ATTACK ON EMIR OF KANO: IBB, Tinubu, Mark,others warn

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61800

Eagles under pressure,•P.55 Yobo admits

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

16 policemen burnt to death in Kwara •P.6 auto crash

ATTACK ON EMIR OF KANO:

IBB, Tinubu, Mark, others warn

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, JIMITOTA ONOYUME, HENRY UMORU & VICTORIA OJEME

•IBB urges Jonathan to dialogue with insurgent groups •Rise to the challenge, Mark, Tinubu tells security agencies

•UK to assist Nigeria on terrorism — Pocock •We killed 2 Mali-bound Nigerian soldiers — Ansaru

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AGOS—REAC TIONS have continued to trail Saturday’s attack on the convoy of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, by gunmen, which left two of his aides dead, with former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, describing the attack as a wake-up call.

He also called on

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COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE •P.34

LES LEBA •P.40

OCHEREOME NNANNA •P. A1

Mr & Mrs

OBAMA'S SECOND TERM—US President Barack Obama (L) takes the oath of office from US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) as First Lady, Michelle Obama, holds the Bible and daughters ,Malia (3rdL) and Sasha look on in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, yesterday. Photo: AFP.

N20m contract: Reps to invite Anenih C M Y K

•P.13

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 3

C M Y K

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C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

COMMISSIONING—The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (middle) being assisted by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu (2nd left) while commissioning the NPDC Early Phase Integrated Gas Handling Facility at Oredo Field, Edo State, yesterday. On her right is the GED, E&P, Engr. Abiye Membere, and the MD of PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh with others.

Attack on Kano Emir: IBB, Tinubu, Mark, others warn Continues from page 1 President Goodluck Jonathan to caution his political appointees on their intemperate language, which he claimed had done more harm than good.

Meantime, Senate President David Mark described the attack on the Emir as a violent assault on the nation’s traditional institution just

as the United Kingdom promised to help Nigeria tackle terrorism.

Also, a radical Islamic group, Ansaru, yesterday claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack in Okene, Kogi State that killed two soldiers who were due to be deployed to Mali, and injured five others.

Senate President Mark, who condemned the act,

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

Whenever the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future — Touché

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

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ET go of your need to win: Ego loves to divide us up into winners and losers. The pursuit of winning is a sure-fire means to avoid conscious contact with intention. Why? Because ultimately, winning is impossible all of the time. Someone out there will be faster, luckier, younger, stronger, and smarter— and back you’ll go to feeling insignificant.

— Wayne Dyer You’re not your winnings or your victories. You may enjoy competing, and have fun in a world where winning is everything, but you don’t have to be there in your thoughts.

There are no losers in a world where we all share the same energy source. All you can say on a given day is that you performed at a certain level in comparison to the levels of others on that day. Let go of needing to win by not agreeing that the opposite of winning is losing.That’s ego’s fear.

If your body isn’t performing in a winning fashion on this day, it simply doesn’t matter when you aren’t identifying exclusively with your ego. Be the observer, noticing and enjoying it all without needing to win a trophy. Be at peace, and match up with the energy of intention. And ironically, although you’ll hardly notice it, more of those victories will show up in your life as you pursue them less.

reiterated his call on the security agencies to rise up to the challenge by ensuring that the perpetrators were brought to book.

Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF on its part, expressed shock over the attack, noting that “violence can never address perceived grievances, however strong we feel about them”.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, described the attack as a sacrilegious assault on the respected traditional institution.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement, while condemning the act, commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack as well as others killed in series of such attacks in the country.

Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, on his part, commiserated with the government and people of Kano State on the incident and prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the attack and their families to bear the irreparable loss.

Member of Board of Trustees of All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Solomon Edebiri, also spoke in like manner and urged government at all levels in the country to treat the issue

of security very seriously.

Presidential aides must shun language of force – IBB General Babangida, who spoke to Vanguard said: “I advise the Federal Government to exploit the option of dialogue with members of the insurgent groups in order to arrest this prevailing drift in our national security. The use of force has proven to be inadequate and ineffective to checkmate this ugly trend.

“Government must also encourage positive discourse among its political appointees delivered with respect and rendered in temperate language to soothe the mood of the nation. Language of force will not help us in our determination to address this insecurity problem. We must engage ourselves constructively and in a manner that puts the interest of the country far and above other partisan consideration.

“The attack on the Emir of Kano, which reportedly left four people dead is a wake-up call for all of us. What does anyone stand to gain by attempting to kill an

Emir that is nearing 80 years? The Emir of Kano stands out as one traditional ruler who does not seek favours from those in government and outside it, and who over the years, has been able to live an exemplary life to the admiration of all.

His record of achievements, the stability and candour he has brought to bear on the throne, are virtues that will live for posterity.”

Let’s employ legitimate means of seeking redress – Mark, PDP Mark, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said he was saddened by renewed violence in Kano and some other states, lamenting the incessant incidents of gun attacks as well as the activities of insurgent groups, who always target innocent individuals in our society.

He called on Nigerians, who have information about the hideout of the activists to make such available to the security agencies.

PDP on its part, noted that the party was deeply saddened by the wave of attacks and urged those behind the dastardly acts to have a rethink, stressing that there was no justification for bloodletting.

“Nigerians must learn to live harmoniously with one another. Those who have grievances of any kind should seek legitimate means of getting redress instead of resorting to violence.”

The party urged the security agencies to rise to the occasion and ensure that those behind the attack on the Emir and other Nigerians were brought to book.

Violence won’t address grievances – ACF, Gov Shema ACF in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Anthony San, said: "The news of attacks on the convoy of Emir of Kano, which resulted in the loss of two of his aides came to ACF as a rude shock, because the Emir, as a custodian of traditional values and culture that inspire peaceful coexistence, harmony and stability, should not reasonably be the target for attacks by any right thinking person or group. The attacks were, condemnable because they were uncalled for.

"Consequently, we condemn the attacks with all sense of seriousness and concern because violence can never address perceived grievances, however strong we feel about them. May God repose the souls of those who died in the attacks and provide those they left behind the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses."

Governor Shema in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Mr Lawal Matazu, appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace and dialogue as the best tool for solving grievances.

Let’s strengthen our security institutions – Edebiri Chief Edebiri, who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said it was sad that anyone could think of attacking the

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6—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG, JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & GODWIN ORITSE

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AGOS — THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Eastern Zone, has said that it was not possible to sell Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol, at the government approved N97 per litre in the South-East.

The association said this was because it buys the product at N105 from private tank owners.

The zonal acting chairman, Mr. Chukwudi Ezinwa, stated this, weekend, in Calabar, Cross River State. Speaking on the state of the petroleum sector, Ezinwa lamented that only three of the 21 depots in Nigeria were functioning but at below 50 per cent capacity.

He said: “We cannot sell N97 per litre while we are buying at N105 from private tank owners, pay transport and other loading expenses. It cannot work.”

However, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, through its Acting General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Aberare, has expressed shock at the statement.

Abarere who spoke to Vanguard, said it was a challenge on the Federal Government to rise up to its responsibilities to the citizens and ensure that PMS remained at the official price of N97.00 nationwide.

Illegal activities of private tank owners IPMAN also called on the government to check the illegal activities of private tank owners, who he said were fleecing its members, saying plans were underway for it to meet with relevant government institutions including the National Assembly to demand for proper action against the alleged illegal activities.

He dismissed rumours that his members were hoarding products, declaring that “IPMAN does not own refineries or depots, so we cannot hoard products to suffer Nigerians .You cannot give what you do not have.”

Ezinwa said that part of the problems of fuel scarcity was that the country currently has 21 oil depots across the country but only three were working, although, at below 50 per cent capacity.

He advocated for the involvement of state governments in the security of oil pipelines that pass through their domains, saying the take-over of monitoring and securing of oil pipelines in their domains was the best way of curbing crude oil vandalism and oil theft in the country.

He added that “IPMAN is ready to partner with them in this regard and this will go a long way to reducing vandalism of pipelines and oil theft by unscrupulous elements in the country.”

IPMAN not against removal of oil subsidy

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (left) and Vice President Namadi Sambo during the Vice President's visit to Abeokuta, yesterday.

We can’t sell petrol at N97 per litre — IPMAN zSays it buys from private tank farms at N105 zN97 is official pump price, DPR insists Ezinwa also said that IPMAN was not against removal of oil subsidy by the Federal Government, but that government should put in place measures that would make it work.

He said: “What we are saying is that, before you remove subsidy, you must put in place necessary measures to make it work. And one of the conditions was that all the refineries and government depots must work at full capacity.”

He said that removal of oil subsidy without government refineries or government depots working was capable of creating social insecurity and confusion in Nigeria.

NUPENG expresses shock According to Acting General Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. Aberare, if IMPAN was saying members could no longer sell at official price at N97.00 in the South-East, it meant that they were getting the product higher than N97. He declared however that if the subsidy regime could not address their concern, then, something was wrong with subsidy regime.

Aberare said: “If they are saying they can no longer sell at the official price of N97, it means they are sourcing the product at a very high rate. In that case, we call on government to live up to its responsibilities to the Nigerian

citizens and make the product available to Nigerians nationwide at the official price.

“Another issue is what happens to the subsidy regime? Does it not cover those in the South-East? We know the government has issues with subsidy regime especially payment of subsidy claims to marketers. This should not be an excuse to inflict pains on a section of the country because they are only talking about South-East.

“Whatever the reasons that are making IPMAN members to come out and say they can no longer sell at N97 should be addressed by the appropriate agencies as soon as possible. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, that has continued to boast that there will not be scarcity of product, should ensure that the people of the South-East do not suffer unnecessarily.”

N97 is official pump price, DPR insists

Meanwhile, a source from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, insisted that N97 was the official pump price for PMS, adding that it was an offence for anybody to sell above the official rate.

The source said: “The issue is a supply issue and we are trying to see why most of the depots are not selling at the government controlled price.”

Vanguard also gathered that the DPR has scheduled a meeting tomorrow with IPMAN and depot owners to discuss the matter after which the agency would come out with an official position.

16 policemen burnt to death in auto crash

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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LORIN — SIXTEEN policemen, who had just passed out of Police College were yesterday burnt to death at Omua-Aran area of Kwara State following an auto crash involving a Mercedes Benz car and Hummer bus.

Eye witnesses told Vanguard that the accident occurred at about 9:00 a.m in front of the Federal Government Girls College, Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

The Toyota Hummer bus which the policemen chattered was travelling from Ilorin to Nasarawa State, while the Mercedes Benz car with number plate Kaduna AB 347 BKA was coming from the opposite direction and rammed into the "police vehicle."

It was said the impact caused the fire to

erupt. Rescuers were said to have arrived too late as the two vehicles were said to have been burnt into ashes before their arrival.

However, there were three survivors who were rushed to Omu-Aran General Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

Vanguard checks also revealed that the policemen were indigenes of Kwara who were trained in Lagos.They reportedly made a detour to Ilorin enroute Nasarawa State where they were allegedly posted to before they met their untimely death.

Confirming the accident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Fabode Femi, who said the police were aware of the accident, however, added that he was yet to confirm the number of casualty.

He assured that he would brief the press as soon as he was able to get the accurate figure of the victims.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—7

Civil war comment: Match your words with action, Okogie tells Obasanjo

BY SAM EYOBOKA

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From left: Ms. Arunma Oteh, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC; Mr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator; Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Dr. Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group during a meeting hosted by The Tony Elumelu Foundation to discuss US-Nigeria public-private partnership as a new way of improving economic development.

Army to court-martial 11 officers over murder, others zAs NHRC begins probe of soldiers over alleged rape

BY TONY EDIKE & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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NUGU — THE 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, is set to try its officers found to be involved in criminal acts and other offences classified as indiscipline.

This came as the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, weekend, said it would not rest on its oars until all the soldiers who allegedly abducted and raped some women in the Federal Capital Territory under the guise that they were prostitutes, were fished out and punished accordingly.

The 82 Division of the Army said it had concluded plans to swear in members of General Court Martial that would try the accused officers today.

Serious disciplinary/criminal cases that occurred within the division’s area of responsibility will be tried, according to a statement by the Assistant Director Public Relations of the division, Col. Hamzah Gambo.

The cases to be tried include murder and scandalous/ disgraceful conducts.

The statement hinted that there were 11 accused personnel to be tried by the general court martial.

The court martial, according to the statement, is expected to round off its sitting within 90 days.

NHRC begins probe of soldiers over alleged rape Meanwhile,NHRC has said that it had commenced investigation into several reported cases of alleged human rights abuses involving officials of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB. Addressing journalists at the

national headquarters of the commission in Abuja, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Ben Angwe, noted that though Section 35 of the AEPB Act of 1997, forbids street begging, hawking and prostitution within the FCT, neither soldiers nor any other security agency had the statutory powers to infringe on the fundamental human rights of any Nigerian under the pretence of enforcing an extant law.

According to Angwe, the commission received complaints that aside harassing innocent women on allegation that they seemed like prostitutes, officials of the AEPB usually arrest and confiscate items from hawkers for their personal use, adding that such hawkers were usually forced to bail themselves with huge sums of money.

He stressed that the commission had received several complaints from victims of such alleged misconduct by officials of the board and had since commenced investigation into the allegations.

He said: "The commission which gathered that the matter is already before the Federal Secretariat, Abuja Police Station, however, condemns in its entirety all forms of rights violations and is ready to ensure that the rights of the victims are enforced.”

Angwe who spoke alongside the chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ACHPR, Mrs Dupe Atoki, who is also a member of the NHRC board, said the body had accordingly sent letters to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Commissioner of Police, FCT command, Mr Adenrele Shinaba to promptly investigate the rape allegation and update the

commission on any action taken on the subject matter to enable it take further necessary action in line with its mandate.

AGOS — THE Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent warning against comments that could plunge the nation into another civil war, asking him, however, to match his words with action.

Obasanjo had at a recent reception in his honour by the South-West zone of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, urged Nigerians to put behind them the harrowing experience of the Nigerian civil war and work for the unity and progress of the country.

But in a swift reaction, Okogie, while noting that the comment of the former president was in order, stressed that for such a call to be meaningful, there was also the need for the country’s leaders, including the different ethnic nationalities to bury their

hatchets, forgive one another and work together for the peaceful co-existence of the country.

He said: “I want to congratulate former President Olusegun Obasanjo for telling Nigerians to forget about the ills of the Nigerian civil war.

It is a patriotic comment; but it should go beyond that.

How I wish that the former President and all our leaders can put the words into action. ”I wish that all those who bear grudges against one another can come forward and bury their hatches. The forgiveness he talks about should go beyond the civil war. Let him and all Nigerians continue to search their conscience and ask if we genuinely want peace to reign in our nation.”

Okogie further said the only way for lasting peace was for “us to forgive the wrongs meted on us by others,” and challenged Obasanjo to lead the way through his actions, just as he prayed God to grant the country sustainable peace and harmony.

Jonathan off to Switzerland, Ethiopia on investment drive

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA — PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will embark on a working visit to Switzerland and Ethiopia today with engagements in Geneva and Davos which are intended to draw the attention of members of the international business finance community to Nigeria’s immense investment potentials.

A statement signed by Dr Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, yesterday, said President Jonathan was leading a drive to attract greater foreign expertise and capital, to boost the Federal Government’s efforts to rapidly modernize and positively transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The statement said the president would meet with an Eminent Persons Group on Nigeria’s Transformation Agenda in Geneva, tomorrow.

Abati listed members of the group to include Mr. Bill Gates; former SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, Dr. Kofi Annan; President of the

International Fund for Agricultural Development, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze; President of the Africa Development Bank, Mr. Donald Kaberuka and Chairman of the Del Monte Produce Group, Mr. Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh.

He said the President would at a special session of the annual meeting of the world’s leading businessmen and industrialists at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday also promote new incentives for investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector targeted at attracting greater international support for the establishment of a more successful and profitable agro-allied industry in the country.

According to him, the session will also focus on ongoing policy and institutional reforms in the sector, the establishment of staple crop processing zones and medium to long term financing options for agriculture in Nigeria.

President Jonathan who will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adewunmi

Adesina; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke; Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. He is also scheduled to host a private session with representatives of leading multinational companies under the auspices of the Business Interactive Group on Nigeria.

Abati noted: ”The President will also seize the opportunity of his participation in special sessions of the World Economic Forum entitled “De-Risking Africa” and “Africa’s Promise” to draw fresh global attention to the great opportunities which ongoing reforms and deregulation, privatisation and commercialisation of former public sector monopolies have opened up for willing investors in key sectors of the Nigerian economy such as oil and gas, power supply, communications, transportation and agriculture.”

8—Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Police foil bank robbery in Lagos

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS—THERE was a shoot-out, yesterday, between a team of policemen and a 12-man robbery gang who attempted to break into the Elemoro branch of one of the first generation banks, along Epe road, Lagos.

However, the robbers, reportedly fled the scene abandoning their operational vehicle and house breaking implements.

The bandits as gathered, stormed the bank at about 2am and scaled into the compound through the fence. They were said to have been at the verge of breaking the Automated Teller Machine, ATM when policemen from Elemoro, led by the Area J Commander, Mr Felix Vwamhi, who received a distress call, swopped on them,thereby leading to a gun duel.

The robbers according to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, “ bowed to the superior fire of the policemen.

Some of them escaped with bullet wounds.

PHCN commences work on burnt transmission station

BY KUNLE KALEJAYE

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A G O S — POWER Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, engineers and technicians are working round the clock to finish repair works on company’s control room in the 132KHV Amuwo transmission station in Lagos that was last Wednesday gutted by fire.

Areas affected by the inferno included the panel Tone and panel T-two.

Although panel T-one which supplies electricity to FESTAC and some parts of Amuwo Odofin area was severely damaged by the inferno. Vanguard, however, gathered that work was in progress to restore power supply to the affected areas.

Similarly, work had also begun on panel T-two that supplies electricity to Kirikiri town and its environs. There were strong indications that power supply could be restored to affected areas soon.

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI

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AGOS—FORMER Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, has been appointed chairman of a 19-member committee to negotiate the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, planned merger with Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement, yesterday, said the committee, had as members former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Governors Babatunde Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola, Sen. John Akpan

Ikimi heads 19-man c’ttee on ACN, CPC, ANPP merger doedehe, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Senator George Akume and Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Other members are Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Senator Chris Ngige, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Hadjia Rabiat Eshak, Dr. Ibrahim Lame, Alhaji Yusuf Ali and Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

According to ACN, the appointment of the committee was an indication of its total commitment to making the merger a reality, noting that there

was no going back in the party’s determination to work with the CPC and the ANPP to rescue and salvage Nigeria.

ACN congratulated the leadership of the CPC and the ANPP which had already named their merger committees, for their patriotism, and appealed to all Nigerians to support the planned merger.

According to the statement ‘This is not about the ACN, CPC or ANPP but about our country Nigeria, which is tottering on the edge of disaster due mainly to the

lack of leadership and failure of governance by the r uling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP since 1999. The merger of the three parties is like a ‘Noah’s Ark’ which all Nigerians who are tired of the endless drift of our country must enter into. This is not about winning power at the centre at all costs, as the naysayers will want Nigerians to believe. It is about putting the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians above every-

Auto crashes: FRSC promises to increase patrol on LagosIbadan Expressway

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

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briefing: Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (middle); Chief Medical Director, Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Dr Lawal Oyeneyin (left) and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, during a briefing on the success of the Abiye (Safe Motherhood) Programme of the Ondo State Government under Mimiko in Washington DC, USA, yesterday.

Oko Baba fire disaster: 98 children in Relief Camp —LASEMA

BY OLASUNKANMI

AKONI

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AGOS—LAGOS State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, weekend, said no fewer than 98 children of Oko Baba fire victims were currently in the Agbowa Relief Camp, where they are temporarily being accommodated.

It would be recalled that fire gutted the Oko Baba Plank Market in Ebutte-Metta, Mainland Local Government Area, early this year and destroyed property worth millions of naira, rendering occupants homeless.

General Manager of LASEMA, Dr Femi OkeOsanyintolu, during his visit to the camp to assess state of the internally displaced victims who had been relocated to the camp, said all 98 children of the victims were discovered to be nutritional disadvantaged, according to the agency’s findings.

He said: “As I mentioned earlier, all these are just to provide psychological, emotional and socio-economic relief for them as a result of the hardship they must have been going through due to the fire disaster. “We have provided shelter and all facilities for them. The feeding is three times in a day and we ensure that special attention is given to the children.

We have also provided in the camp, sporting and recreational facilities for the Internally Displaced People, IDPs, in the camp.

“Beyond this, we slaughter one cow per week in addition to chicken and different species of fish we serve them to enhance their nutrition. That is why you can see that they are very happy with our officials.”

thing else. ’’We will also like to inform Nigerians that contrary to what the doubters and spoilers are saying, the three parties are going into the merger plans unconditionally and without a set mind over posts or anything else. The only issue that has been settled is the urgent need to rescue and salvage our country. In this regard, the opposition knows it has a date with history.’’

AGOS—LAGOS State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr. Nsebong Akpabio, weekend, said that patrol along the LagosIbadan Highway, would be enhanced to checkmate the increasing cases of accident of trucks, tankers and other vehicles.

Akpabio in a statement after yesterday ’s road crash on Long Bridge along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, said: “The upcoming FRSC Lagos State Command stakeholder ’s meeting with the Truck and

Tanker Owners will review frequent crashes of truck and tanker along Lagos-Ibadan corridor in addition to the enhancement of the Corps’ patrol operation along the corridor. ‘’The command received a report of road crash on Long Bridge along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway this morning.

Various patrol teams on the corridor were alerted immediately to move to the scene for rescue operations. DAF95XF tanker with number plate XR 326 AGL (LAGOS), loaded with PMS had a crash on the Long Bridge on its way out of Lagos on Sunday, January 20, 2013..

Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—9

Lassa fever: FG

Obasanjo a dogged fighter

releases 4,500 doses of drugs for Benue

— Uduaghan

BY EMMAAMAIZE

.As Lagos raises alarm

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PETER DURU & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

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AGOS —THE Federal Ministry of Health has released over 4,500 doses of both Ribavirin and Virazole tablets and intravenous drugs to the Benue State government to check further spread of the deadly Lassa fever epidemic which broke out in Makurdi, the Benue State capital last week.

This came as Lagos State government, yesterday,stressed the need for residents to maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the precautionary measures to prevent outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

On the release of doses, Benue State Director of Public Health, Dr. Joseph Kumba, who disclosed this, weekend, said aside the drugs, the ministry also dispatched a team of four experts to the state to ensure that the disease was contained as soon as possible.

He disclosed that Federal Government Lassa Fever laboratory, at the Federal Medical Centre, Irua, in Edo State, actually confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in Makurdi, after testing the blood of some victims in Benue State.

From left: Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara State Governor; Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Rasaq Atunwa, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, at the State PDP Monthly Meeting, in Ilorin, yesterday.

Gov Fayemi challenges FG over Federation Account

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

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DO EKITI — GOVERNOR Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, has challenged the Federal Government to enthrone the same system of accountability in the distribution of federal revenue, in its collection.

He claimed that no one governor in the country knows the exact amount of money collected into the Federation Account.

Governor Fayemi in an interview, weekend, said though governors were not saints, the present set of governors had proved themselves to be far better than their predecessors.

Governor Fayemi also cited development statistics showing that Ekiti State had the

highest life expectancy, the lowest HIV prevalence rate and the lowest maternal mortality rate in the country to show the development strides achieved in the state over the period.

Fayemi boasted: “This is the only state in the federation that gives every secondary school child a computer, personalised computer.

"We have the highest life expectancy in Nigeria at 55 "We have the lowest HIV prevalence rate in Nigeria at one per cent and we have the lowest maternal mortality rate in in the country.”

Faulting the regime of transparency adopted by the Federal Ministry of Finance in the distribution of allocations to the states, Governor Fayemi challenged the federal administration to adopt the same attitude in its collections.

According to him, “We like what Ngozi (Coordinating Minister of the Economy) has been doing by publishing what goes to us; that is fine.

"Our people should know what goes to us so that they can monitor us. We too, we want to know the actual money earned by the Nigerian state to which we belong, so that we can also challenge it with our own independent analysis. People should support that instead of haranguing us.

“Monies are collected by the NNPC, we do not know the amount, no governor in this country can tell you how much this country earns on a daily basis.

"Shouldn’t I be whipped at home that I am supposed to be part of an entity and there is accountability and transparency, yet nobody gives me a full picture of what is earned?

"Time and again governors have raised this issue at all sorts of fora and we have four cases on this at the Supreme Court. The Federal Government has been requesting for an out of court settlement in many of these cases."

B E O K U TA — DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as a nationalist, who stands and fights doggedly for whatever cause he believes in.

Uduaghan, who spoke, weekend, when he visited the former President at his Abeokuta residence, during a reception organised by the South-West Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said “Chief Obasanjo is a man who stands by what he believes in and does not waver, no matter the situation.

"Once he believes in a course, he pursues it to a logical end.”

....New book for launch

A

NEW book entitled 'The President Explains' by former President Olusegun Obasanjo will be presented to the public tomorrow.

In a statement, yesterday, by the Public Presentation Committee, the event which holds at Presidential Library, Abeokuta, at 10 a.m., will also be launched by top government officials and captains of industry.

The book, a version of the Obasanjo’s popular Radio Nigeria programme with the same title, covers Obasanjo’s policies and programmes as president for eight years.

Woman, 30, bags 5-yr jail term for killing child

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

O

SOGBO — A 30-year-old woman, Mrs. Yidiat Bakare, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by an Osogbo Magistrate's Court for intentionally throwing her three months old child into a river in Ifon-Osun, headquarters of Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State.

Bakare, according to Police prosecutor, Mr. Oladoye Joshua,committed the offence on January 10, 2013, at about 4.00p.m.

She was said to have had serious misunderstanding with her husband Amodu Bakare on that fateful day.

Police prosecutor, told the court that her action led to the death of her baby, declaring she committed an offence punishable under section 325 of the criminal code, cap 34 voll II, laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2003.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—11

Man, 35, jailed 3yrs for defiling 6-yr-old girl

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—A 35 years old man, Gift Meshack, has been sentenced to three years in jail by a Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, for defiling a six years old girl.

Trial judge, Justice Nayai Aganaba, in his judgment, said: “Any attempt to make love to a female counterpart without her consent amounts to rape, but in this case, the victim is just six years old.”

Meanwhile, a group, National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps, NACVC, led by Princess Elizabeth Egbe, has written to the state governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the state to prevail on the state Police Command to initiate a high powered investigation into the gang-rape and murder of an 18 years old girl, Miss Imomoemi Esegi, by some youths.

The court said the convict contravened the law and that the jail term should serve as a deterrent to others.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Boy Endoni, had told the court

that the accused, Gift Meshack, had, in July, 2010, at Etegwe-Epie area in the Bayelsa capital, had unlawful and indecent canal knowledge of the six years old girl.

Endoni told the court that the convict raped the victim and committed an offence punishable under section

146(2) of the Criminal Code Laws of Bayelsa State.

According to the prosecuting counsel, the victim’s complain of pains in her private part attracted the attention of the mother and questions were asked, “It was at this point that the victim told the mother what happened.”

NACVC, on the 18 years old

LAUNCHING: From right: Mr. Mike Okeme; Dr. Rukevwe; Evang. Gbigbideje Ogheneovo; Prof. Amos Utuama, Delta State Deputy Governor; Engr. Aloku, President, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Asaba Branch, and Chief Ighoyota Amori, during the launching of a N150,000,000.00 utra-modern Urhobo Cultural/Event Centre project, in Asaba Photo: Nath Onojake.

Prof Okonjo’s kidnap: More to be arraigned soon —Delta PPRO

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—PER SONS arrested in connection with the kidnap of the mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Professor Kamene Okonjo, currently being interrogated at the state police headquarters, Asaba, will be arraigned in court as soon as investigations were concluded, state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Famous Ijieh has said.

Meantime, the Apostle General of Cherubim and Seraphim in Delta State has been kidnapped from residence

on Kwale/Ashaka Road, Delta State.

William Omenma, one of the suspects and first to be arrested for his alleged involvement in the kidnap of Prof.

Kamene Okonjo, was, weekend, arraigned before a Chief Magistrate court, Asaba, on a fourcount charge of conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnap.

Omenma, who was remanded at OgwashiUku prison, is also facing another two-count charge of alleged kidnapping one Mr. Mazwell Dim, male, the owner of Obi-Link filling station, Asaba, along with

other accomplices still at large, on October 6, 2010 as well as the alleged kidnapping of one Osadebe between November 2011 and February 2012 with the collaboration of others still at large.

Vanguard gathered that the abductors of the Apostle General of Cherubim and Seraphim, numbering six, stormed his residence on Friday night and forcefully took the 76-year-old religious leader to an unknown destination. Ijieh confirmed the kidnap yesterday, saying, “we have spread our dragnet for the abductors.”

Communal clash: Perpetrators won’t go free —Cobham

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

A

CTING Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham, has said that those behind the communal clash between the state and the neighbouring Amagu community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State that reportedly claimed the lives of no fewer than 11

girl who was raped to death, said the incident happened on July 30, 2012 between 12 noon and 2 pm inside a shop.

The victim, who hails from Agudama-Epetiama in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, was an employee of an Interio Decoration outfit at Amarata as a computer operator.

persons from Cross River and 2,000 displaced, will not go unpunished.

Cobham, who spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of the affected community, yesterday, said government had put machinery in motion to ensure that normalcy returned to the area.

Sympathizing with the people over their losses, Cobham urged them to

cooperate with law enforcement personnel drafted to the area and avoid self-help as it would only worsen the situation.

He said: “I am here to commiserate with you over the unfortunate incident that happened on Saturday. We share in your sorrow and will stand by you to ensure that we get to the root causes of the crisis.”

Airhiavbere vs Oshiomhole: Judgment day Jan 23

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

B

ENIN—EDO State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will, Wednesday, deliver judgment in the petition against the re-election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, by the governorsip candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the July 14, 2012 governorship election, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd).

Airhiavbere had alleged in his petition that Oshiomhole lacked the educational qualification to contest election for the office of governor of Edo State, adding that the said election was marred by alleged irregularities.

Oshiomhole in his defence, argued that he possessed the necessary educational qualification for the election.

12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 SOON all that the National Assembly would be doing is investigating or probing one matter or the other. Even before the committees set out on these missions, the public is always certain about the outcome: nothing.

It is therefore with benign equanimity that Nigerians learnt that money was missing from the Mint, the factory that prints the national currency, at least the bit that is not imported. Its official name is the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

The Mint has no security.

The scandal is not that money is missing; a milder manner of reporting a theft, but the disclosure that nobody knows what was stolen. The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria guesses it is N2 billion, the Managing Director of the Mint said it was N1.5 billion while another Mint official posited an easily negligible N900, 000. The fact is that money was stolen from the Mint since early December.

It was not the first time. Would it be the last?

For how long has this been happening? How was it possible? How much has been stolen?

Missing Mint Money What about the numerous security cameras and body searches meant to forestall such occurrence? Who could steal from the Mint without official connivance?

To move N2 billion would require a sizeable vehicle, no matter the denomination in which the money is. Even the more paltry N900, 000 (an unlikely interest for a Mint thief) cannot be tucked into pockets. Stealing from the Mint falls in the realms of the highest levels of organised crime.

Now that thieves can have their take of the national wealth from source - in the same way they steal oil sources without punishment – chances are that criminals, in their numbers, would enroll for fuller

participation in this supposedly new venture. It could bear less risk, yet with bountiful results.

The tragedy is that daily, the flanges of criminality are increasing with corresponding impunity. The organisation and technology that result in successful heists at the Mint are beyond the security agencies, and definitely out of the reach of the National Assembly.

All these are the sort of unattended threats the country faces. Criminals walk the streets and the corridors of power with certainty that they are beyond the law. National resources that require protection are at great risk.

If people can plunder the Mint, knowing they can use the stolen money without being detected, why would they not make an enterprise of it? We are faced with threats from another set of criminals and they are not petty thieves.

The National Assembly will probe this and more crimes. It cannot prosecute the offenders. Nigerians are wondering what the security agencies do.

OPINION

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI Continued from pg 17

T

HE objectives of the Act, as stated in its Section 2, are to: Ensure that every person who worked either in the public service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory or the private sector receives his/ her entitlements as and when due; assist improvident individuals by ensuring that they save in order to cater for their livelihood during old age; and establish a uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for administration and payment of retirement benefits for the public service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory and the private sector.

The benefits of the new pension scheme are obvious in terms of: Firstly, the enormous deposit growth of banks through the placement of pension funds in fixed deposits and from more regular payment of pension entitlements of existing pensioners.

Secondly, the new pension scheme is expected to generate about N60 billion in contributions every year.

Thirdly, under the new pension system, the use of accumulated funds in individual Retired Savings Accounts to purchase annuities from insurance companies would also provide another major tonic for insurance business in Nigeria.

Fourthly, stock broking firms stand to profit from the higher business volumes which the increased transactions on retirement bonds, corporate bonds and equities consequent upon the higher

Still

on

the

capital market operations that increased pension funds offers.

Again, mortgage and property development firms are expected to experience greater profitable long-term opportunities for their real estates and commercial property development schemes as an increased build-up of pension funds forces pension fund managers to seek more and safer inflationproof outlets for their investable funds.

Ordinarily, a civil servant, either at the state, federal or local government level, is qualified to draw pension if he/she has put in, a minimum of 10 years in the service and the maximum of 35 years. A person is however not qualified to draw pension if he/she has not attained the age of 45 even if he/she has served for required qualified period of pension. However, the amount computed for such beneficiary would wait until when the age of 45 is attained.

Gratuity, on the other hand is the lumpsum amount of money paid to an employee of any of the three tiers of government on leaving the service, having served for a minimal period of five years. For gratuity, the lowest percentage of total emolument payable is 100 per cent, for a person that has put in a minimum period of five years.

Despite the existing legal framework, the administration of pension and gratuity in Nigeria remains problematic for a number of factors that could be best described as man-made.

plight

of

pensioners(2)

To start with, some employees who work in government establishments that handle pension and gratuity matters have continued to be very fraudulent in their dealings.

This, they do by inflating the pension payroll through the inclusion of fictitious, non-existent and/or ghost pensioners on the payroll. Through these means, monies meant for persons rightfully retired go into personal coffers.

Stations’ swapping or pay points of retirees are also manipulated. For instance, a pensioner, whose pay point is in Kaduna, is intentionally indicated to be paid in either Lagos or Owerri and vice-versa.

Invariably, when the said pensioner is unable to trace his/her name at the supposed pay point, he/she gets frustrated, but unknown to him/her these pension payments are claimed by other persons.

O

ther mischievous acts include nonpayment of dead pensioners’ entitlements, falsification of the documents of retirees and wrongful computation of the total amount payable. It is extortion galore by faceless officials during the biometrics capture exercises.

Due to the complete maladministration of pensions, the government’s latest intervention through the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) - set up to bring sanity into the system and ensure that pensioners received their pensions as and when due

appear to have been dashed – for allegedly engaging in fraudulent practices.

Apart from the reported problem of power tussle between the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Task Team and the Police Pensions for control over these accounts, there have been allegations of the mismanagement of N45 billion at the Police Pensions Office and another N21 billion of police pensions by the chairman of the Task Team on Pensions, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina.

The consulting firm, KPMG, which was invited to audit the police pensions, had alleged that remittances were fraught with irregularities. For instance, N1.5 billion was said to have been remitted to the Police Pensions Office monthly, as against the N500 million that was actually required while another N24 billion was kept in an account meant for the payment of harmonisation arrears.

KPMG also observed that accounts were being opened and monies belonging to the police pensions were being moved around, as every new management opened new accounts in banks and moved funds around.

Another major issue with the pension administration is its poor execution at the state level.

Continues tomorrow on pg. 17 *Mr. Kupoluyi wrote from Federal Varsity of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—13

Workers raise alarm over ALSCON's deplorable condition

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

U

YO—UNABLE to cope with the deplorable condition of Nigeria’s only Aluminium Smelting Plant, ALSCON, in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, senior staff of the company, yesterday, dispatched an appeal to the Presidency to come to the aid of the dying company.

The workers, in a fourpage petition addressed to Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who is chairman of National Privatisation Council of Nigeria, pleaded with him to take urgent steps to salvage the company from those who were bent on killing it and save the workers from further suffering.

The petition by the executive members of Metal Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, MEPROSSAN and Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria, SEWUN, was routed through Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, PBE. The petition, drew the attention of the Federal Government to the alleged gradual depletion of the assets of the company by RUSAL, which took over

C M Y K

the firm in 2006 under a controversial privatisation programme, which was annulled by Supreme Court last July.

The workers, complained that the management of the company had constantly rejected calls to replace worn parts particularly in the production line but prefers to close down such facilities thereby gradually depleting the number of production pots in the company.

The aggrieved workers lamented that the refusal by RUSAL to secure new spares had resulted in the cannibalisation or scrapping of vital production facilities in the plant thereby, reducing the number of production pots from over 114 in 2007 when they took over to less than 56 at the moment.

The practice, they noted had also resulted in turning an automated plant into a manual one, endangering the lives of the workers.

They pointed out that out of the nine cranes inherited

by RUSAL at inception in 2007, none was functional at the moment, while the capacity of the plant had also been downsized by the new management.

N20bn contract: Anenih has a case to answer — Reps

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

A

BUJA—THE House of Representatives will this week invite former Works Minister, Chief Tony Anenih, to explain his role in an alleged N20 billion contract scam.

This was disclosed, weekend, by Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House, Solomon Olamilekan.

The contract which was said to have been awarded during Olusegun

Obasanjo’s administration has made it impossible for the committee to conclude its report on the Auditor General of the Federation’s annual report for 2 0 0 6 .

Olamilekan said: “We will formally invite Anenih to come and explain to us how N20 billion remains unaccounted for during his tenure as Works Minister.

"We want him to come so that we can conclude our investigation. This is because he has a case to answer; if he does not come it will make our probe

inconclusive.”

Reacting to Anenih’s claim late last year that he had not been formally invited by the House, Olamilekan said: "Yes, we are going to do that this week unfailingly."

The PAC chairman also said that nine Permanent Secretaries managing River Basin Authorities in various states would appear before the committee to explain how N993 million disappeared from the coffers of the agencies.

He said: “These men will give account of all these

Apo resettlement: Abuja indigenes seek implementation of report

BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

A

BUJA—THE original inhabitants of Garki in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have urged the Federal Government to implement the report of the Ministerial Committee on Apo Resettlement Scheme. The committee was headed by the Solicitor General of the FCT, Mrs. Helen Oloja.

The Ministerial Committee, which was inaugurated by the Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, in August 2012, submitted its report on December 13, 2012.

The indigenes in a statement issued by President of Garki Youth Association, GYA, Comrade Joel Yazegbe, in Abuja, weekend, appealed to the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, to ensure that the full report was published and implemented i m m e d i a t e l y.

They also demanded that the Department of Resettlement and Compensation be restructured, if the FCT Administration was to achieve any meaningful resolution of the resettlement crisis.

According to Yazegbe: “We don’t want the report to go the way of other reports of past administrations which were not implemented.

“We commend the Federal Capital Territory Administration for setting up the ministerial committee on Apo Resettlement Scheme.

“This is the best attempt made by the FCT Administration to resolve the prob-

lem which has lingered for four years.

“The members of the Committee met with stakeholders, including elders, traditional rulers, youths and others. They also visit-

ed the area to see things for themselves. We told them our demands and we are hoping that they will keep to the trust they showed during the stakeholders’ meetings.”

funds because even though some of them have been retired from service, they are still working".

It would be recalled that the former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih, was mentioned last year to have been involved in a N2.3 billion road contract purportedly disbursed for an abandoned road project in Nasarawa State in 2006.

The contract was said to have been awarded in 2001 when he was still the Minister of Works.

The committee also threatened to summon site engineers, Federal Controller of Works and Permanent Secretary of the ministry when the contract was awarded.

Olamilekan had threatened that the House would not hesitate to use the services of Interpol to extradite the contractor, Torino Internazionale Nigeria Ltd, which left the country after collecting N1.8 billion without executing the road project.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 15

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

41 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

42 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 —43

South-West PDP celebrates 'Obasanjo as Oustanding Nigerian Statesman, National Icon'

From left: Professor Mohammed Yahaya, Ambassador Nuhu Audu Bajoga and Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State From right: Senator David Mark, Senate President; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's former President; Mr. John Kufuor, former Ghana's President and Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Nigeria's Head of Interim Government, during the celebration of Obasanjo as 'Outstanding Nigerian Statesman and National Icon', with lecture series: 'Obasanjo in the Eye of History'. Photos: Wumi Akinola

From right; Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief Doja Adewolu, Iyalode Alaba Lawson and Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland

From right, Mrs. Yemisi Gbadebo, Bells University, Ota; Mr. David Littlechild and Asiwaju Yemi Oluyomi

From right: Oba Femi Omolade, Olubara of Ibara; Oba Rauf Adeole, Onipokia of Ipokia and Oba M. A. Awode, Ololo of Idofin

From left: Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (rtd), Prince Bola Ajibola and Chief Ernest Shonekan

From left; Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, Prince Segun Adesegun, Deputy Governor of Ogun State and Mallam Adamu Bello, former Agric Minister.

Cross-section of the traditional rulers, others

44 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 —45

Obi expresses shock over mystery dead bodies on Ezu River zOffers N5m for information on perpetrators

A

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

WKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State, yesterday, expressed shock over the discovery of many corpses floating on Ezu River on the border town of Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area of the state and offered N5 million to anybody who might provide useful information on the matter.

Ezu River flows from Enugu to Anambra State.

This came as relations of detained suspects for various crimes also yesterday besieged police stations in the state to know the fate of their relations.

Obi, who was away to the United Kingdom on official duty at the time of the discovery of the dead bodies, cut short his trip after being briefed by his aides on the mysterious development.

He arrived Awka yesterday morning and headed straight to scene of the incident.

Government He urged Nigerians to respect the sanctity of human life like other civilised people of the world who believed life was sacred.

The governor has contacted the Acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, urging him to embark on a thorough investigation into the strange occurrence, assuring the Enugu State government that Anambra State government had already begun a painstaking probe into the matter.

He explained that the N5 million would go to anyone who provided necessary information

which would help to unravel the circumstances surrounding the strange incident.

Relatives of detainees besiege police stations Meanwhile, many relations of detained suspects for various crimes yesterday besieged many police stations in Anambra State to know the fate of their relations.

Looking desperate and worried, some of the relations said they could not catch sleep after seeing the gory pictures and the number of dead bodies on the television and therefore decided to enquire from the police if anything had happened to their

loved ones.

A middle aged woman, who simply gave her name as Ngozi, said her husband of 10 years was accused by his distant relation of being a kidnapper, adding that he had been in police detention for over two weeks.

She said though she had been visiting him since the detention, she became worried when some people started insinuating that the dead bodies might be those in detention for suspected kidnapping in Anambra State.

Other places besieged yesterday by anxious relations include the State Anti Robbery Squad, SARS offices at Awkuzu and Nnewi, as well as the Central Police State, CPS, in Awka.

Obi speaks Fielding questions from reporters, Obi said: “The fact that River Ezu flows into Anambra State from another state shows that these corpses obviously floated from elsewhere into our state.

“As you can see, the bodies are already decomposing and this shows that this incident happened some time ago.

“But I do not care where the corpses floated from; I am worried that this type of scenario could be witnessed in our country in this age and time. This is a most barbaric and unacceptable development. It cannot happen in any decent society.”

...contacts Enugu

MEETING: From left: Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, arriving the venue of the Town hall meeting organised by the Good Governance Media team, after their projects’ inspection tour of Abia State in Umuahia.

3 remanded over kidnap of 9 children in Ebonyi A

BY PETER OKUTU

BAKALIKI—THREE per sons were, weekend, arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Abakaliki on a four- count charge relating to the recent of kidnappings of over 9 kids at Ishiagu in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State last December 2012.

The accused persons, including Onyedikachi Nwosu, Iboko Amos and Chidiebere Amadi, were arraigned before the magistrate court 1 sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on a four count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit: kidnapping and allegedly kidnapping three of the abducted kids aged between 2 months and five years.

The accused persons in the matter of the Commissioner of Police vs Onyedikachi Nwosu ‘M’ 24, Iboko Amos ‘M’ 18 and Chidiebere Amadi ‘M’ 24 with

charge number MAB/50C/2013, were alleged to have committed the offences December 20, 2012, at Ayaragu village, Amagu Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

According to the court, the three accused persons had on the said date, and place in the Ivo magisterial district kidnapped one Marvelous Chukwu, aged 2 months and 11 days old; Akachukwu Nkwor ‘m’, aged 1year and 7 months; and Chiemere Nkwo, aged 5 years. ”That you Onyedikachi Nwosu ‘m’, Iboko Amos ‘m’ and Chidiebere Amadi ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district did kidnap one Marvelous Chukwu aged 2 months and 11 days old and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) (a) and punishable under Section 4(2) of

Internal Security Enforcement and other related matters Cap 55 Vol. 2, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009", read the count two. ”That you Onyedikachi Nwosu ‘m’, Iboko Amos ‘m’ and Chidiebere Amadi ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district did kidnap one Akachukwu Nkwor ‘m’ aged 1 year and 7 months old and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) (a) and punishable under Section 4(2) of Internal Security Enforcement and other related matters Cap 55 Vol. 2, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.” the court said.

After the charges were read to the accused, their lawyers P. O. Nwaebonyi and C. A. Ugandu, made oral applications for their bail which was rejected by the presiding magistrate, Job Orude.

The Magistrate remanded the

accused persons in prison custody, saying the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

It will be recalled that the accused persons were December 25 and 25, 2012, alleged to have unleashed mayhem on three villages in Ivo local government area, abducting 9 children within the age bracket of 3 and 5 years old.

Rep accuses Elechi of sponsoring militants against C’River zAs governor slams Rep over comment

BY JOHNBOSCO

A

AGBAKWURU

BUJA—THE mem ber representing Abi/ Yakurr Federal Constituency in the House of Representative, Mr. Bassey Ewa, yesterday, accused Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State of sponsoring militants to attack neighbouring Adadama community in Cross River State in the renewed communal crisis that has reportedly claimed many lives.

Reacting, Governor Elechi described the allegation as frenzy, adding that no sane human being would think that a sitting governor could sponsor militants to attack fellow human beings over land dispute.

Ewa was said to have escaped death by the whiskers from the suspected militants in the ongoing communal war between Adadama people of Abi Local Government Area and Amagu Community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The federal lawmaker, who said he was on an onthe-spot assessment, claimed that over 15 persons from Adadama community had been killed by their Ebonyi neighbours.

Ewa saidn a telephone interview: “It was a very terrible and horrible experience yesterday, (Saturday).

Having been briefed about the crisis by the members of the affected community because I represent them in the House of Representatives, I visited the community to condole with them because I heard that four persons had been killed.

“So I wanted to go and meet the bereaved, console with them, donate relief materials to those who have been displaced and assure them that government is working hard to bring the situation under control.”

Flood: Uba pledges support for Omambala people Anambra South in the Senate,

A

WKA—SENATOR Andy Uba has pledged sustained assistance and full support to Omambala people as they recover from the flood disaster which ravaged many communities in Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum and Oyi Local Government areas, respectively, last year.

Senator Uba, who represents

made the pledge, weekend, when he visited Aguleri.

Speaking to key members of Omambala Progressive Movement, drawn from different political parties and 52 political wards in the four local government areas at Aguleri, Uba saidhewasoptimisticthatAnambrawill continue to grow and experience better leadership as it entered another crucial period of its history.

46—Vanguard , MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Rep faults bill on National grazing reserve

BY TAYE OBATERU

J

OS—A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bitrus Kaze, has faulted provisions of the bill on national grazing reserve and stock routes currently before the National Assembly, describng it as contrary to the provisions of the country’s constitution and incapable of solving the security problems between herdsmen and farmers.

Kaze who represents Jos South/ Jos East in the National Assembly in a statement, weekend, described the provisions of the bill as expansionist and draconian adding, “rather than solve any security problem, the discriminatory provisions of the bill if passed, will worsen the age long clashes between farmers and the pastoralists.”

He also cautioned that the autonomy for local government councils should be handled with care so as not to end up putting them under the control of the Federal Government.

RETREAT—From left: Uzo Azubuike, Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions; Alhaji Bello Sali, Head of Service of the Federation; Engr. Emeka Ezeh, DG, Bureau of Public Procurement and Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement at a retreat organised for perm secs in Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.

LG workers' salaries: Plateau govt denies lodging money in'wonder bank'

BY TAYE OBATERU

J

OS—THE Plateau State Gov ernment has dismissed speculations that it had been unable to pay the three months salaries promised local government workers who called off a prolonged strike last year because the money was deposited in a distressed wonder finance house.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Af-

fairs, Dr. Paul Wai, said in a statement, weekend, that contrary to speculations, the money was neither fixed in a bank nor deposited in the wonder high interest paying finance house which has now gone under.

He said it was also untrue that government had refused to implement the agreement reached with the local government work-

ers, especially the payment of three months salaries or that government obtained a loan to pay them.

Said the statement: “All Local Government Councils have paid the October and November salaries in full while December paym e n t s have since commenced. Meantime, Local Government Management Committee Chairmen, including

Attack on Kano Emir: IBB, Tinubu, Mark, others warn Continues from Page 5 Emir.

Edebiri said the Federal Government should strengthen security institutions all over the country, adding that the rising spate of kidnapping for ransom had become worrisome in Edo and other parts of the South South region.

He enjoined government at all levels in the country to see job creation and youth empowerment as the twin-solution to the problem of crime in the country.

UK ready to assist Nigeria on terrorism – Pocock The United Kingdom, UK, weekend expressed its readiness to reduce the threat of terrorism within Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

Newly appointed British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock, stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja. He said Nigeria mattered to the UK because of her size, resources, importance in West

Africa, Africa and globally.

Pocock said: “Sadly, terrorism in the North has taken many lives and is damaging economic and development prospects; and increasingly, the daily struggle of too many poor people.”

He said working together to reduce terrorism within Nigeria and the sub-region was one of his cardinal objectives, which he noted “demands an integrated political, economic, security and human rights approach.

“The UK has had its own experience, which it is already sharing with the Nigerian authorities,” Pocock said and attributed the insecurity in the country to a regional issue as “what is happening in Nigeria is part of the Sahelian problem just like what is happening in Mali.”

Pocock said: “Nigeria and the UK have a shared agenda not just to address security in the region, but worldwide.

Nigeria is not alone in the fight against terrorism in your country. We are with Nigeria considering our interests here.

We have a long history of military-military cooperation which we hope to expand.

Nigeria is not alone, West Africa is not alone and Mali is

not alone.”

Asked if the amalgamation of Nigeria was a decision taken in good faith considering the calls for the breakup of the country, he said the decision to unite the then Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914, was a carefully chosen one.

Pocock said the aim was that Nigeria, with its peoples and vast resources, was better as one indivisible nation, rather than operating in units. “It was an action taken in good faith,” Pocock remarked.

Why we attacked the soldiers – Islamic group In a statement, Ansaru said Saturday’s explosion at Okene city was in response to Nigeria’s deployment of troops to Mali.

“We have successfully execute (sic) our first attempt in (crippling) the Nigerian army troops (whose aim was) to demolish the Islamic empire of Mali,” said Ansaru, which had also claimed last month’s kidnapping of a French citizen in northern Nigeria.

“We are equipped and waiting for any slightest attempt

of Nigerian army moving towards the Islamic empire of Mali,” yesterday's statement said.

The group also warned African countries to stop helping the West fight Muslims.

“We are warning the African countries to confiscate their effort for helping Western countries in fighting against Islam and Muslim (sic),” vowing to retaliate, especially against the Nigerian government, “anywhere, anytime.”

Ansaru is less well known than Islamist group Boko Haram, which is waging a deadly insurgency across northern Nigeria that has killed hundreds since 2009.

Boko Haram has said it wants to create an Islamic state in the North.

The two groups are known to have ties but are seen as independent from one another.

In November, Britain’s interior ministry identified Ansaru as a “Nigeria-based terrorist organisation” and banned membership of the group or support for it.

The group’s full name, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan, is roughly translated as “Vanguards for the Aid of Muslims in Black Africa.”

the Plateau State Universal B a s i c E d u c a t i o n Board, PSUBEB, are hereby directed to complete all payments as agreed within one week.

"Government hereby debunks the insinuations that monies meant for the payment of staff salaries for the months of the strike were either deposited in fixed accounts, or invested in Fadama or used to fund political campaigns. Such insinuations are totally baseless, mischievous and calculated attempts to set the workers against government and present government in bad light to the p u b l i c .

"It is equally important to state categorically that the Plateau State Government did not obtain any loan or credit facility from any bank to pay agreed salaries as it is being speculated by some mischief makers".

There had been speculations that the government was offering to pay just two of the three months agreed to because the commercial bank from which it was seeking to obtain a loan did not give it enough to pay the three m o n t h s .

Some also claimed that contrary to the assurance from government that the seven months salaries of the workers which were unpaid during the strike were intact, the money had either been lost in the distressed finance house or fixed in banks. But the commissioner said the allegations were unfounded.

Britain has said the group likely has ties to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and may have been responsible for the 2011 kidnapping of a Briton and an Italian in northern Nigeria. Both hostages were killed last March.

Tinubu condemns attack Former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu also condemned the attack on the Emir of Kano as a new low in the safety and security of Nigerians.

“Nigeria has sunk to a new low in insecurity ”, Tinubu maintained in a statement issued by his media office in Lagos.

“These incessant attacks and this most recent one on the respected Emir of Kano is unacceptable in a country governed by an elected government invested with power and state resources to ensure efficient security for all its citizens. Nigeria continues to bleed, while those charged with protecting their lives flounder and fiddle in their response to a problem that could undermine national security and endanger our young democracy”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013—47

Operators vow to resist unfair sanction from NCC

BY PRINCE OSUAGWU

T

ELECOM operators in the country have vowed to resist any unfair sanction from the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. The operators were speaking against the

backdrop of speculations that the Commission was spoiling for war against them over consistent poor telecom services in recent times.

NCC’s Director Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, had declared during the yuletide period that the operators may be

Heritage Bank begins operation Jan 29, gets CBN licence

By PETER EGWUATU

H

ERITAGE Bank, formerly Societe Generale Bank (Nig.) Ltd., SGBN, will commence commercial banking operation, Tuesday, January 29, following the approval granted it by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. According to the terms of the CBN approval, Heritage Banking Company Ltd. which will trade as Heritage Bank is to offer full commercial banking services under a regional bank status. As a preliminary step, the

bank said it will commence an immediate validation exercise for account holders of the former Societe Generale Bank (Nig.) Ltd. The letter conveying CBN’s approval for grant of Banking Licence to HBC entitled: ‘Re: Application for a Commercial Banking Licence with Regional Authorisation’ was dated December 27, 2012 with reference number FPR/ LAD/CON/HBC/02/062, and signed by the CBN Director of Financial Policy and Regulations, Chris O. Chukwu.

sanctioned this quarter over poor services if the key performance indicators which the commission put in place, indicted them.

But in a swift reaction, yesterday, Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said the operators would employ legal means to resist any penalty from the regulator which did not take into accounts the spate of attacks and vandalisation the operators have suffered.

According to Adebayo, from wilful damages to vandalisation, flood and bomb attacks, the operators have been at the receiving end and on each occasion, they would be left to leak their wounds.

Adebayo said the damages on the operators’ facilities could not immediately be quantified but revealed that it ran into hundreds of millions of dollars. He noted that instead of sanctions, this was the time for the government to rally support for the operators to ensure they continue to provide

services for the generality of Nigerians.

Adebayo who spoke exclusively to Vanguard said: “key performance indicators or not, I don’t think that the government would be fair to talk about sanctions now. Everybody is aware of the problems we have been facing, including the recent bomb attacks on our facilities. I think that the government should even be talking of giving us some form of compensation to help us

recoup. We are not talking of cash compensation, rather some form of tax or import waiver to enable us import back some of these facilities which actually run into several hundreds of million dollars to replace.

“But in any case, we will employ every legal means to resist any penalty we deem as been unfair to us by the government. You could remember that the government rolled out some form of relief for the flood victims but as we

speak, no operator was considered a beneficiary, irrespective of the fact that our losses at the flood were phenomenal.”

Ojobo had said that the regulator would not fold its arms and watch millions of Nigerians who depend on the services of the operators to communicate to loved ones, friends and business associates to suffer losses due to poor telecommunications services, adding that operators the KPI indicted as feeding poor services, would be penalised from this quarter, to serve as deterrent to others.

CBN to mop up N826bn from circulation

BY PETER EGWUATU

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, weekend, said it will mop up about N826.31 billion from circulation in the first quarter of 2013, through the sale of Treasury Bills, (T-Bills), just as the Debt Management Office, DMO, said it will raise N110 billion on Wednesday through the issuance of bonds with maturities ranging from between five to ten years.

According to the DMO, it will raise the funds through the issuance of N35 billion bond with fiveyear maturities, N30 billion bond with a seven-year maturity and a 10-year bond worth N45 billion, using the Dutch Auction System. The CBN said it will raise, at its twicemonthly auction, N321.29 billion, N354.93 billion and N140.09 billion in 91-day, 182-day and 364-day TBills in January, February and March respectively.

Treasury Bills are short term debt obligation with maturities of less than one year, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. TBills are used by the CBN as an Open Market Operation (OMO) instrument to control the amount of money in circulation. Bonds, on the other hand, are long term debt instruments, with a minimum maturity period of one year and can be up to 30 years or 50 years.

48—Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Gun-crazy Americans in control dilemma

BY HUGO ODIOGOR, Foreign Affairs Editor, with Agency report.

This is the concluding part of this piece which was first published last Friday

The proposals called for: 1.A focus on universal background checks. Right now some 40 percent of gun sales take place without background checks, including by private sellers at gun shows or over the Internet.

2. A ban on assault weapons and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds or fewer.

3. A federal statute to stop “straw man” purchases of guns and crack down on trafficking rings.

4. More anti-bullying efforts; more training for teachers, counselors and principals; and funding for schools for more counselors and resource officers.

President Obama is among millions of people around the world who were horrified by the killing of 20 school Children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut last year.

President Barack Obama’s broad effort to reduce gun violence will include proposed bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines as well as more than a dozen executive orders aimed at circumventing congressional opposition to stricter gun control. The broad package also include efforts to stop bullying and boost availability of mental health services. But Congress would have to approve the bans on assault

improve safety. But he is not expected to call for armed guards in schools, a position promoted by the NRA. GUN CONTROL LAWS On Tuesday, the State of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law the toughest gun control law in the nation, and the first since the Connecticut school shootings. The law includes a tougher assault-weapons ban and provisions to try to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people who make threats.

Some other states are making moves to introduce more control on the ownership of guns. There are series of gun control laws and regulations at all levels of government, with the vast majority being local codes.

The NRA argues that there are about 20,000 gun laws in America but a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine stated that there are about 300 federal and state laws regarding the manufacture, design, sale, purchase, or possession of guns.

For instance, at the federal level, fully automatic weapons, short barrel shotguns, and short barrel rifles have been taxed and mandated to be registered under the National Fire arms Acts (1934).

The Gun Control Act of 1968 requires that guns carry serial numbers and implemented a tracking system to determine the purchaser of a gun whose make, model, and serial number are known. It also prohibited gun ownership by convicted felons. The Act was updated in the 1990s mainly to add

weapons and amm u n i t i o n It is clear that no legislation will magazines holding more quench the appetite of Americas than 10 bullets, for guns, soon we will hear along with a requirement for another cry of agony from universal backunfortunate families ground checks on gun buyers. Some gun control advocates a mechanism for the criminal history of worry that opposition from Republicans gun purchasers to be checked at the and conservative Democrats, as well as point of sale.

In 1996 the Domestic Violence Ofthe National Rifle Association, will be fender Gun Ban prohibited ownership too great to overcome. and use of guns by individuals convicted of misdemeanor on domestic violence.

Research on gun The 1994 Violent Crime Control Law use and crimes Enforcement Act enacted the defunct Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which The proposal which was draft by Vice banned the purchase, sale, or transfer President Joe Biden will compel federal of any weapon specifically named in the agencies to conduct more research on act, other weapons with a certain number gun use and crimes. The vice president’s of “defining features”, and detachable proposals included 19 steps that could magazines capable of holding more than be achieved through executive action. 10 rounds of ammunition, that had been On mental health, Obama will focus on manufactured after the beginning date more availability of mental health of the ban. The Assault Weapons Ban services, training more school expired in 2004.

This was a major victory for the gun counselors and mental health professionals, and mental health first aid rights advocates at the federal level. training for first responders, according Efforts by gun control advocates to to the lobbyist, who was not authorized extend the ban at the federal level to discuss the plan publicly before the failed; two later attempts to president’s announcement and reestablish the ban also failed. While the families that have lost their loved requested anonymity.

Obama may also order the Justice ones grieve, others are rushing to Department to crack down on people acquire deadly weapons and others are lobbying to ensure that they are who lie on gun-sale background checks; left unleashed to carry deadly weaponly a tiny number are now prosecuted. ons around, it is clear that no legisSuch a step has support from the NRA, lation will quench the appetite of which has consistently argued that Americas for guns, soon we will hear existing laws must be enforced before another cry of agony from unfortunew ones are considered. Obama gave nate families. schools flexibility to use grant money to

,

,

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 49

France, Malian troops re-take Diabaly, continue push F

RENCH and Malian forces continued their push against the Islamist rebels as the Malian military announced at the weekend that they are now controlling Diabaly, marking an important accomplishment for the French-led offensive to oust the extremists from northern and central Mali.

“People are calm since the Islamists left the city of Diabaly before it was taken by the Malian and French forces yesterday,” said Oumar Coulibaly, who lives in the nearby town of Niono.

The Associated Press obtained video filmed Saturday by a local resident, which shows people from Diabaly inspecting the fighters’ vehicles and charred weaponry destroyed by French airstrikes and Malian ground forces.

The Islamists took Diabaly several days later — 270 miles (430 kilometers) away from the

capital — as part of an alarming descent into central Mali and closer to the government seat of power in Bamako. The Islamists first seized control of the main towns in northern Mali nine months ago, taking advantage of a power vacuum after a military coup in the distant capital of Bamako.

West African regional neighbors talked of a military intervention to

US restates support for mission

P

RESIDENT Barack Obama said at the weekend that the U.S. stands ready to provide whatever assistance Algerian officials need in the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack at a natural gas complex in the Sahara.

The four-day standoff at the weekend after Algerian special forces stormed the complex.

Three Britons killed —Cameron

B

RITISH Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday that three Britons were killed and another three were believed dead, along with a foreigner who was living in Britain.

He said that 22 Britons who survived the ordeal are now back in Britain.

retake northern Mali for months, but it was not until the French began their offensive Jan. 11 that the Islamists faced a military threat to their grip on power. Several armored vehicles belonging to the Malian army also can be seen lying abandoned and damaged at the side of roads in Diabaly, a town of 35,000 that is home to an important military camp.

“Now, of course, people will ask questions about the Algerian response to these events, but I would just say that the responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched a vicious and cowardly attack,” Cameron said.

The clash left at least 23 hostages dead and killed all 32 militants involved, the Algerian government said.

The State Department issued a travel warning Saturday night for Americans in or traveling to Algeria, citing credible threats of the kidnapping of Western nationals. The department also authorized the departure from Algeria of staff members’ families if they choose to leave.

In a statement from the White House, Obama said the blame lay with the militants and that the United States condemns their actions. “This attack is another reminder of the threat posed by alQaida and other violent extremist groups in North Africa,” Obama said. “In

•Map of Mali indicating the flash point the coming days, we will remain in close touch with the government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of what took place so that we can work together to prevent

tragedies like this in the future.”

The video marks the first pictures to emerge from the area, which was taken over by al-Qaidalinked militants at the

beginning of the week.

The zone remains blocked off by a military cordon and journalists have not been able to access the area so far.

Algeria crisis: 32 hostages killed in raid

T

HE death toll of foreign and Algerian workers taken hostage during a siege at a desert gas facility may rise from 32, an Algerian minister has warned.

A final tally would be released in the coming hours, communications minister Mohammed Said told Algerian radio.

British, US, Norwegian, and Japanese nationals

were among the missing after the siege at In Amenas, which was ended by an Algerian army raid on Saturday.

Algeria said its troops had killed all 32 hostagetakers.

Officials said the army launched its assault after Islamist militants began killing foreign hostages.

Mr Said said he very much feared the death

toll “ would, unfortunately, be revised upwards”.

He added that the militants were from six different countries, “nationals of Arab and African countries, and of non-African countries”.

Unconfirmed reports from In Amenas spoke of a number of bodies discovered by troops making the site safe.

Obama, Biden begin second term, inauguration today U

S President Barack Obama took the oath of office for a second term in a small, private ceremony at the White House yesterday, in compliance with the Constitution, which mandates that the president take office on January 20.

Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, making her the first Hispanic judge to administer an oath of office for one of the nation’s two highest offices.

Biden’s family, about 120 guests and a few reporters witnessed the private swearing-in ceremony in the main foyer of his Naval Observatory residence.

Biden used a Bible with a Celtic cross on the cover that has been in his family since 1893 in the event which took only about five minutes.

But both men will still be sworn in publicly outside the U.S. Capitol today with all the traditional pomp and pageantry. An estimated 800, 000 people are to attend the ceremony which is being overshadowed by the quarrels over budget deficits, gun control and division in the House.

This time the crowds are expected to be smaller and enthusiasm surrounding the event diminished.

A bitter 2012 election fight, stubbornly high

•President Barack Obama, with his wife, Michelle and daughters as well as Vice President, Joe Biden during the oath of office, administer by Chief Justice John Roberts at the White House yesterday. unemployment and fiscal showdowns - both past and still looming - have tempered the hope that Obama symbolized when

he took office four years ago after sweeping to victory on a mantle of change as America’s first black president.

Both times, Obama will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts who, after flubbing the oath the first time in 2009,

administered it to Obama again in the White House the day after his inauguration. Biden is to be sworn in again by Sotomayor.

Biden and Obama then attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, and the president and First Lady Michelle Obama swayed and clapped their hands to the tune of a gospel song at a service in the historical Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Obama took the oath of office for a second term in a small ceremony in the Blue Room of the White House with Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 51 TUSSLE...Ghana’s Jerry Akaminko (R) vies for the ball with Democratic Republic of Congo’s Tresor Mputu during their 2013 African Cup of Nations match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on January 20. It ended 2-2. PHOTO: AFP

Zambia begin title defence against Ethiopia

Z

ambia kick off the defence of their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations crown against minnows Ethiopia at the Mbombela Stadium today.

The Copper Bullets, who defeated Ivory Coast on penalties to claim their first AFCON title, were drawn in Group B which also includes Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

Chipolopolo coach Herve Renard has a fully-fit team to choose from following the return of midfielder Rainford Kalaba, who had been suffering from a groin injury.

The Frenchman has selected 19 members of the team that conquered their more illustrious opponents in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Renard realises the importance of his side’s opening clash and hopes they can secure all three points, much like they did when beating Senegal 2-1 in 2012.

He told the BBC: “The first game against Ethiopia is very important it is crucial that we start

the tournament with a win just as we did last year.

“A lot of pundits do not believe we can win the title again and do not want to take risks with their predictions. It is easier to say Zambia will never win the Cup of Nations again.

“Should we fail to retain the trophy, it simply means another team was better than us. However, it will be very difficult to beat this Zambian team.”

It's fight of our lives — Burkina Faso to put up the have vowed ckle the urkina Faso when they ta today s ve li r ei th fight of p C opener in their Grou Super Eagles la Stadium in Nelspruit. es be at the Mbom g ro u p th a t a ls o in cl u d of a s n in io d ll e ta ir Pa , th e S ia p io th E g d u a to h Z a m b ia a n emselves in th d n fi o as F e first round Burkina ress from th t. g ro p to n io situat amen -nation tourn ew stage of the 16 fr ic a n si d e h a d a n A or st nch-b n The we and their Fre t their ay d er st ye ce rum to se conferen ey ut, used the fo coach, Paul P e tourney, stating that th e th th st at g s on ie it am or pri compete to a ic fr A th were in Sou t. the continen nst top teams on the fight of our lives agai y t h er g fi ev l d il w an “We pete e here to com said Put. ar e W . ia er Nig t”, will be a figh be game, for us, t h e w a s n o t g o in g to e a th th to id g comin H e sa s on Nigeria lk or ta rs by ye d la ve p decei ienced with inexper a t “t h e n a m e tournament th g n ti a ive e rs , st y o u n g p la y we have to g s, u r fo d an in g w bi to is g erythin Nigeria t. We will o ev h g fi g bi a them . the first game”

B

Ejide ready to rumble

A

fter suffering an injury scare against Cape Verde in an international friendly, that saw him sidelined for days, Goalkeeper Austin Ejide is back and fit as a fiddle.

The Hapoel Beer Sheva of Israel player, was amongst the players who spoke reporters at the pre-match conference held yesterday at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit and when asked about his fitness, the goalie, who impressred so much in the game agaist the Island nation, said that he was ready.

“If they pick me, I am ready to rumble. I am very fine”, Ejide said as he thanked Nigerians for their concern during his time on the injuty list. “My thanks to Nigerians for their concern and prayers”.

Alspeaking, goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu, said that all three goalies, comprising Vincent Enyeama, Ejide and Chigozie Agbim were in prime shape for the tournament.

“All the three goalkeepers are in good shape. Anyone picked by the coach will do well”, said Shorunmu.

52 —

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

It’s good we start with a win — Keshi

UPER Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is unruffled over the persistent rains in Nespruit, South Africa, where the Eagles will be playing their 2013

N

Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi being mobbed by his team mates fondly called in his active days said, “Yes. Emenike, Ideye, Efe, are all good players.

They will all grow and become household names. The only difference is that they are new and they have not won trophies. With time, everything will be okay.”

a unit, something l am working on improving.

“That goalless draw against Cape Verde was largely so because we missed numerous chances we should have put away."

Africa Cup of Nations matches.

It has been raining even before the commencement of the soccer fiesta here and the Confederation of Afri-

can Football has been forced to issue a directive to participating teams not to have prematch practrice sessions on the turfs.

Teams are only allowed

Yes, these boys can be as good as ’94 Eagles — Amokachi supports Keshi

S

UPER Eagles as sistant coach, Daniel Amokachi has added his voice on the growing controversy over the quality of the present Super Eagles squad compared with the 1994 Nations Cup winning squad.

Amokachi who was a member of the ’94 squad told Sports Vanguard in Nespruit, South Africa that the Stephen Keshi tutored squad presently campaigning in Afcon 2013 could be as good as the famous ’94 team.

He supported Keshi’s assessment of the team this way,“These b o y s h a v e q u a l i t y.

They can be as good as the 1994 team. The only thing they are yet to get is the experience we had. They are still very young, compared to our team.”

Asked if he could identify one Amokachi in the present squad, Da Bull, as he was

Moses set for Afcon debut IGERIA winger Victor Moses is expected to make his Africa Cup of Nations debut on Monday, having overcome a knock to take his place against Burkina Faso.

The 22-year-old is expected to start alongside Chelsea colleague John Obi Mikel in Nelspruit as the Super Eagles begin their campaign for a third title.

Captain Joseph Yobo is poised to equal Nwankwo Kanu’s record of six Nations Cup appearances for Nigeria.

Burkina Faso have gone 17 matches without a win in the Cup of Nations.

The team failed to win a point at the tournament in 2012, but with striker Aristide Bance fit to start there is an air of optimism around the squad.

The return to fitness of his strike-partner Alain Traore, after a heel injury, is a further boost for Burkina Faso although Monday ’s game may come too soon for him.

Traore is seen as a key part of the squad, having scored a decisive stoppage-time goal to put them through at the expense of the Central African Republic.

Nigeria have had mixed results in the build-up to the tournament, drawing 11 with Catalonia, being held to a 0-0 draw by

•Keshi

S

to have a feel of the turf during pre-match warm ups.

“I am not bothered about the directive,” Keshi quipped, pointing out that the directive was applicable to all the teams. “It affects all the participating teams and not peculiar to Nigeria.”

Asked if he was under any pressure because he brought an inexperienced squad to South Africa. Keshi said, “experience is got from playing. It is from inexperience that they will get the experience.

They will get the experience from this tournament and will build from here.”

Exuding confidence and sounding optimistic the Super Eagles chief coach was bullish when asked about the chances of his youthful side. “We have equal chances with all other participating teams. We respect our opponents but it will be good we start with a win,” Keshi said, as spoke on Eagles opening match against Burkina Faso today.

•Moses fellow qualifiers Cape Verde, beating Sparta Rotterdam 1-0 before easing to a 5-0 victory over Portuguese second division outfit Farense.

But having been among the dominant forces in African football a decade ago, the Group C match against Burkina Faso marks their return to the Nations Cup after missing out on the tournament a year ago.

Nigeria winger Victor Moses: “We have prepared well and, having missed the last tournament, wish to make Nigerians proud by the end of it.”

Burkina Faso striker Aristide Bance : “I believe we have learnt from past failures and have a realistic chance of getting out of the group.”

Keshi: We have the right balance

T

HE Super Eagles will face the Stallions of Burkina Faso in Monday’s second game of Group C in Nelspruit.

“This is very much a work in-progress but don’t get me wrong this is a good side. We have a

right balance and good blend of local players and those playing abroad,” Keshi told Cafonline.

“We come into the tournament after a pleasing training camp where the boys worked together as

•Emenike

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 53

AFCON 20 13 Special ••• AFCON 20 13 Special ••• AFCON 20 13 Special••• 2013 2013 2013 Pix: AFP

BAFANA . . . South Africa coach Gordon Igesund gestures

MAN MOUNTAIN . . . South African artists perform during the opening ceremony of 2013 Africa Cup of Nations CALISTHENICS . . . South African artists perform during the opening ceremony at football competition at City stadium in Soweto

BICYCLE KICK . . . South Africa midfielder Lerato Chabangu (C) tries an overhead kick during thier group A football match against Cape Verde. Match ended goalless.

CONTEST . . . Ghana’s midfielder Derek Boateng (R) vies for the ball with Democratic Republic of Congo’s forward Patou Kabangu

AFRICAN STYLE . . A Democratic Republic of Congo supporter BIG HANDS . . . Morocco fans wave their national flag at THE PATHRIOT . . . A Ghanian supporter cheers the Black the start of their match against Angola beats a drums for his country.

Stars against Democratic Republic of Congo C M Y K

54 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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All former documents remain valid.

Obafemi Awolowo University, NYSC and general public, please take note.

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C M Y K

VANGUARD'S LAGOS OFFICE YOU CAN B O O K Y O U R A D V E RT S AT OU R L A G O S I S L A N D O F FI C E — VA N G U A R D MEDIA LIMITED (LAGOS OFFICE) K I O S K 4 8 E A S T P AV I L I O N T B S , LAGOS.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 — 55

Eagles under pressure, Yobo admits •But hopes Nigeria will shine SUPER Eagles Skipper, Joseph Yobo has admitted that the Nigerians will be under pressure when they flagoff their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Burkina Faso today at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit The two-time former champions, who were absent at the last tourney jointly hosted

by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, return to the summit of African football at AFCON 2013and while speaking at a news conference held yesterday, the former Everton centreback, said that the strong desire of Nigerians for the team to win in South Africa and the players’ quest for success have put tremendous pressure on them.

“Everybody wants us to win in South Africa.

The calls from home, the pleas and demands

from officials and the general expectations of Nigerians are mounting pressure on us. The pressure is within too as we all want to win here but we are going to take it one at a time. The pressure is on but we would take it easy. It’s part of the game”, said Yobo.

He added that the team was a great side, noting that the blend of experienced and the young players was going to work wonders for Nigeria at the competition.

“This is a great team, a blend of experienced and young ones and we are confident of success. I have played for so many

teams of Nigeria. This is a good team. We have worked hard and the coaches have been tremendous. We want to win for them and for Nigerians in general.”, said Yobo, who is the mostcapped Nigerian player of all time. He plays his last Nations Cup and hopes to leave South Africa with “something.” That could be the trophy, the silver or bronze.

Eagles begin as favourites

N

•Super Eagles players celebrating after a goal.

Ojido lists 3 best Eagles coaches, hopes Keshi joins them

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

V

ETERAN sports administrator and commentator Pa John Ojido is wishing Stephen Keshi and the Eagles well, hoping that Keshi would later be listed among the great coaches of Nigeria.

Ojido spoke at length this way: “Three coaches have stood out in Nigeria in the past 20 to 25 years. They are Clemens Westerhof, Phillip Troussier and Shaibu Amodu. Westerhof changed our football. He won our first Nations Cup outside our shores in Tunisia in 1994, qualified us for our first World Cup finals among other things like one Nations Cup silver and one bronze. But he did more by developing our players. Phillip Troussier qualified us for France ’98 World Cup and he was playing good matches. But then sports minister Chief Jim Nwobodo plotted his removal C M Y K

on the grounds that he was not a world class coach. It was naïve and painful. Westerhof did a lot here. Was he a world class coach before he came? So many people have destroyed our sports with poor decisions. I felt bad when they sacked Troussier. After Troussier, the next coach that did well for Nigeria as far as the records show is Amodu. He qualified Nigeria for two World Cups and also won bronze medal at the Mali Nations Cup. Interestingly, Keshi

was his assistant in Mali and when they qualified for the 2002 World Cup. I hope that Keshi joins this list.

He is doing well and should be given a chance to continue the good work.

He is at the Nations Cup with six local players, the first time such a thing was happening in about 20 years. I commend him.

Our football is down and somebody has to build it.

That’s what Keshi is doing now.”

Ojido spoke passionate-

ly on track and field, sports administration and other issues from Illah, near Asaba. We’ll serve you the juicy interview he granted from his sick bed. The body was weak but his brain was as sharp as ever. He will be 87 years in June.

•Westerhof

IGERIA open their Africa Cup of Nations account as clear favourites in their group C clash against Burkina Faso in Nelspruit today.

The Super Eagles will no doubt be looking for successful return to the tournament after missing out on the last edition in Gabon and Equitorial Guniea.

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has brought a new-look side to this year’s finals, with only a handful of his team having competed at the continental showpiece before.

However, he will be able to count on the experience of captain Joseph Yobo, who takes part in a record sixth AFCON for the Super Eagles.

Expect the ever present John Obi Mikel to control the game from midfield with Chelsea team-mate Victor Moses providing the width in attack.

Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi is the most notable absentee for Nigeria, having chosen not to represent the country of his birth after playing for England at youth level.

Keshi said of the situation: “I was very impressed with him and

he would have added a lot to our team.

“But we can’t dwell on the players who are not here. We have selected a group of very talented players who are ready to give their all for their country and I believe in these boys to do what they are asked to do.

“Burkina Faso are the team in front of us now, and we are prepared.

The boys want to do their best and want to do their country proud.”

The Stallions of Burkina Faso will offer a stern test in their opening match and will look to bounce back from their disappointing showing at their last AFCON in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea where they went out in the group stages after losing all their games.

Jonathan Pitroipa is the player most likely to give Nigeria problems, and with his creativity and pace in midfield, the Rennes attacker is more than capable getting the better of defences on his day.

Moumouni Dagano and Alain Traore are expected to start alongside Pitroipa in midfield and will have to play well if the Stallions are to have any chance of pulling off an upset

Eagles defy rains to prepare for Stallions

A

•Amodu

•Troussier

FTER a hectic trip from Faro, Portugal, through Lisbon and from there to Johannesburg, South Africa, before arriving its Nations Cup 2013 first round base in Nelspruit, last Thursday evening, the Super

Eagles have quickly settled down with four training sessions so far at the lush green pitch of Ingwenyama Sports and Resort Centre.

The workout session supervised by Head Coach, Stephen Keshi,first started at 8am

local time and 7am in Nigeria on Friday. Keshi took the players on regaining the physicality after a long trip and told them that there will be another training session later in the evening at 7:30pm, which will be 6:30 in Nigeria.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Eagles begin as favourites — P.55

Keshi

Paulo, Burkina Faso Coach

“Burkina Faso are the team in front of us now, and we are prepared, the boys want to do their best and want to do their country proud.”

Yobo, Eagles Captain

TODAY'S

“We will fight the fight of our lives against Nigeria, we are here to compete and every game for us, will be a fight”

RESULTS

TODAY'S MATCHES

Ghana 2 vs DR Congo 2 Mali 1 vs Niger 0

PUZZLE

FRI DAY'S FRIDAY'S

ANSWERS

Zambia vs Ethiopia — 4pm Nigeria vs Burkina Faso — 7pm

ACROSS 4 Den (5) 7 Talented (6) 9 Because (3) 10 Golf-peg (3) 12 Contract (5) 13 Sinful (4) 15 Pale (5) 17 Rough (6) 19 Rush (4) 20 Giant (5) 22 Consume (3) 24 Wander (7) 27 Intelligence (3) 28 Poor (5) 31 Roster (4) 33 Best (5) 37 Face (4) 38 Same (5) 39 Cover 930 41 Scull (3) 42 Bullfighter (6) 43 Learnt (5)

Mahamadou Kere, Burkina Faso Captain

DOWN 1 Take (6) 2 Portray (6) 3 Obtain (3) 4 Only (4) 5 Tendency (5) 6 Abandoned (8) 8 Breed (4) 11 Vital (9) 14 Soil (4) 16 Leader (4) 18 Afresh (4) 21 Rude (8) 23 Canvas shelter (4) 25 Assistant (4) 26 Rush (4) 29 Revised (6) 30 Colour (6) 32 Performer (5) 34 Discharge (4) 36 Thoroughare (4) 40 Cur (3)

FRIDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Onus 4, Imp 6, Stay 9, Tor 10, Excavate 11, Eyed 14, Din 16, Spray 19, Examiner 21, Devil 23, Dedicate 24, Model 27, Rip 31, Edit 33, Gluttony 34, Err 35, Area 36, Due 37, Mate.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Next 3, Swap 4, Imagined 5, Peer 6, Steep 7, Toy 8, Arena 12, Realm 13, Valid 14, Did 15, Never 17, Rival 18, Yokel 20, Ridicule 22, Lip 25, Order 26, Extra 28, Aged 29, Stem 30, Unit 32, Ire.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

Place 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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