PDP crises divide Jonathan's loyalists

2—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—3

C M Y K

4—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 5

PDP crises divide Jonathan’s loyalists • Gov Aliyu confirms 5 more Govs will join G-7 • As court decides on Tukur Vs Baraje September 30 to rescue a bill to amend the

BY EMMA AZIKEN, IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, HENRY UMORU & WOLE MOSADOMI

T

HE crises in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the resulting spill over into the National Assembly have led to a sharp division among loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan over how to contain the political insurrection.

This was even as Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu has confirmed that more governors were ready to join the G-7 Governors when the alarm was finally blown.

Aliyu spoke when members of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation paid him a courtesy visit in his residence in Minna yesterday, adding that their identities would be known at the appropriate time.

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has meanwhile fixed September 30, to continue hearing on a suit seeking to stop the Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje led faction of the party from operating in the country.

The PDP however, yesterday lampooned the new PDP as well as the G-7 governors, saying it was not in anyway afraid of them.

The National Publicity Secretary, of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh who spoke to newsmen noted that the party was only treading the path of caution because of its respect for the agreement reached between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors of Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto, Rivers, Kano, Kwara and Jigawa states, calling for a truce, pointing out that it had endured enough of what it termed the macabre dance from its estranged members.

The Baraje led faction of the new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, on its part also raised an alarm over alleged moves by the presidency to engage in massive bribing of members of the National Assembly, NASS, and asked President Goodluck Jonathan to call his men to order in order not to plunge the country into ‘’avoidable chaos.’’

According to the nPDP, the presidency should also stop the moves to bribe NASS members so as not to portray his administration as promoting corruption to the high heavens.

However, on the division in the presidency, it was learnt that while some elements led by two powerful female ministers and some presidential aides have erected a parallel structure outside the National Assembly leadership for engaging the legislators, some others also in the presidency are pulling back from that direction warning that it could boomerang to hurt the presidency.

The decision to identify alternative legislators outside the recognised leadership, it was learnt, is already breeding tension between the presidency and the leadership of the two houses. The situation is said to be especially grave in the House of Representatives where the deputy speaker, Chief Emeka Ihedioha is said to have been left sour with the determination of the presidential aides to sidestep the House leadership in resolving the problems caused by the emergence of the nPDP in the House.

Ihedioha had in the past bent backwards to accommodate the interests of the presidency and the PDP, but is now according to sources “seriously unhappy” after the power bloc in the presidency picked Rep. Bethel Amadi, also from Imo State as the contact man of the presidency.

Reflective of the development was the power show on Wednesday and Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives when members supportive of the Kawu Baraje faction of the PDP teamed up with opposition legislators to frustrate the presentation of all bills forwarded to the legislature by the president or supported by members of the PDP loyal to the president. It took the shrewd intervention of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

bill establishing the National Communications Commission from premature death by stepping it down instead of allowing it go for consideration and assured death.

Besides the situation in the House of Representatives, the decision of the powerful caucus in the presidential villa to also prop up Gen. Lawrence Onoja as a potential domestic rival to the president of the Senate, Senator David Mark in Benue State, is already leading to concerns that the Senate leadership could decide like that of the House to be radicalised.

The decision of the Senate President to receive Baraje earlier this week was given as an indication of the growing unease between the Senate leadership and the presidential villa.

The two power blocs in the presidency it was learnt were divided over how to approach the crisis. While one group powered by the two influential female ministers was said to have inclined itself towards creating an alternative channels among floor members to boost support for the presidency, the other group still within the presidency is said to be inclined towards working within the existing leadership structure in the two houses.

In proposing the use of the leadership, the later group it was learnt, is arguing that the presiding officers Mark and Ike Ekweremadu in the Senate; Aminu Tambuwal and Ihedioha in the House of Representatives, were still popular and were in better position to manage their members. That they said, is better than creating alternative power blocs to push support for the presidency.

“They don’t know how senators love and also fear Mark,” one concerned PDP member told Saturday V a n g u a r d .

Before his ascent as Senate president, Senator Mark led one of the most cohesive groups in the Senate but since his emergence as Senate president, political

The Funeral Service for Late Madam Felicia Ewulo Olatunji George-Onawole, mother of Dr Sesan Onawole took place at the Bola Memorial Anglican Church Mobolaji Bank Anthony way Ikeja Lagos yesterday. Pix from left : Mr Fred Dudu, Dr Sesan Onawole,deceased son and wife Mrs Abimbola Onawole and Chief Olayinka Ogunmekan at occasion Px Joe Akintola (Photo Editor) caucus groups outside the recognised geopolitical and party platforms have disappeared.

However, the hawkish group in the presidency, it was learnt is arguing against entrusting the fate of the president in the hands of Mark and Tambuwal, both of whom some presidential minders have in the past accused of harbouring presidential ambitions.

The lack of trust in Tambuwal is further driven by the strong relationship between the speaker and Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, one of the seven rebel governors that are backing the nPDP. The concerns about Tambuwal nonetheless, many loyal members in the House and in the presidency, it was learnt were arguing that sustaining the relationship with the speaker and his deputy was better than causing confusion through the mobilisation of other focus persons who at best cannot help the president push through his legislative agenda.

Some members and stakeholders were also concerned that the choice of Amadi as the leader of the group to bolster support for the president was bad politics.

Amadi is leader of the Pan African parliament, a job that makes him to be outside of the House and the country most times.

Besides his continental duties, is the rival political rivalry between Ihedioha and Amadi both of whom are three term members and are believed to have gubernatorial ambitions in their native Imo State.

“You can understand that

Ihedioha is feeling very bad that after all he has staked for the presidency that they could undermine his authority in the House, and even worse, by picking his rival to undermine him,” a source privy to the development told Saturday Vanguard on the condition of anonymity.

Besides the bad politics, there is also unease that money has become the central issue in mobilising legislators creating illfeeling among concerned members of the public; that money that otherwise could have been used to push governance is being used to compromise legislators.

We are not of Baraje, G7 Gov. — Tukur Meanwhile, Metuh in his address entitled, ‘’We are not afraid’’ said that the PDP under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was not afraid to respond to the propaganda and criticisms of Baraje- led nPDP, but decided to show decorum following the respect and regard for President Jonathan, the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih and other leaders of the party that have waded into the crisis, in a bid to nipping the political quagmire in the bud.

He said that the aggrieved PDP have used the party to get to where they are now and should allow the party to use them.

Metuh who described the crisis as a family one, however advised others that, “We must not dance naked in the streets,” as a result of the “implications of cascading developments arising from

the challenges posed by the actions and utterances of our estranged brothers in our membership... We have seriously, taken into account, steps taken as well as the gravity of utterances credited to our brothers, especially in the wake of our last reconciliation meeting. ”The PDP has taken a critical look at the implications of cascading developments arising from the challenges posed by the actions and utterances of our estranged brothers in our membership. We have seriously, taken into account, steps taken as well as the gravity of utterances credited to our brothers, especially in the wake of our last reconciliation meeting. We therefore wish to state for the avoidance of doubt that the fact that our leaders are wisely decided on the path of caution and decorum, does not in any way suggest that we are afraid of the consequences of doing otherwise. We have only applied a common African wisdom that yes, we have the strength of a lion but better, when not applied needlessly. ”As leaders of our great party, we have implicit faith that the present challenges facing us will be amicably resolved, hence our commitment to caution and decorum in order to avoid jeopardizing the peace process and fall prey to those who do not wish the PDP well. ”The constitution of the PDP has adequately laid down procedures for the settlement of disputes. We therefore hold that it is absolutely unnecessary to

Continues on page 6

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

PDP crises divide Jonathan’s loyalists Continued from page 5 make a public theatre of these challenges and the process of resolving them.

Unwarranted utterances and actions are only capable of generating further ill feelings. ”The provisions of the constitution of our great party must therefore be held sacrosanct by all members.

We the leaders, even have a greater responsibility to show worthy examples. ”Similarly, party members ought not carry on as if hierarchy of leadership amounts to nothing. We have a President who is the leader and the symbol of our great party in government. We also have the Chairman of Board of Trustees as well as former Presidents who have volunteered efforts to the peaceful resolution of these family challenges.

We owe them every respect in their determination to achieve genuine reconciliation among us. ”While we concede that some of the leaders of this estranged group are notable members of the PDP, the same cannot be said of vacuous quantities

who are bereft of the core values of PDP and are unknown to the ranks of different levels of our great party, but to whom photoopportunity has been provided to flaunt nuisance values. To leaders among them, we say once more; this macabre dance is unnecessary.

This grotesque dance in the manner of an avant-garde Nollywood actor will surely satisfy emotions but will incredibly lead to loss of faith and throw up antiheroes instead of heroes. ”The differences for now remain challenges of intepretation of process, procedures and trust. It must neither be blown out of proportion nor be allowed to obstruct the cause and course of good governance. We must bear in mind that what makes or mars our strenght is our ultimate performance as a ruling party.”

Speaking further, Metuh who noted that the differences for now remain challenges of interpretation of process, procedures and trust, however said that the crisis must neither be blown out of proportion nor allowed to obstruct the

cause and course of good governance, adding, “We must bear in mind that what makes or mars our strength is our ultimate performance as a ruling party”.

On the call for the resignation of Tukur by the nPDP, the PDP spokesperson said, “we the members of the NWC and PDP as a family have absolute confidence on the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur”.

Federal Govt plans to bribe NASS memebers massively — Baraje faction Also, in a statement yesterday by the nPDP National Publicity Secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze said, “information reaching us indicates that the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction of PDP working in concert with some Presidency officials have set about to induce members of the House of Representatives with a view to passing a vote of confidence on President Jonathan and impeaching their principal officers. Part of their strategy is to place

advertisements in major national newspapers in the country starting from next week, praising a nonperforming Presidency to the high heavens so as to water the ground for President Jonathan’s expected declaration for the 2015 presidential contest. ”Each member is expected to receive $25,000 (about N2.5million) to sign the advertorial endorsing the President. The plan is to commence the impeachment of principal officers of the House after the publication of these advertisements. We are aware of the identities of those involved in this shady business being coordinated by an influential member of the discredited Tukur faction from the Southern part of the country. ”Sadly, this is happening at a time when poverty is ravaging the land and our children are kept at home because of the refusal of the Federal Government to keep to the agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, since 2009. Passing a vote of confidence on President Jonathan and celebrating him in the papers as these undemocratic elements plan to do is not only insensitive but also amounts to celebrating the death traps called federal roads and celebrating darkness after the billions

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya and Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the Nigerian Telecom Development Lecture (NITDEL), yesterday in Lagos

of naira squandered on a non-functional power sector. ”The impunity associated with the Tukur-led PDP is yet another proof that we are now in a desperate situation where these failed politicians are capable of doing anything in order to achieve their evil aims. But they will surely fail. ”We urge our members all over the world to continue with fasting and prayers as we collectively seek God’s face on how to resolve the orchestrated crisis in our great party and thus minimize the heavy toll which it is taking on the Jonathan administration. ”The general public is hereby urged to ignore the advertorials when it starts to come out by Monday as there is no substance in most of the contents.

More Govs plan to join us — Aliyu Governor Aliyu said, “a lot of people identify us as the G7 only because we are the ones visible but I can assure you some of us are operating silently for now because of their political ambition.’’

Earlier, the Executive Director of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Dr. Shettima Haji Aliyu disclosed that the foundation has trained 350 women and youths in vocational and entrepreneurship programmes adding that most of the trainees had started their own businesses.

He also said that the foundation have been able to reach out to some northern states affected with insecurity and have been able to give some form of compensations to them.

Tukur vs Baraje: Court adjourns hearing to Sept 30 splinter group otherwise needed time to study

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

J

USTICE Elvis Chukwu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, fixed September 30 to continue hearing on a suit seeking to stop the Alhaji Kawu Baraje led faction of the PDP, from operating in Nigeria.

At the resumed sitting on the case which was instituted by the Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and 11 other national officers of the party, Justice Chukwu directed all the parties to appear before the court on the next adjourned date to adopt their final written addresses to enable the court to enter judgment on the matter.

Apart from Baraje, others listed as respondents in the suit included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Secretary of the

known as the ‘New PDP’, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and its National Deputy Chairman, Dr Sam Jaja.

Also joined as a respondent in the suit was the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Though the court had earlier slated yesterday for the warring factions to exchange and adopt their legal arguments, however, owing to the inability of the Tukur’s faction to respond to a preliminary objection against the suit by the Baraje group, Justice Chukwu said it would be in the interest of justice to give all the parties ample time to ventilate their differences.

Counsel to Baraje, Chief Ahmed Raji, SAN, that of Jaja, Robert Clarke, SAN, and Oyinlola’s lawyer, Mr E. R. Enukpoeuo, told the court that they were only served with the plaintiffs response on Thursday, and

the documents so as to react appropriately.

Consequently, they sought for an adjournment, which was not opposed by counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Tochukwu Onwubufor, SAN. Specifically, the plaintiffs are praying the court to restrain INEC from recognizing, dealing and relating with the Baraje led faction as the national officers of the party, or operating and opening a parallel national, state, local government area and ward offices of the party pending the determination of the suit.

However, the respondents have since asked the court to dismiss the suit as it is not only lacking in merit but bothers on a domestic affair of a political party.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 7

I have no investigation file on Ibori’s $15m bribe — Ribadu •I leave you to your conscience — Ibori

A

S the confiscation hearing of assets of former Delta State Governor James Ibori entered its fifth day in London, yesterday, the former EFCC Chairman giving evidence of how Ibori offered him $15m bribe, said under oath that neither he nor the EFCC had an investigation file, notes of calls, meetings, briefings or records detailing the offer of the alleged bribe between him and James Ibori.

Cross- examined by Ibori’s lead counsel, Ivan Krolic, Ribadu said that the only notes he had on Ibori’s alleged offer of $15m bribe was his personal notes which he lost during the period he was being persecuted by the Federal Government when he was removed from office.

This was even as the EFCC yesterday told Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that Prof Pat Utomi, the first defence witness in the trial of a former Managing Director of BankPHB, now Keystone Bank, Francis Atuche and two others, took loan facilities to the tune of N59million at different times from the bank during his tenure as the vice chairman of the bank. This revelation came while Utomi was being crossexamined by the EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN. However, under cross examination in a London court on the matter of notes and records, the following took place: Ibori’s counsel: Do you always take notes in the course of your work or investigation?

Ribadu: As a trained officer, you are supposed to take notes.

Ibori’s Counsel: Did you take notes on Ibori in the course of your several conversations with him over the offer of $15m bribe?

Ribadu: I did, but lost them during my crisis in Nigeria On Recap with Sasha Wash asking the question, he further said, “it was maliciously stolen.”

At this juncture, Sasha tried to draw a connection with his assassination attempts and issues with the IGP Mike Okiro.

Ribadu: The IGP Mike Okiro is a despicable human being, the most

corrupt police officer I have ever seen. “He made my life hell. He withdrew my official car and police security”.

When asked if there is any connection with James Ibori and Mike Okiro, he added, “I was there when James Ibori nominated Mike Okiro to be IGP. Ibori’s counsel: Did you not keep them in EFCC office?

Ribadu: No, I am the chairman, it’s not my job to keep files.

Lead Counsel: Ok, when you lost your personal notes that contained your conversation with Mr Ibori, who did you report to?

Ribadu: I lost a complete brief case containing documents Lead counsel: Where?

Ribadu: In Jos while I was in school Ibori’s counsel: So who did you report to?

Ribadu: I reported to my school.

He had in the course of being cross examined by Ibori’s lead counsel said he lost his brief case containing some documents including his personal notes on Ibori while in school in 2008. In re-examination same day by the Crown Prosecutor, Sasha Wass, Ribadu said he lost the brief case in July 2007. When reminded by Ibori’s counsel, that he said while being cross examined in the morning that he lost his brief case in 2007, Ribadu said ‘’everything happened in 2008'’ Apparently determined to prove that Ribadu was lying under oath, Krolic pressed him further: Is it right to say that you should have ensured that your conversation with Ibori over his offer of $15m bribe to you should have been kept in an EFCC file?

Ribadu: Of course but in the file of the individual investigating officers.

Ibori’s counsel: Are these individual files not central in EFCC? Ribadu: Individual files of the officers involved.

Ribadu said during cross examination that the $15m bribe was brought into a room at a Senator’s house

by Ibori’s driver and assistant, but in a prosecution witness statement by Ibraheem Lamorde, one of Ribadu’s officers invloved in the case then said that the money was brought and put in the

car by the senator and his domestic staff.

Krolic: ‘’You said yesterday that it was Ibori’s staff that handed the bag containing the money to you’’.

Ribadu answered ‘Yes’ Ibori’s counsel: ‘Mr Lamorde in his witness statement said it was the senator and his domestic staff who put the money in the car.’’

Ribadu: ‘I did not sign this statement, you need to ask Lamorde’.

Krolic then informed the judge at that point that when the prosecution informed the defence counsel that they were inviting Mr Ribadu, the defence counsel, also requested that Mr Ibraheem Lamorde and James Garba be invited but were later told by the prosecution that the two could not obtain their visas to the UK. Meanwhile, Ibori’s lawyer, Jonathan Epelle, while reacting to Ribadu’s contradictory statements under oath in the courts said ‘Mr Ribadu could produce no investigation file and no evidence to support his claim in a case as serious as a $15m bribe allegation. He ended up disagreeing with his excolleagues, Ibraheem Lamorde and James Garba on even the most basic issue’.

Also, Ibori who spoke to his lawyers shortly after the hearing said that he was leaving Ribadu to his conscience and God since he swore on the Koran.

Q.C Krolic then said “Mr. Ibori did not offer or give any bribe money of $15million; neither was he there at the senator ’s residence during the alleged handing over of bribe money.”

He however, put it to the court that while he would not dispute the fact that $15 million exchanged hands between Ibrahim Lamorde, James Garba and the senator, and further deposited to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the money was from the then Federal Government in an attempt to frame up Mr. Ibori.

The three weeks confiscation hearing continues next week.

In the case involving Dr. Utomi, Pinheiro, while presenting documents before the court said Utomi took facilities worth the

Gov. Peter Obi (left), with the World Bank Country Director, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly (middle) and another World Bank member, Raffaello Cervini (right), after the meeting between the officials of the Bank and officials of Anambra State at the World bank Office, Abuja, yesterday. amount from the bank during the tenure of Atuche. He said a N40 million facility was granted to the witness on July 3, 2008, and another draft of N10 million raised on September 23, 2008 in favour of the witness through a company, U R Maintenance Limited.

Pinheiro also said one Emmanuel Utomi; his relative, allegedly received a cheque of N4 million on behalf of the witness from Clairemount Management Services, a company in which Atuche is alleged to be the sole signatory.

These facts were contained in a statement yesterday

signed by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren Pinheiro further said that at the time the Board of Directors of the bank was ratifying facilities granted by the bank, the ones granted to Utomi and many others were not disclosed.

Utomi, however, refuted the claims, explaining that he had started servicing the loans before the bank was allegedly “stolen”.

Apart from Utomi, other board members reportedly also took various loan facilities from the bank.

Mike Ajoku, a kinsman of Utomi from Ibusa in Delta state was granted a

N428million loan facility while one Consolidated Business Support Services got a facility of N1 billion.

The company is allegedly linked to one Ifeyinwa Osime, also a member of the bank’s board.

“On the day over N120 billion was allegedly ratified by the Board of Directors, you could not recall whether the chief credit officer who was alleged to have made the presentation before the Board was male or female,” Pinheiro said.

The matter was adjourned to October 3, 4, 23, 24, 25; November 18 and December 3 and 4, 2013 for continuation of trial.

Why we’re involved in Native and Vogue Fashion week— Rivers govt behind the brand campaign was to showcase

BY YEMISI SULEIMAN the numerous possibilities S the much awaited, that exist in Rivers State.

“We have a State that was Allure Vanguard the nerve centre of the Native and Vogue Port economy.

It was a Harcourt International destination place, it was a Fashion week kicks off, the garden city, and then the Rivers State government Niger Delta militancy came has revealed why the state and Port Harcourt was the is involved in the event.

The Rivers State centre of that struggle and Commissioner for bore the brunt. We lost Information and businesses and even the Communication, Ibim night-life of Port Harcourt Semenitairi, said the show died” she said.

“When Governor was in tandem with the Amaechi came on board, plans of the State one of the few things he government to further give decided to do was to life to Port Harcourt and reposition Portharcout and make it a destination brand in order to drive to drive investment.”

Semenitairi noted that in investment. order to deal with issues that “The show is part of our were the bedrock of destination brand militancy among which is campaign launched in unemployment, the 2010”. government put in place Speaking on the State’s involvement in the three policies to ensure job day fashion extravaganza, creation and to ensure that Semenitairi said the idea the economy is vibrant.

A

“The government can’t employ everyone but it can create an environment that enables business to thrive and there’s no such earner like the creative industry because it tends to employ lots of people and provide opportunities to create entrepreneurs,” she added.

Speaking further, she explained that “this is not the first time the government is dabbling into the creative economy.

In 2010, the Rivers State government sent 120 people to the New York Film Academy where they were trained in directing, animation etc. “We saw the result and so basically, we are just saying let Portharcourt come alive again.”.

The show which enters its second day today continues with more designers showcasing their collections to the excited Port Harcourt audience.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Ekwueme, Clark, Gbonigi, others call for National Conference

BY HENRY UMORU, Abuja

F

ORMER Vice President Alex Ekwueme, one time Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Reverend Emmanuel Gbonigi and others under the aegis, Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, SNPA yesterday reiterated their support for the immediate convocation of a National Conference and called for its immediate convocation by President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to a statement signed by Dr. Alex Ekwueme(South East); Chief Edwin Clark( South South) and Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Gbonigi (South West) yesterday, the SNPA urged President Goodluck Jonathan to before December this year set up a Committee that will work out strategies and modalities for the convocation of a National conference that will give the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria the opportunity to discuss

the collective future after what they termed a “forced” marriage of 100 years remains the most rewarding centenary gift President Jonathan can give to Nigerians.

Hailing Senate President David Mark on his National Conference position who stressed that there was the need for a national conference while addressing Senators back from vacation on Tuesday, said , “ the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly welcomes the remarks made by the Senate President, Senator David Mark on the urgent need for a national conference while addressing Senators back from vacation yesterday.

The Senate President’s call that ethnic nationalities should be given the space to discuss the future of Nigeria is most germane and could not have come at a better time. We are indeed elated that the Senate President has aligned with our long held view that a conference of ethnic nationalities is imperative in correcting the

•Member of the Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Sheik Iskeeil Lawal, addressing pilgrims from the state on arrival at Medina.....yesterday. enormous discontent in the Nigerian polity. Instructively, the position of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly in resolving burning national issues threatening the Corporate existence of the nation has been very clear. ”Since our inaugural

Cynthia: Statements were voluntarily obtained in open room — IPO

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

A

N Investigative Po lice Officer, Insp Joseph Edo, has told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere that statements were voluntarily obtained from the suspected killers of Miss Cynthia Osokogu in an open room.

The accused, Okwumo Nwabufo 33; Olisaeloka Ezike, 23; Orji Osita, 33; and Ezike Nonso, 25, were charged to court by Lagos State.

Led-in-evidence by the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Ade Ipaye, yesterday, at the trial within trial, Edo explained that the statements were voluntarily obtained during investigation of Cynthia’s murder.

The accused allegedly chained and strangled 25-year-old Osokogu to death at Cosmilla Hotel, FESTAC Town, Lagos, on July 22, 2012.

Edo, after being reminded that he is on oath, told the court how he knew the first and second defendants, saying “I know the first and second defendant in the murder case of one Miss Cynthia Osokogu which I am investigating.”

He added: “On April 20th, after their arrest, I

brought the second defendant to my seat and gave him a statement form to fill after which I cautioned him in English language in the presence of my team members. ”I also asked for his educational qualification and he said he could write so I gave him a biro and told him to start with his auto-biography which he did, read over it and signed. ”In the company of my team members, we were then instructed to follow the DSP, Mr Imoh, to the Area Commander’s office also the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Dan Okoro which we did. ”When we got there, Mr

Imoh handed over the statements to the ACP which he read to the first and second defendants and asked them how they carried out the act.”

Edo further told the court that he was then ordered by the ACP to go get a video recorder when he noticed that what they were saying was contained in the statement. ”I went out of the station and called one Mr Emmanuel Peters from his shop who followed me to the station and did the recording after the ACP made it clear to the first and second defendants that they were being recorded.”

conference at Ibom Golf and Resort Le Meridien, Uyo on 12th July, 2012

EFCC arraigns man for alleged N7m fraud

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, Abuja

T

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Mohammed Bashir Abbas before Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High court, Calabar over alleged fraud of N7 million.

According to statement signed by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, the suspect was arraigned on one count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence.

Mohammed allegedly obtained the sum of seven million, sixty three thousand naira (N7, 063,000,000) from one Boco Ika through a phony petroleum products supply deal.

According to Boco, Mohammed was paid to supply eleven trucks of 33,000 litres of petroleum product but only supplied

Rape: Ogun govt vows to deal with rapists

By DAUD OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

F

OLLOWING t h e incessant raping of minors in Ogun State, the State government has pledged to ensure that all rapists are brought to book, warning ambitious rapists to desist from the criminal act or face the full wrath of the law.

The state government however begged media to continue to protect the

identity of rape victims in their reportage,saying that, their exposure would affect them in the future.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi who stated this, during a press conference held in Abeokuta, yesterday, described the development as unfortunate.

Sonubi while reacting to the recent alleged rape of two minors at the Light of Hope Orphanage, Akute,

and the succeeding Conference a Nike Lake Hotel Resort, Enugu on the

29th January, 2013, the SNPA had affirmed its commitment to the convening of a national conference. Our position was again reaffirmed in the communique issued at the end of the 3rd General Conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly held on the 20th of May 2013 in Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. ”We therefore call on President Goodluck to set up a committee to work out strategies and modalities for the convocation of a national conference by not later than December 2013 giving the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria the opportunity to discuss their collective future after a “forced” marriage of 100 years the most rewarding centenary gift President Jonathan can give to Nigerians.”

Ifo Local Government Area of the state, she explained that the state government returned the affected girls to the home on their request.

The commissioner who stated that the state government was not taking side on the issue said ‘’we are not taking sides on the issue, but we are concerned about their welfare and future and that was why we allowed them to return to the orphanage”.

three trucks.

The charge reads; “that you Mohammed Bishir Abbas on or about the 4th of November 2011 at Zenith Bank Plc Bogobiri Street branch Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N7,063.000.00 (Seven Million, Sixty Three Thousand Naira) from one Boco Charles Ika under the false pretence that the said sum of money would be used to supply petroleum products to him, fact which you knew to be

false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (c) and punishable under section 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.

However, Justice Obile granted the accused bail in the sum of N2, 000,000.00 (two million naira) and one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned to November 5, 2013 for trial.

IMSG hammer falls on HOT 99.5FM

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

T

HE management of Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, has issued an Owerri based private radio station, HOT 99.5 FM, seven days to quit its present premises.

The Imo State Government agency read the riot act in a letter it addressed to the management of the radio station, dated September 17, 2013, and signed by one Chief Amadi.

Part of the letter read: “You are hereby required to remove/pull down the illegal/ defective structure located at the address indicated above within seven days from the date of issuance of this Violation Form; to reinstate the piece of land to the state in which it was prior to the commencement of illegal/ defective structure”.

The radio station, which

is currently located along Musa Yar ’Adua Drive, New Owerri, is owned by Spectrum Broadcasting Limited, is also believed to be promoted by Senator Chris Anyanwu.

Ardent listeners of the radio station and careful political watchers in the state have described the current travail of the broadcast outfit as”sheer vendetta and a ploy to force the station to either close down or relocate to another state”.

Others recalled that this particular radio station played a major role during the 2011 electioneering campaign that eventually saw Governor Rochas Okorocha securing victory against Chief Ikedi Ohakim.

A staff of OCDA, who did not want his name in print, claimed that Okorocha does no have hand in the current travails of HOT-FM.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 9

Shoot out in Abuja: DSS, Army kill 8 Boko Haram suspects, others sustain gunshot wounds •Seven dead bodies laid at Asokoro Hospital

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI & HENRY UMORU, Abuja

E

IGHT suspected members of Boko Haram were yesterday allegedly killed in Abuja, during a shoot out with a combined team of security forces.

Security sources told Saturday Vanguard that the suspected terrorists were killed in an uncompleted building located at the Kyari close, Zone E Apo Legislative Quarters, near the Gudu Cemetery in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. The house allegedly belongs to a retired military officer.

A combined team of security men from the Department of State Services, DSS, and soldiers from the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, reportedly carried out the operation against the Boko Haram members inside the uncompleted building where the suspects were said to have been allegedly hiding.

However, a national officer of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Prince Adeoso, who spoke to newsmen near the morgue at the Asokoro Hospital said the suspects were extra-judicially executed.

Adeoso described the incident as a massacre, pointing out that ‘’the Apo- seven were ablebodied youths who could not be provided jobs by the government.’’

The shoot out which was carried out about 100 metres from the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, lasted several hours. The operation was led by the DSS as the soldiers from the Guards Brigade provided back up support.

Seven corpses of the suspects have already been taken to the Asokoro District Hospital, The corpses were conveyed to the hospital in two ambulances belonging to the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps r e s p e c t i v e l y.

The attack by the security operatives followed intelligence reports which showed that the uncompleted building had over time became a venue

for the meetings of the Boko Haram suspects.

Saturday Vanguard learnt that an undisclosed cache of arms and ammunition were recovered by the security agencies after the operation which saw several other suspects sustaining gunshot wounds.

Spokesperson for the DSS, Marilyn Orgar who conducted journalists round the property, said that the team came under gun attack from the building as they approached it, adding that the security men returned fire-for-fire, 12 injured on the side of the suspected Book Haram insurgents.

Orgar did not say whether there was any casualties during the confrontation that ensued between the suspected Boko Haram members and men of the security agencies. She said that 12 suspects were injured even as some others ran into the bush. The DSS paraded two young men whose names were given simply as Kaman Abdullahi and Adamu, as those who provided the the information on the presence of the Boko Haram suspects which they said posed serious threat to peace and security at the

Apo District.

But, the operation which commenced at about 2.

30am in the early hours of yesterday, caused fear and uncertainty which enveloped residents of Apo District, especially the nearby Apo Legislative Quarters in the FCT yesterday.

Sources further told Saturday Vanguard that the shooting which was not far from the Legislative Quarters led to pandemonium in the district as some members of the National Assembly in the quarters reportedly fled following false rumours that some Senators and members of the House of Representatives that were the ones actually killed.

Witnesses who however spoke on the issue told Saturday Vanguard that the Zone ‘E’ location of the uncompleted building houses scores of Keke NAPAP operators and some petty traders, who usually retire to the place after their day ’s activities after payment of a token fee of N200 to the mai-guard (local security guards) in the building.

It was further said that the owner of the uncompleted building who resides outside the country, had earlier ordered his

UBA Foundation’s 2013 National Essay Competition 4: Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA Plc, Mr. Charles Aigbe ; Managing Director, UBA Foundation, Ms. Ijeoma Aso; Vice Principal, Kings College, Mr. Charles Utomi ; and a judge and Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, with students of Kings College, Lagos, during the press launch announcing Call for Entries for 2013 UBA Foundation National Essay Competition for Secondary Schools in Nigeria, held in Lagos on Thursday appointed caretaker to stop the tricycle operators and the traders from sleeping in the building but the order was disregarded by both the

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo state yesterday constituted a 50-man steering committee to plan and implement a befitting burial programme for the late governor Olusegun Agagu.

It also pleaded with the state government to immortalise him by renaming the Ondo State University of science and Technology in Okitipupa which was his brain child after him.

The state PDP chairman Hon Ebenezer Alabi at a Press conference in Akure said that the committee will complement that of the state government and the family of the former

Police Command, have cordoned off the area, while detailed investigations had commenced over the incident.

19 killed in Owerri autocrash

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

A

MORBID spectacle played out yesterday along the ever busy Owerri-Aba federal highway as no fewer than 19 persons lost their lives in a ghastly road traffic crash.

Vanguard investigations revealed that that the two vehicles in the crash, a commuter bus and a Nissan Xstra, were moving in

50-man burial committee for former governor Agagu governor.

Alabi acknowledged and appreciated the state government for promising a state burial for the immediate past governor of our state.

The committee according him is headed by the former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin.

Alabi said the need to set up the committee became imperative as the late Agagu personified PDP in the state.

The party also called on the state government to name after the former governor some structures and projects in the state in order to serve as mark of honour.

The party also urged the Ondo state government to embark on

Hausa operators and the traders before the operation.

Meanwhile, soldiers, DSS operatives as well as policemen from the FCT

the completion of all life touching projects left by Agagu administration for the state to witness unprecedented development. ”We hereby wish to propose to Ondo state government to name the Ondo state University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) Okitipupa after Dr. Olusegun Agagu. ” We also propose that the Fiwasaye - Ado/Owo road or the Isinkan Ondo road in Akure be named Olusegun Agagu freeway.

The Chairman said: “We also propose the Ore - Okitipupa highway be named Olusegun Agagu Highway in respect of the southern senatorial district while same should be replicated in the northern senatorial district.”

opposite directions.

While the commuter bus, which loaded in Owerri, was heading to Aba, it was not clear where the Nissan vehicle was coming from or heading to as at press time.

An eye witness account, which had it that the crash occurred at about noon yesterday, between Umuowa and Ihitte, Ngor Okpalaeke local council area of Imo State.

According to the badly shaken woman, all the 19 passengers, including the bus driver and conductor, died on the spot, but the Nissan driver survived the crash “The only survivor, a pregnant woman that had

her two legs chopped off, was bleeding profusely.

Her fate obviously hung in the balance. She was in a very critical situation and I pray God will see her through the ordeal”, a woman said amidst sobs.

On what led to the crash, most of the sympathizers were of the opinion that the two vehicles were on top speed and eventually ran into each other while trying to avoid a pothole along the road.

As at the time Vanguard visited the scene of the crash, the remains of the accident victims had been moved to an undisclosed morgue by officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC.

Dare Babarinsa loses mother

C

HIEF (Mrs) Serah Oyeladun Babarinsa, the matriarch of the Babarinsa Family of Okemesi, who transited on Tuesday August 27, 2013, would be buried on Saturday November 16, after a funeral service at Saint Michael Anglican Church, Okemesi, Ekiti State. Babarinsa, 95, an outstanding community and notable Christian leader, was the Iyalode of Saint John Anglican Church, Okemesi. She was the last surviving of the three wives of the late Chief Bakinde Babarinsa, the Sajuku of Okemesi who died in May 1991. Her transition marks the end of

an era full of private accomplishments and public good works.

Chief (Mrs) Babarinsa was a leader and an inspirer to many generations of women in Okemesi and environ. As a youth, she followed her uncle, the late Chief Bayowa, the Saloro of Okemesi, to foray into many parts of the old Yoruba country. Bayowa was a dealer in general merchandise, especially timber. She was with him at Iwo, Ile-Ife, Ilegbo, Ikoyi and many other places. It was in these early journeys that she picked her knack for business that was to be the hallmark of her career.

10—SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Much ado about Biometric motor registration!

BY EMMANUEL EDUKUGHO,KINGSLEY OMONOBI, Abuja & ISHOLA BALOGUN

To our chagrin, we found out that because the CMR is largely conducted manually and at best in some areas through analogue system, it is subject to a number of abuses ranging from extortion to outright fraud

S

everal times, when there are robberies and cars are snatched, victims of the vehicles in question don’t run to the Federal Road Safety Corp to report or seek for redress, but they run to the Police.

On the other hand, when there are such distress calls, the Police cannot run to the FRSC for immediate action, hence there is need for the Police to have its own data readily available and that can be transmitted in the heat of the moment. That is why the Police desire to have its own records to assist it in stemming the tide of car snatching and such other challenges.

This was the outcome of Saturday Vanguard investigation as to why the Nigerian Police Force came out with the new BCMR policy for car owners in the country which has elicited outrage across the land with many accusing the force of duplication and turning into a revenue generation agency.

While noting that the work of the Federal Road safety Corp was different from that of the Police, a source at Force headquarters said, the FRSC regulates vehicle registration and control while the mission behind the Police policy is strictly for security purpose and to checkmate crimes using modern scientific methods.

Explaining further, Police authorities pointed out that the new biometric registration processes of vehicles, tricycles and auto-bikes are part of new strategies meant to combat terrorism; prevent crimes; apprehend and prosecute offenders, amongst other duties. The explanation was made even as the Force disclosed that the new policy is backed by law under Section 3, SubSection 2 to Sub-section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, Cap 548 and it stipulates that for purposes of data to checkmate crime, the Police shall be the licensing authority.

Force Public Relations officer, CSP Frank Mba threw more light thus, “The new policy is an upgrade and modernization from the old analogue CMR to the new Digital Biometric Central Motor Registration (BCMR) system.

“The decision informing the introduction of the BCMR comes against the backdrop of contemporary security challenges bordering on terrorism, high incidence of car theft, carjacking, kidnappings and other acts of crimes and criminality in our society” he said.

“Unlike our hitherto analogue-

CSP Frank Mba. based procedures, the BCMR operates on smart-cards and portable hand-held receiver and is a specially developed technological means of attaching automobile owner’s unique traits and personal data to their vehicles for proper identification and protection purposes”.

The recent introduction of Digital Biometric Central Motor Registration, BCMR, by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has sparked another controversy.

While some proponets said it is a welcome development and a way of tracking criminals in the country, opponents insisted that it amounts to duplication of efforts in view of the fact that several other agencies have enough Biometric data which can be made available for the use of the police. Some of these documentation with similar biometrics data include the new driver’s licence by FRSC, the new vehicle plate number; the National Identity Card; and the Voter’s Registration Card, the international passport and sim card registration.

Besides, until this moment, many seem not to fully grasp what the registration is meant to achieve just as quite a number of mortorist do not understand the new documentation system.

Under this new arrangement, all vehicles, tricycles and auto-bikes will have to be registered via the new Digital Biometric Central Motor Registration (BCMR) system, thereby discarding the old analogue system.

Explaining the rational behind the introduction of BCMR, the Force Public Relations Offficer, Force Headquarters, CSP Frank Mba, said the digital registration which commenced last Monday, is aimed at

fighting crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping among others. He said: “as part of efforts at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force to effectively and efficiently fulfill its constitutional roles of saving lives and property, combating terrorism; preventing crimes; apprehending and prosecuting offenders, amongst others.”

According to him, “the decision informing the introduction of the BCMR comes against the backdrop of contemporary security challenges bordering on terrorism, high incidence of car theft, carjacking, kidnappings and other acts of crimes and criminalities in our society. Unlike our hitherto analogue based procedures, the BCMR operates on smartcards and portable hand-held receiver and is a specially developed technological means of attaching automobile owner’s unique traits and personal data to their vehicles for proper identification and protection purposes.”

He added that data gotten from this process will be used for forensic analysis. “The BCMR will provide a one-stop information data base for all vehicle owners and serve as a strong forensic base for all manners of investigations which will greatly enhance policing operations particularly in the area of tracking down and locating positions of missing vehicles, preventing crimes, arresting criminals guaranteeing safer and a more secure use of our roads and other sundry crimes,” he stated.

On the need to change from the analogue to digitilised process, the Force’s spokeman said: “Last year, we concluded a comprehensive audit of the operations and effectiveness of the Central Motor Registration (CMR) system of recording and keeping tracks on automobiles within the country. The audit became necessary because of the rising wave of terrorism, kidnap, robberies, theft of automobiles, and other criminalities committed with untraceable vehicles, tricycles and auto-bikes. Our findings were mind-boggling.

“To our chagrin, we found out that because the CMR is largely conduct-

ed manually and at best in some areas through analogue system, it is subject to a number of abuses ranging from extortion to outright fraud. More importantly, there are numerous cases of double registration, fake identifications, addresses, chasis and engine numbers. This is what is responsible for the nightmares Nigerians, the Police and our sister-security institutions face when automobiles are stolen or used to commit crimes. As part of the transformation agenda of Mr. President and, the new direction of the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force under IGP M.D. Abubakar, to reposition the Force as an efficient civil institution, we firmly resolved that owners of automobiles in the country must enjoy the protection and safety of their property as it is done in well organized society.

This is why we decided that it is time we moved from analogue means of

registering automobiles to digital storage of data on all automobiles as a matter of necessity.”

How it will work The BCMR is an advanced, digital means of storing data of automobiles.

It is less cumbersome and more precise than the CMR. More importantly, it is cost effective as vehicles would be registered for Three Thousand and Five Hundred Naira only (N3,500) while tri-cycles popularly

called ‘’Keke Marwa” or ‘’Keke Napep” and auto-bikes go for One Thousand and Five Hundred Naira (N1,500) only.

According to him, the BCMR has three means of registration which could be either through designated Banks, on-line or at some Police Commands. In the case of the banks, car owners pay the registration fees at the banks, collect their pin numbers and proceed to the registration

points for their registration - a process that does not take more than ten

minutes. You can also pay on-line, get your registration pin, commence the pre-registration by yourself, filling the details of your vehicle and personal data but the registrant would still have to get a designated registration to complete the registration process where his bio-data, photo and fingerprints would be captured. In the Police Commands and other designated formations,

registrants would purchase a scratch card which would give pins to be used for registration. Vehicle owners are expected to pay N3,500.00, while tricycles popularly called “Keke Marwa” or “keke Napep” and auto-bikes go for N1,500.00.

The BCMR has three means of registration which could be either through selected Banks (Keystone Bank, UBA, Ecobank, First Bank etc), on-line or at some Police Commands.

In the case of the banks, car owners pay the registration fees at the banks, collect their pin numbers and proceed to the registration points for their registration; a process that does not take more than ten minutes. You can also pay on-line, get your registration pin, commence the pre-registration by yourself, filling the details of your vehicle and personal data but the registrant would still have to get a designated Registration Centre to complete the registration process where his bio-data, photo and fingerprints would be captured.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—11

We have not been briefed about the BCMR — Chidi Nkwonta(Lagos Sector commander FRSC)

BY FLORENCE AMAGIYA

The concept of the new plate number is to tie your drivers’ licence information to your registered car data. It means if you do not have a drivers’ licence then you cannot register a car

C

hidi Nkwonta is the Lagos state Sector commander, Fedaral Road Safety Commission. In this revealing interview, he talks about the reason behind the implementation of BCMR, the new drivers’ licence, national identification card project and other related issues.

Read on...

Are you working with the Police force on the new BCMR implementation?

We work together with law enforcement agency both the federal and state law enforcement agency especially the traffic related ones. But when policies are formulated, management policies; they don’t invite us, but if it is a policy that will eventually appeal to general public; at the time of implementation they will involve us. But as for the BCMR; we do not know anything about it; we are not involved in it as we have not be briefed; but l am sure that at the corporate level they must be discussing it; and when the time is right we shall be told about it.

Sir l understand that you haven’t been briefed, but what do you think is the rational behind BCMR? Like my chief executive said when he was addressing the press the last time. We are confident about the police as they are law abiding agency under the government; we know that the police will not act outside the government; the police cannot act outside the law. Whatever they do or we do; we do within the premises of law. They will involve other agencies in the implementation. But my understanding is that it is suppose to assist the police to be able to track drivers who commit crimes with their vehicles.

Is that the rational for personaliz-

Nkwonta...The drivers’ licence is meant for drivers alone ing plate numbers?

Yes, the concept of the new plate number is to tie your drivers’ licence information to your registered car data. It means if you do not have a drivers’ licence then you cannot register a car. Our assumption is that you would have done the biometrics; the physical capture before you can obtained a drivers’ licence. The VIO would have certify that you can drive and the MVA would have collected revenue from you. So if we have all that in a data base and then you want to register your vehicle; all we need to do is to access your information in our data base; transport it to the totality of the new registration and save it. This would make it easy for us to tie a vehicle to a face. When AJ256 commits an offence if you go to the data base; it will be easy to get to the culprit even if he is not the one driving the vehicle.

This way security is also enhance. I am confident that the police know

what they are doing.

At the end of the day; don’t you think we would be having a lot of documents and the masses would be facing extortions as there are other licences that can serve the same purposes as this? As it is we already have international passports and all that?

No no no, it would not amount to extortion. As they don’t play the same role; in other countries people have international pass ports, drivers’ licence and other licences that enhance the smooth running of the countries. I need to emphasise this; drivers’ licence is not for banking or other trasactions we are using it for.

The drivers’ licence was bastardised during the rush of having a sort of identification at banks especially when the national identification didn’t go round. We are still insisting that the national identification card project is brought back so that Nigerians would know the use of the different documents in their possession; as the national identification card is meant for identification. The drivers’ licence is meant for drivers alone. It was only used to cover a gap; everyone of them serve its own purpose. So I have the

feeling that this one too, by the time it is implemented. The police is not running their own country; the national assembly is there and must have given them a go ahead in the implementation.

Let me use the medium to correct an impression as there has been a lot of talk of the FRSC not doing their jobs; that we have abandoned our traditional function and going in for money generation.

That we are people looking for money so we are setting target. That we are booking people and standing akimbo on the high way. All of over the world booking is an act of enforcement. We are getting to the era when we will just book the car and the numbers since we have all the information on the data base. And take the tickets to the offenders house or his office as we have all these on our data base. That way people would stop breaking the law because they know you can trace them and the only way to trace them is the drivers’ licence. And ultimately that would affect driving and reduce crashes. It also makes a car owner careful on whom he leaves his car with because it boils down to him at the end of the day if a problem arises. Meanwhile plate numbers is not for life; it has life span. Check online; some countries give it citizens’ five years span – 15 years, hence plate numbers are not for life. And it is also should be a personal possession since the information is tied to your name in the data base.

Do you think one of the reasons behind this is to make tracking offenders easier?

Yes it is so; because before now we impound vehicles and sometimes my men are beaten up or lose their lives in the course of their jobs. This would help change all that and possibly make the job easier for all of us. And make this country a safe place to live in.

‘New Police Biometric CMR not necessar y’

BY OLAYINKA AJAYI

F

ollowing the introduction of the Biometrics Central Motor Registration BCMR by the Nigeria Police Force recently, Nigerian motorists had within the week been faced with another burden as motorists have been enforced to go through it in order to cub crimes and terrorism. However, motorists are presently undergoing biometric capturing in order to get the new driver’s licenses as stipulated by the Federal Roads Safety Corps’ (FRSC) commands across the country.

The Nigeria Police, Public Relations Officer Frank Mba, recently announced at a press conference in Abuja that it was mandatory for vehicle owners to carry along the BCMR document as part of documents that they need to drive on Nigerian roads for security reasons.

However, security experts who spoke with Saturday Vanguard opined that the move will amount to another rounds of burden on motorists, while expert believes the data

needed would ordinarily be at the disposal of any government agency.

Dr.Ona Ekhomu the President of the association of industrial security and safety operators of Nigeria, in a chat with Saturday Vanguard bares his mind on the issue as he tagged such move by the Nigeria Police Force as unnecessary and superfluous registration. His words: “The Nigeria Police force is not a motor vehicle licensing authority such as the State governments or the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC. It is a criminal investigative agency charged with detecting perpetrators of crime and prevention of crime from being committed. The Police BCMR scheme is an unnecessary and superfluous registration programme that may not contribute significantly to detecting terrorists, kidnappers and armed robbers, or other violent criminals that the scheme aims at. The Police have the powers to search the databases of any federal or state agency in the course of carrying out criminal investigations or incident investigations. Without doubt, the biometric data that the Police aim to capture

already exists and is under the control of some government agency and is quite accessible to the police agency.

Given that biometrics are based on individual characteristics of the subject, biometric data is usually irrefutable. There are no two persons with the same set of finger prints, palm prints, retina in the world.

Biometrics are as individual as DNA. Therefore, any biometric data capture will help with identifying the perpetrators of violent crimes. However, for biometrics to be useful, biometric data must exist in a reference file or data base (such as the one envisaged by the NPF) and the biometric evidence must be collected scientifically in the field and developed according to the rules of science and evidence. So, just creating a data base does not mean that terrorists, kidnappers and armed robbers will desist from such act” he stated.

He further argued that biometrics duplication my NPF will not serve as a means of protection of lives and property: “It is obvious and unfortunate that duplication of biometric data bases will not enhance crime detec-

Dr.Ona Ekhomu

tion in Nigeria, but place more financial burden on citizens and also compromise or jeopardize personal information. At present, the telecoms companies collect biometric data that is not adequately protected. The recent Population census had biometric capture. The voter registration by INEC is biometric based. The Nigerian passport is based on biometric capture.

12—SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

BY AYO ONIKOYI

R

eactions have continued to trail the introduction of the new Biometric Central Motor Registration, BCMR, which its implementation is expected to be enforced by the Nigerian Police.

In feeling the pulse of the nation Saturday Vanguard went to town to talk with some people who bared their minds on the system. Here, is a compilation of a few of them:

People’s reactions tto o the new BCMR introduced by the Nigeria P olice F orce Police Force

It’s purely a scheme- Deji Etiwe, Movie Director and Producer

The so-called BCMR is not intended to fight crime but to put money in their pockets. Currently, what crime are they fighting talk less of making the BCMR to improve their services? It is just a ruse to perpetrate another form of crime.

It can only work if the Police or the Road Safety wants it to work. But my belief is that they can do better even without it. The introduction of the BCMR is purely a scheme by the Police to have their own share of the national cake.

zDeji

Etiwe

zI

Go Dye

Why can’t they harmonise one biometric procedure to take care of all – Yubie Uko, IT consultant

I know about the biometric registrations of both the Police and the FRSC. These registrations are fraud, a way of extorting money from hapless citizens. But what do we do? We are at their mercy and no one to fight for us. Why can’t they harmonise one biometric procedure to take care of all they want to achieve if they are sincere?

A very welcomed idea – Gabby Okorare, Media Consultant

Permit me to put my thoughts and understanding about the new BCMR recently introduced by the Nigeria Police. I see it as a very welcomed idea judging from the explanation for the rationale by the Police Force deputy PRO. I was opportuned to have listened to a recent radio programme in which CSP Frank Mba was a special guest.

He gave a graphic and detailed explanation of the workings of the New BCMR and its benefits to Nigerian public especially vehicle owners. He talked about all personal information – age, photo, finger, telephone number, email, address of individuals, car registration number, engine and chassis numbers and car make, being keyed into the central digital database of the Police.

With these information, if one’s car is stolen, used for robbery or kidnapping or any criminal activities, in the comfort of our parlour, one can call any police station in the country giving details of our BCMR, Smart card to the Police and all information of the stolen car will come out and contact will be made to the owner.

No faking of the BCMR, as no second party involvement in its procurement.

You have to be present physically to capture all information about you.

At any police check point, no time wasting or harassment. Present your BCMR smart card, with a flip on their hand held device on your smart card, if you are the owner of the vehicle, all necessary information about you will come out. But if one claims that the said vehicle is owned, say by a friend, a relation, a flash of the hand device on the plate number will reveal the real owner, questions about one’s relation-

because it has not achieved any result. With all the biometric here and there, it exposes Nigerians to their personal data being compromised.

It is just another means of obtaining money from Nigerians – Francis Agoda, Comedian a.k.a. I Go Dye

The problem is corruption,which has brought hardship to Nigerians. The so-called BCMR is not what we need to fight crime. The new plate numbers as we were told is a data based programme to check crime. It’s duplication of duties, Police should synergise with FRSC. The real crimes are not committed with personal cars.

It is just another means of obtaining money from Nigerians under false pretense. Does the Police patrol vehicles have digital surveillance gadgets? No. So let the government provide social security first.

Let them provide social support for the unemployed,increase the budget on education and create equality before the law of the land. Crimes are not committed most times with personal vehicles. The Police is not digitalized enough,they should provide CCTV cameras on our streets and express ways. Until the youths are engaged positively,the restiveness won’t decline. It is usually government policies that breeds criminality in the minds of the youths.

If there’s no work, no food, there can never be security.

It is just a pure case of stealing by tricks- Dare Adeolubodun, political scientist

z Okorare

zUko

It is another government magic for us, helpless citizens. This is not our problem there are so many other issues to address that would in turn help to address the problem of insecurity in the polity. Let them address issues of education, health, unemployment and many others instead of looking for cheap ways to make money off the hardworking citizens. It is a clear sign that the government cannot be trusted any longer. It is just a pure case of stealing by tricks.

It is a welcome development if.. Comrade Dave Chidozie, political consultant z Idemudia

ship with the owner will be asked, if the questions asked correspond with the same information of the BCMR owner, then one is left to go but if there are contradictions, then more questions will need to be asked and cleared before one is allowed to go. Let say, one’s vehicle is stolen in Lagos and found either in Onitsha or Kaduna, with the new BCMR, the police will just call you and say your car has been found instead of reporting at the station, cause your basic data are fed in the central digital Center, that will now aid to know the real owner.

The former CMR, is analogue and abused. The new BCMR is acquired once and not renewable.

I am convinced that this time around, let’s give this new BCMR a trial, one is not ruling out any form of abuse of this policy, judging from our Nigerian factor, some people will always want to find loopholes to beat the system to their advantage. I hope it will eliminate drastically the incidence of car snatching, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, etc. If the procedure should be

z Chidozie

made simple, as walking into any police station in the country or a designated centre, with all the facilities working with the fee of “three thousand and five hundred Naira”, I hope so, then I will say let’s give it a chance.

I strongly recommend aggressive public awareness campaign by the Police, using the print and electronics media, bill boards, hand bills. This will go a long way to get peoples’ interest into this laudable programme.

The Police should give a minimum of One year for people with the old CMR to key in while all new vehicles should come with the new BCMR at registration.

It exposes Nigerians to their personal data being compromised- Mr Godwin Idemudia, PHCN

Too many bio metrics have been done in this country without results.

The awareness of BCMR is not enough. It means nothing to me

The Biometric Central Motor Registration (BCMR) being introduced by the Nigeria police is a welcome development if it can be sustained, if it is for the purpose of having a database of all automobiles it will help checkmate crimes committed by automobiles, but if it is a way of ripping off the public it will go away like all other programmes with good intention but greed driven.

BCMR will promote technology and intelligence driven policing for crime prevention in the country; It will reduce road accidents because drivers will be aware that they cannot go scot free if they commit traffic offence (mainly over speeding.

For the automobile owner the issue of police checkpoint wasting car owner’s time will be a thing of the past because the BCMR have a device that can identify, authenticate the data and validity of every vehicles.

VOX POP: BCMR – 19/9/13 photos; BCMR folder – 19/9/13.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—13

C M Y K

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—15

C M Y K

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 17

18—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 19

20 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Dear Ebun, Arguments can erode any relationship, no matter how much love is there. Love is not enough. It is destructive to keep arguing or reacting when trying to communicate. Sooner or later, things get said or done that cannot be taken back.

You are digging yourselves into a deep hole. People inside that hole are blaming, being critical, condemning each other, getting defensive or shutting down. Nothing ever gets resolved in that hole. But most couples act as if they truly believe there is a pile of precious gold at the bottom. They are incorrect.

You can only resolve your issues when you are outside that hole, when you are being resourceful and constructive.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—21

I feel jealous of his ex

Aunty Julie, My fiancee of two years is the love of my life and after some time, I accepted he loves me just as much.

It took me so long to believe he loved me because of his ex-girlfriend whom he was with for five years .

You see, whenever I was out with him and she was at the same party, he would always stare at her or go over to where she was standing even if she was with her new man. It really did my head in and so I continued to ask him why he was doing it and he said he had no feelings for her and they were ‘just friends’.

Now everything is alright in that department as he has proven to me he loves me now in so many ways and I trust him. The problem is her. She bitches about me and I even got turned down from a job because she works in the same company, but it’s not that, it’s just I am so jealous of her. She’s pretty; has nice clothes; a good job and she is so confident. I always compare myself to her and copy her. I can’t help it, I just want her to be jealous of me for a change. I don’t think I’m ugly or a bad person so what is happening to me?

Tutu, Lagos

Arguments are tearing my marriage apar apartt So it’s important for you to know rule one for what to do when you find you’re in a deep, dark hole: “Stop digging!”

Whenever you start to get upset, when things are headed towards that hole, it will better serve you to take a time out.

Use your time out wisely.

Physical activity can be used to burn off the excess energy. Go for a walk. Meditate. Breathe.

Center yourself. Visualize a positive outcome for your future discussion. It takes at least an hour to calm down and become more resourceful. Do not attempt to discuss a topic again until you know you are ready.

Otherwise, things will only escalate further.

Taking time out should not be used as a way to avoid difficult topics. Things will not “just work themselves out” without your participation. You can learn to work though charged

,

Dear Aunty Julie, My husband and I have been married for two years now. I truly believe he is my best friend and soulmate.

But lately, we’ve been arguing a lot. Even on the phone, we tend to argue about small, petty things. I feel like he takes a lot of anger out on me and I always seem to get my feelings hurt.

He has a real tendency to shut down as do I but then we end up fighting all over again. Any idea what I should do? How do we bring up issues without getting defensive?

Ebun, Ibadan

It is destructive to keep arguing or reacting when trying to communicate.

Sooner or later, things get said or done that cannot be taken back

Dear Tutu, The issue here is how you feel about you. That is the entire issue. See it in that light, and you can begin to solve it.

The solution will not be found in your fiancee’s love.

Nor will it be found anywhere outside of yourself. It will not be found in looking at what the ex is saying or doing. It is strictly between you and yourself.

The only way I know to change one’s relationship with oneself is to find a mentor who can guide you to make new connections internally, connections where you form stronger bonds of self-love with those parts of yourself that feel insecure. The mental mechanism of making comparisons between yourself and the ex is a product of your own emotions. These emotions live inside of you, inside of your head and the solution is to change those feelings and there is no better way than to find a good mentor to help you.

,

topics with greater ease and skill. This takes practice and perhaps courage, at first. The intent of taking time out is to come back with the best of who you are and find a mutually workable resolution.

He runs from our problems

,

Dear Julie, I’m a regular reader of your page and I need your advice.

My guy is giving me conerns.

When we have problems small or big, he runs away from talking and tries to leave me. I think he has a lot of anger toward me and his family for pains he suffered from us. It has been ten years since the day we met and one full year since we have gotten back together after parting ways.

When we have problems small or big, he runs from talking about them and says it’s not working for him and tries to leave me. Then as we talk more, I hear about the old problems and he blames that on why we have any problems, which have nothing to do with the subject we are arguing about. What do we need to do Carolyn, Warri

Problems that are not even actually that big in the present can be made huge, boosted up in intenstity only because they somehow remind us of our past

,

Dear Carolyn, It can be confusing that the past will come up and create problems in the present. Problems that are not even actually that big in the present can

* Real Estate An inexperienced real-estate salesman asked his boss if he could refund the deposit to an angry customer who had discovered that the empty plot he had bought was under water. “What kind of salesman are you?” the boss scolded. “Get out there and sell him a boat.” * Love, passion, money A husband and wife drove for miles in si-

be made huge, boosted up in intenstity only because they somehow remind us of our past.

This is how the past can literally take over our present relationship, and we will say or do things that completely seem to go against supporting happiness — even, sometimes, leading someone to threaten to leave.

Your boyfriend running is a part of the “flight or fight” reaction that is coming up subconsciously. It reflects some way in which he was traumatized in his past, and because the trauma has not yet healed, it comes up again now, and it takes over the emotionality of the present moment. And he is trying to flee.

The direct answer to the question of what you need to

do is simple.

First, it is obvious by your description of what happens that your boyfriend is getting overwhelmed by a trauma that is still stored and active within his nervous system.

He deserves to be relieved of this, so that he can better stay in real time in the relationship, and not get sucked back into his wounded past.

Second, I always recommend that both partners join equally in the intention of healing old wounds. We all have them. Maybe his came up first, and because of that, it is more obvious.

But that does not mean he is the only one in the relationship who has internal traumas that affect the quality of your relationship.

Relationship is a two-way

C O C K - T A L E S lence after a terrible argument in which neither would budge. The husband pointed to a mule in a pasture. ”Relative of yours?” he asked. ”Yes,” she replied.

“By marriage.” * A little girl asked her mother for two dollars to give to an old lady in the park. Her mother was touched by the child’s kindness and gave her the required sum. ”There you are my dear,” said the

street. Usually, and I mean 99% of the time, both partners have past wounds. Societally, we all have some amount of woundedness from our pasts that limit our present capacities in our adult relationships.

Look no further than to our 30% divorce rate for direct evidence of this.

If you are committed to having a great relationship, it is only wise to put aside a period of time to get whatever help is available today toward the healing of old patterns or wounds that emotionally put you in a bind. So I recommend that you both look into modalities hat can heal old wounds and keep you more alive, and your relationship more alive and in the spirit of happiness.

mother.

“I guess, she is too old to work?”

“Oh no,” came the reply. “She sells ice cream.” * A doctor and his wife were having a big argument at breakfast. “You aren’t so good in bed either!” he shouted and stormed off to work. By midmorning, he decided he’d better make amends and phoned home.

After many rings, his wife picked up the phone. ”What took you so long to answer?”

“I was in bed.” ”What were you doing in bed this late?”

“Getting a second opinion.”

22—SATURDAY

Revenge, a dish served cold?!

t took three years of playing one man against the other to finally convince Ada to decide on who she thought would be the better man to get married to Dan. Four years later, and with a three-month-old baby in her hands, she walked out on her marriage. “Dan was a drunk, a brute and a chronic womaniser,” she said sadly.

“I don’t really know why I preferred him to Levi in my courting days. Levi was always a gentleman.

Predictable, almost to the point of irritation. Dan on the other hand took me to interesting places and we did very daring things. I realized later that excitements like that shouldn’t be taken into marriage.

“Levi was his predictable self when he found out about my separation from my husband. He took both me and the baby over completely. He changed the baby’s nappies, took us for medical appointments and was forever giving us money. When his building was completed in one of the suburbs of Ikeja, he not only gave me a flat but equipped the living room so I could use that for my legal firm.

For two years, I rushed through my divorce convinced that Levi and I would eventually get married. The month my divorce came through, I went abroad to buy muchneeded law books and also to give myself a breather.

Levi bought my ticket and gave me a generous cheque for my shopping. I was confident in the love I thought he had for me.

“When I came back, I was a bit surprised to see my younger brother waiting for me at the airport luggage room. He said Levi was in the car waiting to talk to me.

He looked so embarrassed

M

that I knew that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Levi had this stony look on his face as soon as I came out of the lounge. He came straight to the point. His fiancee was pregnant and he’d already moved her into the house. His fiance?

I knew he had a girlfriend but he scarcely mentioned her when we started going out again. When I told him I didn’t know he was still seeing her, he looked at me as if l was out of my mind.

‘As at that time we met each other again’, he reminded me ‘you were already married. Surely, you didn’t expect me to throwaway a single woman I’d been involved with for years for a married woman who once ditched me?) 1 was shocked to say the least.

“But what about all the things you did for me? For us? “I wailed. “Well, what about them?’ he asked, looking distant. Suddenly, he was like a total stranger.

A monster. “I was doing all I could afford to do for you before you decided to marry Dan. Surely you didn’t think I would take

,

My best friend’s husband once cornered me as I struggled to fix a new bulb in its socket

an over-dose of pills.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to die as I was discovered in time and rushed to the hospital. The doctor who treated me arranged for me to be counselled by a psychiatrist and that helped for a while.

That was five years ago — I’m going to need a really long time to get over the depression that now gets hold of me some of the time ... “ Lola thought she was a hardbitten, seen-it all by the time she met Donald, a broadcaster who had a public relations outfit. “After over six years as

he called just when she least expected it. His tactics were to leave the impression that she had seen the last of him, especially when the first meeting had gone so well.

Then he pounced. He is what is known as a patient fox! “But the time with him was good and part of the few moments I cherished. But then, like I said, he knew his onions— too clever by three quarters; and so sharp that one of these days, he ’d cut himself” . “I knew all this modus

Why mothers-in-law set your teeth on edge!

ost wives will readily admit that they will love their mother-in-law better if they lived under different roofs.

The mere mention of the mother-in-law sets some wives’ teeth on edge, and you can’t blame them. It’s turned out that living with the mother-inlaw really can be bad for a woman’s health. Scientists say women are up to three times more likely to develop serious heart disease if they live under the same roof at as their C M Y K

you seriously a second time and let you hurt me all over again? 1 “It was then the penny dropped. Levi was trying to pay me back for the hurt I must have caused him all those years ago. And he did pay me back ten-fold. He’d moved all my things from the flat to my parent’s house —including my law books. The shock was so much that a week later, I took

a widow I thought, by the time I met Donald, that I knew his type! said Lola .”I’d met plenty like him since I lost my husband.

They all had big friendly smiles and such sincere desire to help the poor, lonely widow move heavy objects in . the house or see to her car, or arrange for general security measures in the home. As soon as you let them get too familiar, you’d discover what calculating rogues they were. My best friend’s husband once cornered me as I struggled to fix a new bulb in its socket and tried to persuade me into having a relationship with him, saying that since I was still young and attractive, I had no right to deny myself the privileges of the sexual pleasures at his disposal!

“Donald was a professional. There is no other word to describe him.

He was a pleasant change from men who imagined they had an automatic right to a girl’s compliance just because they took her out for meals. Donald had obviously discovered that a girl was more flattered if

,

I

Vanguard SEPTEMBER 21 21,, 2013

extended family. The stress of acting as daughter, mother and partner can damage the heart by causing high blood pressure and even diabetes. Can the poor mother-in-law ever get it right? For their study, the scientist looked at the effect ofliving arrangements on almost 9,000 healt~middle-aged men and women, over 14 years. Between 1990 and 2004) 671 ofthose surveyed in Japan

were diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

Meanwhile, 339 died of heart disease and 6,255 died of other causes. A woman who lived with her parents —or those of her partner— as well as her children, was up to three times as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease as those who only lived with their partner.

Living with children doubled the risk, compared to those with a child-free home.

operandi, laughed at it secretly yet felt hopelessly in love with the cad. When he finally dumped me, like I suspected he would, I was physically sick, yet I knew why he wanted me. It wasn’t because he particularly loved me.

Obviously, I was just another possession — like his posh flat, his flashy cars, his arrogant designer linen clothes. I was merely a beautiful woman whose presence by his side inflated his ego. There are always girls like me for him for the asking — only they’re now younger!

It pays to be calm and even tempered Stress makes our bodies produce adrenaline and noradrenalin; ‘stress hormone ‘which increases energy use by up to 15 per cent. As your body ages faster, it becomes more susceptible to illness.

So,don’t be afraid of peace and quiet, or simply doing nothing. Take time to enjoy being with your friends and family — nobody is indispensable.

E x e r c i s e moderately: You don’t need athletic exercise to keep fit and well—walking the dog, going shopping and climbing the stairs should be enough. If you have a desk job, try to take a 3D-minutes walk at least three times a week.

Eat less: Although we need food for energy, we use up a lot of energy processing hard-to-digest fats and protein.

Carbohydrates found in bread, fruit, vegetables and rice are much easier to digest. A study that followed the eating habits of people aged between 70 and 90 found that they usually consumed fewer calories per day and avoided gassy, heavy and sour food.

Get a good night’s sleep: Every hour of sleep you lose costs 50 calories of “life energy.”

Over 10 years, a sleepyhead saves nearly 200,000 calories!

A love relationship is like the sea.

Sometimes the sailing is smooth and other times it’s rough and stormy. An experienced mermaid can look at a beautiful day, feel a particular dullness in her scaly tail and sense that a storm is coming. A typhoon builds slowly and steadily, providing some advanced notice to batten down your hatches. A chubasco offers no warning before unleashing sudden rain, thunder and howling wind that appear out of nowhere. Like the mermaid, how can you sense that a storm is brewing in your relationship? How can you stop a fight before it starts?

Your mate may know every detail and statistic about his favourite ball player and have no clue what you are feeling. Conversely, do you always understand precisely what is nagging at him? An entirely beautiful day can be tormented by the smallest and most inconsequential remark by a rude colleague or a lousy boss. It doesn’t take much to get hurt, frustrated or angry, especially in these times when we are pulled in so many directions.

There are ways to right your ship and set your love boat back on course. * Be Present: Your mate comes home from work and clearly he is not happy.

He barely nods hello. Grabbing a beer, he slams the refrigerator shut. The bottle opener is buried deep in a drawer and he makes a lot of noise searching for it. Not finding a clean glass, he is forced to drink from the bottle. Unable to find chips, he swears under his breath. You ask, “Honey, what’s the matter?” Curt, he answers, “Nothing.”

Clearly, something is brewing. Far out at sea, lightening strikes. What does this mean? Does he want a divorce?

Or did he get a query at the office? All human beings are fragile and tender creatures. We rarely know what we are honestly feeling at any given time. We

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21 21, 2013—23 find a very clear and objective view to your situation. Zero is love and eternal happiness. Ten is divorce.

Where does your current dilemma fall? Are you overreacting? Put things in perspective. More often than not, problems seem overblown at first. *Pause. Take a step back. Arguing is dangerous if emotions run high and suddenly issues are invited to join the party that have been lying dormant.

Perhaps those thoughts were best unsaid when humans are reactive and arguments tend to escalate. A hurt animal needs time to lick its wounds.

There are many times when your mate needs to be left alone. Give him time to sort it out and ponder. Hopefully he will do the same for you. It is a gesture of courtesy. If an issue needs to be discussed, bring it up when you are both calm and can listen to each other without blaming or criticizing. *Seek a diplomat: We need each other and fighting can signal a cry for help. If you are able to step away, a trusted confidante, particularly a neutral or positive one, can often be of great help in lending advice, comfort and counsel. If you can remain objective, without reacting, you can be your own best mediator. It isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Put your own frustrations aside briefly to understand your mate’s perspective. Listen closely. *Give something up. To heal an argument, always be prepared to aim for tranquility and quiet. Do your best to listen to yourself and your sacrifice something. You and your mate mate. Identify the feelings, allow them are a team and together you are making a place for yourselves in this world. to exist and seek out their source. * Prioritize: What is the cause of the What can you give to find a solution? current storm or threat to your relation- Ignore what you desire for his ship? Are you lucky, actualized and contribution, or lack thereof. Focus on self-aware enough to know? If your your efforts. Yield to what’s best for answer is yes, then the next step is to “we” instead of focusing on the “me”. prioritize the threat. Is this something That’s the key to a long-lasting love affair. It takes both of you to cross these to be worried about or not? *Create a scale. This can help you worthwhile seas

How to stop that fight before it starts

are conditioned to bear the pain and keep marching. The slightest comment or perceived disrespect can easily cause us great pain, which naturally decays into ugly resentment. Touchy, we may attack when provoked. In our fast paced lives, there is little time for meditation or to be present to the present moment and what we are feeling in that moment. Rather than jump into the fray, aspire to quiet meditation and

Is he rejecting me?

Ques: My boyfriend and I have been together for a year. Both of us are very committed to the relationship. We practically live together. I am the more emotional, affectionate, romantic. He is more of a loner, independent and less affectionate. We’ve made it great this far, despite our differences. But I feel our relationship isn’t progressing. He doesn’t speak of our future together. I ask about plans for us, he just says we have a future together.

I’d like to work towards an engagement, but he won’t commit. He says he’s not ready. When I try to discuss this issue further, he gets quiet and doesn’t elaborate beyond yes and no answers.We already act and speak as “we”, yet he won’t take more steps to move towards our future.

What can I do? I cannot help feeling rejected.

Rubby, Port-Harcourt Ans: Moving through levels of commitment is like a dance. Timing is everything. Many couples do not move forward in perfect synchrony. This does not have to be a sign that something is wrong. You have differing internal clocks. He is simply dancing a bit slower , that’s all.

The personality differences you describe would predict your different clocks in this dance. Just because you dance faster does not mean he isn’t dancing forward.

Things are moving forward. It would be sad if your impatience became the cause of big upsets and that put a halt to your dance. We suggest you put this topic on the back burner. Don’t fight over a word.

Such fights do the real damage. As lines get drawn in the war over words, big fears can loom. One partner may feel anxious and push for relief. Then the other partner feels pressured. You don’t have to go there.Commitment is not always first put

into words. Look at actions. If you are both monogamous, then effectively you have a certain level of real commitment already, regardless of words. We recommend you make an agreement not to discuss the “C”-word for two months.

Check in after two months to see where you each stand. See if you want to renew the agreement, or if it’s time to take a big step. In the interim, put focus on increasing positive interactions. What draws someone to more commitment is the sense of being accepted. If you put too much pressure on saying the right word, you may also send a message he’s not accepted as he is.

When this happens, partners often close down, as he is doing. To open things up, acceptance is a key. When love also offers acceptance, barriers naturally fall.

We would focus now on deepening

your sense of acceptance and using that key to open the doors to deeper communication. This ultimately could make it far easier for him to open back up and feel certain.

It may be challenging to feel acceptance and not let insecurities take over. It is not true that you cannot help but feel rejected. Now is the time to discover your true inner strengths. You should learn to calm down and soothe your anxieties.

Healthy longterm relationships depend on us to develop the inner ability to weather an occasional emotional storm.

You should also cultivate your own appreciation for personal space. By showing an ability to attend to your own needs as an individual, you will further entice him into taking over the helm of “togetherness” and give him the job of steering your relationship into commitment.

* Enefe, male, 38,graduate,employed, Nigerian, from *Magistrate, male, from Delta, needs a beauEdo,5ft 6,genotype AA,fair, Christian, single,based in tiful working class lady who is gainfully emBenin, needs a Nigerian lady who is educated and ployed for a marriage-bound relationship on responsible aged between 24-35 years on 08181274415 08072243317 * Uche ,27, working class , resident in Lagos, 5ft8, fair *Gabriel, from Delta needs a lady of 20-25 and romantic, single and ready; wants to start a serious on 08153850024 *Tola, female, 28, Engineer, graduate, loving, reliable, relationship with a serious-minded lady between 20-26 *Jay, 31, employed , from Delta State needs and responsible, wants a man of 30-50 for a life-time years on 08066782353 a good girl for a serious relationship that will relationship on 08133470853 *Peter, 26, resident in Lagos, needs a lady of 20 years for lead to marriage on friendship on 08183599155 08035440203 *Happy, female based in Lagos needs a sex*Kennedy, male, 33, Do you have reactions to our stories or have you any experience you want ually active man 23-45 on 08136980741 wants a white lady of *Blesman, preacher, 46, Edo, wants to link24-29 for a serious reup with a born-again working -class ChrisDo you want to be linked? lationship on tian lady aged 39-44 as wife on Neither Chioma Gabriel nor Saturday Vanguard has any relationship with anybody wanting 0 7 0 1 3 7 3 7 6 9 4 08059947263 to be linked. We have no agents anywhere and charge no fees. We have no personal informa*Oluwatoyin, 26, female, busty, desires a tion of people who have been linked or want to be linked and therefore, are not answerable for Godfearing man of 40-50 on 08142314889

C M Y K

24—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

How to choose a lover that is a fit for you

D

What a woman really wants is self-confidence from a man

T

his is an age-old question that has been asked for decades and more. According to an opinion, women want a man who is self-confident.

Confidence, not arrogance, not dominance, not one-upsmanship, not useless bravado, not macho heroics.

Women just love truly confident men.

Women love to be around a man who has an attitude of confidence. This does not mean he will always feel confident in every situation, or not be vulnerable or have feelings. It is just something that he expresses with his energy. Confidence simply says, “I can deal with this, I can handle it.”

Today, it is often confusing for a man to recognize for himself what turns a woman on, primarily because women, especially younger women, often look at status symbols like the type of car, job, house or bank account a man may have.

But these status symbols actually represent a man who must have some confidence even if it does get lost in the symbols themselves. Instinctually, women look for clues about a man’s self-confidence and to some degree, the type of car he drives is a clue.

So if it is man’s confidence that turns a woman on, then wouldn’t it also make sense that an attitude of confidence would arouse her desire or at least attract her.

Sexual confidence comes from knowing that you are at ease with your own sexuality, in control of your own desires and energy and that you are a good lover. This can apply to a woman or a man but when a man exudes an aura of sexual self-confidence about himself, it is very attractive. It could be translated as, “I am the master of my own sexual energy”. Again, it is not bravado, or arrogance or even being over confident. A man who is comfortable with his own sexual energy, who feels in control of his energy and that he is the master of it, and not the other way around, is able to offer a woman his full pres-

ence.

When a man takes the time to study

lovemaking, he first learns how to make love to himself and then to a

woman, something shifts for him.

He goes from being a man who needs a woman to fulfill him sexually, to a man who takes responsibility for his own sexual satisfaction.

He then no longer feels he has to perform for her, which is really about proving to himself that he is a good lover but rather can drop that attitude and just really engage his partner with his full presence.

Most men allow their sexual energy to run them. Their manhood lead the way and their energy is all over the place. It leaks out to women in various ways and is often felt as slimy, or over sexed, needy and pushy to women. A man who wants a woman has that hungry look about him. His sexual energy is pouring out of him uncontrolled.

A self-confident man who walks in a room is just being present and does not need anything from anyone, especially not from a woman.

He is not looking to get his sexual needs met and even if he is feeling sexy, he is in control of his energy .

This is a man that no longer needs

a woman to feel sexually satisfied.

Now if you are a man and reading this, you may be thinking that you like needing a woman to satisfy you sexually. But the truth is, you don’t have to make love with a woman to get sexual satisfaction. You know that you are fully responsible for your own energy and therefore you know you can satisfy yourself first which frees you from the belief that you need a woman to have sex with to feel sexually fulfilled. This freedom translates into sexual self-confidence which then is felt by women.

This goes for women as well. A woman who exudes sexual self-confidence is a woman is owns her sexual energy and does not feel she needs a man to satisfy her. Her confidence comes from within herself which is very attractive to a man.

Developing your sexual self-confidence is not that difficult. It is a learned thing and only requires that you take the time to cultivate mastering your sexual energy. If you are willing to be your own best lover first, to take full responsibility for your sexual satisfaction and your sexual energy, then you will become even more irresistible to women.

XPERT E S E H T K AS is 25. We have

oes knowing how to be a great lover spoil you from being with men who are not?

Knowing what turns you on and how you like to be touched can be both a blessing and a curse. If you are not in a relationship and you are actively sexual with at least one other person, then being a better lover than your partner could either make you dissatisfied or move you to make a change. Men often say that they prefer a woman who knows what she wants, but it has been many men’s experience that unless they know how to communicate that information in a very loving and non-threatening way, they will have a hard time receiving it. Some men, especially the ones that think they are great lovers, are the hardest to talk too as they feel that they know how to do everything and are closed down to any new information. It takes great skill and finesse to share with your paramour your knowledge in the art of love.

The best way to share what you know about what you like is to demonstrate it. If you touch your partner the way you wish to be touched and then praise them and say, “I love to be touched in exactly the same way. “ Or you can also have a special time to share what you both like and don’t like sexually, and then show each other what you do like. Both of these ideas work really well as they do not bruise anyone’s ego.

Being a woman who is a great lover can be a wonderful thing but it can also mean that you won’t settle for less than what you know you deserve. You can be the kind of woman that has always put love on the top thing when it comes to compatibility. If you are like that, then being a great lover will also demand that the men you date or choose to partner with will also have that skill.

Or you may both decide to study together. Either way, you will be getting a man who meets you where you wish to be met. Being single and a master at loving doesn’t make it impossible. It only means you may have to wait awhile until you find the right man for you.

ongly beughtered over the wr gers who are also sla human the ke ma ir parts can the t tha n tio no d ve lie my partner penis erect. if you stop your e I am 27 years old and lg r chances for a cure er we indu ev tte be en ve wh e t ha u Bu .

Yo lly na e a sexpert for advic sex occasio ys . and smoking and se ck hu rt fo r tw o da ing ba ink d dr an gs le my in it, di ca tio n. and treatment.

Pl ea se su gg es t me ily exercise. da gh ou thr el lev s es tim e m y Increase your fitn ye ar s ol d. Ea ch find a suitable one u 30 yo till am s ion I sit my lower po t in a pain Try differen nters me me, I get aches. de the an u sb yo hu e wo ma ngiv e t th no es in that do en s ev en do me n. Th is ha pp ab g? on d an ha t’s wr em pl oy ee . I dr in k on -to p po sit io n. W e of the m I am a 30 -y ea r-o ld fro g n occur at the entranc rin ca ffe in su pa am or I y. ort da mf te sco na Di du rin g er n alt y me er e ab do l smoke ev or de ep er in sid e th friend says eating came y na M gi n. va lp solve tio he nc n sfu ca t dy gis le erecti naecolo isiac. ourse. A visit to the gy ney acts as an aphrod erc ho int in d ate rin ma ne bo the issue.

Is it true? re camels than timo ny ma are re the y Fortunatel

SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—25

Continued from last week

T

he following day ... 100m semi fi nals. Three of them. The favourites in the other two duly won theirs in impressive style.

Especially the Jamaican.

And Okagbare? Well, she won hers too. But it was sweet and sour. Sour because it was the slowest victory of the 3 races and her most sluggish start all season, fuelling a suspicion that the rigours of glory-hunting the previous day may have sapped vital freshness from the gazelle’s legs.

Sweet because her formidable kick was nonetheless in full effect

From Russia with love (4) second day of her heroic quest.

Somehow it lacked the vitality of a sprint queen determined to claim her crown by force or by fire.

The starter’s pistol cracked.

Eight finely sculpted bodies leapt forward, the Jamaican’s one of the first, as is her custom; Okagbare’s one of the last, as is

,

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it

and carried her tearing through the pack to the front in highly impressive style.

So what did she have left for the all-important final, one of the two show-piece events of the Championships? Her expression revealed little as she stood patiently behind her starting blocks. But its slightly grim quality disturbingly resembled that of a heptathlete in endurance mode deep into the

,

also her custom.

But there was nothing customary about the gazelle still dawdling at the rear end of the pack 70 meters into the race with the gold well on its way to Kingston in the pocket of the little rocket several meters ahead, firing relentlessly across the finishing line.

What left but to look on with an age-old resignation as the Jamaican and Ivorian celebrated their gold and silver respectively in front of the applauding crowd, whilst my 6thplaced compatriot trudged off

with bowed head into the bowels of the stadium?

De ja vu. Of the most unwelcome kind.Four days later, the 200. Similar to the 100, Okagbare has cruised through the rounds. But by now it’s obvious that everyone saves it for the finals. They blast off. This time, the weary gazelle has more real estate to play with and holds on for bronze.

Perhaps courtesy of Felix, the pre-race favourite who pulled up with a hamstring ailment.

A divine orchestration for Blessing? Maybe, who knows?

W

hat I do know is that the outcome didn’t have to be that way. Like the conclusion of many-aninquest into an aviation fatality, the attributable cause is ‘human error’. Not an act of God (or ‘God’s will’, as we often piously mutter).

I cannot speak authoritatively as to whether Okagbare’s entry for four events was at her own insistence or that of the Federation officials. Either way, the decision-making

could no doubt have been optimized. Her 6th position in the 100 finals fell far short of what she is capable of; her performances prior to the World Champs clearly proved that.

So why yet again another incident of a Nigerian athlete failing to deliver to his/her full potential on the biggest occasion?

In this case, a failure of strategy. Competing in the Long Jump compromised her prospects in the 100.

Competing in both Long Jump and 100 compromised her prospects in the 200.

Given the individual events schedule, the ideal combo should have been either LJ/ 200 or 100/200. Not LJ/ 100. And definitely not all three, a feat that none of her colleagues with superior facilities at their disposal, dared to attempt.

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

I guess for a country whose only individual medal at the Championships came 26 years ago through the

T

he Anambra State Governorship election is poised to change the way politics is played in Nigeria. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the most vulnerable members of the society have not only risen to be counted but have resolved to determine who wins the election. This resolve has jolted a lot of politicians who were caught napping. This is as a result of the criteria which these groups have decided to use to determine who will enjoy their support and the fact that these groups intend to give bulk vote to any candidate they endorsed for the governorship election.

The first group to make its intentions known are the disabled under the aegis of Association for Comprehensive Empowerment of Nigerians with Disability (ASCEND), founded by this columnist who also the national president of the group. The organization was founded in 2006 to address the social, economic and political exclusion of persons with disability, through active participation in politics and socioeconomic activities.

Since inception, the organization has carried out among others, a lot of advocacy and awareness campaigns through rallies, picketing and courtesy calls on government officials and business moguls. These efforts did not yield commensurate result and consequently, the association decided to change strategy by resolving to play major roles in determining who wins

Governorship election:Anambra poised for a change

,

C M Y K

or loses elections in the country.

However, ASCEND, at a press conference held on July 16, announced that Nigerians with disability will no longer live at the fringes of the society and henceforth, the organization will play important

,

Thisdevelopment portends a good omen for Nigeria

roles in all future elections in the country, starting with the Anambra State gubernatorial election. ASCEND has since taken a significant step towards actualizing her mission by endorsing Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah as their candidate for the Anambra State governorship election billed for November 16, 2013.

This announcement has sent shivers down

the spine of the rest of the gubernatorial candidates.

Borrowing a leaf from ASCEND, the widows and widowers, Market women and men, poor rural farmers, Okada and Keke riders,organizations,masses etc., at the flag off of Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah campaign, endorsed him for the governorship of Anambra state in 2014. The flag off which witnessed a tumultuous crowd gave fillip to the choice of the vulnerable groups.

This development portends a good omen for Nigeria, because the focus(by all and sundry) is to pay attention to political office holders and office seekers, thus leading to all inclusive leadership and development. The bane of Nigeria has always been the skewed sectional focus of leaders on tribe, religion, class and other sectional

mighty strivings of Innocent Egbunike, a silver and bronze wasn’t such a bad result. Even if our much smaller neighbour went a notch better with two silvers (both courtesy the smiling Ivorian).

Even if our cousins far out in the Caribbean with a population only a fraction of our 170 million and nowhere near the level of our material resources continued their recent domination of any accolades vaguely related to an explosion of speed and power.

Y

ou can be sure federa tion officials from other countries were hungrily watching Okagbare’s endeavours with keen interest. Wondering exactly what would tempt her across the border to compete in a differently-coloured vest where money is no object and potentials are fully maximized. Plotting how to approach ...

I hope she finds the power to resist where others have yielded. I hope she chooses the reproach of her ancestral land rather than the treasures of ‘Egypt’. I hope she realizes her role as a beacon of hope to the hopeless, a guide to the blind, a drink to the thirsty, a blessing to the needy.

I hope she overtakes that rocket one day. In front of the entire world.

It would have been nice to hear the Nigerian national anthem played in Moscow.

Just once. Even if I wasn’t the one standing on top of the podium.

Concluded

interest which has stunted our development over the years.

The resolve of the vulnerable,is to endorse a candidate and deliver a bulk vote for that candidate—is a novelty and will certainly bring about the much needed change in our social, economic and political life in this country. The beauty of what is happening is the spontaneity of the actions. In the words of Victor Hugo, a French poet, “nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come”.

C

ertainly the time has come for Nigeria to look at leadership and development through a different prism; time has come for us as a nation to do away with selfishness, sectionalism and all other malaise which are at the core of our underdevelopment.

What is happening today in Anambra State is a revolution and a sign that time has come for us as a nation to stop drifting, and start swimming in the right direction.

I urge all Anambrarians and indeed, all Nigerians to get on board and play their role in ensuring that this wind of change blows across the entire Nation. An American president John F. Kennedy, once said “ If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich “.What is happening in Anambra State is a warning to our leaders from the vulnerable, that they will no longer condone any leadership that does not carter for their interest.

26— SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

(Text Only)

Exerc fitnes ise for he alth, s and well-b ing The Bow: By Adewale

The Reed Technique:

S

tand with feet togeth er and hands by your sides.

Inhale, and slowly raise up the hands.

Clasp them over-head; bend to the left, exhale, and regain the position for say, five seconds. Inhaling again, return to the upright position, and to the right side; breathe out, and retain the position for another five seconds and return to the upright position again. Now, breathe in again, exhale, and then tilt backwards for yet another five seconds and breathing in again, come up straight again, and exhaling, lower down your trunk and put your palms flat down on the floor beside your feet for five seconds...slowly return to the upright position with hands by your side.

Benefits:

T

he Reed tones up muscles of the back, the sides, the hamstrings and the abdominal region. It invigorates the whole body.

Women with period problems should practise these movements before the onset of their periods for amelioration of the discomforts. It also instills elasticity in both sexes.

The Bow

few seconds. Gradually increase the duration. While remaining in Technique: the posture, concentrate on the ie flat face down- abdomen, thighs and back muscles. wards on the floor. Keep the Release the ankles, stretch out the hands at your side. Breathe out legs and bring the legs, chest and and bend the legs at the knees, head to rest in a straight line on the drawing the feet above the floor. Relax in Makarasana for a thighs. Stretch the arms back seconds. Repeat this Asana twice and catch hold of the right ankle with normal breathing. with the right hand and the left ankle with the left band.

Make secure the position of the hands, with normal breathing. Benefits: Raising the head, body and The bow expands knees by tugging the hands and the thoraxic legs, so that the whole weight of region. the body rests on the abdomen. Retain the posture for a

L

Of great benefit to those with respiratory problems, it renders the spine elastic and the muscles of the back get a good massage and there’s a general strengthening of the entire musculature.

The Reed: By Self

Half-Plough

Half-Plough: By Self

Technique: Place a chair at the head of your practice mat. Place your head halfway underneath the chair.

Now, swing both legs and place them atop the back-rest of the chair.

Duration: Stay in the Plough Pose for about 10 seconds. To return to the original position, first bend the knees and gently roll down flat back onto the floor.

Benefits: The Half-Plough Pose makes the spine elastic. The abdominal organs are massaged. The gastric fire is improved and constipation dealt with.

Yoga Classes @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—27

Nneka became pregnant for the second time and surprisingly, the scan result proved she had multiple pregnancy. “My God…multiple preg… so I’m going to have twins?”, an excited Nneka asked

Race against the future

BY PRISCA SAM-DURU I know you do not love me as much as you loved her” Nneka said, making a face.

“Why such accusation knowing I have given you everything including my heart or is it my soul you now desire?”, Prince asked his pretty but nagging wife of two years, “I know things aren’t very rosy right now but Nne, I know I’m doing my very best here.

And I can assure you that nothing will change for as long as we stick together as couple… okay?”

“So why do you still brood over her death… you stare at her picture and call her name in your sleep…is three whole years not enough for you to forget her” Nneka q u e s t i o n e d .

“Please Nne, try to understand that I lived with Celine for eleven years, so she was part of me. I see her in the two sons she gave me …look, now that you are here helping me pick the pieces of my life together, I love you m o r e . ” Nneka’s nagging nature has not stopped Prince from loving her and for as long as she continued to feel jealous of his late wife Celine who passed on three years ago after a brief illness, Prince saw it as his responsibility to keep placating her in whatever form he could because his love for Nneka was deeper than he had ever felt for any other woman, not even Celine.

To say the least, Nneka was fortunate to have become pregnant within her first four months as Prince’s wife but their joy was almost cut short when the baby girl came with some form of deformity which was first noticed when the child refused to cry at birth.

She was later discovered to have a kind of brain distortion. An early surgery was carried out on the baby in India but it was partially successful. Prince and his wife continued with their lives hoping that someday, the child would begin to show signs of progress in terms of growth.

Nneka became pregnant for the second time and surprisingly, the scan result proved she had multiple pregnancy. “My God…multiple preg… so I’m going to have twins?”, an excited Nneka asked.

“Yes my love, you are and the result says they are three”. Prince said with joy.

“No! Three?... how I’m I going to be delivered of three babies when just one almost got me mad…” “God will make a way my dear, what matters is that the doctor has certified you okay to carry them for nine months, but…”

“But what?” Nneka interrupted, visibly afraid. “What did he say?”.

“It’s no problem it’s just that you might be sectioned”.

Slowly, Nneka sat back on the waiting sofa and regarded her palms as if trying to read her future. Prince snuggled closer to her and with his fingers, began stroking her left chin.

“My love I promise you that everything will

be fine. As soon as the doctor certifies you fit to travel, I will make necessary arrangement so you can have the best doctors in the United States, deliver you of our babies.”

Nneka’s face lit up the moment she heard about having three American children although she kept being preoccupied with the news of having triplets.

The trip to the US was safe but her first shock came when a fresh scan was conducted and it was discovered she was going to have twins. The second and worse of it all was that once again, Nneka gave birth to two baby boys with serious physical deformities which the doctors found difficult to f i x .

“What on earth could be responsible for all this”, Prince questioned as he gazed into thin air, “Am I paying the prize of insisting on marrying Nneka after my parents rejected her on grounds that she came from an Osu family. That can’t be the reason, this is a jet age besides, they said that Christ’ death and resurrection liberated even the so called out caste… ah! my God, what will people say, what kind of bad luck is this Nneka? After all, Celine had two sons for me and they are perfect creatures.”, Prince soliloquised.

From that moment, Prince mapped out plans on how to send Nneka back to her parents. It was a welcome plan for Mazi Okechukwu and his wife who thought it best to send Nneka back to where she came from. “Yes my son”, Mazi Okechukwu concurred with Prince. “When are we sending that python of an Osu origin back to the jungle where she rightly belongs?”

“Papa, I’m thinking that we should wait till next week so I can make some arrange-

ments…”

“Arrange what?” Mazi Okechukwu screamed at his son. “look Prince Nwam…there must be no ceremony, in fact I am leaving for the village tomorrow, better convince her to come with us in order to find a solution to her problems.”

“And what if no solu...”.

“Ta mechionu gi... shut up!, who is talking about solution here . Ah! Ah! have you no sense at all?...(lowers his voice) once we get home, the next day is Eke market day… that’s a good day to send an evil woman away. That way, she can never return again”.

Prince heaved a sigh not knowing whether it was that of relief or not.

Eventually, Nneka went back to her parents with her children. She has never been uncomfortable in her whole life as she has become since getting home. Tongues, especially that of those who earlier gossiped that she was getting married to a man old enough to be her father, wagged. Every resident of Clement Avenue in Ogui New Layout, Enugu joined in the gossip spree. Mama Sopuru the chief gossip told anyone who cared to listen that it was because Nneka was an adopted child, that’s why she gave birth to deformed children while some of her partners in crime insisted the reason was because she was an Osu. Well, some enlightened ones amongst them insisted that there was no relationship between having deformed children and being an adopted child or an Osu. Seven months passed and Prince became a sorry sight. He took to serious alcohol and marijuana addiction and sometimes, was picked from the gutter by good Samaritans, after he drank him-

self to stupor. As time went on, some caring neigbours took him from one church to the other where he spent so much money and also went through series of deliverance exercises all to no avail. He decided never in his life to ever listen to anyone talk about Jesus.

On his way to his usual drinking joint one afternoon, he bumped into Pascal Odinta, his closest friend in the secondary school.

For the first time since he became an adult, Pascal wept on seeing what Prince has become, worse of all, what he had gone through. After more than eight attempts, Pascal succeeded in taking Prince to a discipleship class where he goes to listen to the word of God. Few weeks later, Prince accepted Christ and became born again but one thing kept missing in his life; the peace of God. Prince attended the usual Tuesday morning class without an inkling of what might befall him that day. It happened that disciple Kelechi broke protocol and called on members to rise and intercede on Prince’ behalf because she had a revelation that the anger of God was still fierce on him because of his involvement in an incestuous relationship. While the Brethren prayed, disciple Prince’s yesteryears during which he committed some atrocities as a young boy, came back on him as if he had just been swept off by a hurricane.

After graduating at the age of twenty-two, Prince spent three years roaming the streets in search of a job which never came. Most of his friends who couldn’t travel abroad for greener pastures, joined fraudsters while some others did drugs. He thought he didn’t have the liver and so refused to be part of such illegal businesses. He later accepted a very simple job from Lady Millionaire not knowing he was selling his soul to the devil.

He and two other young boys were paid to periodically visit Portugal camp located on the outskirts of the town and sleep with each girl at the camp. After the death of his first wife Celine, Prince married Nneka (one of the children he fathered during the evil contract) the adopted daughter of Chief and Lolo Emezue who were barren for nine years. To the surprise of the disciples making the intercessory prayers, disciple Prince ran out of the class, jumped into his jalopy which is what is left of his once beautiful Infinity Jeep and went straight home. “How do I end this?” He thought. After some seconds, he went to his dressing table, took his shaving powder and mixed enough quantity to end his life. “No! God can never forgive me for that. Who knows how many other children I have out there? No! I will never marry again… and what if my sons end up taking their sisters for wives? Oh! God what have I done? How could I have married my own child? Father, I know it’s too late for you to forgive me…I can’t live to see more evil because of my iniquities.” And just as he lifted the mixture, a text message came into his phone and jolted him back to life.

28 — SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

08056180112

Aloe vera: Nature’s healing for skin and digestive disorders Y

OU have probably heard about the miraculous healing abilities of aloe vera. It is arguably the most impressive medicinal herb provided by nature.

Indeed, of all herbs ever studied aloe vera is reputed to be the most impressive. Nothing else offers the amazing variety of healing benefits and medicinal potential in one package. In a single plant, aloe vera offers potent, natural medicine that halts cancer growth, lowers high cholesterol, protects against oxidative stress and prevents kidney stones. If you have ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders, you cannot go wrong with aloe vera. Is your problem is high blood pressure, constipation or diabetes, or any other skin ailment?

Certainly you stand to benefit from aloe vera. And yet most people only know about the topical applications of aloe vera gel. They think it’s only good for sunburns.

In reality, aloe vera is useful for both external and internal use. Aloe vera is a succulent. It’s inner gel has surprising medicinal properties. It is fact that all succulents have selfrepairing abilities. Their internal gel repairs any cut or tear by automatically shrinking the wound and creating a new water-tight seal. This gel matrix is comprised of hundreds of different phytochemicals that not only store water and repair injury; they also grant notable medicinal effects to humans whoconsumethem.Until now, the only one good way to get aloe vera was to grow it yourself (if you understand the know-how)..

Boosts immune function Scientific research shows strong immunomodulatory and antitumour properties for aloe vera polysaccharides.

That means the gel helps boosts immune system function while destroying cancer tumours.

Halts inflammation Using aloe topically is well known to ease inflammation of joints, reducing arthritis pain.

But aloe can also be used internally, reducing inflammation throughout the body from the inside out.

People who drink aloe vera for two weeks typically begin to experience a significant reduction of inflammation

vera gel was highly effective in preserving foods. For the experiment, they dipped table grapes into an aloe vera gel, and then stored them at refrigerator temperatures.

Untreated table grapes went bad in seven days, but the grapes dipped in aloe vera stayed fresh for up to 35 days.

They also exhibit lower cholesterol levels and slight improvements in total cholesterol.

Lowers cholesterol and t r i g l y c e r i d e s When used internally, aloe vera gel improves the quality of the blood and helps rebalance the blood chemistry in a way that lowers cholesterol and total triglycerides (in people with elevated levels).

Relieves joint and muscle pain Essentially, aloe reduces overall inflammation. Of course, if you continue eating a pro-inflammatory diet (red

In reality, aloe vera is useful for both external and internal use. Aloe vera is a succulent. It’s inner gel has surprising medicinal properties

,

s y m p t o m s .

Enhances skin health Aloe is one of the most widelyused ingredients in high-grade skin care products. Aloe soothes the skin, hydrates it, nourishes it and accelerates the regeneration of new skin tissue. And while most people are only familiar with using aloe vera externally, aloe also enhances skin health when used internally. Drink more aloe and your skin glows.

Stabilizes blood sugar Diabetic patients who take aloe vera for three months experience a significant drop in fasting blood sugar levels.

•Natural ways of using Alovera...

,

meat, milk, sugar, white flour, fried foods etc.) then you’ll never get rid of all your inflammation with aloe alone, but aloe can help ease your pain while you transition to a healthier lifestyle that eliminates the inflammation for good!

Amplifies antioxidant effects of vitamins It makes vitamin C, vitamin E and other antioxidants work better! It actually potentiates antioxidants, probably due to its effect on enhancing blood quality and allowing the blood

Ends acid reflux disease Drink aloe vera gel on a regular basis, and your heartburn symptoms will usually vanish within a few days. Of course, it would also help if you’d stop eating fried and processed foods.

to more effectively transport oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells.

Cures digestive disorders Polysaccharides in the aloe vera plant have curative effects on numerous digestive disorders, such as IBS, ulcers, Crohn’s disease and other disorders of the digestive tract. This is one of the bestknown applications of aloe vera gel. Taking aloe certainly isn’t a magic bullet cure, of course. It won’t reverse disease after drinking one glass of gel. It needs to be used regularly.

Antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal Aloe vera is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. This fact is well known by herbalists around the world. Put aloe vera on wounds. As it dries, it contracts, pulling the wound shut and keeping it completely free of dangerous bacteria.

Plus, it provides nourishment to the wound tissue itself.

Natural food preservative A thin layer of aloe vera gel can be used as a natural food preservative, eliminating the need for chemical preservatives.

Research showed that a thin layer of aloe

Heals radiation burns Applying aloe vera topically to radiation area will rapidly accelerate the healing response. Consuming aloe vera internally will also help heal radiation burns.

Cures gum disease Just sprinkle some of this aloe vera powder on your toothbrush before brushing.

The aloe vera powder actually heals gums and eliminates gum disease.

Merely drinking the aloe also helps heal the gums: Just swish the liquid around your mouth a few times before each swallow.

Heals burns, cuts and s c r a p e s When used externally, aloe is the best wound dressing ever discovered. It works by simultaneously sealing the wound while attracting an increased flow of blood to the wound, accelerating healing.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 29

30—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

C M Y K

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—31

32 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—33

34 — SARTURDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

the end of the day, what makes everything tied together is my voice and its always soulful. I like to experiment with different sounds like Love Story is a romantic type of song and then Jowo was up-beat but with some jazzy influences and the Time of our Lives is a dance hall track. So, what people would notice generally is that no matter the song I do, my voice is always soulful.

My world revolves around music – Ebisan Damola

Who produces your work?

Actually, I use different producers for each of my work and will continue to do so because I like to experience varieties. My most recent single was produced by DJ Cleff and he’s worked with quite a lot of artistes in the industry and it was fun working with him. The other two singles I released (Jowo & Love Story) were both produced by a guy called TK and myself.

By SIMON PETERS ABUH

E

bisan Bukola Damola is an up and coming soul singer and songwriter. She started out her music career as a gospel singer in the UK. In Nigeria, she is better known for having released three songs, Suru, Jowo, and Dance with Me, for the award winning soundtrack of the 2010 Mammodu Ali-Balogun’s movie, Tango With Me. Her debut single was titled Love Story. She is half Yoruba and half Delta parentage and decided as a tribute to her Itsekiri roots to go by her Itsekiri name Ebisan. In this interview with Showtime Celebrity, she talks about her music, her aspirations and plans for future.

What’s your connection with Lagos?

I was born in the UK, but I’m an Isale’Eko girl. I hail from down-town Lagos, I also like to claim that I hail from Delta because I feel very connected to my mother ’s roots. My father is from Lagos that’s why I bear the names Olubukolami and Damola while my mother is from Delta State, hence the name Ebisan which also happens to be her middle name.

What was it like growing up?

I grew up in three different countries; Nigeria, England and Saudi Arabia. My parents lived in Saudi Arabia. In fact, my mum still lives there. At thirteen years, I moved to England to study. But Nigeria remains a country I will always call my home.

Tell us more about yourself, educational background and other things?

I have always been interested in music and it’s been something from a very young age. I studied Accounting and Finance at the university of Kent, in England and then went on to obtain a Master ’s Degree in International Business Management.

Why did you decide to do music?

To me, it’s something like a calling, it’s my passion; something I have always wanted to do; something I’m so passionate about. For me, somehow I knew that whatever I did in school I would always end up on the stage some day. I have always been interested in entertainment. Even my siblings and I, have always been writing songs, play and drama when we were very young. So, it just feels right and has always felt right to me.

Music is my life.

At what age did you discover that you would be doing music profes-

C M Y K

Have you done any collaboration yet?

Yes, my latest single was done with a lady called Chee and when I was in South Africa I worked with a lady called Monewa and that went very well. The song was well received over there, some radio stations have been playing it and its in her album. I do intend to work with more artistes, especially here in Nigeria.

Apart from the movie which did very well, the sound track was nominated as well sionally?

My first intense experience was at the age of eight when I mounted the stage. I was in primary school then.

I was asked to do a solo piece; way back in the University of Lagos after school and I will never forget the experience. I was in primary four and I remember the feeling I heard then while I was on stage. I was nervous and at same time, excited.

But you know that the whole experience made me realise this is something I want to do for a long time.

This is a life time career; music will always be part of my life.

Have you won any award so far for your works?

Apart from the movie which did very well, the sound track was nominated as well. Also, my single Jowo and Suru were nominated for an award last year, at the Nigerian Music Video awards. I was in the best alternative category with some of the best artistes like Lagbaja and other artistes and I won, so that was very encouraging.

‘Tangle with Me” which starred the likes Genevieve Nnaji, and Joseph Benjamin. I have done two songs, “Dance with Me and Jowo” and the feedback has been very good. I also release a single called Love Story and after that Jowo and now my most recent single is titled, “Time of our Lives” and it featured a lady called Chee.

What happens to your certificate?

I believe no knowledge is lost and it has helped me in many ways. If at the end of the day, I end up floating a music label or company or something, it would still be tied to music. I see my future tied to music.

What inspires you the most during song writing?

Love, People say I write about love a lot. I think it’s because it’s the centre of my world. I’m inspired by things that happened around me or happened to me; everything I write has a personal experience attached to it. Even if it’s just that my friend was going through something and she relates it to, I always have a way of expressing that pain that the person feels or felt in my songs. So, I’m inspired by people’s experiences.

Have you done any album yet or working on any one?

Yes, I have released a couple of songs in the last few years. I did the soundtrack of the movie titled

What genre of music do you do?

I always feel that my voice is soulful one, so I am a versatile singer. I can fit into reggae, jazz, hip hop or soul R&B track. But at

What’s your opinion about the Nigerian music industry ?

I’m excited by what is happening and so far, we have come of age. I could remember those days when I would go out with my family, and the only songs that were played in any hangout, beer parlours, joints were foreign music. But today, the story has changed. Nigerian music is being played in most low and high places. Some DJs have said that they could go for like three – four hours non-stop playing new Nigerian songs back to back. So, I like the fact that there’s a lot of emerging artistes in the country.

The jazz music is also thriving, the Afro-beat genre is dominating the space and I’m glad to be part of this revolution. I’m really happy to be back home and be part of it.

Do you think you have what it takes not only to survive but to make it big in the Nigerian music industry?

I believe I do and mainly because I see this as a long term career and so it takes a lot of persistence, perseverance and patience. This is because I don’t expect everything and anything to happen overnight, so I believe I have the right attitude to succeed. It’s a career and it demands patience, diligence and discipline.

Who is your mentor and biggest influence locally and internationally?

I grew up listening to a lot of stuff

SARTURDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 —35

By BENJAMIN NJOKU & OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

C

ome November 13, 50 beauty queens from 50 countries of the world and their managers will storm Nigeria, to slug it out for who wears the Exquisite Face Of The World crown for the next one year.

This was disclosed last Sunday, during an exclusive cocktail event at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, with past beauty queens, Miss Kenya, Miss Russia and Miss Ghana in attendance.

Ethel Okosun, former Miss Earth, 2005 and daughter of late musician, Sunny Okosun who is the Nigerian Project Director for the pageant revealed that the event will hold on the 13th of November and Nigeria play host to these international ambassadors who will contest for the Exquisite face of The World crown.

According to Ethel Okosun, “The essence of this pageant is to create an avenue to project a positive image to the world about Nigeria and the African Continent as a whole.

This pageant will open doors to investment opportunities and additionally boast the tourism drive of this great nation.”

Former Miss Russia and Miss Tourism World, Meri Asatiani who came into Nigeria last Friday, joined Miss Ghana and Miss Kenya expressed her excitement on the pageant holding in Nigeria for the first time ever.

Ethel, in this interview with Showtime Celebrity recounts her story as a ex-beauty queen, the Exquisite Face of the Universe and her family’s plan to unveil a compilation of her late father’s works.

What’s happening here today?

Today, we are unveiling the Exquisite Face Of The World to Nigerians. The event is coming up on the 13th of November. We are expecting fifty participants from fifty countries of the world. So, we stormed Lagos to unveil the event to Nigerians ahead of the grand finale.

How did you secure the franchise?

I used to be a beauty queen, former Miss Earth 2005 which was hosted by Ibinabo Fiberesima. From there, I went for the Miss Earth International at Philippines.

Thereafter,I contested for the Miss Global in Jamaica in 2006. So, that’s how it all started.

I was invited to coordinate the hosting of the pageant in Nigeria. I was overwhelmed.

The organisers told me they wanted me to handle it and because I’ve been in the business for a while I accepted teh gesture. So far, it’s been a wonderful experience.

heart who loved people and wanted to work with everybody. He wanted to affect lives and that was what I learnt from him. That no matter what you do in life, you must impart on people’s lives. For him, it was about giving back to the society and I miss him greatly. I wish he was here today.

peace, cultural diversity and we say come as a Nigerian, I feel it’s an opportunity to tell the world that Nigeria is a safe place to live. I’ve had my girls here since Friday and they’re loving it and want to come back again and again.

Do you have any spiritual affinity with his songs whenever you listen to them?

I do, because his music encourages me a lot. Like one of his songs, “The Third War in Namibia”, I didn’t understand what he was saying then until I secured admission to study Politics in the university. But we were young then or weren’t even born. But I appreciated his songs and we look forward to unveiling a compilation of his songs very soon.

Since they beauty queens arrived the country, where have you taking them to so they’ll really be able to tell that Nigeria is indeed a peaceful place?

They came in very late last Friday and Miss Kenya came in last Saturday. We visited a couple of hangouts. We also went to see the Nissan people and the orphanage in Lekki Phase 1 to give back to the society. We also visited the national museums in Lagos to show them what we have so they’ll have some-

I always feel encouraged listening to my father’s music

•Ethel Okosun

— Ethel Okosun, daughter of

late music legend, Sunny Okosun

What were you doing at the time you won the Miss Earth?

I was promoting charity then because we did more for charity and tourism. Miss Earth is more of the environment, about global warming and planting more trees, not stopping deforestation Were you a student then?

No. But thereafter, I went back to school. I studied Political Science and International Relations for four years at London University. So, when I got the franchise to host the event, I took the bold step and accepted the challenge.

Since accepting the challenge, how has been the experience?

It’s been tremendous, a wonderful experience although it’s not been easy as a young girl to host this big event in Nigeria. You have to make people believe in you and sponsor it. It’s been really tough but thank God that I’m here today.

Why didn’t you practice what you studied in school?

I will practice. Like I said, it was something that was bestowed on me that I should give it a shot. It’s not what I want to do all my life. I just want to give it a shot and move on. I did Politics and International Relations so someday I would want to walk in the ministry.

As the daughter of late Sunny Okusun, one would

What’s your family doing as regard to your father’s works?

We are working towards complying his works. My uncle, Easy Okosun who is on it, has recorded some of his collections under Togetherness in London. He will be returning to Nigeria soon to launch it. So very

Miss Earth is more of the environment, about global warming and planting more trees, not stopping deforestation have expected that you take after your father? It’s a big family. I’ve always done pageantry all my life. I follow my dream.

You didn’t follow his path?

No, my sister is there, Ebony. She sings very well and gradually she’ll take over.

Do you sometimes miss your father?

Of course I do. He was a tremendous support to me.

He was the man with a big

thing to take back home from Nigeria.

You think your father was well honoured while he lived?

Yes he was well honoured.

When he died, the people showed tremendous support during his burial. So, to whom much is given, much is expected. I say a big thank you to the Lagos State government as well as the Federal government.

soon, we’ll be hearing more of Sunny Okosun’s oldies.

What about your Foundation?

I’m CEO, Ethel Okosun’s International. Like I said earlier, it’s my own little way of giving back to the society.

And bringing the Equisite Face of The World finals to Nigeria is a way of giving back to the country. We are promoting global C M Y K

36— SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Amaec hi hosts models tto o Nativ e and V ogue Amaechi Native Vogue

I

t was a night of fun and entertainment Thursday when Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State hosted models and designers participating at the Native and Vogue Port Harcourt International Fashion Week, to a cocktail party in government House.

Models of different sizes and shapes, both local and international

were spotted at the cocktail that had in attendance the state’s Commissioner of Information, Ibim Semenitari and other top government functionaries.

Governor Amaechi who was in his elements, said he was happy to host the show in Port Harcourt, adding “it would help ease off the democratic tension in the state.”

Clad in black pant and

grey top, Amaechi moved around exchanging pleasantries with the models and posing for shots while welcoming them to the garden city.

Designer Frank Oshodi who spoke on behalf of the organizers, thanked governor Amaechi for hosting the event.

He said, the experience being brought to Port Harcourt remains the

same experience enjoyed in other fashion capitals of the world.

Among those spotted at the event were London based designer, Adebayo Jones, and international models, Ishioma Onyeabo, Warebi Matha and Doyin Haastrup.

Story by Jemi Ekunkunbor and photos by Oscar Ochiogu

L-R:Emeka Nkwocha, Advert Manager, Vanguard,Fred Udueme, AGM, Brands, Vanguard, Governor, Rotimi Amechi and Adebola Williams of Red Media Limited

L-R: Adebayo Jones, Tunji Olugbodi, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi and Remi Diagbare, Editor, Vanguard Allure

His Excellency Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State and some models

L-R:Dr. Nyema Weli, Commissioner for Environment, Rivers State, Tunji Olugbodi, CEO, Neo Mantra and Ibim Semenitari, Commissioner, Information and Communications, Rivers State.

Isio and Alex Ekubo.

L-R:Frank Oshodi, Tunji Ologbodi and Governor, Rotimi Amechi.

Ethel Okosun and others

Mercy Ajisafe

Warebi Martha and Eluke Adaeze.

SATURDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012 — 37

Happy cheers for the Esama of Benin @ 79

I

L-R: Celebrant, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion; wife, Lady Cherry Igbinedion; and son, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, former Edo State Governor.

t wasn’t meant to be a loud, lavish birthday for the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion to mark his 79th year on planet earth but like every occasion involving the stylish, highly influential business mogul it couldn’t be kept under wraps.

Even though only a church service at the St. Gabriel, the Archangel Catholic Church, Benin City was the major event to mark the special day it drew enough attention to make the list of top society events of the month. Photos by Barnabas Uzosike

Cross section of Benin chiefs .

Cross section of traditional rulers from Yoruba land.

L-R: Arch. Mike Onolemenmen, Minister of Works and Chief Anthony Anenih, PDP Board of Trustee Chairman.

L-R: Elder Efionayi Iyayi; and Chief Dan Orbih, Edo PDP Chairman .

Cross section of knights

More prize splashes at second S tar Win & Shine par ty Star party STAR lager beer, manufactured by Nigerian Breweries Plc, has given out more prizes to its consumers at its Star Win & Shine draw parties, last weekend. It held at O’Jez Bar, National Stadium, Lagos and the Osmosis Bar, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Below are some images from the event.

Blackberry Winners at the party in Lagos.

Jersey Winners at the Port Harcourt party on stage with Gbenga Adeyinka.

Hopeful guests at the Lagos party enjoy their Star

DVD Home Theatre winners at the Lagos party.

N100,000 Winners at the Port Harcourt party hail Star.

38 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Still on Akpabio’s N50m grant :

Amenechi, Zik Zulu sue ANCOP President for N150m damages

•Zik, Andy, Steph and Abubakar receiving Akpbio's largesse

T

he controversy trailing the N50 million grant by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State to support the Nigerian movie industry, during the week took a new twist with the two Presidents of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) Andy Amenechi and the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Zik Zulu Okafor filing a N150 million libel suit against ANCOP president, Mr. Alex Eyengho, at the High Court of Lagos State.

In the suit No LD/ADR/440/13, the lawyer to the claimants, Anthony Emeka Odikpo, is praying the court to grant his clients N150 million as damages for libel.

According to Odikpo, the defendant, Eyengho, on or about August 19, 2013, “maliciously and with intent to destroy the character of the claimants” published false words about the claimants in a petition to the Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, where he categorically accused them of squandering the N50 million grant given to the industry by Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Obot Akpabio.

The counsel to the claimants without mincing words tells Eyengho, “it is unfortunate that you have taken your petulance to this ridiculous dimension of assassinating the character of our clients to all and sundry. It is equally unfortunate that you ensured that this your scurrilous publication went viral by sending it to all manner of internet blogs. You have finally reached the nadir by ensuring that the same missive is published in Saturday Vanguard of August 31, 2013. These your actions have caused our clients considerable distress as all manner of inquiries have been streaming in from across the globe. The reputations built by

our clients through the years have been besmeared by you”.

The counsel warned that the totality of Eyengho’s publication in its ordinary and natural meaning inputs criminality to the persons of the claimants and has thus brought them to public scandal, hatred, odium and contempt.

According to him, “The defendant published the said words out of malevolence and spite and ensured that the publication received the widest possible coverage”. This is why, he says, “the defendant should be made to pay aggravated or exemplary damages to the claimants.

The fiery counsel, however, gave the defendant a leeway to issue a retraction of his spurious allegations

within five days from September 9, 2013 and to commence immediate negotiations with the claimants’ lawyers on payment of damages.

The failure to take the window of opportunity according to Odikpo, is the option of N150 million claim as damages against the defendant, plus an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant by himself or by his servants, agents and privies from further publication of the said defamatory or similar words.

The counsel, however, described his clients, Amenechi and Okafor as credible professionals with untrammelled integrity; movie practitioners who have given so much to Nollywood that they deserve to be revered rather than being maligned or subjected to infamy by people like the defendant, Mr. Eyengho.

As he put it, “the likes of Mr. Eyengho must be brought to face the full force of the law to serve as a deterrent to some other frivolous characters that do not weigh the gravity of their statements against other people.”

•Alex Eyengho

I’m not aware of any legal action against me — Alex Eyengho

M

eanwhile, reacting to the legal action instituted against him, ANCOP President, Alex Eyengho claimed that he is yet to receive any summons or notice that a lawsuit has been instituted against him.

According to him, “As I'm speaking to you now(Wednesday evening), I have not been served with any court summons. In fact, I’m not aware of any legal action instituted against me. Is it in the pages of newspapers that they are suing me for libel. The matter before the Police is a criminal matter and not a civil one. If they are found wanting, they will go in for it. But on the issue of libel, if they claimed that I libelled them, they have to prove it before the court of law how I libelled them.”

Continuing, he added, “On my own part, I will remind them that proof is a defense in the case of libel. And if I can prove that they diverted the N50 million into their private pockets for private uses other than the purpose for which Akpabio gave out the grant, then it’s a defense. We will meet in court. But they should please serve me with the court summons in time so that my lawyers can file in a counter claim too.”

Chimamanda’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ opens AFRIFF T

Chimamanda

he Screen adaptation of critically acclaimed novel, “Half of a Yellow Sun” by The Orange prizewinner, Chimamanda Adichie, is expected to make its African debut as the opening movie of the 3rd Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF),holding in Tinapa, Calabar, Cross River State from November 10 through 17.

This was announced by Chioma Ude, Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF at a press parley in Lagos. Set in 1960s Nigeria, the story follows the inter-twining lives of several characters before and during the Biafran War betw een

1967-1970: Ugwu, a thirteen-yearoldvillage boy who becomes a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal...

Directed by Biyi Bandele, Half of a Yellow Sun is the country’s most ambitious and expensive film to date, with a budget of N1.27 billion (approximately $8 million).

Produced by BAF TA award winner Andrea Calderwood (The Last King of Sco tlan d) and Gai l Ega (The Constant Gardner), the film is a British/Nigerian co-production and was shot at the Tina pa Film Studios in Calabar Nigeria and in the United Kingdom.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 39

Monalisa Chinda shows love to female prisoners N

ollywood Actress, Monalisa Chinda showed the milk of human kindness in her last Sunday when she visited the female prisoners at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Apapa, Lagos.

The visit, which helped to lift up the souls of the inmates lasted several hours.

Aside donating various items including food stuffs, clothes, under-wears, toiletries, perfumes, among other things, through her Arise Monalisa Foundation, the multiple award-winning actress took her time to interact and encourage the prison inmates who were overjoyed as they welcomed her in their lonely world. The visit came to a high point as elated Monalisa advised the inmates to be hopeful,adding "there is nothing impossible with God." “Though we may not be in control of what happens to us in life, but we are absolutely responsible for our reactions. And it is our reaction that ultimately determines the results and quality of our lives. On getting here today, I was told some inmates were recently released by strange interventions, so this can’t be the end for you,” she reflected.

While her visit lasted, some of the inmates couldn’t help their emotions. “I want you to know that there is more to your life than your present state and, no matter what anyone has said to you, there is hope for you”, she added.

Although the inmates were not allowed to pose for shots, they all had a great time mingling with the actress who promised to be visiting them regularly. Interestingly, the actress who marked her birthday the previous week also visited the Patrick Speech & Languages School in Lagos, which cares for autistic children where she made donations.

•Monalisa Chinda

•Chioma Iloekwe

Chioma Iloekwe BY

R

J

ust like late Goldie’s affair with Prezzo didn’t end well duri ng last year ’s BBA despite the latter storming the country in search of the former, another love drama is

AMAGIYA

ising Actress,Chioma Iloekwe is definitely carving out a niche for herself. Since she hits the limelight in 2009, after starring in that thriller, “All I ever Wanted”, alongside Desmond Elliot and Mercy Johnson, Chioma has looked back in her quest to conquer the big screen.

Her acting prowess coupled with her excellent interpretation of roles in movies has set her apart from her contemporaries. Yet, the Economic graduate of Enugu State University said, she has a dream of becoming one of the most-sought-actresses in

ups the ante Nollywood.

She has featured in not less than thirty movies and is still counting. Not resting on her oars, she has recently taken her talent to the next level. She now combines her business interest as an importer and managing of her newly established Enugu based boutique called “Oma’s Place’ with her flourishing career in acting.

Interestingly, Chioma is surely leveraging on her profession as an Economist. And this, she will forever appreciate, having upped her ante as an actress, business woman and a producer.

Pete Edoc hie, Iy aA wer o to Edochie, Iya Aw ero bag BON’s special awards

Angelo Collins coming to Nigeria for Beverly

BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

FLORENCE

abou t ensu ing apologizing to Nigerians on between this year ’s her esca pade s with the BBA hous ema tes, drea dloc k-ca rryin g dude , Ang elo and Angelo on his own side, has Nige ria’s Beve rly been telling the whole world how much he’s fallen in love Osu. with her.

Ang elo and And Beve rly who fell Angelonow, the buzz is that over heels in love to reun is on his way to Nigeria ite with Beverly. with each othe r Acco rding to our source, he whil e in the Big Brot her House, may just be on their plans to stop over in Ghana, to way to take the affair to the catch up with his fans who have invit ed him, befo re next level. head ing to Nigeria. Rumour After this year ’s BBA ended, the love bird s have been mongers say, Angelo has been gran ting inte rvie ws and keeping in touch with Beverly talking about how much they who is seriously preparing to mean to each other. While give her rome o a gran d Beve rly has been busy welcome.

V

eteran Actor, Pete Edochie and Lanre Hassan popularly known as Iya Awero are currently excited following the announcement, during the week that they will be honoured with the coveted Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan Special Recognition Award at this year ’s Best of Nollywood awards.

This year's edition of the prestigious award holds in

•Pete Edochie

November in Asaba, Delta State.

In a telephone chat with the organisres, they said, Edochie, a star of many Nollywood films, was full of excitement,saying,“I feel very happy that the little we have done is being recognised by the current generation. It is a thing of joy considering also that it is a special recognition award from a prestigious award institution as BON and one that is endowed by a progressive governor as Governor Uduaghan. I am indeed very elated by it."

On her part, Iya Awero, who recently celebrated her 50 th year anniversary as an actress whose odyssey dates back to the travelling theatre days before the advent of television soaps and then, home videos, lauded the organisers for the recognition and the Delta State Governor

40— SATURDAY, Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji 08023542350

Rugby needs its own stadium in Nigeria – Ladipo, Cowrie Rugby club captain

BY EPHRAIM OSEJI

A

zeez Ladipo, is the captain of Cowrie Rugby club which is the biggest Rugby team in Africa. In this revealing interview, the calm, looking brilliant skipper, reveals a lot about the game. He also talks about the forth coming independence Rugby 7s tournament, why his team will continue to maintain its 5 year unbeaten run in West Africa and the concession of sports by the NSC. Excerpts How is your evolution into Rugby like?

I started playing Rugby around late 1990s. There is this brother of mine we were living in the same area then, and he normally brings Rugby ball and dog to our football field where we used to play ball then. So, I picked interest in it. But at first, I was scared because I heard that the game was a dangerous sports and never to be played by reasonable people. When I got into it, I realized that it was a great game for gentlemen and lovers of sports. So, I picked much interest in it and I began to learn the rudiments of the game.

What do you think about Rugby in Nigeria?

I think we are not where we want to be and we are not where we are supposed to be. The game has been at the formative stage for so long now. We have to take bold steps and move to the next level, where players will train for the purpose of Rugby and give the game full attention and not just making the game a parttime thing. We want to see professionalism in the game here in Nigeria. What has been happening to Rugby in this country is nothing to write home about. The National Sports Commission, NSC, announced a couple of weeks ago that the concession is over. I think the concession is a good idea but it was not managed well by the concessionaires. Now that Rugby has been included in it, let's see how it goes.

You seem not to possess some features of Rugby players who are basically giant looking with muscles , can you tell us why?

Naturally am not the giant type. Rugby is not a professional sports in Nigeria, so, I have not dedicated all my time to it.

Besides, the size of a player does not matter. Technically, there are different positions on the pitch and there are positions for giant players and also, for the small sized player like me who is a play maker. What I do mostly is to control the game and give as much efforts as possible to win the match for my team.

There have been cases of players whose careers ended so early as a result of serious injuries like, former Welsh captain Michael Owen, at just 29 , Welsh Forward Datydd Jone, 31 among others, what safety strategies do you have on ground to avert this kind of

problem?

There are rules and regulations guiding Rugby, and just like every other sports,

there are rules guiding all those parts you think that are rough. Yes the sports is a very rough one as people say, yet, it is played by gentlemen. At the end of the game you see people come together to shake hands, hug themselves as if nothing happened, that is the joy of the game. But, I think Rugby can be safer if much caution is placed on the tacklers. Though, a lot of stiffer rules have been applied at different times to make the game safer, for instance, you cannot carry a player and dump him on the ground.

I think those governing the sports at the higher levels are doing all their possible best to checkmate these tackles and make the sports more safer, bearing in mind that every game is rough.

Footballers get tackled and the cannot play again likewise in boxing were jaws are broken. So, Rugby is not different, is just a game of hooligans played by gentlemen .

How long have you been the captain of Cowrie Rugby club?

For 2 years now Considering your age which is a bit younger for the position, what are some of the challenges that come along with the game?

Well, as we all know, it takes a lot to be a leader. Basically my ideology is leading by example, playing with your heart and motivating the team even when you are not there as the captain.

You have to be charismatic, problems solver and calm, there is a lot in leadership outside playing. You have to lead by example on and off the pitch.

Cowrie Rugby club

Ladipo ...Cowrie empowers its players

Rugby facilities here in Nigeria are still very poor, a lot need to be done Can you tell us more about the Independence Rugby 7s tournament 2013?

It is a tournament set up by friends of Rugby, a group of Rugby lovers who are passionate about the game. The tournament is aimed at commemorating Nigeria’s 53rd anniversary. This year's edition will be the 5th edition and promised to be the best because of the larger international participation.

Merlins Rugby club from UK, Villagers Rugby from South Africa, which is one of the oldest and biggest in the country, Alexandra from Egypt, and another team from Ghana and, teams from all over Nigeria, both North, South, East and West will also participate in this year’s edition. Cowrie team are the defending champions, we have been winning titles since the inception. So this year's edition will not be easy, because, my men are prepared and capable to retain the title. The venue has been changed from the National stadium to Onikan stadium from the 11-12 October this year. As you know we have 5 years unbeaten run in West Africa, it’s a lot of hard work and concentration. It's precious to us and will do

everything in our power to continue the unbeaten run, so, we will continue to defend the title.

What is your experience playing outside the shores of this country?

I have played several times for my country, including world cup qualifying matches and l love playing for Nigeria. You see different standards in terms of the facilities outside this country.

Rugby facilities here in Nigeria are still very poor, a lot need to be done, no sports as a whole is taken care of in Nigeria. If Mba cannot earn good money to take care of himself, as our best player at the nations cup, then there is a problem in our sport sector. Rugby is a sport that Nigeria can quickly harness to become a world power, because we have the natural Rugby players here in Nigeria. It's just for us to get the facilities and things right. In abroad, the facilities we see there are world class.

Tell us about the team Cowrie?

The owners of Cowrie, Mr Kelechi Mbachu and Bamidele Coker are also, the founders of the team. It will interest you to know that these two people are Rugby enthusiasts, they love the game passionately. They are also using that as a means of empowering the youths to be independent. C.M.B, Building Maintenance and Investment Company Limited, and Environmental Services Management Co Ltd are the sole sponsors of the team. For Cowries to be run properly we need a lot of sponsors from corporate organizations. You see the club is professional, we have a coach, secretary etc the players are being given jobs depending on their educational qualification and also players are been set up to do business as well. They try as, much as possible to empower these players. In Cowrie players are empowered to do well in their various walks of life and when it comes to the pitch they put in their best because they are happy.

What do you have for lovers of this game, Rugby?

Rugby is a game that will help you develop personally, it will help you do what you want to do, it is the greatest team sport ever, it helps to bring people together.

The government took a huge step in dissolving concession because it was not good for our sports, I think that government should monitor the forth coming election, and ensures that right people are elected to run our sports and they should support the Rugby game because rugby needs it own stadium in Nigeria.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21 2013—41

Today's MENU Yam porridge (Asaro) with vegetables

Y

08111813025

God has blessed me with good cooks —Buchi

BY ADERONKE ADEYERI

G

ospel artist, Evangelist, Buchi Atuonwu says, “God has blessed him with good cooks”. He is our guest in this edition of Celebrity Tummy Talk as he speaks on his healthy lifestyle and what keeps him fit. Enjoy it What is your favourite food ?

I don’t have a favourite food. My food in-take varies. In the past, it was amala and efo riro but now, it’s Quaker Oats.

Did you play any prank while growing up ?

I don’t know how to play pranks and I need not to because my mother was very liberal with food. I was blessed with food. ...And your village staple food?

My local food is yam porridge .

Can you prepare it?

I am a specialist when it comes to preparing yam porridge.

Were you allowed to cook as a child?

We were all taught how to cook irrespective of our gender.

Do you still cook now?

God blessed me with good cooks. Now, I eat with ease.

How do you unwind as an entertainer?

I unwind when I sing songs. It is my source of relaxation. I relax whenever I sing. I also indulge in lawn tennis and dance.

Your favourite fruit I love all fruits regardless. As a child, I used to climb our neighbour’s mango tree as well as cashew tree just to get fruits.

am porridge with vegetables is a tasty, healthy meal you need to try. It is prepared with a combination of yam and other condiments including fresh green vegetables, stock fish, crayfish among others. It is a sure way to keep your weekend healthy.

Recipe Yam Spinach or Ugu Palm oil Pepper Onions Ground crayfish Cube Smoked or cooked dried fish(optional) Salt to taste Preparations Cut and peel off the skin of the yam. Rinse thoroughly and place in a pot. Add some water and salt to taste and leave to boil for 15 minutes. Then add the chopped onions, pepper, cube, cooked dried fish, palm oil and cook until the yam is done. Add the sliced vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes and your yam porridge with vegetables is ready.

Yam porridge with vegetables is usually eaten anytime of the day and enjoyed with a chilled drink.

HEALTH TIPS

TUMMYZONE 4 KID & TEEN

Juice your way to health and weight loss

Back to School: How healthy is your kid’s lunch box?

J

uicing is way of extracting the juice from fresh fruits and vegetables for consumption. This juice is filled with complete nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes which can be easily and fully absorbed by the body without the need for much digestive work. These nutrients go straight into our system in a double-quick time, allowing the body to function at its maximum efficiency.

Health studies have shown that juicing is healthier than eating whole vegetables and fruits because eating vegetables and fruits require our body to digest them while juicing allows our digestive system have a break and allows the body to focus on the healing process.

Juicing is done in various methods such as using the hand to manually squeeze the fruit, using a juicer, using a sophisticated variable-speed,or using an industrial device for a wide scale.

Also, drinking fresh home made juice aids you to lose your excess pounds primarily by bringing about a huge caloric deficiency.

Continuous intake of juice will supply energy which will prevent your metabolism from crashing and will make your weight loss efforts successful.

Dear parent, it is essential to note that, your kid’s lunch box should be filled with healthy foods and fruits. Just as your child will be going back to school, please, try as much as possible to make his lunch box attractive and healthy.

The following tips will guide you Always include a sandwich: Instead of sliced bread, you can give your child wholegrain bread which will provide fibre and help him feel full.

If your children aren’t used to eating wholegrain bread, use soft grain bread initially, and gradually change over to the wholegrain bread.

Try to include a piece of fresh fruit, carton of fruit juice, dried fruit, or even a bottle of fruit smoothie as much as possible to help your child get their “5 a day”.

Vegetables can be sneaked into the lunchbox in many

forms: Add a bag of carrot sticks or baby tomatoes; grate carrot and use in sandwich fillings or add sweetcorn to tuna.

Include your kids in the grocery shopping and let them choose foods that are part of a healthy diet. If possible, stay out of the way of temptation; skip the aisles that house sweets, biscuits and fizzy drinks.

At home, include the kids in their lunch preparation. Take into account their tastes and let them select one new fruit and vegetable to try each

week.

Keep it simple: Avoid messy mushy food which may turn your child off his food. If a sandwich filler makes the bread mushy before it is eaten, wrap the filler up in tinfoil so it can be added when needed.

Keep it small: Ensure food is manageable for little hands.

Cut apples and carrots into slices. Cut sandwiches into four pieces. Small snacks such as raisins or mandarins are easy to manage as they are.

Children become easily dehydrated so don’t forget drinks. Add bottled water, milk, sugar-free squash or 100 percent fruit juices to school lunch boxes. However, fruit juices should be limited to meal times due to their high sugar content. Try diluting fruit juice to 2-parts water and one-part juice to reduce the sugar content. If you freeze cartons of fruit juice the night before, not only will they act as lunchbox cooler but the juice will be nicely chilled at lunchtime.

C M Y K

42—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—43

Your perception determines your success in life

reer It takes seeking the face of God. Some people will set up restaurants/hotels and it will liquidate while some people may be selling amala by the road side and build houses from it. You need to do thorough planning, take things steadily and be consistent.

Building a formidable business has to do with your perception of life. It’s not about money but adding value to life. That is what I can advise anybody, and that is why I can come into the business of Courier where we need the skilled and the unskilled. I could have diverted money I invested in courier business to buying and selling without adding value, but I didn’t and now, I’m putting food on the tables of many people. So you must have strong character, have faith in God and you must be focused. You must be total when preparing to build a career.

—Oladipo

S

iyanbola Oladipo is the Managing Direc tor/CEO Bowill Errands Courier Limited and Gen. Secretary, Association of Nigerian Cou rier Operators (ANCO). In spite of the challenges of being born in a polygamous family, he has remained focused; keeping the dream of being great within him and that has manifested today .

He has fulfilled his desire by adding value and smiles on people’s faces by creating employment opportunities.

Excerpts:

BY MOSES NOSIKE Any of the seven wives can discipline any child irrespective of whose child he was and there were no Jews or Gentiles. Therefore, every mother made efforts to ensure that her own children were neither left behind nor dropped out of school.

My primary school was an Anglican school and my secondary, a Catholic school. The strict upbringing of Anglican and Catholic doctrine reinforced my Christian faith and moral values that helped also to prepare me for the future.

The pattern of our after school schedule was that a child once in primary 3 must enroll as a member of Boys Brigade and Girls Guide . Once in primary six(6), whether you have good voice or not, you must be a member of the Choir. It is a must that we must all work for God. Another attribute I gained growing up was service to God. None of the wives dared disrupt these programmes. Monday through Friday was fixed with one church activity or the other. The typical day starts with 6am morning prayer in the church which was not far from our house and once back, we all converge as a family to pray. The roaster was prepared with the full participation of the children: some leading hymns, some reading Psalms and some leading prayer. At night also, it was a great offence for anyone to miss 9pm evening prayer. Mothers therefore ensured full attendance because the mother will share from the tongue-lashing that follows the absentee child.

So the virtue of going to church, having the fear of God and good name were imbibed in me while growing up and

Mentors My parents. Great people they are. I will choose them over and over again when I come to this world.

*Oladipo

,

Humble beginning...

I am Siyanbola Oladapo from the ancient town of Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba race and I was born into the family of Chief Joseph Oyebamiji Oladapo of blessed memory, a ‘successful polygamist’ and a wonderful and caring mother, Mrs. Abike Oladapo. Our family is a wonderful and cohesive Christian large family.

With an average of five children per wife (and they were of seven), you can have an idea of our family size.The intricacies of the polygamous home where I grew up prepared me for future challenges and I will therefore ascribe whatever humble impact I have made in life to that upbringing which shaped my spiritual life, moral values, perception of life, mind set, educational life, course of study, social and community service life.

Looking back, I can conveniently conclude that being raised in the ancient town of Ife and a polygamous environment instilled certain attributes in me. So I started my life having a better understanding of conflict management mechanism, essence and importance of unity, tolerance, love, team work, cohesiveness, selfless service, fear of God and healthy rivalry. Interestingly, we were all raised under the same roof, house and were given the same education, made to eat and dish out food from same pot . We were all determined to succeed in life and we appreciated the essence of good education and we all have our dreams and aspirations. Mentoring by the elderly ones became an important tool in shaping our future. Our mothers were living in love with one another.

I was also thrilled when my eightyear-old daughter Dolapo used the expression ‘Sister Damola does not have taste of adventure’. I was so thrilled at the expression and knowledge displayed by her

,

we all grew up with fear of God. Though, I’m not advocating polygamy, I must give kudos to my father for the efficient control he exercised over his family. The children were and still are close to one another; a feat many monogamists cannot boast of. Daddy was too strict and disciplined but I tell you those things helped form what I later become in future. All members of the family can recite many portions of Psalms off hand. My father was a leader of prayer warriors, a member of Guild Of Stewards and he served till he was 80 years.

When I left Ife, I started my working career in Oyo State

Civil Service, Office of Governor in Ibadan which exposed me to civil service workings, where I cultivated the habit of savings from a ‘meagre’ salary. I used my savings in sponsoring myself for the first two years of my education without bothering my parents.

I was well prepared for future challenges but these days, we only have mums and dads but those days, it was mother and father. I learnt the efficacy of prayer, virtues of good name and I learnt to appreciate that when you are better off in life, it’s not by your own making but God’s.

Building a formidable ca-

Trips that added value to my company All trips I have ever embarked upon were educative and sources of inspiration to me. I am very observant and look out for new things and ideas. Sight-seeing to me is appreciating what we do not have in my country , products that could do well and institutes that abound in those countries that were not in my country . Each time I travel, I enrich my knowledge of business. It is therefore impossible for me to point out to any particular trip.

Memorable moments The most memorable moment of my life was when I started my business and generated revenue and I’m now paying salaries thereby reducing unemployment in the country and putting smiles on the faces of others. I was also thrilled when my eight-yearold daughter Dolapo used the expression ‘Sister Damola does not have taste of adventure’. I was so thrilled at the expression and knowledge displayed by her.

Regrettable moments Regrets? None. Nothing like failure in my dictionary. I see those situations (FAILURE WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO REGRET) as getting FEEDBACK which also propels me to strive more. I turn regrets to sources of strength and it has worked wonders for me.

44—SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Charle @ 60:

My hot tempered nature saved me from being killed at 14 by Biafran soldiers

H

on Charles Ekhoetomwen

Idahosa is the son of Akasiaka (strong and untouchable) of blessed memory. He is a political juggernaut as long as the politics of Edo State and Nigeria is concerned. Today Charle T, as he is fondly called by friends and political associates, clocked the sexagenarian age of 60 and its celebration is at Benin today. In this chat with Saturday Vanguard,the chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole made some shocking revelations about his life, disclosing he could have died on his 14th birthday if not for providence. As one of the political heavy weights in Edo state, he unleashed his political pressure group, Edo Solidarity Movement (ESM) on the political space of the State on June 26, 2013 and as expected, it was an earthquake. The Movement is geared towards solidifying the political structure of his boss, Comrade Governor Oshiomhole ahead the 2015 and 2016 governorship election in the State. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard, the journalist turned politician spoke about his life, Edo state Politics and other national issues.

Excerpts: How do you f eel at 60 ?

I feel very good and I thank God for getting to the Diamond age.

Physically, I still feel I am 19 or 20. I thank God for his mercies.

You said I don’t look it, (smiles), I think it is in the gene. I don’t do things that will make me look older. I try to relax myself, enjoy myself and do things that make me feel happy. I have only three children and by the grace of God, they have made me a grandfather. I like playing table tennis and I exercise to keep fit. I am not doing anything special. It is God’s doing. I don’t bother myself like some people. I take things easy the way they come and I move on. It ‘s only when you want to acquire wealth that you suddenly become old.

Life as a journalist

It was a beautiful experience. I attended the College of Journalism in London and when I came back, I joined the NTA as a sub editor. I worked in different departments. Sometimes, I handled sports and current Affairs. I was employed the same day with Nosa Igiebor, the Editor-In-Chief of Tell Magazine. We worked together, put programmes together and it was fun. I participated actively in the politics of NUJ, and I was more interested in getting exclusive stories but we were very poor. Thank God journalists today are making it unlike those days and I thank God for that because they deserve it.

Again, journalists command more respect now than during our time. That time, they call us press boys, but today people know the worth of a journalist. But the NUJ should professionalize and ensure that some of us who are trained as journalists are into politics and can still vote in NUJ elections.

The opposition PDP always mention your n ame when they talk about those that destroyed the Igbinedion’s administration,what is your take on it?

Yes, I was an active player in the politics of the PDP from 1999 and like I keep saying, Lucky Igbinedion was in government for eight years but very few people remember that I was in that government . And people have not asked how come Charles Idahosa, a friend to Lucky Igbinedion became the first person to be fired in that government. We took over on May 29, 1999 and

by April 2000, I was fired while attending a seminar in the University of London. Once you have an independent mind, you become a problem in the PDP. Once the leaders have spoken, it is final and Lucky was not in a position to take any decision. It is either his father is telling him what to do, or that Chief Anenih is telling him or Ogbemudia is giving him directives. And somebody like me was not ready to be told what to do or what to say and I kept having running battles with them. I was in the PDP and today, I am in this government.

Are you saying PDP cannot bounce back in Edo come 2015 and 2016?

(Laughter) Does PDP exist here?

You journalists know the truth.

In 2015, they will not have a single member in the Edo state House of Assembly. They were lucky to have four members today. They don’t exist in Edo but you see, they must make noise so that they can get crumbs from Abuja.

Don’t you thing getting Oshiomhole’s successor will break up the APC? That is what people said during the deputy governorship crisis but it never happened. When

,

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

•Hon Charles Ekhoetomwen Idahosa

what is needed is the ability to listen to one another. So what has happened is that we listen to superior arguments from each other, that is why we have gone this far together. We have had cause to disagree on issues but what people don’t know about Oshiomhole is that he is a very good listener and he bows to superior argument. He is not a dictator. When there are issues we need to talk about, I will go to him but if I cannot due to his busy schedule, I will send him a text message. And he will reply me and we schedule a meeting. And when I meet him for the meeting, he will listen to my position and if what I am saying makes more

The governor is somebody like me, he is stubborn I am stubborn too. He is hot tempered I am hot tempered too. He is a radical just like me.

the time comes for us to sit down and pick Oshiomhole’s successor, it will be very smooth. The leaders will sit down, Oshiomhole will consult with the stakeholders and we will decide. It is not going to be a decision of one person, so people should not have any fear. There will be no problem over Oshiomhole’s successor I can assure you that. Oshiomhole is an intelligent man and he knows what is good for the people of the state.

People know you as a hot tempered politician and your boss Oshiomhole, a stubborn Comrade, what is the experience like working with him?

I understand what you are saying. The Governor is somebody like me, he is stubborn I am stubborn too. He is hot tempered I am hot tempered too. He is a radical just like me. But the thing is that when two people are working

,

sense to him, he will say I think I agree with you. But a lot of people don’t know this about Oshiomhole.

They see him from afar and they will assume the man will not listen to them. Again one thing a lot of people don’t know about Oshiomhole is that he is a very humble person. Even with his position as a governor, he has had cause to come to my house to meet me to discuss some issues. He will personally drive into my house and we will sit down and trash out an issue and this is what many governors cannot do. And the truth is that on a number of occasions he has been able to convince me on issues.

Shocking moments I ought to have died at 14, that is something I remember and I thank God for it. It happened in St Peters Vicarage , God apparently has a mission for me if not I would have died that day. September 21st 1967 was my 14th birthday and that was the day

the Federal troops liberated Benin City from Biafra.

We did not know what it was to see war because we have never experienced it, my late cousin when he heard that the Federal troops have moved into Benin, he started running to our house in Lagos Street to come and call me with three of our friends to go and meet the federal soldiers. So when he came he told us to go and I quickly ran into my room, wore my cloths and rushed out while they were running ahead of me. As I was rushing out, our mum called me, my uncle’s wife shouted at me to stop and go and get her water. I was so angry because others have left me, she said I should shut up and with that annoyance I pulled the fridge with anger and with that force all the bottles in the fridge fell out, broke into pieces and in the process of trying t remove my leg, the broken bottles tore my leg and there was blood everywhere. When I screamed she now ran out and there was shooting everywhere.

She tried to stop the bleeding, I wept. So my cousins left me to see the soldiers but less than 20 minutes later, we heard the four of them were shot dead. Maybe ,they ran into the Biafran troops. The four were the ones I know but we heard that they gathered many people and asked them to face the wall by John Holt , which is just like five minutes from my house, they killed all of them. I would have been among them, but for that intervention by our mother to get water for her and my anger in opening the fridge that made me cut my leg, I would have been dead. That was on my 14th birthday, September 21 st , 1967.

Happiest moment I have so many happy memories. But I think what I can say is my happiest day was when I had my first grandchild, when my daughter Ihiese had her daughter Princess Esieme Akenzua in the United States.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 45

C M Y K

46—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 47

C M Y K

48 — Vanguard, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Okorocha, Jakande, others to receive Isokan Yoruba awards F

DJ Switch collecting her cheque

By AYO ONIKOYI & ANOZIE EGOLE

S

ensational rapper Obianuju Catherine Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch, has been crowned Africa’s first X-Factor winner.

The 29-year-old Gology graduate of the University of Port Harcourt and native of Udi, Enugu State, was declared winner at the grand finale of the show held at Dream Studios, Bamako Street, Omole, Lagos. She beat the two other finalists Ethel Eshun and Vicky Gomoti in the last round of voting to win Globacom’s N24 million cash prize and a recording contract with Sony Music.

Before the announcement of the results, the expectation of audience, judges and contestants alike had built to a crescendo as everybody waited anxiously to find out who the first X Factor winner in Africa would be.

The suspense was to last even longer as Glo ambassador from Ghana, Efya, came on stage for a wonderful performance that had the audience applauding rapturously. After her performance, X Factor host, Toolz, turned to the judges and sought to know how they felt about the night.

“Shake” and “Ada Ada” crooner, Flavour, came onstage next to thrill guests with a scintillating performance. He proved why he was a crowd favourite as the audience rose to their feet to dance along with him. After Flavour ’s performance, the

X-Factor: DJ Switch wins Glo’s N24m, Sony Music deal contestants came out to sing the songs they sang at the audition stage.

Vicky led the performances, and she got a standing ovation from the three judges. “How did your daughter perform?”

Toolz inquired of Onyeka.

“She has grown from a pupa to a butterfly. She sang with confidence and inner joy. I had goose pimples just listening to her. I have no doubt that she’ll make it. May God bless you.”

DJ Switch came up next, and reacting to her performance, MI said, “Switch, people scream when you perform because you

inspire us all. When you came for the audition, I felt you tried. I had already made up my mind that you wouldn’t make it to my final three mentees, but you changed my mind. Everybody here needs to know that no matter what people say about you, it doesn’t matter as long as you fight.” he concluded. Reggie gushed, “DJ Switch, you are inspirational; you excite me.

My children love you; everybody loves you!” As for Onyeka, she opined, “Unlike the other judges, the moment you stepped on stage, I knew you had it.”

Eshun was the next to

perform, and she pulled out all the stops as she shimmered in her green attire. Then the climax! The contestants held hands together as they anticipated the results that would change the lives of one of them forever.

The first runner-up was Eshun and she got the sum of N1m for her efforts, while Vicky, the second runner-up, also got N1m.

Ras Kimono welcomes baby girl from manager Legendary reggae singer, Ras Kimono who topped music charts in the late 802 s and 902 s with Dance hall hits “Under Pressure”, “Rumba stylee” and many other hits has become a father again.

The good news filtered in that the reggae icon’s manager, Efe has given birth to a baby girl, bringing the number of Kimono’s children to five (daughters) from three

different women.

The American returnee is married to Sybil who had three daughters for him. After a long absence from the entertainment scene, the multi award winning reggae icon returned to Nigeria in 2009. In an effort to reconnect with his fans, Kimono released albums in 2009 and 2011.

or implementing the free education programme of the Late Obafemi Awolowo - led Unity Party of Nigeria UPN’s free education programme from primary up to tertiary levels in his state, the Executive Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha will be the one and only political leader of non-Yoruba extraction among prominent Nigerians to be honored by a Yoruba socio-cultural Group in Lagos, come November, 2013.

The group, made up of students of Yoruba origin in tertiary institutions across the globe, with headquarters at the Distance Learning Institute (DLI) of the University of Lagos, UNILAG said, the governor had not only made the Yoruba Nation proud by implementing a programme initiated by a past Yoruba leader but had chosen to put smiles on the faces of the youth in his state therefore, assuring them of a greater future through the acquisition of necessary education to face the challenges of the jet age.

In a release made available to Showtime, on the forthcoming Isokan Omo Yoruba Day celebration, to be held at the University of Lagos, President of the group, Isokan Omo Yoruba, Nigeria and Abroad, Aare Yinka Agaba, said the annual event, the objective of which is to bring about unity, peace and the spirit of togetherness among all students of Yoruba extraction worldwide, would also be used to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba Race and honour models among the older generation, whose lifestyles have become examples for the younger generations to follow.

In the statement jointly signed by the Group’s President, Aare Yinka Agaba; Omidan Joke Olagunju, General Secretary; Omidan Bola Akanni, (Vice President) and Ogbeni Joseph Agboola Social Secretary; the Group announced that among the dignitaries to be celebrated at the event include the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, under whose tenure housing schemes were constructed in all areas of the state to ease the accommodation needs of the people, the type not yet replicated by any other administration after him.

Others on the list include Brigade-Gen. Mobolaji Johnson (rtd), first Military Governor of Lagos State, former National Vice Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), in the South West, Chief Bode George, and Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Adeola. Others include Chief Fani Kayode and wife of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Mrs Abimbola Jakande.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 49

n e e w t e b r a w d Unending col Tuface! d n a e c a f k c a l B T

he lingering face-off between Nigerian music sensation 2Face Idibia and his ex-group mate, Blackface born Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo may not end so soon.

The former, while speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Rubbing Minds’ show during the week, debunked allegations by the latter that he was not invited to the “African Queen” crooner ’s wedding in April, this year.

2face had stated in the interview that, “I actually invited Blackface to my wedding.” But reacting to 2face’s claim, via Twitter, Blackface writes, “ Why tell a million lies just to cover up one lie?”

2face and Blackface together with Chibuzor Oji a.k.a Faze, were members of the defunct music group, Plantashun Boiz.

The group split in 2004 to launch their solo careers after releasing two albums together.

There seems to be a strain relationship between Blackface and 2Face since their split and it became obvious when the former was conspicuously missing at the much talked about wedding of 2Face and Annie Macaulay in Dubai in April, this year.

Meanwhile, 2face is billed to flag-off his peace campaign this evening in Lagos, which also happens to be International Day of Peace. The event is expected to attract thousands of young people from across the country who will join their voices for peace through a peace pledge signing ceremony.

MDA 7: Which family wears the crown?

T

he stage is now set for the epic dance battle that will showcase Nigeria’s best dancing families as the curtains fall on the Maltina Dance All (MDA) family reality television show season 7.

The winning dance family will drive home a brand new car in addition to a cash prize of N6 million while the first and second runners up will take home N1million and N500, 000 respectively.

Sponsored by Maltina, a premium nonalcoholic malt brand from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc, the reality show after a rigorous and intensive competition process spanning more than a month, five families: the Ebute, Briggs, Ibrahim, Enweribe and Ikumoinein families qualified for the grand finale taking place live at Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday September 21, 2013. The race started on September 1, 2013 with ten families in

Glamour, as High Flyers debuts

By William Jimoh &Ebere Nwafor

T

he Nigerian media landscape reverberated last Sunday night with the unveiling of the first ever pan-African entertainment magazine, High Flyers, (HF) which seeks to celebrate African entertainment and bring positive international acclaim to the continent.

The event held in Lagos, commenced with a red carpet, during which guests and celebrities took pictures and granted interviews to members of the press. The event compered by Tee A and Maria of Beat FM, had guests sprawling with laughter at their energetic presentations.

The ambiance of the venue was very classy with soulful music by Oyinkasola and Jemal. The two artistes thrilled the audience with soft music, whilst champagne, wine and finger foods were served to the guests. Addressing guests at the notable event, Miss Akudo Abengowe editor of the magazine gave a brief speech about High Flyers Magazine, their mission and vision.

According to her “HF Magazine is a pan entertainment industries. It also seeks African entertainment magazine which to export African entertainment to the celebrates as well as critiques the African world.

the picture; however,five families were unable to survive the unique introduction of dance styles from the 1960s to date hence the title, “The Evolution” of dance. The five families that made it to the final stage of the exciting family dance reality show convinced the judges that they are capable of being among the last families that would compete for the prizes.

It was an emotional night at the first eviction showdown as two families - Dosa and Clement families – became the first two families to be evicted from the show. The show, which started airing on September 1, 2013, opened with dance performances from the 60s-70s and 80s-90s. After the first dance performance from the 60s-70s the Dosa and Clement families were put up for possible eviction. The Asiyefia and Ebute families later joined them for possible eviction after the 80s-90s dance performance.

Kemi Amos steps out with Alaya’s remix U

NI TE D Kin gd om -ba sed Nigerian songwriter, guitarist and rock singer, Kemi Amos has unveiled Alaye, a song originally wri tten and sang by LKT. In a chat with Showtime rec ently in Lagos, she said that she sang the song from the feminine angle in res ponse to LK T’s lyr ics aft er she wa s giv en permission.

“Though LKT had featured Davido while remixing the song but wh en I got the song, I thought it would be quiet interesting for me to reply to the lyrics.

I sought his approval and he gladly gav e me the go ahe ad, ” she explained.

50—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—51

H

as the last been heard of the ongoing Peoples Democratic Party, PDP crisis? Will democracy survive this onslaught on the ruling party? Will Nigeria ever be the same again after this in-house politicking? These questions and more have bedevilled Nigerians since the split of PDP on August 31, following disagreements that could not be easily resolved.

Current wave of events point to the contrary. The seeming peace arrived at earlier in the week might just be an illusion as the August 31, factionalisation of the party has continued unhindered.

Just recently, the Barajeled faction accused the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur of not being serious about the ongoing peace moves. The leadership of the nPDP also denied entering any ceasefire deal with President Jonathan.

It became obvious that the centre can no longer hold for the PDP the moment former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s allies registered the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), and although the former Vice- President washed his hands off the registration of the party, it was one action that has clearly decimated the ruling party.

Indeed, these are trying times for the PDP and it is obvious that the sour grapes eaten by the fathers have set the children’s teeth on edge.

Several attempts made by some elders of the party to reconcile all sides and return the party to oneness have failed so far. Former president Obasanjo’s efforts yielded no fruits and attempt by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees , BoT of the party, Chief Tony Anenih caught him in the middle. Clearly, Anenih was neither here nor there.

The perception in some quarters that the grievances of the governors who walked out of the August 31, mini convention with the former Vice-President were genuine has not gone down well with the presidency as the leadership of the party equally perceived some of the demands made by the splinter group as outrageous.

Provocative statements from the two sides of the party are jeopardising efforts to make peace and the verbal war between the Chairman of the party, Bamaga Tukur and the leadership of the factional party have not helped matters.

The altercations between the two sides have been harsh and improper but what worsened the situation was the threat to recall members of the National Assembly who have shown

Will this centre still hold?

Tukur

Atiku

sympathy with the splinter group. Bamanga Tukur became the man on the cross and sour grapes were freely thrown at him.

At a stage, the battle shifted to the courts with Tukur filing a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the committal of Alhaji Baraje; his deputy, Dr. Sam Jaja, and their national secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola to prison while Baraje, on the other hand, asked the court to commit Tukur to jail for contempt.

BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih has been careful with his statements, remaining firm in protecting the interests of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015,

These are trying times for the ruling PDP and it is obvious that the sour grapes eaten by the fathers have set the children’s teeth on edge even as he acknowledged that some of the governors’ grievances were genuine.

For a man who has spearheaded peace processes within the party in the past,

Baraje this is one peace move that is eluding resolution . It is no longer a figment of anyone’s imagination that the leadership of the party has bitten more than it could chew.

By not denigrating Atiku, Kwankwaso, Lamido, Wammakko, Nyako and company, Anenih has proven to mean the business of reconciliation but that was until Wednesday when the nPDP issued a statement claiming ‘no deal with Jonathan,’ accusing Akpabio of deceiving Nigerians and threatening to block Jonathan’s ministerial nominees if they were not carried along.

Understandably, President

Jonathan has gagged his media aides from making comments on the crisis.

Rueben Abati and Doyin Okupe are consciously looking the other way. In a statement he issued , the President had described the crisis as a normal and minor disagreement that would soon be resolved.

But the foregoing can no longer be described as normal and if not carefully handled, could nip the fortunes of the party in the bud come 2015.

Whether the leadership of the party accepts it or not, some form of sacrifice should be made. It would definitely cost an arm or a leg for peace to return to the party. Something (or someone) definitely must be sacrificed.

This is the first crisis that really touched the soul of the party which had only witnessed crises in states and local governments.

The current development is also targetted towards stopping the aspiration of President Jonathan to recontest in 2015. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the G7 governors with their national assembly counterparts perceive Jonathan’s 2015 ambition as what would bring disintegration of the country .

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders Committee have told President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve his 2015 ambition as one of the conditions for resolving the crisis but that is almost an impossiblity as nothing could be seen to stop Jonathan.

However, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh has promised that the crisis would soon be resolved .

But with the u-turn made by the nPDP , it is obvious the end of the crisis is not in sight. What will happen next is still blowing in the wind.

Be tw een the sac ked Minist er Betw tween sack Minister erss and the nPDP

O

nly last week, President Jonathan sacked nine

ministers, believed to be nominated by governors and top politicians of the New PDP. The sacked ministers were caught off-guard .

The ‘New’Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) had claimed that the nine Ministers sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan were under security watch for weeks, describing them as victims of the ongoing war between the PDP and the splinter group.

The sacked Ministers were allegedly placed under surveillance and denied the necessary tools to work with while the corrupt ones, whose atrocious activities are well known to Nigerians, were retained.

One of the sacked Ministers , the ex-Minister of Housing, Ms Amal Pepple was allegedly sacked for approaching President Jonathan and pleading with him to forgive Governor Amaechi for whatever sins he committed against him.

In all, the President Jonathan took these sacked ministers unawares and left the survivors rattled and aghast.

The presidency has since dispelled allegations that their sack has political undertones although many were not convinced by the Information Minister’s assurances.

For instance, the sacked Minister of State for Power, Kuchi was the Niger State nominee sponsored by Governor Aliyu Mua’zu Babangida who is a leading figure of the nPDP. Obada, the former Minister of State of Defence who hails from Osun State was nominated by Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the former National Secretary of the PDP and now National Secretary of the nPDP.

Professor Rufai’s removal was perceived to be connected with the activities of her state governor, Lamido, who is against Jonathan’s 2015 ambition and the leadership style of the party Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

As President Jonathan shops for nominees to occupy the vacated ministerial positions, the G7 governors expect him to seek their inputs in the selection of the new ministers from their respective states. But Jonathan doesn’t seem to be complying and the ceasefire deal is failing due to mistrust. The G-7 governors have pointed out their sceptism, citing the experience of five former governors used and dumped by Jonathan in the past.

Definitely, the governors are not leaving anything to chance . Who wants to play the fool ? Time and chance happeneth things.

52—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—53

Blossom where planted

Oh God! arise thou ffor or m myy help

M

T

,

C M Y K

when asked what kind of a job they would want to do. Or when prodded, to pick banks and oil companies. To me, that is not a sign of being adaptable. It is a sign of a lack of ambition.

Every young person must have a passion. Something they can do for free and still enjoy doing if need be. Nigeria is also a country of limitless opportunities for those who have eyes to see and don’t mind starting from the scratch. The internet has opened a new vista; a new unlimited world that was not there in my youth. An intelligent use of the internet will create ideas.

The young must stop thinking of big bucks and think more of self actualisation and fulfilling their passion. Where ever fate plants you, dig in and blossom. I firmly believe each of us can do more with the resources at our disposal.

A good man passes on

The earlier one came to grips with o n e ’ s situation, the better the chances of survival

,

MY first meeting with him was a lesson of sorts.

As a columnist for a major newspaper, I was not used to warming seats in secretaries’ offices. So when I came late for Chief Anofi S.Guobadia’s appointment and was told to wait, I got restive. After about ten minutes, I told the secretary that I had another appointment and so had to leave. She quietly went in to convey

my message to her boss who came out and said, ‘I am sorry for keeping you.

But you were late and I had to start another meeting’. He said it so simply, so matter of factly, that I resolved to always be on time for appointments.

Chief Guobadia was among the early trained industrialists in Nigeria. His company ‘Maiden Electronics’ would have been Nigeria’s answer to Samsung or LG, if the government, through Udoji award, had not opened the flood gates for all manner of electronic goods to pour into the country. You see, the problems of Nigeria didn’t just start today.

A lot has been said about him. He was a leading figure in the Rotary movement in Nigeria and one of the founding fathers of the Institute of Directors (IOD) among many achievements. But you could never overstate the fact that he was a complete gentleman.

When he had his travails at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, I was incensed as many were. In fact, a former President, Otunba J. Ade Tuyo, was so upset that he resigned from the chamber because of what some members did to Guobadia.

In all of these, he was calm and dignified; another lesson for me.

He had a beautiful place in Ikeja and I spent some lovely evenings there. One of my happier moments was when he once introduced me to someone as ‘my son’.

A good man has passed on. May his soul rest in peace.

he plan of God for your life is far greater than your ability. Your strength is not capable of handling it.

Your wealth is not strong enough to sponsor it. Multitude of people cannot bring about the full manifestation. Listen to what this scriptures in Eph. 3:20 says, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”. Thus, it is impossible to do without the help of God. That is if you truly you want to fulfill the glorious destiny that God have for you.

One of the things that provoke the help of God is when men humble themselves and cry out to Him for help. As long as we keep managing that situation we will keep God out of it. 1st Cor. 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. Why try to handle what is drowning you. Humble yourself before God and cry out to Him for help. He is the very present help in time of trouble. Remember Peter in the bible? He was walking on water upon the command of Jesus, but when he took his eyes off Jesus he began to drown. Initially he thought he could handle the situation and so Jesus did nothing but when things began to get out of hand Peter cried out saying “Lord save me” and the Lord saved him. What do you think would have been the fate of Peter if he had not cried out for help? Jesus would have done nothing and Peter would have drowned. Stop hiding that situation and cry out for God’s help now.

In your weakness, shall His strength be made perfect.

No matter how critical that situation may look like right now, the Lord is still willing to help you. Nothing is ever too late with Him. Times and seasons are in his hands. I declare to you that by His mercies He will yurn time and season in your favour. You will breakthrough in every area of your life. The glorious season of your life, family and ministries till date is just beginning. You will blossom roundabout you and you will be exceedingly fruitful. Your mockers will come to congratulate you shortly.

Psalm 44:26 says, “Arise for our help,

and redeem us for thy mercies sake”.

Arise means to be stirred up, to awake and prepare for action. The bible says that when God arises, His enemies will be scattered. Thus when God arises on your behalf, all those that are against you, your family, business and ministries will be in serious trouble. Come on stop whatever you are doing now and cry out to God to help you and redeem you for His mercies sake and He will do it because He cannot lie.

In Ps 3, David was troubled because his enemies were increasing daily and the enemies thought that God will not help him. He cried unto the Lord with his voice and God heard him. David went to sleep and woke up the next day and found out that God had defeated his enemies. Your testimony will be the next. As you cry out to him for help, He will arise on your behalf and confront all that are tormenting your life and give you total victory. Know for a surety that God is a jealous God and will not allow any devil to deny Him His glory. God is waiting for you

,

y week started with an S.O.S text message from a moth er of four who had been abandoned by her husband, and to her, the whole world. Her travails started about four years ago when she lost her job and her husband’s business gradually collapsed. So from two cars and a home to nothing she went. Her husband left home under the guise of looking for better opportunities. He has not returned. Over the years, sympathetic relatives had thinned out when faced with their own woes.

Her text claimed there was no grain of food in the house, and her children, two of whom were home due to the University strike, were starving. I had helped out over the years, and like others, my resources—and patience were thinning out. So I told her the bitter truth which was that she could not beg for ever and that she had to see herself as a single mother and come to grips with her life. Her reply was that she could not build up the necessary capital to run a business due to the many holes that needed to be filled and she was determined not to sell her body—as if that was the only option.

As I dropped the phone, I wondered if I had been too harsh on her. It would be a lot easier to send my widow’s mite and gradually shut the door as many had done. Yet I knew her problem was more in the mind and it would be a disservice if I allowed her to wallow in it. She was prepared to blame her husband who had left home, the State for jobs that were no longer there, and her destiny for putting her in this kind of predicament. She probably would blame the moon if she could get some comfort from it. Yet, she wanted as many of the indulgencies she had in the past including children in private schools, to continue.

Yes, it is not easy to leave a flat for a room; Apapa for Ajegunle, and many would balk at taking such a decision.

But the earlier one came to grips with one’s situation, the better the chances of survival. Self indulgence is easy, sweet even; but it does not get anybody any where. People have to be ready to dig and start with the barest minimum if need be. Not accepting when levels change has been the bane of many in Nigeria, including our leaders.

Being an ex-this, ex-that, can be challenging. But it can be rewarding if you apply yourself because fresh challenges can be liberating. But it is important for us and our state of mind to accept where ever fate plants us and make the best of it.

My week continued with a note from an old friend to help yet another unemployed graduate. At 28, he seemed confused about what he wants to with himself and just wants a good job. Now, nothing puts me off more than having a person say ‘anything’

to call on Him to help you. Know that a man w h o doesn’t need help never ask for help. I join you to cry out to God now.

Arise o God and help the people in the areas where they need help spiritually, martially, financially, mentally, in their carriers and all that concerns them. Glorify your name o God in Jesus name, Amen.

Help our great nation Nigeria and other nations and establish your purpose in them.

Please join us every Tuesday 8am – 10am for prayer and miracle rally, where we cry out to God to help us.

Please see our details below. God’s help awaits you.

Have you given your life to Jesus?

If not, please pray this prayer. Father, I come to you as I am. I invite Jesus into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash me cleanse with the blood of Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for saving my soul and making me your child.

Your prayer request and praise reports will be welcome. Our contact details are below.

You can also partner with us by supporting us financially.

No matter how critical that situation may look like right now, the Lord is still willing to help you

,

For more details, contact us at Christ Reality Church, beside Gossard Hotel, opposite First Bank Sports Ground, Community Road, Satellite Town or P.O.Box, 3196, Yaba Lagos. Tel: 08023062635 08168955932; 08033378769. Email: Johnson_crm@yahoo.com. Website: www.christrealityministries.org.

Our account details are Pastor Johnson Omomadia, Guaranty Trust Bank, A/C Nos. 0005171407; Christ Reality Ministries, Zenith Bank A/C 1011711622.

Worship with us on Sundays, 1st Service: 745am-9:15am; 2nd Service 9:1511:30am. Wednesdays Word Revelation 6pm. Counseling days Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 11am-5pm daily or by appointment. Showers of blessing every 2nd - 4th Sat. of each month, 6 a.m - 7.15 am.

54—SATURDAY Vanguard , SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

T

he lady must have been a natural southpaw the way she lashed out at her fellow legislator, who was, fortunately a real gentleman. The lady— we’ll continue to call her that, not for want of a more suitable description, but to retain some respect for the venue of her sustained assault —allowed no restraint on her determined attack in the “hallowed” chamber of the House of Representatives, while her victim did not raise a hand to retaliate, he absorbed two furious openhanded blows to the body while vainly trying to reason with his aggressive law-maker who was busy looking for a hay-maker.

Such incidents, regrettably, are no longer a rarity. At the group had also shown a drop of a pin in our House of willingness to do the same, Representatives, it is now but backed away at the last almost the norm for tempers minute from the bizarre to rise and fists to fly. It has move, probably sensing the become the shameful habit of unpleasant reception that it shameless “honourable” men would face. But the Baraje- and women. It took the led faction, variously imbroglio that has now referred to as the New PDP, consumed the rank and file of or nPDP , opted to pursue the Peoples Democratic the unusual course.

Party, PDP, to bring it up once The situation into which again on the floor of the Lower the party had thrown itself House. was awful enough, one might have thought, without hile the internecine involving the membership of challenges which have the House of fractionalized the PDP Representatives. While it is continue to fester in the open normal for the legislators to for all to see, the high officials be involved as politicians in of the organization persist in an issue that is politically calling it a “family” dissension. red-hot, they should have A State Governor’s aircraft is been left to react as grounded, whilst permission individuals or under the to operate is denied another; auspices of their own the normal running of a State contrived caucuses. All House of Assembly is along they had been holding suspended whilst the House of a series of meetings which Representatives is mandated they presented as the to assume its responsibilities; stepping-stones to an a State Governor is barred the imminent resolution of the usual entry to his official differences which had residence by the police on the elicited so much bitterness orders of their boss who is and victimization from the openly at daggers drawn with parent body - which his State Executive; several ostensibly holds the reins of ministers are relieved of their government. positions because of their putative connections with the ut they rise from each break-away faction of the meeting with their ruling party; a full-fledged swords still unsheathed, yet faction flaunts a rampant with the fable that their stance in the face of difficulties would soon be everybody— and all of that is eliminated. In fact, it was called “family”? such a meeting that To expect anyone to believe immediately preceded the that is the apogee of naivety. move to address the House But that is probably what they of Representatives, and the call “politics”. Unfortunately, subsequent fracas.

*a law should be made * Jesus is Lord

W

B

,

Scuffles and affrays must cease in our parliament from today. A law should be made against such a distasteful and demeaning practice

it is also an example of the insincerity and levity with which the PDP is prone to treat the entire nation about issues that demand a serious approach. It is as though the rest of us are totally ignorant about what is happening around us. But now one may wonder: how did the purely domestic matter of a political party erupt into a rumpus in the House of Representatives? It was at the instance of the splinter group which felt impelled to carry their case before the members of the House of Representatives, The other

,

From this distance and the view it affords at the moment, there is hardly anyone who can correctly predict what may happen to this party, the PDP that is, and to this country as a consequence. We have a tight logjam here. From the body language of the parent body, the core demands of the splinter group will definitely not be met, except in one or two instances and grudgingly at that. For instance, it would be nothing short of capitulation to accede to the removal of Tukur from the

B

•Baraje chairmanship of the party, unless a face-saving ploy of unusual magnitude could be devised.

A tone of disingenuousness pervades the other areas of the disagreement where some concessions seem to have been granted, but those do not include and will never include —President Goodluck Jonathan’s “avowed intent” to retain the presidency. And this is really the crux of the matter.

But no matter what happens later, we have to decide to offer due respect to our legislative houses. These are the temples in which we have enshrined our belief as a nation in the rule of law. Our behaviour in any of the chambers of law-making must evince our respect for the institutions we have devised for our well-being, and by which we strive to sustain our integrity. Scuffles and affrays must cease in our parliament from today. A law should be made against such a distasteful and demeaning practice.

Echoes: I usually find your forays into religious matters interesting. I can see that you are a Christian.

Which denomination do you belong to, and why?

acquired a new occupant in the form of a carving installed within the sanctuary. Anyone in robes — priests, vergers, choristers, the lot — went before it and bowed at the beginning or some specific phase of the religious service.

I was aghast! For twenty-six years I made my resentment known. I had few takers– but I did have some and some of them even left the church while I was still campaigning against this thing I described as an “effigy.” I complained to one administrator of the church who took umbrage at my protests which he said could “divide” the church.

That frightened me no end.

Then when he left, I raised the matter with his replacement whom I knew rather well, and with whom I had previously discussed the matter of the effigy when he was in another parish. He had fervently supported my views at that time, so I felt I had found a kindred spirit who would offer me his full support. But when I broached the matter before him now that he was in charge, he sounded very embarrassed. So I went to the top. I spoke to the Bishop who promised to look into the matter. But his lordship was usually busy and there was an extent beyond which one does not worry a bishop. So I let the matter drop for a while.

I am a Roman Catholic and I believe it is the first and best.

Would you like to share your views?

Not particularly, as a matter of fact. Religion is a very personal item in a human being’s life, and sharing views may easily lead to offence. For instance, in no more than five sentences above, you have already attacked my denomination.

That precisely was what you did when you stated that Roman Catholicism “is the first and the best”. You implied that my own choice is worse, and that is offensive already. I shall not defend that choice actually, except to depose that no denomination is perfect. I was once a Roman Catholic myself. I married in the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lagos. I had to seek for another way of worshipping Christ when I came up against doubts that I could not surmount about the quality of my devotions.

I presented these issues to several priests but had no satisfaction. So I left and embraced Anglicanism into which I was born, in the first place. And would you believe that I ran smack dab into the issues from which I had run away in the Roman Catholic Church? It had to do with images.

It was in my old church, a cathedral too. It had now

ut I still had one ploy left. I belonged to a very important society in the church, and I was confident that the members would see my point of view. So I got myself invited to a committee meeting where I could present my case. I was warmly received, but not so my presentation. And it was all so clear to me. The Second Commandment states: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them ... “ What could be more lucid?

The caveat, “of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth beneath” definitely includes God Himself and, by inference, Jesus Christ. Thus He states that we should not make an idol of Him, because if you make an effigy of God you can only worship it since it is God. I would have liked to delve a bit deeper, but you should get what I mean.

I have nothing against Roman Catholics; I have issues with Roman Catholicism. I have issues with denominations —the very idea of it. But if you are a Christian, you would belong to one. The important thing is also to belong to Jesus. Jesus is Lord, Time out.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21,, 2013—55

C

hief Ede Dafinone, a chartered accoun tant of repute, is eyeing the Delta Cen tral Senatorial seat to bring development and prosperity to the area.

In this interview with Gab Ejuwa in Lagos, he says he would bring his professional knowledge and experience to bear on a wide range of public policy issues and topics. He also speaks on the 2015 governorship election.

Excerpts Why are you in the senatorial race?

The answer to that question is quality representation. I can represent my people at the highest level in the country. I want to bring development and prosperity to Delta Central.

How do you intend to build confidence in people concerning your ambition?

Every individual brings a different set of skills and experience to the polity. My background, education, professional experience as an accountant and consultant, my experience in rubber export and plantation, my experience in the insurance industry and in the retail or shopping mall business are all success stories in their own rights. I believe that the totality of these experiences will enable me to add value as the senator representing Delta Central.

How do you react to the view that you are daddy’s boy?

I want to thank God for blessing me with youthful looks. I will be 52 on my next birthday and I think in terms of years spent on this planet together with my collective experiences, I am qualified to occupy this position. Those calling me daddy’s boy clearly do not know me or worse still do not know my father Chief David Dafinone.

Considering that politics in Nigeria is on cash and carry basis, how do you intend to fund and actualize your ambition?

Politics has become an expensive venture especially in Delta State. Good enough, I have just mentioned an array of successful businesses which will assist in financing the campaign.

In addition, I will also call on friends to support in any way they are able. I will want to emphasize that the focal point of any election is having a greater number of voters cast their votes in my support.

However, despite the popular rhetoric, Nigerians have learnt to vote with their conscience and not for money.

Indeed, this is the background to the success story of DPP today.

Ahead of the primaries, what are the challenges facing you?

Party primaries are always a tense time in every political party and DPP is not an exception. I have taken my message of Urhobo unity and the development of Delta Central to the villages, the towns, from the wards to the local government areas, to the youths, to the women and to the elders. I believe that they will recognize that I offer a quality representation in the senate. I also have a network of friends throughout the federation in both the public and private sectors that will assist me to provide the best quality representation.

What has been the response?

All the groups I have met want me to represent Delta Central at the senate.

Are you not intimidat-

Dafinone...Politics has become an expensive venture especially in Delta State

DELTA CENTRAL SENATORIAL RACE

I’m the candidate to beat — Dafinone · Says the position of DPP’s gubernatorial candidate will easily be filled by Chief Great Ogboru ed by the senatorial ambition of some people in the race?

I contested in the last primaries in Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) against Late Senator Pius Ewherido. I lost by a total of 17 votes having joined the party two and a half weeks prior to those primaries. I was new to the party at that time.

Since then, I have fully acquainted myself with my party at the local government, state and federal levels. I believe I am the candidate to beat.

What is your reaction to the rumour that you are eyeing the Delta State governor

ship seat in 2015?

This issue was first raised by a couple of young men who went to press early this year to endorse me for the governorship race in 2015. I must say that I have not shown any interest in that position and the endorsement given by this group has led to significant confusion as I prepare for the senatorial bye election. Let me say that come 2015, the natural progression will be for me to stand for re-election as a senator representing Delta Central.

The period left before the next election will leave a lot of work planned for the office

uncompleted. Equally, the position of the party’s gubernatorial candidate for 2015 will easily be filled by our leader Chief Great Ogboru by popular acclamation by the rank and file of the party.

What is your message to the political leaders?

I am a popular grassroots politician. I started my political career in 1998 where I campaigned for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from markets to community leaders across the whole of Delta State. I am experienced in both public and private sectors and will unite the party to ensure victory at the polls.

What is your message to the people?

The empowerment projects that I have undertaken under the Dafinone Foundation since 2006 have successfully empowered over 2,500 men and women in three local government areas . The empowerment has been through skill acquisition programmes covering hair dressing, tailoring, catering, aluminum bending and welding and computer education. The projects of the Foundation demonstrate a commitment to serve which can only be magnified as the Senator representing Delta Central.

56 — SATURDAY Vanguard,SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Sexual molestation of 10-yr-old girl in Lagos T

HE alleged sexual molestation of a 10year-old girl (name withheld) at Abraham Adesanya estate, Ajah-Lagos, by a tanker driver simply identified as Edward, believed to be in his late 30s, is currently raising dust as the victim’s father has cried out against the ‘unsatisfactory’ manner the case was handled by the Police at the Ogombo Police station.

He alledged he was being forced to drop the charges on the grounds that it was a “minor offence”, and that there was no “penetration in the course of molestation”.

According to information made available to Crime Guard, the incident occurred on Friday, September 13, 2013, at about 9pm; when the victim, a primary six pupil, was asked by her mother to get a ‘stepdown’(an electrical appliance)from their residence within the vicinity of her parents’ restaurant. On her way back, she saw Edward, a regular caller at her parent’s restaurant, a stone- throw from their home; she narrated what transpired.

“Edward sat on a pavement in front of the second gate to the compound where he lives. I greeted him and he acknowledged, as I walked past, he said I should get closer and greet him properly. I told him I would not, because my mother warned me not to stay late; but I noticed he got up from where he sat and walked towards me; as I made to run, he pursued and caught up with me,and dragged me to the pavement and sat me on his laps. He told me I was all grown and beautiful, that my father must be spending so much to take good care of me; then he pulled my face and kissed me, telling me to relax that he was not going to harm me, that he would take good care of me. He then inserted his finger into my private part. All the while, I struggled to extricate myself from him to no avail; I was afraid. I prayed help would come my way through a passers-by, but no one did.

Then, I summoned courage and screamed...and let go of me, that was how I ran away, crying that I would report what he did to me to my father. As I ran I heard him calling after me, ‘come and take some money, so that you don’t report me to your father’; but I increased my speed and ran as faster to our restaurant, where I met my parents and reported what happened to me,” she said.

The victim’s father identified

...Father of victim alleges intimidation by the Police

,

By UJU MBANUSI

Bayelsa State- born tanker driver, whose wife and grown children live in another part of Lagos, was known in the neighbourhood for molesting minors, patronising women of easy virtues and chasing after married women

,

•The Mattress in the truck • The scene of the incident as John Inalegwu from Benue State told Crime Guard that he was discussing with some friends outside his restaurant when his daughter ran past me and went her mother crying, and narrated something to her.Sequel to this, I excused myself from my friends to ascertain what was the matter, when her mother brought her to me; I calmed her down, after which she narrated what happened to her. Strange! I was furious; how could ‘Yellow’,a regular customer to our restaurant do that to my daughter? He was very

friendly with my children? I asked.

“Luckily, two Police officers attached to the Abraham Adesanya Police Out-Post were having a meal at my restaurant at that time, I reported to them and my daughter led us to the spot, where we met ‘ yellow’ and he was arrested and detained at Abraham Adesanya Police Out-Post. He did not deny the accusation, but told us to temper Justice with mercy, as the incident was as a result of the ‘devil’s hand-work’. We were advised to go and get a medical report, and we did, the

report further confirmed that he committed the crime”, he said.

Crime Guard also gathered that the culprit was later transferred to Ogombo Police station Ajah, where he was detained for three days.

Unfortunately, father of the victim is suspecting that the case stands the risk of being struck out from the Police station, without his consent.

The 40 year old Oturkpo- born restaurateur continued, “On September 17, I went to the station to find out the state of the case, I was surprised to discover that the verge of being withdrawn from the station. As a matter of fact, I was ordered to drop the case because, according to them, it was a

minor offence as there was no ‘penetration’, also that the accused pleaded with them that the case be settled out of the Police station, a resolution I found ridiculous, I want the necessary steps taken, and justice done. How do I explain to my 10-year-old daughter that the man who molested her has been freed by the Police without trial on the ground that he did not penetrate her? Is this how the law operates? Is this how we were supposed to protect our children and vulnerable ones? We are making moves to get a lawyer, and also to transfer the case to Ajuwa police station where we hope to get justice,” he stated.

A neighbour at the estate who spoke on condition of anonymity told Crime Guard that the Bayelsa State- born tanker driver, whose wife and grown children live in another part of Lagos, was known in the neighbourhood for molesting minors, patronising women of easy virtues and chasing after married women. “He had no respect for anybody; he has a mattress placed behind the passengers seat in his truck, where he lays most of his victims. He is notorious in this act; I think he should not be let loose just like that, he needs to be brought to book. Otherwise, he might relocate to some where he is not known and continue with this; I am scared over the fate of our daughters and wives,” he lamented.

Murder at dusk: Police in Enugu commence investigation

By CHINENYE OZOR, Nsukka

T

HE Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police Force has commenced a full investigation into the incident of an alleged murder that occurred in Ogbodo- Amukwa Village, Nsukka. It was gathered that last Wednesday, at about 9.30pm, the neighbourhood watch group of Amukwa village were holding meeting at their town hall during which an alleged fight broke out between one Ndubuisi Agbo and Innocent Ozioko who is a member of the neighbourhood watch group. Consequently,Agbo was shot on his stomach.

It was further gathered that the victim is not a member of the neighbourhood watch group but had allegedly gone to the meeting venue to disrupt it when the fight broke out prompting his being shot. He was later rushed to Bishop Shanaham Hospital for medical attention where he was also confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, his corpse has been deposited at

the hospital mortuary for post motem examination,and the suspect is already helping the police in their investigations.

In another development, members of the public have been advised not to tamper with unexploded ordinance also known as UXO which is the left over of war anytime they come accross it while farming or digging because of it’s devastating effect. A statement from the Police in Enugu advised members of the public to report such discovery promptly to the nearest police station who will in turn notify its bomb unit for necessary action. This, according to the statemet, was necessitated by the report of discovery of unexploded ordinance received at a farmland situated at Umuhu, Awgu Local Government area of Enugu State.

Meanwhile, men of the Anti Bomb Unit of the area have moved into the scene to evacuate the UXO.

•Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—57

I

N Nigeria, transforma-tion is the new order. In keep ing to his agenda, The transformation Agenda President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is leading the pack among his African Counterparts in all Sectors, Segments and frontiers of the Economy. This drive for a new infrastructural upgrade and economic transformation is in tandem with the country s Vision to be among the best 20th economy in the world by year 2020.

The Transformation Agenda arose out of the need to correct the flows in the country s drive for development where there is absence of long terms perspective and lack of continuity, consistency and commitment (3Cs) to agreed policies. The culminating effect of these has been growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

According to the information contained in the enabling document, the transformation agenda is based on and draws inspiration from the vision 20: 20: 20 and the first National Implementation Plan (NIP) and aims to deepen the effects and provide a sense of direction.

There is no doubt Nigeria is gradually and consistently transforming in all sectors, including the human resources at the various ministries, parastatals, Agencies as the engines that drive the human capacity especially at the federal level are all keying into the new order of transformation. As such for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) a transformed Customs Service is a sin qua non. For the Comptroller General of the Service, Alhaji (Dr) Abdullahi Dikko Inde, CFR, transformation, innovations and trade facilitation are his watch words.

In the past two years of the Transformation Agenda, the Nigeria Customs Service has stood on a consistent march towards the new world order of trade facilitation with the latest Information Technology Communication (ICT) that bound trades without hassles. The service operates with its six point agenda of ICT, Capacity building, Integrity, welfare, Co - ordination and Collaboration with all stakeholders.

The clarion call by President Jonathan for all and Sundry to enlist as agents of transformation agenda was heeded by well meaning ministries, departments and agencies of government NDAs) and Nigerians with an uncommon zeal, and one of the MDAs under the federal Ministry of Finance that embraced and responded positively to the call is the Nigeria Customer Service.

For the NCS, the question of embracing the Transformation Agenda was not just to join the crowd, or was it about political correctness, but was to proof that the Service was indeed set to contribute its quota to the well being of the government and the people. Fully reinventing herself from a bashed, misunderstood, hated and abused agency, the Service with the support of government, the trading community and stakeholders has successful embarked and implemented strategic reforms that were anchored under the six- point agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, this has attracted admiration from global organizations and the trading and gen-

Noble strides of NCS transformation agenda

Comptroller General: Alhaji (Dr) Abdullahi Dikko Inde, CFR eral public.

Prudently the customs management has kept to this tanents of faith it professes. The innovations, transforma-tions and trade facilitation in the NCS stand out as the best in recent times among customs organizations in the world. This noble stride by the Dikko led customs service has brought honour, pride and recognitions to both the service and the country. It was on such benevolence that Nigeria President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was invited to address the 119th / 120th Sessions of the Customs Cooperation Council which also mark the diamond Jubilee anniversary celebrations of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in June, 2012.

Declaring the event open, President Jonathan chronicled the Nigerian perspective on how best customs administrations can positively support and contribute to the realisation of the economic growth and development objectives of countries.

Jonathan said "The role of customs administrations has undergone significant transformation since early 1990s, gradually, but steadily evolving from the trade facilitation, protection of society and the security of international trade supply chains on the other. This, no doubt, is a reflection of not only the changing environment in which customs authorities operate, but also the corresponding changes in the priorities of government". The Nigerian president also point out that the customs can make or mar economic growth if the right policies are not put in place, he said “Given the role customs administrations play in trade facilitation, they have always remained critical in the ability of governments to maximise the benefits from reforms, including enhancing and deepening trade integration between members of any regional trading arrangement. Under this circumstance, there is the pos-

sibility that customs administrations may constitute an obstacle to the success of trade policy reforms, if there is resistance to the necessary modernisation that should result from changes in the policies and priorities of governments".

President Jonathan expressed the hope that customs will in the twenty-first century play a pivotal role in the eco-

nomic chair as he says “The expansion in the traditional role of customs as an enforcement agency, has led to the emergence of customs as a prominent business partner to industry players. Customs administrations must therefore see themselves in the context of the twin roles of trade facilitator and guardian of the community. As a trade facilitator, they should be committed to building strategic partnerships with the business sector, including helping to maintain the competitive edge of the local industry, I do believe that the benefits of greater efficiency, enhanced competitiveness and higher productivity in the new global economic environment would be better achieved, if the customs service is responsive to the needs of the industry in the areas of simplification of procedures, efficient processing of shipments and the transparent use of rules and regulations’.

The Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr Olusegun O Aganga said at the launch of the portal that, the NTH was a veritable vehicle needed to drive the Nigeria trade cycle to the next level of d e v e l o p m e n t .

Adding that the Portal met the

trade facilitation framework for improved business climate as articulated in the blue print of vision 2020. ”The launch of the information phase of the trade hub will facilitate the next phase which allows for end-to-end transaction in a single window environment”. ”An efficient application will help in creating a competitive and enabling environment for cross border trade in terms of reducing processing time and cost: hence enhancing regional economic integration”.

For ICT: the PAAR and the newly introduced Nigerian Trade Hub (NTH) has come to stay. For capacity building: training and retraining of officer and men and other stakeholders in maritime industry at both local and foreign courses is continuous. With the world class customs staff college, the service is on top of knowledge based courses. On welfare: the 100% increase in salaries and allowances and regular payment of same is paramount.

Also the building of staff quarters and barracks at all customs formations is a boost to the service. In co ordination, the service is excellently coordinated to achieve its set goals and targets, while collaboration and integrity of the service is now at it highest level with other government agencies, traders and the general public. Looking back, at the customs, the officers and men of the service, the world Customs Organisation, the President, the Ministers, traders, and indeed the general public could see, feel, touch and notice the remarkable achievements of the service inline with the transformation agenda of the government and in march towards 20:20:20.

SERA 20 13: Shema launc hes social ent er prise 201 launches enter erprise

T

oday, at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, the executive Governor of Kats i n a S t a t e , D r. I b r a h i m Shema will launch the 2013 Social Enterprise Report at the seventh edition of the Nigeria CSR Awards.

The governor of the state of Osun, Gbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who is the special guest of honour at the event, will also be receiving an award for the impact his administration has achieved in the areas of education (Opon Imo concept) and infrastructure.

The Nigeria CSR Awards is an annual event organised to promote corporate social responsibility and good corporate citizenship.

The Nigeria Social Enterprise Report 2013 documents stories both ongoing and completed CSR of corporate organisations in the country.

Touted as the biggest and most credible corporate social responsibility awards in Nigeria with 16 different award categories for this year, the event is expected to be chaired by a member of the Federal

House of Representatives, Honourable John OwanEnoh while the keynote address will be delivered b y Pr o f e s s o r Pa t U t o m i , Founding faculty, PAN-Atlantic University, Lagos.

According to the organisers of the award, the theme for the seventh edition, “Shaping the Future Through Innovative Value Creation: Making a World of Difference,” brings to the front burner the state of the world today, which calls for innovative and unusual solutions to social, environmental, governance as well as economic challenges.

L-R: Company Secretary, Red Star Express Plc, Mrs Frances Akpomuka; Chairman, Red Star Express Plc, Dr. Mohammed Koguna; and Managing Director, Red Star Express Plc, Mr Sule Bichi, at the company’s 20th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos on Thursday.

58—SA TURD AY 58—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard,

SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Lamido....The PDP was a mechanism for saving Nigeria from what happened between 1983 and 1998 and it has done so much with distinction

PDP: The story of our “rebellion”

by Governor Sule Lamido • I will not leave PDP for scavengers • How we removed Tukur’s garbage and dressed him up

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor

H

e probably had little rea son to take the challenging path of fighting the establishment, given the comport and conditions around the country’s governors. But not Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State who was nurtured in the Aminu Kano political culture of using political power to fight for the masses.

It is as such not surprising that he is one of the seven governors in the country pushing to change the ways and manners of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview in Dutse, Governor Lamido opens up as never before in the media, on the problems bedevilling the PDP, and why he has put everything, including his life for the struggle against those he dubbed as scavengers determined to eat up what he and other fellow democrats struggled for.

Excerpts: There is some excitement that a party that recently boasted it would dominate the country for 60 years is about disintegrating. Are you worried?

Let me say in our tradition, you don’t jubilate over somebody’s downfall or misfortune because he is somebody bigger.

For me, those who think the PDP implosion will be a kind of carcass upon which they can feed on, are mistaken because I don’t think they are credible alternatives, so their jubilation may be short lived.

Those who think the PDP implosion will be a kind of carcass upon which they can feed on, are mistaken because I don’t think they are credible alternatives, so their jubilation may be short lived I’ve said it that PDP is a big party and it is the party that saved Nigeria from what happened between 1983 and 1998, and so, because it is so big, it is bound to have some crises here and there. It is only normal and natural.

But this is not an ordinary crisis?

We have to look at history first. If you know what happened yesterday, you will be prepared for tomorrow. The PDP was a mechanism for saving Nigeria from what happened between 1983 and 1998 and it has done so much with distinction. If you know what was Nigeria during Buhari’s rule, Babangida’s rule,

Abacha’s rule and so by 1998 when Abdulsalami came in, the matter was putting a mechanism that would be able to restore Nigeria and give Nigerians hope and confidence. Therefore, the mechanism was not in ordinary democracy; it was the democracy that was supposed to address a very, very serious national injury and 13 years after, that aspect for which the PDP was formed has been accomplished. Now what you are seeing now is because the country has been stabilized by the PDP. It is now to face the next level. And after stability, after restoration it is to give Nigeria and Nigerians service.

You know, there is the issue of employment of our youths, security from hunger, infrastructure and a number of things. You need a party which will metamorphose or transform from the old methods to now serving Nigeria which is the most difficult thing. You need people with the commitment, with the dedication, with the discipline; to uphold the rule of law because only the rule of law will be able to save Nigeria and make Nigerians get the services they need from their leaders.

And what you are seeing now, is this metamorphosis; this transition into the next phase, which is going to address Nigerians’ needs which is the cause of what you may call this implosion.

So, must it take Nigeria 14 years to get there?

In 2007 when Yar‘adua came in, we were then stabilizing as a country. We

were then fully reconciled as a nation.

The militants and other people who felt shut out from the Nigerian economy were coming on board with the amnesty programmes and commitment to serve Nigeria.

Yar’ Adua was the next phase, but unfortunately, he died and the injuries which we cured eight years earlier came back.They all came back and we had to go again through the same political process of again leaving services to address the political problems which then arose of how Nigeria will be maintained and reconciled.

So again, arising from this death and because of the way the political debate was being approached with emotions and sentiments and the play of every card, we were drifting.

There were people at that time saying that if Jonathan contested that they would take him to court. So, because of the way the debate was drifting leaving issues, whipping emotions and sentiments; North, South, Christian, Yoruba and all that, we were back to square one.

So the election 2011 was supposed to be the final healing process.

It wouldn’t have taken that long, it was because when we were trying to move, something happened (Yar‘adua’s death) and it was something beyond the party, it was something brought in by God. So, in trying to look at 2015 we feel that our action in 2011 has been able to vindicate our position; to justify our position that that healing process has at least been attained; that nobody was denied access to power because he was a Christian. So, Jonathan was elected on the basis of the healing process.

Now the question is that by that action of 2011, that process has now been established and Nigerians are now looking for service and we feel that the PDP naturally has to face the next level.

Does this war now mean that the PDP is not satisfied with what has happened since Jonathan was elected in 2011?

You see, the PDP after coming to power again is not being careful as per the stipulations of the party’s constitution, the party’s traditions and the party’s conventions of the way of doing things and you can see it. You sack a governor for failing to pick your phone call!

In Adamawa, Bamanga went to deconstruct the party and to reconstruct it.

Thereafter see what he did in Rivers State, see what he did to Oyinlola and no pretext. They are very, very dangerous signals in the party and we felt that things were not normal and we went round to our leaders to say that there are some things happening in the party which we all slaved for, which we all made sacrifices for and we felt that if you destroy the vehicle which will keep giving Nigeria the kind of peace we need, the kind of hope we look up to, unless we do things right as a party and as a government, we will keep on having problems.

However, those in the Tukur led PDP are saying that those of you in the nPDP have not exhausted the internal party mechanism to lay out your grievances and they also accuse you of trying to destroy the old PDP for you to move over to a new party?

The claim that we have not exhausted internal party mechanism is an after thought. It arose after the action. Few months ago, we started going around the country, we met our leaders. We went to Obasanjo and we said “sir, the very party that we all built is about to be ruined by Bamanga Tukur, the abrasions, the high handedness, the insensitivity is bringing us into some serious problems. We went and met Abdulsalam, we Continues on page 59

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard,

‘I will not leave PDP for scavengers’ Continued from page 58

briefed Babangida, we met Alex Ekwueme and we have met virtually everybody that could intervene.

After having gone ro und,

Obasanjo called a meeting of PDP governors and for two days we met and these grievances were identified and itemised.

He went and met the President and told him the problems.

Now, after that, whatever you call us, either aggrieved governors or whatever, we went again and met the President and explained to him and said “sir, we have been going around in the last few months and these are the issues and we feel that there are some problems, so do something about that.”

After seeing the President, we also went and met Bamanga Tukur and told him the same thing, “sir, tell the party that there are some problems” and we told him what we told President Jonathan and what we told all the other former leaders. After that nothing was done.

O

n the day of the con vention, around 12:30, myself, governor of Kano, governor of Niger, governor of Sokoto went to the President in the State Box and said “sir, there are some problems, do something; Do something please because right now Governor Nyako has been denied entry into the convention arena and all his delegates have also been denied, and the Rivers delegates who are statutory delegates being members of the National Assembly, have been changed at the venue of the convention.” And nothing was done.

So, when you say that we failed to exhaust all avenues, I don’t know what you mean.

And you would see that every time the so-called praise singers and drum beaters would say “don’t mind them, they can’t do anything, who are they? The power of the presidency is this or that, they can’t do anything.”

We are not challenging the power of the Nigerian President because we know what the power of the Nigerian President is like.

You may be powerful but your duty is to understand me as your citizen, as your party man and know my grievances.

When we are taken for granted and told that the heavens will not fall, “ who are they?”.

And who are those saying this, these are people who had no idea how PDP was formed in 1998, these are people who had no idea how Jonathan was elected in 2011. Because to them they see the industry in the presidency, they don’t want anything that will bring the system to normalcy or they will lose the filth that they are eating.

Are you then moving to another party?

It will be very, very sad if that is how we are being perceived

because it is part of the blackmail. I went to prison under Abacha for challenging him. I stuck my neck for democracy in Nigeria. I was one of the nine pioneer members of the PDP who formed G9, I am part of G18, I am part of G34. So, when you say I am moving out, moving out to where? You are not being fair to us. It is part of the blackmail. Moving out to leave the party to who? To who? For these scavengers?

Who are these scavengers?

Those who are saying that we are moving out. Those are the scavengers.

Besides the nPDP you are also being linked to a brand new party?

In this era of confusion, of blackmail and threats and coercion, people can raise anything for them to extract an advantage. So when you say people, who are those people?

Where were they when we formed the party? Where were they when I was in prison? So, it is very, very sad because when you say I am moving out, to move out to leave the party for who? Scavengers?

So, I am not moving out. We are in PDP, because we know what PDP is, we will not move an inch and will make sure that no matter what it takes, at the risk of everything including our personal safety, our offices, our children, family whatever it is, to restore PDP to the path of sanity, the path of legality, the path of due process, the path of constitutionality.

Or would you say to stay within and demolish it?

When you demolish your house what will you have over your head?

Lamido

whole thing look a little bit silly. Conventions by tradition are supposed to address party issues. Therefore the personalities of person there don’t even exist. So, at that point, if there is going to be election, he (President) has one single vote, I have one single vote.

So please, distinguish between a government gathering and a political party convention which is the peak, the assembly of all the party men with delegates coming from all the states of the federation coming together to be able to look at the party and their interests to be able to run the party very well.

So, when you say to disgrace the President you make it very, very personal.

So, it was spontaneous? And what was Atiku’s role in it?

In trying to look at 2015 we feel that our action in 2011 has been able to vindicate our position; to justify our position that that healing process has at least been attained. That nobody was denied access to power because he was a Christian. So, Jonathan was elected on the basis of the healing process Was the walk out of Eagles Square on the convention day spontaneous or planned to disgrace the president?

That is another dimension which is also painful when you say to disgrace the President.

That gathering was a political party gathering, not a government gathering. That gathering was a convention of the party where all delegates were to come and address issues of the party. It is not a government meeting. It is a convention. At a convention, it is members of the party, the family coming together. It is not a Nigerian gathering, it is only PDP members who should be there.

So, when you say to disgrace the President; you make the

There was a build up. It was very, very clear that there would be some problems. We even went and told him after going around for three months and made it very clear. We went around for three months talking about these problems. And after going around, we briefed the President and briefed the party Chairman. Nothing was done. On the day of the convention, we went again and said “sir, this is what is happening.”

So, when you say it was a plan

by Atiku, you take the value out of it. You make it valueless. Did we go to Atiku when we were moving around? So, if Atiku felt he had seen a small fish upon which he could latch in to

achieve his goal, I have no problem because he has interests too. So if he saw us walking out and he joined, why not?

The more the merrier.

Atiku is also a member of the party, he was at the convention, he has got his own grievances and therefore he found out that there were others having their own grievances and that he should join them.

T

he internal democracy you are championing at the federal level is alleged to be completely absent at the state level. In Adamawa State for instance, it is alleged that the governor has imposed someone from his local government as state chairman...

You see, that is part of the misinformation, the distortion. The chairman of Adamawa was chairman before Nyako (Governor Murtala Nyako) became the governor. When they picked him as candidate, didn’t they know that the chairman was from that local government?

When I was picked as candidate, the chairman of Jigawa at that time was from my own ward.

But he has since been changed?

Yes, by another party congress. When you are saying Nyako imposed, Nyako did this, it is part of the misinformation. It is false, it is a distortion of history. In 2007, when Nyako came as a candidate, Bamanga was not in PDP, he left the party because his son then was contesting and because his son did not get the ticket he left the party. In 2007, Atiku left for ACN, so there is some history behind this and because of this distortion, people are confused.

So you are not right, you are wrong.

You have mentioned scavengers. Who are these scavengers?

If there is no President, there would not be anything called Okupe or Abati and they are his personal aides, who came after he became the President. So

SEPTEMBER 21, 2013—59

they have no idea of what he went through as a candidate; his friends and collaborators, how they worked together to get him in there, they have no idea.

So literarily, if they see you standing in the cause of justice, they feel we are being personal to the President. We are not being personal, we are talking about Nigeria, we are talking about the PDP, we are not talking about the Nigeria President.

Now, if for instance, the Chairman challenges us, he has the locus standi, but not personal aides, who I call wage earners.

Could persons like Chief Edwin Clark, Asari Dokubo and the rest be some of these scavengers?

Thank God Dokubo said he is not a member of PDP, he said over the television that he is ACN. So if he is ACN and is now talking about PDP, then, I have some problems.

Could we still find a lasting solution to this problem in the PDP? There is a way out though obviously with some spill over effects or some collateral damages. Maybe if what we had been saying had been harkened to in the last two, three months, maybe we wouldn’t have been where we are today.

After going around, after meeting with the President, the party Chairman and they found that these things were real, that if they were addressed, there wouldn’t be any problem. If at the time of the convention when we went to the President and said “sir, please do something; Governor Nyako has been shut out of the convention; he has been denied the tag to come into the arena; the delegates from Adamawa have also been stopped from coming into the arena. Rivers delegates who are statutory delegates by being members of the National Assembly have also been changed, sir, the agreement is that all the members of the National Working Committee who resigned should all be reelected, but sir these things are being breached, so please do something...”

What was the President’s response?

He said he would do it.

We are saying that those who we privileged with our votes to lead the party after they had been humiliated in their zonal congresses, you know before the convention (March, 2012) you know there was this zonal congress in Bauchi and he (Tukur) scored zero!

Correct? And when this happened, the President said no, he called us and we said, you want Bamanga? So, we said you are going to have him. You are going to have Bamanga because we were doing the bidding of the President. So as his loyalists, we called Nyako, we said you cannot humiliate the President’s candidate.

Even though it is a democra-

cy, democracy also has some traditions and conventions.

So we dignified Bamanga, we honoured him, we cleaned him out, we got him resurrected otherwise by now, he would have been garbage. Real political garbage.

60 — SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Cour wards N1 0m agains s ffor or unla wful Courtt a aw N10m againstt IG, 5 other others unlawful shooting of victim •As Police arrest two with human heads in Ibadan

BY INNOCENT ANABA and OLA AJAYI, Ibadan

F

OR shooting one Mr Darlington Amaiham unlawfully, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, awarded N10 million as damages against the Nigerian Police Force, the Police Inspector General, and three of its officers, for negligence.

Trial judge,Justice Mohammed Yunusa awarded the amount as damages, in his judgment in a fundamental rights suit by the applicant, praying the court to declare that the reckless shooting by the respondents, amounted to a violation of his right to life.

The respondents in the suit are: The Nigerian Police Force, Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Insp. Usman

Shehu, Cpl. Alex Edomagbon, and Cpl. Seun Adewale.

The applicant in the suit filed in September 2012 through his counsel, Mr Joseph Odeh of “Access to Justice,” sought to enforce his fundamental rights against the respondents.

Amaiham had claimed the sum of N10 million as general damages, for the reckless and sporadic shooting by the fourth to sixth respondents, which he said had left him incapacitated.

He also claimed the sum of N5 million as exemplary and aggravated damages, in addition to the sum of N128,800 as special damages for his medical expenses.

Justice Yunusa in his judgment, granted all the reliefs sought by the applicant, adding that he was bound by law to

do so, since the respondents had failed to defend the suit since it was instituted.

Meantime, two men suspected to be ritualists were caught after cutting off the head of a woman in Ibadan yesterday.

Men from Oyo state police command who stormed Olufana village, Igbo-Oloyin, Ibadan in Akinyele Local Government Area of the State after a tip-off yesterday arrested two suspected ritualists with fresh human head.

While speaking with newsmen on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Olabisi Ilobanafor said the men were arrested in connection with the incident.

The suspects were reportedly seen cutting the head of the woman at Igbo-Oloyin village.One of the suspects, who claimed he was a farmer said he was asked to produce a human head for anti-bullet charm.

It is rewarding to work with development partners — Obi State in different forms.

G

OVERNOR Obi said it was rewarding working with development partners for the good of the people of Anambra State.

He said this yesterday after the meeting between the World Bank Team led by the Bank’s Country Director, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly and the Anambra State team led by Governor Peter Obi at the World Bank Office in Abuja.

Gov. Obi who regretted that all development partners shunned the

State before he became Governor because of the State’s poor performance in their various programmes, said he was satisfied that under him, they had not only returned, but that the State was now adjudged one of the best in the implementation of their various programmes.

Obi attributed the progress in Anambra to his ability to reach out, even at the risk of his personal convenience, to partners and corporate organisations that have been helping the

Urhobo youths leader commended for empowering community

BY SIMON ADEWALE

HE National President T of Urhobo National Youth Movement, Comrade Alex Iduh has been commended for his contribution to development of youths in Okuno-Orogun community in Ughelli North Local Government Area in Delta State, as he donated a bore hole estimated at N .5million and also a bus worth N1.6million to the youths movement in Okuno-Orogun community in Ughelli North, Delta State.

Speaking at the venue, former lawmaker representing Ughelli North Constituency II in the State House of Assembly, Hon. George Oyefia noted that the people of the community deserved

apology for their prolonged neglect by the government.

Hon. Oyefia commended the Urhobo youth leader, Comrade Alex Iduh, for what he described as wisdom and foresight and urged other Urhobo youths and leaders to emulate the gesture.

Mr. Godspower Umukoro who spoke on behalf of the community, expressed their gratitude to Comrade Alex Iduh, the Urhobo youth leader and promised that they will protect the project and use it judiciously. Mr. Umukoro recalled that the people have participated in all the past elections without benefiting anything from the government.

Commenting on the meeting with the World Bank, Obi said it was routine meeting to evaluate the partnership between them and the state, especially in the area of education, erosion control and agriculture. He said the bank would soon visit Anambra State as one of the outcomes of the meeting for field evaluation of specific areas in the State.

Mrs Unoma Godswill Akpabio, wife of the Akwaibom State Governor,(middle) presenting a gift to the Independent baby at St Kitts General Hospital, as part of activities marking the 30th Independent celebration of St Kitts and Navis, while Governor Akpabio and the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Navis watch with admiration.

Court adjourns arraignment of former have committed the ofLagos deputy gov, son fence in September 2011.

BY INNOCENT ANABA

A

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned indefinitely, the arraignment of former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu and her son, Sampson Ojikutu, charged with N130 million fraud.

The accused persons are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing. The case which was slated for arraignment of the accused, was stalled, due to their absence.

When the case was called, the prosecutor, Mr Bukola Durojaiye, informed the court that the accused were absent, due to the inability of the police to secure their ar-

rest.

He further told the court that the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, was making efforts, to ensure that the accused were produced to stand trial and asked for an adjournment, sine die (indefinitely), to enable the prosecution produce the accused for arraignment. The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, consequently adjourned the case indefinitely. ”The application of prosecution is hereby granted, and the case is hereby adjourned sine die, to enable the prosecution make necessary arrangement for the arraignment of the accused,” the judge ruled.

In the charge, the accused were alleged to

They were alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of N130 million from one Cajetan Okekearu, under the pretence that they possessed a plot of land to sell at Lekki phase 1, Victoria Island Lagos.

It was further alleged that the accused obtained the said sum of money from the complainant, who later discovered that their claim of ownership of the land was false, as there was an already existing title to the land.

The offences are said to contravene the provisions of sections 1(a) (iii), and 8 (a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap. A6, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

2013 National Essay Competition: UBA Foundation Calls for Entries from Senior Secondary School Students

S

TUDENTS in secondary schools across the country have been invited to submit entries in the 2013 UBA Foundation National Essay Competition. The essay competition for secondary students is organized by UBA Foundation; the corporate social responsibility arm of UBA to encourage healthy and intellectual competition among secondary school students in Nigeria .

Ijeoma Aso, Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, announced the call for entries at a press conference held on Thursday at the bank’s head office in Lagos . She said that all senior secondary schools students across the country are eligible to

participate in the competition. “The 3 best essayists are selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the first round of the competition.

The first, second and third prize winners will receive N1,000,000.00, N750,000.00 and N500,000.00 in educational grants respectively” she stated.

The national essay competition which is in its

third consecutive year, has witnessed increased participation from students since it was first launched in 2011.

According to her, there were more than 2000 entries from all over the country in 2012 representing a 300 per cent increase from the previous year.

To participate in the competition, eligible senior secondary students

are expected to send in handwritten entries on the topic ‘How Reading has Impacted my Knowledge’ to the UBA Foundation’s office in Lagos . At the end of October, 2013 when entries close, four renowned Nigerian Professors will review the entries and select an initial shortlist of 12 for further assessment until the overall 3 best candidates emerge.

Jonathan appoints Onyeka Onwenu Executive Director, NCWD Executive Director/Chief and politician. In 2006, she

BY SUCCESS UZOKWE, Abuja

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of a legendary singer, Onyeka Onwenu, as the

Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development, NCWD, Abuja.

She was born in Onitsha, Anambra State on May 17, 1961. Onyeka Onwenu is a Nigerian singer, actress

won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a supporting role.

Previously, she was the chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts.

She is expected to assume duties immediately.

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 61

36 killed as gunmen attack Borno, Plateau

BY NDAHI MARAMA & MARIE-THERESE NANLONG, Jos

N

O fewer than 34 motorists and passengers plying the Maiduguri- Biu federal Highway road were reportedly killed between Thursday and early hours of yesterday in Limanti Village, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno state.

Two people were also allegedly killed in the early hours of yesterday in a fresh attack in Nbiyak village, Kadarko District in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, bringing the number of people killed in the two states within the period to 36.

Limanti is about 50 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital where many motorists and passengers were abducted and killed last week by suspected members of Boko Haram insurgents.

Saturday Vanguard also gathered that there was heavy concentration of Vigilante Youths a.k.a Civilian JTF on the streets of Maiduguri metropolis following intelligence report that Boko Haram had

issued threat letters of another deadly attack on some wards/ communities over the week end.

It was gathered that the terrorists numbering over 50 and armed with sophisticated weapons barricaded the Maiduguri Damaturu Highway between the period with the intention of stopping motorists and passengers, particularly those they believed were heading to Maiduguri to board flight at the Maiduguri Inter-

national Airport for the 2013 Hajj exercise which was launched by the Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo in Maiduguri last Saturday.

Unconfirmed reports said that following the renewed attack, the Yobe State government has suspended its earlier plan to airlift its pilgrims from the Maiduguri International Airport as it has resolved that its intending pilgrims would now take off at the Kano International Air-

Nwoye makes triumphant entry into Anambra

BY VINCENT UJUMADU, Awka

T

HE national leader ship –recognized governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Nwoye yesterday made what could best be described as the triumphant entry into Anambra State with thousands of his supporters ushering him into the state from the Enugu –Anambra border town of Amansea.

The enthusiastic crowd waited and sang for hours

before Nwoye and his deputy, Dr. Amamchukwu Ezike arrived in a long convoy of vehicles from Enugu and drove into the popular reception ground at the border town.

Addressing the people, Nwoye said he volunteered to serve the people of the state as their governor because members of PDP have suffered for so long, boasting that he is very much prepared for the race as he would match logistics for logistics to ensure that PDP regained the governorship of the state.

port.

The motorists killed by the gunmen included some security personnel on bank escort duty.

Mallam Musa Ali, a member of vigilante youths who also accompanied some of the security operatives to Limanti said, “ we were able to convey over 30 corpses from the scene of the incident. We also, evacuated some women who were lucky not to have been killed by the terrorists.’’

The Borno State Assembly member representing Damboa Constituency, Alhaji Lawan Gwasha confirmed the attack to newsmen in Maiduguri saying “my people reported to me from the village that many people were killed on Thursday and Friday by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect members.

The state Police Commissioner, Lawal Tanko and the acting Spokesman of the newly established 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Sagir Musa could not be reached for their comments on the issue at press time.

In Jos, Plateau State,

gunmen numbering about 20 also attacked Nbiyak village, setting several houses on fire and shooting sporadically as the residents made efforts to escape.

The attack according to the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the attack lasted for about an hour, leaving two people, one man and one woman dead. ”There had been rumor

that some people suspected to be Fulani were planning to attack our village, we reported the rumor to security agencies in the area but they ignored the threat. ”The attack was actually carried out as rumored and they killed two people. I also know some people are missing and have not been found,” the source said.

Obosi United Friends Club unveils new secretariat, holds meeting

T

HE Obosi United Friends Club of Nigeria has unveiled the National Secretariat of the Club at the Royal Paradise Hotel Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area, of Anambra State.

Performing the official opening ceremony, the Chairman of the occasion Mr. Benson N. Agwuegbo describes the Club as the rolling point of the entire Obosi People and charges Obosi sons and daughters to give it all the necessary support it needed.

Meanwhile, the club will be having a general

meeting at the new Secretariat on today. The meeting is slated for Obosi Urban and mainland Communities.

According to the information made available to news men and co-signed by Prince Obums Anene (Nwalie-oku) and prince Okey Obi (Ochili-Ozua), President General and Vice president general of the Club, top on the list of agenda will be the sensitization of members on the forth coming gubernatorial eletion in Anambra State.

62—SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

C M Y K

SATURDAY VANGUARD, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 — 63

Unity Cup: Gov Obi to honour Margari, Kanu, Okocha

BY OJIEVA EHIOSUN

A

NAMBRA State governor, Mr. Peter Obi will today honour the trio of Alhaji Aminu Maigari, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Jay Jay Okocha at the

Aftermath of Federation Cup: Osifo seeks to return insurance to limelight

BY PATRICK OMORODION

T

HE excitement generat ed by the 2013 Federation Cup final between Enyimba Football Club of Aba and Warri Wolves Football Club has stirred up Edo State Commissioner of Sports, Hon. Omorede Osifo’s big dream for Insurance Football Club of Benin which has slipped into obscurity in recent years.

Speaking at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos shortly after Sunday’s final of the prestigious Federation Cup formerly known as Challenge Cup, the Edo State sports commissioner said that serious efforts will be made to ensure that the once vibrant and popular team of Edo people returns among the best in the country.

“The FA Cup experience is a challenge to me. I will go back and make Insurance one of the best teams in the country. By the grace of God, come next year, I am sure Insurance will be one of the teams that will compete in the final wherever it will be played,” she assured. On how she intends to achieve this, Hon. Osifo said that with the conclusion of the 2012/2013 season, she is putting heads together with other football officials in the state to see how they will come out with a ‘new’ Insurance Football Club.

“The season just ended and we are having meetings and strategising to see how we can make Insurance one of the best clubs in the country,” she said, adding, “ we are back on the drawing board to see that we don’t make the mistakes that were made in the past.”

She stressed that Edo is born with talents in football and other sports, adding “ we need to harness our potentials, bring them together, work well with them and use them to get to where we should be. If we can do that, I see Edo returning as number one in sports in the country.” Osifo who confessed that the job of a sports commissioner is quite challenging, disclosed that when she was appointed, Governor Oshiomhole specifically told her that he(Oshiomhole) wants to make a mark in sports and that she hopes to achieve that mandate.

“The Comrade governor told me that he wants to make a mark in sports, that he wants Edo sports to be better than what he met on ground. I am not under pressure to perform but I pressurise myself to make a positive change within the shortest possible time,” she stressed. Towards this end, she disclosed that once the tenure of the incumbent director of sports in the state expires, she would ensure that a very good successor is named to continue with the agenda of

repositioning sports in the state.

She commended the organisers of last Sunday’s Federation Cup final but opined that enough publicity should have been given to the event to draw fans to the arena which she confessed should have been filled to capacity for a

competition of that magnitude.

She was full of praises for Enyimba and Warri Wolves for their spectacular performance in the “keenly contested match which kept everybody on their toes. Everybody enjoyed it as nobody knew who was going to win after Enyimba equalised twice.”

final of Governor Peter Obi Unity Cup holding this weekend at the Rojenny Stadium in Onitsha.

Anambra State commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr. Edozie Aroh disclosed this while addressing a cross session of sports journalists at the Government House in Awka.

“The State government will play host to three important soccer personalities in the country, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the NFF president and two football legends, Nwankwo Kanu, and Austin Jay Jay Okocha who will be physically present to watch the final of the maiden edition of our Governor’s Unity Cup between Nanka FC and Ukpo Football Club of Onitsha. We will also honour them for their immense contributions to the

*BASKETBALL CAMP.... Nollywood star, Mike Ezuruonye (in sun glasses) and National male Basketball team captain, Olumide Oyedeji pose with children at the Basketball Camp, Oyedeji organised for them in Lagos. Photo: Patrick Omorodion

MTN Street Soccer: Female teams take centre stage T

HE MTN Lagos Street Soccer will continue, this weekend, at the various centres in Lagos, as the female teams are set to take centre stage in the competition.

The female category, making its first appearance in the competition, will see 56 teams show their football prowess. The teams will be placed into groups, in various centres and will be expected to lock horns for spots in the next round of the competition.

MTN Nigeria and the Lagos State Government’s aim for introducing the female teams into the competition is to incorporate and encourage gender equality in football and other sporting activities. The competition aims at unearthing grassroot talents, from the streets of Lagos, be they male or female, polish and put them on a global platform to compete for recognition, success and fulfillment.

As the U-15 and ‘all ages’ category continues this weekend, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has disqualified Alaguntan Street from taking part

in the competition, for the next two years. This was as a result of alleged match-fixing and to serve as warning to other teams in the competition.

The Chairman, Arbitration Panel, Austin Akosa, said: “for this year, the organisation has, indeed, helped to reduce the number of protest and the most prominent offence committed by teams, this year, is match-fixing, which we believe can be checked with appropriate discipline meted out to any team found guilty.”

Also, Benson and Arizona streets teams have been disqualified from the competition for fielding ineligible players in the tournament.

MTN Nigeria has, over the years, been discovering and nurturing talents through its various life-changing activities across the country. MTN Lagos Street Soccer is one of the many life-changing activities of MTN that has taken many youths off the streets to national recognition and global fame.

•Kanu overall development of football in Nigeria.

He disclosed that the competition which will also be used to celebrate the governor ’s successful eight years tenure in office and also to mark his achievement, is aimed at selecting players that will graduate into the team that will finally make up the State’s professional league squad.

He hinted that Anambra state has gone into partnership with the NFF in the area of cadet teams, adding that the presence of Maigari, Kanu,Okocha and other sports personalities that will grace the event will go a long way to boosting young and upcoming football stars in the state.

“We are not just inviting these people for fun. Anambra state is in partnership with the NFF and other ex-sports professionals in Nigeria. They are coming to Anambra to see the football talents we have. I want to assure you that by the end of competition, most of the players will get a call-up to any of the junior national teams,” he said.

Hockey: Union Bank through to final

T

HE Union Bank hockey team yesterday qualified for the final of the National Super League holding at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt after beating Niger Flickers 2-1 on penalties in one of the semi finals.

The Tunde Odedokun-tutored side who had earlier beaten Rivers 2-0 and lost to Yobe 0-1 in the group stage will now meet the winner of the second semi final between Yobe and Delta teams for the top position.

Coach Odedokun showered praises on the Union Bank management for the moral and financial support given the team and vowed to win the Hockey Super League title in return.

Aikhoje demands NFF apology

S

PORTS journalist and CEO League Bloggers Awards, Ojeikere Aikhoje has demanded an apology from the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF for the disparaging remarks it made against him for pointing out an error it committed in the Top Scorer award at the just concluded Federation Cup in Lagos.

Aikhoje said he had earlier written a story titled ‘NFF bungles Golden Boot race in Federation Cup’ to “correct an

anomaly in wrongly awarding the highest goalscorer award in the 2013 Federation Cup.” “First as a journalist, I owe it to the interest of the public to be factual in my reporting which I did concerning who won the top scorer award at the 2013 Federation Cup. However, it gives me a great deal of concern that the apex football body, the NFF, in its statement of September 17 will go on to use disparaging words in addressing the media rather

than address the fact on ground concerning who the real top scorer of 2013 Federation Cup is.

From my own perspective, the solution is quite straightforward – I believe the NFF owes Nigerians an apology for its error.

I want the federation to apologise for such disparaging remarks in its media release of September 17, 2013 in which its Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, was quoted expressly.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

Echeijile fears Ethiopia’s high altitude

S

UPER Eagles left back, Elderson Echiejile has admitted that high altitude in Addis Ababa could be a problem when Nigeria and Ethiopia clash in the

first leg qualifier of the World Cup play off on October 15.

Addis Ababa is the third highest capital city in the world and visiting teams have always found it

2014 World Cup: Keshi ready for Ethiopia, names squad for Addis battle A

HEAD of next month’s crucial first leg 2014 World Cup final qualifier against Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in Addis Ababa, Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi has named a 23-man squad for the battle.

The African champions take on the Antelopes inside the National Stadium, Addis Ababa on Saturday, October 12, 2013.

Both teams will clash in the return match at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, 16th November.

Top on the list are standin skipper Vincent Enyeama, England-based midfielders Mikel Obi and Victor Moses, and forwards Brown Ideye and Emmanuel Emenike.

Keshi has called three goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders and six strikers as the Eagles aim for a win in Addis Ababa to make the second leg in Calabar a much easier session.

Home-boys Chigozie Agbim, Francis Benjamin, Solomon Kwambe, Azubuike Egwuekwe and Sunday Mba were again invited as part of their build-up to the 2014 African Nations Championship in South Africa.

The Nigeria Football Federation is making arrangements to have the full squad train for four days in Abuja before the

READY BUT... Super Eagles defender, Elderson Echiejile (m) is ready for the battle against Ethiopia but has expressed fears that the high altitude of Addis Ababa could make the match difficult. departure to Addis Ababa on the eve of the game.

THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama; Austin Ejide;

Finidi ready to coach Nigeria

M

AJORCA Youth team coach and former Super Eagles winger Finidi George has said that he is ready and available to work with any of the Nigerian youth teams.

Speaking exclusively to

supersport.com at his Majorca base he says “it will be a great thing for me if in the future I am able to be pointed out as one of those who groomed players that represented Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup”.

T OD AY’S MA T CHES ODA MAT Norwich Liverpool Newcastle West Brom West Ham Chelsea

v v v v v v

Aston Villa 12.45 pm S’hampton 3 pm Hull City 3 pm Sunderland 3 pm Everton 3 pm Fulham 5.30 pm

AFROBASKET RESULTS Angola Egypt Mali

60 69 73

difficult to cope with the home team due to the 8,300ft high altitude as players are easily fatigued.

“It (high altitude)could be a problem,” Echiejile admitted, adding, “But we are up for everything that will come up against us because we want to be in Brazil next year.”

He argued that Nigerians should not celebrate just yet as past results against the Ethiopians will not count.

“Records are always there, but we will just go all out to do our best so we could be in Brazil next year,” maintained the left back on his official w e b s i t e www.elderson3.com He said the Eagles cannot afford to underrate Ethiopia even though most Nigerian fans have already given the Eagles the ticket to Brazil 2014.

“I can understand the belief the fans now have in the Eagles, but we cannot afford to underrate any team especially at this stage of the qualifiers,” he said.

“What is certain is that they will come with everything at us because they also want to be in Brazil for the World Cup. From our match at the AFCON, they showed they are a good team.

They have speed and like to keep the ball. They are tactically not an easy team to come up against.”

Nigeria Senegal Cape Verde

46 100 62

Chigozie Agbim Defenders: Elderson Echiejile; Francis Benjamin ; Efe Ambrose; Solomon Kwambe; Godfrey Oboabona; Azubuike

Egwuekwe; James Okwuosa Midfielders: John Mikel Obi; John Ogu; Ogenyi Onazi; Nosa Igiebor; Victor Moses; Sun-

day Mba; Nnamdi Oduamadi Forwards: Ahmed Musa; Brown Ideye; Shola Ameobi; Emmanuel Emenike; Obinna Nsofor; Uche Nwofor

•Keshi

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Former Super Eagles’ Skipper, Nduka (6) 4.Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria (5) 7.Objective (4) 8.Senseless (4) 9.Yoruba god (3) 10.Country in Africa (8) 13.South African Currency (4) 14.United States President, Barack (5) 16.Renowned Nigerian Star Actor, Ramsey (4) 19.L.G.A in Ogun State (4) 22.Trade Union Congress (T.U.C) President, Mr. Peter (5) 23.Benin Republic National President, Mr. Yayi (4) 24.Togolese National President, Faure (8) 27.Golf-peg (3) 28.Period of Twelve Months (4) 29.Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Tunde (4) 30.State in Nigeria (5) 31.Former EFCC Chairman, Nuhu (6)

DOWN 1.Greek Alphabet (7) 2.Newcastle United Winger, Hatem (8) 3.L.G.A in Osun State (8) 4.Former Plateau State Governor, Chris (4) 5.L.G.A in Akwa Ibom State (4) 6.State in Nigeria Known as “God’s Own State”? (4) 11.Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed (4) 12.Muslim Cleric (4) 15.Togo “Hawks” Striker and Tottenham Hotspors Forward, Emmanuel (8) 17.State in Nigeria Known as “The Gateway State”? (4) 18.Greek Goddess (4) 20.Country in Africa (7) 21.Super Falcons’ Midfielder, Gloria (7) 24.Ethnic Group in Nigeria (4) 25.Adamawa State Capital (4) 26.L.G.A in Kano State (4)

SOLUTION on page 53

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Editor: 08052201257 (TEXT ONLY). Advert Dept: 01-7924470; Hotline: 01-8737028; Abuja: 09-2341102, 09-2342704. E-mail: weekend @vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com.

Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) EDITOR: CHIOMA GABRIEL. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.