever the person signed is binding on you even if it is working against you and you look at it and say I have made a mistake.

Trade & Investment: Most potent tool for sustainable economic growth —Jonathan

BY NAOMI UZOR

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has described trade and investment as the most potent tool for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Speaking through the Trade and Investment Minister, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, he said that in view of this realisation, his administration is determined to improve trade and trade related infrastructure in the country.

“It is not surprising to see that the global trend is for Presidents, Prime Ministers and Trade and Investment Ministers to embark on trade missions to strategic countries with members of the private sector to look for the opportunity to attract investments and develop sustainable trading relationships.

“In this regard, while we work on improving international trade and having new trading partners, we must deepen domestic trade as well as regional trade. We must also ensure that we move away from the culture of exporting raw materials and job opportunities to the culture of exporting finished goods and creating jobs locally as this is the only tool we have towards creating the much needed jobs in our country.

PepsiCo opens China R&D centre

P

EPSICO has opened its largest research center outside the U.S. in China today, as it seeks to boost sales in the world’s most populous country and the Asian region.

The facility, on which the company has spent $40 million to $45 million, will help tailor beverage and snack food brands to Asian taste buds and develop new products for China and the region, Purchase, New York-based PepsiCo said in a statement Tuesday.

The soft-drink maker has opened new factories and sought to expand its distribution footprint in China over the past year to narrow the gap with market leader

Coca-Cola.

The new facility in Shanghai is part of PepsiCo’s 2010 plan to invest $2.5 billion in China in food and beverage businesses over a threeyear period and expand current offerings such as sour plum flavored Mirinda and Quaker Oats made with wolfberry, the company said today.

“China is a critical part of our global strategy, our growth engine and it makes absolute sense that we do as much of our innovation close to the Chinese consumer and the Asian consumer on the ground,” Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo’s chief scientific officer, said at a press briefing in Shanghai.

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —37

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38— Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 38—Vanguard,

When sex refuses to bind (2)

George, (42), Banker, tells the story of how his first marriage ended. His story: Anyhow, as time went

by I started seeing myself marrying her and as fate would have it, we were both posted to the same State for our National Youth Service.

I had to do all I could to ensure we were not posted to the same place after our orientation exercise. It worked but Boma would come around anytime she

could, not minding the distance.

One would think that with our close knit relationship I could not have time for any other girls, but this was far from the truth. I always still managed to have two to three girlfriends

,

H

i, a lot have been said about sex.

Its ordained by God for procreation and recreation between a man and his wife.

It has been described as the lubricating oil for a healthy,intimate relationship. Sex has also been ascribed some therapeutic and rejuvinating powers.

The more sex a couple has the better for them and their relationship.

However, this is not always the case in many relationships.

Sex, which ought to be freely given and enjoyed between a man and his wife may sometimes turn them into enemies, eventually destroying their otherwise great marriage and relationship.

In this article, our respondents share with us, their stories and how it affected their l i v e s .

Please, feel free to share your experience or that of someone you know with us too. It might be benefitial to someone out there.

Our address remains: The Human Angle, Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E-mail a d d r e s s : humananglepage@yahoo.com.

Happy reading!

Christian upbringing. At least, so I thought. I was proud of her for being a virgin at the time. The truth is, virgins are hard to come by these days, even among those who profess to be born again.

I know quite a few of them who got knocked

Boma saw sex as a dirty and pervert behaviour, sex was not designed by God to be done the way we were doing it

on the side to relieve my tension. Not that I was addicted to sex or anything, it just seemed the natural thing to do, that’s all.

Boma never met any of these girls with the help of my friends, even though she would tease me endlessly.

By the time the Service year ended, everyone knew we would be getting married soon.

It just seemed logical that Boma was the only girl my parents would approve of anyway.

Both of us got employed in the banking industry, so, money was no excuse, besides, our parents belonged to the same religion and social class. We were married in Lagos and had a fairly big society wedding.

On our wedding night, I finally achieved my goal. It was thesweetest experience I’ve ever had and worth all the almost five years of waiting.Unfortunately, that was where it all ended. Whenever I think back, I’m ever more convinced that the beginning of the end started that day.

Boma’s attitude towards sex was a result of her orientation and strict

,

by my friends.

So, for me, it was a big achievement, especially knowing what I’d done with some other girls back then. I was happy no one had done them to Boma.

But I figured that once we were married, she would settle down and behave like a married woman. But that was not to be. Boma saw sex as a dirty and pervert behaviour. Sex was not designed by God to be done the way we were doing it.

If you must have sex, it must not be to satisfy lustful desires. It must be for procreation as recommended by God. It must be done with reverence and fear of God. I never understood half of her complaints and never saw reason with her.

When I come up with my own arguments, she will call me an unbeliever.

If I tell her that God also recognised sex for pleasure and can be confirmed by Solomon’s songs in the Bible.

Boma would dismiss it as one of the controversial pieces in the Bible and that it was not inspired by God. They were inspired by Solomon’s lustful

desires and adulterous relationships with his several wives and concubines. His tragic end as a king confirms that God disapproved of his adulterous ways.

Initially, I thought she was joking but after pretending to be annoyed with her for a few days and she did not even show any sign of remorse, I had to change tactics. I reported her to her parents and they promised to talk to her.

If they did, I never the the result. So, I was forced to tell me own parents.

This time too, I was a bit disappointed at the response I got. Though my father did not support Boma openly, he did ask me to give her time to adjust to things.

As for my mum, I got hell. She told me that I was being too demanding and getting carried away by the things of the world. I knew where she was going, so, I allowed her to be. Boma was fixated about her beliefs and this became a source of quarrels between us all the time. Then, one day, I got mad with her and lost control. I had to force her after a bitter struggle.

I was not happy and did not enjoy it at all.

Maybe I should have allowed her to be after that since she was crying, but I just did not care at that moment. I ended up forcing her again that night. beginning of the end started that day.I felt sorry for my actions after that and tried to plead with her forgiveness but she just laid curled there, weeping. I fell asleep and didn't know anything again until the morning. I was surprised when after preparing for work, I realised that Boma had no intention of going to the office that morning. When I tried to make a casual joke of what had happened, Boma told me I would have myself to blame for what I'd done to her and our marriage. I didn't think much of it at all.

But a week after the incident, I returned home from work to discover Boma had parked some of her things and left.

To be continued Asisted by Onozure Dania

Friends Searching Males

•Sam, 45, 6 .3ft tall, chocolate in complexion, from Anambra state, needs a very rich lady, for marriage.

08020573740 •Zuma, 20, handsome and needs a lovely and caring girl, for a relationship.08064923378 •Dapo, 37, resides in Lagos, needs an employed lady, for a relationship, aged 25-45. 08134291035 •A guy, 36, 6.2ft tall, cute, fair in complexion, employed,, married but needs a pretty, hot legged, tall, elegant, clean and employed lady for an affair.

08073135586 •Kenneth, 33, a graduate from Benin, needs a rich and employed lady, aged 35-40, for a serious relationship, that will lead to marriage.07089992417, 08067086269 •Zoe, 40, from Delta state, needs a lady, who is a graduate and God fearing, for a relationship that might lead to marriage, aged 28-38.08039419898, 08100124311 C M Y K

•Ebuka, 25, fair in complexion, needs a lady, who can take good care of him, for a relationship.

08161650809 •A guy, 30, needs a girl, around Abuja, for a romantic relationship.07067317780 •Kenny, resides in Lagos, needs a sexy, beautiful

•Dear readers, please note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests on the Lovezone that may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public.

Also note that we do not run any match-making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with anyone claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk.

Henceforth, only messages sent through the numbers readers want to be contacted on will be published.

This notice is necessary in order to serve you better in our refreshingly different style. To get your requests published, just text it to the code number 33055. For further enquiries, call 08026651636. Cheers!

Emotional seduction

BY ONOZURE DANIA

I

have noticed that many people are unaware of the meaning of emotional intimacy. When we talk about intimacy, most men and women assume it’s referring to sex.

Emotional intimacy is about closeness and letting another person know the real you. Emotional intimacy is only possible with a man if you have a close relationship with yourself. But do you really know yourself?

Do you have a sensual, intimately yummy, cozy and honest relationship to your feelings?

Before you can emotionally seduce a man, you have to know yourself and you have to invite him to unveil his true self to you. This takes real skill. However, when a man feels like he can be vulnerable with you and share himself honestly with you, he’s yours. It’s not about sex.

Do you know that some men who patronise prostitutes just want someone to talk intimately with and not necessarily for sex? Men want and need to feel emotionally seen as much as women do too. We all know that men love to feel appreciated. And when they feel appreciated, they feel really good about themselves.

In an emotional seduction, you are seducing a man’s heart instead of his groin, which is the target area in a regular seduction. The game of emotional seduction is all about getting him to fall in love and be emotionally addicted to your heart and soul.

When you seduce a man’s emotions, you trigger something inside him that makes him feel like a small boy again. He feels his softer, more vulnerable side and you send him into a whirlwind of nerves and bliss. When you seduce a man’s emotions, he becomes so hooked on you, he can hardly breathe and thinks about you nonstop.There’s a big difference between emotion

seduction and regular seduction, because seducing a man physically can definitely make him obsessed with you.

He will be emotionally charged with thoughts of wanting to ravish you and possess your body over and over again.

A man who has been physically seduced is hungry for the power that wild, unbridled sex can offer him. He becomes addicted to his hard on and how erect you can make him. With emotional seduction, a man does not feel a need to conquer a woman sexually or otherwise, he just wants to be close to her, make love to her, hold her and take care of her for a long time. Emotional seduction involved breaking down his emotional walls. The further you can penetrate into a man’s private side, his dark side, the more he will love you and the harder it will be to get you out of his mind.

To do this you have to break down the walls that he has put up to shield and bury his own vulnerability.

To reach a man’s vulnerability, you have to take the time to really get to know him and you have to let him see your vulnerability too.

When you gently coax a man to start sharing his life secrets with you, you have to be very tender and loving with such valuable knowledge.

You have to make him feel like you’re holding his truths and secrets in a locket around your neck.

You carry those revelations close to your heart and never throw them back in his face or use them to push him to reveal more.

And you never share them with anyone, they stay locked away. This creates trust. When a man starts opening up about his life and his guarded feelings, the best thing you can do is listen.

Remember what he says and touch him to let him know that you empathise and are present with him at that moment.

and employed lady, aged 23–32, for a romantic relationship.08027253059 •Akin, 35, a business man, resides in Abuja, needs a nice girl, who is ready for marriage. 08067405771 •A Yoruba guy, needs practical Muslim lady, aged 25-35, for a relationship.08038051047 •Dayo, 62, a businessman, resides in Lagos, needs a responsible, God fearing and Christian lady, who is 5.7ft tall, for a relationship.08051895980 •Ab, 26, needs an older lady, for a fun filled relationship, within Rivers and Delta state.

07035539093, 07058857667 •Victor, 56, resides in Benin, needs a very sexy and tall lady, aged 45 and above. 07034890120 •Will, from Delta state, needs a God fearing, caring and beautiful girl, for a serious and romantic relationship that will lead to marriage, aged 2530.08132132511 •Obinna, 28, from Anambra state, needs a girl, aged 17-18, for a relationship. 08130366472

Vanguard , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—39

Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar's book launch

From right: Namadi Sambo, Vice President; Badamasi Babangida, former military President; Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Ogun State Governor; Hajiya Fati Lami Abubakar, wife of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; Alhaji Ilya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe and Alhaji Sani Belo, the Chief Launcher, dduring Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar's book launch. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

From the left: Dr. Aliyu Moddibo, former FCT Minister; Col. Musa Shehu (rtd); Col. Abdulmumini Aminu (rtd), former Military Administrator , Niger State and other guests, during Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar's book launch.

Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

From right: Prof. Ruqqayat Rufai, Education Minister; Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor ; Mr. Jim Ovia, Chairman, Visafone and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Group, discussing during the Economic Team meeting.

From left: Mr. Omamofe Boyo, Deputy Chief Executive, Oando Plc; Her Excellency, Justice Fati Abubakar, former First Lady and Founder, WRAPA; Mr. John Odey, former Minister of Environment and Mr. Yomi Awobokun, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing, at the Access Africa/Oando Marketing Plc Summit with the title: 'LPG as a Climate Control Tool: The Sustainability Agenda,' in Abuja.

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Alhaji Ndanusa, former President, NACCIMA, the Chief Launcher, during the launch of the book: 'The Liberal and Evolution to Stable Democracy in Nigeria,' a chronicle of 'The Times and Legacy of Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar,' at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, yesterday.

Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

From left: Alhaji Yahya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe; Patrick Yakowa, Kaduna State Governor; Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former President; Gen.Badamasi Babangida, former Military President; Alhaji Namadi Sambo, Vice President; Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State; his wife, Justice Fati Abubakar; Barr. Solomon Dalung, Guest Lecturer and Dr. Muhammad Tahir Mallam, the Book Reviewer, dduring Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar's book launch. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

From right: Mr. Steve Elusope,ED, Operations, Stanbic IBTC Pensions Managers; CP Irimiya Yerima, Commandant, Police College and DCP Jonah Mava, during the presentation of 200 chairs to Police College, Ikeja, Lagos,

by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

From left: Mrs. Doris Musa, one of the Etisalat customers; Mr. Idowu Adesokan, Head, Mass Market Segment, Etisalat Nigeria; Chief Cecilia Omotunde Maradesa, the Iyalode of Akure Kingdom, another customer and Mr. Otuyemi Otule, Director, IT Strategy, Planning & Architecture, Etisalat Nigeria, at the Etisalat Customer Forum, at Sunview Hotel, Alagbaka, Akure.

40—Vanguard , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Warri public session on constitution review lauded

W

RELIEF: Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, Secretary to Bayelsa State Government (right) receiving food items and relief materials from Prince Collins Odondiri, representing Founder of Sidoni Foundation and General Manager of M.Sidoni Group.

27-yr-old wins MTN promo

T

WENTY-seven years old Ebube EssienGarricks, a student based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been announced as the winner of the MTN Ultimate Wonder promo aeroplane.

She, however, asked for the cash equivalent, N64 million.

The telecom company said: “We are delighted to announce that Miss

Ebube Essien-Garricks, a 27 year old student based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has emerged winner of the brand new Cessna 182T Aeroplane in the MTN Ultimate Wonder promo which ended today (Tuesdayd).

“When contacted on phone, Ms. Ebube said she would prefer the cash equivalent of N64 million.”

Union lauds Uduaghan on devt

M

R. Prince Oharisi, Deputy Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Delta State Council, has aid that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s effective transportation policy, education system and road development programmes would soon make the state a destination of choice.

Oharisi said this in

Asaba after the swearingin of local government transition caretaker committee members.

He said Governor Uduaghan needs a pat on the back following his magnanimity towards the flood victims and commended his timely installation of the political transition committees for the local government areas of the state for the forthcoming council elections.

... as labour holds Abuja rally

I

NDUSTRIAL unions and other stakeholders will Tuesday, November 20, in Abuja, organise a mass rally to reflect on the challenges of industrialisation in Nigeria and other African countries.

On Monday will be for a roundtable discussion

on The State of Industry in Nigeria and What Can be Done to Re-Industrialise the Nation.

The roundtable, facilitated by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES, is on the theme, Accelerating Industrialisation for Boosting Intra-African Trade.

Agbarho College Old Students meet

S

T. Enda’s College (Agbarho Grammar School) Agbarho Old Students Association, Lagos branch, will meet Saturday, November 17, by 3pm at 12B, Abuja Close, Agbara Estates, Ogun State.

A statement by the General Secretary, Mr. Sunday Orode urged members to be punctual as very crucial issues concerning the golden jubilee anniversary were lined up for discussion.

ARRI—THE public session on the review of the 1999 Constitution, which held in Warri last weekend, was, yesterday, described as a huge success given the large turnout of diverse participants.

Among constituents, who participated in the event, were Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, traditional chiefs from the Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo, student leaders, trade unionists, leaders of non-governmental organisations, community-

based organisations and a hosts of other groups resident within Warri Federal Constituency.

President of the National Council of Women Society, NCWS, Warri South Chapter, who also doubles as the Delta State Public Relations Officer of the women group, Mrs. Esther Okotie-Eboh, spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, through a telephone chat.

She condemned the reports that some of the participants walked out during the public session.

Six million Nigerians suffer from diabetes

BY PETER DURU

M

AKURDI—NO fewer than six million Nigerians are estimated to be living with diabetes just as the disease is expected to account for 52 percent of deaths in the country by 2015.

Brand Development Manager of DeeDoo Nigeria, Erdoo Apeh, revealed this while briefing newsmen as part of the organisation’s activities to mark 2012 World Diabetes Day Awareness Campaign today.

She said this year ’s theme, Protect our Future, was apt in view of rising cases of people living with diabetes and deaths arising from complications of the disease.

Apeh said: “Diabetes is an emerging epidemic

that can be linked to obesity, physical inactivity and diet; those most frequently affected are aged between 35 and 64.

“Diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels,

eyes, kidneys and nerves.

“Nigerians are at risk of having the disease because of their life style, eating habits and nonchalant attitude towards comprehensive and routine medical check-ups, hence this awareness campaign.”

Erdoo further noted that

as part of its social responsibilities, her organisation would take the campaign to some schools in Benue State, where provision of customised educational materials on the disease, it’s management and medical advises would be distributed free to the pupils.

Cannabis dealer jailed for 3 months

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

A

24-year-old man, Simon Michael, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment, without an option of fine, by a Federal High Court in Lagos after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of unlawfully dealing in cannabis sativa (marijuana).

Michael, who resides at a garage located in the

Oniru market, was arraigned for unlawfully trading on the restricted narcotic substance.

Justice Saliu Saidu, in her ruling, said: “Since the accused has pleaded guilty to the charge before this honourable court, he is hereby found guilty and convicted as charged.

“The accused is hereby sentenced to three months imprisonment without option of fine.

“The short sentence

given to the accused was based on the fact that he had been being in custody since May.” The prosecutor, Mr. Kingsely Orji, had told the court that the accused was apprehended on May 29 at New Market, Oniru, Lekki, with about 500 gram of cannabis, and was arrested by a team of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who stormed the arena at 6pm.

Kaduna awards N28bn road contracts

BY EMEKA MAMAH

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OVERNOR Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has said the state awarded contracts worth about N28 billion for the construction of 32 rural roads.

Yakowa spoke at the third international conference on transport technology, themed Sustainability of Transport Technology Dynamics in Developing Countries, holding at the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology NITT, Zaria, in the state.

He said the road contracts were awarded to facilitate the movement of

people, goods and services to their point of destination, adding “transportation will no doubt play a leading role in the realisation of our country’s Vision 20:2020.”

Yakowa said: “We are opening up our state through massive roads construction based on our belief that developing the sector is a necessary task that will hasten and smoothen the inflow of other forms of development.

“We have paid attention towards beefing up the fleet of the Kaduna State Transport Authority, KSTA, with new buses as part of efforts to provide decent, affordable and cheap means of

transportation to the people of Kaduna State.”

The governor described rail transport system, which

he said had suffered serious neglect over the years, as one of the cheapest means of transportation.

Prof Umanah laid to rest

P

ROF. Peter Umoh of Ekpat Iduot, Midim, Abak LGA of Akwa Ibom State is dead.

He died on April 29.

He was a lawyer called to the English Bar (Lincoln’s Inn, London) in 1958; Founder and Director of the Ime Umana College of Law, Abak, now Faculty of Law of the University of Cross Rivers State.

Umana was elected member, House of Representa-

tives, representing Abak East Federal Constituency in Lagos (1960-64).

He has since been buried in his home town.

Late Prof. Umoh.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 41

Govs, Jakande, Dafinone, Kaita, Ikpo, others mourn Saraki

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, AUSTIN OGWUDA, DAPO AKINREFON, ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD, BASHIRADEFAKA & DAUD OLATUNJI

rybody along including the opposition. He helped Shagari to succeed in the Senate.”

Nigeria has lost a political strategist AGOS—IN the words — Sen. Chris of some Second Re- Anyanwu

L

public politicians, who served with Saraki, the Oloye would be sorely missed because he was irreplaceable.

Second Republic Senator, David Dafinone, in a condolence message to the Saraki family yesterday, described the politician’s death as painful, especially at a time when Nigeria was in a state of flux.

Dafinone lauded Saraki’s great concern for the unity of Nigeria and the growth of democracy. “Dr. Saraki as a medical doctor, international businessman, philanthropist and politician gained the respect, trust and love of the entire country and he will be greatly missed,” he said.

Alhaji Lawal Kaita, who said he was deeply hurt and bereaved because Saraki “was a very excellent person and a good friend of mine,” added that late political icon would be greatly missed. “He was a balanced person, a philanthropist and a sound politician, who we should all learn from.”

Speaking in like manner, Second Republic Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande said: “Sakari’s death is a great loss to the nation, Yoruba people and Kwara people. The whole country will miss him. He was very courageous, dutiful and patriotic. We can learn from his achievements in our politics.”

Also Second Republic Senator, Obi Nosike Ikpo, who was shocked when the news of Saraki’s death was broken to him, exclaimed: “Oh no! Oh no!! What?

Where did he die in London or his town, where? It is unfortunate; that is a tragedy. He was a good friend of mine, a fine gentleman with a golden heart.

“He was a great Nigerian, a colleague of mine. He distinguished himself as a leader of the Senate, carried eve-

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Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Chris Anyanwu says the death of Saraki has robbed the country of one of her finest political strategists.

Anyanwu, who covered the Second Republic Senate for the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, noted how the late Saraki as Senate Leader harmonised political differences in the chamber for the good of the country.

He said: “I have just been informed about the passing on of Dr. Olusola Saraki and I am in deep shock. This news saddens me immensely. He was one of the greatest, kindest, most compassionate, most generous and most selfless leaders that we have ever had in this country. His power and influence stretched from the Second Republic when he was the Leader of the Senate on the platform of the NPN up until today.

He was my late father ’s close and loyal friend and he was like a father to me and so many others. This is not a good time for him to go because Nigeria needs him now more than ever and we shall all miss him dearly. My heart goes out to the Saraki family.

A big vacuum in the hearts of the people Smart — Sen. He was a man of the Adeyemi Senator Smart Adeyemi people —Sen Joy described the demise of Emodi Saraki as a big loss for the masses saying that the late Senate Leader through his acts of goodwill established himself in the hearts of the people.

Noting his passion for the poor, Senator Adeyemi, PDP, Kogi West said: “The way he attended to people, his passion for the poor affected me and it made me to make up my mind to join politics.

“As a journalist, I once asked him how to succeed as a politician and he told me I must help the poor, the women and the youth. He said that

On her part, Emodi said: “I was with him in the National Constitutional Conference in 1994 and he was chairman of the Business Committee and I remember him encouraging me, he helped me to build up my confidence in the political arena. He was my leader and I will ever remain grateful to him.

Nigeria has lost another political icon—Aregbesola

Governor of the State of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, described the death of Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki

"As a journalist, I once asked him how to succeed as a politician and he told me I must help the poor, the women and the youth.

He said that when you help the poor, they write your matter in their hearts” when you help the poor, they write your matter in their hearts.”

He brought smiles to many faces — Femi Fani-Kayode

as unfortunate and sad.

In a statement issued by the Director of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the

From left: Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Mr. Dele Belgore and National Publicity Secretary, ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during a condolence visit to the late Dr. Olusola Saraki's residence in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. death of Dr. Saraki is a big loss to the nation.

The governor said Dr. Saraki’s experience, knowledge, versatility and ingenuity in the art and dynamics of lawmaking and politics in general would be missed greatly.

Saraki was a bridge builder —Daniel

The death of Dr Olusola Saraki has robbed Nigeria of an astute politician and elder statesman who was consistent in seeking and working for a better deal for his people and the country, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State, has said.

The former governor in a statement by his Media Assistant, Adegbenro Adebanjo, said Saraki belonged to the second generation of Nigerian nationalists who worked to keep Nigeria as a united country.

Saraki was an outstanding leader O n i —

Also the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Chief Segun Oni said the late strongman of Kwara politics was an outstanding professional, grassroots man and leader.

Oni, who reacted to Saraki’s death through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lere Olayinka said Kwara State people, Nigerians and in particular, the PDP will miss him so dearly.

Saraki’s demise, a national loss — Ihedioha

To Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, Saraki’s exit was a national loss to the country.

The deputy speaker in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oke Epia, said Chief Saraki’s death at this time in the country’s drive towards consolidation of democracy is painful as the polity will miss his invaluable contributions in moving the nation forward.

He described the late Saraki as a nationalist, a compassionate personality, and a celebrated achiever whose life and times were largely dedicated to the improvement of the lives and living conditions of the poor .

Saraki was friend of the masses —Oshiomhole

In a condolence message to the scion of the family, Dr (Senator) Bukola Saraki, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said: “I received with shock news of the passing of your beloved father and patriarch of the Saraki family, distinguished Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki. I wish to convey to you the deepest condolence of the people and Government of Edo State as well as my personal commiseration.

The death of distinguished Senator Abukakar Saraki at this time is no doubt a loss not only to the family but to the whole nation as the late former Senator Leader was a bridge builder who played politics of development and not politics of division.

While he will be sorely missed by the political class, the masses who regard him as their friend will miss him even more.

Saraki died when he was needed most — A m o s u n

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun yesterday expressed shock over the death of Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr Olusola Saraki.

Governor Amosun, who condoled with the Nigerian Senate, government and people of Kwara State on the demise of the former federal legislator, described the exit of Dr Saraki as lamentable because it came “at this period of constitutional amendment process, when his wealth of experience would have been very useful.”

It’s the end of an era — Fayemi Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has described the death of the erudite politician, as “the end of an era of one of Nigeria’s political legends.”

Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretar y, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said Saraki bestrode the political terrain of Kwara State and the North Central like a colossus during his lifetime. He lamented that Saraki’s death came at a time when the polity was yet to recover from the shock of the demise of former Oyo State Gover nor, Alhaji L am Adesina, who died on Sunday.

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

•Gov Oshiomhole signing the relevant documents after his inauguration on Monday

Oshiomhole’s tall walk HE ordinarily should be lost in any crowd, but Adams Oshiomhole’s strides and struggles keep him walking tall. Last Monday he was inaugurated for a second term in office as Governor of Edo State.

BY KAYODE MATTHEW, GROUP NEWS EDITOR

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HEN a man knows where he is going and is determined to succeed, the world and its elements will step aside to let him pass. It was no surprise then that the sun and the rain laid back last Monday in Benin, Edo State for the second term inauguration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhola as governor of Edo State.

Remarkably, the previous day it rained cats and dogs in Benin.

As early as 7 a.m. the people had started trooping towards Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the event.

BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

MR Olufemi Aduwo is the National Coordinator of Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, one of the civil society groups endorsed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to monitor elections in the country.

In this interview with Vanguard, he spoke about the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ondo State, and concluded that the election was not only free and fair but also C M Y K

Entering through the main gate of the stadium was like the proverbial camel trying to force its way through the eye of the needle even with all manner of tags and invitation cards designed to confer special status on the bearers that should have aided access by merely waving them.

The crowd was unprecedented.

By 9 a.m. the stadium was already full for an event scheduled for 10 a.m. but thousands were still fighting to get into the venue giving the security men some ‘good problem.’

School children, adorned in

their different uniforms, waving white flags at the stands were a delight to watch, with various artistes entertaining the audience with popular musical tunes and dance steps on a stage mounted in one corner of the stadium.

Cultural troupes from the east and the northern part of the country were tried to outdo one another with various displays.

Youths from the state and market women were themselves not left out of what looked like a carnival.

The shoving, the pushing and the dancing blended with music from the giant speakers in the stadium ushered in a number of state governors who were driven

into the venue in an airconditioned bus.

Among the governors present were Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers; Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta and Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti. Other governors who came in later were Peter Obi, Anambra; Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lagos; Rauf Aregbesola, Osun; Rochas Okorocha, Imo and Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun.

The eight governors cut across party affiliations.

Other dignitaries who came to honour the former labour leader included former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, billionaire businessman Alhaji

Aliko Dangote, National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, former Anambra State governor, Senator Chris Ngige, former Ogun State governor, Chief Segun Osoba, representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, palace chiefs representing the Oba of Benin, Chief Tom Ikimi, Nigeria Labour Congress president, Comrade Abdulwahab Omar and Senator Daisy Danjuma.

Governor Oshiomhole who had declared a public holiday in the state excused his security details several metres from the stadium when he alighted from his vehicle to walk into the stadium.

As he entered surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of well wishers at the stadium became electrified with shouts of ‘Oshio baba’, ‘Oshio baba’.

Following the formalities of singing, oath taking and declarations came the high point of the day when the governor delivered his inauguration address. The Comrade Governor did not disappoint as he spoke powerfully from the heart rather than from his prepared speech, eulogising and paying tributes to those who came to honour him as well as those who died in the course of his first term.

No one was too insignificant for him to appreciate and no one was too powerful for him to verbally assault. He also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for ensuring that one man, one vote counted during the last elections in Edo State with the deployment of security men.

‘Oshio baba’ was not only a man of words but of adjectives.

While appreciating his guests, he described Governor Fashola of Lagos as the ‘captain of ACN governors and the tallest of us all’, while Fashola’s predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was ‘the lion of Bourdillon’.

As for billionaire Dangote, he is the most hard-working man in Africa for employing several people and thereby giving him an opportunity to mobilise workers for the struggle.

This almajari economy 'll collapse — Aduwo very credible. He also spoke about the efforts his group was making to fight corruption in the country. Excerpts: How would you sum up your experience about Ondo governorship election, being one of the observers that monitored it?

Yes, I said Mr. President should not allow neighbouring governors to interfere with the

election of Ondo State because there were lots of unfriendly statements made by Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, against Segun Mimiko.

In the Edo election, even though Edo is in the centre of PDP controlled states but the PDP governors in the South-South didn’t interfere and so we were saying that we don’t want the governors of the neighbouring states to come to Ondo State on

the day of the election since they were not going to vote. They will only come to overheat the polity.

So we said we don’t want to lose anybody. Whether we like it or not, the three candidates are close friends, they know one another.

Akeredolu was one of the lawyers that Mimiko used in the last election, like you know when Mimiko was in the PDP, he knew Oke very well, so I see them as brothers. That was the prayer,

that we didn’t want any life lost and I think that was the beginning of the crisis between me and ACN and because we didn’t want ACN to interfere with Ondo arrangement Are you satisfied with the outcome of the election?

O beautiful, we know it will go the way it did. You know before Continues on page 43

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—43

ONDO GUBER POLL:

INEC is a fortress for criminals — Oke

BY DAPO AKINREFON WHAT is your assessment of the October 20 elections in Ondo State?

For those of us who are major stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we had high hopes towards the October 20 elections in Ondo State, of showcasing credible elections. Particularly, I was amazed at the outcome of the elections because we demonstrated that rather than improving the electoral process, it is retrogressing.

Elections were marred by severe irregularities, noncompliance, wide spread manipulations, corrupt practices and alleged perversion by INEC, collaborating with the ruling party in Ondo State.

Such that the outcome of that election cannot be said to reflect the desire of the people of Ondo state for the change.

If an election was marred by corrupt practices, irregularities, noncompliance, pervasion, distortions, it can certainly not be free and fair elections.

You chided INEC earlier, but how would you rate the performance of INEC and security elections during the poll?

The INEC office in Ondo state is an embodiment of criminality.

Why? They perverted every process known to the elections, all the documents were distorted, and ballot papers were released before the due time for the elections.

Very known Labour Party

Continues from page 42 the election, we did opinion poll in Ondo State; we had about 7,000 eligible voters across the state and most of the issues they raised was that they discovered that Mimiko did not have a killer squad like other governors and he was able to carry people along.

You see, the forces that worked against ACN in Ondo State go beyond everybody - Afenifere, Yoruba leaders, Obas. They believe they don’t want this Tinubu image to go round the South-West. Before the Ondo election, Tinubu had already received a kind of judgment in the annulment of Ikoyi Local Government Chairmanship election won by ACN. So, the defeat of the ACN candidate by the PDP in court

WITH the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State come and gone, winners have been counting their blessings while the losers are sulking over their defeat. But having emerged second position at the poll, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Chief Olusola Oke is not pleased with the conduct and eventual outcome of the elections. In this interview, he berated the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the alleged irregularities just as he bares his mind on other sundry issues. Excerpts: reaction when you heard that s o m e members of your party congratulated and even v i s i t e d Governor Olusegun Mimiko?

For our leaders in Abuja who congratulated him, I took it that they were not at breast of the facts in Ondo state.

So, they gave t h e i r congratulation as sportsmen and women oblivious of the level of pervasion that •Oke: I was amazed at the outcome of the elections members were recruited as officiating officers.

INEC documents were distorted to give advantage to the ruling party; elections were deliberately delayed in the strongholds of opposition parties. The election was everything but free and fair.

Majority of INEC personnel were compromised.

What was your initial

characterized the election in Ondo state. So, I grudge them not; but there were individuals who ought to know, notwithstanding the pervasion that congratulated him just to curry favour from him, those are the ones that are condemned.

It is normal for the president, who is the father of Nigeria and a member of the

PDP, to congratulate the winner and to encourage the loser.

It is abnormal for members of the party in the state or around the state who were aware of the distortions and pervasion that characterized the election because of their expectation of crumbs from the master ’s table to summersault to them. Those are the ones I berate.

But how do you feel with reports that some members of your party worked against you during the election?

Actually, I think they worked against the party and not against me because I have nothing personal about the election.

But you are the candidate.

I was nominated candidate of the party and I was going to give victory to the party. For the many offices that were available, I could only occupy one. So, it was not a case of really working against me.

But I felt very sad that some members of the party worked against the party, it can be saddening.

What are your hopes and aspiration from the judiciary?

As a senior counsel, it will be wrong of me to say that I have no faith in the judiciary.

I have faith in the judiciary,

there are bad eggs no doubt but there are still officers of hope. I will wait until the tribunal is constituted and then perhaps pass an opinion. I have faith in the judiciary notwithstanding there are bad eggs.

But what gives you the conviction that you will win at the tribunal?

I don’t have to be convinced that I will win but I am made to know that I have a good case and of course, I hold the responsibility to expose to the Nigerian public the malaise inflicted on the electoral process. So, going to the tribunal is not to win at all cost but to win deservedly and to expose the malaise that has characterized the election.

How would you place the role of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in your campaign and is it true that he actually advised against litigation?

I am greatly indebted to Baba Obasanjo. He was the first leader of this party to believe in us and to believe that the PDP in Ondo state is still very virile and capable of contesting and winning an election.

He not only personally attended the Unity Rally, he also encouraged us by way of admonition but materially, he assisted us. So, I remain indebted to him.

As to what was credited to him as his position, it was an organized publication. I was at the meeting where he spoke and he never counseled against going to the tribunal.

What he said was that we should study the facts and that if we have no strong facts, we should not bother but then no injustice should be allowed to go un-redressed.

So, I think those who gave that impression were merely dancing to the tone of their pay masters.

This almajari economy 'll collapse confirmed that Tinubu is beatable; he is just a human being, so he can be defeated by anybody.

What lessons can we, as a nation, draw from the Ondo election ahead of the 2015 general elections?

It is now like a culture that the people are very conscious of what they want. No matter the kind of money you want to use at them, they know what to do and I think it is a kind of lesson people in other states can learn from Ondo because it is not about money.

If it is about money, ACN really spent money, they brought money, but at the end of the day, people’s choice still prevailed. If

you see the gap, it really shows that the election was very free, fair and credible.

What is your take on the creation of more states?

I have written on this one, I think people clamouring for more states are doing it for selfish reasons. Most of the states today in Nigeria are not viable. A governor confided in me that more than 30 states borrow money every month to even pay salaries.

We have only nine states in Nigeria that are working, the oil producing states and may be Lagos because of tax. Every month, other states go to Abuja

to queue for money from the federation account. I call it Almajiri economy, you just come and queue and collect money.

This was not the way Awolowo and Zik built their regions, we should have fiscal federalism where you produce and develop and then pay tax to the federal as it is done in America. Most of the people advocating for the creation of more states are not sincere.

Existing states should be merged for viability. And for local government, we should scrap them because that is another waste. If we cannot scrap them, they should not collect allocations anymore.

•Aduwo C M Y K

44—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —45

C M Y K

46—Vanguard, THURSD AY, NOVEMBER 15 2012 THURSDA

How common herbs help ward off diabetes naturally “C

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

HECK your sugar, and take your drugs as prescribed," is the ageold message of most health practitioners to a steadily increasing number of diabetics. But there are proven alternative aids and treatment to help ward off diabetes.

Where a healthy person's body converts carbohydrates from food into glucose and also produces insulin to convert that glucose into energy, in diabetics, the body cannot produce enough insulin to make possible that conversion of glucose into energy.

As a result, the glucose builds up in the blood and can lead to any number of very serious conditions, like blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy and coma.

From a scientific perspective, the term "diabetes" actually has less to do with controlling blood sugar and more to do with the body's regulation of hormones - insulin and leptin - or how well the body makes use of energy.

But there are several recommended herbs and natural remedies that prove most beneficial in demonstrating their natural proclivity for easing the burden of diabetes management.

Gymnema Sylvestre

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Known as the "sugar destroyer," this plant is regarded as one of the most powerful herbs for the regulation of diabetes, Types 1 and 2.. Gymnema can stimulate the body to produce more of its own insulin, by regenerating insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas.

Ginseng Ginseng has demonstrated ability both to amplify the release of insulin from the pancreas and to elevate the number of insulin receptors present.

One study indicated that 200 milligrams of ginseng extract per day over an eight-week period im-

proved mood, blood sugar control, body weight and energy levels in Type 2 diabetics. A separate study hints it may even help diabetics to protect against kidney disease.

Gingko biloba Ginkgo is regarded as an important element in the treatment of vascular insufficiency especially as it relates to diabetes. Clinical studies show it can prevent diabetic retinopathy in diabetic rats and may, there-

fore, be similarly effective in humans.

Nopal leaves This Mexican herbal remedy works on everything from improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels in a diabetic, to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Onions and garlic Their sulfur-containing allyl propyl disulfide (APDS) help the body to make better use of insulin by competing with it for insulininactivating sites in the liver. The result is that the body has more free insulin available for use in the glucose-to-energy conversion process, and blood sugar levels decrease.

Black tea lowers diabetes risk — STUDY

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BY CHIOMA OBINNA

N this year’s World Diabetes Day, a new study has found that populations which drink high quantities of black tea have a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes. The study published in the British Medical Journal Open discovered a linear correlation between the quantity of black tea consumed and the incidence of diabetes across 42 nations worldwide.

Scientists from Data Mining International, Geneva, in partnership with Unilever also found that on average, a population which consumes double the

amount of black tea has about one quarter less cases of diabetes.

In the research, Data Mining International assessed the black tea consumption rates of the countries and analysed them against each country’s rates of respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular disease, as well as cancer and diabetes. The data was sourced from Euromonitor’s World Tea Consumption Survey and the World Health Survey, conducted by the World Health Organisation.

Chief Executive Officer, Data Mining International, Dr Ariel Beresniak said it’s the first time a robust statistical relationship

has been established between black tea consumption and diabetes prevalence in the world. “While we cannot confirm a cause-effect relationship between tea drinking and diabetes, our findings are consistent biological, physiological, epidemiological and clinical studies suggesting that black tea components have a positive effect on glucose metabolism.”

Co-Author of the study and Chief Research & Development Officer, Unilever, Professor Genevieve Berger said the research adds to a growing body of evidence which points to black tea’s health-giving properties.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

RECENTLY found out that my wife dated my brother before she married me. It happened before we met but still, she should have told me. This is strange. We promised each other that we will not keep secrets. Now I cannot focus. I don’t trust her. Each time I close my eyes, I picture both of them having sex and it is killing my soul. I am considering a divorce – Daniel Dear Daniel, it is generally believed that couples should be transparent and tell each other everything.

The truth however is that there are certain things you don’t need to know about your lover. Once you know, you will never have peace of mind. I am sure that is the reason your wife never told you. Her relationship with your brother happened before she met you. You cannot hold it against her. She did not cheat on you. I know it hurts because it was with your brother but still, everybody has past relationships and I am sure you do too.

It’s too bad that you know now. My advice is to keep a straight face and pretend nothing happened. There is nothing you can do. Divorce does not make sense. She did not cheat on you and you have a family to support.

Don’t worry. With time, you will feel better. Just keep reminding yourself that everybody has past relationships.

Acknowledging reality will help you deal with the pain – Uche I have been using the G Spot Tickler vibrator I bought and I get the best enjoyment with it. But I have noticed that sometimes when I enjoy it too much, I urinate in the process. Is this a medical thing I should be worried about? Martha Dear Martha, there is nothing wrong with you and you have not been urinating. You have been having orgasms and ejaculating. So congratulations. You are one of very few women in the world who can ejaculate during orgasm. That is the best kind of orgasm. Only men know how good it feels to ejaculate. Now you know too. Just spread a towel in the right position when using your toy so that it can soak up the fluids and make cleaning easier afterwards – Uche

Do you have a strap-on that I can use on my husband?

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For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 47

Anti-austerity strikes sweep southern Europe P

OLICE and protesters clashed in Spain and Italy yesterday as millions of workers went on strike across Europe to protest against spending cuts which experts say have have made the economic crisis worse.

With this development, hundreds of flights were cancelled, car factories and ports were at a standstill and trains

barely ran in Spain and Portugal where unions held their first coordinated general strike.

In Spain, 81 people were arrested after scuffles at picket lines and damage to storefronts. Riot police in Madrid fired rubber bullets at protesters.

In central Rome, students stoned police in a protest over money-

saving plans for the school system. A few dozen protesters, hurling bottles and large firecrackers, clashed with riot police, who fired tear gas and dragged away at least one bleeding protester into a police van, a Reuters witness said.

International rail services were disrupted by strikes in Belgium and workers in Greece, Italy and France demonstrated

as part of a “European Day of Action and Solidarity”.

It was the biggest Europe-wide challenge by organized labor to austerity policies that have aggravated recessions and mass unemployment in nearly three years since the start of the euro zone’s debt crisis. But it seemed unlikely to force hardpressed governments to

change their cost-cutting strategies.

In Portugal and Greece - both rescued with European funds and under strict austerity programs - the economic downturn sharpened in the third quarter, data showed in Wednesday.

P o r t u g u e s e unemployment jumped to a record 15.8 percent while next door, in Spain, one in four of the

workforce is jobless.

Greece’s economic output shrank by 7.2 percent on an annual basis in the third quarter as the debt-laden country staggers towards its sixth year of depression.

Close to 26 million people are unemployed in the European Union while governments take aim at spending on treasured universal health care and public schools.

Libya swears in new leaders

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IBYA’s first elected government was sworn in under tight security yesterday, inheriting the daunting task of establishing democracy in a country plagued by rival militias who helped overthrow Muammar Gaddafi last year.

In a national congress hall built by Gaddafi shortly before his fall, new cabinet ministers swore an oath to protect the North African state, a major oil producer.

“I swear to God that I will fulfill my duties with all dedication to be loyal to the goals of the 17th of February Revolution, and to respect the constitution and its rules and its articles and to completely care for the needs of Libyans and to protect the Libya and the unity of its lands,” the ministers intoned from a podium.

In a continued sign of disarray, eight of the 27 ministers nominated by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan did not show up after some members of the elected congress queried their credentials.

Ministers in charge of electricity, higher education, relations with congress and interior were rejected by the North African state’s integrity commission because of questionable backgrounds, including alleged ties with the Gaddafi regime.

Rulings on four other cabinet nominees foreign affairs, agriculture, social affairs, and religious affairs - were pending.

48—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—49

Edited by MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU 08026350360 E-mail: chimeena@yahoo.com

Olojo festival of Ancient Ile-Ife

By MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU & APPOLOS IBEABUCHI OZIOGU

The people of ancient city of Ile-Ife are mostly traditionalists who still uphold the religious practice of their forebears. They worship a lot of deities and as a result they celebrate a great many traditional festivals to propitiate or pacify or appease the deities.

S

ome of these deities are: Orisa Oko (deity of agriculture); Ogun (deity of iron); Obatala (deity of creation); Esu Elegbara (trickster deity); Osanyin (deity of medicine);Ifa (deity of divination), Erinle (deity of forest); Orunmila (deity of fate) etc.

There are also prominent ancestors that are also deified and worshiped like Oduduwa, Oranmiyan and Oluorogbo . There were 401 deities that resided in the ancient city of Ile-Ife. Thus, the Ife people have diverse cultural festivals that they celebrate annually, which among them is OLOJO festival.

Olojo festival is an age-long tradition of the ancient city of Ile-Ife which is celebrated by the indigenes of Ile-Ife. It began during the reign of the third Ooni of Ile-Ife. Though the date of Olojo festival inception has not been determined, but it is said to be between 11th and 15th century and the celebration usually begins in the middle of October each year.

It is celebrated in honour of the revolutionary deity, Ogun (the god of iron).Th festival is celebrated to commemorate the importance of Ogun; to exhibit the solemn belief of the Ife people on Ogun deity to usher in prosperity and abundance of agricultural products, as well as the well-being of the people for the year.

Olojo literally means “Owner of the day ”. The Olojo festival is a programme, marked with great pomp and pageantry. It is celebration occasioned by prayers, songs, dancing

and merry-making.

However, before the festival commences proper, the sitting or reigning king, Ooni of Ife would go incommunicado or into seclusion for a period of five days to communicate with the 401 deities that resided in the ancient city of IleIfe. He engages himself in special prayers and ritual sacrifices along with seven high priests. Within this period, the Ooni will not eat any natural food, but spiritual food and alligator pepper with kola nut. During this period also, the high priest will be comBeaded Crown worn by the Ooni at the festival ing to see the Ooni to perform some rituals, turn-by-turn for consecutive five days.

Olojo festival is a three-day event.

The first day, which is normally Friday, is called “Ilagun” day. The second day, being Saturday is called “Olojo proper while the third day being Sunday is the grand finale and for merry-making. Thus, before cred beaded crown “Ade Aare” which the commencement of the festival on was believed to have been empowthe first day, the Ooni of Ife would ered by the deities. After that, the first of all emerge wearing the sa-

,

The Olojo festival is a programme, marked with great pomp and pageantry; It is celebration occasioned by prayers, songs, dancing and merry-making

Nigeria hosts cartoon Africa biennial O

n the 23rd of November, 2012, at WHITE SPACE, 58 Raymond Njoku Street, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State, the first ever Cartoon Africa International Biennial (CAIB) festival and exhibition will open for the global public, with the central theme: “UNITED STATES OF AFRICA: Matters Arising”.

The novel cartoon art event which is collaboratively put together by the African Press Cartoon Syndication Services, FICDATA and the BFIKBK is a multi-purpose, all-inclusive development education platform to drive innovation, productivity and sustainable development in the African continent, while promoting cultural diversity and African cartooning culture in a global

context.

The CAIB2012 event will feature, among other things, presentation of certificates to all participants and prizes to the winners in each category of the biennial festival contest as well as cartoon workshop/paper presentations, fund-raising art and merchandise sales, etc. “ We are deploying cartoons and humour Art in general, as a creative education strategy to draw attention, fight societal evils, and spread awareness and inspire positive actions across Africa for progressive change of perspectives, retrogressive habits and the negative systemic status quo precluding sustainable development, and to drive productivity, equity, moral

capital development and innovative human/cultural resources development across Africa in a global context.

CAIB strategically aims at creating a strong platform to effectively promote African Cartooning, graphic communication and visual literature with an attitude” said the organizers in an issued the statement.

Follow-up travelling exhibitions, cartoon workshops and seminars, fund-raising Art auctions, merchandise sales will equally kicks off at the National Museum in Benin City, Edo State, home of the CAIB vision, on December 23rd 2012. It is expected to tour selected cities and towns across Nigeria and Parts of Africa.

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chief priest, Osogun with other chiefs including the priest and a representative of Ooni would immediately proceed towards the Okemogun (the shrine) to prepare the Ogun shrine before the Ooni would come out in the open. There, the chief priest would make some incantations while the other chiefs that accompany echo “Esei” (meaning, Amen).

At the shrine, a dog is tied, while the Osogun and other seven chiefs move round the shrine seven times before the Osogun (chief priest) would finally cut the dog into two halves. Immediately after the ritual killing, the entire people of Ife around will shout “Ogun yee” (meaning, the ritual has been accepted).

The totems for ceremonial ritual include: dog and kola nuts (which are to be shared among the people at the shrine). Other items are salt, palm oil and palm wine. During the festival different songs are sung in praise of the Almighty God for a peaceful festival and for the reigning Ooni.

50—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

By JAPHET ALAKAM

K

unle Adeyemi’s on going solo exhibition at the Quintessence Gallery , Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos is a climax of his new research innovations in the exploration of form, material and subject. Titled, Painthograph and Painthocast: A New Consciousness, the visual show comes in the heel of his successful completion of a doctoral programme in studio art.

Featuring about 52 works, all essentially influenced by his doctoral research, the works seem to promote as its title indicate, the artist’s new intellectual consciousness with regards to the practice and propagation of artistic education and culture.

The idea, he pointed out, “‘is to add something to the normal painting and sculptural exhibitions that people see regularly.”through the body of works Adeyemi tries to arrive at a form of synergy between painting and printmaking by creating a new complex and intricate creative possibilities in studio art making called Painthograph and Painthocast..

Road to Painthocast...

,

This artistic style explores a wide range of possibilities in art making with the use of alternative local materials

,

According to Adeyemi,”the research that produced the works is meant to provide a direction capable of stimulating change and drive, as a catalyst for budding visual artists.” He also disclosed that some of the works were done in collaboration with other artists.

Painthograph and Painthocast, Adeyemi’s own contribution to the vocabulary of painting and painting techniques are major significant innovations to the development of contemporary Nigeria painting located with the framework of the synthesis of printmaking and easel painting.

This artistic style explores a wide range of possibilities in art making with the use of alternative local materials. It also introduces radical, transformational and dynamic approaches to the practice of art.

The marriage of the two genres of easel painting and printmaking, with all the ingredients in methods, techniques and materials, has given way to the new technique with its inherent qualities of sculptural tendencies and painterly realisation.

Some of the works include: The road to the Oil Rig, painthograph and assemblage on board; Female Form 1, painthograph on canvas; Tribute to the god, (Boat regatta) painthocast; Signs, Symbols, Motifs and Forms, mixed media on canvas; Treasures of Niger Delta, Painthograph on board; Dialogue, Primary instrument in Democracy 1, painthograph and assemblage on board, Wheel of Fortune 11, painthocast on

board; M y R e deemer Liveth and others.

A look at the works reveals that, they are divided into four main categories.

There are some that can be referred to as Naturalistic- cum- semi- abstraction. In this category, the pictures tell stories that are sometimes religious, mythological, historical, literary and stories from everyday life.

The second category belong to Abstract Expressionism. In this category, the works deal with image making where context lies in the visual

impact of the painting rather than the stories they tell. The works in this category include; paintings that are meant to convey particular messages as in some kind of protest and pro-

paganda among other functions.

A good example is a work titled, The road to the oil Rig, a piece that depicts the ugly environmental devastation that is the hall mark of the Niger Delta home of the nation oil wealth.

The third category are those in the iconic-cum- Expressive form. In this category, the artist displays imagery with pomp and colour with a deliberate attempt to distort.There are also works in this category that create subtle poetry.

Art Is Everywhere Waste-to-art comes to Lagos T

he 11thWaste-to-art workshop of Art Is Everywhere(AIE) will hold in Lagos from the 19th– 24thNovember 2012 in collaboration with the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos.

At the workshop, 25 artists will work with recyclable wastes from the beach and the Lagos urban environment during the one week workshop which will feature Lectures and slide presentations by selected professionals.

Art is Everywhere is a waste-to-art project initiated in 2005 by Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu lecturer, Ayo Adewunmi in collaboration with Alliance Francaise, Enu-

gu. The objects of the project include; rediscovering waste as a resource for artistic creation; thereby drawing attention to environmental issues, providing an avenue for training young artists and the less privileged in the society on how to make a living from recycling. AIE also seeksto create inter-cultural exchanges between local and foreign artists.

In 2007, the coordinators of Art Is Everywhereworkshop decided to change the mode of the workshop into a traveling workshop in order to access waste materials available at different geo-locations and to draw attention to environmental issues. So

far, AIE workshop has been held in Enugu, Jos, Kaduna , Zaria and Banjul, Gambia.

The AIE Lagos workshop will be coordinated by a team of professionals renowned for their use of recyclable wastes; among them are Ayo Aina – Kaduna/Zaria based artist, Ike Francis (lecturer at University of Port Harcourt), Chike Obeagu (Lecturer at Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa), Dr Peju Layiwola (University of Lagos), Akin Onipede (University of Lagos) Okechukwu Eze (Lagos based artist).The products from the Lagos workshop will be exhibited thereafter in a gallery to be decided later.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012—51

BITS Labour Minister wades into Labour, AMCON disputes over DSC

PENGASSAN President loses mother

MADAM Florence AyodejiKehinde Ogun, the mother of the President of Petroleum and natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Comrade BabatundeOgun, is dead.

Aged 80, she died Sunday, October 28, 2012., at a Lagos hospital, after a brief illness.

According to burial arrangement released by the family, service of song will take place Wednesday, December 26, 2012, at 41 Araromi Street, Ijebu-Ode, wake-keep holds at 18 Onirugba Quarters, Ijebu-Ode, on Friday, December 28, while interment service comes up Saturday, December 29, 2012. During her lifetime, late Madam Ogun was a trader and a community leader.

LateFlorence Ayodeji Kehinde Ogun C M Y K

Munir Abubakar, MD/CEO, NSITF, receiving the "Distinguished Nigerian personality in diligent service to fatherland" award from President of the National Association of Niger-delta Students, NANDS, Lucky Emonefe.

Workers, NSITF parley on Employees Compensation scheme

By Funmi Komolafe WEDNESDAY, October 31st provided an opportunity for a selected group of workers under the umbrella of the Lagos state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to abreast of the operations of the Employees Compensation Scheme, ECS, a fall-out of Employee’s Compensation Act, ECA, and also raise issues.

It was an interactive session with the management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF,in Lagos, facilitated by Unite Consult Limited.

THE Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Alhaji Umar Munir Abubakar set the tone for the interactive session when he spoke of the Fund’s modest achievements and the determination of the management team to ensure the success of the scheme.

He told the union leaders representing private and public sector unions that they have a duty to ensure that employers make their contributions as stated in the Employees Compensation Act 2010.

Alhaji Abubakar told them that “If employers are not paying, the worker is left in a limbo. Give the scheme your personal support. It is your own.

Ensure it is sustained. If we don’t get money, that means the scheme will fail”.

What is the Employees Compensation Act, who pays?

NSITF management explained, “The ECA replaces the old outdated Workmen Com-

pensation Act, WCA, and aims at addressing the shortcomings of the 58 year old WCA . It is contributory scheme funded with one per cent contribution of employee’s monthly pay (gross) payable by employers. The new Act allows for sustainable pool of fund for payment of compensation to employees who suffer from occu-

,

MINISTER of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has apprehended the industrial dispute between organized labour and the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, which had threatened industrial peace in the Delta Steel Company, DSC. At a stakeholders’ meeting by the Minister and the feuding parties, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ISSSAN, Delta State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and AMCON, a six-point communiqué was reach which halted a looming industrial unrest in DSC. According to the communiqué at the end of the meeting, “Based on the notice to embark on strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, Delta State Council, a meeting of the above parties was held, and at the end of a very fruitful deliberation; AMCON promised to stop the Receiver from further ejecting the Nigerian Staff of DSC from their official residences and to re-instate those already ejected. The continual enjoyment of Power, Schools and other social facilities by the Staff of DSC was also assured.”

to have for instance lung cancer after he left the service of his employer and the ailment was traced to hazards of the job in the company where he worked previously , will such a person be covered by the scheme?

NSITF responded in the affirmative. Spokesperson for the management said, “Even after working for a company if a disease is discovered and traced to the work place and the employer is contributing, then the former employee will be compensated”.

It must be noted that all medical claims must be from the hospital the employer uses or authenticated by that hospital. To prevent abuses by hospitals , NSITF intends to work with the Nige-

76 claims have been processed and paid up to date.

The number of employers involved is 65 and a total of about N15 million paid to the 76 claimants”.

It emphasized that all accident claims must be related to the work the employee is engaged to do.

The union leaders suggested

The Cash benefits include, “Compensation for injuries occurring in the normal workplace, compensation for mental stress, compensation for occupation disease, compensation for hearing impairment.

pational diseases or sustain injuries arising from accident at the work place or in the course of employment”.

With the definition and main objective spelt out, NSITF told the union leaders that the Act states that the employer contributes one percent of gross pay but where the employer chooses to pay one per cent of “ total remuneration “ in the context of basic salary, housing and transport allowance , “ultimately the employee ( claimant) is short changed. So, one per cent of total remuneration is preferred.

1,200 employers key-in NSITF disclosed that as at October, 2012, a total of 1,200 employers had registered with 12 commercial banks listed as contribution collection banks. To date, the organization reported that it has received 177 applications of which a total of

,

that if an employee on vacation sustains injury he/ she should be accommodated under the scheme . They argued that since the employee is on leave with the permission of the employer who still contributes, such an employee must be covered by the scheme. NSITF management agreed but said this would be part of the input to be made by stakeholders; NLC Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association etc when a review of the Act is proposed.

Workers were also assured that employees on contract are not excluded from the Scheme.

Abubakar said the owner of the outsourced firm is expected to make contributions on behalf of his employees.

Union representatives also asked that if a worker is found

ria Medical Association to introduce a scale of fees.

How to report an accident or occupation disease The first step is for the employee or someone on his/ her behalf report to any accident or injury verbally or in writing to the employer immediately; to enable the employer takes necessary steps to complete Form ECS. BF01.

The scheme has cash and non- cash benefits. However, failure to follow the procedure may delay or deny the claimant his or her benefits hence union representatives were advised to educate their members and ensure compliance by employers.

Benefits of the SchemeNSITF explained at the Cash benefits include, “ C o m p e n s a t i o n for injuries occurring in the normal workplace, compensation for mental stress, compensation for occupation disease, compensation for hearing impairment. In fatal cases (death) as much as 90% of the total remuneration of the deceased employee is paid to the dependant of the deceased until the occurrences of certain events specified by the Act”.

Non – Cash benefits included “Provision of artificial appliances including limbs where necessary, Vocational, rehabilitation and counseling services to injured employee with a view to bringing the employee back to work, the scale of compensation has been actually determined for claims on partial disability, permanent disability, temporary disability and death”.

52 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Stories by Ayo Onikoyi nollysexiest@yahoo.com

DIVAS AT DAGGERS DRAWN

A

s the count-down to the annual Channel O Music Video Awards, which holds this Saturday at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto, Zimbabwe hots up the two Nigerian divas nominated in one of the most glamorous categories, Most Gifted Female Video, square up to battle each other to the ground. Fans of the duo, Tiwa Savage and Mo Cheddah have taken over the social media to campaign for votes for their divas.

Both Tiwa Savage and Mo Cheddah nominated for their exploits in the videos of their songs “Love Me, Love Me’’ and ‘’See Me ‘’ are expected to slug it out with other top African acts like South African Zahara, Mozambique’s Lizha James and Ugandan Keko.

Though the Nigerian duo are hot favourites for the coveted honour but pundits are not sticking out their necks as the final decision is expected to go down to the wire, particular in view of the videos being put up by the divas.

For Mo Cheddah, winning the award means ending the year on high note even though she was the winner of the award in 2010 but Tiwa Savage has more to prove even if she only recently clinched ‘Best Female Vocal Performance’ at the Headies.

But if both of them lose out

Mo Cheddah Vs Tiwa Savage

they have the consolation of picking up another honour in another category, which is ‘Most gifted West African video of the year ’ for Mo Cheddah where she is nominated alongside D Black

in ‘’Falling’’. Tiwa Savage also has a shot for another category ‘Most Gifted R&B Music Video of the Year ’ where she partners Flavour in the vidoe “Oyi’’ Other Nigerian acts

expected to shine this weekend are Ice Prince, Wizkid, Naeto C, Wande Coal, 2Face Idibia, Davido, Brymo, D’banj and P-square

The next thing on the menu of beautiful songstress, Waje Iruobe, known simply as Waje is the Lagos Jazz Series where she is billed to perform. Waje is expected to thrill lovers of jazz on Friday and Sunday. Venues are the Oriental Hotel and Federal Palace Hotel and Casinao

Tiwa Savage and Mo Cheddah

Chita A gwu acquires Agwu lat est Kia S UV latest SUV UV,, mo movves int o ne w home into new

T

Waje per perfforms at Lagos Jazz series

he fact that beautiful Chita Agwu has moved from being a fast rising star to becoming one of the most sought-after names in Nollywood is beginning to push itself to the surface. The Asaba queen of Nollywood is getting roles more than she can keep pace with these days and this is beginning to manifest in her social status as she recently moved up the ladder of life by relocating to a highbrow area in Ikeja area of Lagos. And as if that has not left any dent in her finances the fair-skinned actress did her house-warming with acquisition of a 2012 Kia Suv. Talented Chita, who was reported in recently to be in a hot romance with another up and coming actor, Benson Okonkwo is said to have a penchant for posh cars with flashy colours.

Sometime last year she bought herself a yellow Volkswagen Bug two weeks after her first Hyundai SUV was involved in an auto crash. This her latest latest acquisition is red in colour.

Eldee on warpath with Slo ec hnology Slott TTec echnology

N

igerian rapper, producer and architect, Lanre Dabiri, known simply in the entertainment clime as Eldee may soon take foremost mobile phone sellers, Slot Technology, based in Ikeja, Lagos to court over a sale of sub-standard HTC phone he bought over a year ago.

The rapper tweeted some months ago “ I bought a HTC phone from Slot in Ikeja last. It stopped working after three weeks, we took it back and they said they would fix and replace it since it’s under warranty. They have kept posting us to call back for over a year now and have refused to return the phone or money”

So Nicki Minaj has a big heart to go with those awesome butts and intimidating bosoms.

The Trinidadian-born American rapper, promised in a recent tweets to do something for victims of the Super Storm Sandy which ravaged the eastern coast of the country recently. “Give GOD thanks.

Still sending love to the EAST COAST... I’ll be there in 2 wks to do smthn very special... can’t wait!!!!

Banky W. drops two singles next week Top RnB star and Arsenal fan, Banky W. and his crew on E.M.E label are surely on the go and are looking set to take the music industry by storm. The Handsome singer on twitter recently let out that they will be releasing two singles come November 11th of this year. When asked if he would work with Cohamns again, “Already did. Stay tuned.

Two new singles.

November 11th” he tweeted.

Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 —53

C M Y K

54—Vanguard , THURSDAY THURSDAY,, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 — 55

1000 volunteers for Eko 2012

T

O provide additionl service during the 18 th National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012, 1000 volunteers will be engaged by the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Making this known yesterday, LOC Secretary General, Kweku Tandoh, said the volunteers would be drawn from various professional fields would assist in various areas.

“I want to say that we will be engaging over 1000 volunteers that will assist in different area and I want to say categorically that the volunteers will not be doing the work of the sub-committees as they will only be rendering additional assistance throughout the festival,” Tandoh said.

The LOC scribe added that to acquaint the volunteers with their functions during the festival, a three-day training would be organized for the selected people with the aim of updating their knowledge on what volunteerism is all about. a

T

Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo hands over the torch of Unity to Gov Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State in Abuja.

AFRICAN UNDER-17 QUALIFIER

Golden Eaglets to tackle Mali at 2:00 pm T HE peculiar tight flight schedule within the West African sub region has again forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to change the kick off time of the Golden Eaglets’ Sunday ’s Under-17 African

Bebeto’s son Continues from B/P politician and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro in 2010.

Speaking after his debut, Mattheus said: “My father had a great

career and he is an example for me to follow.

“He has given me great peace of mind, telling me just to do my best.”

Championship qualifier against the Junior Eagles of Mali to 2:00pm The match earlier billed for 4:00pm at the team’s traditional home ground at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar was shifted to 2:00pm so that the Malian delegation could return to Bamako via Lagos as scheduled on Monday.

It would be recalled that similar reason was responsible for a similar 2:00pm kick off time against Guinea last month but the Golden Eaglets still grinded a convincing 3-0 win despite the harsh

weather condition.

The temperature in Calabar at present is oscillating between 25 and 30 degree Centigrade with a maximum temperature of 31 degree Centigrade expected on Sunday’s afternoon nm according to local weather forecast.

Consequently, the Golden Eaglets have equally adjusted their training session in order to acclimatize ahead of the 2:00pm kick-off time even as the team’s medical doctor, Dr. Ayodeji Olarinoye has assured that the players would be able to cope despite the expected dry condition.

RACISM: Chelsea stick NFF stops NPL Congress with Mikel Continues from B/P “The NFF wrote the letter based on the need to put all lingering matters to rest before we can start talking about a new season. This is of high importance,” Inyama said.

The letter, addressed to the Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Premier League, Tunji Babalola, and signed by NFF General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu, read, inter alia: “I have the mandate of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation to inform you to put all arrangements for the staging of the NPL 7th Congress 2012 on hold C M Y K

Nigeria Unity Cup kicks off in Abuja

until further notice.

“This is as a result of several lingering issues around the Nigeria Premier League that have come to the fore and which must be fully resolved before a Congress can be called to set the date for the beginning of a new season.

“You may kindly recall that the Nigeria Football Federation had earlier directed you to suspend plans for the commencement of a new season based on some issues. Now, other matters have been added, for which the NFF issued you a query that has only recently been answered.”

C

HELSEA are determined to stand

by John Obi Mikel, despite police dropping their investigation into Mark Clattenburg.

The Met have announced there was not enough evidence for them to pursue a case against referee Clattenburg, following a claim he used “inappropriate language” against Mikel.

But the club denied they were out to get the official as revenge for his mistakes in the 3-2 Premier League defeat

by Manchester United.

They are now waiting to see if the FA will

HE Nigeria Youth Peace and Unity Cup will kick off today at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

According to the chairman of the Central Working Committee of the tournament Mr. Ejugo Alfred the official launch of the ball will precede the kick off.

Meanwhile, the mascot for Nigeria youth peace and unity Cup 2012 was unveiled by Chief Vincent Okumagba, Chairman Managing director Pixal Petroleum Company Ltd at Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, Cross River State.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief Okumagba who was represented by his personal assistant Prince Kunle Ojo stated that any meaningful idea aimed at checking the rising restlessness in

the youth of this country and to promote peace and unity was a welcome development.

According to Okumagba, the tournament will not only promote peace and unity among the youth but will also reduce the lingering security challenges facing the country, using the power of football as a unifying factor for sustainable development.

Speaking in the same vein the acting managing Director of Cross River Basin Development Authority Engr. Mfon Essien commended the main organizing committee of the unity cup tournament. He said that the Nigeria Peace and Unity Cup was a tournament every Nigerian should support since it has to do with promotion of peace and unity of the country.

Ndanusa mourns Sule’s demise

T

HE President of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Sani Ndanusa has expressed shock over the passage of Adburahman Sule, who until his death, was the longest serving Chairman of the Kaduna State Tennis Association.

In a message yesterday, Ndanusa, who is the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, said the late Sule was a great

supporter of tennis development in Nigeria.

“The immense contributions of late Chief Abdurahman Sule to the development of sports in Nigeria were very profound and his lasting legacies will ever remain fresh in the minds of members of tennis family.. He devoted his strength, time and resources to the service of humanity and Almighty God”, wrote Ndanusa.

King Arfa, Messi up for FIFA Puskas gong Ref Clattenburg and Mikel charge Clattenburg, with a decision anticipated by the end of this week.

Buck defended Chelsea’s decision to report Clattenburg, saying: “We weren’t interested in any confrontation with the referee or anybody else, had no thoughts of revenge on the referee.

Continues from B/P Toon’s French fancy scored some stunners in 2012 but it was his magical goal in the Magpies’ 2-1 FA Cup victory over Blackburn in January which made the cut.

Prem star Ben Arfa has some tough competition though with nine other crackers to contend with, including super strikes from Barca genius Messi and Brazilian

whizkid Neymar.

The Santos striker beat off Messi and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney to clinch last year ’s gong — awarded for his Maradona-esque run and finish against Flamengo.

But has the samba star done enough to write his Neym on the prize this time around or does Toon wizard Hatem have Arfa chance of glory?

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Bebeto’s son earns Brazil call-up

T

Power tussle NFF stops NPL Congress T

HE Nigeria Football Federation has directed the Nigeria Premier League to put on hold its 7th Congress earlier scheduled to take place on Saturday, 17th November in Kano.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama said the Federation took the decision as part of its determination to see that outstanding issues around the Premier League are conclusively resolved with a view to putting in place a credible first tier of Nigeria’s domestic football.

Continues on page 55 TODAY'S

•Baribote

•Maigari

HE boy who sparked one of the most famous World Cup celebrations of all time has been called up to the Brazil Under-20 squad.

The birth of Mattheus led to dad Bebeto, and team-mates Romario and Mazinho, doing the legendary ‘cradlerocking’ routine after scoring against Holland in the USA 1994 quarterfinals.

Now the Flamengo youngster, 18, has moved a step closer to emulating his father after receiving his first i n t e r n a t i o n a l recognition.

Mattheus plays as an attacking midfielder and has worked his way up the youth ranks at the Rio club.

He made his first-team debut in February this year and has gone on to play nine times.

Bebeto, 47, who scored 39 times in 75 games for Brazil, is now a Continues on page 55

ROCKING THE WORLD ... Mazinho, Bebeto and Romario with their iconic celebration against Holland.

THE BOY FROM BRAZIL ... Bebeto’s son Mattheus during his debut for Flamengo against Olaria this year

King Arfa, Messi up for FIFA Puskas gong Friendlies

N

EWCASTLE ace Hatem Ben Arfa has been nominated alongside Lionel Messi for FIFA’s Puskas award given to the scorer of the year’s best goal.

Continues on page 55

•Messi

•Arfa

1000 vvolunt olunt eer s ffor or Ek o 20 12 — P .55 olunteer eers Eko 201 P.55

PUZZLE

YESTERDAY'S

Korea Republic China Thailand Malaysia Tanzania Georgia Armenia Russia U.A.E.

1 1 5 1 1 0 4 2 2

Australia New Zealand Bhutan Hong Kong Kenya Egypt Lithuania USA Estonia

2 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 1

ANSWERS ACROSS 1 Boss (4) 4 Contend (3) 6 Rant (4) 8 Lottery (6) 9 Unchaste (6) 10 Decay (3) 12 Intone (5) 14 Bequeath (5) 15 Pole (5) 18 Dance (6) 20 Apprehend (6) 24 Sprite (5) 26 Poetry (5) 28 Braid (5) 30 Fixed (3) 32 Accompany (6) 33 Powerless (6) 34 Average (4) 35 Enclosure (3) 36 Nobleman (4)

DOWN 2 Instruct (5) 3 Protection (7) 4 Deviate (4) 5 Way out (4) 6 Mature (5) 7 Sundry (7) 11 Poem (3) 12 Horse (3) 13 Sailor (3) 16 Marsh (3) 17 Hastened (3) 19 Superintend (7) 21 Tear (3) 22 Set free (7) 23 Child (3) 25 Watch (3) 27 Faint (5) 29 Drone (5) 30 Cease (4) 31 Spin (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Scale 7, Vista 8, Tried 10, Aloud 12, Era 13, Trail 15, Diocese 17, Random 19, Sat 20, Wastrel 23, Peel 25, Deal 26, Remains 30, Cad 31, Duress 34, Portray 37, Perch 38, Bye 39, Model 40, Fiery 41, Rally 42, Derby.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Libra 2, Staid 3, Callow 4, Laud 5, Erected 6, Lease 9, Ire 11, Distend 13, Tripe 14, Anger 16, Oar 18, Macadam 21, Lever 22, Clash 24, Lectern 27, Mar 28, Superb 29, Robin 32, Relay 33, Scold 35, Rye 36, Yoke.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place 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: 01-8944295. Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; 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) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.