OBJ FIRES AGAIN, WARNS JONATHAN - 'Keep your reply, save Nigeria'

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Obj/Jonathan: Group sues for peace

BY LAJA THOMAS

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United Kingdom based NGO, the Niger Delta Advocacy Group has sued for peace over the controversial letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a statement signed by the group director, Barrister Ejiro Nomuoja, which was made available to

Vanguard said “President Jonathan should take time to study the letter in the interest of peace and unity of the country. We are happy that the two great leaders and statesmen are already meeting over the matter in Kenya.

“We the Niger Delta Advocacy Group is of the opinion that this is not the time to trade words with former President Obasanjo rather for President

Jonathan to welcome people’s opinion and apply wisdom in taking some advantageous points on board for the sake of unity and peace of our country.”

The Urhobo advocacy group also send condolence to the Ijaw National Congress over the death of its erstwhile leader, Tari Sekibo. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

2013 Holy Ghost Congress The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) 2013 Holy Ghost Congress was held at the Redemption Camp, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogun State.

Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

N109m alleged fraud rocks Delta LG

BY FESTUS AHON, Ughelli

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ENSION has envel oped Ughelli North Local Government Council, Delta State, following allegation of misappropriation of N109 million leveled against the Local Government Transition Committee Chairman, Chief Friday Akpoyibo, by its members.

The transition committee members, who accused the

LP denies expelling Gbenga Daniel

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ABOUR Party (LP) says it has not expelled former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel.

“No organ of our party has the power to expel any member except the national convention of the party. The party has no issues with OGD. In fact, the national leadership will be meeting with OGD and party faithful in Ogun State tomorrow (today) in continuation of previous meetings held.

OGD is still with the party”, a statement by the party national chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said.

“Labour Party is a democratic institution and has not endorsed anybody for the 2015 governorship election in any state in Nigeria. Above all INEC is yet to release the time table for the 2015 general elections.”

council chairman of mismanaging the council’s funds, have passed a vote of no confidence on him and accused some top officials of the council (names withheld) of complicity in the alleged financial recklessness.

The members, in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, which was signed by the council’s Vice Chairman, Mr. Sunday Udin, Secretary, Mr. George Ushere, Supervisory Councilor for Agriculture, Mr. Hezekiah

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TAKEHOLDERS in Bauchi State have lamented that political gains have crippled the promotion of the GirlChild Education project(GEP) in the state even as they stressed renewed commitment on the part of the state government to fund and sustain the project.

This was the resolution at a one-day advocacy meeting on Girl-Child Education Project Phase 3, organized by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) D Field Office for Bauchi State Policy Makers in five implementing states at Plateau State in collaboration with

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God ministering during the congress

Star Times accused of bribing officials for Kenyan license

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TAR Times the Chi nese Pay Television Company has been accused of bribery in a Nairobi court by the CEO of Nation Media Group (NMG) in a case that has delayed the countries digital migration.

In a sworn statement, Linus Githi’s, the group CEO of NMG, claimed that Star Times issued 5% of their shareholding to government officials in exchange for obtaining licenses. According to the NMG’s lawyer, Paul Muite, a joint application for licensing by Nation Media and Royal Media had been dismissed for a lack of a bond of500,000about$5,700USD yet the Nation and Royal Media had the financial capacity to do so. NMG is the largest media house in East andCentralAfrica. “Weare

Political gains in girl-child education worry Bauchi stakeholders

BY SUZAN EDEH

Ugbuwiako, Supervisory Councilor for Works, Mr. Christopher Onou and 13 others alleged that “the Chairman’s wife received N1.8m to travel to South Africa for the seminar of National Council of Women Society in May 2013.”

Contacted, the embattled council chairman, Akpoyibo, explained that the monies for the oversea trips that were not made were returned to council’s treasury, adding that; “I have the receipts.”

the Bauchi Radio Corporation Authority(BRC).

The purpose of the meeting is to collaborate with state policy makers in order to improve the quality of girls education in Bauchi State and address the challenges hindering girls education in the state as well as promote gender equality and women empowerment.

The facilitators at the meeting are UNICEF Chief of Field Officer, Abdulai Kaikai, UNICEF communication officer, Samuel Kaalu and UNICEF Education Officer, Muntaka Mukhtar,Education Specialist, Mairama Dikwa and Education Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi.

questioning why the licensing is being done in a discriminatory manner,” Muite submitted”.

The suit in Kenya is the latest in a series of troubles for the Chinese pay television operator. In neighboring Uganda, Star Times has been taken to court by the Uganda Consumer Protection Association for allegedly selling over 150,000 obsolete DVB T1 decoders. In Zambia, the company had a tender award revoked after accusations of irregularities in the way the tender was awarded while, in South Africa, the company is facing calls from civil action groups to have its operating license cancelled after allegedly buying into a local pay television and introducing pornographic content.

Star times denies the bribery allegations in the Kenyan case as the case continues.

Deputy Governor of Lagos State Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (r) and another guest at the congress

Okolugbo, one year after

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T Rev. David Obio sa Bishop of the Ndokwa Diocese of Anglican Church, in a sermon to mark one year in office of Sir Kenny Okolugbo, the commissioner representing Ndokwa in DESOPADEC, took time to reel out all the projects executed by Okolugbo and sought a confirmation from the audience if it was true.

Once that was done, he charged public officers to use the funds meant for the people for them and not for their private pockets,. He commended Okolugbo for the projects he completed in just a year.

from left Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye and Baroness Elizabeth of the House of the Lords, United Kingdom

Large congregation at the congress

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Amnesty Office uncovers plan to defraud beneficiaries

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HE Presidential Amnesty Office says it has uncovered a plan to defraud unsuspecting beneficiaries of the amnesty programme for former agitators in the Niger Delta.

In a disclaimer by the Head of Media and Communications, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the Amnesty Office said the fraudsters send text messages entitled: “Important Amnesty Message” to beneficiaries and delegates under the programme, claiming that they have been “designated for the Empowerment Payout Scheme” and directed them to visit a website.

The beneficiaries were also requested to pay N3,000 as processing fee to a designated bank account for the payment of N5,000,000 as “Empowerment Start-Up Grant/Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Bonus Empowerment Payout.”

Ijaw salute J.P. Clark at 80

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HE Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG) says Emeritus Professor J.P. Clark is a blessing to the Niger Delta in particular and Africa in general.

In a congratulatory message by Comrade Joseph Evah, on behalf of the group, to mark the 80th birthday of the retired professor of English, the Ijaw commended the role Clark played in the advancement of literature and education, a feat they say will remain a reference point for generations unborn.

“We are proud that one of Africa’s literary giants and finest minds, Prof. J.P. Clark from our homeland of Niger Delta has closed 80”, the message said, adding, “There is no doubt, his poems and plays deeply rooted in the spiritual and historical background of the Niger Delta region motivate us everyday like champions and this has helped to keep our history alive.

The Amnesty Office distanced itself from the information, saying it did not send such message to any beneficiary or delegate and that there was no plan to pay them such amount of money now or in future.

It urged beneficiaries to be wary of scammers, who have been unrelenting in their attempts to reap where they did not sow.

The Office said the appropriate security agencies had been notified of the development and that they had commenced investigation.

Fleeing bank robbers kill ASP

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

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From left: President Goodluck Jonathan; Senate President David Mark and the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, during the arrival of Prsesident Jonathan to the wedding ceremony of the daughter of the Senate President at Regina Pacis Catholic Church, Abuja, yesterday.

MISSING $49.8BN OIL MONEY

Nigeria will collapse if …, says meeting of Finance, Petroleum Ministries NNPC *Crucial CBN top shots underway

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North S the furore over the claim by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has not remitted $49.8 billion to the Federation Account continues, a crucial meeting has been called for tomorrow to sort out the imbroglio.

In the main, key officials of the NNPC, CBN and Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Finance would try to douse the tension generated by the controversy.

It was learnt that the coincidence of the Sanusi letter with the 18-page letter from former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan has been interpreted as a political instrument hatched by the CBN Governor to blackmail the administration as not keen on combating corruption, one of the key

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SOLUTION

issues raised by Obasanjo in his missive.

But the Group Executive Director Exploration and Production of the NNPC, Eng. Abiye Membere, said, yesterday, that there was nowhere the Nigerian economy would have survived at any time if such amount of money was withheld from the system.

Membere, who was flanked by the Director of Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. George Osahon, and an official of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Kelvin Allaso, told journalists in Abuja that it was imperative for the key agencies to meet and find out if indeed any money was missing.

The director said that at the meeting, all revenue generating and collecting agencies related to oil production would examine their books to determine the veracity or otherwise of the CBN claim.

“But all we are saying is that $49.8 billion is not missing,” Membere insisted, adding that if the nation ever misses such amount, it would not be able to operate.

“NNPC did not collect and will not collect money from oil proceeds and not remit same to the Federation Account as stipulated by the law of the land.

“The NNPC is ready to defend itself over this allegation, which is not true and can never be justified considering what the oil industry generates for the national economy monthly.

Claiming that the NNPC had no hand in the said missing money, Membere made it clear that the corporation had remitted all that it ever collected as stipulated by law to the CBN and had nothing to hide.

Asked to comment data used by the CBN Governor to arrive at the purported missing sum, the E &P

boss noted that the figure was best known to the apex bank governor.

When the same question was put to the DPR director, he said that he was not armed with the figure, which the CBN boss used in computing and arriving at the amount said to be missing.

Controversy over the missing huge amount broke out last week, raising fears that the money had been stolen.

But the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, GMD, Eng. Andrew Yakubu, on Friday dismissed the claim by the CBN Governor as a fluke and accused Sanusi of playing politics with the issue and heating up the polity.

“I want to say that the allegation by the CBN governor is unfounded, baseless and has become a political instrument in the current politicallycharged environment,” the GMD alleged.

HE Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in Ijare, Ifedore council area of Ondo State, Iheme Wilfred, an assistant superintendent of police, ASP, has been shot dead by armed robbers after robbing a bank outside the state.

The deceased police officer was said to have led his men to lay an ambush for the robbers who operated at a commercial bank in IkereEkiti, Ekiti State, and wanted to escape through Ijare.

But the fire power of the robbers dwarfed that of the officer and his men.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the robbers, on getting to Ijare Road where the policemen had laid the ambush, sighted them and opened fire. Sources said that it was in the process that the top police officer was killed.

But another source said that the deceased and his men actually engaged the robbers in a shot out for about 20 minutes before they were over powered by the robbers who brandished sophisticated weapons.

It was gathered that immediately the policemen who accompanied the deceased officer noticed that he had died, they fled into the bush.

Consequently, the men of the underworld allegedly carted away their arms and ammunitions.

The robbers who, it was learnt, stole an unspecified amount of money from the commercialbanktheyrobbed in Ikere Ekiti eventually got away through Ijare Road.

Ondo State police authorities confirmed the death of the DCO. The police image maker in the state, Wole Ogodo, described the killing of the ASP as unfortunate.

Ogodo said men of the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were investigating the incident.

‘Keep your reply, save Nigeria!’

Continued from page 1 intentions for Jonathan and Nigeria and what he wants from the President importance of the former is courageous and timely leader’s letter. actions to save Nigeria The source said,”The from the brink. That’s all. truth of the matter is that ”Obasanjo will be a former President happy Nigerian if approObasanjo is not expect- priate steps are taken by ing President Jonathan President Jonathan to adto reply him. Absolutely dress the burning issues no. The President did of corruption and other not consider it needful to challenges that threaten respond to previous let- to bring this country ters privately written to down. him by the former head ”There is absolutely no of state and he does not reason to expect a reply expect any reply to this from the Presidency when one. previous letters written to ”I can tell you that him were not even acObasanjo wrote the let- knowledged.” ter with the best It was however learnt,

at the weekend, that presidential aides have drafted a response to Obasanjo’s letter.

The response was said to be awaiting Jonathan’s approval.

Asked to justify the breakfast parley between the former President and Jonathan in Kenya on the day the bromide of Obasanjo’s letter was feasted on by the media, the source said there was no meeting between the two leaders.

The source said that Obasanjo and Jonathan only met by chance and exchanged pleasantries as they lodged in the

same hotel in Nairobi.

Obasanjo stirred controversy when he wrote a letter to Jonathan drawing his attention to myriad of issues capable of taking Nigeria to the brink if not addressed.

But the Presidency fired back, describing the letter as inciting, provocative and self-serving.

Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, who’s issued a statement, indicated that Jonathan would make a formal response but did not say when he would do so.

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From left: Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Sally Mbanefo, Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, Commissioner for Information and Chairman, Local Organizing Committee, Kayode Akinmade, Commissioner for Natural Resources, Barr Tunde Atere and Commissioner for Community Development, Engr Clement Faboyede, at the opening of the 2013 MARE Festival, in Idanre.

From left: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe; his wife, Eyeosrun Abosede; newly installed chief/wife of Ekiti State Governor, Bisi Fayemi; and Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, during the conferment of chieftaincy title of Eye Ajiseye of AdoEkiti on Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

I have no terminal sickness – Pastor Adeboye *Blames impersonators for illness claim *’ Don’t believe hell-returnees’

BY SAM EYOBOKA AND OLAYINKA LATONA

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ENERAL Overseer of t h e Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday, debunked the

claim that he has a terminal sickness and is soliciting for funds to travel to India for medical treatment, saying the story was the handiwork of impersonators out to extort.

The respected man of God, speaking during the just concluded 16th Holy Ghost Congress at the Redemption Camp on L a g o s - I b a d a n Expressway, warned Nigerians to be wary of such dubious people

parading themselves in social media purportedly soliciting for funds on his behalf.

“Some people have been impersonating me on Facebook and other social media asking

people to donate monies for unidentified orphanages or some sick persons who require urgent medical treatment abroad. Please do not believe them and do not give them money,” Adeboye said.

“Somebody even went to the ridiculous extent of saying that I needed money to go to India for the treatment of an undisclosed ailment.

Please do not answer them. As you can see I am not sick. I am hail and hearty. They are liars.”

Continuing, he said some others are equally impersonating his wife, pointing out that such persons are not representing him or his wife. According to him, some other fellows are busy sending e-mails to people inviting them to fake programmes purportedly organised by the General Overseer.

“If anybody invites you to any programme anywhere in my name, please confirm from me.

There is also one that said I had a dream where I saw many of my people weeping because they could not make it to heaven. It is all lie! I did not have any dream and I know that you will all make it to heaven in Jesus name,” he stated.

On recent stories by some persons who claimed they died and got to heaven but were sent back to warn brethren who are perceived to be wallowing in sin,

Adeboye said such people should be ignored because God does not operate the way they are portraying Him. “There is woman who said she died and went to heaven where Jesus sent her back to warn people of the world against sin. If you do not know already, when the rich man died and saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham, he requested that Father Abraham should send an angel to his relations on earth to warn them to repent and escape hell. He was told that there are enough prophets to accomplish such missions,” Adeboye stressed.

The cleric explained that anyone who claims to have died and returned to preach the gospel; “please do not listen to them. Put your trust in the true Word of God. Some years ago, one man claimed to have died and came back and he started preaching that any Christian who acquired a car would go to hell.

“This man produced a CD which he was selling to the people and he made a lot of money from selling the cassettes and CDs. Not long after, he bought a Land Cruiser and when people asked him why was opting for hell, he replied that he did not buy a car. He bought a Land Cruiser.

Be careful, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” the RCCG General Overseer said.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 9

ONE YEAR AFTER BAYELSA CRASH

Yakowa an epitome of selfless service and patriotism —VP Sambo

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ICE President Mohammed Namadi Sambo says the late Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa left behind a legacy of selfless service and patriotism.

The Vice President stated this yesterday in Kaduna at the one year memorial of the late governor, who died on December 15, 2012 in a plane crash in Bayelsa State.

He said: “ A man of peace, Yakowa made peace unity and purposefulness the cardinal objectives of his life.

He would be best remembered for his accommodating posture, his benevolence, love of peace, tolerance, sense of unity and purposefulness as well as humility, which earned him the title ‘ Yakowa na kowa da kowa’ meaning ‘ a man

of the people.’

Sambo said the event was significant as Yakowa holds an enviable position in history, imploring the younger generation to be inspired by his dedication to duty and selflessness.

The VP used the opportunity to preach for peace and unity, stressing that, without peace, there would be no m e a n i n g f u l development.

From right: Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Vice President Namadi Sambo with the chairman of the occasion, Yeriman Zazzau, Alhaji Munir Ja'afaru, and Mrs Amina Yakowa during the lecture in remembrance of the late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, former governor of Kaduna State, at the Shehu Musa Ya'Adua Sports Complex,Kaduna yesterday.Photos:Olu Ajayi.

‘Prayer can stop Boko Haram insurgency’

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ELIGIOUS leaders have been enjoined to intensify prayers to address security challenges confronting the nation.

Professor Joseph Otubu, General Evangelist Motailatu Church Cherubium and Seraphin worldwide stated that prayer should be applied as a weapon to checkmate the Boko Harram insurgency and other security issues wreaking havoc on our country.

Speaking at the Adoption Thanksgiving Service of the Motailatu Church in Lagos, tagged, “Celebration of Spiritual Rebirth: The Future of Aladura Churches”, the professor of obstetrics and gynecology said churches have the responsibility to continue to preach peace and justice for the wellbeing of the nation.

The General Evangelist admonished the church as followers of Jesus Christ to show love to one another as Christ himself exemplified, and also endeavor to make provision for the poor.

He noted that the major problem confronting our nation is poverty, and, as

such, the church must address it squarely by providing for the less privileged.

The General Evangelist reminded the brethren at the

thanksgiving service of the four responsibilities they owe God: Living a life of continuous praise to God, increase goodness to one another; allowing the goodness of

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ATISFIED with the running of the F e d e r a l Government Amnesty Programme, Niger Delta ex-militant leaders under the third phase of the Programme have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to consider his Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Mr Kingsley Kuku, for

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

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HEAD of the 2015 general election, two serving female senators, yesterday, declared their intentions to contest governorship

Mandela was once-in-a-lifetime person — Sen Bucknor-Akerele Says Lagos not doing enough on poverty alleviation

BY ISHOLA BALOGUN

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former deputy governor of Lagos State and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Kofo BucknorAkerele, has described Nelson Mandela as a unique and once-in-alifetime person just as she urged Nigerian leaders to learn from the life of the first South African President.

Speaking during the launching of Mending Hearts Foundation held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, the lawyer, who represented Lagos Central in the Senate in the aborted Third Republic, said: “Mandela was a unique human being, you don’t have many like him; I think he was like a onesin-a-lifetime person. I

must say I am very happy to have lived during his lifetime. He was a marvelous person, very courageous, he had vision for his people and he carried that vision through. I only pray that we have somebody like Mandela in Nigeria to lead us to the promise land.”

Bucknor-Akerele who was a special guest at the occasion identified

higher office.

They also passed a vote of confidence on him for his transparent handling of the amnesty p r o g r a m m e .

Rising from a meeting held at the Ughelli Kingdom Hall, the leaders described Kuku “as a honest, t r a n s p a r e n t , hardworking, selfless resourceful and true leader who always give prompt attention to all issues that affects them (ex-militants).”

Moving the motion for

leadership failure as the bane of socio-economic development.

Asked to mention specific areas, she stated that poverty alleviation, good health programme and education, good road network and industrialisation are lacking.

The president of the foundation, Philomena Nnenna Oke, disclosed that the initiative was

meant to correct the ills in families, communities and society at large with special attention to domestic violence, divorce, teenage pregnancy, child abuse, w i d o w h o o d , unemployment, prostitution, human trafficking and poor parenting.

Several widows received gifts items raging from food items to toiletries.

elections in their states.

Senators Helen Esuene, PDP, Akwa Ibom South and Aisha Jummai Alhassan, PDP, Taraba North, while talking to Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly, said they decided to join the race in their states to complement the efforts men have been making over the years to give good governance to the citizens of the states.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that two other female Senators, Chris Anyanwu, Imo East and Nkechi Nwogu, Abia Central are also said to be nursing governorship ambition to occupy the plum positions though they have not made open the intention.

The senators said, “We are not saying we are better than men that have been occupying these positions over the years in the two states and in fact, across the 36 states of the federation, but we are saying as responsible women, we shall be less distracted in office like any of the men that has served in that capacity.

N-Delta monarchs set agenda for new NDDC chief helmsmen

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SSOCIATION of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria

Ex-militants make case for Kuku

BY FESTUS AHON,

God to lead them to repentance and reforming their lives; and approve themselves faithful to God as to allow his goodness and mercy to always follow them.

2015: Two female Senators declare guber intentions

the vote of confidence, the National Secretary of the group, Tam Odogwu, pointed out that Kuku’s credibility, effectiveness and vast knowledge and understanding of the Niger Delta ex-militants and the terrain has contributed to the stability of peace in the oil rich region.

In the motion, seconded

by Kingsley Agas, Delta State Chairman, Amnesty of third phase, Odogwu thanked Jonathan for his (Kuku) appointment.

(TROMPCON) says it expects the new chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Bassey Henshaw, the managing director, Obong (Sir) Bassey Dan Abia, and members of the Governing Board to justify the high confidence reposed in them by President Goodluck Jonathan by bringing their wealth of experience to bear in the discharge of their duties.

In a congratulatory message signed by its National Executive Chairman, Eze Akuwueze Raphael I k e g w u r u k a , Ezeahuruke II, TROMPCOM said there was no doubt that their appointments are in

recognition of their enviable previous track records of performance in both public and private life.

“After several years of inexcusable neglect by various Governments of Nigeria since Independence in spite of the excruciating burden of providing for the economic survival of Nigeria with attendant degradation of our e n v i r o n m e n t , TROMPCON, as a principal stakeholder in the development of the Niger Delta Region, demands nothing less than selfless and accountable service from the new Board”, the statement said.

“While we commend President Goodluck Jonathan and the Senate

for the nomination and speedy confirmation of members of the new Board, we demand unequivocally that all the shortfalls in the statutory Federal G o v e r n m e n t contributions to the NDDC as provided in the enabling law which is now in excess of N600billion should be released without delay to the new Board.”

The group said it will continue to collaborate with agencies of government at federal and state levels to ensure that there is a conducive environment for the NDDC and all other service providers to execute various development projects in the Niger Delta.

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Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 11

“Most schemes of political improvement are laughable things”, Dr Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 192).

AST week’s column ended with the following declaration. “I strongly believe that breaking up Nigeria will result in disasters greater than whatever we are experiencing now.

Let me start with my own people – the Yoruba”. Now, read on.

Femi Fani-Kayode and Tunde Fagbenle, without saying it, implicitly, believe that the Southwest will be better off on its own. To be candid; they have reasons for the optimism. The “Oduduwa Nation” (for lack of a better name), will be an oil producing nation – Ondo, Lagos and Ogun have oil. It has on the average the best collection of educated manpower and its educational institutions from primary to tertiary are the best nationwide. So, on the face of it, nothing stops it from becoming another Croatia or Pakistan. Nothing, that is, except guarantee of perpetual peace.

Unfortunately, few of the nations they cite as examples broke up without bloodshed; and some of it is still going on. Between India and Pakistan lies Kashmir – over which they have been fighting for years and losing lives. In fact, out of the abiding mutual distrust, India and Pakistan have embarked on acquiring nuclear arms – which everybody knows are not as

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cheap as Chinese fire crackers. Georgia and Russia still go to war occasionally over boundary disputes. So, boundary disputes, which will be inevitable, if Nigeria breaks up, preclude any sort of peaceful settlement. So, those thinking this is going to be somewhat of a tea party should start reckoning with the possible bloodshed and loss of lives that might follow the decision to break up. Even boundary disputes between communities within the same state have led to thousands of deaths each year in Nigeria. Upscale those to disputes between nations and it is easy to understand why Somalia, by comparison, would be considered child’s play.

Furthermore, most of the breakaway nations cited started out with leaders that are generally accepted by the majority of the people.

Fani-Kayode himself, no offense intended, believe me, represents one of the reasons Yoruba unity had become elusive since the 1960s. The combination of the NCNC and the Akintola group made it possible for the civilian Federal Government to create the Midwest Region out of the Western Region – the only one done by civilians. The political division which resulted from the days of the WILD WILD WEST remains till today. Our family house at Inalende Street, directly opposite, Lanlehin’s (an Awoist) was the scene of some of the most horrible things human be-

Nelson Mandela, in our life time "Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity”-Nelson Mandela.

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AST Thursday, a bright light dimmed but will never be extinguished. That beacon of light will continue to light the way through the darkness for years to come.

Our elder,Tata Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela has gone to meet with our ancestors, so we should celebrate for a life well spent in the service of others. We can not be sad, we have to rejoice that this man will lived because his ideal lives on.

“A man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished” We honour and celebrate his life as so others in and

around the world. Every superlatives has been used to describe the man,elder statesman,leader and an all round fantastic human being so I will not even try to out do others. I will register my pride,happiness and profound sadness that I feel a bit empty by his departure.He has done very well by his people, his race and the world.We cannot ask him for more. We witnessed a star that comes once in many generations, and we are privileged to be in the midst of its radiance.

He is at peace with himself and the world. He is at peace and deserves the accolades.

His light definitely lit our way as when he showed that forgiveness is possible, reconciliation,a must; that good does triumphs over evil, oppression and violence. We pay witness to those who proclaim that; good cannot triumph, that only violence is the way to deal with violence, as the

ings can do to other human beings in the name of politics. To that we can now add the break up of the Awoist camp. Nothing demonstrates the fact of disunity in the Southwest better than the different submissions that were made to the Dr Okurounmu Committee in Lagos; one group is even boycotting the entire thing.

Now, the political leaders in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, and Ekiti are on their own; the people they “lead” have answered the call.

Meanwhile, some of those who “ represented” the Yoruba people before Okunroumu, as leaders, are to me jesters. I say this au-

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Thoughts on the National Conference – 2

more than money – if we used the premises for more than five years. Six governors, for reasons, best known to them, gave us nothing – Fashola, Ladoja, Akala, Oni, Fayemi and Mimiko.

One of my first self-imposed assignments was to go to the North and mobilize the Yoruba in the event violence erupted in Jos, which I had been informed was imminent. I tried to get the governors of Yoruba states to act in concert to save as many of our people as possible. When the violence did occur, I was in Jos, at my expense, and with the help of the JTF Commander to get homeless Yoruba to the Army Barracks and safety. Instead of collective action, two states sent vehicles to evacuate their own people. It was in my presence that a woman,

Those who have pocketed Lagos State for the exploitation by their families and close associates recently short-listed four people as candidates for Lagos State governor to succeed Fashola in 2015

,

thoritatively because a few years ago, I was invited to join a Yoruba organization, AGBAJO YORUBA AGBAYE, which was envisioned to be non-political, non-religious and which would represent the interest of all Yoruba people. I was reluctant to join. But, when told that all the Governors of the Southwest were going to fund it and send members, I agreed to join. Eventually, I was appointed the Secretary General. I voluntarily resigned from VANGUARD to take up their assignment. All the governors who were parties to the original agreement, at the Oni’s Palace at Ife, except the Oyo State governor, redeemed their pledges; but only once instead of annual grants. One provided us with a building at Ikeja – which was worth

who had lost her entire family of six, except the baby on her back, was turned down because she was not from the state which sent the buses. I wept for my people that day.

Thus, in less than one year, my worst fears had become reality. Our claim to Yoruba unity is as fallacious as saying the earth is flat. Everybody abandoned me at Ikeja. Our leaders, who now “lead” another group, which made submissions to Okurounmu, left me with an office and staff and the running expenses – which eventually cost me over N4 million. Appeals to governors, to come to our aid were not even acknowledged. Till today, AGBAJO has not been wound up honourably.

Our landlord completed

answer to governing the masses.

People often do not forget where they were when seismic event in history happened. These are one of those times. I knew where I was when Mandela was released from prison and I knew where I was when his death was announced. Both occasions filled me with indescribable emotions. It

mined ,resolutely refused to be compromised and would not negotiate his freedom at the expense of the majority until everyone is freed of this heinous system that was a blight to humanity. Mandela lived up to his name Rolihlahla.

In his Xhosa tribe, his name means ‘pulling the branch of a tree or troublemaker ’, he did pull the branch of the tree of oppression and made trouble for the persecutors.

I cut my teeth on the novel, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY as it gave a eerie and candid account on how life was like for majority under apartheid, It was my reawakening and I can only imagine others who felt the way I felt an abhorrence of injustice and human cruelty.

“Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with free. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.”

CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY -Alan Paton Alan Paton, the writer of this popular book was a white South African and

,

He is at peace with himself and the world.

He is at peace and deserves the accolades

,

was a feeling like no other and unless people had been part of the journey in one way or another then it will be difficult to describe.

I know I was deliriously ecstatic that I know that that moment I was there to witness.

"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison," This was the mark of the man.

In our time, we too, can say we know of a man that stood tall, forthright, deter-

the execution. One day, while still struggling to maintain the office, he sent some one demanding for the keys to the premises -in 48 HOURS. There was a giant generator, air-conditioners in every office, computers everywhere, and internet connection. I had cleared the arrears of N30,000 PHCN bill left by a previous tenant. Over one million was spent to repaint the building; flowers were planted and a small orchard was soon developing in the backyard. I was determined to leave the place far better than I found – even if it was not my own.

Yet, this illustrious son of Yorubaland gave me 48 HOURS to go.

So, if one might ask, as a Yoruba: “ who will be our leader in the new nation?”

A group without a leader is always a mob. Surely, nobody expects millions of Yoruba people and me to walk out of the Federation without a leader. For me the acid test of leadership is to develop a strong sense of obligations. From my desk at AGBAJO, I saw most of those parading themselves as Yoruba leaders from a different, and not respectable, perspective. Few are left who will call for me to follow. Without political leadership, generally approved, all we are heading for is not an Eldora do but, WILD WILD WEST II. Crude oil does not by itself transform to national wealth; we need political leadership and peace. Nobody had told me how we are going to achieve the break up without bloodshed in Yorubaland. So, count me out of any break up. It will create more problems than it will solve. I vote for anything we can do to fix the sickness of this country – Nigeria.

LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR 2015: THEY HAVE DONE IT AGAIN “Impress it on the mind of any man that he can do no

wrong and he will soon convince you of your mistake.”

Joel Barlow, 1754-1812.

The battle line had been drawn for us even before 2014/5. Those who have pocketed Lagos State for the exploitation by their families and close associates recently short-listed four people as candidates for Lagos State governor to succeed Fashola in 2015.

The leaders (all Muslims), came up with four names – all Muslims, one is not even from Lagos State. The list was then reportedly sent to a traditional ruler – Muslim, of course, to select the candidate of his choice.

The outcome was a Senator in the National Assembly – who had been drawing the highest remuneration package of any parliament in the world for doing virtually nothing. So, after years in the Senate collecting hundreds of millions doing nothing for us, he is to be rewarded with Lagos State Governorship -- as compensation for “job well done”. Umph!! Progressive politics in Lagos had become more conservative than any in the country today. Close to 99.999999 per cent of us are merely serving the infinitesimal minority….. Just in case you don’t know, what our Muslim leaders are asking Christians to endure is as follows: Jakande, Muslim, (51 months), Otedola, Christian (14 months), Tinubu, Muslim (96 months), Fashola, Muslim (by 2015, 96 months) and they now want us to go to the polls in 2015 and vote for Senator, Muslim (96 months)..That to the leaders of the “Progressive” party in Lagos is fair.

So, there you are. More than ever, you now know why we must fight for a Christian governor in 2015. Enough is enough.

Wait for more revelations…

V i s i t : www.delesobowale.com

later became an anti-apartheid activist, and also testified on Mandela's behalf at his sentencing trial. That was the strength and the allure of Mandela. One of the maxim that Mandela lives by is very much a leaf off the book; “hate no man, and desire power over no man" Mandela never forgot the debt he owed to supporters in the United Kingdom. In 1996 he used a speech to both Houses of Parliament in London to give his thanks.

"We take this opportunity once more to pay tribute to the millions of Britons who, through the years, stood up to say: No to apartheid!"

One of the stories I was told by a close friend was, how two young men,sneaked in to the building that Mandela was due to be opening in Brixton. They found Mandela was already in the building having requested to meet and greet the cleaners.

They did meet and spoke to the man too!.

“Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end”.

When Nelson was making his famous speech,I was too young to know that this great man will change the course of history.

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination," he said. "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

I feel truly honoured to live through these times to see a great human being make so much sacrifice in spite of his suffering. He was determined to extend a hand of forgiveness to his tormentors and move his nation to the path of healing; and the world watched and learns from such magnanimity.

“I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what I normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their country are terrorists. I tell them that I was also a terrorist yesterday, but, today, I am admired by the very people who said I was one.”

It is incredible how many of the leaders in the stadium were amongst those who accuse him of terrorism and passively and actively did business and turned a blind eye to apartheid regime.

PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

BY JIDE AJANI

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or a man who enjoyed so much support to become Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief, he did not need a letter from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his former benefactor, to appreciate the discount his administration is suffering.

Fortunately for him, the messenger has poisoned the message with highly concentrated bile.

However, the wise paradigm for Aso Rock to engage is a careful re-assessment of the basis of governance with a view to doing the altruistic needful in its own interest. This is the compelling argument in this piece.

On that night of December 22, 2002, it was a meek, very meek, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who bore his now familiar demure demeanour visage in one corner of the expansive chamber inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa. A deputy governor, it was not particularly easy for him to mix freely with the crop of governors who were in attendance. The meeting was a crucial one to determine the plausibility of then President Olusegun Obasanjo’s suitability for a second term of office. Mind you, Obasanjo had, just three months earlier, survived a very crucial impeachment plot against him. Therefore, the meeting of that night was to fashion out a zoning formula that would ratify an eight-year tenure for the South and another eight-year

,,

FACE OFF: EX-PRESIDENT’S WAY OR THE HIGHWAY

The true, incredible story of Obasanjo and Jonathan zBuilt on treachery, torn apart by treachery zA peep inside Aso Rock zHow Mr. President can buy back his reputation

The window of opportunity that Obasanjo has presented to Jonathan is that he should wake up, become more presidential, do away with the dregs hanging around him, quiet the buffoons who continue to irritate other Nigerians with their visceral verbiage and focus on the average Nigerians who voted for him tenure for the North. Of the 51 persons in attendance – all Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders – 47 voted for the proposal, two abstained and two voted against it.

Jonathan was one of those who voted for zoning to help Obasanjo out. That was in 2002.

Fast forward to December, 2009, some seven years later: Once Obasanjo was allowed the privilege of seeing then ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia, and not minding the commitment family members extracted from him before allowing him the rare access, it was a haughty Obasanjo who railed at the sick president, calling on him to resign.

This, after breaking limbs and bruising heads to ensure that the selfsame Yar’Adua emerged as President just two years earlier. With Obasanjo’s outburst, events took a frenetic pace and Jonathan became first, Acting President and, later upon Yar’Adua’s death, took over as President and Commander-in-Chief. Again, Obasanjo quickly assumed the role of cheer leader, admonishing Jonathan to seek the presidency of Nigeria, not minding the zoning arrangement that had been put in place by his party though, without prejudice to the unequivocal provisions of the 1999 Constitution regard-

Continues on page 14

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 13

We await Jonathan’s response – Reps Jonathan corruption Abiodun Faleke, APC, Lagos I do not see the issues raised in the letter as destructive, but rather as serious for all Nigerians to be sensitive about. The training of snipers to eleminate 1000 opposition members, the looting of income of this nation by NNPC. etc are major concern to me.

It is a serious issue-Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila,APC, Lagos state.

The allegations are coming from a former president and should be taken serious. We await the President’s formal response. z Gbajabiamila

z Yusuf

z Peterside

z Faleke

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

S

ome House of Representatives members say they await the response of President Goodluck Jonathan to the allegations raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his state of the nation letter to him. The lawmakers spoke to Sunday Vanguard. Excerpts: Good Nigerians should speak out now- Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream Sector, Hon Dakuku Peterside, PDP Rivers State.

Good people must speak out . Nobody should be allowed to destroy our democracy.

Mr President should be cautious,Deputy Chairman House Committee on ICT, Hon Tajudeen Yusuf, PDP, Kogi State.

That is Obj for you.. In as much as I would have preferred a better approach... I will advise the president to show restraint, respect and maturity in handling the matter.

He must learn how to manage Obj. He is the president, so he must not be distracted.

Do not count OBJ’s sins on this-House Committee Chairman on Justice, Hon Ahmad Ali. The right question to ask is, are these weighty allegations true? It will not be enough to choose listing Obasanjo’s past sins as a response strategy. That will send a wrong signal, imputing veracity of the allegations.

The question to ask is whether the allegations are trueChairman House Committee on Ethics and Corruption, Hon

It is food for thought for any leader-Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Zakari Lafia Mohammed.

The letter is deep and a food for thought for any leader.

OBJ, enough of this rubbish-Chairman Committee on LGAs,DTHA, Hon Tim Kome Owhefere I have read carefully the purported letter from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. First, I’m surprised at the kettle calling the pot black. It beats my imagination that Obasanjo would dare to complain about the Presidency haunting individuals with security agencies, when he actually perfected the act using the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu.

Maybe the former president has also forgotten so soon how he muscled the Bayelsa House of Assembly to undemocratically impeach a sitting governor without conforming to due process as laid down by law. Those who live in glass houses should be mindful in throwing stones. It was the same Obasanjo that attempted a kangaroo constitutional amendment to enable him do a third term in office even when his kinsmen refused to vote for him based on his perceived track record.

The issues are weighty-Chairman House Committee on e-Parliament, Hon Razaq Bello Osagie, APC, Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo The allegations and issues raised by President Obasanjo are weighty but not new. The salvo is coming from a strong personality and benefactor of President Jonathan who has been through this route and eminently grounded to understand the implications of his comments. ”When a father tells his own son and neighbours around that he is not doing well, I think it calls for grave concern. If this criticism will influence the policy direction of government positively for the benefit of Nigerians and to the glory of God Almighty, so be it.

However, governance would appear to be on the reverse impliedly on oxygen and Nigerians should look at alternative platforms for recharge of mandates and franchise to public officers who represent them and which rightfully belong to them.

Rivers: Anachy looms — ANEEJ

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

A

frican Network for En

vironment and Eco nomic Justice (ANEEJ) has described the attack on members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the police as disgraceful for the nation, warning that the Jonathan administration may drag the nation into anarchy if the National Assembly failed to stop the police immediately.Rivers State Police Command had stopped the lawmakers from reconvening even after a Federal High Court declared that the taking over of the affairs of the House by the National Assembly was illegal.Following the ruling, the

lawmakers tried to reconvene but were tear gassed by the police who stopped them from entering the Assembly complex.Executive director of ANEEJ, Rev.David Ugolor, yesterday, described the police action as unfortunate capable of dragging the state into anarchy.“ What is happening in Rivers State is the highest level of impunity, a situation where the leadership of the country uses security operatives to intimidate lawmakers who were set to carry out their responsibilities as provided for by the Nigerian constitution, is unacceptable and should be resisted by well meaning Nigerians,” Ugolor said. “The judgment of the Federal High Court gave the legislators the right to proceed to the Assembly

Rev.David Ugolor Complex for a sitting. It is however worrisome that under a democratic dispensation, people flaunt judicial orders with impunity and never get punished, this is most unfortunate. “We urge relevant government agencies to take the necessary action to punish those involved in this anti-democratic show of shame, to demonstrate to Nigerian that this present Nigerian government has respect for the rule of law”.

allegation unfair —Onuesoke

A

Delta State Peoples Demo cratic Party (PDP) governor ship aspirant in the 2007 general elections and currently Special Project Director in the office of Delta State Governor, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has rebuked the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, over his utterance that President Goodluck Jonathan is encouraging corruption in Nigeria by paying lip service to the fight against the scourge.

Tambuwal, who Onuesoke spoke as a guest speaker at the 2013 International Anticorruption Day, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja, on Monday, had alleged that Jonathan is encouraging corruption in Nigeria by the way he is handling corruption cases. Reprimanding Tmabuwal, who is alleged to be on his way to joining APC, for his “unguarded” statement, Onuesoke argued that the Speaker, being part of the government of the day, has shot himself in his foot because he cannot exonerate himself or the National Assembly

from the allegation he is accusing Jonathan and members of his executive of.

Advising Tambuwal to start the war against corruption from the House of Representative, Onuesoke, who is also an environmentalist, said, “The Speaker is part of the government even though he belongs to the legislative arm. If the executive arm cannot fight corruption then the speaker also has some blame. Part of his duty is to fashion the legal framework to fight corruption. He is in charge of lawmaking.

“He should say the current leadership of which he is number four cannot combat crime but not by singling President Jonathan out by saying he is encouraging crime. What has he done to the Femi Otedola case against Farouk Lawan who is a member of the House of Representatives? Is Farouk not still in the House? He should start fighting corruption from the legislative arm. He should resign for indicting the government he belongs to for saying they cannot combat corruption.

“Oversight function is now a source of income for the lawmakers as they intimidate ministers and

agencies of government for money. If he is not acting the script of the opposition, let him start the anticorruption war from the House. Let’s have the legal framework to fight corruption.”

Onuesoke argued that if Tambuwal feels the government is corrupt, while he is also part of the government, the best thing he should do is to resign.

“This is what happened in developed countries. You cannot be part of government and at the same time attack the government. If you know what is happening in the government is not alright with you, the best thing to do is to resign,” the Special Project Director said, querying what evidence Tambuwal has for making such an assertion.

Describing the Speaker as lacking administrative experience, Onuesoke stated, “He is not supposed to have made that kind of statement. Does he not know that some House of Representatives members were picked up for corruption? What did he do? The young man lacks experience. He is a party man and what he has done is wrong. As a party man, he must learn from experience, he must be calm. “What evidence does he have to say that the president is not fighting corruption? Or does he want the president to go and jail his cabinet members to show that he is fighting corruption? He should not play into the hands of those that want to destroy him.

He is a young man who should build his party squarely and allow his party to dictate what is going to be his own political future.”

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Obasanjo and Jonathan: Another Love Letter…

BY MUSTAPHA ABDULLAHI

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aba Obasanjo, sir, I read your love letter to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with delight; at times with sobriety; and at other times with disgust. I am sure when you read to the end of my love letter to you, you will understand why.

Your Excellency, in your usual characteristic manner, you brought heaven into the “fray” of your letter to the President. That is good, because in the matter between you and the President, the other arbiters like Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma are inconsequential.

What exactly, sir, did your reading of the Bible teach you? Or, if I may ask, did your training at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) not tell you that you do not speak ill of your leaders the way you did in the open market?

As an elder, I leave you to determine whether the way you de-robed a king in public was wise. And in de-robing the king, you brought in heaven, which has taught that we be taciturn and refrain from speaking ill of leaders.

There is no doubt that you got some points right. Very right! And it could only come from you, but I shudder when a man of your calibre would repeat an allegation, especially that of snipers and 1,000 Nigerians on political watch list. Are you not in a position to confirm this before throwing that information out there?

My former President, I like that aspect where you said no one is born to rule. But what rankles is where you stated: "For me, I believe that politically, it was in the best interest of Nigeria that you, a Nigerian from minority group in the South could rise to the highest pinnacle of political leadership. If Obasanjo could get there, Yar’Adua could get there and Jonathan could get there, any Nigerian can. It is now not a matter of the turn of any section. It has been proved that no group-ethnic, linguistic, religious or geographical location-has

*Jonathan

*Obasanjo monopoly of materials for leadership of our country. And no group solely by itself can crown any of its members the Nigeria CEO. It is good for Nigeria."

Sir, if you had the opportunity for eight years and Yar'Adua could not go eight years on account of his untimely demise, which many of us in the North believe you foreknew and mischievously exploited, why do you think that a minority from the South (unlike the majority that had ruled for upward of eight or more years) should get one term? So it is only minorities from the South that should get "minority years?"

Somewhere else, you claimed that Jonathan told you he was going to serve only one term. We are happy that you did not say there is a pact, just like we the northerners did not say there was one between you and us when we, or our elders in uniform, agreed with you over "pepper soup in an officers' mess" of a prison to do one term.

Thank you, sir, for reminding Jonathan that he will answer to God. So also will many others in positions of authority, past and present.

I do not wish to comment on some issues because I agree with you, but what I cannot understand is why you made this an open letter when almost all through the letter you talked about instances, and there are many, where you met the President and discussed with him.

Are you angry he did not take advice coming from a larger than life statesman like you? Are you playing the script you agreed to with some of your G-5 boys and some of those generals you copied this letter to (please note that almost all the men they visited were the ones you also copied)? Or, is it because Al-Mustapha, loose cannon in all rights, is on the loose with all the files he allegedly stole from the Villa? Is it pure, plain busybody attitude that you are telling all of us what you already discussed behind closeddoors? Do you remember what happened to a man called Audu Ogbeh because he dared to do what you are doing? Going

back to the Bible that you are very conversant with, why do unto Jonathan what you did not want done unto you? And I am sadly forced to remember one of the generals you copied this letter. Whenever he was/is asked to comment on some state issues, he would decline because, according to him, he has ways of reaching the number one. Why have you refused to toe this path of honour and yet you talk about honour? Anyway, thank you for making some of these issues public, because we now know how some of you fiddle with our destiny. And like you said earlier, there is a day of reckoning with Him to whom we must all give account.

It is interesting what you wrote regarding the manner in which the President is seeking to go for another term, even after he assured you that he was not interested. I can only say that Jonathan is learning from a master; a son learning from his father. Sir, I think your boy learnt a few tricks from you.

Passionately, I noted that you wrote: "When you won the election, one of the issues you very early pursued was that of one term of six years. That convinced me that you meant what you told me before my speech at the campaign. Mr President, whatever may be your intention or plan, I cannot comment much on the constitutional aspect of your second term or what some people call third term. That is for both legal and judicial attention. But if constitutionally you are on a strong wicket if you so decide, it will be fatally morally flawed.

“As a leader, two things you must cherish and hold dear among others are trust and honour both of which are important ingredients of character. I will want to see anyone in the Office of the Presidency of Nigeria as a man or woman who can be trusted, a person of honour in his words and character. I will respect you for upholding these attributes and for dignifying that office.

* Abdullahi, a graduate of literature, can be reached via Mustaphabdullahi66@yahoo.com

The true, incredible story of Obasanjo and Jonathan Continued from page 12 ing eligibility to seek the office of president.

So, whether Obasanjo wanted to assist Jonathan become president or whether he still saw the latter as the weak, meek persona who used to cringe in the presence of Obasanjo inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa whenever he was ordered to report, and, therefore, wanted a malleable number one citizen, only Obasanjo can answer the question truthfully.

What is, however, incontrovertible is that Obasanjo’s overbearing disposition as well as Jonathan’s undue meekness was soon to create a life.

JOINT VENTURE IMPEACHMENT OF DSP ALAMIEYESEIGHA ometime in 2005, the plot to remove Jonathan’s boss, then Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, began.

Obasanjo knew that he needed the trust and confidence of Jonathan to ensure the success of the impeachment. Quickly, Jonathan was recruited.

Now, whether the then deputy governor had his eyes on his boss’ seat or whether Obasanjo simply, typically bullied him into going along with the plot, only President Jonathan can honestly provide the information. Between being bullied and eagerly acquiescing, Alamieyeseigha was improved in a gangland style perfected by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under the leadership of Nuhu Ribadu – the legislators of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly were practically abducted and forced to impeach Alams as Alamieyeseigha was known. Jonathan was the beneficiary as he became governor.

From that moment, the relationship between

S

Obasanjo and Jonathan was like that of father and son. To consummate this, at a time when there was a need to select a running mate for Yar’Adua, after Peter Odili had been wrestled out of the contest and promised the vice presidency, Obasanjo, for inexplicable reasons, chose Jonathan.

The story of how they fell apart on account of Obasanjo’s seeming overbearing presence is no longer news.

However, what made news last week was the letter Obasanjo wrote to President Jonathan alleging all manner of things and all but labeling the latter a criminal by association.

THE FIRE THIS TIME his would not be the first time that Obasanjo, for whatever reason(s), would take on, in brutally frank, nay wickedly opportunistic manner, Jonathan as well as other presidents before him.

In Obasanjo’s letter, he identified the following areas of displeasure: *Possible consequences of current situation in the country *Non-acknowledgment of four letters or responses to same *Semblance of Abacha era *Do everything to guard, protect and defend our fledgling democracy, nourish it and prevent bloodshed *Division of the country along weak seams of NorthSouth and Christian-Muslim *Don’t allow the country to degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression *International friends and development partners are genuinely worried about signs and signals that are coming out of Nigeria *Take advantage of the present favourable international interest to invest in Africa

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*Legacy and your climb-down which you alone can best be the manager of, whenever you so decide. *Jonathan’s association with a known wanted criminal The former president, who also goes by the derisive alias of Ebora Owu (the spirit of Owu), explained each point as best as he could.

But Obasanjo missed the point on quite a number of cases.

For instance, in the case of insecurity, it was during Obasanjo’s time that the following high-profile murders occurred and are yet to be solved: Killing of Bola Ige, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation; Marshall Harry and Aminasoari Kala Dokubo, leaders of the PDP; et al.

In the instance of the PDP and the crisis in the party, Obasanjo all but locked up his party Chairman, Audu Ogbe, just to extract a resignation letter. This after the same Obasanjo had maligned and tried to ridicule his deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, serially; this, after installing Barnabas Gemade instead of the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi as party Chairman; this, after encouraging state chapters of the PDP to abandon the party for governors’-elect residences; and whereas all over the world, political parties engage in mobilization drive to attract new members, Obasanjo, with the active connivance of Ahmadu Ali as Chairman, embarked on a reregistration of party members with a view to weeding out those who would oppose his tenure elongation agenda.

Obasanjo explained that he would share his open letter with former military presidents Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar as well as disengaged General TY Danjuma.

This also brought its own curious twist - the same Babangida Obasanjo described as a ‘fool at 70’ or the same Abdulsalami that Obasanjo maligned so much by displaying cheques he claimed the former signed away to

Continues on page 16

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 15

The questions Obasanjo must answer, by Kashamu Prince Buruji Kashamu, the PDP National Vice Chairman in the South-west, was accused of being a drug dealer by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. Kashamu replies Obasanjo in this piece.

I

t is not for nothing that leaders rarely join the fray. This disposition is meant to preserve the majesty, respect and dignity of the exalted position that they occupy in the society. That is why when they do; people listen with a view to drawing useful lessons from such interventions.

However, when you have a man who should be a father figure descend into the arena, clutching at every opportunity to play to the gallery, then it behoves all men of good will to stand up to such a person and expose him for who he really is. For, as Martin Luther King Jnr said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Following former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s diatribe against the person and office of President Goodluck Jonathan, including my humble self, I have been inundated with calls from family members, friends, business and political associates as to his real intentions. I will situate his vituperations presently.

In the 18-page letter dated 3rd December, 2013, Obasanjo called me a shameless criminal. Pray, why should I be ashamed when I am not a criminal or the one being looked for, and he knows! They have called all manner of names to silence and sabotage me so as to take over party structure in the South-west in order to work against the government. If Obasanjo could write this kind of letter against his own people, with a view to inciting Nigerians against the man he introduced to them, then it leaves much to be desired. The was the same man who said Jonathan was the only one fit for the job having been cleared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He told Nigerians to vote him as President because of his unimpeachable character and integrity. It is unfair for him to round to insult the President. He used me to fight Gbenga Daniel and I spent over N3billion to fight his cause and took the PDP structure from Daniel and handed it over to him. He later brought his friend, a 77-year-old Gen. Adetunji Olurin, to be the governorship candidate. Now, he is casting aspersion on the person of the President and my humble self. Who should be ashamed among us?

How many former Presidents and Heads of State would do this? He thinks he is disgracing his people but unknown to him, he is making himself a laughing stock in the eyes of the discerning. Pray, what is he looking for? Initially, he was given everything he wanted but he was still not pleased. Now that things have changed, he is grumbling.

Chief Obasanjo denied introducing me to the Presidency. But can he deny that we wined and dined together in the past? Can he deny knowledge of my closeness to his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, especially during the events leading to the 2011 general elections? Can he deny that he introduced me to some leaders of the PDP in the South-west, such as the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade; his Agric counterpart, Dr. Adesina Akinwunmi; and Engr. Segun Oni, among others, as his political son in whom he is well pleased? Can he deny that he did not introduce me to the former acting Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, and other officials of the PDP-led Federal Government during the events leading to the 2011 general elections, especially as it relates to Ogun State and my role in the whole scenario? Can he deny that he openly praised me to high heavens at various public fora and rallies, including during the reception I organised for the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye (JMK)? Why is it that it is now that he is calling me names and blaming the Presidency for condoning me? What offence have I committed? Is it because I refused to allow him to hijack the party structure so that

WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION basanjo seizes every opportunity to pretend that he is opposed to corruption, whereas this same man used his office to railroad contractors into building an expansive presidential library and other edifices, including an imposing hilltop mansion for him while in office. We all know that most of the nouveau riche billionaires that his administration produced are neckdeep in one economic crime or the other, and for which some are facing trial.

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OBASANJO & JONATHAN he fact of history, which Obasanjo seeks to obfuscate with his latest attempt to distance himself from the present administration, is that he is the least qualified to accuse anyone of lacking in honour and integrity. When President Jonathan got into office, Chief Obasanjo was always going to Aso Rock to eat breakfast and take tea and coffee at the expense of the Yoruba nation. When he saw that President Jonathan is insisting on the rule of law and allowing the institutions of state to function without let or hindrance unlike what obtained in the past, he is now criticizing him.

Under him, Nigeria recorded many high profile political killings that could only be compared to the Abacha years. I recall that people like the then serving Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige; Chief Marshal Harry and Alfred Aminasaori Dikibo, among others, were killed under his watch.

He, more than any other Nigerian, had the most opportunity to turn the fortunes of Nigerian around, but he bungled it.

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PARTY POLITICS & DEMOCRACY his was a man under whose watch the majority had their say and the minority had their way. From Plateau to Ekiti, Anambra to Oyo, minority lawmakers impeached governors. He destabilised the National Assembly so much so that senators and members of the House of Representatives were always changing their leadership. He removed party officials at will and, some say, at gun point. He disqualifies people after winning party primaries. Under his watch, the country witnessed the highest number of election petitions and reversal of mandates, occasioned by his corruption of the electoral system and the political space.

Pray, what democratic credentials qualify such a person to be sermonising on democracy and party politics?

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*Prince Buruji Kashamu I was one of his foot soldiers and partners. We planned and executed many things together.

When it was convenient for him, I was his right hand. I teamed up with him against former Governor Gbenga Daniel; fought the latter to a standstill he can use it to achieve his invidious motive against President Jonathan? Is it because he has now realised that he has lost the platform which made him relevant in the politics of Ogun State and the South-west?

Isn’t there a sense in the assumption that the reason for this unwarranted attack is to portray the Jonathan administration in bad light and discredit its foot soldiers, particularly in the South-west?

Who am I? am not ashamed to say ex-President Obasanjo was my adopted political father and I was also his adopted political godson. I was one of his foot soldiers and partners. We planned and executed many things together.

When it was convenient for him, I was his right hand. I teamed up with him against former Governor Gbenga Daniel; fought the latter to a standstill; took the party structure from him and handed it over to Chief Obasanjo. I worked with him (Chief Obasanjo) to produce the platform that his anointed candidate for the 2011 general elections in 2011, Gen. Tunji Olurin. It is common knowledge in Ogun State and the

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South-west that Obasanjo and I were inseparable until recently. So, if he now turns round to be calling me names, then it should be clear to all that it is all politics. The truth is that I have not committed any offence and nobody has ever requested for my extradition. If there is anything to the contrary, I challenge Obasanjo and his cronies to produce it or forever remain silent.

I refer them to the Interpol report which exonerated me of any wrong doing, both locally and internationally. It is dated 4th March, 2008. The Interpol in the six-page report, signed by ACP Haruna H. Mshelia for the Commissioner of Police (Interpol), particularly at Clause XI, says: “Contrary to the allegation, the suspect was not found to have engaged in fraudulent/clandestine activities as all records were checked both locally and internationally and all our probes were returned negative. The suspect was never declared wanted or convicted either in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.”

NDLEA he NDLEA, in a counter-affidavit in one of the cases I filed in the courts to clear my name said, from their records, I have never been involved in any crime.

Again, in an 11-paragraph filed by the Office of AGF and dated 16th September, 2010, in the suit I filed against it at the Federal High Court, it stated:“No request for the extradition of the Applicant was made on the 20th day of July, 2010 or on any date to the Respondent or to any Federal Agency by the United States Government or any other country...The Respondent or any of its officers or any agency of the Federal Government has not received any request from any country for the extradition of the Applicant for any offence whatsoever.”

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2015 & SOUTH-WEST n the South-west, we believe that the ACN has lost its identity as the traditional party of the zone by going into the merger with other less popular parties.

Now, our people no longer see the All Progressive Congress (APC) as theirs. With the air of uncertainty about the leadership, sharing ratio and the vaulting ambition of some of its leading lights, our people see the PDP as the alternative.

In the South-west, we know ourselves. It is the irony of our democratic space that those who have never been able to deliver their polling booths since the beginning of the present democratic dispensation in 1999 are still parading themselves as the Alpha and Omega of Nigerian politics. Now, the good people of the Ogun State, in particular and the South-west, in general, have seen through their scheming and shibboleth, and are wiser for it. They would no longer allow anyone to lead them by the nose. They are irrevocably committed to uprooting the opposition from within and without.

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BREAKFAST MEETING ust as I was about rounding off this letter, I read newspaper reports that Obasanjo had breakfast with President Jonathan in Kenya, some 24 hours after his hypocritical letter went public. Although I know that our President was not fooled by the gesture, I recall how he ate pounded yam with former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo and erstwhile National Chairman of PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and still moved against them. The old man executes good and evil acts with equal ferocity. No one should be deceived. For, as it is said, “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.

Perhaps the point should be made – and poignantly too – that the earlier Obasanjo purges himself of his messianic postures the better it would be for him and the nation at large. He is quick to recount his “exploits” while in office. But the truth is: the foundation of some of the challenges that we are grappling with today were laid during his years in office.

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PAGE 16—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

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The true, incredible story of Obasanjo and Jonathan

WHEN OBASANJO MOVES TROUBLE FOLOWS erhaps, the furore generated by the Obasanjo letter may not have mattered if the former president’s vituperations had not been precursors to unwholesome repercussions.

For a man who has a history of forebearing repercussions of gargantuan proportions, even a perceptively weak president must be worried.

Sometime in 1975, a group of lecturers in the University of Ibadan (numbering five) were engaged in a very hot argument about some comments made by then Federal Commissioner for Works (Obasanjo) about General Yakubu Gowon, the then head of state.

Their argument was hinged on the propriety of such a statement coming from a serving commissioner in such an administration. In the coming weeks, Gowon ceased to be head of state.

Immediately after the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, congress where Obafemi Awolowo chose Sir Umeadi as his running mate for the 1979 presidential election, Obasanjo, as military leader, sent words to Awolowo, according to sources who were inside Dodan Barracks, Nigeria’s seat of power at the time, that if Awolowo did not drop Umeadi as running mate, he could as well kiss the presidency goodbye.

Awolowo refused to shift ground. The rest is history.

Obasanjo has had a very long history of talking down on the government of the day, sometimes playing the role of a prophet of doom only for such governments to become history.

He spoke up against the Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari administration and it became history in a matter of weeks; he spoke against Muhammadu

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Buhari in 1985 and, soon after, Babangida became military president. When Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, was beginning to bite hard, Obasanjo openly challenged him, declaring that his SAP “must have a human face and a milk of human kindness”. Soon after, there was the famous SAP riot of 1989 – a people’s revolution of sorts. At the beginning of the June 12, 1993 presidential election annulment, Obasanjo, it was, who said Babangida should be treated like a bull in a chinaware shop that needed to be guided out of power. He also told Nigerians that they should forget Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, winner of that election, because he was not the messiah Nigerians were looking for. The sad initial end of the statements was that Babangida was forced to step aside and Abiola never reclaimed his mandate.

During the Sani Abacha regime,

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Continued from page 14 government or the same Danjuma with ‘whom the centre could no longer hold’ and who reportedly claimed that Obasanjo may end up once again in jail?

The interesting point about Obasanjo is that he dominates his environment and conducts himself like a locomotive engine whose break system has gone kaput.

late Pa Ade Adefarati of Ondo State. Bola Ahmed Tinubu survived him in Lagos.

WHAT JONATHAN CAN AND MUST DO erhaps, if President Jonathan can, for once, put his house in order, he can begin to have a glimmer of hope at deconstructing and demystifying Obasanjo. But that is not possible now.

Inside Aso Rock, there is manifest contestation for power, fueled by a regime of sycophancy and nepotism, all of which contribute to creating an unnecessarily bad image for Mr. President.

Firstly, the likes of Chief Tony Anenih and Anyim Pius Anyim, who survived Obasanjo’s shenanigans, are reportedly close to Jonathan. Then there are Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and a few others who do not have an over bloated idea of their sense of importance who can be very strategic in thinking and forceful in

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Perhaps, the furore generated by the Obasanjo letter may not have mattered if the former president’s vituperations had not been precursors to unwholesome repercussions.

For a man who has a history of fore-bearing repercussions of gargantuan proportions, even a perceptively weak president must be worried

Obasanjo took on the no-nonsense Abacha but landed in jail for allegedly participating in a coup plot to serve life.

He was lucky he didn’t get the death penalty.

And as earlier recorded, after seeing Yar’Adua in hospital, he went public to hint at the mortality confronting the then leader, setting in motion a sequence of events at very frenetic pace leading to the emergence of Jonathan being able to become Acting President.

The Ebora Owu has, in the past, moved against former Governors Lam Adeshina and Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo State; Niyi Adebayo and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State; Joshua Chibi Dariye of Plateau State; Olusegun Osoba and Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State; and the

action, compared to some who enjoy listening to the sound of their own voice and who relish deceiving Jonathan.

If truth be told, why would the president of a country like Nigeria have more than a dozen visitors waiting to see in as late as 11pm.

A foreign observer who frequents the Villa disclosed to Sunday Vanguard that sometimes as at 11pm, “you still find almost two dozen people still waiting to see Mr. President. The character of some of these people can never be of consequence to governance. These are not Service Chiefs or critical ministers in the regime. It is either the president has requested to see them or some officers of state have allowed them access to see the number one citizen.

In a country of 150million people, the

president needs to avoid being blindsided by aides whose only interest is pecuniary. ” A president should be able to read his files and get his country moving.

On the issue of clannishness, there is nothing new about that.

Yar’Adua’s people dominated Aso Rock.

However, after four years of the Jonathan presidency, he should now be able to understand that the excess baggage he brought along from Bayelsa when he was an ordinary deputy governor or vice president may actually become too excessive for his own good.

If it is generally accepted that only the deep calls to the deep, a presidency that allows narrow, pecuniary interests to drive some of its actions would not hold up a lofty pole on which would be hoisted ideas that can move a country forward.

When Han Fei Tzu (280 to 233 BCE) said “if evil (aides) enjoy, safety and profit, this is the beginning of downfall”, he may not have had the Jonathan administration in mind.

The objective meant to be achieved by Obasanjo in writing what he wrote may have become dysfunctional in an unintended manner.

Perhaps, had Obasanjo consulted widely and allowed a collegiate responsibility to hold sway (like the G-18 or G-34, during Abacha’s regime) for such a message – without all the bile and innuendoes – the message may not have been lost and President Jonathan may have, indeed, been in deep trouble. As it stands today, because Obasanjo is the messenger, the message is lost.

However, the window of opportunity that Obasanjo has presented to Jonathan is that he should wake up, become more presidential, do away with the dregs hanging around him, quiet the buffoons who continue to irritate other Nigerians with their visceral verbiage and focus on the average Nigerians who voted for him.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 17

Bye as Mandela’s body heads for family farm, final resting place

BY TONY NWANKWO with Agency reports TEN days of mourning for South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon and former leader Nelson Mandela will come to an end today with his state funeral.

After Tuesday’s vibrant, if raindrenched, memorial service, followed by three days of public viewing of the former president’s casket in Pretoria, the burial will be a slightly more private affair.

About 100,000 people have paid homage to Mandela in those three days, including 50,000 who came to pay their respects on Friday, the South African government said.

This information based on government and sources involved in planning for the funeral — although plans may change because of weather, security and other factors.

Mthatha Airport as Mandela’s remains are transported to the remote village where the former leader spent much of his childhood.

Along the way, the procession, including a convoy of cars carrying Mandela’s relatives, is expected to pause for prayers to allow ordinary South Africans to pay their respects.

Traditional ceremony and vigil Once at Mandela’s house in Qunu, the military will formally

their way to the Eastern Cape for Mandela’s funeral.

The airport in East London, south of Qunu, will be used for their arrival and departure, with access closely controlled.

Notable figures thought to be on the guest list include former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his family, Britain’s Prince Charles and TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey.

There’s no doubting the global media interest. More than 4,000

The South African flag draped over the coffin will be replaced with a tribal symbol of the Xhosa people, symbolizing the return of one of their own

Return to the Eastern Cape

A military plane carrying Mandela’s body flew yesterday from an air force base in Pretoria to South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, where Mandela’s ancestral village of Qunu lies.

The family farm there will be his final resting place.

President Jacob Zuma and other members of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, gathered to bid Mandela farewell from the air force base. “We will miss him. He was our leader in a special time,” said Zuma. Mandela’s casket, draped in the national flag, was carried by soldiers to the plane.

On arrival at Mthatha Airport, the closest to Qunu, the casket was welcomed by a military band and carried by an honor guard to a waiting hearse, watched by members of Mandela’s family.

Thousands of mourners were expected to line the streets from

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pass responsibility for his remains to his family.

The South African flag draped over the coffin will be replaced with a tribal symbol of the Xhosa people, symbolizing the return of one of their own.

At dusk, ANC leaders, local chiefs and the men in Mandela’s family are expected to gather for a private night vigil, held according to the traditions of the Thembu community, his native clan, before a public funeral today. Villagers may gather outside the house to pay their respects.

Who’s attending

Foreign leaders were encouraged to attend Tuesday’s memorial service in Johannesburg. Nonetheless, dozens of international dignitaries are expected to make

journalists had been accredited as of Friday morning, with more expected, a government spokeswoman said. However, only the national broadcaster will be given access to the funeral, with other journalists in Qunu to be based at the Nelson Mandela Museum.

The event will be broadcast to an audience of millions around the world.

The funeral

A private family prayer service will be held this morning at Mandela’s home. The funeral will then be held in a huge white tent set up at the family farm.

The Mandela family, President Zuma and Cabinet members will be present as well as local and foreign dignitaries. About 4,500 people are expected.

The military will again be

charged with draping Mandela’s coffin with the flag. Members of the military will perform a salute, and the national anthem will be played.

The burial

A group of family and close friends, expected to number about 430, will walk up to the grave site to bid a final farewell to the man many saw as the father of their nation.

About 2 p.m. — when the summer sun is high in the sky — Mandela will be laid to rest in the rocky soil of his childhood home.

The burial area has been especially built for him; some of Mandela’s long deceased family members are already buried at the site. It will be, according to custom, a homecoming.

His grave site is surrounded by rocky outcrops, hardy grass used for the grazing of cattle and bright orange aloe plants.

The aloes are indigenous succulents that are hardy, drought-resistant, medicinal plants that bloom across the bushveld when all else is dry and dull. They can be seen as a symbolic floral gesture to a man whose life was filled with sacrifice and tragedy but who triumphed with a tenacity of spirit and hope in even the darkest of days.

Security With so many high-profile guests in South Africa for Mandela’s state funeral, security has been a key concern.

Zuma has authorized nearly 12,000 members of the South African National Defence Force to serve alongside the police force “to maintain law and order” during the funeral period, the presidency said. They are employed for 15 days, from December 6 to December 20.

A tight military cordon is expected around the funeral site to assuage security fears.

PAGE 18—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor

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n international po litical arena, the burial of heads of state and high profile personalities like Dr. Nelson Mandela often presents an opportunity for funeral diplomacy. Informal and somber as the setting may be, leaders of countries often capitalize

Nigeria’s ‘Father Christmas Diplomacy’ and Madiba’s funeral

on it to mend fences, strengthen ties, or break new grounds after which their envoys are left to do follow-up.

With over 120 world leaders in South Africa for Mandela’s burial, the event has made history by attracting the highest number of serving and retired heads of state and government.

It is a roll call of world leaders and the chief mourner, Mr. Jacob Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa, would try to be at his best to ensure that the event does not attract any diplomatic crisis.

Mandela’s health scare in March and the lull in-between that time and his demise gave the country sufficient time to prepare for the inevitable. Physical, spiritually and psychologically, South Africans, at all levels, were given the opportunity to brace for his demise, It is not surprising that we are seeing scenes of dancing and jubilation in a country where many people expected the death of Madiba to produce scenes of North Korea’s style of mourning. There were shedding of tears from those who knew and appreciated what Madiba did for the country. What else could the old fighter wished from his loving compatriots?

Between Anglo Saxon Duplicity and Diplomacy The week long funeral ceremony, which began on Tuesday, presented US Presi-

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dent Barack Obama the platform to recount Mandela’s legacies and memorials. It is a perfect coincidence that Mandela was released from prison when the Democratic Party was in the White House, with Bill Clinton as president. Equally significant is the fact that he died when another Democratic Party leadership, under Obama, is in control.

Before Clinton, we had seen the Republic Party government of Ronald Reagan strongly opposing the imposition of economic sanctions against the white minority regime in Pretoria.

The Reagan administration introduced the issue of withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola into the agitation for the release of Mandela. All the gains that were made during the years of Jimmy Carter’s Democratic leadership from 1976 to 1980 were frustrated by the Republican Party’s 12 years in power as George Bush Senior, who did a single term after the eight years of Reagan, did not advance the cause of dismantling apartheid in South Africa.

Like Mandela, Obama was his nation’s first black president. Obama has cited Mandela as his own inspiration for entering politics. Today we have former US presidents namely, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton , George W. Bush, and the incumbent out there in South Africa for Mandela’s funeral.

Zuma made the keynote address before a crowd of over 80,000 at the FNB stadi-

For President Goodluck Jonathan, the event in South Africa must tell him that the end has come for Nigeria’s Father Christmas diplomacy um as millions of people around the world watched live TV broadcast of the Mandela funeral. The stadium, where Mandela delivered his first major speech after his release from prison, can hold some 90,000 people, but that won’t be enough to hold the hundreds of thousands clamoring to celebrate his life.

Middle East Politics Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hailed Mandela as “a freedom fighter who rejected violence”, did not attend last Tuesday’s ceremony in Johannesburg owing to

Continues on page 19

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 19

•Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s funeral

Nigeria’s ‘Father Christmas Diplomacy’ and Madiba’s funeral Continued from page 18 the costs of travel and security. Similarly, aides to Israeli President Shimon Peres, in his 90s, said he had been recovering from flu and doctors asked him not to make the trip.

Mandela and Peres were winners of the Nobel peace prize. This means that the Israeli Prime Minister will not confront the moral issues surrounding his county’s occupation policy in the West Bank. On the other hand, as defence minister in the 1970s, Peres was involved in military and trade ties with South Africa’s white rulers. Under him, Israel offered to provide the apartheid state with nuclear weapons in 1975.Netanyahu was criticized recently by Israeli media for spending $127,000 to fit a bedroom into the chartered airliner that flew him to London for the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is lapping up to the opportunity to challenge global conscience on the Palestinian question. Palestinians hailed South Africa’s first black leader as an inspiration in a conflict with what they call Israeli “apartheid”.

End of Father Christmas Diplomacy?

For President Goodluck Jonathan, the event in South Africa must tell him that the end has come for Nigeria’s Father Christmas diplomacy. Before the release of Mandela in 1990, Nigeria was a member of the frontline states which included some of the countries that shared borders with South Africa.

Nigeria provided funds to the liberation movement, trained its human capital, mobilized international opinion to isolate apartheid South Africa in sports C M Y K

and business.

Nigerians donated personal funds to the welfare of South Africans in Diaspora. Nigerian universities offered scholarships to South Africans, while the antiapartheid struggle was on Nigerian streets and homes, fields of sports, the airwaves, etc. The anti-apartheid campaign was hot but the tragic irony was that it is those countries that encouraged and supported apartheid policies and practices that took the front seats at Mandela’s funeral.

What happened at Mandela’s death brings to mind the vilification of Gen.

foreign relations experts to find out why South Africans have been growing increasingly hostile to Nigerians.

But to make matters worse, Nigerian foreign policy managers completely forgot that South Africans were not amused that Nigeria stood against the candidate of South Africa for the chair of the AU Commission.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola was among few Nigerians who rose above the culture of paying tributes to Mandela to reflect on the ingratitude of post-apartheid South Africans. He accused South Africa of paying Nigeria with evil despite the nation’s immense support to end apartheid regime in that coun-

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola was among few Nigerians who rose above the culture of paying tributes to Mandela Sani Abacha when he pulled Nigeria out of the 1996 African Cup of Nations based on security reports that South Africans had planned to humiliate the Super Eagles during the tournament. A lot of Nigerians, who are not aware of the depth of contempt that South Africans hold Nigerians, disagreed with the general. We have since seen rising cases of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

We have seen deportation of Nigerians for what South Africans called infractions on yellow fever vaccination.

Nigeria’s foreign policy managers failed to read the situation well with a view to advising Jonathan properly. The Nigerian leader was not recognized at the funeral orations held at the FNB Stadium.

Jonathan had earlier set up a team of

try. Professor Victor Ariole of Faculty of Modern Languages at the University of Lagos towed the same line when he said, “I remember we took drastic measures against the foreign collaborators of apartheid regime and nationalized their assets.“ He added, “What is playing out in Mandela’s burial is the same economic interest of the protestant Anglo Saxon group which has been ravaging Africa for its land and resources. We could see that the economic interest of the West is predicated on a vision quite against nature; hence Africa is a battle field.

“The goalpost shifts any time Africa is approaching a scoring point”. The Chinese, the Japanese and the Koreans have joined in the scramble for the land and resources in Africa and all that is playing out in Mandela’s funeral. Africa remains the frontier for exploitation of human and material resources.

PAGE 20—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

How Achebe saw Mandela

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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s torrents of trib utes continue to pour in for the late former South Africa President, Dr. Nelson Mandela, the late literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, extolled Mandela’s virtues in his controversial book, “There was a Country, a Personal History of Biafra,” describing him as a beacon of justice and hope for the African continent.

In Part Four, pages 257258 of the book, entitled, “Postscript: The Example of Nelson Mandela”, Achebe, however, admonished present and future African leaders to see the life of the antiapartheid leader as a source of inspiration worth emulating.

Nelson Mandela with Prof. Chinua Achebe Achebe, who wondered why most African leaders are corrupt, power-drunk and sit tight, Did Eyadema, who had given nothing but urged them to bow out of office at the apbad news to Togo since the 1960s, imagine propriate time, just like Mandela, who, he that the solution to problems created largesaid, spent 27 years in prison for South ly by him would be solved by a dynasty of Africa, but gave up the presidency, a posiEyademas? Which reminded me of anothtion he so richly deserved after only four er First Son: the son of the president of years, making way for another younger Equatorial Guinea, who was seen around patriot in the person of Thabo Mbeki. the world on television as he shopped ex“Not too long ago my attention was travagantly in Paris for expensive clothes. caught by a radio news item about Africa.

Unfortunately, he seemed no less a bum As I had come to expect, it was not good in the suits he was trying on than out of news, and it was not presented with, nor them. did it deserve, respect. It was something “This event brought me once again faceto-face with AfDo they remember how a man called Mandela, rica’s leadership charade. who had spent 27years in prison for South What do AfriAfrica, gave up the presidency of that can leaders encountry—a position that he so richly vision for their deserved—after only four years and made way countries and for another younger patriot? their people? I wondered yet again. Have they not heard that where of a joke. This was the announcement of there is no vision the people perish? Does the death of President Eyadema of Togo, the judgment of history on their rule mean whom it described as the longest-serving anything to them? Do they remember how president in Africa (or maybe the world— a man called Mandela, who had spent I forget which). Then it gave another detwenty-seven years in prison for South Aftail: Eyadema had died from a heart atrica, gave up the presidency of that countack even as he was but to be flown to try—a position that he so richly deserved— Europe for treatment. And it concluded after only four years and made way for with the information that Eyadema’s son another and younger patriot? Why do Afwould succeed him as the next president rican leaders choose bad models like of Togo!”, the late celebrated novelist Malawian president Kamuzu Banda inwrote. “If Eyadema stayed that long bestead of good ones like Mandela? Have cause he was so good, why was there no they considered how Zimbabwean presihospital in Togo to attend to his condition?

dent Robert Mugabe has ruined the cause of land distribution by demagoguery and a thirty-year tenancy in power?

“Which makes me wonder whether any of these life presidents consider how Mandela became the beacon of justice and hope on the continent, indeed for the world. For those who do not know, Mandela did not have an easy life. He fought alongside African heroes such as Steve Biko, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo, among other brave activists, for the liberation of his people from one of the most racist systems the world has ever known. For his efforts, he was sent to prison.

“Most men would have been broken, or consumed by bitterness. But not Mandela.

This giant among men walked free that fateful day, on February 11, 1990, after nearly three decades of imprisonment on Robben Island, hands held high, fist in the air. His release was beamed across the planet. The world was pleased, but nowhere as ecstatic as his African brethren around the globe, who saw in Mandela the personification of their highest aspirations and the embodiment of the kind of leadership Africa needs desperately.

“Mandela has delivered magnificently on those dreams. And it is to this great man, lovingly known as Madiba—father of the nation of South Africa, anti-apartheid leader, lawyer, writer, intellectual, humanitarian— that present and future African leaders must all go for sustenance and inspiration.”

Recollection of a close encounter with Madiba

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor

A

n encounter with Dr. Nelson Mandela months after regaining freedom from South Africa’s prison was an opportunity nobody would want to miss.

As a young reporter, it presented an experience worth sharing as Madiba goes to rest with his ancestors in the sacred grounds of Qunu. The encounter comes with the main story and a sub plot. The release came on February 11 1990, a day Nigeria marked by declaring a half working day.

C M Y K

At that time, Nigeria saw the release of Mandela as a major foreign policy achievement and a pointer to the possible demise of the policy of institutionalised racism. For Nigeria, the attainment of this goal was a major accomplishment which saw freedom of Africa from colonial rule and the end of racial discrimination as key pegs of its Afro-centric foreign policy.

It was not long that Mandela announced that he was going to visit Libya to see the country’s late controversial leader, Col. Muammer Gaddafi. Libya was one of the countries, like Nigeria, that provided financial and logistics support to combat Continues on page

•Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 21

Gaddafi helped us at a time when those who say we should not come to Libya were helping the enemy —Nelson Mandela

Recollection of a close encounter with Madiba Continues from page apartheid. Mandela’s decision to visit Libya and Cuba angered White Hall and White House, but old Nelly was not prepared to accept any attempt by any body or country to mortgage his hard earned freedom.

He shove Britain and US aside and went ahead with his travel plan which was to express gratitude to those countries that supported the effort of his compatriots to wage a battle against the Boers, to regain their human dignity, land, resources and human rights. It was a struggle that had lasted for over 70 years and nobody could predict the outcome.

The global picture of South Africa under the white minority regime was that of brutal security forces chasing after women, children with dogs, tear gas fumes, batons, while men were hunted to the ground like animals, beaten, brutalised, maimed, jailed for whatever infraction the apartheid chief priests deemed necessary.

After the trip to Libya, Nigeria was the next destination.

As a foreign affairs reporter, I was assigned to cover the visit at University of Lagos which had proposed to honour Madiba with a doctorate degree, honorari causa. The visit was to be on a Tuesday but the real story for me unfolded on Sunday afternoon when I walked into the newsroom at about 12:35pm. It was the era of fax and telex machines, analogue

C M Y K

telephones; communication was not easy and getting to the office early was something no serious reporter could trifle with. Barely five minutes later, a colleague, who is still at the Guardian, approached me to exchange greetings and chat about the impending visit of Madiba. After a brief chat on the subject, the colleague told me that a female member of staff from the advert department had a proposal for me on the visit. But given the

witness what ever the transaction was all about. It was agreed that the same car must bring us back to office.

As we drove off, I reminded the young lady how she cornered my adverts during the visit of Prince Charles and his late wife, Lady Diana, in March 1990. On arrival at Ijora I was ushered to see the Manager in Charge of Marketing and Corporate Communications.

The manager said his organisation was interested in getting the voice of Madiba explaining his relations with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who was ruling the airwaves at that time with her brand of music. She was even being used to promote one of the global cola drinks.

The assignment was simple said the Lebanese national as he went on his brief.

During the visit of Dr. Mandela, we expect that there will be a world press conference.

We know that your paper is influential and will certainly be accredited to attend.

Since you are the person to cover the visit, we feel we could make a deal with you”, he said. I asked: “what is the nature of the deal? “ He said: “If you get the opportunity to ask a question, ask him his relation with Yvonne Chaka Chaka.”

“Is that all”? I asked.

His eyes brightened up, “Yes”.

He said: “We will give you a tape recorder, to record whatever he gives as response, we will pay you handsomely for your effort”.

He offered me N50,000 and promised to double it if my mission was successful.

I asked him the purpose of the recording and why should I, as a reporter for a flagship newspaper in the country, get an opportunity to ask Madiba a question at a world press conference and I will ridicule myself with such a question.

I told him: “I will do no such thing”. It was final. At this point, my monthly pay was N425.00; the offer was massively tempting but I never gave a thought that I was missing anything.

I requested that the car should take me back to where it brought me and we agreed that the issue should not be raised anywhere. I told him that he had nothing to fear and suggested that he could try other reporters. I went back to work.

The main event came on Tuesday, May 11, 1990, and all roads led to University of Lagos. The auditorium was filled up. It was at about 11.45 when Madiba and his wife then, Winnie, accompanied by the then ANC representative in Nigeria, Dr. George Nene, and other top government and ANC officials walked in. Winnie was

For Nigeria, the attainment of this goal was a major accomplishment which saw freedom of Africa from colonial rule and the end of racial discrimination as key pegs of its Afro-centric foreign policy time of the day, I considered that aspect of the discussion to be a distraction.

Nevertheless, I decided to hear the advert staffer out. She told me that she had an invitation from a giant soft drink company in Ijora and that a car had been sent to facilitate my movement. She said it had to do with the visit of Mandela and some foreign affairs reporters had also been invited. I told her it was not going to be possible especially as there was no formal invitation card.

My superiors were not aware either, after some hard haggling and resistance, her contact agreed to come along and

the first to raise the black power salute and then Madiba; the crowd erupted. I was at a vantage point, standing on the entrance taken by the eminent visitors, I had a close eye shot regardless of the pushing and shoving going on.

My eyes caught Nene’s and he gave a smile, happy to see me cover that event. It was a great experience given all the efforts we had made visiting the ANC office at Obalende and the office of NACAP at Kingsway Road, Ikoyi to get information on the situation in South Africa, as all the sides in the struggle battled to push forward their propaganda.

PAGE 22—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

A history of failing health

I

In his final hours, Mandela wasn't on any form of life support.

Reports had it that as the end approached, he appeared to be sleeping calmly. At the end, he slipped away.

Quietly

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE

n January 2013, when Deputy Pres ident Kgalema Motlanthe and Sur geon General Vejaynand Ramlakan addressed a media briefing on the state of health of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former South African President, Nelson Mandela, the entire world held its breath - and for good reason.

For the third time in four months, the nonagenarian had been admitted to hospital to receive treatment for a recurrent lung infection.

However, the South African presidency revealed that the former president had made full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve. There was a sigh of relief all over. Madiba, as Mandela was affectionately known in South Africa, was in "good shape". But a worried South African nation kept praying for his full recovery. And this was the situation through the months up till his demise on December 5, 2013.

Anxiety Mandela's health had caused anxiety on several occasions. In January 2011, a virtual void of information marked his admission to Johannesburg Specialist Care Milpark Hospital. With very little information to go on at that time, speculation was rife and reports of his death went viral on social networks. But Madiba bounced back, still very much alive.

Yet this did little to change the fact that in the last few years of the freedom fighter's long and illustrious life, he was in and out of hospital almost too many times to count. Indeed a long history of ill health trailed the late elder statesman like a shadow. A spry boxer in his younger days, Mandela stayed fit during his 27 years in prison by doing callisthenics in his cell, but grew increasingly frail as a nonagenarian.

Chronic ailments Over the years and indeed throughout his illustrious political career, Mandela was plagued by persistent respiratory problems. Previously in December 2012, he had undergone an operation to remove gallstones and treat the recurring lung infection. He was discharged after an 18day stay and placed under home- based high-care at his Houghton home.

In 1988 while serving his prison term in Robben Island, he was admitted to hospital in Stellenbosch with a bad cough and weakness and having complained of dampness in his cell. He was later diagnosed with early stage tuberculosis, a disease which killed his father.

Two litres of fluid were drained from his chest and he spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital before being transferred to a private clinic near his mainland Cape Town prison where he was the

Mandela on his sick bed facility's first black patient.

Eyesight problems But lung ailments were not the only problem to beset the famed Nobel Peace Prize winner. In fact, he suffered a medley of chronic ailments ranging from memory lapses, enlarged prostate gland and suspected prostate cancer, to tuberculosis, gallstones, abdominal disorders and eyesight problems.

He had obvious eyesight problems. His eyes were sensitive to strong light. In 1994, he had cataract surgery few months after being sworn into office as president at the age of 75. In order to avoid blinding him, press photographers were always instructed not to use camera flash when taking pictures of the departed elder statesman.

But there were more eye problems. Following several years of smashing limestone rocks in the quarry on Robben Island, the tear glands of his eyes were permanently damaged. The alkalinity of the stone left the glands dry and prone to irritation.

In 1985, Mandela had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland that had caused a urinary blockage. This lingered till 2001, when he received radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The following year he declared he had been given a clean bill of health against the disease. Hospital records showed that in 2004, the late peace icon underwent treatment and was completely cured after four months.

Abdominal pain In February 2012, he was back in hospital to spend the night following a minor exploratory procedure to investigate an undisclosed but nagging stomach pain. Essentially Madiba was known to have suffered bouts of persistent abdominal pain.

On this particular occasion, he underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy, or keyhole surgery. He recovered fully and was discharged the following day.

Then in March of the same year, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up and was discharged the following day. But at the end of that month he was back in hospital yet again - this time for nine days - receiving treatment yet again for recurring lung problems. Doctors drained fluid from his lungs after diagnosing him with pneumonia.

Weeks after he was discharged from a hospital in Pretoria after a "scheduled medical check-up," growing fears about his health persisted. These fears lingered till he quietly passed away in his home in Johannesburg.

Final moments In his final hours, Mandela wasn't on any form of life support. Reports had it that as the end approached, he appeared to be sleeping calmly. At the end, he slipped away. Quietly.

Even at the ripe age of 95, Mandela’s death is still a shock to a world long accustomed to the enduring presence of the monumental peace fighter, who retired from public life many years ago as he became increasingly frail.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 23

Could you give polyamory a shot?!

I

T’S no news that women, like their male counterparts, indulge their sexual fantasies from time to time, but, unlike men, they need to keep a stiff upper lip about their escapades - most of the time. But have you ever imagined that a day would come when a married woman would openly parade her lust with the connivance of her husband? Of course, we’ve heard of polyandry, a term used for a woman with more than one husband. Its practice is more prevalent in remote areas devoid of civilization where there is an acute shortage of women. But in the civilized world, another vocabulary has been added to the marital setting. It is called polyamory.

I recently came across it whilst reading the interesting story of Sarah Wheeler, a 32-year old married mother who said: “I was married to a man called Paul and at first I had no doubt about the commitment we had made to each other to be faithful for the rest of our lives. Then I became close to a male friend and we began spending a lot of time together.” But nothing happened then and she went on to have two children. Later, her restlessness returned. According to her, “One day I was browsing an internet site about houses when I clicked on a link. It took me to a site about something called polyamory. I had never heard the word before and read on to find

out what it meant.

“When I finished, I thought this makes so much sense. The site explained that polyamory was the practice of having feelings of love and intimacy for more than one person as long as it was open and honest. I realized it was what I believed too, and I was delighted to discover there were other people who felt like me. When Paul got home I told him all I had learnt. ‘Just like a mother can love several children equally; women and men can love several partners at the same time,’ I explained, ‘It’s about being open and honest in all your relationships.’ `That sounds interesting’, Paul

said. I told him it would be such a relief if we could live our lives like that.

“I could tell he was intrigued by the concept, but by the next day, he’d had a change of heart. He said: ‘The idea of sharing you with someone else, or me wanting someone else, is not something I can comprehend.’ Out of respect for my husband’s wishes, I dropped the idea. But my feelings never left me.

When the kids were a bit older I brought polyamory up again. This time he said: ‘If it really means that much to you, I’ll give it a go.’ I was very relieved. Finally, I had the freedom to express my feelings about other people. A couple of

months later, I began practicing polyamory.

“From the start I was honest about it. I told Paul; ‘Remember I love you more than ever.’ He replied: ‘I know,’ he never chose to see anyone else but eventually I met Staurt. We clicked straight away and I told him: I am married but we have an open relationship.

‘I’m happy with that’, he said. We started seeing each other and soon he came to stay over at our house. At first, it seemed odd having my boyfriend in one room and my husband in the next. Things became easier and Paul made a tremendous effort with Staurt.

The children know him as

‘mummy’s friend’ and liked having him around.

“The months passed and I realized my feelings for Staurt were growing into love. At the same time, my relationship with Paul was failing. Eventually, he said.

‘I’m moving out.’ We separated but I didn’t blame polyamory. I believed that our marriage would have failed anyway. Since then Paul and I have remained great friends. Staurt and I are still together and although we’re not currently seeing other people we still believe in polyamory. It may be a bizarre idea to some people but it’s brought me joy and helped me learn who I am ... “ Norman McCanch and his wife’s experiment didn’t have such a happy ending, in fact, it shows the repercussion of the recklessness of infidelity in what should otherwise be sacred matrimony. “My wife was an extrovert while I’d always been a solitary person, and we complemented each other;’ said 53 years old Norman.

“We had a good relationship and there was laughter and fun, then when we’d been together 17 years, Monica told me: ‘Norma, I’d really like to explore my sexuality. I want to make the most of my life. I want to feel fulfilled .. .”

Realizing his wife was bisexual, he made a deal with her - she could see women but he’d be the only man in her life. She agreed, “A few weeks later, she met Susan,”

Norman said. “When she stayed with us, I moved on to the sofa bed and they had our bed. Sometimes they were passionate and I slept in the shed. I didn’t want to hear. I just tried to think how my sacrifice was making my wife happy. Besides, our sex life was as good as ever, so we were both benefiting.”

But Monica got greedy.

In ten years she had a lot of lovers then started to experiment further ”, said Norman. ‘She went to swingers parties and had threesomes - with women and men. That’s when we stopped seeing eye to eye,” But Monica was unfazed by her husband’s resentment. Her adventure took her all the way to Jamaica - until there was a warrant out in Britain for her arrest. She was eventually charged with four counts of sexual activity with children and one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children.

She’d taken part in the abuse of a 13-year old boy and a 12-year old girl. She said she didn’t know the victims were so young, but that didn’t prevent the judge from sending her behind bars for five years!

And her husband’s last take on the fiasco he brought on to himself? “Monica has to accept her punishment”, he said. “But whatever she had done to me or anyone else she is still very special to me. I’ll always love her ... “

08052201867(Text Only)

Exercise helps your longevity don’t use preservatives and live at altitudes with little air pollution. They respect their elders who are actively engaged in their 100s and harp on good human relations over the pursuit of riches.

They live in extended families from the cradle to the grave. They enjoy regular sex even at 100.

All these point to the fact that the healthiest life is the one with as much naturalness as possible. The further we go from nature, from what’s natural, the less healthy we become.

As regards activity, the more occupied we are the better it is for us.

That’s why the person whose job is sedentary must set me aside for regular exercise which need never be over the top.

With exercise there can be as much as 10 percent

of improved physical function in the young. In the old it can make as much as a difference of 50 percent.

Exercise, performed on a regular basis can fulfil the anti-ageing functions of regulating weight, joint mobility, flexibility, strengthening of the

,

P

ERSONS with the longest lives in the world are the Georgians of the Caucasus mountains in Southern Russia, the Hunzas of Kashmir and the Vilcabamba Indians of Ecuador.

These three, seem to share some common traits which must be the key to their longevity. On the whole their diet is frugal, low in salt, refined sugar, fat and high in fibre and hardly any frying in oil.

They consume a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. The drinking water is high in mineral content from fresh mountain streams.

They practise holistic medicine, applying traditional herbs and medicines to forestall and cure diseases. They seldom drink or smoke. They exercise regularly by way of their hard lives. They

Exercise improves the blood circulation and this in turn brings extra nutrients to the surface of the skin

,

skeletal system and strengthening of the heart.

Exercise improves the blood circulation and this in turn brings extra nutrients to the surface of the skin, increasing the

collagen content to make it thicker and more flexible.

Apart from the above, exercise also helps lower blood pressure, cuts down on the risk of heart attack, stroke, arthritis and depression.

I suppose if we all become very aware of how serious we need to include exercise in the life on account of the many serious conditions we can side-step if we practise, we should be abl;e to summon up the discipline to exercise consistently.

Below are some Yoga postures to practise.

DEEP KNEE BEND (Supine) Technique Sit down in between both heels. Lower the trunk down, first on one elbow then the other and gently ease the whole trunk flat down with the hands by the sides.

Breathe normally. Stay in the posture for about 10 - 15 seconds. A vari-

ant of the posture is to keep the trunk erect.

Benefits: The deep kneebend banishes stiffness in the hips, knes and ankles keeping those areas well lubricated.

HEELS TO CROTCH Technique: Sitting down with the feet extended in front of you, draw the knees and place the legs flat down on the floor with the feet

touching each other and the heels as close to the crotch as can be. Form a ring around the big toes with the forefinger and thumb and then lower the trunk. A variant of the posture is to keep the trunk erect.

Benefits: The posture tones u p the muscles of the legs and it is also said to improve manly vigour.

Heels-to-Crotch Pose

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

PAGE 24— SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

BY UDEME CLEMENT

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has encountered numerous challenges ranging from deteriorating infrastructure in the operating environment to deepening weak domestic demand arising from lack of consumer purchasing power. As such, many manufacturers doing business in Nigeria are forced to move part of their operations to other countries, while others without the financial capacity to stay afloat in business are simply going under. The Vice Chairman, Toiletries and Cosmetics (T&C) Group of MAN, Mr. Ikpong Umoh, speaks on the hardship facing operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country and how 130 manufacturing firms folded up in few years.

HARSH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

130 firms closed shop —MAN

I

N advanced countries Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in economic development. Why is Nigeria’s situation different as many operators of SMEs are either going under or moving their businesses to neighbouring countries in the sub-region?

In developed economies, the roles of SMEs are to enhance economic growth and development, which are rightly regarded as the engines of growth in the economy. The roles of SMEs are seen through income and employment generation, leading to better standard of living, reduction in poverty and unemployment. For instance, in the 90s, the T&C industries in Nigeria witnessed growth, relative stability and expansion. Products made in Nigeria were in high demand throughout the West African subregion and beyond. Most local manufacturers sited sales offices and depots in some African countries like Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Gambia in order to adequately service the increasing demands in the region. Some extended their reach beyond Africa to Europe, especially Britain, France, Italy and America to service the black population residents. The trans-continental presence of Nigeria cosmetic products was achieved through networking, corporation and alliances involving reputable distributors and warehousing agents.

At that time, the number of T&C companies in active business were over 155 with all of them owning and operating manufacturing facilities in Nigeria. This is not to say that there were no foreign made products in the Nigerian market.

There were however a few companies from US that brought their products to Nigeria but their impact was dwarfed by the overwhelming dominant market share of Nigerian cosmetics and consumer preference for the home made products. The same preference for Nigerian made products outside of our shores increased the demand in neighbouring countries, as Nigeria was seen as the cosmetic workshop of Africa supplying mainly hair care and skin care products.

The research conducted by Euro-monitor in 2011 showed that there was enormous growth of about 200 per cent in the cosmetic industry in the last 10years. Given

Textile company. One of those companies that have gone moribund(Inset: Ikpong Umoh) the growth scenario, one would have expected local cosmetic companies in Nigeria to consolidate their market leadership at least in the West African sub-region and to blossom even more in line with this growth rate. But this is not the case as majority of these firms established in the 90s are folding up. Today, the T&C Manufacturing Group has less than 25 members nationwide, down from over 155 members in 2,000 fiscal year.

What are the major problems militating against the growth of manufacturing industry in Nigeria?

Continuing harassment of companies by some state and local governments over unauthorised levies and charges in spite of the clear position of the law on the matter, non completion of the development of core industries particularly the petrochemicals as wall as Iron and steel firms, dearth of qualified skilled middle level manpower worsened by the decaying education system, slow rate of technology acquisition stemming from low investments in research and development. Others include unfair competition tactics/ manipulated tariff, lack of government’s protection, massive and unbridled importation of finished cosmetic products into the local market despite the fact that we have unutilised capacities in

most of our T&C companies, multiplication of regulatory agencies, high cost of funds arising from depreciation of the Naira against major currencies coupled with high lending rates, extreme difficulties in accessing credit for working capital particularly by small and medium

only where there is real need, fully justified through rigorous costbenefit analysis and clear legal authority. When government regulates, it must adopt commonsense approaches because regulations work best when agencies anticipate and analyse effects of their proposals on small

For the manufacturing sector to achieve tangible growth, we must work together to give small businesses an operating environment in which they can thrive scale industries among many others.

For the manufacturing sector to achieve tangible growth, we must work together to give small businesses an operating environment in which they can thrive. Small businesses are disproportionately affected by government regulations and paperwork. We should regulate

firms. The rules need to reflect the ability of small businesses to comply.

What are the economic implications of the declining rate of SMEs in the country?

The net effect of this free market occasioned by government’s refusal to protect industries dominated by SMEs via the inclusion of its finished products

on the prohibition list are job losses, high mortality rate of T&C industries, abject poverty and prevalent unemployment in our economy. The import prohibition list was introduced by the Federal Government and aimed at preventing importation of products, which could be manufactured locally in the country. There has not been any major new entrant into this industry in the last 10years or more. Rather, there have been closures as witnessed by the active list of T&C member companies since 2001. The multiple effects of high handed regulation and high regulatory tariffs have raised the entry barriers into the industry for many entrepreneurs. Nigeria ranked 147 among 189 economies measured in the report entitled understanding regulation for small and medium-size enterprises. The country is also not listed among those governments in subSaharan Africa that significantly stepped up it pace of improving business regulation and encouraging smaller businesses to thrive. Rather World Bank report listed Republic of Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Togo among 20 global economies found to have improved business regulations since 2009.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 25

Why ports are not working — ICPC .Indicts Custom officials

BY CALEB AYANSINA

T

HE port sector is crucial to the country in view of the role it plays as the gateway to the world.

There have been steps to reform the sector to increase its competitiveness.

These steps include the successful transition to Landlord Port Management Model and general improvement in the port services and in the integrity situation in the past few years, but little or nothing was achieved.

Recently, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in collaboration with some agencies, embarked on the review of the port activities with a view to identifying corruption prone-processes and provide approaches to address them.

The Commission, in a report on the Corruption Risk Assessment in the Port Sector in Nigeria, identified lack of codes of conduct, weak enforcement and underdeveloped system for investigating complaints as major problems militating against effectiveness of the port system.

The report, which covered Lagos, Calabar, Warri, PortHarcourt and Onne ports, is the result of a six-month project, supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Maritime AntiCorruption Network (MACN) and carried out by ICPC Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

The report indicted Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officials for manipulating clearance processes at the port to shortchange government for personal gain, saying this explains the reason for the apathy displayed by the Service towards the exercise.

At the launching of the report

in Abuja, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, described it as a “corruption prevention tool which is applied in collaboration with organizations’ management to identify vulnerable areas that are prone to corruption and develop integrity plans would strengthen accountability and transparency.”

Nta maintained that although the Corruption Risk Assessment was a tool to prevent corruption, it was not a substitute to

She explained that the NCS used ASYCUDA ++ (UNCTAD’s Automated Customs Data Management System) to handle Customs clearance related processes to ensure transparency.

However, TUGAR alleged that Customs officers often conspire with clearing agents to influence the process which is electronic in nature to involve human contact for selfish interest, noting that officials deceive the public by saying that they had reduced

Several clearing and forwarding agents involved in previous malpractices continue to participate in the system despite available powers to revoke their licenses investigation and prosecution function of the anti-graft body, as the Commission would not hesitate to bring anybody found wanting to book.

“Corruption Risk Assessment is a preventive tool but it goes hand in hand with the enforcement of sanctions against unacceptable behaviour. The study conducted was an assessment to prevent corruption and not an investigation. While all is being done to prevent corruption the commission will not hesitate to prosecute corrupt persons,” he said.

Speaking on the findings of the report, the representative of TUGAR, Mrs Lilian Ekeangannu, noted poor facilities as well as lack of operational procedure which, she said, give “port officials discretionary powers and sometimes inordinately delay the processing of document, often without consequence.”

clearing process to 40 percent manual.

She said; “The system allows for the electronic processing of declarations, risk management, transit operations and clearance of goods, in addition to being able to collect statistical data for fiscal and trade policy objectives.

“Though ASYCUDA has been implemented for about ten years, the assessors found that the system still triggers over eighty percent of cargo to the yellow and red lines. Once triggered to this classification all processes after are manual and involve extensive human contact.

“Ten years after ASYCUDA, whilst all clearing of goods are initiated online, other subsequent clearing processes following completion of the form ‘M’ for more than eighty percent of the cargo passing through the ports is still manual.

“There were claims that clearing agents sometimes

deliberately enter wrong information in the ASYCUDA system to get their cargo triggered to the yellow or red line, where they can negotiate clearance and by so doing avoid paying appropriate charges. This poses significant corruption risks.

“Though profiling information on clearing agents that may have abused the system in the past exists and is said to be used by the SYCUDA system, there was no evidence found that sanctions currently provided in the laws are being applied against erring agents. Several clearing and forwarding agents involved in previous malpractices continue to participate in the system despite available powers to revoke their licenses.”

Ekeangannu said the report provides integrity plans to address the deficiencies identified in the sea ports.

In her reaction, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr Nebolisa Emodi said the agencies under the ministry had put in place some mechanisms like monitoring and evaluating the activities of terminal operators on a quarterly basis in line with the terms and conditions as stipulated in the concession agreement.

Emodi said, “These identified problems are not new to the ministry. In a bid to address the challenges, the ministry had engaged stake holders in several meetings to fashion out solutions.

“This issue of 48hours Cargo clearance had particularly engaged the attention of stake holders and clear responsibilities had been assigned to agencies connected with cargo clearance in order to eliminate delays, bottleneck and other problems associated with port operations.

“A number of measures have been put in place aimed at stamping out unethical practices

in the ports operations.

Consequently, all agencies involved in port matters are assigned new mandates aimed at addressing challenges associated with cargo clearance.

“The first step taken by the federal government was the reduction in the number of agencies operating at the ports from 14 to seven to eliminate cumbersome clearance processes and ensure speed of operation.

Further steps have been taken among which is the assignment of specific responsibilities to stakeholders with measures to place sanctions on any culpable party.

“In this regard, Ter minal Operators have been mandated to position their cargoes for examination within 24 hours. In the same vain, the Nigeria Customs Service has been requested to reduce the number of desks/units involved in clearance of goods and establish Centralized Payment Systems with codes to facilitate financial procedure for payment of dues and charges.”

Represented by a Director, David Kumuyi, Emodi pointed out that “dealing with the challenges at the ports is a joint responsibility of all stakeholders”, adding that the report and other inputs to ensure transparency in the sector were welcome and would be sustained.

The UNDP Country Director, Mr Pa Lamin Beyai, commended all stakeholders who participated in the finding, but stressed the need for proper implementation of the report for the desire result.

“We are aware of the herculean nature of this task, but with the commitment of all, including those who indulge in the practice, it is achievable.

“We hope that beyond the celebrations of the launch of this assessment report, we will go further to fully implement its recommendations,” he said.

PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

At 81, Onobrakpeya reflects with Recent Experimentals STORIES BY JAPHET ALAKAM VISUAL cation of his love for art and its development, hence he keyed into the new wave of taking art to an unusual place for new audience to enjoy.

A visit to the Temple Muse, one will be welcomed with quality master pieces consisting of metal foil pieces, prints, serigraphs, plastocasts, sculptures and paintings displayed at the floor and first floor of the building. It was indeed a beauty to watch as the master rolls out some of the works that address one issue or the other in his life from the primary, Zaria school, art teacher etc.

In the works showcased, there are serigraphs from his famous Sunshine Period of the 1960s – 1970s, and paintings and etchings that feature images from his Dance to En-

Palm Wine Women, serigraph, 1965, one of the works exhibited Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, Isorogun, Rape of the Land, For the big masquerade, who conGood Governance, amongst the exhibition’s Curator who produced the film Red Hot fessed that he is inspired by an urge others.

Nigerian Creativity, which feato want to see the next step, his comvinash Wadhwani, Di tured Onobrakpeya in his sturector of Temple Muse, dio, described him as the “best ing out at this time is an indication said that the design collection of Nigeria.”

“Curating this show has been shop who had been trying to of his love for art and its developpromote Nigeria creativity, is a true adventure, and every ment honoured to host Bruce time I go to his studio, I am Onobrabpeya “a living leg- amazed by increasing numbers of new works which show chanting Songs series. There migratory media techniques. end.” are also small pendants the Other works to displayed “His art typifies what is an artist who is reaching the size of mobile phones that reinclude Leopard in the Corntruly magnificent and unique pinnacle of his career at past flect images and symbols field, Have you Heard? Toabout Nigerian modern art,” 80 years of age,” said Mbanefo-Obiago. drawn from his Esirogbo and tems of the Delta, Ibiokpo, Wadhwani said.

,

T

he popular adage that “an old woman is never tired in the dance she knows” came to the fore last week when master printmaker, painter, sculptor and one of Africa’s best known and most highly respected artists, Bruce Onabrakpeya opened his latest solo exhibition titled Recent Experimental Prints, Paintings and Low Relief Sculptures.

The widely exhibited artist whose works are highly collected all over the world is saying with the exhibition that age is not a barrier to art practice hence at 81, he is holding another solo five years after his last solo exhibition titled Jewels of Nomad Images at Quintessence Gallery, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos , but this time at an unconventional place, the Temple Muse, a lifestyle concept store located in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exhibition which is made up of over 63 works that reflect over five decades of Prof. Onobrakpeya’s outstanding career, opened at Temple Muse, Lagos, from December 2 and closed on December 14..

For the big masquerade, who confessed that he is inspired by an urge to want to see the next step, his coming out at this period is an indi-

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Consciousness! Eden gallery’s bid for wider art appreciation

O

ne of the striking issues in the Lagos contemporary art scene is the establishment of art galleries in the Lagos mainland. For long, apart from few art galleries, the establishments of art galleries in Lagos has been restricted only in the Lagos Island, but the level of art development and appreciation in the country has forced many to look towards the mainland for establishment of galleries as a way of promoting artists and their works.

One of the new galleries is the Eden Culture Art gallery, situated in Salvation Road, Opebi, Lagos. The gallery which was established last year to complement the services rendered by those in the Island last week, opened a group exhibition titled Consciouness: an exhibition of paintings and photography.

The exhibition which is the first group exhibition in the gallery opened on December 7, and will run till December 14.

The event which was attended by many art collectors and lovers was declared open

by President of Society of Nigerian Artists, SNA, Oliver Enwonwu. It featured about 40 paintings and 43 photographs by some established and upcoming artists. The artists SNA president, Oliver Enwonwu looking at are Yabatech some of the works Bamidele Agbezin, Survival, trained Sokenu Abayomi, Joel Protect the girl child, Girl with Arueya of Auchi Polytechnic, Flower etc by Abayomi Sokenu; Bamidele Agbezin and EmContext of my thought series 1peror Aigbovbiosan.

7, Green and Zenith by Ameya For the curator, Segun Joel. While London trained Akano, the Chemistry graduphoto artist, Emperor who conate turned art promoter, the fessed that his art goes with works reflect on the beauty of emotions and situations, the moment and the need to flooded the exhibition hall with be conscious of the environstunning images that tell real ment in all that one does. It life situations of the day to day also tends to create awareness living of people,their cultural about arts and the need to aspects and others. make people to be conscious preview of some of the of what they have. Indeed, works shows that the there are many budding talworks are rich in depth, meanents with good works but ing, more especially their abilmany people do not know ity to communicate with the about them so, the exhibition viewers and at the same time is to project them and their brighten up the atmosphere in works to the public. homes and offices.

Some of the works are:The Also, an appraisal of the Missing link, Iyaloja, works shows that they are Unidentical twins by

A

A

united by medium, the themes, subject matter and the style of the works on display point to the rich diversity of Nigerian art production.

Speaking about the exhibition, one of the exhibiting artist, Aruya Joel stated that some of his works tends towards the theme example, My thought series.

For SNA president, Oliver Enwonwu, “the works are very interesting, I commend the efforts of Segun Akano. It is a welcome development, art is a means of communication, I think that everyone in Nigeria and Lagos need to communicate with arts, so the more galleries that come, the better.”

Absolut debuts with Open Canvas

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bsolut Vodka is set to brighten up the Lagos metropolis this December with

a special exhibition tagged Open Canvas. Absolut Vodka is doing this in line with its time-tested tradition of collaborating with resourceful artists across the world through its Transform Today project.

Open Canvas, one of the flagship brands from the stable of Pernod Ricard is an interactive outdoor exhibition, a platform which Absolut offers to Artists to inspire creative risk-taking by collaborating with and empowering them to transform the streets of Lagos into eyepopping art pieces.

The Artists will push the limits of creativity by sharing their artistic ingenuity and strokes on the streets, while ordinary citizens will interact with them and experience the free outdoor exhibition. art

This unique project,which is

making

its

debut

in

Lagos,Nigeria is scheduled to kick off on December 18, 2013 and run till the end of the year.

Open Canvas will take place with the guidance of celebrity advocates,who are respected in the Lagos art community, they include; International photographer and painter,Kelechi Amadi- Obi, Denrele Edun,Ibe Ananaba and other notable mixed media artist, among others.

Prior to this, artists sent their works from where five each of the 20 finalists were selected.

The five Artists,whose paintings are adjudged very outstanding will enjoy the benefits of an enhanced career.

According to Akintayo Akinseloyin, the Senior Brand Manager,Absolut Vodka, “ the take-out of this project is simply that: you too can transform your life today,if you start creating now.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 27 japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

By PRISCA SAM-DURU & VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

CELEBRATION

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HE annual Living Icon Project which is in its 5th edition, on Monday, brought together the most accomplished painters and sculptors on the Lagos contemporary art scene,for the celebration of one of Nigeria’s literary Icons, Professor J P Clarke-Bekeredemo as a living Icon.

Documenting Living Icon Project which was conceptualised by renowned artist Olu Ajayi, has since its inception, honoured today ’s leading thinkers, academics and policy makers with previous recipients, as HRM Oba of Benin, Profs Wole Soyinka, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onabrakpeya, etc.

Themed “Locating the Intersection Between Fine Art and Literature”, it featured participating artists;Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere, Olu Amoda, Toni Okujeni, Raqib Bashorun, Sam Ebohon, Chinwe Uwatse, Adeola Balogun, Lekan Onabanjo and Gerry Nnubia.

Others were Ato Arinze, Abass Kelani, Emmanuel Irokanulo, Sade Thompson, Angela Isuiwe, Wallace Ejoh, Hamid Ibrahim, Ibe Ananaba and Tola Odunorin.

The Project Supervisor Kolade Oshinowo also, joined the artists in sketching and

J P Clark @ 80:

Documenting the icon in portraiture

Kolade Oshinowo ( L) painting Prof. J.P Clark ( right), (INSET) JP Clark(2nd r) Pa Ojeikere(r) Chief Newton Jibunoh(m) Kolade Oshinowo (2nd L) and others at the event

painting the living legend while seated in the hall.

At the end of the exercise which lasted from morning till about 4pm before it was opened for private viewing, Oshinowo who appeared satisfied with the project as well as the choice of the Icon for fifth edition said that, “I think the idea is to put on the front burner, individuals that have made tremendous contri-

butions to humanity. We are not talking about Nigeria alone, we are talking about people who have made impact in the area of serving.

You will agree with me that right now in Nigeria, we do not celebrate self- worth, what we celebrate is net –worth. Our crave for monetary acquisition has wiped off those values in us, that make us look towards integrity and selfless service. So, the idea of the project is to

that he could put on canvass everything that he has written but I advised him to hold on to his priceless skill in writing.

The founder of Didi Museum, Chief Newton Jibunoh who was excited that the project held at his Museum said that, “Prof. J.P Clark and I have been friends. When I wrote my second book, he did a special poem for me, which is a part of his collections and I am happy that he is being celebrated here and I appreciate the organisers for the honour done him. It came at the time we are also honouring Nelson Mandela. He is a very hard working man.

Nelson Mandela is an icon that left so much for the entire global community. An icon we knew would go one day, but we did not want him to go, because we do not have a replacement in the whole world.

Professor Yusuf Grillo who was among art patrons that graced the important event, said he was happy that the tempo of the project and quality of people who have been documented, have not fallen. According to him, “I was among those who have been honoured and I am happy that J P Clark is the fifth Icon. He is indeed, an icon worth celebrating because of his works which so many people have benefited so much from.”

Telling the Nigerian Story in Comic

BY SODIQ ABDULFATAH

victories, the various coups that took place in the 1970s and 1980s, the June 12, 1993 stalemated election, the death of General Sani Abacha, the return to democracy, the Niger Delta militancy, the Boko Haram insurgency and his own rise to power after the death of his principal, Alhaji Umaru

REVIEW

T

,

HESE days, parents have come to accept, quite painfully, that the reading culture of young children is so limited that there has to be some other way to engage with them, particularly in matters of education.

They can spend hours watching cartoon on TV and playing music, but sparing a few minutes to read their books could be unattractive to them.

But there is even a bigger problem: how do you make these children read the history of Nigeria? The idea that they will sit in front of 200-page books leafing through the amalgamation stories and the nationalist struggles, etc, is not one that will excite them, obviously. There has to be some creative way of passing the message across to millions of Nigerian children.

President Goodluck Jonathan has just done that: he has chosen to tell the story in comic form. Children love visuals, no doubt, and in “The Story of Nigeria”, a children’s comic authored by the President to celebrate 100 years of Nigeria, the history of the country from 1914 to 2014 is told in a colourful and illustrative style. The all-gloss allcolour comic, published by 360 Learning Solutions Ltd, has 24 pages. The cover depicts Jonathan sitting in front of

children in a typical village setting, where parents tell stories to children before they go to bed. The children represent the different segments of Nigeria, North and South, male and female. Jonathan introduces himself to the children as the President of Nigeria and the children address him as “uncle” whenever they want to ask questions or make remarks.

Jonathan narrates the story of Nigeria in a simple, straightforward way: the Amalgamation of 1914, the Aba Women Riot of 1926, the nationalist struggles, the Independence in 1960, the first national elections conducted by Nigerians themselves, the first coup in 1966, the Isaac Boro one-day revolution also in 1966, the events that led to the civil war, the end of the war, Nigeria’s football

Children love visuals, no doubt, and in “The Story of Nigeria”, a children’s comic authored by the President to celebrate 100 years of Nigeria, the history of the country from 1914 to 2014 is told in a colourful and illustrative style

,

Musa Yar’Adua.

The comic also contains very interesting facts about Nigeria: the first storey building, the first primary school, the first secondary school, the first hospital, and many other firsts: engineer, medical doctor, lawyer, university, female professor, female professor of mathematics, female high court judge, among others.

The comic further gives vital information on outstanding Nigerians who won international prizes and awards such as Wole Soyinka, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, Chimamanda Adichie, Helon Habila, Ben Okri and several others. Some information the school children will also find valuable: the leaders of political movements in Nigeria’s history, including Ernest Ikoli, Aminu Kano and Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti.

The comic, which is in A4 size and carries a tag of “Free - Not for Sale”, is no doubt a very inventive way of telling history without boring the children. The strokes are children-friendly and the language is simple. Such big words as “amalgamation” are defined. The President is depicted as saying “...Lugard amalgamated Northern and Southern Nigeria”. A child is depicted as confused, thinking: “What does ama... ama... mated mean?” As if reading her thoughts, the President quickly defines amalgamation. The comic also provides good information on the types of dams: hydro-electric, irrigation and water supply. It lists the major dams in Nigeria.

Women and minorities are well represented in the narration, so children are able to learn a bit about Margaret Ekpo, Gambo Sawaba, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Grace Alele Williams, Ken Saro-Wiwa and many others.

Although the production is

excellent - with quality paper and quality printing - there is a slight typographical error on page 13, where Toun Ogunseye, the first female professor in Africa, has letter “g” missing from her surname.

Otherwise, the proofreading is flawless. It is also noted that the age category for which the comic is intended is not clearly stated, although it can be deduced that it is for primary and junior secondary school pupils. It is also not expressly stated who owns the copyright. Is it the President? Is it the Federal Government of Nigeria? Is it the publishers?

This information may seem little or irrelevant, but it is part of international standards for publications.

It is not clear yet if the comic will be made available to all school children in Nigeria, as initial reports point to the fact that only public school pupils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received copies. Perhaps, this is the pilot print. It will not be surprising if the distribution is eventually done nationwide. It would be unfair to limit it to FCT alone.

The comic is a very valuable, modern, creative and educative way of telling the history of Nigeria in an engaging, entertaining style. With the high quality of the strokes and the printing, school children are surely going to like it. *Dr. Abdulfatah, an educationist, is the co-ordinator of Tell the Children the Truth, an Abuja-based advocacy group.

PAGE 28—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Brand Management by Numbers L

Competitive engagement for businesses and brands start with evolving the strategic option with the most advantageous competitive advantages.

Business executives begin with a careful and scientific analysis of the business environment and conditions operative in the chosen industry. Key, therefore, is the underlying logic that a company ’s strategic options are bounded by the environment.

Strategy evolution is about alignment of co-operative imperatives based on three broad propositions (1) value proposition (2) profit proposition (3) people proposition. Developing the appropriate strategy, therefore, depends on proper appreciation and alignment of these three propositions, in relation to: the structural conditions an organization operates, its resources and capabilities and its strategic mind-set. A winning team must master the handling of the planning process leading on to the development of the right strategy. A strategy is a sum total of the alignment of the three value propositions as stated above. Business, company or brand must create a complete set of consistent propositions, to produce a high-performing and sustainable strategy.

The over-riding importance of strategy is its function of driving differentiation for competitive advantage – and positive impact on the BOTTOM – for returns on

Table above is courtesy Media Planning Services, Nigeria Limited. investment. Suffice that the effectiveness of any operating strategy is measured by its impact on earnings. Strategy bust drive business or brand success.

As in broad business consideration, brands support depends on winning strategic planning. We would look at this from the input of marketing communication (advertising). Executives in brands management and advertising are constantly challenged in determining the distinctive characters and peculiarities among brands that will enable competitive advantages.

Brand positioning is all about strategic planning. The difference between brands is to the extent of its strategic alignment of the basic elements and propositions.

The brand must, among other things, be clear about its person, offer, value-essence, desired image, its target audience/market, its promise and place of presence, tone of voice, associates and price.

Advertising creative process starts with a scientific analysis of prevalent market environment, target market, competition, consumer profiling - consumer behavior with focus on expectation, value touch-points, buying pattern, media habit. The above-listed add up to identify and differentiate the brand from among competition. It is only after articulating its uniqueness on all fronts, that the brand can be said to be competitive as a market player.

Essentially, therefore, the

strategic planning unit, in cooperation with the client service department in a professional environment, is constantly challenged in personality and value differentiation – based on effective strategic plan.

Effective marketing communication/advertising campaign is dependent on effective and results based marketing communication. If marketing communication is about making-known, then it is imperative the operative

,

ET us start by putting in perspective the grand rules for business and brand success; brands management is based on strategic planning and implementation. The strength or success of any brand or business is directly a function of the operating strategic input. That explains why ideal corporate persons engage top end executives to develop winning strategies.

A strategy is an overall approach towards achieving identified goals or objective.

It focuses on the articulate interpretation of extraneous values-influencers, controllable and otherwise, in relations to own-strengths and weaknesses.

Strategy evolution for brands and businesses is based on proper understanding of the broader context operative in the business environment of interest.

A strategy is directive, instructive and rewarding.

campaign, the common denomination is the application of agreed campaign strategy: brand personality, unique offering, competitive challenges and advantages, consumer behavior - expectations, traits and habits. Depending on the campaign objective, the creative process may require proper alignment of the various ingredients expressive of the predominant importance of research data in the process of developing a successful strategy.

Advertising creative process starts with a scientific analysis of prevalent market environment, target market, competition, consumer profiling consumer behavior with focus on expectation, value touch-points, buying pattern, media habit

,

communication strategy takes into consideration the fundamental three value propositions essential for scientific strategy evolution.

The winning strategy must align the value proposition, people proposition and the resource proposition at an appropriate convergence point: they must all work together for competitive advantage and positive impact on the bottom-line (return-oninvestment).

So, from the start of agency creative process to break of

We have had to question the competence and extent of professionalism of persons behind brands support and campaigns in recent times. To say the least, brands no longer enjoy basic differentiation which is the least of musts for competitive advantage, not to mention explicitly the value proposition. Consequently, product campaigns no longer connect with the target market at any of the critical value touch-points. The sequence for systematic sequence in the process of evolving a working strategy has been

compromised.

Fundamentally, nobody check with the figures any more. Strategy is a basic and important ingredient for business success, but strategy is borne out of scientific interpretation of figures; figures generated from a scientific research process.

MC&A DIGESTposits that except research and planning is appreciated in business developmental process, stakeholders will not fully optimize the earning potentials of their invested resources. World over, businesses and brands are apportioning more value to research in the process of evolving operational business/ brand strategies. One appreciates the compromises owing to laziness and greed, resulting in unprofessional engagement and inefficient creative products, but global business practice and value standard is pushing for change. Businesses and brands in our local market will continue to fail in delivering on investors’ expectations except there is a general change in the appreciation of the importance of (research) data in strategy development process. The difference between success and failure in businesses today is the extent to which data/figures, research & development planning is appreciated.

In the coming months, MC&A DIGEST push the case for data appreciation in business development, starting with strategy development.

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PAGE 36 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Why oil giants won’t invest in Nigerian Stock Exchange — Apostle Hayford Alile

*’I lost my retirement benefits to market crash’

By Sam Eyoboka

B

orn on April 24, 1940, Apostle Hayford Alile briefly attended University of Ibadan as a scholar in physics and thereafter proceeded to Howard University, Washington DC, where he earned his B.A. degree in economics and mathematics. He later attended Rutgers Graduate School of Management, New Jersey, USA for his MBA programme before proceeding to the Harvard Business School where he bagged his AMP. Alile’s rich working history began as an economic and financial consultant to Louis Berger Inc, East Orange, New Jersey, USA in 1968. In 1973,

I will be surprised even if President Barack Obama did not lose money in the American capital market as a result of the meltdown he returned to Nigeria to head the Management Consulting Department of the Centre for Management Development, Lagos, and was later appointed in 1976 as the Executive Director/ CEO of the then Lagos Stock Exchange (LSE). He later

became the Director-General/ Chief Executive of the Nigeria Stock Exchange in 1979. He retired from that position in 1999 and was in the same year appointed to the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. He subsequently joined the Boards of

the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Co. Plc, and the Central Securities & Clearing Systems Limited (CSCS). In this interview, the Spiritual Leader of St Joseph’s Chosen Church of God speaks on why multi-national oil firms won’t invest in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Excerpts: Three years into the economic meltdown, any hope for Nigerian investors in the stock market?

It may take time. Stock market is built on confidence.

It just happened as an accident of time; you wanted to put your resources into the stock market and suddenly the meltdown which not peculiar to Nigeria hap-

pened. I will be surprised even if President Barack Obama did not lose money in the American capital market as a result of the meltdown.

Nigeria was not an exception, we tried very hard to cautiously link the Nigerian Stock Exchange to global market, but, unfortunately, what happened was at a stage when we were opening our market to the global interactions to attract what they call Hedge Fund Managers, international port folio managers, to bring their money into our market. I believe in competitive market or market force, but, at the same time, the perfection in our economic environment is not there. You can’t call the Nigerian environment a perfect market.

In a perfect market, foreigners come in with their money and go out at will; but one little thing I learnt in life while working was the British situation. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher started a privatization programme. A lot of companies in Britain were under the control of the British government but she opened up and privatized as much as possible. The process of privatizing the British Petroleum was concluded while she was out of the country. I remember the deal was done giving 15 per cent or so to a Kuwaiti investment organization.

When she came back and found out what had transpired, Thatcher said no! She was running one of the most open markets but she intervened in the interest of Britain. That was the role I too had to play in the interest of Nigeria.

So, I used to sit down with stock brokers of any Hedge Fund Manager coming into the country to invest in the Nigerian market, and ask them: how long will the funds remain in this country? If he says anything less than two years, I tell the broker, ‘Nigeria is in your hand, protect our country, we are not going to allow this money to come here because it will disturb our market’. So, there is no perfect market in the world. What is perfect is your country.

Unfortunately, my colleagues who took over from me made a mistake. They allowed free entry and free exit. So, when these Hedge Fund Managers brought about over $1 billion into the Nigerian market, the thing grew within a period of two to three years to over $3 billion, and immediately they heard regulatory authorities speaking in discordant tunes, they immediately sold out. Secondly, they knew that the international market was crumbling; they quickly sold what they had here in Nigeria and exited with over

Continues on page 37

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 37

Continued from page 36 $3 billion which created a huge hole in our market.

We would not have been negatively affected by the global meltdown had this thing not happened. I put my retirement benefit in the stock market; all the time I spent at the stock market, I banned myself and my staff from buying and selling because of insider information. It was when I left that I invested my little pension in the market and they all perished. You would have imagined that if this man with all the knowledge that he had on the market, how come he lost his money?

Those are the dangers of life. This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened globally. In the 30s, the American economy almost collapsed with the meltdown of the market. It repeated again in 1981-82 or so. So, all of us, a lot of the banks suffered. I could see a lot of the stock brokers, up till today, some of them are still not able to pay salaries.

They should forgive us, but if they have to do it again, this is the best time to invest in the stock market. That’s my little advice. The prices are down and they must surely go up again.

The Nigerian situation is unique in a way. For instance, Nestle Foods has been investing in Nigeria; now, it is moving to Ghana.

Many other industries are moving to Ghana because of cost of production and other unfavorable factors. When do you think there will be confidence in the Nigerian market?

There are two issues we are looking at here. If you take a company like Nestle, it is the most prized company in our market, selling 50 kobo shares listed at the market at over N1,050.00.

Somebody must have bought those shares with patience, perhaps at N5, and today, it is worth N1,050.00. If they are moving to Ghana, they are going to use the Nigerian resources and expertise to drag up the Ghana market.

As a matter of fact, let me tell you that I set up the stock market in Ghana; trained all their staff free of charge in the interest of Africa but that’s a different story.

Nigeria has tremendous resources and we have not started to exploit them. We just discovered oil and we put everything in it. We are now finding out that the gas reserve we have is one of the largest in the world. If you convert the gas energy into liquid energy of petrol, we have more reserve in gas than petrol.

Three years ago, I said that Nigeria is an essentially agricultural country because

attract them here! Most of them are not looking for satisfaction in the quantity of money they have, it’s satisfaction on how they can impact on you and I positively.

But the challenges of investing in the Nigerian economy are still enormous; you talk of power, you talk of inconsistency in policies, you talk of even the process of registering a company. How do we get out of this web?

Well, there is a book I published, Spiritual Walk through the Book of Life.

Getting out the quagmire? A lot of the ways that you can use to get out are in the Bible, the book of life. Whenever I sit down here and begin to think like a human being, I get scared about Nigeria because I have the opportunity of interfacing as the head of a spiritual church, I get to the level of human beings; young people who are coming up now, a lot of them think that one plus three is eight.

We are in trouble!

Who are the young ones that I am going to hand over to? Are these the ones who are going to occupy the seats of leadership of this country tomorrow? I am scared. God did not put together second— Apostle ary schools, universities, unless you have a Ph.D, you can’t do this or you can’t do Hayford Alile that. That was not done for us by God. But we have put them together as the standard for leadership, as the standard and criteria for achievement and success.

How do we fit these human beings who are our children today? The school system today is like a pig going into the mud and then you bring you look at miles of palm it to say; put this white Why not! In any plantation. They are not taller agbada on it. sector...Chike Obi did not go than me. They have, over the And for quite some time to university but became one years, done a lot of research when I had the opportunity I of the best mathematicians in to see that their palm trees tell leaders of this country the world. We have Wole don’t grow higher or taller so that you can never legislate Soyinka, a Nobel Prize that from the ground, you just morality. I started education winner in Literature. Some of pluck without having to in a Muslim school which the best brains that are climb. We are now importing was built on the land that my making the astronaut mapalm oil from those places; grandfather gave to Muslims chines and other things at the which is laughable. to build their primary school National Aeronautics and If we do the right thing in Benin City. I spent two Space Administration (NASA) within the next five years, we years there and I was taught in America are Nigerians. I will be exporting flowers, that there is God. I left that was in my office at the Stock fruits, vegetables. It is from place and went to a Catholic Exchange House about 25 the surplus of the agricultural school, Holy Cross Primary years ago, a Nigerian came products that you now have School. I learnt about God. from Chicago and said he raw materials for your factoFrom there, I came into this just wanted to come and say ries and then call yourself an church called St. Joseph’s hello and have a feel of our industrialized country. And Chosen Church. I learnt stock exchange. So, we with that, we start the type of about the Holy Spirit; but in talked. He was an Efik thing that we are having at the process of it all now, the gentleman. He said he gave Allen Avenue—shops, selling schools that were set up by his money to one his relations other people’s manufactured these missions were all taken to…by that time, they just goods and our own manufacfrom them by government opened UBA House, to get tured goods. But today, the and government has failed us him a floor there because he little of the money you save, in the management of the wanted to move out of his you want to transform yourschools. I had a lot of office from Chicago to that self into Allen Avenue, that’s disciplining in boarding place. So I asked him, ‘What not real. house at Loyola College; I do you do?’ A computer man Our textiles are all imported can’t steal your shirt. In fact, had the largest software from China and some of those company and one of the our thinking doesn’t even go textiles, in fact, I will say 90 towards stealing a pen from things he discovered was per cent of them are manufac- used by NASA, this Global you. We were taught to be a tured from hydrocarbons, oil man, to clean the environPositioning System (GPS). and gas, they are not cottons. ment, to learn the things that It is now being translated When you wear cotton, you will make you know that if and commercialized and most will feel 100 per cent of you put this water into this cars now use it to track their oxygen-fresh air but all these mud, it’s not drinkable again. routes (navigator). Who things you are seeing are discovered it? A Nigerian and The school system has synthetics. That’s not what collapsed. there are many like that. The God made us for and let’s do My wish is; government, fastest and most powerful things as God wants it. This get out of it as much as you computer was founded by a country is blessed, this thing can. Government should set Nigerian. In all aspects of you are sitting on (referring rules, policies for education life, go around the whole to a round seat in his living and inspect whether Mr. world, you see a Nigerian room) is leather from Sokoto Lagbaja or Mr. Okafor who there. All we need is someand Kano; the best in the has set up a school is living thing that will attract them world. by those standards; and the here. The environment that Can Nigeria get there? we can put together that will Continues on page 38

‘Wh on’t in Whyy oil giants w won’t invvest in Nigerian S k Ex Sttoc ock Excchange hange’’ You would have imagined that this man, with all the knowledge that he had on the market, how come he lost his money?

70 per cent of the population live in the rural areas, but we jumped the graph and are now operating and pretending to be a post-industrial society which is not. We have to go back to the realities of our lives—agriculture.

How can a country like ours be importing billions of dollars worth of rice? I was reading a book, Abundance, and it talks about vertical farming. Small countries like UAE that have no land have converted top of their buildings and verandas to farms for rice and tomatoes. But there is plenty of land here and we haven’t exploited it.

Look at what the new Agriculture Minister is doing today; fantastic! We should be exporting cassava in large quantity.

In 50s or 60s, people came from Malaysia to take our palm nuts. I don’t know if you’ve been to Kualar Lumpur? As you drive from the airport into their main town,

PAGE 38 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Continued from page 37 earlier we do it the better. At the same time, standard, morality…you have to work, make sure you plant a seed of a yam and expect a tuber in about six months instead of taking the seed, eating the flesh in it and, in the process, you know of a farmer who has planted and you go to his farm and harvest and say it is yours.

Today, a lot of people think that you can harvest without sowing. You have to sow seed and the type of food and drink that we should be taking into our systems are all spelt out in the Bible right

from Genesis 1:29, it tells you exactly. So, these are the scares I have but I think the solutions are there.

Why is it that it is so difficult to get all these players in the petroleum industry to list in the stock market?

It is as difficult as passing the Petroleum Industry Bill.

If you can tell me why it has taken Nigeria almost four or five years to articulate one bill that will regulate the oil industry, that’s what it is; too many interests. For 24 years that I was at the stock market, I kept writing pre-budget memorandum to the Federal Government telling them to encourage these people to invest in the market only to see that some members of the International Oil Companies (IOC) are as big as Nigeria.

They are alternate governments. If you want to pass a law and it doesn’t meet their interest, forget it. And that’s why they are not in the market.

If two or three companies like Shell, Texaco and Chevron are listed in that market, our market will be one of the largest in the world. What is in the stock market? Transparency and accountability; you hear today that some people have done this and put about N300 billion into their pockets and nobody knows how they did it; stealing in the market.

I said four years ago that one of the things that Chief M.K.O Abiola put me into confidence about, was that should he be elected

president of this country, he would make sure that people in the community where oil is being produced would be given special concessions; at least, 15 per cent would be allocated to them to manage.

If you as a shareholder in a company, you will make sure that that company is protected. Breaking the pipelines and thieving will not work; but you don’t give out what you don’t own.

People who are doing all those things; stealing on the high seas of our crude oil, how did it come about? This is the problem of our stock market.

Just before I left the market, I told them that the oil

ALILE: Nigeria needs positive revolution companies must be listed.

How can Shell tell us that it cannot be listed in Nigeria while it is listed in London, in New York and other places?

Chevron, Total, Texaco, they are all listed in different stock markets. But they come here to embarrass and disgrace Nigerian government every year with joint venture; ‘ next year, we are going to need about so, so and so billions and Nigerian government doesn’t have the cash to put down’. A sovereign country being embarrassed by a company operating in this country. We are bound. The Lord has blessed us with all these resources; we have not even started looking at our

How can Shell tell us that it cannot be listed in Nigeria while it is listed in London, in New York and other places? solid minerals yet—diamond, gold, uranium and so on, they are all there. God has done His own and the rest is left to us.

Do you say that we are bound or that we caged ourselves as a result of corruption? People are caught stealing money and nothing happens. There is impunity of the highest order. How do we get out of this cage?

You know, when you start shouting at a certain level, it becomes your language. We have now accepted corruption as a way of life. I hope over the next few years, we will get a Nigerian leader who will say, ‘I should be paid just N1 a year. Take all my accounts and put them in the public domain.’ ” Of course, there will be free everything that you will need in the office so that you can be able to take a decision.

Look at the Mayor of the most difficult and powerful city in the world, the Mayor of New York, Bloomberg, he takes just $1 a year as salary.

It can be done here. Immediately that concept is accepted, people will know that the person who is sitting there is not there to steal and they won’t want to be a drummer

for him. The other day, some people were saying that we are overworking our congressmen and we must pay them. But let’s cut it to size; you and I, we should not work more than four hours in a day and, therefore, your salary should be cut to that level. Just pay them sitting allowance.

When I finished from NSE, there were companies that I knew which could not really pay sufficiently for my directorship; sitting allowance, director’s fee and all that. I have never taken a kobo from; I use my personal transport and other things. The interest is the number of people who are supposed to be working in that company and make sure that the company is self sufficient and be able to take care of the people. The type of goods that they are supposed to manufacture let it be standard.

Are you recommending a revolution?

Yes! A positive revolution! From my Christian point of view, I know that God created me and God is perfect. He doesn’t make mistakes and there is a reason and purpose — Apostle He created you and I and, if Hayford Alile we do look at Him well, He will keep us on track and that track is to continue to develop, grow and live well. He nents: spirit, soul and body. did not create anybody to Our emphasis over the years come and destroy. God has put as a spiritual church has together over 150 million always been on the soul; that people in this country and, we make sure that our soul certainly, He has a purpose for has a place in the kingdom.

Nigeria and I am very confident The spirit is something that about that. Otherwise, look at God put in you, immediately our little history; anytime we are you are dying, He takes it at the brink of collapse, He back. Your soul as a Christian carries us over. He is always there to do that for us and with is what you will work with to that, I have a lot of confidence get into heaven. As we have that this country will be great. journeyed—this church is Controversies have been about 70 years old—all trailing some of the female through these years, our ministers in the present emphasis have always been cabinet: the Petroleum and to make sure that our spirit Aviation Minister. What do you and soul get to heaven; we say about these people?

I have been travelling by air. forget about the body.

About 20 years ago, the ManagBut very early in St. Joseph, ing Director of Lufthansa came the Holy Spirit taught us two to my office at the NSE and said choruses: “He touched my that Lufthansa management had spirit, He touched my soul elected me a senator for life and He touched my body and among Lufthansa passengers. To made them one.” Then, later become a senator for life, you in the years of the existence would have flown about one million miles in the airspace, of this church, He repeated and that means, going in and these three components out of airports. again: “My spirit, soul and In the last five years, I haven’t body, praise God, my spirit, seen our airports—Lagos, Kano, soul and body, praise the Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt— Lord. My spirit, soul and the way they are today; body, shout Alleluia,” because beautiful, standard. I don’t the three of them have been know what this issue of going put together to become whole to buy two armoured and one and we are begincars…but the number of ning to see, hey, what is this? armoured cars in Nigeria We have not attended to our today is more than 2,000. body.

Why the price of what they So, our next statement for bought is that, I don’t know. the year 2014 conference is: They should give time and “Eat and Drink the Lord’s space to find out what led to Way”. A lot of sicknesses that that. we do not know can be put We are already approachunder control if we eat and ing the end of the year, drink what God asks us to what’s your message to eat. There is a book I will Nigeria and the leaders? recommend to you which I For 2014, we have come to a conclusion that human beings have always bought and given to friends and it’s are made up of three compo-

called Why Christians get Sick. So, we want to look at what will make our body as strong as our spirit and soul.

Do you subscribe to the partition of the nation as a solution to the problems we are facing in this country?

No! it’s just like saying that your parents have four children and the only way you can get peace in your family is by going your different ways. It’s the same thing as saying that the world has lots of different languages, colours and so on and the only way the world can be in peace is for us to set up different worlds—you go to Mars, you go to Jupiter and go and stay there. Tolerate each other; love each other, these are what God told us. It is part of that food that I am talking about—eat and drink, live the way God wants you to live, otherwise, you won’t have peace. It is not a question of suppression of people.

So, you are in support of the CONFAB? Let’s look at our environment, what do we do to restructure the environment that will give us optimal peace? I am not saying maximal, optimal peace, tolerance, co-operation, love.

I am a Christian but before I count five or 10 of my best friends, I have perhaps three to four Muslims that I can sleep with without fear.

People are prejudiced before they even meet people they don’t know before; his name is Okonkwo, no ooo; whereas Okonkwo could do better than Alile.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 39

0802477053

By BENJAMIN NJOKU njokujamin@yahoo.com

LIFE WITHOUT CHILDREN

For 1 3 yyear ear s, Goge Africa 13 ears, st opped us fr om ha ving stopped from having kids — Nneka & Isaac I

saac and Nneka of Goge Africa fame remain one couple whose story is a public document. They got married in 1998, and for 13 years, they were waiting upon the Lord until last year when He remembered them and blessed the union with a baby boy. But despite their travails, the couple reveals that what kept them going was their belief in each other as well as the grace of God which was upon their marriage.

Before God remembered us !

Personally, marriage has been very blissful. But before we had our baby boy, I was hopeful that, one day, God would remember us. Every month that it didn’t happen, I would comfort my wife that she should not feel bad. If didn’t happen this month, it would happen the next one. express herself. Men But next month never always have this belief that ended. We kept on trusting as the head of the family, God for 13 years before it they must initiate everyfinally happened. thing that would happen in At a point, she felt that she the family. But being a man had hit menopause, and I does mean that you have all advised her to see a doctor; the ideas in the world or when she did, she was that you are smarter than the certified okay. Eventually, woman. If you are hunble when it happened, it turned enough to understand that a out to be a baby boy. woman could be as smart or even smarter than you are, Cause of the delay then you would listen to her It could be because we had and become more objective a show we were both packin your reasoning. It’s been aging. There wasn’t any interesting and I have room to get worried grown to be so reliant on concering our childlessness her. in marriage. But she was actually getting pressures How I met her from her family members I met her at an audition who felt, perhaps, she didn’t where we ended up playing want to get pregnant bethe role of boy friend and cause of her frequent travelgirl friend in the movie. ling. Also, my folks would From there, we took it tell me that a man’s life is further, and here we are different from a woman’s. today.

That all these travelling here and there would affect her The feeling after having conception. They insisted our child that I should be doing the It’s been great. It was travelling alone while she something we looked forstays back. ward to.

But I was of the opinion that as far as we were Advice to couples still together, what would hapwaiting upon the Lord pen would happen. To God The should be hopeful be the glory, it happened the and be prayerful, way it did. We worked knowing that, at the end together as a couple. She of the day, God is the would come up with an idea only one that makes just as I would do too. I things happen. The worst thing that would would pocket my pride and happen to a couple who look at her idea based on its are still waiting upon the merit and, if I consider it Lord is to lose hope. workable, I would accept it.

When God says Yes, When a couple work tonobody can say know. gether, there is need for the Don’t be too proud to two to have a level of opensubject yourself to medical ness, transparency, and tests because, sometimes, understanding. If there are the guy finds it difficult to consult a medical doctor. certain things you want to It’s only the woman in most hide from her, that would cases that does so. I breed distrust. And once underwent all the medical there is distrust in marriage, tests with my wife; someit breeds all kinds of other times, the doctors would problems. I’m always of the place us on drugs. But it’s opinion like Shakespeare not about drugs. It goes said, “good reason must give beyond drugs and it could be spiritual. The man has to place to better.” If you have be humble and show undera woman who is intelligent, standing in respect of what you must give her room to the woman is passing

* Nneka & Isaac through. If you love your wife and you see her plight, you strive to see how you can make things better.

Tempted to quit marriage?

The truth is that I was enjoying myself because I was always on the road with her. I had flight tickets to any country that I didn’t need to pay. It wasn’t boring . But I don’t know how other couple who had similar challenges were able to cope with the situation, especially a woman who doesn’t have a job but had to stay at home, brooding all day long, or a man who works somewhere else, while teh wife works somewhere else. It might not be so easy for them. But it’s different for us because we work together, we live together and we travel together. So, most of the time, we are together.

While our travails lasted, we were always together — Nneka

How I met him

We met on the set of a movie entitled, “Love in Vendetta”.I played the role of his girl friend in the movie. After we left the set, he asked me out, and, like he would say, one thing led to the other. It wasn’t the set that really translated into marriage, rather it was his personality and his vibe. He has very good vibes, and, of course, we all know he has a very good voice too. When he talks, people like to listen and I listened to him and I never regretted listening to him.

Attraction The attraction is just the vibe. You can feel Isaac if you are with him. Those days we were courting, I judged him based on how he related to other people. But not necessarily how he related to me. If any of his friends called him to do a voice-over for them, and they don’t have money to pay him, he would gladly do the job. He’s that kind of a person, a gentleman and a nice person at heart.

It’s really fun to be with him.

After marriage

y with their bab * The couple

We got married and, after about a year, which was a very trying year for us, because we lost our first child who was about eight months and two weeks. After that ugly experience, we decided to rest the idea of having kids and focused on our project,“Goge Africa,” and all the travels that had to do with it. We had a lot of fun producing Goge Africa and working together as a couple. Don’t forget, we were in the early stage of our marriage.

And it was like

we were still in our honeymoon mood, and having a lot of fun with each other. We believed the future held a lot of promises for us. We got married in October and, by December, we already lost the child. So, the death of the child brought us closer to each other.

We bonded and we went through our sorrow on our own, and withdrew to each other and caught everybody off and gave ourselves time to learn and grow together without any interferences.

13 years of waiting upon the lord

It wasn’t a fun place to be, and something I wouldn’t even wish my enemies to go through .

But it was easy for us because of the distraction of Goge Africa. This is because if not for Goge Africa, we would have had enough time on our hands. Goge Africa kept us together. We had no time to attend either birthday parties or naming ceremonies that would remember us of our childlessness. It gave us the time to run our business without concentrating on raising children. After that horrible expereince, my husband wasn’t ready during the first five years of our marriage. Also, after the first three years, my family got worried and started mounting pressure on me.

At that point, I tried convincing my husband to see reasons we should start raising children. But he reminded me of my past experience. And when we started trying, we were hopeful.

But the problem that surrounded the loss of our first child was what lingered on for a very long time. We just love each others’ company so much.

While our travails lasted, we were always together. My husband had a strong faith, and I think it was his faith that saw us through. He was a very patient man . He kept comforting me that God would remember us someday.

PAGE 40— SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

How opposition elements can take advantage of National Conference,

by Ayo Opadokun, others

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

A

S the debate on how the President Goodluck Jonathan’s pro posed National Conference should hold continues, some eminent Nigerians are suggesting pertinent issues that the conference must address to set the country on the right socioeconomic and political path.

Professor of law and university teacher, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo; former NADECO scribe, Mr. Ayo Opadokun; and President of Leadership Watch, Dr. Martins Iwuanyanwu, say that if the confab must put right what they termed the wrongs of the 1914 amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates, issues such as federalism, resource control, cost of governance, power structure and electoral processes, among others, must top the agenda at the conference.

They spoke at 12th Annual Leadership Watch Lecture entitled: “State of the Nation: Leadership Crisis, Constitutionalism and the Way Forward”, and presentation of the book: “Critical Issues on Sustainable Democracy & Development: Nigerian Perspective,” Volume 2, organized by Leadership Watch.

Others who made suggestions on the conference were Professor Obinna Chukwu, Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, UNILAG and book reviewer, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, a former Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, and Mr. Akin Fatunke, Manager, Public & Government Affairs, Exxon Mobil. opposition in the country pposition should get it should get it right in order of right— Opadokun priorities. Solving the NigeriOpposing the claim by any 2015 general elections.” an national structure is antagonists of the confab that superior to the 2015 general it is diversionary, Opadokun The issues elections you want to hold. We said: “I support a convocation Said Professor Oyewo: “The have had four different of a Sovereign National way forward is that Nigeria must address, at the national conference, the national question that has been debilitating the nation. If the national conference is able to address certain issues, including the issue of federalism, how we are to structure ourselves, the power structure, state institutions, resource allocation, intergovernmental relation and the form and system of government, then this nation will move forward.

“We also need to prune down the size and cost of governance in the country.

Nobody has told us what is being spent by ministries of government, nobody has told us how much is being spent by the National Assembly. We presidential elections in this need to prune down the cost Conference to provide room country, of what use has the of governance. Also, the for the Nigerian people as outcome been to Nigerians? conference must look into best represented by the ethnic What has been its positive electoral processes that will nationalities.. we have a effect on our people?. So, produce effective leadership, lopsided national structure.

We will use such a conference people like us believe that it is not thugs that transmute into political leaders. Rule of law, to discuss and resolve how we better to right the wrongs of our national structure than good governance, accountwant to live together. The

O

,,

The immunity clause should go. If it’s not going to go as a result of mischievous litigants, then remove immunity from criminal prosecution

Ayo Opadokun ability, check and balances, pragmatic limitations to the powers of government at all tiers must also top the agenda of the conference.

“The immunity clause should go. If it’s not going to go as a result of mischievous litigants, then remove immunity from criminal prosecution.

This conference must be able to throw out these anomalies from our constitution. The issue of citizenship, independence of the judiciary and legislature should also make the front burner. Then, national development objectives and mechanics should also be considered. We need a constitution that will enable us to be developed; how our resources are to be allocated, accountability and transparency in governance. We don’t need to live for 20 years to find out that we are broke or cash-trapped.”

People’s referendum Arguing that there should be no problem on whether the outcome of the national conference will be sent to the

National Assembly for ratification, Oyewo said: “You we all agree that sovereignty belongs to the people. My position is that any constitutional process that will result to a constitutional document without the consultation and input of the people either by referendum, plebiscite or some form of injection that enables them to finally say that this is what we want, this is what we don’t want, will not be constitution that will enjoy legitimacy.

“The issue of whether or not the resolutions from the conference should go back to the National Assembly, as the President has presented it should not pose problem. If it goes to the National Assembly, it must not end there. It must come back to the people and let’s have a referendum.

And that referendum should give us the authority to delete what we don’t want that the National Assembly has put there. If this is solved, then, we can say that all parties are able to make sacrifices for the sake of this nation.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 41

(3) M

Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Who Now Cares About The 2014 Budget?

“What does corrupting time not diminish…?” Horace, 65-8 BC. public and private sector staff especially banks and government dependent enterprises.“ zInability to fulfill the agreements with ASUU and other organizations with which gov-

,,

ost people, in cluding me, were in support when President Jonathan went pleading with the Federal Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Managing Director of the World Bank, to return to an office she once held under President Obasanjo. Worldwide, it would not be the first time for a former top official of government to be asked to return to duty in the same capacity. Historically, few, whose performance in office the first time was highly regarded had ended the second term with success. Increasingly, the picture is becoming clear that the most significant contribution which the Honourable Minister for Finance can make to Jonathan’s government in 2014 is to help pilot the year’s budget towards early passage.

It is on record that she promised that annual budgets, under her watch, would be presented to the National Assembly, NASS, on time.

This was meant to be part of the Transformation Agenda and a clean break with the past when budgets were presented to legislators late in January of the year. Nigerians believed the Minister. Unfortunately, the nation is back to “business as usual” with respect to budgets.

Today, as you are reading this column, there is no formal presentation of the 2014 budget before NASS.“Most probably, by the time you read this preview of Budget 2014, the NASS would have announced the time for the Yuletide holidays - which will end in the first or second week of January 2014. Obviously, we have not made any progress with respect to the annual budgeting process with Okonjo-Iweala in charge than we made when she was not.

Can anybody spot the difference?“Unfortunately, return to “business as usual” next year will lead to dire economic consequences for Nigeria. For the first time in over 14 years, the nation will be faced with diminished revenue from oil and gas which had sustained us for so long.

Among the inevitable results of this are the following.““ zExhaustion of the Excess Crude Oil Account, ECA.“ zReduction in federally allocated revenue to the three tiers of government.“ zHigher debt servicing ratio with respect to revenue by governments at all levels.“ zImminent cutbacks in capital and recurrent expenditure nationwide.“ zMassive retrenchment of

thousand years ago. But, today, the rulers of Nigeria, from LGCs to states and the Federal Government still make the people feel the lashes for their follies.

cial briefing for media, captains of industry and other stakeholders by the Minister of Finance during which the regime of fiscal and monetary policies which will supported

Unfortunately, return to “business as usual” next year will lead to dire economic consequences for Nigeria. For the first time in over 14 years, the nation will be faced with diminished revenue from oil and gas which had sustained us for so long.

ernments at all levels have entered into pacts.“ z Wild cat strikes nationwide.““All these would have occurred even if the 2014 Budget is passed on January 1, 2014; late passage of the budget will deepen the crises throughout the country - irrespective of which political party is in control. That explains the title of this column.““For every folly of their princes, the Greeks feel the lash.” Horace, 65-8 BC.“That was more than two

Not once since 1999 had the annual budget, which is only one of the building blocks for long-term economic development, been accorded the seriousness it deserves.“By contrast, the military, who we used to deride, announced the annual budget on January 1 every year. I remember, with some nostalgia, waiting at Vanguard, sometimes until midnight on December 31, for the budget to be announced by the Head of State. This was followed a few days after by spe-

the budget would be spelt out in detail. Today, we miss all those processes. Nobody knows anymore, and apparently nobody cares, when budgets are passed. The fiscal and monetary policies are not presented at once, but in drips (e.g the new automotive sector policy and rice policy which were announced in between the 2013 and 2014 budgets) making it difficult to analyse their likely impact on any year’s budget performance. Yet, nobody complains - no governor or sena-

tor or political leader.“Governors and Local Government Chairpersons, as well as the leaders of all the active political parties behave as if President Jonathan and the Federal Minister for Finance alone have a stake in the prompt passage of the 2014 Budget. Nothing can be farther from the truth. ALL the states, in actual fact, have greater stake in the 2014 Budget than the Federal Government. With the possible exception of four or five states, none of our states can operate for more than two months without subventions from Abuja. Most of our states are civil service states - they will fold up if public servants are not paid. Yet, even the governors of the 36 states have allowed myopic political interests to becloud what should otherwise be their collective sense of judgment.

“The formerly united Governors Forum served the collective interests of the states and LGCs , irrespective of political party in power by confronting the Federal Executive with a strong power bloc. Breaking it into two opposing camps has weakened everybody. If the PDP and the President are happy about that development, it is because they don’t know when the seeds of violent uprising in several states had been sown. If several states erupt on account of governments’ inability to fund their operations, next year, then the folly of that break up will be evident to all - including the PDP and the President.

PAGE 42— SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

•Senate President, David-Mark

•House Speaker, Aminu-Tambuwal

Forces in Senate against pension reform

By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

W

hen the Pension Reform Act (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, pensioners and Nigerians in general heaved a sigh of relief that challenges, especially corruption and sharp practices in the old pension system, would be fixed once for all. The hope was inspired by the passion with which the Senate and the House of Representatives pursued the pension probe and the anger expressed by the lawmakers during the debate on the pension probe report.

Senators described the pension loot as blood money.

However, all that hope is fast melting away as intrigues and ethno-religious sentiments seem to have taken the center stage in the consideration of issues that have direct impact on the lives of Nigeria in the National Assembly, especially the Senate.

Ethnic jingoists seem to have their way in the Senate and working seriously to get converts to score some political points. A typical example of this virus trying to infect broad-minded members is the on-going Pension Reform Bill

pending in the upper chamber.

Though the bill being considered by both chambers of the national legislative arm would positively impact on Nigerians who had served their fatherland, the issue of who leads the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) has become a big one that has attracted some interest and is badly affecting the process of amending the Act. The unfortunate intrigue that plays out on the matter is the alleged external influence from some PENCOM former Commissioners who allegedly are working hard to re-enact the third term project introduced into the nation’s polity but died premature death.

The Commissioners are said to be using some elements in both chambers of the parliament to mount pressure and it was gathered that only divine intervention could save the Bill.

Sources said the main interest is pensioners’ money. Like the recent scandal that rocked pension funds in the country, there are some ‘professionals’ and ‘experts’ that have mastered the act of causing misery to people that had meritoriously served the nation by ensuring that they did not get their pension money.

But the Deputy Chairman,

House of Representatives Committee on Pension, Hon. Samson Okwu, who represents Oju/ Obi Federal Constituency, has condemned the introduction of ethnicity into the consideration of the bill.

He said, “As far as I am concerned, the issue of the National Pension Commission is not an issue that everybody should trivialize by looking at

President Jonathan’s bill to strengthen the PTAD, looting of pensioners’ funds in the various pension departments would be a thing of the past.

Pensioners who retired before the coming into force of the Contributory Pension Scheme would also no longer travel from different parts of the country to queue in Abuja to collect their pension.

Already, government has

Pensioners who retired before the coming into force of the Contributory Pension Scheme would also no longer travel from different parts of the country to queue in Abuja to collect their pension where the DG should come from. Nobody is making law because of somebody who wants to be DG but the competence of the holder of that office”. f the Pension Reform Bill sees the light of day, with the activation of the of Pension Transition Arrangement Department, PTAD, for the first time since 2004, by the present management of PENCOM, and the proposals in

I

activated the PTAD to lessen the sufferings of the pensioners, while PENCOM is fast opening zonal officers in the six geo-political zones of the country.

The thrust of the Pension Reform Act 2013 Bill is to enhance the powers of the Commission in its regulatory and enforcement activities, enhance the protection of pension fund assets and unlock the opportunities for the de-

ployment of pension assets for national development.

It also tries to review the sanctions regime to reflect current realities, provide for the participation of the informal sector and also provide the framework for the adoption of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) by states and local governments.

The PTAD is designed to take over the payment of pensions to pre-2004 Pension Reform (retirees under the old pension scheme) from the Police Pension Office; Customs, Immigration, and Pension Office, and the Civil Service Pension Department. It is designed to have monies of this set of pensioners transmitted directly into their bank accounts rather than through a third-party (the pension departments).

Unfortunately, the PTAD was not activated in line with Section 30, Sub Section 2 (a) of the Pension Reform Act 2004 until the present Ag. DG took over.

But in order to put an end to the era of impunity and, in some instances, widespread corruption in the various Pension Departments, the PRA 2013 Bill seeks to enhance the regulatory authority and efficiency of the Commission to

Continues on page 43

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 8, 2013, PAGE 43

C

OME 2015, the tenure of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan would end and Delta State people will be faced with the task of choosing a successor.

Consequently, political actors and chieftains of ethnic nationalities in the state and all those involved in the power game are already beaming their binoculars on the governor. The people of Delta North are making a case for a governor from their area. Their argument is that since the creation of the state in August 1991, nobody from the senatorial district has been elected as governor whereas Delta Central has their taste of the plum job during the Ibru and Ibori eras between 1992 – 1993 and 1999 – 2007 respectively.

Delta South is presently occupying the Delta Government House under the Uduaghan administration.

The agitation by Delta northerners to produce the next governor is not a legal right because the 1999 Constitution does not make provision for the zoning of political offices among the senatorial districts or the sub-divisions of a state.

Besides, during the elections that produced the three governors that have so far piloted the affairs of the state, it was not on a platter of gold as Delta northerners did not withdraw from the race.

However, there seems to be

Delta 2015: Ndokwa calls for equity

Gov. Uduaghan a general clamour for zoning of strategic public offices to make way for equity, peaceful co-existence, even development and avoidance of suspicion among different ethnic groups in a heterogeneous state such as Delta. Neighbouring states such as Anambra, Edo and Rivers seem to have keyed into this noble ideal. It is with utmost sense of humility therefore that the people of Delta North plead with their brothers and sisters from Delta Central and Delta South to work towards actualising their dream of a Delta governor of Delta North extraction

,

BY CHUKS OKOLO

For equity, justice and fairness, the next governor of Delta should come from the Ndokwa nation for in this only would equity prevail

,

come 2015.

Interestingly, the body languages of major political actors in the state show that they may be favourably disposed to

the aspiration of Delta northerners. The race now seems to be within and among the nine local governments that make up Delta North namely Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency with four local areas; Ika federal constituency with two local government areas and Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal constituency with three local government areas. Since it is on the basis of equity that Delta South and Central are conceding the governorship to Delta northerners, it is imperative that the same principle of equity be applied in determining the federal constituency that should produce the governor.

Ndokwa/Ukwuani nation ought to produce the governor.

This is, however, without prejudice to the fact that other federal constituencies in the senatorial district have people that are equally fit for the job to. It is for equity! The Ndokwa nation is endowed with rich mineral resources especially crude oil which is the major source of income for the sustenance of not only the economy of Delta but the nation in general. Ndokwa also has the best gab in West Africa. It would therefore amount to an aberration of the principle of equity to deny them the opportunity of directing how such re-

sources are utilized now that Delta North is at the verge of producing the next Chief Executive of the state.

Like other federal constituencies in Delta North, Ndokwa has sons and daughters with the requisite experience in governance and administrative acumen. Chief John Edozien, one time deputy governor of Delta State, was from Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency, Chief Simeon Eboka, the deputy governor under Olorogun Felix Ibru administration, is from Ika federal constituency, Chief B.S.C. Elue, the deputy governor to Chief James Ibori, is also from Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency. Ika federal constituency had the taste of governorship when the then Speaker, Rt Hon. Prince Sam Obi, occupied the Government House in acting capacity in 2010.

It is crystal clear from the foregoing that Ndokwa, the goose that lays the golden egg (crude oil) in the Delta North axis, has not had its share of the leadership of the state.

Thus, for equity, justice and fairness, the next governor of Delta should come from the Ndokwa nation for in this only would equity prevail.

Okolo, a lawyer lives in Delta State

Forces in Senate against pension reform Continued from page 42

provide greater oversight on, and reposition the PTAD. The bill also seeks to review the penalties and sanctions as the sanctions currently provided under the PRA 2004 are no longer sufficient deterrents against infractions of the PRA 2004.

F urthermore, there are currently more sophisticated mode of diversion of pension assets, such as diversion and/or non-disclosure of interests and commissions accruable to pension fund assets, which were not addressed by the PRA 2004.

Consequently, the bill seeks to create new offences and provide for stiffer penalties that will serve as deterrence against mismanagement or diversion of pension funds’ assets under any guise, as well as other infractions of the provisions of the Act. One of the contending issues in the bill which has brought sharp division within the ranks of the lawmakers is the years of experience. The PRA 2013 Bill reviewed the provision of the 2004 Act with respect to qualifying years of experience for the DG such that the requirement is graduated in descending order from that of the Chairman at 20 years to that of the DG at 15 years.

The bill recommends the removal of the 20 years of expe-

rience and replaces it with 15 years and emphasises competence. Laws establishing some other important financial regulatory agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Act, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, and Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, do not require any years of experience, while the laws establishing the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) require between 10 and 15 years’ experience.

It further said that deemphasizing years of experience is consistent with global best practice, which emphasizes competency rather than years of post-qualification experience, which does not necessarily translate into capacity and capability.

This recommendation for appointment of the DG was in line with the position of critical stakeholders during the public hearing on the bill. The National President of Federal Universities Pensioners Association, Ayuba Kura, said that harping on issue of years of experience instead of competence was a bad precedent.

His position was supported by the Vice President, External Affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrade Adamu Kabiru Matazu.

The Nigeria Customs Service, the Immigration and Prisons Pension Office, in their separate submissions, stated, “On the issue of appointment of PENCOM DG, 15 years is enough for anybody to be so appointed more especially, if the person had worked within the system. In addition to cognate experience, there is something that you cannot take away from a person who has worked within a system and knows the nitty-gritty of it.”

The Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Isa Aremu, in an interview, said, “As good as the old provisions were, there are lots of gaps. For instance, you put the experience of the DG at 20, you are silent on that of the Commissioners. In fact, for Commissioners, no provisions for any years of experience and as, a matter of fact, Commissioners constitute the reserve pool for future DG. “If the DG is away, any of the Commissioners could have come on board. So, with the way the existing provision is, a youth corps member or an intern could be made a Commissioner and automatically could become a DG because the provision was very silent on that.

“You can have people with experience, 20 years, 30 years who could be honest and reliable and manage this scheme

well. But you could also have people with 30 years of experience and mismanaged the scheme. In fact, some people have argued that after 20 years of experience in any field, such person may not be able to add more value to whatever the person is being given, because of law of diminishing returns”.

B

ut efforts by some former Commissioners seeking third term after completing two terms of four years each as well as ensuring that one of them emerges as the DG have allegedly contributed to frustrating the Pension Bill.

It was gathered that a serving member of the National Assembly from Kano State is the arrowhead of the move to ensure that one of his kinsmen becomes the DG or the bill will be scuttled. The lawmaker has been accused of being the antagonist of the PENCOM Committees.

Recently, the Joint National Assembly Committee on Pension, Establishment and Public Service Matters, saddled with the responsibility of spearheading the amendment of the Pension Act, withdrew the bill allegedly on the orders of the Senate President.

Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Rep. Ibrahim Bawa Kamba (PDP, Kebbi), and his Senate counterpart on Establishment and Public

Service Matters, Senator Aloysius Etok (PDP, Akwa Inom), had submitted the report to the two chambers in which they recommended the removal of 20 years of experience as a qualification for the appointment of the PENCOM DG. The joint committee recommended that a person to be appointed to the office of the DG should be a ‘fit and proper person with adequate cognate experience in pension matters’. If the bill is enacted into law, it will pave the way for competence so as not to allow persons that had contributed to the liquidation of banks in the country and persons with questionable character taking over the commission.

Whereas President Jonathan had, in the initial bill sent to the parliament in April, asked for a downward review of the years of experience required of the DG from 20 to 15 years, the report submitted by Etok and Kamba recommended for the total removal of any years of experience describing it as “over-bloated” and unreal since pension management in the real sense of it was less than 10 years. The Committee recommended a “fit and proper person with adequate cognate experience on pension matters for both the DG and the Commissioners respectively”.

P AGE 44—SUND AY Vanguard , DECEMBER 15 , 2013 SUNDA

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

The yummy mummy who misjudged her toyboy!

P

ULLING a toyboy is not without its setback. An aging woman lusting after a stud must be prepared to give back something much more than she can afford. Having a fling is one thing, but making a desert of the main meal could be taking things a bit too far on the optimism scale.

Quite a number of women have had their share of toy-boys and the humiliation that goes with it. A recent victim is Mosun, Mo for short.

She has a thriving business running a modern printing press. A couple of years ago, Boye joined her company as a production manager. He’d never been married but has had a couple of kids.

And there he was, working with Mo who hadn’t had sex with her husband in months. “We scarcely communicate any more,” she shrugged the last time we had a natter about him.

“Thank goodness he never complains about the hours I work,” she’d continued, “as long as the house is spik and span, the children well looked after and his meals spot on.” Boye was in his early 30s, well-built and with a flirty nature.

H

e lived in a poky flat and when Mo started sleeping with him, she bought him an impressive bed and changed his furniture turning an otherwise drab flat into a hot lovenest! It was money well spent - Mo’s eyes spar-

money from my bank and was informed my funds were jnsufficient. I had a list of how much I’d ‘lent’ Boye over the months and I needed money very badly. So I rang him in a panic, left a voice mail when I couldn’t get through to him asking if he could meet me to return some of the money I’d lent him. I explained how urgently I needed the money and what I needed it for.

H

kled and she virtually grew younger overnight.

“Better than a face-lift any day,” she winked.

One afternoon, I called at Mo’s office and was surprised when Boye offered to give us lunch at a fresh-fish canteen he just discovered. Where would he get the money for such a lavish entertainment, I wondered?

When the bill arrived at the end of the lunch, Mo reached for it and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” “No way,” lover boy spluttered, looking scandalized. “Please, I’d really like to, I have more than enough cash here,” Mo, insisted.

Boye agreed reluctantly, warning the next time would be really his treat.

H

e was so obvi ous it’s a shame my friend couldn’t see through his little scheme.

Some few months after, Boye announced he’d

found a better job with a brighter future. Mo was reluctant to let him go but she couldn’t match his new salary and Boye promised money wouldn’t change the ·way he felt about Mo as his new office was near hers.

A

nd he was true to his words - for a while at least. He found time to make love to her in her cushy office during his lunch time and most weekends in his flat. Until he confided in Mo that his new job was not as lucrative as he’d hoped.

“He’d thought the salary would be a lot better”, said Mo, “but so much of it depends on commission and there were better men on the job, raking in mouth watering commissions. I couldn’t help him as it would mean my signing my own contacts over to him.

When his annual rent became due, and he couldn’t afford to pay, I gave him the money, letting him

know it was a loan, and that he could pay back when he had the money. He was pathetically grateful, promising heaven and earth he’d repay me within a month.

“Only, he was now sharing all his worries with me. Whenever his mobile ran out of credit I would send credit to him through a text message. At the end of the month, he was always so skint that I freely gave him money to stock food.

A

t first I was glad to help, but as the months went by, I started feeling a bit taken for granted. We still met for sex but Boye wasn’t as attentive as before and was now asking me outright for loans. Things came to a head the day I went to withdraw a substantial amount of

love has eaten deep into my body system. Indeed, loving you means more to me than anything in the world for your love is louder in my heart more than anything else and it will always be till eternity.

Akachukwu Ferdinand, 08063819314

Y

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

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

Your love

Almost all the various parts of my body are competing favourably and seriously to love you, for your

Three great things

There are three things in life that can destroy a person: Anger,hatred and pride.

There are three things in life that you should never miss: Faith, love and hope.

There are three things in life that are most valuable: Humility, sincerity and friendship There are three things in life that makes a person: Respect, commitment and value.

I ask God for these three things in your life: * To bless you * To guide you

e didn’t even bother to re ply. I had to call a few times before he picked up the phone. He sounded aloof and bored. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do it now,’ he said coolly, ‘it’s my turn to host the meeting of my ex-classmates but I’ll get back’to you.’ I felt sick to my stomach. Was money all he’d wanted from me all along? I must have looked like a lovesick idiot to him. Or why else would a good looking vjrile man become involved with what must have looked like a washed-out wife?

“In the end I had to find alternate ways of raising the money I lent him, and Boye hadn’t contacted me. I had to call him the day I learnt from another friend of his that he was getting married soon. ‘Did you use my money to prepare for your impending marriage?’ I jeered. He said nothing. Why didn’t he let on he was getting married? ‘Would I have got your blessings if I had told you?’ he wanted to know. I quietly put the phone down.

“When I couldn’t afford the house keeping toward the end of the month, t had to ask my husband for cash to get me through. I lied that I’d overspent on clothes recently. He never takes any notice of what I’m wearing anyway, so he just shrugged and agreed.

“But Boye has taken a lot more than cash from me. He’s stolen my pride and self-respect and left me feeling such a fool” A case of: you sow, you reap, you weep? Shortly after Mo’s sobering experience, I was at a wedding when Pitan, a legal practitioner sauntered in, wearing a well-tailored French suit. I nudged Oye, a good male friend with whom I sat.

“Your rival sure looks dapper jn that suit.” I teased, His nostrils flared.

P

itan is the hus band of Oye’s much younger lover. “My cash paid for that suit,” he sneered.

“When I met Rita (the girlfriend) in London, she moaned she couldn’t afford the gift she wanted for her husband. Not wanting her to fleece me for money for shopping, I decided to go with her to have a look at the ‘gift’. When I saw the suit, I was reluctant to shell out the money, but I’d been shagging the poor man’s wife and the least I could do was make him happy! ») There’s no free dinner really, when you’re older and looking for the favour of a much younger lover.

Invariably, you pay for services rendered ... “

To always protect you and your loved ones in Jesus name.Amen.

Season's greetings to you all..!

Chris Onunaku dekris4real@gmail.com 08032988826/08184844015.

Relationship

Being in a relationship, it's not about the labels or becoming official. It's about getting to know someone well enough to develop genuine feelings for the person. It's about being understanding & forgiving when situations are at their worst. It's about loving someone, not for what they have to offer but for who they are. It's never about blaming others for not treating you the way you want to be treated, it's about how hard they try to keep you around! I love you.

Emma Mine, 07051037749, Delta State.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, , PAGE 45

TWO WEEKS AFTER BREAST CANCER CLAIMED SISTER

Garbage collector killed by own truck

BY BILESANMI OLALEKAN

T

HE traffic log jam was unnec essary.

It stretched to a combined 50-kilometre of roads: From Igando to Ikotun and to Iyana –Ipaja. And the death could have been avoided if necessary tools were available. Unfortunately, we are in a society where government’s effect is felt only before and during elections.

Time was 7.40am on Tuesday. Scene of accident was Car-Wash busstop along EgbedaIdimu- Road, Lagos. A refuse truck belonging to one of the Private Sector Participation, PSP, operators for Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, God’s Ventures, was on its way to Solous dump site along LASU-Iba Road to empty its bowel of the refuse collected the previous night. In it were five passengers plus the driver. Three of the workers sat with the driver while Idowu, 44, was standing on the refuse compartment of the truck. Meanwhile, two commercial bus (known as Veragon) drivers, in their usual manner, were stopping anyhow at the bus-stops to pick passengers. The two buses were trying to outwit each other to get passengers. In the process, one of them, without regard to the truck racing from behind, returned to the main lane.

In order to avoid hitting the bus (which could have been fatal), the driver swerved, hit the street light on the median before falling on its side. The truck blocked one side of the expressway. But as the truck was going down on its side, Idowu , according to eye

*The accident scene ... on Tuesday witnesses, came crashing with it. He was instantly crushed. The two commercial buses sped off.

The effect of the crash and the blockage of one side of the highway immediately became manifest on both sides of the road. Trust Nigerian drivers, they started driving against traffic.

Within 30 minutes of the accident, the resultant traffic jam was heavy such that access roads nearby were congested. Policemen from Area M Command, Idimu and Ikotun stations were on hand on rescue operation and to control the traffic. Staff of Road Safety Commission had to trek five kilometres from their office in Ikotun to Car Wash, scene of the accident, to also help out.

Two cranes brought in to lift off the truck to clear the road of the wreckage could not get it off the ground. By the time it was eventually

Idowu, whose wife put to bed a month ago, lost his elder sister two weeks back to breast cancer, one of the victim’s co-workers told Sunday Vanguard lifted, almost six hours later, it was Idowu’s crushed corpse that was recovered.

Meanwhile, Idowu, whose wife put to bed a month ago, lost his elder sister two weeks back to breast cancer, one of the victim’s co-workers told Sunday Vanguard. Idowu volunteered to take care of the two children of the deceased sister. “His mother started living

with him about three months ago. So he had six people in his house that he was feeding. He had three children, the last being the one his wife delivered a month ago. The burden of these people in his house was really heavy on him such that I was giving him part of my share of whatever we sold from the garbage everyday”, the

co-workers said. He continued: “We took a lot of refuse last n i g h t ( M o n d a y ) . We didn’t even disperse until around 8pm. So we all resumed very early today so that we could dispose the refuse this morning before we begin the real job of today. So we were actually on our way to Solous when the accident happened. I would have left this job since last month but I am just waiting for this month’s salary before I take my leave. I already have N40k with me. I only need N20k more to get a decent apartment and then I leave the job totally. There is really nothing much about this job. The only thing it does for you is to be able to feed. And that is why you see us fighting over disposable items all the time because it is from these items that we get something to go home with at the end of the day”.

However, Idowu probably would not have died if he had adhered to instructions regarding operations of disposing refuse. LAWMA, according to one of the officials at the site of the accident, said on no account should anybody stand in the refuse compartment of the trucks.

Everybody should be seated with the driver.

While corroborating the LAWMA stand, one of the accident’s survivors said when they were leaving Akowonjo, their boss told all to sit with the driver.” Two of us sat with the driver, then I joined them. I was with him but I just changed my mind to join my colleagues. He was even joking that I joined my other colleagues because I was scared. And I replied that I was too young to die and we all laughed it off. We told him to come inside to sit with us but he said we should not worry. We didn’t know that that was the last of what we were going to see of him”.

The bottleneck created by the accident would not have happened if the access roads were motorable. Majority of the roads in Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area are in deplorable situation. The roads include Yaba Street, Pipeline Road, Madarikan and Honourable Aliu. Petitions have been written against the council chairman, Honorable Waheed Adebayo Bello, about his ‘I don’t care attitude’ on the roads. Maybe accidents like this will inspire him to look into the access roads.

PAGE 46—SUNDAY, Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Faces at FFunk unk e Egbemode’s book presentation 4 th annual CEOs’ unke dinner/award night SUN newspaper editor, Funke Egbemode, was the toast of society on Thursday as she presented her book “Conversations With My Country” to the public. The ‘book’ is a compilation of Funke’s articles over the years. The venue was Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. Photos by Biodun Ogunleye

L-R: Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

THE AES Excellence Club held its ‘4th Annual CEOs’ Dinner/Awards’ Nite’ at Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos. The awards, an initiative of Academy for Entrepreneurs Studies, Nigeria, AES, had this year ’s theme as “Peace: Panacea for National Development. Many important dignitaries graced the occasion. Photos by Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

L-R:Mrs Funke Egbemode, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Chief (Mrs) Folorunsho Alakija, Guest Speaker.

L-R: Dr (Mrs) Nike Akande, Chairman, AES Excellence Club, Dr Ausbeth Ajagu, President, AES Excellence Club Governing Board; Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers State and Maj.Gen. Abel Umahi, GOC 81 Division.

L-R:Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, SGF, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Reps,Mrs Funke Egbemode, and Chief (Mrs) Folorunsho Alakija.

L-R:Mr Eniola Bello of Thisday, Mr Mike Dada of PRM Africa and Mr Gbenga Adefaye, Editor-In-Chief /GM,Publication Vanguard

L-R: Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of Fountain of life Church, his wife, Nonthi, and Dr Ausbeth Ajagu..

L-R:Senator Tunde Olanrewaju Solomon Waziri Tanbuwal.

Ogbeha, Senator and Hon. Aminu

L-R:Hon. Chike Ogieh, Hon. Solomon Ighrakpata, Hon. Taleb Tebite and Mr Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard

Heineken Ibori Golf and Agekameh Investiture Countr ournament Countryy Club ttournament Mrs Obioma Liyel Imoke with husband, Gov. Liyel Imoke.

L-R: President/Chairman- in- Council, Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria, Dr. Otive Igbuzor; CEO, Quicklink International Network, Mr. Dele Agekameh and Chairman, Board of Fellows, ISMN, Prof.

Oluwayemisi Obashoro-John, during the investiture of Agekameh as a fellow of ISMN in Lagos.

Mr.Tuoyo, representing Hon. Daniel Mayuku, Capt. Ibori Golf Club, presenting a prize to the winner of Categori 1, Okoromi James of Ilorin Golf Club, He is flanked by Mr. Ray Chukwujekwe of Nigerian Breweries Plc,Onitsha and Ruth Oroko, Lady Capt., Ibori Golf Club (r) at Heineken Ibori Golf Amateur Tournament in Asaba, Delta State.

L-R: Dr. Adeleke Ipaye, reperesenting Osun State Gov., Dr. Austin Izagbo, CEO, Caniz Ltd, reperesenting Minister of Works and Mr. Femi Ajayi, DG, NDLEA

SUNDAY, Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 47

Isoko people hold interactive session

M

embers of I s o k o Advancement Network, IAN, gathered at the Cyprian Hotel, Ekpan in Uvwie local government area of Delta State, recently, for an interactive session on the state of the nation. At the end of the well-attended session the group resolved to support the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and to participate actively in the proposed National Dialogue.

Bounty galore at RCCG’s Milk and Hone Honeyy

T

he 10th edition of the Redeemed Church of God Milk and Honey Family’s ‘Let Somebody Shout Halleluyah’ was held in grand style.

Many great men of God and gospel singers were present at the five-day event which was rounded off with gift items being given out to guests. As part of the celebration several notable personalities were recognised with excellence awards. Photos by Lamidi Bamidele

L-R: Chief Emmanuel Edevor, Hon.Mike Ogwah, National Chairman, IAN ,Chief Mike Usige, first Vice President-General, Isoko Development Union,Pastor Powell TOS Ojogho And Hon. Sunday Elueni.

Recipients of awards while cutting the anniversary cake .

L-R: Chief Dennis Etaluku, Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Leo Ogor, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, SSG,Delta State and Chief Akeni.

R-L: Prof.Sam Aghalino, National Publicity Secretary, IAN, Chief Akeni and Comrade Ovuozourie Macauly, SSG,Delta State.

R-L: Pastor Wale Adeduro, Pastor in Charge, Evangelist Bola Are, guest and Mrs Kehinde Adeduro.

L-R: Hon. Leo Ogor, Dep. Majority Leader, House of Reps, Abuja and Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, SSG,Delta State.

L-R:Mr.Felix Ofou, Prof Sam Aghalino and Chief Paul Odhomo.

Cadbur y’s long ser vice a ward 20 13 Cadbury’s service aw 201

C

adbury Nigeria Plc rolled out the red carpet on Thursday to honour members of staff with long service awards.

R-L: Bala Yesufu, Head Corporate and Govt.

Affairs, Dr. Yetunde Soile, a recipient, Emil Moskofian, MD, Okunola Adeniyi, another recipient, Emmanuel Imoagene, HR Director and Olufemi Fifo, AFBTE Chairman, Cadbury Nigeria Plc

L-R: Olufemi Fifo, AFBTE Chairman, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Emmanuel Imoagene, HR Director and Ikhide Daniel, an award recipient

Some babies being dedicated.

Members of Midnight Crew, gospel singers, entertaining the congregation

PAGE 48—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, , PAGE 49

PAGE 50—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

ASUU crisis: It is time for commendations led National Executive of the union deserves to be commended for its tenacity-a posture which the government itself was to eventually describe as their “patriotic role and commitment towards ensuring that our universities are wellfunded, resourced and run like their counterparts in other parts of the world”.

However, ASUU alone

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T

HE strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since July 01, 2013 will probably go down in history as the best ever wellorganized action of the union. Although the action lasted longer than many Nigerians envisaged, it is to the credit of ASUU that it was fully ready for business. The union had in fact made it clear that only a complete resolution of the issues at stake would bring the strike action to an end. Hence, it was also ready for any eventuality. Consequently, when the government introduced the ‘no work, no pay’ rule into the game, the union responded by resorting to providing other welfare strategies such as distributing food items, giving out soft loans and cash advances to members to cope with the effects of the policy.

In all, ASUU lived up to its billing, making it obvious that it had sufficient courage and a unity of direction to pursue its goal.

Thus, the Dr. Nasir Fagge

tional Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), which condemned the government for reneging on an agreement it willingly entered into with ASUU adding that what the lecturers were asking for was not “new and out of place’’ The position of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) was that it would “not hesitate to shut down

It is to be hoped that future leaders would emulate this right from the onset without first bringing the education sector to a halt for a while, before acting

cannot grab all the credit.

Also to be praised, are the interests groups which for the first time in history mobilized for the cause of the teachers, ample public sympathy and support.

What looked like the first impetus came from the Na-

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the education system in the country, if the government failed to fulfil or honour the agreement it entered into with the lecturers”. On its part, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) threatened to stop distribution of petroleum

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

08116759758

How lecturers underdeveloped the universities (5) they manifest the worst variety of pull him down syndrome by disparaging colleagues unnecessarily.

A good number of university teachers are chameleons, pretenders and hypocrites: some are experts in the very bad attitudes and conduct they condemn publicly. Some are merely hibernating in various departments without adding value to the system. University lecturers are fond of saying that government is corrupt, inefficient and unreliable, and I agree with that assessment.

Still, I think lecturers are guilty of the same immoral behaviours they are condemning in politicians; the only difference is the context within which the two groups operate. Thus, just as political office holders have almost perfected methods of corruption, some senior academics in positions of responsibility across the universities are adept in converting university funds and property into private use. Again, while lecturers rightly condemn government for act of bad faith in failing to fulfil agreements hammered out with ASUU over the years, some principal officers of Nigerian universities also renege on promises to colleagues, particularly their enemies real or imagined.

University teachers, I believe, should be held to a

higher standard of rational behaviour than other segments of the Nigerian society, because ideally academics are supposed to show the light for others to follow.

Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not seem to realise this, due to the increasing number of those my friends at the University of Ibadan called academic gatecrashers, coupled with the gradual decline and de-

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I still remember the travails of late Professor J.A. Omotola, former VC University of Lagos, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the university became the primus inter pares among tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Despite mistakes here and there, Professor Omotola tried so hard to ensure massive positive transformation of UNILAG within the shortest possible time.

Yet, a small group of reactionary senior academics made things extremely difficult for the late VC, to the extent that he left the university unceremoniously.

Lecturers sometimes use diabolical means to get what they want from the system.

Information from colleagues in different universities describes sudden appearance of ritual items all over campuses whenever Professors vie for the post of VC or any other top administrative position exclusive to academics.

More concretely, certain candidates for the post of VC several of whom have doctorate degrees in the sciences not only patronise babalawos, dibias, marabouts and self-styled prophets and anointed men of God to secure alleged supernatural assistance, they hobnob with powerful politicians in positions of authority to actualise their ambition. In the process,

products across the country if the Federal Government failed to implement the agreement reached with ASUU. Their counterparts at the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) gave the Federal Government seven days to resolve the ASUU strike or face a total shut down of electricity facilities in the country. All these were averted, but they cannot be wished away by anyone seeking to identify what helped the strike to last longer than usual.

The role which the government officials played in prolonging the strike can also not be overlooked. It was them again who created room for another break down of negotiations after the President had himself personally intervened to resolve the crisis. What happened was that instead of documenting the issues faithfully as discussed and agreed upon with the President to ease implementation, they as usual, introduced their characteristic double-speak otherwise known as ‘mago- mago’ which led to a fresh outbreak of hostilities. This confirmed the old allegation that advisers and small men in the corridors of power in a bid to display loyalty to the political masters always fuel the gap between government and the people. If the death of foremost unionist, Festus Iyayi on a journey to attend a meeting of the national executive of ASUU on the subject worsened the situation,

the threat of the Minister of Education to the university teachers to resume work on December 04, 2013 or be sacked, completely disorganized the nation However, after five months and 10 days of an annual cat and rat game, government and ASUU finally signed an agreement to end the strike a few days ago. With that, Nigerians can now look forward with hope to an end to the ugly incidents of disruption to the nation’s yearly academic calendar. It is a major achievement for which President Goodluck Jonathan deserves to take credit. Indeed, critics ought to take special note of the role of the President in the subject because so many of ‘us’ were in the forefront in condemning government for the strike. As a matter of fact some expressed disappointment that as an academic, the President ought not to have left his old colleagues in the cold. In fairness, these views ignored the personal commitment of Jonathan to the resolution of the crisis such as his meeting with ASUU for over 13 hours. In the past, strike actions involving just one union never attracted the personal attention of the head of government; they were usually left to government delegations.

Thus, this article must record and commend the pivotal role of the President.

It was indeed magnanimous that the Presidency allowed itself to be seen as the side that blinked first in

the crisis. That, to our mind, is not a sign of weakness but rather a fatherly act and a sign of wisdom. In earnest, the decision to display the N200billion cheque which certainly allayed the fears of ASUU and gave hope to the teeming student population that resolution was near; the way the President played down the threat by the education minister; the shifting of the resumption deadline in honour of the late Professor Iyayi who was due for burial and the unending official appeals to calm frayed nerves, are all quite commendable. It is to be hoped that future leaders would emulate this right from the onset without first bringing the education sector to a halt for a while, before acting.

Of course, it would have been a different ball game if President Jonathan had borrowed a leaf from the Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi who accused ASUU of sabotage and called for its disbandment.

It is surprising that some such autocratic governors who should have held office during the military era occupying critical positions in our democracy. The handling of the outgoing ASUU crisis is one subject where the government of President Goodluck Jonathan showed commendable maturity. It should hold on to the strategy when more unions raise industrial disputes. It is superior to being insensitive.

ASUU has been neglecting for years. Like in any field of human endeavour like law, medicine, and entrepreneurship, it is essential that senior academics should mentor junior colleagues by helping the latter get the necessary skills and habits required for effective teaching and research. For example, a Senior Lecturer or Professor ought to teach a doctoral student under his or her supervision the soft skills that promote effective teaching and research, breakdown the psychological Berlin wall between both of them, and assist the candidate with materials relevant to the research topic. In other words, senior academics should go the extra mile to inculcate in their junior colleagues the necessary intellectual, moral, and emotional attributes, which are indis-

es. Those mentored today would be mentors to others tomorrow. In this way, the lofty academic culture that makes universities ivory towers is sustained. However, in a large number of cases what we have is a caricature of what genuine mentoring ought to be. Some senior academics turn their PhD students into glorified domestic servants who run all kinds of inconsequential errands to please them.

Several Professors use their postgraduate students to execute lucrative projects in town, and pay them pittance for their efforts. Sometimes, what goes on in the name of mentoring or supervisor-student relationship is exploitation, including academic exploitation, in which a supervisor asks his student to write a paper and publishes it as if he were the author without the slightest acknowledgement of the person who actually did the work. Nigerian universities are steadily coming under the intellect-stultifying influence of proselytising religious consciousness. An increasing number of VCs, DVCs and other senior academics occupying sensitive positions in our universities are devout Christians and Muslims who strongly believe that prayers and fasting are the most reliable means of dealing with the multi-faceted manmade problems facing universities today.

ASUU leaders oftentimes go to the ludicrous extent of declaring days of fasting and prayer for divine intervention during protracted disputes with the federal government. To the average Nigerian steeped in the opium of religious superstition, the easy resort by lecturers to God and other supernatural beings is commendable and comforting. The problem, however, is that

there is no way of really knowing that such antediluvian strategy actually works. Clearly, the increasing tempo of religiosity by lecturers is undermining our universities nationwide because it paralyses the intellect and dampens the capacity for critical and strategic thinking, which is a necessary ingredient for effective management of human and material resources.

Hence, the time, money, and effort expended in special prayer sessions and religious worship in churches and mosques by VCs and other principal officers are sheer waste of time. The earlier lecturers turn away from the illusory comforts of religious superstition and face reality the better for our universities. It is impossible to exhaust the ways by which lecturers, by acts of omission and commission, underdeveloped the universities. Yet, I am encouraged by the large number of colleagues in different universities selflessly doing the right things in the right way without making noise about their contributions.

From Assistant Lecturers up to Professors, there are men and women who, inspite of all the problems in the system, are doing extraordinary work to keep things moving forward in the right direction without attracting attention to themselves. The great minds at the Universities of Lagos, Ibadan, Nigeria, Nsukka and others, I celebrate you and implore you to continue the good work.

The destiny of university education in Nigeria is in your capable hands, not in the hands of fanatic ASUU activists who erroneously believe there is virtue in herd mentality. CONCLUDED

Several Professors use their postgraduate students to execute lucrative projects in town, and pay them pittance for their efforts

valuation of selflessness appropriate to people really committed to the acquisition and impartation of knowledge. In my opinion, lecturers should be on a higher moral pedestal than politicians, so that their condemnation of corruption and indiscipline in government will carry more weight.

To paraphrase a passage in The Holy Bible, ASUU should first remove the wool in the eyes of lecturers so that they can see more clearly the log in the eyes our political leaders. We now come to the important issue of mentoring, which

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pensable for productive academic work. The importance of proper mentoring in keeping universities alive and vibrant as centres of learning at the highest level particularly for the next generation of scholars cannot be overemphasised.

Apart from encouraging neophytes and future lecturers to have the skills and knowledge for best practices in our universities, mentoring creates a strong web of interpersonal relationships connecting different families together, thereby creating communities that transcend the narrow confines of university campus-

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 51

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BY TAYE OBATERU & BERNARD LUCAS

W

hat level of anger would make a woman want an other human being dead or incapacitated? What more if the person concerned is a relation of her spouse? These are some of the questions agitating the minds of residents of Lomak Street in Laranto area of Jos where a woman poured bubbling hot water on her late husband’s cousin after a disagreement. But for mother luck which made him duck instinctively as the hot water came on him, 16-year old Kim Henry Davou could have been worse off as his eyes and face were saved.

However, the left part of his head down to his waste was scorched by the hot water leaving him in pain and anguish. Kim, an orphaned secondary school leaver who has been under the care of his grandmother, told Sunday Vanguard his story: ‘’It was in the morning at about past 7. on the 17th of November when I lighted fire in the kitchen so that I could bath and go to church.

My aunty, that is, my late cousin’s wife, lives with us. Her child had slept in my grandmother’s room and urinated on her bed. In the morning when she came to clean the urine, she used my bathing sponge instead of the rag that my grandmother asked her to use. She said that the rag was dirty, so she used my sponge which I bath with. ‘’When I saw it, I told her, ‘“aunty, this thing you did is not good. Why did you use my bathing sponge to

AN ORPHAN’S HORROR

‘God saved me from murderous sister-in-law’ clean the urine when grandmother told you to use the rag?’ Then she started insulting me. So I went out to the kitchen to prepare pap but she followed me and was still abusing me and told me that I will soon join my father in the grave. Then I replied her that it was God that took his (father) life, and, because I was angry, I told her that before I die, she will die before me. ‘’Then I left the kitchen for our room to take the pap, she followed me and kept insulting me. Then she pushed me and the pap poured on the wall. I came out to tell my grandmother about what was happening. She, my cousin’s wife, now went to the kitchen and was saying that the water I put on fire is the one that she will bath me with. So, when I got inside and my grandmother came to look at what was going on, she had already fetched the boiling water, and, before I could realize, she threw the water at me targeting my face. I dodged instinctively. If not, the boiled water could have injured the whole of my face, but, as you can see, it only affected, left part of my body. ‘’I have been receiving medical attention from Hwolarza Traditional Hospi-

tal. When the incident occurred, I was rushed to a private hospital but the treatment was not satisfactory.We then headed to the Plateau Specialist Hospital, and they said there was no bed space. So on our way to JUTH somebody now called us that there is a man in Hwolarza that treats this kind of complication. Since then I have been receiving treatment here.”

Kim lamented that quick recovery was his major concern so that he could continue with his education, adding, “I’m appealing to government to come to my aid. I’m an orphan. I have already finished my secondary school, hoping to further my education.”

Kim’s grandmother, Rahila David Tok, who has been the one taking care of him, said she had forgiven her daughter-in-law, but insisted that she must leave the house, and thanked public spirited individuals and organizations for their support since the incident happened. The woman alleged to have poured the hot water could, however, not be reached as she was said to have been arrested by the police.

While the law waits to take its course, Kim says he looks into the future with hope to regain his health and find ways to further his education.

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Simba Infrastructure bags award from Avaya

My encounter with the ‘devil’, by CAC Pastor Adeniyi

BY BENJAMIN NJOKU

BY OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO

P

astor Augustine Afolabi Adeniyi is the General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church, Egbe, Ikotun, Lagos. He spoke to Sunday Vanguard on how he became a minister of God. Establishing church seems to have become an all-comers affair. How did your own start? Christ Apostolic Church, Myriad of Miracle was planted in 1986. And we started the second service on October 2, 1986. I have been in the ministry since 1967. I started as a member and I was ordained as an elder.

While I was an elder, I was working in the Ministry of Federal Ministry of Commerce, former Ministry of Trade.

It wasn’t my wish to become a pastor. My intention was to travel abroad and you know...I had an encounter with the devil.

It was a serious encounter. I visited so many hospitals. The last place was University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and they could not cure the sickness. As a result of that, I went to a herbalist, they still couldn’t cure it until finally when somebody introduced me to CAC in 1967.

A sickness we could not cure for almost 16 years was cured within a week. It was a divine intervention.

How would you describe the healing experience?

When I got to the church (CAC), they prayed for me and asked me to go into a seven-day fasting. Since I had not been doing it, the day I started, my legs were shaking, my head was aching, my body was something else. Before I got to the place, for about 9 days, I couldn’t sleep, but the first day I fasted and they prayed for me, I was able to sleep. So I stayed in the mission, the fourth day of the fasting, in the afternoon, I dreamt that I saw an old man who came down to me and said: ‘My son, they told me about your plight I said, ‘Thank you, sir’ and he said: ‘Open your mouth’. I opened my mouth. It was around 1pm. As I opened my mouth, he put his hand into my mouth and removed a very big stone. I cried such that the people around heard and ran to me.

They asked me what happened and changed my room. I slept again and saw the old man in another dream. He said, ‘My son, it remains only one thing’. I said, ‘What is the thing again as the first one was really painful? He said, ‘let me do this one’. He put his hand into my mouth again and removed a husk of maize, he removed it from my tummy. As he removed it, I cried and blood gushed out. People around came to me. When the pastor saw it, he said the work had been done, that it was the work of God. That’s how the sickness vanished and I became a strong believer in the power of God. What is unique about this ministry?

We want to win souls for Christ, evangelise the whole world.

And we are moving to every part of the country. All we need is God’s assistance and assistance from people. We also need finance to back it. You may have knowledge but you also need

Pastor Augustine Afolabi what it takes to carry it out, which includes prayer, finance, etc.

We are planters of Christ Apostolic Church; we are not the founder. Christ Apostolic Church started as far back as 1930. It started in Ilesa, Oke-Oye where the dead rose.

What is unique about the upcoming harvesting in the church?

In Christendom, there are two ways to harvest physical and spiritual. We are doing the physical to tell people how the invisible one will be done and that is why we are practicalising it. Let everybody bring what he started doing right from the beginning. When you look at our country, we have rainy season and dry season. In the rainy season, you plant.

When it is ripe, that is during the dry season which is approaching, everything will be ripe for harvesting and we as Christians follow it by what our Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is time for everything.

That is the reason this year people from all our branches will come together and do the harvest to tell the people that there will be a day that the whole world will be harvested based on whatever we have done. There is somebody awaiting us, to whom we would give account of what we have done. Then, the chaff shall be separated from the seed. The upcoming harvest will bring blessing by the grace of God. What is your advice to Nigerian leaders All leaders should acknowledge and seek God first.

All Christians must pray for the country to survive.

Also, I’ve travelled and seen a lot. Our leaders should follow the example of the developed nations.

SEPLA T’S PEARLS: The sear SEPLAT’S searcch for e hools exxcellence in sc schools S

tudents of Staff Model College, Agbor have emerged winners in the just concluded PEARLs Quiz for Secondary Schools in Edo And Delta States organized by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited, the operator of the SEPLAT/NPDC Joint Venture, OML 4, 38 and 41.

Eight schools, four from each of the two states, scaled the quarter final hurdle they include the winner of last year’s competition, Ufuah Memorial Group of Schools, Uromi; Niger College Benin City; University Preparatory Secondary School, Benin City, and Bay Flower College, City Benin (all in Edo State). Others are Staff Model Secondary School Agbor; Demonstration Secondary School Warri; Lords & Kings Academy Warri and Federal Government College, Warri (all in Delta State).

The winners from the quarter final stage headed into the inter-state competition where they squared up to determine the finalists. Speaking during the grand fi-

nale of the competition, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited, Mr. Austin Avuru, described the programme “as an exceptional platform for promoting healthy competition between private and public secondary schools and a great opportunity to rekindle the spirit of academic excellence while encouraging them to study more passionately and regularly.”

Avuru added: “By rewarding scholastic excellence, the competition provides SEPLAT an opportunity to demonstrate to the youths the benefits of working hard and taking education seriously. They company has once again demonstrated its commitment to enhancing the quality of education and by extension developing human capacity in the areas where it operates.”

He explained that SEPLAT has “committed a lot of resources to implementing the project and to providing a reward system for the top performing schools and individual team members as well as for the teachers who lead the teams. “

For its outstanding performance in the outgoing year, Simba Infrastructure Limited has been honoured with the award of ‘Partner of the Year Africa 2013’by a US based firm, Avaya.

Simba Infrastructure Limited, a division of Simba Group of Companies operating in the key development-oriented industry verticals, is an exclusive business partner to Avaya, the leading global provider of business communication solutions. The award is given out every year to the company’s deserving partner in Africa for outstanding achievements. This year’s edition, held penultimate week in Dubai, had all the partners of Avaya from the Middle- East and Africa in attendance.

At the end of the event, Simba clinched the Best Partner’s Award, beating other 17 countries in Africa partnering with Avaya. Speaking at a press parley in Lagos, Mr. Babajide Ogunbanjo, Territory Manager West Africa for Avaya, said the award was given to Simba based on the company’s outstanding performance during the outgoing year.

Sanjay Vaswani, Technical Consultant, Simba Infrastructure, who led the other team of the Simba Group, while revealing the strength of the company, said it is currently one of the organizations with fully accredited engineers for Unified Communications and Call Centre solutions and with up to six years experience in the deployment of Avaya’s cutting edge communication experience in both public and private sector organization they are poised to deliver a world class service for a world class solution. Simba Infrastructure is a division of Simba Group of Companies operating since 1978 across Nigeria’s key development oriented industry verticals including communication, agriculture, software, transportation, power and alternative energy is celebrating its 25th year in the market. The organisation was set up by Mr Vinay Grover (Chairman and Managing D i r e c t o r ) .

Amosun to launch Homeowners’ Charter

T

he Homeowners Charter designed to reg ularise land documents in Ogun State will be launched by Governor Ibikunle Amosun tomorrow in Abeokuta.

The scheme is an intervention to ease the acquisition of building approvals from the state’s planning authority for homeowners who register to regularize the documentation of their houses within six weeks of the launching of the programme. Homeowners can also obtain Certificates-of-Occupancy within nine months and at hugely discounted rates if they apply within the six weeks. A statement by Mr.Gbenga Otenuga, the state Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, explained that under the Homeowners’ Charter, the fees homeowners normally pay to acquire building permits and C-of-Os have been greatly reduced.

To encourage homeowners to participate, the Ogun State government is giving discounts of up to 75% on the cost of obtaining documentation for buildings. This underscores the commitment of Amosun to ensuring that as many property owners as possible take advantage of the initiative to regularize the documentation of their houses.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 53

LAST WEEK IN BRIEF

By MARIAM EKO

Anti-Amaechi lawmakers denied entry into Assembly complex

by Rivers police

The entry and exit points of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex were barricaded with armoured personnel carriers, so denying the anti-Amaechi lawmakers entry into the House.

However, only policemen, the staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Appeal Court were allowed free movement into their offices.

Meanwhile, the pro-Amaechi lawmakers staged their protest on Moscow Road as they sat there, singing and clapping, claiming they wanted the world to know they were in the majority.

Police Deputy Superintendent, Mike Chukwuma, who came to calm them down, asked the lawmakers to be law abiding, stressing that no lawmaker would be allowed into the Assembly House until they got a certified copy of court judgment.

Strike ends as ASUU/FG sign MoU

The six months old strike embarked upon by university lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, would be called off this week as the Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the union on the 2009 restructured agreement.

Speaking after the meeting, ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, said the signed document would be presented to members of the union who are expected to take a stand on the suspension of the industrial action.

He stressed that the decision had to be collective, meaning that all members of the union would agree to its terms.

PDP asks court to declare 5 ex-PDP govs’ seats vacant

The Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to declare five ex-PDP governors’ seats who left its fold for the All Progressive Congress, APC, vacant.

The party made the request based on the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, Sec. 177(c), 221 and 222(c) respectively. It said the court ought to declare the five governors ineligible to remain in office having defected to APC. It also sought an order of the High Court directing the state Houses of Assembly in Adamawa, Kano, Rivers, Kwara and Sokoto to commence impeachment proceedings on the affected governors.

However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, is yet to assign the case to a judge for adjudication.

Ex-convict tag removed from Bode George, others

The former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and then chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Bode George, and four others have had their tag of ex-convict removed.

The Supreme Court ruled that the offense the accused persons were charged for was unknown to law at the time it was committed.

An Abuja High Court also cleared former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, of the charges of abuse of power in the land suit instituted against him. He was accused of abusing his office by revoking a plot of land owned by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and allocating same to his (el-Rufai’s) wife.

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PAGE 54—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Architech of new Ogun

BY OLUSOLA BALOGUN VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF *The giant strides of a first term governor ‘The whole world step aside for the man that knows where he is going”— Johnnie Walker

Q

UALITY is never ubiquitous. It is always for the discerning. The event was not particularly grandiose.

Even the organiser didn’t pretend it was meant to be. They however made their point in a manner very succinct and unambiguous.

Members of Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), in the South- west conferred on Governor Ibikunle Amosun the award of the ‘Architect of New Ogun State” .The award wasn’t their design.

It was the product of a survey conducted across the South-west. Nigerians residents in Ogun,Osun,Oyo and Ekiti states were asked to vote for a first term governor they found most impressive and impactful. At the end of three months of voting, Amosun emerged the most preferred.

24 hours before the FIBAN award, the South-west Zone of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) had similarly named the Ogun governor as ‘the best first term governor in the zone’. The zonal leadership of the NUJ said going by several developmental projects, the government

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VIEWPOINT

Indeed, the deluge of awards and commendations is the fallout of the deliberate effort by the state government to strategically reposition the state and prepare it to take advantage of its proximity to the already congested Lagos

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of Amosun remains the most impactful in the zone.

Shortly, before the two awards, the BusinessDay Newspaper, a highly influential and authoritative business news tabloid, had adjudged Ogun State as “the fastest growing economy and the destination choice for industrialists and entrepreneurs in Nigeria”.

Indeed, the deluge of awards and commendations is the fallout of the deliberate effort by the state government to strategically reposition the state and prepare it to take advantage of its proximity to the already congested Lagos.

Amosun has never left no one in doubt of his intentions to make Ogun state what New Jersey is to New York in the

US. He actually set out to accomplish the goal by erecting the requisite structures.

Security became an immediately priority as robbers,on assumption of office, practically rode rod-shod over the state.

The government responded gamely investing heavily in that once-neglected sector.

Crime statistics suddenly crashed in the state with Ogun becoming one of the most secured states in the country.

Investors suddenly found the state a good place to sow while Ogun now becomes the hosting venue of conferences and seminars for local and international associations.

The administration also broke all known records in rural electrification with the purchase of 500 electricity transformers for the use of communities in the state.

Remarkably, this was the first since the inception of the Gateway State as any government close to that was the purchase of 160 transformers by the administration of the late Bisi Onabanjo.

The governor also put his experience as an accountant into bear as he enthroned a financial re-engineering model that has been grossly beneficial. He put in place measures to increase the internal generated revenue (IGR) of the state from the paltry N730 million to over N4 billion under 30 months in office.

He also slashed salaries and allowances of political office holders and blocked leakages to free funds for developmental projects.

To tackle the problem of derelict classrooms in its secondary schools, the government immediately renovated 200 blocks of classrooms. It also ensured that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) paid its counterpart funding which opened the door for thousands of classrooms to be constructed

Emma Uduaghan: The untold story

BY BEN ATU VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Reward for contributions to the construction industry

F

OR a country like Nigeria whose population hovers around 160 and 170 million, the probability exists that there could be geniuses whose impacts like smouldering volcanoes are though certain but for the timing.

Every generation has its fair share.

However not easy to find, but the ones identified at any interval should be accorded life long appreciation and encouragement while still amongst us in order to maximize their contributions for the improvement and upliftment of humanity and society.

Every action adds colour to life and many times such actions are born out of sacrifices. As the sage of concord – Emerson-puts it: “Every act rewards itself. The longer the reward is withheld, the better for you, for compound interest upon compound interest is the rate and usage of this exchange.”

This is the rate and usage of exchange today ’s world puts on people like Albert Einstein, Mathma Gandhi, Martin Luther King (Jr), Nelson Mandela, et al. But for Mr. Emma Uduaghan, the director general of U&I Foundation, an administrator, a politician, philanthropist and head,

Webster Group of Companies, he has cast his bread in the oil long ago. Now it’s time for the people of Deltan State to send it back to him toasted and buttered on both sides.

In appreciation of his contributions to the state and the vision of Delta State Beyond Oil, Uduaghan was given double awards by the Nigeria Society of Engineers to mark its 20th anniversary and dinner night at Grand Hotel, Asaba recently. It was a night of who’s who in the construction industry in Delta State. The chairman of Nigeria Society of Engineers, Asaba branch, Engr. Owen Mordi, in a speech at the occasion, described Mr. Uduaghan as a team player who has been able to manage an engineering company for more than 15 years as a giant in the construction industry without recording any incident of collapsed bridge or building.

The issue of collapse of structure has become a threat to the industry.

Recently it was made public that a total of over 3,000 buildings collapsed in the country over the past five years. This record is indeed bad and put the industry under scrutiny. Though it has become a global threat because there are frequent incidents in India and South America. Even South Africa recorded the collapse of a four Storey building in the suburb of Durban a few days ago. Many reasons have been adduced to it: poor materials, poor supervision, government negligence, poor workmanship and substandard workforce.

So in the face of this, it could be seen

,

VIEWPOINT

We are all like one-winged angel. It is only when we help one another that we can fly. This gift of valour is behind his spirit of philanthropy. It takes a lot of courage and humility to understand the pains of others especially the less privileged in society

,

that Mordi extolled the passion for excellence that predisposed Uduaghan to adhere to internationally acceptable best business practice in the engineering industry by employing a good number of certified professionals in his Webster Group Limited with emphasis on training and retaining of his employees. According to him, he was the only awardee who received a corporate award due to his high track for service delivery. Fifteen years in the industry without a single structure collapse is a high point of testimony of a diligent engineer to a fault as a perfectionist. Therefore, the focus of Emma Uduaghan to do his best until his best is done is the reason for the

and renovated across the state.

The government also laid the foundation for the 14 of the 26 model secondary schools in a determined move to permanently resolve the face-off occasioned by the return of some secondary schools to missionaries by the last administration.

Besides, the government also gave true expression to free education as it supplied free textbooks and instructional materials to its students in secondary and primary schools. The top-up was the distribution of school bags for students to keep the books safe.

Urban renewal is perhaps the sector where the government of Amosun has been drawing most applauds. With 16 major road construction projects going on simultaneously across the state and other reconstruction works on some other smaller roads, Ogun State, according to a friend from Ondo State, is actually undergoing a road revolution.

Most of these roads are at different stages of completion. All the roads, except the Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu Road, which reconstruction commenced in October, are to be completed before December 2014. The reconstruction of the derelict Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu Road is aimed at bringing to an end the years of suffering and problem of neglect of residents of the border towns with Lagos.

With the road construction effort, the problem of unemployment plaguing a continuously growing state like Ogun is equally being tackled. The construction firms are encouraged to employ thousands of skilled and unskilled workers while several food sheds are also springing up around the construction sites. *Balogun is a media aide of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

award bestowed on him by the respected professional body.

Aside his success in the civil engineering and construction world as well as in the building company with technical projects management skills, Emma Uduaghan has commitment like every stormy petrel in Delta State politics. This could be tagged his twin ambition – politics and philanthropy.

He has been quoted as saying “I was born to heal the wounds of others, to unite what has fallen apart and bring home those who lost their destinies in life. We are all like one-winged angel.

It is only when we help one another that we can fly. This gift of valour is behind his spirit of philanthropy. It takes a lot of courage and humility to understand the pains of others especially the less privileged in society.”

Those close to him can decipher an ultimate goal in his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks “I will not hear.” This kind of perception into political office seeking is unique in Nigeria akin to the evergreen speech of the late President John F. Kennedy of the US who implored fellow Americans “to think of what you can do for your country but not what America can do for you.”

This is the kind of zeal Nigerians expect from their new generation politicians. No wonder as the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together ” because Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Olejeme desired him to be the director-general of U & I Foundation a charity based organisation “ where the welfare of the poor in society reigns supreme.” *Atu is resident in Asaba.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 55

BY HAMISU ABUBAKAR

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

•A silent revolution in a government agency

T

HERE are some offices that perform sensitive functions that drive the political economy, which should be reasonably kept away from the public arena.

Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation (OAGF) is one of such offices.

Yet another is the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF). But they can, through the platform of public hearings in the National Assembly or oversight checks, be interrogated on their modus operandi and the extent of their accountability. It is the latterOAuGF- that I want to devote this piece to.

Why my concern with the OAuGF? It was borne out of the positive transformation that is evident in the Audit House.

The Auditor General is not talking about this transformational leadership. I am not sure there is a public relations department in the office to do the needful. Or, is it that the Office is not expected to showcase itself in the public sphere? Is it conventional that it should promote a culture of silence in the face of both great

The nation’s Audit House and the transformation within achievements and/or adversities?

Truth is that the OAuGF is not making efforts to celebrate itself; but, this piece will attempt to present in great motifs the transformational leadership which is being provided by the unassuming Mr Samuel Tyonongo Ukura, the man in the saddle as the nation’s Auditor-General.

Those who know Ukura would attest to the fact that he is quiet; in fact, a man of few words.

Some, after meeting with him, go away with the impression that he is possibly a shy persona.

But appraised anyhow, he is the driving force behind the transformation that has become quite evident in the ambience of the entire set-up of the OAuGF. It is true that people who make noise most times only blow hot winds: long on promises, but short on fulfillment. Not so with Ukura who came on board, highly underrated, but has today surpassed his successors in office in terms of innovative leadership.

Validations: he stepped in the saddle in 2009 and in less than two years of resumption, he convinced the Federal Government to fund the purchase of an ultra modern eight-storey building for the OAuGF. This is what money, as learnt, had been provided for

in the past but nothing came out of the enterprise. Today, the Office has its building that is equipped with modern furniture and equipment. In fact, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in the office ranks as one of, if not the best, in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government in the country.

The icing on the cake, in the provision of ICT infrastructure, is that there is available video conference in the headquarters

,

VIEWPOINT

Truth is that the OAuGF is not making efforts to celebrate itself; but, this piece will attempt to present in great motifs the transformational leadership which is being provided by the unassuming Mr Samuel Tyonongo Ukura

,

which makes meetings possible with state branch offices, the Auditor General and the Directors. Indeed, within the office, staff members have ID codes for accessing the internet and intranet services, free of

The Seven “Legends” of Abia VIEWPOINT

BY GODWIN ADINDU VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

*Puzzle surrounds a governor

I

have heard about the Seven Wonders of the World. I have seen the great pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt and I have truly wondered about the ingenuity of those forebears who built that majestic stone edifice.

Without a crane in those ancient days, how did they lift those heavy stones to such magnificent height? How did they couple it? How did they shape the edges to such straight and accurate measurement? How? Could they have lifted those stones to such height by some kind of magical levitation, a process by which an object is suspended by a physical force against gravity in a stable position without solid physical contact?

Indeed, such questions of “how?” pervade the atmosphere of Abia State Government House and today they have transformed into a legend. In little corners and in groups, people throw the question to one another like a

All over the world, the displacement of tyrants is a risky and dangerous undertaking. Ever since, it has been a battle between light and darkness. banter. Yet, the puzzle remains unresolved. There exists what one may describe as the seven “legends” of Abia Government House and they all revolve around the mystique conjured

by Governor Theodore Orji’s rare attributes. The governor, it might seem, commands an overwhelming quality and ingenuity that has not only ascribed to him an iconic status but constitutes a source of a new wonder for his army of followers.

The first legend: how come, with his entire busy schedule and the large number of visitors and retinue of workers that he attends to everyday, Orji still remembers every promise he makes to everyone no matter how big or little

those promises might be? Does he keep a secret notebook or register wherein he minutes every promise to people and records every “ok” he replies in every short message service (sms)? Where does he keep this secret register? How come that he remembers details of every casual conversation and details of every sms conversation, months and years after such encounters, even in the midst of a mountain of papers and correspondences on his table that he had to sift through every day? Orji has shocks his workers and the Abia stakeholders by his sharp and accurate memory, a clearly overwhelming personality.

And this is the first “wonder” of the Abia Government House.

The second legend: His office involves a lot of travels and visitations. It involves a whole lot of meetings upon meetings and reception to many groups and individuals.

How come that, even with this hectic schedule of engagements, Orji is able to go through the maze of documents and piles of proposals and yet remembers every detail of the content of every document that finds its way into his oval office? For he recounts the content and even numerical details of any mail or doc-

charge, on their Ipads, laptops, desktops and telephones.

If there is one thing for which staff members would remember him, it is the series of international training exposures they have received through the instrumentality of his leadership. For instance, he has garnered international recognition for the office at International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and African Organsiation of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI), among others, with which he signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

There are reports that there is an on-going training for a professional audit of disaster management (i.e. Disaster Management Audit) and Debt Management Audit. Ukura is said to have introduced strategic planning in auditing to set specific directives to be achieved by the Office and has additionally documented procedures/directives to be followed in auditing the public sector in Nigeria (i.e. Regularity Audit Manual (RAM) Performance Audit Manual (PAM), Communication Policy, Human Reserve Policy, Code of Ethics, Quality Control and Assurance).

Another critical step that has been taken is the transmission of an Audit Bill to the National

Assembly to create an enabling environment for real financial and administrative autonomy.

The Bill is awaiting third reading and passage into law in the Senate; and one important recommendation is first line charge of the OAuGF’s expenditure on the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation (CFR) in order to assert its full autonomy.

Very few agencies of government are comfortable with being subjected to scrutiny for accountability. But the OAuGF has voted for an independent audit of its financial dealings. By the time the Audit Bill is passed, the Office will be independently audited by auditors appointed by the National Assembly as part of deliberate efforts to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

These are positive indicators that underscore tangible transformation in the Office.

The Ukura leadership is not expected to rest on its oars, but rather, Nigerians expect that it should up the ante of more rapid development that will conduce to the actualization of the overall Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. The ball remains in Ukura’s court. Play on!

•Abubakar, a public policy consultant, is resident in Abuja.

ument that has stepped into his office with mechanical accuracy, off-handedly and at the snap of a finger. Does he embody, in his head, a secret micro-chip? Did he undergo a special training in memory retention?

The third legend: As a governor, Orji receives a large crowd of visitors every day from interest groups, community leaders to government officials. There is a mountain of applications all seeking for audience with him. Most times, he stays in the office till about 12am attending to people. How come that with this galaxy of faces that compete for his attention every day, he still remembers and calls the over 500 political appointees, party leaders and other stakeholders by their first names? Does he have a digital camera in his brain?

The fourth legend: With his busy schedule, when does he get the time to read all articles and news report on Abia? For the governor reads any little dot written on Abia in any news medium every day.

When does he get the time to write his columns in the national dailies and some of his speeches? For the governor personally writes his columns and some of his speeches and has also written a book.

The filth legend: How has Orji been able to run the state and a regime of legacy projects with a paltry monthly federal allocation that

vacillates between N3 billion and N3.5 billion? What business module has he applied in managing the scarce resources of the state to achieve the milestone in the area of security, infrastructural renewal, youth empowerment, health, housing and the accompanying improvements in the quality of life?

The sixth legend: The same state that Orji is running is the same state that many ran for 18 years without any foundation, without building a single monument. But, today, he has been laying foundation stones for the posterity of Abia and stabilized the polity.

How is he able to make the seemingly impossible possible?

The seventh legend: The governor stepped on the raw nerves of the monsters of power that held Abia down for twelve agonizing years by the bold and audacious action of liberating the state. All over the world, the displacement of tyrants is a risky and dangerous undertaking. Ever since, it has been a battle between light and darkness.

How has Orji been able to contend with the ferocity of the anger of this cult of brotherhood?

The seven legends remain a puzzle. *Adindu is the Presidentgeneral of the Abia Renaissance Movement

PAGE 56—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013 sameyoboka@yahoo.com

08023145567 (sms only)

SHOCKING: Britain sends SOS to Nigerian Church

Pastor John Watson and his group, Vinesong ministering during the Holy Ghost Congress at the Redemption Camp, LagosIbadan expressway.

*Mass Choir of the Redeemed Christian Church of God performing at the just concluded RCCG 2013 Holy Ghost Congress. SHOTS: LAMIDI BAMIDELE.

By SAM EYOBOKA & OLAYINKA LATONA

T

HE 16 th edition of Redeemed Christian Church of God’s Holy Ghost Congress tagged ‘The Overflow’ which featured Word ministrations, choir ministrations, deep and intense prayers for the peace and progress of the nation and occasional Word of Knowledge, ended last night at the Redemption Camp on LagosIbadan Expressway.

The highpoint of the 6-day event which started last Monday, was not the mindboggling instant miracles of a man healed of cancer of the bone; nor the woman who was barren for 33 years and delivered a baby girl. It is not even the several testimonies of healing or restoration of lives through anointed handkerchiefs.

Instead the highpoint was the shock revelation that Europeans who brought Christianity to Africa are now openly begging the same African to come over to Europe to evangelise their debased communities. It was instructive that certain Europeans are concerned about the decay in their communities and have acknowledged the explosion in the African Church especially Nigeria.

At least three executives of the British Church and one politician openly shocked participants at the just ended Holy Ghost Congress when they openly canvassed the intervention of the Nigerian church to bail them out of recent

degeneration, as European churches have been converted to either cinema houses or shops.

First to speak was the Executive Director of UK-based Evangelical Alliance, Pastor Steve Clifford who expressed gratitude to the leadership of RCCG for extending n invitation to attend what he described as a ‘very wonderful spiritual gathering’.

“I arrived from a damp, cold and foggy London to Nigeria which is not cold, not damp and not foggy. We thank God to see the explosion of the gospel which was started several years ago European missionaries. The missionaries sowed the seed several years but today, we need you to come over and help us at this time.

“Regardless the colour of your skin, we are brothers and you must be your brother ’s keepers. We urge you to bring the gospel back to the UK again because as you well know, our missionaries who brought the gospel to Africa, some of them could not make back to Europe.

Some died and others ventured into other businesses in Africa and today, we are the ones beckoning on you to come and help us evangalise our communities,” he stated.

He maintained that he was highly impressed by what he had seen in the African church especially the RCCG which is growing by the day in the UK to the amazement of some citizens who have not keyed in to the revival fire blowing through Europe again.

Similarly, the executive Director of Hope Together UK, Rev. Roy Brown described the

mammoth crowd of worshippers in the sprawling Holy Ghost Arena as ‘simply amazing’, wondering how such a crowd could gather in one place for the soul purpose of worshipping God in unison.

The most shocking revelation of the Congress was the speech by one time youngest member of the European House of Commons, Barroness Elizabeth Berridge who is visiting Nigeria for the first time and had immediately fallen in love with the nation’s hospitality and would want to come back next year for the centenary celebrations “It is absolutely amazing when Daddy Adeboye said he was contemplating an auditorium that would measure three kilometer by three kilometer which is likely to be completed by next year. Thank you Pastor Adeboye for your leadership of this gigantic church and the anointing to preach the word,” he stated.

According to the preacher, he had attended a revival meeting by the RCCG in UK which is doing extraordinarily well to evangelise communities in the UK and “I was stunned by the commitment. You do worship in a way that these white do not understand but it was

amazing.”

He also urged Pastor Adeboye and other African ministers of the gospel to hasten to bring back what European missionaries gave to them several years ago, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, maintaining that Europe urgent needs revival and such revival can only come from a vibrant African church.

The most shocking revelation of the Congress was the speech by one time youngest member of the European House of Commons, Barroness Elizabeth Berridge who is visiting Nigeria for the first time and had immediately fallen in love with the nation’s hospitality and would want to come back next year for the centenary celebrations.

Apart from expressing gratitude for being part of the Congress she was stunned by the love of Nigerians for British football clubs, noting that everywhere one turned in the three Nigerian cities of Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan, one finds banners, posters and other insignia of Premiership clubs.

That was brought her to acknowledge that Nigeria is a football nation, being the first African nation to qualify for next World Cup in Brazil. For obvious reasons the baroness was careful not to say more than that, but wished the Nigerian Super Eagles well at the Mundial.

Pleading for assistance in the area of evangelism in the UK, Baroness Eliza rolled out a frightening statistics of the degeneration of the British Church, saying that since 1980 church attendance in the UK has declined steadily.

According to her, attendance has fallen by about 50 per cent with several of the nation’s entertainment personalities and young people totally out of the system.

While the UK church is steadily declining, she argued,

the Redeemed Christian Church of God during the same period had grown by 75 per cent. She therefore in addition to earlier calls for revival in the UK church, appealed to Christians in Africa and Nigeria in particular to pray for those of them who are spearheading a campaign for evangelism.

She pledged to return to Nigeria next year and would not cease her campaign for Pastor Adeboye to lead a team of missionaries to revive Britain, in a veiled reference to the menace of same-sex marriage in the UK. “As you celebrate the centenary, may God cause His face to fall on your nation,” she prayed.

In a similar development, the Senior Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church and president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Rev. Kingsley Appiagyei, called for intensive prayers for Christians in the UK, arguing that as the enemy fights for the souls of Christians in the UK, “it will take and I to pray for the deliverance of the country that once played a significant role in the revival of Africa.”

According to him, Late Nelson Mandela had just left to the great beyond with sterling qualities legacy in the political platform, “I need to tell you that God had raised a man amongst us in the person of Pastor Enoch Adeboye who has and continues to affect the world positively.”

The programme was attended by several ministers of the gospel including the bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the national president of PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, his secretary, Apostle Emmanuel Kure, former deputy president, Rev. Mercy Ezekiel, Rev. Jose Olaiya among other

Continues on Page 57

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 57

place where righteousness can exist. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery a thousand times each day.”

This means in Paul’s imputed righteousness, sin is graciously condoned.

C

HRISTIANS are brainwashed in churches not to think but to foolishly follow whatever our pastors tell us. We are hoodwinked into believing all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7). As a result, when we are shown contradictions in the bible, we resort to ungodly insults and claim those who identify them don’t have the Holy Spirit. But our God is a logical God. He says to us: “Come now, and let us reason together.” (Isaiah 1:18).

So let us put on our reasoning faculties and address some basic issues of our faith. Can a man be righteous? Paul says no: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10). This falsehood is accepted as an article of faith by Christians. However, Paul’s position is irrelevant.

Many are righteous The righteous, who Paul claims are nonexistent, are referred to over 139 times in the bible. God declares many people to be righteous, including Noah, Job and Ezekiel.

Jesus contradicts Paul by saying there are “many righteous men.” (Matthew 13:17). He declares Abel to be righteous (Matthew 23:35) and says there are “just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7). Jesus himself is a man and he is righteous. John refers to him as “Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1).

If man cannot be righteous, Jesus would not call us to righteousness.

He says: “Blessed are

PAUL’S IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

(Matthew 5:6). This means those who strive for righteousness will become righteous. But Paul says it is impossible for a man to be righteous. He then develops a bogus doctrine that we shall nevertheless be considered righteous even though we are not: “(Righteousness) shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:24).

Useless righteousness This “imputed righteousness” is practically useless. Imagine a situation where, instead of having medical students go through a rigorous 10year study program in order to become surgeons, we simply impute to them the qualification to be surgeons. Would you want an imputed surgeon to perform a heart-transplant on you? Certainly not! You would rather have a real surgeon do it.

That is the difference between the righteousness Paul talks about and the righteousness Jesus talks about.

The righteousness of God that Jesus calls us to is not imputed. It is the genuine article. Jesus says: “Love your ene-

2015 polls: Okoh warns INEC to guard against Anambra errors

BY CALEB ANYANISA

A

BUJA – PRI MATE, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission,

INEC, to take all necessary measures to avoid a repeat of the shortfalls in the just concluded Anambra State gubernatorial election, come 2015 general election.

Okoh, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen during

Imputed righteousness is a complete waste of time. It does not impede sinfulness and it does not promote righteousness.

mies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:4445). There is nothing imputed here but the real deal. Jesus calls us to the very righteousness of God. He says: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).

However, Paul calls us to the imputed righteousness of Abraham. He erroneously classifies this as the righteousness of faith, another term for his imputed righteousness.

But God told Isaac Abraham’s righteousness was of works: “Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:5).

Jesus repeats this to the Jews: “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39).

But Paul insists Abraham’s righteousness was of faith without works: “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say?

"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:2-3). “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”

(Romans 4:16).

However, this is not true according to Jesus. In Jesus’ doctrine, Abraham is not our father; we have no other Father but God. Jesus says: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9).

Everything about Jesus is “God-ward” and not “man-ward.” He is asking us for a complete change of value-orientation and family. We are not sons of Abraham. We are sons of God. We are not going to “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). We are going to “the bosom of the Father.” (John 1:18).

Both the imputed righteousness of Abraham and the imputed righteous-

ness of today’s Christians are practically useless.

Abraham committed adultery after the righteousness of God was allegedly imputed to him: he slept with his househelp, Haggai. Christians commit adultery after Paul’s righteousness of faith is imputed to us.

Imputed righteousness is a complete waste of time.

It does not impede sinfulness and it does not promote righteousness.

In Paul’s false doctrine, we don’t have to be righteous. However, we are deemed righteous because we believe Jesus died for our sins. In which case, our righteousness is bogus. It is not based on our behaviour or conduct.

It is based entirely on “the grace of God.” But listen instead to Isaiah: “Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.” (Isaiah 26:10). This means Paul is talking rubbish.

Thanks to Paul, Martin Luther can write this kind of heresy and still claim to be a disciple of Jesus: “Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your faith in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. This life is not a

the diaconate ordination, collation of canon and the annual diocesan thanksgiving at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Abuja, said the electoral umpire must strive for credible elections in 2015.

“We hope that the 2015 election will not be like the Anambra elections," he stated. Speaking on a theme titled; ‘Seek peace and pursue it’, Okoh said: “We want to continue to emphasis the necessity of peace in our

homes and communities.

It is for every Nigerian to promote peace because we have nowhere to go in the event of a major crisis. We chose the theme because we are disturbed by the lingering insecurity.

Sinful righteousness

Britain sends SOS Continued from page 56 heavyweights from the local scene.

And from the political scene, the Ondo State governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko and his wife, deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Orelope Adefulire, first lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun and her Lagos State counterpart, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, wife of deputy governor of Kaduna State, Deaconness Naomi Ajogun and the chief of staff to the Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwoko and several others.

Journalists from the Eternal Word Television Network, EWTN, based in California, USA, led by Rev. Fr. Maurice Emelu, recently visited the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos as part of their tour of Africa, during which they paid a courtesy call on the Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins (c). Fr. Emelu (4th l) Msgr.

Gabriel Osu (5th r), with Fr. Tony Godonu (2nd r) and Editor of the Catholic Herald Newspaper, Tony Agbugba (3rd r) in a photograph with the EWTN crew during the visit.

Righteousness of God However, Jesus’ righteousness of God is a different matter. Unlike Paul, who claims God has reconciled himself to our sins, not imputing our trespasses to us (2 Corinthians 5:19); Jesus maintains our sins are unacceptable: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

(Matthew 5:29).

The righteousness of God that Jesus calls us to is attainable. We attain it by following Jesus’ example in laying down our life. That is the message of the cross. According to Jesus, man’s love of life is the basis of all sin. We steal, cheat, fight, kill and commit adultery in order to save our lives. But the man who loves his enemies, and lays down his life by turning the other cheek does not sin. Jesus says: “He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

(John 12:25). “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mark 8:35).

Christians persist in the heinous sin of the love of life, while deluding ourselves that we have the righteousness of Christ.

But no man can overcome sin without losing his life.

“It is in the interest of all of us to seek peace and pursue it so that there will be peace in all part of the country and give our children the opportunity to freely interract with other children in the world," he noted.

Anglican Bishop of Sokoto, Rt. Rev. Augustine Omole, in his sermon, enjoined Christian faithful to live exemplary lives. “The world is falling apart and the Church appears to be tilting towards the way of the world. Seers or herbalists in time past lived in groves, but they are no longer staying in groves; the groves have metamorphosed into churches.

The cleric also cautioned the three ordained deacons and the collated priest to take their calling with utmost seriousness, while making positive change in the contemporary world.

PAGE 58—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

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

Ignore calls for Kingsley Kuku’s removal Dear Sir,

M

R. President should ignore calls for the removal of Hon. Kingsley Kuku, the adviser to the president on Amnesty programme, which are not objective but enveloped in selfish sentiments. I dare say no Niger Delta son appointed into positions of authority has ever performed like him. I am a nonviolence trainer engaged in the formative stage of the programme at Obubra, Calabar.

I challenge persons calling for his removal to investigate and compare other Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Re-integration (DDRR) programmes in various parts of the world, including United Nations with the Nigerian model supervised by Kuku. Today, the Nigerian Model of DDRR is a brand in the world.

It is on record today that all thirty thousand ex-militants/youths demobilized by the amnesty programme are undergoing or have underwent one form of training or the other in Nigeria or abroad. This was attested to by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta during their visit to the amnesty office and other training centres. They confirmed that Amnesty programme is money well spent. Those apostles of his removal should also consider the economic implications of derailing the amnesty programme.

Today, crude oil production is fairly stable, vandalization of oil pipelines

is decreasing and the gains to the economy are obvious.

I appeal to persons calling for his removal to turn a new leaf and support

the efforts of Kuku in actualizing the transformation agenda of Mr. President. They should critically look at areas of wastage in local, state and

federal government agencies.

Comrade Shedrack Agediga, Niger Delta Activist and Nonviolence Trainer.

Oyo's royal cabinet: What hope for the masses?

Dear Sir,

T

HE basic description of democracy as a form of government is that, it is government of the people, by the people and for the people. So, democracy affords the majority the opportunity to have their way, while the minority would have their say. The politics of democracy considers equality of men as the fundamental law of nature while aristocracy, on the contrary, finds the basis of all political order in the natural differences between men. Equality of rights is the fundamental principle of democracy while in aristocracy, preference is for nobles. It is the latter that Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has come to accept and adopt.

Though, he wears the toga of a democrat.

In a democracy, the state is a community of all and not a society of a few nobles.

Although Nigeria professes democracy, a rather strange form of it has evolved in Oyo State called "Aristocratic Democracy". The introduction of this form of government is not based on any ideal that may be inherent but on subterfuge with the underlining principle that the people are dumb.

How would one explain the Royal Cabinet of Oyo State made up of the princes and princesses of virtually all the high ranking monarchs and other

‘ nobilities’ in the state, recently constituted? Without impugning on the qualification or capabilities of these nobles, it is obvious that they got these positions because of their royal backgrounds. The only thing that truly qualified them for a place in the cabinet was being blue-blooded types. These princes and princesses would be basking in grand delusion to assume otherwise.

Like all the actions of the state government, which are based on prevarications, this move takes the cake in the governor's art of sophistry leading up to 2015. In the priggish assumption of our dear governor, the people would be more than glad to return him to power in 2015 regardless of the poor state of education, the sick health sector that has seen better days, the high unemployment level, lack of potable water among other government's inadequacies.

In the thinking of his Excellency, as long as their nobles are given positions in government, the Oyo State people will gladly endure the present hardships.

Governor Ajimobi, having gotten used to being referred to as the Emperor of Oyo, suddenly realized that an emperor needs to reign with princes and princesses, hence the creation of the present cabinet of Royals and "Nobilities". However, just as the people have been short-changed with

unfulfilled promises, some monarchs who have been left out are presently clamouring for the inclusion of their scions in the emperor's Cabinet. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander, after all.

With the royal cabinet in place, the people are the ones who are left with the short end of the stick. The government has now effectively disconnected from the people. These nobles will regard the lower class with further contempt after having always alienated themselves because of their privileged and aristocratic background..

The people who have been despised, the people who are despondent, disillusioned and depressed, the people who are suffering, the people who have been ridiculed and offended will pursue them with their votes in that fall. They will bring to rise a government for the masses and the downtrodden.

His Excellency will be reminded that if being a noble was a factor for holding a political office in a democracy, a President that at a time had no shoes and a Governor from a humble background would not have had an opportunity.

*Omolere Omoetan is a Public Commentator resident in Awotan, Ibadan.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, PAGE 59

Aremu writes Goodluck

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traordinary power at the expense of the nation – great personal wealth; great capacity for violence; suffuse and blanket power that alienated the citizens, and a corrupt machinery that gave them the resource to determine the will of the nation without recourse to law. Nigerians had fought this clique and by 1998, tried to restore the republic. But the Generals knew that they could not

,

OW, you can’t touch: Math ew Olusegun Aremu Obas anjo, General and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, former President of the Republic, ex-this and that, felt the pull in his patriotic heartstrings last week, and he penned a most acerbic letter to his “acolyte” – President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. General Obasanjo is known to rise to the occasion with his letters. He wrote Shagari, he wrote Buhari; he wrote the famous letter urging Babangida to “put a human face to SAP;” heck, he wrote to himself! Now, he has written Jonathan.

There are those who have come to compare Obasanjo’s public letters to sitting heads of state to the proverbial dark shrieks of the owl, which presages some ominous event, namely, a coup. But we must not be superstitious.

We must regard the letters for what they intend to be: the clarions to public duty.

But the remarkable thing about Obasanjo is that he has all the answers when he is not in government. General Obasanjo is the greatest beneficiary in his generation of all that a nation can bestow on an individual. He has attained the highest power and authority in the land, both as military dictator and an elected president. The problem is Obasanjo’s legacy in power. Among his legacies is the election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Maybe we should refresh the memories of Nigerians at this point: in 1999, Obasanjo was backed by a powerful alliance of the Nigerian elite and some of their international sponsors who had sold the fiction that only Obasanjo was created by God to keep Nigeria from breaking apart at the end of the military era. The soldiers had acquired ex-

What Obasanjo’s letter in sum does is to really indicate that the aphrodisiac of power wears off very quickly when you leave the enclosure of power

,

withdraw in disarray, and that they needed to protect their already entrenched interests, and so they took Obasanjo from jail and made him president. Nigerians could live with that.

Of course, a wide swath of the citizenry felt that the nation should make a clean break from military rule, and understood that Obasanjo was merely the proverbial Greek gift to a wracked nation desirous of change and an end to military tyranny by all means. Nigerians nonetheless thought Obasanjo had learned some lessons from his humiliating time in jail and that he was reformed from his past. His first four years in office was a disaster – wasted years

that saw neither the expected transformation in the lives of Nigerians nor in the democratic change that was anticipated. Obasanjo ceded the secular authority of the state by allowing the legal secession of Zamfara and the rest of the Sharia states, and in doing that failed to uphold the constitution which he swore to defend and live by. The Sharia movement exploded into what we now call Boko Haram, the current albatross of the Jonathan administration. Between 1999 and 2007 when Obasanjo was president, real income declined; there was a massive level of corruption which led to the establishment of the EFCC, based on a most flawed legislation which gave the president the instrument to harass his opponents rather than prosecute real corruption.

Indeed, in the eight years of Obasanjo’s presidency, oil proceeds were not accounted; Obasanjo took the portfolio of oil minister and there is no Nigerian alive who knows exactly the true quantum of revenue accruing to Nigeria in those years. President Obasanjo operated the oil ministry like his private estate, and there is still, no visible trail of the revenue; no visible impact in its use to elevate the quality of lives of the Nigerian.

Nigeria continued to experience massive infrastructural decay; as indeed the massive hemorrhaging of public funds in the energy or power projects that did not come to stream. Political violence was at its deadliest. The assassination of the likes of Harry, Dikibo, Bola Ige, Chimere Ikoku, and so many whose unexplained and unsolved deaths still haunt the nation happened under Obasanjo’s watch.

The manipulation of elections and the distortion of the public mandate was a key feature of Nigeria under Obasanjo. The Third term project, and the corrupt sale of Nigeria’s public investment to friends, concubines, and cronies happened under Obasanjo. Basically, General Obasanjo stripped Nigeria to the bones, was unable to solve the massive unemployment situation which is the nuclear-bomb waiting to explode in Nigeria, and the introduction of vigilante justice, kidnapping

and assassinations was at its peak under Obasanjo. Perhaps he has forgotten, or perhaps, he was far too occluded and far too secure in the reinforced walls of Aso Rock to take note.

What Obasanjo’s letter in sum does is to really indicate that the aphrodisiac of power wears off very quickly when you leave the enclosure of power. And so, Obasanjo, who had more than a hand in the emergence in power of his acolyte, the president, who is following in his exact policy footsteps: his economic, political, and security policies which basically mirror Obasanjo’s to the detail, is like a wasted mea culpa. In his letter last week, Obasanjo may just have been writing to himself. He has touched upon key truths which the current incumbent must note, because, though Obasanjo is as guilty of the things he has written against President Jonathan, they are issues which this president must quickly resolve and contain: the question of public accountability; of the lack of transparency in the oil revenue accounts; the deadly national security situation; his narrow and diminishing political base; the very fact that he was elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and not an “Ijaw president.” All are sound political advice.

One advise that the president must however not feel obligated to is the question of his choice and rights to seek re-election. It is his political right, and the decision on whether he remains president or not should be left to the courts and the electoral choice and decisions of Nigerians in an open and transparent ballot. That said, it is clear that Obasanjo’s letter, dripping with frustration and his growing impatience with the president signals a critical open shot in the drama leading to 2015.

But it should do more: it should lead to the airing of all our national dirty linen; the hidden and unresolved secrets that have remained a millstone on the neck of Nigerians. Obasanjo is not one of my favorite people in the world, but the president must certainly not discard the message in spite of the messenger. Interesting times are upon us.

Alleged $49.8bn unremitted oil money Our Story, by NNPC

G

ROUP Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr Andrew Yakubu, refuted the allegation credited to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Lamido Sanusi that the corporation failed to remit $49.8 billion oil money from January 2012 to July 2013 to the Federation Account. Yakubu spoke during a press conference in Abuja. Extracts from his statement at the occasion: The statement credited to the CBN Governor that NNPC has failed to remit the sum of $49.8bn representing 76% of total national oil receipts is borne out of a surprising lack of understanding of how revenues from crude oil sales are remitted into the Federation Account. I will therefore explain the process and put the figures in perspective in order for you to understand and let the world know that NNPC is not in the business of withholding any crude oil receipts due the Federation Account or any other statutory remittances.

All NNPC crude oil liftings is made up of the following: 1. Equity Crude 2. Royalty Oil 3. Tax Oil 4. Volume for Third Party Financing, and

5. NPDC equity volume.

It is important to stress that remittances of proceeds from the above liftings are made according to statutory and production arrangements.

Accordingly, proceeds from Equity crude is paid by NNPC into the Federation Account which is held by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Proceeds from Royalty oil is paid to Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR,whose designated account is managed by the same CBN. Similarly, the proceeds from Tax Oil or Petroleum Profit Tax lifted by NNPC is paid directly into the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS) account also managed by the CBN. Ladies and Gentlemen, it should now be clear to all that NNPC is by statutory requirement responsible for direct remittances of only one stream of liftings, namely Equity Crude.

Analysis of the figures is as follows; The CBN letter claims that for the period 1st Jan 2012 to 31st July 2013, total National crude oil liftings was 1.287 billion barrels. Our records show that the total national crude lifting for the same period was actually higher at 1.330 billion barrels. Furthermore, total NNPC liftings during the same period was again higher at 618.552 million barrels as against the 594.024 million barrels stated by CBN. We further wish to state that the pro-

•Engr Andrew Yakubu ceeds from the total NNPC liftings comprising Federation Equity, Royalty Oil , Tax Oil, Volume for Third Party Finance and NPDC equity amount to US$67.12bn as against the $65.33bn that the CBN stated.

NNPC remitted its portion which is $18.48bn (27.5%) into the Federation Account being the total proceeds from Equity Crude and gas sales of which CBN acknowledged receipt of $15.528bn (24%).At this point, we wish to categorically state that all the proceeds from NNPC have been remitted as statutorily required.

On the issue of US$49.8 billion or 76% of total national liftings and the alleged unremitted funds, we would like to

clarify that this represents the balance of other streams as stated above. These, as I stated earlier,are remitted to the various Agencies which are statutorily empowered to collect and remit same into the Federation Account.

For the benefits of those who may not be aware of the workings of the industry, it is imperative to state that the CBN, NNPC, FIRS and DPR meet regularly to reconcile liftings, sales and remittance of proceeds. Therefore, the data presented are jointly reconciled

by CBN, NNPC, FIRS, and DPR. The CBN further alleged that NNPC owes the Federal Government another N22bn in unpaid levies to the National Export Supervisory Scheme (NESS). It must also be noted that the levies under the NESS are paid to third party inspectors based on services rendered to the Federal Government.

The current position is that NNPC has paid a total of $114.78 million from inception of NESS in 2009 up to October 2013 as against the total budget of $117.08 million for the same period. These payments have been reconciled with the CBN, who are again the custodians of the NESS account that is operated on a drawdown basis by the CBN. NNPC hereby states that in carrying out our statutory duties we will continue to maintain the highest level of transparency and accountability.

PAGE 60 – SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013

National Youth Games: Gov Obi promises better reward for Team Anambra gold medalist

BY OJIEVA EHIOSUN

G

OVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has promised a handsome reward for any athlete of the state who distinguishes himself or herself by winning gold medals at the ongoing National Youth Games in Abuja.

The governor who was represented by the State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr. Edozie Okey Aroh, while addressing the Team Anambra contingent, stated that Anambra state has enough reservoir of athletes capable of making the state proud both at local and International competitions.

He hinted that the governor is elated with the improvement and successes recorded by the state sports team in recent times especially at the last edition of the National School Sports Festivals held in Kwara state, adding that any athlete who gets a gold medal will get immediate cash award.

“I want to categorically say that His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi, is very happy with Anambra State sports fraternity for the achievement this far, and he has asked me to tell you that his government will continue to bank roll sporting activities in the state, and that handsome reward awaits any athlete who is able to prove himself or herself at the on-

going National Youth Games (NYG),” he said.

Continuing the commissioner said, “You will agree with me that sports in Anambra state has improved tremendously, our sports men and women have not lacked anything when it comes to participating in championships, and that has helped us to improve more in the areas we have experienced difficulties before.

So we will continue to do our best in other areas to make sure that we surpass our past records.

So I want to charge all our participants to fight hard to make the state proud as a sign of gratitude to the governor for his support and contributions to the overall development of sports in the state.

The government has played its part by providing the the plat form, it is up to you the athletes and the coaches to reciprocate. All we want is medals,” he said The

A

S about 2000 stu dent athletes converge on the Joseph Ayo Babalola University IkejiArakeji, Osun state for the Nigerian Private University Games (NPUGA) they have been warned against committing immorality.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sola Fajana gave the warning at a Press Conference to herald the 5th edition of the games slated for December 14 -22.

Prof Fajana said the university as a faith based Institution would not tolerate unholy and ungodly vices such as smoking and drinking throughout the stay of the athletes on the campus.

He advised them to shun all forms of social vices and turn over a new

•Handball action at the on-going National Youth Games in Abuja commissioner aver-red that the state government spent well over N30m as a thank you and welcome gift to athletes in the last quarter

of this year.

“We have so far spent more than N30m on our various athletes for doing the state prove. This is an indication that the gover-

•Fans reject Eguavoen, Amodu as Board members

T

HE recent appoint ment of Professor Julius Ihonvbere by Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole as Chairman of Insurance Football Club of Benin management

NPUGA: Student athletes warned against immorality

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

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nor is concerned with the activities of sports in the state therefore you must keep the flag up there,” he stressed.

Furore over Ihonvbere’s appointment as Insurance FC Chairman

BY OJIEVA EHIOSUN

leave.

The VC said that about 40private Universities across the country are expected at this years edition of JABU/NPUGA. According to him ten sporting games will be competed for and they include Volley ball, table tennis, swimming, Athletics, Chess, scrabble, football and badmintons.

Prof Fajana added that about 120 Officials are expected All the athletics games will take place at the Oladele Olasore International School while others will hold on the campus.

The VC said that facilities to be used have been upgraded to World class standard by the university. He assured that that adequate security have been provided for all the athletes adding however that God is the great and ultimate security.

200 potential athletes discovered at NYG

Board, has generated heat among stake holders of the round leather game in the entire state particularly among the Die – Hard fans of the once highly rated team.

Some of the angry fans who spoke with our reporter but declined having their names in print for security reasons, expressed dismay in the way and manner Governor Oshiomhole has abandoned sports development in the state, stressing that some few individuals have pocketed sports in the state.

They argued that the Secretary to the State Government Prof. Julius Ihonvbere has no business heading Insurance board.

According to our source: “ I have been following this team from the 80s,we have never hard it so bad, this present politicians have killed our darling team.

How will it be said that Insurance once known all over the continent now suffer relegation and no end to it, yet the governor is appointing his political friends, kinsmen to come and manage our team.

Where were these people when the team was suffering, when the players, managers and coaches were being owned six years salaries and allowances? Why is it now that the club is gradually surviving the turbulent times

•Amodu –– rejected by Insurance FC fans that this people are coming in? I personally don’t agree to that, we are all stake holders in this business, we can not close our eyes and watch things go the opposite way, we must cry out whether they take it or not, Insurance FC is dying gradually, Oshiomhole must not kill it further,” he said, furiously.

Another angry fan who spoke to us has this to say: “As you can see, Insurance is already divided among itself. We are no longer united, we that are core football lovers in this state have suffered in the hands of this people who have come to hijack our sports in this state. It is not only football that is suffering it,

other sports are also passing through hell in this present government, we are happy that 2015 is fast approaching, the appointment of the new Insurance manager has further compounded our woes.

They have no business in Insurance, they will kill the game completely. And if they berate us, we will help to bury the team and Insurance will go into total extinction, that is my take on this issue,” he said.

Another supporter of the team who spoke to us at the stadium in Benin, said he was totally against the return of Shaibu Amodu and Austin Eguavoen to the Insurance Board.

“What is coach Shaibu Amodu and Austin Eguavoen coming to do in Insurance, are they the only ex- footballers in Benin, has Amodu finished managing the youth Academy team Oshiomhole gave to him, what did he do when we were in deep crisis.

Why is it now that Governor Oshiomhole is showing interest in the team, has he paid the back log of salaries owed the past managers, four seasons ago or there about.

Eguavoen was contacted to come and rescue the team from the brinkof collapse but he rejected the offer so we do not want him now. Governor Oshiomhole should pay us our money, else this new board will not find it easy.”

ROWN Ebewele, a member of the Talent Discovery Committee for the National Youth Games (NYG) said on Friday that over 200 athletes have been discovered so far at the on-going games in Abuja.

Ebewele popularly called the ‘Juju man’ said the discovered potentials have been penciled down for the National Sports Commission (NSC) High Performance Centre in Abuja.

According to Ebewele, the Nigerian sports sector would be better for it if the NYG’s idea would be sustained.

“If we are beginning to develop our young stars at this level it means we have started well. All that is needed now is sustainability. I just did a small calculation before I left office and the people we identified in table tennis came in.

Before the table tennis came in we had 196, then, table tennis came in with 8 and it became 204.

We are still expecting from squash, more from table tennis and few other sports; by the time we put them together, we may be having about 250 to 300 discovered athletes to have as a pool,” Ebewele.

He, however, said that the discovered athletes would have to pass another screening before making it to the High Performance Centre.

“Another thing we are also going to do is to rescreen the athletes because we are very convinced that some of them are over-aged.

We are going to do this to ensure that only the right people that are young make it to the high performance center.

If you are saying that we should develop the young ones for the future, then, you must actually deal with the young ones.

“If you are dealing with somebody that is old, it means you are wasting your time. So, if we have young ones that are 14, 15,16 year-old and you look at their physique, you will know that they are future athletes.

The High Performance Centre is expected to be commissioned in January 2014.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 15, 2013—61

CHAN trial: Iheanacho, Alampasu thrill Numa F

ORMER Nigeria jun ior international, Binaebi Numa, has said he is impressed by the performances of the Golden Eaglets trio of Dele Alampasu, Kelechi Iheanacho and Taiwo Awoniyi in the Super Eagles squad preparing for the Africa Nations Championship (Chan).

There had been mixed reactions to the invitation of the three Eaglets, but Numa reckons the lads have proved themselves so far.

He is backing them to make Stephen Keshi’s final squad if they can maintain the form they have displayed in the early days of camping.

“I have watched them in training twice and I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen,” Numa told supersport.com.

“It is hard to believe these are players from academies competing with established players from the top flight of Nigerian football.

“Not only are they talented, they have shown a lot of tactical awareness and composure.

“Should they be able to maintain this form, I wouldn’t be surprised if they all make it to the Chan.”

In the past, junior play-

•Dele Alampasu with FIFA President, Sepp Blatter (l). ers have been invited to train with the senior team ahead of major tournaments mainly to garner

experience. Back in 1994, Clemens Westerhof gave junior internationals, Karibe Ojigwe and Nwank-

pre-World Cup friendly.

Berti Vogts also blooded Lukman Haruna, Kingsley Udoh and

Basketball: Gombe hosts National Div One league

T

HE Gombe Sports Commission has concluded arrangements to host the 2013 National Division One League from December 16-23, 2013.

It is expected that two teams will be promoted to play in the new season of the Dstv Premier League dunking off early next year.

The promoted teams will

replace the two demoted teams from the Premier League and the affected teams will be formally announced before the start

Eboue may be fined for their political slogan, eulogising Mandela through the inscription on their vests during a match.

Limiting myself to sports, Mandela’s presence proved magical for the South Africans at sports events. The aura he exuded almost always served as an energiser for South African sports men and women as shown when they won the African Nations Cup in 1996 and the Rugby World Cup a year later.

His magical presence no doubt helped a great deal in swaying FIFA bigwigs who endorsed South Africa as host of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Incidentally his appearance at the opening of the World Cup marked his last public appearance till Thursday, December 5, 2013

of the 2013/2014 season.

Some of the teams expected to fight for a return to Premier League action include AHIP Giants of

Kano,Chariots of Lagos, Kwara Falcons, Benue Braves, FCT Rocks, NAF Rockets,Civil Defence, Kano Pyramids and host,

Gombe Bulls.

A technical meeting is slated for Monday December 16 .

Man City expose Arsenal, Chelsea win

M

ANCHESTER City exposed the first cracks in Arsenal’s title challenge, beating the Premier League leaders 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium as their attack-

Farewell magical Madiba T ODAY I dedicate this column to the greatest African that ever lived, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who joined his ancestors Thursday last week because his life affected so many lives and is still affecting lives till today, even in death. He will be laid to rest today in his ancestral home in Qunu.

Yes it is said that sports and politics don’t mix but Mandela has broken that long held view I dare say. How will you describe the honour given to the hero at last week’s World Cup draw in Salvador, Brazil by FIFA, even though we know that Mandela is an acclaimed friend of Sepp Blatter who heads FIFA. It was an irony though when it was reported that the Ivorian duo of Didier Drogba and Emmanuel

wo Kanu, as well as Flying Eagles defender, Taribo West their senior debuts against Sweden in a

Olufemi Oladapo in a friendly against Sudan before the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

The aforementioned players all failed to make the final squads in both cases, but Numa believes Alampasu, Iheanacho and Awoniyi could compete favourably with the players in camp to make the Chan squad.

“I feel the intention was to give them some exposure with a view to the future, but they appear to be on the same level with the others,” Numa observed.

“If they are even proving to be better, the coaches could change their position and carry them along.

“That means they are up to the task and deserve to be in the team.”

when he passed on.

It is reported that Mandela was worried the way Nigeria, a country that contributed in no small measure to making his struggle for the liberation of his people and country from the jack boots of Apartheid sucessful, was being governed, making it difficult to give the citizens a good living.

As then president of South Africa in 1995, he was disturbed when late General Sani Abacha wanted to hang, Ken Saro Wiwa, a Nigerian fighting against the degradation of Ogoni land by oil exploring companies and joined in appealing to the bespectacled General to free the Ogoni activist.

Mandela’s appeal fell on deaf ears and Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni men were hanged in November 1995. There was interna-

ing talents cut loose in another free-scoring home display yesterday.

City’s stylish showmen sealed their eighth consecutive home league success by

out-punching Arsenal, whose lead at the top of the table was cut to two points after Chelsea snuck a 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace.

Everton also kept their nos-

es in the title-race trough with a 4-1 win at home to Fulham moving them fourth, while at the bottom of the table West HamUnitedandSunderland played out a 0-0 draw that was little use to either side.

tional outrage and Mandela joined in condemning the act but Abacha would have none of it. And the casualty was the Super Eagles who were denied the defence of the Nations Cup in South Africa in 1996.

Nigeria boycotted the Nations Cup on South Africa soil and relinquished the title without a fight. Till date, many still believe that the Eagles who were very formidable that year, could have retained the trophy, to make it their third after the victories of 1980 and 1994 in Lagos and Tunis respectively.

That singular action by Abacha also cost Nigeria a ban from CAF and another Nations Cup miss in 1998 in Burkina Faso.

The 1996 boycott deprived Nigeria’s greatest goal poacher ever, Rashidi Yekini from making history also. He was on the verge of equalling and surpassing the 14 Nations Cup goals record of Ivorian Laurent Poku. Yekini had amassed 13 goals as at the 1994 edition in Tunisia. He died with that regret last year.

Whether we like it or not, former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Oko-

cha could have lost the 1998 African Footballer of the Year Award to Morocco’s Mustapha Hadji because of that boycott which did not allow Okocha display his football skills.

The killing of Saro Wiwa made Mandela sad but many more actions of our government could have made him cry in private.

That a country with abundant human and material resources could be so misgoverned and looted dry to the disadvantage of her citizens.

If Mandela were to be alive today, he would surely have shuddered at the letter written by his friend and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to incumbent president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the revelations therein.

The rot highlighted by Obasanjo in his letter to Jonathan definitely did not start today. From all those past leaders the Ota farmer mentioned in his letter through himself and now Jonathan, they all contributed and are still contributing to the slipping of Nigeria, once the pride of Africa and Africans, into a failed state.

All of these past leaders who are eulogising Man-

dela in death did not stop to ask themselves whether Mandela built any private university, bought any private jet, built sprawling mansions on mountain tops or in valleys across South Africa like them or amassed billions of Rands through cronies who bought off his country’s edifices.

While our leaders run abroad for the treatment of minor health problems like radiculopathy (whatever that means) or tummy tuck, Mandela stayed in South Africa for treatment and eventually died in his home.

Despite all these, sports remain the only uniting force for our people. That was exhibited in January when the Super Eagles won the Africa Nations Cup in South Africa and again in the UAE when the Golden Eaglets came out top. What Abacha denied the Eagles in 1996, they recovered in 2013 but Mandela was too frail to witness it live. Rest in peace Madiba and it is the prayer of the down-trodden in Nigeria that God will send our country a good man like you to fight for their well-being always.

PAGE 62, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

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SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013, , PAGE 63

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SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Another death recorded in Brazil stadium accident The stadium is expected to HE Brazil 2014 World Cup host matches involving CameTcountdown recorded an- roon v Croatia in Group A, Enother tragedy as a construction worker died after falling off the roof of the Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil yesterday, Fifa and the World Cup organising committee have confirmed.

AERIAL BATTLE... Iran’s Mohammad Ghazi, left, challenges for the ball with Palestine midfielder Mali Kaware during a match. They plan to play for a respectable result against the Super Eagles in Brazil.

Brazil 2014: Iran plan 5-Star performance against Eagles T

HE Iranians are looking to put up a 5-star performance in their opening match against the Super Eagles on June 16, 2014 at the FIFA World Cup because it will decide how far they would go in the competition.

Human Afazeli, Iran’s assistant coach at the 2006 World Cup in Germany said “Football has a unique standing in society - people believe with the election and Iran qualifying that things are getting better,” adding,”The decisive game will be the opener against Nigeria - if we play well it will give confidence, but if we lose it will be very tough.”

He speaks from experience after Iran’s disappointment in 2006. A team packed with players from European leagues lost to Mexico and Portugal before earning a 1-1 draw against Angola. The team also went out in the first round in 1978 and 1998.

“At our last two World Cups we were not prepared organisationally to seize the opportunity,” said Afazeli. “Now, we have excellent organisation, especially defensively. That will really help us in Brazil because we’re underdogs.”

On the country’s qualification for the World Cup, Afazeli said, “It was a very good feel-

Results Man City Cardiff Chelsea Everton Newcastle West Ham Hull City

6 1 2 4 1 0 0

Arsenal West Brom Crystal Fulham S’hampton Sunderland Stoke City

3 0 1 1 1 0 0

ing for the people.”

On supporter forums, most fans agreed Iran were outsiders to reach the second round, but were also confident of springing a surprise, especially as Iran will play Nigeria in Curitiba, which like Tehran stands about a kilometre above sea level.

gland v Italy in Group D, Honduras v Switzerland in Group E and the USA v Portugal encounter in Group G. “Fifa and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) learnt of the death of the worker on Saturday at the Arena Amazonia site with great sadness,” the statement read.

“We would like to send our most sincere condolences to his family, relatives, colleagues and friends.”

Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira’s death highlighted the safety concerns surrounding Brazil’s ability to host the 2014 World Cup as he was the fifth worker to die while building Brazil’s 12 World Cup stadiums.

Ferreira died in hospital after a broken cable led to him falling nearly 35 metres (115 feet).

Fatal accidents have occurred in Manaus, Brasilia and most recently in Sao Paulo, where two people died on November 27 after a crane collapsed in the arena that is to host the opening game on June 12.

Another worker died while working on Palmeiras arena in Sao Paulo, but that stadium will not be used in the World Cup. The tournament will take place in 12 Brazilian cities.

Preparations for the competition - the first to be held in South America since 1978 - have been plagued by delays, accidents, cost overruns, and public anger over government waste that contributed to massive nationwide street protests last year.

The third death in less than a month again raised concerns that safety of workers was being ignored as officials rush to finish their arenas. Six stadiums are due to be delivered between now and April, and several are well behind schedule.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter last week appealed to “God, Allah and whoever” to ensure the stadiums will be ready in time.

TODAY’S MATCHES Aston

•Keshi

v Man Utd 2.30 pm Norwich v Swansea 2.30 pm Tottenham v Liverpool 5 pm

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Nobel-winning Archbishop (7-4) 5.Sailor (3) 7.Consumed (5) 8.Domesticates (5) 9.Ovum (3) 10.Electricity counting gadgets (6) 13.Highlander (4) 15.Poem (3) 17.One that contests (9) 20.Nigerian tribe (5) 22.Cereal (5) 24.Demoted (9) 27.Pig’s pen (3) 29.No one (4) 30.Sulks (6) 33.Away (3) 35.Presses (5) 36.Till (5) 37. Swine (3) 38. “The Man Who Saw Tomorrow” (11)

DOWN 1.Sleeping vision (5) 2.Possessor (5) 3.Tax (4) 4.Depressing (9) 5.Argentinian dance (5) 6.Wash lightly (5) 11.Greek letter (3) 12.Distress call (1-1-1) 14.English boy’s name (5) 16.Obstacle (3) 17.Bovine animal (3) 18.Mindfulness (9) 19.Alarm (5) 21.Help (3) 23.Village house (3) 25.Gnome (3) 26.Vast age (3) 27.Condescend (5) 28.Youthful (5) 31.Circular (5) 32.Trades (5) 34.Old Russian King (4)

SOLUTION on page 5

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