ALLEGED LAUNDERING OF 600,000: EFCC picks up Diezani's hubby, Alison-Madueke

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62696

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Ex-PDP ministers rally against Modu 9 Sheriff 11 10 ALLEGED LAUNDERING OF 600,000:

Jonathan's dad, ex-NDDC boss' mum kidnapped

Alfa Yussuf cries out: I can't feed my quintuplets

EFCC picks up Diezani's hubby, Alison-Madueke •Released on bail, likely to be summoned again •Sacked bank chief found to have donated N1bn to PDP •Demanded N300m bribe to grant N1.5bn loan to farmers' group

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, invited Alison Amaechina Madueke, husband of embattled former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Madueke, a retired Admiral of the Nigerian Navy and former Chief of Continues on Page 5

26m bank accounts dormant — NIBSS 8 Mr & Mrs CLOSING GONG—From left: Mr. Sola Oyetayo, Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry, LCCI; Dr. Michael Olawale Cole, Vice President, LCCI; Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange; Chief Nike Akande, President, LCCI and Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, Deputy President, LCCI, at the Closing Gong ceremony of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos.

MODIBBO

OCHEREOME NNANNA

KAWU Kwara State: Of monthly Was Lai the revenues and man for the drain pipes job?

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P.19 JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN

Judges: Working from the answer to the question

COLUMNISTS:

P.19

P.17

Your sensuality and your senses •P.23-26

Oil swap probe: Reps uncover illegal coys used by NNPC 8

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POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, in a group photograph with members of the Westminster African Business Group and members of the National Assembly from Bayelsa State. The Trade delegation was led by Lawrence Robertson, Member of the British Parliament (left to the Governor), who was on the United Kingdom Parliamentary Trade Mission to Nigeria, after a breakfast meeting with the Governor in Abuja.

EFCC picks up Diezani's hubby, Alison-Madueke Continues from Page 1 Naval Staff, was picked up in Abuja yesterday morning by EFCC operatives over alleged money laundering to the tune of $600,000 through his personal accounts.

An EFCC source close to the interrogation confirmed to Vanguard last night that Madueke was summoned in connection with some funds, which were traced from some suspicious transactions into his account but did not give details of the transactions.

The source did not also say whether the transactions had anything to do with his wife, Diezani, who many believe authorized the controversial oil deals now rocking the industry.

But a source close to Madueke said the man was simply invited to

make some clarifications and nothing more.

“They think he has some clarifications to do.

The invitation by the EFCC certainly had nothing to do with the wife. He reported there, cleared the air and he was asked to go back home,” the legal practitioner said.

A top EFCC official said the man was asked to appear before them to make clarifications on certain issues related to some financial transactions traced to his account.

The source hinted that although Madueke had been cautioned and released on administrative bail, he might be asked to report back on a future date.

‘Sacked bank chief donated

IT'S UP TO YOU

BY AYO ADIO AILURE is a state of mind, one that is defeated is incapable of seeing that the difference between light and darkness is a single switch. It's up to you.

F

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

we learn new behaviors and break W through to higher levels of consciousness and love, we can fulfill the deeper spiritual hunger HEN

within —Judith Wright

A person’s state of consciousness makes him happy or unhappy.

It’s what you do with what you have that makes all the difference. Whenever something comes up into my life, I try to get the most out of it.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE A decision taken by all is received with the nodding of heads.

N1bn to PDP’

In a related development, a former top government official, among those shown the way out of their offices on Monday by the Federal Government, is facing more trouble, over alleged malpractices.

The official, who headed a bank was said to have run into trouble for withdrawing the sum of N1 billion in the buildup to the 2015 election and paying same to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to aid its presidential campaign.

A top source in the bank told Vanguard, yesterday, that although the money was withdrawn in Naira, it was, thereafter, changed into US Dollars and given to a senior official of the party.

Insiders hinted, last night, that about 40 per cent of the amount said to have been withdrawn and paid to the PDP in order to impress the former President was, however, shared by some top officials of the bank with the knowledge of the sacked boss.

Top on the list of offences, which the sacked bank chief perpetrated while in office, is the demand for 10 per cent bribe of any amount to be approved for customers and other illegal sundry charges which discouraged potential businessmen from patronising the bank for development funds.

The ex-bank boss is accused of using his exalted position to disburse huge funds running into billions of Naira to himself, friends and associates, thereby leaving the strategic federal financial institution in what

insiders described as ‘terrible shape’.

One of the fronts he used to siphon money from the bank in the name of ‘loans’ was said to have been arrested by the EFCC for using one property situated at Jikwoyi, near Abuja, as ‘collateral’ for collecting over N2 billion from the bank.

The man was, however, released on bail but the trial is yet to be concluded.

In one case, which is now being looked into by the Ministry of Finance, which supervises the financial institution, the sacked executive refused to approve a N1.5 billion loan requested by a popular farming association based in Lagos and Ogun states, despite the recommendation of the food-producing group by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to report now before the Ministry of Finance, the firm had approached the bank boss as early as 2012 and applied for a loan facility of N1.5 billion to enable it acquire more equipment and produce more for exports but the man insisted on taking 10 per cent bribe as a condition for listing the firm for discussion with other board members.

After paying the initial N150 million as demanded by the bank boss, he then asked the farming group to bring another N150 million to be shared out to his other officials before releasing the loan to them.

“We were forced to go and source for the balance of N150 million to pay the man only for us to be told that he had been sacked last Monday.

“We have already lost N150 million, being 10 per cent of N1.5 billion as bribe to this man who was shown the way out of the bank last Monday.

All our documents for the loan are intact in the bank.

“We have reported this matter to both the EFCC and the Minister of Finance who supervises the bank,” one of the farmers in the group told Vanguard in Abuja, yesterday.

N3.5bn bad loans incurred

The man alone is said to have approved bad loans amounting to N3.5 billion for himself and cronies, thereby grounding the bank, which is meant to assist the development of

business.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, was said to have been so displeased by the negative reports against the bank boss that she scolded him for working against the interest of the bank and Nigerian entrepreneurs who needed the services of the institution to make progress.

Mrs. Adeosun vowed that he would not go scot-free of the atrocities he had committed before he was relieved of his appointment on Monday.

The EFCC, however, said last night that it had not started taking on any of the sacked officials yet but noted that it was aware of the financial crimes they committed.

“None of them has yet been summoned but we will soon move against them in line with the new direction of our operations,” a top official of the anti-crime agency said.

Drama in Aso Villa as FG justifies Buhari’s foreign trips

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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BUJA—IT was nothing short of a melodrama at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, between State House correspondents and the Federal Government over the many foreign trips of President Muhammadu Buhari during a press briefing.

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, who justified the trips, said they were necessary to bring the country back on the track of development and growth.

According to him, Nigeria was a pariah state under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said that under Jonathan’s watch, corruption permeated the

country, such that foreign investors deserted it.

He stated that it was necessary to tell Nigerians that the trips had started paying off since investors’ confidence in the country had been restored.

Mohammed spoke during a press briefing at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja.

He said: “You do not run a country by being isolated. The personal presence of Mr. President in many of these fora is important because before now, we were almost a pariah state. And the issues that have been driving investments away from this country are terrorism and corruption.

“One thing that nobody can fault this President for is his determination

and strength of purpose in resolving these matters.

"Mr. President’s presence in many of these fora is highly crucial even in fixing our economy back at home.”

M o h a m m e d ’ s counterpart in Environment, Amina M o h a m m e d , corroborated the position, saying the President needed not to run the country by staying at home, especially when he had a deputy and a cabinet of ministers to look after home affairs.

Journalists had waited patiently to be briefed on the outcome of the Federal Executive Meeting, FEC, which routinely meets to take decision on matters of government.

6 —Vanguard, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 , 2015

Lagos suspends issuance of dredging licenses

By Elizabeth Uwandu

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AGOS State Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development said it has decided to put on hold all issuance of licences of dredging activities till after meeting with all relevant stakeholders in the state.

The ministry also revealed that it has come up with a new approach towards getting approval and renewal of existing approvals of dredging activities in the state.

Lagos State Commissioner for the Ministry, Engineer Adebowale Akinsanya, at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, titled: “Towards Sustainable Dredging Operations and Waterfront Development in the State”, admitted that the activities of illegal dredging and unauthorised extension of properties into the lagoon without due consultation with constituted authorities have led to flooding and erosion which have adversely affected the ecosystem in the state.

Bristow lauds Nigerian crew of ill-fated aircraft

Petrol scarcity resurfaces in Lagos

By Sebastine Obasi

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AGOS—BARELY one month after the country experienced fuel scarcity, long queues have resurfaced in filling stations in some parts of Lagos.

FINANCIAL THEFT: CSCS trains policemen

By Peter Egwuatu

RISTOW Helicopters Nigeria Limited said yesterday that it welcomed the audit of its S76C++ Sikorsky choppers by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, following the ditching of one of them in the Atlantic Ocean on February 3.

Pilot of the helicopter had ditched it in the Atlantic waters as a result of technical problems suffered by the craft.

The company said in a statement: ‘’Furthermore, but without prejudice to the ongoing investigations, Bristow welcomes an industry led external audit of its operations in Nigeria, with the expectation that such initiative will also extend to include the audit of other similar entities active in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, such that any findings can be shared laterally across all operators to further enhance safety.’’

The company noted that it had operated in Nigeria since 1969, primarily in support of the oil and gas industry and had made and continued to make important contributions to the country over the years, including the training and employment of a significant number of Nigerian national pilots and engineers.

In virtually all the filling stations along Epe, Ajah and Lekki axis, there were long queues of vehicles and motor cyclists, struggling to get the product. The scarcity created a field day for road side petrol hawkers, who made brisk business by selling to desperate buyers. For example, a four-litre gallon was sold for between N600 and N700, as against the official one-litre price of N86.50k. The scarcity was also

noticed within the Mile 2 – Apapa axis, where some filling stations remained closed.

Commenting on the issue, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said that there was hitch in the products supply system in the Lagos area arising from the leadership tussle between the Mobil branch and national office of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, PTDU. According to Ohi Alegbe, Group

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HE Central Securities Clearing System Plc, CSCS, Plc has concluded the training of Officers of Nigeria Police Force on Central Securities Depository/ Capital Market Operations as part of its contribution towards supporting the fight against financial theft in the Nigerian capital market.

Speaking at the opening session of a two day workshop, Mr. Joe Mekiliuwa, General Manager, Operations, CSCS, said that the intended objective of the workshop was aimed at exposing the participants to the operations of CSCS in the capital market and market dynamics so as to assist them in carrying out Capital Market related investigations successfully and improve collaboration between CSCS and the Nigerian Police Force.

BRIEFING: From left: 1st Deputy National President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Iyalode Alaba Lawson; National President, Chief Bassey Edem; and 2nd National President, Hajia Saratu Aliyu, during a press conference on the State of the Nation in Lagos, on Tuesday.

AGENCIES SACKS: Uproar as PPPRA, PEF bosses hand over to junior officers

By Clara Nwachukwu

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...Normalcy’ll soon be restored – NNPC

General Manager, Public Affairs, NNPC, the management of the midstream subsidiary of the NNPC, the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, has intervened in the dispute as he assured that normalcy will soon be restored.

Alegbe explained that there was sufficient stock of products in Lagos and across the country and advised motorists not to resort to panic buying as the situation was under control.

He further reiterated the Corporation’s commitment to uninterrupted product supply to the general public in keeping with its mandate.

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HE refusal by the outgoing executive secretaries of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, and his Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management) Board, PEFMB counterpart, Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed to hand over, is causing a tumult in the agencies.

The two agency chief executives were among the 26 agencies CEOs relieved of their jobs on Monday, following Presidency directives.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the contravention of the Presidency directive for outgoing officers to hand over to the most senior officer to act in their stead until the substantive chief executives have been appointed has created administrative confusion in the agencies, with the staff confiding that “there is no clear line of reporting.”

Rather than handing over to the most senior officers, PPPRA’s Ahmed and PEFMB’s Ahmed, chose instead to hand over to much junior officers, thereby creating upheavals in the management structure.

PPPRA’s source told Vanguard on the telephone, that Ahmed handed over to Mr. Victor Shidock, an Assistant General Manager, AGM, in charge of

Operations, rather than to Mr. Moses Mbaba, currently the General Manager, Administration & Human Resources. Calls and text messages to Shidock to get his comments were not answered.

Similarly, the same scenario played out in the PEF, where Ahmed handed over to “someone who was made the General

Manager, GM, just two weeks ago, Mr. Ahmed Bobboi, rather than to Hajia Aisha Usman, the most senior officer.”

The PPPRA and PEF sources told Vanguard that the decision to hand over to much junior officers came from the Presidency.

However, they insisted, “We have checked with the Presidency and even with the

SGF, but there is no such approvals.”

Even more ironic is the fact that the two Ahmeds were said to have been seconded to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, where they had previously worked.

The Spokesman for NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, could not confirm the development.

N1.5BN SUBSIDY FRAUD: Court retains charge against Arisekola, others They were charged to court by EFCC claimed that they

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

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AGOS—JUSTICE Lateef Lawal-Akapo of an Ikeja high court yesterday refused to quash the N1.5 billion fuel subsidy fraud charge filed against the son of the late Ibadan business man, Alao Arisekola, Abdullahi and two others.

Akapo in his ruling held that the applications by the oil marketers lacked merit.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dragged Alao, Mahmud Tukur, Alex Ochonogor and their companies Eterna Plc and Axe Energy Limited to court for allegedly defrauding the government of N1.5b.

They have since pleaded not guilty to the offences preffered against them.

the anti graft body on a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and alttering.

obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported importation of 80.3 million litres of petrol.

N5.2BN SCAM: Borishade, ex-Aviation Minister loses bid to stop trial

By Soni Daniel

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BUJA—JUSTICE Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the FCT High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, yesterday, refused to stop further hearing on a suit filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against former Minister of Aviation, Babalola Borishade, and four others as prayed by the defendant’s counsel.

Borishade, his former personal assistant, Tunde Dairo, and two

others are alleged to have mismanaged N5.2 billion Aviation Safe Tower contract.

Others on trial for the alleged offence are former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Rowland Iyayi; an Australian, George Eider and Avsatel Communications Ltd. The defendants had been on trial since November 19, 2009, when they were arraigned by the EFCC on a 15-count charge of taking bribe and forging aviation contract documents.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 7

From left; Mr Sam Ajuluchukwu, husband of Prof Janet Ngozi Ajuluchukwu; Chief Mrs Cecilia Ibru, Former Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of defunct Oceanic Bank Plc and Mrs Tobi Odunaiya.

INAUGURAL LECTURE: From left; Prof Jide Alo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, UNILAG; Mr Sam Ajuluchukwu; Prof Janet Ngozi Ajuluchukwu, guest lecturer; Prof Rahamon Bello, Vice Chancellor, UNILAG, and Prof Duro Oni, Deputy VC, during the inaugural lecture titled: ''Daggers Drivers and Tools (DDT) of Heart Disease in Nigeria,'' delivered by Prof Janet Ajuluchukwu, at UNILAG's Auditorium, yesterday. Photos by Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Amnesty office seeks approval to disarm Arepo vandals

By Emmanuel Elebeke

DEATH OF 25 CHILDREN: Lagos confirms outbreak of killer disease in Lekki

By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

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HE Lagos State Government yesterday confirmed the outbreak of a strange disease in Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki, alleged to have killed 25 children saying it has despatched a team of medical experts to unravel the mysterious disease.

Confirming this in a telephone chat with Vanguard in Lagos, the the spokesman for the State Ministry of Health, Mrs Adeola Salako, however said no further death has been recorded since Feb. 10, when the epidemiological investigation team led by epidemiologists from the state Ministry of Health commenced investigation.

Salako claimed that the ministry

responded immediately news about the strange disease was received, adding that the team was despatched to the community on Feb. 10.

According to her; “An epidemiological investigation led by state epidemiologists from ministry of health commenced on Wednesday 10th February 2016 to verify the assertions.

“The medical team is to verify the assertions and the cause of deaths through laboratory investigation of water, throat swabs and blood samples of children with suspected cases and to proffer solutions.’

Earlier reports showed that the yet-to-be-identified disease, which started sometime in January 2016, had brought panic to the community dominated by the Eguns.

Fayose disagrees with APC over airport project ...Vows to floor party again in 2018

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

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DO-EKITI—EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said the capital projects embarked upon by his administration, including an airstrip are not only timely, but are meeting people’s needs, contrary to the claim by a former governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Iidowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, the governor said the claim by Adebayo in Abuja on Tuesday that the airstrip project was ill-timed was borne out of malice because Adebayo failed to utiilise the opportunity given him by the people of the state by executing projects he (Adebayo) could be remembered for. ''Ekiti people should thank God that the APC people left this State, if not, this state would have collapsed.

“I learned that they have resurrected and then met in Abuja. Let them gang up again, I will floor them come 2018. “ I am their headache and their game plan is to be lying against me. Let them keep lying.

If they have anything incriminating against me, they would have published it. But they don’t have anything, that’s why they resorted to fabricating lies to assist them.”

The governor noted that all the states created at the same time with Ekiti 20 years ago have either built an airport or airstrip.

The governor said when he conceived the idea to dualise Ado township roads, this same opposition party, then known as the Alliance for Democracy (AD), said the project was illtimed and not well conceived, but the people of the state are now enjoying the amenities.

The affected children were said to have developed rashes which was similar to the symptoms of measles, and died two to three days after infection.

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B U J A — T H E Presidential Amnesty Office, PAO, says it is seeking Presidential approval to disarm interested pipeline vandals in Arepo area of Lagos and other affected Niger Delta region.

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the amnesty

Don’t be selfish, Aregbesola tells striking Osun doctors

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has described the action of the striking doctors in the state as selfish and uncaring about what happens to other citizens and residents of the state in the face of the present economic hardship faced by the country.

The Governor stated this yesterday while delivering an address titled: “To the improved health of the People” at the commissioning of new equipment for Boripe Local Government

Health Centres at Boripe Local Government Secretariat in Iragbiji.

Aregbesola admonished the striking doctors to recognise that the state was in a very special time of serious economic challenge and be willing to sacrifice like every other workers in the state who are always at their duty post.

He held that government in spite of the great financial challenges has given the welfare of the people priority attention, saying it is high time that all realised that the state is in a special period where sacrifice must be made.

Oduah loses bid to stop bulletproof cars probe

By Innocent Anaba

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AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday struck out a fundamental rights enforcement suit by a former Minister of Aviation and currently a Senator, Stella Oduah, against the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and three others, challenging plans to question or prosecute her over the purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles at a cost of N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, under her watch as the Aviation Minister in 2013.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

The court also awarded N15,000 cost against Oduah in favour the AGF. Other respondents in the suit are Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC and Inspector General of Police.

programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (rtd), revealed this yesterday in Abuja, also reaffirming his earlier position that the amnesty programme would be terminated in two years.

Brig. Boro said the planned disarmament was conceived as part of ongoing efforts by the Amnesty Office to actualize its objective of sustainable peace in the oil region and Nigeria as a whole, adding that it would only be restricted to those youths willing to lay down their arms in the interest of peace in the country.

“We hear of some persons wanting to disarm at Arepo, and we have written to the appropriate authority to allow us disarms them. There are also some elements that want to do same in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. They are some of those persons that were left and displaced in Bakkasi and are willing to disarm as well.

“It is moreso, because the amnesty programme is succeeding. It is a good thing for Nigeria that some people want to disarm. Nigeria cannot be a country where arms litter everywhere especially UN does not want to associate with such nations,’’ Boro said.

According to him, about 1,500 persons have so far expressed interest to disarm in Arepo, while in Bakassi and other Niger Delta areas, the number of those to disarm is yet to be ascertained as verification is still ongoing.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Oil swap probe: Reps uncover illegal companies used by NNPC As ex-NNPC boss absolves self of swap deals Says OPA was a better deal

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA — THE House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Swap Probe, yesterday, confirmed the receipt of illegal companies registered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, but unknown to the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated, MOFI. The list was part of the documents obtained from the Office of the Accountant of the Federation for the ongoing investigative public hearing on the $24 billion crude oil swap deals, as revealed by Hamman Pategi (APC, Kwara) a member of the committee.

One of the companies was Duke Oil, set up to trade crude oil on behalf of NNPC at the international market.

Also, former Group Managing Director, GMD, of the NNPC, Joseph Dawha, told the panel headed by Zakari Mohammed how he migrated the corporation from crude oil deals to Offshore Processing Agreements, OPA, absolving himself of blames over the flawed crude-oil-for products exchange (oil swap) arrangement.

Dawha, who appeared before the committee, yesterday, said he met the arrangement on ground on assumption of duty in August 2014 but was not comfortable with it.

According to the former GMD, NNPC entered into oil swap and OPA contracts with the trading companies in 2010 to terminate between 2013 and 2014.

Dawha explained that the total volume of crude under these arrangements was 210,000 barrels per day, adding that though the contracts had expired, the NNPC had continued to operate the contracts.

He said: “Thus, as at August 2014, when I assumed office, the contracts were still being run long after they had all expired.

“Based on legal and compelling need to reconcile the contracts, to ensure actual delivery and receipt of the agreed volume of products against the crude lifted, it became imperative that the arrangement under which the parties had been operating for several months, prior to my assumption of office without formal contracts, be formalized to provide legal basis for the parties’ rights and obligations.

Minister's approval

“Subsequently, we requested approval from the then Minister of Petroleum Resources for renewal of the contracts. Upon receipt of the then minister ’s approval granted on August 29, 2014, the contracts were formally extended to cover the periods from their respective dates of

expiry until the end of December 2014.

“If I had not got the ministerial approval, I may have been the GMD with the shortest tenure because there is no way I would have allowed it to continue.”

He told the Committee that oil swap was eventually

dropped for OPA based on value, adding that the same trading firms involved in the oil swap arrangement were contracted to continue with the OPA. The committee, however, expressed concern over why Dawha, who was able to identify the flaws with the previous contracts, still engaged the same companies that breached the oil swap contracts for the OPA.

THANKSGIVING: From left, Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and his wife, Nkechi, during an inter denominational thanksgiving service to mark the affirmation of Gov. Ikpeazu's mandate as Governor of Abia State by the Supreme Court at the Umuahia Stadium, Abia State.

...want utilisation of N350bn NRF for solid mineral devt

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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BUJA—THE House of Representatives, yesterday, called on the executive to utilise the N350 billion Natural Resources Fund, NRF, as a finance window for the development of the solid mineral sector.

The House in a resolution on a motion sponsored by Danlami Mohammad Kurfi, mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to investigate the position of the fund and report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.

Kurfi in the motion, entitled: "Urgent need to address the utilisation of the N350 billion Natural Resources Fund, NRF, as a finance window for development of the solid mineral sector," explained that the Natural Resources Development Account was created in 2002 to develop alternative mineral resources, with a view to reducing the nation’s over-reliance on oil.

The lawmaker recalled that in the 1970s, mining contributed over 10 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, noting with dismay that in recent times, the sector contributed 0.3 per cent to the GDP and that the

NRF was never accessed by the solid minerals sector, though the funds in the account were utilised.

He said the country’s mining potentials were too critical to be ignored, adding that there was the need for a presidential intervention to harness the huge potentials for the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Kurfi disclosed that the total

accrual to the account between 2002 and 2012 was about N873 billion, while utilisation stood at N701 billion, leaving a balance of N172 billion by the end of 2012.

According to him, between 2013 and 2014, N159.6 billion was contributed to the fund, thereby making the outstanding balance to be N350 billion.

Naira depreciates further to N385/$ in parallel market

By Babajide Komolafe

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AGOS— THE naira, yesterday, depreciated further to N385 per dollar in the parallel market as demand for foreign exchange intensified.

This implies the naira has depreciated by N60 against the dollar this week in the parallel market, when compared with the closing exchange rate of N325 per dollar last Friday.

The currency, however, remained stable at the official interbank foreign exchange market as the interbank rate closed N199.34, yesterday.

Thus, the gap between the interbank and parallel market rates widened to N185.66 per dollar from N127.53 last Friday.

Vanguard investigation also reveals that the naira depreciated against the British pounds to N505 per pounds in the parallel market, yesterday, implying that N65 depreciation when compared with the closing rate of N440 last Friday.

Investigations reveal that the sharp depreciation of the naira in the parallel market this week is driven by increasing demand by importers sourcing dollars to pay for imports from China.

26m bank accounts dormant — NIBSS As Nigerians opened 10.5m bank accounts last year

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

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AGOS — AMIDST significant increase in the customer accounts, banks in the country are carrying about 26 million dormant accounts in their books, representing over 30 per cent of their total customer account base.

A bank account is declared dormant when no transaction is recorded in the account for six months at a stretch.

According to the banking industry customer accounts data of the Nigerian Inter Bank Settlement Scheme, NIBSS, the total bank accounts in the records of the various banks in Nigeria last year were 85 million, of which 59 million were active.

Also, the NIBSS report shows that Nigerians, last year, opened 10.5 million bank accounts.

Further details on the data show that savings accounts, at 58.4 million, still remained the dominant deposit product, accounting for 68.7 per cent of the total bank accounts held.

However, though fixed deposit and other related accounts held was just 3.3 million or less than four per cent of the total number of bank accounts, the report shows that the number of fixed deposit and other accounts were growing at 30 per cent last year, a faster rate than both savings and current accounts which grew by 13 per cent and 11.8 per cent respectively.

The growth rate in customer account openings in the banks appeared to be an indication that the financial inclusion programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was on course.

This corroborated the Bankers’ Committee meeting earlier position that 66 per cent of the country’s adult population have been included in the financial system.

Moreover, the growth rate far outstrips the nation’s population growth rate put at about 2.66 per cent in 2014.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016—9

Austin Opara said the appointment of Sheriff was strategic, taking into consideration the performance of the PDP in the last elections in the North.

Opara said: “I have since congratulated him and I believe in his ability to move the party forward. We all agreed that the PDP never performed well in the North at the last presidential elections, so bringing the chairman of the party from that zone is strategic for the party and I feel strongly that his personality as a former governor and Senator can rebuild the party.”

His appointment shows what PDP stands for — Mohammed Traffic gridlock along Mile12-Ikorodu road, Lagos due to repair works at Ketu bus stop, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Ex-PDP ministers move to oust Modu Sheriff as PDP chair Say he was not granted waiver to contest the position Summon more inclusive meeting for Tuesday As mixed reactions trail his emergence

By Emmanuel Aziken, Henry Umoru, Emman Ovuakporie, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Jospeh Erunke

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AGOS— MIXED reactions, yesterday, continued to shadow the emergence of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with former ministers of the party forming a strong lobby to torpedo the emergence of the erstwhile governor.

Former ministers in the Goodluck Jonathan's administration, at the end of a meeting last night, took up the gauntlet to oust Sheriff on technical grounds, alleging that the former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, was never granted a waiver to allow him contest the high level position.

Besides the former ministers, serving and former legislators, PDP chieftains and even some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, commented on the development.

This came as the party leadership yesterday challenged insinuations of Sheriff ’s sponsorship of the Boko Haram insurgency with a challenge to anyone with evidence of that claim to make bold to show such.

The party’s national auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, made the challenge in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday.

The former ministers, who were allegedly hosted by a former Minister for Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, SAN, were said to have been peeved over the way Sheriff was railroaded into the

leadership of the party within two years of his membership of the party.

Among those present at the meeting last night were Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, former Minister of State (Education); Chief Jumoke Akinjide, who served as Secretary; Alhaji Mohammed Wakil, among others.

Gbagi said the unity of the group was consolidated by the development, confirming that Alhaji Bala Mohammed, the erstwhile Minster of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who had weighed leaving the party upon the perceived impunity, was part of the meeting. Nwadiala Emeka Wogu, former Minister of Labour, however, claimed ignorance of the meeting following general assertions that he was already working for the APC.

Ex-ministers summon more inclusive meeting for Tuesday

Gbagi, affirming the determination of the former ministers to weigh in on the issue of Sheriff’s appointment, said the former ministers had summoned a more inclusive meeting of all former PDP ministers for next Tuesday in Abuja to deliberate on the issue.

He thus called on PDP members to be patient pending the outcome of the former ministers’ meeting where he said a major declaration would be made, even as he quarrelled that there was no extensive consultation on the appointment of Sheriff.

Sheriff was not granted waiver to contest

A major issue the former ministers were said to be using to challenge Sheriff ’s appointment is that he was never given a waiver.

“Sheriff was supposed to have been given a waiver to get such a high level appointment but there was no such waiver given, not from his ward, state or by the zonal level,” a source at the meeting told Vanguard last night.

Chapter 7(4) of the PDP constitution as amended states thus: “No member of the party shall be qualified for nomination or election or appointment into any of the offices of the party unless he or she has been a registered member for at least 18 months and is of good financial standing in the party except there is a waiver by the appropriate executive.”

Sheriff formally defected to the PDP from the APC in July 2014 but when he formally registered is, however, unknown.

His appointment unfortunate — Okon

In his reaction, pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Senator Anietie Okon, said Ali Modu Sheriff was being appointed as an undertaker and his appointment was very unfortunate.

He said: “How can the PDP appoint such a personality? I opposed his appointment when it was announced and you can see when his name was announced, nobody clapped.

The development is very unfortunate for the party.”

His appointment is strategic — Opara

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr

Faulting Sheriff’s emergence, Second Republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, said his appointment had shown Nigerians that the PDP remained a party that must be destroyed.

According to him, “I was not really surprised that the PDP selected Modu Sheriff as its acting Chairman, they are merely confirming what everybody knows that the PDP stands for unbridled corruption, they stand for recklessness and a party of corrupt people.”

We must handle the issue with extreme caution —Okupe

Former Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs in the Jonathan administration, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said: "There are various sides to the emergence of the new National Chairman. I am somebody who supported Gulak and I feel it is a good cause. However, the emergence of a new National Chairman is something that we have to follow with extreme caution. In the near future, my general view will be known on it."

Superior arguments prevailed —Shelle, Lagos PDP

In his submission, chairman of the PDP in Lagos State, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd), said in spite of opposition against Sheriff, he was needed to restore the fortunes of the party.

Shelle said: “Ali Modu Sheriff is a man we need at this point in time, he is a man who has been tested on so many areas..”

BoT rejected Sheriff —Babatope

When contacted, a BoT member and one-time Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said “the BoT of the PDP rejected him unanimously but he won at the National Executive Council, NEC.”

He’ll lay foundation for PDP’s survival —Makanju, SW chair

On his part, PDP National Vice Chairman, South-West, Makanju Ogundipe, said: “We embrace it because it was a major decision taken by the party. We thank God for democracy. He is an astute politician and a man of the people, we welcome him to our party. We are sure that he will lay the foundation for the survival of our party.”

Don't blame APC govt for economic woes, Dogara tells critics

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BUJA— SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday, called on critics of the government, led

by All Progressives Congress, to stop blaming the administration for the current economic challenges facing Nigeria.

Dogara, who made the call in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said instead of blaming the APC government, the people who brought the country to its present state should be held accountable.

He made the call when he received unemployed Aeronautic Engineers and Pilots from Bauchi State, who paid him a courtesy visit.

Dogara said Buhari’s government was working hard to sanitise the system, adding that it would take some time to achieve the objective.

He said: “You know that we are facing challenges in the country at the moment. Even though people do not want to talk about on the ground that we campaigned that we are going to fix the country.

“We have sowed in the wind and we are now reaping whirlwind and as long as the earth abides, there will be seed time and harvest time. We do not want to dwell in the past, we are facing the future.”

The speaker urged unemployed youths in the country not to despair and assured them that the government was doing everything possible to create job opportunities.

He urged Nigerians to join hands with the government to sanitise the system to enable it create job opportunities, especially for the youths.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the team, Capt. Bala Jibrin, said the pilots and aeronautic engineers, who were sponsored by Bauchi State government to acquire knowledge in the United States, graduated in 2011.

Jibrin, who said the pilots and aeronautic engineers had been unemployed since their arrival in the country, requested the speaker to facilitate their employment.

He said that the Bauchi government spent N1 billion to train the 20 youths drawn from the 20 local government areas of the state.

10—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

DPP lines up 8 witnesses against alleged killer-wife

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—NO fewer than eight witnesses have been lined up by the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, to testify against Yewande Oyediran, the 28-year-old lawyer who allegedly stabbed her husband, Lowo Oyediran, 38, to death penultimate week in Ibadan.

The accused, who resumed trial at the Oyo State High Court after being arraigned at the Magistrate's Court, worked with the state Ministry of Justice before the incident.

This came just as the family of the husband petitioned the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General in the ministry, saying it did not have trust in DPP handling the case and then opted for an independent legal system.

Lowo’s family spoke through Mr. Kehinde Adesiyan.

Presiding judge, Justice Mukthar Abimbola, adjourned the case to March 24.

Lagos health officials seal fish factory

By Esther Onyegbula

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AGOS—OPERATIVES of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, and officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, yesterday, sealed up a fish depot belonging to Haano Industries Limited on Oba Akran Road, over allegation of revalidating its products’ expiry dates.

The officials inspected four of the company’s cold rooms before sealing up the depot.

The officials, led by Mr. Kuforiji Adebayo, an Environmental Health Officer in the Ministry of Health, said government was sealing off the cold room to pave way for thorough laboratory investigations of its stock.

However, the company’s Fish Manager, Sabir Alli, said the stickers found in the company's lobby fell off because of the movement of fish cartoons to create space for the accommodation of new consignment.

He said the company was not revalidating its products’ expiry dates, adding that the ones that were to expire in March 2016 would be sold off before the expiry date.

I can't feed my quintuplets —FATHER ... 3 healthy, 1 in incubator, another in special care

By Ola Ajayi

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BADAN—AS doctors and other medical personnel at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, battle to ensure the survival of all the quintuplets delivered by a 29year-old Mrs Sakirat Rasaq, father of the babies, Alfa Yussuf Rasaq, 32, said he is contemplating running away.

Although Yussuf, a Quranic teacher, said he appreciates the gifts from God, he said he does not have money to buy the prescribed drugs for the babies.

According to Rasaq, “we were expecting only one child; we now have five. Please, help me.

I am even considering running away, but they are keeping me under surveillance.

“I am greatly handicapped now because I only make living out of my quranic teaching class. I want well-meaning people to come to my aid.

“Doctors have given me a list of prescribed drugs. I have been running from pillar to post with no help in sight.

“They have written the baby formula that we need, but I do not have money. I am calling on well meaning Nigerians, including Governor Abiola Ajimobi, to come to our aid.”

He said though his wife underwent surgical operation, “the doctors have been wonderful in their services.

They are yet to give me a bill.

But someone told me that Caesarean section costs nothing less than N150,000. This excludes the prescribed drugs.

We have spent over N200,000.

Where will I get that from?”

On the condition of the babies, he said: “Three of them are normal in size and weight. One of them is in the incubator, while the remaining one is at a special care unit.”

The babies were kept in Oyo State Special Care Baby unit, but the mother of the babies, Sakirat, who is in the SouthEast ward of the teaching hospital, looked weak.

With 2 children, it was difficult to feed—WIFE

When Vanguard visited the hospital, she said she wanted to sleep. After much persuasion, she managed to say: “All we are saying is that people should help us. My husband is a Quranic teacher.

“There is no job. When we had two children, we found it difficult to feed them. What will now happen with seven?”

The couple, who live at 23, Akeem Street, Ijokodo, Ibadan, already had two children, a boy and a girl.

When Vanguard called the office of the wife of the governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, her

Alfa Yussuf Rasaq... I don't have money for baby food and drugs.

Mrs Sakirat Rasaq... we need help. media aide Yemisi Dada, said the First Lady was not in town, promising to get back to the

reporter whenever she arrives.

Rasaq Yusuf Babatunde gave his account details as

Guaranty Trust Bank, 0131404208, in case anyone wants to help.

70-yr-old widow hasn’t paid rent for 20 years—LANDLORD

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SOGBO—A 70-year-old widow, Mrs Elizabeth Adeoni, was yesterday arraigned in an Osogbo customary court, Osun State, for owing rent arrears for 20 years.

Lateef Adegoke, her landlord, told the court that Adeoni had not been paying house rent since 1995, praying the court to assist him to recover his money

and order Adeoni to vacate the house.

He said that he needed the money to take care of certain financial obligations.

In her response, Adeoni said life had been very difficult for her since her husband died many years ago, adding that things became worse when she lost her two children.

Adeoni, who wept in the court, pleaded with the court to beg the landlord not to eject her from the house because she had nowhere to go.

President of the court, Ladipo Balogun, urged the woman not to lose hope, charged her to find a businness to engage in and adjourned the case until March 15 for further hearing.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016—11

Jonathan's dad, ex-NDDC boss' mum kidnapped

By Samuel Oyadongha

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ENAGOA—CHIEF Inengite Nitabai, the family head and foster father of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was abducted by seven gunmen yesterday in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Two years ago, he spent 20 days in kidnappers’ den.

Gunmen also abducted Mrs Sarah Aguariavwodo, the mother of former Managing

Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, at her Ogbe Street, Okpare-Olomu residence, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Mrs Aguariavwodo, who is in her 80s, was whisked her to an unknown location at about 11:30p.m. on Tuesday.

Nitabai

Chief Nitabai, 72, who was a lecturer at Rivers State University of Science and

Technology is the head of the family Dr. Jonathan hails from.

Though details of his abduction were sketchy, a security source told Vanguard that the gunmen might have gained access to Chief Nitabai’s residence through the creek, as his house is located beside the creek which is some distance away from a military checkpoint close to Otuoke Bridge, off the Onuebum-Otuoke Road.

It was gathered that the septuagenarian, though

Chief Inengite Nitabai cousin to the former President, had been playing a fatherly role to him since the demise of his (Jonathan) biological

Man, 47, impregnates niece; attempts to rape daughter

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—POLICE in Lagos have arrested a 47-year-old man, Femi Kolajolu, for allegedly raping and impregnating his 15-year-old niece (names withheld). He had also attempted to rape his daughter last November.

Vanguard gathered that Femi had allegedly been raping his niece since 2013 and instructed her not to inform anyone, including her mother.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Response Team, DVSRT, Coordinator, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the state government had demanded for the duplicate of the case file to commence prosecution.

Femi, who had been detained at the FESTAC Police Division, however, denied the allegations.

of rape, saying “he almost raped our first child last November.”

According to her, “he came around 3a.m., removed our 14year-old daughter’s underwear and touched her breast. I woke up when my daughter screamed. We usually do not put off our light at bedtime, but at that moment it was off.

“We all ran to the sitting room to see who came in. As our last child bent, she saw legs behind the curtain. When we removed the curtain, I saw my husband standing naked.

“My daughter cried and

rained curses on her father.

When I told him I was going to report to the police, he said it will not take him five minutes to kill me.

“In December 2015, he said I and his five children (all girls) should not visit him again because he has another woman who has given him a son. Since last December, I am just seeing my husband today (Tuesday).

Even after he w a s summoned at the mediation centre, he did not respond.”

Her story

The niece, a Junior Secondary School III student of a public school in Lagos, narrated her story: “The first time it happened, I was sleeping. My uncle entered my room and forcefully slept with me.

“The second time he did it, I was sleeping in my room with my younger sister. He opened the gate, covered my mouth and slept with me. At that time, my mother was in hospital, ill.

“Last June, I realised I had missed my period but I did not know what caused it. It was after my mum took me to the hospital that we were told I was threemonths pregnant.

“I intend to sit for my Junior School Certificate Examination, JSCE, next month. Since my father died last year, my uncle took everything he gave us. My mum was left with nothing to cater for the six of us.”

He's guilty, says wife

Femi’s wife, Ndidi, said that she was not surprised to hear that her husband was accused C M Y K

Behind bars... Femi Kolajolu

... another beheads 3-yr-old niece for ritual

By Dayo Johnson

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KURE—POLICE detectives in Ondo State have arrested a 42-year-old man, Samuel Omosaba, for allegedly beheading his threeyear-old niece for ritual.

The niece, Adubarin Kola, was murdered at Ilepa quarters in Ikare-Akoko, Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state.

Police source informed Vanguard that the suspect, who is single and jobless, allegedly contacted a herbalist, who resides at Ipe-Akoko area of the state, for money ritual and he was reportedly asked to come with the head of someone aged below five years.

It’s all lies—SUSPECT

The 47-year-old businessman, Femi Kolajolu, said he did not know anything about the pregnancy and the alleged rape.

His words: “Even if my wife and I are at loggerheads, this is not the right way to solve it. I have never entered their room.

“Why will I sleep with my niece or my own daughter?”

father.

The development, it was learned, caused heavy security presence in the community.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident.

He said: “A massive manhunt has been launched

by Marine Police and AntiKidnapping Unit of the Command to rescue the victim and arrest the abductors.”

Aguariavwodo

According to a family member of the Aguariavwodos, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “Mama had retired for the night at her apartment when the gunmen struck and demanded that she leave with them.”

The family member said six of the gunmen walked into her apartment and forcefully took her away, with one of them carrying her on the shoulder after she tried resisting them.

The three others, including a lady, waited by a Toyota Picnic car, which was used as the getaway vehicle.

“Insisting on leaving with her, they carried her on the shoulder to the major road as they shot sporadically into the air for about 20minutes to scare people while the operation lasted.”

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Alleged fraud: EFCC has powers to investigate Kuku —Court

By Innocent Anaba

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Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has statutory powers to investigate former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Dr. Kingsley Kuku, over alleged financial impropriety.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, also held that the anti-graft agency has the right to arrest Kuku if he refuses to honour the commission’s invitation.

Justice Abang, however, ordered EFCC to comply with the law and respect the former presidential aide’s right not to be detained beyond 24 hours.

The judge ruled that the travail of the former special adviser had nothing to do with his political affiliation.

Justice Abang was ruling in a fundamental rights suit

by Kuku against the EFCC and the Department of State Services, DSS, where he had prayed the court for protection against his unlawful arrest and detention by the anti-graft agency and DSS. The applicant, who is on medical treatment abroad, alleged that there was a plan to arrest him at the airport in Lagos on his return to Nigeria.

Kuku had averred that unless the court intervened, he might be arrested and detained by the anti-graft body. He alleged that his arrest was instigated by the

ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. EFCC, however, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, urging the court not to grant any order stopping the investigation of those alleged to have stolen public funds.

It informed the court that it had received a petition from one Dada Olubisi on behalf of former militants complaining of malpractices in the disbursement of the amnesty fund.

The anti-graft agency insisted that it was empowered under sections 6 and 7 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 to investigate financial crimes as well as arrest suspects.

In his ruling, Justice Abang held that the court had jurisdiction to hear Kuku’s suit. He, however, dismissed the applicant’s claim that APC was behind the petition against him, saying: “It is my humble view that the invitation sent to the applicant is lawful and constitutional.”

2016 Budget: Presidency, NASS resolve grey areas

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

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HE hope of passing the 2016 federal budget by the middle of next month rose, yesterday, after the Presidency and the National Assembly reached a compromise on the grey areas that had raised dust these past weeks.

The budget, which was originally slated for passage by the National Assembly on February 25, was stepped down by the lawmakers, who claimed that it had serious discrepancies and could not be passed.

Vanguard has, however, learned that the areas of concern raised by the NASS had been resolved by the lawmakers and members of the executive who met for the second time within two weeks on Tuesday night to find a common ground.

A top source at the

meeting confirmed to Vanguard that the relevant heads of Finance and Appropriation in the NASS and heads of revenuegenerating MDAs took part in the meeting, which sat almost through the night.

The meeting was also attended by the ministers of Finance, Planning and Budget and their permanent secretaries.

One of the officials who attended the meeting said that all issues related to the budget had been resolved based on the need to move the nation’s economy forward.

“Everybody has seen the need to get the budget passed in the interest of the economy and Nigerians.

“In fact, in yesterday's meeting, we made good progress towards resolving all the outstanding issues and getting the budget passed in the second week of March this year,” the source said.

Bench warrant: Tompolo yet to get Feb 8 ruling

By Tare Youdeowei

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ITH a day to the Friday date for embattled ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tomopolo, to appear or be produced before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to face charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, he is yet to get the ruling of February 8, made by the court, that he should be produced in court by security operatives in the country.

On Tuesday, trial judge in the matter, Justice Ibrahim Buba, following an oral application by one of

Tompolo’s counsel, EbunOlu Adegboruwa had promised to ensure that a copy of the ruling was given to the defence, but at press time, yesterday

(Wednesday), Adegboruwa was yet to get a copy of the ruling delivered on February 8, to enable Tompolo appeal against same.

Ehwerhe community meets on terrorism In a distress letter to mem-

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ORRIED by the increasing spate of terrorism and brigandage in the hitherto quiet town of Ehwerhe, in Agbarho Kingdom of Delta State, leaders of the community have summoned all sons and daughters of the community to a crucial meeting under the auspices of Ehwerhe Stakeholders' Forum to discuss how to tackle the growing menace.

bers of the community in Nigeria and the Diaspora, President of the community's union, Pastor Henry Aghwefada and its Secretary, Mr Olowu Irikefe Peter, the community regretted the upsurge in criminality in the community which has compelled many families to relocate.

The meeting holds on February 20 at Ehwerhe Primary School.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016—13

NDDC to probe former top officials, contractors NDDC, huge embarrassment to S-South—Oshiomhole

By Emma Amaize, Jimitota Onoyume & Simon Ebegbulem

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ORT HARCOURT— SOME former officials of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and contractors are to be invited by the new management of the commission to explain their roles on some key issues.

Acting Managing Director of the Commission, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, dropped the hint in Benin, Edo State, when she flagged off donation of kits and other accessories to member states of the commission to check the spread of Lassa fever in the region.

According to a statement by the Head, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, Mr Chijioke AmuNnadi, Mrs Semenitari said she will continue to promote President Muhammadu Buhari's zero tolerance to corruption.

He spoke when the management of NDDC paid him a courtesy visit.

According to Oshiomhole, “NDDC was just a pot of honey which was meant for the people of the South South to minimize the bitterness arising from devastation as a result of oil exploration.

In another development, Chairman, Board of Trustees, BOT, Community Development Committee, CDC of Oil and Gas Producing Areas in the Niger Delta, Prince Maikpobi Okareme, has advised President Buhari to shelve preparation of the 2016 budget for the NDDC, until a new board is

inaugurated.

Speaking to Vanguard, Okareme, who is also the national coordinator, Host Communities of Nigeria, HOSTCOM Producing Oil and Gas, said that by the NDDC Act, President Buhari should appoint indigenes of oil producing communities from the same senatorial districts the sacked board members hailed from.

He said: “The next Managing Director, Executive Director, Projects, EDP and Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, should come from Eket, Rivers South and Delta South senatorial

districts in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta states, respectively, for the next two years, while the Chairman of the Board should be from Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

“Although the oil producing communities would not mind the nomination of the state representatives coming through the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidates, such persons should have the endorsement of the host communities producing oil and gas.

“The acting Managing Director could be retained as EDFA, which now belongs to Rivers State."

Huge embarrassment

Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has said that the NDDC has been a huge embarrassment to the people of the South South, adding that those who had been saddled with the responsibility of running the commission enriched themselves to the detriment of Niger Delta people.

He urged the acting MD of the commission, Mrs Semenitari to sack all under-performing NDDC contractors and staff who have compromised the objective for which the commission was set up, so as to give fresh hope to the people of the region.

VISIT: Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade welcoming the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Sean Hoy, when the envoy paid a courtesy visit to Government House, Calabar.

Olu of Warri poised to harness intellectuals, professionals to advance Itsekiri nation —Emiko

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HE list of eminent Itsekiri sons and daughters inaugurated into the Olu-InCouncil has been released.

Those inaugurated include: Chief Yaya Pessu, Chief Isaac Jemide, Chief Brown Mene, Chief Francis Omatseye, Chief Ayirimi Emami, Chief Roland Oritsejafor, Chief Kofi Kartey, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, Chief Rita LoriOgbebor, Chief P.E.B. Uku, Prince Eroro Emiko, Prince Andrew Ayu, Prince Ebiyemi Emiko, Pa. J.O.S. Ayomike, Prince Toriseju. E. Emiko, Mr. Edward Ekpoko, Prof.

Itse Sagay, SAN, Engr. Alex Neyin and Mrs. Patricia OtuedonArawore.

The list includes one youth representative, one Abuja representative, Pa. P. K. Gbagada, Jolomi Rewane, Dr. Ebietsuwa Omatsola, Mr. Charles Ajuyah, SAN, and Dr. Jackson Ryeforju.

Meanwhile, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, has been described as a vision and purpose driven monarch who is poised to harness the intellectual, professional and other resources

of the Itsekiri people to advance the Itsekiri nation.

A member of the Olu-incouncil, Prince Toritseju Emiko, after the council was inaugurated by the monarch,

lauded the Olu for, among other things, setting up the council as well as for charting new frontiers of peaceful coexistence with other ethnic nationalities.

Prince Emiko expressed

gratitude to the Olu for the opportunity given to him to work with other highly distinguished Itsekiri sons and daughters to serve the Itsekiri nation.

Delta Central: A-Court strikes off Amori's suit, affirms Omo-Agege

By Festus Ahon

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SABA—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, struck out the case brought before it by Chief Ighoyota Amori against the senator representing Delta Central in the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the Labour Party.

Amori had approached the court to review the judgment it delivered against him in favour of Senator OmoAgege.

It will be recalled that the

Court of Appeal had on December 19, 2015, sacked Amori from the Senate and ordered the swearing-in of Omo-Agege in his place, following the suit brought before it by the latter.

Delivering its judgment, a member of the 5-man reconstituted panel, Justice Raphael Agbo, said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to review the judgment as it upheld the decision of the first panel which declared Omo-Agege as winner.

Saying that what Amori wanted the court to do was

to manufacture jurisdiction to hear his application, Agbo said the applicant cannot use them to get jurisdiction in this matter.

Reacting to the judgement, Senator Omo-Agege said he had always had faith and confidence in God and the judiciary.

He said that the judgment was a confirmation of the doggedness of the judiciary which he said “remains the hope of the common man.”

Also, his senior legislative aide, Efe Duku, commended the judgment.

Bayelsa lawmaker warns against pipeline sabotage

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By Samuel Oyadongha

E N A G O A — A Bayelsa State House of Assembly member, representing Brass Constituency I, Israel Sunny-Goli, has advised the people of the Niger Delta against sabotage of oil facilities.

Rather, he said, they should support the current efforts by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and the Federal Government to re-position the oil industry and rid it of corruption that has afflicted it over the years.

Sunny-Goli, who is the Minority Leader and House Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, yesterday in Yenagoa, pledged to mobilize the people of his constituency and the Niger Delta to support the current efforts of the Federal Government to sanitize the oil industry by providing information that would expose economic saboteurs in the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region.

Delta revenue board moves to raise IGR

By Tare Youdeowei

A

S A B A — DETERMINED to deliver on its mandate, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, has commenced sensitization of the public on the need to pay their taxes to shore up the revenue base of the state for developmental projects.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Chike Edozien, the Obi of Owa Kingdom, HRH Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, Chairman of DBIR, Sir Monday Onyeme, underscored the need for citizens to pay their taxes as at when due, saying that the state government needed more money to meet its obligations, especially now that the nation’s economy had taken a downward trend occasioned by the dwindling oil price in the international market.

He solicited the support of the traditional rulers to appeal to their subjects to be tax compliant, pointing out that payment of tax was a civic responsibility of the citizens.

14 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

OBSEQUIES FOR PA ALABO (DR) MICHAEL ATOWARI PETERSIDE AT ST PAUL'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, OPOBO, RIVERS STATE.

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Silva (left); Son of late Alabo Dr. Michael Atowari Peterside, Atedo, Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank, with family members, Amabo Lawrence Anyi Peterside; Thursday, Joseph, Silva and Fimie.

From left; Atedo, his wife, Dudun; widow of Pa Alabo Michael, Madam Patricia; daughter, Mrs. Tonye Unuigbe, her husband Sam; another daughter, Mrs. Belema Osibodu and her husband, Rotimi.

Mr Dakuku Peterside (front row, left) and other guests during the funeral service

Old Boys of Government College, Umuahia paying their last respects.

C M Y K

His Royal Majesty, the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandison Jaja and his Chiefs.

Grandchildren of Papa Michael Atowari Peterside.

From right; Managing Director, DHL, Olu Pearse; Director, IBTC, Ifeoma Esiri; Mrs. Taiwo Pearse and Mrs. Funmi Glover.

From left; Mrs. Oshuwa Gbadebo-Smith; Mrs. Jokotade Agbaje; Mrs. Taiwo Osibodu and Mrs. Nike Ogunlesi.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 , 2016—15

Biafra designed as terrorism, corruption free country — Uwazuruike •Work to commence on Ojukwu memorial library annex

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

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NITSHA—LEADER of Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has expressed concern that Biafran people have continued to be brutalized by enemies surrounding them, even as the struggle for self determination and quest for liberation from Nigeria’s bondage remains endless.

He said Biafra was designed to be a country free from terrorism, corruption and other vices that portend danger to the free world, but for the unfortunate 1914 amalgamation of northern and southern protectorate.

Uwazuruike who spoke yesterday at the joint special meeting of MASSOB/BIM at the project site for the proposed Ojukwu Memorial Library Annex in Enugu-Ezike near Ogute, headquarters of IgboEze North Local Government Headquarters of Enugu State, contended that security agencies should respect the santity of human lives and fundamental rights of the Biafran people to self determination.

Represented by BIM’s

Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha, Uwazuruike, however, advised members to always remain law-abiding even in the face of provocation, adding that their dream for Biafra’s independence can only be realized through nonviolence.

He maintained that the achievements so far recorded by MASSOB/BIM as pioneer

initiators of the on-going self determination struggle to actualize Biafra, after the civil war, would not have been possible if the separatists had taken up arms against the Federal Government, Earlier in his opening remarks, the leader of BIM in Enugu North Senatorial district, Chief James Omeke disclosed that BIM in the district has concluded

arrangements to flag-off the construction work on Ojukwu Library Annex, an edifice in memory of the former military Head of State of the defunct Biafra republic, late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.Omeke further disclosed that the project, when completed, is expected to contain about 15,000 members, as an annex of the Ojukwu Library headquarters located in Owerri, Imo State.

VISIT: From left: Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and Regional Corporate Executive, South South and South East, Sterling Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, during a courtesy call on the Governor by the Sterling Bank's team in Aba, Abia State.

JUJU SCARE: Ebonyi govt alleges plot to bring down

Umahi, others by ‘failed' politicians

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By Peter Okutu

BAKALIKI—EBONYI State government yesterday raised alarm over the clandestine activities of some ‘failed’ politicians in the state who have resorted to using fetish means to attack Governor David Umahi and other State Executive Council members with the aim of bringing down the government.

The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Senator Emmanuel Onwe stated this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s state executive council meeting.

He explained that the politicians who were hell bent on bringing down the government had been consulting shrines and holding several nocturnal community meetings for the purposes of plotting evil.

“Those who want to distract the government, for example, those who go to rural shrines and organise community meetings to attack members of Exco or create a scenario that will distract members of Exco, they are warned to desist from such acts as this government will resist it,” he said.

The Information

Commissioner maintained that the state government would not allow the bad influence of the previous administration to distract it, saying that such influence would be vehemently resisted.

Senator Onwe added that the same way, government and administration fall is not usually deliberate but because of internal contradiction and personal ambitions. He cited the administration of former

President Goodluck Jonathan as a victim of such anomaly, adding that during the immediate past administration of Governor Martin Elechi, the state had more than fivedefactogovernorsandeachatevery point in time were seen asserting his own authority and priorities, a situation that killed government’s good objectives and intentions.

P'Square sacks elder brother, Jude Okoye Peter, noting that, “He’s been #Psquare4ever.” as manager for going through a lot lately.”

He then stressed that “Peter and

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By Tofariti Ige

AGOS—TWO years after they were rumoured to have broken up, Nigerian pop duo, P’square are back in the news again as one-half of the singing duo, Peter Okoye yesterday moved against their management company owned by their elder brother, Jude Okoye.

In a series of tweets, Peter who has been on a business trip in the United Kingdom lamented the poor management style of their brother, warning everyone to desist from doing any business on behalf of P’square with Jude.

“Please whosoever makes any transaction with Northside Entertainment or Jude Okoye on Psquare’s behalf does so at his own risk,” Peter warned.

Peter’s responses came after Jude had taken to his twitter page to urge their fans to pray

In the same vein, Peter fired back at Jude, as he wrote, “You said I need Prayers! Bro you need GOD!” He then went on to say, “Some ask why on social media. Do I have a choice! Insisting you must remain Psquare’s manager? And that your decision is final?

Paul is Psquare,” noting that, Psquare will remain.

“I repeat Psquare is not breaking up. Thanks for the love and support.

I appreciate #NoMoreFamilyBusiness.”

Meanwhile, Paul Okoye is yet to react to Peter’s threat to sack their elder brother as their manager as at press time.

Jude Okoye of Northside Entertainment (middle) and P'Square.

Anambra targets N2.2bn monthly IGR

By Nkiruka Nnorom

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WKA—CHIEF Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State, has revealed that the state has set a monthly revenue target of N2.2 billion for the year 2016 up from N1.4 billion it currently generates.

He stated this at the inaugural Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Summit organised by the state government in conjunction with Fidelity Bank Plc at Awka, the state capital.

Obiano said his government would deploy, specially modified PoS devices across the state to achieve the set target.

He added that the state would attain the revenue target without increasing taxes and promised to sanitize the revenue collection processbyweedingoutfraudsterswho pose as collection agents to fleece tax payers.

“This year, we intend to move our IGR from N1.4 billion where it is currently to about N2.2 billion monthly and I believe it is doable. We will do this without increasing tax.

We will not increase tax but we are going to enhance our method of collectionandblocktheleakages,"he said.

MTN pays 2012 promo winner N1.85m on CPC's order

By Favour Nnabugwu

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BUJA—WITHIN a week of the order slammed on MTN Nigeria Communications Limited by the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, to pay the 2012 promo winner, Mr. Omeje Chukwuma Fidelis the balance of N1,850,000 denied him, the telecoms giant has complied.

CPC in a statement it availed Vanguard in Abuja said that MTN raised a United Bank of Africa’s draft in the said sum in favour of the complainantdatedFebruary11,2016 barely 24 hours after the telecoms companyreceived thecouncil’sorder.

Omeje, in a telephone conversation, confirmed to CPC his receiptoftheamount,disclosingthat he received the cheque for the balance of his N2 million prize on Monday, February 15, 2016.

CPC said it is also in receipt of a settlement agreement made to that effect between Omeje, MTN and its event manager for the Ultimate Wonder Promo prize presentation, Towncriers Limited, authorising the event manager to “issue a bank draft in the sum of N1,850,000:00 (one million,eighthundredandfiftyNaira only) in full and final satisfaction of the CPC’s order and all claims to the complainant.”

16 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Kenyan de-radicalisation teacher on $1m prize shortlist radicalisation in his

A

KENYAN teacher who gives classes against violent extremism is one of 10 finalists up for the $1m (£690,000) prize for the world’s best teacher.

Ayub Mohamud teaches at a school identified as a recruiting ground for Islamist militants.

He told the BBC he was excited and humbled by his nomination by the Varkey Foundation, which works to improve the education of underprivileged children.

Kenya has been hit by several large-scale terror attacks in recent years.

Last April, at least 148 people died when al-Shabab militants attacked a Kenyan university near the border with Somalia, where the alQaeda-linked group is based.

It was also behind the fourday siege in 2013 at the Westgate mall in the capital, Nairobi, in which 67 people

were killed.

Mr Mohamud teaches business and Islamic studies in the Somali-dominated Eastleigh suburb of Nairobi, which is popularly referred to as “Little Mogadishu.”

For the last five years, he has been discussing de-

Iran supports Doha proposal on reduction of oil production

I

RAN appeared Wednesday to back a planlaidoutbyfourinfluential oilproducerstocaptheircrude output if others do the same, thoughitofferednoindication that it has any plans to follow suit itself.

The agreement reached in Doha the day before by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Venezuela is aimed at stabilizing global oil prices, whichrecentlyplungedtoless than $30 a barrel, a 13-year low. But Iran is keen to ramp up exports to regain market

China puts "air missiles" on disputed island peace and stability in the

C

HINA has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, officials in the US and Taiwan said.

Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major-General David Lo told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain, which is under Chinese control but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

“Interested parties should work together to maintain

South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions,” Lo said on Wednesday.

A US military official also confirmed the “apparent deployment” of the missiles, first reported by Fox News.

Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-toair missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox. Taiwan’s recently elected President Tsai Ing-Wen told reporters on Wednesday that the move had created a “tense situation”.

Pope Francis visits Mexico jail on last day of tour

P

OPE Francis is visiting a prison in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday, on the last day of his five-day visit to Mexico.

He also celebrated a Mass on the United States border.

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the service, which the Pope will use to highlight the suffering of migrants, tens of thousands of whom cross the border every year.

Ciudad Juarez was once one of the most violent cities in Mexico.

The Pope’s visit is seen

religious education classes.

In a leaked report from 2013, Kenya’s National Intelligence Agency reportedly said that alShabab militants had been recruiting at Mr Mohamud’s school, Eastleigh High.

as a chance to give hope to the city’s residents, who lived through a spate of murders of women and rampant drug violence which meant few dared leave their homes at night.

His visit comes just days after 49 prisoners died in a fight between rival gang members at the Topo Chico jail in the northeastern city of Monterrey.

Mexican prisons are notoriously overcrowded and corrupt and the meeting between inmates and the pontiff is expected to draw further attention to these problems.

share now that sanctions related to its nuclear program have been lifted under a landmark agreement.

“Iran supports any measure to boost oil prices,” Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said after talks with his counterparts from Iraq, Venezuela and Qatar.

“Thedecisiontakentofreeze the production ceiling of OPEC and non-OPEC members to stabilize and boostpricesisalsosupported by us,” he added, in comments posted on the ministry’s website late Wednesday.

Iran’s envoy to OPEC, Mahdi Asali, had earlier blamed the fall in prices on oversupply, and said it was up to Saudi Arabia and others to cut production. He said the four nations that participated at the Doha gathering could stabilize oil prices on their own — if they cut their production by 2 million barrels a day

Lithuanian President lauds Buhari’s move to diversify economy

By Yinka Ajayi

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RESIDENT Dalia Grybauskait of Lithuania has commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s determination to diversify Nigeria’s economy through agriculture.

Speaking at a cocktail party organised to mark its break away from Soviet Union in 1990 at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos yesterday, President Grybaukate, represented by Mr. Goodie Ibru, Honorary Consul of Lithuania to Nigeria stated that: “The Republic of Lithuania will continue to explore avenues for social, political and economic collaboration between our beloved country and Nigeria."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016— —17

D

URING Governor AbdulFatai Ahmed’s first term in office, between 2011 and 2015, an Audit Query was issued on the huge sums of money that Kwara state had hemorrhaged, through the incredible spending on such “bottomless pit” institutions like Bukola Saraki’s Zimbabwe Farms (‘domesticated’ as Shonga Farms); Advanced Diagnostic Center and the International Aviation College.

The query had asked why billions of naira went down those drain pipes, while there was no profit or returns made to the state.

The Auditor got a stern rebuke for his audacity; and the Query was forwarded to the supine State House of Assembly, where it was left to gather dust and the systematic fleecing of Kwara state could continue, instituted as the reigning philosophy of governance since 2003.

It was therefore a pleasant surprise to read a few days ago that Ali Ahmad, the Speaker of the Assembly recently expressed concern about the operations of the omnibus institution in Kwara state, known as Harmony Holdings. The Speaker was reported to have complained that “the operations and activities of the Holdings were shrouded in secrecy”, adding that it “should not be so”.

In truth, Harmony Holdings is one of the most controversial institutions in Kwara and despite the best efforts of the operatives of the government, has remained a body that people whisper amongst themselves, as an example of opacity, in its operations as well as ownership.

Harmony Holdings was incorporated: “to ensure efficient running of all State owned ventures to improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State Government”.

Colossal investment Ali Ahmad also remarked that: “the state government had invested greatly in the Harmony Holdings”, but “the Holdings was not generating IGR to justify the government’s colossal investment in the liability company”. The Speaker similarly directed that the MD of the Holdings “produce credible information on release of funds to it from 2013 to date by the State Government”.

That was the same issue raised in the Audit query that I mentioned earlier and that has been a lingering concern about the omnibus body. What most people know is that its Managing Director, a certain Tope Daramola, is not from Kwara state, but had been one of Bukola Saraki’s sidekicks from the defunct Intercontinental Bank.

He had stealthily entered Kwara state, and was appointed DG Lands. People were surprised that an indigene of Ondo state was given such a sensitive position, only because of his services to Bukola Saraki personally, at the Intercontinental Bank.

The anger about his appointment worried those who appointed him sufficiently to eventually lead to his removal C M Y K

Kwara State: Of monthly revenues and drain pipes from the sensitive lands position.

He was subsequently named Managing Director of Harmony Holdings. The company also allegedly sold shares Kwara state held in companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, without any declaration about where the proceeds of the sales went!

It was instructive that Tope Daramola told the House of Assembly that Harmony Holdings has not taken “full control” of the International Aviation College and Advanced Diagnostic Center, “thereby hampering its revenue generation to the coffers of the state government”. And in an effort to allay lingering suspicions about ownership of Harmony Holdings, Daramola stated that “the State Government owns all shares of the Company 100% and no individual has any proprietary interest in it”.

Well, maybe, or maybe not! But as the Speaker, Ali Ahmad noted, its operations remain shrouded in secrecy and if it actually belongs to Kwara state “100%”, Kwarans have a right to information about it. It is no surprise that Harmony Holdings remains a drain pipe today, in a state that faces serious challenge about its finances: workers salaries cannot be paid; pensioners are owed money; several groups of working people have been on strike for months; there is demoralisation within the civil service and services that a state is expected to provide to people are substantially unavailable in Kwara state! There are a few over-hyped projects, but even those in power know they have run out of lies and excuses used to justify their systematic underdevelopment of Kwara state since 2003.

Today the main excuse is the drastic drop in Federal Allocations to the state. Monthly Federal Allocations, according to them, dropped from N3.5Billion to N1. 4Billion.

Indeed, Federal allocations to all states dropped. But that truth

In truth, the people are in dire straits as a result of the monumental mismanagement since 2003; they are very angry with the government in power today in Kwara state

is relative, especially if our memory is not pegged to only the past two years. The group in power in Kwara state came on board in 2003 and in the past twelve years plus, they took over N640Billion from the Federation Account.

They have not given any reasonable or satisfactory account of their stewardship of these huge sums as well as the loans that they also took in these twelve years! SUNDAY VANGUARD of February 14, 2016, carried a report of the plan by AbdulFatai Ahmed’s government to plug the “inefficiency and leakages” that “showed we were losing N5Billion annually”. Governor Ahmed was speaking while commissioning the new building of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service. He gave the body a “take off mandate to generate the N5Billion said to have been stolen annually, now monthly, back into the purse of the government”. Even though

the streets around Ilorin now carry banners exhorting people to pay taxes, Abdulfatai Ahmed assured that the new body was “not established to impose fresh taxes”.

Better infrastructure Nevertheless, the government wants to rise from its current position “to achieve the second highest IGR per capita in Nigeria by 2019”. The governor was not through in his indulgent flight of fancy: “Kwara state, I am convinced, has the population, commerce, resources and opportunities necessary for achieving that target of N60Billion annually...

The subsequent growth in our revenues will not only enhance the lives of our people through better infrastructure, we also expect to see an increase in opportunities for collective prosperity”.

Unfortunately, in over twelve years of the Bukola Saraki/Abdul Fatai Ahmed administrations, there has been “collective prosperity” for Bukola Saraki and his inner circle of followers, hangers-on and sidekicks and “collective misery ” for the majority of Kwarans. This is the truth that is not captured in the grandiose declarations about enhanced revenue generation and taxation in Kwara state.

Let the government take the first critical step of making FULL DISCLOSURE of how over N640Billion was spent since 2003. The various loans must also be FULLY accounted for, especially in terms of IMPACT on the lives of the people, in poverty alleviation; education; healthcare delivery; provision of infrastructure; the empowerment of the people; environmental protection; scholarships for students; pensions; etc.

It is only a FULL DISCLOSURE that can offer the administration the LEGITIMACY to impose new taxes on an already overburdened state. The logic of taxation is premised on an accountable, transparent, responsible and responsive government. That is not the case today in Kwara. The government should not mistake the comforts of Bukola Saraki, his sidekicks and hanger-on as the yardstick of measurement of progress. In truth, the people are in dire straits as a result of the monumental mismanagement since 2003; they are very angry with the government in power today in Kwara state.

Kashim Shettima returns to school

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ICTURES emerged this week, of the Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima, sitting through lessons in a secondary school in Maiduguri.

He also visited a primary school on the outskirts of the city, where he encouraged the enrolment of hundreds of children in the local primary school.

When I spoke with him on Tuesday night, he assured me that the educational programme incorporates the provision of a daily meal to all children in schools, as well as the supply of uniforms and books. The daily meal is enhancing enrolment; but there are still gaps that remain worrisome. Shettima told me that he would not only employ teachers and enhance their conditions, but he was also going to devote time to teaching in schools around Maiduguri. He passionately believes that for as

long as the majority of children are not taken off the streets and incorporated into the school system, the danger of their availability for easy indoctrination and recruitment

by Boko Haram, will remain high.

It was a much more positive story out of Borno state, against the background of the controversy, last week about whether or not the Boko Haram insurgency controls most of Borno state.

The senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka Garbai, had triggered the issue when he said it was a lie that the insurgency had been degraded by the Nigerian armed forces. Senator Baba Kaka said both the army and the insurgents have full control of three local governments each, but shared control in all the 21 other local governments.

Governor Shettima, who had travelled abroad, returned to

Omoyele Sowore: Courage and commitment

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N Tuesday, February 16, 2016, Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of the online news outlet, SAHARA REPORTERS, celebrated his 45th birthday. Sowore has made a remarkable contribution to the evolution of online, citizen journalism in our country, and has remained a courageous defender of democracy as well as maintaining a passionate stance for a country that defeats the monumental corruption within the Nigerian ruling class, that has stunted Nigeria’s development. Sowore cut his teeth as a student activist in the days of military dictatorship and has remained consistent in his advocacy for the betterment of Nigeria. SAHARA REPORTERS has become one of the most important news outlets today and it has continued to offer a platform for very diverse viewpoints, which allows citizens to influence the development of Nigeria. That is a major contribution from a courageous man. Happy Birthday Omoyele Sowore.

dispute the senator’s assertion.

Shettima said that.... all the 27 local governments had been liberated by the Nigerian Army.

He said the main towns like Bama, Monguno, Maffa, Gamboru Ngala, amongst others had been liberated by the Army, while President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the liberation of Borno was never in doubt from the moment he was sworn in in May 2015. The truth is that the Boko Haram insurgency has been massively degraded over the past year.

Political authority The frightening manner that well-armed and ruthless insurgents took over towns and the countryside, while daring the armed forces and the political authority seems to have ended.

Nigerian and regional forces have dealt telling blows to Boko Haram and it has been reduced to roaming bands searching for food and provisions as well as carrying out attacks on soft targets in IDP camps, markets and other public spaces.

But there is still a lot to do, in terms of winning the war as well as providing the huge amount of resources to reconstruct communities that the insurgency systematically ruined: burnt out homes; schools,; markets; health centers; crops and livestock; boreholes; mined roads; terrified people; dispersed communities and so on!

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 THE primary responsibility of the military is to defend the constitution and the territorial integrity of the country. Their tough and rigorous training is designed to build their enduring capacity demanded by their calling. That is what differentiates them from civilians. That is why they are confined to the barracks except when on duty.

Nigerians and indeed the world watched with shock and disgust the sub-human treatment meted out to citizen Amari Sunday, by a group of army cadets in Abuja. The young man’s ordeal was seen on a video recording which went viral on the Internet.

In what appeared to be a premeditated display of barbarity, according to Amari’s narration, the army cadets, including two females, had stormed the Jabi Lake Park where he (Amari) works as a Park ‘N Pay employee of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE P). He initially incurred the

Torture of Amari Sunday by Army cadets wrath of one of them for failing to walk up to the cadets within five seconds . His ordeal was compounded when he could not get to one of the female cadets within three seconds when she also summoned him due to the distance.

In the video, Amari was repeatedly slapped in the face, dealt heavy blows on the head, kicked severally and dragged on the ground by his shirt’s collar.

For about twenty minutes, he was made to sit backwards with his stretched hands and legs

suspended. At the end of the raw bestiality, Amari was left with a bruised, and bloodied face.

Wallowing in tears and self-pity, his colleagues later took him to the hospital.

While we commend Amari’s courage for speaking up on a livetelevision show and the bravery of the unknown person that recorded the mindless torture, we demand that the episode should not be treated as another case of “mad dogs” and be left to go without due disciplinary action being meted to the erring cadets.

This incident portrayed the Army in a very bad light. We, therefore, call on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) authorities to assiduously conclude the investigation which their spokesman assured had been ordered, to ensure that this brazen display of unethical conduct is not repeated. The cadets involved in this despicable act must be identified and punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

Just as the civilian populace needs the military for their defence and protection, the civilians remain the mainstay of the military. Every soldier was once a civilian and will retire back to the civilian population after service.

There must be mutual regard between the two sides at all times.

The Army should apologise to Amari Sunday and officially distance itself from the barbaric acts of those misguided cadets.

OPINION

Sharpeville, Nigeria (2) Continued from yesterday

By

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Chuks Iloegbunam

N the recent Nigerian massacres, whether of Biafran agitators or of Shia’a adherents in Zaria, the response has remained a deafening silence. It raises critical questions: Is the United Nations moving forward or going backwards? Are Nigerians pretending not to notice because when the coffin of another’s child is being taken to the cemetery, it looks like what is being conveyed is a log?

I have continued to examine these questions. My changeless attitude is that the shooting of non-violent demonstrators would sooner exacerbate than solve identified problems. Does Nigeria realise that those commanded, as a matter of course, to shoot to kill and maim unarmed Biafran agitators today are being compelled to inculcate a habit almost impossible to shake off even after there are no more Biafran agitators to shoot dead or cripple?

I sat down and carefully thought through this dispensation’s grotesqueries. I invite my fellow C M Y K

countrymen and women to also sit down and critically analyze them. I am far from convinced that triggerhappiness is a rationale way of tackling the challenges of democratic experiment. It will be fantastic to listen to, or read up, a disquisition in contradistinction to this postulation.

This was Head of State Yakubu Gowon in October 1966, at the height of the anti-Igbo pogrom that ultimately consumed 50,000

Yet Ndigbo are routinely being shot and killed and maimed in the name of Rules of Engagement, and there apparently are no prominent Igbo voices at home and in the Diaspora outraged enough to execrate the sanguinary Rules?

innocent lives: “I receive complaints daily that up till now Easterners living in the North are being killed and molested, and their property looted.

I am very unhappy about this. We should put a stop to it. It appears it is going beyond reason and is now at a point of recklessness and irresponsibility.”

It appears the fingers that ought to pelt the anti-massacre drums prefer to dawdle until the recklessness of an Odi or a Zaki Biam or a Shia’a Zaria is inflicted on the Igbo country, all in the name of stemming the tide of Biafran agitation. As someone who knew Chinua Achebe, I aver that were he alive today, he would long have fired this injunction in the general direction of Abuja: “Stop massacring my people!” I know that Ndigbo abound everywhere who have attained international distinction in various walks of life. What remains incomprehensible is why the thought of dissuading those romancing the guilt of bloodshed has yet to occur to them. How could people who felt abominated because Olisa Metuh, a politician, arrived for court hearings in handcuffs fasten their lips in the face of the repeated massacres of their kith and kin?

When the previous administration escalated the fight against Boko

Haram, a certain presidential aspirant charged that it amounted to a declaration of war against the North.

When Chief Olu Falae was recently kidnapped, allegedly by Fulani herdsmen, the Yoruba threatened secession. Yet Ndigbo are routinely being shot and killed and maimed in the name of Rules of Engagement, and there apparently are no prominent Igbo voices at home and in the Diaspora outraged enough to execrate the sanguinary Rules?

One more time, Professor EkweEkwe: “Every Biafran murdered or wounded or “disappeared” in this trail of murders by the genocidists is meticulously documented and archived. Each genocidist unit involved in these murders, including command and control personnel, is meticulously documented and a r c h i v e d . Everyone must now know that no one or institution involved in these murders will escape justice in court for committing the crime of genocide.

This crime, it couldn’t be overstressed, has no statute of limitations in international law.”

Concluded •Mr. Iloegbunam , an author, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBURARY 18, 2016 –19 Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com

Was Lai the man for the job?

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N 1996 when the first phase of the Liberian civil war was ending, one of the warlords, Brigadier General Yormie Johnson (who personally killed former dictator, the late President Samuel Doe) wrote a pamphlet where he recorded his random musings about the war and his philosophical attitudes to some issues connected thereto. He titled the book: The Gun That Liberates Should Not Rule.

His argument is that a liberator’s role is to remove the problem and then, give way to those who have the capacity to correct it. If the gun that liberates mounts the throne, it will turn the liberator into a dictator.

While most of the warlords who drove away Doe from power (such as Charles Taylor) jostled for leadership, Johnson simply came to Lagos to cool his heels, perhaps, his own way of walking his talk. His postulations were later proved right, because Charles Taylor went on to become an even deadlier dictator than Doe and today answers for his crimes at the Hague.

However, there are those who would fiercely disagree with Johnson’s argument. They would

ask: what is the point of putting your hide on the line to drive away the perceived source of a nation’s problems if you cannot pick the courage to show you can do better?

The tendency of most people who participate in getting rid of an entrenched ruling class is to entertain the feeling of legitmate entitlement to be part of the government that replaces it.

Let’s face it: the 2015 presidential election was historic. The removal of a ruling party from power through the polls rather than through the gun barrel was hitherto seen as an impossibility in our political cosmos.

But it happened. Alhaji Lai Mohammed was the voice of the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which performed the feat of dethroning the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

You and I know that during elections, the truth is usually forced on a compulsory leave by all contestants. What remain are cleverly dressed-up falshood, hyperboles, false promises, false statistics, angelic characterisation of mere mortals and their dressing up in borrowed robes, diversion of

attention from things that matter and the playing up of inanities to fool the gullible voter; in short, PROPAGANDA and its sly accoutrements. There are people who are naturally gifted in the art of propaganda and are experts at it.

Lai Mohammed, as the Publicity Secretary of the APC (the then opposition party) demonstrated his talents in the art of propaganda, matched only by Femi Fani-Kayode, who was belatedly drafted as the Director Publicity of the PDP presidential campaign to counter him. Lai knows his worth in this art, and boastfully beckons on his counterpart of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, to come and receive lessons from him. Metuh, who was apparently too busy otherwise during the heady campaign period when Lai ruled the roost, was only to find his tongue after his party had been chucked out of power.

President Muhammadu Buhari obviously does not believe in

Unfortunately, Lai Mohammed came into his job believing that his appointment was a carte-blanche for him to transfer his propaganda exploits from electioneering to governance

Judges: Working from the answer to the question

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari easily provides a good example of a living realist who sees, and appreciates, things as they really are, devoid of all unnecessary niceties.

While addressing the Nigerian community in far-away Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Buhari came out loud and clear, “In the fight against corruption, the Judiciary is my greatest problem”. Is Buhari alone? Certainly not.

We agree with the President that except he gets the Judiciary to buy into his vision in the fight against corruption, not much will be achieved. This is where the Judiciary has attempted to constitute itself into a clog in the wheel of progress.

Again, besides the battle-front of the corruption fight, the Judiciary, as symbolised by the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has exposed itself to public opprobrium in many respects: For example, lately, we have observed a sharp dichotomy between the Court of Justice and the Court of Law: On electoral matters, while the lower courts – the Election Petitions Tribunals and the Court of Appeal have stood on the side of justice where they saw no alternative to re-run elections in areas where elections were bedeviled with widespread violence and massive irregularities and in most cases elections did not hold at all, like Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States, yet miracle results emerged.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court has remained on the side of the Court of Law and technicalities where strict constructionism holds sway. And nothing else counts.

Every aspect of the contraptions in the 2015 elections in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States manifests signs that can easily C M Y K

consume everyone – a situation in which people are openly encouraged to win elections by all means and at all costs; and then proceed to the Courts to validate it portend real danger.

We wonder how anyone could be allowed to become a winner of such bedeviled contests as happened in Rivers and AkwaIbom States where, largely, elections did not hold at all and results were written, no thanks to the so-called power of incumbency. Someone must tell the Supreme Court Justices that they have just given a stamp of approval to violent elections and election robberies. We are back to the murky waters of dirty politics; and the world is watching us. The tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of tyrants.

Sadly, there is an added dimension to our adjudication process. We call that the hanging judgment. Apparently, with monotonous regularity, the Supreme Court gives judgment before going into the books in search of the reasons that fit the judgment. This is working from the answer to the question.

At last, the Supreme Court Justices have obliged us with the deferred reasoning for their decision in the Rivers State gubernatorial contest. We search, but in

The powers in the hands of judges are great but they must be exercised with caution. After all, the stones are still on the ground. In extreme provocation, people throw them at people!

Johnson’s advisory. He believes that those who worked for the victory should be “ rewarded”. I have absolutely nothing against this. Why else are people in politics if not to share in the spoils of power after victory?

I am firmly of the view, however, that Buhari should not have appointed Lai Mohammed as Information and National Orientation Minister. He should not have been a spokesman for this government in any capacity whatsoever. He was effectively stigmatised as a propaganda warlord for an APC on campaign hustings. Some even went to portray “Lai” as “Lie” or in our local patois, “Lie-lie”. That is a bit unkind, because there was nothing that Lai Mohammed did during the campaigns that others have not done before or attempted to do but failed because of their lack of savvy. He did not commit any malfeasance that is not tolerated in an electioneering atmosphere.

But for a government that portrayed itself as coming to change the way things were done under the PDP and former President Goodluck Jonathan dispensation; for a new regime whose leader, Buhari was imbued in the colours of “integrity” and fortrightness, we needed an Information and National Orientation Minister unsullied by credibility and credulity issues. We needed someone we can trust to tell us the truth and we will believe him/ her without a past track record standing between him and us.

Unfortunately, Lai Mohammed came into his job believing that his appointment was a carte-blanche for him to transfer his propaganda exploits from electioneering to

vain, for any spectacular reason that clearly justifies the waiting, apart from putting a death knell on the Card Readers. Is that what we must wait for 16 long days to hear? And this was a case that they had three months to deal with, a reasonable part of which they could as well have devoted to writing the decision.

We have seen how the deferred reasoning works elsewhere. In Year 2000 presidential contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush in the US, the difference in their scores was razor-thin.

Inauguration clock was ticking off and there was a quick legal question that needed to be determined as to who should be inaugurated. The Supreme Court sat all night and untied the tight knot.

In such an emergency, there was good reason to ask people to wait for a few days to hear the full details and reasoning behind the Supreme Court decision.

Definitely, this cannot apply in cases where someone was sleeping on duty and asking the world to watch him snore.

Which system of justice anywhere in the world would totally ignore the feelings and temperament of the people in its adjudication process as the Supreme Court of Nigeria would want us to believe?

Is it not becoming clearer that former President Goodluck Jonathan really saved this country from catastrophe?

We can now see why the Judiciary may never forgive him for choosing the path of honour by bowing out honourably. If nothing else, there is loss of income to some people somewhere. Some expected him to reject the outcome of the last election. They were already laying wait for him at the entrance of the Supreme Court, where a favourable decision awaited him.

governance. He has justified our fears when his name was announced for Info.

The Info Minister did this nation a great disservice when he called what he termed a “ world press conference” on January 18th 2016 and sensationally “disclosed” that 55 Nigerians stole over N1.34 trillion in eight years. He never mentioned anybody’s name, never substantiated any of his claims. How many have been arrested for arraignment? When? He never told us. He merely made worthless disclosures for their sensational impact as if he was still electioneering.

Lai told us that Boko Haram had been “technically defeated” and “degraded” such that they could no longer stage attacks on communities. Since December 2015 when he made this claim, Boko Haram has sacked more than ten communities and killed hundreds.

Lai told us that Jonathan bought sub-standard military equipment which killed more soldiers than the enemies. Director of Defence Information, the highest spokesman for the military, Brigadier-General Rabe Abubakar, went on television to debunk Lai’s claim, saying no such thing happened. This is unprecedented!

Buhari had a rich trove of options to choose his Info Minister from. If he wanted someone from Bola Tinubu’s camp, there is Hon. Abike Dabiri; a great communicator whose credibility and credulity remain intact even after years of involvement at various levels of partisan politics and governance.

Abike, for me, was the “man” for the job given to Lai.

And since the feelings of the people do not come into reckoning, it would also not have mattered an inch if by now, the entire country was aflame. This represents a frightening glimpse of the dangerous path the Supreme Court is shaping for this country.

There is no better time than now to begin to listen to those who feel that our judges must stand to be judged. The time to subject our Judiciary to total investigation and overhaul is now. The Judiciary cannot be exempted from the current crusade against corruption. In fact, it should be at the very centre.

Recently, a judge whose allegation of massive corruption and misconduct was about to be determined by the National Judicial Council, NJC, quickly threw in his retirement papers and went back home to become a first class traditional ruler.

Recent action of the Supreme Court is one impunity taken too far. For how long shall the entire country be taken for this jolly ride?

We, however, take solace in Justice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa (1918-2014), a former Justice of the Supreme Court and one of the most eminent jurists the world has ever known: “We are final not because we are infallible; rather we are infallible because we are final”.

Yes, the powers in the hands of judges are great but they must be exercised with caution. After all, the stones are still on the ground. In extreme provocation, people throw them at people! Sadly, we are getting there.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 —21

Ghana bans goods from Nigeria, other countries means to quickly resolve it,” “If it does not work then we must also look at countervailing measures…it could be product targeting,” he said.

“If we also make it difficult for them to export, then we would have to find common ground,” Kate Quartey-Papafio, CEO of Reroy Cables argued. Even for those who are able to export to Nigeria, you have to get different certificates for different customers and it takes a whole lot of time to get it. It makes the whole thing so cumbersome.

You are exporting the same thing but you have to go and get certificates for each of the customers,” she said.

Nigeria has used an “Import Prohibition List” to refuse certain goods entry into that country, including a host of pharmaceutical products. Also, the Managing Director of

By Favour Nnabugwu with agency reports

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HANA has prohibited some items from entry into its domain, following Nigeria’s foot steps that restricted 41 items from access to foreign exchange. Ghana however has placed a ban on some goods from being imported into the country. Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah stated yesterday that Ghana and Nigeria are said to account for some 68 per cent of the ECOWAS region’s Gross Domestic Product.

Nigeria accounts for almost 10 per cent of Ghana’s foreign trade volume, whereas Ghana is listed as the 9th largest trade partner to Nigeria.

Favourite investment hub In spite of the difficulties, Ghana remains Nigeria’s largest trade partner and favourite investment hub in the West Africa sub-region, as Ghana imports the largest share of all Nigerian oil exports in the West African sub-region.

While ‘bagged cement’ is on Nigeria’s prohibition list, Dangote Cement brings in and bags some 750,000 tonnes of cement a year for the Ghanaian market, and is expected to increase this to 1.5 million tonnes by end of this quarter.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghanaian Association of Ghana Industries stated that there should be a clear letter written to the Nigerians complaining about this, and then also try and use some diplomatic

$115.45

Nigeria accounts for almost 10 per cent of Ghana’s foreign trade volume

CURRENCY

By Godfrey Bivbere & Sebastine Obasi

A

-0.10

US DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

0.03

$33.06

-0.33

$29.13

-0.31

BUYING

SELLING

196 196.5 283.5532 284. 2766 219.4416 220.0014 199.3085 199.817 1.7196 1.724 0.3178 0.3278 274.8413 275.5425 30.1762 30. 2536 52.2388 52.3721 29.3919 29.4669 275. 5368 276. 2397

197 284. 9999 220.5612 200.3254 1.7284 0. 3378 276. 243 30. 331 52. 5053 29.5419 276.9426

CBN Exchange rate as at 16/02/2016

C M Y K

Intravenous Infusions Limited, a pharmaceutical company, Mr Richard Okrah noted that his company could have generated an additional 25% of export turnover from the Nigerian market.

“We have been making efforts through our agent in Nigeria

to get us off this list. But it is becoming a very difficult job for us,” Richard Okrah told the B&FT by phone. The company, he said, currently produces close to 6million IV fluids of various sizes per year, and that: “We have the capacity to step this up to 15 million because we

are installing a new semiautomated plan that should be up and running by the middle of April this year”.

He said his company faces no such restrictions from Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire and other countries where it exports to.

Indigenous firm to build N25.8bn new refinery in Lagos

$2,797.00 -30.00 $13.18

VISIT: From left, Fidet Okhiria, Acting Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the outgoing Managing Director of NRC, Adeseyi Sijuade during the visit of the minister to the NRC headquarters, Ebute-Meta, Lagos.

N indigenous company, Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd., has been given initial license to commence preliminary work for a 20,000 capacity modular refinery in one of the islands on the coast of Lagos.

The refinery is expected to gulp between $75 - $250 million, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the company, Capt. Emmaneul Ihenacho, said.

Ihenacho, who stated this in Lagos yesterday, said that his company has gotten preliminary approval from the Department of Petroleum Resourses, DPR, and has commenced work on the Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA. He explained that the company is working on other necessary requirements needed before the final approval for the refinery can be granted.

He described the process leading to the final licensing for the project as a “continuous” one which is given in stages, saying that he intends to get funding for the project from both foreign and local banks.

According to him, “If you go to the DPR website you will see all the terms and conditions for granting of refinery licenses.

The DPR gives you license in stages, it gives you license to establish, license to construct and after that it gives you license to operate.

“DPR would not sit down and say let us go and do an EIA and after that they will give you license. They give you license based on the technology that is used for refining and your ability to give then very good presentation on that subject before they say alright go and start it.” He also noted if the refinery is constructed without the capacity to produce Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, Automated Gas Oil, AGO and the like, the cost would be around $75 million (N25.8 billion), whereas if those components are included, the cost would

I am ready to stand by the truth and what is right at all times, I am not the one to go and appropriate property to build a refinery

be around $200 million (N69 billion).

Ihenacho also said that several meetings have been held between the company’s management and the traditional rulers (about 16 Baales) around the area, with a view to having the consent of the host communities.

Construction of the refinery Contrary to insinuations that the construction of the refinery has started, he said, “We have not even started construction by the way; we are just going through the pre-application process.

“I am ready to stand by the truth and what is right at all times. I am not the one to go and appropriate property to build a refinery.

I am not going to put my hands in your pocket and force money out of it. I am not going to force you to tell me what you do not know about building refineries. Refineries are very important infrastructure in the country and it will enhance the image and prestige of the country. “If I think that I can articulate a business plan that I can take to the bank and they would then lend me money to build the refinery, while will I not do it?

“I do not want anybody to be deceived or fooled by fake or funny stories,” he said.

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

This competition will contribute to building a stronger and more sustainable business environment across Africa

,

MTN, Jumia unveil entrepreneurship competition for African undergraduates

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TN, in partnership with the MTN Solution Space and Jumia, have announced the launch of the MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge powered by Jumia. The Pan-African competition will be the first of its kind in Africa, bringing together over 1000 entrepreneurs, students and investors, to collaborate on ways to amplify and consolidate the continent’s entrepreneurs. The competition which is open to all university students in Africa, will challenge students to develop a unique digital application or smart solution that will solve a tangible problem faced on the continent. In Nigeria, activations would be done at Lagos Business School, University of Lagos, Covenant University, Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo University.

“Africa is a continent of promise, and our aim with the MTN Solution Space has always been to help fulfil this promise by developing uniquely African solutions. We believe that the entrepreneurship challenge is a key element of this,” says Sarah-Anne Arnold, Manager of the MTN Solution Space.

Applications for the first round of the multiphased competition are open from February 16 and will close on 27 March 2016. Aspiring entrepreneurs from participating universities can enter in teams by logging onto www.gsb.uct.ac.za/MTNECbyJumia. All applications will be judged by campus captains, who consist of successful entrepreneurs in their respective market.

Shortlisted teams will then move on to a live pitching phase at their selected universities between 1-8 April 2016, after which the final five projects will be selected to move through to the semi-final.

Entrepreneurship challenge The finalists will be announced on 16 April 2016, and as part of this achievement, the successful teams will get the opportunity to attend the Entrepreneurship festival, hosted at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in South Africa on May 27 2016.

Finalists will have to pitch their business to a room of successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, judges, investors and international media, after which the winner of the challenge will be announced.

The winner of the MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge powered by Jumia will win a cash prize of US $25 000 for their start-up, and will also benefit from a yearlong partnership with Jumia, where they will have the opportunity to work from any of JUMIA’s offices across Africa. The winner will also have access to a Facebook Start Program with the value of $15,000, which includes tools and services needed to build mobile applications. In addition, they will have the opportunity to work from the MTN Solution Space at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business.

The two runners-up will each receive $5,000 towards their projects.

“This competition will contribute to building a stronger and more sustainable business environment across Africa. Its main goal is to boost and fuel African entrepreneurship by enabling young and smart entrepreneurs to kick off with their own projects,” says Bankole Cardoso, Head of Communications from Jumia.

C M Y K

,

BUSINESS

Raising capital for small business

By Yinka Kolawole, with agency report Raising capital is not the easiest step of starting a small business, but it in necessary.

O

NE major reason why small businesses fail is because the owners lack necessary funds.

Money is needed for equipment, property and more essentials for your small business. You may wonder how you can raise the money needed to start your small business.

There are two major sources of funding you can seek for your business Equity or Debt financing.

Following are v a r i o u s methods of raising capital for a small business including forms of equity and debt financing.

business you may not have all the money needed for start up costs; however you should have some money saved up for the purpose of starting your business. Bank lenders in particular are more suspicious of entrepreneurs who don’t invest in their own business. As a result they can decline a loan because of your lack of investment.

Raising capital for small business expenses by asking friends and family for money isn’t fun, but hopefully you can win them over

with your great business idea.

To avoid complications in the future, have a written agreement stating terms and details of the loan. You wouldn’t want to fight with loved ones over money.

Professional manner Be sure to present your proposition in a professional manner. Show them your

Personal savings W h e n starting a small

How to manage employees effectively Each business owner thinks differently on how to manage employees.

Some experts believe when managing employees a manager should be stern and strict, that a manger should be respected and feared. Others believe a manager should be your friend, someone who is positive and easy to talk to. A balance between the two makes a good manager, someone who is a respected positive leader.

M

ANAGING employees doesn‘t come easy for everyone. A manager’s tasks include delegating tasks, enforcing rules, motivating employees, firing employees and more. A manager is responsible for tasks such as: Setting goals – When managing employees it is important to set goals. Setting goals gives employees something to work hard to achieve.

Teaching/coaching – Employees should be properly trained.

Taking the time to teach and coach employees will be well worth it.

Failure to do so can result in an unprepared employee.

Effective communication –

When managing employees it is important for a manager to be able to effectively communicate to employees.

As their manager, an employee should be able to talk to you about their concerns, and you should take their concerns seriously. You should also be able to delegate tasks. A manager should never degrade or mistreat an employee.

Overseeing tasks – How would you know if the tasks you delegate are being completed if you don‘t oversee the completion of the tasks? Lazy employees may avoid doing certain tasks if they think they can get away with it. However, you should also give them some independence to show them that you trust them to get the job done. Give them an opportunity to get

the tasks completed and if you return and see that the task was not completed then you can calmly bring this to their attention.

Motivation – Motivating employees can benefit your business because motivated employees will invest much more effort into their jobs. Employees like to feel that their hard work is appreciated. Incentives and rewards for a job well done can be used as a tool for motivating employees.

Enforcing rules – If you don’t enforce the rules, employees will constantly break them.

Demonstrate to employees that rules are there for a reason, as guidelines to ensure a safe and pleasant work environment.

Firing – Firing employees is no fun but it is essential. A business is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have employees that are only bringing negativity to your business, it is best to let them go.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016—23

Your sensuality and your senses Morenike Taire, Woman Editor

A

LL the branding folks know it, so how come many women don’t? Your sensuality is all about

pleasure, pleasure and pleasure; and pleasure cannot be optimized unless all the six senses are receiving and giving pleasure on your behalf.

Where does pleasure start?

With a glimpse of skin – or the first touch? Maybe it’s the sound of her key in your door. If you only make love with your eyes and hands, you are likely getting less than half the pleasure.

Sight

T

HIS of course is very key to sparking up the interest in the first place. Your lovers’ tryst must always have you prepared in this department. You know what keeps your man at attention, so explore it to the fullest.

For Joy, whose guy just has a thing for red undies, she goes for the kill by starting the evening with red in the first instance.

“If we are meeting up after work, I make sure I wear a red lace top to keep his imagination going out of control for what is to come”.

Touch

T

OUCH is another one of those senses that have not been milked to the fullest, especially by women. Pretend that you are an explorer or a miner and your man is your field. Let no part of him escape your fingers, toes and tongue and let your bare skin linger against his. Joy says she deliberately forgets her hands on his arms and thighs while they are in the car driving to the destination. “I make sure my touch is unforgettableand that he is addicted to it”.

Taste

Sound

M

USIC has been essential to romance from time immemorial, but still not exploited to the full.

Different sounds means different things to different people. For your man, it could be the click when you remove your bra or your voice when you whisper “big boy” in his ears.

Says Folashade, a banker: my man likes to chat during lovemaking, especially early in the morning. He chats about nothing in particular, but mostly about things that will come up during his day. Sometimes we just share jokes. It makes us to connect in a way few things can, because he finds the sound of my voice sexy and soothing.

F

OOD has been associated with sensuality from time immemorial, but beyond the traditional strawberries and chocolates, look for aphrodisiacs such as watermelon.

Grace, a paediatrician, says: “I pour champagne all over myself. Instead of going out with the boys, he stays home with me and licks the champagne from between the peaks. Later, he tells me I’m a witch but I don’t mind…”

Smell

U

NKNOWN to some, the scent of a woman is even more important to her sexuality than the way she looks. While it is important to keep yourself squeaky clean before a tryst, your female scents must not be washed away as this is probably the first thing your man will sniff.

For scents, the more subtle, the more sexy; and non-traditional, non alcoholic scents probably work best. Do essential oils and rosewater and if you must do perfume, have hints in your hair and between your legs…

Sixth sense If you are thinking during lovemaking, something is seriously wrong as you ought to be past reason at some point. Rather, especially during foreplay, let your instincts and only your instincts be your guide.

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

hooking up with a Moneybag.

Most importantly, endeavour to put yourself in the spotlight when you show up there.

Just make sure you don’t arrive on a bike or public bus.

You can hire a taxi few miles before the place because you sure wouldn’t want to spoil your chances if your own Mr Moneybag were to be somewhere around the entrance.

2. Know where they worship

By Josephine Agbonkhese

Almost every woman loves to live the champagne lifestyle and of course, unless you can attain that yourself, the next best and easiest way to secure- and probably sustain such lifestyle, is to win the heart of a Mr Moneybag. It takes more than being female to successfully pull that off but here are tested, proven ways.

and famous go to. There are hundreds of such around town but I won’t do a list because that would be free advertising, so, locate one and hit the road. By frequenting these spots, you increase your chances of

Do you know some ladies caught theirs in churches within highbrow areas too?

Now, make a list of worship places where super rich men actually worship. This will cost you a long Sunday trip but trust me, it’s worth it. And you may consider joining their choir to really be in the spotlight.

3. Your image is everything

Good looks are an essential when hustling to attract a rich man. You should dress and act like you belong in his world and don’t need his money. That means, you must look smoky hot to qualify as a good match for him. This includes beautiful make-up and hair. So, stock up on style magazines and begin

1. Dine, shop, hangout where they do

Ditch your regular spot and head on to upscale malls and restaurants, hotels, golf courses and leisure clubs where the rich

dressing like those celebrities, with clothing that flatters and accentuates your figure. ...and if you haven’t got a good figure, fake it!

4. Wear luxury brands The quality of your ensemble- and their names, matter too. So, invest in luxury designer pieces like handbags, shoes, clothing, glasses and perfumes if your pocket can measure up. Try Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Burberry and more.

5. Get education!

Even though they like their women submissive, there’s hardly a rich man who wants a dummy for a wife. So, if you don’t read newspapers or magazines, start now.

Nothing good comes on a platter of gold. You want to snag a rich man? Then be ready to do serious selfdevelopment.

5. Get education

Know at least a little of everything because rich people like to spend time with women who can communicate and discuss insightfully. So, having interesting ideas plus a sense of humour so he enjoys your company, can keep him glued to you.

By Anino Aganbi

B

ABIES have always been the pride of parents with all the love and affection being put into awaiting the arrival of at bundle of joy. Then fate steps in, this precious bundle of joy arrives some 4- 8 weeks before if not much earlier than the expectant date and the sweet expectant mama gets thrown into panic.

Naturally, babies never follow the time table outlined for them by doctors. Premature babies are usually referred to as preemies.

When a child is born premature, how well is the new mother equipped to enable her care for her child especially when that child is out of intensive care.

The early arrival is bound to be a worrying time for the parents.I- t might help if you know some basic facts about the health problems that premature babies can have. Be assured that the - nurses and doctors are specialists who have a lot of experience in treating these conditions.

Tips to caring for premature babies

Give Special Care Premature babies are not fully equipped to deal with life in our world. Their little bodies still have underdeveloped parts.

Technology has made it possible for preemies to survive the first few days- , weeks or months of life until they arestrong enough to make it on their own

Keep your premature baby comfortable

(incubators).

Holding your baby against your bare skin helps keep your baby warm. Your smell, the rhythm of yourbreathing, and just being close to you - are all soothing for your baby.-

Caring for premature babies

In many ways, your premature baby is just like any other baby. He needs to stay - warm and dry. He needs to be kept clean,and have enough fluids and nourishment.- Above all, he needs you, and the comfort of your love- and care.Premature babies can’t keep themselves - warm at first, partly because they have - not built up stores of body fat. This is- why they are placed in cots that are kept warm

Feeding Breast milk is the best nutrition for your premature baby and has many health benefits- for him. - Your baby may be too small or too sick - to feed themselves.

Breast milk has particular benefits, especially for sick or premature babies, as- it is enriched with proteins,fats and minerals.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 —25

PROFILE

Modern Nigerian Heroines

security officials at the entrance, but these reporters who stood firm were eventually able to corner some of her colleagues coming in and out of the premises.

“We are happy we did not lose Abimbola or the passengers on board the helicopter.

She is a jewel of inestimable value and a treasure to Bristow,” a young man who spoke on anonymity said. ”I’ve never seen her in a quarrel with anyone. Abimbola is such an easy-going woman and a delight to work with. She is a peace lover,” a lady who claimed to have worked closely with her on several occasions said.

•Captain Abimbola Jayeola: Airspace diva

By Josephine Agbonkhese, Daniel Eteghe & Chris Onuoha

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HE ability to make good decisions- and quickly too, has again and again been proven to be effortless and almost unique to women. From the home front to corporate institutions, governance and the business world, history is replete with women whose shrewd, dynamic thought patterns have averted and resolved disasters.

The latest of such women is Captain Abimbola Jayeola, Nigeria’s first female helicopter pilot, who, penultimate week, flew the ill-fated Bristow helicopter that was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean en route Lagos from PortHarcourt, saving the nation the gory tale of another aviation industry disaster by taking skillful and motherly responsibility for the 11 lives aboard that helicopter. ”Ditching” is a controlled emergency measure to land an aircraft on water. Skybrary.com, an aviation website, describes it as a manoeuvre “that, by

Abimbola in the eyes of colleagues

definition, cannot be practiced and may be extremely hazardous. It is only contemplated when no other realistic option remains in an emergency or, in the rotary case, imminent emergency situation.”

Like an aircraft engineer puts it, “Ditching an aircraft is not a joke; it requires ‘plenty’ of bravery”.

This is because such a heli-

copter must land right away or crash. So, instead of crashing into land or water, the Abimbola tactically located the softest available landing spotthe ocean. The emergency notwithstanding, she did this in quite an adept manner that she did not crash but landed as predetermined. Some others would have made a bad decision and struck the nation

with tragedy.

Abimbola forever remains a heroine in the hearts of all who truly understand the dynamics of piloting an aircrafts.

Efforts to speak with members of staff of Bristow, when Woman’s Own visited its headoffice in Lagos, in an attempt to gain better insights into the personality of the airspace diva, was almost frustrated by

Olabisi Olateru-Olagbegi: An iconic amazon I T was amidst emotions and sobs penultimate Thursday in Lagos that Nigerian Women Civil Society Organisations celebrated Olori Olabisi Ibijoke Olateru-Olagbegi who passed on recently after a brief illness.

The memorial celebration of this iconic amazon, themed; “Celebrating an icon of women’s struggle in Nigeria and beyond” held at Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall, Victoria Island, Lagos, had in attendance civil society professionals and activists whose impact in the society is visible, especially to women gender and general.

Held under encomium and tributaries, participants who actually felt the demise of this Nigeria’s great women leader and epitome of women’s struggle in Nigeria, Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi were deeply touched for what she represents.

The Bisi Troika Her Excellency, Erelu Bisi AdeleyeFayemi, F o r m e r President, A f r i c a n Wo m e n ’ s Development F u n d ( AW D F ) Ghana, Former First Lady Ekiti State

and wife of Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals led the scene of women activists as she bared her mind on how she would miss ‘Auntie Bisi’ as she was fondly called by all that knew her. In her tribute which she titled “The Bisi Troika” she narrated how she met Auntie Bisi in the early 1990s during the involvement of several women organizations like Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Women in Law and Development Africa (WILDAF), Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) among others.

Women’s significance In a lighter mood, she mentioned the three giant ‘BISIs’ who are Chief Bisi Ogunleye referred to as ‘Large Bisi’, Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi as middle Bisi and herself Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi as small Bisi. The trio made remarkable impact in the struggle for women’s significance in the society. Erelu Bisi in her tribute said, “Auntie Bisi was a role model, teacher, mentor and friend to so many, either up close or from distance, she was always impeccably turned out in lovely Aso-Oke or Adire, local fabric which she proudly promoted everywhere she went in the world”.

Continuing, she stressed, “Auntie Bisi gave her time, energy and significant intellectual resources to promoting a campaign against Trafficking in Persons. Auntie Bisi belonged to the genre of Nigerian women activists who served women’s interests with every fiber of their being. They did not need the endorsement of governments or their money.

They brought clear, ideological clarity to their work, an understanding of how patriarchy undermines women’s lives and the need to acquire the tools to address this effectively.” with controlled emotions, she expressed how she will eventually miss such a wonderful big sister and friend. Woman activist, Joe Odumakin amidst uncontrollable sobs and emotions, spoke on her brilliance in career and how she impacted lives around her. She mentioned how she lived her life for women and women’s struggles.

According to Joe Odumakin, “In her, there are all qualities that women live and die for. She is a book to read and study. She was a defender of the defenseless, oppressed, and vulnerable.” She lamented her demise was a huge blow to women’s struggle and called for women to rise, emulate and keep the fire burning.

To many like Captain Sheriff Gbadamasi, a pilot of Associated Airline, Abimbola deserves commendation for that singular act. The Captain who likened it to the famous ”Miracle on the Hudson” incident in which the US Airways Flight 1549 lost all its engines due to birds strike and the pilot decided to ditch the aircraft into the ocean where all the 155 passengers on-board were saved, recalled that Captain Chesley Sullenberger and the entire crew were awarded the Master ’s Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators by President Barack Obama at the White House.

An engineer of the defunct Nigeria Airways, Engineer Sheri Kiare, also admitted that the young lady flew the helicopter in an unusually professional manner.

“I think the young lady did what I call “professional flying”. We thank God that simulators are helping in keeping them (pilots) on top of emergency situations.

“Abimbola’s action is worthy of commendation by the company and the industry. Though her action is part of normal flying, I must say she did what needed to be done comfortably and excellently well. Captain Jayeola should be commended by the aviation industry,” Engineer Kiare said.

Abimbola’s Factsheet -Hails from Abeokuta in Ogun state.

-Graduated from Bristow Academy in Florida, USA, in 2014.

-Unceremoniously became Nigeria’s first female helicopter pilot in December 2014.

-She flies the Sikorsky S76 for Bristow Helicopters Nigeria.

-She was the captain on the Bristow helicopter that ditched in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Fifty as a success story is about four prominent women of about 50 years of age who shared a moment of bleak and bliss with a comedic undertone. Two prominent actresses, Dakore EgbusonAtanda and Ireti Doyle, amongst the four, shared a moment with Woman’s Own on their experiences featuring in ‘Fifty’.

this film?The message we put across is trying to learn compassion.

We all seem to have our life together, and from the outside we all have our battles that we struggle from the inside. We should not be so quick to blame each other. We should take time to really try to help each other as much as possible because we all have our own issues.

How do you combine family and job as an actress?It takes God’s glory to have the ability to hold yourself together under that pressure. Pressure from family, children and work.

Women carry a lot of weight.

Fifty is symbolic of that. The fact is that women wear a lot of hats and will be in charge of everyone in the family. I feel ‘Fifty’ is not all about women but men too. We try to get them understand the challenges we pass through.

Sometimes, you have to put

sometimes, but when we start to understand each other very well, we start real communication for an end.Having been in hiatus for some time and coming back to your passionate job, acting- any changes? I don’t think fifty is a comeback thing for me because I have been active in movies since 2012 and with Fifty, nothing changed.

It has been gradual. Fifty is like the 9th film since I came back to work. It’s been great because what I have done with my own personal career is more uncommon for a woman. You get married, you take time off and continued to do or go anywhere you

I feel 50 with ‘Fifty’ – Dakore Egbuson-Atanda

By Chris Onuoha

H

OW do you feel being part of the film

Fifty?

It’s a flagship film for Nigeria because the quality is so intense, even the production is unique and of standard judging from commendation we got from British Film Organization in London where it was first premiered. I believe Fifty is going to open more doors for me especially in my career.

You are younger than the age 50 which the movie portrays. How did you fit in?I think I am an actor and I am supposed to act. It doesn’t really matter. I wanted to portray what women of that age could go through. By God’s grace I will get there one day. I have a mum and friends that are in that age group. They deserve their own story to be told as well.

What’s the message viewers should take from

With ‘Fifty’ you can laugh — Iretiola Doyle

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OW do you feel been part of that movie and what makes it a top-notch?I am very proud, I think it is a movie we should all be proud of and it is a top-notch.Everything, all the elements – high production value, fantastic acting, great cinematography, fantastic sound, the story line is simple and plausible, the costumes. Everything in it is just good.

What message does “Fifty” portray?I have no idea but I don’t think the movie fifty is set out to be a moral barometer or a classroom where you come and learn things for life.

That‘s not what the movie is all about. I am only saying watch the film and enjoy it.

There are some high comedic moments; you will laugh and enjoy it. It is also up to an individual to discern what he wants out of it than be rather presumptuous. It is purely subjective; two people will watch it and come out with different messages. But what I hope the most is that you watch the movie, come out of cinema thoroughly satisfied.

it in two words. Fifty is not just for women but a film for men also.

What do you want men to take from the film as a lesson?I want men to appreciate what women go through. We don’t get that often from our men. They get frustrated about what we do

Bisi Fayemi launches Above Whispers website for women

By Prisca Sam-Duru

B

Which was your last film before “Fifty”? ”The thorn”. Done in 2013, two years ago before Fifty.

It seems there is a gap in big screen appearances noticing that you are a face and character to watch?

You must be aware that I work somewhere else.

Although, there are two other films in between that

have either come out or not.

Maybe they did but could not make big impressions.

That’s how long it took for a big juicy movie ‘Fifty’ to come my way.

What happened to your programme Oge? I have to rest Oge because I became too busy, but we are working on bringing it back.

wanted to, it’s awesome.

Besides, I have an outlet for my creative talent and run an NGO that caters for the vulnerable in the society. To continue to thrive in that area and somehow get works like Fifty involved is something phenomenal.

isi Adeleye-Fayemi wife of the Federal Minister for Solid Minerals Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has launched a new online community blog known as Above Whispers.

The platform is a bespoke community blog which is primarily, (but not exclusively) targeted at middle-aged women. It will provide an opportunity for people to engage in discussions about a range of issues such as politics, social justice, development, financial security, women’s rights, health, entrepreneurship, popular culture, faith, parenting, relationships, and other relevant areas.

The new platform features several prominent women as guest bloggers from within and outside Nigeria. Notable among them are Joke Silva, Betty Irabor, Abike DabiriErewa, Joe OkeiOdumakin, Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Fashola, Florence Ajimobi, Laila St Mathew

Daniel, Janet Adetu and many others.

This new online resource, through its fine array of toprate content and guest bloggers, would enrich the Nigerian blogosphere while providing a platform for inclusive engagement with various segments of the Nigerian society on a wide range of issues.Mrs. Fayemi, explained that the blog offers a unique platform to engage with other people in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

“Women have a lot of stories to tell, of their struggles and triumphs.

These reflections will hopefully serve to inspire others. I also want this space to showcase some of the ways in which we build community in Africa, particularly through our personal and collective philanthropy, stories that usually do not get told in the international media. In addition, I see the website as a place for learning and mentoring across generations” she said.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 27

,

& YOU business plan, explain to them why they should invest in you, and answer all their questions. If someone is giving you money for your business as a gift, be sure you have evidence that it was a gift. This is a precaution to avoid future complications and misunderstandings.

Loan: When raising capital for small business expenses many entrepreneurs go this route. However before obtaining a loan you should be aware that there are many factors associated with business loans such as interest rates, late charges and collateral.

Local community banks are often a great place to obtain a business loan. You can also

Before raising capital for small business expenses, it is important that you first determine how much capital you need for your small business

obtain loans from specialised banks such as Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), etc.

Business partnership: Another way of raising capital for small business expenses is to develop a business partnership with someone who can invest in your business. Make sure to present them with a persuasive explanation on why they should join forces with you.

Incorporation: Many entrepreneurs decide to incorporate their businesses for the purpose of raising capital for small business expenses.

When you incorporate your small business, you will be able to sell shares of stocks.

However when you sell shares of stocks you will also be selling a percentage of the

ownership over the business. So if you sell 50 percent of your corporation’s shares of stocks you are selling 50 percent of the business ownership.

Venture capital: Venture capitalists are professionals who invest in businesses that show a high growth potential. Not only do venture capitalists provide funding for their clients by investing in their business but they also provide valuable business advice and strategies.

If a venture capitalist decides to invest in your business it demonstrates to others that they viewed your chances of success at favourable. However once a venture capitalist decides to invest in your business they often have a say on how it should be run. Since venture capitalists invest in businesses that demonstrate very high and fast growth rates, many small businesses do not meet the criteria.

Investment companies: Small business investment companies are venture capitalists targeted at small businesses. They are partnered with the government and provide small businesses with funding in exchange for a percentage of ownership in the business.

Angel investors Finding an angel investor is another way of raising capital for small business expenses. Angel investors are simply private investors who invest money in your business with the belief and hope that in a couple of years they will see a higher return on their investment.

After a 5 year period, an angel investor may expect a return of at least double their initial investment.

Of course starting a small business is risky business so the angel investor may not see any return if your small business fails.

Naturally an angel investor will want guaranteed exit provisions in case the small business fails. You can find an angel investor by networking with other business owners and small business professionals.

Before raising capital for small business expenses, it is important that you first determine how much capital you need for your small business. Create a business budget.

Take in consideration that entrepreneurs often underestimate how much money is needed to run a small business and fail to expect the unexpected.

For example what if your equipment gets damaged and you need replacements, do you have a back-up plan? That is why it is a good idea to always have extra money put aside, just in case. *Source: Business

Starting

a

Small

Every CEO must be an architect of the future or else, he or she will end up defending the decline

,

Why CEOs should inspire people to think differently “Our world is not shaped by those who think similarly, but by those who dare to think differently”…Rashida Rowe

I

A l l T is possible for people to have different reasons for setting up organisations businesses. The same applies to small that are businesses or big corporations. Regardless stuck of of whatever reason(s) any business was d o i n g established, the desire to achieve better things that result will always play out. Then, again, have not achieving better result to most organisations y i e l d e d is characterised by increase in profitability. t h e m BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE Desiring an increase in profitability is an b e t t e r acceptable proclivity for organisations as a r e s u l t s result of the services being rendered and will end up becoming “Defenders of Decline” paid for. But, the reality is that no instead of “Architect of the future”(example organisation can achieve increased is Apple Inc. vs others). Apple succeeded in profitability by desiring or wishing for it becoming the “architect of the future” while alone except by doing things differently. others are busy defending the decline, little Now, more than ever, the urgent need for wonder Apple’s slogan is “Think Different”.

CEOs and leaders to inspire everyone to Every CEO must be an architect of the future or else, he or she will end up defending the think differently is here.

After hearing for the first time from decline.

To paint a clearer picture of what thinking Stephen Haines in 2010 in his San Diego office that: “you don’t need to think more, differently should mean to organisations, we you just need to think differently”, I had a need to realise that in our various organisations, there are strategies different worldview about that are not working, marketing thinking. Now, when I see When we initiatives that are not producing leaders saying, “Oh let’s the numbers, activities that are not think more of how to solve blend in to worthwhile and generally things this problem, I am quick to what others that are not working for the tell them not to think more, organisation. Thinking differently but rather to think differently. are doing, we starts when we begin to question Based on my practice, I have may not be the old ways of doing things that also realised that we do not have not yielded expected results need to think more able to stand and begin to push the boundaries (haphazardly) just for out with a and think in new ways that lead thinking sake, we need to different to improved results. Thinking think differently with the differently is akin to committing to result in mind – we need to result make a difference. In other words, think strategically. organisations that are thinking differently The same applies to organisations, to want to make a difference in the lives of achieve better results, we may not their customers and employees. It is this necessarily do so many things for our committing to a make a difference that brings customers in terms of quantity, or following improved and sustainable results for the other people’s part just to blend in, but we shareholders. need to begin to do things differently for When we begin to think differently, we the customers. Interestingly, we might just would realise that there is not just one way focus on doing one particular thing of doing things. Of course, it is a red signal differently for them in a way that will add to assume there is only one way of doing the highest value to their lives. things.

Employees must begin to ask optimal Business questions in order to have optimal answers. strategy The fact is that when we blend in to what others are doing, we may not be able to Unbelievably, and despite the fact that stand out with a different result. That means most organisations are doing the same thing we need to be different in all areas of our year in year out, using the same business business (we need to be perceived strategy and initiatives that have not worked, differently and better) and that is the only and yet they expect to have different and time we shall stand out as an organisation better results (that is impossible). of choice.

With the stiff competition in the business Final note: world, if you keep doing your business the It is by thinking and doing things same way you have done it for five years; differently that our organisation can stand you will never even achieve the old results out. Real organisational success and growth that you are used to, but rather below what do not come as a surprise (or by wishful you have been achieving. thinking), they come as a result of seeing That goes to show that to desire improved what others have seen, but thinking in a results in all facets of business operations, different way. we must have a paradigm shift, and that With the knowledge of the fact that we comes by thinking differently. The truth of cannot solve tomorrow’s problem with the matter is that sometimes, we know why today’s thinking, there is a need for all of our organisation is performing so badly, but us to think and do things differently on a we are stuck to the old ways of doing things daily basis – because what brings success – and we are not ready to try something today may not tomorrow. new.

C M Y K

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

COWBELLPEDIA: From left, Mr. Andrew Enahoro, Head, Legal and Public Relations, Mr. Kachi Onubogu, Commercial Director, and Mr. Olivier Thirry, Managing Director, all of Promasidor Nigeria Limited at the media briefing on the 2016 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV quiz competition, in Lagos.

Fear of failure

REMEDIAL PROGRAMMES:

Fun time, academics or racketeering?

By Amaka Abayomi, Tare Youdeowei & Elizabeth Uwandu

A

FTER two failed attempts at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, Mr. Seyi Adeosun (not real names) sought to register his 19 year old son, Thomas, with a remedial school to help improve his chances of scoring higher in the next exams so as to gain admission into a university.

According to Adeosun, upon meeting the owner of the remedial school “my son was asked the school and course of study of his choice which he answered. To my utmost surprise, I was told it would cost me N200,000 to secure admission in that department of the school of his choice.

Naturally, that was the last they saw of us and my son is almost done with his studies in the varsity.”

Remedial education Remedial education was first started with the aim of assisting students achieve expected competencies in core academic skills. But that aim seems to be defeated as a visit to some remedial centers show only a handful of students are in classes while the rest were seen chatting away in groups. Yet, their operators smile to the banks due to increasing patronage.

Vanguard Learning sought C M Y K

the views of operators, parents and students to know if these centers have outlived their usefulness, if the operators are involved in admission racketeering and why they have become hubs for youngsters to fratenise.

Pointing out that the centers started to meet the academic needs of students, an operator, Mr. Shittu Fatai of Era Tutors, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, said “We started this business to meet a need because students sometimes don’t make all their papers when they sit for WAEC so to ensure they make all in GCE, they come to us for extra coaching.

“Admittedly, students will always be students. They are youths and are exuberant, we cannot say they should not mingle or interact with each other because this is not a conventional school.

Nonetheless we try to instil discipline and send away those that disturbing.”

On involvement with admission racketeering, Fatai had this to say. “We do not arrange admission for any of

our students so if they pass, they go. I do not promise parents admission for their wards as I can’t be here and be organising admission for anybody.”

Highlighting the importance of providing such educational services in tutorial centres can’t be overemphasized, an education blogger, Benjamin Fidelis Ugbana, said such centres assisted him passing his SSCE examinations, because the secondary school he attended has shortage of qualified teachers in key subjects areas like English Language and Mathematics.

His words “I attended a public secondary school and had great teachers in most subjects except for English language and Mathematics, and having a grade less than C6 in any of these subjects would require one to sit for the O’ level exam afresh as one wouldn’t gain admission into any higher institution without credit passes in these subjects.

“Then, the level of supervision and inspection, by both external and internal RESEARCH & DEVT

Why some results are missing in NOUN — Ex-VC — Page 29

authorities, was very low and teachers who hated their jobs, due to the poor remuneration, took their students for granted.

My English and Mathematics teachers both had same other things in common.

“The only scenarios I can recall about our English classes are, ‘open to page 432, read the comprehension at the top of the page, and answer the questions below’, ‘everyone settle down, let’s do an exercise. It’s time for Dictation’ and so on. The Mathematics teacher wasn’t any better but we were careful in accepting whatever she says and were always correcting her errors from the basic mathematical skills we had.

Nigeria unnecessarily lagging behind in development — Prof. Dike Kalu — Page 30

"At some point, we were bothered we were all going to fail Mathematics in the final examination, until the idea of patronizing Tutorial centres came to mind. My classmates and I successfully passed the SSCE because of our involvement in lessons at tutorial centres.

"After school, we’d all move from one centre to the other in Surulere to have a better learning experience, especially in science subjects, before retiring home at about 6:00pm.

We paid by the hour and also attended special weekend classes for a fee. The bottomline was we were fully prepared and passed better than our mates who depended only on what we were taught in school."

In the same vein, Love Ebitimi, one time patroniser of a remedial school, said “For my first JAMB, I didn’t use lesson, I just wrote and scored 233. In

Remedial centers just rip people off their hard earned money as the owners and teachers make money while the students only benefit to pass exams, especially those preparing for entrance exams in universities

my second JAMB, because I had stayed home for about a year and needed to refresh my memory, I registered with a tutorial center. Though there were distractions from friends and other students there, which is normal in secondary schools, I knew I had to concentrate.

That year I got 244, I used it to gain admission to UNIBEN.” Calling for the scrapping of these centers, Mrs. Rosaline Afolabi, President, Lagos Branch Nigerwives, an association of foreign women married to Nigerians, said they have become money making machines for their owners.

She said “Remedial centers just rip people off their hard earned money as the owners and teachers make money while the students only benefit to pass exams, especially those preparing for entrance exams in universities. These don’t exist abroad because education is well supervised. The Nigerian education sector needs to be overhauled while this practice is seriously looked into."

Agreeing that remedial centres have outlived their usefulness, a former coordination of a centre, Mr. Henry Sunday, said “gone are the days when these centres complemented formal education, as they have been a beehive for pleasure seeking students and money milking centres for the organisers. The cause of the geometric increase in these centers is not the lapses in our educational system but an identified ‘opportunities of making money and seeking pleasure.”

Adequate monitoring A Senior teacher in Lagos is of the view that these centers are good for the education of students, provided their operations are properly monitored.

He said “Education under government it is like social service rendered to students.

Even where payment is involved, it can’t be compared with private owned institutions, making remedial centres ideal in some cases.

“It all boils down on the intention of the owners and their mode of operations. If it is for the purpose of making quick money, then one can’t rule out all the possibilities of all sorts of malpractices taking place there.

But these centre can come in handy well seasoned teachers are employed and the students are counseled to study hard and desist from distractions. It is an avenue for expanded education.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 29

NUC endorses ABE UK in Nigeria

By Dayo Adesulu

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From left, Mrs. Edith Keshi-Robinson, Head of Centre, Market Space Limited; Mr. George Thorpe, Director of Studies, Market Space Limited, and Mr. Anthony Atagamen, Regional Manager, West Africa, ABE UK Education Institute, during the press briefing to announce the formal accredition of ABE UK Insititute in Nigeria by Ministry of Education under Market Space Limited. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

Why some results are missing in NOUN — Ex-VC

By Caleb Ayansina

F

ORMER Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof.

Vincent Tenebe, has blamed issue of missing results in the institution on the students and the school itself.

The ex-VC noted that majority of the mistakes came from the students who failed to provide their identification as required by the examination guidelines, due to anxiety among others.

Prof. Tenebe, who speaking at press conference on a movie; ‘I Believe’, produced to x-ray the flexibility nature of Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in acquiring education in Nigeria, in Abuja, said, over the years, the institution had

improve on its operation to make education easy in line with the global best practices.

He revealed that the school authorities had set up a Committee to unravel the issues behind the missing results to provide a pragmatic solution to the problem.

His words; “The few that find it difficult to see their results, a Committee has been set up to investigate why the results were missing and proffer solution to make sure that the students receive their results.

“But investigations reveal that mistake comes from both the students and the University itself; some students did not write their examination number correctly, some of them is when

they are anxious or in hurry to answer examination question, they don’t even fill the aspect that required for their identification, some don’t have exam number, some instead of exam number, they write telephone number.

“Such results would be hanging or missing, but I assure you by the time the Senate Committee on missing results completes their assignment, we are going to minimize the case of missing results. But I tell you, there is nowhere in the world that examination would be written and there would not be issues.

Cowbellpedia partners NECO on 2016 Maths TV quiz

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HE 2016 edition of the Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz show will work in partnership with the National Examination Council to widen the reach to participants across the country.

Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor Nigeria Limited explained that this year’s competition will be in two stages: Qualifying Written Examination and TV Quiz Show.

The stage one examination according to him will be conducted by the National Examination Council NECO on Saturday, March 19, 2016.

NECO was mandated to take over the responsibilities of the National Board of Education Measurement (NBEM) and is headed by a Registrar, appointed by

the President under section 9(1) of its establishing Act. Under this year ’s arrangement, NECO will turn in its massive structures to participants all over the country.

Tettey added that the

stage one of the Mathematics Competition is open to students from 10 - 18 years of age attending full time secondary school in public or private schools in Nigeria. Entry into this competition is FREE.

‘We are the future of our nation’ holds in Lagos

By Elizabeth Uwandu N line with promoting patriotism and unity among Nigerian students, especially the SS3 students, Edumark is hosting the tenth edition of,” We are the future of our nation,” themed “ I believe in Nigeria” on March 3, 2016 at Ten Degrees Events Centre, Billings Way, Oregun, Lagos.

The event which will feature; drama, poetry, music, inspirational talks and awards presentations , will have Sir Newton Jibonuh, a Soil Mechanic

I

expert and founder of “ Fight Against Desert Encroachment” FADE, as chairman; while Dame Abimbola Fashola, wife of former wife of Lagos; Senator Oluwemimo Ogunde; Mr Tonye Cole and others will be guests.

Speaking on this year’s event, the host of WATFON and founder of Edumark, Mrs Yinka Ogunde said, “ The initiative is a continuous effort which aim is to achieve the goal of raising patriotic Nigerian students by imbibing in them the zeal to make a better Nigeria.”

HE National U n i v e r s i t y Commission, NUC, has endorsed the ABE UK to run its programmes in Nigeria, as Market Space gets formal accreditation by the institution to provide tuition for ABE UK Marketing Management Levels 5 and 6.

Speaking at a press conference, the Regional Manager, West Africa ABE United Kingdom Education Institute, Mr. Anthony Atagamen, said:‘’I am happy to tell you that two weeks ago, the delegations of the NUC was at ABE headquarters in London where we signed a Memorandum of Understanding to recognise ABE.” He explained that what ABE is hoping and aiming to do is that before the end of 2016, it will be able to get a sense of recognition from the NUC, so that students who finish the level 5 and level 6 can go on to do their NYSC. "If the Federal Ministry of Education is saying, yes that the ABE level 4 is equivalent to an Ordinary National

Diploma, OND, definitely, level 5 and level 6 of ABE are equivalent to Higher National Diploma,HND, after which you can do your NYSC,’’ he said.

Atagamen who disclosed that ABE is also in talk with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, noted that the management of the institution met with TUC's President and Vice towards the last quarters of last 2015 to get their support. ‘’We are at the verge of tighten up the relationship with the TUC,’’ he said.

He, however, pointed out that ABE is not just about academics, but also professional adding, ‘’You can either decide to get a degree with your ABE qualification or go to the market and work. That is why the TUC is also coming onboard.’’

Explaining further, the Head of Centre, Market Space Limited, Mrs Edith KeshiRobinson said that apart from offering the Marketing Management Levels 5 and 6 which are equivalent to Nigerian HND and BS.c, the institution also offers Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Management Level 5 Diploma programs at Market Space Lagos Training Centre.

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

RESEARCH & DEVT

SUCCESS RECIPE with

UDEME ARCHIBONG

Nigeria unnecessarily lagging behind in development — Prof Kalu

Training your mind to work for you (2)

Professor Dike N. Kalu, author of Nigeria’s Adventures in Technology, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center, USA. In this chat with Vanguard Learning during his recent visit to Nigeria, he speaks on his book and says science/technology is imperative to the nation's development. Excerpts:

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By Ebele Orakpo

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HATmotivated you to write Nigeria’s Adventures in Technology?

I have always been interested in technology. My field is in science, and the fruit of science is technology. It is really technology that makes science worthwhile because long time ago, people discovered that they can use it to develop their countries It’s easy to notice that Nigeria has been unnecessarily lagging behind in development and that she shares in common with other developing or under-developed countries, the inability to utilise the fruit of science which is technology, to solve their developmental problems.

When we had independence in the 1960, we were optimistic that subsequent administrations would use science and technology to develop our country but it seems that every year, we continue to lag behind in development.

Should our curriculum be changed since we appear to concentrate more on theory than on practical application of science? For instance a graduate of computer science recently confessed to me that she never handled a computer until she graduated...

That is sad but it is not unique to Nigeria. It is unique to people from underdeveloped circumstances. I have worked in the US as a scientist for many years and have seen all sorts.

Underprivileged school A graduate student from a very poor area of the US once came to do post-graduate work in our university and she told us that she had never used a pipette before. She was from a very underprivileged school and the programme she came to do in our university was designed just to help people from such unfortunate backgrounds. But we were not expecting people that had never seen a pipette, let alone use it!

You have to use a pipette accurately for anything that requires its use in science to be meaningful; and here is a person who is doing a PhD and had never seen a pipette! Of course, she did not make it. So I am not really surprised to hear about the unfortunate computer guy that had never handled a computer because this is common among people from underdeveloped C M Y K

•Prof.

Dike Kalu: Innovation is the only sure way to progess. circumstances.

Advice to government: I do not think our people are inferior in any way to people I have seen in the Western countries. I have been away from the country for over 50 years. I schooled with the children of the Western world; I have taught the children of the Western world, and I competed in research for a long time with their scientists.

In all those activities, I did not see anything to make me believe that these people are superior to us.

In fact, over 200 years ago, one of their famous scientists said that “science knows no country because knowledge belongs to humanity and is the torch which illuminates the world.” No one is endowed with superior intellect; it is just a question of opportunities. Nigerians badly need to be given the appropriate opportunity to practice science and technology in their own country.

Sadly, our science is deteriorating in many quarters. For many of us who are getting on in life, if you go back to your secondary school, you will see that the standard of science is lower than when you were there about 50 years ago. That is a sad commentary; so what I am advocating in part in this book is that our leaders need to go and revitalize our science. If they do, technology will pick up because technology for the most part, is a product of science. But if we do not revitalize our science at the

Nigerians badly need to be given the appropriate opportunity to practice science and technology in their own country

www.worldlightbearersint.com successrecipe2009@gmail.com 08035095243

secondary and even elementary school level, we will just be dreaming and deceiving ourselves when we say we will use technology to advance development in our country.

Technology transfer: Someone asked, why can’t we just buy technology from others? You can, but you shouldn’t because you need not depend on other people to do for you what you can do for yourself. Most foreign investors basically want your money and to keep you as their perpetual customers. They know that innovation is the only sure way to progress, and you cannot innovate if you do not do the basic work and research yourself.

We need to encourage our people appropriately in their efforts to do research in our harsh environment.

If we don’t, there is no lack of charlatans ready to exploit the fact that we lack technology.

Appropriate technology What happens is that when news of an invention breaks in Africa, the West may give awards to the inventor but will not patronize his/ her work which is eventually overtaken by Western innovation.

It is up to us to see to it that we encourage indigenous appropriate technology.

Start something: The bottom line is we should start and persevere with worthwhile ideas and don’t try to start from the top or just duplicate what others have already done.

We are obligated to start investigating issues that are beneficial to us like adapting foreign technology to suit our particular needs, making good water supply available to all, sanitary disposal of wastes, using technology to fight illiteracy, poor roads, treat the sick, ascertain the nutritional value of our foods, learn the scientific basis of our local therapeutics, bring electric light to our neighbourhoods, combat the challenges of climate change, look for alternative sources of energy to fossil fuel, etc. We are bound to regret it if we continue to ignore the necessity to improve science in our schools and prepare ourselves appropriately so that we can address these issues.

IFE is a fight for territory-the territory of the mind. The moment you stop fighting for what you want; in other words the moment you stop controlling and directing your mind what you do not want shows up. And what shows up in the domain of your mind will manifest in the domain of your life. Life is a game-a game played on the rules of giving and receiving.

Whatever you give out in thoughts, words and deeds comes back to its source which is you. And the mind is the playing field for the game of life.

Whatever thoughts take roots in your mind will bear fruits in your life. Training your mind to work for you implies controlling and directing your mind. Nothing great ever happens by chance or accident. In fact, the universe is governed by laws or principles and chance or accident can never be found in the universe.

Gaining mastery over your mind is the key to mastery over life.

Whatever controls your mind controls your destiny. To effectively pilot the affairs of your life you must engage in intentional or on-purpose thinking. You must consistently examine your thought life; you must think about what you are thinking about. Is your mind a dumping ground for all kinds of garbage? Or is it a clean palace of breathtaking splendour? The only thing in life that you have absolute control over is your mind. And thoughts are the primary cause of everything in life.

There is a common quality that is evident in the lives of the truly successful-successful people focus on what they want. There is also a common trait evident in the lives of people who are found in the failure-domain of life-these people focus on what they do not want. Genuinely successful people focus on the ideal life they have committed to creating-they focus on the virtues they want to develop in their character; they focus on the strengths of their spouse; they focus on the good qualities in their children; they focus on the good in every situation; they focus on the

To effectively pilot the affairs of your life you must engage in intentional or on-purpose thinking, you must consistently examine your thought life good in people; they focus on what they want to accomplish in life. However, people who fail through life-these people focus on their weakness; they focus on the weaknesses of their spouse and children; they focus on the weaknesses of people; they complain about their situation; they focus on how life is too hard and everything is working against their progress; they focus on the poverty which they so desperately want to escape but instead they are attracting more of it by the nature of their thoughts.

Whatever you focus on you are fashioning it into your life.

Whenever you think, you think your life into existence. Whenever you speak, you speak things into existence. As your thoughts flow, so flow the issues of your life. Sustained thought implies sustained experience. What you focus your thoughts upon will appear as your life. What you focus on expands and grows into existence. Whatever thoughts that persists in your mind perpetuates in your life. Your life can never be whole when your mind is old.

Right living begins with right thinking. We must make a committed decision to choose right and great thoughts. You need to examine what your beliefs are and why you believe them.

Examine your thought life; what are the thoughts you have about yourself and your abilities? What are the thoughts you have about your finances; your health; your family; your time; your job; your relationships; your future? In training your mind to work for you, investment in time and effort is a vital necessity.

Meditation is the key to controlling your mind. Moments of meditation quiets the mind and enables you to control and direct your thoughts. Engaging in habitual meditation probably first thing in the morning and the last thing you do before getting to bed will increase your mind power and lift you to a higher life.

Meditating on clean, positive and powerful materials such as the Bible and other books refreshes the mind and shapes your perspective in life. Perception fertilizes the conception of reality.

A mind out of control is a life out of control headed for a crash. A mind under control is a life under control headed for an ideal destination.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 31

Capital controls are good — Wall Street Journal

By Mike Bird Long shunned by economists, controls gain support as a way to cope with destabilizing investment flows.

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HE response to turbulent financial markets might be a dose of unorthodox thinking.

Small changes in the yuan have touched off big swings in markets across the world, and the dollar has shot up against just about every currency.

Amid the turmoil, financial and economic policy makers are advocating a tactic once anathema to all but the most mismanaged economies: capital controls. Haruhiko Kuroda, Governor of the Bank of Japan, seemed to deviate from standard economic thinking late last month when he suggested that China might benefit from stricter capital controls.

Capital outflows Both India and Nigeria tightened restrictions on their citizens’ access to foreign currency in recent years, battling to limit capital outflows caused by the winding down of the Federal Reserve’s bondbuying program.

Controls coming back: “The general presumption was that capital-account liberalisation was always good, and capital controls were nearly always bad,” said Olivier Blanchard,

who arrived at the International Monetary Fund as chief economist in 2008 and left the fund last year. “I’ve seen the thinking change, partly because it was already wrong then, and because it was particularly wrong in the crisis.”

Last week, IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, in a speech, cited “a growing recognition that the short-term nature and inherent volatility of global capital flows are problematic.” She said emerging markets and countries such as the U.S. that are the largest sources of international capital flows should consider new regulations and tax policies that curb short-term debt flows and stimulate longer-term equity investments.

The current support for capital controls builds on a change of course at the IMF half a decade ago. After long urging countries to free the movement of capital, the Fund surprised markets and economic policy makers by endorsing and even recommending the use of controls in some cases to slow destabilizing inflows of investment.

The fund was in part influenced by the lessons of the financial crisis, when a handful of advanced economies that were entirely open to global capital flows were hit hard.

Iceland and Spain both experienced deep recessions when the foreign investment that had driven booms in their

economies evaporated.

Similar lessons were drawn by some observers during the eurozone crisis. Greece and Cyprus, both facing sudden outflows over fears their banks would fail, put strict restrictions on bank transfers to stop money from leaving.

Switzerland, meanwhile, has struggled to keep its economy balanced amid massive inflows.

Those flows put pressure on the Swiss franc to rise. A stronger currency pushes down consumer prices that have been falling for most of the last four years, making it harder for the Swiss National Bank to fend off deflation. A strong franc also hurts Swiss exporters by making their goods less competitive in global markets.

The central bank sold huge quantities of francs to keep the currency from appreciating until deciding a year ago it couldn’t sustain the effort, allowing the franc to rise sharply.

Capital controls have major

spreading. Benoit Coeuré, a member of the European Central Bank’s executive board, has referenced Ms. Rey’s work in two speeches over the past year. In November, Mr. Coeuré said capital controls were “once again part of the policy discussion.”

Some of the change is evident in financial policy already.

Poland, for example, has effectively halted new lending in foreign currencies for most people. Many Poles had taken out mortgages in Swiss francs and were badly hurt by the franc’s striking appreciation a year ago, which made their loans more expensive to pay off.

The increasing focus on those sorts of “macroprudential” measures to limit financial instability can have the same effect as capital controls, Blanchard said.

“If you forbid someone in your country from borrowing in another country’s currency, that’s macro-pru,“ he said. ”But stopping a foreign bank from lending in your country is called capital controls.” The debate comes to a head with China. downsides. For one thing, they can make it hard to attract inward investment, because investors may fear they won’t easily get their money back out.

They also can be hard to kick.

After its collapse in 2008, Iceland imposed capital controls that helped stem colossal outflows, but also crimped investment and financing for Icelandic companies. Seven years later, the country only now is inching toward eliminating them.

Impossible trinity

But there is growing support for the idea that limits on money flows may be necessary.

Any economics student will have read about the so-called impossible trinity that supposedly binds policy makers’ hands.

It holds that a country that wants to control its own monetary policy, such as interest rates, can’t also have both a fixed exchange rate and a free flow of capital. Financial and economic orthodoxy thus held that countries should allow exchange rates to float and keep themselves open to movements of international capital.

Enlarge: Helene Rey, an economist at the London Business School, believes the trinity is actually even more impossible than has been Both India and thought. In a 2013 paper Nigeria tightened presented to a gathering of monetary-policy makers, she restrictions on argued that the tumultuous their citizens’ global financial cycle showed that countries hoping to control access to foreign their monetary policy could currency in recent have neither fixed exchange rates nor a free flow of capital. years That view appears to be Send your reactions to: news@vanguardngr.com

Emerging markets In the past, policy makers in high-income countries could argue somewhat dispassionately about fluctuations in capital flows that rocked emerging markets. But now that the swings in flows are hitting the world’s secondlargest economy, how China responds is the rest of the world’s problem, too. “There is a real contradiction between what China needs for internal balance - lower interest rates, significant credit easing via unconventional channels - and what the exchange-rate consequences of such easing mean for both Chinese and global external balances,” said Karthik Sankaran of the Eurasia Group, a consulting firm.

Capital controls could help Chinese authorities use monetary policy to stimulate the economy without causing the exchange rate to tumble. “This makes it a lot easier to deal with those situations where the demands of internal balance and external balance point in opposite directions,” Sankaran said.

Recently, Beijing has imposed some added controls in an effort to halt a huge outflow of funds from China.

The moves include curbing the ability of foreign companies in China to repatriate earnings, and forbidding foreign asset managers, including hedge funds and private-equity firms, from raising yuan-based funds aimed for overseas investment, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

•Culled from Wall Street Journal

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 SAGITTARIUS; The Moon placement can force agitation on the minds of some of you but if you keep your head above the cloudy atmosphere you will not have anything to fear.

CAPRICORN; Here is an ambitious day for many of you.

The more practical you are about your reasonable desire the better for your cause. Be more family minded.

AQUARIUS; Young-at-heart may be greatly excited today and for the next few weeks; if you take good decision on your love life you will enjoy it.

PISCES; Good luck will knock at your door. Although it is good to plan ahead, you have to take advantage of now that presented good opportunities.

ARIES; Keeping both your personal and other people secrets will do you lots of good today. Then tomorrow is your big day; prepare yourself accordingly.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

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IFE is all about relationship. It is all about how you relate well with the other man or woman. For ex-

About Relationship? ample, a successful father should be able to relate well with his children, a successful leader

TERROR MUDA

should be able to relate well with his followers.

Similarly, a good manager should have a good rap-

in “Scavenger Elite”

port with members of his workforce.How well you relate with people could determine how far you will go in life.Think about it.

By Lanre Kehinde

TAURUS; Here is a day when your closeness to the influential people can be source of assistance to both yourself in particular and your group in general. And then your love life is getting better. Exhibit maturity.

GEMINI; Take your health more seriously than before.

However that is not to say you have to ignore your responsibilities at work. Respect your senior colleagues.

CANCER; The influence looks more favourable for you now. You will certainly become more enterprising to the betterment of your cause. Right now nobody can ignore you.

LEO; Those of you who are more observant within your base of operation will have more to gain. Prepare to take good advice from the veterans within your base. Be more loving.

VIRGO; Although your personal ideas are very reliable and capable of bringing success, you will need to be as cooperative as possible to achieve your desire.

LIBRA; It is important you take your sources of making money very seriously. Both hard work and element of luck will work favourably for you.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

SCORPIO; Influence of the Moon will encourage you to become a little bit aggressive; here is a day when your leadership ability will assist many.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat tr ological datee and place of bir th ttoo the As Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Are they right?

Dear Joshua, I want to know everything about myself. Many people are looking up to me for one assistance or the other and when I tell them true situation they don’t believe me and some times I wonder if they are not unfair to me, or could they be right?

Sunny, Oyo.

Dear Sunny, To you personally, you see yourself as a struggling and hard working person but to the outsiders you are one of the fortunate ones around. And Astrologically you are a lucky person; if you look back, you will agree with the fact that you have been lucky more than three times where others have gone. This is because of your final depositor-lucky Jupiter (that is the most influential planet at home when you were born).

Preponderance of planets in cardinal Star Sings during your birth hour pointed to you as a person who strongly desire and deserve prominence. Although you are the emotional person as indicated by many heavenly bodies in water Star Signs, planets in mutable and intellectual related air Signs are indications of your being equally intelligent and adaptable.

As you were born when the mighty Sun (indicator of inner/conscious self) and the Moon (indicator of emotional/sub-conscious self) were placed in Cancer and Sagittarius respectively, you are mainly a Cancer and partly a Sagittarius born person. And that is to say basic characteristics of the two Star Signs are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

It is important to guard against over sensitivity which can make you a victim of dupe who knows how to play on kind hearted people’s emotion.

Because of unstable nature of the ruler of Cancer (I mean the Moon) your emotion too is not always stable In fact, you are a mysterious creature to some people who find it difficult to understand the force behind your being confident and joy radiating person one moment but become timid and moody the next.

The reason is the phases of the Moon; new Moon makes you look like a beginner while the full Moon makes you feel your normal self. Thus, you are confident rearing to go during the full Moon.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016—33

Ship owners accuse FG of encouraging piracy

By Godfrey Bivbere

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IGERIA Ship Owners Association, NISA, has accused the Federal Government of encouraging piracy through the neglect of the nation’s seafarers’ cadets who are left helpless after their training.

Chairman of NISA, Capt. Niyi Labinjo, in a chat with Vanguard, said that in the last 10 years graduates of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Akwa Ibom State and other institutions in the country, had been left to roam the streets without the opportunity to complete the practical aspect of their training.

Labinjo noted that the practical training onboard ships was a prerequisite for completion of their training.

He said that out of frustration, the young cadets were lured to team up with dubious characters who take advantage of their seafaring skills to join piracy and sea robbery.

According to him, “Cadets of MAN, Oron, who graduated six to 15 years ago have no jobs. So what do you want to do with the new people you are training? You are going to make them hijackers, sea pirates. That is

why the issue of sea piracy cases is very high because the boys we trained have no jobs.

"Those who graduated many years back have no jobs because they have no place to

do the industrial training, and therefore, cannot continue. Look at all those Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA had trained

under its National Seafarers Development Programm, NSDP. They have returned and have nowhere to do their sea time. They are walking the streets.”

GROUNDBREAKING: From left: Dr. Isaac Thompson Amos, Group Managing Director/ CEO of Thompson and Grace Investments Ltd; Dr. Emmanuel Umoh, Project Manager, XEQ Solutions, in Plano, Texas, and Armin Huttenlocher, Risk Management Consultant for the Thompson & Grace Medical City projects, during the groundbreaking of Thompson & Grace Medical City, at Afana Obong, Akwa Ibom State.

Edo gov poll: Ijaw communities pledge support for Edebiri

By Gabriel Enogholase

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HEAD of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries to pick its candidate for the July governorship election in Edo State, Ijaw communities in the state have endorsed the governorship aspiration of Chief Solomon Edebiri.

The Ijaw communities including, youths and members of the ex-Niger Delta freedom fighters, said that the endorsement of Edebiri was borne out of his simplicity and sincerity of purpose and interest for youth development demonstrated through his business interests within the Niger Delta region.

Led by their leader, Mr Egbema One and 53 exmilitant generals, they said that they were ready to ensure the realisation of Edebiri’s governorship aspiration.

Pledging their support at Edebiri's campaign Secretariat

on Ewa Road in Benin, they said: “We are aware that you may not have the financial muscle like many out there, but your sincerity of purpose, genuine interest in youth development and desire to bring economic growth to the

FG urged to end push against N-Delta ex-militants of the coalition, Mr. H. Ebirie, The coalition

By Simon Adewale

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OALITION of Urhobo ex-militants has called on the Federal Government to stop what it called the “harassment of Niger Delta youths, especially ex-agitators,” in the region.

Speaking with newsmen in Ughelli, Delta State, Chairman

noted that the harassment and arrest of ex-agitators by security operatives in the region was uncalled for, as they have been complementing government efforts to sustain the prevailing peace in the region since they accepted the amnesty offered them by government.

Delta APC chieftain rehabilitates victims of Kokori crisis community which resulted in because I have been looking for

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By Perez Brisibe

GHELLI—YEARS after the military invasion of Kokori community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State in search of suspected militants, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Solomon Edojah, in the state has stressed the need for the rehabilitation of victims of the Kokori crisis.

Making the call during the first edition of the Hon Solomon Edojah Grant for the needy, the former House of Representatives member for Ethiope federal constituency explained that years after the crisis that rocked the C M Y K

state have endeared you to us.”

Responding, Edebiri thanked the youths for their support and promised an all inclusive government if he picks the party’s ticket at the primaries and wins the July governorship poll.

the loss of property worth millions of naira, there was need to rehabilitate victims of the crisis.

The beneficiaries numbering 46, went home with various sums of money after they were selected by a 3-man panel which interviewed them on their most pressing financial needs to enable them expand their businesses.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Erema Micheal applauded the sponsors of the programme, describing it as a laudable gesture that should be emulated by other well meaning individuals in the community.

“Today is a great day for me

funds to expand my business and this is a respite for me and my family. If other eminent individuals in this community can embark on similar gestures, it will help in boosting the living standard of residents of the community.”

also congratulated Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on his victory at the Supreme Court.

It said Okowa’s victory was well deserved because he was voted massively by Deltans, which was evident by the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC after the poll.

It reminded his kinsmen of Urhobo extraction, Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party, LP, and Chief O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who challenged Okowa’s victory at the tribunal and proceeded to the Supreme Court, that they should have heeded the advice proffered earlier to them not to disturb the state with litigations.

St. Enda’s old students meet

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HE monthly general meeting of St. Enda’s College, Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government area of Delta State (formally Agbarho Grammar School, Agbarho) holds on February 20, 2016 at 12B, Abuja Close,

Agbara Estate, Ogun State, at 3.p.m. prompt.

General Secretary, Mr. Sunday Orode, in a statement, urged members to be punctual as crucial issues have been lined up for deliberation.

DTHA tasks FG on repair of failed Delta roads

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By Festus Ahon

SABA—WORRIED by the danger posed by the failed portions on the Wa r r i / S a p e l e / B e n i n expressway to road users, Delta State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a resolution calling on the Federal Ministry of Works to, as a matter of urgency, carry out immediate repairs on the bad portions of the road between Okwijorogu and Okuovo in Okpe Local Government Area of the state.

The House, in a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance by the member representing Okpe constituency, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to intervene in the maintenance of the section of the road without further delay.

Sympathizing with hundreds of motorists over the pains they suffer on the spots as a result of the deplorable state of the failed portions, the House said it was affecting free flow of traffic thereby endangering the lives of road users.

Oil community chieftain donates furniture to school

By Tare Youdeowei

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RESIDENT of the oilrich Ugborhen Community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Anthony Amitaye, has donated desks, chairs and tables to Adaka Grammar School, Ugborhen.

He donated 120 school desks, 30 chairs and tables for teachers and students of the school to make teaching and learning more conducive.

He noted in his address at the donation ceremony that education was the key to success and development as he charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the donated items.

Admitting that the cost of funding education was enormous, Chief Amitaye said that government alone cannot do it, adding that, the items he brought to the school were his own way of complementing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s efforts in his developmental drive in the education sector.

34 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 , 2016

Okorocha pledges support for COSON in Imo

S-COURT RULING: Uba, Okonkwo, others threaten INEC over Certificate of Return A

By Vincent Ujumadu

WKA—THE embattled candidates in the list of the Ejike Oguebego-led leadership of the Anambra State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 national assembly elections have threatened to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to court over alleged delay in issuing them Certificates of Return, following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the authentic leadership of Anambra PDP. Those making the threat include the self acclaimed godfather of Anambra politics, Chief Chris Uba, who wants to take over from his brother, Andy, as the senator for Anambra South, Senator Annie Okonkwo for Anambra Central, Hon. Charles Odedo for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency and Emma Nweke for Awka North and South Federal Constituency.

Others are Tony Offiah, Hon. Julius Oforma, Hon. Ifenyinwa Anazonwu, Hon. Benny Obaze, Hon. Uche Obi, and Hon. Ejike Nwene.

Apart from Senator Andy Uba, the Oguebego group wants to unseat Senator Stella Uduah, as well as Chukwuma Onyema, Eucharia Azodo, Chris Azubogu, Obinna Chidoka, Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka, Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Nnebe and Tony Nwoye, all members of the House of Representatives.

In a statement in Awka, they called on INEC to order Senators Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and other members of PDP in the House of Representatives to vacate their seats with immediate effect following the Supreme Court judgment.

The PDP candidates also threatened to drag the INEC counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu,

SAN, to the National Judicial Council, NJC, if he failed to disqualify himself from further participation in the matter within seven days over alleged conflict of interests and urged INEC to discountenance and jettison

opinions from the consortium of lawyers under its pay roll.

The statement said: “The INEC, as an umpire cannot be seen to be taking sides, but must, at all times, be in strict adherence to the law. We will be forwarding a

more detailed petition against the two members of INEC consortium of lawyers to the legal practitioners’ disciplinary committee and that of the ethics and privileges committee."

Anambra Police dock bizman for alleged damage of property

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

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NEWI—THE police in Anambra have arraigned a 55-year-old Onitsha-based businessman, Mr. Kenneth Okigbo, for allegedly damaging a shop valued at N248,350, property of one Chinedu Anthony Okonkwo, on December 15, 2015.

Mr. Okigbo was arraigned before an Onitsha Magistrate court presided over by M.N. Amaduah of the Magistrate Court 7, Onitsha.

In the charge, the police said Okigbo willfully and maliciously damaged a shop built with blocks, valued at N248,350, property of one Chinedu Anthony Okonkwo and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 415(i) of Criminal Code Cap

36Vol. II revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria1991.

But when the charge was read to Okigbo, he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N200,000, with one surety in like sum.

However, when the matter came up again in court yesterday, a mild drama ensued between a lawyer and the police prosecutor, Mr. Ogbu, when counsel to the defendant told Mr. Okonkwo while on witness box that he had no business being in the court against Mr. Okigbo because his father who originally owns the house is still living and should be the one in court.

The comment did not go down well with the police prosecutor who felt the defendant's lawyer

was using insulting and intimidating comments against Mr. Okonkwo who had earlier told the court that his father is very old and had handed over everything about the property to him as the first son, including the management, repairs, reconstruction and collection of rent, since he became very weak and retired to Nnewi.

Ogbu promptly raised an objection and told the magistrate to call the lawyer to order by restricting his questions and comments on the damaged property, since the ownership of the building is not in contest and is not why they were in court.

The magistrate, however, adjourned the matter to March 21, 2016 for further hearing.

New electricity tariff'll benefit Nigerians —CELWA

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By Dapo Akinrefon

AGOS—FOLLOWING criticism that has trailed the newly introduced electricity policy in the country, a prodemocracy advocacy outfit, Centre for Labour and Workers Advancement, CELWA, has urged Nigerians to take a critical look at the policy, saying it will benefit Nigerians.

In a statement, President of the centre, Mr. Kola Oba said the new electricity tariff

regime will discourage corruption in the power sector and abolish estimated and fixed charges.

According to Oba, with the policy, consumers will pay for what they consume and can insist on settling payments only if they have meters.

He said: “The policy is about zero tolerance for over billing of consumers just as it will establish a consumer friendly dispute resolution strategy that allows consumers to use

electricity until resolution of contested electricity bill.

"Consumers, according to the release cannot be disconnected unfairly, while the new regime will also ensure a just and fair pricing of electricity and new consumers cannot also be connected without provision of meters.

"When in operation, it will block illegal theft of electricity in conveyance and reduce high incidences of collection losses."

O

ByAnozie Egole

WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has pledged to support the activities of Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, in the state.

The governor also called on all persons and organizations who deploy music in their businesses in the state to ensure that they respect the law and obtain appropriate copyright licenses from COSON. Governor Okorocha stated this at Imo Government House, Owerri, when he met with the leadership of COSON led by the Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji. He also urged the Federal Government to set up a power plant in the state as the state has everything necessary for the plant to grow.

The governor said: “Music has left America and London and is back to Nigeria now. So, this is our finest moment to make use of this special product. Probably, oil is giving way to allow the musical talents to come up.

"The drop in oil price is increase in the price of music and I will like us to celebrate it. So we are proud of you.

Somehow, as small as the state might be in terms of size, this seems to me to be the pivot of which many activities in Nigeria will rotate.

"Imo state has provided everything for this nation.

Many of you may not know that the gas we talk about; the source of power is in Imo State and we are number one in gas in the whole of Africa."

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

Is President Buhari winning war against terrorism?

T

his Buhari government should stop playing to the gallery, lying and deceiving Nigerians and i n t e r n a t i o n a l communities, posting stories that all is well in the battle against Boko Haram.

A defeat does not need propaganda.

Mr Ayodele Akele, Activist C M Y K

P

MB/APC are forcing us to sleep and keep mute by claiming Boko Haram has been defeated, this is the most devilish act. I thought they claimed Boko Haram had been defeated in Dec. 2015. Why is the killing still on. Mr Adesanya Bayokale, Businessman

W

e should be worried that Boko Haram surfaced and staged a killing spree for more than 10 hours without anyone challenging them, even as APC and Buhari told us they have been defeated. Miss Anwulika Nduba, Model

I

f you add the 85 Nigerian police figure to the over 80 killed in different parts of Maiduguri and Adamawa, that is more than 200 souls lost in a week, yet this government is telling us that Boko Haram has been defeated. Miss Regina Osakwe, Graduate

I

t is high time this government exposed sponsors of Boko Haram, they should fish them out because Boko Haram is not faceless again.We can't be exposing evil while keeping mum on another major evil.

Mr Ibeabuchi Lazarus, Worker

B

uhari spent $2bn to move the military command center to Maiduguri on May 30, 2015. Was this money flushed down the drain? Under nine months Boko Haram has killed 5000 women and children. Have we made progress? Miss Kubura Aremu, Model

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 35

BOKO HARAM: Borno to re-open highways M

AIDUGURI—THE Borno State government said yesterday it was working on plans to re-open major highways linking Maiduguri to other parts of the state.

Governor Kashim Shettima, stated this at an interactive forum with traders of the Monday Market in Maiduguri.

The governor explained that the

objective was to rejuvenate the economy of the state, which had suffered setbacks due to the Boko Haram insurgency.

He said the government had also constructed shopping malls in different parts of the state capital to encourage business activities.

Mr. Shettima expressed optimism that the lingering Boko

Haram insurgency would soon be over, following successes recorded by the military in its campaign against terrorism.

He commended the leadership of the traders for maintaining unity among them.

Mr. Shettima assured that the government was ready to assist the traders and other business owners to overcome the hardships

they were facing due to the insurgency.

The permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Trade and Investment, Hamza Hamawa, said the forum was organised by traders to express appreciation to the governor for initiating an interest-free loan for them.

Mr. Hamawa said many traders had benefited from the scheme.

Kwara South Unity Forum lauds Ahmed over road projects

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HE Kwara South Unity Forum, KSUF, has commended the renewed efforts of Governor Abdulfataah Ahmed of Kwara State, to complete ongoing road projects of his government.

In a communiqué at the end of its monthly meeting in Rore, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, the Forum said resumption of work on the abandoned road project sites had rekindled the confidence of the people in the government.

It particularly cited the OmuAran – Rore – Aranorin – Arandun road; the Oloro Palace Road; OkeOde – Sagbe road, Oko River Bridge, Oro-Ago; Offa – Ira road; Share and Oke-Ode township roads, all in Kwara South Senatorial District, among those projects now receiving serious attention.

According to KSUF, it was gratifying that similar projects were on-going in the two other senatorial districts of the state and Ilorin, the state capital.

In the communiqué, by MajorGen Yemi Abidoye (retd), and Rotimi Ogunwuyi, Chairman and Interim Secretary of the forum respectively, Governor Ahmed was enjoined to also ensure the take-off of the Osi Campus of the Kwara State University this year.

The forum also appealed to him to rehabilitate the deplorable Ajasse-Ipo–Offa road and the Eruku–Egbe road, which they described as key gateways into the state from Osun and Kogi states.

VISIT: From left: Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation and Olori Omo Oba Owu Abeokuta, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), Ooni of Ife, Oba Eniola Ogunwusi, Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Oba Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu and former Military Governor of old Ondo State and Balogun of Erunwa Owu, General Kayode Opaleye, during the visit of Ooni to the Olowu in Abeokuta.

I've never used public fund for my trips — GOV YARI

By Salisu Maradun

G

USAU—GOVERNOR Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has said he has never spent public fund on any foreign trip, challenging critics to prove him wrong.

The governor, who spoke through his Information and Culture Commissioner, Ahaji Umar Jibo Bukkuyum, also explained that what he had done and was still doing, was to move the state forward developmentally.

According to him, the governor was doing his best toward addressing the problems in the state, saying “Instead of the people to be talking meaninglessly, they should face realities. It is a known fact that before this governor came in, so many things were lacking. For instance; a number of roads have been constructed across the state, and where there was no health institution, it has been built.”

He said instead of spreading unfounded rumours, people, should pray for the leaders to

ARMY/SHIITE CLASH: Shiite wants Magistrate investigated IMN, otherwise known as

By Luka Binniyat

K

ADUNA—THE Islamic Movement in Nigeria,

Nigerian Shiite, yesterday asked the Chief Judge of Kaduna State and the Kaduna Judicial Service Commission to investigate Chief

SENATORIAL RE-RUN: Mark accuses APC, Benue govt of fuelling tension campaign organization, Abba

By Peter Duru

M

A K U R D I — FOLLOWING recent killing of three persons in Ogboju and the heightened tension in Benue South zone, ahead of Saturday’s senatorial re-run election in the area, Senator David Mark, has accused the state government and the All Progressives Congress, APC,

succeed in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The commissioner added that contracts for a number of roads to be constructed in the state had been awarded by the government in addition to the ones that had been completed, stressing that recently over N1 billion was released for payment of WAEC and NECO for students. “We expect the people to commend the government over this development, and not to spread rumours. I think we should be fair to ourselves,” Bukkuyum said.

of fueling crisis and threatening the peace of the area.

But the government in a swift reaction, dismissed the allegation, insisting enough security personnel has been put in place to ensure the safety of lives and properties in the area, before, during and after the rerun elections.

Mark speaking through the Director General of his

Moro, called on security agencies to stem further killings in the area.

Moro who spoke in Otukpo, claimed the actions and speeches of APC and the state government ahead of the polls were fueling the crisis and threatening the peace of the zone.

He urged security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities, to avert further bloodshed.

Magistrate Awal Umar of Chief Magistrate Court I, Kaduna.

The group claimed it was after realising that the four were not in custody that Umar ordered for their arrest and subsequently detention.

The Spokesman of IMN, Ibrahim Musa, who made the allegation in a statement said among others, “The Chief Judge of Kaduna State must investigate the deliberate procedural irregularity perpetrated by the Chief Magistrate 1 Ibrahim Taiwo Road Kaduna in taking cognizance of the offences and suspects he signed their detention warrant in December three months after he signed the said warrant committing them to prison custody.”

Labour threatens Federal Palace Hotel over unfair practices

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

O

RANISED Labour in the hospitality industry, yesterday accused the Federal Palace Hotel and Casino of unfair labour practices, racism among others, threatening to declare a full blown industrial action against the hotel if the management fails to retrace its steps and do the right things.

At a joint briefing by leaders of Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association, HAPSSSA, and National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers, NUHPSW, in Lagos, the two unions, catalogued series of alleged unfair labour practices and victimization of workers that dated back to 2007 when the Sun International Limited of South Africa, took over the management of the hotel following its privatization.

Speaking on behalf of the two unions, President of HAPSSSA, Adeyemi Ademola, lamented that all relevant agencies of government, such as the Labour Ministry, Police, Department of State Services, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, National Assembly, Lagos State House of Assembly, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had been intimated with difference letters and petitions on their grievances with the management of the hotel, but to no avail.

Attempt to speak with the management of the hotel was unsuccessful as the Human Resources Manager, Mr. Bogoshi Matlala (A South African), said he could not speak on phone and would not be available until Sunday.

However, Mr. Ademola claimed among others, besides alleged management refusal to have a collective bargaining agreement, CBA, with the unions towards a condition of service for the workers, “the workers have endured series of humiliation, provocation, intimidation, molestation, sacks, threats such as termination at will, lack of healthcare facilities, nonremittance of taxes and thus preventing the workers from having tax clearance certificates, illegal deduction of staff wages for no just cause amounting to about N50 million,” among others.

He urged federal and state governments and their agencies to call the management to order, warning that labour had exhausted its patience limit.

36—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 37

C M Y K

38 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 39

C M Y K

40—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

We must strengthen EFCC, ICPC to win war on corruption —Horn, SAN Mr. Sebastine Horn, SAN, is a renowned author and legal practitioner. In this interview, he examines the constitution amendments being undertaken by the National Assembly among other issues.

Excerpts:

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By Innocent Anaba

HE Nigerian constitution is currently undergoing amendments in the National Assembly. Which core areas do you think they must amend?

We must first of all remember that the National Assembly, in conjunction with the various state Houses of Assembly, has power to amend the Nigerian constitution. This power is donated by the Constitution itself and cannot therefore, be wished away.

I totally agree that there are some core areas of the constitution that require tinkering with.

The most prominent of these is the issue of autonomy for the local governments. The experience of having the local governments as appendages of the various state governments has been one of underdevelopment and sorrow.

It is axiomatic that every country crafts its constitution in a manner that suits its local conditions.

The various state governments in Nigeria have shown, through brazen abuse of power, that they cannot be trusted with the power to oversee the affairs of the councils that fall within their domains, hence constitutional change aimed at granting autonomy to those councils has become very imperative at this stage.

Urgent intervention The second area that needs the urgent intervention of the Legislature is in judiciary reforms. Our courts are not truly independent.

For instance, even though section 6 of the Constitution has listed State High Courts, the various Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal as “courts established for the Federation,” they are still reckoned with as courts ‘owned by the various state governments.’

This is clearly wrong and it has its negative implications. Each year, the heads of these courts submit their annual expenditure budgets to the various state governments, contrary to the spirit and intent of the constitution.

This also constricts the operations of these courts because by this singular unconstitutional practice, the said courts are subordinated to the ‘unholy’ powers of the State Chief Executives. This clearly is an affront on the sacred principle of the rule of law. I, therefore, suggest that there should be an express constitution-

al provision mandating the various federal courts set up to operate at the state level to submit their various capital expenditures to the National Assembly through the National Judicial Council.

By so doing, much will be achieved in terms of the rule of law in Nigeria – because these federal-state courts far outnumber all the other courts puts together.

One other area that requires urgent attention is in the 3rd Alteration Act to the constitution, which created the National Industrial Court but made its decisions final, except on issues of fundamental rights.

Fundamental rights Being one of the superior courts of record in Nigeria, indeed as the latest of such courts, the National Industrial Court does not possess any extraordinary jurisdiction or nature as to be infallible in its decisions. By the way, before it was given a constitutional status under the 3rd Alteration Act, its decisions were subject to appeal, hence there is no fathomable or convincing reason why the framers of the 3rd Alteration Act made the decisions of this court final except on questions of fundamental.

Finally, the 2nd Alteration Act to the constitution deleted section 233(3)-(6) of the Constitution, which not only prescribed the right of appeal to the Supreme Court on issues of fact or mixed law and fact but also conferred right of appeal on a person who was not originally part of the suit/ appeal but who was interested in appealing to the Supreme Court as a person aggrieved.

More importantly, section 233(6) made provision for the enactment/existence of the rules of the Supreme Court, but alas, it also fell under the hammer of the legislature. How can the apex Court not be functioning with Rules or with Rules that lack constitutional backing? I suggest strongly that section 233(3)-(6) of the constitution which was deleted by the 2nd Alteration Act be restored back, for effective working of the system.

The concept of Holden Charge has been fingered as one of the areas slowing the pace of justice administration in the country.

What is your reaction to this?

The idea of holden charges,

Horn- National Assembly has power to amend the Nigerian constitution contrary to popular thinking, is not alien to our constitutional cum criminal law jurisprudence. It was affirmed by the Supreme Court in Lufadeju vs. Johnson, in 2007.

So, all decisions of the Court of Appeal to the contrary are no more good law. There is nowhere in the world, to the best of knowledge, where detention upon commission of an indictable offence by an inferior court or on the orders of an inferior court pending arraignment before a superior or competent court for trial is impermissible. This is a criminal procedure intended to prevent an accused felon from escaping from justice or causing more damage to the society, if left to roam the streets.

It is also meant to complement the constitution, which normally embargoes detention beyond a certain period of time – in which case, such detention order is supposedly a legal instrument issued by a Magistrate or a Judge of an inferior jurisdiction exercis-

The second area that needs urgent intervention of the Legislature is in judiciary reforms

ing some extraordinary or even statutory powers.

There is nothing specifically wrong with this procedure and this has, as stated above, been confirmed by our Supreme Court in Lufadeju’s case.

There have been calls for President Buhari to obey court orders. What is your reaction to the increasing incidents of disobedience to court orders by the President?

For sure, anybody or authority which disobeys court orders is standing our constitution on its head. Section 287 of the constitution has made the judgment of the various superior courts of record binding on all persons in Nigeria, who are given the additional responsibility of enforcing them.

Statutory powers No matter how highly placed, therefore, no person in Nigeria, including the president, has any scintilla of power to disobey a court order, even if it is patently wrong. Having said that, I do not agree that Mr. President has been persistent in disobeying court orders.

I think what happened in all those high profile trials was that the accused persons had multiple criminal allegations hanging on their necks, and even if granted bail in one charge or offence, were liable to be arrested for another.

Again, nowhere in the world is this practice prohibited.

In conclusion, however, the statement of Mr. President during the Presidential media chat where he suggested that he will be at pains releasing some of the detainees who were facing high profile offences was, as explained

by his media team, Mr. President’s personal opinion which had no practical effect. But Mr. President knows he is ‘Mr. Nigeria,’ hence he should watch his words and action before his detractors will go to town early to accuse him of dictatorship and other undemocratic conducts.

Our Evidence Act has been amended to create room for the admissibility of electronic evidence by Nigerian courts.

How has this amendment facilitated the expeditious dispensation of justice in the country?

The amendments introduced by the Legislature to the 1990/2004 Evidence Act, even though overdue, are a very welcome development.

I must add here quickly that the introduced provisions relating to the admissibility of electronic evidence, based largely, in my investigative opinion, on the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 2000 and the English Criminal Evidence Act, 1984 as amended, remains the highest and most salutary innovation of the Evidence Act, 2011.

Investigative opinion Now, the procedure for the admissibility of computer-generated documents and documents bearing e-signatures has been clearly laid down, making the adjudicative process in this regard very easy. For instance, I would like to authoritatively state here that these provisions have assisted the courts qua counsel handling terrorism and bank fraud cases, wherein electronic evidence remains germane and central because the dramatis Continues on page 41

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARU 18, 2016—41

We must strengthen EFCC, ICPC to win war on corruption — Horn, SAN Continues from page 40 personae use electronic gadgets like GSMs and computers to commit crimes. I can go on and on, but there are several other innovations made in the Act which have so far been contributing to the overall administration of justice. I honestly commend the National Assembly for enacting this piece of crucial legislation.

It is now trite law that election matters and petitions must be determined within 180 days and 60 days respectively from the day of the election by the courts, the Election Petition Tribunals on one hand and the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on the other. How has this law affected the adjudication of election disputes?

There is no single doubt that the insertion of 180 and 60 days, respectively, in our constitution as the times within which election disputes should be completed by the Election Tribunals on the one hand and the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal on the other hand has helped in quick dispensation of justice in this area.

Rigid interpretation Beyond that, however, I have always maintained that the rigid interpretation by the Supreme Court of these provisions at times work and will continue to work grave injustice. For instance, the apex court has stuck to its resolve to remain aloof, even in the face of clear abuse or excess of jurisdiction. Judging from pre1999 precedents, the stand of the Supreme Court is, with respect, faulty.

There existed, in the pre-1999 constitutional era, section 258 of the 1979 Constitution, as amended by Decree 107 of 1993 and the Constitution (Amendment and Suspension) Decree of 1984. Under this section, courts of law were to deliver their judgments within three months of the conclusion of final addresses.

In a good number of appeals, the Supreme Court whipped to order any court that flouted this provision, especially when a miscarriage of justice had arisen – by nullifying its decision and

EDITORIAL TEAM Innocent Anaba ( Head) Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri Dayo Benson (Supervising Editor) 08056180119 dayobenson@yahoo.com C M Y K

Horn- Pay of Judges and Justices is embarrassingly low ordering a retrial or rehearing.

There was no posturing on the part of the apex court that ‘since the three months’ limitation has passed, we have nothing to do,’ as is being done by that court in the 180 days’ regime of the 1999 Constitution. The law is based on precedents, which make for certainty of interpretation and application. I hereby strongly urge the Supreme Court to consider reversing itself on its rigid stance on the issue of 180 days.

What are the challenges posed by this seemingly new law?

One of the greatest challenges facing the Tribunals and the courts is the compulsion instituted by section 285(6), (7) and (8), requiring completion of election matters within either 180 days or 60 days, respectively.

Defence lawyers utilise these provisions to raise all manners of dilatory tactics to defeat the cause of justice. Related to this is the fact that in any election petition complaining of widespread electoral malfeasances, the petitioner, as per settled case law, is under obligation to call at least one witness from each polling unit complained of.

If there are 4000 polling units, can such a petitioner call 4000 witnesses within the 180 days’ framework – given the deliberate frustrating gimmicks of defence lawyers? Even if such tactics are not applied, can a defence team

also call its corresponding 4000 witnesses to counter what the petitioner’s witnesses have said – all within 180 days?

There are several other institutional challenges. One area that has the most conflicting decisions of superior courts of record is in electoral disputes. It is most difficult for the bar and the bench to situate the applicable interpretative law, given the several conflicting judgments handed down by our appellate courts.

Non-formal challenges include attempts by politicians, backed by their counsel, to corrupt the system. Again, I hereby state

One of the greatest challenges facing the Tribunals and the courts is the compulsion instituted by section 285(6), (7) and (8), requiring completion of election matters within either 180 days or 60 days, respectively

m o s t authoritatively that in no set of cases does the Judiciary face greater pressure for compromise as in electoral disputes. And it is c o m m o n knowledge, to the collective shame of us all, that lawyers are involved in this criminal practice.

That is why some of us are with Mr. President in his avowed resolve to confront headlong corruption in all facets of our national life. I fully support that the Judiciary should

not be left out.

The first point, which I forgot to mention while answering your question on the areas of the Constitution that need amendment, and which is important here, is amendment of the Constitution to incorporate a provision prohibiting stay of proceedings in corruption trials.

Defence lawyers file frivolous interlocutory applications in such trials and when refused, they appeal and ask for stay of proceedings.

Interlocutory applications Such appeals take at times 10 years to complete, thereby deliberately frustrating those trials. It is not enough to incorporate such provisions in the EFCC Act or any other Act of the National Assembly, because defence lawyers always insist they are unconstitutional. So, if included in the constitution, nobody will have the temerity to say it is unconstitutional.

The pay of our Judges and Justices is also embarrassingly very low. A couple of years ago, I did an expo on how much our Judges and Justices are earning vis-à-vis what their counterparts are earning in places like the USA and even Ghana. For instance, a Magistrate in the USA earns more than a Justice of the

Supreme Court in Nigeria. Is that not most humiliating. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Nigeria is more than 50 times busier than the US Supreme Court. Why are we then punishing members of the Bench this way, when members of the political class pocket hundreds of millions?

Akin to the above is the steady decline in the annual budget of the judiciary, vis-à-vis the astronomical rise in the budget of the two other arms of government. Is this deliberate or what? How can one explain this development?

Your question also touches on the need to strengthen the anticorruption agencies. Again, going memory lane, I did another expo on the institutional limitations placed on the way of these agencies. I will here try to recall as much as I can on what I said a couple of years ago. The EFCC was established to perform similar functions as the US Federal Bureau of Investigations, the FBI.

Corruption index The US population, hovering between 310-320 million, is about twice the population of Nigeria.

The corruption index of Nigeria is far higher than that of the USA. However, the annual budget of the FBI is 10 times more than that of the EFCC and ICPC put together.

The FBI has a staff strength of more than 50,000, while the EFCC and ICPC combined cannot boast of more than 5,000.

The FBI has a stringent and consistent training regime for its staff, but this is lacking in Nigeria. What else can I say?

The issue of creating specialised courts for anti-corruption has also been on the table for some time. I fully endorse this, because it will not only result in quick dispensation of justice but also lead to specialisation and knowhow on the part of the Judges and the lawyers directly involved.

If third world countries such as Bangladesh and Uganda have anti-graft courts working for them, what stops Nigeria from also having theirs? Even Burkina Faso is in the process of establishing these courts.

42—Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Crisis rocks NASS over plagiarism allegation

By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

BUJA—THE National Assembly leadership has been thrown into a quandary over allegations of plagiarism made against the head of its training institute, the National Institute for Legislative Studies, NILS, Dr. Ladi Hamalai.

At the centre of the allegations against Dr. Hamalai is a senior research fellow in NILS, Dr. Ogujuiba Kanayo. Dr. Kanayo has petitioned the president of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki alleging victimisation from Dr. Hamalai on account of his knowledge of the charge of plagiarism made against the DG by a foreign publishing company.

Dr. Kanayo who is asking for protection from the alleged acts of victimisation supposedly waged by the DG was, however, countered by Dr. Hamalai who washed her hands over alleged malice against the petitioner. The DG has also dismissed the allegations of plagiarism against her saying that sufficient reference was made to the original author of the book in question, "Legislators in Changing Times, an analysis of the Nigerian National Assembly” published by Goldmine and Jacobs.

In the petition dated February 11, 2016 obtained by Vanguard, the petitioner is asking Senator Saraki as chairman of the governing council to unearth the allegations of plagiarism levelled against the DG and also reasons for the reported wanton exit of senior staff from the institute.

“My being privy to a letter dated June 24, 2014 by GOLDLINE & JACOBS PUBLISHING (A New Jersey, USA-Based Publishing Firm) bordering on allegations of plagiarism between the Director General and Director, Legislative Support Services, DLSS, unfortunately, has been my undoing. This has made me an object of constant persecution by the DG. “You may also note that this is

not the only case of plagiarism against the DG. Your further investigation would reveal more troubling matters,” it read.

Alleging an impetuousness on the part of the DG, he further said: “Your Excellency, there would have been no reason for both Casual and Medical Leave if NILS had a staff annual leave policy. It may interest you to note, that the absence of a Leave Policy led some staff members to resign their positions. A Case in point is Mrs. Magaret Dureke (Procurement Unit) whom the DG refused an annual leave or to grant time off to attend to her sick child and also demanded

TARIFF HIKE: DISCOs reject calls for

suspension

•As Labour meets with FG, NASS

By Victor Ahiuma-Young &Chris Ochayi

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BUJA—THE Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, yesterday, rejected calls by the Senate to suspend the new electricity tariff regime, arguing that suspending the implementation of the tariff will plunge the nation into continued darkness and as well diminished

lines-up 15 witnesses against Dokpesi

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BUJA—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has linedup 15 witnesses that will testify against the Chairman emeritus of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was yesterday, re-arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Dokpesi is answering to a sixcount criminal charge alongside his firm, DAAR Investment and Holdings Ltd, owners of African Independent Television, AIT, and Raypower FM. He was alleged to have received about N2.1billion from the office of the National Security

are easily verifiable.”

Responding to the allegations, Dr. Hamalai, through the communication adviser to the institute, Kanayo Nwajei, said attributionwasmadeinthepublished work of the DG. “Iamsureyouareawareacademic work always relate to previous work by scholars and the most important thing in academics is that the work is acknowledgingsources.

“It is impossible for the DG to unilaterally say come you are fired.

All the DG can do even where she thinks that something is wrong is to kick-start a process and to the best of my knowledge that is what she has done," he said.

MEETING: Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State (left)and his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, after the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors' caucus meeting in Abuja, yesterday

ALLEGED N2.IBN FRAUD: EFCC

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

her to make public, medical records of the son, which should be strictly confidential.

“It may interest Your Excellency to note that (they) have all left the employment of the Institute because of bias, the denial of their basic rights and mistreatment of their persons. In addition, other Senior Officers who have dared speak up against tyranny and leadership style at the Institute were derided, consequently they also resigned.Historicalfactsfurtherconfirm that this style of leadership was a recurringdecimalduringthePolicyand Research Project, PARP, days. Several Staff of PARP were also subjected to thesedehumanizingcapers. Thesefacts

Adviser, NSA, for the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential media campaign.

According to the charge, which was signed by the Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution at the EFCC, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf, the fund was released to the accused person by the erstwhile NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd, between October 2014 and March 19, 2015.

The funds were allegedly transferred from an account the office of NSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to a FirstBank of Nigeria Plc account owned by DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited.

its prospects for future growth of the economy.

This came as leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and their civil society allies, yesterday said they were meeting with the Federal Government and the leadership of the National Assembly, to reverse the increase.

The DISCOs also warned that absence of a market priced tariff would endanger the viability of the entire value-chain of distributors, generators, transmission and gas suppliers, resulting in the failure of the sector.

Recall that the DISCOs had on February 1, 2016 commenced the implementation of a new electricity tariff, which would see consumers pay 40 per cent above what they currently paid.

But the Senate, sequel to a motion moved by Suleiman Nazif (APC, Bauchi), Tuesday, had unanimously passed a resolution, urging the Nigerian Electric Regulatory Commission, NERC, and electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, to suspend the 40 per cent electricity tariff immediately and go back to the old template.

Reacting to the Senate’s

position on the new tariff, the DISCOs in a statement by Barrister Sunday Oduntan, Executive Director, Advocacy and Research, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, noted that the absence of a market priced tariff would create the possibility of performance failure by the operators.

The statement read: “The Senate on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 passed a resolution directing the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to suspend the recently implemented electricity tariff (MYTO-2015).

“However, implementation of this resolution is not without consequences and the following, a market priced tariff is a fundamental requirement under the agreements signed between Distribution Company, DISCOs, operators in the Nigerian ElectricitySupplyIndustry,NESI,and the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, raising the concern for sanctity of contract.

“The absence of a market priced tariff creates the possibility of performance failure by the operators.

Such a failure will be at a price that thegovernmentcanill-affordinthese times of dire economic challenges.’’

Ex-DSS spokesperson, Ogar sues FG over sack

A

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

BUJA—FORMER Spokesperson of the Department of State Service, DSS, Marilyn Ogar, has dragged the Federal Government before the National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, over the abrupt termination of her employment by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

Ogar who formerly held sway as the Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations at the DSS under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was on September 3, 2015, demoted and compulsorily retired by the Federal Government.

She was sacked alongside 44 other top directors in the security agency, who were beneficiaries of a promotion exercise that was carried out by Jonathan’s administration in March last year.

Ogar’s elevation to the rank of a deputy director followed a commendation by exPresident Jonathan who was impressed with her public enlightenment campaigns on anti-terrorism.

However, shortly after his election victory, President Buhari fired the then Director General of the DSS, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, and appointed Lawal Daura in his stead.

Upon his assumption of office as DG of the DSS, Daura, immediately demoted all the personnel that benefited from the promotion exercise that was okayed by ex-President Jonathan, even as he summarily retired Ogar.

The promotion was said to have been done with little regard to due process and extant rules guiding such exercise.

Prior to her retirement, Ogar was reportedly redeployed to Maiduguri, Borno State, after her demotion.

Her ordeal was perceived in some quarters as a consequence of alleged partisan role she played towards the build up to the 2015 general elections.

Meantime, in the suit she lodged before the NIC, the former DSS spokesperson insisted that she was illegally removed from office.

Ogar,throughherleadcounsel,Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, is praying the court to set aside her purported demotion from Assistant Director to Chief Security Intelligence Officer.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015—43

Childhood cancer: CLWCF raises alarm over escalating cost of treatment

BRIEFING: From left: Face of Childhood Cancer, Kenny St. Best, CEO, Children Living With Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, and two children living with cancer; Kelechi and Oluwatofunmi during a press conference in Lagos recently.

By Chioma Obinna

A

S Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark this year's International Childhood Cancer Day, Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, have raised the alarm over escalating cost of cancer care in Nigeria, calling on the Federal Government to prioritise cancer management in children.

At a press conference organised

by CLWCF, in Lagos, a Paediatrician with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Akinsete Adeseye identified leukemia (blood cell cancers) and brain cancer as the

most common cancers affecting children.

Adeseye, who lamented that awareness on childhood cancer was still low in the country, urged the Federal Government to provide adequate financial support and equipment that would aid accurate cancer diagnosis in the country.

"Presently in the care, for a leukemia patient, it is quite enormous in terms of cost for the parent. For example, for us to make diagnosis in leukemia, the test we do is N250, 000.

"In leukemia treatment, we do cytogenetic N240, 000 and when we start the therapy, the child will

need blood and platelets. A bag of platelet is about N20, 000 and he may need 10. That goes for another N200, 000. So, the cost just keeps escalating that at the end of one admission, parents spend millions of naira. Always, there is provider fatigue. By the first or second admission, most parents do not come again. And when they come, they just come for terminal benefits. The child is almost dead," he noted.

Unveiling activities to mark "The Bald Challenge Funfair 2016", the Executive Director, CLWCF, Dr. Nneka Nwaobbi urged parents to bring their children to the Bald Challenge Funfair 2016 holding Saturday 20th February 2016 at the Muri Okunola Park, Lagos for free cancer screening.

Nwaobbi said the challenge is designed to encourage people to go or appear bald in solidarity with children living with cancer.

The campaign seeks to generate at least 500 million impressions and 1 million hashtags on social media as well as 100,000 bald pictures.

Speaking, the face of childhood cancer in Nigeria, Ms. Kenny St. Best, called on corporate organisations to support children living with cancer as many of the patients die due to lack of money to pay hospital bills.

NACA DG canvases holistic healthcare in communities

D

IRECTOR General of National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, Professor John Idoko,has reiterated the importance of entrenching a holistic approach to healthcare delivery in the country.

Idoko who was represented by Dr. Eno at a 4-Day multi-disease health fair at Ido Ekiti Local Government noted that NACA has been applying an holistic approach to health improvement in communities not just HIV alone - exemplified by the health fair which afforded everyone the opportunity to be consulted and get drugs free of charge.

The Ekiti fair is one of the series of healthcare programmes that NACA has taken to a number of communities across the country in recent times.

We are targetting not less than 5000 people for HIV/ AIDS counseling, testing among others.

Facilitated by E-Health Limited, the venues of the health fair was the Olojudo’s Palace Ido and Iwore Hall, Ifaki.

The services aimed at reaching not less than 5000 people for HIV/ AIDS counseling, testing and referral, diagnosis and treatment of Malaria, blood pressure checks, random blood glucose checks, deworming of children less than 10 years, general medical consultations etc.

Representative of Ido- Ekiti at the State Assembly, Honorable T.A. Aina thanked NACA for working with him to provide a health fair for his people in Ido Ekiti.

Governor Ayo Fayose who was represented by Honorable Dr. Samuel Omotosho, Chaiman House of Assembly Committee on Health, encouraged people to take advantage of the programme to improve the quality of their life.

He said the programme will allow people know their HIV status and use condoms consistently.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Rotimi Ojo Adekunle,commended NACA and the other stakeholders for bringing the health fair to their community as HIV prevalence had increased from 1 percent to 2.9 percent.

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44 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Bob-Nosa addresses societal ills with Protest Art

By Prisca Sam-Duru

F

OR over four years, one of Nigeria’s finest painters, Bob-Nosa Uwagboe has been working on a body of work titled “Shorning life without Armour”.

This is part of his kind of art known as the Protest Art. With this body of work, Nosa aims to address the consequences of bad leadership on the common man, a situation that births illegal migration, refugees, inhumanity, human trafficking, child labour etc. Interestingly, he was selected to exhibit part of the work in ‘That Art Fair’ taking place in Cape Town South Africa from 17 February, 2016.

Desired acceptance In spite of few major successes he has recorded, the Auchi Polytechnic graduate believes that his art is yet to receive the desired acceptance owing to how vibrant it is meant to be.

He describes this form of art as “Social and political commentary which I refer to as protest art. It is the art that speaks for the oppressed, the art that kicks against bad leadership, the art that condemns inhumanity in our society.”

Bob-Nosa’s paintings are more of a testament to his voice. Most of his paintings shocked his viewers who believed them to be thought provoking, radical, unique as well as life changing.

One wonders why these works would not be easily collected or displayed in galleries. The Niger Delta-born creative artist supplies the answer to this mind boggling question. “My most challenging encounter as an artist is acceptability by family members and the society at large. I had to pursue my art career against my fathers’ wish and due to the nature of my art, the society finds it difficult to accept my form of art as “ART” rather they see it as being rebellious against what they term the usual. So I was not allowed to participate in some very important art exhibitions but with the intervention of Signature Art Gallery and Catherine Pittet of Gondana Art in Cameroon, my art enjoyed mass appeal and my initial rejection became the tool that launched me into the international art space, though some-

People don't appreciate this kind of art, because it fights against corruption, and you know most people are corrupt, so galleries don't collect my works as they feel they are working against their customers

• The Floating Dead Bodies by Bob-Nosa Uwagboe times I still feel imprisoned being a protest artist in a country where corruption reigns supreme.” “ You hardly find my works in galleries. It is not because I want it that way but because of rejection. It is only Signature Beyond Gallery in Ikoyi that has my works on display. People don’t appreciate this kind of art because it fights against corruption, and you know most people are corrupt. So, the galleries don’t collect my works because they feel they are working against those who patronise them. Its like putting their mirror before them. I’m from the Niger Delta and I like to use my art to confront the issues plaguing the region, as well as issues affecting mankind. For instance the issue

Babarinsa launches book The Nigerian Century

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NE of the founding fathers and a former Director at Tell Magazine, Mr Dare Babarinsa will today chronicle Nigeria’s journey in the last century at a book launch. The book entitled: The Nigerian Century, scheduled for launch at the Shehu Musa Yar ’Adua Centre, Central Business Disctrict, Abuja is expected to attract eminent personalities including President Muhammadu Buhari, who wrote the prologue.

Nation’s history Also expected is former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who wrote the epilogue. Babarinsa, currently the Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of Gaskia Media Limited, explained that he decided to embark on the project, which chronicles Nigeria’s 100 years as a way of preserving the nation’s history.

He said: “We believe that part

of the problem we have in Nigeria is the problem of knowledge. People have no sense of history because they don’t know history. Like the poet said, the children of Ceaser are walking the streets of Rome unknown, and unknown to themselves. They are not known as descendants of Julius Ceaser and they themselves are not aware.”

On contents of the book, Babarinsa said the book explains the past and creates a path to the future. He said: “The Nigerian Century is basically about the people of Nigeria, those who have done great things in the past, those who are doing great things now, and those we call the voices of the future, who are the up and coming people, they are all in this publication. It gives a complete sense of who we are, including those who are holding forth as at this moment, in the judiciary, in the legislature, in the executive, and also in the states.”

Advising the present crop of leaders to take a cue from history,

he said “I would say that leaders should not be afraid of taking decisions. There are things I encountered that are very sobering, that could have saved Nigeria a lot of crisis especially the civil war.”

of migration. There’s one piece I titled “The Floating Dead Bodies”. This piece captures the ugly incidences of migrants perishing in the Mediterranean sea while attempting to flee their countries due to war and poverty.”

On how he became a protest artist, Bob-Nosa noted that “I never had the opportunity to decide whether I want to be an artist or not, I found myself in Art right from childhood and also served as an apprentice in few private studios before I started full operation of the Protest Art Studio.”

While many would have called it quits owing to such daunting challenges such as Nosa experienced, he maintained that he chose to stick to art because it is the only thing he must continue to practice adding that he had no reason to regret.

“I have no regret being an artist. Art has been a blessing. I have been able to move my art practice forward in spite of challenges because of my strong believe in Art. Nigeria is the best place for me as an artist to practice. Nigeria is a huge material deposit site for me as a protest artist especially in terms of idea

generation.” he said.

“Art is serious business and I would advice that people don’t engage in it with the intention of just making money. I celebrate any person that shows interest in my work because it is not easy.

The artist also frowned at neglect of the art sector by the government stressing that the government has a lot to do to promote art in the country. “Ive been to some African countries and I discovered that they have support from their government. In Cameroon for example, once you are 50 years and above as an artist, you start receiving pension.

This makes the artists to practice without fear of retirement.

And this is why I strongly advise artists to use their art as their voice, to speak to the government, to make demands and to correct ills in the society.

Many are just painting landscape, beautiful portraits but art is not just something we must use to decorate apartment. We can use it as a weapon against bad government, that was what Fela did as a musician. Visual artists can do likewise. They may label you, it doesn’t matter with time, you will be accepted.”

Literature, theatre can serve as instrument of change —Prof Obafemi

By Demola Akinyemi

A

LITERARY icon, Pro fessor Olu Obafemi has adviced the Muhammadu Buhari led government,that the problems of Nigerian society cannot be solved by stopping corruption alone,stressing that the real attitudinal change of Nigerians to patriotism need to be addressed.

The professor of English and Dramatic Arts,in University of Ilorin, spoke in an interview with Vanguard during the 2016 Dramatic Theatre Fiesta held by the Department of English of the University where six stage

plays were performed by the students, stating that literature and theatre can serve as an instrument for social transformation.

The plays performed include ,Olu Obafemi’s Night of the Mystical Beast, Wole Soyinka’s The Trial of Brother Jero, Abdulllahi Abubakar ’s The New Eve, Femi Osofisan’s Who is afraid of Solarin?,Toyin Abiodun’s The trials of Afonja and Sunnie’s Ododo’s Hard Choice.

Professor Obafemi noted that though any sane person will support the ongoing fight against corruption, the solution

to problems of Nigeria is beyond fighting corruption alone.

According to him,”It is a good thing and I think every sane Nigerian will support the ongoing war against corruption. because corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society and any effort aimed at uprooting is welcomed.” He however added that,” But the problems of the Nigerian society now cannot be solved only by stopping corruption. There is a rot in the image of our society now, and the battle that is going on has not really touched the attitude of Nigerians.”

C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 16 — 45 18,, 20 2016

INDECENT EMPLOYMENT: Labour Ministry interfaces

with stakeholders in financial sector

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

T

HERE has been growing concern over rising cases of unwholesome and unfair labour practices in what is generally regarded as indecent employment in the nation’s financial sector in a bid to cut costs and maximize profit.

It is understood that organised labour in the sector has been strategizing on how to confront the managements perceived to have developed penchant for new employment practices such as casualization, contract staffing, outsourcing, subcontracting, temporary and part-time employment, among others with no regard to extant law and international standard and codes.

In an attempt to apprehend the looming industrial unrest in the sector and avoid its attendant consequences for the already fragile economy, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, FMLE, South-West Zone, organized a one day forum for stakeholders, to find an amicable way forward.

The event attracted participants and paper presentations from the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, NUBIFIE, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, Frederick Ebert Foundation, Human Capital Providers’ Association of Nigeria, HUCAPAN, Financial Institutions Training Centre, FITC, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, among others.

Financial transactions A d d r e s s i n g participants, FMLE Zonal Director, South-West zone, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, noted that though the Nigerian financial services sector which comprised the money market, the capital market, and the institutions and channels that facilitated the smooth intermediation of financial transactions in the economy was growing in leaps and bounds, but was at present bedevilled with all of unwholesome and unfair labour practices.

A scourge: While admitting that Nigeria was facing the reality of new and emerging global economic trends manifesting in the form of new employment relationships such as casualization, contract staffing, outsourcing, subcontracting, temporary and part-time employment, among others, the

From left— Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Financial Institutions Training Centre, FITC, Nigeria, Dr. Lucy Surhyel Newman; President, Human Capital Providers' Association of Nigeria, HUCAPAN, Enemigin Neye, and President, National Union of Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, Danjuma Musa, at the programme. zonal director said there were clear indications that these new forms of employment had become a scourge that was gaining ground in an unprecedented proportion, intensity and scare in Nigeria.

According to her: “This may be attributable to the quest by employers of labour to sustain their business enterprises in an increasingly competitive and harsh business environment characterized by a need to concentrate on the core functions of the business as a way of minimizing costs or maximizing profit.

“Be that as it may, that does not in any way imply the tolerance of acts of commission or omission that smack of unfair labour practices and decent

work deficits. Such employment practices should be done not only in the interest of the employer but also in consideration of the welfare of the employees.

“As such, while adopting these new forms of employment practices, the employer should at all times ensure that the rights and privileges of workers are not unduly trampled upon, abused or denied. The right to be unionized, be part of a pension scheme, be paid as and when due, not to be discriminated against, etc, should be respected at all levels within any organisation.

“Outsourcing entails the process of replacement of in-house provided activities by subcontracting it out to external agents.

Outsourcing avails organizations the opportunity to concentrate on their core competencies and add more value for customers.

Improved efficiencies

The right to be unionized, be part of a pension scheme, be paid as and when due, not to be discriminated against, etc, should be respected at all levels within any organisation

“The goals of outsourcing are undoubtedly strategic: improved efficiencies, lower costs, improved flexibility, higher quality, and a greater ability to achieve a competitive advantage, but these should not be to the detriment of the labour force, which constitutes a most critical factor of production.”

Recruiter license, employment permit: Dr. Anyanwutaku explained that in a bid towards regulating and ensuring that that outsourcing and other un-

conventional forms of employment practices were carried out within the ambit of our extant labour laws, Government had through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, established the Recruiters’ Licencing / Employers’ Permit .

She said: “This forum is aimed at bringing together our key stakeholders in the Financial Services Sector to network, rub minds and share ideas / information on issues and challenges relating to outsourcing in the sector with a view towards charting a way forward in the overall interest of all concerned parties, and for lasting industrial peace and harmony which will pave the way for the sustainable economic growth and development of our dear country.

Outsourcing profession “This forum is not meant to castigate or impugn anybody or any organization. However, some of those service providers operating in the financial sector, who have been found to have been consistently upholding the ethics of the outsourcing profession, shall be receiving awards in the course of this event.

“While the area of government intervention involves mostly policy and legislative reforms, monitoring and enforcement, the need for continuing collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders remains of paramount importance.

“The main purpose is to reduce unfair labour practices to the barest minimum, as well as reduce decent work deficits. The decent work agenda stands on four pillars, viz: sustainable income, compliance with fundamental principles and rights at work, social protection and social dialogue.

Economic and social policy Social dialogue includes all types of negotiation, consultation or simply exchange of information between, or among representatives of government, employers and workers on issues of interest relating to economic and social policy. ” Outsourcing, casualisation evil: Speaking, factional President of NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, insisted that outsourcing, contract staffing, casualization and other forms of unconventional employment were evil and disagreed with the argument that since they were global trends, they had come to say.

He said in other climes where the practices were coming from, they had safety nets in forms of social security for the unemployed, the aged and other vulnerable citizens, declaring that approving outsourcing and others by government without safety nets was like legalizing illegality.

He however urged unions to ensure that outsourced workers and their likes were unionized for them to get union’s protection and rights among others.

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

100 boxers show up at GOtv NextGen Search

By Jacob Ajom

N

O fewer than 100 boxers converged on 65, Olatilewa Street, Lawanson yesterday where the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame is located for the first ever GOtv NextGen Search programme which commenced yesterday.

The programme, an initiative of Flykite Productions, organisers of the GOtv Boxing Night is aimed at identifying budding boxers with latent skills ready to be

Amuneke Continues from B/Page held on Tuesday.

Amuneke led the Golden Eaglets to win the U17 World Cup in Chile last year and was handed a chance to progress with his wards to the U20 level.

He was named African Footballer of the Year in 1994 and will hope to qualify the Flying Eagles to the 20th U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia next year.

NFF Continues from B/Page

shocking defeat of the Eagles by their Guinean counterparts.

Recently, Oliseh went out of his way and cast aspersions on not only his employers, the NFF, but also on his Nigerian critics, whom he dubbed as “insane”.

He made a lengthy broadcast on YouTube in which he said CHAN was of the least importance among CAF organised tournaments, insinuating that Eagles’ exit from the competition was a result of NFF’s inability to run a good league.

This drew the ire of the football house which threatened to sack the gaffer. But the intervention of the Youth and Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung doused the tension and Oliseh was saved from being axed.

In a nine-point communique issued after it’s meeting, the Executive Committee reviewed the national team’s participation in the CHAN and rebuked Oliseh for his “unwarranted statements unbecoming of a National Team Coach in both regular and social media.

“While acknowledging his apology, the Executive Committee made it clear that similar infractions would not be tolerated in future.”

Continuing, the EXCO noted, “in line with global best practices, the Committee deC M Y K

honed and groomed to stardom.

With the stage inside the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame facility, boxers engaged each other in contests before a panel of judges(selectors) made up of former internationals like Obisia Nwakpa, Joe Lasisi, Jeremiah Okorodudu, experienced boxing coaches and officials of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, led by the scribe, Wole Aboderin.

According to the Chief

Operating Officer, Flyjite Productions, Bamidele Johnson, the selection process end today, while the successful boxers will tomorrow attend a medical seminar where they will be given free medical checkup. But the bill will be footed by the chairman of Multichoice Nigeria, Dewunmi Ogunsanya.

Jenkins Alumonu, CEO Flykite Productions also seized the opportunity to unveil the partnership between GOtv Boxing Night and Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame.

Newcastle move for Ronaldinho year wage demands

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RAZILIAN super star, now 35, is currently a free agent after leaving Fluminense at the end of last year.

A move to England has been talked up, with Leicester City keen, and now The Sun say Newcastle have been offered a deal for the player.

However, his UK agent Barry O’Connor says the player ’s £6million-a-

cided that Coach Oliseh must henceforth report to the NFF General Secretary and the Technical and Development Committee, and should be ready to defend his entire programme before the Committee, including invitation of players and training programmes.”

The committee also lifted erstwhile U-17 coach, Emmanuel Amuneke to the U-20 team, the Flying Eagles; while a competent expatriate Coach, would be sought for the Super Falcons within the shortest possible time. The expatriate coach would be assisted by former Super Falcons captain, Florence Omagbemi and Perpetua Nkwocha.

The Committee also moved against the appointment of Tijani Babanginda as a personal assistant to coach Oliseh.

“The immediate disengagement of Mr. Tijani Babangida as Personal Assistant to Super Eagles’ Coach, Sunday Oliseh, as recommended by the technical and development committee, was unanimously approved and general secretary was therefore mandated to follow the due process in effecting his disengagement.,” read the NFF communiqué in part.

Babangida was on N600,000 a month and was appointed same time with Oliseh, his teammate at Ajax Amsterdam.

have killed all hope of a deal. ‘He sees playing in England as the ideal way to finish his career,’ he said. ‘Asking any club to pay that, no matter his past pedigree, is a big ask.’

Omagbemi Continues from B/Page

coach will be appointed “within the shortest possible time” to stop the country’s slide in women’s football lately.

She will be assisted by former internationals Perpetua Nkwocha, Ann Chiejine and Bala Mohammed, who will be goalkeeper trainer.

African champions Falcons will soon begin their qualification campaign for the 2016 African Women’s Championship in Cameroon in November.

Oshonaike

Continues from B/Page

ly fund the Table Tennis Federation, so that top seeded players can continue to contribute to the growth of the sport.

Skyping in from Hamburg on Channels Television Sports programme, Oshonaike regretted her inability to attend the ongoing Sudan meet, which she claims would have improved her skills and world rankings, but could not as a result of lack of fund, as personal funds spent on the last tournament she attended has not yet been refunded.

She said even Haruna Qadri, Africa’s No 1 seeded Table Tennis player is going through similar travails. Funke started her playing career in Lagos on a street called Akeju street, Shomolu, Lagos, in the early ’80s while very young.

She was a spectacle each time she played because she was very small and used to amaze people with her skill at that early age.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 — 47

Mikel accepts blame for Ibra goal J

OHN Mikel Obi shouldered the blame for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s opener in Paris and was relieved to make amends by grabbing what could prove a crucial away goal for Chelsea.

Forced in from close range after a corner, it was his first for more than a year and only his sixth in a decade at Stamford Bridge.

It gave the Londoners a sliver of hope to cling to after the 2-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie – and confirmed his new lease of life under Guus Hiddink.

‘I had to get one for the team,’ said Mikel. ‘It was good to score. The first goal was a big deflection from me and my foul that I

Ighalo can go for £12m —Watford

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ATFORD are resigned to losing Odion Ighalo in the summer and are prepared to listen to bids in the region of £12million.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are reported to be interested in signing Ighalo, whose goals have put Watford in good stead in the English Premier League.

After scoring 20 goals in the Championship to fire his side to promotion,

Ighalo has added 15 this year to stabilise Quique Sanchez Flores’s men in the Premier League.

But the Nigerian is likely to depart when the division’s big hitters commence their summer investment campaign.

According to the Daily Mirror, Flores is eyeing a move for Isaac Success, who currently plays for Watford owner ’s Gino Pozzo’s other club Granada.

Ambode commissions new Ikeja Golf club clubhouse

L

AGOS state’s governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode has commissioned the new Ikeja Golf Clubhouse.

Ambode commissioned the clubhouse last week at a well attended event.

Speaking at the commissioning, the governor, who was represented by the Chairman of Lagos State’s Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu promised to continue to support every endeavour that encourages sports tourism in the state, saying he hope that the club will be able to produces golfers like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

In his speech, the club captain Air Commodore Tokunbo Ajomale (rtd) informed the gathering

•Akosa

that Ikeja golf club does not only play a leading role in promoting ecological balance in the state’s capital, the club also served as a tourist attraction for a sports men and women, entertainment and as a platform for corporate social interaction.

While thanking the state’s government for their effort for bankrolling the cost the reconstruction, the captain promised in behalf of his members to put the club house into good use.

committed.

‘I had to make the foul because he was going deeper and deeper into the box. And I know I had to make a challenge, either to get the ball or foul him, but then the deflection was a big one.

‘So, it was my foul, I got booked and then the deflection. So it was three things. But we came back strong and I got the equaliser back, which was great.

‘Hopefully this goal keeps us alive in the tie and we believe we can do it. We were disappointed losing the second goal. I thought we deserved more. But we can get a very good result at home which can see us through. We’re still alive.’

Tough Duel... Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel chases down PSG’s Lucas Moura during their Champions League clash. AFP photo.

AFCON qualifier:

Nigeria must beat Egypt says skipper Musa N IGERIA must ensure they at least beat Egypt at home in a crucial AFCON 2017 to keep alive hopes of qualifying for the tournament, according to skipper Ahmed Musa.

Egypt are top of the qualifying group with six points, while Nigeria are

two points behind on four points.

And both teams are now locked in a Titanic double header for next year ’s AFCON in Gabon with Nigeria hosting the first leg in Kaduna on March 26.

“We have to win the first game against Egypt at

home before we go for the second leg,” said Ahmed Musa.

“The result will be very important because we have to qualify for the Nations Cup.” The CSKA Moscow star was during the January transfer linked with a big-money move to

surprise EPL leaders Leicester. He said it was a flattering compliment, but he would rather wait till the summer to reconsider his future.

“I won’t rush to leave Russia, I would rather wait till the summer to know what next,” he said.

10- Man Akwa United clinch Charity Shield AKWA United’s profile continued to soar high after they beat Enyimba to win the 2016 Charity Shield yesterday at the Abuja National Stadium.

The coach Maurice Cooreman-tutored team defeated league champions Enyimba 4-3 through penalties after

game ended goalless in regulation time.

Akwa United have won three major trophies since November the Federation Cup 2015, Super 4 and now the Charity Shield.

Enyimba came close to scoring twice through striker Peter Onyekachi, who missed a sitter and

then hit the cross bar in the 15th and 18th minutes, respectively.

Kufre Ebong almost scored for Akwa United in the 69th minute when his glancing header hit the cross bar.

Akwa United’s Yusuf Adio was sent off in the 65th minute.

Over 250 Match Commissioners jostle for 38 Family announces funeral rites league matchesthem to be patronized in league last season adding

BY JUDE OPARA, a year. for late Austin Akosa ABUJA that the strength of the

T

HE family of the late Austin Akosa, a.k.a.

“Suzy ”, who died on January 16, 2016, has released his funeral programme, saying that his remains would be interred on Feb. 25.

The programme, issued

by Chuka Akosa, for the Akunne Akosa Family of Ogbeoza, Onitsha, Anambra, showed the funeral rites will begin on February 19, with a special reception for friends and well wishers.

The event which starts at 2 p.m. will hold at the

•Musa

Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Secretariat, National Stadium Complex, Surulere, Lagos.

It indicated that the reception would be followed by a Christian Wake/Service of Songs at 6 p.m. at the same venue.

The event is being jointly organised by the Akosa family and SWAN in honour of the deceased, an avowed believer in the cause of the sporting press to which he was an honorary member.

N

O fewer than 250 m a t c h commissioners yesterday in Abuja attended the yearly mandatory seminar ahead of the forthcoming 2015/16 Nigerian Premier League season scheduled to kick off this weekend across the country.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) usually selects match commissioners for the 38 league matches from the list, a situation that makes it extremely difficult for all of

Declaring the seminar open, president of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick who was represented by the chairman of chairmen of the federation, Ibrahim Gusau reminded the match commissioners drawn from all parts of the country that they have a crucial role to play to ensure that the sanctity of the Nigerian league was restored.

He further charged them to work hard to improve on the marginal success recorded in the

league could easily be judged by the performance of the nation’s clubs campaigning in continental championships.

Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company (LMC), Mallam Salihu Abubakar has reiterated that the 2015/16 league season will kick off across the country as earlier scheduled.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Omagbemi’s Falcons caretaker coach

F

ORMER Nigeria skipper Florence Omagbemi has been appointed caretaker coach of the country’s women’s

*Omagbemi

team, the Super Falcons.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a foreign Continues on Page 46

NFF issues Oliseh final warning *Sacks Babangida

By Jacob Ajom *Oshonaike

You failed us, Oshonaike blasts sports ministry

T

OP Seeded Ham burg based Female Table Tennis Player Funke Oshonaike has

lamented the inability of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to adequate Continues on Page 46

T

HE Executive Com mittee of the Nigeria Football Federation rose from its meeting Tuesday in Abuja with a resolve to deal decisively with head coach of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh should he run foul of its laid down

Amuneke takes over Flying Eagles

By Ben Efe

E

MMANUEL Amuneke has been promoted to coach the Nigeria U-20 team by the Nigeria Football Federation while it remained silent on the fate of the

team’s coach Manu Garba.

The NFF ratified the promotion of Amuneke to the Flying Eagles in a communiqué after its executive board meeting Continues on Page 46

T OD AY'S PUZZLE ODA

rules in future.

There has been no love lost between the coach and the football house since the ignominious first round exit of the Super Eagles from the recently concluded African Nations Championship in Rwanda, a tournament won by DR Congo.

The development attracted scathing comments from Nigerians and the NFF did not hide itNFFs displeasure at the Continues on Page 47

Newcastle move for Ronaldinho

*Oliseh

—P.46 *Amuneke

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Bird-house (6) 5 Defeat (4) 8 Heaped (5) 9 Free (3) 10 Face (4) 11 Existence (4) 12 Restrict (5) 13 Cupboard (6) 16 Lake (4) 20 Finish (3) 22 Vehicle (3) 23 Moose (3) 24 Tardy (4) 25 Formerly (4) 28 Infuriate (6) 30 Cog (5) 32 Discharge (4) 33 Jot (4) 34 Freeze 35 Intended (5) 36 Pip (4) 37 Wrote (6)

DOWN 1 Lightly (6) 2 Obscene (8) 3 Save (6) 4 Industry (9) 5 Trust (7) 6 Revise (4) 7 Pour (4) 8 Friend (3) 14 Disgusting (9) 15 Enquire (3) 17 Managed (3) 19 Dog (8) 20 Consume (3) 21 Dedicate (7) 26 Undertake (6) 27 Guard (6) 29 Muddle (4) 30 Period (4) 31 Heated (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 3, Asked 9, Aghast 10, Ailing 11, Price 12, Ewer 15, Nice 17, Defence 20, Tot 21, Tamed 23, Tact 25, Mood 26, Hover 28, Err 30, Diamond 33, Anon 35, Aver 36, Globe 38, Lessee 39, Office 40, Leant.

DOWN: 1, Saved 2, Chief 3, Asp 4, Strict 5, Each 6, Die 7, Digit 8, Egret 13, Western 14, Reach 16, Condone 18, Eased 19, Hem 22, Dogma 24, Tow 27, Ribbon 28, Early 29, Rouse 31, Ovoid 32, Dried 34, glee 36, Gel 37, Eft.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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C M Y K