IBB backs Buhari

...towards a better life for the people

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VOL. 25: NO. 62323

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GRAFT: Govs, top politicians under EFCC, UK Police watch — Lamorde9 PRESIDENCY:

IBB backs Buhari

By Wole Mosadomi

•Says Generals will support his candidacy •Debunks claims of feud between them Late Muna Obiekwe

M

•I don't have PVC, Sultan cries out

5

NEW PETROL PRICE

I N N A — N I G E R I A’ S former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (ret), yesterday, endorsed the presidential aspiration of General Muhammadu Buhari, saying the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate was suitably positioned to salvage the country.

Babangida who received Buhari in his Minna, Niger State residence also said the country’s retired Continues on page 5

COLUMNISTS:

•P.17

Time to disgrace the selfappointed godfather of the South-West

Like Romney, like Buhari 7 •P.5

Mr & Mrs PETROL PRICE—Fuel stations in Abuja (top) display the new pump price of petrol yesterday. Below: A fuel station at Ibadan with the new price (left) and another in Lagos (right) still selling at the old price.

NEWS ANALYSIS

Fuel price cut: Relief, but...

I'm a friend of the North — Jonathan C M Y K

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Cultists run riot in Rivers, behead community leader, slay woman

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POCKET CARTOON

BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE—From left: Executive Director, Personal

Banking, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu; Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), George Kell; Chairman, The Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Foluso Phillips; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko and Head Transparency And Anti-Corruption, UNGC, Olajobi Makinwa during the Africa Sustainable Ceo Business Roundtable sponsored

by Access Bank in Lagos, yesterday.

PRESIDENCY: IBB backs Buhari Continues from page 1 generals would back Buhari being one of their own. He dismissed as fable, media insinuations of a feud between him and Buhari.

Buhari’s visit to Babangida was on the fringes of his campaign to Minna which was climaxed with the defection of the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Ahmed Ibeto to the APC. Expressing his appreciation of Buhari’s unwavering commitment to service of the fatherland, during the visit to his Hill Top residence in Minna, General Babangida said: “You have beaten some of us in proving Gen. Douglas McArthur ’s theory that "old soldiers never die but fade away

gradually," but you have refused to fade away.

“I wish to congratulate members of the party for the honour of nominating my colleague, General Muhammadu Buhari as your presidential candidate in 2015 election”.

Feud

Debunking media insinuations of an unending feud between himself and Buhari who he ousted as Head of State in 1985, Babangida said: “You media men have created this impression that we are fighting each other. Look at us here today; he knows what I mean and I know what he means. We both fought to keep Nigeria one when we were young majors then. We were well

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark ... Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists…it is real… it is possible…it’s yours — Ayn Rand What is that one thing that you want in your life?

What is it that you absolutely desire? Waking up with that one thought in your mind can provide you with the motivation to move mountains! We all have that one “want” that is the driving force behind everything that we do. Having this in your mind first thing in the morning can make the difference between a lackluster day and a day where you completed everything that you set out to do. This desire should never leave you. It should be with you at all times, and particularly as you get out of bed. This desire should be so grand and so spectacular that it overrides every negative or nonproductive thought that may cross your mind in the morning. Think about your one desire and make it the first thought that pops into your head as you open your eyes in the morning, and watch your motivation skyrocket.

travelled.

“I want to commend APC for choosing our colleague as your flag bearer. All of us will support you (Buhari) in this cause to salvage this country,” IBB stated.

Buhari had before then explained to Babangida that he was in Minna to solicit votes towards realising his aspiration to again lead the country as a civilian president and expressed joy on the reception given him and his delegation by the former military president.

Buhari said that he had earlier visited another former ruler, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who he said refused to decamp from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP but nevertheless gave his blessing to his aspiration.

On Buhari’s entourage were the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the deputy national chairman of the APC, Senator Lawali Shuaibu; Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Governor Rotimi Amaechi; party chieftains including Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Bisi Akande, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Mr. Segun Oni and Ms Temi Harriman.

Others are General A b d u r a h a m a n Dambazzau, Senator George Akume, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Senator Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Chief Kemi Nelson among others.

Following the courtesy call, Buhari addressed a large rally at the Polo Ground, Minna where he vowed that if

successful in the election, he would wage a total war against insecurity in the country as he pledged to fully equip the military for the assignment.

He pledged that his administration would use the agricultural potentials of the state to an advantage and also promised that agriculture would be given the pride of place in his government.

The candidate urged those who turned out that the promises he was making would, however, only be realised “if the people go out to vote, peacefully stay behind and ensure that their votes count”.

Osinbajo, Tinubu speak

Before Buhari spoke, his running mate, Professor Osinbajo had told the crowd that an APC government would frontally address the problems in the power sector saying: “We have to settle the problem in the power sector. We know the problem and we are going to find solution to the problem. We have the answer, Nigerians should give us chance by voting for APC come February 14, 2015.”

Also speaking, Tinubu, also the Jagaban Borgu in Niger State, flayed President Goodluck Jonathan as a man not to be trusted with his words. He said the president had promised not to vie for a second term before the 2011 elections.

“President Jonathan in one African country in 2011 promised to spend only four years. He went further to say that if he can’t fix Nigeria in four years, he will not be able to succeed in 20 years, so why must we allow a man who failed to honour a promise he made four years ago?”

He described the Jonathan administration

as a failure, saying the government could not count tangible achievements in six years.

Governor Amaechi in his address described the Jonathan administration as steeped in fraud. He dismissed last Sunday’s reduction in petrol price as a fraud as, according to him, the reduction was late and did not meet the reduction in global price of crude.

The rally was climaxed with the defection of the incumbent deputy governor of the state, Ahmed Musa Ibeto to the APC. Ibeto came along with 319 other PDP chieftains to APC.

I don't have PVC, Sultan cries out •Says millions of Nigerians may be disenfranchised •Condemns religious colouration of campaigns

By Ben Agande

A

BUJA — THE Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III, has expressed fears that unless something was done urgently, millions of Nigerians, including himself, would be disenfranchised as they were not able to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs. Abubakar spoke in Sokoto when he received President Goodluck Jonathna, who was in the state for a political rally in his palace.

He asked Jonathan to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, provides all eligible voters with their cards before the elections as well as ensure that government takes steps to respect the people’s wishes by delivering credible, free and fair elections.

He said: “Let’s respect people’s wishes; let’s not try to disenfranchise anybody. We have had issues of the PVCs and I want to tell you that even myself, I don’t have a PVC, so it means I will not vote on February 14.

“So, we have to look for a way out. It is for your

government to now look for what to do; how to ensure that all the cards get to the voters before the voting day or in the alternative, find a way out because in any problem there is a solution and we believe you will find solutions as regard this very serious hitch facing us because millions of Nigerians seem to be heading towards disenfranchisement and they won’t be able to vote but I have heard comments from the INEC Chairman. We are still waiting for our cards to come.”

The Sultan said the difficulties in obtaining the PVC was one of the challenges bothering him and other leaders as it appeared millions of Nigerians would be disenfranchised during this year ’s general elections.

Condemns religious colouration of campaigns

The Muslim leader condemned the religious colouration being given to this year’s campaigns and called on politicians to rather focus on issues.

He noted that because of the country’s diversity, it was not “possible” for elections in Nigeria to be all about religion.

Sultan said: “They will come to seek the votes of the common man ... but they will not see you again for four years but we have the privilege of seeing you everyday and maybe every time and we always express to you the problems of our people.”

Tasks politicians on Abuja peace accord He challenged all politicians to not only abide by the Abuja Peace Accord between President Jonathan and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari and 12 others, but also ensure that their various supporters at all levels get the message and behave accordingly.

He further decried the prevailing insecurity in the country and urged the president to stop it by ensuring that Nigerians once again, enjoy peace.

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Akure banks close shop over robbery scare

Police nab suspected car snatchers, recover pistols, vehicle

By Esther Onyegbula

By Dayo Johnson

A

KURE—BARELY a week after armed robbers invaded Ikare area of Ondo State, robbed five banks and killed 21 persons, another robbery scare led to the closure of banks in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday.

News of the alleged arrival of the bandits to attack some banks spread by noon, prompting banks in the city to hurriedly close their offices to customers.

The banks asked customers already in the banking hall to leave, while their security guards prevented anyone from entering.

Speaking with Vanguard in Akure, a banker said: “We do not want what happened in Ikare-Akoko last week to happen to us, so immediately our manager received the information, he ordered us to close for the day, and shortly after, everybody went home.”

The state Police Command responded swiftly to the alleged invasion of robbers by deploying two Armoured Personnel Vehicle, APC, to the area where banks have their offices in Akure.

Customers, who then resorted to Automated Teller Machines, ATM, were turned back by security guards.

Police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said the scare was a ruse.

Ogodo added that the command had taken necessary steps to checkmate any invasion by armed robbers.

T

zPlanned to sell Toyota Camry for N350,000

HE Nigeria Police is currently investigating three members of a six-man armed robbery gang, allegedly specialized in robbing and selling vehicles within Lagos metropolis.

The suspects, identified as Gbolanhun Lawal, 26; Monday Obembe, 28, and Bennett Kwaum, 20, were arrested around Ijora 7-Up area, while attempting to sell a Toyota Camry, 2010 model.

Although three other members of the gang identified as Nwanne, Taye and Seian are currently at large, Police succeeded in recovering a Toyota Camry and three locallymade pistols during the arrest.

Vanguard gathered that the gang, which successfully carried out a robbery operation, stole a Toyota Camry, N36,000 and other valuables of a resident (names withheld) in Bariga.

Suspects account

Speaking to Vanguard, one of the leaders of the six-man robbery gang, Gbolanhun Lawal, said: “I worked as a lotto agent in Ijora area, before I had some issues and so I stopped.

“Before my arrest, I had participated in about five robberies in Ajah, Orile, and Bariga.

“The first operation we embarked on was unsuccessful because Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, operatives chased us and we lost the loot in the process. In another operation in Ajah, I was given N18,500 as my share.

“I joined robbery because I am the breadwinner of my family. Although I am the fifth child, I cater for my brother and sister, because my late mother married two husbands and my father is down with stroke.

THE SUSPECTS: From left— Gbolanhun Lawal, Bennett Kwaum and Monday Obembe. PHOTO: Esther Onyegbula.

“One Bennett Kwaum, furnished the gang with necessary information of the target. He told us that the victim had money in his house.

“On the day of the operation, six of us boarded a taxi at about 11pm to Bariga. We stayed in a location till about 1:30pm before moving to the victim’s house.

“Unfortunately for us, the victim had N36,000 which we collected. That was why we decided to steal his vehicle,

which was in the parking lot.

“If we had succeeded in the operation, we would have sold the Toyota Camry for N350, 000. We do not shoot people, we just use the gun to scare victims.”

Another member of the gang, Monday, a plumber from Ondo State, said: “I live in Ijora. I knew Gbolahun as a street fighter.

“I have gone with him to rob about four times. I am a trained plumber but left

MEND leaders allege threat to life

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— FORMER Commanders of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, 'General' Reuben Wilson, alias Pastor and Paul Eris, alias Oguboss, have raised alarm over alleged threat to their lives by a faction of the group.

They denounced a statement issued by a faction of MEND endorsing General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), as their candidate for the presidential election.

Wilson, in a statement

yesterday, alleged that since they came out against the statement by the other faction of MEND, their lives had been under threat from those behind the group.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to the threat to my life and that of Ogunboss, my fellow freedom fighter, by some people, who parade themselves as MEND fighters.

“As much as I laugh over the threat, I am also worried because although I know that there is nobody bearing the name Jomo Gbomo after we left the creeks and accepted the amnesty offer of the Federal

Government, the fact that this same group of people have declared support for All Progressives Congress, APC, and Buhari gives us some concern.

“We have always suspected that the so-called MEND’s endorsement of Buhari came from APC and its agents because the name Jomo Gbomo is a name that anybody could use while we were in the creeks, fighting for the good of this country.

“We were the MEND commanders and we restate that having left the creeks, Jomo Gbomo also ceased to

exist.

“If anybody is using Jomo Gbomo’s name to declare support for Buhari on behalf of MEND, that person must be an APC and a Buhari supporter.

“We know that some political parties are capable of doing anything to win the February 14 election. We suspect that the threat is coming from agents, who are worried about our consistency in the support for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We will not eat our vomit.

Our support for Jonathan is constant and final.”

plumbering because I enjoy street fighting.

‘I started robbing from secondary school’

“Street fighting comes with lots of benefit, as we take advantage of the chaos to loot shops and rob. I started robbing right from secondary school.

“I started with stealing of phones and then graduated into full-fledged robbery when I met members of the gang. Usually, I sell the phones between N3,000 to N5,000. My mum is late and my father is very old.”

Bennett Kwum, 20-year-old Ghanaian, a sand dredger, who resides in 21, Ilaje Street Bariga, revealed that he was a robbery informant.

He said: “I was introduced into the gang by Gbolanhun.

We grew up together in the same neighbourhood in Ijora.

“They pay me for giving them information and they have paid me three times. I do not go with them during operation for fear of being recognised by the victims.

“However, in the last operation, I had to go with them because they do not know the actual robbery location.

“My mother lives in Orile while my father sells clothes.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—7

Soldiers rescue 14 pregnant teenagers, 8 children in Abia

By Felix Ogbonna

S

OLDIERS from 144 Battalion, Asa, in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have rescued 14 pregnant teenagers and eight children from a motherless babies’ home at Umunkpeyi Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

Also arrested by the soldiers were six young men, who claimed to be staff of the home, and two girls, aged 16 and 25.

However, the proprietress of the home, Mrs. Nma Charity, is still at large.

It was gathered that Mrs. Charity claimed to be running a government-approved home, but engages in child trafficking and hiring of men who impregnates the teenage girls.

Sources told Vanguard that on delivery, each girl got N20,000, while their babies were sold for between N80,000 and N150,000 for females and males, respectively.

One of the suspects, who was caught at Eke-Akpara in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, while trying to steal a baby, confessed that he had been in the business with Mrs. Charity for a long period, stating that his role was to steal a child and deliver it to the her, who in turn sold it to her customers.

Acting on the confession of the suspect, the Commanding Officer 144 Battalion, Lt. Col. Omolori Rasheed, ordered his men to raid the home where about 14 pregnant teenagers and six young men were arrested, while the proprietress of the home was away at the time of the raid.

A soldier, who declined to have his name in print, told Vanguard that the babies, between the ages of one and six, and the pregnant teenagers, would be handed over to the National Agency

zProprietress of motherless babies' home at large for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related

Matters, NAPTIP, while the other persons would be

Jumping Mapo Hall fence for safety, when suspected thugs wielding dangerous weapons invaded the flag off campaign rally of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday. PHOTO: Dare Fasube.

Crisis looms in Anambra community, as youths allege illegal oil deal

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—THE ongoing misunderstanding between the youths and stakeholders of Umerike na Umia village of Umolum in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State would have degenerated into a full blown communal crisis, last weekend, but for the quick intervention of Governor Willie Obiano.

The youths had embarked on a demonstration against what they described as a grand

conspiracy between a priest and a retired headmaster in the area to strike an illegal oil deal with Orient Petroleum Plc without the consent of elders and youths in the area.

The youths, numbering up to

T

HE Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, said investigation into the car explosion in the densely populated area of Lagos was still ongoing.

It could, however, not state whether the explosion was caused by a combustive substance allegedly planted in a politician’s car.

According to Police sources, the car was said to have been

parked on a street when residents heard a loud sound and thick smoke billowing from the car in the morning.

The owner of the car, Alhaji Simba, a politician, was said to have called the policemen attached to Ajegunle Divisional police station.

Although nobody was injured, Vanguard learned that Lagos State Command Anti-Bomb Unit, led by ASP Imo Sunday, moved to the scene and after examining the

100, gathered at Nwoye Junction, from where they embarked on the protest that took them to Shell Road and reserved Oil wells at the Otu Umolum water side in search of Orient Petroleum workers.

E

NUGU—POLICE in Enugu, yesterday, confirmed the death of two children at a stream located at New Government Reserved Area axis of Trans Ekulu layout in Enugu.

A statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the two children, Emeka Nwafor, 7, and Nmesoma Nwafor, 4, were found dead in the stream on January 13.

It said the remains of the children had been deposited at a hospital for autopsy, as investigation was continuing.

In another development, the statement said that the Ninth Mile Police Division was also investigating the shooting of a hunter, Benjamin Igu of Umuokpala Egede area of Udi Local Government Area of the state.

It said that Igu, alongside the suspect and other hunters, had gone for hunting expedition when he was shot.

According to the police, the suspect, a 70-year-old man, claimed that he shot into the bush when he noticed movement thinking it was a wild animal.

The statement said the victim was responding to treatment.

My wife's pregnant for Okada man, pastor tells court

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—A pastor, Chris Onyekachi-Madu, 45, has told an Igando Customary Court to dissolve his 18-year

Lagos Police investigate car explosion

By Lucky Nwanekwu

handed over to the police for prosecution.

2 children drown, hunter shot in Enugu

car, took away some particles suspected to be part of the device.

He said the experts explained that “for now we are not going to say whether it is a bomb that exploded or not.

“We are going to test the objects we took from the scene in our laboratory to determine whether it was a bomb or not.

“Forensic analysis will reveal whether it was a bomb that exploded or a mere fire accident.”

marriage to his estranged wife, Augusta Madu, who got pregnant for an Okada man.

He said he didn't love her anymore because she slept with an Okada man in his house, got pregnant and then packed out to start living with the Okada man.

The court President, Rasack Isola-Adeyeri, adjourned the matter to January 28 for judgment.

Madu, who resides at 1, Bola Kadiri Street in Egbeda area of Lagos State and a pastor at Victory in Christ Gospel Ministry, Egbeda, told the court how his 18 years marriage collapsed.

Narrating his ordeal before the court, Madu said his wife, with whom he had two children, started fighting him on a daily basis while also bringing strange men into their home.

He also told the court that since the crisis began, he started seeing strange faces in his house.

He said: “They come to my house at about 11p.m. There was a day I had to interrogate a man that she brought home. She introduced her to me as her pastor.”

He said further that his wife brought an Okada man to his house, who she introduced to him as someone that would be taking their children to and from school.

Onyekachi-Madu further stated that the Okada rider, after taking his children to school in the morning and bringing them back, would then take his wife away even in his presence, adding that this happened on three consecutive occasions, after which she slept over the fourth time.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Nigeria needs $128trn for infrastructural devt —Yuguda

By Emeka Mamah

A

BUJA — NIGERIA needs about $128 trillion for infrastructural development to bring her to the level of other developing countries in the world.

This was contained in a presentation made to the National Economic Council, NEC, by the Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, on his blueprint for accelerated National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIIMP, in the next 30 years based on the need to raise the current infrastructure stock as percentage of GDP from current 35 per cent to a minimum of 70 per cent in Abuja recently.

According to the report, Yuguda said his presentation was based on the plan to bring infrastructure development in Nigeria in line with the country ’s growth aspirations, adding that the country ’s core infrastructure stock was "far below the target benchmark compared to some Asian and Latin America countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia and even some African countries like South Africa."

Yuguda said the current total infrastructure stock as at 2012 gave Nigeria 35-40 per cent of GDP compared to Brazil, India and South Africa which were at "47, 58 and 87 per cent," respectively, adding however, that the plan required "states’ collaboration and private sector’s participation."

The minister identified the priority sectors to be developed as energy and transport, which required the federal and state governments to provide 52 per cent of total investment, with private investors providing 28 percent.

However, in accepting Yuguda’s postulations, members of NEC, which is headed by the Vice President Namadi Sambo, spoke of the need to correct the inconsistencies in the population figure in some states in the South-East and South-West by aligning the figures to the current GDP statistics since the figures were based on the pre-GDP rebasing figures.

Why US is investing in credible, peaceful polls in Nigeria —Hawkins zTasks media on accurate, fair, balanced, patriotic reporting

By Clifford Ndujihe

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AGOS— "NIGERIANS have fought long and hard to earn democratic rights. They want and deserve peaceful and credible elections. Every Nigerian, from party leaders to candidates to average citizens, should do everything in his or her power to help meet those expectations."

With these words, the Consul General of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Jeffrey Hawkins, yesterday, said that the US and Nigeria’s international allies were investing heavily to ensure that next month’s general polls were violence-free and credible.

He urged all Nigerians and stakeholders especially the media to help make the elections free and fair and peaceful. He specifically enjoined the media to ask politicians tough questions and what they do and how, if elected instead of dwelling on personalities. He also urged politicians to shun inflammatory comments.

He spoke at the beginning of a four-day workshop on political journalism for senior political editors and reporters organised by the US Consul General in partnership with the Pan Atlantic University, PAU, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, at Lekki.

Patriotic reporting Tasking the media on accurate, fair, balanced and patriotic reporting, Hawkins said: "Nigeria’s friends and allies around the world are deeply invested in helping to ensure that the 2015 elections are free, fair, peaceful and credible. Throughout the electoral process, international audiences also will rely on you for timely, accurate, and insightful reporting that will reflect whether those goals are being met.

"You, as members of the fourth estate have a huge role to play and we are hopeful that the 2015 elections will be more peaceful and credible than previous years and will serve as a model of good practice.

"As friends of Nigeria, we have been urging politicians and their supporters to refrain from engaging in inflammatory rhetoric. Sometimes, the rhetoric makes it into print and airwaves. By repeating inflammatory quotes, the news media may fuel tension and hostilities. You must weigh the potential consequences of your reporting. Covering elections is

a great professional challenge and you and your colleagues shoulder a heavy responsibility.

"This important and timely workshop is intended to help you focus and sharpen your skills to play a constructive role in support of your democratic practices. During elections, the news media plays a vital role in fostering a peaceful and transparent process.

"As journalists, you are the eyes and ears of the electorate.

You have to be at the centre of political rallies and voting centres in order to inform the electorate about the candidates and to report on voter turnout and security situation on election day and beyond. You are also expected to explain rapidly unfolding events in languages that your communities understand. All this is not an easy feat.

"Your reporting should be issues and not personalities

driven. Your readers, viewers, listeners, and social media followers expect you to inform them accurately in order to make informed decision at the ballot box.

"Informing the electorate about what a candidate has done or pledges to do to mitigate security, fight corruption, increase youth employment, build infrastructure, improve education is more important to the voter than some of the personal attacks that we often see in the news media."

MEETING: From left: Founding Chairman, Nigeria Elections Debate Group, NEDG, AremoTaiwo Allimi; Chairman of the occasion and Director-General of Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Mr Sola Omole and Executive Secretary, NEDG, Mr Eddie Emessiri, at the NEDG Board of Trustees' meeting in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

BSO TO PDP: You're not honouring Abuja Accord

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

A

BUJA — BUHARI Support Organisation, BSO, an umbrella body of 85 groups canvassing support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, raised alarm that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has flouted Abuja peace accord entered into by 14 presidential candidates last week.

This is even as the organisation embarked on a sensitisation workshop for its coordinators nation-wide to drive home the intent of the accord.

The concern by BSO followed a paid advertorial in a national daily, yesterday, where the sponsor, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, in a bid to garner support for the presidential candidate of the PDP and Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, lined up pictures of former fallen Heads of State and President, asking Nigerians to be conscious of Buhari’s health

status in casting their votes in the forthcoming general elections.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Head, Media and Publicity Unit of BSO, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, warned Governor Fayose and the PDP not to over-heat the polity.

He said that such “mimicking” could be inflammatory and might scuttle the peace accord signed by the candidates.

Maduekwe, who described the development as uncalled for, also said it was not acceptable by Buhari and BSO. Reminding Fayose that he was not God to determine the death of humans, Maduekwe appealed to the media to be alive to sensitive advertorials that could spur anger and violence among the supporters of the candidates.

He said: “I don’t think it is a fair compliment and I would have expected that the media should be careful following the Abuja Accord not to over-heat the polity.

Nobody is God. Nobody knows how long anybody can live.

“So, making an issue about the life and death of our principal, General Mohammadu Buhari through an advertorial, is totally uncalled for, not acceptable by us and totally very reprehensible and must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians who believe that the Abuja Accord is truly a new paradigm for violence-free electioneering campaign in Nigeria.

“We cannot be talking about presidential candidate coming together to sign an accord to rein in their wards, His Excellency, Governor Fayose of Ekiti State would dare take a paid avert in The Sun Newspaper to talk about death. He is not in command and control. He is not God. “Fayose is a PDP governor. So, definitely he is acting either by omission or commission, on behalf of PDP and it is wrong.

When you watch other commentaries from PDP stalwarts like Fani-Koyade feeding into this line, then PDP themselves are breaking the Accord. PDP is using the media.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 —9

Cameroon army frees 24 of 80 Boko Haram hostages

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AGOS — Cameroon’s army has freed 24 hostages kidnapped during a cross-border attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters, government officials said.

In their latest cross-border raid on Sunday, Boko Haram fighters seized at least 80 people in northern Cameroon,

most of them women and children.

Cameroon Information Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakari, told Al Jazeera that the Cameroon army was able to free at least 24 of the hostages yesterday. ”They were freed as defence forces pursued the attackers who were heading back to

Nigeria,” defence ministry spokesman, Colonel Didier Badjeck said.

The attack on Sunday occurred in the village of Mabass, in the Far North region, Bakary said, adding that 80 houses were destroyed.

Bakary said:“We are dealing with barbaric

people, lawless people. Nothing can prevent them from assassinating.”

The raid came a day after neighbouring Chad deployed troops to combat Boko Haram in Cameroon and Nigeria, as part of a regional bid to combat the group.

Graft: Govs, top politicians under EFCC, UK Police watch —Lamorde zSays we’ll soon expose our findings to Nigerians

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

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BUJA — UNKNOWN to many of Nigeria’s serving governors, ministers and other top public figures, who are in the habit of siphoning public funds abroad, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police have been monitoring their movements and are set to expose them to Nigerians and the international community in a short while.

Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, announced the development in Abuja while receiving a top official of the London Metropolitan Police, Mr. Jonathan Benton, who was in his office to share ideas on the ongoing investigation involving the two organisations.

Lamorde said the two agencies were pursuing corruption cases involving top Nigerians politicians who have been discovered to be committing graft in the course of their service to the nation.

According to Lamorde, investigation into the financial activities of some unnamed serving governors, ministers and other top public officials in Nigeria is going on with a view to establishing credible evidence that would lead to inescapable prosecution.

He said the commission, having learnt from the mistake of the past, would not name the affected high profile suspects so as not to put them on the alert but would arrest and charge them to court once the agency was through with investigations.

The chairman, who did not also say how much the affected suspects might have stolen from the country so far, maintained that top officials of the government use proxies, family members and third party companies registered in tax havens to steal public funds thereby making it difficult for them to be tracked and punished for graft.

Lamorde said: “We are pursuing several cases involving top politicians with the Metropolitan Police of London and we are mindful not to talk

DEBATE: From left: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Chairman, Space FM, Otunba Deji Osibogun and Oyo State Labour Party governorship candidate, Otunba Adebayo AlaoAkala during the governorship debate organised by Space FM 90.1 in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday.

Nigeria’s wealth stolen and returned to the country but did about them until investigation is not say how much the country hidden abroad by its officials. concluded.

Benton assured that any stolen was expecting from the “We are also reviewing the forfeiture. fund by Nigerians, which passes cases and will soon make them through London, seen as the public when we are ready to go financial capital of Europe, to court. We are not in a hurry to We are willing to do would be traced and repatriated name them. Any Nigerian in more work with the by the organisation as long as public office who steals public EFCC —Met Police they continue to work with the funds should know that there will But the London Metropolitan EFCC and Nigeria. be no hiding place.

Police Detective Chief “If we find evidence of financial Inspector, Jonathan Benton, crimes in UK we will assist Probe of serving govs said while meeting with Nigeria and the EFCC in “Investigation of serving Lamorde that his organisation repatriating the money,” Benton governors is ongoing but we was willing to do more work assured. won’t name those involved. Some with the EFCC and repatriate of them will lose immunity in five months. We don’t want to arrest and release suspects anymore but oil price crash which forced to be armed with incontrovertible

By Emma Ujah, Abuja the CBN to devalue the Naira evidence to charge them to court Bureau Chief from N155 - $1 to N168 - $1 once arrested.”

BUJA — THE nation’s and to raise interest rate from The chairman said the Monetary Policy 12 to 13 per cent last Metropolitan Police which has Committee, which advises November. been working with the agency for the Central Bank of Nigeria, In spite of the devaluation, the past 10 years, had helped CBN, on policy issues began the pressure has continued Nigerian significantly in its first meeting in the new unabated with the Naira stemming the tide of corruption year, in Abuja, yesterday, to exchanging at about N192 to by public officials. review the money market and $1 at the parallel market, The chairman said it was the decide on how best to tackle across major cities, at the agency that made it possible for the persistent pressure on the weekend. the arrest, trial and imprisonment nation’s currency at the face With a crude oil price of less of former governors DSP of dwindling foreign than $50 per barrel, there are Alameyeisegha, Joshua Dariye exchange earnings. fears that the currency value and James Ibori for corruption.

The Naira has, for several could crash further, given that He said because of the months, been under attack the nation’s only main collaboration between the two from various fronts with foreign exchange source anti-graft agencies, Nigeria would capital flight, decreasing remained proceeds of crude soon have some assets forfeited petro-dollars owing to crude oil sales. from Nigerian public figures

FG launches N2bn distribution fund to tackle piracy

By Princewill Ekwujuru

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AGOS — THE Federal Government has launched a N2 billion Innovation Distribution Fund, IDF, to improve distribution network and to tackle piracy in the film industry.

The IDF is aimed at improving the distribution of audiovisual content, cut down on piracy, and to better protect intellectual property in the industry.

The IDF is targeted at the businesses that operate or plan to operate in the film distribution space.

The core plan for the project is for a market driven approach which will boost the number and quality of distribution options through strategic cofinancing of new channels and supporting the expansion of available ones.

These could include technology-based solutions such as digital streaming, enablers of effective distribution, movie exhibition infrastructure and physical distribution.

Applications for the distribution fund are welcome through the Project ACT online web p o r t a l www.projectactnollywood.com.ng which will be operational for a twomonth period.

MPC reviews monetary policies over pressure on Naira

A

CBN dep gov cries out over fake facebook Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of the CBN in charge of Economic Policy, Dr. Sarah Alade, has cried out over activities of internet fraudsters whom she claimed, have opened a fake facebook account in her name, ostensibly to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

She said she had no facebook account and that the one bearing her name was the handiwork of impostors and that the public should see it so.

10— Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

FIRE: LAWMA warns against

refuse burning, others

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CAMPAIGN: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (2nd right), with Lagos State Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Henry Ajomale (middle), handing over the party’s flag to the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd left), during the APC governorship campaign rally at Oworonshoki Playing Ground, yesterday.

With them are: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (right) and wife of the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (left).

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

AGOS—LAGOS Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has urged residents to desist from burning of refuse by adhering strictly to the state’s environmental rules and regulations, in order to prevent avoidable fire outbreak and other conducts that might ignite fire.

The agency also called on them to maintain high environmental standard and ensure cleaner, healthier, safer and accident-free Lagos.

Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, appealed to residents to also desist from acts such as storage of combustible materials and illegal tapping of

electricity, especially in this harmattan period.

Oresanya made a plea to residents to comply with Section 14 (A and B) of the Lagos State’s environmental sanitation law which states that “No person shall burn or cause to be burnt, waste of any description on a tenement, or dump waste at any place other than a waste disposal site.”

Aregbesola, others eulogise Adeleke @ 60

APC supporters on rampage in Lagos zAs Fashola accuses Jonathan of impunity on Lagos roads

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

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AGOS—THERE was pandemonium yesterday at All Progressive Congress, APC, rally for its candidates in Gbagada axis of Lagos, as political thugs

clashed at the venue, injuring two persons.

Vanguard gathered that the clash started midway into the campaign when one of the speakers was addressing the party members and supporters

who thronged the venue of the campaign.

Sources said the campaign was initially peaceful with members dressed in the party attire. But skirmish started with each group brandishing different types of weapons.

It was gathered that one of the group, which arrived at the campaign late started the h o s t i l i t y.

While the fracas lasted, many had to run in different directions for

safety.

The police were able to revive one of the thugs who was stabbed and laid on the ground helpless. More policemen were then drafted to the scene to maintain peace as the thugs were driven out of the venue.

Sources said teargas canisters were shot outside the campaign ground after the thugs had been driven out which made many to troop out of the venue before Fashola began his speech.

While delivering his speech, Governor Babatunde Fashola, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of showing impunity on Lagos roads, saying “the President and his party, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, removed business banners already paid for to fix theirs without consulting the appropriate authority.”

A

BEOKUTA—THE Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal and Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Nojeem Salami among others commended the first executive governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke for been an embodiment of humility, perseverance and political integrity.

Commending Adeleke, who turned 60 years, Aregbesola advised politicians to shun bickering, politics of bitterness and character assassinations but always focus on developmental projects that will benefit the electorate as it is the practice with Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

Also, the traditional ruler of Edeland said Adeleke’s love for Edeland is unsurpassed, as he has “given so much to the community since he arrived the political scene in 1992."

LEDAP wants death sentence replaced with life imprisonment

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By Onozure Dania

AGOS—A civil society group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, has called on the Federal Government and state governors to reconsider their stand on the use of death penalty for punishment, noting that same should be replaced with life imprisonment.

Mr Chino Obiagwu, National Coordinator of LEDAP, who spoke at the launch of the group’s national office in Lekki, Lagos State, said: “Nigeria cannot continue to sentence innocent persons to death including juveniles,” adding that the country ’s justice administration needs to

be urgently reviewed.

Some former death row inmates, which LEDAP helped secure their release, also joined their voice in calling for the reform of the country’s legal administration, as many Nigerians are being arrested and forced by the police to admit to crime they didnotcommit,whilemanymore are convicted for crimes they knew nothing about.

Lagos acquires 177 modern squad vehicles Monsur Olowoopejo

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AGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, disclosed that the state has acquired 117 squad vehicles for the divisional police stations and commands aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing in the

state.

Fashola disclosed this at the handing over of the I n f o r m a t i o n , Communication Technology, ICT, resource centres for police stations at the Area H Police Command, Kosofe Local Government, which also had in attendance the state

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti.

He said: “We have also concluded plans to ensure that the 117 divisional police stations in the state have world standard patrol vehicles. It will not be Hilux because those ones are for operational purposes."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 —11

SDP, APC trade words over alleged plan to rig election zWe'll run issue-based campaign—Osoba

By Daud Olatunji

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BEOKUTA—THE All Progressives Congress and Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ogun State, yesterday, traded words over alleged plan to rig the coming general elections.

The APC in the state accused the SDP of planning to rig the coming election going by a statement made by the leader of the party and a former governor of the state, Aremo Segun Osoba that, his party was targeting 500,000 votes.

Osoba had last Wednesday, at the party’s mega rally, held in Abeokuta, said that his party had registered 50,000 members and had charged them to talk to 10 persons each, saying he was targeting about 500,000 eligible voters in the elections.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the Director-General of Senator Ibikunle Amosun Campaign Organisations, Chief Bode Mustapha said Osoba and his SDP are not popular to garner such huge votes.

Mustapha, flanked by other members of the campaign organisation, including Chief Bisi Adegbuyi, Gbolade Osinowo and Mr. Femi Sowoolu, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to take note of Osoba’s statement.

According to Mustapha, “here is a party, the SDP that could not even garner marginal support from its campaign at Itoku market among other parts of the state capital. Perhaps, there are high and mighty plans underhand to rig these elections?

“What kind of mysterious, magical stunt does Chief Osoba

have under his hat that will automatically produce a halfmillion votes out of nothing or from clear blue skies when the whole world already knows that neither he or his party possesses the support to command even a fraction of that amount of votes from any ward in any part of Ogun State.

“Ideally, Chief Osoba should be patient enough to test his popularity at the polls”, he said.

In his reaction, a chieftain of the party and a serving Senator from Ogun East, Senator Gbenga Kaka said APC is jittery over the popularity of the SDP. Kaka urged the leaders of the APC to wait for the day of elections and see whether SDP is popular or not.

He said: “As simple as that,

mere saying SDP is not popular, we are popular. We don’t hire crowd. People came out of their volition to attend our rallies.

“They don’t need to be worried.

They should not be in panic or jittery. We are three weeks to the elections, they should wait whether we are popular or not.”

Meanwhile, former Governor of the state, Aremo Segun Osoba has said that his party would run a campaign that would focus on idea and promised on specific projects that would be executed.

Addressing a huge crowd of party supporters at a campaign rally in Ota, Osoba said the SDP was not interested in running anybody down but would rather focus on telling the people about the party plans and programmes.

He enjoined party members

not to engage in rainning abuses or attacking other candidates except when they have genuine evidences to back up such claims.

He said: “Party members should not engage in abuses or attacks, particularly personal attack on candidates except when they have genuine and unassailable evidence to back up their claims.

“Party members should not join in the silly idea of tearing posters and destroying billboards of other candidates and parties. Any misbehaviour or inappriopriate action, including cases of violence should be immediately reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency.”

EANTIME, the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has raised the alarm over alleged plan by Governor Ayodele Fayose to ambush the campaign convoys of the APC presidential candidate,

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DO EKITI—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Ekiti State yesterday said it has received 1,555 smart cards and 4,009 ballot boxes while it has recruited 6,464 adhoc staff made up of corps members for the forthcoming general election in the state.

The newly deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner to the state, Mr. Sam Olumekun, who disclosed these to journalists in Ado Ekiti while briefing them on the preparation for the exercise, said a total of 488,029 prospective voters, representing 67 pe rcent of 732,776 registered voters had so far collected their Permanent Voter Cards in the state adding that only those with their PVCs would be allowed to vote at the election.

He said the commission resolved on the usage of smart cards for accreditation during the election to add value and credibility to the exercise.

Ondo yet to receive 450,000 voters' cards

A FLAG OFF: From left: Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, party chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande, All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate and Oyo State governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, and APC Leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu, during the flag off of Governor Ajimobi's campaing for a second term in Ibadan. Photo: Dare Fasube.

....As APC alleges plot by Fayose to attack Buhari's Muhammadu Buhari, as he supporters on the convoys of APC members to be removing the posters of comes to the state on Saturday on on the way to their presidential APC candidates. They are also

M

INEC recruits over 6,000 for polls in Ekiti

a campaign visit.

The APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday said APC was in possession of intelligence that the governor had concluded plans to unleash thugs

candidate’s campaign rally.

The APC spokesman alleged that Fayose had already hired members of OPC with alleged help by the self-styled Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, himself a member of Faseun faction of the group, to attack the convoys of APC members on their way to the rally as PDP did in Rivers State. The OPC members, the party said, were engaged as task force men

to strike at the campaign grounds to cause stampede, the party alleged.

He said the OPC members were already in town to be deployed to entry points to AdoEkiti where they would ambush APC members on their way to the campaign grounds, adding that so far, the group had removed Buhari’s posters pasted in his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti as well as those pasted in the party’s office in the state capital.

By Dayo Johnson

KURE—OVER 450,000 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, are yet to be collected in Ondo State less than a month to the general elections.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner REC Olusegun Agbaje said this in Akure at a stakeholders meeting with political parties ahead of the general elections.

Agbaje noted that of the 1.3 million registered voters in the state only 850,000 have collected their permanent voters' cards.

He applealed to political parties to educate their followers to go to their wards and collect their permanent voters cards.

The REC said that the response of the people of the state to the collection of the PVCs is not encouraging.

Agbaje assured all the political parties that the commission will be neutral and provide a level playing field for them during the coming elections.

Osun PDP crisis worsens as party sacks spokesman

By Gbenga Olarinoye

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SOGBO—THE crisis rocking Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday took a new dimension as the party announced the sack of Prince

Diran Odeyemi as its spokesperson.

Odeyemi had weekend accused state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa of financial recklessness and high handedness in managing the affairs of the party since

he came into office about two years ago.

But rising from State Working Committee meeting of the party yesterday, the party announced the sack of Odeyemi as PDP’s director of publicity.

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

UNIBEN faults Oshiomhole on disputed property

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

apartments to retired staff of the university as all occupants are serving staff of the institution. Records of allocations to this effect are verifiable.

“The allegation that Prof. O. Oshodin, the immediate past vice chancellor of the university does not live in any of the houses is untrue. The quarters where the former vice chancellor lives was allocated to him 34 years ago, not as a vice chancellor. Although he

has completed his tenure as vice chancellor, he remains a staff of the university having not attained the mandatory retirement age.

“Prof. Oshodin lived in that building throughout his tenure as vice chancellor with his wife, who is also a deputy registrar in the university. He lived in the property till it was demolished by the state government. As a matter of fact, Prof. Oshodin was present when the bulldozers

rolled in for demolition of his official residence.

“The governor ’s claim that a non-staff, an alleged vice chancellor of a university in Delta State lives in one of the buildings is not correct. The said Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Asagba, is a staff of the University of Benin, who is currently on leave of absence to Western Delta University, Oghara and not Delta State University as claimed by the governor."

ENIN—THE authorities of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, yesterday, faulted claims by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that the disputed property given to the university by the then governor of old Mid-West Region, Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia, were allocated to retired staff of the university.

The university, which expressed its readiness to find lasting solution to the lingering dispute between the university and the state government over the 18 property, which the high court in its ruling declared as property of the state government, however, noted that the allegations made by the governor in his recent broadcast in the state were not factual.

The state government embarked on demolition of the property, insisting that it was its intention to recover the property following the high court ruling.

In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr Michael Osasuyi, the university said that “Contrary to the governor ’s claim that the demolished staff buildings DEDICATION: From left: Mr. Barinaada Mpigi of the House of Representatives; Sen. Magnus were allocated to retired and Abe; Mr. Josiah Olu and Mr. Andrew Miller of the RSHA, shortly after the re-dedication of non-UNIBEN staff, the University of Benin did not Senator Abe’s mandate at St. Barth’s Anglican Church, Bera, Gokana Local Government allocate any of the said Area, Rivers State.

Reject politicians who encourage violence —ABE T

HE lawmaker representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly and All Progressives Party, APC, candidate for the 2015 senatorial election, Senator Magnus Abe, has appealed to Nigerians not to elect politicians who encourage violence.

Abe also expressed the hopes that Nigeria will change for the better immediately Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the APC, is declared winner of the February 14, presidential election.

Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after a special church service to rededicate his re-election mandate, organised by the Rivers South-East Ministers Forum, RSMF, at St. Barth’s Anglican Church, Bera, in Gokana Local Government area of Rivers State, Abe said that politicians encouraging youths to engage in political violence, including tearing of campaign posters and banners of opponents and shooting of innocent citizens, while their children are studying in the best

schools, are not worthy to be elected as leaders in the country.

“My advice to elders, those of us who call ourselves leaders, Rivers people and indeed Nigerians, is that the time has come for us to look at the quality and characters of those we regard as leaders, ascertain what they represent and what they can offer.

“People who are planning one

set of thing for their family and another for your own children should be rejected through your Permanent Voter ’s Cards, PVCs. If anybody sees me telling any child to go and tear posters, to shoot and harass people, should also reject me,” he said.

The APC senatorial candidate stated that the emergence of Buhari will bring positive changes to the behavioural

attitude of Nigerians, as they won’t wait for him to be sworn in as President before changing their attitude.

Senator Abe added: “The day you hear the announcement that Buhari has won as President of Nigeria, everybody will change their behaviour the next morning. They won’t wait for Buhari to be sworn in.

Immediately Buhari is elected, Nigeria will change.”

FEB POLLS: Ogboru consults with Itsekiri leaders

By Daniel Gumm

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ARRI—AS the February elections draw nearer, Delta State Labour Party governorship flag-bearer, Chief Great Ogboru, has sought the blessing of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT, promising to “give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, if elected.”

Chief Ogboru told the Itsekiri leaders, yesterday in Warri, that his campaign will be based on value, saying that

he might not have the opportunity to vie for Delta State's plum job again.

In his remark, an elder statesman and former member of defunct Bendel State House of Assembly, Pa. Isaac Jamide, said that the Itsekiri believe in giving everybody what belongs to them, adding that no matter how long one lives in a place, he or she remains a stranger and not an indigene.

Pa. Jemide advised Chief Ogboru to run an all-inclusive

government if elected, so that he will be remembered for good legacies after leaving office.

Chairman of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Pa. J. Ayomike, prayed for Chief Ogboru to succeed in his aspiration and enjoined him not to be tired, saying, “If you want something you must persist.”

Pa. Ayomike encouraged the Labour Party governorship candidate to make sure he carries everybody along with fairness and equity if elected.

Ikimi tackles Ozekhome on Buhari's qualification

By Emma Amaize

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A R R I — EXECUTIVE Director of Delta Statebased Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, CENTREP, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, has disagreed with Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, that All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), was not qualified to contest next month’s presidential election.

Ikimi, also a lawyer, said: “I disagree with him as I have handled several election petitions in the past to know that the above issue raised by the SAN is a non-issue, as Buhari is eminently qualified to run for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under section 131 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)."

NUPENG tasks members on war against illegal bunkering

By Jimitota Onoyume

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ORT HARC O U R T — MARINE Equipment and Oil Supply branch of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has promised to partner relevant Federal Government institutions to fight illegal oil bunkering to a halt in the Niger Delta region.

Chairman, Port Harcourt zone of MEOS, Mr Omons Kalio, said they will work with the Navy and other relevant bodies to reduce oil theft in the region.

Speaking shortly after the inauguration of the Port Harcourt zone of the body, he said they will ensure that members of the zone refrained from acts capable of tarnishing the image of NUPENG.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—13

C M Y K

14—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

BLACKOUT: FG

issues ultimatum for Borno State's reconnection

By Chris Ochayi

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BUJA — THE F e d e r a l Government has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, to reconnect troubled Borno State to the national grid.

Minister of State for Power, Mallam Mohammed Wakil, who handed the ultimatum after a marathon meeting with TCN officials on the black-out in the state, insisted that Maiduguri must be reconnected, irrespective of the security and sabotage challenges facing the state.

The minister, however, disbanded the Technical Committee on Reconnection, TCR, an Ad-Hoc Committee charged with the responsibility of supervising electricity matters in the wake of Boko Haram crisis.

Wakil also directed the TCN to speed up work on the 330/132/33kv sub station in Damaturu which, when completed, would improve quality of supply to Borno and Yobe, declaring that "Borno should have three sources of power supply from the national grid.”

I'm not enemy of the North — JONATHAN

By Gbenga Oke

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RESIDENT GOODLUCK Jonathan, yesterday, in Sokoto described those calling him enemy of the North, as liars who have nothing to offer the region.

The President also said his administration had achieved a lot in the area of transforming the educational and agricultural sectors across the Northern states.

The President, who spoke during the campaign rally in Sokoto State at Shehu Kangiwa Square, said his administration

had achieved more for the North than any other administration led by former Presidents of Nigeria.

His words: “When I came on board as president, I established 14 new universities, four were built in the South while 10 were built in the North, yet they keep telling you I hate the North. If truly I hate the North and I do not want the children from the North to be like me, will I take such action?” the President asked.

He went further: “Federal Government has no business with basic primary education

because they are functions of the state government, but I took it upon myself to build Almajiri schools here because we realised there is a higher percentage of children out of school in the North than in the South. So we intervened massively. Is that hating the North?

“In the area of agriculture, tell me of any government that has supported the North with several agricultural equipment and with billions in cash loans. Is that hating the North? If I don’t like the North, will they benefit up to 70 per cent of agricultural

AWARD: From left, Editor, Newswatch Times Magazine, Mr. Ademola Abimboye, representative of Kwara State Governor, Hon. Raheem Adedoyin, and Senator Kunlere Boluwaji, during the 2014 Newswatch Person of the Year, at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan

reforms we are doing?” he asked.

He said those claiming that he was against the North themselves really had nothing to offer the region.

His words: “Those who say I do not like the North were also presidents in the past, but what did they do for the North? How many schools or universities did they build in the North and what did they do to ameliorate the problems in the agricultural sector?”

President Jonathan, however, called on politicians in the state to shun the act of violence at the forthcoming elections.

He said: “We must learn to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship in politics because on my arrival this morning, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saadu Abubakar, drew my attention to the unwarranted rivalry that existed among political parties in the state and he condemned the development in its entirety.

Stressing further, he said: “I visited Ogun State recently and the state Governor, Ibikunle Amusun, who is of the opposition party accommodated me at the Governor’s Lodge, where both of us passed the night without any rancour. I believe this is what politics should be.”

In their goodwill messages, former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and the Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Mukhtar Shagari promised to deliver the state 100 per cent to Jonathan at the forthcoming polls.

PDP faults Buhari’s explanation of certificate saga

By Henry Umoru

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BUJA — PRESIDENTIAL Campaign Organisation of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, faulted explanation by presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, on the alleged certificate scam.

In a statement, yesterday, by the Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Candidate, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the group noted that the fact that Buhari got away without the presentation of required credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2003, 2007, and 2011 as required by law did not mean that in 2015, he would as well get away with it.

The statement read: “It is disingenuous for Buhari to say that he contested previous elections and that the issue of his qualifications did not arise. Had INEC not complied with the Electoral Act this year, which requires that they paste the academic credentials of all the presidential candidates, Nigerians would have remained ignorant of the fact that Buhari has probably been submitting afC M Y K

fidavits for the past elections.

“The fact that he got away with it in 2003, 2007 and 2011 does not make it right. The minimum that Nigerians require from Buhari is the presentation of his secondary school certificate which enabled him to gain admission into the Nigerian Military College in 1962 and on which basis he became a commissioned officer of the Nigerian Army.

“This forms the fulcrum for the subsequent courses that he attended as he rose in the Army,

including the U.S. War College.

Failure to produce that school certificate implies that Buhari’s entire career in the Army was based on falsehood which cannot stand. This brings to question the admission system/policy into the Army in the early 1960's.

“Were the rules bent for certain individuals in fulfilment of the quota system? Anyone that reads General Alabi Isama’s book which was published last year will know that this was the case.

"In fact, Alabi Isama went as far

as to allege that some Nigerians were admitted into the military academy without the necessary qualifications like school certificate.

“We believe that Buhari was one of those people and this is why he is unable to produce his cer-

FG seeks clemency for 12 Nigerians on death row in Indonesia — Official

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HE FEDERAL Government, yesterday, appealed to the Indonesian government to show clemency for 12 Nigerians convicted of drug crimes in that country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Danjuma Sheni, told newsmen after an audience with the acting Indonesian Ambassador, Eko Indiarto, who was invited for discussions.

Two Nigerians, namely: Solomon Okafor and Daniels Enemuo, were executed by firing squad for drug crimes, while 12 others are currently on death row.

“Every country determines for herself the kind of action it takes. In the case of Nigerians and as you have just seen, we have protested very vehemently the execution and we are still looking at other options. That (recalling ambassador) may be along the line, but we are looking at other options.

“I have just appealed to the government and people of Indonesia to show some clemency as we move forward with regards to the 12 other Nigerians still on death row in that country. We hope at the end of the day, there will be some form of clemency for our people."

tificate.

"The truth is that he was never qualified for entry into the military academy in the first place and consequently he should never have become a commissioned officer let alone a man that rose to the rank of General."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—15

APC presidential campaign rally in Minna, Makurdi

APC Presidential Candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, acknowledging cheers from party supporters, in Minna, during the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Rally, in Niger State, yesterday. Photos: Joe Akintola

From left, APC Presidential Candidate, General Buhari; APC National Leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, APC Vice Presidential Candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and former APC National Secretary, Senator Lawal Suhaibu; former National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

From left, APC Vice Presidensal Candidate, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo, Hon. Dino Melayie, APC Presidential Candidate, General Buhari (retd), lifting the hand of Niger State APC Governorship Candidate, Abubakar Sani Lolo; Supporters and crowd of APC members, during the party's Presidential Campaign Rally, in Makurdi, Benue State, weekend Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor Deputy National Chairman, South West, Segun Oni, and others.

PDP presidential campaign team at Owerri, Onitsha, Umuahia

From left, FIrst Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; PDP Presidential Candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan; a priest of Owerri Diocese, and Arcbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Most Rev Anthony Obinna, during the visit of PDP presidential campaign team to the Archdiocese, in Owerri, weekend. Photos: State House

PDP supporters and party members, at Umuahia, Abia State

APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, welcoming President Jonathan to APGA secretariat, in demonstration of APGA presidential campaign support for President Jonathan, in Onitsha, weekend.

From left,Vice-President's wife, Hajiya Anina Sambo; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Jonathan, First Lady, Dame Jonathan, and Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 17

T

HERE is a harrowing story told by Adekoya Boladale, which needs to be brought to the attention of Nigerians, especially the people of the South-West. In the middle of the night of 4th January, 1984, heavily armed men of the Strike Force of the Nigerian army invaded the Lagos home of Chief Olu Awotesu, the Minister of State for Agriculture. This military operation had one design, to put the minister under arrest.

However, Chief Awotesu was not at home, having gone to his home-town in Iperu, Ogun State. On meeting his absence, the soldiers descended on his family. His wife was dragged from the bedroom upstairs through the staircase to the ground floor, where she was kicked and beaten by the men in khaki. Her assailants laughed at her while she screamed and begged for mercy.

The children were not spared either. They were also slapped and tortured in the bid to determine the precise whereabouts of their father.

This ordeal apparently went on for over three hours. When Chief Awotesu returned from Iperu to Lagos and learnt that he was now a wanted man, he drove straight to Dodan Barracks, then the seat of government in Nigeria, to give himself up.

He was not only arrested, he was detained without trial for nearly two years. It was while in detention that he learnt about the ordeal his family had been put through by men of the Special Forces. Chief Awotesu was only released in 1985, even though the government found no evidence of any crime against him.

South-West is not for sale The man responsible for this injustice is Muhammadu Buhari. He is now running for president and wants our votes.

Paradoxically, a number of the kinsmen of the late Chief Awotesu are now charged with selling his candidacy to us in the South-West; and yet Buhari himself has never found it necessary to apologise to us for the human rights violations his regime inflicted on us. A unique opportunity was given to him by the institution of the Truth and Reconciliation panel under Justice Chukwudifu Oputa in 1999. However, Buhari showed his contempt for us by refusing to appear before the panel.

Why then should people in the South-West give this same man their votes in 2015?

The fault is not Buhari’s. The fault is that of those now charged with white-washing his image. These people are obviously contemptuous of their Yoruba kith and kin. They have told Buhari that all he needs is a bit of cosmetic surgery. He should change from wearing an agbada to wearing a suit. He

Time tto o disgrace the self-appoint ed self-appointed godfather of the SouthWest South-W should choose a Christian Yoruba pastor as his running mate, and even attend a thanksgiving service in Lagos where he pretends to sing Christian praise songs. He should then mouth a few inane words about “change” and “anti-corruption” and all will be forgotten.

Somebody is being fooled but it is not the Yorubas. It does not matter how many curious onlookers are paid to come to Buhari’s campaign rallies in the South-West; the Yorubas will ultimately not succumb to this hogwash. Buhari has been rejected in the South-West three times. He will be rejected yet again. Out of over 4.7 million votes cast in the six states of the South West in 2011, Buhari could only get 321,609. That is less than seven percent.

Nevertheless, some Yoruba bigwigs in the APC have gone ahead to strike a deal with Buhari on the grounds that they will deliver the South West to him in the coming election. It is not going to happen.

In the first place, who made these men spokesmen for the South-West? Who mortgaged South-West Yoruba interests to the political ambitions of Bola Tinubu and his associates? As a matter of fact, the 2015 presidential election provides a unique opportunity for the people of the South-West to break off the political shackles of Bola Tinubu by rejecting his new-found ally of Muhammadu Buhari. If for no

If for no other reason than the refusal of the Yorubas to be sold into slavery, Buhari must be rejected outright in the SouthWest and the APC must be kicked out of Lagos State

other reason than the refusal of the Yorubas to be sold into slavery, Buhari must be rejected outright in the South-West and the APC must be kicked out of Lagos State.

With all the noise currently being made about Buhari’s candidacy, one important point is often overlooked: Buhari is not even well-liked by his own people. A lot is made of the 12 million votes he obtained from the North in 2011, conveniently forgetting that Goodluck Jonathan also obtained a sizeable eight million votes from the same North. Indeed, in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan won 428,392 votes in Buhari’s homestate of Katsina; to Buhari’s 1,163,919.

That means Jonathan won 37% of the votes in Buhari’s backyard. Compare that to the situation in Jonathan’s home state of Bayelsa. Jonathan won 584,811 votes; while Buhari obtained a miserable 691 votes. That gives Buhari a measly 0.11% of Jonathan’s votes.

It is also instructive that in the primary election for the APC presidential candidate, Northern delagates did not vote for Buhari. Instead, they gave their votes to Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar. Delegates from Buhari’s North-West voted for Kwankwaso, while those from the North-East voted for Atiku.

Buhari’s votes came primarily from the South-West, as well as from the South-East and the South-South. However, in 2011, out of over 38 million votes cast in the entire country, Buhari could only obtain 391,933 from the entire SouthWest, South-East and the South-South put together; that is 1.03% of the votes.

In short, Buhari was imposed on the North as the APC presidential candidate by delegates controlled by Tinubu.

It was out of gratitude for this that Buhari gave Tinubu the sole responsibility for choosing his vice-presidential runningmate. Tinubu’s first instinct, of course, was to reserve the vicepresidency for himself. But the political pressures against a Muslim/Muslim APC ticket, led him to concede it to his political

surrogate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Buhari’s crimes It is contemptuous of Tinubu and his Yoruba acolytes in APC to presume that they can deliver the South-West to Buhari in the 2015 presidential election, in spite of Buhari’s antecedents.

Of all the people they could form an alliance with, Buhari is by far the least acceptable to the Yorubas. In over 30 years of being a fixture of Nigerian politics, Buhari has been decidedly and unapologetically anti-Yorubas and anti-SouthWest. It is a matter of public record that Buhari has never done anything for us. On the contrary; he has done so many things against us.

When he assumed power in 1984, he established a 16 member Supreme Military Council (SMC) to rule the country. In spite of the fact that the Yorubas are the largest ethnic group in the country; larger according to every statistical index than the

Hausas and the Fulanis; Buhari could only find room for one solitary token Yoruba man: Brigadier Ola Oni. Buhari’s SMC had 11 Northerners to 5 Southerners.

Buhari locked up South-West politicians like Bisi Onabanjo and Michael Ajasin even though no case was found against them. Even after they were discharged and acquitted by the kangaroo courts he set up, he still kept them locked up and refused to release them. He pressured a judge to jail Fela Anikulapo Kuti for failing to declare foreign –exchange he had legitimately procured for the up-keep of his band on a foreign trip, while allowing the Emir of Gwandu to smuggle back into the country 53 suitcases during the currencychange exercise.

He did not just brutalise Chief Awotesu and his family. He did the same to Tai Solarin, who was denied medication for his asthmatic condition while in Buhari’s gulag; Ayo Oyewumi, who became blind in Buhari’s detention; and Busari Adelakun, who died of chronic ulcer, complications developed in Buhari’s jail. Buhari even seized Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s passport for no just cause, and thereby denied the old man visits to his doctors at Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, USA during the years when he ruled Nigeria.

He frustrated Lagos’ attempt to build a metro-rail system and, as PTF chairman, he discriminated blatantly against the South-West. It is pathetic that, rather than insist he should apologise for these and other infractions, the Yoruba politicians that have decided to pitch their tent with Buhari are now trying to pull the wool over our eyes by trying to give him a cosmetic political makeover. It is just not going to wash.

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 MOBILE telecommunication services, which Nigerians have relied on for the past 14 years, are probably at their worst state since the teething problems. The lingering issues of dropped calls, unsolicited messages, voice clarity and access to certain parts of the country have tasked subscribers’ patience.

Several things have been blamed for the situation. The telecommunication companies say poor infrastructure and vandalisation of their equipment are responsible for poor services. Consumers blame the companies for selling more services than their infrastructure can support. The regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, tries to tackle these issues, but wider collaborations are important.

At least all parties agree services are deteriorating. The disagreement is over the extent of the challenges and possible solutions. Internet services are also involved, even ones from providers other than the mobile telephone operators. The issues are wider than the Senate Committee on Communications accepts. Without a proper dissection of the situation, proposed solutions would not work. Senator Gil Emeka Nnaji, Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, once asked GSM operators

Ignoring GSM Challenges to leave the country if they would not improve services.

The position is not a solution. Challenges exist in the industry, which the senator surely knows. Years of dismissing the issues got us where we are. The legal framework under which the companies operate, gave them too much latitude. In the haste to embrace mobile telecommunication, Nigeria made many concessions to the operators. Tough questions about the future were not asked.

Moreover, basic infrastr ucture like electricity has worsened with increased demand. Expenses on provision of electricity (generators, diesel) have been rising. Further expenses on security have not stopped

vandalisation of base stations, a major cause of poor services in many areas. We are paying the price for piece-meal treatment of issues and years of delusion that the country could develop without investments in infrastructure.

Many of the complaints mobile operators make are genuine. Government has failed in its responsibilities in many areas; it is not in a strong position to enforce regulations. Beyond imposing penalties on the companies for poor services, what would government do? Suppose the companies pay the fines, but refuse to improve their services?

The National Assembly is part of the problem. Its public hearings are perfunctory. They do not get to the root of problems they are meant to solve. What investments did government make since 2001 to support mobile telecommunication? Can government, if it is not playing its part, ask others to play theirs? GSM services have become part of our lives.

Their contributions to improved commercial and social transactions are well documented.

The authorities should tackle GSM challenges –and other issues - with more profundity than empty threats.

OPINION

By Johnson Momodu

I

HAVE always been one of those who pooh-poohed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar anytime he sought to curry public sympathy over the manner in which his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, harassed him with investigations, in desperate bids to shoot down his political career.

But like Malam Nuhu Ribadu, I guess I have to apologise to Atiku, not because I think he is clean as a whistle as he wants us to believe, but because I now believe that his former boss was unfair to him.

Why do I make this claim? Read Obasanjo during a meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains: "I haven't said this publicly, I would say it publicly now.

When we looked into it [PTF], there was really nothing amiss except that that organisation went from road building to mosquito net buying and all sorts of things.

And what the investigation discovered is a bit of inconsistency in prices and all that.

In one area, mosquito net might have been given for N50; in another, N45. And then... that this is fishy. We should look into it.

"And I called my brother and colleague [Buhari]; I said this and he said look, we are managing billions of Naira and I tried to make sure I see everything. But I will not say that what they have said about this is correct or not correct. But I can assure you I tried to see everything. I said okay.

Muhammadu, between me, you and God, was there any personal benefit for you?

And you said no. I said that is the end of the matter.

When OBJ became Buhari's forerunner "Although there was that investigation, its report was not of any material importance.

I thought that I should say it today that I have this opportunity because I hope people will face issues rather than trivialities. On occasion like this, issues are very important."

While Obasanjo hounded many others, like Adolphus Wabara, over N45m, with his famed anti-corruption crusade, and passed them through the grill, he sat with Buhari, perhaps in his office, and agreed with him that he was not corrupt. What a way to run a country as large as Nigeria by a man who wants to be addressed as a statesman.

To him, the goose and the gander do not deserve equal treatment, yet that Haroun Adamu Report he denigrated as immaterial was unequivocal in its summation that Buhari did not run the place as he should. It appears that espirit

For Obasanjo to mount the high moral ground and seek to exonerate a man who went to sleep while his relatives, or companies owned by his relatives, robbed Nigeria blind is nothing but the hypocrisy

de corps played a major role in the way Obasanjo handled all matters that had to do with his military constituency.

Perhaps, that explains why Generals like Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Muhammadu Buhari were never forensically x-rayed under Obasanjo, while others suffered the indignities of thorough investigations during his eight years.

That report which Obasanjo swept under the carpet and glibly referred to as immaterial accused Buhari of empowering Afri-Projects Consortium (APC) in such a manner that caused this APC to undermine financial regulations and cause huge financial losses to the government, yet a man of Obasanjo's standing did not see anything wrong in this.

Did he bother to find out, as has been noted elsewhere, whether nepotism played a role in this choice of one company to handle matters that government officials were capable of handling?

Other excerpts from the Haroun Adamu Committee report which put a lie to Obasanjo's assertion read thus: * The total public funds to be recovered from various contractors, banks and consultants amounted to about Twenty five billion, seven hundred and fifty eight million, five hundred and thirty two thousand, four hundred and forty eight Naira. *Afri-Project Consortium were contracted

by PTF as Management Consultants and

Project Consultants. The former Chairman of PTF also delegated to them the power of Engineer in all appropriate project requiring such power. Afriproject Consortium then assumed an absolute power of initiation, approval and execution of all projects. *Three reputable management consulting firms were engaged to verify all payments made to (APC) from the inception of PTF up to 30th September, 1999. On verification it was found that they have over charged PTF for their services to the tune of N 2, 057, 550, 062 (Two billion, fifty seven million, five hundred and fifty thousand and sixty two Naira only). *The total sum of N 11, 658, 532, 448 (Eleven billion, six hundred and fifty eight million, five hundred and thirty two thousand four hundred and forty eight Naira only) is recoverable as per various reports completed as at now.

For Obasanjo to mount the high moral ground and seek to exonerate a man who went to sleep while his relatives, or companies owned by his relatives, robbed Nigeria blind is nothing but the hypocrisy which the former President has been recently accused of.

In his blind battle to undo Goodluck Jonathan whom he worked so hard, for good or for bad, to foist on the country, Obasanjo has taken the route to infamy.

But then, only posterity will help us to sift those who deserve to be called statesmen.

*Mr. momodu, a , a commentator on national issues, wrote from Benin city, Edo State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015— —19

The change we need

By Sunny Ikhioya

U

P until the mid eighties, the million was seen as an almost invincible attainment.

A judge of the calibrer of Ovie Whiskey, who had ser ved many years on the Bench and reached the peak of his career as a Chief Judge of the entire Bendel state, claimed thus; "If I see a million naira cash, I will faint". That shows the value to which money was placed in the good old days.

Suddenly, we did not hear millions again but billions. This gained momentum during the regime of Sani Abacha.

Initially, we thought it was a propaganda tool of the opposition to bring down the much dreaded regime but when the ‘Pandora’s box’ was opened, Nigerians were dazed.

Since then, it has become a billionaire’s affair. The millionaire in Nigeria today is not in the reckoning, it is a billionaire’s affair and it is stolen with mindless guts. The stealing has risen progressively since the time of Abacha, to the present day, such that past leaders who hitherto have had their own share of the loot now return with a claim to sainthood.

Nigeria as a country has been raped, bruised, sapped

and abandoned by our leaders.

We are just drifting, like a balloon in the ocean without anchor chain, tossed here and there according to the direction of the wind, ebb and tide and the human activities on the waters. Directionless; that has been the situation and we begin to wonder, how come, a country with so much human potentials, that has produced great scientists, lawyers, doctors, accountants, Nobel laureate, in fact, great men from all fields of human endeavour, how come, we are so blessed with miserable leaders? How come?

A country that has produced Chief Obafemi Awolowo, well known for his business management acumen and prudence in managing resources and men;Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, known for his political sagacity and interactive skills that cut across tribal and ethnic boundaries; Sir Ahmadu Bello, well known for his administrative skills in bringing together a united north, devoid of ethnic and religious bigotry.

Why has this country failed to replicate the footsteps of these men? Even at the regional level, all we have are leaders with selfish tendencies; like the sermon

By Francis Agbo

S

INCE 1999, Benue State has been a core PDP state. The people always cast their vote en mass in all elections for the largest political party in Africa.

Indeed it was in recognition of this that Benue State had produced two national chairmen of PDP and other sensitive positions in the party ’s apparatchik.

Once an aspirant emerges a candidate or the flag-bearer of the party in the state, it is automatically cast- in-stone that the person wins because of the dominance of the behemoth called PDP. And from all intents and purposes, the electorate is not in a hurry to dump the party in the February general elections. Although the PDP still has its fair share of internal contradictions symptomatic of the Nigerian state but it remains the only true Nigerian political party through which all Nigerians, irrespective of their creed, religion, status and tribe could realize their aspirations without being whimsically encumbered. Indeed only the PDP could provide its platform for a minority within a minority in person of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to be president of the Federal republic of Nigeria. All the major political parties in history did not find the minority ethnic groups worthy of wearing the crown until the PDP came to judgement and broke the ceiling glass.

And since Benue, (though peopled by minority ethnic groups) is a strong hold of the party, majority of the power elite want to stick to PDP so that after Jonathan, they could plot for one of their own to be President of Nigeria.

Similarly, there are a few ongoing projects in Benue initiated by the Jonathan administration and the fear is that if the president is not returned to Aso Rock, the opposition may jettison them. Curiously, PDP

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we hear from the pulpit says; ‘if you want to get the blessings of Jesus Christ, do and walk in the ways of Jesus Christ’. Some of us want to be recognized as the Awolowos, Azikiwes and Bellos of our time but we do not have the discipline, the selflessness, the liberalism of mind and the sacrificial traits that these men possess. That is the issue confronting our present leadership.

For me, having seen the example of late President Nelson Mandela, none of our

To begin the change therefore, we must take records of the activities of the leadership of the past and make them face trial for their deeds. The trial must be fair and open, anyone found guilty must be duly punished

past leaders qualify for any form of accolade. Instead, they should bury their heads in shame and ignominy, for the foundation they have laid in bringing the country and its destiny to this sorry pass.

I am not carried away by the chant of change that is currently going on at the various campaign rallies across the country. Indeed, it is all ‘sound and fur y, signifying nothing’ –apology to Shakespeare. The real change will not take place with the recycling of old hands, with people who have held the forte before, now leading us. I cannot be carried by the wave, bandwagon and halo effects that are targeted towards misleading the populace once again. I do not see change, in wolves of yesterday, now coming out to be lions of today,that is not where change will come from.

True change will come when we start afresh, when the people will be bold enough to face the looters of our economy, beginning with the past leaders and force them to give account of their past deeds.

True change will come, if we let criminals be criminals, irrespective of their tribe or race, not because they are not my brother or sister or ethnic kindred. True change will come when we all collectively demand for openness in the governance of our affairs.

True change will come, when we have fresh brains, fresh legs, fresh hands, that are

Tarzoor: Return of the native chieftains believe if the party loses the presidential election which comes first on Valentine day, February 14, it may negatively affect the outcome of the February 28 guber polls. It is against this background that the PDP will once again sweep the polls resoundingly in Benue, this year, irrespective of the machinations and propaganda of the opposition.

So, the emergence of the charismatic former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Prince Terhemen Tarzoor as the Benue State PDP governorship candidate excites me not just because he is my friend and we both share Yenagoa as our second home, not because he is my contemporar y, or because of his capacity, competences, uncommon

Though Tarzoor’s successful stint as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly was shortlived, he however superintended the passage of many bills into law, protected the interest of his colleagues more than ever before, spoke truth to power, restored dignity to his office

courage, strong conviction, political savvy and sagacity but because a native of Makurdi is at the verge of being governor of Benue State for the first time in histor y. Like the emergence of President Barrack Obama as the first black American ever to hold sway in the White House, the rise of the cerebral and workaholic native of Makurdi, Prince Tarzoor holds a lot of promise for Benue people and the Tivs in the MINDA axis, in particular.

The natives of Makurdi, the state capital are even more upbeat than I am. Many of them already have a mental picture of the new Nigerian Dubai that Tarzoor will turn Makurdi into. From the defunct Agan Tollgate to the airport, from the airport to Naka road and Apir, the livestock, the birds and the vegetation are in jubilant mood waiting for the return of the native to Government.

The high expectation is not misplaced.

Though Tarzoor ’s successful stint as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly was short-lived, he however superintended the passage of many bills into law, protected the interest of his colleagues more than ever before, spoke truth to power, restored dignity to his office, made Makurdi proud by attracting projects to the state capital through lobbying without necessarily compromising the independence of the legislature. But Makurdi’s joy was cut short in 2012 when the Benue State Elections Petitions Tribunal nullified Tarzoor ’s election and declared Hon. Avine Agbom of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) winner.

The tribunal’s hammer effectively took Makurdi out of limelight. The general thinking in the state capital today is that with the likely return of Tarzoor to

ready to tackle corruption in the land, irrespective of whose ox is gored. The change will come when we are ready to run our politics on a widely detribalised level, not on the basis of north versus south. It will come if every region decides to accord the other respect and give them their due. It will come when we all realize that this nation is a secular nation, where everyone must be allowed to practice his individual religion or faith irrespective of the part of the country he/she lives.

The change will come when all Nigerians are directed towards exploring our potentials in diverse fields and resources bestriding our lands; in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, commerce and trade. Truly, Nigeria has the human resources but we need a guide who will erase our collective shame, a fresh and new guide, not yesterdays' men.

To begin the change therefore, we must take records of the activities of the leadership of the past and make them face trial for their deeds. The trial must be fair and open, anyone found guilty must be duly punished.

That will be the beginning of deterrence and it will lay foundations for a new set of leaders in the country.

*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

power in a higher capacity, Makurdi will recover in hundred folds what it had lost to the opposition.

Aside Makurdi, the people of Benue State are equally lucky to have a Tarzoor as governor. Leadership is a function of time. And as the Chinese would say, Nigeria is in interesting times of credit crunch occasioned by the fall in oil revenue. The onus is usually on the critical stakeholders to identify the personality that is sufficiently prepared to take on the difficult times head on. For us, the PDP collective in Benue, we have elected Tarzoor in a transparent and crisis-free primary election because the delegates who constitute the Electoral College believe the astute economist and turnaround expert is the best man to navigate the state through the hard financial times. What Benue needs now is a friendly and compassionate governor with tight financial management acumen that could manage our scarce resources and our impatient but resourceful population, raise IGR, provide critical infrastructure, deliver concrete developmental deliverables with the available public funds, plug the leakages in the economy, fight corruption and shore up the image of the state in order to attract credible local and foreign investors to Benue, to boost the economy and create jobs for our teeming youths. These are the tendencies the youthful, energetic, enigmatic, emblematic and visionary Tarzoor represents. For sure, Tarzoor is definitely not a saint; like every mortal, he has some faults but they are completely infinitesimal to his virtues!

As Tarzoor turns 43 years on Sunday, January 26 this year, the best birthday gift to give him is for the people of Benue State to vote massively for him and his running mate, Hon John Ngbede on February 28.

•Mr. Agbo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Makurdi, Benue State.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 20, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 21

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

Auto policy: Stakeholder advocates 10-year incubation period

By Franklin Alli

A

concerned stakeholder in the automobile industry in the country has advocated for a ten year incubation period before it can be fully implemented by the Federal Government.

In a statement, the stakeholder, Chairman of Oris Velvet Autos, Chief Alfred Omoghiade, said: “Based on certain fundamentals in the nation’s economy, the auto policy ought to have been given at least10 years of incubation before its full implementation. This is to ensure that

the right enabling environment is in place and consequently guarantee its success.” He noted that with the hurried implementation, we now see undue advantage being given to a few people who are cashing in on the policy to milk the nation dry through unscrupulous practices to make huge money at the expense of the national economy.

The policy which, he said, had failed to yield the expected dividends because the local production of cars and vehicles as key elements of the

Nigeria Railway takes delivery of five 68-seater coaches

By Jonah Nwokpoku

$182.15

$5.25

$2,957.00

-$29.00

$14.93

$0.05

$49.95 $45.27 CURRENCY DOLLAR STERLING EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

-$1.01 -$0.80

BUYING CENTRAL 167 253.823 193.4862 190.9663 1.4304 0.279 237.6897 26.902 44.4776 26.0242 238.3925

167.5 254.5833 194.0655 191.538 1.4347 0.289 238.4014 26.983 44.6108 26.1021 239.1063

SELLING 168 255.3432 194.6448 192.1098 1.439 0.299 239.113 27.064 44.7439 26.1801 239.82

CBN Exchange Rate as 19/01/2015

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policy is not being met just as the nation is losing much revenue at the ports.

He therefore called on the Federal Government and its agency, the National Automotive Council, to take urgent steps to review the current policy in the interest of the nation’s economy.

Omoghiade recalled that the policy came into effect early July last year with the aim of localizing the manufacturing of vehicles with the

assembly plants projected to roll out an aggregate of 300, 000 vehicle units within the next two years and specific 23, 000 vehicle units of various brands of automobiles produced by the plants between June and December 2014.

“The policy, in the thinking of government, would not only help to reduce the pressure on foreign reserves by discouraging importation but also lead to massive job creation and enhance the wellbeing of the economy.

Accordingly, with the full implementation of the auto policy, tariffs jumped from 20 percent duty on passenger cars (PC) and 10 per cent on commercial vehicles (CV) to 70 per cent and 35 per cent respectively,” he noted.

“The Federal Government should as a necessity wade in and review the policy especially in view of the prevailing economic situation in terms of job losses at the ports and retarded business activities of other stakeholders,” he said.

He noted that while the policy was a noble vision, the implementation had been hasty leading to contradictions and no concrete benefits yet to the nation as planned.

Having implemented the auto policy this far, it is becoming increasingly clear that the anticipated objectives are not being realized and it is a well thought out suggestion that the Federal Government and the National Automotive Council should take a second look at it and review it accordingly.

“While we commend the efforts of Innoson in local production, same can’t be said of Stallion and others who have imported cars and vehicles of various brands in large quantities prior to the commencement of the policy and benefiting from the same policy with little to show for such substantial incentives in local production.

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he Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC has taken delivery of five additional 68-seater air conditioned coaches, two 16-seater rail buses and eighteen 5-seater Motorised Trolleys.

Addressing journalists in Lagos while conducting final inspection on the new railway vehicles, the Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Engineer Adeseyi Sijuade said that “the new coaches will be deployed over the next two weeks on an extension of the train service from Makurdi to Gombe passing through Lafia, Kanfanchan, Kuru, Jos, Bauchi and with a spur line from Kanfanchan to Kaduna.”

He disclosed that “ while the two new rail buses will be deployed for inspection of certain parts of the rail network, the eighteen motorized trolleys will be allocated to railway maintenance engineers to facilitate regular inspection and maintenance of the tracks.”

Recall that the Corporation had in April, 2014 commissioned the first set

of 68-seater passenger coaches, six in number, bringing the total number of 68-seater air conditioned coaches added to the corporation’s fleet to eleven.

Sijuade told journalists that the railway vehicles were designed and manufactured in China specifically for the Corporation’s narrow gauge railway system by CSR Nanjing

The new coaches will be deployed over the next two weeks on an extension of the train service from Makurdi to Gombe passing through Lafia, Kanfanchan, Kuru, Jos, Bauchi

Puzhen Company Ltd., and Kintech Nigeria Ltd. According to him, the newly acquired air conditioned coaches have been tested satisfactorily in the Corporation’s Lagos workshops and are now being deployed for commissioning.

He said: “We spent the whole weekend testing the whole appliances within these five coaches. These include the air conditioning, the automatic dust system and the passenger information system etc. They have all been tested satisfactorily. We are deploying them to the Eastern line.”

“However, for the commissioning purpose, we are deploying them to the Makurdi Railway station, where it will be commissioned on Thursday, 22nd January. The commissioning will be taking place along with the flagging off of the intercity passenger service that runs from Makurdi to Port Harcourt. As a matter of fact, the trains will be moving from Makurdi, following the flag off, to Port Harcourt,” he added.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

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However, the surest way to overcome the hindrance of 'many responsibilities' to investment, is to practice that timeless and basic rule for building wealth, which is, "Pay yourself first".

,

TOP 10 PERFORMING STOCKS

By Nkiruka Nnorom

L

ast week, the shares of Presco Plc, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Cutix Plc, Beta Glass Company (Nig.) Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN Plc and Custodian and Allied Plc enjoyed unalloyed patronage from the investing public, thereby emerging the most active stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, in terms of price movement.

Others that featured on the list of top performers include Oando Plc, P.Z. Industries Plc, Pharma-Deko Plc and Seplat Pe t r o l e u m Development Company Plc. Presco Plc, which emerged third on the list of top 10 performers penultimate week, displaced R.T Briscoe to lead the pack. The share price opened at N26.10 to close at N29.70, rising by 13.79 percent or N3.60 per share. An agriculture listed entity, under crop production, Presco has so far delivered132.55 percent 52 week return to investors, and also stands as the best priced stock in its sector in nominal terms. Though the company has been up-to-date in dividend payment, paying N1.00 in 2013 financial year, the underlying benefit to shareholders is absolutely minute as the earning per share for the period stood at N 8 . 3 8 .

Av a i l a b l e financial statement of the company for 2013 financial year showed it had a difficult year with its turnover dropping to N8.49 billion as against N11.25 billion the previous year, while the profit after tax closed lower at N1.29 billion compared to N3.55 billion a year earlier.

However, speaking to shareholders at the 21st Annual General Meeting, AGM, last year, the chairman, Mr. Pierre Vandebeeck, had assured that the company has bright prospects and is contemplating a further expansion.

He had assured that the company is poised to reap the benefits of the expansion p r o g r a m m e undertaken in 2013.

“Our performance in 2013 can be described as good. We achieved a total fresh fruit branches production of 123,695 tons as against 125,491 tons in the previous year; crude oil palm produced was 27,585 tons compared with 33,375 tons for the year 2012,” he said.

UACN was the second with 10.33 percent or N2.90 price appreciation, closing at n30.98 from N28.08 per share. UAC has made a number of acquisitions over the last few years in a bid to strengthen its footprint in the key sectors of the economic and

achieve a conglomerate structure.

Among the acquisitions recently made was the take of Livestock Feeds, where it has 51 percent equity stake, Chemical and Allied Products Plc, where it also has 51 percent interest and Portland Paints & Products Plc, where it has 51 percent interest as well.

Available 2013 financial statement of the company showed that the intrinsic value in the acquisitions intrinsic is being unlocked as indicated by improved financial outing. It grew its turnover by 13 percent from N69.6 billion in 2012 to N78.7 billion in 2013, while operating profit rose from N11.5 billion to N15.3 billion.

Livestock Feeds and Portland Paint, which became members of the company in 2013 contributed N6.30 billion to the group’s turnover. The chairman, Udoma Udo Udoma, attributed the growth to innovative and proactive measures the company adopted to tackle market dynamics and competitive pressures in the operating environment, while expressing optimism that the company will record modest growth in 2014.

UAC of Nigeria Plc (UAC) is a leading diversified company, operating in the food and beverages, real estate, paint and logistics sectors of the economy.

Cutix Plc followed with 8.09 percent or N0.11 to close at N1.47 from N1.36 per share. Cutix Plc listed in electronic and electrical products sector of the NSE produces insulated power cables, PVC insulated power cables, polyester aluminum enameled wire, speaker wire and cable, bare aluminum strand wire and cable, and irrigation cable. It recorded 19.43 percent growth in revenue for the third quarter ended January 31, 2014 to N1.68 billion compared with N1.41 billion achieved in the corresponding period of 2013. It, however incurred high input cost as cost of sales margin in the review period jumped to 71.25 percent from 70.90 percent ion nine months in 2013 hence gross profit margins declined to 28.72 percent in Q3 2014 as against 29.14 percent recorded in Q3:13.

Beta Glass appreciated by 7.99 percent or N2.22 to close at N30.00 from N27.78; UBN rose by 6.48 percent or N0.52 to close at n8.54 from N8.02; Custodian and Allied went up by 6.44 percent or N0.23 to close at N3.80 from N3.57; Oando advanced by 6.18 percent or N0.93 to close at N15.98 from N15.05; P.Z Cusson went up by 5.95 percent or N1.46, closing at N26.00 from N24.54; Pharma-Deko appreciated by 4.67 percent or N0.10 to close at N2.24 from N2.14, while Seplat recorded 3.71 percent or N11.13 appreciation to close at N311.13 from N300.00 per share.

INVESTORS Why you are not investing (2)

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE ”I have many responsibilities”.

This is another reason why some people don’t invest.

Most of the people that make this as excuse are usually middle or high income people.

The reality of our extended

family culture is that one can end up being responsible for the upkeep of many family members such that there is nothing to invest. Most people after graduating from school and getting a job, suddenly find themselves in a situation where they constantly

receive request for money and help. Of course, after benefiting from such gestures, you would be most unfair and considered an ingrate to ignore such demands especially from relatives. The painful aspect is that nobody cares whether you are saving and investing. In fact you

MARKET NEWS

Wilko Corporation to take over Avon Crowncaps … As NSE delists Cappa and D’Alberto

By Nkiruka Nnorom von Crowncaps and A Containers (Nigeria) Plc has announced the intension of

its majority shareholder, Wilko Corporation, to take up the remaining minority equities in the company.

Wilko Corporation, a private company incorporated in the Bahamas, already holds majority

Cancellation of the scheme shares and issue of new Avon Crowncaps shares to Wilko will result in the delisting of Avon Crowncaps shares from the Daily Official List of the Exchange

shares in Avon Crowncaps.

In a notice to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, through its stockbrokers, CSL Stockbrokers Limited, Avon Crowncaps said the restructuring proposal, will involve the acquisition of the entire141.16 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each belonging to the minority shareholders, which represents 20.64 percent of the company ’s issued share

capital.

This development will therefore make Avon wholly owned subsidiary of Wilko.

According to the company, the proposed acquisition of the minority shareholding by Wilko will be effected by way of a Scheme of Arrangement ‘under Section 539 of the Companies & Allied Matters Act, Cap C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004’ and is subject to the

From left: General Manager/Head, Legal and Regulation Division, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Ms Tinuade Awe; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, University of Ibadan, Prof. A. E. Aiyelari; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Vice Chancellor, UI, Prof. I.F. Adewole, and Executive Director, Market Operations & Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo at UI courtesy visit to formally establish a working relationship and partnership between the University of Ibadan School of Business (UISB) and the Exchange in Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 23

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FORUM would be lucky if you have any relative advising you to make sure you don’t spend all your money. The expectation is that you should continue to give till you don’t have anything to give. Even then, people will not believe you.

In addition to this is some aspect of our culture that induce people to spend so much on festivities and occasions, leading to unnecessary increase in responsibilities. Consider what people spend on the weddings, burials, birthdays etc. You would spend money on ‘aso ebi’, spend money on gifts (that may never be used), spend money to fuel your car to attend the occasion, spend money to provide refreshment for several guests (many of them really don’t need to be there). At the end you may end up spending more than N50,000 depending on how close the celebrant is to you and the location of the occasion. I know of a man, who has to borrow about a million naira to cope with the expenses of the burial of his father-in-law. He had no option. The traditional rite and expectation demand he spends so much.

shareholders approval.

The cancellation of the scheme shares and issue of new Avon Crowncaps shares to Wilko will result in the delisting of Avon Crowncaps shares from the Daily Official List of the Exchange, the statement said.

The statement added that in consideration of the cancellation, holders of the scheme shares will receive N1.90 for each share given up.

Avon Crowncaps and Containers plc is engaged in the manufacturing of crowncaps and various other types of caps and covers, containers and other similar items of metallic products.

The company has two wholly owned subsidiary companies: Fine Chemicals Nigeria Limited and Globe Packaging Industries Limited Meanwhile, the NSE said that it has delisted the shares of Cappa and D’Alberto Plc from its Daily Official List.

According to the NSE, the delisting which took place on January 16, 2014, brought to closure a 69 month impasse regarding Cappa and D’Alberto’s purported delisting pursuant to resolutions passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the company held on 24 March 2009.

Unfortunately, if he loses his job or something happens such that he does not have money again, tradition would be there to bail him out.

So, if you are not investing because of many responsibilities, you need to wake up to some realities.

The first reality is that you are the one that determines your responsibilities. It is good to be helpful but you must know your limits. You do and cannot have enough to help all the people that you would want to help. So, you must know where to draw the line.

As far as family is concerned, your responsibilities are your spouse, children and parents, and the focus must be on their basic needs i.e. Food, shelter, health, clothing and education.

Secondly, the rainy days will certainly come. It is just a matter of time. But if you don’t prepare by saving and investing, you and your family may end up as liabilities, depending on the crumbs that fall from the table of some relatives and friends. I am sure this is not your desire.

The third reality is that, human beings can be very unreliable. Thus you will discover that many of the relatives and friends that make demands on you from time to time, may disappoint you in a shocking manner. Most times not because they don’t want to help, but because they don’t have the ability to help.

Finally, you can say NO to many of the cultural demands that induce spending that are not necessary. You can say NO to the ‘aso ebi’, you can say NO to a big budget festivity and choose a low key event. You can decide to spend little and still have a grand occasion.

However, the surest way to overcome the hindrance of ‘many responsibilities’ to investment, is to practice that timeless and basic rule for building wealth, which is, “Pay yourself first”.

There is a saying in my language which literally translated mean, “Coca Cola cannot collect from you, and the money you don’t have”.

Immediately you receive your income, deduct 10 percent or whatever percentage you want to save, and invest it in shares or mutual funds (anything that you cannot quickly access for cash). Once you do this, the money available for the many responsibilities have been reduced, and you can conveniently tell anyone making a demand on you, “I don’t have money.”

The painful aspect is that nobody cares whether you are saving and investing. In fact you would be lucky if you have any relative advising you to make sure you don’t spend all your money. The expectation is that you should continue to give till you don’t have anything to give

•Adeleke

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•Gbadebo

Shareholders differ on Oteh

By Providence Obuh

woefully to protect the interest of investors which is the primary aim of SEC. So I don’t he Securities and Exchange see anything that she has achieved.

Commission (SEC) recently announced Certain things were not properly done that its Director-General, Ms Arunma Oteh, during her tenure, instance is the has stepped down.

Transcorp Hotel Plc offer, the document was Despite her passion and implementation approved by SEC and that approval I think of reform measures driven by the vision to something went wrong with it transform the Nigerian capital market into Shareholders Activist, Alh. Gbadebo world class that will drive development and Olatokunbo: The truth is bitter, because make Nigeria one of the most attractive she was upright and she met a lot of mess investment destination, in this interview on the table which she tried to clear and shareholders hold different views about her make the capital market what it is today, personality. Excerpt: so many people do not like her and am not one of them. The capital market crashed Secretary, Independent Shareholders because people were not disciplined and Association of Nigeria (ISAN) Mr. Adebayo a lot of rules were not enforced but on the Adeleke: She came in when the market was other side, other stakeholders are doing extremely down and she also left when the what they like. Arunma Oteh period market was still down. Her tenure was not happens to be the best period so far that I eventful for the shareholders. The truth is have ever witnessed in the capital market that the shareholders did not get much value because I have been around for over 30 during her tenure because of her misplaced years so I should be able to have a say. priority. She did not protect the interest of Irrespective of what ever anybody would the shareholders or the investors especially say about her, she corrected a lot of mistake. in the banking restructuring exercise carried People are happy because she is leaving, out by the then CBN Governor, Lamido they think they can continue business as Sanusi. What ever the case may be we wish usual and I pray that doesn’t happen. her all the best in her future endeavours.

One of the attributes and which nobody To judge a regulator by the standard of can deny her is the enforcement of the rules performance in what the person is regulating, and the proactive attitude of SEC to the she came in when the market was down and market, those two things you can not deny left when the market was down so where is her, she seek the enforcement of the rules her performance. If you also want to judge a and was proactive to the market, she came regulator by how much of regulatory and met some mess and she made it right, framework she has put in place, that I cannot people are looking in that direction, the capital market would have been lay hands on, that her first in mess today and so many other tenure this and that things. The things she did in the happened to the capital capital market alone goes along market, but rather a hard way because when there is situation were companies discipline things will go the way where people have invested they suppose. All the allegations were nationalized over night leveled against her by a and investors loss 100 percent particular committee, where are of their investment. Am the findings and yet they say she talking about Afri Bank, Bank CBN protected the is not qualified, I don’t want to PHB and other banks that interest of recon with them. She was bold were abridged for one reason depositors and enough and she challenged NDIC protected or the other. There was them, so decided to destroy her. absolutely no body to protect the interest of If she is not qualified the Federal the interest of shareholders. depositors SEC Government cannot give her that CBN protected the interest of under Arunmah job.

Oteh failed depositors and NDIC protected the interest of woefully to protect depositors SEC under the interest of Arunmah Oteh failed investors

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24 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

JANUARY 20, 2015

Ex-oil coys executives, others want NNPC scrapped

By Michael Eboh

M

ANY former management executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other oil companies’ senior executives have called for the scrapping of the Corporation, saying, it has destroyed its values and hindered the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

The oil chiefs made the declaration in Lagos, at a symposium to mark the 80th birthday of Chief Festus Marinho, a former Group Managing Director of the NNPC. They called for the scrapping of the NNPC, accusing it of deviating from the roles and goals set for it and the oil sector by its founders.

This is a real twist from the oil chiefs, as all had been part of the system, which they now criticise, especially as all had the capacity to bring about the much desired structure they referred while they were still in NNPC. “The NNPC is today, a netdestroyer of value in the oil and gas sector. Taking a look at developments in the oil and gas sector, the about $5 billion unpaid cash call, among others, will make one to ask if the NNPC is really adding value to the sector and to the Nigerian economy,” said Mr. Austin Avuru, Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Petroleum. Avuru had also retired from the NNPC system.

He noted that the NNPC was set up about the same time as other state-owned oil companies in some countries, but today, its peers in these countries sell their crude oil by themselves, while NNPC only calculates volumes and allocations it gave to other companies to sell for it.

He therefore advised that the NNPC be reduced to an efficient revenue collector for the government, while government makes effort to manage the revenue efficiently, using it as a catalyst for economic growth and ensuring that some portion are saved for the rainy day.

He further stated that the Federal Government should hands off the oil and gas sector, allowing indigenous investors to run the sector professionally.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Ibrahim Waziri, Chairman, Transmission Company of Nigeria and former Executive Director, Corporate Services, NNPC, called for the

scrapping of the Corporation.

He said, “There is no need to retain the NNPC, especially as other agencies perform the functions of the NNPC very well, such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in the area of revenue collection.”

He said the role of government in the oil and gas sector needs to be changed, adding

that government’s role has reached a diminishing return.

“Government should pull back and allow indigenous players and others to bring their expertise to bear in running the sector, while government focuses on collecting taxes and carrying out its original duties of maintaining law and order and security,”

he added.

In his submission, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Edmund Daukoru, (Mingi xii) the Amanayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, disclosed that direct interference from government has over the years destabilised the NNPC. According to him, for the NNPC to remain relevant, it

SYMPOSIUM: From left: Professor Pat Utomi, Founder, Centre for Values in Leadership; Chief Festus Marinho, the celebrant; Mr. Babs Omotowa, Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited and Mr Odein Ajumogobia, keynote speaker and former Minister of State, Petroleum at the 80th birthday symposium in honour of Chief Marinho in Lagos, with the theme: Nigeria’s Energy Evolution: A Glimpse at the Future. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU

is necessary to have people with courage and conscience at its helm of affairs, who can dare the government and damn the consequences of their actions.

Also, the keynote speaker, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, former Minister of State for Petroleum, disclosed that Nigeria’s petroleum policies have always been incoherent, due to the constant change of key officials, in the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR. According to him, this instability brought about by the constant changes of key officials is not a recipe for coherent policy making.

He said, “Petroleum policy is not always entirely coherent due in part to the frequent change of important officials.

Since NNPC was created 38 years ago, we have had 16 Group Managing Directors (GMD). In 30 years, from 1977 to 2007, there were nine, average of one every three years.

“Thereafter, appointments to that office became even more frequent. As minister, I encountered four GMDs of NNPC in a space of 32 months, between July 2007 and March 2010. There have been three others since 2010.”

IOCs to divest 250,000bpd worth of equity in 2015 — PwC

By Sebastine Obasi

N

IGERIA may not have seen the end of divestments in the oil and gas sector going by the findings of PricewaterhouseCoopers’, PwC, a management and advisory services firm.

The firm disclosed this in its review of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria in 2014.

It estimated that by the end of 2015, the International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria would have sold at least 250,000 barrels per day worth of equity in onshore and shallow water producing assets in the Niger Delta region.

PwC maintained that these divestments represent the single largest opportunity for indigenous companies to participate in the upstream oil and gas industry. The transfer of operatorship to the buyers of these assets will go a long way in demonstrating government’s commitment to

the local content policy. This will in turn unlock enormous local contractor, financing and other opportunities.

It also said that public scrutiny and growing regulatory compliance requirements in many developing countries post the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, is forcing companies to recognise Security, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) as a serious area of business focus.

The consequences of noncompliance are significant

The NNPC is today, a net-destroyer of value in the oil and gas sector

fines and penalties.

Multinational oil companies are also driving SHEQ requirements within their own companies as they require their business units around the world to implement their stringent policies no matter where they operate.

The review also said that gas flaring is also expected to continue to be a challenge, although there has been some improvement with some companies reporting a reduction in flaring volume from their facilities.

There has been about 75 percent reduction in flaring between 2003 and 2012, and flaring intensity by around 60 percent over the same period.

Also, some gas-to-liquid projects that are coming on stream are expected to make positive impact as regards flared volume.

There is a need however, for increased investment in gas utilisation and the creation of a viable market for gas. The

government is expected to take the lead on this, it added.

As regards National Oil Company, NOC and IOCs partnership, PwC said the primary concern of operators is centered around significant cuts in budgets and delay in budget approval, as there is also the consequent challenge of alternative funding.

It however said that the industry’s outlook is positive, as operators can look forward to an exciting and dynamic future in an ever-changing competitive landscape characterised by divestments and new acquisitions as new market entrants continue to seek a share of the industry’s significant growth potential.

“The onus however sits with governments to ensure that they continue to provide acceptable regulatory environments with attractive fiscal systems. The main difficulty that investors have is the risk associated with uncertainty.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 25

Oil slump to trigger double-digit inflation in Q1

By Michael Eboh

A

NALYSTS at BGL have warned that the continuous decline in the prices of crude oil in the international market will trigger a double-digit inflation in Nigeria in the first half of 2015, among other negative consequences.

The analysts, in the2015 Economic Outlook, are of the view that the recent slump in oil price and the consequent fiscal and monetary policy actions, which are largely tightening, represent potential drags on Nigeria’s output growth.

“The unfolding oil price scenario and the consequent exchange rate depreciation, official and unofficial by about 20 per cent on the average, could translate to a higher inflation scenario in 2015,” analysts at BGL Research declared in the Economic Review and Outlook for 2015.

According to the analysts, major areas that will be impacted by the decline in crude oil prices include imported price inflation which constitutes 13 per cent of consumer basket in Nigeria.

They added that non-food import content of Nigerians could also be higher than 30 per cent and would be immediately affected by the exchange rate pass through effect of the depreciation.

“The combined austerity measure of the government and tighter monetary policy

would put additional pressure on consumer prices. Therefore, we expect inflation rate to cross the double digit level in the first half of 2015. We forecast inflation between 9.5 per cent and 11 per cent in 2015,” the analysts said.

The BGL experts explained that the depression of the oil prices is a combination of fundamental and financial market reactions. They noted that on the supply side, the strong oil prices supported increased shale oil production in the United State, US, where

the market prices of oil were well above break-even for producers.

They said, “The estimated average break-even price of shale oil producers in the US is $60 per barrel. Recent estimates suggest that the US may soon surpass Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of petroleum and associated liquids.

“On the demand side, China and a number of other large oil consumers are buying less as their economies slow. The effect is a situation where the global supply of oil has become greater

than the demand.”

The analysts projected a non-accommodating monetary policy in 2015, dictated by the eventual trend of the oil price and the consequent effect on government’s primary balances, foreign exchange rate volatility and the foreign reserves.

They predicted a deterioration of Nigeria’s external reserves to below $30 billion before the end of the second quarter if oil prices continued to trade below $65 per barrel.

DINNER: From left: Leader of the Pre-Feed Concept Evaluation Team from United Kingdom, Mr. Giampanlo Bachmann; Chairman, Board of Directors, Brass LNG Limited, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki and Managing Director, Brass LNG Limited, Mr. Glovanni Romani at the dinner in honour of Pre-Feed Concept Evaluation Team visiting Brass LNG Ltd from London, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.

Oil prices: Nigeria, W’Africa record stable rig count

By Sebastine Obasi

D

ESPITE the global six months fall in oil prices, Nigeria and other West African oil producing countries recorded a stable rig count in December.

According to Rig Data, a worldwide offshore rig fleet information report obtained by Vanguard, current competitive offshore rig utilisation of the region stands at 75 per cent against 67 per cent recorded in November. Six months ago, the rig count stood at 75 percent compared to 90 percent a year ago.

Other parts of Africa recorded rig utilisation of 38 percent against 43 percent recorded in November.

However, the United States rig count decreased to 68 percent against 75 percent recorded in the previous month.

Specifically, the average United States rig count for December 2014 was 1,882, down 43 from the 1,925 counted in Novem-

ber 2014 and up 111 from the 1.711 counted in December 2013.

The international rig count for December 2014 was 1,313, down 11 from the 1,324 counted in November, and down 22 from the 1,335 counted in December 2013.

Also, the international offshore rig count for last December was 338, down 3 from the 341 counted in November, and up 32 from the 306 counted in

There is no significant change in the East European region, where the rig count remained 50 per cent for November and December 2014

December 2013.

A breakdown of the rig utilisation of other regions of the world shows that Far East Asia recorded 17.5 percent against 69.2 percent. Six months ago the region recorded 72.2 percent, while a year ago, it recorded 79.3 percent. South Asia recorded 80 percent compared to 83 percent recorded in November; while South East Asia recorded 71.2 percent against 73 percent it recorded in the same period.

The average Canadian rig count for December 2014 was 375, down 46 from the 421 counted a month before, and up 3 from the 372 counted in December 2013.

There is no significant change in the East European region, where the rig count remained 50 per cent for December and November 2014, while it was 100 percent six months and one year ago. However, in the North Sea Europe, there was a decline, as the region record-

ed 93 percent against 95 percent in November, while it was 81.3 percent six months ago, against 88.2 percent a year ago.

Torrent Energy plans 30MW waste-to-power plant

A

By Chris Ochayi

indigenous firm, Torrent Energy Limited, said it has concluded plans to build a 30 megawatt waste-to-energy plant, as part of its contribution to improve energy supply in the country.

The Managing Director, and Executive Director of the firm, Mr. Okey Chidume, and Mr. Tudor Mikko, respectively, disclosed this while making a presentation for the proposed plant to the Ministry of Power in Abuja.

The Ministry had revealed that Nigeria required 40,000MW to achieve regular power supply for households in the country. The minister added that the country’s current energy generation hovers around 5,000 to 7,000MW, noting that to achieve a stable power supply, other forms of renewable power sources need to be explored.

Explaining that the waste-toenergy system is a technology that will generate electricity from waste, the Torrent directors argued that adequate power supply was necessary for economic development.

They also said the plant is “a state-of-the-art concept for generation of electricity from waste, which allows efficient power generation, efficient waste disposal, and low environmental impact.

“Nigeria is facing rapid growth in energy demand, persistently high energy prices, and a challenge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power generation. Despite current efforts, access to electricity still remains low, and there is still inability to produce enough electricity to meet demands, said Chidume. “In Nigeria, millions of tonnes of waste are generated on daily basis, with an estimated ratio of approximately 0.8 kilogrammes per person per day, and rising. Out of the total solid waste generated, over 94 percent is disposed unscientifically.”

N

Schneider Electric introduces innovative solar streetlights

S

CHNEIDER Electric has announced the introduction of a new range of innovative energy efficient maintenance-free Solar Streetlights called Villaya.

This was disclosed by the Field Marketing and Access to Energy Manager, Anne Ezeh while introducing the product to a select group of customers at the company’s head office in Lagos.

Speaking further on the unique attributes of the Villaya Solar Streetlights, she explained that the product offers sustainable lighting capacity for up to 10 years.

“Unlike others, the Villaya

Solar Streetlights’ unique integrated concept makes installation very quick and easy because there is no need for trenching, cabling or on site assembling and the advanced LED technology and management system guarantees the lamps can last for up to 10 years” Anne said.

In addition to its Smart Management System, Ezeh noted that the Villaya Solar Streetlights offer unrivalled heat resistance, highly efficient LED light engine that provides the best ratio of lumens per watt as well as a unique all-in-one integrated plug and play design which allows for retrofitting, easy installation and helps to avoid vandalism.

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY,

JANUARY 20, 2015

Why presidential aspirants are silent on energy issues

By Michael Eboh & Sebastine Obasi

O

PINIONS are varied as to why the two president aspirants have failed to clearly highlight their plans for the energy sector in their campaigns thus far. But stakeholders in the sector have warned the contestants against any plan to increase government’s control of the sector.

The stakeholders, who spoke to Vanguard, argued that the current policies in the energy sector are adequate and capable of ensuring progress, adding however, that more efforts should be focused on developing the steel sector.

Both candidates have made a few, but not too significant mention of their plans for the energy sector. But noteworthy is that of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the leading opposition party, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to rein in the excesses of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and tackle corruption in the sector.

A former NNPC boss and Chairman, Prime Energy Resources, Mr. Chambers Oyibo, said the presidential candidates have not been saying much about the oil and gas industry because they don’t understand it. Besides, he added, they don’t want to scare away investors in the industry.

“If they don’t know much about the industry, they will not say much about it. They are not saying much because many of them are not businessmen.

Frontline politicians The technocrats, businessmen among them are not the frontline politicians. And the oil industry, I think they are very careful too.

They don’t want to demonise the industry that is sustaining this country and make it difficult for foreigners doing business in the country or for banks. They do not want them to lose confidence in the industry.

“Many times they don’t even know exactly what to say about the industry. To me, I think that is why they are not saying much about the industry. They just criticize and without any concrete data,” he added.

For Dr. Boniface Chizea, of the Lagos Business School, Lagos, the presidential candidates don’t seem to have much to say about the oil and gas sector He said, “There is not much to be said about this dominant and important sector of the economy.

In point of fact, the campaigns have so far not been issue driven

Muhammadu Buhari, APC Presidential candidate

Goodluck Jonathan, PDP Presidential candidate as most of us could have wished, and this development underscores the imperative for debates, because then, the candidates will have no choice but to discuss their agenda for the country.

“But what is there really to be said about the oil sector? I have heard promises made with regard to the approval of the PIB which is very important for the future of the oil sector, as it provides the ground norm and charts the way forward. As a matter of fact, therein is hidden the future of the oil sector, as it would re-orientate the operations of the NNPC for instance, to make it operate like most other national oil companies in the world. NNPC would have to adopt private sector templates in its operations; prepare its Annual Report and Accounts and declare a profit, and pay tax to the treasury, and generally avoid mismanagement which is the order of the day today,” he said.

Chizea further argued that the campaigns will become more interesting if the candidates could talk about Nigeria’s membership of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. “It will be most interesting if one of the candidates could stir the hornets’ nest by saying that he will work to terminate Nigeria’s membership of OPEC for instance.

“The other important matter is that it is common knowledge that the oil sector is undermined by corrupt practices, illegal bunkering, and leakages.

“Is there anything that could be said with regard to bringing that to an end? Other sectors related to oil and gas which are not now being fully tapped; the gas flaring and associated petrochemical products most of which the country throws away, the inherent opportunities because of the unfortunate

practice of importing refined products. I have no doubt that there is more that could be said in this connection if the candidates are encouraged to do so under a debate umbrella,” he added.

Building on existing policies But the Managing Director, HighCap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adonri, argued that the position of President Goodluck Jonathan on the energy sector is well known, as everything is encapsulated in the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. According to him, the goals of the bill are to increase domestic participation in the petroleum industry, that is, increase local content, increase transparency and accountability, deregulation and privatisation.

These, he said, are laudable objectives that would enhance the fortunes of the industry if the bill is passed.

However, he said, “The full details of Buhari’s plan for the Energy Industry are still unknown. However, judging by his background and antecedence in office, his policies may be centered on government control of the industry.

“If he harbors such a plan, it may be retrogressive, and is better advised against it. The duty of government in the energy industry, henceforth, should only be regulatory.

“Concerning the electric power industry, Jonathan has already deregulated the industry and privatised state enterprises.

Other than this, no other remedy can lead to Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in power supply.

“Since independence, under successive governments, the nation remained perpetually in darkness when electric power was supplied by government.

Any attempt to reverse current policy on power Industry just like President Umaru Yar’adua did in the case of the refineries will lead

to backwardness.

“The current policies on energy, power, automobile, and agriculture are progressive. If extended to the metallurgical industry, the road to acquiring the engineering infrastructure required for industrialisation would be opened.”

As far as the Principal Partner, Nextier Limited, Mr. Patrick Okigbo is concerned, “But for the declaration of the Transitional Electricity Market, TEM, and the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the critical deliverables in the 2010 Roadmap for Power Sector Reforms have been accomplished.

It is important that the successful presidential candidate maintains the momentum in the power sector to ensure the expected gains are accrued to Nigerians.”

“It would be great to hear the presidential candidates and their advisers discuss their plans for the full commercialisation of the power sector. It is a shame that the seventh National Assembly was not able to pass the PIB. Without the PIB, Nigeria will continue to suffer a loss of investments to other countries in the region that are expanding their

The duty of government in the energy industry, henceforth, should only be regulatory

oil industry.”

However, it is important to note that the leading parties, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and APC, both highlighted their plans for the sector in their manifestoes, what remains to be seen is if they will be committed in carrying out these plans and programmes.

Party manifestoes on energy Taking a looking at the manifestoes, ýthe APC promised to make the oil and gas industry and Nigeria, one of the leading/ cutting edge centres for clean oil and gas technologists, scientists, mega structure installation, drilling, processing, production engineers supported with best services and research facilities.

It also plans to modernise the NNPC and make it the national energy champion, while also considering breaking up the NNPC into more efficient, commercially driven units, stripping it of its regulatory powers and enable it tap into international capital market.

The APC also plans to enforce the government master plan for oil companies to end flaring that pollutes the air and damages people’s health and also ensures that the companies sell at least half of their gas production within Nigeria; Continuing, the APC said it plans to “Speedily pass the muchdelayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and ensure that local content issues are fully addressed and also make Nigeria the world’s leading exporter of LNG through the creation of strategic partnerships.”

On the other hand, the PDP in its manifesto for the ‘Natural Mineral Industry’, said it is targeting the “judicious exploitation of Nigeria’s natural mineral resources. In particular, we shall emphasize the activities in the solid minerals sub-sector and restructure the liquid minerals industry.”

On its strategy for attaining this, the party said, “PDP Government shall: identify all solid minerals deposit in Nigeria; ascertain the commercial quality of each deposit, and set out a rational schedule of the exploitation; involve the private sector in the exploitation of the country’s mineral resources especially the exploitation for solid minerals.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 27

Power: FG woos Chinese firms to transmission Stories By Chris Ochayi

T

HE Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has tasked Chinese companies to fill in the gap created by the weak transmission system to boost Nigeria’s capacity to wheel generated power to end users.

Nebo, who spoke during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, in Abuja, said the move is to strengthen transmission capacity in the Nigerian electricity value chain The Minister reiterated the critical role of transmission, saying that it is needless if generated power cannot be used, hence it is important to strengthen the engine that would ensure that the chain is not broken.

While calling for more foreign investment, the Minister identified the Chinese as special people that have the capacity to identify opportunities, “little wonder that China is doing so well with us in the sector,” he added.

According to him, we will continue to support and defend your interests and investments here and further requested the Chinese to do even more in terms of investing in the sector, adding that there is a lot of opportunities in the area of renewable.

Nebo also urged the Chinese

to build synergy with the distribution and generation companies, as they could build mutual relationship in the area of embedded power within a locality and get such distributed through the DISCO in the area.

He commended Mr. President for the doggedness and determination to push the electricity agenda to this level through its privatisation programme, and enthused that without that political will, the whole process could have been derailed.

According to the Minister, “even the opposition has expressed this position at different fora, as the Nigerian power privatisation remained irreversible. The gap is huge and Government is deeply committed in making sure we get it right in power. The Independent Power Producers should be able to produce, while on our side, we should ensure that power gets to the people.”

However, he noted that the statistics of power in Nigeria is

abysmally low. “Nigeria is producing only 2.5 percent of what power is being produced in South Africa; those who are wise are taking position and falling over each other to partake in the sector.”

Nebo commended the level of confidence the Chinese have in the sector, saying that encouraging funding has come from EXIM Bank into the sector, especially since the high-powered delegation led

by Mr. President’s visit to China in 2013.

NNPC to collaborate with new Shell MD to reposition sector

T

HE Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, has expressed the readiness of the Corporation to work in harmony with the newly appointed Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, Mr. Osagie Okunbor.

Dawha, who made this pledge during a courtesy call on him in Abuja last week by the top management of SPDC to formally introduce the new helmsman, said the synergy will go a long way in repositioning the Oil and Gas sector in Nigeria.

The GMD assured that the NNPC was ready to work with the new MD of Shell so that Nigeria will continue to exploit its abundant hydrocarbon resources through the joint venture arrangement between NNPC and SPDC. Dawha, who felicitated with Okunbor on his appointment, also congratulated the outgoing MD, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, on his retirement after putting in 36 years of meritorious service.

Oil Spill: Delta communities give NPDC twoweek ultimatum

•Electricity facility

NNPC, PPMC plead with Nigerians to protect oil pipelines W T HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its midstream subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, have called on all Nigerians living in communities close to pipelines to protect them from the activities of vandals.

The Corporation made the plea last week at the flag-off of a two-day Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Campaign in

Idimu, Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, organised to sensitise residents on the need to join in the war against pipeline vandalism.

Speaking at the event, the NNPC spokesman, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, represented by the Manager, Public Affairs Department, PPMC, Mr. Nasir Imodagbe, called on residents to be vigilant and report all suspicious

movements around the pipeline to the Corporation or security agencies.

Highlights of the event included a road show through the communities adjoining the pipeline right of way in the area up to the Ejigbo Depot and the major pipeline vandalism flashpoints of Ijeododo and Arepo.

Alegbe noted that, “What many people don’t know is that besides explosions and

FG to provide one million meters to consumers

T

HE Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has revealed that the Federal Government has concluded arrangement to facilitate the provision over one million meters to the electricity consumers in its determination to address the issue of estimated billing by the electricity distribution companies, Discos.

Nebo, who said this at the Town Hall Meeting organised by the ministry last week in Abuja, noted that power sector is the most capital intensive

sector of the economy.

The minister, who unveiled the new power generation plan for the country in the next two years, emphasised on the need for more collaboration with security agencies for the protection of gas pipelines and other power infrastructure.

He said government will develop the 700MW Zungeru Hydro Power Plant, and also complete the 17 small and medium hydro power plants i.e. 40MW Kashimbilla and 34MW Dadinkowa Dam within the period.

He said government will also commence the development of the 3050MW Mambilla Hydro Plant, and fast track the Operation Light Up Rural Nigeria project for rural electrification as well as implement the National Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Policy.

He said more emphasis will be placed on the development of local content policy specifically for the power sector, and renew focus in coalto-power to ensure a robust fuel mix for power generation.

pipeline fires that destroy lives and property in these communities. There are more pernicious effects of pipeline vandalism such as its potential to wipe out entire communities through the harm it does to the environment as a result of the constant spillage of products.

Speaking further on the harmful effects of pipeline vandalism on local communities, he said the oil spilled into the environment “destroys aquatic life, pollutes the ground water and renders water from boreholes unsafe for consumption.”

Nebo also urged the Chinese to build synergy with the distribution and generation companies, as they could build mutual relationship in the area of embedded power

ORRIED by the ravaging effect of alleged oil spills, the people of Tekedor-kusimi community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have given a two-week ultimatum to the management of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) to clean up the persistent oil spills or be ready for tough time.

They claimed that the unending oil spills from NPDC facilities since 2oth January 2014 and two other occurrences within the year (2014) have impacted greatly on both human and aquatic lives in Tekedor-Kusimi, Odidi, Kantu, Eresegbene and Eweregbene Communities, all in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking to newsmen n Warri, leaders of the communities alleged that the people were now living in fears of outbreak of epidemic.

Chief Balogun Kpagwa, Chairman of Eweregbene community, Mr. Roland Douglas, Chairman of Eresegbene community, and Mr. Thomson Tekedor expressed worry over the effect of the persistent oil spills in their communities, saying that the people were now living dangerously.

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

•One of the Federal Housing Estate

By Caleb Ayansina

T

he Federal Government has inaugurated the Board and Management Team of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) with a charge to reinvigorate the bank for greater efficiency.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi gave the charge at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja last week during the inauguration of the board.

Mrs. Eyakenyi said; “The essence of reconstituting the executive management team of the FMBN is to reinvigorate the bank and effectively reposition it to meet the present and future challenges. This is in view of the bumpy and stormy nature of the economic climate in which only the pro-active, adaptive and innovative organizations will have the absorptive capacity to survive its harsh consequences”.

According to her, the challenges facing the FMBN and other housing finance and mortgage institutions in Nigeria are real, adding that indeed, they will not be overcome easily. She however, pointed out that the good thing about the challenges is that they are not insurmountable.

“This is the whole purpose of bringing in fresh minds, hands and intellect to take the FMBN to a new height of glory as the market leader in the housing finance/mortgage sub-sector”, Eyakenyi stated.

The minister therefore urged the team to create room for innovators and strategic thinkers in the bank to flourish

FG tasks new FMBN board on efficiency by reconfiguring the human resources management architecture of the bank.

Speaking on behalf of the board, the Managing Director of FMBN, Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, said that the team would recapitalise the bank and improve the balance sheet structure to modify its standing as a financial institution.

He added that the board would involve developing pro-active and effective strategies to attract offshore funding for affordable housing to Nigerians as well as improving service delivery to NHF contributors across the country.

According to the FMBN boss, “Having been inaugurated, let me assure that this current executive management team is dedicated to actualizing the objectives of the National Policy on housing and the transformation agenda of the present administration.

This is the whole purpose of bringing in fresh minds, hands and intellect to take the FMBN to a new height of glory as the market leader in the housing finance/mortgage sub-sector

“Consequently, our immediate task will involve developing pro-active and effective strategies to achieve the following goals such as the recapitalization of the bank and improvement of the balance sheet structure to solidify its standing as a financial institution,

profitability in operations as well as attracting offshore funding for affordable housing to Nigerians and improvement in service delivery to NHF contributors who are our most valued customers.

“Others include the completion of all on-going

housing estate projects under the ministerial pilot housing scheme nation-wide and the successful completion of the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Estate in Kaba District of the FCT, improvement in staff welfare across board to ensure a well-equipped and wellmotivated workforce.

Building collapse: BCPG seeks police collaboration to tackle menace

By Kingsley Adegboye

T

o stem unending incidents of building collapse across Lagos State, members of the Building Collapse and Prevention Guild (BCPG), a voluntary organisation made of built environment professionals with the mandate to prevent buildings from collapsing, has decided to seek police collaboration in its quest to tackle the menace.

The organisation is equally seeking police assistance to checkmate the activities of the ‘Omoniles’ that disrupt construction activities on site such as not allowing concrete works to be carried out at the right time thereby resulting in defective buildings in the future.

The group said the harassment of ‘Omoniles’ at construction sites has caused concrete casting to be delayed after the mix of concrete materials, pointing out that by the action of the ‘Omoniles’ is not checked, the incidents of building collapse will keep rising.

Mr. Kunle Awobodu, National President of BCPG, and former chairman, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), made this known at the weekend when officers of the group paid a courtesy call on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, in his office.

Mr. Awobodu told the police commissioner that Lagos, which is the commercial centre

of the country and where most construction activities are taking place, has recorded incessant building collapse that has become an embarrassment to built environment professionals. He sited activities of quacks and poor workmanship as the major factor contributing to collapse of buildings generally.

Emphasising the menace of ‘Omoniles’, he said their problem has disrupted work during construction activities especially during concrete formation which has become a grave concern in the recent time, insisting that “This has been a major cause of collapse of buildings which many people do not pay attention to”.

The BCPG president who was accompanied by the national publicity secretary of the group, Mr. George Akinola, an Architect, Lagos State chairperson of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mrs. Adenike Ayanda, president of Carpentres Association in Lagos State, Prince Aluko among others, solicited police support in the area of battling with substandard materials in the market in collaboration with Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The Commissioner of Police while responding, commended the group for making out time to visit him and appreciated their effort to ensure that building collapse is reduced in the state. He said his Command is ever ready to assist the group to eradicate building collapse.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 29

FG set to commission Kashimbila multipurpose dam in February

By Funmi Olasupo

I

•One of the bad portions of Obe-Agenebode road

Obe-Agenebode road to Auchi, disaster waiting to happen —State government shifts blames

By Kingsley Omonobi

A

genebode, the capital of Etsako East Local Government Area, a town at the bedside of River Niger, reputed for the number of prominent Nigerians it has produced and where the 195 Battalion of the Nigerian Army is located, is about to be cut off from its kilt and kins.

Among the prominent Nigerians the town has produced are a military governor, ambassadors, federal and state permanent secretaries, top class industrialists, military generals, oil moguls, professors and senior advocates of Nigeria. These are people that have given, and are still giving their all for the development of Nigeria and Edo State.

Since the administration of Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomole assumed office in Edo state, the people of Agenebode have been unflinching in giving him overwhelming support during elections.

However, the road leading to the River Niger town that also links Idah in Kogi State through the river, is about to be cut off. More than 60 per cent of the road is already gone due to erosion. It is indeed a disaster waiting to happen. Any one seeing it

will feel a chill down his or her spine.

Stories abound of how several travelers plying the road, many with families have escaped death or destruction on the road by the whiskers,

The road leading to the River Niger town that also links Idah in Kogi State through the river, is about to be cut off going to more than two years now and nothing has been done.

Investigation by our correspondent recently, revealed that the administration of the Governor Adams Oshiomole dualized the same stretch of the road from Auchi through Jattu to Ikabigbo but the most dangerous part of the road which is Obe Road

connecting Fugar to Agenebode was left unattended to.

Several visitors to Agenebode during the last festival period told Vanguard they were surprised that the town which is one of the most popular areas in Edo north where Oshiomole hails from is having such a death trap on the road and the government is ignoring it.

Contacted on the development, the Edo State government through the Special Adviser, Media, to Governor Oshiomole, Kazeem Afegbua, who incidentally hails from the same local government, acknowledged that the danger exists.

Afegbua however said, “The road is a federal road. Draw the attention of the federal government to it please.

States are being impoverished because of decline in revenue”.

Our correspondent is however at a loss, as to why the state government dualized the stretch of the road from Auchi, Jattu to Ikabigbo which are also the same federal roads without excuses but repairing a dangerous gully on Obe road linking Agenebode to Fugar, to avert disaster on the road has become an issue to the state government.

n its efforts to maximise opportunities such as potable water supply, agriculture, power, tourism, aviation, transport as well as trade & investment in the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam for the benefit of the host communities and the country at large, the federal government is set to commission the Dam next month.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe made the disclosure in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State recently. Mrs. Ochekpe was accompanied by the Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke as well as Minister of State for Power, Muhammed Wakil.

The minister during the inspection of the Dam also stated that all the important sectors of the economy in the country would visit Kashimbila to assess the contributions they can make towards maximising the potentials available in the project.

Speaking on the 40 megawatts hydro power plant, the Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo averred that the Federal Government has approved the contract for the evacuation of the 40 megawatts of electricity.

On tourism, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke, inferred that the project team had already developed a master plan to integrate tourism into the project, adding that the numbers of facilities on ground are enough to start the tourism element at the site.

The Publicity Department of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in the monthly report of activities of the Ministry for December 2014, published on We d n e s d a y January 7, 2015 noted that during the period under review, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) held its 60th Council of Ministers Meeting in N i a m e y , Republic of Niger.

Nigeria’s representative at the meeting, Director of P l a n n i n g Research and Statistics of the Ministry Wakil Adamu, who represented the Minister of Water Resources commended the Nigerian government’s efforts at reviving the Lake Chad Basin.

The report further stated that Nigeria is the only country among member states that had paid off its 2014 contributions and all outstanding arrears.

According to the report, the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Sanusi Imran Abdullahi in his speech at the meeting hinted that the gathering was part of preparations to implement the Five - Year Investment Plan (FYIP) of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

According to the Publicity Department, the Nigerian government flagged off the National Water Supply and Sanitation Data Survey to enhance the performance tracking system for the Water Supply and Sanitation sub-sector.

The report further stated that Nigeria is the only country among member states that had paid off its 2014 contributions and all outstanding arrears.

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 20, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015— —31

C M Y K

32—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

By Theodore Opara

Ford dangles all-new iconic Mustang F

ORD Motors repre sentatives in Nigeria, Coscharis Ford and BriscoeFord are set to launch the all-new Ford Mustang sport car into the market. The introduction of the Mustang, one of the world’s most iconic cars into the Nigerian market is schedule for the first quarter of the year. The Mustang is a performance car designed for customers who want to standout at any gathering.

Loaded with innovative technologies and delivering high levels of performance and style, the all-new Mustang is the next chapter in the life of one of the world’s most iconic cars,” says Ford Motors.s ”Ford Mustang inspires passion like no other car,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “The visceral look, sound and performance of Mustang resonates with people, even if they ’ve never driven one. Mustang is definitely more than just a car – it is the heart and soul of Ford.”

Mustang’s impact goes well beyond the 9 million-plus cars sold in its 50 years of continuous production. It has made thousands of appearances in film, television, music and video games, and is the world’s most-liked vehicle on Facebook. For the first time ever, Ford will bring Mustang to Nigeria and first shipments will arrive early in 2015.

The Mustang experience

The Mustang offers four- and eight-cylinder

Iconic Mustang

Ford

Mustang GT continues with its proven 5.0liter V8, now featuring an upgraded valvetrain and cylinder heads that help boost output to 324kW and 542Nm of torque. A new intake manifold features charge motion control valves to partially close off port flow at lower engine speeds. This increases the air charge tumble and swirl for improved air-fuel mixing resulting in improved efficiency and idle stability.

All-new shape, yet unmistakably Mustang

Iconic Ford Mustang

engines; the upgraded 5.0-liter V8 is joined by an all-new 2.3-litre EcoBoost® engine that brings state-of-the-art technology to Mustang.

Both engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or the optional SelectShift automatic transmission with Steer-

The cleansheet design of both Mustang fastback and convertible evokes the essential character of the brand, retaining key design elements

ing Wheel Paddle Shifters and Remote Start System.

The Mustang’s EcoBoost engine uses direct injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to deliver plenty of usable performance across a broad rev range.

A unique intake mani-

fold and turbocharger housing enable it to deliver the performance

Mustang drivers expect with 231kW and 434Nm of torque.

The clean-sheet design of both Mustang fastback and convertible evokes the essential character of the brand, retaining key design elements – including the long sculpted hood and short rear deck – with contemporary execution.

Several key design features define the allnew Mustang, including: · A l o w e r, wider stance with a reduction in roof height, and wider rear fenders and track · The return of Mustang fastback with a sleeker profile enabled by more steeply sloped windshield and rear glass ·Three-dimensional, tribar taillamps with sequential turn signals ·Contemporary execution of the signature shark-bite front fascia and trapezoidal grille.

IArea Network unveils most advanced tracking device

By Anozie Egole

C

AR owners in the country can now enjoy a high sense of security as a new car tracking device that can track their vehicle every five minutes has been launched into the country.

Leading security and car tracking company, IArea Network, has come to their rescue with the unveiling of a world class active GPS that has the capacity of tracking a car every 5 minutes and also, a hands-free driving device. The hands-free device allows the car to answer or send a text or

email while in motion without distracting the driver as far as you are driving at 10km per hour.

Speaking to news men about the device in Lagos recently, the CEO of IArea Network, Mr Kester Atumonyogo, said that “The device has the capacity of tracking your vehicle where ever you are going and where ever the vehicle is packed. The device will alert directly to your cell phone when the car is in motion and when it is parked. So, you can track your car on your own within 30 seconds.

You do not need to call anybody to find your car.

The unique thing about

this device is that it is the latest development in the market. Comparing this device with what we have in the market is like comparing gramophone with DVD player. Our product has a lot more features than what we have in the market. It tracks your car every 5 minutes, it record 288 times a day and it also has a feature of hands-free telephone and text message conversation. When driving and your phone rings, a display will come in your dash board, you can send text or say don’t answer while your hands are still on the steering.

PODIUM…

PAGE 8

CUT OFF FROM CIVILIZATION: Igoba community cries out

PAGES 4 & 5

POLIO CRIPPLED HIM: This paralytic imports cars, operates a taxi scheme

VOL. 1: NO. 33

TUESD AY, JANU ARY 20, 20 15 TUESDA JANUARY 201

SURVIVORS: Two children of the beheaded traditional ruler survived the cultists' assault with gunshot injuries .

CULTISTS RUN RIOT IN RIVERS:

Behead community leader, slay woman

By Davies Iheamnachor

O

DIEMUDJE—HARDHEARTED cultists, suspected to be members of the Iceland secret cult, have cut off the head of a community leader, Chief Chidi Abraham Lelem at Odiemudje town in Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State, because vigilant youths of the community accosted a member of the C M Y K

•GENESIS: Villagers seized gun from member, handed it over to police •Residents abandon Odiemudje, Ihugbogo communities •17 suspects nabbed—State PPRO gang, seized his pistol and handed it over to the police.

The rampaging cultists also murdered a woman, Mrs. Imeh Chinere,

at Ihugbogo town, also in Ahoada East council, for advising her son to denounce cultism.

Besides, they shot two sons of Chief

Lelem and ransacked the palace of the paramount ruler, Chief Uzoma Agbo, who escaped death by a hair’s breadth.

Continues on Page 7

2—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

ALLEGED SLOPPY WORK ON EAST-WEST ROAD: Ex-militants lay siege to construction firm AKWA IBOM...

LAND OF PROMISE

*Project manager, other workers take flight

U

YO—A YOUTH organization operating under the auspices of ExMilitants of Akwa Ibom State has protested alleged “shoddy and fraudulent construction” of parts of the Section IV of the East-West Road at Eket in the state.

The ex-militants, who besieged the construction site of Gitto Construction Company, along Oron Road, Eket, claimed the company was working at variance with the job specification against the interest of the people and Federal Government.

Chairman of the group, “General” Kingsley Bassey and secretary, Comrade Edohouqua Godwin in their protest letter made available to Niger Delta Voice, demanded instant stoppage of work on the said portion of the road.”

Deviation from original plan!

They called on the supervising Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to commence immediate inspection and supervision of the road construction as the company had deviated from the original plan.

“We are aware that the dualization of the East-West Road has four sections starting from Warri-Kalama Road in Delta State and the companies handling the various sections of the road are doing good jobs, but Gitto Construction Company on reaching James Town Junction, completely deviated from the contract specification.

ABOVE: Ex-militants protesting.

RIGHT: Eket axis of the road.

“The company is embarking on the expansion and grading of both sides of already existing road instead of demolishing the houses on the roadsides, pay compensation and dualize the road,” the exmilitants asserted.

Maintaining that the action

of the company was deceitful, they demanded the original copy of the contract specification to show its sincerity to the handling of the work, saying they would not accept such high-level cheating and shoddy job execution.

They warned: “We are set to

FINGER OF GOD

By Festus Ahon

I

GBODO—THE traditional ruler of Igbodo Kingdom, Ika North-East Local Government Area, Delta State, HRM Ikechukwu Osadume I, has said that the future holds a lot of promises for the people C M Y K

management staff reportedly escaped from the construction site, on hearing that exmilitants were coming to confront them.

As a result of the chaotic situation, there was no official to response to the case of the ex-militants.

24 students get Akugbene Mein monarch's scholarship DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Cletus Opukeme

A

KUGBENE—THE traditional ruler of Akugbene Mein clan, Bomadi

Local Government Area, Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Pere Stanley Luke Kalanama VIII, has awarded scholarship to 24 deserving secondary school students in his kingdom to stimulate interest in education.

Presenting the award letters to the students, the royal

Igbodo’s future is bright, says HRM Osadume I DELTA...

mobilize all our former formations, units, youths and women groups to ensure that justice prevails.”

In apparent fear of being manhandled by the fiercelooking youths, the Project Manager, Gitto Construction Company, and other

and urged them to maintain a high degree of commitment towards the growth and development of the kingdom.

Osadume gave the charge at the grand finale of a weeklong community program, tagged ‘Igbodo Mass Return Home,’ which featured free medical services, public lectures, crusades, cultural exhibitions and awards of excellence to 17 indigenes of the kingdom in recognition of their contribu-

tions to community development.

Cultural dance troupes from the six villages that make up the community enlivened the occasion that attracted dignitaries across the country, including, the Obaseki of Igbodo kingdom and People’s Democratic Party, PDP gubernatorial candidate for February election, Chief

Continues on Page 3

father said, “This scholarship award is to spur you to greater height in your academic pursuit and make you a fortress in this kingdom in the future.”

Parents of the beneficiaries praised the monarch and chiefs of Akugbene-Mein kingdom for supporting them in their children's education.

A prominent chief in the kingdom and vice chairman, Bomadi local government area, Chief (Hon) Richard Enaredei (JP), said the scheme was part of the innovative ideas introduced to alleviate the educational burden of the parents in the kingdom, which commenced since 2012.

“This is an annual event principally designed to give financial support to families within the kingdom whose wards are in public schools to promote healthy academic competition as awardees are made to pass through rigorous screening and internal examination without bias and discrimination,” he said.

The monarch also presented awards to outstanding chiefs in his kingdom, including the

Iyasere of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom, Chief J. T. Penawou, Chief G. O. Ande, Chief Ogbeinama-ere Clark, Chief Fedelix Mutu, vice chairman, Bomadi council, Chief (Hon.) Richard Enaredei (JP), Chief J. E. Manager, PDP governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei.

THE TEAM Emma Amaize, Editor Jimitota Onoyume Samuel Oyadongha Simon Ebegbulem Gabriel Enogholase Festus Ahon Egufe Yafugborhi Emmanuel Una Akpokona Omafuaire Godwin Oghre Tom Moses Chioma Onuegbu Ike Uche Davies Iheamnachor Emem Idio Brisibe Perez Barnabas Uzosike Nath Onajoke Chijioke Nwankpa

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—3

DELTA...

FINGER OF GOD

By Godwin Oghre

O

GHARA—IT took the January 5 fire that devastated accessories at the warehouse of the N23.2 billion Delta State Independent Power Project, IPP, in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area, presently cordoned off by the police, for the authorities to realize that there was no firefighting equipment in the local government.

Niger Delta Voice gathered that while the harmattan fire, which started at about 2.00 pm, outside the perimeter fence of the warehouse raged, the chairman of Ethiope-West Local Government, Mr. Solomon Golley and the Community Liaison Officer, CLO, for the IPP, Mr. Israel Murifafe, were confused on where to get fire-fighting equipment because there was no provision for one in the local government.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was not happy about the incident, ordered the storehouse be cordoned off by the police soon after the incident.

How Harmattan fire at IPP warehouse exposed Ethiope West LG

Begging for fire truck Niger Delta Voice gathered that when the fire became noticeable, government officials besieged private companies in Sapele with tank farms to beg for fire service men and trucks.

At Rain Oil Company, where they saw a truck, it was a tug of war, as workers met on duty declined to release the truck, saying they had no authority to do so.

The CLO, Mr. Murifafe, confirmed to Niger Delta Voice that he and other staff on duty made a concerted effort to get to nearby tank farms that have fire servicemen and trucks, particularly the ones of nearby Rain Oil Company, but the company vehemently refused to move its fire service equipment to the scene.

Medicine after death He said: “The extent of damage would have been very minimal if Rain Oil had allowed its fire service men to come to the scene when we met them, but its officials refused to listen to us despite our profuse and desperate demand.

“In the ensuing pandemonium, we notified the chairman of the local government, Mr. Solomon Golley, who quickly responded to our distress call.

“The chairman came to meet us at the premises of Rain Oil and joined us in pleading to the company officials to come and quench the fire.”

C M Y K

“By this time, much damage had been done. It was when the chairman issued a threat to them that they reluctantly

released one truck, which we later found out did not have water in its tank.

“It just did a little job and

the water got finished. We were all watching helplessly until the fire stopped after much damage was already

Igbodo’s future is bright, says HRM Osadume I Continues from Page 2

Arthur Okowa Also speaking, the Iyase of Igbodo kingdom, Dr. Ifeanyi Unomah, President-General, Igbodo Development Union, IDU, Chief Peter Chiemeke, both of who were also recipients of the meritorious awards and a USbased indigene of the community, Chief Sunny Uzuh, who gave a public lecture on Carrier Choice, harped on the need for more selfless services and government presence in the community.

The chairman of the planning committee, Dr. Ndu Okoye, said the week-long event was intended to serve as a big re-union of families as well as provide opportunities for them to know themselves and plan for the future while reviewing the past.

Okoye stated that the objective of having every indigene of Igbodo come home, know about Igbodo and then contribute towards the development of the kingdom has been the dream of every progressive- minded son and daughter of the community.

A notable indigene, Ambassador Joe Keshi expressed satisfaction with the turn-out of Igbodo indigenes at the programme, saying that there was nothing “as good as to be honoured and recognized by your own people.

done,” he asserted.

Rain Oil A senior officer of Rain Oil,

Continues on Page 7

4—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

POLIO CRIPPLED HIM: But this 39-yr-old paralytic imports cars, operates a taxi scheme Each time I upbraided him for coming late, he would pick offence and respond by telling me “Oga, do you not want us to go out? Please, if you do not want us to go out, tell me and let me go back home because I have so many things to do”

By Emmanuel Unah CALABAR—THIRTY-NINE years old paralytic, Mr. Patrick Adie, who hails from Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River State, has defied his handicap by doing what able-bodied men can do. He is an author and entrepreneur.

In fact, he believes that it is illegal for him C M Y K

to use his disability as a justification to become a failure in life. He spoke to Niger Delta Voice on the turning point in his life and how he is helping people with disability to build confidence in themselves and overcome the challenge. Excerpts.

M

ANY incapacitated persons prefer to stay by the roadside, begging for alms. Your case is different.

You are not just driving a taxi cab, you own it. How did

you do it?

Actually, it was at my early age that I had polio; I was not born a cripple. It was when I was three years old that I went down with polio and was no longer able to walk. Since then, life has not been easy with me.

I have gone through a lot of ordeals trying to cope with the situation I found myself in, because my two legs are affected. I have gone through a lot of things trying to rehabilitate myself.

It was then I came to discover that the best rehabilitation for a person with disability is to believe in himself and that even with the disability one can still make it like every other person.

I have a philosophy that everyone living on earth is disabled in one way or the other and, therefore, even as I am disabled in two legs, it should not be an excuse for me or a limitation to conclude that I am useless.

That is why I keep doing things that every other person does. The things that those with two legs do, I try to do them and I have written a book, which serves as an inspiration to me and others. I got the title of the book from the Bible after I read it several times and came across so many verses that really inContinues on Page 5

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—5

Continues from Page 4 spired me.

The title of the book is I Can. I got it from Philippians 2:14, which says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Since the word of God tells me that I can do all things, I believe that I can do all things. That is how I went into driving car five years ago.

Do you go to driving school or something?

Not really. Actually when God blessed me with a car, I hired a driver. Since my driver knew that I was solely dependent on him, he hardly reported to work on time.

We agreed that he was to resume at 8a.m., but he kept coming between 11a.m. and 12p.m. to take me out.

Each time I upbraided him for coming late, he would pick offence and respond by telling me “Oga, do you not want us to go out? Please, if you do not want us to go out, tell me and let me go back home because I have so many things to do.” This was somebody that I paid salary every month.

I got fed up and fired him and hired another person.

When the new one came, it was the same attitude; he would often travel without informing me and switch off his phone.

But I could not go out except I call a taxi to take me to where I wanted to go. Because of this frustration, one night I wept bitterly and asked God why He would allow me to suffer like this.

Second burden I said I thought You gave me this car to help me, but today look at what I am going through. Instead of the car helping me, it has become a second burden in addition to what I have already on me.

After this I slept off and God took me into a trance and the trance was like a dream in which I saw myself driving a car and when I woke up the next morning, the dream still remained fresh in my mind as if I was still in the dream.

And that day it happened that my driver, who was used to coming late for work, came very early at 7.30a.m. as if he knew, because I told myself I would implement what I saw in the dream physically. So the devil decided to discourage me by bringing my driver to work early.

Nevertheless, I told myself, it will not work. I simply asked my driver to take me to a friend, who is a welder and when we got there, I presented the picture I saw in the dream before the welder and told him to construct the gadget for me. He doubted it and said no, this thing is imC M Y K

POLIO CRIPPLED HIM: Says God taught him how to drive possible.

He told me that a normal person, while driving, uses his toes, knee and waist to press the clutch and I am telling him to construct something else. No, it will not work, he insisted.

But I stood my ground and said, please do what I said; I did not come for your advice.

So he went ahead and constructed it and gave it to me.

I then told my driver, take me to Parliamentary Extension, here in Calabar and he took me there. When we got to Women Development Centre, I said stop and go to the back seat of the car. He protested, but I insisted and he went to the back seat.

I then took over the steering, which I have never handled before. I followed the way I was driving in the dream and drove the car from there through Parliamentary Extension to 8 Miles Junction and to Watt Market, where I dropped off my driver.

Who installed the gadget for you?

I installed them myself.

Because of the way it is constructed, it is detachable.

So if a normal person wants to drive the car, he can detach the gadget and if am driving, I fix it back.

Can you drive a long distance?

Yes, when I started driving, I went into bringing in cars from Cotonou. I usually go

Sometimes, the attitude of some passengers make me ask myself so many questions. But ... I am determined to prove to the world that the physicallychallenged can do it

there and buy three or four cars and I hire some people to drive some while I drive one back to Calabar. I have driven in Togo, nobody disturbed me. In Cotonou, nobody disturbed me because my driving skill is perfect.

But some friends, who are concerned about my state, advised me several times on the risk of undertaking such journeys. So I was persuaded and, therefore, decided to stop.

If I have someone, who needs a car and is close to me, I can still help him and go there and bring a good car for him. I no more do it on a regular basis.

cause they do not come on time, to the extent that he resorted to bribing them by giving them money to encourage them to keep to time.

I kept encouraging and telling him that he could drive, but he said I am able to drive because I use clutches, but that he uses a wheel chair.

He believed that since his legs cannot stand, for him to drive would be impossible.

But I kept encouraging him and he agreed and I took him out for driving instruction.

In three days, he was able to drive. He drives everywhere now, even to his wife’s village at Owerri, Imo State and back to Calabar.

Have you been able to share your driving skill with other people in your situation?

So far, I have been able to train about 27 of my kind of people to drive and they can drive very well. Many of them did not believe that they would ever drive in their lives.

There is this lecturer in the University of Calabar, Dr. Job Agbor. His situation is a classic case. The young man has up to four cars, but was depending on young men to drive him around to the extent that they were the ones operating his ATM for him and in the process stealing his money.

Sometimes when he wants to go out for an appointment, he would not find them be-

Tell me more about the taxi you operate The taxi I operate is a scheme. It helps people with disability to drive taxis in this city and make a difference in their lives.

Resorting to begging There is nothing difficult, because I am doing it. If I work for a whole day, I make between N12,000 to N15,000.

From that sum, I use N3,000 to fuel the car against the next day; feed with N1,000 and go home with at least N7,000 daily.

Other disabled can do this if they buy a car on hire purchase and pay N2,000 every day, save some money and

also take care of their families without resorting to begging.

What challenges do you have as a taxi driver?

Sometimes, when some prospective customers open the door of the taxi and see that I am disabled, they sigh, close the door and go away.

Sometimes, the attitude of some passengers make me ask myself so many questions.

But because I am determined to prove to the world that the physically-challenged can do it, I still pick up the courage and continue to do it.

What do police and security agencies do when they see you?

When I just started the business, it was not easy facing the police on the road. They said I am not supposed to drive. But I told them on several occasions that by the Constitution of Nigeria, the physically-challenged, like any other person, are free to drive.

I referred them to the relevant section on the driver’s license, Class F, which allows person with disability to drive.

I told them if government had given me the licence to drive, why do they seek to stop me? With that, I was able to conquer them and today when they see me on the road, they cheer me on.

6—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

PODIUM… CUT OFF FROM CIVILIZATION:

Igoba community cries out

I

GOBA—ANGRY villagers of Igoba, an Ijaw community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have protested lack of basic social amenities in the area.

The people, who said they were the most marginalized in the kingdom, grumbled that they do not have pipe-borne water, toilet, landing jetty, electricity, health care and transportation facilities.

Elders, chiefs, women and youths trooped out, last week, bemoaning the alleged agelong marginalization of the enclave, far-flung from Oporoza, Kunukunuma, Benikrukuru, Okerenkoko, Kurutie and other Gbaramatu communities in the kingdom.

Among them were the chairman of the community, Captain Isaac Bobo, eldest man, Jacob Akpokon, High chief Wellington Bobo, Chief Joseph Ayeibo, eldest woman, Mrs.AFOOmonimigha, women leader Ebi Tebela, youth leader, Asedadu Emmanuel and Apostle Tebowei Preye.

No response from DESOPADEC, NDDC They said they had written to the two interventionist agencies, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, set up by the Federal and Delta State Governments to address their plight, but no respite yet.

The community, in a letter by its chairman, “Captain” Isaac Bobo, to DESOPADEC, entitled Letter of Request of Projects, drew its attention to the plight of the people suffering from erosion, lack of electricity, transC M Y K

Welcome to Igoba community portation, drainage, jetties, health care, solar power streetlight, water projects, shore protection, dredging, channelization and town hall.”

In a different letter to the Managing Director of the NDDC, dated March 2011, chairman of Goba Federated Communities, Matthew Telemene, alerted the Commission of the sufferings of the communities, but Bobo told Niger Delta Voice , “ we never heard from them.”

They said the electricity and water projects awarded by the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, and Delta State Urban Water Board were abandoned

Elder of Igoba.

Only 2 teachers in community’s primary school The protesters said the unjustifiable health situation in the town was as a result of bad water intake and because there is no government health institution, the community with the help of a clergyman, Rev Gordon Akpovoyin, set up an amateur health centre to administer first aid treatment and attend to petty medical cases.

It was gathered that the community’s primary school has only two teachers, who have not resumed at the time of the protest, last week.

Residents defecate in river they drink from Also because of lack of toilet facilities, the villagers drink water from the same river they defecate and dump waste.

Some villagers told Niger Delta Voice that the only

project in Igoba was the sixclassroom primary school block donated by DESOPADEC under the tenure of the former Chairman, Chief Wellington Okirika; teachers’ quarters project by the Warri South-West council during the first tenure of Mr. George Ekpemupolo as chairman.

They said the electricity and water projects awarded by the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, and Delta State Urban Water Board were abandoned.

Most mistreated community Chairman of the community, Captain Isaac Bobo, said, “Igoba is the third traditional community in Gbaramatu kingdom, but most neglected and sidelined in scheme of things.”

He said the community was part of the Gbaramatu and Ogulagha communities whose

lands were encroached upon on the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, project, but it was not included among the impacted towns, while Obuede, Sokobulo, Yokiri and other communities it shares boundaries with were considered as host communities “because we have nobody to speak for us.”

Chief Bobo urged Gbaramatu Council of Chiefs to address the injustice without further delay, saying, “Igoba is facing internal and external marginalization.”

He also said the youths were unemployed and nobody in the community has received any political appointment in the community with two voting units.

The chairman said the people were peace-loving, hence they decided to take peaceful means to ventilate their grievances.

Appeal The people, therefore, called on the state government, DESOPADEC and NDDC to come to their aid by ”completing all abandoned projects in the community, deploy teachers to teach our children, build a befitting health centre and other primary necessities of life such as water, public toilets, light, solar street light and drainage to avoid the annual flooding in the community.”

They vowed not to vote in next month’s general elections if their plight was not considered.

Also speaking, community leader, High Chief Wellington Bobo, said Igoba were living like war refugees, as they have been cut off from development.

Commending the Tompolo Foundation for donating some school items to Igoba community and Chief Okirika for the awarding the sixclassroom block, he said, “it is sad and barbaric that in Igoba, naked men and women empty their bowels in the water front at the river in broad day light.”

He grumbled, “Igoba is not considered for anything, women and youths are not carried along, and that they are treated like aliens in their own state.”

The clan chief asserted: “Igoba is deeply neglected, it has always been excluded in the main scheme of things and when they query their exclusion, other members of the clan question them whether Igoba has oil.

“We, Igoba people are highly impacted by oil exploration activities in the Gbaramatu kingdom, why should we be isolated, we share common rivers, the gas flaring affects all impacted community and not only host communities,” he stated.

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—7

CULTISTS RUN RIOT IN RIVERS

Behead community leader, slay woman Continues from Page 1

17 suspects held—PPRO

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Ahmad Muhammed, who confirmed the incident to Niger Delta Voice , said 17 suspects have been arrested in connection with the mayhem, while security had been reinforced in the affected areas on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature.

The cultists, who had been terrorizing the people, overran the two communities at about 2.00a.m., last Saturday.

Investigations showed that residents of the two communities and environs have been gripped by tension since the bloody onslaught, while many have fled their homes.

How they struck—MONARCH

The paramount ruler of Odiemudje community, Chief Uzoma Agbo, told Niger Delta Voice: “The boys came at about 2a.m. on Saturday to my house, chanting Iceland in their song. God helped me to escape from them.

“When the boys did not see me, they destroyed everything in my room. They attacked my ceiling with axe, thinking I might be hiding there.

“They went to Chief Lelem’s house, killed him and separated his head from his body.

It did not end there. They shot two of his sons who were around that night, but God saved them from death.”

Locally made pistol Niger Delta Voice learned that before they stormed Odiemudje, the cultists went to Ihugbogo, where Mrs. Chinere was slaughtered and the residence of the paramount ruler, Chief Fidelis Ikegbidi, destroyed.

A dependable source hinted: “Trouble started when an Icelander, Wilfred, entered the community one afternoon with a locally-made pistol and some youths who saw him, confronted him and took the gun from him.”

Mysterious escape

We learned that Wilfred escaped in the ensuing confusion that followed the discovery of the gun. At press time, he has not been seen by the police.

According to the source, “the community leadership immediately ordered that the gun be handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in Ahoada. After that day, the same boy came C M Y K

threatening that if the gun was not returned to him, he would kill all the chiefs and youths in the community.”

Our findings revealed that few days after the threat, the cultists, indeed, entered the community, mounted road block and attacked one Chinwo Felix Chima, but did not succeed in killing anybody.

They reinforced the next day and raided Ihugbogo, starting with Mrs. Chinere, who had earlier warned them to leave her son alone.

‘We’re being held hostage’

“We have reported the threat to our lives to the police at various times, but they did not act,” an irate villager said.

“It did not start with the killing of Mrs. Chinere and Chief Lelem. These same boys have held us hostage for a long time now.

“Look at the whole area; it is deserted. People have taken to flight because of fear.”

A community leader, Chief Agbo, called on the security

agencies to intervene in the challenging security situation in the area, saying the boys were still parading the community with guns looking for people to kill.

According to him, “before, we had community police but these boys came and destabilized the group and they have fled the community.

“The boys are threatening again that they will come and burn down all the houses in the community because the police arrested some of their

members in course of the incident.

“The government should come to our aid to help us resettle. We need the government most at this time.”

DSP Muhammed, however, told Niger Delta Voice that the police were not sleeping over the incident, as they swung into action immediately and arrested 17 of the suspects.

He said since the Commissioner of Police beefed up security in the area, there had been no report of attack, adding that police would ensure the remaining culprits were fished out and dealt with according to law.

How Harmattan fire at IPP warehouse exposed Ethiope West LG Continues on Page 3 who asked not to be named, said the reason workers acted the way they did was because “there is an existing poor relationship between the company and the government.

“Furthermore, the workers were not willing to release our only truck which had just little water that we kept for our emergency use.”

His words: “We know that the truck had little water and cannot contain fire of such magnitude, we have over five fire- fighting trucks here, but they are all dysfunctional and this one was kept in case of emergency here.”

Leave Rain Oil alone A villager, who spoke to our reporter, wondered: “Why should the local government itself not have fire-fighting equipment and why did government not provide firefighting equipment in case of emergency, why are they blaming a private outfit for their inadequacy.”

Destroyed items The CLO, however, said the materials destroyed were mainly accessories, covered with synthetic and inflammable materials, adding that the project’s major equipment, which includes turbines, generators and skids were undamaged.

Movement to permanent site Asked why the IPP equipment were still at the warehouse where fire engulfed them instead of the permanent site in Oghara, he said, “The State Government as well as the technical staff of the company have their own calculation as to when the equipment should be moved to their permanent site.”

He stated, “Although some equipment were burnt, the project is still in progress, work is still going on, the equipment destroyed were only accessories. The fire cannot hamper the success of the project.

“Also, let me tell you quickly that the fire incident has no visible environmental impact within the neighbourhood, no other private human property around and outside the perimetre fence were destroyed in the incident.”

Council reacts The council chair, Mr. Golley told Niger Delta Voice: “All this while, we thought that

the oil companies in Oghara have fire-fighting trucks and fire service men.

“We did not know they do not, we have written to them to explain to us why they should not have fire- fighting trucks.

“We must do something about it because they are supposed to have all these equipment in place, due to the nature of their work, which are fuel, kerosene and gas related. They cannot risk the lives of the people here.”

He asserted: “We hope the fire incident in DSIPP will not hamper the project. We implore the state government to speed up the work and move

the equipment to their permanent site to avoid similar occurrence in the future.

“As for the fire, I do not see sabotage. I am sure it was caused by wild fire.”

Permanent site At the permanent site of the project in Oghara, the work appears to have been completed, but the reason the turbines and other equipment have not been moved to the place was not clear.

There were no officials to speak with and a security man met at the site said the permanent site had been completed and pleaded to be left alone, as he was in no position to answer questions.

8—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

CELEBRITY

Blind singer begs govt to fund album launch E

KU—A blind hip-hop secular artist and father of two from Eku, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Agbarho Abel, who quit begging for alms as a means of survival and learned how to sing, has appealed to Delta State Government to come to his aid to launch his album.

Abel, who became blind after a herd of cows attacked him on his way to school as a teenager, said it was the state government that advised him and other beggars to learn vocations of their choice and promised to assist them to become self-employed thereafter, but that the promise had not been kept.

He said: “I have learned singing, which is my love and I want government to sponsor my album launch.”

His words: “Owing to financial constraint on the part of my parents, I subsequently lost complete use of my eyes. This was after I had married my wife, who in her own way, had been assisting in the upkeep of me and my two children, aged 11 and 14 years.

Why I went into begging “I stay in Eku with our two children, but my wife resides in another village. Prior to now, I normally go to Warri, Sapele, Asaba and other major towns in the state to solicit for alms in company of my children so as to be able to take care of my immediate family.

“It was while I and others were into begging that the state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs advised us to learn a trade, after which it would sponsor us in our area of specialization.

“For me, I went into my first love which is singing.

I have recorded my debut, but as I speak to you, nothing has come up from the promise made by the state government.

Visits to Ministry of Women Affairs “I have on several occasions visited the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Women Affairs in my bid to make them fulfill their promise and was privileged to meet her once after which staff of her office consistently told me she was not on seat.

“During that one encounter with the Commissioner, she directed me to the Ministry’s Director of Rehabilitation.

When I tried reaching the Director in the office, I was told he was not in the office, while several attempts to get back to the Commissioner have proved abortive as well.

How I met my wife “I met my wife, prior to my becoming totally blind, at Eku where I currently reside. It has been really chalC M Y K

the office of •Mr. Agbarho Abel

By Perez Brisibe lenging for us as I have to beg to meet our needs as a family.

“To make ends meet, she engages in some form of menial jobs and though her earnings are relatively little, she is currently the bread winner of the family.

Life as a blind father “Having been a beggar for years with my children, who take turn to accompany me to different cities to solicit for alms, it has been really challenging for me and my immediate family.

“Despite my challenges, when my children, who school here in Eku, return from school, I take my time to engage them in extra-mural lessons and they are doing well in their academics.

“They are aged, 11 and 14. The eldest would soon be writing his Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination, while the younger one is in Primary 4.

“For now, I am leaving off assistance from well-meaning individuals. I have a brother who resides in Benin and a widowed sister, who is also struggling to take care of her children.

“In all of these, the thought of my children growing up and becoming important dignitaries in life is something I am looking forward to. This is on the premise that they are witnesses to how much I have impacted and contributed to their upkeep, notwithstanding my challenges.

Why I went into singing “I have always been into singing as it is an avenue for me to escape the reality of my challenges in life.

“It was when the government asked us to learn a trade that I had to look inward to tap into my potentials.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 33

34 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 20, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 —35

• Incessant health sector strikes have limited capacity utilisation at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos. Inset, the CMD, Dr. Olurotimi Odunubi.

In 3 years, Igbobi has not achieved 100% bed occupancy — Odunubi, CMD, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos DECADES after it was established as a military rehabilitation camp for returning World War 2 prisoners of war, the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, NOHL, has undergone a metamorphosis to become the nation’s No.1 Federal health institution for trauma management.

But it hasn’t been plain sailing, according to Dr. Olurotimi Odunubi, the institution’s Chief Medical Director.

In this exclusive interview, he gives insight into the goings on at the famous 450-bed hospital. It’s a mixed grill of the good, the bad and the ugly. Excepts:

By Gabriel Olawale

F

OR a hospital like this that focuses essentially on one specialty, it is easy to plan and develop the skills of your employees in that specialty. What we do is serve as referral centre for all the general and specialist hospitals for difficult orthopaedic cases they cannot handle.

What we have done in the last few years is to subspecialise to improve the skills of the surgeon by focusing on specific areas of orthopaedics in which we now have five different units in the hospital.

Before this, each orthopaedic consultant was treating the whole orthopaedic problem but now they have narrowed down their service to different specific areas.

Sub-order specialties: So our consultants have been trained in all this sub-order specialties, but you cannot develop doctors alone

you need to develop other healthcare givers at the same time as well.

For instance, nurses, when they come to the hospital, they come with general nursing certificate but since this is an orthopaedic hospital, we have a school that runs a course for one year on post-basic nursing orthopaedic care and also another school that runs a course for one year on accident emergency nursing, to improve their skill and focus on the specialities the hospital is running.

Then we need other professionals like prosthetic and orthotics , these are people that fabricate artificial limbs and splat; they are very essential after treating a fracture you want to get the person back to pre-injury state as soon as possible so they are the ones that provide support for the joint, limbs and when the patient has amputation, they fabricate artificial joint so that the person can mobilised.

Unfortunately for a long time in the country there has been no school that is training them, no university or polytechnic and at a time there were only four specialties in the whole country for prosthetics. These are people who fabricate artificial legs and there was no school until we were able to establish a school here in Igbobi that is now running ND and HND programmes. This is the only school in the whole west Africa that is running programme for such specialties.

Even the head of that school has retired and we have to give him a contract to make sure the school is running.

It is those people we have trained now that after their obtaining their HND, they may further their education outside the country. The service was dying already because those four specialists were trained abroad.

Lack of training facilities The same thing happened to occupational therapists in the 1980's. We had about three occupational therapists in this school. This speciality is trained to rehabilitate people that get disabilities from injuries, for example a driver who needs his leg after his leg had been amputated as a result of an accident. The occupational

therapist has a job to ensure that he is still useful to society.

They can help the patient fabricate a car that he or she can drive without a leg or train him/her on another job. These are specialities that matter because it is not just treating an injury that is priority but helping the person get back into society and be useful is what counts.

For a long time no school for such training those that have

Our beds are not usually 100 per cent occupied.

Most times we don't have 100 per cent bed occupancy and this can be attributed to incessant strikes in the sector

the skill had retired and we didn't have operational therapist in this hospital until Yaba Psychiatric Hospital, started a school but it is not a degree awarding school so there is still no fulfilment, those who finished from that school, some of them that we employed have traveled abroad for further training and to get a degree so that they can have job satisfaction.

Professional groups Let me note this, it is not only doctors that need to be develop, all the professional groups have to be developed. There is need for national policy that is focusing on developing all healthcare providers in different areas because everybody is important in ensuring total care of the patient.

On the exchanging of personnel, we do send people abroad why we invited some people as well from outside the country. Even we run courses where by specialties come from India, America. Last year we still ran a spin workshop by an America surgeon. We ran courses for paediatric- orthopaedic by an Indian specialist. Also last year we ran an hythoscope workshop.

This are things we do continuously and their is a centre where we do that in this hospital.

Beyond trauma: Is just sad that when people think of Igbobi Hospital, they think we attend to Continues on Page 36

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Igbobi Continues from page 35 only injury which is trauma. Although it forms the major part of our work really, treating patients with injury and that is why we have orthopaedic unit and plastic unit.

The Plastic Unit here tries to manage the wound well while the orthopaedic surgeon manages the tissue and bone.

So apart from that, we treat other people like people with deformity especially children. Some children are born with deformities mostly of the foot which maybe curved, that is the commonest deformity all over the world. We we treat it here.

There there is the issue of back pain, infection, degenerated diseases among others. All these we treat.

So whenever we have a list of those to go for surgery, we give priority to people with injury rather than people with deformity who can wait. We consider issues that are life threatening first.

In the area of total hip and knee replacement, now we are training more and more people right now. In the hospital we have at least five consultants that are doing it on a regular basis and the waiting list is getting less and less, but at the same time the awareness is increasing and more people are coming.

What we have ensured in this hospital is that there is no unit that have only one consultant because if that happens, that means if the person is on leave or not

around, then that service cannot be provided on the level expected. So in all five units we have in this hospital, we have at least two consultants per unit but in a unit like trauma which is commoner, we have four. In athroplastic we have five, in spin we have two, in athroscopy and sport we have two. In plastic unit we have four consultants.

Capital intensive It must be stated that orthopaedic care is very capital intensive and government has been trying. In Igbobi now if you look around there are many new structures, but if we want to fast track development we cannot wait for government to do it alone, we have to be more aggressive in terms of public and private partnership.

No 100% bed occupancy As for whether we are underutilised or not, I can tell you that our beds are not usually 100 per cent occupied. Most times we don't have 100 per cent bed occupancy and this can be attributed to incessant strikes in the sector. When there is a strike, the whole hospital will be empty and when work starts again patients start coming gradually and before the hospital is full another strike starts. In the last three years, we have not been able to achieve 100 per cent bed occupancy.

But for surgeries, some have to wait their turn because there are too many patients and not enough facilities to do the surgeries especially surgeries that are not emergency like total hip replacement, total knee replacement and some plastic surgeries, because we have to give priority to those who have injuries.

•From left: Senior Brand Manager, Scott’s and Horlicks, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Adebimpe Osanyituyi; President, African Paediatric Association & Societies, Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo; Consultant Neonatologist, National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Muktar Yola and Marketing Director, West Africa, GSK Consumer Health, Ms. Kerry Alexander at the launch of GSK’s Panadol Children and Scott’s Emulsion.

Children’s Panadol, Scotts for children debut

I

N furtherance of its efforts to ensure the survival of children in the country, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc, GSK, recently launched its new Panadol Children’s suspension and Scott’s Cod Liver Oil Emulsion.

Speaking at the Launch, former President , Paediatric Association of Nigeria, PAN, Dr Dorothy Esangbedo, who is currently the President, African Paediatric Association & Societies, emphasised the role of Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin A and D and Calcium in the growth and development of children.

Esangbedo noted that the unique taste of Scott’s Emulsion will allow for children to easily accept it and be willing to use it.

On her part, the Senior Brand Manager, Scott’s, Mrs. Adebimpe Osanyintuyi said mothers now have excellent healthcare for helping their children grow strong, bright and healthy.

Dr. Muktar Yola, Consultant Neonatologist, National Hospital Abuja, counselled parents on the management of pain and fever in children, highlighting the role of children’s paracetamol suspension and the best ways to relieve pain and fever.

Yola noted that pain can be managed in different ways and for children the new Panadol Children has been proven to work better and faster.

The Senior Brand Manager, Panadol, Dr. Davis Iyoha said Panadol Children’s Suspension is suitable for children aged three months to 12 years and comes in a bottle with a child-resistant cap for added safety. In attendance were paediatricians, general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

F

OR over five years now, I have been experiencing extreme premature ejaculation. On several occasions, just while kissing a girl, I will wet my trousers.

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Unlike women who can have multiple orgasms within a five minute period, a man’s body requires a longer time to produce and refill semen after ejaculation. So if you masturbate once or twice before a sexual encounter, you definitely will not experience quick ejaculation because there will be no semen to ejaculate just yet.

In addition to this, use delay creams during intercourse.

Gladiator Power Cream for example is very good for stopping premature ejaculation. But don’t give up on a new relationship because of this problem – Uche Is there anything a woman can do to make her womb tighter? In my younger days, I had a lot of sex and fisting action. I regret it now because I am so wide down there - Jumoke Jumoke the vagina is a muscle that can expand or contract. So if you do your pelvic exercises regularly, it can help tighten your vaginal walls. To achieve this, you will need an orgasm ball and a vagina tightening cream.

Use Lacey’s Graduated Orgasm Balls. Combine it with

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—37

Bird flu:

Govt should reactivate animal component of national emergency response now — ENAHORO DR. Gani Enahoro, is Vice President, African Veterinary Association, AVA. He is also the Immediate Past President, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA. Enahoro is currently Managing Director, GAN-ROVET ANIMAL .

In this chat with Chioma Obinna, he is optimistic that the latest outbreak of Bird flu will be effectively contained. He also speaks on possible responses , preventions and recommendations for the Federal government. Excerpts:

Bio security and bio safety measures are being reintroduced and enforced at most poultry farms. Safe production practices are being monitored in the farms

by Veterinary authorities in all the states.

Several live bird markets have been fumigated in Lagos with potent chemicals and it is necessary that all other states should take a cue from this.

Policy

Currently, there is no vaccination policy against Avian Influenza for birds in Nigeria and that was a significant decision taken by the Veterinary Authorities during the previous outbreak that

L

ET me start by saying that signs of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 sero type - 'Bird Flu' were observed in a backyard poultry farm with heavy mortalities in Kano on the 2nd of January, 2015. Several deaths of birds were also reported in Live Bird Markets in Lagos and Benin about the same period during the seasonal sales.

Final confirmatory diagnosis by the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom was made on 8th January 2015 and this was promptly reported to OIE (World Animal Health Organisation) on the 9th January 2015 by Nigeria's Authorised Veterinarian, Dr Abdulganiyu Abubakar who is the Chief Veterinary Officer/ Director, Federal Department of Livestock.

This outbreak is not new to the country, it is a recurrence of the previous outbreak of 27th July 2008 which devastated the poultry industry mostly in Kaduna and the south western parts of Nigeria.

There was a successful and

• Dr Gani Enahoro, President, African Veterinary Association. painstaking containment by the Veterinary/Animal Component of the National Emergency Response team that was established by the Federal government.

Recommendations

Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should immediately and truthfully reactivate and fund the Animal Component of the National Emergency Response team.

A moribund committee was formed sometime in 2013 with the intention of monitoring the surveillance of the disease. The inauguration of the committee

Novel drug from Novo Nordisk halts Type2 diabetes

By Gabriel Olawale

I

N its bid to help over five million Nigerians with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose levels, Novo Nordisk, a healthcare company that provide diabetes care has introduced an innovative product Victoza (liraglutide) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults to achieve glycaemic control when diet and exercise is not enough.

At the launch, Diabetes Mellitus Focal Point, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Bernard Bene, lamented the depressing fact that Nigeria is one of the top 10 countries burdened by non communicable diseases.

"The strange aspect is the level of prevalence among the adolescent and young adults which make up the workforce in

the country and this can be attributed to the rapid socio cultural change, unhealthy lifestyle accompanied by globalisation.”

Bene said type 2 diabetes alone contributes more than 96 per cent of all the cases in the country and this can be attributed to malnutrition, tobacco use, alcohol, obesity among others.

A major problem is that more than 50 per cent of victims do not know they are living with the problem.

"In term of management, diabetes is very expensive to manage especially in a place like Nigeria where we have very little resources to manage many problems makes diabetes to become a problem and it aggravates poverty, increases social inactivy and undermines national development."

was indefinitely postponed, this is the time to act.

Any delay arising from decreased governance due to political campaigns for the forthcoming election may result in widespread outbreak and the public health implications when man could be affected vertically is better imagined.

As it is now, If the disease is adequately dealt with at the poultry farms, there would not be any fears in its transmission to man. Nigerian Veterinarians have been adequately sensitized since the report of the case was announced through various professional internal communication mechanism.

Any delay arising from decreased governance due to political campaigns for the forthcoming election may result in widespread outbreak and the public health implications when man could be affected vertically is better imagined

assisted the record rapid containment of HPAI H5 N1.

That policy is still in place and no farmer should be deceived by charlatans who may intend to create unnecessary panic and rip off the farmers.

Hand and feet washing is a critical part of Bio Security for all workers in the poultry farm and also recommended for organised/ individual Poultry products users in the kitchens.

Apart from direct contact transmission of Avian Flu virus, The current dry, hazy harmattan weather may serve as easy vehicles of spread of several viruses if farmers are unmindful of professional advice from their Veterinary doctors. Farmers must increase their efforts to improve the husbandry of birds, thereby alleviating the harsh environmental parameters that may reduce natural immunity of birds against infection.

Alertness

The State Directors of Veterinary Services are capable of ensuring necessary alertness at their boundaries with neighbouring states, to effectively track interstate transfers of poultry & their products during this period to prevent any likely spread from one state to another.

As additional cautionary measures to people, poultry products-meat and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating, while adequate hygiene must be maintained in our kitchens by whosoever is preparing our chicken for meal.

With the benefit of experience, there is every likelihood that the reported outbreaks would be contained quickly as in the previous ones in 2008.

The structures- human and animal components of Avian Influenza controls that were established in the past, but rested when containment was achieved can easily be mobilised once more if funds are urgently provided by the Federal Government.

From left: Director, NCDs, FMOH, Dr. Anthony Usoro; Diabetes Mellitus Focal Point, FMOH, Dr. Bernard Bene; Ambassador of Denmark to Nigeria, Torben Gettermann; President Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr. Sunny Chineye and GM, Novo Nordisk Middle Africa, Mr. Ben Konate during the launchVictoza for diabetes treatment in Lagos, weekend.

Bene however called for healthy lifestyle and regular check up.

"Emphasis here is on balanced diet, make wise choices about

what you eat and limit portion size.

Increase your activity, If you smoke, quit. Take time to relax,

monitor your blood glucose levels and make sure you get regular checkups for potentially serious complications," he added.

38—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

PDP: Panic or power play?

WAS the call by the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan on aggrieved members not to dump the party reflective of the panic its antagonists claim to be seizing the party that has held sway over the polity since 1999?

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Charles Kumolu

T

HERE was perhaps no better place for President Goodluck Jonathan to add taste to the increasingly sour rapport in the party than Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, styled as the salt of the nation. Speaking at a campaign rally penultimate ——, the president had urged the very aggrieved governor of the state, Elder Martin Elechi, former minister of health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu among other aggrieved party stalwarts not to abandon the party.

“Don’t leave the party because you are aggrieved, No. we have to stay together. The tenure of any office, whether it is the state assembly, Senator, House of Representatives member lasts four years. After that four years if you feel your were not treated well, it may be you turn. Probably, we didn’t give you higher office to run, stay we can carry ourselves together,” the president had pleaded to Elechi and his supporters who were elbowed out of contention in the 2015 power game by the powerful Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and his local associates led by the deputy governor, Engr.

Dave Umahi.

It is no secret that while Elechi

has remained in the party his supporters have almost all moved over to Labour Party to pursue their political aspirations.

Remarkably, the governor was not allowed to speak at the campaign rally, a further humiliation for arguably Nigeria’s oldest political office holder.

Worrisome for the president and his political associates is that the Southeast PDP which at one time presented the strongest backbone for his aspiration is almost in shreds on account of the diverse political aspirations of party chieftains. The only exception is Enugu where the once toxic political rancour between Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Sullivan Chime seems to have now calmed.

Governorship primaries In neighbouring Imo State when the president came for his rally last Friday notable party chieftains snubbed the rally apparently in protest in the way and manner the governorship primaries turned out or rather was conducted.

Among those who stayed away were former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Prince Ken C. O.

HIGH PROFILE DEFECTORS •Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal: Speaker of House of Representatives •Chief Barnabas Gamede: former National Chairman, •Samuel Ortom: Ex-National Auditor •Labaran Maku: former Information Minister •Victor Ochei: former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly •Chief Martin Elechi(?)

Njemanze, SAN. Of all the gubernatorial aspirants, who contested the slot with the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, it was only Chief Charles Onyeagbako that graced the event.

In Anambra State the party is as usual entering the contest as a divided house with many party chieftains up in arms against one another. Though Chief Olisa Metuh the party’s national publicity secretary should be the leader of the party in the state, several party godfathers are alleged to be on the war path with him over sundry issues and it is no surprise that at least three lists of candidates are being bandied in the party.

In Akwa Ibom State, a one time impregnable fortress of the PDP, the party’s position became an issue after Obong Umana Umana, one of the most powerful political forces in the state exited to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC where he has emerged as the governorship flag bearer of the opposition party.

The fate of the party in Akwa

Ibom State was further thrown into an issue last weekend after members of the G-22, consisting of 22 aggrieved governorship aspirants returned to the state to insist on their opposition to the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the candidate of the party for the governorship election.

“Let me assure Akwa Ibom people that the 22 members of G-22 are intact and are united in the struggle. The need to give our people a new political

It is no secret that while Elechi has remained in the party his supporters have almost all moved over to Labour Party to pursue their political aspirations

direction is imperative,” Nsima Ekire, a former deputy governor in the state and leader of the group said on arrival.

Apparently in an ominous indication of their possible exit from the party, he said: “In the next few days, we will strategise with our supporters and community leaders to ensure that the group produces a responsible and responsive PanAkwa Ibom government sensitive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

“On December 9, 2014 we arrived Abuja in search of justice and preservation of the sanctity of democratic processes and after 40 days in the wilderness of injustice, it is time to move on to the next stage of restoring the dignity of Akwa Ibom State.”

Weak party structures: The situation is no different in many other states where many party chieftains have exited to other platforms on account of perceived injustice in the determination of party candidates for the forthcoming elections.

Perhaps the most conspicuous exits were those made by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives and erstwhile national chairman of the party, Senator Barnabas Gemade, and both to the APC.

Bitter struggle While Tambuwal’s exit could not be traced to the schisms that characterised the primaries, Gemade’s exit followed the bitter struggle between him and the outgoing governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam for the Benue North East Senate seat presently occupied by Gemade.

Gemade’s exit was particularly apprehensive for many party stakeholders given his past position in the party as many thought that further efforts should have been made to hold him.

His exit means that the two men who have been national chairmen of the party from Benue State are both out. Chief Audu Ogbeh who succeeded Gemade as national chairman is now a top strategist in the Muhammadu Buhari campaign for president.

Former minister of state, trade and investments, Samuel Ortom and also a former national officer of the PDP also followed Gemade to the APC and is now the APC governorship candidate in Benue State. The exit of the two men to the APC has undoubtedly raised the profile of the opposition party in that state.

Some other aggrieved party chieftains claim that they would only support the president and oppose the party in state level and National Assembly elections.

Some in this category have moved to less antagonistic parties like Labour Party and Accord.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—39

Urhobo'll go for Emerhor and Buhari — Frank Kokori CHIEF Frank Ovie Kokori, former Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, is currently a foremost Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State. In this interview, the former labour leader adduced reasons why the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, should endorse Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the governorship of Delta State. He also spoke on why Gen. (rtd) Mohammadu Buhari is best fit to be the next President of Nigeria, among others. Excerpts:

By Godwin Oghre

A

S a Deltan, how do you rate the outgoing gov of the Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. How would you also assess the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan?

I have always said that Delta falls within four special states with high oil revenue. Generally there is hopelessness in the state.

The past eight years of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan's government is rated poor especially to the Urhobos and it has put our people in perpetual jeopardy. It has been harrowing for the entire Urhobo nation. Also in between six years were President Jonathan’s years of humiliation and uncaring contempt of the Urhobo people.

Shame and humiliation Our people have been totally pushed to the wall after these years of shame and humiliation.

Jonathan has squandered the nation’s resources. He has not been able to fight corruption.

Nigerians are disappointed.

He has no passion to fight corruption.

The general elections are just by the corner, how prepared are your people, I mean the Urhobos?

As I speak to you the Urhobo nation is at a cross road. The Peoples Democratic Party government both in the state and at the federal level have failed us totally. Our great and revered Urhobo Progress Union has come to the rescue with the famous and patriotic Uvwiamuge Declaration in mid 2014.

It was a master stroke.

The people’s confidence on the dwindling reputation of the UPU was immediately rekindled once more and the leadership of UPU came back on track. Our worry now is that today we are receiving different signals from our great UPU on the way forward politically for our people. I am particular-

ly concerned about this double speaks, particularly when the Urhobos are highly marginalized.

So, what do you think should be done now?

Let it be noted that after 83 years of the fruitful existence of the Urhobo Progress Union,UPU, this institution has come to stay as the oracle of Urhobo nation. A group regarded as the oldest registered ethnic organization in Nigeria surely cannot be left solely to the whims and caprices of leaders who will speak in tongues whenever it suits them. I say, no, no, no. The Urhobo nation has two illustrious sons as governorship candidates in the persons of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the APC, a major political party and now the sole beneficiary of the Uvwiamuge declaration, and Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party, LP, a mushroom party and a repos-

•Kokori: The Urhobo nation has two illustrious sons as governorship candidates itory of failed aspirants of the PDP. Also the nation has two great candidates to choose from this year as to whom becomes the President of this country, namely, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and former head of state, Gen.(rtd)Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

Adoption

by UPU

I demand from UPU leadership to immediately implement the famous Uvwiamuge declaration which naturally favours Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the governorship candidate of the APC

Emerhor must be adopted by UPU without further delay, and the over one million votes of the Urhobo nation must go to him and Buhari because APC is the only major political party, aside PDP, that is the sole beneficiary of the Uvwiamuge Declaration, in fulfillment of its letters, which the Urhobos have sworn to uphold in this year's general election.

What will be your reaction if UPU takes a contrary step?

I demand from UPU leadership to immediately implement the famous Uvwiamuge declaration which naturally favours Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the governorship candidate of the APC. It should also immediately renounce the adoption of

President Jonathan and adopt Buhari. If these are not done, I will collaborate with other Urhobo leaders and patriotic Urhobo people across the globe , particularly, the Urhobo Leaders Intergrety Group, to resist with all means at our disposal any attempt by any retrogressive decision on the Urhobo nation.

You speak as a partisan politician, let’s not forget that you are known to be a national leader, having fought successive military dictatorships in this country, how do you combine these?

I am now old and I have now come back to my country home of Ovu in Ethiope East Local government Area of Delta state.

I am now agitating for the rights of my people through the platform of APC which is now my party.

Before now you fought ferociously against the military junta as a unionist and rights activist, why are you now supporting the Presidential ambition of a former military dictator?

I fought the military junta because they were supposed to

come in and conduct a free and fair election which they were not ready to do but they always wanted to stay in power, which is bad. Now Nigeria needs a firm, resolute, compassionate, responsible, humane and transparent leader, all of these you can now find in General Muhammadu Buhari. The business of the presidency is not for a puerile someone. We need a matured hand to run it, and this time, it is Buhari.

You have demanded from UPU to adopt forthwith, Emerhor in Delta and Buhari, at the national level, should it do that now and in the event of PDP wining one or both elections, where do you think will be the place of your people, I mean the Urhobo people?

Popular choice will always win elections. I want the popular choice to win. PDP cannot win any of the elections. That is the truth. The indices are there.

Deltans and indeed, Nigerians are fed up with PDP governments and they will vote overwhelming in favour of APC, the only successful and focused alternative to PDP at this time.

40 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 20, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015— —41

C M Y K

42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

By Ikenna Asomba

I

NDEED, it has been three years of pains and anguish for some residents in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial hub centre, as properties valued at over N54 billion had been lost to fire accidents.

Statistics from the Lagos State Fire and Safety Services show the losses were higher in 2012 compared to 2013 and 2014.

According to the statistics, 2, 342 fire cases occurred in 2012, most of them in residential buildings.

In 2013, the statistics showed that a total of 1,774 fire outbreaks occurred. The fire service acknowledged there were massive losses to fire in the year, claiming the losses were difficult to quantify.

In 2014, the value of goods lost to fire in the state was put at N14.99 billion in about 1,499 fire cases recorded between January and November.

Except tight measures are put in place, there are indications that more losses are likely in 2015 going by the number of fire outbreaks already recorded in the state.

20 fire incidents Between January 1 and as at the time of filing this report, no fewer than 20 fire incidents have occurred in the state with losses estimated at billions of naira including several lives.

Among the affected areas are the Balogun Market on Lagos Island, Oko Baba Sawmill in Ebute Meta, another in Igando area where four houses were razed recently, another at Ijaniki area where a building comprising six apartments was completely razed and an eightmonth-old baby roasted to death.

Also, a 68-year-old man identified as Mr. Solomon Olukwumu lost his life in an inferno which gutted the rooms of his 3-bedroom apartment located at 21/23 Idowu Rafiu Street, in Aboru part of Lagos, while other members of his family went to church.

Other fire incidents occurred at Ikoyi, Iba Housing Estate, Isolo, Iju Shaga, Ijora, Ojodu Berger, and Amukoko areas of Lagos, where some families were rendered homeless.

Among the affected buildings was that located in Alaba area of Lagos, where 16 families were rendered homeless, even as a mechanic workshop in Ebutte-Metta area was gutted by fire, destroying over 45 vehicles which were under repair the same day.

On Thursday, January 15, Lagos recorded another inferno

•The gutted Berlin Market in Marina, Lagos Island, last Friday.

Lagosians lost N54bn property to inferno in 3 years – Fire service

when in two different incidents, a warehouse containing goods worth millions of naira at Mosheshe Industrial Estate, Kirikiri, Apapa and a mechanic workshop with about 17 vehicles, were gutted by fire at Iwaya, Yaba.

When the anguish of what struck residents of Kirikiri and Iwaya was yet to die down, another inferno on Friday, January 16, destroyed goods and property worth millions of Naira, at the popular Berlin Market, near Mandilas on Williams Street, off Marina in central Lagos.

Boosting fire operations In a bid to boost fire fighting operations in the state, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, in a press conference hinted that the state government had installed

50 new fire hydrants, adding that the 350 existing hydrants were being reactivated.

It is not harmattan that causes fire, but human error.

Harmattan causes the fire to spread faster because of the dry wind

He said: “We have completed the installation of the 50 new ones and out of the 350 old ones, 250 had been reactivated so far. The old hydrants were installed underground, but we are now bringing them out to prevent low water pressure when drawing water from them,” he said.

Listing places where the hydrants were located, Fadipe said “they include Opebi/Allen Avenue, Governor ’s Road, Alausa, Secretariat, Awolowo Road and Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Demurin Street, Alapere; Ajiboye Estate, Fadiya Street and Ogunshowobo Street, Ketu, old Oko Oba, Alaramimu Street, Onike, Agege/Ipaja Road and Iyana Sachi Saw Mill.”

Similarly, in December 2014, Governor Babatunde Fashola, handed over 30 computerised fire trucks to the state fire service to enable it upgrade its operation. The equipment provided comprises twin aerial ladder and twin maintenance vans.

Branded as Fire Eagles, the state-of-the-art vans was said to move faster than the ones presently at the disposal of the state fire service and can better navigate difficult terrains and roads.

The acquisition of these stateof-the-art trucks, which come

with spare parts, is believed to have cost the state government billions of Naira.

Already some fire officers are said to have been sent for training to get acquainted with the usage of the new fire fighting system.

Before the arrival of these modern trucks, the existing equipment had become almost obsolete as most of the trucks can only carry 10,000 litres of water.

New fire trucks But the new fire trucks come with Compressed Air foam System CAS and water built to the fire fighters’ specification.

In addition, it is attached to a computerised detection maintenance van.

However, despite the presence of these fire hydrants, fire outbreaks have continued to wreak havoc in Lagos, since the resurgence of the biting harmattan season in Lagos.

Worried by the recent incidences of fire outbreaks in the state, the Fire service boss attributed nearly all of the fire outbreaks to human error, saying, “It is not harmattan that causes fire, but human error.

Harmattan causes the fire to spread faster because of the dry wind.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—43

Poultry birds

RED ALERT:

2,000 birds killed, as bird flu hits Lagos

By Dotun Ibiwoye

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GAIN, Lagosians will have to be very careful in the consumption of poultry products such as chicken and eggs, following the sudden resurgence of Avian influenza, AI, commonly called bird flu, into the state.

This ugly development has led to the killing of over 2,000 birds last Friday, in a poultry farm in Badore, Ajah axis of the state.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans, however some such as A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), cause serious infections in people.

Global public health concerns It recently stated that the outbreaks of AI in poultries may raise global public health concerns due to their effect on poultry populations, their potential to cause serious disease in people, and their pandemic potential.

The body said majority of human cases of A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) infection have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry as there is no evidence that the

disease can be spread to people through properly cooked food.

WHO said controlling the disease in animals was the first step in decreasing risks to humans.

AI viruses can sometimes spread to domestic poultry and cause large-scale outbreaks of serious disease.

Some of these AI viruses have also been reported to cross the species barrier and cause disease or sub-clinical infections in humans and other mammals.

Against the backdrop of this resurgence, the State Government, which on Friday alerted residents on the resurgence of the virus, said it had commenced intensive surveillance, which would focus on all poultry farms in the state in order to prevent its spread.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen alongside his counterpart in Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said that the name of the poultry farm would not be disclosed for security reasons, adding that because of the outbreak of the flu, over 2,000 birds have been depopulated from the farm, while the entire farm had been quarantined.

Lawal stated that bird samples collected by the

department and sent to the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State, had unfortunately been found positive for the H5 strain of the Avian Influenza.

He added that in order to contain the spread of the infection, the government had

embarked on active Diseases Search by surveillance agents, Biosecurity Monitoring and Sensitisation in poultry farms and markets, disinfection of poultry markets, decontamination of affected farms and sensitisation of poultry farmers and traders on insurance policy issues.

No cause for alarm

Sensitisation of poultry farmers and fowl sellers is being vigorously embarked on by the Surveillance and Extension Agents deployed by the ministry to cover the entire state

Idris said there was no cause for alarm and advised Lagosians to embrace basic hygiene to prevent contracting the disease, saying that people should ensure that they cook their birds properly before eating and report cases of mortality in birds in any area to the government.

“During the last Christmas and New Year period, the Veterinary Department of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives received a report of high mortalities of birds in poultry markets across the state,” Lawal said.

He added, “Samples collected from a poultry farm in Badore have also been confirmed positive and a Zoological park based in Victoria Garden City presently experiencing high mortality of wild birds in

captivity is on the suspicion list and it is being investigated.

“To complement the above activities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is collaborating with the State Ministry of Health, the Lagos State branch of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, National Agriculture Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and Lagos State Fowl Sellers Association.

“A team of eight technical staff, comprising of representatives of the Federal Livestock Department, National Quarantine Service and the National Veterinary Research Institute is currently in the state on disease assessment and surveillance.

“Sensitisation of poultry farmers and fowl sellers is being vigorously embarked on by the Surveillance and Extension Agents deployed by the ministry to cover the entire state.

“Disinfection of all live bird markets in the state is already on going.

“All poultry farmers and fowl sellers are hereby enjoined to adhere strictly to biosecurity measures and report unusual incidence of high mortalities of birds. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Health have deployed surveillance agents to the various parts of the state,” Lawal assured.

44 — Vanguard, TUESDAY TUESDAY,, JANUARY 20, 2015

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—45

PRESIDENTIAL POLL: Urhobo monarchs endorse Jonathan

By Festus Ahon

A

unwarranted challenge of insecurity in the country.

He appealed to the Urhobo traditional rulers and the people of Urhobo nation to support and vote en-mass for Jonathan in the February 14 presidential election to enable

him continue his good works for the good and well being of Nigerians.

The monarch, who responded to the speech by the minister, said the traditional rulers were looking forward to an opportunity to

meet with the President soon and assured that they will do all they can to ensure that the Urhobo nation gives bloc vote to President Jonathan at the election to enable him to continue his good work for Nigeria.

SABA—TRADITIONAL rulers of the 24 kingdoms of Urhobo nation, Delta State, have endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the February 14 presidential election.

Speaking during the visit of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Stephen Oru, to the Forum of Urhobo Traditional Rulers at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, spokesman of the forum, HRM Emmanuel Sideso, Abe I, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, reiterated the resolve of the monarchs to give their support to the president at the poll.

Addressing the traditional rulers in the Urhobo language, Dr. Oru x-rayed the achievements of the transformation agenda of President Jonathan, which he said, had impacted much on the rapid development and transformation of the various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Oru extolled the leadership qualities and inherent democratic attributes of President Jonathan, which he said have served as veritable instruments in promoting VISIT: First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Prince Sebastine, at the palace of Eze peace, growth, development Owerri Kingdom during the reception of the presidential entourage to Imo State. and democracy in spite of the

NDNF urges support for Jonathan in fight against corruption, insurgency

By Hugo Odiogor

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IGER Delta Nationalities Forum, NDNF, Lagos State chapter, has called for support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the fight against corruption and insurgency in the country.

It also solicited his re-election for continuity and entrenchment of genuine democracy.

The group blamed the perceived failure in the fight against corruption and insurgency in the country on the legislature, judiciary and relevant stakeholders, noting that the fight was a collaborative effort as the presidency has fought corruption more successfully than the other two arms of government.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Chairman of the group, Mr. Seigha Manager, said that the political opponents of the president seem to have decided to place the effects of the two monsters bedeviling the country at the doorsteps of the president, noting that much of the failures recorded were in the areas of the

legislature and judiciary.

On the allegations that the president was not doing enough and lacked the capacity to fight corruption and insurgency, he said: "It is false, misleading and merely aimed at tarnishing the good

image of the president.”

Manager said that corruption, which has been institutionalized in the country, can only be fought with the collaborative efforts of the three arms of government.

He said that the legislature

whose primary responsibility was to make appropriate laws for good governance has not lived up to its expectations, while the judiciary has not done enough in the effort with the many corrupion cases still pending in court.

UNDEDSS cautions Tinubu over oil theft allegation

By Dapo Akinrefon

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HE Pat Utomi-led United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, UNDEDSS, has faulted former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, over what it described as a reckless attempt to ethnicize the critical issue of oil theft, by accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of being responsible for the stealing of 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day in Nigeria.

UNDEDSS, which is a coalition of ethnic nationalities and civil society organisations in the Niger Delta, cautioned the All Progressives Congress, APC, national leader to cease his perennial ethnic profiling of the region’s people, for reasons

of “cheap political ambition.”

The group, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr Tony Uranta, said: “Tinubu persists in his dastardly attempt to demonise the Niger Delta and its people. UNDEDSS may be

compelled to immediately place him on the active no-vist list that restricts enemies of the Niger Delta and its otherwisehospitable people from setting foot within our regional space with impunity.”

Youths rally support for Jonathan, Okowa

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OALITION of youth groups from Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri and resident nonindigene youths from Delta South senatorial district, have marched through major roads in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area headquarters of the state, to restate and canvass support for President Jonathan Goodluck and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Delta

State governorship candidate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.

The youths, numbering over 2,000, dressed in white Tshirts crested with JEG and Okowa, sang solidarity songs as well as displayed placards, listing some achievements of President Jonathan in the past for four years, urging the people to support and re-elect him to office.

Dickson, TAN war of words rages

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By Samuel Oyadongha

E N A G O A — GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has slammed the Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, saying that the group has no business in the state which is a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stronghold and as such should move to states where the opposition holds sway to mobilise support for the PDP. But TAN, in a statement in Yenagoa, insisted that the governor has no constitutional right to ask any group to leave the state.

The governor had accused TAN of promoting subversive activities and inciting crisis within the PDP in the state.

Dickson, who mobilised Bayelsans from all the local government areas in the state to rally support for President Jonathan’s reelection bid, called on groups such as TAN and others in Bayelsa State, putting up campaign structures for the President, other than the PDP, to take their activities to states where the opposition is presently enjoying greater control.

Ex-militant declares support for Mayuku

By Akpokona Omafuaire

W

ARRI —AHEAD of the 2015 general election, exmilitant leader, Emma Satu, has declared support for Mr. Daniel Mayuku, incumbent and Warri South-West House of Assembly Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag bearer.

Satu gave his support in Ogbe-Ijoh while mobilising Ijaws in Warri South Local Government Area for the Itsekiri born politician.

He called on the Ijaws of Warri South West to vote en-mass for Mayuku in the forth coming Delta State House of Assembly election and all PDP contestants at all levels.

Satu said that his support for Mayuku was hinged on his track record.

46—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Okolugbo commissions school projects, lauds Uduaghan

‘APC ready to resist election rigging'

By Austin Ogwuda

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NUGU—ENUGU State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has said members of the party were prepared to resist any form of rigging in next month's elections in the state, insisting that the people’s votes must count this time.

Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, while speaking at a radio programme

By Oboh Agbonkhese

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HE commissioner representing Ndokwa on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Sir Kenny Okolugbo, has commissioned projects across Ndokwa land and also held a thanksgiving meeting with over 10,000 members of his constituents to celebrate the New Year in Obiarukwu At the occasion, Okolugbo thanked God for the support of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who he described as a practical governor.

While commissioning the projects, Governor Uduaghan, represented by the Commissioner for Power and Energy, Mrs. Gloria Okolugbo, thanked the DESOPADEC commissioner for attracting projects to his people, which he said would better their lives.

The projects include a fully-furnished classroom block in Obi’oluku; a block of six classrooms in Ebedei Grammar School; and an administration block in Obiaruku Grammar School, Obiaruku.

While many projects are ongoing, about 50 have so far been commissioned by Sir Okolugbo within the two years he has been on the commission's board.

in Enugu, tagged Political Voices, said: “It will not be business as usual in these elections. Our votes must count, because the change our people have been yearning for is here, and we must embrace it through APC.” Nwoye, who is also the senatorial candidate of the party for Enugu East district, warned those plotting to rig at the state and national level to jettison the idea, saying it

would backfire.

He said he entered the senatorial race because his opponents from other political parties had nothing to offer. Nwoye challenged them to a media debate.

He said: “It is on record that those that have been representing Enugu East have remained political disasters to the people of the zone. If given the mandate, I am going to attract

just want it to be peaceful. Therefore, I wish to urge our politicians not to see it as a do-or-die affair. They should not allow the election to lead to war.

Also, people should vote according to their inner persuasion, not according to religion or party.—Mrs Julie Joseph, Worker.

C M Y K

Otuaro's winning joker in Delta governorship —DDA

MWUN blasts call for NPA's boss sack

By Kelechi Azubuike

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ARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has dissociated itself from a purported petition to President Goodluck Jonathan urging him to sack the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Alhaji Habib Abdullahi, over, among others, alleged plan to sack about 10,000 dockworkers such as tally clerks and cargo security men operating in ports, midstream, jetties and terminals.

There have been recent publications in media by a group, Concerned

Dockworkers of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, calling on President Jonathan to sack Alhaji Abdullahi.

However, a statement by the President General of MWUN, Mr. Tony Emmanuel Nted, said the group was fictitious, declaring that MWUN was mischievously dragged into the publication to achieve legitimacy.

He said: “We make bold to say some of the issues raised are issues we have brought before the management of NPA, and our position on issues of tally clerks and onboard security in relation to the so-called ‘Cargo Surveyor’ are

well documented.

“We state categorically that these publications were done in bad taste and with evil intention.

“We have a proper and known channel to pass any issue across to NPA management, to the presidency, if it is intended for the presidency, or to any other employer in the sector.

“We are not aware of any planned sack of workers and there is no way such could be contemplated now or later.

Therefore, using a volatile issue such as sack of workers to achieve personal interest is wicked and unfortunate.”

A

group, Delta Democratic Alliance, DDA, has described Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, the running mate of Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as the winning joker for the candidate.

Speaking through its Director General, Sunday Onyewonsa, in Asaba, the group said with the sterling qualities of Mr. Otuaro, there was no doubt that victory beckoned on Senator Okowa at the polls.

According to DDA, Otuaro had shown enough proof of good leadership qualities in his capacity as a Commissioner on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Development C o m m i s s i o n , DESOPADEC, which earned him the goodwill he currently enjoyed from that axis of the state.

Women Society empowers 100 widows

T

HE International Women’s Society, IWS, Nigeria, has empowered over 100 widows with seed money and facilities to help enhance their businesses.

IWS, through its Widows Trust Fund, gave the widows generators, sewing machines, textile materials, toiletries, products from Honeywell and seed money, among others, to help boost their businesses.

Gbemi Shasore,

Chairperson, Widows Trust Fund, at the IWS New Year party for the widows, said the reason for the fund was to help widows grow their businesses, knowing it was difficult to take care of children and run a business properly as a single parent.

According to her, “there is a fixed trust fund in the bank for the widows and it is the interest that the bank gives us on the fund each year that we

use to empower widows and we ensure those given these funds already have running businesses they can grow.”

She added that the society follow up beneficiaries to ensure they are progressing in their businesses.

Folasade Oyeniyi, President, IWS, said since its founding, IWS had been able to impact the lives of many individuals through its various projects.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

I

international donor agencies that will boost the educational sector of Enugu state.

“Especially the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, and, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, that is presently in terrible shape.”

M

On the forthcoming elections

Y view on the forthcoming election is that Nigerians are expecting change. They want a government that would listen to them and make life better.

Nigerians are really suffering, if one must be sincere. So a sincere government must come on board.—Mr Efe Brume, Worker.

W

E are all hoping that the elections will come as scheduled.

I am very optimistic that Nigerians will vote en mass, if INEC fulfills its role, in terms of the provision of Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC. February 14 election will, hopefully, be peaceful.— Mr. Adeola Samuel, Lawyer.

M

Y view as regard the coming elections is that our politicians should not heat up the polity. It is unecessary. This may easily lead to what is happening in Syria today. This election should not be like the past, where elections were rigged. —Mr. Uche Nwosisi, Journalist.

I

just believe that people should try and make a change at all levels of governance.

People should score politicians by their works before casting their votes. Mind you, after the elections the electorate become p o w e r l e s s .— M r.

Muritala Animashaun, Businessman.

F

OR me, this coming elections will be peaceful. I just pray that INEC will be able to conduct a free and fair election. It is important that the umpire succeeds. Before and after the election, there shall be peace in Nigeria. God is in charge.—Mr. Samuel Olugbenro, Commenter.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015— 47

Nigerian politicians too difficult to handle —JEGA zAs INEC in Benue receives 7,000 PVC readers ELECTIONS:

By AbdulSalam Muhammad

K

& Peter Duru

ANO—THE Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega has said that the penchant by the Nigerian politicians to cut corners at the expense of the acceptable convention posed a major impediment to free and fair election in the country.

Jega spoke at the Bayero University, Kano, BUK, yesterday, saying also that Nigerian politicians were ‘’too difficult to handle.’’

This was even as the INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Benue State, Prof. Istifanus Dafwang, yesterday, said that 7,000 PVC readers had been been received by his office in preparation for the general elections.

He said that the commission was not composed of magicians, pointing out the level of successes to be recorded by INEC in the forthcoming elections would depend on the cooperation of the people.

In his key note address at a lecture organized by the Political Science Department of the BUK, Jega further stated that the Nigerian political class considered election as an investment, adding the penchant to cut corners for

perceived advantage had the potential to compromise INEC plan.

Jega said: “Good elections are not the business of the election managers alone.

Politicians want to win by hook or by crook; they induce and entice INEC officials and if they fail, they threaten them because it is an investment that they want to win at all costs.

“INEC is not a magician, we can make mistakes. The problems with elections are enormous and most politicians

don’t play by the rules, but the fact remains that we are democratising and it would take time to clear the Aegean stable and every stakeholder has to thrown in his/her best.”

He, however, noted that the commission had improved on the mistakes of the past to ensure a free, fair and credible election this year.

He reiterated that INEC had removed four million people from the voters register because of multiple registration, adding that the authentic voters register was now error proof and would

be difficult for anyone, individual or group to manipulate.

According to him, foreign names like those of Queen Elizabeth, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali among others which used to find their ways into the nation’s voters registers had now been blocked, as the Permanent Voters’ Card, PVC, had security features that would ensure the arrest of whoever cloned the card through its card reader on presentation."

SCHOLARSHIP: From left: Managing Director, Vetiva Trustees Ltd, Mrs. Ifeoma Udom, Foundation's Trustees Managers, Deputy Director, Command Schools Services of the Nigerian Army Corps of Education, Col. Jonathan Nwasor, son of late General Charles Ndiomu, Mr. Patrick Ndiomu, a guest and representative of the Foundation's Technical Consultants, Axiom Learning Solutions Ltd, Mr. Charles Bassey-Eyo, during the 2015 Armed Forces Scholarship Award by Charles Bebeye Ndiomu Foundation in Lagos.

How PDP'll floor opposition in Jigawa, by Lamido

D

By Tina Akannam

UTSE—JIGAWA State governor, Sule Lamido has said that the state Peoles Democratic Party, PDP, would use the same strategies which it adopted in 2007 and 2011 to defeat the opposition parties and sweep the forthcoming general elections in the state.

Lamido spoke weekend, while campaigning for the party’s candidates for the governorship, national and state assemblies at Garki Local Government Area of the state.

He stated politics was not madness, warning people against taking advantage of innocent electorates by making false promises to them. He also asked the people of the state to reciprocate the good performance of his

administration across the state by voting for its candidates.

According to him, the APC is a small party and a creation of frustrated members of the PDP who had nothing to show on the ground, adding that APC was no match to his party in Jigawa

Group cautions Jonathan, Buhari on peace pact

L

By Gabriel Olawale

AGOS—A NONALIGNED organisation, Build A Nation Initiative, BAN has cautioned the Presidential

candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan, and General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, not to let the recent peace

Pan-Deltan group dumps PDP, urges support for Emerhor to produce a candidate that good of ensuring that from 2015,

U

GHELLI—URHOBO PanDeltan Focus Group, an alliance of Urhobo people with a pan-Deltan vision of equality in politics has dumped the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, for the All Progressive Congress, APC and therefore thrown its weight behind the state APC governorship candidate, Chief O’tega Emerhor in next month’s election.

The group said they decided to adopt Chief Emerhor of the APC as a result of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s, failure

State.

Lamido explained that Badaru , the APC governorship candidate and Farouk Adamu Aliyu whom happened to be his relation, had nothing to offer to the peopleofthestateastheylackedfocus and the capacity to win the election.

represents genuine change from the past.

In a statement signed by Ejirie Tiomemena, Precious Ekugbe, Ogaga Eroghenevwerute and Atete Ufuomayakpor, the group said: “Owing to recent distasteful developments in the confusing internal politics of PDP, which saw the emergence of various candidates who have nothing meaningful to offer the good people of Delta as one big united family, we decided to switch our support from PDP to the opposition for the greater

good governance shall henceforth be the portion of our dear state.

“We are standing by Chief Emerhor as our candidate and the next Governor of Delta State.

We decided to do this as a result of his impeccable credentials as a true Pan-Deltan leader. Apart from his exceptional achievements as well as his generosity and love for his fellow Deltans. O’tega’s emergence as the candidate of APC, the one and onlycredibleoppositionpartyinNigeria capable of defeating PDP.”

pact signed between them, plunge the country into crisis, as was the case with the aftermath of the 1967 Aburi Accord.

Making the call in Lagos, spokesperson of BAN, Emmanuel Ehiemua said agreement for violence-free election by the two presidential aspirants, brought to mind the Yakubu Gowon regime and Ojukwu Aburi Accord conference which was eventually broken and led to civil war.

He said: “When I see that Nigeria is heading in that same perilous direction, it creates anxiety in me. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has been experiencing incessant leadership crises.

Promises have been made and broken and we can’t even tell which direction we are going now."

Yoruba group backs Fakos for Senate

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By Dania Ozure

AGOS—THE Yoruba Right’s Group, YRG, a socio-political organisation for the advancement of the Yoruba race, has endorsed the candidature of Yeye Olabisi Fakos for the Lagos-East Senatorial District for next month's general elections.

President of the group, Pa. Abimbola Familoye, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, said that their decision to support Fakos was because of her activities in poverty eradication in the last two decade as she has exhibited deft political fitness that put her ahead of her peers.

Pa. Abimbola listed some of her achievements to include award of scholarships to less privileged students at home and abroad, assisting many to travel overseas, buying of GCE examination forms for indigent students.

Others include, training of several youths and women in acquisition of skills to make them become financially independent, organising of free health talk and medical counseling for people of her district and provision of affordable health care facilities to the grassroots.

Mrakpor intensifies campaign for NASS seat

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SABA—PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives’ candidate for Aniocha/ Oshimili Federal constituency of Delta State, Evang.

Onyemaechi Mrakpor has taken her campaign rally to all the wards in the four local government areas that make up the constituency.

Accompanied by over five thousand members, including women Integrity group led by the women leader, Pastor Justina Ahueze, she told journalists at one of the communities visited that the visit was to further, sensitize and inform the people of the need to cast their votes for her and the other PDP candidates.

Hon. Mrakpor said that her campaign team headed by Prince Austin Chikezie and other committed politicians, including a former Commissioner in the state, Mrs. Chinwe Olarenwajuhavesinceembarkedon consultations to leaders of the party as well as to traditional rulers and community leaders to seek their consent and blessings.

In their separate remarks, some members of the campaign team; Mr. JudeUgbahandMr.Apinadescribed the large turnout of supporters as a clear evidence of her overall acceptance.

48—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

RALLY: From left, Mr. Nnamdi Nwobu, Princess Stella Oduah, Princess Nwaka Onanuju, Anambra North Senatorial candidate, and Princess Stella Oduah, during PDP presidential rally, in Onitsha.

RECEPTION: From left, Chief Eseoghene Eshalomi, Prince Odjuwu Okumagba, Hon. Commissioner for DESOPADEC, Delta State; Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru, and Mr. Tony Azete, during a meeting of hundreds of PDP faithful, convened by Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru, to receive decampees from APC and Labour Party to the PDP, in Warri, weekend.

PROGRAMME: From left, Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi, Local Government Inspector, LGI, NYSC, Akinyele Local Government Area, Ibadan; Dr. Paul Ilona, Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria; Mr. Kenneth Okonji, Executive Officer, NYSC, and Mrs. Anthonia Ilo, Assistant LGI, NYSC, during the Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, training programme for Corps members, serving in Akinyele LGA, Ibadan.

FORUM: From left, Hon. Leo Ogor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Senator James Manager, and Kingsley Otuaro, at a stakeholders' forum, in Isoko North Local Government Area, weekend.

INAUGURATION: International President of Akwa Ibom Consolidation Alliance, ACA, Pastor Andrew Uwanta (middle); Organising Secretary, Mr. Frank Archibong (right), and Lagos Coordinator, Comrade Gospel Etim, after the inauguration of the Lagos chapter of the Alliance, in Lagos.

Mrs, Funke Fowler-Amba, Director of Vivian Fowler College (centre); Miss Eniola Oladipo,Head Girl (left), Mrs. Onari Duke (3rd Left), Mrs. Niyatha Krishnan, Quality Assuarance Manager of the college, and the students, during a Cancer Walk by Vivian Fowler College in conjuction with Child Survival & Development Organisation of Nigeria, in Lagos, weekend. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

PRESENTATION: From left, Dr. Kingsley Agholor, CMD of Central Hospital, Warri; L. N. Ekpu Ekpu, Multiple Council Chairperson, District 404, Nigeria; Dr. Ejegi; LNS Fortune Wagbatsoma, and others, during the presentation of a Pulsair Intellipuff THANKSGIVING: Hon. Reuben Izeze, flanked by wife, Ogheneruona (left); other Tonometer to the management of the hospital, by International Association of Lions members of his family, and friends dancing, during the thanksgiving service, in Delta State.

Club, District 404, Warri, Delta State.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—49

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 53 YOUR LUCK TODAY

LEISURE

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

TAURUS; It’s important to differentiate between enterprise, gambling and adventure, because you may not go free by unnecessary mistake. Take love very seriously.

GEMINI; Many people are not in the mood to take thing lightly probably because of tension generated by the Moon and Saturn. Thus you’ll need to be prepared to take responsibility of whatever you do and/or say.

CANCER; Unnecessary argument can not help your cause today, no matter how logical you think you are. Take domestic issues more seriously than before.

LEO; good results, your mood looks less buoyant.

Whatever this is the wrong time to gamble with matters of the heart.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

Stop Accusing Yourself

C

HILDREN like denying or shifting blame.

Some of us are like children. Even when we are not asked nay question, we quickly answer - no be me do am oh!But who

ask you whether you are the one that did it?

The responsibility for your action

TERROR MUDA

andthat of your subordinates (if any). Own up to your fault, stop denying it is your

in “Never say goodbye”

fault. Stop reporting yourself for a crime you never committed. It is not an offence to be at fault. Every human being has his fault.

You are not different. So why accuse yourself?

By Lanre Kehinde

VIRGO; Since you cant run away from your shadow it is better you face challenges coming your way both at home and in the office. Eventual success’ll be yours very soon.

LIBRA; Although, partnership related issues are becoming seriously, today you will need to rely on your creative mind to get the desired results.

SCORPIO; Similar to yesterday as money continues to dominate issues. This is the wrong time to rely too heavily on friends either for assistance or advice.

SAGITTARIUS; You’ll continue to be relevant in the scheme of things, although you’ll be made to operate under pressure through career/business related affairs but great success indicated for you today. Be stable.

CAPRICORN; It’s your day when good luck’ll crown your efforts. The more secretive you are the better for your cause. Avoid unnecessary argument.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Pretty Lunatic’

By Andy Akman

AQUARIUS; Reliable associates of yours may unconsciously disappoint you .Nursing false hope may force emotion to run very high. Be patient please.

PISCES; If you like to cut-corners you’ll need to prepare for unpleasant surprise as those you least expect’ll disappoint you. Prepare to protect your image.

ARIES; Relying on the element of luck today may fail to give you the desired results. Then it’ll be wrong of you to disrespect the law and/or it’s enforcement agents.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Who am I? Dear Joshua, Kindly analyse my star and tell me the type of person I am. Because not only other people do misunderstand me I do not sometimes know myself.

Please tell me the truth.

Bello, Benin, Dear Bello, As you were born when both career-orientedSaturn and loving Venus were prominent in the heaven, you are giving to both ambition and love related issues. And with Venus having more powers than Saturn, PEACE, LOVE and harmony will always have final influence whenever you are to take important final decision.

As loving, gentle, caring and good hearted as you are, with your final-dispositor (Venus) at 90th degree apart to rebellious Uranus in Kingly Leo, FREEDOM and JUSTICE must come to play before the said love and peace will get your final approval.

Naturally Cancer makes it’s natives to appear timid and cool headed but another vigorous aspect in your chart is conjunction formed by aggressive Mars and manipulative Pluto when you were born; thus your will-power is very strong, making it difficult for people to manipulate you at will.

To crown it all the Moon (an indicator of subconscious-self ) was placed in genius related Aquarius. Therefore will power strengthened by educated mind will always want to have FREEDOM. With your natal Sun (basic selfhood) and Moon placed in Cancer and Aquarius respectively, you are mainly a Cancer born person and partly Aquarian; meaning that basic characteristics of the two said Star sings (Cancer and Aquarius) are highly pronounced in your inner-self.

HOME & ABROAD

By Lawrence Akapa

54 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014

Fuel price reduction, relief for car owners, but••• NEWS AN AL Y SIS ALY

By Gabriel Omoh, Business Editor

O

N Sunday, the Federal Government reduced petrol price to N87 from N97 it previously sold. Reduction of fuel prices is a welcome development which all stakeholders should embrace with a sense of responsibility. Fuel is one of the most critical economic enablers which can either upset or stabilize any economy.

Fuel dealers, as at the time of writing chose to ignore this development selfishly as they wanted to continue ripping-off their clients despite this reduction.

This is a clear-cut market force which should stir a downward slump of pump prices. In this vein, Government directive to slash fuel prices Monday is a sober and welcome development which Nigerians should all applause.

The projected direct effect of this development is immediate reduction in the cost of public transport fares, transportation of goods and reduced production costs of goods and services. This would lead ultimately to reduction in prices for basic commodities, and increased buying power for the citizens.

Classic improvement Therefore, if this is applied properly through good compliance by all stakeholders Nigerians are to record a classic improvement on the living standards for the general populace.

The federal government gave as its reason for the action the falling oil price which has seen crude oil price drop from $110 to around $47 last week. The government in taking the action did not explain how it reached the N87 price mark. The drop in price is a form of relief for car owners and companies that buy fuel. The drop will be a loss to fuel importers who on regular basis claim subsidy. This also implies that monthly allocation to states and local government through subsidy reinvestment programme is now foreclosed. The revenue accruing to the government via value added tax on petrol sold at pump

.A fuel attendant

head will also drop.

There is therefore no more subsidy. Ordinarily, this is a good opportunity for the federal government to deregulate the down stream sector of the oil industry in Nigeria.

For transport companies they will make some savings in fuelling their fleet of vehicles but it stands to be seen if the savings made will be enough to .President Goodluck Jonathan justify reduction in .Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke transport fares because of other factors in transia petrol price is about 28pence port business that will come later.

TOP TEN CHEAPEST PETROL PRICES WORLDWIDE per liter.

The drop of N10 per liter will also Some countries have done lead to reduction in the cost of Position Country City Average price per nothing at all. Chief among the transporting agricultural produce litre laggards is Russia, where in 2013, from farm gate to the various 1 Venezuela Caracas 2/3p energy subsidies for gas and elecmarkets across the country.

S' Arabia Riyadh 8p tricity cost $40 billion. According Though the reduction in fuel 2 Libya Tripoli 9p to James Henderson of the Oxprice is marginal in the eyes of 3 Turkmenistan Ashgabat 12p ford Energy Institute, residential many Nigerians it should have 4 Bahrain Manama 13p and industrial gas prices were froimmediate impact on the cost of 5 Kuwait Kuwait City 14p zen during 2014 and are unliketransportation, manufacturing 6 Qatar Doha 15p ly to change this year. Raising companies such as breweries that 7 Egypt Cairo 19p them would dent the popularity substantial part of their input is 8 Oman Muscat 20p of President Vladimir Putin at a petrol. If the Nigeria economy 9 Algeria Algiers 20p perilous juncture. was price sensitive, the reduction 10 Cutting consumption subsidies should boost economic activities; •Nigeria 28 pence per litre. may seem sensible when prices encourage transporters to cut their fares by reasonable margin. is estimated to account for 20-25 that the average price for a litre are falling, but it is also the time The question is what is the right per cent of the world’s oil reserves, of petrol in the small island state when struggling energy firms price for petrol in Nigeria today and ranks as the highest export- near the western shores of the Per- turn to the state for help. As it is, giving the falling price of crude? er of petrol, it is no wonder that it sian Gulf is 13 pence. The coun- governments in the G20 spend Nigeria is not in the league of is the second cheapest place in try’s recent boom is built on oil, $88 billion each year supporting countries whose citizens enjoy the the world, with the average litre with 60 per cent of its govern- fossil-fuel exploration, according cheapest petrol price. costing 8pence. Libya is the 9th ment’s wealth coming from oil pro- to the Overseas Development Institute, a think-tank. That figure Looking at prices of petrol biggest producer of petrol in the duction. across the globe, the ten cheap- world and the average litre in the In Kuwait with world’s fifth may grow. est countries to find petrol include North African country is 9pence. largest oil reserves and this Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Car drivers in Turkmenistan are means that the average price for Oil and gas Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria etc. industry entitled to 120 litres of petrol free a litre of petrol is 14pence.

Drivers pay on average 135p a per month, so the price is not all The government subsidises litre for petrol in the UK, but that’s that relevant. The average price petrol and public transport. QaIn December George Osborne, considerably less than the price for a litre in the Central Asian tar, the Middle Eastern country Britain’s finance minister, anpaid by drivers in Norway’s cap- country is 12pence. It is also true has the world’s largest per capita nounced tax cuts on oil firms in ital Oslo: at 164p a litre it has the production and proven reserves order to support the oil-and-gas most expensive petrol in the of both oil and natural gas, which industry in the North Sea. The world. In oil-exporting countries, means the average price per litre same month Mr Putin bailed out which are particularly generous, is 15 pence. Citizens are estimat- Rosneft, a big oil company sufthe Middle East and North Afried to have the 2nd highest in- fering from the depreciation of the ca, account for half of the world’s comes in the world and the 7th rouble. America is another big energy subsidies, lower energy lowest petrol prices. Egypt, the offender, with generous subsidies prices make subsidies cheaper.

North African country, which has for exploration and production of That can make it tempting to postundergone political and social oil and gas. There is little talk of pone hard decisions. In Venezueupheaval, has an uncertain fu- trimming them. Whether low pricla ture. But Cairo comes in as the es help to galvanise reform or The average price for a litre of 8th cheapest city in the world for simply make it easier for governpetrol is around the 2-3pence petrol at 19pence per litre. For ments to procrastinate still remark. This is because Venezuehow much longer remains unclear. mains up in the air. lans consider cheap fuel as a sort For the next few months, NiOman, the Arabic state of Oman of birthright. Saudi Arabia which geria will be too tied up with in south-west Asia produces The projected 600,000 barrels every day, so the presidential, state and local elecdirect effect of this government gives its citizens a tions scheduled for February 2015 break when it comes to petrol pric- to focus on state finances or on development is es. The average for a litre of pet- the oil sector. Campaigning immediate reducahead of the elections will not rol comes in at 20p.

Algeria, The vast North African address broad issues such as the tion in the cost of state gets 60 per cent of its income state of the economy but control public transport from oil production. It is the of the country’s political econoworld’s 13th biggest oil producer my. At the end of the 2015 elecfares, transportaand 9th biggest exporter. Despite tion Nigerians will know whethtion of goods and the cheap petrol prices, with the er the N87 per litre is for real or reduced production average price for a litre coming how long it will say. The price in at 20p, Algeria has suffered adjustment is temporal as it could costs of goods and from shortages in recent months change with the swing fortune of services as smugglers have been sending crude oil. petrol to crisis-torn Libya. Niger-

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014 — 55

Kudos, knocks trail fuel price cut; marketers fail to comply …PMS shouldn’t be more than N70 — APC, LABOUR

By Our Reporters

I

T was an avalanche of reactions, yesterday, to Sunday’s announcement of a reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS or petrol, by the Federal Government, with the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, accusing the Federal Government of “making a show out of deceit by its so-called fuel price reduction.”

Although the various units of the organised labour commended the Federal Government for the reduction, it however noted that the level of slash was below expectations.

The APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said, “The 10.3 per cent slash in the price of petrol, (from N97 to N87), is a mere tokenism at a time the price of crude oil has crashed by about 60 per cent.”

New PPPRA template

Meanwhile, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, further fixed the Ex-Depot price of petrol at N77.66 per litre, contrary to the information on its website, which put the Expected Open Market Price at N97.90 per litre.

The Executive Secretary of PPPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, explained in a statement issued last night in Abuja that, the development is on account of announcement of a downward review of the pump-price of petrol from N97 to N87per litre by the government.

Counting their losses

Indeed, the price slash had come as a big surprise to all, particularly the marketers, who are now counting their losses from their stock pile.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the marketers and petroleum depot operators were taken by surprise by the announcement, resulting in a hastily arranged

meeting with stakeholders in Abuja yesterday.

The word was mum among attendants at the meeting, which kicked off by 12 noon and lasted for many hours behind closed doors, with no operator willing to speak on the agenda for the meeting.

However, those who confided in Vanguard said the losses are better imagined, as many had borrowed to pile up stock, seeing as the government had not responded in any way since the crude oil market crash last year.

Assessment of new price

By his assessment, APC’s Mohammed said the pump price of a litre of fuel should not exceed N70, meaning that at N87 per litre, the Federal Government is forcing Nigerians to still subsidise the massive corruption in the oil sector by N17 for every litre of fuel.

He further called on the federal government to immediately slash the price of petrol to N70 per litre and the prices of diesel and kerosene to nothing more than N90 per litre each way.

He said, “When crude oil was selling at $100 per barrel, the landing cost of PMS without subsidy was N125 per litre.

Now that the oil price has crashed to about $44 per barrel, landing cost without subsidy is about N65 per litre. The same goes for diesel which should not sell for more than N90 per litre.”

Also speaking, Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign, described the slash in the pump price of petrol by the federal government as, a panicky political measure which falls far too short of the people’s expectation and contrary to the 50 per cent relief suggested by the Buhari Team.

In a statement in Abuja on Monday, Shehu said that “The Jonathan-led PDP government i s beginning to listen to public outcry about bad governance, extortion a n d exploitation of the Nigerian masses in the oil sector where billions of naira are d a i l y

Nollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe is dead

By Benjamin Njoku, Florence Amagiya & Anozi Egole

L

CARNIVAL: Members of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, in the United States of America and Canada chapter, celebrating TAN's record achievement in mobilizing for 17.5 million Nigerians' signatures and also campaigning for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja, on Sunday. being ripped off the pockets of the common men and women through inaccurate pump prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene, despite the dwindling world market prices of these products.”

In his reaction, Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Smart Adeyemi, commended the Federal Government for its decision to reduce the pump price.

Adeyemi stated that the reduction showed that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan is sensitive to the plight as well as the wishes and aspirations of the people.

According to him, “This is the first time the government voluntarily, without strikes and protests reduced pump price of petroleum products. This is a step in the right direction and it will surely ginger socio-economic activities.

Similarly, Mr David Adonri, Chief Executive Officer, Highcap Securities Limited, said the reduction is a welcome development, advising however, that the Federal Government should deregulate the sector and allow the forces of supply and demand to determine price.

He said, “The reduction of pump price by N10 was a pleasant surprise but since morning, fuel stations have failed to implement the directive.

However, the commodity is still under public price control. It is better to deregulate and allow the forces of supply and demand determine the price.”

Labour perspectives

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, welcomed the reduction, but insisted that it fell short of expectation.

NLC, in a statement by its General Secretary, Dr. Peter OzoEson, argued that the N10 price slash translated to 10.3 per cent

reduction compared to 33 per cent price reduction in most countries. Just as the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, speaking through its General Secretary, Mr. Issa Aremu, also commended government for the price reduction.

Also reacting to the reduction, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, commended the Federal Government, but called for the total deregulation of sector.

NECA in a statement by its Director General, Mr. Segun Oshinowo, said, “We want to commend the promptness of the Federal Government in reviewing downward the price of fuel from N97per litre to N87per litre. By this action, the government has demonstrated its sensitivity to the welfare of Nigerians.

“We should, however, remind ourselves that this action by government is begging the more fundamental issue of appropriate policy framework that will promote investment in the downstream sector of the Oil & Gas, and put a stop to the embarrassing and shameful practice of importation of PMS. “Our expectation therefore, is that government would seize the opportunity of the current decline in the price of crude oil to commence implementation of the policy on deregulation of the downstream sector of the Oil & Gas.” Also speaking, President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Igwe Achese, said it was long expected following the falling price of crude in the international market.

He said the Federal Government responded to the yearnings of Nigerians and the reality on ground.

A G O S — NOLLYWOOD on Sunday lost another vibrant actor, Muna Obiekwe, to the cold hands of death.

Obiekwe’s sudden demise came few months after another Nollywood actor Clems Onyeka was felled by a stray bullet in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The actor, who has a knack for acting romantic scenes reportedly slumped Sunday evening at his Lagos home, and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.

The cause of his death is yet to be ascertained but there are indications that the actor may have died of a kidney-related disease.

Sources close to the actor said he had been battling an undisclosed ailment, but hid it from his colleagues in the movie industry for a long time.

President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria,AGN,Ibinabo Fiberesima-Egbuka, who spoke to Vanguard yesterday said, “It’s sad that Muna is no more. We didn’t know he was sick.

Maybe, he didn’t want anybody to know about his sickness.”

Also, sources further said the actor’s drinking habit may not be unconnected to his death.

Before his demise, Muna was said to have been planning to organize a charity concert to raise money for his treatment.

Until his death, the Enugu-based actor was one of the controversial actors in the Nigerian movie industry.

It was also alleged that the actor had not gone for his dialysis for over two weeks prior to his demise.

.Late Muna Obiekwe

56 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 , 2015

Ex-street kid to Pope: Why does God allow children suffer in Philippines?

A

few years ago, Glyzelle Palomar was begging for food on the streets of northern Manila. This week, the 12-year-old girl was on a stage in front of tens of thousands of people, asking Pope Francis why God lets children suffer.

“There are many children neglected by their own parents,” Glyzelle said Sunday at a ceremony at a 400-year-old Catholic university in Manila. “There are also many who became victims and many terrible things happened to them like drugs or prostitution.”

“Why is God allowing such things to happen, even if it is not the fault of the children?” she asked the Pope, breaking down into tears as she spoke.

Another former street child, Jun Chura, told Pope Francis about his struggle to survive without a home.

“I was feeding myself with what I can find in the garbage,” said Jun, 14. “I did not know where to go, and I was sleeping on the sidewalk.”

“When I was in the street, I witness also things I don’t like, terri-

Andreas Hananto

AirAsia crash ‘not linked to terrorism’, investigators

I

Pope Francis hugging two former street children at a ceremony in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday. ble things that happened to my companions in the street,” Jun said. “I saw that they were taught how to steal, to kill also, and they have no respect anymore for the adults.”

Pope Francis responded to Glyzelle’s question and Jun’s testimony by giving the two children a big hug.

“She is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer and she wasn’t

even able to express it in words but in tears,” the 78-year-old Pope told the crowd.

Glyzelle and Jun are both in the care of Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, a non-governmental organization that looks after Manila’s street children.

The foundation came across Glyzelle and her older sister a few years ago, said Alexandra Chapeleau, the group’s communication manager.

The girls had left home — where their impoverished parents were unable to support them or get them an education — and were fending for themselves on the street, she said.

They first attended one of the foundation’s dropin centers before moving into a residential facility and starting to attend school. In November, their younger brother joined them at the foundation.

Tributes, protests mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day T

RIBUTES to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. were held around the United States yesterday as protests over the treatment of minorities by law enforcement were set to roll on across the country.

Observers of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday first celebrated in 1986, have this year linked it to the message voiced in recent months during demonstrations over police brutality.

Marches and rallies were planned for Monday in major cities, such as Dallas and New York, where the family of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a police chokehold, was set to visit the Brooklyn street

Oprah Winfrey, along with members of the cast of “Selma” walk down Broad St. towards the Edmund Pettus Bridge accompanied by thousands of participants in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, 2015 in Selma, Alabama.

where two uniformed officers were ambushed in December by a gunman claiming to avenge Garner ’s death.

Decisions by grand juries not to indict officers in the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown, an unarmed black man shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, touched off months of protests across the country, with the rallying cry, “Black lives matter.”

That sentiment resounded even at traditional events honoring King that were under way elsewhere, including a King commemoration at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the slain civil rights leader once preached.

NDONESIAN investi gators said the crash of AirAsia QZ8501 was not likely due to terrorism, in their first remarks since analysing the cockpit voice recorder.

Transport safety committee investigator Andreas Hananto told the BBC that there were also indications that the plane encountered bad weather.

The plane is thought to have gone down on 28 December when it encountered difficulties from an approaching storm.

All 162 people onboard

the flight from Surabaya to Singapore perished.

Two more bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the total found so far to 53.

Mr Hananto told BBC Indonesian that investigators had listened to the entire two-hour recording, and found that there was “no threatening voice on board.”

The recording appeared to indicate that the pilot was too busy attempting to regain control of the aircraft to send a distress signal, he said.

'Snowden documents show UK spies stored journalists’ email

B

RITAIN’s GCHQ eavesdropping agency stored emails from journalists working for several large media organizations, according to documents released by former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Guardian newspaper reported.

The emails from the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Sun, Le s Monde, NBC, the BBC and Reuters were among 70,000 harvested as part of a 10-minute bulk sur-

•Snowden veillance exercise on one day in November 2008, the newspaper said.

Syria begins destruction of chemical weapons facilities

S

YRIA has started the long-delayed destruction of a dozen underground bunkers and hangars that were used for the production and storage of chemical weapons, diplomatic sources told Reuters yesterday.

Damascus last year hand-

ed over 1,300 metric tonnes of toxic agents after joining the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), but it is months behind schedule in destroying the facilities used to make and store its deadly stockpile.

Separatists renew attack on airport as Russia and Ukraine bicker Ukrainian officials said

P

RO-Russian separat ists renewed attacks on Ukrainian forces at an airport complex in the east on Monday after Kiev launched a mass operation to reclaim lost ground there that Russia called a “strategic mistake”.

three soldiers had been killed and 66 wounded over the past 24 hours, during which they said they had returned battle lines at the airport outside Donetsk to the status quo under a much violated international peace plan.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—57

Charlie Hebdo: Niger protesters torch 45 churches — Police

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T least 10 people h a v e been killed and 45 churches set on fire since protests erupted in Niger over the French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, police say.

The government has declared three days of mourning for those who died. Hotels and bars were also burned to the ground during a weekend of violent protests, the authorities said.

Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at Charlie

Hebdo’s offices in an attack earlier this month.

The cover of the magazine’s latest edition, published after the attack, featured a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad weeping while holding a sign saying “I am Charlie”.

It led to criticism from many living in Muslimmajority countries who said the magazine’s editors were being unnecessarily provocative.

Niger’s interior minister said that some of those taking part in the weekend

protests held up flags supporting Boko Haram, an Islamist group based in neighbouring Nigeria.

But the BBC’s Bashir Saad Abdullahi in Niger says political friction is also likely to have played a role in fanning the violence.

In the capital Niamey at least five people were killed during the clashes, while another five died in the southern city of Zinder.

More than 170 people were injured, officials said.

Former Mandela’s white aide accuses Zuma of racism

A

WHITE woman who worked as a personal assistant to Nelson Mandela has stirred unease about race relations in South Africa after criticizing the current president

for allegedly making antiwhite remarks.

Zelda la Grange has since apologized for her Twitter comments, which triggered accusations that she was herself a racist

Kenyan police tear-gas protesting children

K

ENYAN police h a v e fired tear gas at children protesting against the seizure of their school playground by a property developer.

Around 100 primary school children and a small group of activists pushed over a newly built wall that separated playing fields and the school buildings, close to the capital Nairobi’s main domestic airport on Monday.

Around 40 armed police accompanied by dogs dispersed the protesters by firing tear gas canisters, an AFP news agency photographer at the scene said.

Dozens of children were caught in choking clouds of tear gas before being forced to shelter on a pedestrian bridge over

the main road to escape the noxious fumes.

Macharia Njeru, chairman of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, said the incident would be investigated.

“Teargassing children is inexcusable,” he said.

Well-known local activist Boniface Mwangi said a “school playground is a necessity, not a privilege”. Monday was the first school day since the wall was built during the holidays.

Cuban health worker in Africa to fight Ebola dies of malaria

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CUBAN health work er sent to Sierra Leone as part of a team to help fight Ebola has died of malaria. Cuban state television said Reinaldo Villafranca died Sunday in

Nigerian born UK PM leader walks off live TV show

R

ISING Labour star Chuka Umunna stormed off a live TV interview Monday after becoming embroiled in an angry on-air spat over a letter he had not read.

The shadow business secretary was repeatedly pressed by Sky News anchorman Dermot Murnaghan about letters sent by the Government to

steeped in the ideology of white minority rule.

Apartheid ended when Mandela, who died in 2013 at the age of 95, became South Africa’s first black president in 1994.

La Grange had accused President Jacob Zuma of making business conditions difficult for white investors and making it clear that whites “are not wanted or needed in South Africa.”

On her Twitter account, la Grange also referred to a reported 2012 remark by Zuma that having a pet is part of “white culture” and that people should focus instead on family welfare.

She joked that she would ask French President Francois Hollande if he would accept her as a citizen because South Africa’s ruling party “doesn’t want us.”

English mosques urging them to root out extremism.

After a series of angry exchanges Mr Umunna who said he had been invited on to talk about David Cameron’s earlier speech on the economy walked off while the cameras were still rolling, waving his hand at the screen in exasperation.

a hospital in Sierra Leone’s capital. The 33-year-old Villafranca had a degree in nursing.

He showed symptoms of an illness on Jan. 17. Tests came up negative for Ebola but positive for malaria.

State television said his condition deteriorated on Sunday.

Villafranca is the second Cuban health worker to die of malaria in West Africa. The first, Jorge Juan Guerra Rodriguez, died last Oct. 26 in Guinea. Dr. Felix Baez fell ill with Ebola in Sierra Leone in November, but recovered.

In response to a U.N. call, Cuba said it would send 461 health workers to Africa to fight Ebola.

Like Romney, like Buhari?

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ITT Romney has become a spectacle in U.S. politics. Twice he has made a bid for the coveted position of presidency, and twice have voters blocked his route to the White House. After the last attempt, Romney and his wife swore that running for the presidency was no longer on their political agenda. But of late, Romney has been crisscrossing the United States, waving the banner that indicates that he is once more serious about getting into the presidential race. Generally, American presidential elections do not bestow favours on previous losers in the same race. One of the exceptions was Richard Nixon who lost to J.F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential polls, but bounced back to become the 37th president of the United States from 1969 to 1974. He had to bow out in shame over the infamous Watergate scandal which showed that he had subverted the integrity of the presidency.

Romney is yet to formally declare his intention to run for the third time. But, he is not getting the necessary support from institutions that traditionally back Republican presidential candidates. Take the influential Wall Street Journal for instance. Last week, the newspaper cynically posed this question in one of its editorials: “If Mitt Romney is the answer, what is the question?”

president credo. During the 2012 elections, he presented himself as Socrates and Aristotle combined, with a monopoly of wisdom on how to resuscitate the wobbling U.S. economy. He dismissed Barack Obama as someone who did not understand the fundamentals of good economic management, and characterized him as a person of whom history will record as having dug the grave for America’s inevitable corporate burial.

Today, Romney is alive to see that his doomsday prophecy has not materialized.

America’s economic growth rate hit 5 percent in the third quarter of 2014. Job creation has surprised everyone as unemployment figure has come down to 5.6 percent. So, what narrative does Romney plan to express this time around?

As the Nigerian campaign reaches its zenith, we appear to see a “Romnization” of Buhari in the philosophical poise that he, Buhari, has the only key to unlock the chains that have been holding Nigeria from attaining Olympian heights in all facets of life.

Romney's other face

During the 2012 U.S. presidential election, it emerged that Romney wore a public face of a potential leader who would be there for all. But for the smart young Devstating man who got a video of him telling his rich friends that he did not care for the 47 upper cut percent of Americans he spoke about in Then, the newspaper delivered a very disparaging manner, we might not devastating upper-cut punch by saying have known Romney’s other face.

Romney ran his campaign on his that: “The question the former experience as a profit-making Massachusetts Governor will have to answer is why he would be a better businessman. In his various campaign candidate than he was in 2012…It’s hard stops, he never got tired of almost talking to see what advantages Mr. Romney down on his potential supporters; telling brings that the many potential first-time them what was good for them and letting candidates who have succeeded as everyone know he was the only person to governors do not.” Indeed you deliver such goods. Having the can delete “Mitt Romney” from mindset of a Chief Executive Officer the Wall Street Journal’s who was outlining company goals apprehension and still and methods of their attainment to legitimately ask: “If Buhari is his staff, Romney was so sure of the answer, what is the victory that on election night he question?” Is the question the reportedly armed himself with just simplistic notion that once one speech: his acceptance speech.

Jonathan is out of the scene His cronies and so-called political Nigeria would become an analysts and commentators on African el dorado? Is it that friendly Fox News television Buhari has what it really takes reinforced his assumed political to transform Nigeria? Is it that invincibility and jubilantly assured Jonathan has been tried and Romney of victory when in fact the found wanting, so another man was losing at the polls. So, when person needs to be given the the results were in and showed that opportunity to try his luck Obama had swept the polls, it took where Goodluck was unlucky? several minutes for Romney and his Voters need more cogent and aides to hurriedly put together a faceconvincing reasons than what saving concession speech. is implied in these questions.

Romney had the good sense to Mitt Romney ran on the make that speech. Like him, Buhari promise that he was a better also waits for electoral outcomes with manager of the U.S. economy, just one speech to proclaim victory. citing his vast experience in the But, unlike Romney, Buhari is not a business sector as evidence of man for concessions, when he loses. what he can do in the The military blood in him does not presidency. But, voters If Buhari allow concessions to the enemy. remained skeptical. Being a is the Unfortunately, this is about good CEO does not necessarily democracy and expectations are quite translate to a robust answer, different. Whoever loses, Jonathan or presidency. But, Romney what is the Buhari, should spare Nigerians the stubbornly believed in his spectacle of an illusion of question? perennial good-businessman-goodvictory.

58—Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

By Ola Ajayi

Rochas on APC agenda

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi and his predecessor, Adebayo AlaoAkala were yesterday locked in a debate over their plans for the state in the forthcoming governorship election.

Senator Rasheed Ladoja also a former governor of the state and flag bearer of Accord in the election was, however, not present.

The debate organised by an Ibadan-based private radio station, Space FM, for candidates in the February 28 governorship election in Oyo State provided a veritable platform for Ajimobi, the All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate and Alao-Akala, the Labour Party candidate to exchange ideas on the election.

The governorship candidate of the Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who was also billed to appear on the programme, however, boycotted the debate.

The organizers did not tell listeners why the former governor failed to appear on the live broadcast.

Although the debate did not generate any rancour between the two contenders, they, however disagreed on some policy issues, while they agreed on others.

Provision of alternatives Ajimobi said, “But one thing that I must emphasise is that my two predecessors also displaced traders from Aperin and Iwo Road without providing alternatives for them. We did our own with human face by ensuring that 7000-capacity market was constructed to accommodate the displaced traders.

“Not only that, we gave traders in Oyo State about N500million interest-free loans to boost their trade. Thank God my brother is here (Alao-Akala). When his government displaced traders from Iwo road, it did not construct new markets to accommodate them.

“All what we did was in the best interest of our people. For instance, we observed that trading by the roadsides exposed them to danger. We have seen situations when electric pole fall on them and in another instance a trailer killed many of our people trading by the roadside.”

Responding to the issue of markets construction by the Ajimobi government, Alao-Akala said it was not the business of any government to construct markets, insisting that markets sprung up naturally everywhere.

He said he could not recollect whether he displaced traders from the roadside or not, insisting

G

•Ajimobi: Accuses predecessors of displacing market women

•Akala: I didn't displace traders from the roadside

•Ladoja: Absent

OYO GOV DEBATE: Ajimobi, Akala differ on devt plans that “what belonged to the past should be left in the past.”

In his almost four years in the saddle, the governor said that peace and tranquillity pervaded the entire state, which he said provided the enabling environment for industrial growth and overall development in the state.

For instance, the governor said

the enabling peace and security in the state had attracted more than eight industrial giants to the state, which had generated more than one million direct and indirect employment for the citizens.

Alao-Akala, who refused answer questions relating to his achievements during his first tenure as governor, promised

to devote attention to agriculture to boost the economy of the state by ensuring that graduates had access to agric loans; as panacea to the dwindling oil revenue.

He also promised to promote 6-3-3-4 system of education to encourage vocational and technical education.

OVERNOR of Imo state and Chairman, Progressives Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha appealed to the electorates to vote Buhari insisting that with Buhari as president, the insurgency would be curtailed.

Okorocha challenged the PDP to show course, why the 2nd Niger Bridge should remain in the drawing board 16 years after PDP rule having failed in three efforts to construct it.

“Federal Government should tell us why they awarded the contract for the reconstruction on a Build Operate and Transfer, BOT, basis. The Federal Government takes Ndigbo for granted having enjoyed the highest massive support from the south-east geopolitical zone when compared to others will treat us the way they did. PDP did not stop at that, tow fees will be collected from us for 25 years on that bridge. An APC government will out rightly award the construction.”

He also cited the litany of abandoned projects of the Federal Government in the Southeast citing the EnuguOnitsha expressway, the international terminal of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport among others.

Vested interest preventing devt in Lagos — Agbaje

BY DAPO AKINREFON

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OVERNORSHIP candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje yesterday expressed worry that some vested interests were preventing developmental growth in Lagos just as he vowed to put an end to the era of these vested individuals.

Agbaje, who made the allegation while unveiling his manifesto titled: Bold ideas, new opportunities, to media executives in Lagos, declared that the state was in bondage as a result of these vested groups.

The PDP governorship candidate attributed the dwindling state of development in Lagos, which has affected the social, political and economic life of the people, as a result of some interested individuals.

His words: “You will find that there are very good policies on paper but the implementation is affected because of vested interest. Nearly everything that Lagos State does has to be in the interest of what I call invested

interest.” if you look at the light rail, again, what you should have in the light rail system is that maybe government is doing the lines and they are giving the private sector to run the service.

But if vested interests want to corner the service and they do not have the resources, then it is going to be delayed and that is why you have the delay.”

Lamenting that the

You will find that there are very good policies on paper but the implementation is affected because of vested interest

transportation and housing sectors of the state have been badly affected by the vested interest, Agbaje promised to put an end to such era.

He said: “the BRT is not working again because you have vested interest factors involved, that is why it is not working.

Housing is also by vested interested, it pays to do commercial housing than to do housing for the people. If you look at education and you look at the structure of education, you will see that there are areas where the budget has gone into and where the money has gone into and they are all vested interests.

And so you have vested interest that is affecting the political, the social and the economic life of our state. There is hardly anybody that can tell me that he or she has a structure on Ozumba Mbadiwe that was not without vested interest. You cannot have a project in Lagos unless you take into consideration the vested interest. Now, that is affecting our state and we are saying it is time to move Lagos from this

•Agbaje: Lagos is hampered by vested interests bondage because it is like Lagos is in bondage and that is very key in Lagos. The social, the political and the economic life of Lagos is hampered by vested.”

Speaking on his plans to turn around the of the state, which will impact the lives of Lagosians, he said “we are saying we are reinventing the wheel, we talk about bold ideas. We are saying that we are going to do things differently and what we are going to do, are things that have been done elsewhere.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015—59

Enugu's 2015 Appropriation Bill passes 2nd reading

Ihenacho rues standard of education in Imo

By Chidi Nkwopara

O

By Austin Ogwuda

E

NUGU—THE 2015 Appropriation Bill presented by the Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime last month has passed through the Second Reading on the floor of the State House of Assembly, even as members pledged their readiness to pass it.

The Leader of the State Assembly, Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye, at the second reading of the Bill, said the bill was for the funding of the services of the state government and encouraged his colleagues to give it a speedy passage.

Chairman of House Committee on Information, Chief John Ukuta, told Vanguard that “we are working round the clock to see that the Bill is passed very soon. It is important and we are giving it the necessary attention it deserves for the overall benefit of the people of our dear Enugu State”.

Governor Chime in presenting the Bill said, “”today’s event is especially significant because as we approach the glorious twilight of our administration, this is the full budget that we will fully implement. Today, our destination is in sight, and as we take a long view at our 2015 transition, I am proud to say that we have done our best to uphold the terms of the social contract with our people.

PRESENTATION: From left; General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, Joseph Umunakwe; Radio Personality, Anita Isedeh (Omalicha); a winner in Microsoft #MakeItHappen Christmas Promo, Praise Joseph and Senior Marketing Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, Olumide Balogun, at the official presentation of their car prize in Lagos.

Okorocha to set up three more plantations ...Imo Polytechnic for upgrade to varsity

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WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has announced plans to establish three more plantations as part of industrialization policy and upgrade the Imo Polytechnic into university.

The governor said these are parts of efforts at creating the enabling ground for industrial revolution in the state that will gainfully employ youths and eradicate poverty among the people.

Okorocha spoke this during his campaign rally at Ohaji Egbema, noted that in the past three and half years, his government

APC youths disrupt activities in Kaduna, harrass PDP supporters

By Luka Binniyat

K

ADUNA–HUNDREDS of thousands of unruly youths from strongholds of the All Peoples Congress, APC, in Kaduna State yesterday shut down most major streets in the northern parts of Kaduna metropolis, in a frenzy of support for the APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, as they awaited his visit The youths who thronged out as early as 8am from, Tudun Wada, Kawo, Ungwan Rimi, Malali, and other adjoining Kaduna towns believed to be APC strongholds, wielded weapons, and forced motorist and passersby to chant, (sai Buhari, sai El Rufai ) meaning “Buhari and El Rufai only.”

Shops were hurriedly closed as parents rushed to schools to bring back their children.

There was serious traffic gridlock in the town as people complained of being trapped for hours under steady harassments from the lawless supporters of the retired general The haggard looking youths also molested anyone with a sticker of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and known fans of the party who were spotted driving along any of the besieged streets.

They youths who defied the cold weather and the ban on Okada (commercial motorcycles), conveying more than two persons by the state government for security reasons, labeled the PDP and Kaduna State governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero all sorts of unprintable names.

succeeded in regularizing many sensitive areas like education, infrastructure and security.

According to him, “in the next four years, I will ensure the massive development and stabilization of the State, provide factories, industries, and job opportunities until there are no more idle minds. I have crossed the bridge of poverty and by God’s grace every Imolite shall cross the bridge of poverty.”

The governor revealed that major roads in the local governments would be dualized to link other parts of the state making Imo a one-city state and urged the people to shun ethnicity and encourage partnership to attract the establishment of developmental projects in the councils.

The governor who presented candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate to the people said the party had credible candidates who would bring development to every part of the State and urged them to vote for APC. Earlier, the Chairman of Traditional Rulers in the council, Eze Sylvester Okpuodu, while receiving the governor and his campaign team at his palace, said the people had resolved to vote massively for the re-election of Okorocha for extending the dividends of democracy to the council.

The royal father named some of the dividends to include erecting primary school storey buildings in every ward, new ultra-modern General Hospital, N500 million ISOPADEC youth empowerment

fund, free education, tackling youth restiveness as well as restoring electricity supply to the area. “We have resolved to stand behind you with all we have and give you full support and all votes. Rochas we know,” he added.

WERRI—THE governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Imo State, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, has decried the low standard of education in the state, despite the touted free education programme of the Governor Rochas Okorocha administration.

Ihenacho claimed that “under Governor Rochas Okorocha’s free education programme, the state now ranks 34th in Nigeria, in the result of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC”.

Ihenacho, who spoke when he addressed APGA loyalists in Owerri, also alleged that the free education was of very low quality that could hardly lead to gainful employment on graduation.

He accused Okorocha of personifying governance in the state, stressing that “It was now clear that the Governor came to rescue his siblings, family members, in-laws and close associates from poverty and not Imo people. ''The present Imo State governor lacks the training and capacity to industrialize the state. That is why the governor is busy building round-about, gates, inferior roads and infrastructures etc.

Those things he is busy building do not require much intellectual work”, Ihenacho said.

Ndukwe wants PDP axed for presenting double lists of candidates

By Enyim Enyim

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NITSHA—ALL Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA senatorial candidate for the February 28 general election in Anambra State has condemned the multiple candidates in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, resulting from the internal crisis in the party.

At a briefing yesterday, Ndukwe, who is seeking to represent Anambra South senatorial zone in the National Assembly, said the development was against the tenets of democracy and must be condemned by all wellmeaning Nigerians.

Ndukwe, a former chairman of the Nigeria Communication Commission, NCC appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC not to accept double lists of candidates from any political party to ensure a free and fair election come next month.

“The issue of multiple candidates in the PDP in Anambra State had occurred in

previous elections and I believe that INEC would not allow it this time because what it means is that a candidate in APGA for instance, would be contesting with two candidates in the PDP for one elective position. ''I equally believe that INEC under Prof. Atahiru Jega would do everything within its reach to conduct a free, fair and acceptable election. Therefore, I am asking INEC to make use of only one list of candidates already submitted by political parties participating in the election.”

He said he was in the race to contribute to a good legislation that would ensure the development of the country, saying “I am development oriented and I believe some of us with our wealth of experience should get involved in the governance of our great nation.”

He promised that if elected he would focus on youth development to enable them compete effectively with their counterparts within and outside the country.

60 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 61

Make Eagles competitive, Danagogo charges NFF, coaches S

PORTS Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has urged the Nigeria Football Federation and coaches of the Super Eagles to make the senior national team competitive and ensure that only the best players represent the country at all times.

The minister made this plea on the heels of the recent two-legged friendly matches put together for the home-

•Danagogo

based team against Cote d’ Ivoire and Yemen where the team lost 0-1 to star-studded Cote d’Ivoire in Abu Dhabi and beat Yemen 2-0 in Dubai.

A statement from the minister’s SA on Media, Patrick Omorodion said that Dr. Danagogo argued that with regular friendly matches for the Team B Eagles, the coaches would be able to beef up the first team for crucial matches with new players discovered as the Eagles prepare for the 2017 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers scheduled to begin after the on-going 2015 edition.

“If the Team B gets regular friendly matches, the coaches will have a pool of players to select from to beef up the main team. They have to make the team competitive so that only the best will represent the country at all times,” he said, as he commended the NFF for arranging the recent friendly matches,

He urged Nigerians to continue to support the Super Eagles despite

their failure to qualify for the on-going Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea,

Mikel Continues from BP the final day of the qualifying tournament when they forced South Africa to a 2-2 draw at home in a match they needed to win and closest rivals Congo won in Sudan to qualify ahead of them.

“We as players know we could have done more, and especially in the match against South Africa which we needed to win at home. But that is history now. We have learnt from it. We hope the authorities will also learn from it and we can get better,” said the Chelsea star.

“Of course it is painful.

We all wanted to be at the biggest stage in Africa, especially as we are the holders. But we all know many factors contributed to our

inability to qualify, and the less said about it the better.”

Nigeria’s huge disappointment has meant Mikel will now have to concentrate on his English Premier League club Chelsea.

“For now, my focus is back on my team, with an aim to win everything that comes,” he said.

“People are talking about the quadruple.

Just like they put it in our minds that we might be able to go the whole season unbeaten. We didn’t want to be beaten.

“And yes, we are in the hunt for four trophies; and we know it won’t be easy. But we are working hard, and we know we are a successful side, so let’s see what we come up with in May.”

adding that he was sure the NFF and the players have learnt from the

mistakes of the past to make progress in the coming months.

Senegal Continues from BP Senegal came close to netting an instant equaliser when Papy Mison Djilobodji headed over from a corner, while Cheikhou Kouyate was thwarted by Brimah Razak moments later.

A good opportunity for the Senegalese to level things up arrived on 29 minutes through Kara Mbodji, though his effort from Stephane Badji’s free kick rattled the crossbar before Mame Biram Diouf’s spectacular volley was pushed away

by Razak.

The Ghanaians carved out a final opportunity four minutes before the break when Atsu’s powerful drive was blocked by Coundoul.

Both teams enjoyed strong starts to the second half, but it was Senegal who made a breakthrough

on 58 minutes as Biram Diouf nodded in at the second time of asking after his initial header was kept out by Razak.

The two sides showed no fear in trying to push for a winner during the final half an hour, with Dame N’Doye curling narrowly wide for Senegal before Ayew fired off target with a free kick.

Moussa Sow ’s introduction off the bench boosted Senegal during the final stages as the striker shot the wrong side of the post after heading wide.

With time running out, Sow scored the winner with virtually the last kick of the game when he blasted the ball home from Biram Diouf ’s cutback to hand the Senegalese the three points.

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62 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 — 63

Keshi should go for a refresher course – Ladipo

BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

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RESIDENT general of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Dr. Raufu Ladipo has advised out of contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi to enroll for a refresher course with a top European club.

Ladipo told Sports Vanguard in Abuja that after spending about three months in a top European club Keshi would become a better coach. The supporters club boss added that no matter how good the former Hawks of Togo handler is now, a trip abroad would enhance his knowledge of the game.

He also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take a definite decision on the employment of Keshi, adding that the federation should place the terms of the contract on the table before the coach.

“Let those terms, as the

NFF would want, be made open to Keshi for his consideration after which the two parties put pen to paper. The terms of contract should create conditions that will bring about a good Super Eagles.

“But like I said, Stephen Keshi needs to get attached to one or two other teams in Europe for about two to three months because such attachment will help him.

•Keshi

NSC Director, others go back to classroom

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HE Director of S p o r t s Development, National Sports Commission, Hawa -Kulu Akinyemi, will lead other Directors of Sports from across the Country to the Advanced Sports Management Course holding beginning today through January 22, 2015 at the Board room of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, National Stadium Surulere Lagos.

The programme was at the instance of International Olympic Committee in-conjunction

NFF: Pinnick did not attend CAS hearing T

•Pinnick

HE Nigeria F o o t b a l l Federation has denied a report in a section of the media that its President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick was in Laussane, Switzerland last week to testify in a case before the respected Court of Arbitration for Sports by some football stakeholders led by Ambassador Chris Giwa.

“Our attention has been drawn to a report that the NFF President, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, and Ambassador Chris Giwa testified before the Court of Arbitration for

Sports in a case brought

by Ambassador Giwa and few others.

“Ordinarily, there would have been no need to react to this report, but we feel it is important to put the facts straight. The President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, has been on CAF duty in Equatorial Guinea, and that was made known to the public. He was nowehere near Lausanne where the hearing took place.

“It is also important to let the public know that

the said case was instituted by Ambassador Giwa and Mr. Yahaya Adams, claiming to represent NFF, against the world governing body, FIFA. The NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu was in Lausanne to give evidence on behalf of FIFA, to prove clearly that there was no election on 26th August, 2014 as claimed by the plaintiffs,” a statement signed by Barrister Musa Amadu said.

with the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC. Other participants include, Lizzy Onyenwenwa, Amina Amanchi, Dr. Samuel Iheanacho, Dr. Salami Isiaka Abiodun, Dr. Charles Bassey O’Neil, Richard Edward –Dappa, Dr. Orunaboka Tamunobelema, Okere Emmanuel, Umudu Joseph, Joseph Essien Ukpong, Barth Ezebube and Oyebode Oluseyi.

Professor Clement Fassan of the Lagos state University and Jonathan Dyagas (JP) From ANOCA office Abuja are the resource persons according to the co – ordinator of the programme, Deborah Chidobi of the NOC, said the Course will commence at 8 am each day.

Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Hon. Babatunde Popoola said the programme is inline with the present administration’s policy to provide opportunities for Nigeria Sports administrators to enrich their knowledge.

Llorente warns Juve Cruyff blasts FIFA for choosing Ronaldo over title J F 2014 Ballon d’Or.:

OHAN Cruyff has lambasted FIFA for their ‘ ridiculous’ decision to award Cristiano Ronaldo the 2014 Ballon d’Or. The Real Madrid forward was officially pronounced the world’s best player for a second year running last week, but the Barcelona legend suggested the criteria in electing a winner was systematically flawed.

“At the highest level of football, you must combine individual talent and titles,” he told De Telegraaf.

“From this point of view, it’s ridiculous that for the second consecutive year, FIFA has given the award to a player who did not play exceptionally well but won most of the titles.

“Two years ago, Bayern won everything

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they could, yet the award went to Cristiano Ronaldo instead of Toni Kroos or any other Bayern payer.

“In 2014, Kroos was again instrumental in the team who won the World Cup, yet he weren’t even among the three finalists.

“Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was a spectator at the World Cup… Obviously I can’t take this trophy seriously, FIFA.”

•Blatter

Iniesta eyes ‘another step forward’

A

NDRES Iniesta admits he is not fully satisfied with Barcelona’s position in La Liga as he eyes ‘another little step forward’.

“It was important to keep winning and secure another three points, and we’ve done

it, “We must continue improving, because we’re coming up to an

important stage of the season.In the end, I think we all feel useful and important. ""

ERNANDO Llorente warns that Juventus cannot afford to get complacent after extending their lead at the top of Serie A. The Bianconeri eased past Verona on Sunday, which allowed the champions to go five points clear of nearest rivals Roma who drew at Palermo on Saturday night.

“It was very important for us,” Llorente told Sky “Now we’re five points ahead, but there’s a long way to go in the League, because Roma have shown they’re a great team.

“However, we have to

Totti leads Roma against Empoli

R

OMA have announced the squad which will take on

Empoli in the Coppa Italia tonight.

Vasilis Torosidis is not

included in the squad as he struggles with injury, while Dutch

•llorente concentrate on ourselves and keep going. We have to be at our best, because every game is difficult, and if you let your guard down for even a moment it can be dangerous."" midfielder Kevin Strootman is suspended for the match. Totti will lead the team from the capital.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

We don’t deserve to be at Afcon 2015 – Mikel Senegal S

UPER Eagles midfielder Mikel Obi has blamed the Super Eagles for not doing enough to qualify

for the on-going AFCON in Equatorial Guinea.

Defending champions Nigeria crashed out on Continues on Page 61

•Mikel

shock Ghana

S

ENEGAL came from behind to earn a late 2-1 victory over Ghana in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.

It took just 12 minutes for the game to come alive as Andre Ayew gave Ghana the lead from the penalty spot following Bouna Coundoul’s foul on Christian Atsu.

Continues on Page 61

TUSSLE••• Ghana defender Daniel Amartey (L) blocks a Senegalese opponent during the 2015 African Cup of Nations group C match between Ghana and Senegal in Mongomo yesterday. Senegal beat Ghana 2-1. PHOTO: AFP

Today's matches

Result Ghana

1

Senegal

2

Ivory Coast v Guinea 5pm Mali v Cameroon 8pm

QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Smell (5) 7 Pass (4) 8 Snub (6) 9 Attire (5) 11 Dog (3) 13 Spoil (3) 15 Stagger (4) 16 Circuit (3) 18 Destiny (4) 19 Liberate (7) 20 Declare (4) 22 Gaelic (4) 23 Harmed (7) 25 Frank (4) 27 Guided (3) 28 Present (4) 30 Free (3) 31 Performed (3) 33 Destroy (5) 36 Comfort (6) 37 Thought (4) 38 Giant (5)

DOWN 1 Obscure (5) 2 Append (3) 3 Poem (3) 4 Donkey (3) 5 Gain (3) 6 Dupe (5) 10 Stop up (4) 11 Maker (7) 12 Ebbed (7) 13 Wed (7) 14 Renovated (7) 16 Lawful (5) 17 Heaped (5) 18 Charge (3) 21 Managed (3) 24 Equipment (4) 26 Fulcrum (5) 29 Ascended (5) 32 Cushion (3) 33 Damp (3) 34 Newt (3) 35 Family (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 1, Scrub 5, System 8, Noble 10, Bridal 11, Avid 14, Talent 15, Garnish 18, Tea 19, Tar 21, Dray 23, Petal 24, Held 27, Red 29, Eel 31, Disease 32, Master 34, Sage 35, Amazed 38, Allot 39, Roller 40, Berth.

DOWN: 2, Car 3, Undone 4, Boa 5, Seat 6, Soiled 7, Mostly 9, Bluster 12, Vat 13, Dear 16, Ague 17, Hated 20, Radical 22, Alas 24, Hamper 25, Less 26, Detail 28, Debate 30, Leg 33, Rear 36, Mob 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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