NGF SHOWDOWN: Amaechi takes on Jang

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 61905

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

•P .12

Sign death warrants, Jonathan urges governors

20 killed in renewed Benin City cult war •P.6

•P.17

COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE •P.34

LES LEBA

•P.40

NGF SHOWDOWN:

OCHEREOME NNANNA •P. 54

Amaechi takes on Jang •Stop impersonating me — Amaechi •We'll see today — Jang LAGOS STANDS STILL FOR MOGAJI

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR & TAYE OBATERU

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AGOS—GOVER NORS Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State were, yesterday, locked in a war of words over their claims to the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. Amaechi, told his Plateau State colleague to stop impersonating him

Continues on page 5

Mr & Mrs

DUST-TO-DUST—Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State (3rd left), performing the dust-to-dust rite at the Islamic burial of his mother, late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, Iyaloja-General of Nigeria at the Ikoyi Muslim cemetery, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. More photos and story on Pages 7&14.

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POCKET CARTOON

FATHERS' DAY—President Goodluck Jonathan (M) trying his hands on a guitar presented to

him by the 2013 Father's Day organising committee during the Father's Day celebration at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN:

NGF: SHOWDOWN:

Amaechi takes on Jang Continues from page 1 as chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF, and urged him to keep within the bounds of decorum.

Jang in a riposte dismissed Amaechi’s charge as funny. Jang reiterated his claim that his endorsement by 19 Northern governors was tantamount to an elec-

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

No man rises by pulling others down, the only way you can go when you pull down is down. The only way to rise up is by lifting others up. If you rise by yourself, you rise alone.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words that matter – Nicholas Spark

E

VERY moment is awareness and the privilege to choose the next thought is very profound, but it is going beyond, to living from the heart that makes it an awesome experience for me.

When you think about it, this ability is within our reach. The choice to feel beautiful, to express loving thoughts and to exhale joy and laughter! This transformation is ever expanding and it comes with it, a most exhilarating feeling of love.

A sweet thing is easy to admire, sweet words are easy to come by, but a sweet friend is rare and when we find special friendship, we nurture and naturally care a lot.

This much I know, a friend is like a lovely song, always endearing and meaningful, but the greater illumination is the choice to love and the freedom to do so without a tinge ...this is beautiful affection and devotion, a better expression of love.

tion, boasting that he was set to show his superior claim at a meeting of the forum he has summoned for today.

The exchange followed Governor Jang’s summon of a meeting of the NGF for today ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan over disputes on the sharing of the federation account for the month of May. Governor Amaechi while urging governors to honour the meeting with the president, however, disowned the meeting of the NGF summoned by Jang.

Governors stick to their earlier positions Yesterday, several governors stood on their previous positions in the NGF. Chairman of the Northern States Governors' Forum, NSGF, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, it was learnt, was outside the country and may not send a representative to the Jang meeting. His colleague in Benue State, Mr. Gabriel

Suswam who is also outside the country on official assignment, could send a representative to attend the Jang meeting.

“Any meeting called by Governor Jang as chairman of the NGF would be honoured by Governor Suswam,” an aide said. Several other governors, it was learnt, yesterday, stuck to their known positions on the division in the NGF. Governor Amaechi in a statement yesterday said: "On Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, reports in the media credited to my brother governor, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State announced that he has called for a Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting. Ordinarily I would have ignored these reports as I do not imagine that as governors who hold our people’s mandate through the democratic process of free and fair elections, we would do anything to impugn our integrity.

“However as Chairman of the Nigeria Governor ’s Forum, elected by my colleagues to safeguard their integrity and that of the forum, it has become imperative

for me to request my brother, Governor Jang, to remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate me and to stop parading himself as NGF chairman. There is only one chairman of the forum, duly elected by a vote tally of 19:16 on Friday, May 24, 2013.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I as chairman of the NGF have not called for any Governors’ Forum meeting for Monday, June 17, 2013. The only meeting scheduled for Monday June 17, is a meeting of all Governors with His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan scheduled to hold at 9pm at Aso Rock Villa.

All governors should please ensure attendance at this meeting with Mr. President.

This storm shall pass — Amaechi “I wish to reassure my brother governors that this storm shall pass and we all will be reunited as one family committed to our nation’s unity and supporting Mr. President in his vision for a Nigeria that safeguards the rights of all its citizens to good governance and democratic norms.

“Governor Jang is my brother and friend and I harbour no ill feelings against him, but it is important that he stops this impersonation, as it could threaten all the good work we all have done together.

“May I remind Governor Jang that there is a legal action that has been instituted against him by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State to stop him from parading himself as the chairman of NGF. As leaders elected by our

people, Nigerians are closely watching us. We must comport ourselves according to the dictates and principles of democratic and lawful practices and norms.”

We'll see today — Jang Responding to Amaechi, Jang through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ayuba Pam described Amaechi’s assertion as funny.

Asserting that he was elected by the majority of governors and was in no way impersonating anybody, Jang said: “It is funny to say that a man who was nominated by consensus by the Northern governors who are 19 and presented to the larger meeting of the governors would impersonate anybody. It is all about who is in charge of the forum and tomorrow’s (today’s) meeting convened by Jang will show who really has the support of majority of the governors.

“We do not want to join issues with Governor Amaechi because he is still a member of the governors’ family and just like Governor Jang has said repeatedly, this is a family problem that would be resolved amicably.

“All we can do is to appeal to Governor Amaechi to extend the same cooperation that Jang gave him when he was the chairman of the forum to Jang. Jang was always among the first governors to be in Abuja each time he (Amaechi) called a meeting and we urge him to reciprocate this. We even encourage him to attend tomorrow’s meeting convened by Jang because the agenda is for the benefit of every state”, he said.

4— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

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Sea bandits molest, rob market women in Delta

BY EMMA AMAIZE

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ARRI—SUSPECTED sea pirates struck again in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta Delta State, robbing market women of money and foodstuff, weekend.

Vanguard gathered that following the incessant attacks in recent months, the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, was already liaising with the Burutu Local Government Council and security agencies to checkmate the hoodlums.

A source said: “The sea pirates attacked a boat from Okwagbe, which was carrying market women and dispossessed them of foodstuff and money running into millions of naira.

“The pirates trailed the boat after closure of market to a link creek, shot sporadically into the air and took all the money in the traders'possession."

Ex-EBSU student killed, 3 others arrested over robbery

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI— EBONYI State Police Command, weekend, arrested an ex-student of Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Abakaliki, Henry Chukwu, including three others over their alleged attempt to rob staff and customers of Cabino Guest House, Abakaliki.

At a press briefing in Abakaliki, the State Police Public Relations Officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Sylvester Igbo, said the gang of robbers on sighting a team of policemen on patrol along Abraham Enyita off Ogoja road opened fire on them, resulting to a gun battle that led to the arrest of the suspects.

He said: “During the gun duel, one Henry Chukwu popularly known as Drama, an ex-student of Ebonyi State University, sustained bullet wounds and latter gave up the ghost while being taken to the hospital. In the process three suspects, Ude Oko, Nwokporo William, Emeka Eseogor, were arrested.”

The police spokesman noted that the body of the deceased suspect had been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki for autopsy.

20 killed in renewed Benin City cult war ...police arrest 10 suspects

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY—NO fewer than 20 persons have been killed in the past four days in different parts of Benin City, following a renewed cult war between suspected members of Eiye Confraternity and Black Axe. Over 10 persons were said to have been arrested by the Edo State Police Command in connection with the incident.

It was gathered that some of the leaders of the groups are on the run following the collaboration of security agencies with the state government to hunt for the suspects.

Vanguard was informed that the latest face-off was triggered last Thursday when members of one of the groups went to the home of one of the suspects currently on the run, whose father was said to belong to one of the warring groups to resolve some money related issues. It was learnt that while they were settling the issue, the suspect went upstairs to fetch a pump action gun and shot a member of the rival cult group on the leg.

The victim was rushed to the hospital by his colleagues while the suspect fled. Consequently, colleagues of the victim mobilised for reprisal attacks, visiting the homes of members of the rival group.

It was learnt that the attack led to the killing of a colleague of the suspect who started the shooting at New Benin. As expected, the cult war escalated. There were killings in Idu Owena, after Ugbowo, Isihor, Ugbiyoko, Textile Mill Road, New Benin and Igbesanwa.

Vanguard was reliably informed that no fewer than 20 persons have been killed so far. As a result, night life in Benin City has been affected as people no

longer relax in bars in the evenings due to fear of being attacked by the rampaging cultists.

Oshiomhole summons security meeting Worried by the development, it was learnt that Governor Adams Oshiomhole convened an emergency security meeting last Friday, asking security operatives to fish out the killers. Vanguard learnt that about 10 persons have

EW YORK — THE Police in New York have begun manhunt of two suspects connected with the gruesome stabbing to death of a Nigerian in Brownsville area of Brooklyn, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

According to local media, the deceased, Uro Ama Orji, 54, and a cab driver in the area, was said to have been stabbed in the eye with an umbrella.

After he had been wounded, his vehicle crashed into two parked sport-utility vehicles at Lott Avenue and Boyland Street at about 5:30 p.m.

Orji, who resided in Queens, was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

while some are on the run. The killings will stop because our officers are all on the alert now. I can assure you that anybody arrested will be dealt with very seriously.

“All security agencies in the state are concerned. The governor is equally concerned, residents of the state are concerned.

So we will not relent until we stop this madness. It is very sad that people no longer value human lives.”

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (right) accompanied by Prof. Comfort Ekpo, Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, UNIUYO, during the inspection of property damaged at the institution following students' protest, last week.

Two get life imprisonment for raping Pastor’s daughter

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

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SABA — A HIGH Court sitting in Ughelli, Delta State has sentenced two persons, described as “notorious rapists,” Ernest Steve, 30 and Jerry

US Police begin manhunt for Nigerian's killers

N

been arrested so far while efforts were on towards finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

The Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Folounsho Adebanjo, who could not confirm the casualty figure, described the killings as unacceptable and vowed that the police would deal with the situation.

According to him, “we are not relaxing at all. We are in search of the leaders behind this. Some persons have been arrested

Following the development, a 5,000-dollar reward was offered for information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.

The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers offered a 3,000dollar reward, while the group of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care offered another 2,000-dollars.

Police said they were looking for a man and woman who were passengers in the cab and seen running from the scene. A video showed the man getting out of the cab, opening the front door of the vehicle and stabbing Orji with an umbrella.

“It’s clearly on that video. You have a female and male, and the male runs, the young lady walking away, perhaps guilt got the best of her.

Godwin, 29, to life imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old daughter of a Pastor.

The incident took place on November 5, 2007 when the duo broke into the residence of the parents of the girl at Young Africa Close, Ovwian, armed with a gun and knife.

Prosecution told the court that after robbing parents of the young girl of valuables, they went ahead and had carnal knowledge of the girl (names withheld) serially, causing her severe injuries and psychological trauma.

Delivering judgment, the trial

judge, Justice O. Tobi said the confessional statements of the accused admitted in evidence during trial passed the veracity test and was not in doubt, saying the prosecution led by P. T. Daubry had proved the essential ingredients of the three-count charge preferred against the accused persons.

The court declined the plea for mercy by the defence counsel, Mr. M. Oshemele, on the ground of law and proceeded to hand down the mandatory punishment for the offence they committed as prescribed by law.

Pathologists probe death of Ngor Okpala 8

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI — A TEAM of pathologists from Imo State Ministry of Health has been put together to examine the circumstances that led to the death of the Ngor Okpala eight.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Obi-Njoku, who disclosed this during an interview, said government was interested in getting to the root of the inci-

dent.

Obi-Njoku said: “Government has set up a team of pathologists to probe the cause of death of eight members of the Nwosu family in Umueze Egbelu Nguru in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.”

The commissioner further explained that the team drawn from the State's Department of Public Health, is headed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013—7

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS literally stood still, yesterday, as the PresidentGeneral, Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, who died last Saturday aged 96, was buried at the Vaults and Garden Cemetery, Ikoyi, amidst eulogies.

Late Alhaja Mogaji was the mother of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor and national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. Tinubu, who recalled his mother’s last moments, said: “On Saturday afternoon, she had her lunch. After that, she took her drugs and rested.

"While resting, death came and snatched my mother away. Immediately she died, I felt her void. She taught everyone she came across contentment, love and the act of sharing, especially to the needy.

“I will miss her lunch even when I am full. I am very happy that she is my mother. She is a very successful mother and a good leader. She departed this world peacefully without taking us through pains.

“She is so kind and God was also kind to her. She is a good thinker and a compassionate person. She has left a very good legacy for everyone.

“She did something when I was the governor of Lagos State that really touched me and that was when she asked me to consider three women, who had challenges paying their children’s West African Examination Council, WAEC, fees.

“As a governor then, I began the policy of paying WAEC fee of pupils in Lagos State public schools. Those are the things that will fascinate anyone about my late mother.

“There are many lessons that women can learn from her. And one of the lessons is to be resilient, committed and industrious in order to help banish poverty in the country. She is a committed democrat.

“She believes in the one-man one-vote campaign. She will vote and mobilise others to do so.

Women must also be committed to the education of their children, which is the antidote for poverty in the country. Once we come out

ALUMNI DINNER:

From left— Prof.

Wole Soyinka; Mr. Demola Aladekomo, President, Lagos Business School Alumni Association, and Dr. Enase Okonedo, Dean, Lagos Business School, during Mr. Aladekomo dinner in Lagos.

Lagos stands still as Tinubu’s mother, Abibatu Mogaji is buried of this, the nation will make progress.”

At 8:00am, the Alausa residence of Mogaji became a beehive of activities, as hundreds of party loyalists, relatives and friends to her children thronged her premises to honour her.

Roll call

Some of the dignitaries at the various events that led to the burial and Fidau prayers include Alhaji Aminu Tambuwai, Speaker, House of Representatives; governors Rauf Aregbesola, Adam Oshiomhole, Ibikunle Amosun, Abiola Ajumobi and Kayode Fayemi of Osun, Edo,Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states, respectively; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary of the Commonwealth; Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader, House of Representatives; Mr. Femi Okunnu and Tom Ikimi.

Others were Mr. Femi Pedro, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Mr. Tajudeen Oluyole-Olusi, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN chieftain; Chief Rasak

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE OBI IKENCHUKWU FOUNDATION, LAGOS The above named foundation, based in Lagos State, has applied for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: a. MS. GENEVIEVE NWABIANI IKENCHUKWU b. MISS TITI SANDRA OGUFERE c. MR. GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE d. MR. JONAH OGUNNIYI OTUNLA e. MR. CHARLES OFOKANSI ENWONWU f. DR. WALLACE EDAFE OGUFERE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE FOUNDATION ARE: 1.To promote the welfare of women; protect them against abuse in general and domestic violence in particular; and increase awareness in women and the general public, of the Incidence of, and protection against, abuse and domestic violence; especially against women.

2.To promote the welfare of young orphans; initiate action and tasks to ensure the efficient provision to them of qualitative health, education and a good home; and improve upon their welfare.

3.To promote any charitable purpose for the benefit of women who have suffered domestic violence; young orphans and in particular, the advancement of education and the furtherance of health and welfare of young orphans.

4.To support the nurturing and development of the character of young orphans by promoting and organizing charitable causes particularly in the areas of moral and religious education and by teaching and advising upon spiritual, intellectual and social values.

5.If thought desirable, to found scholarships and exhibitions and to give prizes, donations, grants and awards to deserving women who have suffered domestic violence; and also young orphans and in any other manner, recognize excellence of such persons.

6.To promote and organize cooperation in the achievement of the above purposes and to that end to bring together representatives of the statutory authorities and voluntary organizations in Nigeria or any foreign organization or agency interested or engaged in the furtherance of the above purposes within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

7.To provide, endow, furnish and fit out with all necessary furniture and other equipment, and maintain and manage such buildings and other premises as may from time to time be required for the purposes of the foundation: i.e. to reorganize, reconstruct, renovate and equip such buildings or other premises where necessary.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C), Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed:

Mr. Austyne lyere Ologbosere (Legal Practitioner) Flat 4, Block A1, Karu Courts, Abacha Road, Mararaba, Nasarawa State

Okoya; Mallam Aliko Dangote, Presid e n t , Aliko Group of C o m pany; M r .

Ademola Seriki, former Minister of State for Interior; Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji,

Speaker, Lagos Houe of Assembly; Mr. Muiz Banire, former commissioner for environment Lagos State, and Amb. Musiliu Obanikoro.

The wives of the southwest governors, led by Dame Emmanuella Fashola, and chairmen of the 57 councils in the state were also there.

Fidau

The Fidau was conducted earlier in the day at the Central Mosque, Lagos Island, before she was buried at the Vaults and Garden Cemetery.

The corpse was brought into the Mosque at 11:24am, followed by a short sermon.

Alhaji Muritala Giwa, who delivered the sermon, urged Tinubu, Tambuwal, governors and the crowd at the Mosque, to always eschew violence and exhibit good attitude.

Giwa said: “As the late Iyaloja General of Lagos impacted positively on the life of people, everyone should emulate such act.”

Tributes

Tambuwal described late Mogaji as “a great woman and a great mobiliser of women and an advocate of people’s right.

He said: “Her socio-economic contribution to the nation will definitely be missed. She has left a vacuum in the nation.

She was a special gift to this country.”

A great national leader— Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, who is out of the country on an official trip, in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello,

described her death as a great national and personal loss.

Fashola said she was a forthright defender of the people and their right to economic empowerment, adding that this trait had been imbibed by anyone that had the opportunity or privilege to meet her.

According to him, this peculiar trait was evident in the personality of her illustrious son and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, a leader with the love of the people at heart.

Fashola said: “Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji was a frontliner in the commercial development of Lagos State, particularly Lagos Island, which was formerly dominated by Lebanese and Greek merchants.

“She was one of the pioneer traders, who ventured into the capital intensive and risky business venture of importation of consumer goods, thereby breaking the monopoly previously enjoyed by the foreign tradesmen and her business acumen attracted the attention of multinational enterprises operating in Nigeria then, who had no option but to register her as a business partner and distributor of their consumer goods in Nigeria.”

Describing the late IyalojaGeneral as a great matriarch, Fashola said Alhaja Mogaji did not limit her business and social networking to the confines of Lagos State alone, she always sought the welfare of market men and women and ways of opening up more business opportunities for them.

“This attribute of hers must have informed the unanimous decision of all commer-

cial traders regardless of ethnic, religious or political persuasion to select her as the pioneer Iyaloja/PresidentGeneral of Nigerian Market Men & Women. A position she handled with utmost responsibility and diligence, he said.

Oshiomhole, Aregbesola pay tributes

In his tribute, Governor Aregbesola of Osun State said: “She was a good mobiliser and a very good organiser.

She was a philanthropist, charitable and compassionate.

She mentored us so much.”

Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State, in his tribute signed by Mr. Peter Okhiria, his Chief Press Secretary, said: “I commiserate with you, my leader, and indeed with the entire Tinubu family, on the passing of your beloved mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.

“I wish to offer the condolence of the people and government of Edo State and my personal commiseration over this loss.”

Abike Dabiri said: “She was a mother per excellence. I knew her from my days at the NTA, and my mother also had a shop and she was under her leadership. I covered her activities as a staff of NTA and I am ever so amazed at her wealth of knowledge and experience and she doesn’t forget.”

Other dignitaries that paid tributes to the late matriarch of the Tinubu family were Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Chief Segun Oni, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Mr. Femi Okunnu, Mr. Muiz Banire, Mr. Henry Ajomale, Mr. Rasaq Muse, Joe Igbokwe, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

8—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

Reps order arrest of 1,652 Express Bank's customers

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—PUBLIC Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House of Representatives has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest 1,652 Express Bank's customers over N12.293 billion debt.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the order, contained in a report of the committee based on 20032009 queries raised by the office of the AuditorGeneral of the Federation, was submitted just before the House went on a two-week recess last week.

The PAC report also indicted Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC.

North-East youths hunt insurgents, says Presidency

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—PRESIDENCY, yesterday, hailed youths in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, who were said to be fully co-operating with security agencies to hunt and hand over insurgents to the military.

It said that having carried out an assessment of the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in the three states, normalcy was gradually returning to the North-East of the country.

The Presidency, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday, said that the National Emergency Management Agency and Borno State government had confirmed that only 126 Nigerians had so far been displaced by the operations, not-

ing that the bulk of the refugees were Nigeriens.

According to the Presidency, this was contrary to a report that 8,000 Nigerians were fleeing to Niger Republic as a result of the emergency rule.

Youths’ effort

The statement said: “Perhaps, most gratifying is the new development where citizens, especially youths, are now fully co-operating with security agencies to hunt down these insurgents and hand them over to the military.

“Without doubt, these youths are the new national heroes, who have risen up to the occasion in an unprecedented patriotic fashion to work together with their government by going after their tormentors.

“This is heart-warming and clearly indicative of an

Reps lobby as House c'ttees shake up looms

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

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BUJA—FOLLOWING the likely shake up in the House of Representatives committees’ leadership, indications emerged, weekend, that those that may be dropped or replaced have started lobbying to retain their positions.

Some chairmen, who rode on the back of their godfathers to grab juicy seats, were said to be sending emissaries to help them intercede.

It was gathered that since the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, made his speech while marking his second anniversary, members had turned his house to a Mecca of sort, as they were not ready to take chances and, therefore, needed assurances that they would not be affected in the imminent shake up.

Sources close to the office of the Speaker revealed that when the inflow of members was becoming worrisome, Tambuwal had to abandon his house for an unknown abode in Abuja.

Members were said to be confused over this situation when they could not reach the Speaker. Some of the members reportedly sent friends and associates of the Speaker to intercede on their behalf.

Leadership of the House discovered that out of about 92 committees, including ad-hoc committees, less than 20 were actually performing, while others remained grossly

incompetent.

Among the committees adjudged to be performing were the committees on Appropriation, Public Petition, Rules and Business, Finance, Science and Technology, Pension, Environment, Media and Publicity, Works, Aviation, Inter-parliamentary Relations and a few others.

Since the committees were inaugurated two years ago, some of the chairmen have not held a meeting.

While some committee chairmen refused to allow their deputies perform, even when they were indisposed, others were said to have gone contrary to the principles of the legislative agenda, thereby dragging the name of the House into mud.

However, the Speaker, who alluded to these facts, assured Nigerians that something had to be done fast and that any erring committee chairman would be sanctioned accordingly.

Tambuwal said that within the next two years, meaningful achievements would be made in lawmaking for the purpose of good governance.

The argument was that if the House could achieve up to 65 percent with very few committees, it means that if 40 to 60 committees were working, the House would have achieved its targets within two years in office.

Some members were even inquiring from journalists about the possible changes and soliciting for support, while others did meet very powerful members, who could help them talk to the Speaker, so they would not be affected.

Others, it was gathered, were struggling to get placements in more juicy committees.

awakened consciousness of civic responsibility.”

It said that the presidency was winning the war against terror and terrorists, adding that the results had proven that opposition political leaders, who opposed the emergency rule and proscription of terrorist groups, were actually clueless and blinded by their political pursuits.

The Presidency said: “One month into the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in some states in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, reports from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states are reassuring.

“Normalcy is gradually being restored as a result of the gallant efforts of the Armed Forces, other security agencies and the co-operation of the local communities.

“Markets are being reopened, children are returning to schools, sacked com-

munities are being re-inhabited, while commercial activities in major towns in the affected states are approaching pre-insurgency period.

Displaced persons

“Also, contrary to a report in some media that 8,000 Nigerians were fleeing to Niger Republic as a result of the emergency rule, National Emergency Management Agency and Borno State government have confirmed that only 126 Nigerians have so far been displaced by the operations and that the bulk of the refugees referred to in the report were Nigeriens returning to Niger.

“It is, therefore, gratifying that Nigeria is winning the war on terror and that the decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in these three states is timely, effective and strategically unassailable."

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013—9

Maku defends FG’s N6.2bn 'Internet spy contract’ to Israeli firm

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

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AGOS — FOLLOWING the outcry over the Federal Government’s plan to contract the services of Elbit Systems, an Israeli firm to spy on Nigerian Internet users, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has defended government’s action, arguing that the move was in the best interest of the country.

Speaking on the contract, at the Democracy Audit organised by the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, in Lagos to mark June 12, Maku argued that there is nowhere in the world where e-mails are not monitored by government.

At the 14 years Democracy Audit, convener of SNG, Dr. Tunde Bakare, spoke on, 'From Hope ‘93 to 2013: How Far Has Democracy Brought Nigeria?' noting that since the historic June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria had remained impoverished and the problems late MKO Abiola promised to tackle remain unsolved.

While Maku said that the Federal Government was making progress in the areas of power supply by commencing the building of 10 power plants; stopping fertiliser racketeering to boost agricul-

ture; delivering 32 roads in 2012; saved N118 billion from ghost workers, among others, majority of those at the event, hissed in disagreement.

Maku cited power, agriculture, education and transportation as major areas, President Goodluck Jonathan’s ad-

ministration had fared well, two years into office.

Defending the Internet spying project, he said: “Everywhere in the world, e-mails are seen by government. Even, the world super-power, America, spies on citizens' mails to checkmate the activi-

ties of unscrupulous elements capable of threatening its internal security.

"There’s no government all over the world that is uninterested in what comes in and goes out of its territorial boundaries.”

12 new NIC judges unqualified — TUC ...calls for investigation

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG

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AGOS — TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, weekend, rejected the 12 new judges for the National Industrial Court, NIC, claiming they are not qualified to be appointed judges of NIC, going by the Act setting up the court.

In a petition to the President of NIC, TUC called for full investigation into the appointment of the judges, to ascertain why individuals, who did not meet the requirements spelt out for the appointment of NIC judges were appointed.

TUC argued that all the new 12 judges of NIC did not meet the required qualifications

under Section 2 of the National Industrial Court Act of 2006, which provides for the appointment of legal practitioners for the court.

TUC in the petition by its President-General, Mr. Peter Esele, said it had confirmed that none of the new judges of NIC met the requirement of the law and therefore, were not qualified.

The petition copied to President Goodluck Jonathan, read: “Sequel to the recommendation of NIC to President Goodluck Jonathan on the appointment of 12 new judges for NIC in May, 2013 and to our utter dismay, the 12 new judges are not qualified under Section 2 of the National Industrial Court Act of 2006, which provides for the ap-

pointment of legal practitioners of not less than 10 years standing with ‘considerable knowledge and experience in the law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions in Nigeria” or a graduate of recognised university of not less than 10 years standing and has “considerable knowledge and experience in the law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions in Nigeria."

UNESCO, UNN hold Science Fair and Experiments

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI

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HE UNIVERSITY of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, IUPAC, will host a three-legged Science Fair and Experiments for undergraduates and secondary school students on the most recent advances in methods of teaching and learning science.

The fair, which holds from today, through June 22, with about 1,200 students and 85 teachers from secondary schools as participants, will feature a micro-science and global water experiment, mobile learning science workshop as well as engineering without borders science outreach training.

LASIEC delineates wards, creates additional polling units

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS — CHAIRMAN of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Abdul Adeyinka (rtd), has explained that the commission embarked on the delineation of wards and creation of additional polling units in the state, “to give the people a new sense of belonging.

"This is with a view to ensuring more effective participation of people at the grassroots in the electoral process in the state.”

Adeyinka, speaking at an interactive forum with stakeholders on the delineation of wards and creation of additional polling units, at IbejuLekki Local Government Area of the state, said: “Two new wards and 84 polling units were recommended for Ibeju-Lekki council while three new wards and 55 polling units were recommended for Lekki Local Council Development Area.”

Wake up from slumber, cleric tells fathers

BY OLAYINKA LATONA

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AGOS — NIGERIAN fathers have been advised to wake up from their slumber and embrace their responsibilities as key players at home and the country at large.

Speaking during the Father’s Day celebration in Lagos, the Vicar of St. Barnabas Church, Diocese of Lagos, Anglican Communion, Ven. Andy Iheagwam, in his sermon: 'The Role of a Father in Church, Family and Society,' said the aims and objectives of the country’s founding fathers can only be achieved when individual fathers live up to their various responsibilities as heads of families, not leaving same to their wives.

10—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

NURTW warns members against violence

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE—THE National Secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, weekend, warned state chapters of the union against bickering that may disrupt peace in the states.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, the General Secretary of the Union, Mr. Clement Wetkur, said in Akure that the present national executive of the union would not tolerate violence associated with change of leadership of the union at state level.

Wetkur was reacting to a threat by a faction in the Ondo State chapter of the union called Peace Movement, that if the national executive of the union fails to dissolve the state chapter there would be blood letting and violence in the state.

Disowning the faction, the national officer said the union took exception to such “ irresponsible statement from the faction and would take appropriate disciplinary action.

PDP chieftain condemns Ladoja, Akala alliance

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BY OLAAJAYI

BADAN—A notable chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo State, Senator Lekan Balogun has said the coming together of the two ex-governors in the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Otunba Adebayo AlaoAkala will plunge them into political irrelevance.

He described as grave error for both former governors to have failed to make due consultation before engaging in ‘marriage of convenience’.

Balogun said: “AlaoAkala failed to consult with those who worked for him during the impeachment that paved way for him to be the Governor in his first 11 months, while Ladoja did not deem it fit to seek the opinion of those who stood by him.

ACN faults Fayose’s assassination attempt claim zSays police must invite him

BY GBENGAARIYIBI DO EKITI—ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has raised a poser over the claim by the former governor of the state,Mr. Ayo Fayose that his vehicle was attacked last week by a group of suspected political thugs along Ado Ekiti -Afao Road.

The party also called on Ekiti State police command to invite the former governor to explain the veracity or otherwise of his claim The former governor, through a press statement by his campaign organisation gave detail of how the alleged attack was carried out.

The ACN, however, faulted Fayose’s claim, describing it as suspicious. The party maintained that the present administration in the state had invested hugely in security, thereby making the state one of the safest in the country. It therefore called on the police authorities in the state to invite Mr. Fayose to substantiate the assassination claims with a view to allowing them carry out a proper investigation into the matter.

The party in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tunde Adeleke, wondered why Fayose did not report the alleged attack to the police authorities in the state,

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instead of going to the press.

“One would have thought that the most reasonable thing to do would be for Fayose to report the alleged attack to the police for necessary investigation. The Police authorities in the state have said it was not aware of any

attack since no report was made. We therefore urge the police to invite the former governor to substantiate the claim in order to help them carry out a proper investigation,” the statement said.

The ACN added that a thorough investigation into the

claim becomes even more imperative giving the fact that the present administration takes the security of life and property of every citizen seriously, a development which it said had reduced violence and insecurity in the state to the barest minimum.

AWARD: Mr. Mideno Bayagbon, Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, receiving the Vocational Excellence Award from Rot. Kamoru Omotosho, District Governor on behalf of Mr. Sam Amuka, Chairman and Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, during the Rotary International District 9110, Distinguished Award for Service to Humanity, at Ikeja, Lagos, Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Teachers strike: NUT, Ekiti govt meeting deadlocked request, more so, when the DO EKITI—AS the meet- present Action Congress of ing of the Nigeria Union Nigeria, ACN-led governof Teachers, NUT and Ekiti ment used to pay the allowState Government over the payment of 27.5 per cent peculiar allowance was at the weekend deadlocked, the state government has appealed to the striking workers to call off their two weeks old indusBY DAUD OLATUNJI trial action.

BEOKUTA—LEADERS Vanguard gathered that the in Yewa-Awori in Ogun state government’s series of West Senatorial District in meetings with the leadership Ogun State, have lamented of the union in the state with a how the feud between former view to resolving the ongoing President Olusegun Obasanjo industrial action was to no and erstwhile governor of the avail until the government state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel sought the intervention of the during the last year general national president of the un- election cost them the coveted ion, Chief Michael Olukoya. governorship seat.

The meeting presided over Speaking at a colloquium by the state governor, Dr. Kay- on 2015 political agenda in ode Fayemi could not achieve Abeokuta last Sunday, Chairits desired result, as the state man of the forum, Dapo Oke government was said to have who led other people includoffered the teachers 15 per ing former commissioners for cent professional allowance works and agriculture, Lai Taipledging to pay the remaining wo and Tunji Akinosi disclosed 12.5 per cent when the financ- that, the region would come up es of the state government im- with a consensus candidate to proved face the incumbent governor, Olukoya was said to have Senator Ibikunle Amosun in the insisted that the union was not coming 2015 governorship elecready to shift ground on its tion in the state.

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BY GBENGAARIYIBI

ance to the teachers for about eight consecutive years.

Meanwhile ,the state government has pleaded with the strik-

ing teachers in the state to call off the strike in the interest of the state.

Obasanjo, Daniel’s feud cost us last guber polls —Ogun West

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Obasanjo and Daniel who were from the same Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, locked horns over candidates for the governorship of the party in 2011 election leading to the loss to Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

According to Oke, apart from the feud between former President Obasanjo and ex-governor Daniel which cost us the governorship seat in the 2011 election, Ogun West is not politically organised and as such, it has leadership issues to resolve.

Mimiko to swear in 18 new commissioners today

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BY DAYO JOHNSON

KURE—THE 18 new commissioners confirmed by the Ondo state House of Assembly will be sworn in today by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

The ceremony is billed to commence by 11am at the Babafunke Ajasin Hall, Igbatoro Road, Akure. The state House of Assembly last Thursday con-

firmed the appointment of the commissioner nominees sent

by Governor Mimiko.

The Speaker, Mr. Samuel Adesina, who presided over the plenary said the House’s decision on the confirmation of the nominees was unanimous, sequel to their approval by the screening committee of the House

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013 — 11

Govs go begging for revenue allocation —Uduaghan zFaults management of Soveriegn Wealth Fund A

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

SABA——DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has reiterated the need to revisit the issue of fiscal federalism in the country, noting that it was absurd that state governors, each time, virtually go on their knees, begging for their share of revenue allocation due their respective states in Abuja.

Soveriegn Wealth Fund He equally faulted the management of the Sovereign Wealth Fund and suggested that states should be allowed to decide what they want to save and do with their savings in that direction since they are not appendages of the Federal Government.

Uduaghan spoke, weekend, in Asaba at a lecture to mark the 2nd anniversary of the fifth Assembly of Delta State House of Assembly, tagged ‘Legislative Issues in Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria.’

He said: “This is an issue that is dear to everybody in Nigeria.

Sometimes, people say the man (Uduaghan) lives in Abuja and that he goes to Abuja every day.

Well, it is not that I love flying, thank God we have an airport now. You know before, we used to drive to Benin for about one and half hours to take a flight to Abuja. It is because if you don’t go to Abuja, your state will not get its due. You virtually have to be on your knees to get what is due to your state.

“That would not happen if we are practising fiscal federalism but because we are not practising it, the states have to go to Abuja, struggle and beg for what is due to them. I am sure many of you know my thought on the issue of fiscal federalism especially as somebody from the oil producing area.

Not against SWF

Ekweremadu speaks

“We are also not against Sovereign Wealth Fund, what we are against is the way and manner the fund is being managed.

States should be allowed to decide what to save and what to do with their savings.”

Also speaking on the occasion, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said that “unfortunately, while fiscal federalism and enhanced resource control have become a reoccurring decimal in the Constitution amendment process since 1999, they have failed to garner the requisite support to scale through due to embedded fears. But the fear of resource control is unfounded. Fiscal federalism goes hand-in-hand with the prosperity of every federal state. Therefore, a paradigm shift is long overdue.

Wants VAT law reviewed Uduaghan also called for the immediate review of the Value Added Tax, VAT law to enable each state government collect VAT in their locality and remit an agreed percentage to the Federal Government.

He pointed out that it was unfair that “we collect VAT on alcohol in Delta State and the money is being shared to some states in the North where alcohol is prohibited. This is not acceptable.”

States mineral resources “Instructively, every state of the federation, without excep-

tion, has more than enough to be self reliant and economically buoyant. An analysis of mineral resources available in each state in commercial quantities shows that Abia State has 19. The rest are Adamawa – 13, Akwa Ibom – 11, Anambra – 8, Bauchi – 35, Bayelsa - 4, Benue – 32, Borno – 23, Cross River – 28, Delta 12, Ebonyi – 8, Edo – 11, Ekiti – 13, Imo – 8, Jigawa – 10, Kaduna – 13, Kano – 20, Katsina – 23, Kebbi – 10, Koji – 14, Kwara – 12, Lagos – 6, Nasarawa – 15, Niger – 17, Ogun – 11, Ondo – 6 Osun – 10 and Oyo – 13.

“Others are Plateau – 16, Rivers – 5, Sokoto – 10, Enugu – 11, FCT – 10, Gombe – 11, Taraba – 18, Yobe – 15 and Zamfara – 8.

These do not include our rich farmlands and tourism potentials.

Unfortunately, everything lies dormant in preference to free money.”

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ENIN CITY—RETIRED police officers in the country have commended the appointment of former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, as the new chairman of Police Service Commission and charged him to prevail on the National Assembly to amend the National Pension Commission Act 2004, so as to ameliorate the sufferings of police pensioners.

President General of Elders Club of Nigeria, PENCOM retired Police Officers, Dr. Moses Ajeka, who lamented the plight of police pensioners in the country, during the inauguration of the Edo State chapter of the association in Benin City, weekend, said police retirees are in the dark on what accrued to them from their

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—COM MISSIONER representing Ughelli South, Udu and Uvwie Local Government Area on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Festus Utuama, has restated the commitment of the board to the welfare and training of its workers.

Utuama, spoke when workers at the Ughelli South area office of the commission hosted him at Otu-Jeremi, urged the workers to remain dedicated to their duties, adding that the commission was desirous to deliver on its mandate of developing oil bearing communities in the state.

Thanking them for hosting him, he said the event was a show of love for him and his office, adding that the relationship between the workers in the area offices of the commissioners was cordial, promising hat their demands would be looked into.

Communities hail NDDC on infrastructure

BY GABRIEL ENOGHO-

LASE ENIN—SOME com munities in the three oil producing local government areas of Edo State, have commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for ameliorating their hardship through the provision of infrastructure.

They spoke during the inspection of on-going projects in the oil producing councils of the state by the state Commissioner for NDDC, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo and the Edo State Commissioner for Oil and Gas Ministry, Mr. Orobosa Omo-Ojo. The projects inspected include the N1.3 billion Medical Hostel at the University of Benin, which when completed will accommodate over 800 students, among others.

Spokesman for Ofunama Ijaw community in Ovia South- West Local Government Area, Mr. Don Bas, commended the commission for the construction of Udo – Ofunama Road,whichhesaidhadbrought a lot of relief to the Ijaws living in the riverine areas of the state.

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LAUNCHING: From left: Director, Business Segments, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Lucas Dada; Nigerian Rap/Hip-hop Artiste, JJC and Chief Marketing Officer, Spinlet, Mr. Mark Redguard at the Etisalat Spinlet Music App launch concert in Lagos.

Police pensioners task Okiro on pension funds

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

DESOPADEC committed to workers’ welfare —Utuama

contributory pension scheme after 35 years of service.

He expressed joy, however, that the appointment of Okiro as chairman of PSC may be the solution to “our problem because he is an officer that understands the issues.” He added that the Elders Club, which came into being in October 2010 is an um-

brella body of retirees, aimed at correcting the problems confronting retired police officers in the country.

He said: “We are the owners of this money. It should be given back to us. We don’t even know how our money is administered; nobody knows how the money is being used. At the end of the

month, they only give you whatever they like.

“Also, while in service, we contributed towards the National Health Scheme. We are being denied the benefits now because we have retired. Having served our fatherland for 35 years, we are supposed to be given what is due to us till death.”

Flooding: UN pledges assistance to Bayelsa, others

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

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ENAGOA—AS anxiety mounts over the predicted heavy rains this year with the possibility of flooding in part of the of the country, the United Nations, weekend pledged to provide technical assistance to Bayelsa State and other states to mitigate

the likely impact of the impending flood and other related environmental issues.

United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, gave the promise in Yenagoa, while on a two-day working visit to inspect the effects of the 2012 flood in

parts of the state.

The UN Under Secretary in an interview, said that the duty of her office was not to provide any major engineering projects but to help identify what could be done to help prepare the country, state and people for what would come after.

12—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

Anambra market inferno: Rep wants NEMA, SEMA to assist victims

Sign death warrants, Jonathan urges govs

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BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—PRESI DENT Goodluck Jonathan has called on state governors not to shy away from signing death sentences passed on convicted criminals saying that as leaders, their responsibilities include doing both the “sweet and the ugly part” a long as it was sanctioned by law.

In a message at the Villa Chapel to commemorate the Fathers’ day celebration, President Jonathan expressed worry that discipline which used to be the hallmark of the family was gradually being eroded because of negative influence of modernism.

He said: “These days, because of modern life, discipline is almost gone. Discipline can be in various forms. It can be through admonition. A magistrate can just admonish and allow the accused to go. The extreme form of punishment is capital punishment.

“In the case of capital punishment, the state governors will sign the death sentence. Some governors sometimes find it difficult to sign the death sentences. I have been telling the governors that they must sign because that is the law. The work we are doing has a very sweet part and a very ugly part and we must perform both. No matter how painful it is, it is part of their responsibilities.”

The president said fathers were expected to be role models, noting that children would want to be like their fathers. He said fathers must not fail to discipline their children when necessary.

He added: “I want to urge all of us who are fathers to discipline our children. No matter what you do, even if you show love and provide the needs of the family, if you don’t discipline your children, it is not good. So for us as parents, it is important for us to let our children constantly know that it is good to take the right path. It is good for them to know that they must be upright.”

Earlier in his sermon, the President of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Soja Bewarang, said if Nigeria must move forward, those working with the President must refrain from stealing public funds and must be honest."

From left: Alhaji Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Dame Abimbola Fashola, First Lady of Lagos State, and Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during the seventh edition of Lagos Central Senatorial District TownHall meeting by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, entitled, 'Making the Sacrifice for Development,' in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

NASS insists on abolition of joint state, LGA account — Senator Ogbuoji

BY PETER OKUTU

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BAKALIKI — VICE Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, weekend, asserted that the National Assembly was still working assiduously to abolish Joint State and Local Government Account, JAC, system in the country.

Ogbuoji, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at a media forum organised by Ebobyi State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Abakaliki, revealed that the idea behind the abolition was to ensure financial autonomy to all the local government areas in the country.

He argued that the Joint State and Local Government Account, JAC, system had over the years created financial imbalance in both the receipt and expenditure of federal allocations meant for local government administration in the country and also hampered the operation of LGAs as the third tiers of government.

Ogbuoji, who represents Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, wondered why some governors were still opposed to the idea.

He charged them not to be jittery over the decision of the Senate to ensure local government councils got financial autonomy.

According to him, the initiative will not only ensure even development across the LGAs, but also strengthen the need for public officers within the local government administration system to be fully accountable for resources accruable to them from the Federation Account.

He said: “The position of the Senate is that there should be financial autonomy to the local government areas.

“The Senate wants to abolish the joint state and local government account because they see it as getting the local government tied to the apron strings of the state and making it very difficult for local governments to operate freely.”

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA — FOLLOWING the midnight fire that gutted Ekwulobia Main Market in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State and property worth millions of naira destroyed, the member representing Aguata Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Eucharia Azodo, has solicited the assistance of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to enable the victims start their businesses again.

About 100 traders were affected by the fire which completely destroyed the electronics section of the market and some nearby houses.

Addressing the victims at the burnt market, weekend, Azodo observed that the affected traders had lost all their life savings and, therefore, needed lifeline to enable them continue their businesses.

Azodo also said she would sponsor a motion under matters of urgent public importance at the National Assembly for possible Federal Government assistance because of the level of destruction. and to ensure that NEMA intervened without unnecessary delay, in view of the hardship being faced by the victims.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013— —13

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14—Vanguard , MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

ISLAMIC BURIAL RITES FOR LATE ALHAJA ABIBAT MOGAJI

From left: Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Chief Bisi Akade, National Chairman ACN; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Otunba From left: Sheikh Abdul Hafeez Abou, Baba Adinni of LaHenry Ajomale, Chairman ACN, Lagos State; and Chief Tom Ikimi, ACN Chieftain, at the gos; Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former Governor of Lagos State; burial of Late Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, the Iyaloja General of Nigeria and mother of Asiwaju and Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Pix: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor, Lamidi Bamidele and Bunmi Azeez.

From left: Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Former Commonwealth Secretary General; Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

From left: Chief Demola Seriki, former Minister of State for Defence; Chief Rasak Okoya; Justice George Oguntade (rtd) and Alhaji Alaba Oniru, Borokini Adinni of Lagos.

From left: Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, Deputy Governor of Osun State; Alhaja Fatima Tinubu; and Mrs. Funso Amosun, First Lady of Ogun State.

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From left: Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and Senator Ajimobi Abiola, Governor of Oyo State .

From left: Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group; and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State.

From left: Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly; Femi Gbajabiamila, Minority Leader, House of Representatives; Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Publicity Secretary, ACN; Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives; and Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, Member, House of Representatives.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013— —15

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16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013 FOUR days ago, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala gave federal agencies that withheld N58 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF, up till today to remit the funds. She did not name the agencies or warn of possible punishment for non-compliance.

Even if the money is recovered, the Minister knows she has performed miserably in this instance. What is the purpose of the exercise?

Is it enough to recover money that was stolen from the CRF account? Does she realise that she could be dealing with a wider spread practice?

“We have identified about N58 billion of such monies which rightfully belongs in the CRF. This unwholesome practice has persisted despite the efforts of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, to encourage the agencies and the affected banks to do the right thing,” she said. “The objective of this conspiracy against the national interest is clear: to keep government monies indefinitely in accounts earning interest for individuals.” · If N58 billion was discovered which agencies were involved? · Which banks colluded with them? · Should the Minister not have them?

BY TONY NYONG

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IGHT from the advent of Prof. Etete Peters’ administration as the Chief Medical Director of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, media reports on the institution have taken multifarious dimensions. His leadership model has not only saturated the airwaves, but also filled volumes of newspapers and magazines.

The different shades of media opinion on the development strides of Etete Peters are correct; the Chief Medical Director has sired sterling and tangible development programmes in the only Federal health institution in Akwa Ibom State, and the moving spirit behind the great revolution is only but a reference point to future administrators and succeeding generations.

The whole of what represents the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital has been dotted with arresting architectural magnum-opus with all aspects of underdevelopment conquered, and the civil service itself reinvigorated in a most unprecedented manner.

The list of projects undertaken by Peters are so phenomenal, the infrastructural development spell-binding, while the whole of the institution has been dotted with arteries of roads. The staff now have a future, and exude the kind of self-confidence that was always lacking in public institutions when people used to feel that their job was not secured because such institutions could fold up at anytime due to poor management.

Life has been injected into the healthcare; C M Y K

No Naming, No Shaming · Is the Minister protecting the banks and agencies? · Would not naming them serve the public’s interest? · Is it no longer a crime to divert money allocated to a certain purpose? · Who has been earning the interest that accrued to the money? · Would the money be recovered with interest? · How long has this been going on? · Could other agencies have been involved? · Why does the Minister beg agencies to comply with the law instead of enforcing it? · What punishment awaits the fraudsters?

· How would fraudsters in government be deterred when they are not punished?

The threat to close accounts of the agencies involved, in all banks, is not a punishment.

They probably have other accounts the investigation did not uncover. An accounts closure would only hurt activities of the agencies and the public, definitely not the fat cats.

It is a shame that government agencies have so much money that all the officials think about is how to keep the money for themselves. The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the National Assembly, and all those who have oversight functions over these agencies have failed. If they had stringent measures for protecting public funds, these perennial scams would have been stopped over the years.

Nigerians would want the agencies, their officials and the banks that engaged in the fraud named and the appropriate law enforcement engaged to prosecute them for the crime. Any other approach would deny Nigerians, whose funds they were fiddling with, justice and the suspects their opportunity to explain how they set out decisively against the law.

OPINION Etete Peters: A template for administrative excellence the patients now smile to the hospital, and back home thrilled by the kind of services and treatments they receive in the hospital, courtesy of this single individual who has transformed the place to a one-stop healthcare provider.

The recent visit of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammed Ali Pate, for a forum on prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and AIDS provided an auspicious opportunity for public appraisal of the enigmatic personality of Prof. Peters, defineable at the levels of administrative sagacity, intellectual candour, characteristic leadership, social engineering and the progressive tilt that seems to grace his credentials.

Dr. Ali Pate said after inspecting the achievements in the teaching hospital, that government can save more than 500 lives by paying more attention to the expansion of health services and also, that the country should not apply theoretical solution to practical things as proper information is key to knowledge.

But despite the giant strides of this medical icon, one of the challenges confronting the hospital is inadequate funding. According to an anonymous staff : "If the hospital is well funded, it will go a long way to assist the hospital acquire more modern diagnostic equipment which will drastically

reduce the exodus of elite to foreign nations for medical care, and improve the quality of health care provided to patients.

Prof. Peters, a trained medical doctor, astute administrator, and a statesman was born in Ikot Ekpaw, in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State to a humble family. Although, he grew up in this unknown part of the world but gradually he crept into the world of the famous.

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t is safe to assume that hundreds of millions of the nation’s budget is appropriated to the health sector; on average half of such budget provisions released to the health institutions are lost to the elite through excessive greed in appropriation of the national resources to themselves. This simple assumption considers that, firstly, it took years of unpatriotic administrations for the health institutions to decay to their pitiable levels, and two that accessibility to quality services were largely dependent on the patriotic instincts of the administrators of the institutions. Yet, in the case of Peters, there is no doubt that he belongs to the new and emerging brigade of Nigerians who are not afraid to enthrone young and brilliant people at the apogee of classical leadership around the world.

The University Teaching Hospital in the period of its existence has an overlapping history of a list of Chief Medical Directors who would be remembered differently. The result of their comparative analysis is that the contributions and achievements of the young Prof. Peters is 12 times larger. The staff have also spoken, and their rating is not different. With goodwill, none of them amounts to discrimination, let alone persecution. For his colleagues, it is not how successful, but how effectively successful is what ranks the Peters’ administration the highest.

Some of the outstanding achievements recorded again by the administration of Prof. Peters is the installation of a Toshiba 16 multi slice C- T Scanner in the Radiology Department, putting the University Teaching Hospital in the league of centres possessing the technology wonder tool expected to redefine and reshape medical diagnosis in this part of the country.

The commissioning of the Diana-Abasi Orthopedic Theatre by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, is another plus. The Governor during the visit found out that Peters’ achievements were awesome by almost any other standard.

Considered a reformer, it was again like his predecessors only managed modest tweaks based on the biggest overhaul the Teaching Hospital, under Peters, has undergone. He seems to have been uniquely licenced to harangue the staff on the details of delivery.

Mr. Nyong, a journalist, wrote from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

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Leave tenure matters alone when Ekweremadu’s committee came out with this six-year single term and received a scathing rejection of it from the same presidency that had proposed it. The reason was obvious:

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T is a long-established fact that those at the helm of affairs in Nigeria are simply incapable of learning the lessons of both recent and distant history of our country. It is said that those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat its mistakes. It is because of this that we run around in circles rather than make progress in a linear trajectory.

If our politicians were sensitive to the basic political impulse of Nigerians, they would have known by now that as far as the question of tenure of office is concerned, our people have long developed a locked mindset towards any attempt to tamper with it. We say no, whether you are talking of tenure elongation or tenure truncation. In other words, the issue of tenure for elected public office holders as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which provides for a maximum of two four-year terms, is a settled matter.

The last thing a Nigerian wants to hear is “tenure elongation”, whether it comes in form of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s “third term” or President Goodluck Jonathan’s six-year single term added to his ongoing four years.

It baffled me that the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment led by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, proceeded to include the issue of tenure in its recently concluded exercise. We are all living witnesses to the fact that tenure matters alone derailed the entire Constitution Amendment Bill of 2006. President Obasanjo, by puckishly inserting an extra term of office for himself and governors, made it impossible for other agreed items for amendment, including

Sen. Ike Ekweremadu

an extra state for the South East Zone, to become constitutional enactments.

We also remember very vividly, that President Jonathan quickly exhausted his goodwill and started his journey into the hot soup of public criticism when he hinted that he would send a Bill for amendment of the constitution restricting elected chief executives (president and governors) to a single term of six years each. It was, therefore, a thing of considerable surprise (and typical double standards of politicians)

Bravo, Borno’s ‘JTF youth'

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AM exhilarated that the war on terror is now going exactly the way I had campaigned on this forum. First, the Federal Government suddenly slammed its door on amnesty for Boko Haram, choosing to crush them first before returning to that issue later. The effect is there for all to see.

One of the desirable effects of the military assault on the terrorists is that some young people in Borno State have formed what they call “JTF Civilians”. Armed with basic, simple weapons, they move in groups, apprehending known members or supporters of Boko Haram and hand them over to the Joint Military Task Force (JTF). I say Bravo! Go on, young people; retake your state, your motherland from foreign-sponsored enemies of your people, your country. The future belongs to you. Do not allow these devils to steal it from you! I am delighted that more people are buying into the war on terror, rather than listen to political blackmailers.

BY NATHANIEL ABARA

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S we jostle with other top nations in the global marathon, 2013 presents Nigeria an unprecedented opportunity to create a “fourth estate”, a new arm of government, and the cornerstone of civil society organizations (CSOs) inclusive of the independent media. The Transformation Agenda demands a Transformation Constitution which incorporates a role for CSOs and creates a governance quadrangle, a new partnership embracing the existing legislature, the executive, the judiciary and a new “house of civil society”, to be called The Council of Civil Society (CCS). This “bridge house” between the government and CSOs, is the house of solidarity for Nigerians.

The CCS will operate at all tiers of government. CCS members will not compete with elected representatives.

Rather, the CCS will complement the legislature and the executive, playing an advisory role, contributing civil society perspectives to issues and mobilising social organisations and citizens to fully support government.

This model views citizens as partners, not subjects to be ruled – the dependency or ”feeding bottle” approach. We propose that the council should work in four interest-based groups, namely, the media, which is also embedded in the women, youth, and other interests group. Once a year, each legislature will deliver to its CCS “A State of the People Address” to outline how legislative work impacts the people they represent.

very hard during their first term and use the second term to arrange a graceful exit. Either way, they are forced to, as much as possible, balance the scales and reach as many of the political interests or stakeholders in the polity as possible.

One term will encourage dictatorship or vengeance. Once a leader with an axe to grind is elected he simply uses his six years to do his worst knowing he will not go back to the people for renewal of mandate.

People often bemoan the “second term syndrome”, whereby two years into the first term politicians are already investing valuable time and resources to grab a second term. The only thing wrong with it is that in our renascent democracy some politicians do take this to extremes. The cheering news, however, is that as the polity matures the negative attributes of ‘second term

The groundswell of opposition to the Ekweremadu committee’s suggestion is not surprising. That the House of Reps says no to it means it is dead on arrival. The Senate must quickly delete that item from the constitution amendment process

Ekweremadu’s committee had, rather naively (if not childishly) asked the president and first term governors to graciously and voluntarily forgo their second term “as a national sacrifice” and allow the six-year to start in 2015!

Ekweremadu and his group did not tell us what “national sacrifices” they were prepared to make to set an example for the president and first term governors to follow. Sacrifice is a noble idea, provided the person calling for it is not the one to make it for others to enjoy!

And the Presidency, by rejecting it, exposed the ulterior motive behind GEJ’s original proposition of the idea: he obviously intended to benefit from it since he did not specify that it should start from 2019.

I am totally opposed to single terms, whether it is four, six or ten years.

Equally, I am obdurately against making a law to truncate the political rights of anyone or add through impunity, to the two-term tenure entitlement. I believe in the maxim that says: “one good term deserves another”.

Most presidents and governors work

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syndrome” will gradually give way.

Two-term tenure is the rule, not the exception in most matured democracies.

Apart from enabling the electorate to renew or reject candidates at the polls, it promotes constant engagement with the people. Democracy is a game of the people. Leaders must regularly return to the people to renew their legitimacies.

In the US, the four-year electoral cycle has been designed into two-year sections: the presidential election year and the Mid-term, when most legislators and some governors return to the electorate for mandate renewal.

Stretching the period to six years will smack of “political starvation”. It is usually popular in civilian dictatorships such as Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt.

The groundswell of opposition to the Ekweremadu committee’s suggestion is not surprising. That the House of Reps says no to it means it is dead on arrival.

The Senate must quickly delete that item from the constitution amendment process or it may, once again, ensure the failure of the process.

OPINION Constitutional role for Civil society-media organisations Calls abound for strong institutions. Many concerned Nigerians call on citizens to participate actively in public affairs. They remind citizens that government alone cannot address the challenges facing the country. But an ordinary individual does not influence the almighty government, anywhere. All over the world, citizens reach big governments through their CSOs. For Nigerian citizens to play active part in the affairs of the nation, the role of our civil organizations requires constitutional recognition. This recognition is the single most effective and efficient way to commit the close to 1,700 branches of government at all tiers to join hands with organized civil society to tap into the energy of participatory democracy. This solution may appear radical. But as Albert Einstein said, ”we cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them.” We therefore need to seriously reconsider our continued adoption of the three arms model of governance.

The new Council will complement the legislature to exercise oversight in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially in budget implementation and projects monitoring. The legislature will therefore have more time for its primary duty of making and changing laws. The CCS will act

as “watch and work dog”, compelling the civil service to sit up and mobilizing CSOs and citizens to participate in social service delivery.

At the grassroots, we recommend that the CCS mechanism anchors the proposed financial and administrative autonomy for local governments.

Accordingly, the 774 local CCSs will work with their respective elected chairmen, their deputies, the supervisory councilors and the local bureaucracies to execute social contracts for the people. Funding for education and health services should be a first charge on the allocations and revenues of each local government. The nation would thereby avoid the huge risks of simply allowing the local governments to collect their allocations directly without an appropriate framework for revenue and expenditure transparency and holding the local tier accountable.

Evidence dating back to about 6,000 years shows that transparency assumes precedence in any successful creative and development endeavour. There was the first biblical declaration at creation “Let there be light: and there was light.”

Continues tomorrow on pg 18 *Mr. Abara, an economic expert, wrote from Lagos.

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“No, we don’t have money ... yes you have”

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bet the last has not been heard of the diplomatic embarrassment suffered by Nigeria as a result of the Eagles decision not to honour their FIFA Confederations Cup engagement over match bonuses.

In far away Malabo, the news hit me courtesy EURONEWS and I was taken back, totally shocked and ashamed.

Maybe I should rewind.

I first heard it mooted in Kenya that Skipper Vincent Enyeama was threatening a show down over the 5,000 dollars winning bonus, claiming that he and his colleagues were not briefed. I then made enquiries only to be told that in a meeting Coach Stephen Keshi had with the NFF President, he was told about the financial position of the NFF that also led to the reduction in the number of back room staff of all the national teams.

Though Keshi made a case for his dropped coaches his plea was turned down “ for now” and he then decided to assume the emoluments of one of them.

It was my belief therefore that Keshi should have told his players and explained the financial position of the NFF. Despite that, the NFF President went ahead and met with the players in Kenya and explained to them why the bonus had to be slashed.

My happiness was that Coach Keshi was reported to have told the players to accept the situation. This to me was key because he had a strong hold on the players and there was no way the players were going to strike without his approval.

While all the meetings were going on prior to a major match, I considered it a great distraction. I believed the players should have been focused and concentrated. Did this affect their showing against Kenya? Anyway, we managed to win and this was enough, for now.

It was when I returned to Nigeria that I was told that despite the meetings and assurances, after the match the players refused to collect the bonuses, saying that it will be “resolved in Namibia” Before Namibia, the Kenyans favoured us greatly by holding Malawi in Blantyre and all we needed was to beat Namibia and qualify for the next round with only a match to spare, yet these Eagles again subjected Nigerians to mental torture before managing a late draw.

This is not the team that should hold us to ransom, this is not the team that should blackmail this nation on the eve of a major FIFA competition.

Perhaps a military regime would have called their bluff,

What happened in Namibia will remain a black dot in the history books of not only our football but our sporting history as a nation

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disbanded them for their ignorant belief that they are doing us a favour. Thousands of countries will pay with an arm to be part of the FIFA Confederation Cup. Millions of players world wide will do anything to be afforded this pedestal to showcase their wares to the rest of the world, yet our own players can afford to selfishly short circuit FIFA logistics, waste seats reserved for them in a plane cancel hotel reservations in order to force their believed due.

Let it be said here again that the NFF NEVER PAID 10,000 Dollars as winning bonus. Running into the world Cup and given the perceived need for motivation, the Federal Government set up a Presidential Monitoring Committee under Governor Amaechi that COMPLEMENTED the Nigeria Football Federation with 5,000 dollars.

I was in a meeting that recommended a return to status quo the moment the Amaechi committee was no more, yet the board of the NFF believed they could go on given the availability of funds. How come the same players that have benefited all the jumbo largesse when it was available now refuse to believe there is no money?

If the players and their officials know what we do not know, they should come out in the open. Enough of

baseless allegations bordering on“NFF officials are eating fat while we are suffering” this has to be proved, substantiated. In Kenya while the players were busy rejecting 5,000 dollars the First Vice President of the NFF Chief Mike Umeh signed and collected 1,200 Dollars as his due for the period!

My shock was complete last Saturday when I read that it was the coaches who instigated the players to go on strike because for everything the players collect, they collect double! That some back room staff whose bonuses had been cut are now using the players to fight back.

I thought we had grown beyond those days of strikes and threats and blackmail perpetuated by National team mafias. What happened in Namibia will remain a black dot in the history books of not only our football but our sporting history as a nation.

Here in Malabo, the leader of the Tunisian delegation said “Nigeria has money” that is why we can afford to pay such “extravagant” bonuses for “mere qualifiers”.

The Tunisians pay 3,000 Euros for away victories, 1,500 Euros for away draws and home wins and nothing for home draws, (some Eagles back room staff were getting as much as 8,000 dollars for victory and half of that for a draw whether they played at home or away!)

Their players do not fly business class like ours, nor do they get 100 dollars daily camp allowance which the Eagles get.

Yes, we are not Kenya, Botswana, Central Africa Republic, Congo…….and other countries who pay 1000 dollars and less for bonuses, but can we for now boast players who are considered in the top 100 in world football?

Five thousand dollars even by world standard is a lot of money, when you add it to return tickets, five star hotel accommodation and feeding, camp allowances……

The NFF says it is broke. That they do not get one quarter of their budget from the federal government.

They say verify from the National Sports Commission, ask the Presidency. They say they have been borrowing money to meet their programmes. Are the players saying this is not true to warrant such a disgraceful and mercantilistic stand?

Must our footballers don the toga of touts, who damn the consequences of their actions as long as they can get squeeze out money albeit illegally?

Assuming the players had a case to prove,(?) was that the best way to go?

Brazil 2014 World Cup: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia Ajibade wins Cyclefest Toure nudged the visitors in But the Walyas Antelopes championship reach play-offs front midway through the - 19 places below Bafana

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ÔTE D’IVOIRE, Egypt and Ethiopia reached the play-offs in the African qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup after wins over Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.

A 4-2 win in Tanzania result gave Côte d’Ivoire an unassailable five-point Group C lead over Morocco, who triumphed 2-0 against bottom side Gambia in Marrakech on Satur-

day. Substitute Wilfried Bony sealed victory for the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a goal three minutes into stoppage time at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Indian Ocean city Dar es Salaam.

The other five goals came in a thrilling first half with Amri Kiemba giving Tanzania the lead on two minutes and Russia-based beanpole striker Lacina Traore levelling. Reigning African Footballer of the Year Yaya

half, before Thomas Ulimwengu equalised and Toure struck again by converting a penalty just before halftime.

South Africa took on Ethiopia before a sell-out 25,000 crowd needing at least a point to stay in contention and an attacking approach paid off on 34 minutes when Parker cracked a half-volley wide off Jemal Tassew into the far corner.

Bafana on the African rankings -levelled just before half-time when Getaneh Kebede rifled the ball into the net from close range after a scramble.

The decisive goal came after 70 minutes when Parker fluffed an attempted clearance off an Ethiopian free kick, sending a flying header past goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune into his own net.

Eagles Continues from BP want to be the victims this time,” said the Celtics defender.

On his part, Tahiti striker, Steevy Chong Hue said that they were not going to be awed by their more illustrious foes.

.“For an amateur player it is a dream to face the best players in the world.

However for it not to become a nightmare we have to keep working really hard so we are ready for the first game,” he said.

Action from the Tanzania vs Cote d'Ivoire match

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ODIQ Godwin Ajibade of Oyo State powered through a sprint finish to emerge as winner of the 2013 Cyclefest Championship at the National Stadium, Surulere on Sunday.

Caleb Kalizibe (Bayelsa) and Goodnews Cifford (Rivers) emerged 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively.

In the Women Professional category, Rivers state swept the stakes as the trio of Gloria Odiase, Rita Aggo and Rosemary Marcus emerged tops in that order.

In a post race chat, a visibly excited Ajibade said that ,” I am very happy with the organisers – CycleShop and GSKfor providing this

opportunity to compete. I look forward to more of such with more government involvement so that Nigeria can continue to grow in the sport and become a force to be reckoned in cycling. I thank God for my previous experience in Algiers, Mozambique and at the Garden City Games.”

The cyclists rigorously raced a total of 270 kilometre stretch of road, with minor rainfall on the Lagos terrain, starting from the National Stadium and through the Bar Beach to Bourdilon up to the Third Mainland Bridge.

The race continued through Ikeja, AgegeMotorWay and terminated at the National Stadium.

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I am the new face of labour — Sen Oluremi Tinubu •Says she is not in the race to succeed Fashola SENATOR Oluremi Tinubu made history in 2011 when she became the first woman to follow her husband into the Senate. Her advent into the Senate followed her remarkable stint as First Lady in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 during which time she used her New Era Foundation to advocate many good causes, one of the most enduring today, being the One Day Governor.

Now senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs. Tinubu in an interview said she is now using the legislative platform for her advocacy against societal injustice. Senator Tinubu who spoke following the presentation of her mid term report to constituents, was careful to assert that the façade of grandeur and gentility around her should not erode her long history of activism in the public cause.

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

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AVING entered the Senate, would you say you were prepared to serve?

I am from a political family.

There is no time that we are not ready to serve. We have been serving at the state and at the national levels for a long time now, so we have been in the process trying to bring succour to the people and I don’t know how more ready you want me to be?

For one, my husband has been a very visible active player, but if he hadn’t gotten the support from home and the understanding, I don’t think he would have been able to go this far. Is it a familiar or an unfamiliar terrain? It is a

today, I look at the young people and my concern is for the young, not for the old.

What kind of Nigeria do we want to leave for them? A good parent would leave an inheritance for the children but what inheritance, what legacy do we want to leave for the upcoming generation? What they see is corruption. We see our children doing a lot of this yahoo-yahoo business, a lot of kidnapping, cultism and I am worried.

If we go wrong we should be honest enough to say that we have done wrong. The German Chancellor was saying yesterday (Friday) that her generation had done wrong to the young generation.

But look at Nigeria if Europe

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Truly speaking it is never my ambition to run for governor of Lagos State.

Remember, my husband did it for eight years and I was not an outsider to it

familiar terrain for a long time now. We have paid the price to even be here today. I will tell you it’s like maybe this battery that they used to have in the U.S., that is Eveready, where you want to be and what capacity you want to serve. So, I am always ready.

What is your primary concern in the senate?

This wasn’t the Nigeria that I grew up to love. I keep saying it that I was not from a very wealthy family, but we were comfortable, we were the then middle class, we could aspire, we could dream to be whatever we want to be. I am here today because that dream kept me, but when I look at what we have

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is saying they have sinned by accepting that they didn’t create jobs for the young people and we Nigerians are still lying under SURE-P, we are still lying under Sovereign Wealth Fund. I am concerned.

My greatest challenge in the senate is that out of the 56 committees, opposition, ACN only has three chairmanships.

I am the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity and some people would say, O do labour people who are in the struggle dress the way I am? But I say, this is the new face of labour, and it is in my blood. If you fight for the common good for the people

you don’t have to dress in towels and deceive them, but they know who are theirs and you can see me with the rapport I have with the common man and my heart is saying, who is going to give them justice?

Who is going to fight their cause? So I want to see that social security is directed to the young person. I want to see them have access to free health care, to go to school, to have three square meals on the table. So my request is very simple. My request is that people can live like very decent human beings. They don’t have to keep begging for food, they don’t have to sleep under the bridge. That is my concern.

What is your stance on the bill for a special status for Lagos?

You know the senate turned it down they said it cannot be included in the constitution amendment but by the Grace of God we will have it. When we have the right government for Nigeria, they will know the need why Lagos should be given that special status as General Murtala Muhammed recommended years ago for Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Kano.

What is the fate of the 2013 budget?

What can I say? Being in opposition whatever your views are, they are not even respected. To me, that is the way they want to see it because one day, Senate will be crying foul, the next minute you don’t understand what is going on.

So, they go and forth with the budget. And the budget that is passed, does it translate into anything? At the end of the day they ended up declaring state of emergency, so I am just as

*Tinubu: I am a comrade confused.

If just one man could transform Dubai it doesn’t take a lot of people to…and that is why Nigerians must look critically on Jonathan in 2015 or whoever PDP chooses.

Lagos is Lagos today because somebody sacrificed. You all know what Lagos looked like after military government, but we tend to forget. We see the bridge that Fashola has just commissioned and we think that is how Lagos used to be.

No, it wasn’t.

You almost talk like a comrade?

I am a comrade. I said that this is the new face of labour, it is in the blood. I also came from the trenches.

Juicy committee I never talk about June 12.

Everybody would give themselves all the accolade and I will just look. I paid dearly!

Why are opposition senators always desirous of getting juicy committee positions in the senate instead of remaining in the opposition?

If I wanted a juicy committee I wouldn’t be in the Labour, Employment and Productivity committee. I can only speak for myself and I have been a rookie in the Senate and I didn’t know about the juiciness of the committees until I learn.

For me, I am quite satisfied wherever the Senate President has put me, but ACN we want to work. You were absent when the Senate endorsed the president’s proclamation of emergency rule in three Northeast states. I would like

to know how you would have voted if you were present given your party’s opposition to the proclamation?

The state of emergency came rather too late, after security votes had been wasted and could not be accounted for.

To me, I look and see the pretence, and these are not the things you would want to say.

It is still the more you look, the less you see and I just pray that a lot of innocent lives are not lost. So, it is still chasing shadows. The problem with Nigeria and terrorism is the level of poverty. Until it is addressed, people are still going to be aggrieved, they are still going to be angry. So, my view on state of emergency? I never supported it and I still don’t. I don’t believe in it.

Are you running for the office of governor?

Even to run for this office, it is this press that started it.

So can the press start it again?

No don’t start it oh! Truly and truly speaking it is never my ambition to run for governor of Lagos State. Remember, my husband did it for eight years and I was not an outsider to it.

It is not a place for the tender hearted, it is a lot of work to govern Lagos and I am not the type that don’t put hard work into whatever I do. I don’t think I have the strength to say that I want to govern the present state of Lagos. There is still a lot of work to be done in Lagos, a lot of work.

This interview was conducted before the death on Saturday of Mrs. Tinubu's mother-inlaw, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.

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Mandela’s health serious but improving — Zuma N

ELSON Mandela continues to recover in hospital from a lung infection but remains in a serious condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said yesterday.

Mandela is engaging with his family and seeing improvement from the recurring lung infection that forced him to spend a ninth day in the hospital yesterday , the president said.

Zuma said Mandela remains in serious

improvements in his health have been sustained.

Zuma said Mandela “continues to engage with

family,” according to the prepared text of a speech released by the president’s office.

Swiss to back criminal probe against NSA leaker

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•Nelson Mandela condition but that over the last two days his doctors have said that the

WISS President Ueli Maurer said yesterday that he doubted Edward Snowden’s claims about his activities as a CIA man in Geneva and would back a criminal investigation into the secrets leaker if Swiss prosecutors called

for one.

Ex-CIA operative Snowden broke cover in spectacular fashion earlier this month, unmasking himself as the source of leaks about U.S. government surveillance programs.

Supporters rally for Turkey’s Erdogan amid protests

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URKISH Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters at an Istanbul parade ground yesterday as riot police fired teargas several kilometers away in the city centre to disperse antigovernment protesters.

Erdogan told a sea of flag-waving supporters that two weeks of protests had been manipulated by “terrorists” and dismissed suggestions that he was behaving like a dictator, a constant refrain from those who have taken to the streets.

Riot police fired teargas into side streets around the central Taksim Square as he spoke, trying to prevent

protesters from regrouping after hundreds were evicted from the adjoining Gezi Park, the centre of the protests, late on Saturday.

“They say ‘you are too tough’, they say ‘dictator’.

What kind of a dictator is this who met the Gezi Park occupiers and honest environmentalists. Is there such dictator?,” Erdogan said to roars of approval from the crowd.

“The attitude across

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine wave hands at supporters as they arrive at a rally of ruling AK party in Istanbul yesterday

Turkey with the pretext of Taksim’s Gezi Park is not sincere. It is nothing more

Al Qaeda confirms its Mali commanders’ death

A

L Qaeda’s North African wing (AQIM) yesterday confirmed the death of two

of its senior commanders in Mali earlier this year, veteran jihadist Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and brigade commander Abdallah Al Chinguetti,

S/African leaders want Zimbabwe polls postponed

S

OUTHERN African leaders on Saturday told Zimbabwe to ask its courts to extend a July 31 deadline to hold elections, amid high tension between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan

Tsvangirai over the timing of the vote.

The summit of the 15nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the Mozambican capital came two days after Mugabe declared the election day,

a date immediately rejected by Tsvangirai, his partner in coalition and main political rival.

Mugabe had argued he was following an order from the Constitutional Court to hold the election by the end of July.

Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change revolution and maintained

T

HOUSANDS of Iranians celebrated on the streets in the early early hours of yesterday , counting on moderate president-elect Hassan Rohani to follow through on promises of better relations abroad and more freedom at home after routing hardliners at the polls.

A mid-ranking Shi’ite cleric, Rohani is an Islamic Republic insider who has held senior political and military posts since the 1979

than the minority’s attempt to dominate the majority .

a good rapport throughout with theocratic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali

Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful man who has the last word on all the big issues.

Deadly blasts rock southern Iraqi cities

A

wave of car bombs in southern Iraq has killed 30 people as the country grapples with a spike in violence and prolonged political deadlock, sparking fears of a sectarian war.

A total of seven vehicles rigged with

explosives went off yesterday in five cities south of Baghdad, the capital, during morning rush hour, leaving 56 people wounded in primarily Shia Muslim areas of Iraq.

Mauritania’s ANI news agency said.

The death of Abou Zeid, who made millions of dollars kidnapping Western hostages over the past decade, had already been announced “ with certainty” by France in March after clashes with its troops in northern Mali.

N/Korea offers high-level parley with U.S

N

ORTH Korea yesterday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons.

The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly canceled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more two years. The North blamed the South for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between the rival Koreas.

Vanguard , MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013—61

FIRST LADY, DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN AT THE WEDDING OF EVANS AND RHODA

Former First Lady of Rivers State, Mary Odili (right), supervising the cake cutting by the couple, Evans and Rhoda Bapakaye Bipialaka.

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and the couple, Evans Bapakaye Bipialaka and wife, Rhoda Sika, during their wedding reception at the Civic Centre Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. Pix: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Senator George Sekibo (right) with the couple, Evans and Rhoda Bapakaye Bipialaka.

Sir Peter and Justice Mary Odili, former Governor and First Lady of Rivers State.

From left: First Lady, Anambra State, Margaret Obi; Abia State First Lady, Mercy Orji; and former First Lady of Bayelsa State, Margaret Alamieyeseigha.

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62— Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

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Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013 —63

ISLAMIC PRAYER FOR LATE DOSUNMU

From left: Olaitan Dosunmu (daughter); Alhaja Modinat Dosunmu (widow); Chief (Mrs.) Modupe Dosunmu (widow ), during Islamic prayer for late Senator Wahab Dosunmu, at Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos. Photo: Diran Oshe

From left: Mr. Gboyega Oladipo, Alhaji Rasaq Okoya and Dr. Abayomi Finnih

L- R : Sen. Khairat Gwadabe, Sen. Iyabo Anisulowo , and Sen. Femi Lanlehin during the Islamic prayer for Late Wahab Dosunmu

Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, with wife and Chief Bolaji Cole (right)

L-R: Mr Saheed Dosunmu, Ayodeji Dosunmu, Olaitan Dosunmu, Mr Olasupo Dosunmu, Wasilat Dosunmu, Sekinat Dosunmu, during Islamic Prayer for Late Wahab Dosunmu at Yoruba Tennis Club Lagos.

Olabisoye Dosunmu, daughter, addressing members of the Yoruba Tennis Cllub during the Islamic prayer

Encomiums as Wahab Dosunmu is buried

BY BASHIR ADEFAKA

L

AGOS — FORMER Second Republic minister, Senator Wahab Dosunmu, who died last week in the United States, was buried, yesterday, in Lagos after a carnival-like procession through some major roads in the commercial city.

The remains of the deceased which arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport aboard a Virgin Atlantic aircraft in the early hours of Sunday, was moved in a white casket borne by an Ebony ’s Escalade Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, from the airport in a convoy of over 50 cars to Eko Club, Surulere, Lagos, where friends, family and associates paid him their last respects.

The body was later conveyed

amidst tight security provided by officers and men of the Nigerian Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, L ASTMA and Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, and driven to 21 Oshodi Street, Epetedo Area of Lagos Island, the family compound of the late Dosunmu.

From the family compound the remains was taken to the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, where more dignitaries paid their last respects.

Among those who spoke at the Yoruba Tennis Club were chairman, Senators Forum and colleague of the deceased in the Fourth Senate, Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Governor Babatunde Fashola who was represented by Head of Service, Mr. Segun Ogunlewe; first elected Governor of Lagos

State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande who was accompanied by his wife.

Also present were former Deputy National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George; Senator Iyabo Anisulowo; Senator Kemi Lanlehin; former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Senator Biyi Durojaiye; former PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State and Director-General Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Dr. Ade Dosunmu; a former commissioner in the Bola Tinubu administration of Lagos State, Mr. Hakeem Gbajabiamila; Lagos PDP chieftains, Dr. Yomi Finnih and Deji Doherty, among many others.

The eldest son of the

deceased and three of the daughters also paid tribute to their father. Aderonke Dosunmu-Akerele emphasized her father ’s constant admonition. While quoting her late father repeatedly, she said: “It is important that we live a life that matters.”

Burial at Ado town After the encomiums at the Yoruba Tennis Club, many of the sympathizers followed the family to Senator Dosunmu’s private residence at Ado Town, Ajah where he was buried near a mango tree at 4.30pm shortly after Muslim funeral prayers.

Dosunmu was a chieftain of the defunct National Party of

Nigeria, NPN and served as Minister of Housing in the Second Republic and was one of the leading lights in the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, which fought for the actualization of the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by late Chief Moshood Abiola.

Dosunmu was elected to the Senate on the restoration of democratic rule in 1999 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, but subsequently decamped to the PDP before the end of his tenure. After the Senate he served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Malaysia. He died in the United States last week after a brief illness.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

Eagles go for Tahiti's jugular FIFA Ranking: Nigeria 31 Tahiti 138 Kick-off: 8pm

T

ODAY in the Bra zilian city of Belo Horizonte, African champions, the Super Eagles will begin their Confederations Cup chase with a Group B match against Tahiti, who are the champions of Oceania.

Sixty three years ago, the Brazilian city was the location for one of the biggest upsets in footballing history, USA’s win over England during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Should Tahiti emulate that result, shock-waves will be felt

across world football.

Eddy Etaeta’s Tahiti have been in Brazil since 7 June, while Nigeria touched down eight days later, laving many to think that the extra preparation time benefit the islanders?

The Super Eagles will be looking to take an early lead at the top of Group B by giving their goal difference a significant boost against a team who are 107 places below them in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. With Uruguay and Spain lying in wait,

Brazil 2014 World Cup

Stephen Keshi’s side will be looking to put their part-time opponents to the sword. Tahiti meanwhile are daring to dream.

This is the pair’s first meeting at international level, although they did square up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2009 in Egypt. Nigeria prevailed 5-0 on that occasion, a first-round match held in Cairo when Obiora Nwankwo, Ibok Edet, Kehinde Fatai, Nurudeen Orelesi and Daniel Adejo were on target.

Nigeria are one of two undefeated sides in the FIFA Confedera-

tions Cup, the other being Denmark. The Super Eagles went unbeaten in their previous participation in 1995, earning one win, two draws and losing only on penalties to Mexico in the match for third place.

Eagles defender, Efe Ambrose said that the Eagles are ready for the Tahiti tie “It is a match we know we need to win and, to do that, we need to be fully concentrated. We cannot afford to take any chances. Big shocks have happened before in these kind of tournaments and we don’t Continues on Page 55

•Mikel Obi

Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia reach play-offs Page 63 QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

PUZZLE

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Ado (4) 4 Label (3) 6 Huge (4) 8 Coarse (6) 9 Tell (6) 10 Plaything (3) 12 Change (5) 14 Rot (5) 15 Noise (5) 18 Golf-club (6) 20 Astonished (6) 24 Called (5) 26 Throng (5) 28 Artless (5) 32 Appalled (6) 33 Soundness (6) 34 Remain (4) 35 Pin (3) 36 Lean (4)

DOWN 2 Customary (5) 3 Propose (7) 4 Acid (4) 5 Inter (4) 6 Worth (5) 7 Satisfy (7) 11 Possess (3) 12 Serpent (3) 13 Fish-eggs (3) 16 Vase (3) 17 Barrier (3) 19 Erect (7) 21 Males (3) 22 Unyielding (7) 23 Expire (3) 25 Chopper (3) 27 Tired (5) 29 Essential (5) 30 Halt 31 Assassin (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 2, Catch 7, Sleep 8, Swamp 10, Appal 12, Orb 13, Arose 15, Monocle 17, Streak 19, Nip 20, Ringlet 23, Iota 25, Door 26, Evident 30, Err 31, Govern 34, Shirked 37, Merit 38, Art 39, Divan 40, Creek 42, Gloom.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Alert 2, Cease 3, Appear 4, Cram 5, Swooped 6, Amble 9, Arc 11, Longing 13, Astir 14, Orate 16, Nil 18, Kindred 21, Tower 22, Grant 24, Averted 27, Irk 28, Tomato 29, Charm 32, Venom 33, Ridge 35, Ire 36, Dial.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

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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