At last jonathan visits Maiduguri

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62321

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Mixed reactions trail Jonathan, Buhari peace pact 8

At last, Jonathan visits Maiduguri •Pays tribute to troops, pledges continued support •Visits wounded soldiers, IDPs from Baga, others •Jonathan's topsy-turvy path to Maiduguri (Analysis)

JONATHAN IN MAIDUGURI

BY BEN AGANDE & NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, visited Borno State for the second time since a state of emergency was declared in the three north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe following the killings of thousands of people by Boko Haram insurgents.

He told the troops that the Federal Government had approved new incentives to enable them to “crush the insurgents Continues on Page 5

BIU ATTACK LATEST: 78 Boko Haram terrorists killed 8

COLUMNIST: Donu Kogbara

An honour deserved •P.17

Mr & Mrs

VISIT—President Goodluck Jonathan, being received by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State (3L)while others watch at the Maiduguri International Airport, yesterday, when the President visited Borno over the ongoing activities of Boko Haram.

Inset: President Jonathan with some of the wounded soldiers during the visit. Photos: Ndahi Marama/State House.

Fresh expectations from renewed Presidential promises •See pull-out inside C M Y K

FEBRUARY POLLS: There'll be trouble if Adamawa, 9 Borno, Yobe are exempted — Uwais

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

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POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade (3rd L); All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, representing Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (2nd L); Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State (3rd R); His Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi (L); Osun Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and Senator Sola Adeyeye (R), during the APC Presidential Campaign team's visit to Ooni's Palace in Ile-Ife,Wednesday.

At last, Jonathan visits Maiduguri Continues from Page 1

once and for all.”

Jonathan first visited the state in June 2013, and had not been in the state since the abduction of more than 219 students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, GGSS, Chibok, on April 14, last year.

Addressing officers and men of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army at the Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, Jonathan commended them for their gallantry and patriotism by standing their grounds to confront the Boko Haram insurgency.

He also reassured the Military of his administration’s total support in the fight against terrorism in some parts of the country.

Pays tribute to gallant soldiers

Jonathan said that he was in Maiduguri as part of the programmes

marking this year ’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, pointing out that the purpose was to identify with the military, particularly those who were in the war zone tackling activities of Boko Haram.

“I want to sincerely thank you, members of the Nigerian Armed Forces for your sustained effort in the fight against Boko Haram and other extremists in the country.

“Day and night, you have been on the field to curtail this madness of Boko Haram. Some of you have paid the supreme price for your fatherland and we as government will do everything possible to support you and kit you in all ramifications.

“Your total commitment and dedication to duty to ensure peace and tranquillity is much more appreciated and I want to assure you that your welfare will always be

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Perfection is a level of awareness that is fixed in time, there is always one more step, always room for expansion. After all, we are made for more— Take Heart Quotes Life is always an adventure in the heart of the moment. To experience the unexpected sometimes we have to be spontaneous. It was just at the break of dawn in Chanhassen Minnesota , I took a walk in the quiet woods, at the clearing in the middle of the forest is a beautiful lake reflecting the sunset upon its still waters.

Suddenly, I noticed a white Swan basking to the glory of the early morning Sun with beautiful wings spread in a graceful dance upon the water, in an instant I glimpsed a message of purity, grace, beauty, compassion and love.

I realized that, even though the Swan is graceful and gentle, and often seen as a symbol of perfection and love, this bird also have powerful wings striking a balance in nature.

So beyond perfection is excellence, there is always one more step in the ladder of life. We give more through being the best of ourselves to all of life.

adequately taken care of by the Federal Government,” Jonathan said.

Visits wounded soldiers, IDPs

He also took time to visit some officers and men who sustained injuries in the war against the insurgents at the military hospital in the Maimalari Barracks.

He later held a closeddoor meeting with the wounded soldiers in the hospital before visiting thousands of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, from Baga, Kukawa, Monguno and other places taking refuge at Teachers Village and other

camps in the state.

Jonathan sympathised with the IDPs, especially those who lost their beloved ones apart from being driven away from their ancestral homes. He assured them that the Federal Government and the security agencies were doing everything possible to ensure peace so that they can go back to their homes and continue their normal lives.

He informed them that the government, through the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, had begun the distribution of relief materials to victims of Boko Haram in the state and the north east in general and urged them to take what happened to them as an act of God, even as he solicited their prayers for restoration of peace as well as a hitchfree elections next month.

“Terrorism and insurgency have been very traumatic for all of us.

I feel particularly disturbed when I hear of our people being displaced within their own country.

“I assure you and other displaced persons that Government is working very hard to ensure that you do not remain in these camps for too long.

“I know that many of your houses have been destroyed. We will assist you financially so that you can rebuild your homes and return to them gradually," President Jonathan told the displaced persons.

“In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency

started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded,” he told the soldiers.

The President thanked the Red Cross and other i n t e r n a t i o n a l organizations who have been assisting in the provision of relief materials to the displaced persons.

He also charged local, state and federal government officials to work with greater harmony and cooperation in rendering support to the displaced persons.

“I do not want to be receiving conflicting reports on support being given to them.

Government is one and we must all work together to assist our people whenever the need arises.

“We must cooperate maximally and work together at the local government, state and federal levels to ensure that our people who are unfortunately displaced from their homes get the best possible treatment,”

President Jonathan said.

The President who landed at the Maiduguri International Airport at about 3pm was received

by Governor Kashim Shettima.

He was accompanied on the visit by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, ret; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Bade; Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, and the Director General, NEMA, among others.

Low-key reception

The reception at the airport was low-keyed as there was no political colouration even as the Minister of State for Power, Muhammed Wakil and other top PDP big shots who had been in town since Monday were all conspicuously absent.

From the airport, Jonathan was driven straight to Maimalari Barracks amid tight security, where he addressed the troops. All roads leading to the airport from the city were closed for motorists.

Jonathan: Topsy-turvy path to Borno

By Clifford Ndujihe

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AGOS—SINCE the abduction of the Chibok school girls, in Chibok Local Council of Borno State on April 14,2014 the polity has been awash with calls on President Goodluck Jonathan to visit the area.

Apart from commiserating with the parents and families of the kidnapped girls, who are yet to be rescued nine months or exactly 277 days after, the visit, some observers said would have sent strong signal to the Boko Haram insurgents that the government was serious about curbing their murderous activities.

Thus, it was with joy that Nigerians received the news that President Jonathan would visit Chibok on May 16, 2014, a month and two days after the abduction.

However, to the surprise of many, the much awaited official visit was

postponed indefinitely.

Preparations had been made for the visit. As early as 6 a.m on Friday, May 16, 2014, the major streets and roads within Maiduguri metropolis, particularly the road from the airport to Government House were heavily manned by security operatives, especially policemen in readiness for the arrival of President Jonathan. However, when the news of the cancelled visit filtered into town, most of the fierce-looking policemen deployed to the streets withdrew back to their stations.

A disappointed Governor Kashim Shettima who had to fly in from a foreign trip in a chartered flight and landed at the Maiduguri International Airport at about 9am, declined to comment on the aborted visit.

The presidency claimed that President Jonathan was never scheduled to visit Chibok. Special Adviser to the President

on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said every movement of the President was documented and that in this case, there was no record indicating that Jonathan would visit Chibok, adding that “it is, therefore, wrong and malicious to allege that a non-existent trip has been cancelled.”

However, two officials in the presidency, attributed the cancellation to security concerns. “There were apparent concerns about security after news of the planned trip was leaked to the media and published on front pages of newspapers on Friday,” they reportedly said.

President Jonathan had been expected to fly on one of his presidential jets from Abuja, to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, and then be transported by military helicopter to the town of Chibok, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the south.

The road from Maiduguri to Chibok

which passes by the Sambisa Forest to which the girls first were taken that is believed to be a known hideout of the insurgents, has been attacked many times.

Unhappy with the government’s attitude to their plight, the parents and families of the girls refused to meet with President Jonathan in Abuja on July 15 after meeting with Pakistani girls’ education activist, Malala Yousafzai.

However, on July 23, exactly 100 days after the kidnap of the schoolgirls, President Jonathan met with parents of the girls in Abuja. At the closeddoor meeting were 53 of the girls, who had earlier escaped from their abductors as well as representatives of Chibok community and other stakeholders.

However, with criticisms increased in spite of his assurances, President Jonathan, yesterday visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Customs Zone ‘C’ arrests 134

By Ifeyinwa Obi

T

HE Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘C’ Owerri of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has said that in 2014, a total of 104 arrests were made with 134 cases pending in the court, adding that this was in contrast to 31 arrests recorded in the year 2013 with 20 cases in court.

The Area Controller of the Unit, Mr. Dimka David, who disclosed this, said the figure was against 199 seizures recorded in 2013, adding that vehicles alone topped the list of the items totaling 237, of which 209 vehicles were with fake documents while 28 were abandoned.

He added that the command raked in a total of N1.8 billion from 363 seizures of illegally imported items as well as an under payment recovered from dishonest agents and importers.

David said: “Our Unit recorded a total 363 seizures of illegally imported items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N. 805bn and under payment recovered of N71.762milion. Both totalled N1.877 billion for the year 2014.”

Acknowledging that the continued support and anti-smuggling stance of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde, motivated the Unit to make such harvest of seizures, David assured that intensive and aggressive patrol operations will be carried out this year to ensure absolute compliance with laws and nip the activities of smugglers in the bud.

2 dead, 10 injured, as gas explosion rocks A'Ibom

By Chioma Onuegbu

U

YO—NO fewer than two persons lost their lives, while over 10 others sustained serious injuries in a gas explosion that occurred on Afaha Uqua Road in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Vanguard gathered that a staff of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, died from the explosion, while the second staff is receiving treatment at Anua Hospital in Uyo. An eyewitness said the incident occurred at 10a.m., Monday, due to gas leakage from a cylinder, which fell from a gas shop and caught fire from the restaurant nearby.

It was gathered that but for the quick intervention of the fire service, the gas leakage would have extended to nearby buildings and another gas shop about five building away.

Ating Wilson, an NDLEA officer in the Eket Area Command, said he was supposed to go with the two officers, adding that “when I went to check them, I discovered that they had already left.”

He explained that he was going to eat when another colleague, Esther, ran to him and said there was a gas explosion, where Ebere Okoye and the other man were badly burnt.

He said they took both to the hospital, but that two hospitals refused to treat the other man.

The man later died at Anua Hospital yesterday.

The NDLEA state commander,

Female hairdresser, Udeme, a victim.

PHOTOS: Chioma Onuegbu.

Affected building.

Mrs. Ruth Obi, said it was shocking when she received the news, saying she earlier thought it was a small fire from the kitchen of the restaurant where the officer went to eat, not knowing that it was a gas explosion.

Obi said that they were initially afraid for the other officer, Ebere, who is now receiving treatment, because since the incident happened on Monday, doctors were unable to locate a vein to put drip in her until

businessman, Rasheed Ogunwande, yesterday, made an impassioned plea at a Yaba Customary Court to dissolve his 10-year-old marriage on the grounds of drunkenness.

Ogunwande, 43, who resides at 10, Araromi Street, Onike, in Iwaya area of Lagos, told the court that his wife, Ajarat, was always threatening

yesterday.

She expressed surprise that a gas shop could be located close to restaurants, whereas in other places gas shops were usually tagged “No Smoking.”

Victim’s story

Ebere Okoye, who hails from Anambra State, was transferred last October from Ogun State command of the NDLEA to Akwa Ibom State Command.

She, alongside three other victims of the explosion,

Wife seeks dissolution of 10-yr-old marriage; alleges battery, neglect

A

housewife, Mrs Rashidat Moses, yesterday, in Lagos, asked a Yaba Customary Court to dissolve her 10-yearold marriage to her husband, Mr. Shola Moses, over alleged constant battery and neglect.

Rashidat, 32, is also seeking the dissolution of her marriage over alleged threat to her life

and lack of proper care for herself and their three children.

She told the court that her husband could not afford to rent an apartment for his family, adding that he also accused her of adultery.

Rashidat claimed that Moses was always making uncomplimentary remarks about her.

‘My wife threatens my life when she's drunk'

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Ebere Okoye, NDLEA staff at Anua Hospital.

his life.

He said: “She threatens my life anytime she is drunk. She is also fond of fighting me and raining abuses on me whenever she is in her state of stupor.

“My wife drinks alcohol as if it is water and gets drunk easily. She is a disgrace.”

Ogunwande, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the

10-year-old marriage already blessed with three children.

He said the love he had for her had turned sour.

The President of the court, Mr. Rahim Daodu, who said the respondent had refused to appear in court, ordered the court’s registrar to summon her to appear before him.

Further hearing has been adjourned till January 27.

She also alleged that he once embarrassed her publicly, while she was hawking soft drinks, the proceeds of which she said were used to feed her children.

The petitioner also alleged that she could not save from her daily earnings as they were living in his family house, where she had to feed all the family members.

She also alleged that her husband would not care for the welfare of their children, saying she had been responsible for the payment of their school fees.

Rashidat, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage as she was no longer comfortable with feeding her children alongside her husband’s family.

The court’s President, Mr. Rahim Daudu, adjourned the case till January 27 to allow the respondent time to appear in court.

including a male hairdresser, are currently receiving medical treatment at St Josephs Anua Hospital.

Narrating her ordeal from her hospital bed, Ebere said: “It happened on Monday when I went to a restaurant on Afaha Uqua Road in Eket to eat.

“I had finished eating and was on my way out of the place when I noticed a tall gas cylinder falling from a gas shop, which is about five shops away from the restaurant where I ate.

All of a sudden I noticed that fire caught my cloth from behind.

“I started running and shouting that people should come to my help, but nobody responded because they were also afraid of the gas explosion.

“I decided to cross over to the other side of the road and entered into one compound to see if I could get help, but nobody helped me. Then I tore my cloth from the back where fire caught it, and then I begged one boy in the compound to pick my phone from the floor and call my office, but he refused.

“Then I ran out to the road and tried to stop a bike, but they refused to stop. Luckily, one stopped and took me to my office to tell them what had happened.

“Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, officers came and took me to the hospital in Eket. I cannot remember the name of the hospital I was rushed to in Eket because then I was still unconscious.

“I heard that the colleague I went out together to eat was affected. He said he wanted to eat swallow, so he went to another shop very close to the gas shop to eat.

“When I got to the office, I told other officers what happened and they decided to go in search of him. I am thanking God because I am alive.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Dickson Edet, said the signal from the Police division in Eket, Tuesday, confirmed that two persons died from the explosion.

Surprisingly, it was observed that most of the shops at the affected building were destroyed except the gas shop.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—7

By Ifeanyi Okolie, Ediri Ejoh & Funmi Amodu

L

AGOS—A warehouse belonging to Henry and Henry Limited in Kirikiri town, Lagos State, went up in flames, destroying goods worth millions of naira, yesterday.

The fire, which exact cause is yet unknown, was said to have started from a section of the warehouse, which is used for the storage of vehicle, motorcycle and bicycle spare parts, electronics and building materials, before spreading to other parts of the warehouse.

In another developmet, a mechanic workshop and another building located in Iwaya area of the state, were also razed by fire yesterday, with 17 vehicles being repaired at the mechanic workshop, destroyed.

Eyewitnesses at the Kirikiri town fire told Vanguard that they first saw black smoke around 2p.m., billowing from the roof of the warehouse, located on Henry and Henery Close, Musheshe Industrial Estate, which is also the location of 13 petroleum tank farms in Kirikiri Town.

Meanwhile, when Vanguard arrived the scene, fire fighting trucks from some of the oil companies operating within the area were seen battling to contain the fire.

A staff of one of the companies, who spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, blamed the fire on congestion inside the Henry and Henry warehouse.

The staff said: “The warehouse is filled to the brim with tyres and many other things and I guess heat would have caused the fire.”

Another resident, who also spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “The fire broke out about 3p.m., when some of us were returning from our various places of work.

“As it stands, we cannot give the actual cause of the fire. But it was speculated that it could have been caused by intense heat as the warehouse had not open for over four days.

“Goods stored in that warehouse run into billions of naira, but the fact remains that there was no electricity in that store. So we cannot say it was caused by power outage.

“But for the intervention of the various tank farms’ fire services, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Lagos State Fire Service, we would have had a serious disaster on our hands.”

Fire razes warehouse in Lagos

Fire fighters battle the inferno. PHOTOS: Akeem Salau.

Tyres and other goods rescued from the fire.

Nigerian to be executed in Indonesia

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MNESTY International has said that a Nigerian resident in Indonesia, Namamo Denis, also known as Chibike Okafor, is among six convicted people facing imminent execution in Indonesia for drug-related crime.

It stated that the Office of the Attorney-General of Indonesia had concluded plans to carry out the execution before the end of this month.

The organization in a statement urged the Indonesian authorities to immediately halt plans of executing the death row

prisoners, stressing the need for a moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing death penalty.

The statement reads: ‘’On January 5, the junior AttorneyGeneral for General Crimes announced that his office will proceed with the execution of six death row prisoners before the end of the month, instead of five as earlier stated.

“The Attorney-General’s office had earlier postponed the executions scheduled for December 2014 because three death row prisoners had

submitted new petitions for a case review to the Supreme Court as provided by the 2014 Constitutional Court decision.’’

Denis was sentenced to death by the Bandung High Court in 2001 after being convicted for smuggling 940 grams of heroin at the Soekamohatta Airport, Jakarta.

A relation of the Nigerian convict, Mr. Sunday Okafor in a chat with Vanguard, said the 49-year-old Denis hails from Anambra State.

Female soldier slumps at Remembrance Day parade

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—THE Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations in Oyo State almost went sour, yesterday, as a female soldier collapsed in front of Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, while on parade.

Vanguard gathered that the soldier and her colleagues had been at the arcade for about five hours before the commencement of the programme around 11a.m.

Her colleagues surrounded her to give helping hands.

Newsmen at the parade were prevented from moving closer to the visibly exhausted soldier.

She was later rushed to the hospital on the premises of Government House, where doctors attended to her.

The state chairman of Nigerian Legion, Pastor Michael Olagunju, used the

zAs Nigerian Legion asks for arrears occasion to make a fresh appeal to the Federal Government to ensure the payment of the arrears of 37 percent increment in the pensions of the retired soldiers, who had spent all their useful years serving the country.

The cleric, said: “The government has been paying our pension, but the 33 percent increment was not paid from July 2010 to July 2013.

“The government began payment of the increment in August 2013. So, we have not been paid 37 months arrears of the 33 percent increment.”

Among those who attended the ceremony were Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mrs Monsurat Sunmonu; other members of the cabinet and

several others.

Governor Ajimobi also lent credence to the call by the cleric, saying “you can only improve the lives of those that are alive.

You cannot improve the lives of those who are dead.

“For those that are dead and their families, we are still helping by relating with the military and all the Armed Forces, providing them support in terms of facilities and infrastructure from time to time; donations and the general improvement of those that they left behind.

“We must ensure we have peace and security in Oyo State.

“In the past 10 years, you will discover that it is only during this administration that there has not been violence and assassination in the state.”

2 policemen detained for allegedly shooting soldier, 3 others in Onitsha

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—TWO policemen, including an Inspector, have been detained for allegedly shooting an Army officer during an argment.

The Inspector was detained at

the Central Police Station, Onitsha, while his junior colleague was detained at the military cantonment, Onitsha.

A source said the Army officer, a Lieutenant, was about to board a bus to Borno State at Upper Iweka Motor Park.

The source said trouble started when a police patrol team stormed the park and reportedly demanded to be financially empowered by the management of the park.

Afterwards, they asked the officer to identify himself and

produce his 'pass authority.'

An argument was said to have ensued and the policemen shot the officer.

When a mob wanted to lynch them, the policemen began to shoot indiscriminately, and stray bullets hit three people.

WHO, FG to assist Rivers fight cholera

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— THE World Health Organization, WHO, and the Ministry of Health have offered to assist Rivers State government combat the recent outbreak of cholera disease in 11 communities in Andoni Local Government Area of the state.

WHO Coordinator in Rivers State, Dr. Sylvester Malemi, said the organization was set to provide technical support to the state government to stop the ugly situation.

“We are here to mobilize resources to stop the outbreak,” he added.

Malemi appealed to residents of the area to ensure they drink clean water as a way of preventing the spread of the disease.

The Chief Consultant Epidemolist, who spoke for the Ministry of Health, said the ministry would donate drugs, test kits and other relevant items to the state government to combat the outbreak of the disease.

Some indigenes of the area blamed the outbreak on absence of portable drinking water in the communities.

They enjoined the state government to come to their aid with provision of portable drinking water.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker, said government and some multinational firms had intervened to bring the situation under control.

8—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

BIU ATTACK:

78 Boko Haram terrorists killed in military onslaught

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

BUJA— MILITARY authorities, yesterday, said 78 Boko Haram insurgents were killed during the twohour gun battle with the insurgents who tried to capture a military base in Biu, Borno State, Wednesday.

Hundreds of terrorists, including foreign nationals, in the early hours of Wednesday invaded Biu, in an attempt to capture a military base with the aim of carting the weapons in the armoury, thus expanding their operational bases.

Biu is a religiously mixed town and the largest in southern Borno. It is an important commercial centre that includes a large military base Among the terrorists who were either killed or captured during the battle included some Chadians. Two antiAircraft Guns were captured from the terrorists during the operation.

Military sources told Vanguard yesterday afternoon that, no fewer than 78 bodies of the terrorists had been recovered.

Residents trooped to the scene of the fighting to see the dead gunmen and their bullet-riddled vans, Vanguard learned.

Contacted, Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade noted that the military was more concerned about the success of the operations than the figures of terrorists killed during operations.

O l u k o l a d e , nevertheless, confirmed that mopping up exercise in the area was continuing, adding: “What is important now is for us to consolidate on the victory, recapture areas where the terrorists are presently operating and restore peace to the entire north east.”

Mixed reactions welcome Jonathan, Buhari PDP urges APC to rein in members peace pact zzJonathan should show commitment —David-West

By Henry Umoru, Adulwahab Abdulah,, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke & Ebele Okafor

L

AGOS— MIXED reactions, yesterday, greeted the peace pact signed by Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Maj-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

While the leadership of the PDP hailed the signing of the peace accord, a retired Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, and activist lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, said the agreements reached by presidential aspirants to prevent violence during and after the forthcoming general elections cannot hold water.

However, notable Nigerians who spoke in support of the pact included former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor Tam David-West; one-time Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav; constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN); Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin and the Labour Party scribe, Mr Kayode Ajulo.

PDP urges APC to rein in members

The national leadership of the PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, explained that the accord was in line with what he described as the irrevocable commitment of the party to peace and progress of the nation at all times.

According to the PDP spokesperson, the PDP has already, in the last one week of campaigns, demonstrated its resolve for peaceful polls by ensuring that its members adhere strictly to its code of conduct on violence free polls, just as it urged the leadership of the APC to inculcate same in their members.

Metuh said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended its presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, and the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for signing the pact on nonviolence ahead of 2015 general elections. This is in line with the irrevocable commitment of the PDP to peace and progress of the nation at all times.

“It is timely, therefore, to urge the leadership of the APC to move beyond signing of the peace pact to genuinely taking practical steps to rein in members, especially, the horde of brigand thugs already on the

zIt’s superior to the law —Sagay zIt’s capable of engendering healthy polls —Tsav zA waste of time —Okogie, Falana zIt should go beyond photo hugs —LP

CAMPAIGN: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (right) and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Vice Presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo during the 'General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and Professor Yemi Osinbajo meet the Lagos business community' hosted by the Lagos State Government at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, yesterday. loose in parts of the country or be held responsible for any failure.

It’s capable of engendering healthy polls —Tsav

Also throwing his weight behind the initiative, a retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Tsav, said the pact was capable of bringing about a healthy conduct of the elections.

He, however, warned that the good intentions of the president could be jeopardised by security operatives through overzealousness if not checked.

According to him, "the security agencies must remain impartial and civilised in the discharge of their duties during the elections.”

Jonathan should show us commitment —David-West

On his part, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor David-West, urged Jonathan to show that he is committed in conducting a violence free-election.

He said: “It is a welcome development but it is shameful that after so many years of existing as a nation, Nigerians have not learnt how to live peacefully. It is shameful that they are signing accord on how to remain peaceful. Having non-violence elections should have been part of our political culture. Much as I am happy that they signed the agreement, implementation is where we should focus on.

Implementation of what they agreed upon is the issue.

It's superior to the law —Sagay

Legal luminary, Prof. Sagay, welcomed the development, noting that the peace pact is superior to the law.

Sagay said: “It is morally binding, it is superior to the law because this is a question of not only of conscience but also of integrity and honour. For me, it is superior to any law because any act of violence is a crime already.

It should go beyond photo hugs —LP

Describing the peace accord as a good omen for Nigeria’s democracy, the Labour Party, LP, however, said it should go beyond the photo hugs.

LP’s National Secretary, Mr Kayode Ajulo, said: “It is welcome development. We are happy and we are sure that entire people of Nigeria are happy. This is one of the issues the Labour Party has been canvassing. We need to eschew violence, we need to ask for peace. Elections should not be a do-or-die affair. One of the things I will urge the participants is that this should go beyond the photo hugs, they should put it into play. It is easy for them to smile and ask their supporters to do something else. This should go down to the ward and unit levels.”

It’s more of a moral issue — Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, in its reaction, described the pact as more of a moral issues.

Afenifere’s spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin said: “Like somebody said that it is a shame

for us as a country, 54 years after independence, we still have to ask international bodies to come and help us sign treaties. That is the bitter truth of it.

"We believe in Afenifere that the peace pact does not have any legal binding on anybody. It is not a legal document, it is more of a moral issue. If we all decide that we have a non-violence elections, the politicians must be guided in their utterances and Nigerians must not allow themselves to be used for violence.”

A waste of time — Okogie, Falana

The retired cleric, Okogie and activist lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, faulted the initiative, saying it will not work.

The duo said this at a programme organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in honour of the late fiery lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, in Lagos.

The 11th series of the annual programme tagged “Fawehinmiism” was with the theme: “Ethnicity, Religion: Promises and illusions of democracy in the struggle to uplift the masses from impoverishment.”

According to Okogie and Falana, nothing in the agreement can prevent voters in Lagos, Borno or any part of the country from going violence if their votes did not count at the forthcoming general elections.

“The peace pact signed by President Jonathan and Buhari will not work. They think we are fools and can deceive us,” Okogie said.

According to them, Jonathan and Buhari cannot sit in Abuja or any part of the country and speak for the masses of Nigerians who are willing to express their minds through the ballot boxes.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 —9

FEB POLLS: There'll be trouble if Adamawa,

Borno, Yobe are exempted —Uwais zRegrets non implementation of his electoral reform c'ttee’s report

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By Joseph Erunke

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BUJA — FORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mohammed Uwais, yesterday, warned that the 2015 elections would run into troubled waters if the exercise billed for February 14 was not held in the troubled states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, while attending a sensitisation workshop with a theme: “Nigeria 2015 Elections and Beyond: Stakeholders Conference on the Roles of the State and Non-State Actors in Mitigating Violence in Elections, Uwais also noted that there could be what he called a “lacuna” if the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, were not allowed to exercise their franchise during the 2015 polls.

This was even as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, said that 16 million names of voters were cleaned out from the voters’ register following irregularities.

He said over four million names were found to be double registrants while close to 12 million were under-age registrants and those with incomplete record.

...regrets non implementation of his electoral reform c'ttee’s report Uwais regretted the non implementation of his Electoral Reform Committee’s report by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, saying the implementation of the report would have completely stopped electoral violence in the country.

He said he was seriously disturbed that after wasting his energy, spending sleepless days and nights to come out with a solution for the country ’s electoral system, the end result was thrown to the dustbin by the government, noting that such had become the general practice by every government in power in the country.

He said: “It has become a norm in Nigeria that when committees are set up by government and when the committees submit their reports, the reports don’t

AfDB earmarks N50.4bn for devt projects in Abuja

MOU: From left: Vice President, China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd, Weng Zhiming; Managing Director, Cartlark International Ltd, Princess Maryam Sola Akanmode, and Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation and execution of transmission lines projects in Nigeria Based on Public Private Partnership (PPP), in Abuja. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. normally get fully implemented. That is what has also become of what you call the ‘Uwais Committee Report.’

“I don’t feel regret but I feel disturbed because a lot of problems we are facing now could have been solved if some of the recommendations of the committee had been implemented. For instance, this morning, we heard that of 1,000 electoral offences which INEC is given the responsibility to prosecute, they have only been able to do so in respect of only 211.

Electoral Offences Commission “Now, if you go back to our report, what we recommended was that there should be a body or agency called Electoral Offences Commission which will be charged with the responsibility of dealing with electoral offences. But that hasn’t been implemented!

"You could see that if that had been done, today, we wouldn’t be talking about INEC not being able to prosecute electoral offenders.”

Asked whether he did not suspect conspiracy by those in positions of leadership, Uwais said: “I don’t think it is conspiracy as such, but issue of self preservation. A lot of the politicians who are in the National Assembly, that is the Senate and the House of Representatives, who are to

create such a body, are themselves co-offenders; maybe even the brains behind the offences.

"So, they may feel if they do so, they may be shooting themselves in the foot and perhaps, that is why they are not keen about implementing that recommendation.”

Judiciary workers' strike On the ongoing strike by judiciary workers, Uwais said it would affect litigations arising from the 2015 polls.

He said: “Of course, there will be problems for all cases not just election petitions. I don’t know how the problem is going to be solved but from you, the media, I understand meetings have been held with government, through representatives of the government, the Minister of Labour and that an MoU was signed between the union and the labour minister and there is hope that there may be a solution. I am not in the system any more."

Elections in N-East Speaking on the likely implications of not conducting elections in the North-East, Justice Uwais said: “When the Electoral Act was enacted in 2010, this sort of situation of having IDPs was not envisaged, so there is no provision in the law on how to deal with it and the constitution is also silent but

the way to go round it is to get the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act and make provisions to make it possible for the IDPs to exercise their franchise."

He then asked the NASS to expeditiously amend the Electoral Act to give room for the IDPs to vote in the election if the elected representatives in the legislature are willing.

He said:“It all depends, if the National Assembly is willing, it can pass a law within two days, then it goes to the president and the president within a day or two can also assent to the bill just as he said 'there is certainly a lacuna'."

Credible voters register Meanwhile, the INEC Chairman, Prof Jega, who spoke earlier on the occasion, had regretted that before the 2011 general elections, Nigeria never had a credible voters register with which a credible polls could be conducted, noting that a good register of voters is the key infrastructure on which the “electoral edifice has to rest.”

He said the commission had so far printed 54,341,610 Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs of which 38,774,391, representing 71.35 per cent had been distributed, adding that a total of 15,567,219 cards were yet to be collected by their owners.

BUJA— THE African Development Bank, AfDB, said yesterday that it would undertake a N50.4 billion integrated infrastructure development projects in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, this year.

The bank’s Country Director, Dr Ousmane Dore, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

Dore said the projects included the provision of roads, water, urban development and waste management.

He said the bank would continue to contribute its quota toward reducing the mobility difficulties and infrastructure constraints faced by satellite communities in the FCT. Dore said the bank had begun the project identification, adding that the bank would continue to support Nigeria in its development aspiration as contained in the Vision 20:2020 and the transformation agenda.

Dore said the bank would also undertake some road projects in selected states under its “Rural Access Mobility, RAM,” programme in 2015.

According to him, AfDB is also interested in taking part in the second Niger Bridge Project which is a Private Public Partnership (PPP) venture.

Dore said the bank was discussing with the Ministry of Power to extend its support in the energy sector to transmission sub-sector in 2015.

He also said that AfDB would launch the second phase of its Agricultural Transformation Support Programme, which it got N25.2 billion for its first phase in 2014.

“In the energy sector, our plan is to continue with the support we began last year with the partial risk guarantee but this time we want to extend our support to the transmission line.

“In agricultural sector, we have an ongoing huge programme called the ‘Agricultural Transformation Support Programme’ which we approved to the tune of 150 million dollars for its first phase last year.

“We are going to identify the second phase of the programme to continue with the support into this critical sector to contribute to job creation."

10— Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Ambode, Agbaje, others differ on education, tax GOV DEBATE:

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, his People’s Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, National Conscience Party, NCP, governorship candidate, Mr. Ayodele Akele and six other candidates vying for the state governorship seat, yesterday, disagreed over the tax regime, the challenges confronting education and other issues bordering on the development of the state.

The candidates spoke at the third edition of the gubernatorial debate organised by the Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion (Church of Nigeria), Ikeja which also had in attendance Senator, Musiliu Obanikoro, Lagos chairman of APC, Chief Henry Ajomale and others.

Other candidates at the debates were; Action Alliance, Mr. Ishola Aregbesola, Kowa Party, Mr. Victor Adeniji, Mega Progressives Peoples Party, MPPP, Mr. Kayode Jacobs, Alliance for Democracy, AD, Mr. Bolaji Ogunseye, Labour Party, Pastor Biodun Popoola, Independent Democrats, Mr. Akinola Obadia.

The debate was moderated by Professor Bayo Asaju while President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina, Dr. Oladimeji Alo, Mr. Ray Echebiri and Rev. Olusola Odedeji and Reverend Adeyemi, Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West and

Council boss tasks residents on clean environment

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Fredrick Okopie

AGOS—THE Executive Secretary of Apapa Local Government, Hon. Cecilia Dada, management and staff, yesterday, embarked on sensitisation tour, tagged: Operation Keep Apapa Clean. The programme will educate residents and corporate bodies of the danger of dirty environment.

Hon. Dada, at the occasion, accused street traders of dumping refuge indiscriminately at night in street corners and inside drainage.

She said that the new government is now soliciting help from the corporate bodies to clear all the dump sites in Apapa.

According to her, “if the corporate bodies see us working tirelessly, they will join us in returning Apapa to it glorious days.”

Explaining why refuge is taking over the streets, the Executive Secretary said that the residents prefer patronising cart pushers rather than the government assigned refuse disposal trucks.

REMEMBRANCE DAY: From left: Olujimi Agbaje, Lagos State PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Ayodede Akele, governorship candidate of NCP, and Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode of the APC, Rt. Rev. Biodun J. Adeyemi, Bishop of Badagry Diocese, Rt. Rev. Olusola Odedeji, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, chief host, during the Diocese of Lagos West (Church of Nigeria), in conjunction with the Diocese of Badagry and Lagos Mainland organised 2015 governorship debate at Vining Memorial Church, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe.

Badagry respectively.

Speaking on the effect of the price of crude oil on the state’s economy, Ambode said: “Twothird of the Lagos revenue is generated from tax. And we knew that a day like this will come and that was why we strengthened our tax system.

“There are eight million residents of Lagos who should be in the tax net but we have only four million captured at present. The next strategy is to ensure that we become more efficient in generating more revenue internally. We will be more creative with it by pleading with those that are yet to embrace the payment of tax in the state. The tax we get was what we have used to develop the state” But Agbaje was quick to fault the claim by Ambode, saying “the state government is putting the burden of the eight million persons who should have paid tax on the four million tax payers.

And it is heavy and they are grumbling. You have to expand the tax net rather than over burden the few that are complying. Also, there is need to expand the economy to create more jobs and others.”

He noted that the r e v e n u e generated within the state was enough to cater for

the state needs. “But there is a lot of wastage by the government. At the moment, the state does not encourage businesses.”

Ogunseye avowed that “the drop in oil price globally does not translate to over taxing the residents. Rather than increase the tax levies, I will increase the number of production and the number of people engaged in it.

Our problem is that few people are doing the job.

Jacob said the tax regime in the state has forced “a lot of SMEs to relocate to Ogijo and Mowe in Ogun State. But for us, we will give tax holidays to these smaller companies in order to thrive.”

According to Akele; “The bulk of the revenue generated by the state government is been mismanaged by some individuals. But when I am

elected, I will use 15 per cent of the revenue generated in the state to run the State service and we will terminate the contract of those private individuals who manage the tax administration in the state. And we will have enough funds to provide infrastructure.

On education

On the challenges affecting education, Agbaje lamented; “82 per cent of the state budget in this sector is spent on recurrent expenditure. All the funds allocated to education was always spent on salaries. And with that, our education will not improve. The education of today is not for the factory but about creativity."

The PDP candidate added; ”The state government spends three per cent on primary

education and that is the key because if the foundation is not effective, there can never be solid structure.”

Akele noted that public school classrooms were overcrowded, saying; “The student ratio in our time was 20 students to a teacher.

But in Lagos, our classroom is like a venue for Town Hall meeting. We will reduce the population in the classrooms.

“For instance, the infrastructure in Lagos State University, LASU, is in shambles. It is disservice to the founders of the institution.

The current government has inflicted injury on the residents of the state.”

Jacob affirmed that everything was wrong with education because the students who graduated from the College of Educations in the state do not go into teaching, adding “the government is not making teaching attractive.”

Ambode in a swift reaction said: “Agbaje said that 85 per cent of the state budget is spent on salary. That is not true. He didn’t understand that there are several schools in the state and the population of the pupils is increasing daily.

“And the number of teachers must also increase. Obviously, the numbers reflect the number of teachers and others that were gainfully employed by the government. Also there would be need to review the curriculum to ensure that our youths meet international standards.”

You have no governance experience before 1999, Agbaje tells Tinubu

Agbaje in reaction to the claim

by Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against him, said that Tinubu had no governance experience before assuming the post of governor in the state.

“Even the national leader of the ruling party in Lagos did not have government experience before he was elected as governor of this state in 1999. All he had was three months as Senator before he was elected."

Ambode reacting, said: “But the result of what that leader (Tinubu) did can speak for itself.”

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 —11

Ogun LP snubs Kawonise, picks Sunmola as gov candidate zNEC's decision is illegal —Kawonise

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—CONTRARY to the belief that, former commissioner of Information during Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration, Sina Kawonise would emerge as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Ogun State,the party has announced a maritime consultant, comrade Abolaji Sunmola as its governorship candidate for the forthcoming election in the state.

Sunmola, an indigene of Gbagura in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of the state, aged 54, was said to have been selected by members of the National Working Committee of the party and had submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The state Secretary of the Party, Sunday Oginni disclosed this yesterday while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta .

Oginni explained that the party had replaced the name of the state party chairman , Olabode Simeon whose name had been submitted as the party governorship candidate with Sunmola.

But, Kawonise in his reaction described the development as illegality, threatening that he had assembled his team of lawyers to drag the party to the court for redress.

According to Oginni, the national leadership of the party has the final say on the choice of governorship candidate and they have chosen comrade Abolaji Sunmola as the party

flagbearer.

“The party has also announced a retired teacher from Ijebu-Ode local government, Alhaja Bolanle Bonajo as the running mate .

Speaking on the criteria considered for the choice of the governorship candidate, Oginni said “ we looked at the curriculum vitae of all the aspirants before we chose comrade Sunmola because he is a unionist and a labour leader of maritime force.

“We need somebody from Ogun state that is independent. We believe his candidacy is a total break from the past”, he said.

Commenting on why the party shut the door at Kawonise whose had been an aspirant, Oginni said,

the choice of Sunmola was carefully done, saying, the party appreciated the efforts put in by Kawonise.

Kawonise reacts

Reacting to his loss, Kawonise said his attention has been drawn to an illegality committed by the National Working Committee of the Labour Party in submitting the name of Abolaji Sunmola to the INEC as the LP Governorship Candidate in Ogun State.

Kawonise in a statement he personally signed,said “the fact of the matter is that I am the lawfully elected candidate of the LP in the state. I was the sole aspirant that attended the

affirmative Congress of the LP in Abeokuta on December 10, 2014.

“The Congress that returned me as the Governorship Candidate was witnessed by INEC, the Directorate of State Security, DSS, the Police, and the Mass Media.

“It is on record that the INEC team that witnessed the Congress duly wrote the Report of the Congress returning me as the Governorship candidate and submitted same to INEC headquarters in Abuja.

“My legal team has concluded briefs to take up the matter in the appropriate court.

BIRTHDAY: The celebrator and Vice President, NLC and General-Secretary, NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu (2nd left), his wife, Hajiya Hamdallat (left), Governor Rauf Aregbeshola of Osun State, and chairman of the occasion, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, retd, at the Celebration of Life/Books presentation to Mark Comrade Aremu's 54th birthday in Ilorin. Photo:Olu Ajayi.

ELECTION: Fayose warns against Obasanjo's ‘antics'

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DO EKITI—EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has warned Nigerians to beware of the banana peel being thrown on their path by former President Olusegun

Obasanjo as the nation prepares for next month’s presidential election.

Fayose who said the North deserved to present a better candidate among the myriad

of brilliant and intellectuals they have and not old horse like the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari whose

state of health is a concern to all Nigerians.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti by the governor yesterday, he said Nigerians should be wary of the former president’s intention regarding who should be elected president during the election.

According to Fayose, Obasanjo should also be watched for his romance with some leaders in the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, despite claiming to be a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. “Nigerians should be wary of Obasanjo’s banana peel. He was the one who put forward Umar Yar ‘Adua as the president knowing the man’s state of health and the man died in office."

Ondo PDP leaders deny defection to APC

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By Dayo Johnson

KURE—SOME leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State whose names were listed among those alleged to have defected to the opposition party have come out to debunk the claim.

The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Hon. Banji Okunomo in Akure displayed a letter written to the party by one of the supposed decampees ,Mr Segun Adagunodo denying his reported move.

Also, a former Commissioner in the state also mentioned as having defected, Chief Akin Akingbesote has also denied the report.

Akingbesote who denied the report said at no time did he discuss with anybody that he was going to leave the party.

The former Commerce Commissioner added that he was thoroughly embarrassed by the report and thus urged his followers to disregard the information which he attributed to the handiwork of desperate politicians.

Arewa community in Ogun endorse PDP gov candidate

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BEOKUTA—THE Hausa community in Ogun state has endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate for Ogun state, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as its choice of governor of the State come May 29, this year.

Isiaka’s ambition got the boost yesterday at Ilaro where a consultative meeting of the community took the decision.

The state leader, Mallam Audu Sanni flanked by other executives including Alhaji Muhammed Lawal, Alhaji Abdulhamud Usman said at the occassion, “We have been deceived by this current Administration that promised us so much but did nothing.

We are more even disappointed with the scrapping of the offices created for non-indigenes by the past government. This has made us unwelcome and irrelevant in the current dispensation.

“We have looked at the antecedents of Prince Isiaka and discovered him to be honest and trustworthy; Moreso that we believe he can transform the state from its current poor economic condition where business is at its lowest ebb.”

12—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Bini indigenes slam Oshiomhole over demolition of UNIBEN property

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—A BENIN-based socio-cultural group, Edowuoya, has expressed dismay over the demolition of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Senior Staff Quarters, including the official residence of former ViceChancellor of the university, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin, by Edo State Government, insisting that the action was a “disrespect to the rule of law.”

The group, in a statement by its convener, Mr. Ken Owie, in Benin yesterday, also accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s government of ignoring “an appeal for stay of execution” by the university before embarking on the demolition exercise.

He said: “The action was targeted at our illustrious son, Prof Oshodin, the immediate, Vice Chancellor of the University to humiliate him.

We, therefore, implore the exercise of humility and decorum in governance.”

The group restated its commitment to always defend and protect illustrious Bini sons and daughters from calculated harassment and humiliations by those in authority, including government.

It will be recalled that the said property had been an issue of litigation between Edo State Government and the University of Benin with the institution claiming that the 18 bungalows were handed to the university as a “gift” by the then Military Governor of the defunct Bendel State, Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia

(ret), following the establishment of the University in 1970.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Government insisted that the university's occupation of the property was meant to be “temporary.”

However, a state High Court, last December, delivered a judgment on the disputed

property in favour of the state government and by the court judgment, the state government last week demolished the buildings.

The state Attorney-General, Henry Idahagbon, had, while defending the government action, said: “It’s not demolition, we only took possession of our property,” in line with the High Court judgment.

INAUGURATION: From right: Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Prince Goddy Agba and PDP governorship candidate, Prof. Ben Ayade, at the inauguration of PDP campaign council and organisation in Calabar, yesterday.

Rivers presents N335bn appropriation bill

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, presented the state's 2015 Appropriation Bill of N335 billion to the state House of Assembly for consideration.

The budget estimate of N335 billion is 31 percent lower than that of last year which was N485.524 billion.

Presenting the budget proposal at the auditorium of the old Government House, Amaichi said that his administration will no more embark on borrowing this year, since it was due to elapse in five months time.

He said the Appropriation Bill, which he tagged Budget of Completion, will focus on completion of ongoing projects.

Amaechi, who spoke on his achievements in the last seven years, said his successor would consolidate on the gains of his administration.

According to him, recurrent expenditure is N118.685 billion, while N216.315 billion is for capital expenditure.

“The policy thrust of the 2015 budget will be clearing the state’s debt stock; no commercial borrowing, commitment to aggressive and sustainable

internal revenue; completion of all ongoing projects nearing completion and taking others to advanced level for completion by the in-coming government; sustenance of good governance through budget discipline, transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public funds and reforming and maintaining a robust public financial

management structure, system and processes that bring about efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources.

“In the next five months, my government will be coming to an end. We began this administration with the clear objective of delivering sustainable infrastructure to drive economic growth.

“Within this period, our commitment is to complete and put to use the first phase of the mono-rail project; 95 percent of the roads have been completed.

In the remaining life of this administration, we shall be putting finishing touches to the road infrastructures in terms of beautification and provision of street lights,” he said.

Oshiomhole chides PDP, as Edo APC flags off campaigns Representatives “unlike the governor said: “Over the past

By Simon Ebegbulem

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ENIN—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, kicked off its senatorial campaign Wednesday, with Governor Adams Oshiomhole boasting that the antecedents of candidates of the APC will guarantee them victory in the forthcoming polls.

He said that the Edo South senatorial district candidate of the APC and Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr Samson Osagie, is one that Bini people will be proud to have in the Senate based on his experience both as a former House of Assembly member and a member of the House of

PDP candidate, Matthew Urhoghide who is a neophyte in law making.”

Introducing the APC candidates to the crowd at the rally of the party which kicked off at the traditional Urhokpota Ground, Benin City, the

four years, Samson has been the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives. When you listen to him speak on issues of Edo State, and the Nigerian economy, on issues of Nigeria's well-being, you feel happy as an Edo man."

Djebah emerges GCUOBA President

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OVERNMENT College Ughelli Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, Lagos Branch, has elected a new executive with Chief Clement Djebah emerging the new President of the body. The election, held at the pre-AGM of the association, saw the emergence of Mr. Cyril Ogude (Vice President); Mr.

Efe Awhana ( Secretary); Mr. Felix Osuere (Asst. Secretary); Paul Karika (Financial Secretary); Mr. Chidozie Onyemem (Treasurer); Mr. Steve Ighofose (Publicity Secretary); Mr. Gordons Egbedi (Ex-Officio), Col. David Binitie (Ex-Officio), and Sir Festus Obayiuwana (ExOfficio).

FEB POLLS: Dickson drums support for Jonathan

By Samuel Oyadongha

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E N A G OA — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has again urged politicians in the state to jettison selfish motives and be united in their efforts at galvanizing support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming presidential election.

Dickson, at the 47th State Executive Council meeting in Yenagoa, also called on security agencies to step up their efforts at ensuring that the state maintains its peaceful atmosphere for socio-economic activities to thrive.

The governor, who thanked Bayelsans for their love and support for his administration, decried the activities of some overzealous politicians, who according to him, use cheap blackmail and propaganda to run down the people-oriented policies and programmes of the state government for their narrow political interests.

He urged such politicians to have a rethink and join hands with members of the restoration team in mobilizing support for President Jonathan, especially at the national level.

Dickson advised those who intend to run for the governorship of the state not to heat up the polity, noting that it was not yet time for such political activities.

His words: “In this state, we don’t have an early governorship election.

The earliest time nomination processes will start, by my reckoning, will be August/September or maybe even later than that.

“So, all the people that are flexing muscles are doing so at the wrong time. And, their aim clearly is to distract us, but we will remain focused.

At the right time, our politics will commence. In the past three years, we have been working without playing politics. I still will like us to try and keep it that way."

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Diezani to commission three 25mw gas turbines for P-Harcourt refinery

By Chris Ochayi

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BUJA — MINISTER of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke will soon ommission three 25 megawatts gas turbines, aimed at facilitating uninterrupted power supply to the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, PHRC, in Rivers State.

The power plants to be installed and operated by an independent power producer is part of measures to ensure continuous and unimpeded refining of petroleum products in PHRC. The Group Executive Director, GED, Refining and Petrochemical of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Engr. Gregory Udoh, disclosed this in an exclusive interview in Abuja.

Udoh said the arrangement with the independent power producers was aimed at ensuring steady power supply to the refinery Speaking in similar vein, the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Engr.

Bafred Enjugu, said the turn-around maintenance of the refinery was ongoing and the facility was running optimally.

Transition

Late Mrs. Chikeluba

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RS. PATRICIA Chikeluba, who died on October 20, 2014 in Awka, aged 87, will be buried on January 23, 2015, at her compound, Umudunu-Agbaja, Abatete, in Idemili-North Local Government Area, Anambra State, after a Requiem Mass at St. Dominic Catholic Church at the same town.

Survived by five children, grand and great grand children and a host of other relations, late Mrs. Chikeluba will be given vigil mass on January 22.

APC govt'll cater for women, youths, end insurgency — Buhari

By Levinus Nwabughiogu proposals that will promote the manpower development and & By Gbenga Oke

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BUJA — ALL Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), yesterday, in Abuja, said APC government would not only initiate policies and programmes that would impact positively on the lives of youths and women, if voted into office, but would also provide the necessary military equipment and personnel to end insurgency in the country.

In two separate statements, through APC and APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, APCPCO, Buhari promised Nigerians a better and safer country if APC was voted into power in the February 14 presidential election.

Buhari, while expressing his condolence to the families of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives in various military operations to keep Nigeria secure including the current battle against the insurgents in North East, in a statement through APC, said: ‘’May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace. An APC government will provide the necessary military equipment and personnel to prosecute the battle effectively and efficiently as soon as we are voted into power in the forthcoming elections.

"APC as a party also recognises the sufferings of the pensioners whose pension arrears and gratuity have remained a serious problem. This will be corrected by the APC government.

"I urge you all in the Armed Forces to remain apolitical and focus on the ethos of discipline which is the hallmark of your profession. I wish to assure you of my unalloyed commitment to returning the Armed Forces to its place of pride among comity of nations.

"I am aware of the neglect of the military over the years and assure you that everything will be done within available resources to train and equip the military to the level comparable with other developed armies of the world in the shortest possible time.

"The Nigerian military had accomplished a lot of feats in building and ensuring global security and peace in conjunction with the armed forces of other great nations of the world as was experienced in the Congo, SierraLeone, Liberia, Lebanon and other areas (since the Armed Forces were established) Therefore, I call on all Nigerians to join us in the APC in our quest to making Nigeria a better place for all.

In another statement through, APCPCO’s Directorate of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Buhari said: "APC's manifesto contains several innovations and legislative

social participation of women and youths in the country.

The statement, signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, said: “Drawing extensively from the information contained in the APC’s manifesto, a federal government under the leadership of Buhari promises to offer women and youths in Nigeria a new deal.

"We are firmly committed to the value that women are the backbone of the Nigerian society, especially in our rural communities. Therefore, issues that matter to the average Nigerian

woman cut across the spectrum of policy areas, such as agriculture – where they predominate as farmers and farm labourers – to health and education, where their concern for their children are paramount.

“Our policy position for women takes into cognisance the fact that in spite of several rights outlined in the 1999 Constitution, many women do not enjoy the same freedoms as men, particularly in the fields of education, economic empowerment and political participation.

"No society can progress where half of its population suffers

systemic discrimination. An APC government will seek to end all forms of gender discrimination in both public and private sectors, in education, employment and housing and also protect equal property and inheritance rights.”

The statement explained the core policy objectives of the APC for women and youths to include, “improving anti-discriminatory legislation and instituting meritbased action in employment; injecting gender as a component of federal character and appointing a Minister for Women and Gender in the Office of the President."

MEETING: From left, Ebonyi State Governor, Matins Elechi; his Abia State counterpart, Theodore Orji; Professor Viola Onwuliri, Minister of State for Education, and retired Col. Austine Akobundu, National Vice Chairman, PDP South-East, at a meeting of South-East states' coordinators of President Jonathan Campaign Organisation, in Umuahia.

.... Nigerians need explanation over botched ceasefire

M

EANTIME, THE APCPCO has criticised the Presidency for its refusal to explain what transpired in the collapse of the ceasefire deal with Boko Haram terrorists.

It accused the Presidency of keeping sealed lips over the failed truce despite repeated reports that the ceasefire deal would take effect immediately.

APCPCO said: “Accountability is the dividing line between a dictatorship and a democratic government, but the Jonathan administration is behaving as if it owes Nigerians no explanations over the failed ceasefire deal.

"On October 17, 2014, the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh excitedly told the nation that a ceasefire deal had been reached with Boko Haram, which also included the release of the Chibok girls within a week.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—15

Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja, around Nigeria

From left, Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Chief Justice, Mahmud Mohammed; FCT Minister, Bala mohhamed, and Malian ambassador, Mahamane Amadou Maiga, during the laying of wreaths to mark the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day 2015, in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, inspecting Guard of Honour to commemorate the 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance day, in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa

President Goodluck Jonathan, laying wreaths, in Abuja, Chairman of Nigerian Legion, Mr. John Tabat, yesterday. at Abuja. Photo: Olu Ajayi

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, in Akure

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in Kaduna inspecting a Guard of Honour, in Asaba

Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in Deputy Speaker, House of Reps. Hon Emeka Osogbo.

Ihedioha, in Abuja

Edo State Gover nor, Adams Oshiomhole, inspecting a Guard of Honour,in Benin.

16—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

NCP flags off presidential campaign in Enugu

Okorocha tasks Imo REC on modalities for next month's polls

By Chidi Nkwopara

By Francis Igata

E

NUGU—THE N a t i o n a l Conscience Party, NCP, has flagged off its presidential campaigns in Enugu State, vowing to tackle corruption which it said breeds poverty and unemployment.

NCP was founded in 1994 by the late human right activist, Chief Gani Fahwehmi SAN. While unveiling the presidential candidate before supporters at the party secretariat, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Yunusa Tanko, said, “NCP is the only party that fought for nonpayment of fees to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by political aspirants at all level. We have ensured that our democracy is sustained through articulated people oriented policies. ''The problem of the country is that our collective wealth has been diverted by a few. On assumption of office, we will work assiduously to block all lope holes where public funds are diverted from.NCP will ensure that security of live and property is achieved through education, steady power supply and creation of jobs.”

The presidential candidate, Mr. Martin Onovo, urged the electorate to cast their votes for the party, insisting that an NCP government would reduce fuel price by improved domestic crude oil refining.

He said:”We will increase minimum wage by reducing maximum wage, while maintaining the total wage bill. We will double power generation, transmission and distribution in three years.”

C M Y K

O

WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, yesterday in Owerri, called on the new Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state, Dr. Gabriel Ada, to summon a meeting of all the stakeholders in the state, including the candidates to discuss the modalities to be adopted for the February polls.

Okorocha made the appeal when he played host to the new Imo REC in Government

House, Owerri.

“Imo people would accept nothing less than transparent election. I urge you and your staff to ensure that the right thing is done in the forthcoming general elections”, Okorocha said.

The governor told the commissioner that Imo people would not accept piecemeal issuance of electoral materials, saying “Imo people would not accept piecemeal issuance of electoral materials. We would like to see all the electoral materials

move at the same time.”

He accused the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, of planning to write the election result, stressing that everybody in the state was waiting to see how the party would rig the polls.

“Imo government is peopleoriented. We have the people and they would expect you to do your best to ensure transparency. The APC believes in free and fair election. Democracy is all that we have, and once it is deep-rooted, poverty will be eradicated in the

country”, Okorocha insisted.

Responding, Dr. Ada assured that the commission would provide a level playing ground for all the parties and candidates, stressing that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would not allow anybody to hijack ballot boxes to thumbprint.

He said those who had collected other people’s permanent voters cards, PVCs, were only wasting their time, because it would not be useful to them.

According to him, “I will do my best to make sure that the election will be free and fair.

My people have gone back to the field to distribute the PVCs at the ward level. Those who have taken other people’s cards will not and cannot use them. There won’t be any foul game. The people of the state should shun violence and ensure peace.”

...Blasts visionless leaders LAUNCH: From left; Expert Lead, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc, Ms. Chinyere Chima; Marketing Manager, Wellness, GSK, Mr. Ogbemi Kesiena; President, Nigeria Paediatric Association, Prof. Adebiyi Olowu; President, African Paediatric Association & Societies, Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo and Marketing Director, West Africa, GSK Consumer Health, Ms. Kerry Alexander at the launch of GSK’s Panadol Children and Scott’s Emulsion in Lagos, yesterday.

...Says they continue to draw Nigeria backward

By Chidi Nkwopara

Enugu PDP denies violating court order on Ugwuanyi

E

NUGU—Enugu State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dismissed report accusing the PDP of violating a purported court order restraining it from recognising Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party ’s governorship candidate in the state.

This came as a former Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Ogbo Asogwa has criticised Senator Ayogu Eze

and some other PDP governorship aspirants, including Prof. Onyeke O. Onyeke and Dr Sam Onyishi for “not deeming it fit to join the Enugu PDP family to receive President Goodluck Jonathan during the recent presidential rally in Enugu”.

Speaking yesterday on behalf of PDP, an Abuja-based legal practitioner and one of the leaders of the party in Enugu, Chief Onwurah Aniagboso, said the PDP, had addressed the matter extensively before now and explained that “there was no such order.”

He maintained that the PDP remained a law-abiding party and “could not have disobeyed an order that is inexistent in the first place”.

“Yes, there are two pending cases on the Enugu PDP governorship primary before Justice S.E Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. One was filed by Sen. Ayogu Eze against the PDP, but Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s Counsel, P.I.N Ikwueto (SAN) applied and Ugwanyi was joined in the suite,while another case is Dr. Samuel Onyishi V. PDP.”

He explained that although it was true that Senator Ayogu Eze had initially asked for an ex-parte order to restrain the PDP from submitting Ugwuanyi’s name to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as Enugu PDP governorship candidate, the court turned down the prayer and demanded that the PDP and INEC be put on Notice.

Chief Aniagboso said he was aware that the PDP’s counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), filed a preliminary objection on resumption of the case on December 18, 2004, contesting that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case, which had been adjourned to January 14, 2015.

It could however be recalled that the case was not heard due to the industrial action by the judicial workers union.

According to him, “I am also aware that the court did not grant any prayer by Dr. Onyishi’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN) seeking to restrain the PDP from submitting Hon. Ugwuanyi’s name to the INEC or restraining INEC from accepting Ugwuanyi as Enugu PDP governorship candidate.''

I

N another development Governor Okorocha, has said visionless leaders have continued to draw the nation backward despite the abundance human and material resources.

Okorocha, who spoke yesterday in Owerri, while flagging off the MTN Foundation Eyesight Restoration Intervention Scheme, MTNF EyeRIS, also described loss of sight as “the worst thing that can happen to any human being. What we are suffering today in Nigeria resulted from the lack of vision of our leaders. I am grateful to management of MTN for mounting this programme in the state.”

While describing the event as humanitarian in content and spirit, the governor noted that life was totally meaningless when the poor and needy were abandoned in the scheme of things.

Speaking , Commissioner for Health, Dr. Edward Ihejirika, recalled that the General Hospital, Umuguma, used to be a centre of excellence in eye treatment, but regretted that the place had gone down for some time now.

On his part, MTN Chairman, Dr. Paschal Dozie, said that apart from the health sector, the MTN Foundation had invested in education and economic empowerment across the country.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 —17

An honour deserved

I

AM proud to highlight the fact that Engineer Abiye Membere - a consummate professional and highly respected son of my home state, Rivers was, this week, conferred with a Fellowship of the distinguished Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Membere, a seriously impressive brainbox, studied Petroleum Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt and went from strength to strength thereafter.

He eventually became a senior Gas Production Advisor at a famous international American oil company (Exxon Mobil), the Managing Director of the Beninbased Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and a Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

His enviable career has taken him all over the world, enabled him to work with many worldclass oil/gas industry experts and provided him with several intellectually enriching learning opportunities and valuable practical experiences.

Given that Membere also happens to be a warm-hearted Jolly Good Fellow, one can only express the hope that God continues to push him onwards and upwards.

the President and the government.

It is only a matter of weeks since Maku left a job that made him one of Jonathan’s right-hand men and gave him control over government media outlets such as the Nigerian Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation.

Now, all of a sudden, he is an Opposition guy whose priority is to fight the PDP candidate to a standstill! And, by the way, APGA was not Maku’s first choice when the PDP ticket eluded him. He initially tried to secure the Labour Party ticket. But the Labour Party wasn’t having any of it and firmly sent him packing.

And it’s not as if Maku’s protestations about his reasons for leaving sound sincere. According to him, he left because of irregularities that allegedly took place during the PDP primary. “I opted out in order to seek for justice , “ he said.

Governorship flag But he has always, in the past, loudly sung the PDP’s praises; and we all know that if the PDP had chosen him to fly its governorship flag, he would have assured the world that the PDP primary went very well and was laudably transparent!

Let’s face it: He refused to graciously accept defeat only because of vanity, only because he can’t bear the thought of looking for a normal job after years of enjoying excessive government perks, only be-

Comic relief part one The immediate past Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Maku, who recently resigned from President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet to contest the Nassarawa State governorship election, lost the PDP governorship ticket to a rival (Alhaji Yusuf Agabi) who defeated him and 3 other contenders.

So he flounced off into the APGA camp. Just like that. With hardly a backward glance. How very comical and undignified some of these Naija politicians are!

It is only a matter of weeks since Maku could be seen on international and local TV channels, passionately defending the PDP, C M Y K

I keep harping on about this gross insensitivity because it shocks me deeply. I find it traumatic and unforgiveable

Maku cause he reckons that he is entitled to be a Governor by any means possible and only because he has no shame.

As for APGA’s Nassarawa State branch: It must be absolutely desperate!

Malema mocks Jonathan Julius Malema, a radical South African activist, mocked and criticised President Goodluck Jonathan a couple of days ago.

First he made fun of Mr President’s first name, describing him as “Goodlook or Badluck or whatever his name is…”

Then he described Jonathan as “irresponsible” for saying nothing about recent Boko Haram killings in his own country, while releasing a statement about the recent Islamic terrorist killings thousands of miles away – in France (where l8 people were gunned down by Al Quaeda thugs).

Considering that at least 2000 innocent citizens have been murdered in Baga and other parts of North-Eastern Nigeria in recent days – and that many have also lost their homes and entire possessions - one can only agree with Malema.

Sure, I am not happy about a youngish pup like Malema cheekily mangling the President of Nigeria’s name. But Jonathan is always doing stuff that encourages people to diss him and deprive him of the reverence his position should attract.

And it IS downright irresponsible – and utterly OUTRA-

Julius Malema GEOUS – for a Head of State to offer condolences to foreigners and then seem to completely overlook far worse crimes that are being inflicted on his compatriots in his backyard.

Jonathan has a habit of coming across as heartless. I keep harping on about his decision to bestow a national award on Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior who presided over a botched recruitment exercise that led to many deaths.

I keep harping on about this gross insensitivity because it shocks me deeply. I find it traumatic and unforgiveable; and I cannot understand why Jonathan would rather heartlessly cling to a lacklustre minister he can easily live without than display a genuine concern for the dead and their families.

In a normal country, Abba Moro

would have voluntarily resigned or been sacked. In the warped land of Jonathan and his cronies, Moro not only retains his posh post but winds up being publicly rewarded for handling it so disastrously!

Na wa for Nigerians for putting up with such amoral, insulting rubbish!

Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 0802 747 6458 OR 0811 675 9752 (texts only).

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18 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014 NIGERIA is populated by leaders. We probably have more leaders than the led.

Everywhere you turn, there is a leader, where he leads, and his ideas of leadership do not seem to be issues that bother the people.

Leader is the buzz word for anyone who seems to wield influence, mostly imaginary.

Admitted that fairness is alien to our politicians, we should be fair, by asking them questions about our future which is rarely captured in the bogus promises they are making about 2015.

It is the season of promises. Most of them are rehashes of fabulous promises that have been made since 1999, copied from faded copies of 1979 manifestoes and regurgitated to digital relevance for a people, who can really say they have seen it all.

From all sides it is the same. The bigger the promises, the bigger the befuddlement of the electorates – politicians have held them captive.

We have promises from all sides. Without an appraisal of what others have done, all those who want power are on a campaign to prove that Nigeria had been badly

Ques tion F or Our Question For Leade rs Leaders managed.

Now they remember the people. Politics is about the people they keep telling us, especially at times like these when they want the people to vote for the next round of the invasion of our resources.

What roles have the same politicians who want our votes played in our lives since 1999? When last did they bother about our lives? Are they telling us anything new?

What proof, from their performances, do they have to support their promises?

If national concerns are the welfare of the people, how have our governments applied Section 14 2 (b) of the

1999Constitution to their actions?

According to the section, “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” .

Concerned politicians should know they have ignored the people for too long.

As if they have not done enough damage, they are determined to shut down the chances of the peoples’ participation in their government, contrary to Section 14 2 (c), which states, “The participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.

The indifferent position of governments, not only in Abuja, to Section14 2(b) is responsible for democratic governments that have become government of the people “without the people”. Things are getting worse. Politicians through their actions distance the people further from their governments each election season.

Our people should realise that token politics for votes, is not only insulting to their dignity but is the ticket politicians require to appropriate our country to themselves at the people’s expense.

OPINION

By Bonaventure Melah

M

RS. Idowu Alakija was appointed the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) barely three weeks ago. By all standards, Mrs. Alakija is a woman of substance and a rare gem.

This is in view of her well respected family background, numerous academic qualifications and excellent track record of service from 1984 when she was called to Nigerian Bar to her current position. She was the pioneer Head/Director Citizens Mediator Centre Lagos State. Alumni of various first- grade institutions across the globe. She was at Lansdowne Tutors London; University of Lagos; Queen’s Mary & Westfield College University of London; International Law Institute, Washington D.C. and Harvard University, Boston. The new Lagos DPP is a member of International Association of Prosecutors and the International Bar Association; An Associate Member of both the Institute of Taxation and the Chartered Institute of Mediators & Conciliators. It was in recognition of her very rich experience and quality contributions to development that she received the Lagos State Award of Excellence in 2003.

In view of the above, it is therefore surprising that the first major assignment Mrs. Alakija has taken barely three weeks after her appointment was to direct that a fresh case bothering on theft and sale of

Between Daily Times and Lagos DPP Daily Times property be commenced against Folio Communications Limited and their owners, the Anosike brothers.

The action of the new Lagos DPP is curious because this allegation has been recycled several times and taken to various courts in the past. In each case however, the allegation has been thrown out by the courts on grounds that it lacked merit. The courts have arrived on this conclusion because both the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the National Council on Privatisation that sold Daily Times on behalf of the Federal Government have testified before the courts that Folio

The decision to commence another round of prosecution on the case may have been taken by the new DPP following a hurried ‘briefing’ by some staff of her office who do not really have regard for the merit or otherwise of such cases

Communications Limited duly bought and completely paid for Daily Times following a transparent process of privatisation and in accordance with the laws establishing the two bodies.

Is it not trite law that a man cannot steal that which belongs to him?

The genesis of this case was a criminal prosecution initiated by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) against Folio Communications Limited and the Anosike brothers following a petition by Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, a minority interest holder struggling for the control and takeover of Daily Times of Nigeria on the basis of a loan DSV, a company owned by Senator Obiorah gave to Folio Communications. In trying to prosecute the case, the AGF had referred the petition to the Inspector General of Police for investigation. In a letter written to the AGF dated 6th May 2010 and titled ‘RE-FINAL REPORT, THE CASE OF FRAUD IN THE DAILY TIMES NIG. PLC (CRN NO:94/10),’ the Inspector General of Police had directed that ‘The case be regarded as a civil case in nature.’ Seeing that his efforts had hit the rocks, the AGF transferred the case to Lagos State.

Some analysts had suggested then that the AGF had transferred the case to Lagos hoping that the Anosike brothers would be at a disadvantage on the basis of ethnic sentiments.

Following the transfer, the office of the Lagos State Government Director of Public Prosecution took up the matter at an Ikeja High Court presided over

by Justice Habeed Abiru. But after several months of delay due to uncountable number of adjournments at the DPP’s office, Justice Abiru on Monday 7th May 2012 dismissed the case while berating the Prosecution for shadow chasing and dragging innocent people around. The learned Justice had questioned in his ruling that “If your home is not tidy, why should the people outside suffer?”

Three years down the line, a new Lagos State DPP has directed that another round of unnecessary distraction be commenced against Folio and its owners. This is coming after these hard working Nigerians have brought Daily Times back to news stand across the country in spite of the numerous obstacles placed on their way by enemies of progress including dozens of litigations that have gulped millions of dollars. The paper which made a big come- back a few weeks ago is now better packaged with richer editorial content.

The decision to commence another round of prosecution on the case may have been taken by the new DPP following a hurried ‘briefing’ by some staff of her office who do not really have regard for the merit or otherwise of such cases.

*Mr. Melah, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015— —19

Struggle for Nigeria, by Nigerians

By Clement Udegbe A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people --John F Kennedy.

I

N the short period of democracy in the life of Nigeria, Presidential election periods have always remained an interesting time, when all types of new political jargons, manipulations, and horse trading leading to the fall and rise of political gladiators.

We have moved from terms like ‘men of timber and caterpillar, juggernauts ’, ‘political mayhem’, nascent democracy to civilian militancy, and now insurgency, to describe stake holders and situations in Nigeria. In those days, presidential elections seasons were filled with excitement, and entertainment. No matter what the politicians did or said, no one ever threatened the unity of Nigeria, and as such observers were sure that the nation would remain intact. The old conviction that nothing will break Nigeria may have encouraged some of political leaders and stakeholders to conduct themselves the way they do , say the things they say to one another, even incite violence openly ,while some write us morale damaging letters that tend to shatter the confidence of the youth in Nigeria, and yet feel that

Nigeria will over look them and their actions and even vote for some of them, or their candidates in the 2015 election. They forget that things have changed and are still changing very fast, and that people have started entertaining the fear that if nothing drastic is done, Nigeria could actually beak up.

In the era of our 1960 independence euphoria, any Nigerian could live in any part of Nigeria in pursuit of his legitimate business without fear, of being killed or sent away on account of his dialect, religion or region, but the pogrom and genocide of 1966 against the Igbos started the change in the way we do things in Nigeria. The civil war that was precipitated by that action caused Nigerians for the first time to pursue other Nigerians to kill them in the name of keeping Nigeria as one. Yes, Nigeria remained one after the civil war, but we as a nation learnt that we can kill each other and justify it.Those who fought and won that civil war, quickly learnt how to control the polity through the gun, and military coups, some by amassing mind bungling degrees of wealth, other through blackmail, and political gang up, while hatred for each other continued to grow. They created political parties under such circumstances and gave us the National Party of Nigeria, the then ruling party, the Unity Party of Nigeria, the main opposition

By Daniel Iworiso-Markson

D

RIVING around the city of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, there is the conscious feeling of some bold steps by the state government to modernise the city. The once glorified state capital is gradually wearing a new look befitting its status and there is a buzz of activities particularly in road construction shaping the beauty of the entire landscape. From the dualization of the 11-kilometre Isaac Boro Road, which almost cuts across half of the city of Yenagoa to the dualized Opolo Road, the AIT-Elebele Road to Igbogene by-pass down to Melford Okilo Road, infrastructural provision is defining development as a deliberate act of government. The quality of the jobs is also noticeable as they are being handled by the construction giant, Julius Berger. It is also difficult not to see the first and only flyover in the city siting pretty as a mark of good thinking.The various constructions are now either completed or nearing completion. The extent of urban renewal is impressive. Development from a comparative standpoint, is giving a new meaning to inter-related possibilities.

Yet the challenge of infrastructure is statewide and why the construction of roads and bridges is also affecting the three senatorial districts. The Toru-Ebeni Bridge has now crossed to link other communities in that axis, which was a project abandoned for a long time. With government’s intervention, people can now drive to Nembe. Similarly, the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road is recording impressive work rate just as the sand-filling of the other senatorial road has now gone beyond Ofori with high expectation that before April, sand-filling of the road up to Ekeremor would have been concluded.

But since development is all encompassing, this means the other sectors would also have to be given due attention, even in relative terms, and consequently the Restoration Government in the state has stretched the hand of development to security, education, job creation, human capital development, commerce and industry, transportation, health, sports,

C M Y K

We need a new party or movement, that will not only ensure that people above 60 years do not occupy elective offices by affirmative actions, but abhor money politics party, and the Nigerian Peoples Party, and the moderates, among other many parties. This was when the Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Chairman who was accused by the opposition party of corruption, announced on prime television that he would faint if he saw One million Naira cash. Things have changed so badly that today, INEC officials are accused of collecting hundreds of millions of Naira, and they won’t blink !

Our then military leaders later experimented at great costs, with a two party system, and not being satisfied, returned us to a multiparty system, in 1999, while hatred

and despise for each other continued to grow and creep deeply into the political system of Nigeria. A sudden shift in power to the south of Nigeria in 1999, brought the hatred among Nigerians to the fore.

We were told by some persons that Nigeria was a gift by the colonial masters to the north, especially to the Hausa Fulani tribe, to rule, and exploit at their whims and caprices. Many from other tribes of the country differed to the born to rule attitude, for obvious reasons, and this has created the big struggle for who rules and controls Nigeria, among Nigerians.

The interplay of the forces of hatred for humanity, and fellow Nigerians, religion, and global spread of terrorism gave birth to what has graduated from a terrorist to insurgency group called Boko Haram. Nigeria has so changed, that the nation once referred to as the happiest nation of the world now has bombers including female suicide bombers willing to kill fellow Nigerians.

Some of our political juggernauts have opined that Boko Haram is the result of a social situation of poverty and unemployment tainted with religion. This position is weakened by the works of alQaeda, and ISIL around the world today, and the recent bombing this week in France. Osama Bin Laden, the founder of Al-Qaeda, was not poor, the First Nigerian to attempt air terrorism, Mr. Mutallab, was not a poor boy from a poor family. Europe operates all forms of social security system that help the poor, yet they are victims of terrorism. Boko Haram is part

Ba oration st or Bayyelsa's rest restoration stor oryy welfare and indeed agriculture and tourism as pillars of the what is now referred to as the new economy by virtue of the pivotal roles of these two sectors in serious rejigging of the state economy through diversification.

While many are happy today about the changes in the overall development of the state, the developments have taken place at a huge cost and quite inconvenient but were carried out as a necessity. No doubt, the achievements so far recorded were made possible because of the combination of prudence and accountability, requiring judicious utilization of state resources to serve the cause of development rather than serving private interests or the pervasive sense of entitlement as it was the case in the past where government made a few millionaires at the expense of development.

In the face of sliding revenue, the administration is optimistic because of the prudence and transparency level and the mechanism that it has instituted such that it possible for to block wastage in the system.

The state has been able to still meet its recurrent obligations as wellas salary obligations. We are also meeting up with most of our welfare obligations like payment of N5, 000 to elderly persons in our communcities. The programme alone is

The recent upsurge of criminal activities along the waterways and creeks and the resultant challenge of sea piracy has also received attention

taking about N70 m every month. We are also carrying on with our other welfare policies",the governor hinted at a press briefing recently.

In the last three years, its has been a tale of intervention in various sectors, from education, the health and socail welfare. these have not gone unnoticed as Baylesans have been very appreciative of efforts of the state government.

The government has also made giant strides in theagriculture and tourism sectors such that development in these sector will continue to be developed to create jobs and enhance the economic and financial position of the state.

To further boost job creation, the state government, is at the verge of establishing a security company which though stated owned will operate like any other security outfit with potentials to employ about 20, 000 young people after the relevant details are worked out. Oil companies are already on line to give their consultancies and surveillance jobs to this security company to enhance its job creation capacity.

Presently, the state government is investor hunting with the sole aim of reviving palm oil plantation. such is the optimism of government that of Malaysia can make palm oil the cornerstone of its economy, bayelsa can do same. this accounts for the efforts of the state government working tirelessly to get its airport off the ground. As a sign and show of support for the project, theState House of Assembly has approved a loan of N40 billion towards the project.

For government its concentration on agriculture is not fulile, "when investment in agriculture matures, products will have to be evacuated , so we are looking at export.,” Governor once disclosed.

The other critical infrastructure to position tourism as a viable investment in the state is the New Yenogoa city envisioned to be a hub of entertainment, tourism, hospitality and high class real estate. It is surveyed at about 20, 000 hectares from

of the struggle to rule and control Nigeria, by a religious sect.Haramites, like our politicians in the ruling PDP, and opposition APC also want to take power, and control of Nigeria, but their style and method is more vicious, wicked,bloody, and deadly.

The struggle to rule and control Nigeria has produced economic predators, lions, tigers, crocodiles, pythons, and hedgogs in both PDP and the APC, with both parties harbouring Haramites, and their supporters, as members! While we await the verdict of Nigerians next month, there is need for a new political thinking, new mind set, new way of doing things, and a new method of placing hard demands and responsibilities on our leaders.

We need a new party or movement, that will not only ensure that people above 60 years do not occupy elective offices by affirmative actions, but abhor money politics. A party or movement, that will entrench and operate healthy and transparent competition among political office seekers, as their main plank, and ready and willing to send all thieving and corrupt minds and hands to jail without blinking an eye!

The time is so ripe for this real change, that Nigerian Youth must become aware and start to move to secure the Nigeria of their dream now, against 2019. Any change in 2015 therefore will be fake.

•Mr. Udegbe, a legal practitioner, wrote from Lagos.

Ikibiri in Ikoli creek area with designs been finalised. The project which would launched early this year, would have the mapped plots offered to Bayelsans and other interested buyers. The New Yenagoa City would be private sector driven in line with modern best practices.

The recent upsurge of criminal activities along the waterways and creeks and the resultant challenge of sea piracy has also received attention. This is inspite of the difficult terrain that the state security outfit Operation Doo Akpor has had to contend with. Twenty-five gunboats had been procured to support efforts at ridding the waterways of piracy and related crimes.

Of course being an election year, the basic interests and dynamics shaping the contest in which President Goodluck Jonathan is a key player was of major concern to the state government.On the chances of the president’s re-election, the govenor opined that the Peoples Democratic Party, on which platform the president is running, is a strong party and that the achievements of his administration via the Transformation Agenda constitute a powerful message for continuity as compared to the criticisms of the opposition. In addition, he was convinced that President Jonathan, whom he regarded as a statesman, is a good product to sell to the electorate.

“In every election, after you have talked about the platform and the programme, you talk about the candidate himself. We have a good product to sell in President Goodluck Jonathan and with the dexterity that he has shown in managing the affairs of the country at a time that is not too friendly, taking this country through this trying period, he has demonstrated that he is a statesman. I believe that our product is good enough to market itself. The party at the State level is not divided. We believe that Nigerians will discern between what is real and what's on ground. It may not be perfect but they are seeing the honest efforts that the president is making.

•Mr. Iworiso -Markson, CPS to the Bayelsa State governor, wrote from Yenagoa, Bayesa State.

20 — Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 16, 2015

Travails of a dismissed, ailing military officer •He was wrongfully dismissed, says family; wants Nigerian Army to pay his entitlements

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

N

IGERIA yesterday observed this year ’s remembrance for the country’s fallen heroes who died in active service as members of the Nigerian Armed Forces. This came at a time the family of a distressed former military personnel, Kingsley Iberi, who claims to have been wrongfully dismissed from the Nigerian Army, was lamenting and telling their tale of woe to every sympathetic ear.

According to the 63-year-old dismissed Lieutenant Colonel, who is currently down with stroke, his entitlements have not been paid for the past 14 years, adding that all appeals to the Army authorities had fallen on deaf ears, thus leaving him rather frustrated.

Iberi, who hails from Igbanke, Edo State, joined the Army in January 1972 as a Cadet Officer, having finished from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State. His first place of posting was 24 Infantry Battalion in Gboko, Benue State.

Subsequently, he rose to the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel in December 1990, but was later dismissed from the Army in 1998 and made to serve a twoyear jail term at a Military

Police Cell in Apapa after a court martial, which his family described as wrongfully done.

Iberi, who was diagnosed of stroke and paralysis in June 2006, has patient’s cards at the Aburime-Changsu Oriental Diagnostic Hospital, Allen Avenue, Ikeja(a Nigeria-Korea Acupuncture Centre) and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where he visits for treatment.

The fragile looking Iberia who could hardly walk on his own,

His entitlements have not been paid for the past 14 years; all appeals to the Army authorities had fallen on deaf ears, thus leaving him rather frustrated

*Kingsley Iberi: Dismissed Lt-Col, wants justice and payment of his accumulated entitlements now uses a stand-up lift to stand and walk.

Iberi who struggled to speak to Vanguard Metro, VM, from his sick bed, somehow stated that since age could not allow him return to service, the authorities of the Nigerian Army

should pay his entitlements in accordance with court’s ruling on the matter. ”I was not just wrongfully dismissed from the Army, I was made to serve a two-year jail term at a Military Police Cell in Apapa. It was when I came

ROVING CAMERA

Area Boys on the beat... A motorist besieged by Area Boys begging for money in Lagos. PHOTO: LAMIDI BAMIDELE.

out that I filed the appeal, and the court ruled that both the court martial judgement and the term I served were invalid, and I should be reinstated and paid my entitlements. “ The last salary I was paid was in June 1997 before the hasty judgement. I want the authorities to implement the court ruling and pay me all my entitlements.”

His third son, Mr. Charles Iberi, in a sober mood said: “I have been the one taking care of him. The court has sent copies of the judgement; I had personally delivered the attached letters to the relevant offices but yet no response. I have done everything to get the attention of the Army all to no avail”.

He narrated: “He was tried by the Army for conspiracy, cheating and impersonation, which he knew nothing about.

In 2002, Daddy filed an appeal against his dismissal at the Federal Court of Appeal, Lagos, and the court ruled in February 2013 that he should be reinstated, while his entitlements from 1998, when he was wrongfully dismissed, be paid to him. Up till now, the Nigerian Army is yet to obey the court judgement.”

In a copy of the judgment made available to VM, dated February 22, 2013, and presided over by Justices Ibrahim Saulawa, Joseph Ikyegh and Rita Pemu, the court martial verdict was declared invalid, and Iberi was asked to be reinstated and paid his full entitlements.

The paper, with Appeal Number, CA/L/736M/2009, reads: “Having perused the briefs of the argument of the learned counsel to the respective parties, I hereby concur to the effect that the present appeal is meritorious. The judgment of the court martial, delivered on May 26, 1998, is hereby set aside for being perverse.

“The conviction and sentence passed upon the appellant stand quashed. The appellant is accordingly discharged and acquitted. I abide by the consequential order reinstating the appellant into the Nigerian Army with immediate effect.”

Charles continued, “Despite the court of appeal’s judgment which mandated the reinstatement of my father and payment of his entitlements, efforts to get the attention of the military headquarters to obey the ruling had failed.”

Vanguard, FRDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 21

By Godwin Oritse

A

group of dock workers, under the Delta state branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN has sent a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged plans by the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA to sack more than 10,000 Nigerian dockworkers.

The group, known as Concerned Dock Workers, alleged that the NPA is making moves to reduce the number of dockworkers in the nation’s seaports.

The group accused the Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdulahi, of being the brain behind the moves, and consequently called for his removal from office.

Those who signed the petition on behalf of the Concerned Dockworkers include: Comrade A.F Jack, Comrade, T.T Longjohn and Comrade Lasisi Lamidi. The Save-Our-Soul (SOS) letter also alleged that the NPA had concluded plans to replace dock workers with cargo surveyors.

According to the statement, the targeted labour workers include, tally clerks, and cargo security men operating in Nigerian ports, midstream, jetties and terminals.

The petition stated, “It make no sense at all to sack over 10,000 tally clerks and security category of dock workers only to be replaced with less than 80 persons employed as cargo surveyors. It would be interesting to know the identity of those behind the cargo survey outfits for whose benefit we are threatened with sack. Our job as an on-board tally clerk and cargo security men have been in existence since the commencement of the pot industry in Nigeria as internationally accepted.”

The letter further informed President Goodluck Jonathan that the maritime industry has the capacity to employ both skilled and unskilled labours, stressing that it is the most potent weapon to curb vices like piracy, cultism, kidnapping and militancy.

From left: President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga; Country Director, German Cooperation (GIZ), Dr. Thomas Kirsch and Programme Management and Energy Advisor, GIZ, Anke Maria Muller, during the presentation of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme, NESP, and National Energy Audit for the industrial sector, in Abuja.

Group petitions Presidency over plans to sack 10,000 dockworkers The concerned dock workers further expressed dissatisfaction with the management of NPA over the looming mass loss of jobs in the ports, pointing out that it is against the Transformation Agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“The entire dock workers in Lagos, Niger Delta, terminals, jetties and the Nigerian seaports in general call on you

(the President) to please critically consider the negative multiplier effects on the economy of our great nation and the attendant impact this action would have on the local population who do not have other skills or source of livelihood.

On behalf of the entire on-board tally clerk and cargo security men working in Nigeria seaports, we are constrained to bring to your attention the eminent

massive ethnic cleansing by economically impoverishing the SouthSouth men and youths by way of initiating the sack of over 10, 000 dockworkers that have been operating within the Nigerian ports and replace us with so called ‘Cargo Surveyors’ who are his cronies and friends thereby throwing legitimate tax-paying, lawabiding Nigerians out of jobs.”

Insurers accuse LASG of frustrating insurance monitoring

By Rosemary Onuoha

T

he Nigerian Insurers Association, NIA, has accused the Lagos State Government of frustrating its efforts to distribute the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database, NIID, device to law enforcement agents in the state.

A top official of the Association, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Vanguard that the State Government has refused to fix a date for the launch of the device in the state. This, he said, has hampered efforts to ensure that vehicle owners carry genuine motor insurance certificates.

Investigations by Vanguard reveal that the NIA is ready to dispatch the device but the inability of the Association to get a commitment from Lagos State to fix a date for the launch has continued to hamper the smooth distribution programme.

NIID is an Information Technology based system to facilitate easy collation and dissemination of statistical and other information relating to insurance

C M Y K

on one hand, and also serves as a vehicle for easy identification of genuine insurance documents by law enforcement agencies and relevant authorised persons.

Accordingly, the device has been successfully handed over to law enforcement agents in Ogun State and Abuja and is helping them in the fight against fake insurance.

The situation in Lagos is however different, due to as lack of government buy in, hence lack of enforcement and low awareness have undermined efforts

The other objectives of NIID are to monitor and authenticate insurance transactions documents, as well as to reduce incidences of fraudulent insurance transactions

of NIA members while fake insurance certificates continue to thrive.

Designed as a centralised repository of all insurances underwritten by NIA member companies, the Association established the NIID in 2011 as part of efforts to eliminate fake insurance documents which has denied the nation of the social and economic benefits of genuine insurance transactions. The NIID became operational in 2012.

Apart from serving as authentic repository of the Nigerian insurance industry data, the other objectives of NIID are to monitor and authenticate insurance transactions documents, as well as to reduce incidences of fraudulent insurance transactions and policies in the country Recall that Mrs. Bola Omole, Head of NIID, said that though there was remarkable improvement in the number of vehicles insurance policies uploaded on the NIID platform from 300,000 in 2011 to 1.65 million in 2013, lack of adequate awareness about the project has also contributed to the low performance.

$178.20

$1.65

$2,990.00

-$2.00

$15.19

$0.26

$49.16

$0.47

$49.85

$1.37

CURRENCY

BUYING

DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN RIYAL KRONA SDR

167 253.706 196.3085 163.4211 1.4284 0.2809 237.919 26.9511 44.4859 26.3869 238.7098

CENTRAL SELLING 167.5 254.466 196.8963 163.9104 1.4327 0.2909 238.6318 27.0322 44.6191 26.4659 239.4245

168 255.2256 197.484 164.3996 1.437 0.3009 239.3441 27.1134 44.7523 26.5449 240.1392

CBN Exchange Rate as 15/01/2015

22 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Investor Protection Fund: Board to approve N400,000 per claim

By Peter Egwuatu

T

he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has disclosed that the Board of Trustee for the Investor Protection Fund, IPF would meet to approve the recommended maximum N400,000 per claim for investors who had applied for compensation .

The Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Oscar Onyema , who made this disclosure at the 2014 yearly market review in Lagos ,explained that the Board of Trustee would meet to ratify investors who are qualified for it as there are 343 claims at the moment.

On the issue of one trillion dollar capitalisation, he said the exchange is currently implementing a new strategy that would extend to 2019 for the target, adding that the new plan is focused on more realizable targets based on meeting the objective.

“The target was $1 trillion by 2016 across five targets. We no longer believe it is possible giving where we are today. We believe the new strategy , up to 2019 has more realistic targets based on meeting these objective.”

These objectives, according to Onyema are promoting Nigerian capital market as African hub for growth companies; attracting domestic flows into the market, implement a more competitive price structure in conjuction with regulators and market participants.

Others are intensifying efforts towards developing a more sustainable market, increasing the number of listings across five assets classes, and operating a fair and orderly market based on just and equitable principles.

Onyema, who pledged the exchange unwavering effort towards solidifying its leadership position in Africa, said the claim approved for the 343 people under the IPF passed through a thorough verification process, under the board of trustees of IPF. On the 2015 market projections, Onyema said: “with expectations of successful election and tighter grip in security , with more certain micro economic environment, market attractiveness would improve significantly while government bonds yields would also remain attractive to investors.”

He pointed out that the exchange has concluded arrangement to optimize the use of its 13 branches to add value to the market this year , noting that these branches contributed only two percent to market capitalization last year.

Fidelity Bank rewards more winners in scholarship promo

By Nkiruka Nnorom

F

LAUNCH: From left: Winner, Nigerian Idol Season 4, Zibili Evelyn; Director, Brand &

Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye; Nigerian Idol Season 5 Judge, Yinka Davies; Etisalat Brand Ambassador, Olamide; Vice President, Consumer Sales & Service, Etisalat Nigeria, Ken Ogujiofor and Director, Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluwole Rawa, at the Etisalat sponsored Nigerian Idol Season 5 media launch, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

“We have 13 branches and we use them to improve on our financial literacy outreach programme for both existing and potential investors. Trading is one aspect of these branches but this year, we have a strategy optimization across all our

branches where there is no trading.

We may not push for more but we may use them as issuers outreach.”

Speaking on the demutualization of the NSE, he said :”Demutualization can take

any time from 18 months to five years to accomplish especially when you want to put some thing in place like make a new law but a lot of work is going on in that regard and we would see an accerelatedf rate of progress this year.

NSE lists Transcorp Hotel shares, as 52.3% IPO shares subscribed

By Peter Egwuatu

T

he Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, yesterday listed the entire issued shares of 7.6 billion of Transcorp Hotel Plc at N10 per share, even as investors subscribed 52.3 per cent of the company’s Initial Public Offering, IPO. Speaking during the listing of the shares on the exchange, the Managing Director, BGL Securities Limited, Mr. Peter Adebola said “ Transcorp Hotel IPO was 52.3 per cent subscribed valued at N4.2 billion. The offer had opened for subscription on September closed on October 2014. It is a good thing that the company’s shares would now be traded on the exchange and with the plan to pay shareholders who subscribed to the IPO dividend, it is a good development that will make investors patronize the shares.

The Managing Director/ CEO, Transcorp Hotel Plc, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo said “The company offered 800,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N10.00 per

share for subscription. The proceeds of the offer will be used to part-finance its expansion projects specifically the construction of two new flagship hotels in Ikoyi, Lagos and Port Harcourt, as part of its broader expansion plans. We are going to pay dividend for the 2014 financial year and those who subscribed to the just concluded IPO will benefit from it “Continuing, he said “ Transcorp Hote is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (“Transcorp Plc”) and owns and operates the Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the Transcorp Hotels Calabar.

The Company’s vision is to be the premier hospitality company in Africa, creating maximum and sustainable value for stakeholders, as well as to build Africa’s choice hospitality assets underpinned by excellence entrepreneurship and execution.

Ozigbo noted; “Nigeria’s hospitality industry is experiencing significant

growth, with major demand for expanded capacity and enhanced quality and service.

Transcorp Hotel is ideally positioned, as the existing owner of the largest number of hotel rooms in Nigeria, and partnered with one of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands, Hilton Worldwide, to leverage this demand. We are delighted to be able to offer the Nigerian public the opportunity to participate in our future success. This offer reiterates our commitment to creating sustainable value for all stakeholders."

The rationale for the dialogue was to discuss how the capital market can partner with the Federal Government in raising funds to finance the 2015 national budget

idelity Bank Plc has kept its word by rewarding the fifth set of winners that emerged in its on-going ‘Save 4 Scholarship’ promo with different gift items, including cash prizes.

At the presentation which took place at the bank’s head office in Lagos, cash prize of N1.84 million was presented to winners from Lagos zone alone, while different consolation prizes ranging from refrigerators to generator sets were also presented to the winners.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. IK Mbagwu, ED, Lagos & South West, Fidelity Bank, said that so far 164 persons have benefitted from the promo, winning a total of N64 million, adding that 27 other people would be presented with their own prizes in other regions.

“Today, as you saw, we have about five prize winners and we presented them with the prizes that we promised. It is important for the country and everyone that people will continue saving and investing. We have kept our promise as far as the saving promo is concerned. We promised N80 million and we have delivered N64 million so far along with consolation prizes and we still have N15 million that will be delivered in the last promo draw,” he said.

“In whatever endeavour people engage in, they need a certain level of education. I hope that this will encourage people to save because if you spend everything you earn, at the end you will have nothing left,” he added.

One of the winners, Mr. Olaniyi Yussuff, who was a lucky winner of N210,000, thanked Fidelity Bank for starting the year on a bright note for him.

He said, “I feel very overwhelmed and happy about this. As you know, January is usually tight financially, but with this cash gift, God has used Fidelity Bank to make the year a good beginning.

I want to encourage everyone to save with Fidelity Bank because is real and they stand to live up to their words.”

Also, Francis Okafor, who won a Generating Set, said, “I am very happy about this because it is quite unexpected.

It came early in the year, meaning that the year is going to be a good one.”

To participate in the monthly draw, all a customer needs to do is to open a savings account with the bank and grow it to N20,000.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 23

Rice backward integration policy attracts over $1.6bn investment

By Gabriel Ewepo & Caleb Ayansina

T

HE Backward Integration Programme (BIP ) policy in the rice sector put in place by the federal ministry of Agriculture to boost local rice production with the approval of an inbuilt tariff/ levy differential deliberately skewed in favour of investors has been commended by stakeholders.

The policy, which is said to have attracted more than $1.6 billion of private sector investments, allows investors to temporarily import brown or finished rice to bridge the present gap in supply and demand.

Supply and demand Those who have keyed into the policy are allowed to enjoy 10% tariff and 20% levy on imported rice, while on the other hand mere rice traders are allowed to import at 10% tariff and 60% levy.

Curiously, this apparent federal government’s magnanimity aimed at massive rice value chain in the country did not go down well with an aggrieved group which members have millers and farmers and therefore thought that the Government’s largesse was meant to bring in “intruders” or “outsiders” into the rice business.

Again, there was the spurious claim that the waivers and import quotas would exacerbate the rate and level of smuggling of the commodity into Nigeria from neighbouring countries especially Republic of Benin.

But the President of the Nigeria

•Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Rice Investors Group, Tunji Owoeye, said the policy has not only discouraged smuggling but has also led to a quantum leap in investment into Backward Integration Programme, adding that the policy was geared towards self-sufficiency in rice production in the country.

According to the group, this was the first time; import quota was being allocated to the right people with verifiable investments in rice production in the country.

Owoeye noted that there had been significant improvement since the review of the policy, adding that the rice policy of the

present administration is visible for all to see.

The truth is that many have wished the old system where some highly connected people influence rice quota allocation

Niger govt, IFAD collaborate to develop cassava, rice value chain

T

HE Niger Government on Thursday said it was collaborating with the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) to develop cassava and rice value chain in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof.

Mohammed Yahaya, made this known when he briefed newsmen in Minna.

Yahaya, who was represented by Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, the

Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the measure would improve the living standard of rural populace in the state.

“The IFAD will provide us with N328 million annually for six years, while the state government will provide N79.4 million counterpart fund per

resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina as the substantive Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure for a period of five years. Odedina joined the services of the College in 1990 and rose through the ranks to the position of Chief Lecturer in 2012.

Born on 21st May, 1966, Dr. Odedina attended Lisabi Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State from 1979-1984; Federal College of Agriculture, Akure from 1984-1986, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan from 1987-1989.

He holds a M.Sc. in Crop Science from C M Y K

annum for six years,” he said.

Yahaya said that the Federal Government, through the state ministry had decided to develop major crops value chain in the country.

He said that this was to increase food production and provide market for them.

The commissioner said that

three local government areas of Katcha, Bida and Wushishi would be use for the pilot scheme to develop the value chain.

He said that the management team for the programme in the state had been inaugurated.

PAN laments adulteration of poultry products

F

ederal Government has been urged to protect

Adeola appointed Provost, Fed College of Agric

P

“If you travel through Zamfara, Niger, Benue, Sokoto and many other states in the country, you will see vast plantation of rice in the last two year.

“We have also seen some of our members who were pure traders making huge investment in local rice production. We have seen serious increase in employment and value creation in the rice sector,” he said.

Owoeye, who is also the Managing Director of Elephant Group, said that the federal government had provided rice investors with improved seedling which has led his members to

having better rice production.

The Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa and Secretary Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) commended the present administration for matching his words with actions, by not allowing the business to be as usual in rice production.

“The truth is that many have wished the old system where some highly connected people influence rice quota allocation, but this administration made sure it went to rice farmers with visible investments,” he said.

On his part, the President of Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors’ Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Mohammed noted that five years ago there was only one processing mill in the whole of Nigeria, but with the commitment of the government, it had increased to 24. Abubakar said that that before the present administration, rice paddy produced from Nigeria was one of the worst in the world, but added that, currently, it is one of the best in the world. ”We process 800,000 tonnes of paddy rice annually and the government is putting measures in place to produce additional 360,000 tonnes. ”All these happened by the help of President Goodluck Jonathan and the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina,” said Abubakar.

Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port-Harcourt and Ph.D. in Crop Production from the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Dr Odedina also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Agricultural Education from Wolverhampton Polytechnic (now Wolverhampton University) United Kingdom. He obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Vegetable Science and Technology from Beijing Vegetable Research Centre, China in 2000.

In 2001, he obtained a Post Ph.D Certificate in Biotechnology from the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (EMBRAPA).

genuine poultry farmers from going under as their products are now constantly adulterated leading to lost of millions of naira in revenue earnings.

Speaking on adulteration of frozen chickens, day-old chicks and table eggs of notable poultry farms in Ibadan, Oyo State, recently, the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) said for a long time, the adulterations and piracy of the farm products have been going on clandestinely in the affected companies.

The Director-General of PAN, Mr. Onello Akpa, disclosed that nemesis caught up with some of them in Ibadan recently, where they were

arrested by the police.

He noted that though some of the accused and their kingpins (Names withheld) are still at large, but the police said they were determined to fish them out individually or collectively.

Their mode of operations, according to the PAN, was that the accused printed fake cartoons bearing Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited to sell their own unhealthy dayold chicks, hatched from their hatcheries in and around Oyo State which they brought to the popular Day Old Chicks Market, which is very close to Obasanjo Farms Limited at Oluyole, Ibadan, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

24—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

‘High freight rate undermines Nigeria’s export’ AN importer and Managing Director of Union Admiralty Nigeria Limited, UANL, a logistics outfit, Ibi Seddon, spoke with Vanguard’s GODFREY BIVBERE & AGNES OBIABO on several issues including a review of the industry in 2014, the traffic situation of the port town and its effect on businesses, Customs clearing process and many more.

Excerpt:

W

HAT was 2014 like for the industry from your perspective?

Looking at Apapa last year, it has been terrible if you talk about the movement of goods. There have been disputes between personnel as well as strike, particularly in Apapa Port where cargo was so difficult to clear, there was shortage of cargo clearing equipment and available once were malfunctioning. In some cases, importers and their agents could not find their containers.

Then the road itself leading to Apapa was something else. The Tin-can/Mile 2 Road was totally blocked and Julius Berger working at a slow pace also contributed. We end up seeing Apapa raking in very low income.

I don’t know where the port authorities and some others are having their income but for Customs, I know they are over billing, high benchmark for duty payment so they could collect more revenue.

Cement import But for Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, vessels and cargo throughput reduced, the business generally reduced, we also experienced the ban on cement import that also brought down the number of ships coming in but nevertheless, there was a very good improvement in Nigeria with the ban of cement.

We also witnessed the reduction in the cost of cements to between N1000 to N1200, which is very good. But let us go back to Apapa as the main seaport in Nigeria, most of the roads have failed, the export rate is terribly low because the freight rate is high. Ships come in and don’t have access to discharge before embarking on their return trip.

I am collating a document to prove this fact, but look at vessels coming in and going out, you will find out that the number of vessels that came in last year are not as much as that of 2013. But what interests me so much, even if the goods come into the port, last three years (2012) we were fighting to decongest the port, now we have not come to that but with the rate we are going, as soon as business kicks off we

might end up having congestion. They cannot go out because of bad roads, bad infrastructure, even coming to Apapa with cars, sometimes it takes us four hours. One of the outlets has totally failed. I feel the federal government should take the reconstruction of the roads as a priority and look at how possible we can improve the infrastructure in 2015, particularly road so that goods could be moved freely.

Was there increase or decrease of attacks on vessels at the water fronts in the ports in Lagos?

There is a great improvement on the issue of attacks on vessels. Last year we had a few cases, the military have collaborated with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and they have done a lot particularly in Lagos waters. We had one or two cases, but I think in the last few months of 2014 we did not record any serious attack.

Although Captains of visiting vessels were also advised to keep a reasonable distance away so they can be free but a good job has been done by NIMASA. What was the major problem faced by the sector last year?

Power in the last few months have actually improved, the system has improved a lot. The greatest challenge is that we have too many authorities, too

the maritime industry, it will be the roads, there are bad. I think we should also look at the railways. Apapa has been blessed with good railway facilities, we should be able to develop and use the railways. We should also look at the clearance time of goods from the ports because the business is all about speedy clearance of goods. If I sell more goods as an importer, I will go and get more. Another thing that just happened now is that the naira is devalued and we don’t know •Ibi Seddon, Managing Director of Union Admiralty Nigeria Limited, where we are heading to. We know the UANL government is doing a lot of work; a lot of indigenous production will go a long way to many people looking at just one that the importer is right, he will help our nation. I government issue, so it makes the whole keep on paying the terminal putting its foot down and saying; process tedious. charges. That is another thing I look we want three private There has always been this will like the government to look refineries. The governor of Akwa accusation from Customs of at because the importer is like a Ibom State building a standard insincerity of the part of criminal. Everybody wants to kill stadium did very well and it importers and their agents in him. In a case like this, if makes me happy. I feel it will their declaration, resulting in someone in the United States of have been better if he had used delay of cargo clearance from America, USA imports a wrong that space to build a refinery the port. Do you agree with this chemical, the government because it would bring more position? agency will fight for him to make income as it is an oil producing I don’t think it is because of sure that this man is not state. If the government can look insincerity on the part of punished. Our own is not like at industries like that, Nigeria importers that causes delay in that, the importer does not know can get up to 10 refineries and cargo clearance. I would say it what he is given. The importer then we can say let us leave the is like you have two or three doesn’t have anybody that will importation of petroleum officers, the officers themselves fight for him. So someone has products. That is the way I look don’t trust each other and they to fight for him. at it. always feel like the other officer If you have to advise Another issue I will like to be is making a deal. If not, there is government on the way addressed is the sensitization of no need for the cross forward for the maritime government agencies because examinations. And we pay for industry this year, what will it like I said before, government the loss, the government agency be? agencies are looking at the does not think about the If you want me to give an importer like a criminal. importer. Before they find out advice to the federal government for the New Year to

Diversion of cargo to neighbouring countries’ll continue — Agbakoba

By Godfrey Bivbere & Ifeyinwa Obi

F

The greatest challenge is that we have too many authorities, too many people looking at just one issue, so it makes the whole process tedious

ORMER President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Olisa Agbakoba, has said that Nigerian bound cargo will continue to go to neighbouring countries before finding their way back into the country unless the federal government takes concrete steps to strengthen the nation’s policy, institutions, regulations and illegal framework.

Agbakoba who disclosed this in Lagos Wednesday, said that lack of regulations in the sector has led to a plethora of uncoordinated activities and exorbitant port charges which make Nigeria very unattractive for business.

According to him, “Government hardly implements its own policy thereby creating violating international trade facilitation laws.

“Nigeria’s shipping policy framework is outdated and incoherent. The last major review was 28 years ago i.e the Nigerian Shipping Policy Act No 10 of 1987. As a result, Nigeria’s ports have become uncompetitive; shippers have been pushed outside the shores of Nigeria. Nigeria was designated to be a maritime hub for West and Central Africa, with potential to be a Maritime International Center, MIC but Nigerian Ports are being abandoned for those in Benin Republic and Togo.

“There is massive untapped revenue in our maritime sector estimated at N7 trillion per annum. In order to tap revenue from this sector there will need to be an overhaul of policy, institutional, regulatory and legal framework.

“New laws are urgently required. There are raft of bills before the national assembly such as the Petroleum Information Bill, PIB, The Ports

and Harbour Bill, the Bill establishing the economic regulator (Shipping Sector), and the maritime zones bill etc, waiting to be passed. It is even incumbent to review Nigeria’s ocean policy to tap the abundant national resources.

“Revenue generation should be a topical issue. How can Nigeria survive in view of the dwindling fortunes in the oil sector? This should have been made a key campaign issue.

Elsewhere, economic issue, immigration and labour dominate campaigns. It is high time the contestant speak their minds on these issues which is critical to the nation.

Furthermore, shipping and maritime sector are crucial to maximizing oil potentials because ships, rigs are classified as vessels under our laws.

Thus a strong shipping framework is fundamental to strong oil economy and a country such as Nigeria can only ignore it to the detriment of her economy,” he concluded.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—25

I N S I D E

My agenda on the Plateau — Sen Pwajok Page 26

Page 28

GOVT AND OPPOSITION: Birds of the same feather sing in discordant tunes

Day Buhari’s campaign train criss-crossed Ogun Page 27

•(l) APC Presidential Candidate, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), President Goodluck Jonathan; National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu' azu and APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun after signing the Abuja Accord.

PEACEFUL POLLS ACCORD:

Will Jonathan, Buhari, others play ball?

By Clifford Ndujihe, Deputy Political Editor

A

FTER weeks of mudslinging, exchange of brick-bats, caustic and acerbic comments in the name of political campaigns, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), other presidential candidates and leaders of their parties, on Thursday, said it is time to sheathe their swords.

To firm up their decision, they signed an undertaking to ensure free and fair polls as well as run issue-based campaigns for the February 14 and 28 general elections in the country.

Others candidates who signed the peace agreement included Tunde Anifowose Kelani of the Action Alliance, AA; Dr. Rafiu Salau of Alliance for Democracy, AD; Ganiyu Galadima of Alliance Congress, AC; Alhaji Mani Ibrahim Ahmad of ADC; Chief Sam Eke of Citizens Popular Party, CPP; Ambrose Albert Oworu of Hope

Party; Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya of KOWA party and Chief Chekwas Okorie of the United Progressives Party, UPP. They signed the peace accord at a sensitisation workshop to ensure violencefree 2015 general election organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi.

Before the workshop, the polity had been awash with verbal attacks instead of issue-based campaigns. If the APC is not labelling Jonathan as ‘clueless’ on how to tackle the insecurity challenges, the PDP

Cause for cheer For the first time in a long while, President Jonathan and Buhari, jointly, gave Nigerians cause for cheer. They hugged affectionately, smiling broadly at the venue of the workshop. National chairmen of the PDP and APC, Alhaji Adamu Muázu and Chief John Oyegun also embraced but not as loud as that of their candidates.

Although, some observers see the embraces as superficial and hardly skin deep, it is nevertheless a good development given the bitter exchanges that had reigned before now.

For the first time in a long while, President Jonathan and Buhari, jointly, gave Nigerians cause for cheer.

They hugged affectionately, smiling broadly at the venue of the workshop

will be dismissing the APC as a ‘Janjaweed and Islamic’ party. Again, if the PDP is not calling Buhari ‘a semi-illiterate military jackboot’ the APC will be describing Jonathan as a man ‘full of excuses’ who admits that his generation has failed and should not be trusted.

There are many more beyond the two parties. For instance, President Olusegun Obasanjo accused the Jonathan administration of mismanaging the country and squandering $55 billion crude oil savings and reserves. The President countered by saying that some elder statesmen were behaving like motor-park touts. The politicians and their parties were so engrossed in their hate campaigns that they forgot to tell the electorate what they would do and how, if elected.

Thus, President Jonathan and Buhari’s endorsement of the peace agreement also known as “Abuja Accord,” which barred the contestants from making inciting speeches in whatever guise that could cause violence before, during and after the elections, is a welcome development.

The Accord The accord read: “We the undersigned presidential candidates of the under-listed political parties contesting in the general elections of 2015; desirous of taking proactive measures to prevent electoral violence before, during and after the elections; anxious about the maintenance of a peaceful environment for the 2015 general elections; reaffirming our commitment to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; desirous of sustaining and promoting the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity; determined to avoid any conduct or behaviour that the will endanger the political stability and national security of Nigeria; determined to place national interest above personal and partisan concerns; and reaffirm our commitment to fully abide by all rules and regulations as laid down in the legal framework for elections in Nigeria hereby commit ourselves and our party to the following:

Issue based campaign *To run issue-based campaigns at national, state and local governments levels; in this, we pledge to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling; both ourselves and agents acting in our names.

“To refrain from making, or causing to make our names or that of of our party, any public statements, pronouncements, declarations or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence, before, during and after the elections. *To commit ourselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence to this accord by a national peace committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders. *All institutions of government including INEC and security agencies must act and be seen to act with impartiality and to Continues on page 28

26—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

My agenda on the Plateau — Sen Pwajok SENATOR Gyang Pwajok, a one time academic but now generally acknowledged as one of the leading political tacticians on the Plateau is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate in Plateau State. Senator Pwajok, who is exiting the Senate to fulfil his governorship ambition, in this interview, articulates the challenges of security in the state, the now faded mumbles following his emergence and the Governor David Jang question.

Excerpts:

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

W

hat is your perspective on security as a challenge on the Plateau?

For us on the plateau, we have actually gotten to the point where some peaceful resolutions and peace building efforts were carried out and we have reached a point where people were resolving to forget their differences and live peacefully.

However, the externalised dimension of the attacks raises a fundamental question.

You know in the past we used to talk about our porous borders.

This is a state that is in the hinterland, the middle of Nigeria, yet sometimes you find foreign elements involved in the attacks and we have raised this issue in the past. But nobody seemed to have cared, people thought it was sheer propaganda, that we often find Nigeriens, Chadians involved. People at that early stage of the crisis said it was sheer propaganda, but today the dimension we are seeing the crisis in Northern Nigeria shows clearly that there is a serious push in that order.

Unfortunately, the way and manner the boundaries of this country were carved out, you find that Kanuris can be found in the Borno axis and on the other side.

Fulanis can be found in other parts of West Africa and this tendency allows for easy infiltration by non-Nigerians into areas of conflict. So, there is a serious collaboration that is going on.

Restructuring of security system I am also an advocate of restructuring our security system, the idea of state police which only recently seems to be catching up with most parts of Northern Nigeria but most parts of Southern Nigeria have woken up to that challenge already and were prepared to take that direction. I am happy that the sultan added his voice to this direction.

Given the insinuations in some quarters that your emergence was against the PDP zoning arrangement, how are you calming the frayed nerves?

I have reached out to quite a number of those that we stood election with. I have

also reached out to even those that lost election that I was not involved in. That is, those who lost House of Assembly elections, those who lost House of Representatives election and those who lost Senate election. I have called quite a number of them and a number of them said that that was the first time that somebody was reaching out to them, especially for those who had contested in the past and lost. Even the deputy governor, I have had cause to sit down with him in the process. In the course of a contest there are bound to be those who win and those who lose elections or those who don’t win because it is not really losing per se.

The bottom line is that when people begin to throw up issues in the course of a competition, definitely people will look for sentiments and variables that will be conducive to them. For me, zoning was actually a campaign tool by those who contested. The simple answer to the issue was that we had aspirants from all the zones. So, apparently, there was no debate about zoning. If there was actually an issue about zoning it would have been very much settled that some would not have even emerged at all.

Apart from that, when I was canvassing for votes I went to all the zones, all the 17 local governments of Plateau State and I can tell you that I had a complete feeling of what the outcome would look like because I was very much accepted in all the zones.

Documented direction In fact, I was shocked by the response.

Instead of going to see 10, 20 or 30 delegates, I was actually in a rally because most of the people who came to see me did it in a manner that was difficult to believe.

So, while some were busy shouting zoning, the voters were prepared to choose who they wanted because they were quite prepared that what they needed was development and not zoning for the sake of zoning. At any rate we have not had a history of documented direction in that order.

No doubt, the sentiments for zoning which was quite strong among some candidates, however, did not reflect in the primaries. So, it was just argument for the sake of argument. My slogan in the course of the campaign was that we can only be greater if we work together.

And of course these zones are really administrative boundaries which further divide people rather than what unite people and were mostly drawn for convenience. A senatorial zone is for senatorial election, governorship is for the entire state in the true sense of it. The House of Representatives has its own constituency. My constituency as far as my aspiration for governorship was to cover the entire state and the support came from the entire state and is a nail on the coffin of the argument for zoning

•Pwajok: I am accepted in all the zones and the voting itself, showed that the people were departing from that argument.

How do you expect to manage the godfather who is generally believed to be behind you?

The truth of the matter is that God is our godfather including those who have influenced our lives in one sense or the other. The bottom line is that I have an

abiding conviction that God would not give me a responsibility and not give you the enablement to deal with the challenges that emerge in the process. It is all about human relations and I truly believe that because the current governor has not just goodwill, but he has good intentions in terms of governance, he would be a supporter of any genuine efforts towards further development of the state. That is his dream and we are keying in into that dream because we believe strongly that he is also a genuine, patriotic statesman that has played his role within the space of time.

But you must also realise that the legacy that has been brought to bear from the past needs to be properly harnessed so that you can move for a better tomorrow.

Not necessarily look at things from the negative perspective. We intend to cash in on a very positive note to take stock.

What are your chances in the election?

My constituency as far as my aspiration for governorship is concerned is to cover the entire state and the support came from the entire state and it is a nail on the coffin of the argument for zoning and the voting itself

I always go by the dictum that the future is as bright as the promises of God. The truth of the matter is that I couldn’t have been where I am today but for God taking me through where I am today. From being a lecturer in the polytechnic, to DG research and chief of staff to the governor and then senator within a short span of my life means that I am a living testimony of God’s work in progress. What will take me to victory is God Himself because He has a way of influencing the hearts and minds of people to support an aspiration and I believe that this is also God’s agenda to impact on the challenges that we are facing on the plateau which also have a repercussion on the rest of Nigeria.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—27

THE ancient city of Abeokuta stood still on Tuesday as the Presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) arrived in the Ogun State capital.

By Daud Olatunji

A

S expected, the loyalists and admirers of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) had besieged the 30,000 capacity MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta to see and listen to the former head of state and APC presidential candidate.

Dressed in a flowing Agbada with Yoruba cap popular called ‘Abeti-Aja (dog’s ear shape) to match, Buhari led the delegation which comprises his wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari; his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and former Governor of Osun state, Bisi Akande were warmly received by the incumbent governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

Buhari had earlier paid a courtesy call on the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta and a scheduled visit to the palace of the Alake of Egbaland where he was received by the paramount ruler, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo.

The former head of state while speaking at Obasanjo’s residence, said he visited the former president to solicit his support and blessing.

Experience and support “I have come with my running mate, who is also your son from Ogun, to solicit your support and blessings in our journey. You know this country far better than any other person and we believe that with your wealth of experience and support, APC will do better than what this government is doing.

“The issue of insecurity, unemployment, economic slide, corruption and others will be tackled with all sincerity and we promise to move this country to what you dreamt it will be,” Buhari said.

In his response, Obasanjo had thanked Buhari and other APC members for paying the unscheduled visit to him, saying, “I am a card-carrying member of another party but what is paramount is Nigeria, so I wish you the best.’’

He continued: “Let me say that for those of you that are campaigning all over, it is better you tell the people what you will do for them, campaign based on issues and not on frivolity or

•(l) APC Chairman, Chief John Oyegun; APC Presidential Candidate, Major-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during a visit to the latter in Ogun State.

Day Buhari’s campaign train criss-crossed Ogun abusive languages. Every party has its good and bad, which you always use to campaign against yourselves but when government is formed, we must all come together for the betterment of the country.”

At the Alake’s palace, the monarch thanked the delegation, saying Buhari is like the leader of Singapore that changed the fortune of his country for the better with the help of its citizens; adding that the APC flag bearer is capable of tackling terrorism in the country.

Also speaking, Osinbajo said, historically, “all it takes is one man to change a country’s fortunes. For Nigeria, it’s Buhari that will effect that change.”

Other APC leaders that accompanied Buhari to Abeokuta were two former chairmen of the PDP; Barnabas Gemade and Audu Ogbeh as well as Senator Bukola Saraki among others.

The APC presidential train went to Ikenne, the home town of Yemi Osinbajo, where they paid a courtesy visit to the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Mama HID Awolowo.

Mama blessing

Awolowo’s

At Ikenne, wife of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, while hosting Buhari and other top shots of the party prayed for a peaceful

general elections in the country.

She said: “I am happy to see all of you this evening; thank God He has brought you all safely. As a mother of the nation, you all know that I do not belong to any political party; I have long retired from partisan politics after the death of my husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. I can only pray for you for God’s guidance and protection as you tour the country to campaign for votes. I pray that God will grant you your heart desires. It is also my sincere prayer that God will grant us a peaceful general election in Jesus’ name.”

Senator Bukola Saraki respectively. Others were Senators Olorunnibe Mamora, Biyi Duroyaje and Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

From Ikenne, the delegation then proceeded to the Moshood Abiola Stadium, where party dignitaries addressed the mammoth

How we begged Buhari to run –Tinubu

Presidential candidate Buhari, in his remarks said: “We are just here to greet you because Osinbajo has been endorsed by the party as the vice presidential candidate and we decided that whenever we come to Ogun State, we will pay you a courtesy visit and ask for your blessings and prayers”.

On the entourage to Ikenne were the National Chairman of the party, Chief John OdigieOyegun, Bisi Akande, Tinubu, Amosun and his wife, Olufunso, Buhari’s wife, Hajiya Aishat, former governors of Ekiti, Osun and Kwara states, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Chief Segun Oni, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and

crowd.

The Abeokuta rally was unique because it was the first time the family members of the APC Presidential and vicePresidential candidates made public appearances at the presidential campaign since it started penultimate Thursday.

Buhari’s wife Hajiya Aisha and daughter Halima as well as Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s wife, Mrs Oludolapo were conspicuously present a the rally.

The former head of state while speaking at Obasanjo’s residence, said he visited the former president to solicit his support and blessing

In his remarks, Tinubu revealed Buhari’s initial reluctance to run in the elections.

Tinubu who spoke in Yoruba said: “We begged Muhammadu Buhari to contest again. Nigeria is challenged and we present to you a great leader who has the ability to think and do and equals to performance.

He said “Buhari is the man that can deliver because he is honest, he has integrity”.

Buhari himself then took to the stage, reiterating his commitment to restoring security, power supply, and infrastructure.

He also spoke on the importance of reforming the Nigerian education sector.

“Certificates from Nigerian universities must be respected throughout the world,” he said.

Continues on page 28

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

I

T is said of Britain that any child born in the 18th Century would either be a Tory or Liberal. That refers to the understanding of the political structure of the 18th Century Britain which was dominated by the two leading parties – The Tory (Conservative Party) and the Liberal Party.

The emergence of the Labour Party and the Communist Party in Britain was a 20th century phenomenon.

However, in Nigeria of today, things are not that straightforward. There is no clear distinction in either political ideology or economic philosophy. It is possible for any Nigerian, like the porous borders of the country, to cross from one political party to another party with joy and comfortable ease. It is possible for a notable politician to be a member of the ruling party in the morning, a member of the opposition in the afternoon and a Labour Party candidate in the evening. Thus the Labour Party has become a safe haven for ambitious party renegades. Everything depends on the opportunities offered by the party concerned, and depending on the evaluations by the individual politician. It should be carefully noted that no consideration of the vital national interest plays a significant role in the decision of the Nigerian politicians who see in politics, a way to become rich, famous and powerful.

A significant case is presented as important evidence. The country is in a terrible and bloody state with heavily armed insurgents and with ugly stories of ceaseless flow of innocent blood of Nigerians in the North-Eastern part of the country. But, what is happening? The picture is that of amusing gyrations of the colourful political gladiators traversing the other seemingly peaceful parts of the country, promising Security, Economic Prosperity (through Full Employment) and Political Stability – elusive

GOVT AND OPPOSITION:

Birds of the same feather sing in discordant tunes achievements. It is baffling, if not disgusting, that a period of national mourning is being mistaken for a period of festivities.

Some political parties are reported to have raised billions of Naira for the “funeral pyres”, euphemistically addressed as electoral victories. In France, the brutal murder of 17 persons recently has led to world sympathy and over three million marchers along Paris Streets.

February elections In Nigeria, the victims of Boko Haram bombings (perpetrated by juvenile female sect) enjoy minimal mention in the dailies, second only to the colourful rallies of political parties for the February elections. What a nation and what a people.

Some have argued, and perhaps justifiably so, that the lack of difference in political ideology and economic philosophy among the local political parties is a blessing in disguise. It had led to an era of fragile political and economic macro-economic stability. Indeed, there is a semblance of political stability which is

PEACEFUL POLLS ACCORD: Continues from page 25 forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetrated by our supporters and/or oppo-

prone to violence and destruction of ‘life and property‘ at any point of slight provocation. However, in spite of elegant statistical figures about macro-economical stability, the economy has portrayed a large dose of unemployment, deep valley between the rich and the poor and enduring poverty. It is a pity that after about fifteen years of Democracy, the most outstanding dividend is that of crushing and battering of the national currency, the Naira by vision less leaders.

It is a pity that the advocates of devaluation of the Naira do argue that, such a policy would encourage inward-looking era of domestic industrial expansion.

Where is that flourishing manufacturing base to induce expansion? The Central Bank has been known through the decades of its conservative Governors to be apostles of anti-expansion policies. Its unreasonable stand against inflation neglects the fact that a modest rise in prices would be necessary to stimulate growth and expansion. A policy of ‘easy money‘ or liberal credit system that permits industrial expansion would tend to ease pressure on the country‘s currency.

Is the Central Bank aware of the fact that many manufacturing plants in the country are becoming only mixing plants, importing all ingredients in the face of cheap foreign goods? The soaring cost of local production because of poor power supply and rising cost of imported necessary inputs (caused by low value of the Naira) has affected greatly, expansion in local production.

It is noticeable, perhaps unfortunately, that the two leading, but ideologically similar political parties have avoided the issue of money in their predictable campaigns. They have been promising every sweet things of the world from peace and security to prosperity for all citizens. None has yet told Nigerians the financial implication of their promises and how to raise the necessary funds. There is no doubt that these leaders do settle their lovely minds on ‘oil money‘ which is vastly diminishing and in several instances grossly mismanaged.

There have been vague references to ‘true federalism and fiscal responsibility on the air. But how do you exist as a serious nation with poor record of internally generated revenue? Taking

Food for thought The total value of oil sales is paid into the Consolidated Accounts (to be distributed between the Federal Government, States and Local Government under agreed formula (less 13 per cent derivation funds to oil producing areas). The funds form about 80 per cent of the revenues of the recipients‘ recurrent expenditures.

The old governments of Northern, Eastern and Western Regions received only taxes etc. from Ground nuts, Palm-oil and Cocoa exports and not the gross value. The net value went to the indigenous farmers, who were the producers.

From the prudent management of their resources, many great things happened – Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Ife; free Primary Education; 1st Television in Africa (Ibadan) and post secondary Scholarships and many other developmental projects. All these happened without gross earnings from agricultural exports, and all without today‘s oil money.

Will Jonathan, Buhari, others play ball?

nents.”

How parties agreed to jaw-jaw — Ben Obi Before signing the accord, the candidates, party leaders, Chairman of the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega and some other eminent persons spoke out outlining causes of electoral violence and the way out.

Special Adviser to the President on Inter- Party Affairs Senator

Ben Obi, said the workshop “is a product of extensive and inclusive consultations between his Office and the ruling party on the one side and all opposition parties who collectively agreed on the need to come together to jaw–

Day Buhari’s campaign train criss-crossed Ogun Continues from page 27 Buhari pledged to explore the non-oil sectors to create wealth for the nation, if elected.

He noted that over concentration on the oil sector and the failure to manage the resources from it by successive Nigerian governments plunged Nigeria into economic woes.

“Our leaders have over relied on oil money to the detriment of other sectors. Now that the price of oil has crashed, we are now facing serious economic challenges. Our extreme concern is the vicious cycle of insecurity, corruption and unemployment that is confronting Nigeria now,”

a cue from the Federal Government which could only generate a small percentage of its annual expenditure (about 30 per cent) from internal resources, what could be expected of States and local governments which could barely exist without the monthly bonanza from Abuja, the distributor of ‘oil money‘. The fever of political campaigns seems to have dazzled all, including the media, to forget the fact that the 36 states structure and the awkward management of the country‘s resources need urgent attention. Those who clamour for structural, political and economic reforms before rushing towards any ill prepared elections have their points.

he said.

Buhari however promised to address the challenges headlong if voted into power.

“We will engage in commercial agriculture and mining as well as resuscitate the abandoned agro-allied industries so as to generate employments and create wealth for Nigerians.

He lamented that the education standard had fallen and gave assurance that the APC government would crate an enabling environment for learning as part of efforts to ensure that certificates from Nigerian Universities were accorded respect globally.

Earlier, Chief John Oyegun had commended the people of Ogun for their support for the APC -led government in the state.

He also handed the party’s flag to Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his running mate, Yetunde Onanuga.

Amosun while presenting his running mate to the crowd insisted that Onanuga is now his new deputy governor and begged the people of the state to support her, describing her as a very reliable and trustworthy deputy.

While referring to his estranged deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, as a dishonest peer,

Amosun said the new running mate would not behave like Adesegun who he accused of playing hide and seek game.

According to the governor, this deputy governor is reliable, honest and trustworthy. She is not like a deputy governor who did APC in the open but hobnobbed with other parties in secret.

“This is our new deputy. I want you to support her and work with her. She is a good person that would assist our governance if we are re-elected in the coming election”.

jaw and agree on ways and means of collaborating with one another to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible and devoid of violence.

This is the sixth workshop that the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs is organising. Before recent governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, similar workshops were held and the polls were violence-free in spite of pre-election heat. The affected candidates, their parties and supporters and relevant stakeholders did the needful to ensure peace.

Having made a similar commitment, will President Jonathan, Buhari, other candidates, their parties, supporters and all stakeholders implement the Abuja Accord to save the country from imploding after the February polls?

It is to be seen if the affected stakeholders will keep their word.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 —29

C M Y K

30—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

My first experience on set almost ruined my acting career —Tope Tedela •says he’s gripped by fear managing his success in Nollywood

T

ope Tedela, who won last year’s Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, Best Actor in a Drama for his role in the movie, A Mile Away From Home is currently disturbed. This is because the multiple award-winning actor is confronted with the reality of how to manage his rising profile in the Nigerian movie industry. He shares his fears with Weekend Groove

By Benjamin Njoku

your heart?

Every project I worked on, taught me S one of the promising actors something anew, But most recently, I in Nollywood, what does acting would give it to “A Mile From Home.” means to you?

This is because the film really Acting means a lot to me. It’s a projected me and put me on a very medium of expression that allows me positive light from which I have won to become anything that I want to be several awards . So far, I would say, within the life of a “A Mile from screenplay that I’m Home” is very dear featuring in. It’s to my heart. anything acting that I How did you get have to do; becoming the role you played another person and that in the film? is the crux of my love for A friend of mine acting. The fact that you told me that can just transform or someone was From the outside, become another person auditioning actors it looks like entirely. It means a lot for a movie and to me as an actor. invited me, which I kissing in movies Among the films you attended. After the is one big thing have featured in since audition, I got a 2005, you debuted in call, inviting me on that actors just Nollywood, how many set. But when I read act for of them are so dear to the script, I was a bit

A

Jonathan vs Buhari: Entertainers sing discordant tunes (1) C M Y K

Flavour molests women in his hit tracks

scared because I wasn’t sure, we would be able to pull off the action sequences, seeing that the film was an action drama. Eventually, when the thriller came out, it was awesome. It was an amazing journey.

Did you start out from the silverscreen before veering into the big screen?

My earliest productions in front of the camera was television work. ‘Edge of Paradise”was the first television production I did, before going ahead to feature in “Super Story” and a couple of others. But I also did a film then titled, “Twisted” directed by a UK based director, Niyi Towilawi. It was from television to the big screen.

When you were announced winner of Most Promising Actor of the Year, at last year’s Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, were you really looking forward to winning the award?

I was astounded. My heartbeat

Can this Passport give Blackberry visa to amartphone — Lady One market dominance?

stopped for a second then. It was an amazing feeling, as well as a huge honour for me to be announced the winner of the award. In the first place, I was surprised at getting a nomination for the award. In winning, I was totally weakened, but I’m grateful to the organizers and every other award I have received in recent times.

Are you surprised that you are carting away awards at this stage of your career?

For me, it’s a mixture of surprise and fear. You are happy and grateful on the one hand that you are being recognized.

Challenging roles But then, the question is now, how do I sustain this good work that I have started. Will I get more challenging roles that will take me out of my comfort zone and launch me into a new horizon of sort. These are some of the things that are uppermost in my mind.

What actually stands you out in any movie you feature in?

Essentially for me, it’s looking for “truth and believability.”The role that I am playing in the world of a screenplay as created by the writers comes across as believable; that the Continues on page 31

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—31

Synopsis

My first experience on set almost ruined my acting career Continues from page 30 person seating in the theatre, at the comfort of his home watching the screenplay know that this is happening, or has happened at a certain time in history.

When you started out, did it occur to you that you would go this far?

I had a feeling that I would do well in acting. But where I am at the moment, I didn’t envisage to be there at this stage of my career. I honestly didn’t think I would be here at this time. That for me, is a huge surprise and I am deeply grateful for it.

Did your parents object to your decision of going into acting?

At some point, my parents were a bit skeptical. I started acting while I was an undergraduate at the university. In fact, it was during my first year in the university that I got my first major role in a movie. My parents showed a lot of concern, but I found a way to combine my studies and passion for acting. At a point, I took a break from acting before I returned finally. Then, I was involved in a lot of things; school activities and other things. I couldn’t really stand the heat, and I wanted to complete my degree programme.

Degree programme I read Mass Communication at the University of Lagos. By and large, my parents have been very supportive.

How were you able to interpret the role of Julia in “Edge of Paradise?

That was my first major production, and I really had no prior experience besides doing a bit of church dramas.

My first day on set, I wanted to quit because I didn’t know what I was doing. At that time, I haven’t been exposed to any form of training. It was really hard for me, but I’m lucky that Greg Odutayo, who was the director of the TV series was really good to me. He took me through the whole process. He was very encouraging and very helpful.

After featuring in “Edge of Paradise”, I joined another production, but the director of the film was unfriendly to me. At a particular occasion, he almost threw a chair at me. That was really tough for me. It has been a journey of ups and downs. But gradually, I am getting there.

Have you had the opportunity to kiss on set; what was the reaction of the actress that you were paired with?

From the outside, it looks like kissing in movies is one big thing that actors just act for. But I tell people that it’s one of the most awkward things you can do on set. Our job is to make it as believable as possible and make the viewers get drawn into the experience that we are trying to create.

But at the end of the day, it’s about two people who don’t know each other and who have to do this very intimate thing. So, it really a tough thing to do. Particularly, all the actresses I have worked with, have been very helpful.

Would you describe yourself as a ladies’ man?

I wouldn’t call myself a ladies man. I am just very cordial with everyone, including the opposite sex. One needs to be kindhearted to every human and that’s what I try to do.

Do you have a love life?

I’m trying to focus on my career at the moment.

A stage in Amechi’s family, a family of fame and affluence, with an only child, Gift.

Gift hates her parents dearly and as such, hates whatever comes from them. She got married to the son of her father’s best friend and expectedly, the hatred transcends to her husband She seldom talks to anyone, not to her husband or children. She’s neither been a wife to her husband, a mother to her children nor a daughter to her parents.

To get her out of her misery, a psychologist was employed for her. All efforts were to no avail.

Suddenly, Gift decides to help herself by writing out her tragic story in a titled; SILENCE! …..What did she write in the diary? What

was the reason for her long silence? Was Gift abused, mutilated or neglected? Find out in this thrilling, educative and entertaining movie…..SILENCE.

TOP MOVIES OF THE WEEK

x x 30 DAYS IN ATLANTA x JOHN WICK

x ANNIE x SEVENTH SON

Movie schedule from January 16th - 22nd 2015 SILVERBIRDCINEMAS, VICTORIA ISLAND The Wedding Ringer : 4:15pm,6:35pm,8:35pm John Wick : 2:45pm,7:00pm,9:00pm Seventh Son : 11:30am,4:20pm,9:05pm Silence : 2:25pm,8:40pm Annie : 12:00pm,4:45pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 6:10pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, IKEJA The Wedding Ringer : 2:25pm,6:45pm,8:45pm John Wick : 11:10am,7:10pm,9:10pm Seventh Son : 12:00pm,7:00pm,9:10pm Silence : 12:35am,4:55pm, Annie : 10:30am,4:55pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 4:50pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, SEC The Wedding Ringer : 12:40pm,2:40pm,4:40pm,6:40pm,8:40pm John Wick : 12:00pm,2:00pm,4:00pm,6:00pm,8:00pm, Seventh Son : 12:50pm,2:50pm,4:50pm,6:50pm,8:50pm Silence : 12:10pm,4:10pm Annie : 11:10am,1:30pm,3:50pm,6:10pm,8:30pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 12:00pm,2:10pm,4:20pm,6:30pm,8:40pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS CEDDI PLAZA , ABUJA The Wedding Ringer : 2:30pm,7:00pm,9:10pm John Wick : 10:45am,4:50pm,6:50pm Seventh Son : 11:45am,2:50pm,8:50pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 12:40pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT The Wedding Ringer : 11:00am,12:50pm,2:50pm,4:50pm,6:50pm,8:50pm John Wick : 11:00am,2:50pm,6:50pm Seventh Son : 12:50pm,4:50pm,8:50pm Silence : 1:05pm5:00pm,8:55pm Annie : 11:20am,1:40pm,3:35pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 2:00pm,6:20pm,8:30pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, WARRI The Wedding Ringer : 12:55pm,5:00pm,6:45pm John Wick : 2:30pm,6:40pm Seventh Son : 10:40am,4:50pm,8:45pm Annie : 12:35pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 4:30pm SILVERBIRD CINEMAS, UYO The Wedding Ringer :4:00pm,8:10pm John Wick : 11:50am,6:00pm Silence : 1:45pm,5:45pm,8:00pm Annie : 12:45pm,2:25pm,4:10pm,6:40pm,8:30pm Champagne : 12:20pm,2:30pm,4:20pm,6:20pm,8:20pm Magic in the Moolight : 1:35pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 2:00pm,6:05pm,8:15pm OZONE CINEMAS SABO YABA The Wedding Ringer : 1:00pm,3:00pm,4:55pm,6:50pm,8:50pm John Wick : 1:55pm,3:50pm,8:35pm Seventh Son : 4:30pm,9:00pm Annie : 10:10am,11:45am 30 Days in Atlanta : 6:30pm GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS LAGOS The Wedding Wick : 3:50pm,7:15pm,9:25pm,10:35pm John Wick : 3:10pm,5:20pm,7:30pm,9:40pm Annie : 11:50pm,2:25pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 121:10pm,4:30pm,6:00pm,8:50pm GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, PORT HARCOURT The Weeding Ringer : 10:10am,2:30pm,4:30pm,6:30pm,8:20pm John Wick : 10:50am,3:00pm,9:15pm Annie : 12:10pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 10:00am,3:55pm,8:20pm GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, ENUGU The Wedding Ringer : 10:50am,2:55pm,7:00pm,9:00pm John Wick : 5:25pm Annie : 11:25am,5:45pm 30 Days in Atlanta : 1:05pm,3:35pm,9:55pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, LAGOS The Wedding Ringer : 12:20pm,2:05pm,4:00pm,5:55pm,9:10pm John Wick : 11;45am,3:25pm,5:35pm,7:15pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS,HERITAGE MALL, IBADAN John Wick : 12:05pm,2:00pm,4:30pm,6:25pm Annie : 10:00am 30 Days in Atlanta : 6:15pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS,APAPA The Wedding Ringer : 12:00pm,4:00pm,6:00pm,8:00pm John Wick : 3:35pm,5:50pm,7:45pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS SAMONDA The Wedding Ringer : 1:50pm,3:45pm,4:30pm,7:35pm John Wick :10:05am, 11:55pm,5:40pm FILM HOUSE CINEMAS, CALABAR The Wedding Ringer : 12:55pm,4:45pm,6:40pm Annie : 11:50pm,8:15pm

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32 — Vanguard, FRIDAY FRIDAY,, JANUARY 16, 2015

VOL. 1: NO. 7

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

S/WEST: Fresh expectations from renewed Presidential promises F

By Charles Kumolu

OR a region that was still grieving the loss of its states to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2007 governorship elections, it took a deluge of pledges by President Goodluck Jonathan and alleged high-powered deal with some

2015: How Daniel, Kawonise, Bankole lost-out in Ogun politics •Page 3 C M Y K

leaders of the opposition, for the South West geo-political zone to vote massively for the President in the 2011 presidential election.

Though that pact may have played some critical roles in Jonathan’s victory in the zone, commitments made on issues

IN THIS EDITION When Oyo went agog for Jonathan •Page 6

affecting the region, are believed to have been key to that shocking victory.

A retrospective look at the promises made then showed that Jonathan among other things, pledged to complete the LagosJebba rail project, complete the Ife-Ijesa dam, enhance agricultural irrigation; get

industries in Lagos up and running, provide farmers with adequate information, invest in petrochemicals, mining, research and development and set up a committee to review Federal government landed properties in Lagos, hand over those that should and retain those that should be in possession of the government.

Four years since the assurances were made, an analysis of the specific promises, showed the administration succeeding in some and struggling to attain key parameters in other areas.

Currently, another round of promises have been made to the zone ahead of the Continues on Page 2

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

ONDO STATE

Why Agagu boys defected to APC in Ondo: PRESIDENTIAL POLLS:

The Obasanjo/Tinubu connections

By Dayo Johnson

F

INALLY, the bubble burst on Tuesday, January 13 in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as some politicians known as the Agagu Boys defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. This development, though a big shock, but was dismissed by the State PDP, which said their defection was long overdue.

Reports had it that the late former governor Dr. Olusegun Agagu, before his demise had been fraternizing with the leadership of the APC. The late Agagu at some point was alleged to have met with the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu severally on the possibility to collaborate.

The information leaked to the leadership of the PDP and Agagu was said to be sidelined on matters of the state, as Mimiko dictated the tune, even while in his former Party. Then, Agagu and his boys were tagged PDP Jagaban.

However, with the death of Agagu and the development which led to Mimiko defection to the PDP, the Agagu boys became threatened and uncomfortable with his leadership of the party.

his friends and whom he influenced their appointmentOlaitan Ayeni (Works), Boye Adegbemisoye (Special Duties) and two former Speakers, Victor Olabimtan who is a Federal Commissioner, Federal Civil Service Commission and Taofiq Abdusalam.

Others are a State party chairman, working committee members, members of National Assembly, Speakers and members of Ondo State House of Assembly, commissioners and Special Advisers. A former Speaker, Hon Olabimtan was said to have jumped ship because of an alleged disagreement over his reappointment as Commissioner in the Federal Civil Service Commission after serving his term.

But another source said he was annoyed because his appointment as the state

Coordinator of President Goodluck Jonathan campaign was allegedly upturned by governor Mimiko. This has however been denied by the governor’s aide who described him as been selfish and self centred. No fewer than 48 names were paraded as defectors to the opposition APC. Among the defectors were former Commissioners- Niran Sule (Special Duties), Mrs Bukola Tenabe (Women Affairs), Tola Wewe (Tourism), Tola Aworh (Information) and Akinyemi Akinnigbagbe (Agriculture), .

Also a serving member representing Owo/Ose Hon Eniolorunda Omosule and another former member, Hon Akinyujha Jones equally defected.

Some foot soldiers of the PDP governorship candidate in the 2012 election, Chief Olusola

Political future After much dilly-dallying, Agagu younger brother who was his Chief of Staff for six years Femi Agagu led others to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his late brother’s godfather, to seek his advice on their political future under Mimiko’s leadership of the Party in the state.

Femi confirmed to Vanguard that former President Obasanjo knows and approves of their defection bid. Asked if their recent meeting with President Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State has anything to do with their defection, Femi said “It has every thing to do with our action.”

Vanguard reliably gathered that the former President Obasanjo facilitated the meeting Agagu boys had with Tinubu in his Bourdillion, Lagos residence.

Basking in the euphoria of his endorsement by the former President and Tinubu, Femi Agagu swung into action and started the mobilization of those he helped while he was the Chief of Staff and who benefited from his brother ’s six years reign.

He won the hearts of some former Commissioners who are C M Y K

Ondo APC state Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke; Femi Agagu and Hon Victor Olabimtan after their defection from the PDP to the APC

Oke were among the defectors.

Femi Agagu at a conference to announce their defection said “We have resolved to embrace change which the APC represents and drum support for the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as well as all the candidates of the party.

“We took this decision after lengthy sessions of consultation with friends, political associates as well as supporters in all the 203 wards of the state. We have also received the confidence of distinguished elder statesmen, non political young and elderly citizens who are concerned about the future of our dear state and country.”

Swift reaction Meanwhile, receiving the defectors, the party Vice Chairman in the South West, Chief Oluwole Akinyelure and the state Chairman, Hon. Isaac Kekemeke said they will be integrated into the party not as joiners but co-founders.

They urged the new members to work tirelessly for the party to win in the next year elections.

But in a swift reaction to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, in a statement issued by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Hon. Banji Okunnomo said those who claimed to have defected from the PDP had since ceased to be members of the ruling party.

Ondo rehabilitates 100 roads

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE- Poised to give facelift to roads across the three senatorial district areas of Ondo State, the Ondo State Government has announced plans to embark on a massive rehabilitation of roads in the state.

Eventhough residents have continued commend the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration’s performance in other sectors, they however appealed to him to embark on massive rehabilitation of the inner-city roads linking major towns of the community.

Against this backdrop, the Chairman of the state Asphalt Company, which handles the rehabilitation project, Engr. Kehinde Osikoya said that in the first phase of the rehabilitation work, over 100 roads will be attended to. This is even as Governor Mimiko has already flaggedoff the roads rehabilitation Project at Iromu Street, Texaco filling station, in Akure, the state capital.

Osikoya pointed out that 50 roads will be covered in Akure, the state capital.

Reaffirming government’s readiness to rehabilitate all the deplorable roads in the state, he said: “The entire network is Iromu/Ileme/ Okelisa/Amudipe/Igbehin roads Akure adjacent to Texaco near Elemo Palace. We are working in all the three senatorial districts.”

Pointing that the first phase of the rehabilitation focuses on the township roads which is aimed at the primary roads because they carry heavier traffic density, Osikoya disclosed that the completion of the projects may take between three to four months, as they have deteriorated due to old age.

He said that the rehabilitation was delayed to this time due to the extension of the rainy season last year, adding that construction work can only be done effectively during the dry season.

In a similar vein, the State Information Commissioner, Kayode Akinmade said the development is the actualization of the promise made

by Governor Mimiko to the people that all the deplorable bad roads will be rehabilitated soon after the raining season, noting that some of the roads in Akure the state capital, Akure include Ijoka, Odokoyi and Isolo roads.

The Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Obaile Unit, Ayodele We are Famuko lauded the gesture but working in said it was long overdue. Famuko to the government to all the three appealed ensure that the roads are senatorial maintained on time to guide against deterioration owing to long districts time neglect.

The party said: “The game plan of the members of the opposition who only waited till now to make their membership of the party public was to act as spoilers within but failed to achieve their aims. The PDP in Ondo state today is free of disloyal elements who hitherto worked with the opposition from within.”

Fresh expectations from renewed Presidential promises Continues from page 1 February 14, 2015 presidential election.

The first of these, was at a November 2014 forum in Ife where Jonathan while addressing Yoruba leaders, promised the zone a better deal if re-elected in 2015.

President Jonathan, who was accompanied by the National Chairman of the PDP Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, some ministers and members of the National Assembly described the South West as a key part of Nigeria which his administration must work with.

At the recent presidential rally held in Ibadan, the President promised to upgrade the Ibadan airport to international standard, complete Ibadan dry port, complete the on going LagosIbadan Express Road and Ibadan/ Ilorin Road.

He said: “I promise you if you vote for me and I come back as your president, I will resolve the corruption and my successor will not have any corruption battle to fight as I would have completely wipe away corruption from the land because I would have blocked all the avenues of stealing ‘’South-West has produced great leaders who have contributed immensely to the development of this nation. South West has produced great leaders like. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, SLA Akintola, Adegoke Adelabu, Adisa Akinloye, Lamidi Adedibu.

These are leaders whose lives are worthy of emulation. “ The south west leaders are the ones that gave me the idea of CONFAB and I want to commend them for the spirit of equity and justice.

“I was here in 2011 to campaign at this great Mapo hall. Because I was here you worked for me and I won the election. Today I am here to ask for your support again and I belief we shall be victorious.

I have never disappointed you and we have done much for you on education, roads, and railway.

Most of these people are not aware but we are committed to the development of this nation”.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 3

OGUN STATE

•Otunba Gbenga

•Sina Kawonise

•Dimeji Bankole

2015: How Daniel, Kawonise, Bankole lost-out in Ogun politics

By Daud Olatunji

A

TTEMPTS by former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and former Commissioner for Information, Sina Kawonise to run for Senate and governorship seats respectively, has unfortunately hit the brick wall.

Daniel had intended to run for Senate to represent Ogun East Senatorial District, but was denied the opportunity by the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

Party structure Kashamu who has the grip of the party structure in the state got the ticket as Daniel reportedly withdrew from the race two days to the primaries.

It was however, rumoured that, several attempts were made by the national body of the party to swap Kashamu’s name for Daniel’s, but was futile.

Vanguard gathered that, the national leadership became handicapped due to the several courts injunctions obtained by Kashamu which barred the party from tampering with the party structure in the state and its activities.

Attempts reportedly made by C M Y K

Daniel and Bankole to cause the change of the party structure was resisted and almost led to their imprisonment as Kashamu instituted contempt of court, but, was later withdrawn by the complainant.

Vanguard gathered that there were attempts to tinker with the list till the last minute when the chance to replace candidates was closed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Perusal of the INEC list of candidates especially for the national assembly indicated that Kashamu had the day as Daniel lost out in the bid to become the Senator representing Ogun East in the Febuary 14 election.

It was also discovered that the former Speaker failed to emerge the governorship candidate of either the PDP or any other political party.

It was reliably gathered that, after Bankole failed to be the flagbearer of the PDP, several attempts were made by Dimeji Bankole Movement, DBM, to convince the leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the state, former governor Aremo Segun Osoba to replace its governorship candidate, Senator Akin Odunsi. But this met brickwall once again.

A source close to Bankole’s group hinted that a lot of nocturnal secret meetings were held both in Lagos and Ogun states between Osoba and the proponents of Bankole for

governor, with a view to convincing the former to have a rethink on the choice of governorship candidate.

While the meetings were still on, the supporters of Bankole flew the kite that, Odunsi had been replaced with Bankole.

This report, it was gathered, rattled the members of the party who stormed the residence of the party leader in Abeokuta to confirm the authenticity of the report.

Expectedly, Osoba denied any move to change the party governorship candidate with Bankole.

True to his words, Osoba handed over the flag to Akin Odunsi as the party ’s governorship candidate at its flag-off held recently in Abeokuta.

Governorship ticket

For Kawonise, a deadly blow was dealt at him as he was edged out by the Labour Party, LP, leadership in the bid to become its governorship candidate in the state

According to a reliable source, the DBM also proposed to join the Labour Party and grab the governorship ticket, but, the party’s leadership shut the door against the move.

For Kawonise, a deadly blow was dealt at him as he was edged out by the Labour Party, LP, leadership in the bid to become its governorship candidate in the state.

Kawonise who had been parading himself as LP’s candidate long before the ticket was given made several efforts to get the ticket but it was futile.

The party which had submitted the name of its state chairman, Simeon Olabode as the proxy governorship candidate, substituted him with a businessman and greenhorn politician, Comrade Abolaji Sunmola.

Vanguard gathered that, the

party decided to deny Kawonise the ticket because of his relationship with the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel .

A member of the National Working Committee, NWC, who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said at the crucial meeting held in Abuja recently, that a lot of factors were considered which did not favour Kawonise.

According to the source, Kawonise was not trusted by the party’s national leaders, noting that he was not sent by Daniel to hold the brief for him while he was in the PDP. Daniel had dumped the Labour Party for the PDP on whose platform he became the governor of the state for eight years.

At the time of filing this report, the coast seems to be getting clearer as the prominent political parties unveiled their governorship candidates for the coming election.

The Peoples Democratic Party had announced Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka as its standardbearer; the All Progressives Congress in the state picked incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun; the Labour Party picked Comrade Abolaji Sunmola, even as the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN picked Rotimi Paseda as its governorship candidate in the governorship election billed to hold in the next 43 days.

4 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

OWAN'BE... THE SOCIAL LIFE OF YORUBA Input by Onozure Dania (08026651636)

GOC 81 Div gives out daughter in wedlock

I

t was a roller coaster of style , panache and splendor accentuated with high profile personage, when the General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Tamunomiebi Dibi , walked his daughter, Nwamaka Dibi, down the aisle of Saint Paul’s Military Church, Dodan barracks, Lagos, last Saturday, to be handed in holy wedlock to Mr Chinomso Okezika.

After the exchange of vows, the couple with the bridal train and eminent personalities which included senior Military officers, business moguls, politicians, top echelons of the Police and other paramilitary services and those that mattered in the corridors of power, proceeded to the Nigerian Airforce Officer ’s Mess, Victoria Island Lagos, for a deluxe reception.

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 5

OWAN'BE... THE SOCIAL LIFE OF YORUBA

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6 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

OYO STATE

The Ibadan PDP rally

When Oyo went agog for Jonathan

By Ola Ajayi

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP rally, which held last Monday, at the historic Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State, for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election has come and gone.

But the fact remains that it reenergised members and chieftains of the party that for the party to be successful in the February 14 and 28 elections, more works needed to be done.

Recall that the rally was coordinated by the Minster of State, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide.

No doubt, the preparation and publicity of the rally, was superb with the PDP’s green, red and white colours, as well as posters of different shapes, colours and sizes adorning the entire landscape of the state, thus, informing residents of the august visit of Nigeria’s number one citizen.

Finishing touches As at 11pm on the eve of that fateful day, the minister and her aides were still putting finishing touches to the place to make it attractive enough. So, as early as 7am, on the D-day, Ibadan metropolis was agog with activities, as party members started streaming towards the venue of the rally.

Interestingly, the popular fuji maestro, Alhaji Abass Akande (alias Obesere) and his band were on ground to liven up the city. Their musical vibes sent fans jumping and thumping on the iron stage prepared for him.

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Roll call In attendance were the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman; Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Minister of State, FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Senator Hosea Agboola; High Chief Lekan Balogun; Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State Governor; Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, Director of Media and Publicity, Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation; PDP senatorial candidates in Oyo South, North and Central, Titi Otiti, Hosea Agboola and Senator Ayo Adeseun.

Others were Erelu Olusola Obada, Minister of State, Defence; Oloye Ariyike Folarin, Bose Adedibu, wife of ex-Ibadan strong politician, Chief Mrs. Bola Doherty, Chief Folake OlunloyoOshinowo, candidate of the House of Representatives; Gbenga Olaofe, Mrs Titi AdedejiOtiti, a senatorial candidate, as well as ministers, Oyo State House of Assembly candidates among others.

President Jonathan’s earlier visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana at his Monatan palace compelled those at Mapo Hall to engage in endless waiting.

Olubadan used the opportunity to ask the president to see to the approval of Ibadan State, establishment of dry port, establishment of Ibadan International Airport among others.

After the visit, Jonathan who arrived the venue of the rally some minutes before 2pm, was welcomed by several chieftains of the party who were clad in wine-coloured-traditional attire, Aso Oke with caps to match.

They formed a single line waiting for the president’s handshake.

Among them were the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu; Ondo State Governor and South West Coordinator of the PDP National Campaign Council, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; the party ’s governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin; ex-governor of Anambra, Peter Obi; Director General National Campaign Council, Ahmadu Alli; former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Balogun; former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Azeem Gbolarumi; Senator Lekan Balogun and the state party chairman, Mr. Olayinka Taiwo.

Before the arrival of Mr. President, many chieftains of the party had spoken in turns. Femi Fani-Kayode, who moderated the programme spoke

When the president came, he dismissed many claims of his perceived opponents, that his administration had failed Nigerians. He highlighted some of the achievements of his government in the last four years

intermittently and boasted that the state would not only fall in the hands of the PDP, President Jonathan would win the election convincingly.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh told the mamoth crowd to disregard the alleged lies peddled by the opposition party, APC. “They have insulted us, they even blackmailed our leaders and they have called us so many names. But, I know you have resolved to vote for PDP. It is the only party,” he boasted.

Symbol of propaganda Dr. Saka Balogun, former Chief of Staff to Otunba Adebayo AlaoAkala said: “Election has come.

So many people are trying to convince you to vote for them. In the South West, we are a small unit of the country and we have the opportunity to determine our next dispensation. Is it propaganda you want to vote for? APC is a symbol of propaganda while PDP is a symbol of reality. I was part of the regime in 1983. I was my party’s liaison officer then. We were toppled by the coup led by General Muhammad Buhari.

But, I managed to escape. Our colleagues were put in prison without just cause. Will you vote for that man? If you want freedom, vote for Jonathan.”

When the president came, he dismissed many claims of his perceived opponents, that his administration had failed Nigerians. He highlighted some of the achievements of his government in the last four

years. Among the achievements, he listed the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, power projects, Ibadan Airport renovation, Ibadan-Lagos-Kano rail way, among other empowerment projects cited in Oyo state.

He added that his government empowered over one million youths in the state in his intervention programmes.

On his administration’s fight against corruption, he said he did not believe in incarcerating people but would fight the menace through modern technology.

“If I try 10 million Nigerians and jail 5 million, that does not stop corruption problem. Let me re-assure Nigerians that we will win war against terror. My commitment and method of solving corruption is not in terms of the number of people I try or jail.”

President Jonathan who described those who fought under the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) but now supporting General Muhammed Buhari as hypocrites of what the movement stood for in terms of respect for human rights, said Ibadan Airport may be upgraded to an International status as a request made by the Olubadan, but pleaded with the people of the state to wait for the completion of the present rehabilitation.

Earlier, Akinjide buttressed the achievements of the president, saying he gave 200 million dollars to the South West to check flooding which claimed lives some years ago in the state.

The Ondo state Governor, Olusegun Mimiko said the south west belonged to the PDP, adding that Nigerians should not vote for a president that cannot boot a computer system.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 7

LAGOS STATE

Eulogies continue to pour for late C&S spiritual leader, Fakeye

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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INCE Sunday, January 11, when Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye, the General Leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Surulere), Ayo Ni O, passed on at age 78, the entire Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church,(Ayo Ni O) movement and the Fakeye family of Imesi-Ile Osun State have been thrown into mourning, as torrents of tributes have continued to pour in for the late Special Apostle.

Fakaye, a Doctorate degree holder and a spiritual mentor to many, who died in a foreign hospital after a brief illness , had been the Chairman/ General Leader of the District since inception 45 years ago.

A British trained telecommunications engineer by profession, General Leader as he is fondly referred to by the entire congregation, had served in both the public and private sectors before focusing on full time Evangelism.

Among his footprints on the sands of time were, his popular

Radio Evangelism tagged “Edidi Iye” meaning “Seal of Life”. His passion for the transformation of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church was unlimited.

In spite of the unprecedented phenomenal growth of the Surulere District, he and the other elders, remained committed to the Movement Arm of the Cherubim and Seraphim denomination and worked relentlessly to unite the different arms of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church into one body in Leadership, Liturgy and Worship.

Constant prayers His commitment to Christendom and ease of life for worshippers through constant prayers and supplications was unparalleled.

Eulogosing Fakeye, Pastor George Ogunleye, the General Secretary of C& S, described him as a Five Star General in the Lord’s army, who served with full loyalty and never for

once beat a retreat even in the face of threats and antagonisms.

“He was a great Prophet of God who touched the lives of many, young and old, male and female, rich and poor.

An epitome of humility, he shunned huge ceremonial dresses and h e r o worshipping by members. He was a leader who led with zeal, passion and openness.

“Kind hearted, •Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye he prefers to give rather than receive even that he is in the bosom of Jesus from the extremely rich and Christ, who he loved, served highly placed in the society let and propagated.

“Our dear Baba Fakeye, even alone extorting from them. as we mourn your demise, we Time cannot heal his demise in are still bold to say: AYO NI O. our hearts, only the consolation

The Church, with the Grace and Mercy of God Almighty will continue to build on the imperishable legacies you left behind.”

Similarly, another member of the C&S, Special Mother in Israel, Funmi Gbemigbade, described Prophet Fakeye, as a teacher and an evangelist, who was committed to building the society through the strong articulation of religious tolerance and constant advice to those in power and authority.

“He was in the vanguard of advocacy for our leaders see themselves as God’s representatives who eventually would give account to the creator. He was an advocate of good governance and an avowed anti-corruption crusader. He will greatly be missed,” said she.

Fakaye, a devote Christian was happily married to Special Mother in Israel (Prophetess) Grace Fakeye and the union was blessed with children and grandchildren.

Fakaye until his death was the national executive member of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the President of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches OAIC, and a very active member of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, NIREC.

Raging inferno wreaks havoc in Lagos •As victims of Balogun Market recount ordeal

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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N what has been described as the carelessness of some Lagos residents, especially as the hazy Harmattan continues to bite harder, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Razak Fadipe has disclosed that no fewer than 18 fire incidents were recorded across the state in a day, earlier in the week.

Fadipe, made the disclosure, when Governor Babatunde Fashola visited Balogun Market, in Lagos Island, where several goods worth millions of Naira were lost in a raging inferno that hit the market on Monday.

Unfortunately, areas such as Ebute-Metta, Igando, Ikeja, Agege, Ajegunle among others have lost lives and properties worth millions of naira to the raging inferno.

On the Balogun fire incident, Fadipe said the information gathered was that workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, came on that fateful day to work on the transformer in front of one of the buildings in the market, and when power was restored later in the day, there was an C M Y K

explosion which resulted in the fire.

Meanwhile, Fashola during the inspection of the ruins of goods and houses at the scene of the inferno, commiserated with victims of the fire disaster, stressing that unforeseen disasters like this brings to bare why residents must take insurance policies in business and daily life.

Fashola who promised that government would replace the buildings and structures lost to

There used to be a Federal Fire Service in this place, it is gone and what you have now is a full complement of Lagos State Fire Service with equipment that we received late last year

•Scene of burnt Balogun Market the inferno said: “I sympathise with you on this incident, especially the women trying to earn a living. This is indeed a very pathetic incident. Be assured that our government will stand by you at this difficult period and we will help you get back on your businesses. That is the reason I have come with the Commissioner for Special Duties.

“I am working with the Iya Oloja, (Women Market leader) and other market women to authenticate and verify all legitimate losses to the incident and this will apply to all affected in all the plazas. Once everyone has been identified, we will do

our best to put you back to business and that will include replacing as many destroyed properties and buildings as possible.”

Commending the capacity of the State Fire Service to contain the fire, Fashola expressed gratitude to God that the incident did not result to loss of life saying, “There used to be a Federal Fire Service in this place, it is gone and what you have now is a full complement of Lagos State Fire Service with equipment that we received late last year. Yesterday, they responded to about 18 fires, so you should just imagine what conditions, what situation would

it have been today without these fire engines. That is the power of our government to respond and to use taxpayers’ money to provide this kind of fire fighting, lifesaving equipment,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Femi Osanyintolu, noted that one of the major causes of the fire outbreak at the market was that the people were not safety conscious, adding that they kept lots of inflammable materials including generators inside their shops. This is even as he commended the state fire service for been able to curtail the fire.

8 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

BITS Briefs With IKENNA ASOMBA

413, 588 PVCs yet to be collected in Osun – INEC

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o fewer than 413, 588 registered voters representing 29.41 per cent are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, in Osun State. The chief public affairs officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Osun State Directorates, Mrs. Adenike Tadese, disclosed this on Wednesday, while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo.

She explained that as at December 24, 2014, of the 1,460,0147 PVCs receieved by the Osun INEC from the national headquarters of INEC, 992,559 PVCs representing 70.59 per cent have been distributed to the electorate in the state.

Lagos INEC REC meets political party leaders, solicits support

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Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose presenting food items to students of special schools in Ekiti

When Ekiti First Lady settled the hospital bills of Boko Haram victims

By Gbenga Ariyibi

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DO EKITI-As part of activities marking her 51st birthday anniversary, the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dame Feyisetan Fayose has paid a huge sum of money as medical bills for some patients who could not afford to pay their bills at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

Mrs. Fayose had on January 8 did a similar gesture when she paid visit to a number of Government Special Schools/ Institutions in Ikere, Ado, Ido, Ikoro and Iyin Ekiti, distributing food items and cash gifts to special children across the state.

Speaking while presenting the cash donation to the patients at the hospital complex in Ado-Ekiti, Dame Fayose said the gesture was aimed at bringing succour to the people, especially children.

She reiterated her earlier statement that she had no

particular pet project but to give total support for husband’s policies and programmes towards making life more meaningful for the people of the state.

She said: “I have said it before and I am still reiterating that l have no pet project. My project is my husband’s

The Ekiti first lady who promised not to abandon those who are in dare needs, assured that the exercise would continue

programmes and policies which are aimed at making life more meaning to the generality of the people of the state.”

The Ekiti first lady who promised not to abandon those who are in dare needs, assured that the exercise would continue.

Speaking earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the Teaching Hospital, Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe expressed appreciation to the first lady for her philanthropic gesture.

He described the various conditions of the beneficiaries to include Boko haram victims from the northern part of the country, accident victims with varying degrees of injury, new born babies with several complications, their mothers among others.

Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Sade Adewuyi expressed gratitude to Mrs. Fayose and prayed for God’s guidance for the present administration.

Soldier slumps at Ibadan remembrance parade

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By Ola Ajayi

BADAN – The Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations in Oyo State almost went sour yesterday as a female soldier collapsed in front of Government House, Agodi in Ibadan while on parade.

Vanguard gathered that the

soldier and her colleagues had been at the arcade about five hours before the commencement of the programme around 11am.

It was by providence that the gun which she was holding at the time she fell did not fire.

Before anything untoward happened, her colleagues surrounded her to give

helping hands. Newsmen at the parade were prevented from moving closer to the visibly exhausted soldier so that her photograph would not be taken.

She was later rushed to the hospital on the premises of the Government House where doctors resuscitated her.

he Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Lagos on Tuesday called for the support of political parties to ensure successful general elections in the state, noting that the success of the general elections depended on collective efforts of all parties involved in the elections.

In his his inaugural meeting with party leaders and other stakeholders, held at the state INEC office in Yaba, Mr Akin Orebiyi, the new Resident Electoral Commission, REC, said following the directive from its national headquarters to decentralise the distribution of the PVCs in the state, Orebiyi said residents can now pick up their PVCs in 19 centres in Lagos Island Local Government Area, 10 in Kosofe, 10 in Ikeja, 11 in Ifako-Ijaiye and 19 in Epe. “Ibeju-Lekki has 11centres, 10 in Eti-Osa, 11 in Badagry, 10 in Apapa, 11 in Amuwo-Odofin, 11 in Alimosho, 11 in AjeromiIfelodun, 11 in Agege, 12 in Somolu, 11centres in OshodiIsolo, 11 in Ojo, 19 in Ikorodu, 12 in Surulere, 11 in Lagos Mainland, and 14 in Mushin,” he said.

NANS endorse Jonathan for second term

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he National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ondo Joint Campus Committee Axis, has agreed to support President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate for next month’s election.

The students were said to have reached the conclusion after a meeting of its leaders in the South-West Zone, held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the students body, the Vice President NANS (National Affairs), Timilehin Ayenuro said the students were supporting Jonathan for a second term for his key achievements in the education sector, saying they include the establishment of 150 Almajiri modern schools to boost education in the north, establishment of nine new federal universities, and equipping of 51 Federal and State polytechnics with stateof-the-art laboratories.

Don’t sell your votes - Akala tells Market women

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abour Party governorship candidate in Oyo State Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala has urged market women and community leaders in Oyo State not to sell their votes for political opportunists who have no plan for them.

Otunba Alao Akala said this while addressing market women and community leaders during the shop to shop rally of the labour market in Ibadan.

According to him, “The people of Oyo state have not really enjoyed the good dividends of democracy since we left government as the current administration has brought more hardship to our people and by the special grace of God we are restoring everything.

THE TEAM Editor: Adeleke Adeseri

Correspondents: Ola Ajayi Gbenga Olarinoye Dayo Johnson Gbenga Ariyibi Dapo Akinrefon Daud Olatunji Olasunkanmi Akoni Monsur Olowoepejo Ikenna Asomba

Ibadan Osogbo Akure Ado Ekiti Abeokuta Lagos

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38 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Women should be protected against violence

By Anino Aganbi

against cruelty to women, especially those ones with the virus. They need to look at it in a holistic way. A lot of sensitization has been done in this regard”.

Mrs Ezeigbo stated that the mission of the International Federation of Women Lawyers is to promote, protect and preserve the well being, right and interest of women and children.

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he International Federation of Women lawyers (FIDA) recently held its workshop where legal framework and mechanisms were discussed for the protection of Nigeria’s citizens especially women and children, against all forms of violence. This was done in support of the worlds AIDS day. Present at the event were stakeholders from the Ministry of Justice, District Attorney of the federation amongst others.

UN Women representative, Mrs. Adekemi Ndieli stated that violence against women and children is a massive project being worked on. “We are trying to organize a one stop centre where the woman relates her issues and it is for women living with HIV.

Biological makeup They are the greater number because of the vulnerability of their biological make up. The issues remain on how to help these women assert their rights, to get justice. We are so glad that Lagos state has that mechanism to address access to justice. Nigeria is rich enough to give free drugs.

Majority of people living

Interest of of women

with HIV are women and majority of them are poor.

Where are they expected to raise money from to buy drugs? The system should provide for them so they can have access to free drugs.

Women living with HIV should not give up hope as it is not the end of the world.

As long as they take their drugs everything is ok. They should look for a means of livelihood so they can have a voice in the society”.

Mrs Eliana Martins reported that FIDA Nigeria,

while working together with UN women in

We set out primarily to promote the rights of these vulnerable groups, In every society across the globe, women suffer

commemoration of the Worlds Aids day decided to focus on women with HIV appreciating that FIDA members being lawyers are looking at access to justice.

“We put together community outreach program where we engaged women, tried to give them comfort and talked to them about their legal right.

Fida is looking into violence against these women, physically and emotionally.

The organization was in support of male champions who will stand out and speak

“The happiness and wellbeing of the woman and child affects the happiness of the home and society at large.

We set out primarily to promote the rights of these vulnerable groups. In every society across the globe, women suffer.

Within this vulnerable group, we have women suffering from aids and their major challenge is d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , stigmatization, rejection and other challenges. They suffer double jeopardy because they are being discriminated primarily because they are women and they also suffer further discrimination because they are HIV positive.

Through this program, we feel there is a need to educate them on their right”.

ELECTIONS: Group enjoins Nigerians to promote fair contest

By Josephine Agbonkhese T was a colourful gathering of both eminent and grassroots men, women and youths from both the SouthSouthern and South-East parts of the country, under the aegis of SouthernEastern Peoples Development Foundation, SEPDF. This time however, unlike most ethnic gatherings, the preoccupation was politically oriented and the agenda was to influence Nigeria’s political landscape and ensure good governance, through the upcoming general elections.

In no time, the event climaxed in the launch of a nationwide campaigned tagged Fair Contest 2015, with each participant posing for a photo shot endorsing the campaign.

“This campaign is pertinent because there are threats of impending violence.

We are appealing to political parties and their candidates to embrace fairness in the upcoming general elections. We are

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very much convinced that only when politicians generally embrace the concept of fair contest will Nigeria be able to achieve a transparent, free and fair elections.

“Already, we have begun meeting with representatives of different political parties, socio-political groups, candidates and interest groups, to have them sign-up to our fair contest banner,” Barr Obuesi Philips, co-convener, Fair Contest 2015, said at the event in Lagos.

Another member of the campaign team, Mr.Uzoigwe Kenneth, enjoined Nigerians

SEPDF has remained vociferous in discussing innovative ideas for achieving credible elections in Nigeria

From left, Mr. Uzoigwe Kenneth, MD, Kelins Court Hotel; Mr. Chris Ejima Johnson; Mr. Obuesi Phillips, and Mr. Uzoma Silas, Maritime Consultant, all conveners, at the unveiling of Fair Contest 2015 Campaign by South Eastern Peoples Development Forum, in Lagos. to uphold fairness in the elections by not only voting but also protecting their votes.

Mr.Uzoma Silas, also a co-convener, urged youths to avoid making themselves tools for perpetrating violence in the hands of ill-will politicians.

Uzoma noted also that the Fair Contest Campaign team had begun engaging grassroots leaders, parents and institutions to effectively drive home its message. True to its mission, the team has since the launch of the campaign increasingly had political candidates and groups sign up to its Fair Contest 2015 Campaign. This includes top All Progressives Congress-APC House of

Representatives member cum candidate, Hon.Femi Gbajamiala, and Peoples Democratic Party-PDP Senatorial candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, amongst others.

Over the years, SEPDF has remained vociferous in discussing innovative ideas for achieving credible elections in Nigeria. It would be recalled that in 2007, the group was involved in projects aimed at stimulating demand for improved transparency in the conduct of elections.

In 2011 also, it successfully advocated for a social contract between the candidates of political parties and the electorates as a tool for deepening democracy.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 39

foundation said that the foundation is opening up the pathway for indigent girls to be empowered through capacity building.

We decided to provide this platform to address the challenges of teenagers, as most times these sets of persons are neglected and ignored in the homes, churches, mosques, and school. Surprisingly most of the abuses that they face are perpetuated by people who are supposed to provide them with succour.

Mistakes of past generations

•White World cross section of participants

White World Foundation empowers girls against predators

By Esther Onyegbula

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n a conscious efforts to reduce the increasing rate of abuse on young adults especially girls, White world foundation organised its maiden capacity building and

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empowerment programme in Badagry to empower girls against predators.

The programme aimed at addressing low self esteem, rape, sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, peer pressures

BUJA — Nigerian women have expressed displeasure over General Muhammadu Buhari’s decision of dissolving office of the First Lady if elected into office in 2015, describing the statement as anti women. National President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Mrs. Nkechi Mba, in a statement condemned the idea, stating that Nigerian women are not happy.

According to her since inception of this administration, many women have been empowered, and the First lady is advocating for more women in both elective and appointive positions.

She said, “NCWS Nigeria is saying no to General Buhari’s statement on the facing out of First Lady’s office, that is where women are being empowered despite the fact the office has no budget, they get support from well wishers and help the less privileged and offers especially to the widows.

“How many men can do that? It is through this office that Nigerian women have gotten 35 per cent affirmative action which before was only about six per cent. This is the 1st time, that is why Nigerian women believe in President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda,” she said.

Artistes that thrilled and entertained guests include Sound Force band, Mr Idea, Fortune, Arinze Baba, Miss J, Daniel West, Gordons, Double J, Jaywon, Wonder Boy and Harrysong.

Elated Alfred said: “I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to win the competition. This is a dream come true.” She promised to use her position to touch the lives of people in the region positively during her reign.

Chief Executive Officer of Miss Niger Delta Organisation, Prince Sodin who

faced by young adults had about three hundred participant.

In her welcome address, Team leader Ocheme Elizabeth, White world

Through this capacity building we are giving them feet to stand tall because, when they are well informed they won’t repeat the mistakes of the past generation which need to be curbed.

Emphasising the importance of empowering teenager ’s girls, Ocheme Elizabeth, White world foundation, noted that food is important but not as important as knowledge in grooming a total woman.

Lamenting the falling moral standard of Nigeria and Africa and the use of young girls as sex symbols in musical videos,

Mr. Ope Oke, CEO Dookes Place, he urged the teenagers to be focused and determined to excel in life. Adding that the way to the top is not between your legs but in your head and mindset he encouraged them to stand up, redefined and chase their dreams and not men.

In her presentation, the guest speaker, Bukola Ogunyeye, Founder Morna International children’s foundation, said it is high time we protect our young girls from predators who take advantage of the ignorance and vulnerability of most teenage girls by equipping them with the right knowledge and skill.

Young women needs to be empowered to end gender based violence by challenging predators. A healthy dose of self esteem reduces the likelihood of being abused by predators.

To avoid being raped you must always be mentally alert, think smart and trust your instinct and avoid being in secluded places alone with the opposite sex. The highlight of the section was the skill acquisition session where participants were taught how make Chinese cuisines and how to do facials.

Nigerian women express displeasure over scrapping of First Lady’s office

By Funmi Olasupo was satisfied with the outcome of the pageant said: “The show and post event projects are centered on re-orientation of values, socio-cultural integration, peace promotion, talent and skill development, capacity building for self reliance, self employment and empowerment of female youths in the

It is through this office that Nigerian women have gotten 35 per cent affirmative action which before was only about six per cent

region.”

He added that the pageant show is not all about funfair of crowning beauty queens but a programme aimed at assisting female youths from the region to play their roles as young ambassadors for peace and development in the country.

He recalled that since its inception in 1999, the show had produced 13 beauty queens and some of the titles include: Ambassador for Peace and Development, Symbol of Talent, Model for Change, Face of Beauty, Pride of Niger Delta and Miss Niger Delta in Diaspora. These beauty queens he disclosed have used their positions and offices to add values to life as well as promote change and transformation in the region as role models.

He urged both governments and its

agencies, corporate organisations as well as stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to support this laudable initiative which is complementary to various projects and programmes aimed at transforming the region as expected.

A representative from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) promised that they will continue to support the Miss Niger Delta Organisation because it is a laudable project that has brought peace in the region.

Dignitaries at the event include Bar. Turner, Special Adviser on Youths, NDDC), Solomon Diepriye from Bayelsa Tourism Board, Barr. Francis O. Francis ( Vice President (ABPON) and Prof. Efere, Rector Bayelsa Institute of Tourism and Hospitality.

40—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Jonathan vs Buhari:

Entertainers sing discordant tunes (1)

BY AYO ONIKOYI

AHEAD of the presidential election next month there is a palpable excitement running through every sector of the country, including the entertainment industry, which had until now been relatively apolitical. As some entertainers have made clear, the stake of the industry in the socio-economic fortunes of the country has risen exponentially and has thus conferred on it as much right as any to be part of the political process.

For the highest office in the land, the pendulum seems to be swinging the way of only two candidates for the Aso Villa: President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd). Just as the whole citizenry seems to be torn between the two the entertainment enclave of Nigeria also has its discordant tunes.

From movie stars to music stars to the comedians, there isn’t any consensus of opinion as to who has been endorsed by entertainers. Their choices are as divergent as many as they are:

No one has the right to endorse anyone on behalf of the industry — Bob Manuel-Udokwu

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ON’T listen to those attention seekers who claim they speak for our industry. They have no mandate to endorse any candidate on behalf of the industry. I speak for myself alone on this matter and I believe that’s how it is supposed to be. Having said that, I endorse Goodluck Jonathan to continue as president. He has clear ideas and practical programmes to positively transform Nigeria.

He needs more time to actualise his vision for Nigeria but Nigerians want immediate result which is wrong. The result/benefits of most of Jonathan’s programmes today will be seen/felt long after he completes his second term in office. He is the only president of Nigeria to notice the viability of the entertainment industry and takes practical steps to assist the multi-million naira industry which is second largest employer of labour outside the civil service!

16 years is enough for Nigerians to try another political platform

Jonathan must continue the transformation agenda – Mosun Filani

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HAVE endorsed Jonathan for second term, principally for him to continue the transformation agenda he has started. It does not make sense truncating all these laudable programmes just on the share sentiment of wanting a northerner to become the president.

Nigeria is faced with multi-faceted problems and challenges and it requires a man who is in touch with realities of modern times to tackle it. How would you expect a man who is not computer literate or abreast with the global technological advancement to tackle the present modern challenges? He will definitely take Nigeria back fifty years if such a person becomes president.

Buhari, because all this massacre has to stop — Ayo Adesanya

— Foluke Daramola

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BVIOUSLY, it is Buhari because I want positive change for my country. I am a progressive by all standard and I believe in a visionary leadership and governance not monetarily and materially inclined one. We all want money, but my husband will always tell me to always seek first the place of integrity and honour and every other thing, like my Bible says, shall be added unto me .

Buhari is a man of such integrity and honour and that is why people like me and many other Nigerians of values are rising around this time to support his course. I believe strongly in a new Nigeria that works for the benefit of all Nigerians now and even our children to come. I believe that 16 years is enough for Nigerians to try another political platform for the urgent change Nigeria deserves. So I have adopted Nigeria for change under the able leadership of General Buhari.

Jonathan has done nothing for Nigerians in the last six years — Ronke Ojo

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ENDORSE Buhari because Jonathan has not done anything for Nigerians in the last six years. There is spilling of too much blood in his regime and more than anything he is a weak man.

No Nigerian President has faced more distractions than Jonathan — Mr Ibu

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INCE His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Goodluck Ebelle Azikiwe Jonathan assumed office as Commander-in-Chief I have never seen a president that has faced huge distractions as Jonathan yet he has results. All these years, there has been no case of scarcity of petroleum products or unnecessary increment of fuel prices and the South-south quarrels came to an end.

The issue of bombing was actually perpetrated by prominent Nigerians probably because they desire power. Look, let us give Jonathan a chance and support him in making sure he finishes his tenure in grand style. He is not going to be there all his life, four years is not too much, let him round off and leave, then anybody who thinks he is better can now come in to do best

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WANT Buhari because I want change. I am so tired of the state of the nation; the stagnation is disheartening, especially the faith of kids in the north. The female suicide bombers I believe are the Chibok girls. I am so tired of seeing the Boko Harram mayhem everyday. All this massacre has got to stop, I believe Buhari can bring about the much needed change

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 41

With PRINCE OSUAGWU princeosuagwu@gmail.com 08050498513

BB PASSPORT: ATE last year, Blackberry silently introduced the Blackberry Passport, and what a phone!

The way it is built, no one would be in doubt that the phone maker is seeking a visa to the top table of the smartphone market once again.

Remember that Blackberry pioneered the smartphone genre of mobile phones which has clearly led the mobile ecosystem, but lost it along the line. Ever since, it has introduced some unique innovation in attempt to get back. Yet it seems some bits are missing in the puzzle. When it launched bold5 some three years ago, not a few saw prospects of a smartphone maker that was about to launch a surprise attack at Apples and Samsungs of this world, to take back its place. The combined touch and QWERTY keyboard features of that device posed threat to most of the leaders who parade touch as the new world feature in a smartphone.

Smartphone penetration But the likes of Samsung and others came up with the idea of a bold architecture and bigger screens to keep the status quo ante out of threat.

The idea worked, particularly in Nigeria, known to lead the smartphone penetration globally.

Users need for a smarter, lighter device to work, watch videos, just as they could on their laptops and tablets may have accounted for this.

However, its introduction of the Z and Q series, in 2012 nearly produced an earthquake in the market order. The Z10 and Q10 series shook the market. Not surprising, going by the fluidity and navigational powers of its BB10 operating system.

However, along the line, something seems not to be clicking right. Whether it’s marketing deficiency or promotional flaws, these devices seem not to have given a good account of the earliest push it threatened to give present market leaders.

The introduction of The Passport clearly seemed to provide the missing link. The device is competitive in basic spec terms with regard to camera and processor functionality. Bold architecture, very large screen made of Gorillaglass and combines touch with Qwerty keyboard. The device takes care of the interest of the old and new device freaks.

Although the BlackBerry Passport is more than 50 percent heavier than the iPhone 6 and a 4.5-inch display, which is also slightly smaller than the 4.7-inch display of iPhone 6, it however, features a higher pixel density of 13 to Iphone6’s eight.

C M Y K

Can this Passport give Blackberry visa to smartphone market dominance?

The Passport supports up to 160 GB of storage with 3 GB of RAM, another 32 GB of memory, and supports Micro SD Cards up to 128 GB. One of the most unique features of the Passport is the Picture Password Unlock option to fingerprint encryption. The user basically needs to drag a selected number from 0-9 over an exact location which he or she must have previously set, on a picture of his or her choice. So, even as people’s fingers can be mischievously dragged over the fingerprint button when asleep, to unlock a phone like iphone or Samsung Galaxy 5, the Passport makes it

pretty difficult to happen with the picture password option.

Meanwhile when an intruder tries and fails more than 10 times, the Passport wipes itself clean.

This comparison is mainly because both the Passport, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus were all highly anticipated smartphones that launched in September last year.

However, with all the features which seem to favour the Passport against competitors, in every 10 mobile phone users on the street, particularly in Nigeria, Iphone 6 and Samsung Galaxy seem to share eight. iphone 6 Even at launch, while Apple’s

•BB PAS SPOR

T

iPhone 6 models were reported to have sold 10 million units during their launch weekend, BlackBerry’s Passport was said to have sold just 200,000 units during its first few days in select markets.

Now if the Passport is going to

do differently, Blackberry probably needs to look at its marketing and promotional strategies again, particularly in Africa where mobile growth happens on hourly basis.

To get a visa requires an acceptable Passport

NOKIA says bye to LUMIA …as Microsoft Lumia 535 berths

•Microsoft Lumia 535

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Y

OU probably may not see anything Nokia Lumia anywhere in the mobile market again. This gradual phase out began April last year when Microsoft completely took over the ailing Nokia mobile devices arm. However, since then Microsoft had deliberately allowed the name roll undisturbed. But now, it

seems the software giant feels time is ripe for Nokia to go. For the first time since it made that acquisition Microsoft has decided to sign its name on a mobile phone again. Apparently beginning with its latest release, the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual Sim 3G Smartphone, the industry could give up the hope of seeing Nokia Lumia series and get prepared for more Microsoft series.

Although it’s been long Microsoft signed on a mobile phone, it appears the software company is ready to get every mistake of the past corrected on its own brand of the Lumia devices.

The new Microsoft mobile deviced offers five great integrated Microsoft experiences, a wide-angle 5 megapixel front facing camera, and a spacious 5 inch display protected with Gorilla Glass 3.

With the device, one can now make

With the device, one can now make memorable Skype video calls likewise seamlessly switch between voice and video with built-in Skype integration

memorable Skype video calls likewise seamlessly switch between voice and video with built-in Skype integration; access, edit and share word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and OneNote notebooks wherever one is, with the preinstalled Office suite.

The user can also save and sync photos, videos and office documents securely with 15GB of free One Drive cloud storage and connect with work and personal e-mail while on the go, with Microsoft Outlook built-in.

Little wonder, Microsoft officials are talking tough. Hear Mr Joseph Umunakwe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices & Services: “Nigerians are inspired everyday and want to turn that inspiration into reality and ultimately business opportunities.

Our Lumia smartphones give them the power and tools to make this happen.

We are committed to delivering the power of everyday mobile technology to everyone through our devices and services such as OneDrive, Outlook, Skype, Bing, Outlook, and Xbox Live which power them. The new Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM sets the benchmark in bringing the best of the Windows at a very pocket friendly price point to consumers in Nigeria.”

Also, Senior Marketing Manager, Olumide Balogun, adds that the Lumia 535 Dual SIM is made especially for individuals who want to turn their ideas into amazing things.

42 — VANGUARD,

BY RIDWAN JAMIU

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Being a paper presented by Imam Ridwan Jamiu, LL.B, LL.M (Chief Imam, Lekki Central Mosque, Lekki Scheme l, Lagos) at Lekki Muslim Ummah workshop las Sunday.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious the most Merciful

O

UR children are our future. When you properly invest in them you invest in your future. Some people want to run but they have tied their feet.

You want to be happy in future when you can no longer do as you do now but you do not give your children religious and moral education, and everybody knows our education already lacks value. You reap what you sow.

When you laugh the world laughs with you but when you cry you cry alone.

There was a carpenter the Quran tells us about. His name was Habeeb. He had accepted Islam from Muslim missionaries who came to their town. Learning that his people from the recess rejected the missionaries, he prepared to join them encouraging his people to embrace Islam as he himself had done.

Enraged by his declaration, the people of the village pounced on him and killed him. Hearing a call to enter the Jannah, he exclaimed, “Ah me! Would that my people knew.

Ultimate success For that my Lord has granted me forgiveness and has enrolled me among those held in honour!”So did the carpenter attain ultimate success and his people were eventually destroyed by mighty blast. They lost all they had laboured to amass and lost eternal bliss(Q36:13-29). What is success?

In a country where corruption and impunity, prostitution and infidelity, selfishness and cruelty, carelessness and poverty are the order of the day, one wonders if success ever has meaning in people’s life. The reality is that everybody wants success but not everybody will be successful. That is because it is not everybody that understands what success is.

What then is success?

The concept of success in Islam Success from the Islamic perspective can be defined as a beneficial accomplishment. It is a remarkable achievement which benefits the achiever and benefits others here or hereafter.

A distinction should always be made between an achievement or accomplishment and success.

Success is a profitable achievement. Success in itself is not success until it is beneficial. Success must have a positive impact. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) once said about AbdurRahman bin ‘Awf, “what a remarkable achievement: a righteous man blessed with lawful wealth.”

Wealth with righteousness is success because it would be spent in useful ways, while wealth without righteousness could spell a disaster. Wealth unlawfully acquired is never a success.

It is rather a failure in disguise.

The Prophet had said, “I was shown the Paradise, behold, most of the people inside are the poor.”

Wealth could be of possessions, knowledge, influence, experience and beauty. Each of these forms of wealth has the propensity to be spent in righteous or wicked ways. Therefore, our achievement in them is not success until it is profitable and the means to it is clean.

About some people, Allah says, “Do not let their possessions or their children impress you: through these Allah only intends to punish them in this world and

•Imam Ridwan Jamiu

The Prophet had said, “I was shown the Paradise, behold, most of the people inside are the poor”

From right: Engr Yunus Adeniji Raji, President, Lekki Muslim Ummah, LEMU, Alhaji Sulaimon Alabi, Vice President, LEMU, and Grp..Capt. Abdulateef Lawal, former President LEMU during the Ummah’s Quarterly Da’wah Workshop held last Sunday in Lekki, Lagos.

for their souls to depart while they disbelieve,” Q9:55.So wealth and children of the unbelievers will certainly become a source of punishment for them because of their infidelity to Allah even though those unbelievers would always see those possessions as success.

Success must be inclusive, transitive Islam wants us to take a holistic approach to life. Every aspect of life works to complement and perfect the other. Such should be success. A person who is successful at work and is not successful in the family is not successful.

His failure in the family could cause him stress which will later affect his quality of work. They won’t be happy. And can there be success without happiness and fulfilment in your home? Your family is your life. It is your real world. It is here you build your future. You labour to build it and sustain it. No place like home.

Problems have always arisen between couples when there is no money to meet the basic needs. Likewise, one suffers stress when one is not fulfilled at his job. Stressors generally have negative impact on health

and behaviour. How can success have meaning with illhealth and disorderly behaviour?

The life is meant to be lived and explored. Allah says, “It is He who created all that is on the earth for you...” Q2:29 It is recklessness to abandon to pursue spiritual growth because of material pursuit, as it is a forbidden asceticism to abandon the world and its enjoyment because of spirituality.

Both should be pursued with tenacity and healthy competition. So, true success requires some balance in our life.

Allah says, “Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, eat and drink [as We have permitted] but do not be extravagant: Allah does not like extravagant people.

Say [Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the adornment and the nourishment Allah has provided for His servants?’ Say, ‘They are [allowed] for those who believe during the life of this world: they will be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.’ This is how We make Our revelation clear for those who understand.

Say, ‘My Lord only forbids disgraceful deeds – whether they be open or hidden – and sin and unjustified aggression, and that you, without His sanction, associate things with Him, and that you say things about Him without knowledge. There is a time set for every people: they cannot hasten it, nor, when it comes, will they be able to de-

lay it for a single moment.”

Q7:31-34 A person who is successful at work and in the family is not really successful if he is at odd with his Lord.

Allah has created everything in pairs: male and female, right and wrong, day and night, happiness and sorrow, up and down, right and left, and this world and the Hereafter. It would be foolhardy to attain the best of this world and call it success while one is oblivious or negligent to his purpose of life and the primary assignment on earth which is to worship Allah through Islam.

Again, there are different types of success: intellectual, social, intellectual, material and spiritual success. Some are more important and more successful than others.

Thousands of candles Whatever success you think you have made in life, it is not adequate until it is not only useful to you but also to others. Happiness is happiness only when it shared. Happiness that is not shared is either selfishness or callousness.

‘Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.’ This is why Zakat is one of the pillars on which Islam rests. The Prophet said, “Charity never decreases wealth.” Impliedly, charity increases wealth. Yeah, givers never lack. Whatever goes around comes around; good begets good as evil begets evil. To be truly successful is to be useful to yourself and to others.

Now, what are the factors of success in Islam?

Factors of Success Factors of Success according to the Qur’an and Sunnah include: 1.Knowledge. 2. Faith (Tawheed, risala and Qiyama). 3. Tawakkul (Trusting Allah). 4. Taqwa (Being mindful of Allah, eschewing evils for the sake of Allah). 5. Jihaad (struggle for Excellence and moral perfection). 6. Shukr (Being grateful to Allah and appreciative of people) and7.Sabr (Patience, tolerance and perseverance). 8. Dutifulness 9.Cooperation and 10. Planning TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

R-L: Alhaja Sheriffah Andu, CEO Arabel; Alhaja Islamiyah Ajibode; Alhaja Jibike Oyeleke; LEMU Amirah, and Alhaja Toyin Bakare-Balogun at the workshop.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 43

NASFAT extols virtues of late Fakeye •Condoles family

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Level of Aqidat Sahihah among Muslims

By Haruna Razaq

T

HE greatest instrument that Muslims could use to solve their varying problems is Aqidat Sahihah. It means creed, doctrine, faith, and all that a person believes for sure and adopts as a religion, whether evil or good, valid or corrupt. While Sahihah means sound or true.

Therefore, Aqidat Sahihah refers to the true Aqidah revealed in the Qur’an and illustrated by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

According to Sheikh Ibn Baz, it is the most important thing and the greatest obligation. It is compulsory to hold this Aqidat while performing the religious duties, since several creeds exist in the world and all of which are corrupt except for Aqidat Sahihah devoid of shirk, acts of bid’ah and sins.

In a nutshell, Aqidat Sahihah is the foundation of Islam. It includes, belief and practice of the

five pillars of Islam. The two testimonies of singling out Allah with worship and being sincere to Him, and believing that Muhammad is His Messenger (SAW) to the Jinn and mankind, are the origin and basis of religion. Aqidat Sahihah include the believe in pillars of Islam - belief in Allah, His Angels, Scriptures, Messengers, the Last Day, the Divine Decree; good or bad, and everything that Allah and His Messenger said. Aqidat Sahihah also includes other obligations and duties of Muslim such as striving

Sultan urges elected leaders to ensure good governance

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HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, recently called on elected leaders to have the fear of God in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

Abubakar spoke while receiving the governors of Sokoto and Edo, Kwara, as well as the Speaker of

Your PVC is your power, Adangba tells Muslims

M

USLIMS in the country have been urged to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) .

The missioner of Al-Fatih-ulQuareeb Society, Sheik Sulaiman Adangba, who made the call during the society’s Moulud Nabiyy celebration said voters could only exercise their franchise with the document.

“You can only vote out bad leaders if you have the power to do so and that power is your PVC. “ Adangba said the needed for change should start from individuals, noting that Prophet

in the cause of Allah, enjoining good, forbidding evil, being dutifulness to parents, maintaining the ties of kinship, observing truthfulness in speech, fulfilling trusts, kindness to all human being and animals among others. It is avoiding all acts and practices that invalidate beliefs such as shirk etc.

This is true Islam and anyone who practices it sincerely will be able to call Allah and He (Allah) will respond immediately. It also affords the Muslims peace in this life and the hereafter.

Muhammad was the best leader and example to mankind.

He urged women as the mother of the nation to teach their children morals.

He counselled that they should only do what will please Allah.

Adangba urged Muslims ladies to follow the teachings of the Prophet by dressing decently.

Also speaking at the event, chairman of the society, Ajibade Muhammad, said the character of a Muslims should be his trademark He urged Muslims to be of good character, adding that being above board at home, work and society was part of ibadaah.

the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, at his palace in Sokoto. The delegation was at the palace to show respect and seek his blessings on their political ambition.

Sultan said that good democratic governance would only be possible if elected leaders and those who found themselves in position of authority ensured fairness among the political, tribal and ethnic groups. He also called on stake holders to provide a level playing ground that would ensure peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections.

He said that it was only through peaceful atmosphere that the desire of Nigerians to have committed leaders would achieved, urging politicians to play responsible politics, to prevent all kinds of political violence and thuggery.

Also, Sen. Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor, said that the APC-led administration, if elected, would respect the traditional institutions.

ASRUL-LAHI-LFATIH Society, NASFAT, has described the late Apostle Gabriel Fakeye, founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim (Ayo nio) as a rare Christian who did not denigrate other faith inorder to elevate his own.

The first vice President of the association, Engr Muhammed Mijinyawa said this during a condolence visit paid to the family of the deceased in Lagos recently.

The delegation which included Alhaji Alaraba Kabeer, General Secretary; Alhaji Ajiroba Maroof, Financial Secretary; Alhaja Samiat Omolara Mumuni, Women Affairs Secretary, members of the women wing among others and led by Engr Mijinyawa was received by the Matriach and wid-

ow, Mrs Grace Fakeye.

Engr Mijinyawa stated that the late prophet acknowledged adherents of other faith and gave them their due regard even honour them during his preaching on the radio, televeision programme.

“In most of his preachings, he recognised good deeds done by people of other faith. He was a man of peace who not only preached peace, but also walked the path of peace. He preached religious tolerance and demostrated it.

He added that the society was not only convinced about the noble virtues and qualities Pa Fakeye exhibited during his life time, but also to foster unity and religious harmony between the two major religions.

Engr Muhammed Mijinyawa, first vice President; Alhaji Ajiroba Maroof, Financial Secretary; Alhaja Samiat Omolara Mumuni, Women Affairs Secretary; Alhaji Alaraba Kabeer, General Secretary and other members of the women wing of NASFAT during a condolence visit to the family of late Apostle G. Fakeye in Lagos.

Badagry cIrcuit Ahmadiyya celebrates Seeratul Nabi in style

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HE AHMADIYYA Muslim Jama’at, Nigeria, Badagry circuit organised a lecture on the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w) perfect example in governance using the PostIndependence Nigerian Politics, and the Forthcoming Elections, as a case study.

The lecturer, Barrister Robiu Uthman alluded to Chapter 68:5 of the Holy Quran on moral excellence of the Prophet as a perfect leadership example in governance.

Uthman who is also a Missionary, Badagry circuit, Lagos, also referred to Michael Hart’s research work on 100 great men in world history torchlighting their political, industrial, religious, spiritual influence and achievements, with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) adjudged the great-

est by all standards.

Taking the audience down memory lane of Nigerian History, Uthman re-affirmed Nigeria’s great natural endowment and strong economic power in 1970s just as he decried the unfolding

Every adult should ensure due registration and vote accordingly for right candidates of proven integrity and track records

high rate of corruption with impunity as exhibited by politicians in government at all levels.

“The abysmal failure of the various Governments to provide or fix basic social amenities-Food, Shelter, Health, Road and Especially Power, coupled with reckless expenditure of national resources for personal aggrandizement and selfish desires, to the detriment of the larger society, are some of the undoings of the society.

Also, Uthman further reiterated the need for individuals t o d i s c h a r g e their civic responsibility and obligations in the unfolding political events/development.

He advised that every adult should ensure due registration and vote accordingly for right candidates of proven integrity and track records, regardless of political, religious or tribal affiliations.

Mrs Grace Fakeye, widow(5th from right) members of the Executives of NASFAT during a condolence visit to the family of late Apostle G. Fakeye in their Lagos residence.

Mrs Grace Fakeye, widow (m); members of the family and a member of NASFAT (r) during the visit.

44—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Funding is the greatest challenge to tourism training – Balogun THE newly appointed Director-General of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs. Chika Balogun, organized a stakeholder meeting recently in Abuja. She took out time to speak on her vision for the institute, particularly in the area of producing the needed manpower for the tourism and hospitality industry.

Here is an excerpt from the interview

O

N how she will describe herself I am a wife, mother, daughter and a friend. I am a Nigerian citizen who is extremely passionate about the country. I am constantly in school, so qualifications don’t matter to me.

Education is something you must continue to engage in until you die.

So I call myself a constant student, learning different things every day. I love people, particularly those who are willing to give 110 per cent to see a project done. For me, the success of Nigeria is the success of each and every one of us.

On her growing up Growing g up was interesting.

I come from a small nuclear family. I went to school at Federal Government Girls College, New Bussa. That is where the Kainji Dam is located.

On the reason for holding the tourism stakeholder meeting First of all, I do believe in engagement. In any kind of business, communication is very critical, otherwise grey areas begin to multiply and suddenly, friends fall out of love.

Meeting with stakeholders Since my appointment as director-general, I have not had the opportunity to meet with a large number of the stakeholders.

I had spoken to quite a few of them on the phone, but that is not good enough because you are hearing from one person at a time. It became very critical that we engage people in a way that allows them to air their views.

They hear from us and then we learn from the people who actually run the industry. What are the issues they have? And then we begin to look for solutions.

Sometimes when you do this public engagement, the solution is right there. Some offer the solution without even going home to think about it. The solution comes out of the forum or summit. For me, it was to meet with them for the first time, find out about them and tell them just C M Y K

a little bit of what I would see happen.

We all know the issue and I sincerely think that when we keep flogging, it is not going to come alive anyway. We know these issues. We know the issues within the government establishments, and we know the issues in the private sector.

Our job really is to find the way to forge forward, not necessarily for the government, but more for the private sector. This is because the private sector drives the economy in the country. What the government does is give them the enabling environment.

I am also new on the job, so a lot of them might know me in one capacity or the other or might not even know me. And sometimes when you don’t put a face to a name, there is no communication. So, at the end of this programme, for most people, if they did not speak to me personally, they have a sense of who I am and where I might be going.

I hope that we are able to make this an annual stakeholders’ summit.

On how she intends fashioning out the institute’s curriculum to impacts the tourism industry We had an academic board meeting recently and I looked at the curriculum and told them that I was not particularly happy. I am not going to claim that I know

everything. I think it is something we are going to get a few people who have the technical know-how about writing curriculums to review what we currently have and rejig it to suit the Nigerian template.

Sometimes we borrow this from the U.K. or from the U.S. It might work for them, but it might not work very well for us. That is what we are hoping we will be able to do in the first six months of this year.

Online courses

By July, we should be able to put up an advert for the September admission that NIHOTOUR now has a new curriculum. We are hoping that is achievable and we solve that problem.

In that process and time, we also hope that we get online courses all set up and running.

A few people have called me to say your people do very well. So, I think there are nuggets of pure gold and pure diamond within the NIHOTOUR system.

My job, and possibly the hardest part of my job, is to find those nuggets of gold and diamond and marry them with experts who know tourism and hospitality even better than we do in this country, and set up workshops.

On training for her staff My staff needs to be retrained.

Funding is always a challenge.

So, I want to start by general ethics and train across board, and then find the nuggets of pure

gold and diamond and escalate their training.

I said to them, everybody wants to go abroad, but government does not have that kind of money anymore. So, we need to now start to think.

Are we going to shut ourselves down because government does not have the millions to put on estacode? Why don’t we invite two resource persons, the same people we are going to meet in Harvard or Cambridge, invite them, maybe three times a year, and they are able to train 500 of us. About 500 of us cannot go to America, for instance, on any budget. But those people can

come to Nigeria for two or three weeks.

And if there is any real need for very specialist training, we are blessed by Utali College Kenya, which does very well. It has an MOU with Nigeria. Recently when the Kenyan President came to Nigeria, the MOU was revisited.

Again, it was freshened up, dusted and signed. Now we need to begin to take advantage of these things. The biggest challenge is funding, but it is not all bad. I am sure that when we begin to interact very well with our stakeholders, we will find some of them willing to sponsor.

Monarch urges govt to re-package Nigeria’s culture I

Our job really is to find the way to forge forward, not necessarily for the government, but more for the private sector

Mrs. Chika Balogun

GWE George OkaaOnwuogu, the Traditional Ruler of Nawgu Community in Anambra, has urged the Federal and state governments to re-package indigenous cultures to attract foreign exchange.

Okaa-Onwuogu, who made this know in an interview in Nawgu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state, said Our culture needs first-class packaging, just like the English has packaged football to be good foreign exchange earner.

He said that the outside world, especially the people of Europe, held African culture in high esteem, adding that the world was longing to see African culture in display at international events.

“And that is why even the governments - both the local, states and federal governments are spending a lot of money to revive cultures of different tribes. And you see that some of them

go overseas for exhibition.

“And you know, African culture is the best so far I have watched anywhere in the world. And once they hear that Africans are displaying their culture, everybody will be interested in watching them and see what they are doing.”

The traditional ruler, however, advised parents and elders in the communities to strive to transmit their indigenous cultures to the children.

“Why some of the aspects of our cherished culture is dying, especially our traditional healing method, is because most elders refuse to hand this knowledge over to the younger generation,” he said.

Okaa-Onwuogu said that traditional rulers under the Anambra Traditional Rulers’ Council had been meeting to see the best way to retrieve and document all existing cultural practices in the state.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—45

VANGUARD’S MOST OUTSTANDING GOV AWARD: My nomination a crowning glory —AKPABIO

By Udo Ibuot, Chief Sub Editor

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OVERNOR Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has described his nomination by the management of Vanguard Newspapers as one of Vanguard’s Most Outstanding Governors from 2007-2015 as a ‘crowning glory.’

Akpabio, at the executive chambers of the Governor ’s Office, Uyo, when the Chairman of Editorial Board, Vanguard Newspapers, Ikeddy Isiguzo, presented a letter announcing the award to the governor, thanked the management of Vanguard Newspapers for the honour and gift bestowed on him, noting that he was happy that the award was to be conferred on two governors who are of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while one is of All Progressives Congress, APC. He said that the award showed that PDP was a performing party and a party to beat.

Other governors who were also named as Vanguard’s Most Outstanding Governors from 2007-2015 were Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

The governor enumerated his achievements in the last

seven and a half years to include construction of roads, an international airport, provision of electricity supply, building and completion of Akwa Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre, three star hotels in Uyo and Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom International Stadium and flyovers, among others, saying that the state has changed, and Nigeria has changed.

Akpabio, however, called on Vanguard Newspapers to preach peace and harmony through their publications and shun vile propaganda that tend to divide instead of uniting the country.

Isiguzo, who led a team of Vanguard editors and managers to the Governor ’s Office, Uyo, congratulated Akpabio on the award and noted that the newspaper

decided to honour him for the various achievements he has recorded since assumption of office.

Isiguzo said that many people who visited Uyo the state capital many years earlier could not recognise it again due to many infrastructural changes by Akpabio administration, noting “There is development, and life has also changed in the state.”

DINNER: From left: Leader of the Pre-Feed Concept Evaluation Team from the United Kingdom, Mr. Giampanlo Bachmann; Chairman, Board of Directors, Brass LNG Limited, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, and the Managing Director, Brass LNG Limited, Mr. Glovanni Romani, at the dinner in honour of Pre-Feed Concept Evaluation Team visiting Brass LNG, from London, in Lagos.

Why Edo should vote for Jonathan, by PDP

By Gabriel Enogholase

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ENIN—EDO State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has listed reasons why the people of the state should support President Goodluck Jonathan in the February 14, 2015, presidential election, noting that he has touched the lives of the people of the state.

Among the achievements of the president, according to the party, include the commissioning of the BeninOre expressway, ongoing work on the Benin-Okene section of the Benin-Lokoja expressway, improvement of facilities at the Benin Airport, ongoing work on the Benin-Warri section of the East-West Road, Ukpoke Irrigation project and the establishment of Institute of Construction Technology in Uromi .

Edo State chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, in Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state, at a campaign rally in the area, described President Jonathan as humane, peace loving, calculated and good natured,

who has done a lot for the county.

He said that Nigerians would vote for President Jonathan because of his unprecedented achievements in sectors such as road and rail transport, agriculture and unprecedented

infrastructure provision in all parts of the country.

He noted that the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole could have gone to the record books for approving the sum of N223. 136 million for the last Christmas

celebration in the state.

He provided six transfer vouchers of the Edo State Government that gave approval to the sum, pointing out that there was need to vote for PDP lawmakers that would check such excesses.

FEB POLLS: I won't step down, Mrakpor insists

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—CANDIDATE of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Aniocha/ Oshimili federal constituency, Delta State, Mrs. Onyeamaechi Mrakpor, yesterday, insisted that she will not step down from the race no matter the blackmail.

In a chat with newsmen at her campaign office in Asaba, she alleged that there had been series of subtle moves by the incumbent member representing the constituency, who was unsuccessful at the PDP governorship primaries, for her to step down from the race for him.

She said: “He has been asking me to step down for

him after he lost out at the governorship primaries,” alleging that Elumelu said he would raise another candidate to ensure that she does not get the ticket.

“My husband told me that he was approached to prevail on me to step down and that if I do not step down, another person will take over from me," she added.

FEB POLLS: Urhobo'll vote PDP —UTUAMA

By Perez Brisibe

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REROPKE—DEPUTY Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Utuama, at the second day of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign, ahead of the February polls in the state, has said that the Urhobo people will vote for the PDP in next month’s elections.

Prof. Utuama, at Oreropke and Sapele in Okpe and Sapele Local Government Areas of the

state, described the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as the right person to continue with the Delta Beyond Oil’ initiative of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

In his remark, the state PDP Chairman, Mr. Henry Ozor, charged PDP faithful to be wary of candidates from other parties claiming to be in alliance with the PDP, stressing that PDP has no alliance with other parties.

Pondi assures on robust representation if elected

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E O P L E S Democratic Party ’s flag bearer for Burutu federal constituency, Mr. Julius Pondi, has assured the people of the area of robust and purposeful representation that would fast tract development if elected.

Pondi, at Oghara, headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area, after receiving the PDP flag as the candidate for the February polls, said that the people of Burutu will get a new lease of legislative representation through robust debates, oversight functions and empowerment of constituents among other outlined programmes for the people.

He called on the people to vote him as their federal lawmaker and all other PDP candidates in order to sustain the transformation agenda.

Odibo rallies support for Udu palace project

By Egufe Yafugborhi

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ARRI—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, flag bearer for Udu constituency of Delta State House of Assembly for next month’s elections, Elegbete Moses Odibo, has called for massive support towards the planned fundraising to construct a permanent palace for the Ovie of Udu. Odibo, who spoke to Vanguard in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, said the palace project of Udu kingdom is long overdue and needs to be executed with dispatch to bring deserving honour to the throne and the kingdom.

He said: “The desire has been burning in the minds of Udu sons and daughters for a long time. That desire will be set in motion on the 24th of this month as we will all gather to make financial and material contributions towards realizing the project."

46—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

South-East traders endorse Jonathan

Eddie Mbadiwe dumps APC for PDP

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HE re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan received a boost yesterday as traders in the South-East announced their endorsement of his candidature for the February 14 presidential election.

The traders, under the aegis of South-East Traders Association, made the announcement at a meeting with Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State in Awka.

Chairman of the association, Chief Eze Nwankwo, said the traders had also adopted all the candidates contesting on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the zone as their candidates.

Nwankwo disclosed that the decision of the group to throw its weight behind Jonathan and APGA candidates in the forthcoming elections was influenced by the intense lobbying by Obiano.

He commended the governor for his determination, magnanimity and support to traders in the area and assured him that “Ndigbo will take their rightful position in the

By Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie

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WERRI—DEPUTY Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on National Security and a member representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, Dr. Eddie Mbadiwe, has defected from All Progressives Congress, APC, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Dr. Mbadiwe said he could not operate where there was no integrity and respect.

The lawmaker claimed that those in leadership position in his former party were “stooges of the state government,” saying it was political suicide to work with them.

He said he preferred a political party that had internal democracy to one where one man wielded power and no one could advise him.

Why NCAA suspended us, by DiscoveryAir

D

ISCOVERYAir has said its suspension by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, was due to flight delays and cancellations during last Christmas period and not due to any technical problems.

Mr. Babatunde Babalola, Chairman of the airline, said this in Lagos, adding that the delays were due to weather conditions.

It will be recalled that the airline was suspended from

operating any flight as its Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, was suspended by NCAA. The suspension would be in force pending the outcome of a comprehensive review of its operations.

Mr. Sam Adurogboye, Deputy General Manager, Public Relation, NCAA, said the airline failed to carry out corrective actions “within one week, January 1 to 7, as raised in an earlier letter to the operator.”

country.”

He said the association, with members in Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, supported the

strategic vision of APGA under its current leadership.

Obiano thanked the association for resolving to

adopt Jonathan and APGA candidates, adding that only Jonathan would guarantee a peaceful Nigeria, devoid of discrimination and extremism.

... as SMG targets N500m for President

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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pro-democracy Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s group, the Social Media

Group, SMG, has said it plans to mobilize N500 million to support the reelection bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Imo govt to computerize schools, re-introduce staff qtrs

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OVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has annouced plans to computerize all schools in the state. He made the revelation at the flagged off the distribution of the second batch of school desks, chairs and sundry materials to public primary and secondary schools in the state.

Governor Okorocha, while flagging off the programme at the Hero’s Square Owerri, stressed the importance his administration attached to the provision of free qualitative education, pointing out that it would continue to be at the front burner of the present administration to guarantee the future of Imo children and to build an “Imo of our collective dream.”

The governor, who noted the transformation of many public primary and secondary schools in the state, said the state government planned to computerize all schools to make students computer literate, and re-introduce staff quarters to ensure better education and guidance for pupils and students.

Okorocha enjoined

stakeholders in Community Government Councils, CGC, school authorities to partner with the state government to achieve its goals.

He enjoined teachers in the state to make good use of the e-library provided in the state for proper research and to align with the current education trend in computer.

Earlier, Commissioner for Primary, Secondary, Adult and Non-formal Education, Mrs. Nma NzeribeMichaels, who noted that the best investment anyone could make in the child was education, commended Governor Okorocha on his giant strides in education and for proving “sceptics wrong about the possibility of free education.”

She said school enrollment in Imo rose from 15,000 in 2011 to to 30,000 in 2014, which she attributed to the provision of free qualitative education, school uniforms, sandals, canvasses, desks, chairs, stipends, renovation of school buildings and new blocks among others.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Michael Okorie, told newsmen in Abuja that the project would attract financial donations from Nigerians, who benefited from Jonathan’s administration.

According to him, “Nigerians are already donating in support of the re-election of Mr. President via our donation/pledge forms, direct deposit into approved bank accounts and online donations.”

Okorie added that so far, the group had received about N50,000 as pledges from low income earners in the society.

He said: “Artisans, barbers, petty traders, youths, women and low income people are giving their widow ’s mite’ because they have been positively affected by the transformation programmes of Mr. President.”

Okorie further said the mass donation programme would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to take ownership of the re-election bid of President Jonathan, “so that he will continue to be the President of the masses in his second tenure,” Okorie added.

He listed some projects of President Goodluck Jonathan to include the YouWin programme, Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (fertilizer subsidy and seed distribution) and the SUREP programme.

Others are the establishment of Almajiri schools, new federal universities and polytechnics as well as rehabilitation of the country’s rail way system and remodelling of airports.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On the forthcoming elections

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want the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Federal Government to do something about the Permanent Voter ’s Card, PVC. Secondly, the issue of security should be addressed to ensure free movement of the electorate.—Mr. Olaleye Abayomi, Student.

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N the forthcoming elections, what I need the government to address is the security issue. Some Nigerians believe that the election is a do-or-die affair. When security is sure, then people can go out and vote. So that is just what I expect to be done.—Mr. Ajiboye Sheriff, Unemployed.

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ITH the way things are going, this election will be a sweet one.

It is going to be a clash of the titans. To me, I want the best candidates from any political party to emerge as winner; one that will be able to address the issue of unemployment in the country.— Mr. Egwali Chinedu, Communicator.

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IGERIANS are not smiling; there are so many things we are not happy about. This is as a result of bad leadership. However, this bad leadership, as mentioned, has been in existence for many years.

But we can say no to it through our vote.—Mr. Ogunyemi Ibrahim, Student.

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HIS election will be between the gladiators and the minors— that is PDP and APC. This election, to me, is going to be a two-horse race. I just wish that Nigerians will do it right this time around and save this country from another four years of sorrow.— Mr. Olude Ayotunde, Businessman.

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ASICALLY, this elec tion is not going to be what some people think; it is going to be free and fair. Many times people have said the election will lead to war or break up of the country. But to me, it will be absolutely fair. So there is just no reason for panic.—Mr. Anthony Opiah, Student.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 47

PRESIDENTIAL RALLY: Police deploy 16 trucks

of personnel to secure campaign venue M

AKURDI—AHEAD of today's APC presidential rally in Benue, the state Police Command has deployed 16 truckload of policemen to secure the IBB square, venue of the campaign.

The command’s spokesman, ASP John Bako, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Makurdi that the arrangement was in anticipation of the expected crowd at the venue.

Bako said the command has received an operational order for the enforcement of security during the campaign and assured of protection of lives and property during the rally.

The spokesman said the command was expecting more deployments from other states to support the operations in the state.

He assured that the command was ready for the rally, saying “we have our undercover men in strategic locations both at the entry and exit points in Makurdi”.

Bako appealed to members of the public to refrain from acts that

would jeopardise the security of the state, warning that those who contravene the laws of the land would be sanctioned.

NAN reports that the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, would be supported by the party ’s

Chairman, Mr John Oyegun, and other APC chieftains to unveil the party’s programmes to supporters in the state.

INAUGURATION: From left: Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr Ismail Alli, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and others, during the inauguration of one of the 99 earth-moving equipment recently procured by state government in Ibadan.

....As Bauchi CP reads riot act to politicians

By Suzan Edeh

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AUCHI—AHEAD of the February general elections in the country, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Lawal Shehu has threatened to arrest candidates and their supporters who use provocative languages or make unguarded and inflammatory statements before, during and after the elections.

Shehu warned that such persons would be made to face the full wrath of the law if caught in such act.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday during a stakeholders meeting at the police headquarters in Bauchi, Shehu asked politicians to conduct themselves in an orderly manner and carry out their campaigns in line with the political parties code of conduct and the Electoral Act. He said: “politicians should avoid making provocative and vulgar statements that is capable of causing violence between supporters of political

parties in the state. The police are also against political parties using thugs to cause mayhem during and after political rallies, campaigns and elections.

“The police will also arrest and prosecute politicians who sponsor thugs to destroy billboards and posters of contestants and aspirants.

The use of children and

Group seeks global action against poverty

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BUJA—A growing citizen’s movement against poverty and child abuse, Action/2015 has called for an ambitious agreement among world leaders to end poverty, inequality and climate change across the globe.

The organization made the call yesterday, at its formal

launch in Abuja.

The advocacy group said the call became necessary because it believed it can be a pivotal year that will change the future.

The call was coming ahead of the two United Nations summits, in 2015, to be convened with global leaders to tackle poverty, inequality,

G WA S H I - U K U— D R .

Edna Mogekwu, Rector, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, has advised fresh students of the polytechnic to make prudent use of their time, while speaking at the 13th matriculation ceremony of the polytechnic.

Dr Mogekwu urged the students to always give quality time to their studies in order

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environmental destruction and climate change.

The global movement Action/2015, said those involved with action/2015 believed that world leaders must raise their ambition for humanity but also recognize that in order to make it happen, it must first raise its voice.

Abia South youths endorse Nkwonta for Senate

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MUAHIA—THE Youths in Ukwa East and West Local Government Areas of Abia South Senatorial Zone of Abia State last weekend, unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Chief Chris Nkwonta to represent Abia South at the Senate in 2015.

The youths numbering over 5,000 under the auspices of Ukwa Youths (with over 25 affiliate Youth Associations) converged at the country home of Chief Nkwonta in AkweteNdoki to take the unanimous decision.

Rector tasks fresh students on prudent use of time

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teenagers during election is equally prohibited and any politician found guilty of this act will face the wrath of the law.”

to achieve good results and make good use of the opportunity the admission offers to brighten their future as she warned that the polytechnic has zero tolerance for indiscipline and social vices like cultism, examination malpractice and lawlessness.

The Rector also announced that all courses at the ND and HND levels of the

polytechnic have been accredited by the NBTE, while the process of mounting seven new departments and programmes are on course, as the institution has recorded massive infrastructural development, staff development, modern skill acquisition centres and programme standardization, among others within its short existence.

Speaking during the event, various speakers, professionals and youth leaders including Mr. Chidi Nwankpa of Ndoki Youth Professionals, Mr. Friday Obinna, Director of Youths, Dr. Alex Oti Campaign Organisation, Comrade Okadigbo of Ndoki Youth Movement, Comrade Cosmas Nwele of Asa Youth Vanguard, Comrade Uzoma Onya of Ukwa Youth Forum, Comrade Kalada of Ndoki Youth Consultative Forum and others all spoke in unison, endorsing the candidacy of Sir Chris Nkwonta as Abia South 2015 Senator for his effective, accountable, selfless, quality, dependable and reliable leadership qualities.

Kwara govt pays N13.18m compensation to land owners

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ORIN—THE Kwara State Government has paid N13.18 million to land owners in Ipetu in Irepodun Local Government Area as compensation for acquiring their land.

The Director of Bureau of Lands, Mr AbdulWahab Babatunde, stated this on Thursday in Ilorin while presenting cheques to the three beneficiaries.

Babatunde said that the land acquired by the state government for commercial and residential purposes would bring development to the community.

Represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Salman, Babatunde urged the beneficiaries and representatives of each family to ensure equitable distribution of the money.

Nationwide Housing Devt Lottery kicks off

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AGOS—THE Nationwide Housing Development Lottery has kicked off in Lagos and Abuja.

The lottery which will empower Nigerians become their own landlords is being managed by Alum Ikaka Estates Ltd with the endorsement of National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Elizabeth Abiola described the Housing Development Lottery as a veritable means of creating wealth and easing the housing problems that stare upon Nigeria.

She said with only N5,000, a participant stood the chance of owning a three bedroom flat while a consolation prize of one bedroom flat will also be given out at each draw.

Heavenly dew programme holds

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AGOS—TRIUMPHANT Baptist Church, Akowonjo, Lagos will tomorrow hold its monthly programme Heavenly dew.

The theme of the programme, scheduled for the church auditorium, Olufemi Ojo Street, Akowonjo, Lagos is “That you may prosper in all things.” The dew programme is designed to enable people seek the face of God for their undertakings early this year, according to Dr Sunday Olayiwola Oladejo, the church Pastor.

48—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

CONTRACT: From left, John Rice, Vice Chairman, General Electric, GE; Onye Mba Uzoukwu, CEO, BanyanTree, and Akin Idowu, Director, Nexus Alliance, during the award of contract to BanyanTree consortium by General Electric for developing and managing the GE Training Centre in Calabar Free Trade Zone.

LAUNCH: From left, Olusola Oworu, Commissioner, Commerce & Industry, Lagos State; Fola Adeola, Chairman, MainOne; Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communications Technology, and Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne, at the launch of MainOne’s new Tier III Data Centre, MDX-i, in Lagos.

LAUNCH: From left, Executive Director, Optima Media Group, OMG, Ugochi Pedro; Nigerian Idol 5 Judge, Yinka Davies; Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, and Nigerian Hip Hop Artiste, Olamide Adedeji, at the media launch of Nigerian Idol Season 5, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

PRESENTATION: General Manager, Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanoge; one of the winners of N10 million Cash Quest Promo Prize, Okoh Chigozie; Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Bayo Adekanmbi, and Nollywood actor, Fred Amata, at the first prize presentation to winners in the ongoing MTN Cash Quest promo, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe

PRESENTATION: Immediate past President of National Association of Itsekiri Students, NAIS, Comrade Austin Leleji (right), presenting an award of ‘Outstanding Performance Towards National Development’ to Prince David Omaghomi (left), while the current President of NAIS, Precious Otikpere (middle) assists, in Warri, Delta State.

AWARD: Rev. Fr. John Damiam Adizie of the Holy Spirit, Catholic Adoration Prayer Ministry, Egoro, Ekpoma, receiving award of recognition from Pastor Cletus Ihesinulo, President, General Mgbowo Community, Alike Obowo, Imo State, for his contribution to the community development and youth empowerment in his home-town.

SYMPATHY: Oyo State Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Otunba Adebayo Alao- Akala and his deputy, Alhaji Sarafadeen Alli, sympathising with the Araromi spare part dealers led by their chairman, Alhaji Kadri Ramoni, at Ibadan.

PRESENTATION: From left, Mr. Louis Bello, General Secretary, Sama Books Launch Services; Dafe Sama, Principal Partner, and Dennis Alukagberie, Organising Secretary, at the enlightenment and formal presentation of the four cardinal points of Sama Book launch services, in support of President Goodluck Jonathan. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 49

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50 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 51

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52 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

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Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015—53

Elections 2015: The trouble with APC

manifesto on oil and gas

By Peter Ntephe & Steve Ahaneku

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if the party’s policy works or at least, the writers of the manifesto had but first read that bill, surely the APC would not be promising to think about how to do something that has already been fully conceptualized and provided for in the bill?

The APC’s fourth promise on oil and gas is to ‘enforce the government master plan for oil companies to end (gas) flaring… and ensure that they sell at least half of their gas production within Nigeria.’ This promise directly lauds the PDP for conceiving of, designing and setting out the gas master plan. The plan, approved by the PDP federal government in 2008, provides comprehensively for effective utilization of Nigeria’s natural gas. The gas master plan is premised on three strategies – gas-based power generation, gas-based industrialization and a robust gas export regime.

INALLY, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party at the centre, publicized the manifesto on which it will contest Nigeria’s presidential elections in February.

Hitherto, the APC’s message could probably be summarized as, ‘vote us, not them, just because.’ The release of a documented list of promises upon which the APC will seek to curry electoral favour comes somewhat as a relief providing as it does the basis for an objective critique.

There were probably grand expectations of an APC election manifesto given that the party has always sought to present itself as an intellectually superior alternative to the PDP. The document that has emerged, however, is at best a damp squib. If anything it makes a case, a strong one, for voting for the PDP rather than against it.

The manifesto seems neither to depart Elaborate meaningfully from PDP policy nor present proposals any alternative or oppositional ideology to the PDP. Instead, the manifesto merely The plan includes elaborate proposals appears to advocate continuing PDP for domestic gas supply and a blueprint initiatives in government and, therefore, for infrastructural development that highlights favourably the extent to which includes central processing facilities the PDP has initiated progressive change (CPFs) and a gas industrial park, Africa’s in the Nigerian polity since 1999. largest, at Ogidingben in Delta State.

There is perhaps nowhere in the APC There are also policy proposals to ensure manifesto that the tendency to celebrate the gas sector is fully liberalized and PDP initiatives is more stark than in the market-driven yet effectively regulated section on oil and gas. There are six (particularly with the adoption of a suitably promises there, of which four are relevant. incentivizing price framework). Under the The initial two are easily dismissed as aegis of the plan, the current federal vague and ultimately meaningless. Again, government is already embarking upon there is not even the slightest hint of how key public-private sector partnerships to this grand promise is intended to be expand gas pipelines and related achieved. infrastructure across the country.

The APC attempts specifics from the third The gas master plan already provides a promise on oil and gas. It asserts that as detailed basis for the APC’s last promise federal government, the APC will on oil and gas -‘to make Nigeria the ‘modernize the NNPC and make it the world’s leading exporter of LNG through national energy champion.’ the creation of strategic partnerships.’ The The APC, however, seems so unsure of gas-master plan makes local and how it will do this that it says it will international public-private partnerships ‘consider breaking (the NNPC) up into a central theme. The APC manifesto again more efficient commercially driven units seems to promise or say nothing exactly and strip it of its regulatory powers and new. There is no gainsaying the enable it tap into the international capital fundamental nature of oil and gas to market.’ There are two things worrisome Nigeria’s economy and overall well-being about this third APC promise on as a nation. Accounting for oil and gas. The first is that the over 90 percent of foreignAPC is yet uncertain of what it exchange earnings and 70 wants to do exactly on the NNPC percent of government despite the sweeping promise revenues, oil and gas are that it will make the NNPC more literally Nigeria’s lifeblood. modern and a national energy Plans for this key sector must champion. Creating a ‘national The APC is surely be the template on energy champion’ of the NNPC yet uncertain which a party aspiring to take in an era where global the reins of government can be conventional wisdom firmly of what it judged. If the APC’s manifesto favours a liberalized energy wants to do does not demonstrate plans environment seems not quite a that have been carefully exactly on ‘modernizing’ move. The flaw in considered already, then it the APC manifesto, to wit the non- the NNPC must surely raise questions realization that what the APC about the party’s readiness to despite the promises to ponder on the NNPC, transform from opposition to the PDP government has already sweeping government. Furthermore, if been long set forth in detail in promise that the APC’s best shot, in its the PIB, is magnified by the fifth manifesto, at outlining a case promise on oil gas. That it will make for change is merely to say that promise is to ‘speedily pass the the NNPC it will do what the PDP much-delayed Petroleum government has done or been Industry Bill … and ensure that more doing, more questions will be local content issues are fully modern and raised whether there is really addressed.’ If the APC seeks to a case for change at all. speedily pass the PIB, perhaps a national •Dr Ntephe is CEO of Houstonthat objective would be better energy based oil explorer, ERHC Energy served by first speedily Inc. Chief Ahaneku is a principal understanding its contents? For champion partner in the A&E Law

54 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

House concludes work on Electoral Act to allow Boko Haram refugees vote

By Emman Ovuakporie

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives yesterday said it has concluded work on the 2014 Electoral Act to the purpose of allowing internally displaced persons to vote in the forthcoming elections.

A statement issued by the Office of Speaker of the House said the bill for an amendment to the 2010 electoral was sent to the National Assembly by the Independent National Electoral Commission

INEC on December 30, 2014.

The statement said the House is awaiting the passage of a similar bill by the Senate.

“Already, a conference committee has been set up by the House in anticipation of the passage of the bill by the Senate.

“If need be, the members of the House will be recalled from recess for further legislative input,” the statement added.

A fresh section 26 (1) was inserted to the act to make provision for the voting rights of the Internally

Displaced Persons, IDPs, during elections.

The House had killed consideration of that section last November following disagreements over the proviso that stipulated the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify candidates submitted by political parties.

The new section on the IDPs states that “In the case of emergency, INEC shall ensure that Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, are not disenfranchised during elections.”

Minister warns poultry stakeholders on fresh outbreak of Bird Flu

By Jimoh Babatunde

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B U J A — STAKEHOLDERS in the poultry industry have been urged to be on alert with intensified biosecurity measures to avert possible spread of H5 Strain of Avian Influenza virus (bird flu), which has already landed in Kano and Lagos States.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in a statement, said that samples forwarded to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom tested positive for H5 Strain of Avian Influenza virus.

He added that confirmatory samples have been sent to the International Reference Laboratory in Padova, Italy for further characterization.

Though the affected poultry farms were not disclosed, Dr. Adesina said they have ordered quarantine of infected premises and restriction of movement of poultry and poultry products into and out of areas around infected premises.

While calling on stakeholders in the poultry sector to regularly disinfect their farms, the Minister added that they should properly dispose of dead carcasses and poultry products.

He also called on them to quickly report mortalities in poultry and other bird species to veterinary authorities.

“All stakeholders in the poultry industry are urged to enhance hygienic practices (bio-

security measures) which include but not limited to regular disinfection, proper disposal of dead carcasses and poultry products and timely reporting of mortalities in poultry and other bird species to veterinary authorities. “ He added “We wish to assure the public that given our experiences in handling previous outbreaks and with your full cooperation in the implementation of

containment measures, we are determined to contain this disease again within a short time.”

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed that they called for immediate reactivation of all Animal Health component of the E m e r g e n c y Preparedness Plan (EPP) on Bird flu for Nigeria and conduct of surveillance activities around infected areas to determine the level of spread of the disease.

FEB POLLS: Market leaders association sues for unity

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AGOS—THE Market Leaders Association of Nigeria (TMLAN) has called on all Nigerians from all ethnic nationalities to embrace peace and unity as the general and other election approaches in few weeks from now.

Speaking at a sensitisation meeting at its national secretariat in Ikeja Lagos, TMLAN’s National President, Amb. C.F.C Obih said that the recent statement made by Rev Father Mbaka against President Jonathan is a complete disgrace to Christendom.

According to Obih, the priest should have either chosen to be a politician instead of being a priest so that Nigerian will know which platform he operates upon and know how to classify him.

“I want to say that in Nigeria, there is a need for unity. Whether you are an Hausa man, Ibo or Yoruba

man. I want to use this oportunity to appeal to Nigerians to embrace peace, particularly our brothers in the North, that is Boko Haram. Peace remains the best so that we can make Nigeria a better place for all of us, he said “The market leaders association, is the association that governs all the major market centres in Nigeria and we have millions of members who are committed to the peace and unity of Nigeria. On the forthcoming elections, I want to appeal to Nigerians to give our brother one more chance.

“President Goodluck Jonathan may not be the best, but he has done his best. Change is a gradual process. I also want to appeal to people in the area of the ways he has done well, in transport, aviation, and health sectors, he has done well.

Let us give him another chance to continue.

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 55

Group threatens to sue Rep ...For taking credit for FG projects

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ENIN—A group of Civil Society Organisations yesterday in Benin City, Edo Etate have condenmed Hon Samson Osagie for claiming credit for Federal Government projects.

Consequently, they have threatened to take him to court for claiming Federal Government projects during his campaign for the senate, adding that he deceived the electorate in his campaign jingles.

Speaking with news men yesterday after a meeting of the National Movement of Nigeria (NMN)and MOON, the director general of the group, Mr Okharedia Ihimekpen said the electorates are worried with the tissues of lies by Mr Osagie when he said the Benin/Adumagbae/ Egba/Akure road was his project, when these roads were awarded by the Federal executive council (FEC) on December 4th 2013 and is currently being executed by the federal ministry of work.

The group said it is high time to check politicians who hoodwink the electorate with false claims.

2015: Presidential campaigns are not issue based — THOMAS

By Clara Nwachukwu

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IL industry operators have taken a swipe at the presidential aspirants in the forthcoming February polls, saying that electioneering campaigns are not issue based, but more of mud sliding.

Some of the operators who spoke with Vanguard exclusively in telephone interviews, expressed dissatisfaction that Nigerians are being taken for granted, as the aspirants are not identifying specific policies that

will save the oil-dependent Nigerian economy from doom in the light of current realities of sliding oil prices.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Frontier Oil and Gas, Mr. Dada Thomas, said, “I’ve watched and listened to all the campaigns by the presidential aspirants in the different regions, and I’ve not seen or heard any issue based campaign from any of them.”

He added that such a development “…is a shame because what the private sector

operators and Nigerians want to hear are: what are the issue, problems and challenges; what are the solutions and what we are going to do from level 1 to level 2; and what is the time bound for effecting these solutions?

“But they are not saying anything, and are busy attacking their personalities. Is this what Nigerians want to hear, or the aspirants saying that Nigerians do not understand the issues affecting their daily lives?”

While acknowledging that the

OPENING: Pastor S.F. Allen, National Sec, Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Province 14, Lagos (2nd left); Pastor (Dr.) Eric Obele & his wife; Pastor J.M Akinrotimi, Asst. Provincial Pastor-in-Charge Province 14, Lagos and others at the official opening of "Prince of Peace" Sanctuary in Anambra State during Pastor Dr. Obele mother's burial recently.

Nigeria runs faulty academic curriculum – PROF NWOYE

By Emman Ovuakporie

A

BUJA—THE faulty and outdated nature of educational curricula currently being operated in the country has been identified as the bane of development and the unemployability of the nation’s teeming graduates.

A Professor of Business Administration and Management with the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Lapai, Niger State; Professor May Nwoye, who made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, citing reasons for the poor state of the economy arising from huge unemployment and insecurity in the country.

Mrs Nwoye, a one-time Bursa at the University of Benin and an accomplished author noted that the faulty academic curricula being used to train manpower for the economy by institutions does not address the needs of modern day societies.

Nwoye said that the colonialists, who were the authors of the current curriculum were desirous of the fact that the nation’s economy must continue to depend on foreign technological inputs to survive.

Her words, “The curriculum we are running right now was not designed by us. Those who designed it did not intend it to have any long term solution to our ever growing social and economic needs as a nation.

They always want us to keep depending on them for whatever development effort we want to make for ourselves.

“When people talk about capital flight by all these expatriate companies, I always tell them that so long as we do not have a workable and a homegrown academic curriculum tailored towards producing manpower that can develop local technologies for our industries, those who come to our country as investors in whatever sector of the economy will continue to rip us off through capital flight.

“These people come into the country with their technology and manpower because, they believe most of our graduates are not employable. And I don’t blame them because the kind of outdated curriculum handed down to us by the colonial masters is not in tune with the industrial realities and demand of the 20th, not to even talk

about the 21st century.

“That is why organisations take the few ones with brains and also

spend lots of money in retraining them to fit into the industrial space available.”

Etisalat rewards TECNO Smart Ambassadors zWith brand new car, others

N

IGERIA’S most innovative telecommunications firm, Etisalat Nigeria, has presented the TECNO Sales Team with a brand new car, online shopping vouchers and other gifts in appreciation of their contribution to the success of the 2014 Etisalat One Million 3G Upgrade Campaign.

Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluwole Rawa, said the TECNO team accomplished a lot during the One Million 3G Upgrade Campaign, noting that their professionalism contributed to TECNO becoming one of the most popular device on the Etisalat network.

“At Etisalat, we understand that our partners our most valuable assets; without them, we would be unable to keep our commitment to always deliver innovative products and services to our customers. This is why we

make extra effort to reward them and ensure that they also share in our success,” he stated.

Deputy General Manager, TECNO Mobile Nigeria, Mr Chidi Okonkwo thanked the management of Etisalat Nigeria and TECNO for providing an environment conducive to the success, and added that the rewards from Etisalat would boost the team’s performance.

“We are grateful to Etisalat and TECNO management for recognizing our contribution to the success of the campaign.''

Manager of the Operator Department of TECNO Nigeria, Mr Joe said: “TECNO products are currently the most popular mobile devices on the ETISALAT network, and we remain committed to delivering, high-end value in mobile devices technology at affordable retail prize.''

election campaigns are not issue based, the President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, Mr. Chikwe Edoziem, noted that the aspirants are playing safe by concentrating more on common place issues that will appeal to the electorates.

According to him, “Nobody is making any economic comments or in deed any comment on the industry (oil and gas), which is the bedrock of the economy in the light of global developments.

Rather, they talk about roads and other basic infrastructures which is taken for granted in other climes that the common man can relate to.”

Edoziem, whose association is responsible for exploring and producing the oil, however, blamed the trend on lack of understanding, saying, “They, (aspirants) are not saying anything possibly because none of them is well grounded on economic operations, and may want to stick to what they know.”

Economic performance All the operators who spoke with Vanguard were unanimous in their opinions that there have been no significant economic breakthroughs, particularly in the oil sector in the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

In his assessment, Edoziem said, “The economy has been stable under the present administration; it is not going up, neither is it going down.”

He added that this is so because Nigerian governments do not make long term plans, but only concentrate on short term measures like five-year plans as opposed to 20 to 30 year plans as obtained in other economies.

Specifically, respondents identified the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, as a big minus for the administration, which has stayed up to six of the 12 years the bill has been in the National Assembly.

In this regard, Professor Joe Nwachukwu, an erudite geologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, put the blame squarely on the members of the National Assembly.

As far as he is concerned, “There is nothing that any of the presidential contenders can say now in the light of falling oil prices because they are not in control of the global market.

“But if the National Assembly had passed the PIB earlier during all the years it has been there, Nigeria would have been able to withstand the current oil price shocks. So the legislators have failed Nigerians and should explain to Nigerian why they have not passed the bill, which would have offered them some palliatives in the current realities.”

But Edoziem argued that the issue is not so much about passing the bill alone, but in what form the bill is passed.

56 — VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 , 2015

Truce reached in besieged Syrian district

T

Pope on Charlie Hebdo: There are limits to free expression W

EIGHING in on last week’s terror in France and the debate over freedom of expression it stirred, Pope Francis said en route to the Philippines yesterday that, while no one should “kill in the name of God,” neither should they “insult other people’s faith.”

The Pope made clear there was no justification for the killing of 17 people in three separate terror attacks, including a massacre in and around the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Still, even as he decried the violence and

generally spoke in support of freedom of expression, the pontiff said that such freedom must have its limits.

He didn’t mention Charlie Hebdo specifically, or its cartoon depictions of Mohammed, something that many Muslims find offensive. A previous cartoon was one reason the Paris magazine was targeted, and it didn’t back down afterward, with its post-attack cover showing Mohammed again, this time crying and holding a sign with the rallying cry “Je suis Charlie,” French for “I am

aced his remarks by saying, “let’s go to Paris, let’s speak clearly.”

Al Qaeda branch claims Charlie Hebdo attack was years in the making A L Qaeda in the Ara bian Peninsula claimed responsibility Wednesday for last week’s rampage that killed 12 people at France’s Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

The attack was years in the making, an AQAP leader said in a video, claiming U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki was the mastermind behind it.

Al-Awlaki was the ter-

ror group’s spokesman before a U.S. drone strike killed him in Yemen in 2011. For days, intelligence analysts have been trying to piece together whether

Families of victims of Charlie Hebdo attack

the gunmen who attacked the magazine met him on trips to Yemen — a theory that could be bolstered by the new video’s claim.

AQAP did not claim responsibility for Friday’s deadly siege at a kosher grocery store in Paris, but praised it.

French security services have identified a suspected accomplice in that attack, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien. Police sources cited by the newspaper said one line of investigation is that the accomplice, a man from a Paris suburb, may have driven gunman Amedy Coulibaly to the kosher supermarket, where Coulibaly later shot dead four people.

Kerry to give ‘big hug’ to Paris after militant attacks

U

S Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday said that his visit to France was to give a “big hug” to Paris after the deadly attack by Islamist gunmen on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

President Barack Obama’s administration drew criticism from Republican opponents at home for not sending a senior figure to a unity march in the French cap-

ital following the shootings, and the White House later conceded that Washington should have sent a higher-level representative.

Kerry was due to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Friday to offer Washington’s support. Asked by reporters during a visit to Bulgaria if he hoped that visit would make amends, Kerry said: “My visit to France is

basically to share a big hug with Paris and express the affection of the American people for

Kerry

any electricity, diesel or gas for heaters for too long now,” he said.

“Children are really cold, we live in extreme cold.”

Thousands of residents have been stuck in al-Waer during the siege, only occasionally receiving food and humanitarian aid.

“We hope that after this the roads will open and we can have the freedom of moving,” Abu Ahmed said.

Residents told Al Jazeera they believed the rebels had agreed to a ceasefire because they had been weakened in recent months and were running out of supplies.

U.N. alarmed by ‘downward spiral’ of Israelis, Palestinians

•Pope Francis Charlie.”

Still, even without talking about the magazine by name, the Pope pref-

HE Syrian govern ment and rebels have agreed on a tenday ceasefire in the last opposition-held area of the city of Homs, activists have said.

Residents in al-Waer neighbourhood, which has been besieged by regime troops for almost two years, lined up waiting for the delivery of food after the ceasefire took effect on Thursday.

Abu Ahmed, waiting for bread in freezing temperatures, told Al Jazeera that several food trucks had arrived.

He and his friends used bits and pieces of paper and waste to light a fire to stay warm.

“We have been without

France and for our friends there, who have been through a terrible time.

U

N Secretary-Gener al Ban Ki-moon is alarmed that the Israelis and Palestinians are engaged in a downward spiral of actions and counter actions and calls on both sides not to ex-

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon

acerbate existing divisions, a senior U.N. official said yesterday.

Israel is withholding critical tax revenue and seeking ways to bring war crimes prosecutions against Palestinian leaders in retaliation for the Palestinian moves to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We call on Israel to immediately resume the transfer of tax revenues,” U.N. deputy political affairs chief Jens Anders ToybergFrandzen told the U.N. Security Council.

Deaths reported in Belgium ‘anti-terror raid

T

WO people have been killed in a “counter-terrorism” raid in Verviers in in eastern Belgium, local media reported.

The Belga news agency quoted federal prosecutors as saying that there had been a police operation near the centre of the town on Thursday. Belga said there were several casualties and that police

activity was continuing.

“We know two people have been killed and one was injured in the operation,” Belgian journalist Christoph Lamfalussy, reporting from Brussels, told Al Jazeera.

Public service radio RTBF said there were no casualties among the security forces involved, adding that several people were detained in the operation.

Ukraine steps up mobilization, warns of renewed Russian ‘aggression’

U

KRAINE’s parlia ment voted yesterday to refresh its front-line forces and resume partial conscription after a top security official warned that Russian forces backing separatist rebels had sharply increased military activity in the east.

“Russian aggression is continuing. There has been a significant surge in the intensity of firing,” Ole-

ksander Turchynov, secretary of the national defense council, told parliament, adding that 8,500 Russian regular forces were now deployed in eastern Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and four wounded on Wednesday when Ukrainian positions were fired on 129 times, which Turchynov said was a record for this year so far.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 ,2015 — 57

BRIEFS

Migrants kill 10 Nigerians aboard Spain bound boat

By Uduma Kalu

T

EN Nigerians have been killed by their fellow passengers aboard a Spain bound boat.

Two other migrants have however been arrested after allegedly going berserk and killing the10 Nigerians.

The boat was heading from Africa to Spain.

They two allegedely killed the Nigerians after believing that a priest’s prayers caused bad weather.

The pair are accused of hitting their victims with wooden planks which they then used to push them overboard during a row which began when the Nigerian priest started praying because he feared bad weather would capsize the boat.

Police believe the alleged killers wrongly

HE losing candidate in Mauritania’s presidential election was jailed for two years on Thursday along with two other people who had organised a march against slavery, their defence lawyer said.

Police used teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside the courtroom, in the southern town of Rosso, local sources said.

Biram Ould Abeid, a prominent anti-slavery activist who came second in last year’s election, was

interpreted the priest’s prayers as the cause of the bad weather, leading them to kill up to ten passengers on the boat that eight babies perished on.

They are also suspected of robbing their victims - mostly Nigerians - of around £1,200 before pushing them to their deaths.

Only 29 of the 50 peo-

A

of six people whom he took to the supermarket’s freezer – sparing them from the scarring scene that was underway. Four people were killed in the attack on the kosher supermarket before police were finally able to raid the store and kill the attacker – Amedy Coulibaly.

‘We got in the freezers and I told them to be silent,’ says Muslim hero of kosher supermarket attack / Lior Zilberstein.

ple who boarded the rickety boat in Nador, Morocco, after paying smugglers to help them reach Spain, made it to Europe.

arrested during a march in November. His arrest was criticised by human rights campaigners and the European Parliament.

A government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Defence lawyer Brahim Ould Ebety said the convictions were for disturbing public order and belonging to an unrecognised organisation.

He called the court’s decision “a step back in time to the 1980s where people were arrested and

judged on false charges,” adding that he had submitted an appeal.

A researcher for Amnesty International in West Africa, Gaetan Mootoo, said: “The intensifying crackdown on anti-slavery activists in Mauritania has no legal justification and is symptomatic of the government’s lack of respect for human rights.”

He called for the immediate release of Ould Abeid and the other two men, Brahim Bilal and Djiby Sow. Seven other ac-

tivists were released by the court.

Mauritania was the last country to formally abolish slavery, in 1981. It still has the highest prevalence worldwide of slavery per head of population, according to the Global Slavery Index.

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz denies there is slavery in his country, saying that only the consequences of this former practice exist.

Probe army killings of protesters, Amnesty tells B/Faso MNESTY Interna tional on Thursday demanded a full inqui-

A

Malian Muslim who hid shoppers from an Islamist gunman during an attack on a Jewish supermarket in Paris will be given French nationality, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

After the gunman had already killed people during a hostage taking in the store on Friday, 24-year old shop attendant Lassana Bathily hid several people.

Bathily saved the lives

Two migrants have been arrested after allegedly going berserk and killing ten passengers aboard a boat heading from Africa to Spain

Mauritanian anti-slavery leader jailed over November protest T

African Muslim who saved Jews in attack to get French nationality

ry into a bloody military crackdown on protestors whose uprising toppled

Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore.

Troops killed at least 10

people and wounded hundreds of others, according to the findings of an Amnesty report.

The official toll is of 24 dead — including five prison inmates killed by their guards. At least 625 were injured, according to figures released by a panel set up by interim Prime Minister Isaac Zida.

The presidential guard, paramilitary police and the army all engaged in “excessive and often lethal use of force” in a bid to put down mass street protests between October 30 and November 2 last year, Amnesty said.

Mozambique’s new President Filipe Nyusi been sworn-in during his inauguration ceremony, on January 15, 2015 in Maputo ©Sergio Costa (AFP)

Opposition boycotts swearing-in of Mozambique’s president

M

OZAMBIQUE’s new President Filipe Nyusi was sworn into office on Thursday in a ceremony boycotted by the main opposition party, which has rejected the results of October ’s elections.

Nyusi’s inauguration extended the ruling Frelimo party’s nearly 40year hold on power since the southern African nation won independence from Portugal in 1975.

“This takeover of pow-

er is illegal,” Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama was quoted by Lusa news agency as saying ahead of the ceremony, which was attended by regional leaders and Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva.

Dhlakama, a former rebel leader who claims the elections were fraudulent, boycotted the opening of parliament on Monday and has threatened to form a parallel government in parts of the gas-rich country.

African states must overcome distrust for Boko Haram force to work — UN

T

HE four African na tions most threatened by Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram must put aside mutual distrust and agree on a command structure and strategy for a fledgling regional force if they want to defeat the militants, a top U.N. official said.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa, said the international community could only

help Nigeria and neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon once they clearly laid out the assets they lacked to fight Boko Haram.

A month before presidential elections in Nigeria, Boko Haram has seized swathes of new territory. It has killed hundreds of people in northern Nigeria, displaced several thousand more and seized the base of a regional military taskforce meant to fight it.

58 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 15 16,, 20 2015

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Vanguard CLASSIFIED

Countdown to guineaworm eradication begins ...126 cases reported in 4 remaining countries in 2014

By Sola Ogundipe

C

OUNTDOWN to Zero: Defeating Disease, a new exhibition about scientific and social innovations that are ridding the world of ancient afflictions, opens at the American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with The Carter Centre in New York City today even as a total of 126 Guinea worm cases were reported worldwide in 2014, from the remaining four endemic nations of Chad, Mali, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Data compiled by the Carter Centre, show that cases of the debilitating disease were reduced by 15 percent in 2014 compared to 148 cases in 2013.

When the Centre began leading the first international campaign to eradicate a parasitic disease in 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million Guinea worm cases occurring annually in Africa and Asia.

Nigeria was declared guineaworm free in 2013.

“The number of cases of Guinea worm disease continued decreasing in 2014, bringing Guinea worm eradication closer to the finish line,” said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center leads the international campaign to eradicate this waterborne disease.

“We believe eradication of Guinea worm disease is

• Jimmy Carter addressing a crowd in a village at one of the remaining Guineaworm endemic countries.

very possible in the next few years, but success will require the strong commitment and focus of the four remaining endemic countries and the many international partners in this public health initiative.”

In 1991, there were 23,735 villages with endemic transmission of Guinea worm disease in 21 countries in Africa and Asia.

As of the end of 2014, there were only 30 endemic villages in four countries — all in Africa.

South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, reported 70 cases, or 56 percent of the worldwide case total in 2014. Most of those cases were in Eastern Equatoria state. The remaining indigenous cases in 2014 were reported in isolated areas of Chad (13), Mali (40), and Ethiopia (3).

Considered a neglected tropical disease, Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is contracted when

people consume water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae.

After a year, a meter-long worm slowly emerges from the body through a painful blister in the skin. In the absence of a vaccine or medical treatment, the ancient disease is being wiped out mainly through community-based interventions to educate and change behavior, such as teaching people to filter all drinking water and preventing contamination by keeping anyone with an emerging worm from entering water sources.

The Carter Centre, together with ministries of health, local communities, and other partners, has reduced cases by more than 99.99 percent since 1986.

The Center estimates that the eradication campaign has averted more than 80 million cases among the world's poorest and most neglected people.

Research shows fast food lowers student test scores by 20%

• Fast food not advised for students.

E

ATING out at fast food joints seems to be a way of life for most families, but one study has discovered a link between consumption of fast foods and a decline in testing ability among grade-school children. So detrimental are the changes in their body, say researchers at Ohio State University, that these children tend to score lower in science, math and reading tests.

Their findings transcend the common thought that children who eat fast foods

are just prone to the health setbacks resulting from weight gain.

Lower levels of academic achievement discovered among children who ate significant amounts of fast food. "There's a lot of evidence that fast-food consumption is linked to childhood obesity, but the problems don't end there," says Kelly Purtell, lead author of the study and assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University. "Relying too much on fast food could hurt

how well children do in the classroom." For the study, researchers studied over 11,000 students whose fast food consumption was high, testing them in the areas of reading/literacy, mathematics and science while also learning about their eating habits via a food consumption questionnaire.

The study, titled "Fast Food Consumption and Academic Growth in Late Childhood," was published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics. More than two thirds of the sample reported some fast food consumption; 20 percent reported consuming at least 4 fast food meals in the prior week.

Fast food consumption during fifth grade predicted lower levels of academic achievement in all three subjects in eighth grade, even when fifth grade academic scores and numerous potential confounding variables, including socioeconomic indicators, physical activity, and TV watching, were controlled for in the models.

EHEBHAMEN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Faith Irebhose Ehebhamen, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Faith Emmanuel Soya.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JEMIDE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Racheal Oritsemeyiwa Jemide, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Racheal Oritsemeyiwa Jemide. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKUNGBOWA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss O k u n g b o w a Oghogho Veronica, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Itietie Oghogho Veronica. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OREWEH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oreweh Ufuomanefe Juliet, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akpaka Monica Ufuomanefe Juliet. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKPORHUARHO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Akporhuarho Nyerovwo Joyce, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Bibi Nyerovwo Joyce.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aka Beauty Omavuae, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akwara Beauty Omavuae. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHUKWUMA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Chukwuma Pamela Oyibonanu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Iyere Pamela Oyibonanu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHUKWUNEKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Chukwuneke Peace Chinyere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Irikefe- Dennis Peace Chinyere. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IRIKEFE—I, formerly known and addressed as Mr. Irikefe Ojarikpe Wealth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Irikefe-Dennis Wealth. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ERUKAYENURE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oghenegweke Erukayenure, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oghenegweke Felicity Ereridjere. All former documents remain valid. University of Benin, Edo State and General public please take note.

O C H U K O — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Rita Erhovwo Ochuko, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rita Erhovwo Ako. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

AKIN—I, formerly known and addressed as Mr. Akin Kunle Jeffery, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Kokumo Akinjayeju. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ODIH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Odih Nkemakonam Theresa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. E k p e k u r e d e Nkemakonam Theresa. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NANA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ngozi Joan Nana, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ngozi Joan Erediyoma. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

G B A R H A — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Gbarha Mac-Atei Oghenemine, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agbi Mac-Atei Oghenemine. All former documents remain valid.

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and general public please take note.

OFODILE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Felicita Ijeoma Ofodile, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felicita Ijeoma Okafor. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

FRED — I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyeintari Fred, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oyeintari Donald Enoch. All former documents remain valid. Bayelsa State Primary Education Board, Okolobiri and general public please take note.

Confirmation of name I, Erefawei Perisho Abednego hereby confirm that the names Erefawei Norkie, Erefawei Abednego E, Erefawei Abednego E.P, Erefawei Abednego as they appear on my First School Leaving certificate, WAEC results of 1997 and 1999 and B.Sc. certificate refer to one and same me. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

U N UA M E — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Sheke Savanna Unuame, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Sheke Ivanna Anthony-Obrike. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

BEAUTY — I, formerly known and addressed as Beauty Pessl, now wish to be known and addressed as Juliet Pessl Embazi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ISOKE — I, formerly known and addressed as Orubide Isoke Eddy, now wish to be known and addressed as Orubide Woyengipreye Eddy.

All former documents remain valid. Niger Delta University and general public please take note.

60 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 61

Australian Open... Australian Open....

Nadal plays down chances after injury

R

AFAEL Nadal is playing down his chances of winning the Australian Open, as he tries get back to his best form after injury and appendicitis.

The Spaniard won the Australian Open in 2009, but has been most successful at the French, where he has taken home nine titles.

He had his appendix removed in November and also suffered wrist and back injuries in 2014.

“It will be difficult but I’m working as much as I can to be competitive,” he said.

Nadal earlier this month lost to Germany’s Michael Berrer in the first round of the Qatar Open.

“It would be better if I had a few more matches [approaching the Australian Open], but in the end that’s what there is and the important thing for me is that I am back and healthy and competitive again,” he said.

•Nadal

T

HE number next to Victoria Azarenka’s name in today ’s Australian Open draw will not be the high seeding she is used to, but a world ranking of 41, something the dual champion is determined to disregard.

Emerging from a bleak year soured by injury and a broken romance, Azarenka is unseeded at a grand slam for the first time since 2007, and could conceivably meet Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova as

Azarenka in chase for better year early as the first round.

Her new and unwanted status, she insists, is not something that matters, for however it feels, or doesn’t, nothing will change.

“The important thing is to go out there and play, seeded or unseeded.

What’s important is to get ready, prepare, control what you can control, and that’s what

I’m gonna do.”

The 25-year-old says she has never looked at the numbers, not since her long climb up the rankings to No. 1 began for the girl from Minsk via Arizona, then Monaco, and now also California. It is, she says, about what happens on the court.

Pushing, testing yourself. Repeatedly.

•Azarenka

Federer calms down

R

OGER Federer says he is looking to relax going into the Australian Open following a successful but busy build-up before the event.

“The game is there and I’m feeling really good right now,” said Federer, who won his 1,000th match and 83rd title at Brisbane.

“Usually I played great at the Australian Open. I think I’ve been doing 10 semis now in a row at the Australian Open,” he said. [It’s actually been 11 in a row.]

Federer contrasted his current form with the previous year, which he said “was different just because I came off a tough 2013, had a new racquet, Stefan Edberg joined the team. I had the back and everything.

I played much better than I thought I could and would. So, I feel much better going into the tournament this year.”

•Federer C M Y K

62 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

2015 AFCON 24 HOURS TO GO

Eq/Guinea accused of ‘Africa Cup cover-up’ T

HE 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament kicks off in Equatorial Guinea tomorrow. Critics say the government wants to use the event to make people forget about poverty and human rights violations in the country.

The government of

Equatorial Guinea says it is confident that everything is ready for the opening of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The small central African country stepped in as host of the tournament after initial host Morocco declined in November for fear of the Ebola epidemic rampant in West Africa.

Equatorial Guinea had, alongside Gabon, already hosted the soccer bonanza in 2012.

However, Equatorial Guinea’s 800,000 inhabitants will organize the 2015 tournament alone.

“Of course the regime in Malabo is trying to improve the country’s image abroad,” says

Victor Nogueira of Amnesty International.

The rights group is one of many voices that have consistently criticized the government of Equatorial Guinea for massive human rights violations.

“This is a very repressive, dictatorial regime that continously attacks the opposition,”

AFCON logo

•Nguema

Nogueira told DW in an interview. “

Algeria’s Zeffane eyes semifinals

A

LGERIA right-back Mehdi Zeffane has expressed that the North Africans are aiming to reach at least the semifinals at this years Africa Cup of Nations.

The 2015 AFCON kicks-off in Equatorial Guinea tomorrow, with the Fennec Foxes getting their title charge underway against South Africa on Monday 19 January.

Christian Gourcuff ’s men are one of the pretournament favourites, having qualified for the finals with relative ease following what was a stellar 2014 for Algerian football which saw them perform adequately at the 2014 World Cup before going on the end the calender year as the top team on the African continent.

•Zeffane

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 — 63

Oshoala toast of English Super League clubs

E

NGLISH Super L e a g u e champions, Liverpool Ladies face a fight with Chelsea Ladies over Rivers Angels star Asisat Oshoala, according sources in England.

The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the hottest properties in women football football and Matt Beard has been tipped to take her to Anfield after the recent signings of Satara Murray, Ingrid Ryland

•Oshoala

and Line Krogedal Smorsgard.

But now ESL rivals, Chelsea Ladies are circling and are eager to land the forward to boost their ranks.

Oshoala featured in all the matches of the Falconets side at the 2014 U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup, helping them to the final, winning the Most Valuable Player Award and also emerging as the recipient of the Golden Shoe.

She emerged as the Most Valuable Player of the 9th African Women’s Championship in Namibia.

However, she narrowly lost the Highest Goals Scorer award to Desire Oparanozie with just one goal less than the five scored by her compatriot.

The FC Robo product was voted the 2014 Glo/ CAF Women’s and Young Player of the year.

Winners of StarTimes promo for US

N

•L-r: ‘Ayokunle Idowu, Manager Content Marketing StarTimes; Israel Bolaji, Public Relations Manager, StarTimes; Boluwaji Bamidele(Journalist) and Chinedu Iroche (winners StarTimes NBA All access online trivia); Susie Onwuka, Consumer Protection Council at the unveiling of winners of StarTimes NBA All access online trivia in Lagos.

Okocha, Kanu influenced my Nigeria choice — Iwobi E

NGLAND youth international, Alex Iwobi has revealed the reason behind his decision to star for Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Iwobi who is training with the national under-

Mobil Schools Sports final dedicated to Akpabio

S

AT U R DAY , February 7 has been set aside to celebrate the grand finale of the Akwa Ibom State/ NNPC/MPN/Schools Athletics Championship, the 14th in the series.

A press release by the organizers in Uyo yesterday, said billed for the ultra modern Akwa Ibom International Stadium, plans are afoot to make it the best ever “ ……thanks to the availability of state of the

art sports equipment and ambience that will contribute to lifting its status. “…..We have also decided to dedicate this year ’s final to His Excellency Governor Godswill Akpabio for bringing this world class edifice to Uyo, Nigeria” The organizers remembered that this time last year they had to take the students all the way to U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar to give

All African Games •Continues from BP Brazzaville, Congo September 4 -19.

Elegbeleye stated that Nigerian athletes should work hard at achieving good results as the country is aiming to clinch the top spot.

Nigeria have played second fiddle to South Africa and Egypt on the medals table, but according to the NSC boss, it was time the country made its population and prowess count at the Games which will be marking its 50th anniversary.

“We must not go to the Games just to participate, but to win most of the medals,” Elegbeleye told officials of the respective sporting federations in Abuja.

Athletics is one sport that has always mined gold for Nigeria at the Games. But from all

indications, the AFN seems to be in a fix of how to prepare its athletes for the Games, against the background of paucity of funds to pursue its programmes.

“It is going to be tough this year. We bent over backwards to get our athletes prepare for the Commonwealth Games, despite not receiving much from the NSC in 2014.

“Our president and other members who have been contributing are overstretched. By this time last year we were already camping our athletes, but right now I cannot say much even as we have two major events this year.

The All African Games and the World Championships in Beijing China,” a member of the federation volunteered during a telephone conversation.

them a feel of modern standards and facilities.

“This year thanks to our sports loving Governor we are not only home, but at home with better infrastructure and the students will be given a treat.

“For us therefore His Excellency will be the Special guest of honour in a “farewell capacity” as Governor of the state as we open the stadium officially with a track and field programme after football has taken its turn.”

Also expected is the sports minister Dr Tammy Danagogo who will be the seventh minister to honour the athletics competition with his physical presence, since its inception.

Egwuekwe •Continues from BP Standard had reported that the Nigerian club had turned back West Ham with their offer as they were asking for more.

The Nigerian defender has emerged as a target for the Hammers during this transfer window, according to reports, and it seems that a move to the Boleyn Ground could be a real possibility as they step up their chase for his signature.

Egwuekwe, who currently plays for Warri Wolves, has previously

23 team and he is set to be capped by Samson Siasia, said former Nigerian greats Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu made his to choose Nigeria ahead of England, which he has played for at Under-16, 17 and 18 levels. Iwobi currently captains Arsenal’s Under-21 team.

Iwobi, who has born in Nigeria, said: ‘Ordinarily I would have loved to play for England since I have played for all the under-aged teams up to the U-19, ‘But Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu have influenced my decision to play for Nigeria.

‘My dad too has told me a lot of things about the honour and pride that goes with playing for Nigeria.

‘So I thought a lot about this and decided to play for Nigeria.’

However, until Iwobi plays a competitive senior match for the Super Eagles, then he is still eligible to play for England.

admitted he is hoping to leave his current side in the coming weeks, as interest in his services rises.

“Offers are coming from overseas, I have an offer from an EPL club, the Championship and from Russia,” Egwuekwe was quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard last week.

“I am still a War ri Wolves player, but at the end of this month, I hope to say bye bye to Warri Wolves.”

If the West Ham deal fails, Egwuekwe may either go to a championship side in England or move to Russia.

•Iwobi

Ebola •Continues from BP Africa in March 2014 and has claimed the lives of 8,386 people in six countries according to World Health Organisation figures up to 12 January, has cast a dark shadow over the tournament.

However, there are no reported cases in Equatorial Guinea and the country’s government has taken measures to prevent Ebola from reaching their soil, including hiring the expertise of a team of Cuban doctors.

Julia Nchama Abeso Avomo, the administrative attache at the country’s embassy in London, said everyone entering Equatorial Guinea will go through a short medical check upon arrival as a precautionary measure.

Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are the countries worst affected

by Ebola. Guinea are the only qualifiers for the finals - and their achievement is remarkable given the circumstances.

TA- Star TV n e t w o r k yesterday, in Lagos unveiled winners of the StarTimes online basketball competition done in collaboration with NBA TV in the United States. Bamidele Boluwaji Kayode of Complete Sports and Chinedu Oluwayomi Iroche, a basketball enthusiast are the two winners of an allexpense paid trip to the United States of America.

They will embark on the journey to Los Angeles in April and will be away for one week.

According Israel Bolaji, Public Relations Manager of the company, while on the trip, Boluwaji and Chinedu would seize the opportunity to visit the home ground of Los Angeles Lakers, watch them play and interact with some of the NBA stars.

“The StarTimes NBA TV All access trivia which has a ‘Trip to America’ as the top prize is a deliberate step by the NBA to sensitize the youth and popularize the game among them. It is a promo done all over the world and we are carrying that out for the first time in this country,” Bolaji said.

The team were unable to play any matches at home and also suffered because of the stigma of the disease.

B o r u s s i a Monchengladbach winger Ibrahima Traore says the players were tested for Ebola in the dressing room, just before a vital match against Togo.

“We felt disrespected in other countries; to us it was like some people were seeing us Guineans not as human beings but as a disease,” Traore told BBC Sport.

“Now we have to forget all that and we have to perform well in Equatorial Guinea. It’s something really important for our country and all the people who are suffering due to this disease.

“We want to show everyone a great image of Guinea.

“We got a $30,000 (£19,700) bonus for qualifying and I gave that money directly to charities fighting the disease. At the Africa Cup of Nations we want to fight for the people who are struggling due to Ebola.”

C M Y K

Vanguard, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

Egwuekwe’s transfer: Hammers back out

By Jacob Ajom

W

E can confirm that talks between Warri Wolves and English Premiership side West Ham United on the

transfer of Super Eagles defender, Azubuike Egwuekwe have suffered a setback.

Club sources disclosed to Sports Vanguard that after West Ham tabled a £500,000 (which is N130m), Wolves agreed

Ebola fear overshadows Afcon 2015

•The Afcon trophy

T

HE 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off tomorrow, with organisers, players and fans hoping the tournament can thrive in the face of adversity.

It was only in November that Equatorial Guinea took over as hosts from

Morocco, whose plea to postpone the finals over fears about the spread of Ebola was rejected by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

With concerns over the short time for Equatorial Guinea to prepare, worries about potentially poor attendances at matches in remote parts of the country and doubts about the infrastructure and facilities, football itself has taken a back seat in the build-up to the 16team event which ends on February 8.

Meanwhile organisers have said all players and visitors entering Equatorial Guinea will be tested for Ebola.

The deadly virus, which broke out in West Continues on page 63

to the offer. The English club backed out This development has rubbished the widely reported speculation that Warri Wolves rejected the offer made by the Hammers.

The London Evening Continues on page 63

All African Games: Elegbeleye tasks AFN, others

By Ben Efe

D

IRECTORG e n e r a l , National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye has tasked the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and other Olympics sporting federations to brace up for the 2015 All African Games, billed for Continues on page 63

HARD WORK PAYS: Super Eagles defender Azubuike Egwuekwe stops Italy forward, Mario Balloteli in an international friendly in England, 2014. The match ended 2-2. Egwuekwe now attracts attention from foreign clubs.

•Elegbeleye

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Ascertain (6) 5 Employed (4) 8 Reckon (5) 9 Regret (3) 10 Blessing (4) 11 Intense (4) 12 Precipitous (5) 13 Reviewer (6) 16 Rotate (4) 18 Win (4) 20 Tree (3) 22 Mournful (3) 23 Elderly (3) 24 Ceremony (4) 25 Sentimental (4) 28 Devastate (6) 30 Felony (5) 32 Rebel (4) 33 Against (4) 34 Wrath (3) 35 Eerie (5) 36 Oven (4) 37 Means (6)

DOWN 1 Embellish (6) 2 Shabbiest (8) 3 Animal (6) 4 Competitor (9) 5 Experience (7) 6 Pace (4) 7 Cheat (4) 8 Lettuce (3) 14 Usual (9) 15 Offer (3) 17 Uncooked (3) 19 Dog (8) 20 Sicken (3) 21 Encourage (7) 26 Consuming (6) 27 Cure (6) 29 Journey (4) 30 Hood (4) 31 Finish (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3, Scope 9, Loiter 10, Larder 11, Water 12, Sale 15, Nice 17, Startle 20, Ton 21, Eagle 23, Eros 25, Mind 26, Robed 28, Spy 30, Defence 33, Item 35, Rota 36, Regal 38, Torrid 39, Solace 40, Beret.

DOWN: 1, Gloss 2, Villa 3, Sew 4, Cradle 5, Plea 6, Ear 7, Admit 8, Green 13, Attempt 14, Error 16, Conduct 19, Elm 22, Eider 24, Sot 27, Debase 28, Sixty 29, Yearn 31, Nomad 32, Eager 34, Cede 36, Rib 37, Lot.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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