My Story - Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

PAGE 2, SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 3

PAGE 4, SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 — PAGE 5

Editor-in-chief, Vanguard Media Ltd., Mr. Gbenga Adefaye (centre), receiving the Life Achievement Award on behalf of his Chairman, Mr. Sam Amuka, from a former governor of Ogun State, Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba (r), and Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly. Hon Victor Ochei (left).

Photo by Bunmi Azeez.

From left: Mrs Olubukunola Babatope, the new couple, Mr Olaseni Adewale and Oluwatosin Tolulope Osho, and Pastor Segun Babatope, bride’s father, during the wedding ceremony between Miss Oluwatosin Tolulope Babatope and Mr Olaseni Adewale Osho, at Hoare's Memorial Methodist Cathedral , Yaba, yesterday. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

29 killed in another Plateau attack four corpses on the road.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, confirmed the attack but declined to give the number of those killed. He said prompt intervention of security agencies contained the situation.

He said a committee, made up of traditional rulers and the police had been put in place, for

BY TAYE OBATERU

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BOUT 29 people were reportedly killed in two villages along the BarkinLadi Bokkos Road in Plateau State in a fresh attack yesterday.

This brings to 47 the number of people killed in different attacks in the state since Monday.

Although security agencies have not given any official figure of those killed in the latest attack, Mr. Mike Lipido of Stefanos Foundation, a non governmental organization, said 29 deaths were recorded in the two villages.

The killings are believed to be a continuation of reprisal attacks between locals and Fulani herdsmen which have left scores dead in the last few weeks.

An eyewitness said some of the attackers barricaded the Barkin-Ladi - Bokkos highway attacking vehicles and travelers.

He confirmed seeing D

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BY CHIDI NKWOPARA & HENRY UMORU

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RESIDENT Good luck Jonathan, yes terday, told members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who left for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to return to the PDP or risk losing their seniority.

Jonathan said any Nigerian who wants to play decent politics must come to the PDP, just as he stressed T

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The new couple, flanked by Mrs Olayinka Osho (left)and Engr Oluseye Osho, groom’s parents.

Return to PDP now or lose your seniority - Jonathan tells Atiku, Kwankwaso, other defectors

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intelligence gathering and checkmate threat to peace in troubled parts of the state.

The Media Officer of the Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau State, Captain Salisu Mustapha, could not give details of yesterday ’s attack when contacted as he said he was on his way to the area with his commander.

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that the party remains the only one which believes in democracy and rule of law. He added that this was the time for those who left to come back and occupy their rightful positions or they will be forced to queue behind others.

Speaking yesterday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, Imo State, the President, who was apparently referring to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governors Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers); Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and others who dumped the PDP for the APC, said there will be no discrimination against anyone when they come back to where they belong.

The President spoke during the PDP sensitization rally and the return of former Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo State, Senator Chris Anyanwu of APGA; Senator Ifeanyi Ararume; Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN; Chief Cosmos Iwun and many others to the PDP. Jonathan, who reiterated that the 2015 elections were not worth shedding blood of any person for, said the PDP remains the only party which will not insist that one must be a money bag before he or she wins any election. He

explained that only in PDP that people like him can be the President of the country.

Receiving the returnees, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, who noted that the PDP will reclaim Imo with the return of Udenwa and others,

however, reiterated that the party will present its first eleven for the forthcoming elections.

Also in his remarks, Senate President David Mark, said Imo remains a PDP state, stressing that they were in Owerri to get their

own who stowed away.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, who said he was overwhelmed by the crowd at the stadium, stressed that what was required in Imo was politics of inclusion.

Suspended CBN Governor spent N1.2billion on guards, lunch for policemen – Ozekhome

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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ONSTITUTIONAL lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, yesterday, accused the suspended Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido, of spending N1.257 billion in 2012 on private guards and lunch for policemen.

In a statement, Ozekhome pointed out that Sanusi violated global principles of public decorum expected of holders of such office. ”CBN under Sanusi also expended N1.257 billion in 2012 on private guards and lunch for policemen. CBN claimed to have paid N38.233 to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Ltd (NSPMC) in 2011 for the printing of bank notes, whereas the same NSPMC reported a total turnover of

N29.370billion for all its transactions in the same 2011”, the lawyer said. ”Without basing it on acceptable legal mandate, prudence in spending and overriding national interest. The CBN under Sanusi is said to have either executed or is executing currently over 63 ‘intervention projects’ across Nigeria, without appropriation or authority. Sanusi approbated and reprobated, simultaneously, on many issues, blowing hot and cold at the same time. ”He violated global principles of public decorum expected of holders of such a reverred office. The Governor undoubtedly deployed huge sums of money without appropriation, and without basing it on acceptable legal mandate, prudence in spending and overriding national interest”.

According to him, a Central Bank Governor is to be seen and rarely heard, if ever, except only on crucial financial, monetary and economic matters, where his public intervention is called for, with a view to strengthening the economy and increasing investors’ confidence in the economy of that country.

The human rights lawyer opined that the suspended CBN Governor played the exact opposite role, saying “he has helped, incrementally and instalmentally, to damage, if not destroy, the very fabric of confidence in the very economy he is supposed to protect. Sanusi went about recklessly making outrageous donations in billions of Naira to universities and other social causes, clearly outside the Primary mandate of the Central Bank.”

PAGE 6 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Delta and City of Shenzhen close ties

BY FLORENCE NWOSE

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ELTA State gov ernment and the City of Shenzhen in Southern China Guangdon Province are to promote close partnership in the development of green economy.

This commitment to work together as reported in the Chinese local media, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, said, “Dr. Tang Jie, Vice Mayor, met the delegation of the Delta State of Nigeria, headed by Mr. Paul Odili, with Mr David Oladiran and Mrs Felicia Adu on the team. Mr. Tang and Mr. Odili expressed their wishes to cooperate in new energy

transportation, logistics, port, carbon trade and other areas related to green economy.”

The report continued, “Mr.Tang introduced to the Nigerian guests Shenzhen’s economic performance, public transportation powered by new energy, laws and regulations on green buildings, carbon trade mechanism and other innovative practices. He said that China is building the maritime Silk Road in earnest. Shenzhen is an important transition in China; the Delta State is the gateway to Africa. He expected great prospect in the cooperation between the two sides.

“Mr. Odili, the project

manager of Green Economy for the Delta State, said that the Delta State is rich in oil, minerals and palm oil. The Delta State is trying to encourage the growth of green economy through international cooperation. His visit was aimed to learn about the history and present the development of Shenzhen as a special economic zone and Shenzhen’s experience and practice in opening its economy to the world.

“He also said that that Delta is ready to work with Shenzhen government and business interest and expressed his appreciation for the warm reception accorded the three man delegation from Delta State.”

Dr Tang Jie, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen (r), receiving a message from Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s representative, Mr Paul Odili, on collaboration to promote green economy

Group lauds Ochei

Man found dead in well in Lagos

BY BOSE ADELAJA

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RAGEDY struck in Lagos as a 35-yearold man was found dead in a domestic well while another, together with a one-year-old baby, was rescued from an inferno.

The incident happened in two different parts of Lagos as the state fire service responded to emergency calls.

The man, whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to be working in a domestic well at number 11, Akinyele Street, Oko Oba, Agege when he was trapped leading to his

death.

Residents put a distress call to the Oko-Oba fire service station which arrived the scene but this was too late as the man was recovered dead from the well.

The second incident, as gathered, occurred at number 4 Nubi Close, off Park Road, Ebute Metta West during a fire outbreak.

A male adult of about 45 years and a one year

PIB will increase offshore opportunities herald a new vista of of the remaining value — Avuru opportunity in the off- of existing and new offBY FLORENCE NWOSE

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USTIN Avur u, MD/CEO Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, says the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will

shore industry as the introduction of both “fiscal and non-fiscal enablers in the Petroleum Industry Bill could add significant value to the economics of offshore investments such that PIB only erodes between 10 -15%

Why Emefiele emerged CBN Governor

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ACTS have emerged as to why President Goodluck Jonathan settled for the Zenith Bank Managing Director, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, as the new Governor of Central Bank.

Sources said the Zenith Bank CEO was picked as a result of his outstanding character and disposition to professional ethics. His highly principled and indepen-

dent mindedness apart from the fact that he has not been involved in the banking politics was said to have recommended him for the CBN top job. On why Jonathan dropped a former top bank executive, touted as a possible successor to Sanusi, a source said he was never in the thinking of government since he has been so much involved in this government.

“Mind you, he is a member of think-tank of the Jonathan government made up of professionals assembled to advise the government from time to time and he has featured prominently in the oil subsidy investigation panel”, one of the sources said.

“So any attempt to pick him would have provoked negative reactions from the opposition and the civil society”.

Nigerian Merchant Navy marks 100 years, calls for empowerment from FG

BY IFUNANYA OKAFOR

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HE Nigeria Mer chant Navy Seafarers has called on the Federal Government to empower the Nigeria Merchant Navy Security and Safety Corps, NMNC, to coordinate all seafarers operating on board, offshore and onshore to stop seamen from being used by corrupt ship owners or shipping agents to perpetrate oil bunkering, smuggling of weapons, contraband goods and immigrant in Nigerian waters.

Speaking while marking 100 years of existence of Nigeria Merchant

old baby escaped death by the whiskers as both were trapped in the inferno but were rescued by fire fighters who prevented the outbreak from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

Navy at their headquarters in Lagos, last week, the Commandant of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps, Commodore Allen Edema noted that Nigeria has well trained security operatives but regretted that perceived unpatriotic connivance, conspiracy and self-centerdness among some public servants, are the sole causes of insecurity in the country today.

According to him, “Our major aims and objectives is not only to convey goods and cargoes from one country seaports to another and sailing round the world but to develop and protect the

integrity of the country’s economic development because sea is the major route resources and development of a nation.

We also protect lives and properties within riverine areas in all states with a view to eradicating youth restiveness by implementing and enforcing the Carbotage Act. “The Corps shall recruit and train youths on International Seamanship Standards so as to create enormous sea jobs that leads to massive deployment on board, to man local and foreign-going vessels plying Nigerian waters as well as crewing on articles on board.”

shore investments in Nigeria.”

Avuru made the declaration during his presentation at the IP Week, London 2014. Avur u, who spoke on the theme, “Petroleum Industry Bill: Increasing Investment Opportunities in the Offshore Nigeria”, noted that the non-passage of the PIB bill is inimical to the progress of the industry.

The PIB is supposed to help the oil industry in terms of restructuring the institutional and fiscal framework to promote transparency, efficiency, exploitation activities and maximize economic rent accruing to the government as it hopes to achieve 40 billion barrels of crude reserves and oil production of 4 MMBOPD by 2020.

The respected industry professional reeled out figures to support his assertion. According to Avuru, FDI to Nigeria dropped from $6 billion in 2009 to $2.3 billion in 2010 even though the “oil sector accounted for over 60% of FDI inflow to Nigeria.”

He also noted that signing the PIB has become an imperative because of the emergence of other oil rich countries in Africa, a situation that has affected FDI inflow to Nigeria. Putting it in perspective Avuru noted that according to UNCTAD “Between 1970 – 1990 Nigeria accounted for 30% of FDI inflow in Africa, but only 16% in 2007 due to emergence of other oil rich countries.”

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group, United Man date for Ochei 2015, has hailed the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei’s leadership quality in piloting the affairs of the lawmakers.

In a statement by its Coordinator/ Leader, Mr. Raymond Mudiakevwe Okorefe; Chairman, Mr. Edjor Etaredafe; Secretary, Mr. Omeru Gilbert and PRO, Mr. Donald Em-

manuel, the group said its decision to support Mr. Speaker was because of the conviction that he would make a good governor if given the opportunity to rule, pointing out that a state like Delta should not be entrusted in the hands of a political neophyte.

The group also congratulated the Speaker on his 45 th birthday and urged Deltans to support him.

Carpenters in 12 states for training

BY ABEL KOLAWOLE

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TERNIT Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of roofing and ceiling products, plans to train carpenters in 12 states of the federation.

This was made known by Dirk Modderman, the managing director, while unveiling the company’s strategies towards ensuring increase in sophistication within the construction industry especially in the installation of certain products.

“There are new products now in the marketplace that requires highly skilled manpower to install. Without proper training, many of our local carpenters and

product installers would struggle to meet the demands in the construction industry today”, he said.

This, he said, informed the company’s decision to commence the special product installation training, which will cover all the states within the business jurisdiction of Eternit and will involve participants across many towns in the states.

The states that will benefit from the training programme are: Imo, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, and Rivers.

Others are Enugu, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and the federal capital territory, Abuja.

Award: Uduaghan lauded

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HE Director General of Ithihikpebe Campaign Organization, ICO, Arch Ambrose Okuhor, has poured encomiums on the Delta State Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan on the conferment of an award by the management of the Sun Newspapers on him yesterday.

In a statement, Okuhor said Uduaghan’s latest ci-

tation was a graphic and eloquent testimonial that other awards that had been given to the famous medical doctor by Saturday Vanguard, Pilot and Leadership newspapers and an international one given in Ireland were no flukes, and indeed credible attestations to Uduaghan’s vision, programmes and track record.

Mimiko bags most kidney friendly gov award

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NDO State Gover nor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has bagged an award of the most kidney friendly governor by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology.

The award was conferred on him during the 26th Annual General and

Scientific Conference of the association held in Akure.

Receiving the award, Mimiko commended the association for the choice of the state and the theme for the conference “Reducing the Burden of Acute Kidney Injury in Nigeria”.

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 7

PAGE 8— SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

By Femi Fani-Kayode

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n February 19, 2014 in the town of Bama, Borno State, 90 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram. Again on February 19, Boko Haram attacked Buratai, Borno State country home of the Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta Area, Major General Tukur Buratai, and they killed one soldier.

On February 17, in Galga village, Gombi Local Government Area, Adamawa State, 11 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram. On February 16, in Izge village, Borno State, 90 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram. On February 15, in Baga village, Borno State, 10 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram. On February 12, in Borno State, 60 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram and 24 young girls were abducted and carted off without any trace. On January 27, in Adamawa and Borno States, 70 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered

by Boko Haram in a series of attacks.

On January 14, 2014, in the heart of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, no less than 50 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered by Boko Haram in a suicide bomb attack. Not too long before then, Boko Haram attacked an army barracks in Borno State, killed 200 soldiers, carted off their wives and children and burnt the barracks to the ground. The soldiers were later buried in mass graves.

A few weeks prior to that, numerous schools were attacked and hundreds of our children were either shot to death, hacked to pieces or had their throats cut and blood drained. Consequently, many schools have been closed down in Borno and Yobe States.

A few weeks back, no less than 160 of our soldiers were killed by Boko Haram in one skirmish simply because they ran out of bullets. Worse still, it has been generally acknowleged that Boko Haram fighters are better equipped and better supplied than our soldiers. The beleagured governor of Borno State himself, my dear friend and brother, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, sent out an S.O.S to Nigerians, last week, when he told journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that ‘’Nigeria is at war ’’ and that ‘’the Boko Haram insurgents are better equipped than the Nigerian military’’. Clearly we are in trouble. Finally, no less than 130 churches were burnt in Borno State in 2013 alone and the Catholic Church alone lost 53 churches out of that figure. This genocidal pattern of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau behaviour and cycle of butchery by Boko Haram is systemic and has been recurrent and regular for the last three years.

Nigeria has lost almost 8,000 innocent civilians to Boko Haram in the last three years and that includes women and children. It does not however include the vast number of women that have been captured and kidnapped by them and that are now being used as sex-slaves.

All these and yet some complain about the fact that I recently wrote that we have a ‘’President without balls’’ (olori oko ti o lepon) who day such things can happen. Such is simply incapable of facing the horror yet our President has not, at challenge of Boko Haram. Given least up until the time of my writhis accursed weakness in the face ing this contribution, offered one of what is undoubtedly the greatword of condolence, regret, comest insurgency and rebellion of our miseration or encouragement to time since the civil war and given those that have lost their loved his inability to behave like a real ones at the hands of Boko Haram Commander-in-Chief and to propor those whose children have been erly engage and crush the enemy, abducted. We really do have a probI do not regret my choice of words lem. (or title) for that celebrated essay.

And, as I wrote in another contriAs a matter of fact, I ought to have bution almost one month ago, ‘’the gone much further because our problem that we have is the PresiPresident deserves far worse. I am dent himself- a President who much more concerned about the prides himself on his own weakterrible loss of life that the Nigerifrom bad to worse. That is what you ness and incompetence. A Presian people are suffering under this get when you vote for a man who dent who is as confused and as cluegovernment and the carnage that never wore shoes to school’” less as the comic character called Boko Haram are meting out to our (‘JONATHAN, TUKUR AND A Chancey Gardner in the celebratpeople than I am about the sensiGOVERNMENT OF JEZEBELS’, ed 1970’s Peter Seller’s Hollywood tivities of the President and his nuPremium Times, 19th January, blockbuster titled `Being There’.

A merous friends and courtiers. If 2014).

President who does not underthey want my respect and the reUnder this administration, Nigestand the meaning of the word spect of the Nigerian people, then ria has been turned into one of the `class’ or ‘honesty’ and who breaks they should should arm and equip most blood-soaked and bloodhis own word consistently. A Presour soldiers properly, put up a vigdrenched nations in the world ident who has abdicated his reorous fight against Boko Haram, where lawlessness and terrorism sponsibilities, destroyed his own stop the blood flow and save and hold sway and where human blood political party, divided his own protect the lives of the Nigerian is the currency. It is no wonder that country, alienated his own friends, people. As I write this contribution, President Jonathan has been enhumiliated his own mentor, abanI am utterly enraged and appauled dorsed for a second term by a motedoned his own people, brought because nothing has been heard ly and hitherto unknown group ridicule to his own faith, cowers about the plight of those poor known as the ‘’Witches and Wizbefore his own officials, betrays his young schoolgirls that have been ards Association of Nigeria’’. As my own governors, scorns his own alabducted by the terrorists and our good friend and brother and the lies and breaks his solemn oath to intelligence and security agencies Kakaki Nupe, Mr. Sam Nda Isaiprotect and defend the Nigerian appear to be wholly incapable of ah, recently wrote in response to people. He is the problem we have finding them let alone rescuing this rather strange ‘’endorsement’’ in our country today and until he them. I hate to think what those from an equally strange groupresigns, is impeached or is voted young girls are being subjected to ‘’the devil is a liar’’. out of power, nothing will change every day and night and I shudEach time a precious soul is and Nigeria will continue to go der to think that in our country to-

The slaughter of innocent people Under this administration, Nigeria has been turned into one of the most blood-soaked and blood-drenched nations in the world where lawlessness and terrorism hold sway and where human blood is the currency snuffed out and a life is cut short

by Boko Haram, whether that person be a Christian or a Muslim, or a northerner or a southerner, it takes something away from our collective humanity and it wounds our nation’s soul. Worse still, it diminishes us before the entire world and confirms the fact that our country has been turned into a human abattoir and slaughterhouse where, no matter how many innocents are butchered, no-one really cares anymore.

Such matters no longer even make it to the front pages of our newspapers anymore and neither do our politicians or newspaper columnists even talk or write about it.

All that stopped long ago and now we see such atrocities as a norm that we must just accept and live with. We have accepted it as our ‘’lot in life’’ and, as our President said, last year, we regard it simply as ‘’Nigeria’s contribution to the

war against terror’’. Early in 2013, our President also said that he regarded Boko Haram as his ‘’siblings’’ whom he ‘’could not move against’’ whilst Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the erstwhile National Chairman of his political party, the PDP, described them as ‘’freedom fighters’’. Can you imagine that?

These are commendations from Mr. President and the then serving National Chairman of the PDP for Boko Haram barely one year ago. Jumping Jehoshaphat. It is only in Nigeria that a terrorist organisation can kill thousands of it’s citizens in the most brutal, violent and horrendous manner and yet the President and the National Chairman of the ruling party still feel comfortable and safe with calling them their `siblings’ and `freedom fighters’. What a terrible insult this is on the Nigerian people and what a bitter pill to swallow for the family members of all those that have been killed in the last three years by these terrorists. I really do wonder whose `freedom’ Boko Haram is fighting for, whose interest they seek to further and protect and what blood ties exist between them and our President.

What a shameful and insensitive set of leaders we have and what an indolent and insensitive followership who are not prepared to call them to order and keep them on their toes when they make such outrageous comments and who have absolutely no empathy with or sympathy for the many victims of Boko Haram.

The truth is that we as a people have lost all sense of compassion and decency when it comes to such matters and our feelings and conscience have become seared. To the majority of Nigerians, those precious souls and compatriots that have been killed by Boko Haram over the last three years are just a number- they are nothing but distant names, from a distant place, belonging to distant figures.

There is simply no sense of national outrage from our people about this insidious rebellion and about these brutal killings and vicious attacks and neither is their any sense of urgency on the part of our government to bring it to an end. Given the way we conduct ourselves, one would not have thought that Nigeria is currently enmeshed in the most brutal war against terror in it’s entire history.

Yet as we go on with our day to day business and act as if all is well, thousands are being killed in the north-eastern part of our country

by Boko Haram. There can be no greater evidence of man’s inhumanity to man when one considers our attitude. Such inhumanity and insensitivity to the plight of others has taken firm root in the Nigeria of today. What a monuemental tragedy this is. When did we, as a people, degenerate to this abysmal level of lack of empathy and when did we stop becoming our brother’s keeper? As millions of Nigerians joined the rest of the world to celebrate Valentine’s Day last week, I hope that they found it in their hearts to spare a thought and say a little prayer for those whose loved ones were not with them on that day, or, indeed, on any other day, simply because they had been murdered or kidnapped by Boko Haram.

May God heal their wounds and have mercy on them even as we grieve with them. And may God forgive our President and the majority of the Nigerian people for simply ‘not giving a damn’ about their sad and unfortunate plight. *Fani-Kayode was Minister of Aviation under the Obasanjo administration.

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 , PAGE 9

BOKO HARAM:

Survivors’ tales of 14 days of hell in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA, Maiduguri

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or 14 days beginning from Febru ary 11, the people of Borno, particu larly those residing around the bushy Sambisa Forest, have seen what could be described as ‘hell on earth’ following deadly attacks, bombings, killings and destruction of property. No fewer than 500 people were reportedly killed, 15,000 residents displaced/ sacked, 200 still missing, while property worth billions of Naira including houses, shops and vehicles were destroyed all in the name of insurgency.

In fact, one would wonder where security operatives were when suspected Boko Haram insurgents struck. Before February 11, the sect members stormed Kawuri District of Konduga Local Government Area and killed over 50 people while sacking the community. The insurgents also invaded the villages of Wala, Warabe, Ngoshe, Alau, Ngurosoye, Kaleri, Gulumba, Ashgashiya, Mude, Waga, Chakawa, Limanti, Kwaljiri, Kaka, Ngawo Fate among others engaging in killing spree. During the February 11 attacks, the insurgents invaded Konduga and killed 57 residents, burnt houses and vehicles while abducting some female students in one of the secondary schools. A day after the Konduga incident, that is, February 12, insurgents also visited Izghe village of Gwoza council area. They ambushed soldiers in one of their posts and killed nine on the spot. On February 15, some gunmen visited Izghe and killed over 150 residents.

Four days after the Izghe incident, some insurgents invaded Bama Council headquarters.

The attack, the deadliest, claimed the lives of over 170 people including about 70 of the attackers during the air strikes launched by security forces.

Governor Kashim Shettima visited the communities attacked to sympathise with them.

Shettima, at the mass burial of the Konduga victims, released N100 million to enable the surviving residents buy relief materials. He also promised to rebuild all the houses, mosques, and markets destroyed. A Konduga resident, who gave his name as Kyari Modu, said, prior to Shettima’s visit on Wednesday, a village near the town recovered and buried 18 unidentified corpses of victims.

Our correspondent also learnt that relief materials and food items were procured for distribution at resettlement camps of the Na-

*‘We fled to safety on foot, bicycle for 30 kilometres’ tional Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) along the Maiduguri-Bama Road on Thursday. Speaking on the governor’s directive to rebuild the destroyed houses in the attacked communities, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, said the N100 million released was for the procurement of building and relief materials for victims.

He said the rebuilding exercise includes 80 per cent of the destroyed houses in Konduga, the central mosque, the market, and the district head’s palace razed by the insurgents.

“The procured relief materials are to be distributed by NEMA officials at designated resettlement centres on Maiduguri-Bama Road, while the rebuilding of destroyed houses and market commences today (Thursday) in Konduga; with the personal supervision of our governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima, who directed me to release N100 million on Wednesday, when we paid a sympathy and condolence visit to the destroyed township”, the commissioner said.

Shettima, at the Wednesday burial ceremony in Konduga and inspection of destroyed houses, said: “It was an unfortunate incident but we implore our people (locals) to remain strong because this is our land,we have nowhere to go, come rain, come shine. We have to remain in Konduga ; we have to remain in Borno to salvage the situation. I have ordered the release of N100m to start rehabilitation work and purchase of humanitarian items like food, blankets and so on for the victims of this madness.

“We went round together. You have seen that many people have been killed and over 80 per cent of the town has been razed ....most facilities have been burnt, but we are willing to expend whatever resources we have to restore those facilities. If it will cost us N400m or N500m, so be it because this is our land and we must remain here.”

Better armed On the incessant attacks in Borno, he said: “Frankly speaking, officers and men of the

Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police are doing their best, given the circumstances. But you and I know that the Boko Haram insurgents are better armed and better motivated but, honestly, our security men on ground are putting in their best. There is the need for additional troops and additional support for the military. I am an eternal optimist; I hope and pray that, very soon, the Federal Government will rise to the challenges of the day.”

He, however, noted that dialogue should not be foreclosed to resolve the Boko Haram challenge..

Shettima said: “We will continue to call for dialogue because unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, we don’t have any other option than to talk to the moderate elements of the Boko Haram to lay down their arms and be reintegrated into the society.

“As J. F Kennedy rightly said, we should never negotiate out of fear but we should never fear to negotiate. We are willing to talk to the moderate elements. But look at the lunatics that burnt a mosque... They are burning down churches, so I don’t know whether to call them criminals or whatever, I don’t know, honestly. In Kawuri, they burnt five mosques.

So, the issue of people even linking them with the religion of Islam should not arise.”

On security and rebuilding of destroyed houses and shops at Kauwuri, Benisheikh, Gashigar, and Mainok village, the governor said: “Security or no security, I am ready to stay with my people. Whoever wishes to go anywhere can do that but I will remain with Borno people and share their pain.

“Nobody should bring the suggestion that any part of the state is not safe for me to go to.

I am ready to face the problem with my people and together we will find solution to it. Whatever resources it will cost us” .

Death toll The district head of Izge, Mallam Bulama Apagu, and Madagali Council Chairman, Mr Maina Ularamu Monday, said the death toll in the penultmate Saturday attacks and killings in the vullage had increased from 106 to 121, following the recovery of more bodies in

destroyed houses, nearby bushes and farmlands for burial. Speaking in a telephone chat with our correspondent, Ularamu said 60 bodies were buried last Sunday evening, including the 31 bodies of people recovered from the market square.

He said the recovery of other bodies by some volunteer group were from houses and the nearby bushes, which the victims fled to when the insurgents arrived. The distract head, however, noted that more bodies could still be recovered by the volunteer group, as some residents fled in different directions as the town burned for over five hours.

On displaced residents, Ularamu said: “The killings of many people in Izge terrified survivors, mainly the elderly, women and children.

The attacks forced some of them to flee to the nearest safe place, like Gulak, the council headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State. You know that Gwoza is also not safe for the fleeing residents to take refuge. This is why more people of Izge are fleeing on foot, bicycle and motorcycle to the administrative headquarters of Madagali Council, 30 kilometres away from Gwoza in Borno State.”

He added: “As Monday morning, when I visited the temporary resettlement camp, we have over 10, 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) there and more are coming into the camp because the people of other villages of Yazza, Bita, Waga Chakawa, Sabon Gari, Gori and Jaje with a population of over 1, 500, are still trooping into Gulak town for safety and relief materials from the state or Federal Government.”

Troops withdrawal Apagu said the withdrawal of troops by the 23 Armoured Brigade, Yola, after the killing of 10 soldiers in a clash with insurgents on Thursday, February 13, left Izghe vulnerable to the insurgent attacks and killings. “I cannot speak further to you on these multiple attacks on my people that had done nothing against these gunmen who seemed bent on wiping out the town and residents. We need more soldiers and policemen to protect us against insurgent attacks and killings”, the district head said.

He said because of the increase in the number of people killed, the volunteer group was burying the bodies in mass graves of 15 each, as the ground was hard to dig to accommodate more bodies.Governor Shettima, on Tuesday, visited Izghe to sympathise with the victims. The governor, accompanied by the senator representing the affected community, Mohammed Ali Ndume, and some government officials, also announced N100 million to complement the N100 million earlier released by the state government for the victims.

Tears Shettima and Ndume shed tears on seeing the magnitude of the damage to human lives and property as well as the displacement of over 10,000 residents. The governor urged the people of Borno and the country at large to continue to pray for restoration of peace and unity in the North-east in particular. While addressing the victims earlier, Ndume called on the fleeing victims to return as government was aware of their predicament and will take a stance to see to it that such unfortunate incident did not repeat itself.

Shettima, who could not hide his feelings over the killings in the Borno villages, had accused the Presidency of insensitivity to “the sorrowful plights” of the people and the state government since the Boko Haram insurgency started in 2009 claiming over 365 lives and property this year alone.

The statement was apparently in reaction to the one by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

The governor said the Presidency was unfair.

Okupe had, on Tuesday, dismissed Shettima’s assessment and reminded the governor that the war against insurgents was not conventional, insisting that there was ample evidence to show that the armed forces were on top of the situation in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

In a statement in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, Shettima’s media aide, Mallam Isa Umar Gusau, said he had just learnt of the “unfortunate remarks” by Okupe.

Gusau said: “The statement was rather unfair and insensitive to the sorrowful plight of Borno people and its government.

PAGE 10 —SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Are you losing money on the NSE? You deserve it

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fell short of the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s minimum listing standards between December 2012 and September 2013”. PUNCH, October 14, 2013.

Three days after that report, PUNCH in its editorial of October 17, 2013, titled “PREVENTING ANOTHER CAPITAL MARKET CRASH” warned the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, and the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, not to stop at indictment of erring companies but to take pre-emptive steps to avert another crash – just as the nation seems to be digging itself out of the hole into which former managers of the capital market plunged the nation.

PUNCH gave good advice but it might be coming a little bit too late to save the situation completely.

In my nearly twenty years of writing on these pages, I had predicted four crashes – two banking and two capital market crashes. The first was in reference to the banking crisis of the 1997/ 98 financial years. Writing under the titled FUNNY MONEY, I had predicted that Nigerian banks, which at the time were enjoying rave reviews in the media in general, were as a matter of fact deceiving all of us. The high profits and dividends being declared were out of tune with the underlying economy which was in a recession. My query

Brown is the new White 'I'm black, I don't feel burdened by it and I don't think it's a huge responsibility. It's part of who I am. It does not define me. -Oprah Winfrey AY it loud, I am black and proud; sang James Brown.

The song carried so much weight and when you sang the song, you believed it. It meant so much to hear that when I was growing up. It was a time when race and colour was wrestled out of the hands of those who systematically defiled and oppressed the whole black race and wrote us off as inferior.

Unfortunately, some of us carry the complex and scar till today and merely pass the inferior complex from our generation to the next.

We need to break this chain of self-hatred and identity crisis.

And yet, there was a time when we did take back our pride, dignity and affirmed that we were, who we are; black and jolly well proud

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to be black. In Nigeria, then we went better than that, we hosted FESTAC in 1977 to showcase Black peoples' achievements and our rich heritage.

The world sat up and took notice and we truly inspired Africans and Diasporas alike. That now it seems so long ago, as Nigeria tops the league of skin lightening users in the world.

A recent World Health Organization report has revealed that Nigerian women are the biggest users of skin-lightening products. The study revealed that 77 percent of women bleach their skin. Togo came second with 59 percent and Senegal third with 27 percent. So, according to the report, nearly 8 out of 10 Nigerian women bleach their skin.

So there are unscrupulous people capitalizing on the gullible and their insecurities. They are laughing all the way to the bank. They

then, as now, was “What sort of investments were banks making to earn the returns they were declaring?” I went further to list seventeen (17) banks which were sure to go under. The list included Alpha Merchant Bank, the darling of ignorant investors, and Commerce Bank headed by two former heads of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN. Few people believed me until the banks went belly up and bankers

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“The really awful days aren’t when I think I can’t write. They are when I wonder whether any writing is worthwhile at all.” F Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940.

ILLIONS of Ni gerians are, once again losing billions of naira on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In the last three weeks alone, about ten per cent of the value in January had been lost and more losses are on the way. It is on occasions such as this when I wonder if writing for Nigerians is not a bloody waste of time.

A warning is issued each time the Stock Exchange is about to experience its periodical hiccups, or a banking crisis is around the corner. And My Fellow Countrymen ignore it – until they lose trillions. The same is happening now. So permit me to remind our readers about what was published in October 2013 concerning the current turbulence on the NSE. In November 2013, I went to each of my Stockbrokers and asked them to sell large quantities of securities. If I had waited till today, I would have lost a lot of money.

They were shares I bought when the market was depressed in 2009.

Please read on.

ANOTHER CAPITAL MARKET CRISIS IS ROUND THE CORNER “A total of 92 companies

denly, my article disappeared from the notice board.

Back in 2007, I was busy warning Nigerians that the banks were not as healthy as Professor Soludo would have us believe; we were experiencing FUNNY MONEY II, but few listened. Then in 2008, I warned the former NSE DG, Dr Ndidi Oyuike, to pack and go before the market crashed on her head – if she wanted to have a decent send off party. But, they never listen.

The market crashed; she was removed without a send off and the following year, 2009, the banks came tumbling down after the capital market.

The present predicament has all the earmarks of crises we have experienced in the past. Then as now, the malfeasance starts with companies that are relatively large in the capital market. To begin with, how many companies are there

Well, if you are a small investor, not wanting to be murdered, this is the time to start re-appraising your investment portfolio before the roof caves in again

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changed designer suits for prison uniforms.

My prediction about the unhappy fate of the capital market was taken as a huge joke by traders at the time.

They found it so hilarious they actually pasted the article on their notice board as share prices at first climbed up – thanks to millions of unwary investors.

Well, I had the last laugh when share prices turned down and did not stop until the market had shed about 30 per cent or more. Sud-

anyway that 92 will, at once be guilty of violating listing standards? Then you look at some of the names mentioned and it is easy to see that some of the same companies or individuals who had been involved in malpractices in the past are again featuring in these.

One particular company has again raised the issue of conflict of interests. How can we allow a major investor in the capital market to be involved in the regulation of the market? No oth-

peddle this whitener and laud it as the solution to life's obstacle and the panacea to success. So this young talentless musician, attention seeking musician has put Nigeria, again on the map (for the wrong reasons)with her brand of whiteners products and she is living advert for this product.

Dencia, before, was a pretty black girl, who for the reason known only to herself decided to go white from head to toe. Now she wants to get more black sisters to do the same even when she admits that her products have not been scientifically examined and approved and what if they get cancer? She glibly said, "People can also catch cancer just by breathing!" She

choice we run the risk of normalizing a trend that has serious implication on the health of the nation and its psyche.

Look around you, if you have not noticed we now have an altered view of beauty; whiten, heavily made up, with large pneumatic chest, fake hair and with a serious identity crisis. Nigeria has a serious societal problem and we need to face it.

For those who use this potion, they should beware there are health consequences, which may not be apparent in the short term but it will eventually and perhaps they could justify their loss of pigmentations to cancers and serious skin conditions. These people are psychologically

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We have a herd mentality and they often follow a trend without questioning the rationale; we always want what the other have

does not care much who uses her products or what they do with it, she said. So I am sure she is not bothered if those using her products get cancer. All she is concerned about is how many units she can sell and how rich it can make her. If we accept whitening as a

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damaged that they do not understand that they cannot buy acceptance by changing their skin. It would be more prudent to work on their self-esteem rather than, who people think they should be.

We have a herd mentality and they often follow a

er modern market would allow it. But, impunity and immunity have become part of the defining characteristics of Nigeria since 2010. As long as you are loyal to the man at the top, you can get away with murder.

Well, if you are a small investor, not wanting to be murdered, this is the time to start re-appraising your investment portfolio before the roof caves in again. You are probably asking: why should it? Then, let me disclose a closely guarded secret known to the business moguls when things like this happen.

All business reports can generally be summarized into three: good, fair and bad. It is good news when the company’s operating results are better than budget estimates; profits are higher, returns on investment are above estimates and good dividend will be forthcoming. Such reports get out very quickly to the capital market and other stakeholders. Fair reports mean that there is a mixture of good and bad news.

Gross revenue might be up but profits might be down – or vice versa. Dividends might be reduced or not paid at all and the Board would have to meet to decide how to present the good and the bad in a way that would not upset the shareholders. The reports then get delayed a little bit while spin doctors and creative accountants are called in to dress up the results.

The real elephant in the television store is the bad news. That is when the revenue is lower than expected; the profit is tending towards an outright loss; dividends are definitely out of the question and the management and board face a stormy Annual General Meeting, not to talk of massive sell-offs at the capital market. That is when like

the school boy who failed the exams, woefully, there are long delays in releasing the figures. You can bet on it that the accountants would have tried all their tricks and still loss refuses to transform to profit. Last minute appeals to customers to accept more products to help inflate the gross revenue have failed to yield results. Then the foot dragging starts; the reports are withheld for longer than regulation permits in the hope that interim results for the current year can be released which will rekindle hope. Rest assured the majority of the 92 companies have bad news in store for their shareholders. Nobody is ever reluctant to publish good news.

Meanwhile, the NSE has, as usual taken a very lenient view of the infractions, mainly because the DGNSE, like his predecessors considers increase in the market capitalization as his main function. For that reason, he is prepared to weaken the governance – if that would achieve the objective. It is a judgment call.

But, the ultimate risk, if that approach fails belongs to the individual investors – many of whom have yet to fully recover from the disaster of 2008. More alarming is the fact that two banks – Union and Sterling – are again among the defaulters. Of the two, Union Bank, which was once called Barclays Bank, has had the longer history of good corporate governance. Once upon a time depositors in Union Bank and investors in the banks shares felt secure both ways. Since 2008, depositors’ and investors’ confidence in the bank had been eroded. Another crisis will just about finish it off completely.

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trend without questioning the rationale; we always want what the other have.

You name it; we want it, be it the latest car, jet, appliances, the largest party, the biggest hair, clothes and now this, extreme change of skin colour. Our society has a misplaced sense of beauty if these whitened people are put on a pedestal and has an example of what is beautiful and best of our women. Don't get me wrong, I have been told it is not only women domain that men are into whitening too. We seriously have a societal problem.

I have been told that men like whiter looking black women or so we are made to believe. They also say that in order to be successful, that you have to be fairer that darker people cannot make it. I beg to differ.

Tell that to Naomi Campbell, Bianca, Alek Wek, or Pattie Boulaye, the star of BISI THE DAUGHTER OF THE RIVER or recently the darling of the film world actress Kenyan, Lupita N'yongo of the 12 YEARS A SLAVE IS DARK, savvy, striking, ambitious and strikingly beautiful.

We are always seeking acceptance from those around us to justify our existence. This trend is disturbing and as black people, in a black country we should understand that it is damaging to our very existence as a race and as people. For those who are unaware of our shared history,

it seem that many are ignorant, uneducated, deluded and brain washed to believe that white is better and being black is something to be ashamed of.

It will be unfair to blame the self-loathing on European colonialism alone, as prior to that in some communities in Asia, feel that the fairer you are the superior you are and that dark skins are from the peasant or untouchables and the white complexion are from the ruling classes. So no wonder some people go through lengths to move up and better their lot.

For these deluded people, they should look back into the history of slavery or the history of colonization to understand where their opposition to self-acceptance comes from. The systemic negative perception of dark skin is not only about our past but also the propagation by the media on favoring white as being best and black as being bad. Nigerians are not alone in this the same in Thailand, India and China. The same happened in Rwanda, where tribes were pitted against each other by their colonial master. The resulting genocide was very much rooted in skin colour.

The way we ourselves view our perception of beauty fans the continuance of these groundless beliefs by repeatedly presenting and upholding one ideal standard of beauty.

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 11

One-man one-vote: Edo’s futile slogan have taken only about 3 months to materialize following the nullification of the election last Tuesday by the State Election Tribunal. According to reports, the tribunal found as of fact, that the results announced by the electoral

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N October 22, 2013, the Edo State Electoral Commission organized an election into the Esan North-East Local Government Council. Somewhere along the line, it declared the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of the chairmanship election. The opposition party- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cried foul alleging that it was a travesty of justice as the rightful winner was reportedly short-changed. The Edo State Governor on his part accused the police of “aiding ballot box snatching, supervising electoral fraud and intimidating voters”. He however accepted the verdict of the electoral body and promptly inaugurated the declared winner.

At the swearing-in ceremony, the new chairman made a prophetic statement that the forces of darkness can only suppress light for a short time The prophecy appears to

impartial umpire notwithstanding that its title contains the term ‘independent’. Events leading to the declaration of the winner of the chairmanship election actually looked more like an episode in the famous comedy series of old -

Events leading to the declaration of the winner of the chairmanship election actually looked more like an episode in the famous comedy series of old -Icheoku

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body were not collated.

What was announced was therefore not just deficient but a fraudulent result. The finding of the Tribunal was however a notorious fact which required no proof.

Even the blind saw through the contraption of the electoral commission-a body that has since its inception, been unable to serve as an

Icheoku First, the election was put off twice as part of a plot to get a predetermined winner.

When it was eventually held in October 2013, it was blemished by fraud. The election monitors confirmed that votes cast in the election were not collated; yet results were announced.

The election tribunal also

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

08116759758

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IVALRY is another strong motive in politics. It involves competition between at least two individuals or groups. In moderation, rivalry is good because it tends to foster healthy competition. However, if it becomes pathological, as in when an individual considers winning elections at all cost an end in itself, then many negative things are bound to happen. For example, there is some reason to believe that unhealthy rivalry between Dr. Azikiwe and Chief Awolowo was exploited by the Northern Peoples Congress, led by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, to make political inroads in Western Nigeria, which eventually caused breakdown of law and order in the region in the early sixties.

Exaggerated competitiveness is also the root cause of current problems in the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Yet, PDP is not alone: those celebrating the harvesting of expiring politicians from the party by All Progressive Congress (APC), seem to forget that petty rivalries among leaders of the defunct political parties that constitute APC, especially Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), made the latter impotent as opposition parties to PDP. Moreover, even now, as the general elections next year

approaches, bitter rivalries in APC will weaken the electability of its candidates considerably. Malignant rivalry in politics is dangerous: some politicians would do everything in their power to win pyrrhic victories over their political enemies rather than engage in the politics of give-and-take, which is important for sustaining democracy. That is why wellmeaning politicians should avoid unnecessary competition for elective posts, and apply caution in their political activities.

One of the most potent psychological catalysts of corruption in Nigeria is vanity. Vanity is a feeling of pride about one's appearance, abilities or possessions. Like all psychological determinants of behaviour, it exists in graduated series, from low selfesteem to extreme vaingloriousness. One of the main problems of vanity is that it grows with what it feeds on. For example, in the case of politician who crave publicity, the more they is talked about, the more they will wish to be talked about. Such politicians enjoy media spotlight, and tend to exaggerate whatever cause, no matter how misguided it might be, for which they purport to be fighting. This weakness is very glaring in the House of Representatives particularly when there is allega-

tion of corruption against members or other government functionaries necessitating a probe by the House, and in the current political shenanigans and playing to the gallery in Rivers State governed by Rotimi Amaechi.

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the influence of vanity throughout the spectrum of human life, from childhood to old age. Vanity propels Nigerian politicians at different levels to steal as much public funds as possible to outdo one another in primitive accumulation. Hence, until pol-

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Reflections on Nigerian politicians (2)

observed that the election entailed accreditation of voters, voting, collation and announcement, adding that the absence of any of the components invalidated the election. In addition, the results were neither announced at the designated location- the Eguare Primary School nor was it done by the returning officer. Now that the election tribunal has confirmed all of these, how the electoral body arrived at the result it declared, is no doubt a dangerous poser.

It is worthy of note that in this age of the primacy of material influence on judges, where some members of even the highest bench have not been able to rise above board, the election tribunal led by Honorable Justice Alero Eruaga did well and it does not appear logical to expect it to uphold the victory of the PDP candidate having found as of fact that the results were not collated. The collation of election results is obviously not a judicial function. It would have been a different ball game if what the tribunal was asked to deal with was incorrect collation. Justice Eruaga has thus done her part and we cannot but salute high sense of integrity. Not many public officers are that honest in our state. Indeed, if the State Electoral Commission had just one member like Justice Eruaga, the history of local government elections in the state would have been a different story.

Unfortunately, the Edo

electoral body allowed itself to be a tool in the hands of its appointing authority.

We are not unaware that governments in developing societies are known for putting undue pressure on public institutions but such institutions must build structures that can with time contain such pressures.

In the United Kingdom for instance, anyone who is unwilling to visit a polling station to cast his vote can post his ballot because the Post Office was able to build up its credibility over the years to accommodate that innovation. When can this happen in our clime? It would obviously take a long time considering that edo state, which is virtually known as the originator of the ‘one man- one vote’ scheme is involved in the shame of election chicanery!

When the scheme gained ample grounds a few years ago, this writer was one of the few analysts who saw clearly that it was essentially a slogan/diversion. To start with, even the opposition party adopted it making it a suspicious device.

For example, although Governor Oshiomhole always chorused the slogan, President Goodluck Jonathan gave a solemn assurance at a political rally in Benin City on Saturday June 25, 2012 that the Edo State Governorship election would be a ‘one man one vote’ affair. Some two weeks earlier, Vice President Namadi Sambo in a similar rally at the

same venue had made the same pledge. The then National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur had urged his party’s campaign committee for the same election to work towards victory on the same basis of one vote per person.

In reality however Edo State was neither ready for free and fair elections in 2012 nor has it as at today moved towards the prospects of a credible election.

In the first instance, the posture of the average politician in our clime is not in any way conducive for the attainment of one man one vote. Second, the two leading parties in the state-APC and PDP are experts in election rigging. The issue of who is more used to the vice does not arise because the 2 parties are the same as more than half of the members of the APC moved there from the PDP. Indeed, some are members of one party in the day time while they belong to the other party at night. Consequently, both parties now have their fair share of riggers who may also be experts in similar tactics. Why then should anyone believe in the common slogan of one man one vote of the two combatants? Indeed, it is one thing to allow every voter to cast his single vote but quite another thing to allow a credible process that would lead to the release of the real figures as the ‘edo fedeco’ failed to do in the Esan election. So wither one man one vote?

sportsmen and sportswomen. But a constable can arrest any of them if he or she commits an offence. Power, like vanity, is insatiable.

The only way to satisfy it completely is by omnipotence, which is impossible.

Furthermore, because energetic people are prone to love power, its causal efficacy exceeds the frequency of its manifestation. That is why it is one of the strongest motives in the lives of prominent politicians.

Experience has shown that love of power tends to increase with experience of power. If we ignore the case of military dictators in Nigeria who were motivated in the first instance by love for power, the phenomenon is chiefly responsible for the do-or-die attitude to politics adopted by most Nigerian politicians. Indeed, the

cise power in a manner detrimental to the "common man".

Oftentimes people with power over others like to show it by making the latter do what they would rather not do or stop them from doing what they would want to do. In that case, a politician actuated by love of power is more likely to inflict pain than to permit pleasure to ordinary people. In my opinion, Nigerian politicians seem to enjoy inflicting pain on compatriots because they love power and enjoy misusing it. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Nigerians collectively seem to lack the willpower and courage to stand up for their rights.

Clearly, the frequency with which the average Nigerian politician amasses wealth and periodically gives out handout to his or her constituents is shameful. It shows the level of disrespect for ordinary citizens love of power engenders in politicians. Our politicians regularly exploit the crushing poverty and gullibility of people to feed their craving for power. In such situation, the concept of servant-leaders has no place at all.

Nonetheless, love of power is not always bad. For instance, a genuine political reformer may have just as strong a love of power as a dictator. Now, whether a particular politician will be led by this motive to good or bad actions depends on the social condition and the politician's capacities.

There are examples of political activists who courageously challenged incompetent political office holders, but failed to deliver when appointed or elected into public office. Therefore, Nigerians should be careful in idolising so-

called human rights campaigners, loquacious union leaders and popular personalities who regularly use highfalutin language in the media to criticise government.

Considering that love of power is inevitable, democracy has a big advantage over other forms of government - there are inherent checks and balances to curb the tendency to abuse power. Unfortunately, in immature democracies like Nigeria, power-hungry politicians willing to sacrifice the collective interests of the commonwealth to ingratiate themselves, leading to unnecessary disruptions and distractions in governance, regularly trample upon constitutional restraints on power.

Like other human beings, politicians like excitement.

The degree of excitement in politics was high when Azikiwe, Awolowo, Bello, K.O Mbadiwe, M.K.O. Abiola, Sam Mbakwe, Aminu Kano and other political key players were active in the First and Second Republics. Right now, there is excitement because of the comic push-me-I-push-you between PDP and APC. Talented orators generate excitement during political rallies, especially if they know how to ignite the enthusiasm of the crowd through emotional sloganeering. Political scientists often neglect the role craving for excitement plays in determining political behaviour. I think that is a mistake, because several of its forms are politically destructive. The excitement of mobs lynching a petty thief is the same as that which a rabblerousing politician generates in his followers while attacking political rivals during electioneering campaigns.

TO BE CONCLUDED.

Our politicians regularly exploit the crushing poverty and gullibility of people to feed their craving for power.

In such situation, the concept of servant-leaders has no place at all

iticians learn to put their vanity in check, corruption will continue expanding in a manner detrimental to the collective wellbeing of our people.

We now come to the motive which is stronger than all the ones we have discussed already - the love of power. There is a strong emotional nexus between vanity and love of power, but they are not identical.

As Russell observes, vanity needs glory for its satisfaction. However, it is often easy to get glory without power. In Nigeria, millions of adoring fans glorify entertainers and popular

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major political disturbances that have occurred in the country since independence are traceable to megalomania. To cite an obvious example, the political travails that ultimately led to the civil war in 1967 were due mainly to obsession with political power by key political actors of the time.

As long as politics remains one of the quickest means to self-enrichment, unscrupulous and energetic politicians will relentlessly use immoral means to acquire power. Besides, the psychology of power is such that prominent politicians have a tendency to want to exer-

PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Prologue

THE SANUSI SAGA

Without the benefit of wisdom

BY JIDE AJANI

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n the last 72hours since his suspension as Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has been speaking to friends, his lawyers, close family members as well as journalists both in the print and electronic media but nothing has been able to capture the essence of his outrage and disgust at the turn of events.

Here, painstakingly, Sunday Vanguard brings you a nearcomprehensive response by Sanusi Lamido, the man who holds the traditional title of Dan Majen Kano – mind you, the title places him on the 17th rung on the hierarchical ladder in Kano Emirate (reports have it that the title dates back to the 16th Century (1509), “ when the then Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Kisoki, appointed the first Dan Maje, that is, Dan Maje Ummaru.” According to the reports, “This title continued to exist up to the time Kano fell under the authority of colonialists after its invasion and from that time to date, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is the 10th Dan Maje of Kano. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s predecessors from 1920 to date include: Zakari Dan Sarkin Kano Abbas, Shehu Ahmad, Ahmed Gwadabe Dan Sarkin Kano Alu, Mahmud Bayero, Muntari Zakari, Sayyadi Mahmud, Aminu Ado Bayero, Tijjani Abubakar, Yusuf Ibrahim and now Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.”

This explanation is with a view to relating the importance of Sanusi’s title to the Emirate in the light of the caustic response it issued on the matter, describing the action of President Goodluck Jonathan as that of a tribal jingoist.

Interrogating the essence of the action of President Jonathan, the discovery, especially in the context of the preponderant vituperation against it, suggests only one thing: Flight of wisdom. This elicits the question: How does Mr. President get his counsel? And

*Sanusi

those who counsel him, what do they run on? Satisfying the purposes of eye-service (which is being said to be better than no-service), those who have found nothing wrong with the action of Jonathan are the same people who first said there was never a thing like zoning in the ruling PDP; that the President never attended any meeting where zoning was discussed and agreed; that the rest of the country can go-to-hell in the run up to the 2011 general elections; and that Mr. President is the best human yet created by God. The poor thinking may have resulted in the seemingly unintended (which might actually be intended) danger of insinuating President Jonathan into their native, uncoordinated and mundane view of the consequences of removing CBN Governor from office.

It is this same group of people who do more harm to Mr. President than the good they profess to do. And which is why “Mr. President, drive them away before they deceive you to the gallows”. Except, of course, if Mr. President is in dire need of people who would continue to deceive him and whittle his sense of proportion

and appreciation, especially as it concerns serious, critical issues of nation importance.

Let no one be deceived on this matter of Sanusi’s removal, the odds are stacked against Aso Rock.

You shudder to wonder why President Jonathan cannot work the Senate and get two third majority to support his action. If it was truly altruistic, getting the Senate to buy into that removal would have satisfied the intendment of Sections 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the CBN Act. Mind you, the provision of the 1999 Constitution, which states that such persons as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, cannot be removed from office without the approval of the Senate, was ignored when Prof. Maurice Iwu was forced to proceed on leave.

Because Nigeria remains a very primitive country – forget about the grandstanding and the deceptive accoutrements of modernization – where thinking and actions are determined by drivers that are not codified but which, most times, are whimsical, the whole episode once again provides a pole on which opponents and supporters of this administration would hoist their display of antagonism and loyalty, respectively (even when they are not making sense).

So, what, really, are the issues?

Firstly, Sanusi adopted the mentality of a transport owner who simply calculates returns per day of N10,000 and concludes that, at the end of a 31-day month, he would have N310,000, and, therefore, went to town claiming that $49.8billion dollars was missing from the coffers of the NNPC – he did not factor in the daily vicissitudes of commercial bus operations . The same Sanusi later admitted with the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the missing fund is far less than that.

Whereas the NNPC headship appeared to be at pains to act out a convincing script on records and its finances (without prejudice to some funds that are lost as a result of no fault of theirs), the Senate is already investigating the matter.

Just some three months ago, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the House of Representatives, made a damning remark on the attitude of President Jonathan and how he appears to be suggesting that corruption was not a crime. The investigation by the Senate was already creating the perception that, whereas Sanusi may have been playing the role of a whistle blower with largely exaggerated figures, something was amiss. At that point, any action taken against such a whistle blower (even if he is the Devil himself) only goes to suggest that the Presidency is attempting to hide something. So, who advised Jonathan? Even Okonjo-Iweala, were she to be at the World Bank, what sort of reaction would she have given regarding this issue? Make no mistake, if Sanusi has run foul of the law, due process should be employed in dealing with him rather than this resort to a shambolic approach which has all the more helped in laundering his image.

In the following pages, you will read what Sanusi Lamido has been saying in the last 72hours. These are the words of the suspended CBN Governor packaged for you so you can understand the man.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 13

My story, by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

nobody will challenge me that I did not speak out when I was supposed to as CBN Governor. If the next CBN Governor wants to pursue the missing funds matter or the National Assembly wants to go ahead, they are free of do so. Can you imagine a sitting Minister on national television saying they spent money without appropriation. In any other country, such minister has sacked herself. To me, that is not financial recklessness.

Let me simply ask, if the Nigerian Constitution says don’t spend money without appropriation or says don’t pay subsidy and the Minister went ahead to pay, is it not a political problem? Technical problem is what we deal with at CBN, we deal with CRR and other issues.

In this kind of situation of investigation going on, you are supposed to either keep quiet as a wise man or walk away. But as you can see, I am not a wise man.

BY GBENGA OKE The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) speaks on the controversy surrounding his tenure.

In the beginning

As at the time I came into office, several things had collapsed. From banks to stock exchange, they had crashed. Inflation was at 15.6percent three months before I became Central Bank Governor; there was already instability in every sector of the economy. When I look back, I thank God for the people who supported us and criticized us as well because criticism has made us stronger. Also, when I look back, I can point to several things that have changed after our arrival and till date.

Donation of 100million

Keeping inflation down

On the face-off between CBN and NNPC

On the face-off between CBN and NNPC, I must say that we are not EFCC. What I have been talking about is the areas that affect my job which have been a dwindling in the money that comes into the Federation Account. Let me make it clear, the disputed $20billion may be gone.

And what some people want is the continuity of this; that stealing of public funds should continue.

On his suspension

I must say that there was no time when the CBN received any letter from the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. At no point were we given any letter to respond to over any financial allegations. Also, nothing in the letter declared that I did anything wrong. I can tell you that CBN does not operate the way it’s been presented because all facts and statements of account are there for everybody to see. They said we spent N1.2billion on the police even if that is true, is that corruption? Did I set up my security outfit and pay myself? I want to repeat that I have had my last day in office.

*Sanusi

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For the first time in a long while, we have been able to keep inflation at about 7percent since January 2013 and it is still like that up till this moment. As far as instability and exchange rate is concerned, we have worked tirelessly to ensure things work out well for the economy.

We also introduced cash reduction in the system. Although most people didn’t like it because they felt it will add more problem to the exchange rate because people want to buy dollars but against all odds, the cashless policy has worked and it’s still working today.

At no point were we given any letter to respond to over any financial allegations.

Also, nothing in the letter declared that I did anything wrong

I have achieved everything I set out to achieve. Looking at the suspension letter, I was not given the benefit of doubt to respond or explain myself.

Court order

However, I have a court order now enforcing my fundamental human right because once they seize your passport, you don’t know the next step they will take. I took an exparte motion to court to ensure I am not harassed.

On the allegation that he is partisan

When I was in King’s College, I was in Form 2 when Bukola Saraki came into Form 1. He has been my friend since we were 11years old.

Also, El- Rufai has been my friend. I never knew I will be CBN Governor because I had wanted to study law, also Bukola Saraki never knew he would become a politician because he read medicine. These people remain my friends and, with all sincerity, every one of us has friends across political divides. These are things some Nigerians categorize and accuse me of being a politician.

Also, I had known Governor Fashola and Bola Tinubu since I was in First Bank. I am a Lagos boy as well and my children were all given birth to and groomed in Lagos. When Nasir El- Rufai heard what happened, he decided to come to the Lagos airport so that if I am going to be arrested, it will be in the company of some of my friends. He never came to the airport as an APC member but as a friend. I am not a politician but people think I am one.

What next on NNPC

It is not my responsibility anymore but I can comment as a Nigerian. I can talk if I feel like. I believe

It is called principle of donation.

During the Ikeja bomb blast explosion, the CBN Governor then, Joseph Sanusi, gave N10million. So I was not the first person to do that.

This is contained under Corporate Social Responsibility. The blast in Kano did not affect Kano citizens alone, SSS offices, police stations were attacked and these are federal offices which have several people from the South working there. I can tell you that 80percent of the victims of that bomb attack are not Kano citizens, there were several Christians from the South involved and I gave N100million to their families.

What is bad in that? Why are people not complaining about the N500million I compelled the Bankers Committee to give to flood victims in Benue State and other places? What is wrong in it? With CSR, you cannot do everything in all the 36states of the federation; you will do the little you can.

Mint printing!

This is one area that we have been able to cut down on spending. In 2012, CBN spent N38billion on mint printing down from the N49billion spent in 2011. In 2013, we spent N35billion and, in my 2014 budget, my plan was to spend N30billion. So we have been bringing down the cost of printing.

Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of the CBN, we contribute 80percent into the Federation Account. In 2008 before I became Governor, CBN contributed N8billion into the Federation Account. In my last year, we gave N159billion. In 2012, we gave N80billion, in 2011, we gave N60billion. In the first four years of my term as CBN Governor, we gave government about N279billion. The National Assembly called to commend me. We have been able to give N600billion from surplus alone and the money is made from prudent finance, cutting down currency expenses, every over headline has gone down. So I can say, with all sense of humility, that the last thing anybody can accuse me of is financial recklessness.

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Subsidy and the alleged missing billions

BY CHINWOKE AKOMA

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he Senate Finance Committee sitting on alleged missing N20billion dollars had a lot of interesting testimonies. From the initial accusations by the suspended CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, to the clarifications by the various government agencies,facts are out in public domain which have enlightened the public on the issue.

For example ,Nigerians now know that the allegation that kerosene subsidy is illegal is no longer sustainable . This is because the so-called presidential directive stopping subsidy was discovered to be contradictory and unimplementable by the then Petroleum Minister Rilwanu Lukman .

It also came to the fore that there is truly subsidy on kerosene but the impact is not being felt because of the high demand in the face of low supply. Nigerians also now know that by virtue of the Petroleum Act ,the oil corporation has the power to incur expenditure.

Many more facts came out including the fact that nobody is ready to withdraw subsidy on kerosene as even the Senate Committee asked the executive arm to make request through supplementary appropriation. Even at that, the hearing was confronted with the reality of a provision of the Petroleum Act which empowers the Minister of Petroleum Resources to fix the prices of petroleum products. The plan for an independent audit was also unimplementable because the responsibility is statutorily that of the Auditor General of the Federation.

Specifically ,the directive contained a clause that said the subsidy removal should not be made public.

For the avoidance of doubt , the letter of the controversial presidential directive is to the effect that commencing from July 2009: “Eliminate existing subsidy on the consumption of kerosene, taking into account that subsidy payments by government, on kerosene do not reach the intended beneficiaries. Public announcement of this measure should be avoided”.Lukman refused to gazette the directive because of the contradiction . So subsidy continues especially after the violent demonstrations of 2012.

The other thing is why the high prices of kerosene despite subsidy? The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, said the problem has to do with high demand versus low supply as the quantity subsidised is not sufficient to meet the needs of kerosene users.

Said he: “About 7 to 10 million liters are supplied but our national consumption today is about 15 million liters. There is a shortfall in supply, hence people think the subsidy is not reaching the people. There is subsidy”.

The management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) also said that diversion of kerosene to neighbouring countries, industrial use, aviation fuel, sharp practices by middlemen and pipeline vandalism are reasons kerosene is not readily available for domestic consumption. Group Managing Director of the corporation, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, made this disclosure during the two-day investigative public hearing on supply, distribution, expenditure and subsidy on kerosene.

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If Sanusi had succeeded in proving that a presidential directive stopped subsidy,he would have also triumphed in claiming that the N20billion dollars was illegally spent

The Senate sitting had opened with a theatrical drama by the suspended CBN Governor. He anchored the missing N20billion on the argument that there is no subsidy. But events have proved that there is indeed subsidy ,leading to the new reality that the socalled missing money was spent on kerosene subsidy. If Sanusi had succeeded in proving that a presidential directive stopped subsidy,he would have also triumphed in claiming that the N20billion dollars was illegally spent . On both counts,Sanusi failed as several documentary evidence confirmed.

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irst, Lukman, in his capacity as Petroleum Minister, was obvi ously unable to implement this directive as the inherent contradiction in the directive was at variance with a fundamental and critical requirement of the Petroleum Act which requires the issuance of a gazette.

Yakubu maintained that due to a number of issues ranging from incessant pipeline vandalism and diversion of the product to road construction, the product, meant for the masses, is not readily available. “There are quite a number of competing demands for kerosene and until these are addressed by other relevant agencies, the issue of kerosene not being readily available for domestic use will continue to reoccur every now and then.

The way out is for this committee to collaborate with the NNPC to encourage the sale of liquefied petroleum gas otherwise known as cooking gas,” the NNPC boss said.

Responding to a question on whether kerosene subsidy is still in place, he said that was exactly what he met when he assumed office in June 2012, adding that kerosene subsidy is funded by unrealizable revenue flow. “The NNPC takes crude at international price and sells it at the domestic mar-

outweighs the supply available nationwide thus leading to a shortage of the product and a resultant increase in the equilibrium price. This is the major reason the subsidy though enormous is not being felt by the populace.

Another major development is a submission which went a long way to settle many contentious issues affecting a subsidiary of the oil corporation.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, said the NNPC can legitimately transfer its participating interest in oil mining leases (OML) to its wholly owned subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company,NPDC.

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*Sanusi ket at regulated price of N50 per liter,” he stated. Answering a question on what the NNPC is doing to stop kerosene diversion, the NNPC helmsman said that the Corporation does not have the power to police marketers and sanction them, adding that there are statutory bodies with the responsibility.

Commenting on the legality of kerosene subsidy, the NNPC Company Secretary, Anthony Madichie, citing Petroleum Act section 6 subsection 1, said only the Minister of Petroleum Resources has the authority to fix petroleum product prices, stressing that if a presidential directive is given and not gazetted, such directive will not be effective.

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n his submission to the commit tee, the Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC, Prince Haruna Momoh, informed that kerosene is sourced for the Nigerian market through importation and domestic refining, adding that dual purpose kerosene (DPK) is sold to coastal marketers, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA and NNPC Retail.

“I can confirm to this committee the statistics for the supply of DPK is as follows. In 2010, NNPC supplied 2,515,582.44 metric tonnes of DPK, in 2011, NNPC 1,922,263.56 metric tonnes, in 2012, NNPC supplied 2,622,843.20 metric tonnes and in 2013, NNPC supplied 2,671,747.97 metric tonnes making a total of 9,732,437.17 metric tonnes,” Momoh revealed.

Marketers also supplied further statistics on the existence of subsidy.The price regime of DPK ex-refineries/depots in Nigeria is at N40.90k/litre, NNPC sells DPK at its retail outlets for N50/litre. If the PPPRA template is taken into account, DPK is expected to have a landing cost of N130/litre leaving a gap of about N80/litre which is a cost element to NNPC and the tune to which DPK is subsidized for the populace.

Demand versus supply

The question ‘ where does the subsidy go?’ then arises. The total demand for DPK across all sectors by far

he AGF provided the legal po sition during the investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the alleged unremitted $49.8bn oil revenue in respect of the status of $6bn NPDC gross revenue which Sanusi had alleged should have been remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC. Adoke informed that by virtue of paragraph 14 to 16 of the First Schedule of the Petroleum Act, CAP.P.10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN, 2004 (NNPC Act) and Regulation 4 of the Petroleum (Drilling and Productions) Regulations 1969 as amended, a holder of an OML or Oil Prospecting License (OPL) can assign its interest provided the consent of the minister of petroleum resources is obtained.

On whether all revenues derived by the NNPC from upstream operations including those under which OMLs in the JV operations are payable to the Federation Account, the minister posited that NNPC is generally under an obligation to remit its revenue from the upstream petroleum operations into the Federation Account.

According to him, this is, however, dependent on the definition of ‘revenue’ within the meaning and intendment of section 162 (10) (c) of the constitution of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Constitution) saying that the NNPC can by virtue of section 7(4) of the NNPC Act defray all expenses incurred in the course of its business in the upstream operations.

The AGF stated that the NNPC is required to pay into the Federation Account the ‘net revenue’ as opposed to the ‘gross revenue’.

Meanwhile, IPMAN has warned that kerosene subsidy removal was capable of bringing down government even as it denied reports that it bribed officials of the petroleum ministry and the oil corporation on allocations.

Speaking in Abuja ,the National President of IPMAN, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, said the bribery allegation was part of the plot to politicise the oil sector ,stressing that “any removal of subsidy is a ploy to instigate uprising against government as kerosene subsdised the cost of living for the poor.

The IPMAN leader said those plotting to derail the Jonathan presidency are the ones behind the push to withdraw kerosene subsidy which he said would impose further hardship on the poor,canvassing that “subsidy should remain until LPG supply is sufficient to fill the gap. ”Until LPG is widely available,you cannot remove subsidy. If you do,it will bring social unrest. I strongly advise that subsidy should remain. I also call on the minister to call industry operators to order to put in more efforts into the provision of LPG. Part of the subsidy should be used to fund facilities for LPG”,he said .

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 15

THE PRESIDENT VERSUS THE GOVERNOR OF GOVERNORS -1

BY DELE SOBOWALE

of misconduct – only if proved by an independent inquiry. But such an independent body had not been established; neither had the CBN Governor been allowed to defend himself on the charges of engaging in reckless practices. The President of Nigeria is not a court of law.

“Difficult cases make bad laws.”

Justice Louis Brandeis, 1856-1941; Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, 1916-1939.

J

ustice Brandeis was the first Jew ish-American to be elevated to the Supreme Court of the United States at a time when discrimination against Jews was only a bit less virulent than racism directed against black Americans. But cream always rises to the top. And, eventually, the “gentiles”, Anglo-Saxons, were forced to admit that in their midst was a legal talent which could no longer be ignored. Had Brandeis been AngloSaxon, he would have long been the Chief Justice of America before he retired from the bench. The Jewish community in America immortalized him by founding an elite private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, to which they send their brightest and best students. Brandeis University has benefited Nigeria in more ways than most people realize.

Why is the late Justice Brandeis’ observation pertinent? Because, it will test the sincerity, the objectivity and even the patriotism of every columnist, commentator or analyst in what is destined to be a long-term and, perhaps, one of the most monumental economic, financial, political and social confrontations in our history.

To start with, seldom in the history of Nigeria, or that of most countries, had a Governor of the Central Bank (or the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of the US) been suspended from office by the President or Prime Minister. The closest the world had come to this was when General Idi Amin, during the Mad Dog days of military rule in Africa, sent the Governor of the Ugandan Bank packing and assassinated for telling Amin a truth that was glaring to economists worldwide but which the ignorant satrap refused to acknowledge. So, in a way, we are already writing history in this century – whichever way the crisis is resolved.

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randeis again becomes perti nent precisely because this is the sort of drama in our national life, which, springing up at the wrong time, brings out the worst in us as Nigerians. I was at a meeting in Abuja when the announcement was made. Because, as a matter of habit, I switch off my phones when important meetings are in progress, it was about two hours after the whole world heard it that a text message came through from one of our readers. By then, I knew what had happened. I replied the message by acknowledging that I have heard the news. But I ended by telling the patriot to “expect legal action”. Now, litigation is in progress.

But long before the first set of lawyers, SANs and non-SANs, enter the courtrooms (notice the plural, which is deliberate, because this is a battle for several court rooms), start to render their almost predictable contradictory rulings, and that again is guaranteed, the courts of public opinion, packed full with its political, tribal, demographic, financial interests, prejudices, tribalism, etc, are already on the march. In those courts, the case had already been decided and the reports

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*Sanusi from various newspapers, the next day, reflected the judgments that had been passed. To be quite candid, I went quietly to my hotel room in Abuja, and wept for Nigeria because this was one acid test of our unity, as a people, we don’t need at this time.

Yes, I read the allegations informing the decision of the President to suspend the CBN Governor. On the face of the allegations, they are grave acts

would have been one of the peo ple to ask for the head of the CBN Governor “on a silver platter ” if the correct procedure was followed. In 2011, I wrote a ten-part series entitled, CBN GOVERNOR AND ECONOMIC CZARISM, in which I raised several issues about the way the Central Bank Governor, irrespective of whether Sanusi or Soludo or anybody else, operates like a government within a government. The abuse of autonomy, which every Central Bank must have, did not start with Sanusi. But, like most issues raised by the media, the President and his advisers ignored the call for action.

Obviously, even if Sanusi is guilty as charged, the timing of the President’s response had given ample room for those who now accuse him of an action which is regarded as illegal,

malicious, ethnic, political and personal.

Invariably, the first people to react when this sort of thing happens are the deeply politically committed and the financial markets. Reading the papers, it is clear that Jonathan had, deliberately or inadvertently, raised the political temperature and might have undermined the National Conference scheduled to start, not in February as first announced, but now in March. About N7 billion is now in jeopardy as a result of this. And that is a first instalment on how much the nation will pay for this ill-advised decision.

The financial markets have also started reacting. The losses on the first day will be followed by further losses as the polity heats up. International portfolio investors, already wary about investments in emerging markets, can be forgiven if they take the attitude that, with Nigeria, they can no longer wait and see; because they have seen enough and they have waited too long for this to happen. Over N160 billion was lost the following day alone. More losses will follow…

To be continued.

Between Sanusi and the National Assembly

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

B

arely two weeks after the House of Represen tatives almost turned the green chamber into a war zone over alleged $1million bribe given to five All Progressives Congress, APC, legislators that defected to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the House had a rowdy session over the suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi by President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was another scene reminiscent of what transpired when both PDP and APC lawmakers slugged it out over who gave what to who, after reading the APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s statement, on the floor of the House, accusing the ruling party of bribing legislators to dump APC. This time, the APC carried the day through their superior argument which made the House to reject the President’s directive to suspend the controversial SLS from office.

Leading the opposition was Hon. Samson Osagie, Minority Whip, APC, representing Orhionwhon/ Ohuede Federal Constituency, in Edo State.

Osagie, in his motion brought under matters of national importance, had questioned the timing of the apex bank governor ’s suspension, especially as Sanusi had raised the weighty allegation of non-remittance of several billions of dollars to the Federation Account by the NNPC, which was yet to be resolved.

According to Osagie, Section 11(7) of the CBN Act, 2007, which gave the President the power to remove the Governor, subject to two-third majority approval of the Senate, did not contemplate suspension, saying that it was also doubtful if Sanusi was given fair hearing in accordance with the provisions of the law.

His motion was, however, dismissed by Hon. Henry Ofongo PDP, Bayelsa, who, through a point of order, faulted Osagie on the grounds he was bringing issues from the CBN Act which were not relevant to the matter he was debating. Ofongo was however asked to wait and present his point during the debate of the motion by the presiding officer, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.Drama subsequently set in, throwing the

session into a momentary uproar when another lawmaker, Hon. Ralph Nnana Igbokwe, PDP, Imo State, who raised a point of order drawing the attention of the House to the same section of the CBN Act cited

by Osagie which gave the President powers to appoint and remove the CBN Governor.

According to him, if CBN was a public institution operating under the public service rules with Sanusi as a public officer heading the institution, he could be removed if found wanting in the discharge of his duties, urging the House “to resist every temptation not to act on the side of the law.”

Tambuwal, though ruled that Igbokwe was in order, explained that his assertion did not resolve the

issue of suspension not being contemplated in the Act, as contended by Osagie, and, subsequently, gave the floor to the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon Leo Ogor, PDP, Isoko Federal Constituency, Delta, who had indicated interest to speak against the motion, to go ahead.

But before Ogor, Hon. Nkoyo Toyo, PDP through another point of order on matters of privilege warned that Sanusi, was an important personality, and a great Nigerian whose case should not be reduced to politicking on the floor of the House, a position the Speaker told members to note as they debate the sensitive issue. Ogor, in his submission, defended the suspension as the beginning of a process, and not an end in itself. “For you to remove somebody, there has to be a process, and the suspension is the beginning of that,” the lawmaker stated amidst shouts of “No! No!! No!!! from supporters of the motion. Tambuwal put the debate to a voice vote and the motion was unanimously adopted.

Also, apparently angered by what it perceived as selective implementation or non-compliance with its resolution against some public officers over corrupt practices, the House mandated its Committees on Justice and Legislative Compliance to compile all resolutions that have indicted any public officer for which President Goodluck Jonathan refused to act, and request the President to act on them immedi-

ately. Also on Thursday, the House adjourned for two weeks to enable it debate the 2014 Appropriation Act.

PAGE 16—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SANUSI: His banking reforms, suspension and controversies

BY UDEME CLEMENT

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he suspension of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by President Goodluck Jonathan, has generated divergent views. While many economics experts said the President acted hastily by not allowing Sanusi to finish his tenure

by June, 2014, others said Jonathan’s decision is in the best interest of the nation’s economy.

The President had directed that Sanusi be removed from office following the report of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria indicting Sanusi’s tenure as characterised by acts of financial misconduct and inconsistency with the administration’s vision of a central bank propelled by the core values of focused economic management. Jonathan asked the apex back boss to hand over to the most senior Deputy Governor of the CBN, Dr Sarah Alade, to serve in acting capacity until the conclusion of on-going investigations into breaches of enabling laws and mandate of the CBN. In a reaction, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) described Sanusi’s suspension as a distraction that could only contribute to shifting the focus of government from the real issue, which is finding the alleged missing $20 billion oil money.

SERAP, in a statement by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said, “The government should not politicise the fight against corruption. Our concern remains the urgent, thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegations that $20 billion oil money is missing from the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).”

“If it is true that the suspension is linked with Sanusi’s public disclosure of the missing funds, SERAP believes that this is clearly wrong and contrary to the government’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption to target a whistle-blower simply for bringing the information to the public domain. No one should be victimised for contributing to the fight against corruption, which is the moral and legal responsibility of any serious, open and people’s oriented government.”

“Unless the government comes clean about what exactly has happened to the $20 billion missing oil money, the NNPC will remain unaccountable to Nigerians for its action. This would not be consistent with the attitude of a government establishment funded with tax payers’ money. The government’s action in finding the missing money and punishing suspected perpetrators is critical if it is to enjoy the trust and confidence of Nigerians in the fight against corruption.”

been put in place to enhance successful and smooth rollout of the data identification project nation-wide.

The CBN last week launched the Bank Verification Number (BVN) for biometrics identification of customers in the financial industry, designed to reduce fraud, money laundering in order to revolutionise the payment system in the country. With the new directive, banks were to start the registration of fingerprints as well as facial features of customers, as the project was being controlled by the monetary authority with a time-line of 18 months to ensure efficiency.

Removal of arbitrary bank charges by CBN: The removal of arbitrary bank charges by the apex bank was sequel to complaints from depositors about what they described as arbitrary bank charges on banking services. In that capacity, the apex bank issued a draft of the Revised Guide to Bank Charges benchmarking lending rates to Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) for maximum of 8 per cent across board, which translated to 20 per cent. The target was to align the tariff regime with the economic challenges and realities in the country.

Also, the CBN set up a consumer protection unit to enable consumers lodge complaints, stressing that banks were charged to refund customers when they over charge customers for certain services and products.

Beyond that, the sub-committee of the Bankers Committee on ethics investigated issues of excessive bank charges and any commercial bank found contravening the law was sanctioned accordingly. The apex bank went ahead to issue a circular for the review of the extant guide to bank charges that had been in use since January 2004 fiscal year. The exercise paved the way for minimum disclosure from banks to all customers prior to the consummation of every

,,

The Sanusi reforms/monetary policies Biometric data authentication: The biometric data capturing for commercial banks doing business in Nigeria was the last monetary policy initiated by the Sanusi before his suspension. The CBN had given all commercial banks operating in Nigeria 18 months to begin and conclude the biometric registration of all customers across the country. Sunday Vanguard gathered that before launching of the scheme recently, banks in collaboration with the monetary authority had been working on this new policy initiative for a long time, even as necessary infrastructure had

The government’s action in finding the missing money and punishing suspected perpetrators is critical if it is to enjoy the trust and confidence of Nigerians in the fight against corruption

credit transaction. A glossary of terms was developed to provide clear definition of technical terms used in the guide to reduce misrepresentation or any form of ambiguity while protecting consumers from arbitrary charges.

The Banking industry/outstanding reforms: The banking sector under Sanusi experienced numerous reforms ranging from merger of some weak banks to the removal of N100 charge on the use of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) recently. Some of the reforms in the sector include, cashless policy, which limits the level of withdrawal by individual to N500.000 and corporate body to N3million, attempt by the Central Bank of Nigeria to introduce N5.000 bank note, currency restructuring among many others.

For instance, in first quarter of 2012, Ac-

*Sanusi cess Bank Plc and Intercontinental were fused into one entity, Ecobank acquired Oceanic Bank, Spring bank became Enterprise Bank Limited, First City Monument Bank acquired FinBank, bank PHB became Keystone Bank Limited, Afribank became Mainstreet Bank Limited, Sterling Bank acquired Equitorial Trust Bank while Union Bank of Nigeria is now owned By African Capital Alliance Consortium.

5,000 naira bank note controversy: The attempt by CBN to introduce 5.000 naira note into circulation by first quarter of 2013 and to redesign the existing N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000 notes with new security features, while N20, N10 and N5 notes would be changed to coins sparked controversy in the country and was unsuccessful. Sanusi had explained that the policy initiative formed part of the currency restructuring exercise by the apex bank, adding that the front side of the new currency must be adorned with the pictures of late Margaret Ekpo, Funmilayo Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, while the back side would have the National Assembly structure on it. While some financial analysts said the policy could contradict the cashless regime already on-going, others frowned at the CBN’s plan to spend a whopping sum of N40.3 billion for printing of N5.000 note, when the country was facing perennial security crisis, abject poverty and unemployment.

The approval of N200 billion commercial agric credit: Sanusi disclosed that the apex bank created the N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CASS) Fund in 2009, and the funds were being disbursed through the deposit money banks (DMBs) to local farmers to enable them improve their production capacity. The loan scheme had an interest rate that did not exceed 9 percent and the maturity period of not more than 7 years, to enable local farmers expand their capacity to create more jobs and enhance revenue generation. Sunday Vanguard gathered that about 109 projects made up of privately-owned projects had been financed with part of the money, while 19 state governments received N1 billion each for disbursement to farmers’ cooperatives and unions within their constituencies, by February last year. Aside from the N200billion agric credit scheme, in 2010, a huge sum of N500 billion was approved as an intervention fund for the manufacturing industry.

His appointment/suspension:

Sanusi was nominated by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as governor of CBN, on 1 June 2009 and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate on 3 June 2009, during the period of the global financial crisis.[8] Sanusi who took over from his predecessor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, immediately went into action by removing the chief executives of some banks to sanitise the industry. In August that same 2009, Sanusi put measures in place to rescue Afribank, Intercontinental, Union Bank, Oceanic Bank and Finbank, with a bailout of N400. From that moment till his removal, the CBN under Sanusi initiated one monetary policy after another to put the banking sector back on track and to restore confidence of the banking public.

THE LIST OF COMMERCIAL BANKS LEFT IN NIGERIA UNDER SANUSI ARE: Zenith Bank Access Bank - Acquired Intercontinental Bank Citibank Diamond Bank Ecobank Nigeria - Acquired Oceanic Bank Enterprise Bank Limited - Formerly Spring Bank Fidelity Bank Nigeria First Bank of Nigeria First City Monument Bank - Acquired FinBank Keystone Bank Limited - Formerly Bank PHB Guaranty Trust Bank Mainstreet Bank Limited - Formerly Afribank Savannah Bank Skye Bank Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Limited Standard Chartered Bank Sterling Bank - Acquired Equitorial Trust Bank Union Bank of Nigeria - Owned By African Capital Alliance Consortium United Bank for Africa Unity Bank Plc. Wema Bank

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 17

Words can’t bring me down

– Daniella Okeke

I can’t be a complete housewife

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AGOS Cougars girl, Daniella Okeke isn’t one known for throwing stones. She hardly gets herself in any messy situation and this may be the reason why some have been wondering what the curvaceous, provocative actress had up her sleeve when she posted ‘Words can’t bring me down’ on her Facebook handle during the week.

Daniella doesn’t appear to have any score to settle with anyone, at least, if one doesn’t consider much noise that has been made over whether she has had surgery done on her butt which many consider wasn’t so big some couple of years back.

Truly, some pictures of her now and then, cast so much doubts but if the actress words are anything to go by, then, we should stick to her story that natural phenomenon has come handy in seeing her butt the way it has come to grow so big. Now, don’t forget ‘Words can’t bring her down’

– Anita Joseph A

NITA Joseph isn’t a push-over – not by a long shot. The actress and singer is beautiful, sexy and has a body on her, that would set even a priest on heat.

So, why should anyone expect her to jump at any offer, even when that offer comes with a lifetime of matrimonial bliss.

The social media was rife with the news last week that the sultry actress turned down marriage proposal from her lover of many years, who proposed to her on St Valentine’s Day with the hope of walking her down the aisle by Easter. But with the proposal was a condition- Anita should quit her show business.

Many women wouldn’t have minded, even Dakore Egbuson concurred with the Akandes who wanted same from her but not Anita and she bared her mind to me. “ I can’t just quit my job and be a complete housewife” she said. Anita and her lover, Europe based, Martins Okorie have been dating for a while and many have expected them to consummate it at the altar but it seems the lovebirds would have to stick to being friends but then never say never again!

• Anita Joseph

Now I believe in love – Maureen Cyril

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•Maureen Cyril

EMEMBER Maureen Cyril, the beautiful light-skinned actress who bedazzled movie lovers in uptown movie ‘Lady Gaga’. She is very much around but not available as she used to be because her status has changed. She got married last year and ever since has been singing ‘I never knew there was a love like this before’.

In fact when I got talking to her lately I almost had my ears knocked off my head with her song of bliss on how much God has blessed her with the man of her dream. She even invited me for a surprise party for her husband on Valentine’s Day. Moved and curious, I asked her how the lovestory started and she was rather gleeful to share it all with me.

Hear her: “We met at a friend’s party and his friend came over to talk to me but I shunned him until I saw my husband, standing at a corner in the room.

Our eyes met and glued and we kept stealing glances at each other. Then one of my crazy friends went to their table and invited him over but he just walked straight to me and I was a bit tipsy then.

He was a perfect gentleman, when he later dropped us at my place he pecked me and said “Sleep like an angel that you are” “I can’t and wouldn’t forget that night” she said. She then told him she was just coming out of a broken relationship and wasn’t ready for love again.

“Without knowing it, he was already in love with me. I didn’t know when I started loving him, it just happened.

Then one thing led to another. He told me everything; his business and shares with me everything a man should share with his wife. He has made me believe in love and I am so much in love with him.

•Daniella Okeke

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Sugar Asoegwu fondly remembers Justus Esiri I

Omotola draws fire over comments on child’s online picture Chiwetel Ejiorfor sticks a foot in ultimate glory

•Chiwetel Ejiofor

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IGERIAN Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has been nominated in the Best Actor in Leading Role category for this year’s Academy Awards for his sterling role interpretation in the film ‘ 12 Years a Slave’ is on the precipice of history and it looks like the ball may just be in his court afterall.

Long before now, Chiwetel, wasn’t the huge favourite, to smile home with the golden statuette, the likes of Leonardo Dicarprio (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Christian Bale (American Hustle) were the bookmakers’ choices until the British Academy Films Awards, BAFTA, held last weekend and the Best Actor in Leading Role went to the Nigerian.

And Chiwetel did it by beating three of his co-nominees for the Oscar award. He floored Leonardo Dicarprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Christian Bale (American Hustle) and Bruce Dern (Nebraska). Only Matthew Mcconaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) didn’t feautre in the BAFTA nominees list.

Even top film critic, Mark Kermode, agreed, the BAFTA award for Chiwetel Ejiofor may tilt the odds in his favour for the coveted statuette come next weekend.

Even though he isn’t exactly a rookie when it comes to awards with BAFTA Orange Rising Star Award in 2006, 5 Golden Globe Award nominations among others, winning the Oscar will be the hallmark of his career.

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OLLYWOODsuperstar, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, was recently livid with a blogger who posted a picture of her 14 year-old daughter, Meraiah, on the blogsphere, describing her as ‘sexy’.The sultry actress was also furious that the teenager’s school was also posted on the internet, thereby putting the young lady at risk.

Omotola didn’t hide her disgust as she exploded “ Her father and I are horrified as parents and guardians that a minor’s picture can be paraded online as hot” ,”sexy”. We know the bloggers probably meant no harm but in a world full of paedophiles and sickos every adult with morales should know where to draw the line. I will not hesitate henceforth to use everything within my power to bring •Omotola anyone to justice who does this with any of my under aged kids after “this” first time episode !...”

But another blogger, by name of Lamzat has replied the actress, saying “Omotola is a bit dumb and an ignoramus on this! Facebook age limit is 13! If you trust your 14 year old daughter to go gallivanting on Facebook with open public profile, bloggers are protected by the law.

There are 7 decided international cases on this. If you are careless as a parent and want your daughter to be a star like you and unwittingly left her profile public, you have committed an offence as a parent” he wrote.

Has Tuface Idibia a pregnant mistress?

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o one can argue that being popular or rich comes at a price. And somebody has said that life is a market where you take what you want and pay for it. Yes, stardom is expensive and hip-hop megastar, Tuface Idibia, is having a hard time grappling with the truth.

Just last week, a TV channel reportedly claimed the singer has died and I had to rush to confirm from his people and it was all lies.

Days after another report emerges that his account officer in one of the banks is pregnant for him. This, Tuface Idibia himself laughed off as a poor joke, saying “I don give 8 virgins belle”.

Even his wife, Annie, stood by him and it all looked shipshape like a •Tuface

t was exactly a year on Wednesday, February 19th since veteran actor Justus Esiri, who died from complications from diabetes, passed on. The ‘Village Headmaster’ has since been remembered by family and friends.

One of such people who say they cannot forget the late master of make-belief is actress, Sugar Asoegwu, who shared with me her fondest memories of the late actor.

“He was an icon. A great actor.

Acting was in every limb of his body.

A man who could act while keeping still. The last project I worked on with him at Nasarawa State where he played my father, a Northern king and I as his only heir an Hausa princess

was a wonderful bonding process for us.

I got to pick from his knowledge and wisdom and he let me. The film is called “The Twin Swords” a great legacy which was finished the same year he died. I miss him , Nollywood misses him too. you know a great actor when his prowess ,uniqueness and style can’t be duplicated.

He will remain in the hearts of those of us who had a close relationship with him and the mind of his fans” she said.

•Sugar Asoegwu

*Tracy Obonna known as the ‘Nigerian Bombshell’ is a model and actress, based in Canada.

She grew up in Canada after leaving with her parents from Nigeria to Canada at the age of six.

solid alibi.

Until a blogger came riding to town with a purported statement from the alleged mistress herself, named Teniola.

“My name is Teniola. Please I want my privacy kept secret. I just want to respond to Tuface’s denial of my pregnancy. I‘m 3.5 month pregnant for him and he is fully aware of it. His recent denial is to appease his wife and I understand that…” the statement purportedly read.

Now the big question is: who is fooling who? Everyone knows Tuface has fathered 7 children from 3 different women and his open declaration of wanting to be “Father of the nation” isn’t too pale in the minds.

•Tracy Obonna

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 19

I get embarrassed when foreigners ask why we still import fuel — Amb Onadipe * Continues from last week

on those who are legally doing their businesses here.

So, I think we need a new orientation, especially, for those young ones that are being used to carry drugs here. Everyday, I receive on my table drug related arrests.

Towards the end of the year, the number continues to increase. These are young men in their prime, now they are languishing in jail. Every quarter, we have to go to various jails in different provinces to see them to boost their morale. When we can afford it, we give them stipends. The prison condition may not be much to write home about, some of them may end up with serious health challenges. We are doing the little we can, they won’t allow us to go in there with phone or camera to take evidence of torture but sometimes we insist and we have seen changes, some of them have been removed from one notorious prison that have the penchant for maltreatment from officials; in collaboration with inmates, they beat up and torture Nigerians. One even lost one of his eyes recently. We are still on the case on what compensation will be paid to him. These are young men that should not be here; that is what I was saying the other time that if I have my way, a good number of them would not be allowed to leave the shores of Nigeria.

Some of them can’t even write their names, so you wonder, how did they get the visa to travel all the way from Nigeria to China? Give them a paper and biro to write their names, they cannot, what are they doing in China?

I

t was reported recently that a visa sorting processing outfit that was opened by the Nigerian embassy here was shut down by the Chinese government.

Is that true?

The Federal Government of Nigeria concessioned visa processing to private companies. For example, such codes like global, meaning, if you want to pay for visa outside, you pay online through them, so they decided to extend it to China.

So, the guys came here, we got the services of a lawyer and registered the company for that purpose. There was a misconception on the part of the Chinese people that the office was opened by the embassy. No, we had since corrected that impression.

The embassy didn’t open it because that office had to do with visa collection, visa

sorting and revenue collection, we had to work hand in hand. They sort visa application, bring them here, we vet, we reject it or approve, they settle with the Federal Government, we reconcile how many applications are collected from them, how many were returned and rejected, how much had accrued to government. So, according to the Chinese law, the foreign ministry informed us when that office started operating on the 14th of October, that it was illegal, that it was not properly registered, that was after the embassy had given to the foreign office all the papers of registration by the company Online Integrated Services which they submitted to us.

We gave it to the foreign office and they looked at it and said, ‘no, there is a mistake somewhere’, so it was right on this table. We had a meeting, the lawyer was sitting there and she acknowledged the fact that she made a mistake in the registration that she did for them. So, that again, already, put the online registration services in a weak position.

We had to appeal to the authorities asking them what to do knowing fully well that this organization was here on behalf of Nigeria, by virtue of an agreement signed with the Federal Government. The place was not closed down immediately it was closed down by mutual consent or advice by the foreign office at the public security bureau.

They went there, did their investigations, took away about 200 Chinese passports and advised those operating there. As a matter of fact, aside the Nigerian general manager who is here to supervise the opening of the office and then proceed to London or Nigeria, the Chinese people manage that office after putting them through on what they are supposed to do. Right now, two options were given to them: match them with any other company that is doing this service or register it as an independent Chinese outfit.

The problem there is, they had to reserve certain positions like general manager, director of finance for the Chinese, so there comes an organisation and coordination.

Do we have such things in Nigeria, no. Sometimes what we have is abuse of quota; they are still on it, so whatever the company they come up with, we will support them, so that they can go back to work without violating China’s rules and regulations.

There have been some

complaints on diplomatic post being under funded.

How true is that?

For those missions suffering from funding, I don’t know how they are managing. Let me say that the Federal Government of Nigeria has tried tremendously in funding diplomatic outposts. If you see a mission that cannot pay local staff, it is because they didn’t get their priority right.

Government has brought a lot of formation, we now have a separate account for personnel, a separate account for over head, you dare not touch funds for personnel for any other thing aside for

very careful, corruption has its hand in it, a lot of people are ready to spend so much money just by the virtue of the little that goes into their pockets, they waste a lot of money. These are issues of corruption. How do you come and sell yourself so cheap at a foreign outpost like that?

They are saying you are corrupt and every thing about you is corrupt. Do you feel comfortable about that? And at the end of the day, you cannot pay your local staff because the money meant for them has gone into your pocket through corruption. Even in countries that are known to be corrupt

When you have such characters who make you negotiate from a position of weakness, it is a very big challenge, it makes you not to enjoy your job. I remember when Ken Saro Wiwa was hanged, the whole world descended on Nigeria in condemnation personnel. That has helped a lot.

I have worked in a mission where I was getting paid every quarter when money comes and, by the time every body takes what is received, you will wait again till the next quarter. But in Beijing, it is well funded. I came from Washington, it is well funded.

Even when I was in the Congo, it was well funded.

Most of the missions are well funded, officers have to be

too, the simple fact is that this local staff are right there with you and they see everything.

Nigerian government is funding its mission, I will say 80- 85 adequately, corruption and recklessness is what is causing problem in some missions. If such missions are going to be truthful to you, they don’t need to complain.

When you take your FSA and every thing, what are you complaining about? You operate according to the budget you present. Govern-

ment has done well in funding missions, it is the operators of the mission that need to do better.

We are aware that you are going to retire next year, what has been the journey so far?

So far so good, I will say to God be the glory. It has been 33 years of a very rich experience. I and some of my colleagues have come this far because of the challenges that we saw, that kept us going, the kind of training that we received even though we were complaining then that it was not enough. But then, it is a job we have enjoyed and we know that one day it has to come to an end, we have to vacate for the younger ones to have the piece of the action.

So, I want to thank God and my family for that. One thing is that you have to understand that this kind of job has its own way of destabilizing your family, going from one place to the other, back home, we don’t have much. I remember I couldn’t buy a house in Abuja.

One year after I left my house, former President Olusegun Obasanjo came with that housing policy that didn’t give consideration to those of us who were serving outside, it was very unfair, I think for Ministry like Foreign Affairs, such a thing should not have applied to that ministry but it has happened already, there is nothing anybody can do about it. I will probably go back to my village, to work with some youths, it was nice giving me that opportunity to work.

What has been your challenges in service and your interactions with Nigerians?

Challenges? I mentioned it while I was talking about what Nigerians do here, I served in Indonesia for six years; when I was in Abuja as Director of Asia, I had the opportunity to go with Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe ten years after I left Indonesia. When I was leaving in 1998, there was only one Nigerian lady who carried South African passport in Indonesian prison for drug trafficking. Ten years later, when I went back, there were more then 60; 22 on death row.

I went back with Ambassador Maduekwe to plead for the 22, so they won’t be killed. When you have such characters who make you negotiate from a position of weakness, it is a very big challenge, it makes you not to enjoy your job. I remember when Ken Saro Wiwa was hanged, the whole world descended on Nigeria in condemnation. Sometimes I got very embarrassed when you hear somebody asking how come your country is still importing fuel, how do you answer such a question? So, these are the challenges, you just have to find a way even if it is to rationalize it, and it is not possible to rationalize, and that is what makes me a diplomat.

PAGE 20, SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 21

Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

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hief Agnes OtoboOjehomon could pass for a spinster in her thirties but in reality, this beauty is a septuagenarian clocking 74 by July 2014. This is in spite of her share of life’s bitter pills weighty enough to make anyone age faster. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Agnes who is MD/CEO of Babo Nigeria Limited, an Oyobased firm adept in the importation of Italian furniture, ceramic tiles, bathroom and kitchen fittings, is also past Director and Club President of Zonta International. She presently sits on the Board of the West African Women Association- WAWA. Isoko-born Agnes shares her life experiences with Feminista. Enjoy!

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ou’re going to be 74 in July but your look absolutely seems in denial…

I think it’s all about upbringing. I was brought up in the northern part of Nigeria and over there, people do not carry burdens around like most people do in the south. Meaning, they do not dwell on the past but move on no matter what. I’m also lucky in the sense that I’m the last child in my family and consequently had good family support since I was a child, in marriage, in rough and good times. Also, we all grew up in love and unity.

So, everything is discussed without issues to weigh one down. I also have a free spirit which therefore makes me happy always.

Can you tell us about this love-filled childhood of yours?

I was born in Uzere in Delta State but spent my early years in Ughelli where my elder brother was working as a court registrar because my father had died when I was three-month old. Somewhere along the line, I was sent to a boarding school, Saint Louis College, in Kano. I later taught there for a while before moving to Queen of Apostles College in Ibadan. I later went to Ado-Ekiti for a teachers’ training. I was thereafter sent to England where I studied Library Science and got married later.

I worked for a while in a library over there in England; this was around 1964. When I returned to Nigeria with my husband later on, I got a job

Six miscarriages, failed marriage but still glowing @73

....the riveting story of Isoko-born Chief Agnes Ojehomon

as a Library Officer at the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan. In all, I had a very passionate, loving childhood and till now, my people still treat me like a child.

But you’ll agree not everyone can live a peaceful life irrespective of family support, especially in this turbulent world…

Of course my peace of mind is not without hassle. I got married 1943 in England and I had a sweet and sour marriage like many other people. I however did not allow that to weigh me down; I moved on. But thank God the marriage produced a son who will be 50-year-old this year. From him, I have four grandchildren- three boys and one girl, all in England presently. I have two stepdaughters; I brought up one from age five and she is now married and is a banker while the other who works as a

Chemical Engineer and is with her mother in PortHarcourt. They are from different mothers though.

Now, I understand I have two other step-sons from a very young girl who is now with my husband. Though we’ve

My husband was looking for children and even after accepting two children from outside, I thought that will be it, but we are not God.

been separated for so many years, there’s still cordiality and harmony.

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ou seem a very loving person; but why couldn’t your marriage stand the test of time?

It takes a broad-minded man to really understand me because I’m a warm and loving person, even to everybody. With that, you know, comes suspicion because most African men do not understand that you can have male friends. For that, they relate everything to sex.

I was brought up in love and to be loved.

Pregnancy challenges I had a lot of pregnancy challenges which put me on medical check frequently, but I was lucky to have the kind of job I had at the University of Ibadan. I actually had six traumatising miscarriages but God saw me through. I however had to leave the

University of Ibadan when I needed to join my husband in Rome. This was before our separation. It was when I returned to Nigeria that I went into business with acquired Italian ideas on fashion before diversifying later to furniture and others. My Italian boutique was the best in Ibadan at that time. The luck I had about 30 years ago while separating from my husband was that I was the one who built the house we were living in. Though living under same roof, we had been apart before separation. I didn’t have to start looking for where to go to because I was already in my house.

In six years you’ll be 80year-old; what lessons have you garnered from life?

Everyone should learn to take life as it comes and learn to accept their situations. The inability to identify or accept your situation is what causes problems for a lot of people.

I’m not going to blame my six miscarriages on anyone simply because my marriage did not work. My husband was looking for children and even after accepting two children from outside, I thought that will be it, but we are not God. As I say, there is no bitterness; I take life as it comes and I am better of that way.

P AGE 22—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

08056180152,

SMS only

The cheek of some absentee fathers!

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HENEVER I see Bukky, I am amazed at the seeming ease with which she’s made the most of some of the bad situations in her life. A distant relation and a close friend, she’s forever rolling with the punches life dealt her and coming up smelling roses. She came out of the university into the embrace of Jimoh, a married industrialist who was besotted with her.

After three years as a couple and spending substantially on her, Jimoh wanted to make her his second wife. But first, she had to get pregnant. He’d been busy amassing wealth when his wife had their three children. He said he wanted to be a better father this time around.

“He never did leave his wife,” Bukky had informed me years later when we met up after her being abroad for over 15 years. “I got pregnant,” she continued, “but all the way through, his feelings about the baby would change. Sometimes, he was very loving and would tell me that was what he’d always wanted. At other times, he would whine about what his family would make of the child.

I was very confused. This was a man who begged me to have his child and relocated me abroad for the purpose. Luckily, he was abroad on a business trip when I went into labour. He promised to be at the hospital but he never turned up. I didn’t see him again until two years later! I have the gift of seeing way ahead of my problems arid finding solutions to them. As soon as I had my daugh-

ter, I trained professionally and was lucky to get a reasonably well paid job. But it wasn’t easy being a single mother in a strange country. The day care centre gulped a huge chunk of what I had left of my salary after I’d paid the rent and rates. ‘ “Jimoh visited a couple of times and Kenke was happy to have a father in her life. He could be fun, taking her out and treating her to expensive presents that she became attached to him.

“Then, the disappointments started. He would call and set a date for a visit, then not turn up.

After a few times, I stopped telling her he was coming, but I couldn’t cover up for Jimoh for so long. She would run to the phone when it rang and Jimoh would promise to come and see her, only to see her disappointment and hurt when he didn’t show up. Nine times out of 10, he’d ring minutes before he was due to arrive, saying he’d been called back to Nigeria ur-

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OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

You are my Val

My heart goes out for millions of children all over the world, who suffer each day on empty stomach

gently on business.

“She was in her teens when she asked me for details about her early relationship with her father. I had to tell her the facts that he met-her for the first time when she was two. She looked incredulous.

‘But he told me he remembered the joyous moments when he held me in his arms as a baby!’ She said. I’ve done everything I can to be a good mum, but I can’t be a father as well.

She suffered in her teens when she started dating and there was no father to let her know that not all men were cads. But the letdowns didn’t get any easier as she got older. She would get very angry and upset with her father but would take it out on me. It is due to the grace of God that she’s grown up to be the wellgrounded lady she now is. She came out of the university with flying colours and has since finished her youth service.”

Bukky now runs her own business and is

hugely successful. She’s married, had two boys and is now estranged from her husband. But her children lack for nothing. “And as for men, they’re there for the picking as long as they don’t have to spend the earth on you!” She once told me cheekily. Now Kenke works with her mother and is planning to get married early in the New Year. “A beautiful, highly intelligent, charismatic lady, she confessed to me that her dad used to make her feel inferior to his other children,.

“Bukky said. “She’d put her father on a pedestal until it dawned on her he wasn’t worth her emotions. This is a man who had neglected and deceived me, he is incapable of behaving properly.

‘He doesn’t deserve my love; She told her mother and made it clear she didn’t want Jimoh at her wedding. That she would rather have her step-father who has been the father she never had give her away. Even after the separation, they still ,re-

due to the greed of a few. For those who have no one to call theirs and are all alone. It goes for as many that wished to be loved this special season, but feel so alone and empty. I want you to know you are special, you are unique, you are rare and you are my Valentine. I love you but Jesus loves you more...

Happy Valentine's day!

Ekhas_theory d4greatness@yahoo.com 08185170966

Relationship advice

Learn how to respectfully resolve conflict, Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, but to keep a relationship strong, both people need to feel they've been heard. The goal is not to win but to resolve the conflict with respect and love. * Make sure you are fighting fair.

mained close. As a matter of fact, it was her stepdad who got her the lucrative job she did before teaming up with her mother. .

“Jimoh got to know about the wedding and called to find out if it was true”, Bukky said. “I told him he shouldn’t worry his head about it, we didn’t have the:intention of putting his name on the invitation cards.

Rather, we were using her step father’s name as he would give the bride away. He was livid and I relished twisting the knife in his wound. He’d hurt us too much, now let’s see how he felt being denied his parental responsibilities. He tried to talk Kenke round to letting him give her away but she refused.

He’d disappointed her for too long and she wouldn’t want to be getting married fretting if her real father would ever show up to give her away. Sadly, there are a lot of absentee fathers all over the country. Fathers who’ve never been with their children on their birthdays even for 30 minutes. Who’ve never been there for any special occasion but spring up like a bad rash when such children become successful; wanting to play the role of a proud father. They cut comical spectacles at weddings too, on the odd occasions they got away with their pranks. looking like a fish out of water, they sit dutifully watching wedding proceedings they seldom contribute towards. Their abandoned children, now briefly reunited with dad, would have bought the ‘aso.ebi’ which, more often than

not, looks on the newfound dad like what Shakespeare once described as a giant robe on a dwarfish thief!’

Not long ago, I attended such a wedding. I had reluctantly joined in ‘brokering peace between father and daughter. The lucky lady was getting married to an extremely influential family. The family has a reputation of thanking each of their inlaws, the fathers of the brides with car gifts. This poor excuse of a father wanted to ‘play his part’ at the wedding he just got to know of. It was to our embarrassment • that not only did this estranged father of the bride invite a lorry-load of his friends, they all shamelessly helped themselves to food and champagne provided by the groom’s family.

A few weeks after the wedding, the father called at my office to find out if his new in-laws’ had delivered the promised car. ‘Were you expecting to get the car if it was indeed’, true it was promised?” I asked him, marvelling at his audacity. “If the car is intended for the father of the bride, then yes,” he said his temper rising. ‘Or have you shown my daughter another father?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was a man who apart from initially denying being the father of the bride, contributed virtually nothing towards her education.

He now has the nerve to want to reap where he never sowed. He warned he would keep his ears to the ground and if he got a whiff of any car gift he would raise a lot of dust!

The cheek of some men!

* Don't attack someone directly; use "I" statements to communicate how you feel. * Don't drag old arguments into the mix. * Keep the focus on the issue at hand, and respect the other person.

Chris Onunaku 08032988826/08184844015.

My Dearest Blessing

A medal of trust, a bond of friendship, a shoulder in sadness, a hand in darkness. A special relation to hold, an ear where secrets can be told, an appreciator for encouragement, something that doesn't cost, that's is free without jealousy. A Jewel never to be lost. Is the magic called LOVE. I love you Sweetheart.

Emma Mine 07051037749 Delta State

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

Last Valentine’s Day — Did you go on dates with fighting gloves on?!

D

ORCA’S confessed that, for now, she finds staying home to read a good book more entertaining than going out with a man. “Nigerian men are a bit conceited,” she observed. ‘They believe that after a dinner or two, you are more than ready to be taken into the bedroom. None of the men I’ve’ met wanted to be friends - only lovers.

“A few weeks ago, on St. Valentine’s day, the man I thought was a friend invited me to a Valentine party. I was to meet him there. We both enjoyed ourselves and a couple of hours later, I made my excuses to leave. He didn’t bring his car, could I drop him at a friend’s house where he kept it? Why not? He asked that I should come in for a drink for the road.

To be polite, I said O. K., and five minutes later, he wanted us to take a trip upstairs to rest. I should, by now, have known what he was up to but I was still surprised. I didn’t feel like resting. I told him politely. I would rather go home. “ “How he thought friendship could suddenly transform to lovers really irritated me. His face hardened. “Come on, don’t be like that”, he

said, almost too sure of himself. ‘What are you going home in a rush for? Let’s enjoy the evening.’ I told him I didn’t feel like making love as I never felt anything romantic towards him, and he turned nasty. He actually started kissing and fondling me ..

“The more I resisted, the more excited he became. He would have raped me if I hadn’t broken free. Why are men such beasts? Why do they think sex is the ultimate in a relationship?

What happened to respect and friendship? To think he would Willingly sacrifice the good rapport we once had for a rollin-the-hay he wasn’t sure he’d get!” Those unfortunately, are the questions most women would continue to ask themselves. A lot of women have shrugged things off and be part of the game some men play all in the name of peace.

Quite a number of girls too have been lucky to meet men who genuinely consider the way they feel, and readily apologise when they realise they ’ve read the signals wrongly!

Some male reader certainly have really interesting views on some of

the stories appearing on this column. Commenting on Festus, the loverat serial adulterer, 08103363080 textedi “Why did he (Festus) not tell his latest victim the truth? Why let her plan and even pay for a wedding he knows will never hold? If we men enjoy bonking a woman outside our home, it’s bad to let such women go easily, even resorting to telling all manner of lies to stop her from leaving and in the same breath, having sex with our wives ... “ Peter (07051329993) observed that: “You

women will keep getting heartbroken • as long as you love and keep falling in love with a man that’s not married to you.

You should ask men to do the loving while you play along because you know nothing about love. We men know what love is and understand it better.

(Really?!) As far as another reader (08064035282) is concerned, Festus’ victim is nothing but: ‘A case of someone intent on suicide meeting a serial killer. To me nothing spoil!’

Commenting on female players, Chuks Eke

(08038200097) observed that: “The story published in the Sunday Vanguard edition of 19th January aptly describes the level of moral decadence amongst our ‘MOTHERS’! Is it any surprise why marriages in this generation don’t last? What will she teach her daughters? How will her sons grow up? Is this the tenet of women’s liberation? I’m sorry to say but ‘shame on the liberated women’ and the plague they have brought upon our generation.

“My concern is for the Christian ladies,” chipped in 09091229933.

“They must understand that God approves of only one man in a life time and prefer they remain widows at the demise of husbands. I have searched the scriptures and there’s no such thing as a virtuous hubby but a virtuous woman. There are certain things we have no control over. We must thrive to live in the perfect knowledge of God. The most influential killers of destiny is an arrogant mum who sees her husband as a mistake”.

“I think it’s high time ladies, most especially the rich ones thought deeply before driving into the ocean of love with a man. There are lots of gold diggers out there who only want money and sex.” Segun - 0806 434 2477.

“Candida, please note that at law, it is not possible for the husband to rape his wife in a subsisting marriage,” observed Bar r. Ukpabi Steve (0803 174 8693).

Steve should go back to his law books and check again! Rape is a violent attack on women and it has no legal backing whether or not she’s married!

08064035282 was quite scathing when he asked: “ ... And how low would you sink to maintain your weekly depraved column! Glamorising and encouraging prostitution ?”

08052201867(Text Only)

Long lasting use of legs INBOX I am 70yrs old man having problem with walking after a fall. I can stand up after doing some exercises in Vanguard, please how do I get some more publications and advice.

By E.B.J.

T

HE other day a lady student of mine in the presence of her sister asked me how come some people who look so trim from working out in the gymnasium don’t seem to be able to sit in the Lotus posture or any posture that requires a bending of the knees?

The other sister cut in with the statement that though people might look great from the outside they may not be necessarily fit in an all-round sense.

Well, my answer to the question was that most people think that it’s of most importance to workout the musculature to the neglect of the joints. That’s a pretty sad mistake, seeing that when old age begins to set in it’s the joints that give the most trouble. Little wonder

most people require a third leg in the shape of a walking stick.

I’m not against the use of walking sticks, it’s just that people allow themselves to need them too early after middle life.

The ankles, the knees and the hips seem to be the first to go. Most elderly people

* The Chair Pose

have trouble with one or more of these areas.

If grandpa and granny have locomotion problems, how do we ensure we do not go the same way at their age?

The sensible thing I think is to start to take care of the legs long before old age overtakes us.

This care should mean eating right and exercising right.

Exercising right in this sense means ensuring the workout we engage in should include ankle hands, knee bends and the Spinal Twist which affects the entire waist. For some, the ability to do such exercises will come easy, while some of

us might have to work a little harder. Whatever the case, it will be reassuring to know you have attained the situation where your joints do not creak from the slightest demands.

As youngsters we allow our bodies to get into all kinds of postures when at play. But then we soon grow up and are supposed to pick up all kinds of things which never seem to serve us right.

Taking ourselves too seriously we do not play enough and gradually we acquire a grown up’s body.

And what kind of a body is that but one that is less responsive and almost a dead weight.

The body is wonderfully made. We can only help ourselves to making changes in ourslves, our habits and behold,we regain a fitter body.

Here are some Yoga exercises to help you regain suppleness in the joints.

THE CHAIR is performed by standing straight with the feet about a foot apart and lowering the upper body till the knees are fully bent and you’re on the balls of your feet. Stretch the hands infront. Do this twice or thrice and for the duration of a minute each time.

MATSYENDRASANA or the Spinal Twist is done by sitting down with both legs outstreched infront of you.

Now bend the left knee and bring the right foot across the left thigh. Bring the left hand to clutch the left knee.

The right hand must be placed across the back.

Now twist the upper body as you look over the right shoulder. Keep your head up. Do this for some 15 seconds and change legs to twist the other way.

* The Spinal Twist

Yoga Yoga classes classes STARTED STARTED at at 32 32 Adetokunbo Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, Ademola, Victoria Island, Lagos, 9.10am 9.10am on on Saturdays Saturdays

PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Brands Differentiation

the Quantifiable Superiority approach: Size Matters This approach focuses on a comparative maximum or minimum of size, irrespective of how this impacts actual value – i.e. quantity over quality: • The hotel with the most rooms • The cable plan with the most channels •The smallest phone on the market A parallel to this is the ‘blanket advertising’ approach, where the brand attempts to differentiate by shouting as loudly as it can, so that people simply can’t ignore it.

These approaches are neither pretty nor subtle – they are the marketing equivalent of a man measuring his appendage – but their use is still widespread.

However, such popularity does not denote effectiveness.

Safety in Numbers This approach harnesses the ‘herd instinct’, using rational claims to overcome more subjective concerns: “Millions of satisfied customers can’t be wrong” “The nation’s favorite” “We work with more Fortune 500 brands than any of our competitors” This works well in categories where measures of performance are more subjective; where people aren’t sure what really matters; or where competing brands emphasize a variety of unconnected attributes.

Interestingly, brands can also harness the opposite approach – ‘small for a reason’ – to equal effect, e.g.: “For those who know the difference” “Think different” “Go your own way” This is ultimately a volume limiting strategy, but the approach supports premium pricing that can offset lower unit sales.

Distribution The places where you make your brand available will play a strong part in establishing and reinforcing your positioning.

However, distribution can also be used as a differentiation strategy in its own right.

Brands like Avon, Tupperware, and even Dell managed to break free from the traditional confines of their categories by making their brands available through new and relevant channels.

There are two broad routes to differentiated distribution: Wherever, whenever Although it may not the key pillar of the brand’s differentiation, this approach is most famously adopted by Coke, with their ‘always within arm’s reach‘ philosophy. Quick-service restaurants and mobile communications net-

works often emphasize it too.

It requires considerable commitment to introduce and maintain, and it’s fairly obvious if the brand doesn’t achieve it (“they’re everywhere, except when I need them!”).

However, when implemented successfully, it creates ‘monopoly through ubiquity’; although it might not be a person’s favorite brand, they will continue to choose it because it’s always there when others aren’t.

Exclusivity Conversely, restricting the supply and availability of your brand can help to make it more desirable, particularly in categories like luxury and ‘gadget’ technology.

It can work well for high-quality brands if used in conjunction with other approaches – notably highest price - but basing an entire differentiation strategy on restricted availability will most likely just frustrate people and accelerate the brand’s demise. .Heritage This approach plays on the belief that longevity is a reliable indication of experience and trustworthiness; e.g.: “Established in 1823” “A family recipe handed down over the generations” “The original…”

Although not as extreme, this approach suffers from issues similar to Safety in Numbers: it is very effective in situations where people don’t know much about the category, or where it’s difficult to compare competitor claims, but it loses its advantage as soon as a competitor establishes a more compelling basis for comparison.

Rational Advantage

,

O

NE of the fundamental tasks for marketing is PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION. Brand differentiation is the fundamentals of brand building and marketing. It helps brands stand out from the crowd, provide options at the market place, stimulate competition, and underscores the concept of consumer satisfaction.

Brand Differentiation as a concept in marketing is free to individual expression, without oneway as best to its manifestation.

It’s simply a case of understanding what works best for a given brand, the target market features and characteristics, the target consumer expectation, activities of competing brands and the set marketing objectives. We shall therefore run through those elements that give expression to brand differentiation, lying bare what we see as the elements that can be finely employed in the process.

Price Differentiation This is the most basic form of differentiation, although there are a few variations on the theme: Super Discount Differentiation based on being the cheapest. It’s clear to see why it appeals to consumers, but it’s a cul-de-sac for the brand: evereroding profit margins and constant compromises on quality make it difficult to sustain.

Highest Price People sometimes use price as a proxy for determining ‘quality ’, particularly in complex or technical categories. This technique interprets that insight to suggest that a high price is actually desirable in certain circumstances.

This is particularly true in the pharmaceutical and child-care categories, where brands often play on people’s fears of the perceived ‘compromise’ they associate with cheaper brands.

It is also a favorite technique amongst luxury brands, which use exaggerated pricing to transform their offerings into status symbols and badges of wealth and success.

Mid-Point Adopting a price point that lies between the prices of existing competitors establishes a safe, ‘middle-of-the-road’ positioning that neither offends nor excites anyone. It appeals to people who want to compromise, and as a consequence, it rarely delivers meaningful differentiation. .Quantifiable Superiority The brand differentiates its offering via measurable attributes, e.g.: The speed of a computer processor The amount of legroom on an airline The number of years a malt whisky has been aged This approach works well for brands that can deliver superior functional performance over time.

However, the brand risks losing its differentiation if another brand can deliver similar or superior performance or if another brand succeeds in changing the basis for comparison to a different product or brand attribute.

It’s worth noting that brands can celebrate any attribute they choose, regardless of whether that attribute contributes significantly to its offering’s core performance, provided it can justify the relevance of that attribute.

There are a few variations on

Effectively a derivative of the Rational Advantage approach, this approach highlights advantages offered by features other than the core product, e.g.: The purchase experience After-sales support Distribution or delivery When used correctly, these features become more important than the product offering itself, and help to establish deep and lasting relationships with the brand’s customers. .Outstanding Promotion Although common and seemingly attractive, this approach is highly risky, because it encourages people to focus on superficial aspects of the brand that have little to do with the product’s core benefit.

While this may be acceptable in spontaneous, low-risk purchase categories such as snacks, it is rarely sustainable elsewhere.

However, attractive packaging, beautiful merchandising, and slick advertising all help to solicit attention that enables the brand to introduce more complex or substantial dimensions of differentiation.

The Secret Formula or Magic Ingredient This approach bridges functional and emotional claims by harnessing what could be termed ‘irrational functional’ claims: “A formula known only to 3 people in the world” “With patented compound Q16e” “A secret blend of 11 unique herbs and spices” Brands that have used this approach to varying degrees of success include KFC, Kellogg’s Frosties, as well as numerous cosmetics brands.

When it harnesses a relevant truth, or is executed with appropriate humor, this approach can be highly engaging.

However, beware of relying on shallow claims, particularly in relation to pseudo-science; while you may fool people for a short while, if people discover or perceive that your brand is all ‘hot air ’, you won’t have any equity left. .Implied Superiority Exaggerating or downplaying

The places where you make your brand available will play a strong part in establishing and reinforcing your positioning. However, distribution can also be used as a differentiation strategy in its own right

The brand demonstrates or claims superiority through a rational benefit of its offering, e.g.: •Saves you time •“Won’t let you down” •Simple enough for anyone to use This approach shifts the focus from the functional attribute to the benefit that the attribute delivers, but it suffers from risks similar to those associated with the Quantifiable Superiority approach, and consequently may not be sustainable.

Augmented Product

,

other elements of the marketing mix can infer superiority on the product itself.

We’ve already seen how outstanding promotion or unexpectedly high pricing work, but downplaying such elements can also works when carefully implemented: Purposely bland packaging in a category where extravagance is the norm “A well-kept secret – the specialist connoisseur ’s brand” “We don’t need to advertise; this product sells itself ”

This approach can afford high margins, but is not without risk.

In particular, it suffers from the ‘emperor ’s new clothes’ dilemma: it works brilliantly provided there’s real substance behind the exaggeration. .Subjective Superiority The brand asserts its superiority based on subjective measures that are difficult to measure: “Best-tasting brand” “Probably the best lager in the world” “If your pet could choose, they would buy this brand” This approach is often carefully controlled by law to prevent misleading advertising.

However, provided the brand stays within relevant guidelines, and as long as the execution fits clearly with the brand’s overall personality, it can successfully engage audiences.

It seems particularly effective when used with irreverent humor. .Emotional Appeals The brand highlights how it makes you feel, rather than what it does: “Open happiness” “A glass and a half full of joy” This is an exceptionally powerful route to differentiation, because it allows the brand to break free from the limitations associated with functional product features, and instead focus on areas that foster more enduring bonds.

The brand can emphasize any emotion it likes, but those emotions that people commonly associate with the product’s functional benefits are often the simplest to establish.

It’s worth noting that brands can still gain an advantage over competitors by harnessing emotions that are generic to the category, provided they are the first or most credible claimants.

Flattery and Justification This approach is more of an advertising technique than a unique differentiating approach, but deserves mention due to its ability to engage specific groups: “Because you’re worth it” “You deserve it” “Go on, indulge yourself ” There are many variations on this theme, but they all pander to some sense of inner insecurity.

Although not particularly subtle, this approach can establish a deep bond, and is therefore worthy of consideration.

Pushing Up On Affinity This approach is more about establishing a differentiated brand personality than it is about demonstrating tangible product differentiation.

The simplest approach is to highlight things that the brand has in common with the people it wants to engage – just as people who are meeting for the first time do. This is one of the main uses of sponsorship: brands attempt to connect with people by demonstrating shared ‘passions’.

A more difficult, yet potentially more engaging approach is to create a new focus for people’s attention. Red Bull has employed this strategy for a number of years, and has enjoyed considerable success with activities such as its Flugtag and Air Race events.

Despite their simplicity, Affinity Plays are difficult to implement successfully, because it’s very easy for the brand to come across as a me-too brand that’s trying too hard.

Credit: This article is culled from a web resource: building better brand relationships « eskimon.

Published October 8, 2009

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 25

By Kehinde Adeleye

C

‘We never believed baby with hole in the heart could survive’

HILDREN, as they say, are the heritage of God. It is actually the dream of every parent to have children, especially in this part of the world where much emphasis is also placed on child-bearing. Again, considering the period at which a woman carries a baby, coupled with the pains of child birth, she is always thrown into ecstasy when the innocent creature arrives, just as there is a sigh of relief. However, in a situation where the child comes with certain health challenges such that the arrival of the innocent creature ironically provokes bitterness and discomfort in a family rather than herald joy, then the baby becomes a source of worry to the parents and by extension, the larger family.

The above captures the story of Chief and Mrs. Olatubosun Miller whose baby boy was, for a long time, anything but a bundle of joy. The parents had almost lost hope on the boy until succor came from the caring heart government of Ondo State. Succour did not just come the way of Mrs Miller; she followed medical counsel and by utilizing all the facilities available at the state Mother and Child Hospital, Akure. While she carried the pregnancy, she often visited the hospital for antenatal. Immediately after delivery, it was discovered that the baby had a hole in the heart. Consequently, baby Miller became the most popular patient in the paediatric ward of the Mother and Child Hospital after spending four months there. Luck, however, smiled on the family when the government of Ondo State intervened in their situation.

News of the Mimiko government plan to take the child to India for surgery initially sounded unreal to the family. According to a member of the family, “It was like a dream when the family heard of government’s plan to take the little child to India for urgent surgery.

“Not only that, a paediatrician was to be sponsored to accompany the child alongside the mother. Events that unfolded afterwards was a confirmation that God had remembered us for good by laying it in the heart of government to take over the treatment of little Eminirekan.”

According to Dr Abiodun Ajayi in charge of the boy’s treatment, he was brought to the hospital in October, 2012 at the age of one. It was later discovered that he had a hole in his heart with congenital heart disease. “The boy is very lucky. This kind of case is rare and that is why we thank God for the success of this one. It will interest you that the story of the boy attracted the attention of a local newspaper in India,” Ajayi said.

Back in Nigeria with Eminirekan hale and hearty, his parents visited the office of the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, to express their gratitude.

According to the father of the child, the Olu of Olokuta, Chief Olatubosun Miller, the boy could have died if not for the prompt attention and intervention of Ondo State government.

The mother, Mrs. Mary Miller, could not hide her joy either, as she declared that the successful surgery had brought smiles to the faces of members of the family.

Receiving them, the Commissioner said the gesture was part of the caring heart attitude of the administration of Governor Olusegun

Edo suppor ts supports police widows with N1 4m N14m SIMON EBEGBULEM

E

*The survivor sleeps on mother’s laps

The baby with the parents and Ondo State Health Commissioner, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, among other government officials.

Mimiko which has continued to give succor and comfort to people with medical challenges. Adeyanju appealed to pregnant women in the state to take full advantage of the Mother and Child Hospitals for quality treatment.

do State government yes terday presented N14 million cheques to widows of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Also, the government supported the education of each child of the fallen seven policemen with N500,000.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who made the presentation, said the security of lives and property is the irreducible minimum responsibility of government.

The governor, who applauded the officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command in their efforts to get rid of criminals, said: “Many now freely tell me more and more people were able to visit Benin-City during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“The ember months, which used to represent a season where armed robbers are in control and very ordinary people are hiding and during Christmas and New Year celebrations, armed robbers are the ones hiding and our people are moving freely.

Oshiomhole added, “I believe that, objectively speaking, you have made a difference by your conduct and your leadership style and by the way in which you have motivated your officers and men to do the job so that we may have the peace we always enjoyed in the state. So I want to thank you and counsel you to continue to do your best as the reward for hard work is more work.”

“The captain can inspire the officers and men to work. But every member of the team could be the source of the strength of the entire team, one member can also be the source of weakness”, he stressed.

The governor, who sympathized with the widows and children of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, said: “It is the way we look after widows, those who were widowed in the course of their husbands duty and those who are orphaned or fatherless in the course of their fathers work.

PAGE 26 — SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014,

ULTIMATE TORTURE

Mother burns 11-yr-old girl’s buttocks with hot knife!

...after tying her hands and legs

BY EMMA UNA

A

middle aged woman, Ene Edem Okon, has been arrest ed by the police for allegedly inflicting bodily harm and tying her 11-year-old daughter, Queeneth Ene Edem, hands and legs for being wayward. She was arrested when Queeneth appeared in her school, Government Primary School, Akim, with multiple wounds on her chest, stomach and buttocks prompting the school authorities to report the matter to the police at the Akim Police Station.

The girl narrated to Sunday Vanguard that, on February 17, she left home at Eneyo village in Akpabuyo Local Government Area for the Maternity Junction Settlement, some four kilometers away from home, to meet her cousin, one Blessing, but did not return home. “We were waiting for Blessing’s friend from whom she wanted to collect something but she

delayed in coming and we waited till night and, because we were afraid of going back home, we slept in an uncompleted building at the Maternity Junction”, she said.

The 11-year-old said the next day, one of her friends saw her at the Maternity Junction and told her that her mother was looking for her with a machete after which she became afraid to go back home. “We stayed on the road near our house and were breaking kernel to eat when my mother sent somebody to come and catch us. That person came pretending to play with us but suddenly grabbed me and dragged me to my mother ”.

The mother, angry, allegedly got hold of her and used a rod to hit her all over her body, thus leaving her with severe wounds. “She also put the kitchen knife in the fire she was cooking and when it was hot, she placed it on my buttocks”, the girl stated.

When Sunday Vanguard met Mrs Ene Okon at the Akim Police Station,

she appeared remorseful, stating that she was driven by anger because Queeneth was stubborn and had formed the habit of spending the night outside at such a tender age. “I sent her to school in far away Calabar because I don’t trust the school here in Akpabuyo but she is just too stubborn, so I had to teach her a lesson.”

Mr Hogan Bassey, the police spokesman for Cross River Police Command, said the woman would appear in court after investigations are concluded.

Mr Bassey Ibor, a child rights activist, said children’s courts in the state are not functioning and called on the state government to fund the courts. “The cases we have taken to the children’s courts have suffered long adjournments because the judges are not sitting. Government should, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the courts are funded so that these children would not continue to be denied of justice.”

Crisis looms in ASCON over Directors’ tenure

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

I

NDUSTRIAL crisis is brew ing at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) following the alleged refusal by some Directors who have served the mandatory eight years to quit.

The National Industrial Court in suit No NICN/LA/426/2012 between two former Directors of the college, Stephen I.Akhiojemi and B.Kefas, and ASCON had described ASCON as an extra-ministerial department/ parastatal contrary to the argument by the former Directors that ASCON is a research institute.

The judgment, subsequently adopted by the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, declared that Directors shall compulsorily retire after serving eight years. The judgment was delivered in January 2014.

However, there is tension in the college as union members are threatening to down tools if the Director General of ASCON, Mr Ajibade Peters, failed to implement the court judgment and the circular from the Head of Service on the tenure of Directors whom they alleged have refused to leave.

According to the union members who craved anonymity, “ the DG is still keeping Directors who have done eight years or are 60 years of

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 27

Lions, Commission’s succour ffor or displaced per sons persons

BY SAM EYOBOKA O alleviate the trauma of displaced T persons in the society and improve their living standards, the National Com-

mission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, on Wednesday, donated food and clothing items to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA. Partnering with Lions Club Nigeria, a network of men and women regardless of religion, language and political differences who volunteer their time for humanitarian causes, officials of the commission donated bags of rice, cartons of noodles, cartons of milk and clothing materials.

Presenting the items to the Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Aderemi Desalu, who represented LASEMA, at the state Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Commissioner for Refugees/ Chief Executive Office, NCFRMI, Hadiza Sani-Kangiwa, said it was pertinent to put things on ground that would cater for emergency situation when it happens since the issue of internally displaced persons cannot be predicted.

“Many people are displaced because of problems such as fire, religious and ethnic issues. So you find people moving, migrating from one place to the other and the commission has a responsibility to cater for them,” Sani-Kangiwa said.

According to her, the mandate of NCFRMI was to cater for the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons and,

Mrs. Margaret Ukaegbu, South-west coordinator of NCFRMI, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aderemi Desalu, Ministry of Special Duties, Lagos State, and members of the Lions Club, Nigeria during the presentation of gift items to LASEMA to achieve this, the South-west zonal head office in Lagos decided to collaborate with relevant organizations such as the Lions Club Nigeria that could help to make its vision a reality.

The chief executive officer said that in future the com-

mission would collaborate with more people besides Lions Club to do humanitarian jobs because the IDP and migration tend to interact and interchange, adding that the meeting with LASEMA was the beginning of great things, stressing that before now, Lagos was a liaison office until it was upgraded to a zonal office.

In his response, the Permanent Secretary, Desalu, said it was gratifying to see a group of people showing compassion to children and other displaced persons, noting that people should not turn blind eye to people’s problems when it is within their power to do so.

He commended the commission’s idea to have an agency or body that looks after internally displaced people because it was a critical part of the society.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion included Mrs. Margaret Ukaegbu, coordinator of the South- west zone of NCFRMI, Chief (Mrs.) Ronke Elegushi of the Queens Lions Club, Mrs. Yetunde Adedina from Parkview Estate Lions Club and Mr. Olusegun Davis from LASEMA. Nollywood actress, Miss Chika Ike, an ambassador for the commission, was also there.

2015: The battle for Abia With the resolve by Orji to hand over governorship to Abia South, the governor has demonstrated a strong political will and sagacity to give all political zones in the state equal opportunity

By ERIC UGBOR

W

ITH the declaration of Saturday, Febru ary 1, 2014 at the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, by Governor T.A. Orji during a grand civic reception organized for him by the people of Abia South senatorial zone, his successor, come 2015, is most likely to be from Ukwa/ Ngwa in the south senatorial zone.

As the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, the governor, at the reception, reiterated the resolve of the party to ensure political equity and justice by zoning the next governor of Abia to the zone.

Between 1999 – 2007, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, from Abia North senatorial zone was governor. He was succeeded by the incumbent from Abia Central. The tenure lapses in 2015.

With the resolve by Orji to hand over governorship to Abia South, the governor has demonstrated a strong political will and sagacity to give all political zones in the state equal opportunity and a sense of belonging.

For majority of politicians in the state, the determination of the governor to ensure the actualization of this political arrangement has added to the legacies that Orji would be remembered.

For the PDP, Abia South will form the hustles and bustles

• Barr. Nwosu as well as the political theatre from where the search light is already beamed for the successor of Orji, popularly called Ochendo Global.

Already, some governorship aspirants have continued their wide consultations across the state.

Among those prominently rooting to succeed the governor from Abia South are Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; a legal luminary, Sir Friday Nwosu; Elder Acho Nwakamma; Chief Emeka Wogu; Hon. Uzo Azubike; Senator Nkechi Nwaogu and Ambassador Okey Emuchay. But what are the chances, political antecedents and pedigree of these gladiators.

Abaribe is a second term senator representing Abia south and currently the

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe spokesman of the Senate.

He was deputy governor to Kalu between 1999-2003. The state House of Assembly impeached him twice before he resigned on March 7, 2003.

He ran for the governorship of the state in 2003 on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and lost. He was elected into the Senate in 2007 and re-elected in 2011.

Abaribe hails from Obingwa local government area of the state.

Nwosu, a legal luminary from Mgboko Umuoria in Obingwa local government area of the state, has no doubt made consultations and inroad into all the zones of the state. He is a self-made lawyer, a community leader and businessman.

He is said to be a team player, highly principled while humility remains his greatest asset.

He has been intimately involved in the political activities of the PDP both at the state and national levels.

He was a member PDP disciplinary/fact finding committee that investigated Governor Rotimi Amaechi and PDP constitution breaches in Rivers State in 2013. He is also a lawyer to the registered trustees of the Nigerian Governors Forum and successfully defended the trustees in the case of Lagos State Governor Vs Jonah Jang of Plateau State.

He also successfully moved the FCT High Court, Apo Abuja to set aside the order of injunction restraining the PDP convention of August 2013.

Nwosu performed various PDP National assignments such as PDP ward congress panel in Bayelsa State and National Assembly Congress Panel and convention of 2010.

He is a staunch supporter of Orji and the PDP. Political observers see him as a front run-

Crisis looms in ASCON over Directors’ tenure age or have done 35 years in service inspite of the Industrial Court judgment of 2014 and even the Head of Service Circular of 9th of January, 2014. The excuse of the DG is that they are Academic Staff but the judgment of the court said ASCON is not a research institution but an extra ministerial department.

“We believe that the attitude of the DG is unfair because this rule has been applied to some other Directors who left the service after years; so why are you now shifting the goal post at the middle of the game. Even the DG’s second tenure is questionable because he has not complied with the gazette which stated he should have retired in 2008 when he took the position. The law says he should have retired and then apply as DG afresh because in 2012 he clocked 60 years but he refused to retire.

“Therefore in order to avoid crisis in the college, we are calling on the Head of Service of the Federation to compel the DG to enforce the compulsory eight years tenure since the law has been enforced on some Directors in the past. Shielding others still there will be resisted by the union”.

ner and favorite in the pursuit of the state plum position considering his tested abilities to work independently to achieve results.

Moreover, he has not been involved in any political controversy both within the party in the state and at the national levels and as such is seen to be perfect and on clean slate to the political movers and shakers of Abia. His honesty, transparency, philanthropic gestures also weigh enormous goodwill in his favour. He is seen as a strong contender to beat in the race to Abia Government House come 2015.

Nwakanma was the fourth and sixth deputy governor of Abia State under Kalu between 2006 – 2007 and to the incumbent between 2010 – 2011.

He hails from Umorji Ohanze in Obingwa local government area of the state. He was also a deputy speaker of the Abia House of Assembly.

He contested the 2007 senatorial election in Abia South on the platform of the PDP but lost to Abaribe before he was reappointed deputy governor in 2010 by Orji. He is currently the chairman of the Board of National Neuro Psychiatry Hospital, Enugu.

Azubuike is presently representing Aba North/South at the National Assembly and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition. He is also a member of other Committees like Appropriation, Education, Ethics and Privileges, Federal Character, Inter Parliamentary Relations, Millennium Development Goals and Youths and Social Development.

PAGE 28—SUNDAY, Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Razzmatazz as Senat or Emodi’s daught er w eds Senator daughter weds

D

The couple; Chijioke and his wife, Chibuogwu.

r. Okey and S e n a t o r Joy Emodi, CON, gave their daughter, Chibuogwu, out in traditional marriage to Chijioke Ilozue at the Emodi’s country home in Onitsha, Anambra State recently. High profile dignitaries across the nation graced the event.Notable were former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, Hajia Atiku Abubakar, amongst others.

L-R:Former Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo Stake, Sen. Emodi, Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State, Sen. Sanusi Dagash and another guest.

L-R: former Gov Udenwa, Sen. Dagash, Kema Chikwe and other guests

L-R: Senators Joy Emodi and Grace Bent

Former Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Emodi flanked by other guests

Prof. [Mrs.] Uche Azikiwe with other guests

L-R:Gov. Peter Obi, Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha and wife, Ebere.

L-R:Chief Osita Chidoka, Corp Marshal, FRSC and Sen. Emma Agboti.

When Iyaloja General visited Alake of Egba land Kehinde A deogun @ 60 Adeogun

T

he Iyaloja General, Chief (Mrs) Mujidat Folasade Tinubu - Ojo and some market women paid a courtesy visit to the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo at his Ake palace Abeokuta last week. Photos by Wumi Akinola

L-R: Prince Adebisi Kuburat Elegbede Edionseri, Chief (Mrs.) Mujidat Folashade Tinubu-Ojo; Iyaloja General, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Alake of Egbaland and his Olori, Tokunbo Gbadebo

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Janet Gbadebo, Iyaloja Panseke market, Chief (Mrs) Tejumade Baka re, Iyaloja, Oba Lipede market and Chief (Mrs) Kemi Oloyode, Iyaloja, Adire Kampala market, Asero

M

rs Kehinde Adeogun turned 60 years of age recently and she entertained her friends and family members at the Zen Chinese Restaurant, Lagos last week Monday.

L-R: Miss Binta Adeogun-Umaru; Mrs. Kehinde Adeogun, the celebrant; Mr. Segun Erewa and Hon. Mrs.Abike Dabiri-Erewa

SUNDAY, Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 29

PAGE 30, SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

C M Y K

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 — PAGE 31

C M Y K

PAGE 32 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

How I relate with Mr President as gov of his state, by Seriake Dickson * ’Bayelsa Accountability Act is like my death warrant’ * Speaks on how he is preparing state for post-oil era

G

overnor Seriake Dickson is the only governor in Nigeria who was sworn in on Valentine’s Day. Penultimate Friday, while other people were celebrating Valentine, Dickson was explaining what his administration had been doing in the last two years and where he was taking the state to in the years ahead. Excerpts of the interview with him:

A

RE you excited, challenged or frustrated after two years in the saddle?

I feel excited. It has been an exciting journey so far. Are there challenges? Yes. Are we confronting those challenges? Very well. Are we hopeful of a difference at the end of my tenure? Yes. There is already light at the end of the tunnel because people of the state are already seeing the light without getting to the end of the tunnel. Bayelsa has changed and is constantly changing because we are making a modest effort that everybody appreciates. It has been very exciting.

What has been the driving force of the dramatic change in the state?

Well, the truth of the matter is that I have been deeply involved in the affairs of governance and public management for some time. You know that I served here as commissioner for justice. Even before then, I was involved over and over again in community service through the Ijaw Movement, which exposed me to the realities of underdevelopment and the pains of it. I became very passionate about the need for change. I believe that the C M Y K

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By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

should we not do something about it ourselves? Should we If the Federal Government, also forget ourselves?

These are the things either deliberately or that have propelled inadvertently, brought this the pains of underdevelopment. I situation of thought that if God in underdevelopment by paying His infinite wisdom and mercy and the insufficient attention to us by people of Bayelsa whatever reason, it is not gave me a mandate something that we want to such as this, the least I would do is to bring allow to continue indefinitely about a maximum impact not only on this generation but Federal Government of Nigeria from also for a long time to come. I made that Independence till now neglected our very clear that with me as governor, people, which should not have been. That Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation would not be is why there is no road linking Brass up the same again. These were the things I till now, no federal road to Oporoma and meant from day one. The other thing is Kudama or even Agge, which is a natural that I am a passionate person; I am not a seaport. But if the Federal Government, person with half measures- I am either either deliberately or inadvertently, warm or cold and not lukewarm. I am a brought this situation of politician of conviction not convenience. underdevelopment by paying insufficient The things that propelled me are very deep attention to us by whatever reason, it is things and not issues that come and go. I not something that we want to allow to am influenced and motivated by long continue indefinitely. If we were forgotten lasting values. My principles are enduring by the federal authorities for this long, and I am compelled to pursue a vision

that will outlast our generation. For me and with my variegated background, I have been exposed to the realities of underdevelopment. So, I came prepared to change the state from day one. When I came in I told my people that they were in for a big bang. I warned them to put on their seat belts because we are shaping the society for good. I want to succeed by building a new Bayelsa with the people being educated, empowered and given a new sense of hope. We want to remove the toga of being a state with militants and illiteracy and unemployment. The health sector of the state is being overhauled with facilities and health insurance scheme. We are building a society where you don’t need to be a millionaire before you can live decently. The banks are being encouraged to support mortgage lending to the people. People are complaining that I don’t share money. That is true because government cannot be responsible for burials and marriages, payment of rent and so on. But if we free the economy and support the people to work and invest, the economy will grow.

Don’t you think that the policy of making every Bayelsan pay his tax promptly can be used as a campaign tool against you?

Well, I am already dealing with that but the good thing is that majority of the people of the state understand what I am doing and they believe in me and my policies. They are confident that what we are doing is the right thing to do. But I am not ruling out the possibility that some people can use the tax issue to campaign

Continues on page 33

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 33

INTRIGUING EXPERIENCES

Seriake: We are preparing Bayelsa for post-oil era Continued from page 32 for themselves. But it does not work like that because there can be no development without resources to run the state. Some of the people are desperate in our clime.

But in most responsible and decent societies, if you are aspiring for leadership , the first thing you protect is the treasury, public purse no matter your party affiliation unless you are coming to steal and you say ‘make I chop you chop’. But if you care passionately and want to make a difference, you will be interested in expanding the public treasury base. As I have said, I am a politician of conviction and not that of convenience. If there are some people who don’t understand where we are taking the state to, then posterity will do. That is the vindication anybody in leadership should seek, not the ephemeral judgment of the present, which could be influenced by advantage or fear of disadvantage and all that. The lasting judgment of posterity and the one that I seek is the judgment of posterity where our children and grandchildren will remember that there was a Governor Dickson, who once ruled the state and bequeathed legacies that outlast him and his generation.

Bayelsa is one of the educationallydisadvantaged states in Nigeria. What is being done to address this setback by your administration?

Free and compulsory education became a priority because no society can develop without a sound knowledge. I knew that passionately because I know how hard I worked to educate myself and I know that but for education I would not have had the opportunity to be of service to my community and Nigeria. I know that there are several young people out there, who are even better than me, who could do better than me and whose chances of giving service are nil if they are not educated. I know that to change our society we needed to address education so that we break the cycle where the father is a militant and unemployed and he gives birth to children and become grandfathers of militants and the cycle continues in a situation where everybody holds the AK47 rifle and involved in one form of criminality or the other. I wanted to eliminate that social dysfunction that threatens everyone else in the society. I knew that only education could provide it and not just road construction and I had to make that very clear from the first day I assumed office. And in these two years, we have established over 500 primary schools in all parts of the state and I can say that it has been school, school, school and scholarship. It has been provision of free materials in all schools in the state.

What level of education are you talking about?

You don’t pay for anything as a primary school pupil in the state. We have built over 500 primary schools with staff quarters. I asked that another batch of 100 schools should be built this year. My dream is that every community in Bayelsa State no matter how small should have a primary school. It is the right of the Bayelsa child to have free education no matter how remote his or her community or status in life may be. It is critical that everyone should have unhindered access to education and we are driving that passionately because it could have happened to me or anyone else. The secondary school level is every more important. We are constructing 25 new boarding secondary schools, which I call Constituency Schools because every state constituency has one and they are equipped with modern facilities. Apart from these 25 model boarding secondary schools, there are other model secondary schools in every local government headquarters of the state. The population at the secondary school level is huge. I can ask you to go round and see what I am talking about because most of the universities in this country do not have some of the facilities that our model boarding schools have. When those

* Dickson ... out to eliminate social dysfunctiuon

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Free and compulsory education became a priority because no society can develop without a sound knowledge

schools are completed and furnished, they will start this September and all the students will be fed and maintained free by the state. This is a revolution. I know what I wanted to achieve when I sent out 150 Ph.D scholars to all parts of the globe.

I have also sent out another batch of 450 Bayelsans to go and get their master ’s degrees in various fields. This week, 25 more are going to Lincoln University for under undergraduate programmes. Their fees have been paid. Another batch of 250 secondary school scholars have been dispatched to top secondary schools across Nigeria. That bill is about N500 million a year. If you don’t spend this kind of money on human capital development, where will you put it? What we are doing is to lay a solid foundation for a massive revolution of knowledge and development and this society will not be the same again by the time these people complete their education and return to the state. Even now, no student pays anything for WAEC and JAMB. The state pays. We are also building a teachers’ training institute because in vain do you build all the structures if the teachers are not there to impart knowledge to the students. So, it is a holistic policy we have developed. The TDA is going to be run by the Canadians and they are already on the ground along with some Britons. It is compulsory for every teacher in the state to pass through the institute. I don’t like talking much about roads and bridges we are doing because they are there for anybody to see.

Those who want to campaign against me

may not get the support of the common people because they know what I am doing and they believe in me and my work. The welfare system that I have instituted has helped the old people to have some level of financial support from government at the end of the month. Once you are 75 years and above, the state pays you N5,000 monthly and it is backed up by law to ensure that it is carried out without fail. You can see that crime wave in the state has reduced because of the welfare system that I have put in place.

How does it feel to be the governor of Mr. President?

It is very exciting to be the governor of the President or Vice President. There are governors who even complain about having the National Chairman of the party from their state and I often tell them that they should zone the office to Bayelsa if they don’t want because I have room for it. The good thing about Bayelsa is that, as a result of many years of political interaction with President Jonathan, he has become more than my President and has become my elder brother and political leader. There is a wonderful synergy, wonderful chemistry and understanding between us at the personal level. His own style of non-interference in what I do makes it very easy for me. He is a gentleman who believes in due process and is very formal and cares passionately about this state and this region as he does for Nigeria. And, to me, having a President or Vice President from the state is like having an umbrella or someone you can run to for advice, counsel and support. I know that because of the politics that is going in Nigeria, a lot of people could find it unsettling where the President knows all the people you know and have direct access to the same people you know. But, for me, I quite frankly enjoy having a President from my state and I even want to have more presidents from Bayelsa because it makes the burden of leadership lighter and easier. It gives me some additional responsibility but makes me more secure and confident and not unsettled by the traditional rivalry that comes with such positions. I am confident of what I am doing and I have nothing to fear. It’s been very exciting experience for me.

Where are you getting the money to undertake all the projects at a time when allocations to the states are declining?

This is a question many others have already asked me because they know how the state of the economy was when I took over. When I rolled out my development plan, a lot of people doubted me because

they thought I would not be able to do them because of money. But now they have seen that every pronouncement I made is followed with action. And the talk has now changed to: where is he getting the money from? Are we sure these are not federal projects? Are we sure the Federation Account does not give Bayelsa more money than other states and so on? I take it as a compliment even when people say I have done so much within a short time. It is more about management of resources.

It is how we utilise the little we get that matters not how much we get. And that underscores why I keep telling the people the reality of taxation; the need to beef up the IGR of the state. That is why I told them that they need to pay their taxes promptly so as to make money available for the provision of critical projects and services. I want to ask the people for the understanding and support in our drive to develop the state. People were not paying taxes in Bayelsa and I must insist the trend must change. Our IGR must continue to improve so that we raise our revenue base for the interest of the state and its people.

The IGR used to hover around N50 million monthly but now we collect N1 billion a month. By the time we are through with the tax processes we are working on, I see the state netting about N4 or N5 billion a month. We are also working on a mechanism to tax oil majors because that is another revenue source that has been ignored or not sufficiently taxed. They have pipelines and other facilities crisscrossing and destroying the environment of this state and country and they don’t pay levies or taxes. I am working on all these things with consultants. It is important for me to prepare the peoples mind on life after oil.

How much have you taken so far as loans to finance ongoing projects in the state? Do you think the Transparency and Accountability Bill will achieve any tangible benefit for the state?

I have not really taken any serious loan on account of what we are doing. But you cannot rule out the possibility of approaching a bank to bail us out with some money to solve immediate needs and paying them back when your money comes. But the truth is that I have not taken any loan or bond to finance any project.

Talking about the Accountability Bill, I actually wanted to send a message to all that it is no longer going to be businessas-usual with the state resources. I signed it as a death warrant against myself when I said that if a governor does not render the account of the state in three months, it is an impeachable offence. The Assembly members ran to me and said, ‘Oga, look, this law is too much’, and I said ‘no’, it must be signed into law and I did just that.

I said if I don’t comply with the law by presenting the account of the state in three months, it is an impeachable offence and misconduct. So, I signed it into law more or less like a death warrant. I don’t want this state to go back to the dark days anymore. Now we are building primary things, which should have been in place many years ago because people saw government money as their own money and there was no control. The biggest control in our system especially in a democracy should come from the people.

They should ask questions. They have the right to know and that is why we worked hard for the FOI Bill; that is the foundation of democratic leadership. Power belongs to the people, I am only the custodian of the mandate of the people. I told my people, if you want to be a billionaire or millionaire, leave government and become a businessman and I will support you. But those who manage public resources cannot themselves aspire to that level of obscene wealth. The goodwill one has a governor is enough to support one in life. You don’t need to latch on public resources to become a billionaire. I honestly feel that we should discourage people from secretive about the financial transactions of government. When I came here, some of my finance people were very uncomfortable and they complained to my friends about my talking about government finances publicly. In some states, the commissioner for finance does not know anything about the finances of government.

PAGE 34 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

2015: The North should forget power shift – Senator Owie * His life as a cultist * Speaks on his problem with Obasanjo, APC Benin-City

S

enator Rowland Stephen Owie is one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was the Chief Whip of the Senate at the outset of the fourth republic.

In this interview, he takes us down memory lane as a cult member, but, today, a member of the Knight of St. John International. According to him, the seemingly popularity being enjoyed by the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, will soon fade away. He insists President Goodluck Jonathan will win convincingly in the 2015 presidential election. He admonishes northern elders to reciprocate the support they had enjoyed in the past from the South-south by supporting Jonathan, just as he asks them to end the Boko Haram insurgency which he says is political. Coming to his native Edo land, he expresses optimism that the PDP will take over after Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure in 2016, saying that though the governor has done well, the PDP will take over from where he stops. Excerpts: Congratulations on your induction into the Knighthood of St. John International. How were you able to transform from an Ogboni man to a man of God? I thank God for my life. Sometimes I ask myself, why was I late in finding God? Like I said at the thanksgiving for the Knighthood of St. John, it is a great turn around. I am grateful to God and particularly to those who Christ used to convert me to Christianity, especially my wife, Lady Helen Noyo Owie. That is why I said that if you find a man outside that exhibits goodness, you will know that the wife is good. If you find a man that exhibits wickedness, you trace that wickedness back to the home. I must say that every human being, particularly, Nigerians who want to live long, must ensure that there is peace in his home. No good wife, no long life. Now that I am a Knight of St. John, it has

created the avenue for me to be nearer Christ.

From cultism to knighthood There was a time I spoke about my life as a cultist. It is an experience. Those who were born into Christianity may not know the value of Christ; those who were born into the world into various secret societies, by the time you come out and find Christ, you will now know that it is good to

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM,

In the first and second republics, for instance, cultism was very common in the political arena and among elders in Nigeria. But it is going down now because Christ is taking over

serve the Lord. Because when you were in the world, with words of the mouth alone, you can do incantations and an area can be set on fire. But when you now accept Christ and you go into word of God, you will see the difference. 2nd Samuel Chapter 15 v 30-31 tells us that David was told that Ahithophel was one of those planning rebellion against him with the son Absalom. All he did, he said, ‘Father, (God), turn the wisdom of Ahithophel to foolishness and God heard his prayers. So when you are in Christ, the word of God is sharper than a sword. It overpowers incantations. After I found Christ, I found

out that the word of God is greater than incantations. As a child of God, He answers prayers according to His will; if you pray and He does not answer, just be patient; He will answer you at the appropriate time.

At the other end, it is always a forceful thing.

For instance, you want to travel at night and you feel that on the high way you could be over taken by armed robbers or bad people, before embarking on that journey, kneel down and do some incantations that until you get to where you are going no vehicle should overtake you.

Really when you do that, no body will overtake you until you get to where you are going. Any vehicle that tries will run into the bush or something will happen.

If you are to do that, a few days after, there will be crisis in another part of your life because when the devil gives you power from the right it takes it again from the left. But when God gives you, He does not add sorrow. So we no longer think in that direction, I advise my people who are still there to know that the only way to the truth and life is Jesus Christ. All those things only bring temporary comfort and it means nothing, it is vanity.

Why do you think big and influential men in the society belong to cult groups?

In the first and second republics,

for instance, cultism was very common in the political arena and among elders in Nigeria. But it is going down now because Christ is taking over. Unfortunately, you now see cultism among youths, it is no longer among elders. Among elders, cultism is going down because most of them are taking the word of God because at their age they now see that it is vanity. But you can see that cultism is now in our universities and that is why I say it that when our man, Wole Soyinka, founded the Pirates Confraternity, even though he did not mean evil when he set it up, he wanted it to be a moral booster in universities, it was not well tailored.

Cultism is now more dangerous among the youths than what it used to be among elders. So I think our problem is how to get the youths out of it, and that problem is more for women at home. A busy man may not have the time on how the children will be brought up and that is why I say children coming from homes where the mothers are responsible, 90 per cent are responsible. Unfortunately, in a number of homes, parents will go and look for their daily bread, the children are abandoned to nannies and no care. That is why cultism is growing every day; women should look inward and obey what in the Bible makes them good house wives and bring up their

Continues on page 35

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 35

Owie: Life as cult member

destroyed Aladja, he sold everything and called it privatization. He never bothered about the lives of Nigerians working there. Who will be more ungodly than that kind of government?

Continued from page 34 children in the way of God. Look at Boko Haram in the North? To end insecurity in the North or Nigeria, it must be dealt with from home, let women rise up to the occasion by making sure that the children are not on the streets for Boko Haram to use.

How were you purchasing materials for sacrifices when you were a cultist?

(Long laughter) If you are too busy, you provide the money for those who are willing to buy it and they will buy it. It is a very useless type of life, they will buy dog, buy ram, buy tortoise, all sorts of rubbish. The water you are going to use to bath will be smelling; even if you use the best perfume, it will not cover the smell of that water due to the concoction inside. It is so unfortunate, it is good to be in Christ.

Owie...Obasanjo regime killed civil service not kill you, it will remain a little’.

And do you know that immediately Obasanjo was elected, the first statement he made was that all those who contributed to his election, ‘they should regard it as their contribution to the growth of democracy’. That time he even promised to spend one term and that is why I was laughing when he wrote Jonathan that letter.

The late Senator Kura Muhammed told me Obasanjo agreed to do one term. But IBB, a great man, who does not know how to say no even to his enemies, decided to allow Obasanjo to run for second term. I went to the then VP Atiku’s house with three senators and I said to him the opportunity he had to become President was to run against Obasanjo. We wanted Obasanjo to go back to Otta after his first term.

Atiku, because of his upbringing, decided to make a u-turn to allow Obasanjo to run for second term.

Atiku is my friend but unfortunately he has gone to APC now to dine and wine with the agents of Obasanjo.

Obasanjo is ungodly.

How could he write such a letter to Jonathan? He destroyed this nation.

He was the one who expunged the Electoral Act provision in the 1976 Decree that brought the 1979 election. Because the law was very clear that when there was no total victory, there will be Electoral College. NPP, PRP, UPN members had met and had enough majority to vote Awolowo to beat Shagari at the Electoral College.

Obasanjo shifted the goalpost during the game by removing the provision of the Electoral College and that was why Awolowo could not become the

,,

You hate President Olusegun Obasanjo so much. Did both of you battle in the spirit world?

I read him recently when he said politics should not be left in the hands of ungodly people. If there is any person that is ungodly in politics in Nigeria, he is number one. How do you identify ungodly people, you identify them when they get power and how they use the power.

Throughout the short period that the late Yar ’Adua spent as President of Nigeria, he never interfered in the affairs of the National Assembly, they chose their leadership without interference. Since Goodluck became President, he has not interfered in what is happening in the National Assembly. Obasanjo was in prison when we formed the PDP, he was not a founding member of the PDP. I was. He was brought out of prison by Abubakar and I was at the meeting with my mentor, Gen.Ibrahim Babangida; Gen.Danjuma and co; the military class supported him. Ekwueme was in the race, I supported Ekwueme during the primaries but I remember a day Gen. Babangida spoke to me in Minna, the late Chuba Okadigbo was there and he explained why they were bringing Obasanjo. Babangida said he had a burden in his heart after the annulment of June 12 which was not entirely his fault, but that he took responsibility, that they tried to correct the mistake by bringing Shonekan, but that government did not last. So he pleaded that he needed a candidate from Egba where MKO hailed from. He said he knew I was supporting Ekwueme, but he would have preferred me to support Obasanjo.

And I told him that it was only when Obasanjo becomes the candidate of the party that I will support him. But I warned him that ‘this man you are bringing, by the time he comes into government, if he does

And do you know that immediately Obasanjo was elected, the first statement he made was that all those who contributed to his election, ‘they should regard it as their contribution to the growth of democracy’

President. It was Obasanjo regime that brought corruption into this country, himself and the late Murtala Muhammed administration.

Killing the civil service Before their government came, top civil servants were very comfortable, they were what we called super permanent secretaries. They had their four-bedroom bungalows in the GRA, one year holiday in Europe, no corruption in the system. But when they started hearing their names on television, dismissed with immediate effect, the men that suffered for this nation; the people who survived started stealing in the civil service, that was the beginning of corruption in Nigeria. Civil servants now steal for the rainy day because of the fear of being sacked. Obasanjo came in 1999, he destroyed NITEL, he destroyed Ajaokuta steel complex, he

Opposition to Jonathan How can the kettle call the pot black? How can somebody like Obasanjo talk about Jonathan signing for one tenure, if Obasanjo had such a letter he would have published it. And even if there is such a letter, what is wrong with Jonathan going for second term? The issue of Jonathan is a divine issue.

He was a lecturer and became deputy governor. His boss was impeached by Obasanjo and Jonathan became governor. He was planning to run as governor, he was made Vice President. His boss died and he became Acting President. Are you saying that is human? This is pure divine intervention in Nigeria.

Let us face it, if South-south were to decide a candidate, I am not sure the people will bring Jonathan, they may decide to go for a more experienced politician but God’s ways are not our ways. Are we now saying that because there is zoning, which is correct, as sitting President he should not run for second term?

That is rubbish. When Yar ’Adua died, a political force majure was created in the zoning affair.

If we want to follow it and we say, let the Presidency go to the North in 2015, like some of our people like Ango Abdulahi and Jumai Muhammed, we were colleagues in the House of Reps, 1979-83, with Sule Lamido, are shouting, we now say let it go to the North for eight years, then 2019 it will return to the South, certainly to the South-east that has not tasted power; after that eight years it will return to the North, that will be 24 years, before it will return to the South-south for us to complete our four years. And because we have over 340 ethnic groups in the Southsouth, before we can find the candidate, the election will be over. The fight will be so much that they will take the thing back to where it came from. So it will be 24 years of waiting for nothing, then peace will elude the nation because the basin that produces what sustains this nation is the South-south that they are abusing today. So my appeal to some of these northern leaders including Ango Abdulahi is that the Southsouth and the North have been together. In the first republic, it was the NPC and the old Otuedo that worked together. It was our relationship with the North that enabled us to get Midwest created.

In the second republic, the Southsouth and North built bridges together. So our relationship has been permanently with the North, so the North ought to reciprocate now for the first time for a South-south President to be there, they should forget about this argument of power shift.

Continues next week

PAGE 36 — SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

By LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU

P

retty like the mar maid, she stood there, occasionally pacing from one end of the road to another.

She wore a dress that suited the moment and the business- a short gown that stopped far above her knee cap. Her lips were heavily painted in red to complement the attraction. It may take the combination of a very strong- willed, spiritfilled mind and long cultivated discipline for any man’s eyes to shift the other way.

That was Anthonia, a commercial sex worker who had taken her business to the streets of Abuja. She was standing, waiting for a customer when this undercover reporter arrived the scene that Monday night.

For some five minutes, the reporter sat back in his car, observing the scene and pondering on the best way to engage her. But then, a look around the vicinity revealed other “mermaids” who come out only at night.

They littered the area. It didn’t matter if it was night.

To them, the street lights, which shone on them, apparently added colour to the scene.

Alighting from the car, the reporter was welcomed by scintillating music from a bar located nearby. The bar is called Eden Garden.

It is indeed Eden as men and women in their numbers trooped in for recreation and fun. It then became obvious why the girls chose to lurk around there. ”Hello” was the word to get started. The conversation begins proper when the girl has approached your car otherwise a “come” sign or a sudden stop along the road brings sometimes more than one of the girls to your car.

And so the reporter engaged Anthonia.

Background

Her age was so sacred to her and for the minutes spent talking, she never divulged it. She only admitted being an adult. She disclosed her state of origin. But she refused to mention the local government area or the village. Of course, it would be suspicious insisting on knowing the LGA or village.

Anthonia is the second child in a family of eight. She claimed to be a Lagosian living in Ketu area. According to her, she searched for jobs after obtaining a Nation-

ABUJA

One night stand and the cost! al Diploma (ND) from Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State without success. Frustrated, she heeded the advice of a friend, Rose, resident in Abuja and who had apparently mature in prostitution by relocating to the federal capital territory last month.

Anthonia seemed a neophyte in the business and that, perhaps, accounted for why she spoke to a strange customer not knowing he was a journalist on undercover mission.

She displayed the zeal to further her studies to the level of Higher National Diploma (HND) but for the lack of a sponsor. ”I am not proud doing what I am doing. But what do I do?

It’s just to survive. I was not doing this in Lagos. I start-

ed in January when I came to Abuja. It is not really the best but I had to follow my friend, Rose, who advised me to come over to Abuja,”Anthonia said.

Evil men/godly worship One impression you may have of the “street girls” is that they are neither afraid of any eventuality in the course of doing their business nor go to church to worship but Anthonia’s submission proved otherwise. ”Of course, I am always afraid and pray that I don’t meet evil men. Even when they take us to their hotel rooms or houses, there is always this fear in me. But I pray to God that I don’t meet any. I only come to the

street to look for money.

That’s all...yes, I go to church. Why not?”, she stated.

What happens when no customers come? ”I will go back home”, she said. ”You mean you have a house here?” ”Of course, I do. We all do.”

Her pathetic story, the wasted “ time that she could have spent getting ‘good customers’, coupled with the “innocent” looks on her face could not but compel one to do what was both human and humane and so, some token was handed to her. But then, she is willing to vacate the street business and go into trading. According to her, at least N200,000 would do her a world of good.

One night Abuja is believed to be a city for the “Big Boys” and I am tempted to add “Big Girls” too. Many think, sometimes, erroneously, that the town is wet with money from politicians, contractors, suppliers of general goods, etc. Consequently, girls always try to look ravishingly attractive to suit the mood of the town.

This also determines the cost of `hiring’ them.

Abuja Bulletin tried to ascertain the cost per night and the discovery was that the price is not fixed but there is a limit which has conditionalities.

First, the commercial sex worker looks at the customer and the type of car he rides before stating her price.

Continues on page 38

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 37

2015

Jonathan tears northern leaders apart

BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

S

ome would say it’s too early in the day to predict who the majority of the people of the 19 northern states will vote for in the impending presidential election. It is slightly difficult to say so with certainty for now given the fact that the sitting President, who, by body language, is set on running for second term, has refused to make the pronouncement officially. But those who are on the political turf with him have not denied that Jonathan is hell bent on seeking another four years so that he could end his Boko Haramassailed regime in 2019.

Before now, the North had been united in the rejection of the continuation of President Goodluck

,,

Jonathan beyond 2015. The vociferous ones among its leaders have been very clear in their campaign against Jonathan’s Presidency in the first instance, saying that he ought to have relinquished office after serving out the late President Umaru Musa Yar ’Adua tenure in 2011. As their argument goes, Jonathan breached the zoning formula that had been agreed upon by contesting the 2011 election, which one of theirs should have done. The breach, according to them, means that Jonathan, a southern minority from Otueke, Bayelsa State, is occupying the exalted office in the land at the expense of the North.

But having lost the office to Jonathan, many key political actors from certain parts of the north appear unprepared to listen to any discussion that would bring back the President in 2015. They have made their opposition to him very clear from the outset and are not ready to back down as the election date draws nearer. When it became apparent to the northern political protagonists that the mantra of zoning would not bring the presidency to the region in 2011, they changed the campaign by reminding Jonathan that he signed an agreement with them to do a single term of four years from 2011-2015.

That argument would have held water but the man, who broached the idea-Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu- known for his oratory prowess, painfully dashed the hope of the northern people by failing to produce the deal purportedly entered into with Jonathan. As it stands, not many Nigerian politicians believe any such deal exists, thus casting doubt on the story.

Even after that, Aliyu, who was seen as an anti-Jonathan campaigner, refused to quit the ruling Peoples

*President Goodluck Jonathan

Before now, the North had been united in the rejection of the continuation of President Goodluck Jonathan beyond 2015

Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the golden opportunity came for him to demonstrate in practical terms his opposition to the President and his government. The governor, like his Jigawa State counterpart, Sule Lamido, who has used his eight-year stint in Dutse to transform the once barren land, insisted that they cannot leave the PDP, which they founded, to tenants, who have no idea of how the party came about.

That position has not only emboldened Jonathan to push ahead with his re-election plan but has also motivated him to depend on the two governors to garner the all-important support of the North for his second term.

Now, Jonathan, through his Vice, Namadi Sambo, is working round the clock to break down the massive

northern opposition against him and has succeeded in raising some friendly political groups and individuals to key into his second term agenda. One of the groups-the Northern Elders’ Council- headed by elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai; and suspected to enjoy the tacit endorsement of the Presidency – emerged, last week, promising to work for the progress and unity of Nigeria. At its inauguration in Kaduna, the NEC leader, Yakassai, simply said the group came about to work for Nigeria and not any individual. The former Adviser to President Shehu Shagari of the second republic said he was too big to be recruited to work for Jonathan or Sambo, as he did not belong to any political party, having left partisan politics over 12 years ago.

Yakassai said, “”What I am doing now is to achieve peace in Nigeria because we are concerned about the threat to the corporate existence of the country. If we allow a few reckless but vociferous elements cause trouble in the land, it is the ordinary Nigerians, who would be the worst hit. ”Why should we keep quiet and allow a few troublemakers to cause havoc for the majority?

Describing himself as one of the northern leaders who have suffered to make Nigeria great, Yakassai said that those who were criticising him and his group are talking rubbish and seeking undue attention.

He said, “Those who are making noise today about the north have never worked for Nigeria. They are self-seeking persons out there to work for themselves only.

“But I have always been at the forefront of the development of this

country and I have been put in the prison 14 times because of working for Nigeria. “I’m still committed to keeping Nigeria as a united country because if there is no Nigeria, there will be no north South.” “The North is benefitting from the unity of Nigeria and it should continue to work together with other Nigerians.”

The emergence of NEC not withstanding, notable groups such as the Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, headed by Prof Ango Abdullahi, and leading political commentators such as Dr. Junaid Mohammed, do not see any need to allow Jonathan to occupy the Presidential Villa a day longer than May 29, 2015. According to them, Jonathan was unfit to continue in office or having completed the tenure of Yar ’Adua, which was a joint ticket of the two leaders.

Ango Abdullahi and Junaid Mohammed are certain that the people of the North deserve to prop up one of theirs to take over from Jonathan next year.

Mohammed insisted that by the common interpretation of the Constitution, Jonathan would be committing an illegality if he contests the 2015 Presidency having been sworn in more than two times as President of Nigeria.

Mohammed, a former member of House of Reps, said, “As far as I am concerned there should be no two ways about it. People who made promises must be made to abide by such promises. And even without the promises an ordinary reading of the Constitution at face value will indicate that Jonathan cannot avail himself of another term in 2015 simply because the constitution provides for two terms for anybody whatever the intervening circumstance.

“Secondly, the Constitution provides for people taking the oath of office only twice in their lifetime.

Now how this President can now proceed to take oath of office three times is something I cannot understand and they are unwilling to subject the matter to the Supreme Court for interpretation.

“This shows that they have something to hide and they believe that by mere propaganda through the lies of the people being used they can now change the constitution.

“To me, the easiest way to amend the Constitution is to follow what the Constitution says. Nobody wants to do what the law says and they think they can get away with illegality simply because they are in power. It will not work.”

Ango Abdullahi, a former ABU Vice Chancellor, is unwilling to join issues with Jonathan but maintains that it is the turn of the North to occupy the Presidency in 2015. While describing the emergence of sundry political groups in the North as the work of those opposed to the interest of the region, Abdullahi said the people would field a northern candidate to fly their flag in 2015 but did not say who the candidate was.

The former Food Security Adviser to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo described the NEC headed by Yakassai as a baby of the Presidency, saying the group was geared at thwarting the interest of the North.

Abdullahi noted, “They (NEC) are

Continues on page 38

PAGE 38— SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

*The FCT `red light’ zone

ABUJA: The cost of one night stand!

Continued from page 36 Against this backdrop, the bargaining starts from N20,000 and terminates at N8,000. At least, that is what Abuja Bulletin was told.

Expository encounters Outside Anthonia were three other girls who Abuja Bulletin encountered. There gave their names as CY, Precious and Kate. While CY and Kate hailed from Delta State, Precious is Igbo from Mbaise, Imo State.

The trio looked young though ripe as women. Like Anthonia, they

separately rushed to me at the screech of the car tyres, giggling.

The meeting with CY was very fleeting but not without her placing her last price at N10,000 per night.

There was, however, a promise to call her to another rendezvous to seal the deal, encouraging her to give out her cell phone number.

Then the light-skinned, chubby but petite Kate. Hers was a case of desperation. She needed a deal that night so badly. She was evidently broke, but against all odds, the harder she tried, the slimmer her chances were. She had approached my car, I guess with high hopes.

She wore a short gown that left nothing to imagination. But in fairness to her, the appearance was the rave of the moment. ”How are you?” I asked.

She replied, “I am fine?”

That set the tone for bargaining. But when it dawned on her that the deal wasn’t healthy for her as it all bordered on calling her for an invitation to a hotel later, she opted out.

In the case of Precious, she claimed to be a second year student of a university around the FCT. Like others, she came prepared but disappointed. She didn’t even drop her telephone number but instead demanded mine.

The reason she advanced for being on the streets was the same as Anthonia’s. She needed money to survive in Abuja, pay school fees and be like every other happy girl.

And to realize that dream, she has to, putting it in her language, “hustle”.

Accommodation Jabi “Upstairs” is a popularly area in Jabi. It is located along AirportBerger Round-about. It provides home for many of these girls. And that’s where Anthonia, CY, Kate and Precious live. According to them, a self-contained room there goes for between N100,000 and N120,000 per annum.

Of course, the place is boisterous with commercial activities in high gear. It is dominated by Hausa men who concurrently work as mai-

guards and run confectionery shops.

Investigations revealed that all manners of people reside in the area.

For a good idea of the environment, a night visit is recommended.

A drive to Wuse 2, Area 11 and Lagos Street, Garki also indicated a long line of commercial sex workers on the streets.

Bottonline The twin evils of joblessness and poverty ravage the land, beating many Nigerians below the belt. In fairness to Anthonia and co; that could be a good reason to hawk their bodies. This is a sad commentary on government. But much as this holds, it does not qualify to say that able-bodied, healthy-looking young ladies like them should not opt for any other thing worthy of doing. There are such women who sell telephone recharge cards on the streets. There are others who indulge in jobs no matter how menial or meager to survive while waiting for “bigger” jobs. Standing along the road, waiting for men could be one risk too many.

Meanwhile, Abuja is a fast growing capital city which attracts all manners of persons from both within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

Allowing prostitution to fester especially with the participation of young girls of school age may just be another way of jeopardizing the future of the country. A stitch in time saves nine.

Jonathan tears northern leaders apart Continued from page 37 advocates of Goodluck Jonathan for President in 2015 but we are advocates of a Nigerian President of northern extraction. “The matter is before the public domain to decide between their position and that of NEC. The forces behind NEC formation have always been on the other side against the interest of the North.”

One trait that has clearly emerged from the averments of the protagonists and antagonists of Jonathan’s Presidency from the North is that a wide gap now separates those in favour and those opposed to his reelection. But it is also apparent to those who are frontally opposed to Jonathan that he is not just sitting down and watching them as they attempt to edge him out of the 2015 contest. Even though the President has not made any speech concerning his re-election, his foot soldiers have taken it upon themselves to drum up support for him at every forum, showcasing his ‘monumental achievements’ in the various sectors of the economy as the justification for the support.

Jerry Gana, a northerner and a member of Jonathan’s party, believes nobody from the North should tamper with the President’s right to run for second term. Gana, who has worked with almost all the administrations since the dawn of democracy

Alhaji Tanko Yakassai in 1999, insists that to ask Jonathan not to run in 2015 would be very unjust and unfair to the people of the South-south, who have always supported the North to ascend to power.

The PDP BoT member argues that it the matter was ever beyond Jonathan, as he cannot say no to second term and hope to have a safe ride back to Otuoke.

A few days after his postulation, Jonathan was in Adamawa State to commission some projects undertaken by the Nigerian Air Force in Yola.

It was expected that Governor Murtala Nyako, who crossed over to the opposition APC last December, would, at least, accompany the President to the PDP secretariat for a meeting. But apparently to show his disdain for the party, Nyako, who

Prof. Ango Abdullahi drove in the same car with the President to the secretariat, quickly alighted from the vehicle and joined his personal car and left Jonathan at the venue.

He drove to the airport and waited patiently for the President to conclude his meeting with the PDP stakeholders and return to the airport for takeoff to Abuja.

The governor later issued a damning statement predicting that, with God on his side and with the broom in his hand, he would be able to join other Nigerians to sweep away the PDP from the nation’s reins of power in 2015.

The governor said, “Let’s face it, the level of impunity and lawlessness within the PDP had reached

an unprecedented level in the democratic history of our great Nation. It is a situation where both the party and the Federal Government it controls have become instruments of oppression and incompetent to prevent unwarranted killings of innocent citizens in the hands of paid killers guided by those we call ‘the evil few’, who surely lack the sense of decency in dealing with fellow Nigerians.

“We feel that Abuja has become a captive in the hands of ‘the evil-few’ who are bent on destroying this country in pursuit of their narrow selfish interest. For now they have succeeded in strangulating the economy, derailing our democracy and most of all destabilizing our peace and unity.

“Unfortunately, rather than engage in deep introspection in trying to find solutions to the many problems facing the Nation, they indulge themselves in self-adulation and grand deception. They claim that theirs is the best government ever, and they do so without any tangible proof.”

It is obvious that as the 2015 polls draw nearer, the angst against Jonathan in the North will continue.

But it is also easy to say that the proJonathan elements in the region will also whittle the attempt to vote against Jonathan and this could lead to a resounding second term victory for the President.

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 39 The committee directed that the institute should furnish it with the receipt to show that it actually returned the money to the treasury.

Olamilekan described the payment to NTI as monumental fraud.

The Sanusi suspension

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

Twist in alleged $1m bribe-for-defection The alleged $1million bribe that rocked the House of Representatives remained a no-go area for discussion, last week, as Reps kept their mouths shut.

Attempts to get words out of the lawmakers elicited the response, “I do not know where they got the information from”.

Nobody seemed to have any clue as to where the story emanated from.

Members of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges investigating the allegation too went underground.

The controversial OPL 245 Malabu oil report The House, last Tuesday, finally adopted the controversial OPL 245 oil block sale report after deferring its adoption twice.

COURAGE IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION f the Sack of the Former Chief of Staff to president Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadome penultimate week came as a shock to many, the dramatic suspension of the Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi last Thursday has send a firm message that perhaps, President Goodluck Jonathan, who many have accused of being almost always unwilling to take tough decision when it is needed most, has finally cast off that toga.

Expectedly, the suspension of the CBN governor has drawn almost equal applause and condemnation from a cross section of the Nigerian people.

While some people have argued that the suspension of the CBN governor was in violation of the laws guiding his appointment, others have argued that as the appointing authority, the president reserves the right to also remove whom he has appointed. Whether the president adhere to extant law on the removal of the governor of the central bank of Nigeria or not is the basis upon which Nigerians have continued to disagree with the latest action of the president.

But beyond the emotions that have trailed the latest decision of the president, there are several issues that need to be thoroughly interrogated. For instance, was the former CBN boss because of his garrulous revelations about certain malfeasances in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation? Was he removed because of his indiscrete exposure of the dirty linens in a government that he is a critical member? Or did he get kicked out because as it is alleged in certain circles, he is in better company with the opposition elements that with the government in which he is serving?

Though the president has stridently denied that Sansui’s removal has nothing to do with the insinuations in some circles about his whistle blowing role, such justification is expected. But there are critical issues that have come

I

The report had, among others, recommended that the sale of the oil block to a major oil company be reversed.

Also, the report asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, to prosecute those involved in the deal.

The Hon Leo Ogor-led adhoc committee, which looked into the deal, also demanded that” the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, facilitates a new ‘Resolution Agreement’ in line with the Petroleum Act, and the Indigenous Concession Programme (ICP) of government.

NTI’s mystery N.7bn from SWV The Public Accounts Committee,PAC, of the House, last Wednesday, was shocked when the Bursar of the

National Teachers’ Institute,NTI, Kaduna, Mallam Abdulkarim Affo, told the committee that N791million was lodged in the institute’s bank account on December 31, 2012 by the Budget Office from the Service Wide Vote (SWV) account without soliciting for it.

Affo made the revelation during an interactive session with the committee, chaired by Hon Solomon Adeola Olamilekan probing how over N4.7trillion was expended by the Presidency through the Budget Office from the SWV between 2004 and 2012 financial years .

According to Affo ,”on December 31, 2012,we just received an alert,a sum of N791million was lodged in the institute’s bank account from the Budget Office.”

He went on: “We tried to make enquiries and we wrote to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to find out what was the purpose of the whopping amount but all efforts yielded no result. ” At the end of the day, what the institute did was to pay back the money to the treasury at the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN, as required by law. We have the evidence of payment,we never made request for any money”.

ASO ROCK VIBES

BY BEN AGANDE, ABUJA

The sanusi Interrogation out that also need crucial close examination. For instance, is it within the purview of the Central Bank Governor to have acquired 7% shares of International Islamic Management Corporation of Malaysia to the tune of N0.743 billion without bringing such decision the attention of the President or the approval of the board?

How can the CBN explained some of its outlandish expenditure like its claim that that it paid Air Charter, such as payments to Emirate Airline (N0.511bn), Wing Airline (N0.425bn) and Associated Airline (N1.025bn) to distribute currency by air nationwide even though Emirate Airline does not fly local charter in Nigeria, Wing Airline is not registered with Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and Associated Airline does not have a billion turnover for 2011 because upon enquiry, the management claimed that they have no financial statements and have not had any significant operations for the past two years that will warrant preparation of financial statements?

Should the president have turned a blind eye to the alleged anomalies that were being perpetrated in the CBN even when such activities had potentials for profound implications on his government?

Events preceding the suspension of the CBN indicated that whether he was allowed to stay or not, any decision the president took concerning the suspended governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanuasi was bound to elicit profound reactions.

Though president are elected by their countrymen to take tough decisions for the nation, President Jonathan’s decision on Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was one that not many politicians would take in an

election year that is proving very difficult by the day.

ROYAL FATHER DIPLOMACY Meeting people from different walks of life is a normal routine for President Goodluck Jonathan. But when such people belong to a special class and they are all in states controlled by parties in opposition, then not a few eyebrows would be raised.

Last weekend, President Goodluck Jonathan visited first class traditional rulers in Kano, Oyo and Lagos states where he held closed door meeting with the Emir of Kano, the Ooni of Ife, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Akran of Badagry.

According to the Presidential Adviser on Media and Publicity, the visits by the president were to consult with critical stakeholders in the country. But the question that comes to mind is: was the choice of traditional rulers in states controlled by opposition deliberate or coincidental?

Has the visits got anything to do with the expected declaration of the president later this year whether or not he would contest the presidential election in 2015? Since the closed door meetings were held between the president and only the traditional rulers, there is no way of knowing what they might have discussed. But if the broad smiles and back patting from the royal fathers when they emerged from the inner recess of their palaces were anything to go by the meetings were certainly very successful.

Hon Pally Iriase ,Edo/APC, wants President Jonathan to prove the allegation of “various acts of financial recklessness and misconduct” that was adduced as reason to suspend the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Iriase said the suspension, which he described as “hasty”, could lower foreign investors confidence in the country’s economy. ”We have been talking about impunity. This (Sanusi’s suspension) is yet another show of impunity by this administration,”the lawmaker said. ” The suspension is personal and is not unconnected with the recent disclosure of missing money from the NNPC. ”It is a clear case of if you cannot shut him up, ship him out. It should be condemned in its totality.” The Edo legislator debunked the insinuation that Sanusi had been doing the bidding of the APC by “embarrassing the government” with the disclosure of missing oil revenue. ”If the bidding of APC is to have a robust economy, a responsible government that is corruption free, then Nigerians should be happy. ”Sanusi’s suspension is simply a case of the administration shooting itself on the foot.”

THE QUESTION BALA MOHAMMED COULD NOT ANSWER. Senator Bala Mohammed, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is one man who prides himself as an accountable and principled public officer. At a time when majority of his colleagues in the senate were not forthcoming on whether to publicly support President Jonathan to be the acting president when the late president Umar Yaradua was incapacitated, Bala Mohammed as a senator stuck out his mate to support Jonathan.

He was compensated with the position of the Minister of the FCT, a position he has held till now.

As a minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed has never shied away from defending the policies of the FCT administration no matter how controversial.

From naming a district in the FCT after President Jonathan to the controversial Land swap, Senator Bala Mohammed has been most vocal in defending such policies.

But Senator Bala Mohammed’s gift of the garb deserted him last week Wednesday.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim while rolling out the activities for the centenary celebration, he insisted that all the programmes were being sponsored by the private sector and government was not committing a dime to funding the project. But when he disclosed that the International Conference Centre and areas around the National Station stadium, two venues to host some of the events are being renovated, curiosity took the better of state house correspondents. Is the renovation of the international conference centre and the national stadium being funded by the Private sector too?

This was one question that Senator Bala Mohammed with his gift of the garb and his position as the chairman venues committee could not answer.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Education and the dilemma of the Nigerian children

BY CALEB AYANSINA

I

t is no longer news that there is problem in the education sector of Nigeria.

Globally, 60 million children are out on school while world leaders promised to address the challenge through education for all by 2015.

Nigeria tops the list of nations with highest children out of school since 1999.

A report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) indicates that one out of every five Nigerian children is out of school.

This is clearly a national disgrace for the world’s eighth largest oil producer.

With approximately 10.5 million kids out of school, Nigeria is among 12 other countries with which it accounts for 47 percent of the global out-ofschool population.

Over the last decade, Nigeria’s exponential growth in population has put immense pressure on the resources and the overstretched public services and infrastructure. With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 per cent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming.

The report said 40 per cent of Nigerian children aged 6-11 do not attend any primary school with the northern region recording the lowest school attendance rate, particularly for girls. Despite a significant increase in net enrolment rates in recent years, it is estimated that about 4.7 million children of primary school age are still not in school.

The decline in quality of education was attributed to some factors ranging from cultural background, lack of infrastructure, and mismanagement of education resources in the country.

Many children also do not attend school due to child labour, economic hardship and early marriage for girls.

To address the problem, the ActionAid Nigeria and the European Union (EU) in the nation’s capital flaggedoff ‘Send My Friend to School’ campaign, to increase school enrolment rate of Nigerian children.

Speaking during the campaign at the Government Secondary School, Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Education Programme Officer of ActionAid Nigeria, Osamudiamen Owens-Ibie, said: “The programme is a three year, multi country project designed with a focus on getting more children in school through young advocates speaking up for their right to education and engagement with policy makers at the community level through to the national level.

*Children at school; mates at home “In line with project objectives and in giving young persons a voice towards advocating for quality teachers, certain activities have been earmarked for various quarters, these activities add up towards improving the quality of education.”

However, she noted that “despite the progress being made towards getting every child in school through achievement of Education for All and Millennium Development Goals (MDG2), there is still a huge and persistent gap in professional, welltrained, well-supported teachers, about 1.7 million teachers who are already in post need to be professionally trained.”

Owners-Ibie continued: “To address the problem of quality teachers, the Send my Friend to School project has scheduled Back to School events focused on increasing public aware-

ness on the state of education being received by selected students in FCT, working with young students towards speaking up for their rights in education and advocating for more quality teachers in school. The event is an avenue for the children to identify children who are out of school and make commitment to bring in school by intense advocacy.”

Ukoma Joy, a student of GSS, Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), told Sunday Vanguard that illiteracy on the part of parents was a big problem militating against the ‘Send My Friend to School’ campaign.

Narrating her encounter with some parents who she had approached to persuade them to let their wards go to school, Joy she said she was always sad when she prepares to go to school and sees her friends who were mainly Gbagi by tribe left roaming around the

streets.

“The big problem is that the parents of those children are also illiterate and any time other children are trying to approach them to talk to them about the need to let their children go to school, they feel insulted, thinking that you have come to mock them and they send you out of their house,” she said.

The Assistant Director of School Service, FCT Secondary Education Board, Mrs Margaret Mowete, said the struggle to increase children enrolment in school, was a tripartite effort that must be whole heartedly taken by the parents, teachers and government.

According to her, there is no substitution to quality education; therefore, it is pertinent that every stakeholder plays his part.

Taraba crisis: ‘Impeach Suntai now’

BY CALEB AYANSINA

T

he Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) has called on members of the Taraba State House of Assembly to begin impeachment process against the ailing governor of the state, Dambaba Suntai, to save Taraba from unending embarrassment.

The human rights coalition also called on the Presidency to institute a public inquiry to determine the state of the governor ’s health, saying this was necessary to save the governor from the peril imposed on him by his ‘self-serving associates’.

In a statement by the Assistant Executive Secretary, Dr Olu Suleiman, and the Northern Regional Coordinator, NHRC, Naseer Abdulahi,

the group advised that the public inquiry should include the civil society, the judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the police.

The statement said, “What we see in Taraba is exactly what Nigerians witnessed during the tenure of the late President Umaru Yar Adua. ”We wish Governor Suntai long life and we feel strongly that the best way to further prolong his life is for him to stay off the strenuous duties associated with the office of a state governor. He should resign or the House of Assembly should show him the exit door in his own interest.”

NHRC maintained that the associates of the governor had put the people of the state in a very difficult situation,

thereby undermining the political and economic development of Taraba. ”Taraba has been a theatre of the absurd since the state governor returned from overseas medical trip after a crash in his small private plane,”the group said. ”A tiny cabal is fronting for the governor, taking decisions on his behalf and at the same time stagemanaging the series of his phony public appearances including but not limited to manipulated TV showmanship. ”Suntai’s associates are doing a serious disservice to the integrity of the ailing state governor by overstressing him beyond his physical capabilities.

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 41

japhdave@yahoo.com 08056402376

Fashola, others extol Femi Olugbile’s virtues at book launch

By JAPHET ALAKAM BOOK LAUNCH

T

O

From left; Jide Idris, Gov. Babatunde Fashola (Chief host) GMD of Emzor, Mrs. Stella Okoli; Dr & Mrs Femi Olugbile, author of the book; Mrs Yewande Adeshina SA on Health to Gov.Fashola and Hon Tunde Alokan, rep. of Ekiti Deputy governor at the book launch.

“Olugbile’s life is a message is the Federal Governmentunique said that people came that you can be anything you owned psychiatric hospital. in with love and the entire enwant to be in life provided you And since that one could no vironment radiated with love. longer meet the needs of the know what to do with your She described the author as a perfect gentleman, a great contributor to anything he is asked to do. “Writing is a very special gift and those who are blessed with it are special people and Femi is one of them.”

She added.

Continuing, she stated that “We owe ourselves a duty to tell our story for the unborn generation. The Western world have been doing that for us at state’s over 21 million resi- time. I have benefitted im- our own detriment. That is why dents, there are plans to estab- mensely from his work. His writers should be encouraged lish a psychiatric hospital at advice is assisting us make and celebrated.”

Ikorodu. r. Kunle Ajibade, Ex good decisions and we will still Continuing, he stated that tap from his knowledge in the ecutive Editor of The since the state has a facility at next 11 days before he retires,” NEWS/P.M.NEWS in his reIkorodu, the hospital would be He added. view, titled The Truth of Femi built there to accommodate the The Chairman of the occa- Olugbile’s Fiction, said that the needs of various psychiatric sion, Chief Stella Okoli who book which he is presenting on patients. described the event as a the eve of his sixtieth birthday, is a gift to himself as a young

,

o me today’s event is a combination of educa tion and healthcare, which represents the core of human capital development.

This was the words of Governor Babatunde Fashola, the executive governor of Lagos State during the launch of a book, Heroes and Others, written by award winning author and the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Femi Olugbile at the conference hall of Protea Hotel, Ikeja.

As it turned out to be, at the well attended event, the two issues took the upper seat as prominent Nigerians including Governor Fashola, his deputy, MD of Emzor Pharmaceutical, Stella Okoli and others paid glowing tribute to the author for his contributions in the field of health and education.

Speaking in his capacity as the chief Host of the occasion, the Governor Fashola commended the author for his contributions as a public servant, especially in the area of his specialty which is mental health. The governor said “ when I appointed Dr. Olugbile as GMD LASUTH, I knew he made a First Class in Medicine, but I did not know he was also a great literary writer. To me, today’s event is a combination of education and healthcare, which represents the core of human capital development.”

He noted that there is no special mental health care centre in Lagos, the only one

Writing is a very special gift and those who are blessed with it are special people and Femi Olugbile is one of them

,

M

Gani Adams calls for Cultural rebirth

By VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

CULTURE

T

he arrow Head of Oodua People Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams has disclosed that Nigeria needs to restore its cultural heritage to ensure a formidable peaceful co-existence.

Gani who made this disclosure during a courtesy visit by key members of the Igbo World Union (IWU) at his Onipanu Lagos office, admitted that most of the ethnicities in the country are gradually losing grip of their cultural steam, including the Yoruba land.

According to the OPC arrow head, “Nigeria needs to urgently institute more culturally based organizations, to assist cultural festivities like

senior citizen. Ajibade who has followed Femi right from when he won the ANA prize in 1986 said that as you read Olugbile’s stories, the irresistible power of his style will remind you of some of the masters of the short story form. The stories in Heroes and Others are, essentially, an inquiry into the dark side of human nature, what pushes humankind inexorably to the dark corner, and how everyday heroism can redeem human beings and propel them to greater heights.

“Olugbile paints marvellously the aches in the heads and hearts of his characters. He is not just a near-perfect describer of things around these characters, he is an excellent painter of their interiorities.” dia Ofeimun, who was the secretary of ANA when he won the ANA award said that when he won the award, the judges did not debate on his work. He described him as a serious writer, “Femi took his writing skill to a level that we were worried how he can manage in his career.”

Odia who observed that Femi did in a fictional work what he can do in the medical field said that the book has strong female characters in a manner that informs us about what women can do.

The award winning author of Lonely Men, that won the ANA award in 1986 who confessed that he felt privileged to have the regards of others said that “the story of the people is the story of all, if we don’t tell the stories others will tell it for us.”

Continuing, he stated that he found the title only after he found the stories. “It speaks of the common theme of the story, the story of everybody’s life, which is ultimately the story of finding heroes within themselves and not finding it as the case may be. The strive to become a hero is the predominant theme of the story ,every human being, whether you are talking about the life of a driver or a president, the issue might be different but in all they want to be heroes.” He added.

the Olokun Festival/Cultural Foundation and Igbo World Union (IWU) to take conscious steps toward cultural restoration in the country”.

“A proper application of this objective is a strong force in the unity of a people, because nations can use culture to mobilize, upgrade, tap or harness the potentials of its citizens.

And as a typical traditionalist, I enjoin all to embrace culture and spirituality in order to succeed.”

The President General of IWU Chief (Dr.) Mishak Nnanta who led the delegation solicited the support of the OPC leader in ensuring a united nation, through cultural rebirth and peaceful co-existence, while promising a partnership that would cre-

ate a capacity of rebuilding the country ’s socio -cultural attributes.

In pledging his unreserved support, Otunba Adams, declared that the partnership will create a capacity of ensuring a formidable socio-cultural group which in turn would assist in rebuilding Nigeria, to which he confessed, was the strength of his OPC group.

He also noted the importance of gaining the support of the people as well as that of the ancestors, therefore, urged IWU leaders to complement their physical struggles with spiritual warfare in order to progress both physically and spiritually in the goal of achieving cultural rebirth and a new sense of unity among

Ndigbo.

He further warned them against meddling cultural issues with politics, as getting involved in high class politics

otherwise known as partisan politics is dangerous for cultural organisations they both represent ,” he added.

Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Fra to deliver CBAAC lecture at UI

T

he Centre for Black Art and African Civilisation CBAAC 2014 edition of its annual public lecture to celebrate Black History Month festival is scheduled to hold at Hall A, New International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday, February 27, 2014.

The lecture titled: PanAfricanism and the Challenges of Global African Unity, will be delivered by Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, a renowned Pan-Africanist and Director, Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society(CASAS) Cape Town,

South Africa.

The lecture which will be graced by eminent scholars will start at 10.00 am.

•Prof. Tunde Babawale, DG CBAAC

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SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 45

NA TIONAL CONFERENCE NATIONAL

Our agenda, by Igbo, Yoruba, North, S/South

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & DAPO AKINREFON

A

FTER initial discordant tunes in some quarters, all sections and segments of the polity are now poised for the forthcoming National Conference.

Leaders of the ethnic nationalities are taking the lead to fashion out water-tight agenda to be presented at the conBabangida Aliyu, Governor of Niger State Liyel Imoke, Governor of Cross River State fab.

Main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which initially dismissed the proposed confab as diversionary and waste of scarce resources meant to boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election agenda, has made a U-turn and indicated its readiness to partake in the dialogue.

APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, led a delegation to an expansive South-west leader’s meeting on the confab, last week. Yoruba leaders at the meeting, held in Ogun State, agreed on a common agenda for the conference. Thereafter, other meetings were held in Lagos and Ibadan with the agenda remaining similar.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said the APC states resolved to take part in the conference to protect the interests of their people especially when Jonathan had declared that the Federal Government would nominate delegates for states that fail to do so. Each of the 36 states is expected to nominate three delegates.

Indeed, in the line with the APC change of heart, Kano State governor, Dr Musa Kwankwaso, who recently defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, weekend, nominated three prominent indigenes of the state as delegates. They are Dr Junaid Mohammed, Malam Sule Hamma and Hajiya Aishatu Isma’il.

To firm up their agenda for the National Dialogue, Igbo leaders will meet in Enugu today. Holding at the Banquet Hall of the Governor’s Lodge at 12.30 pm, Igbo leadAsiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Senator Femi Okuronmu ers expected at the parley include the five South-East governors, Igbo leadmake it succeed. The issues we want and relationship with the federal poers in the National Assembly, minisresolved include: the structure of gov- lice. ters and political leaders of the geoernment-presidential or parliamentapolitical zone.

Souh-south seeks 50% derivation ry, fiscal federalism, devolution of powMeanwhile, the zone has picked a er, resource control, citizenship right, The South-south geo-political zone, strong team of 30 men and women, security of lives and property, and rep- the chief revenue generator for the whose names have been submitted to aration over the continuous killing of the Office of the Secretary to the Govour people and destruction of their country, also wants restructuring, fisernment of the Federation as delecal federalism and 50 per cent deriproperty.” gates to the confab. vation. Currently, derivation is a miSpeaking on the issue, Ohanaeze Secretary General, Dr Joe Nwaorgu, South-west seeks regional serly 13 per cent. told Sunday Vanguard that the apex autonomy, devolution of Most participants at the one-day Igbo socio-cultural organization picked South-south zonal conference on the power 15 of the 30 delegates while the govNational Dialogue held at the Cultural At the various meetings, South-west ernors nominated the rest with each of leaders agreed that the Yoruba feder- Centre in Calabar, the Cross River the five states having six slots. ation should maintain its six-state State Capital, last week, insisted that Asked about those nominated, he structure with boundary adjustment for local communities and states where said that Ohanaeze President GenerEkiti in Kwara to join Ekiti State, Igal, Chief Gary Igariwey, would disclose bomina and Ibolo in Kwara to join Osun natural resources emanate should conthose on the list, adding, “The Presitrol their wealth by, at least, 50 per State. dent-General has the prerogative to They also proposed the Westminster cent. They argued that if this singular make the list public.” parliamentary system of government, issue is resolved, the national atmoHowever, he said that the delegates Igbo want restructuring, reparation power devolution from the central to sphere would be convivial. were chosen in consultation with Igbo federating units, resource control and organizations affiliated to Ohanaeze for incessant killings –Nwaorgu On the agenda of the Igbo for the revenue allocation to be reviewed in Some ethnic nationalities at the meetsuch as the South-east People Development Association, Aka-Ikenga, Izu conference, Nwaorgu said it is not dif- accordance with derivation instead of ing included Ijaw National Congress, Umunna, Igbo Delegates Assembly ferent from what the Ohanaeze pre- being based on total revenue accru- Oron Ethnic Nationality from Akwa Ibom State, South-south Peoples Asand Igbos in Diaspora among others. sented to the Senator Femi Okuroun- ing to the Federation Account.

Among others, the South-west is pro- sembly, South-south Peoples Forum, “The heads of these organizations in mu-led President Advisory Committee consultation with us arrived at the list. (PAC) on National Conference when posing that immunity for elected offi- Efik Eburutu and Ethnic Nationality.

Ohanaeze picked 15 delegates while it visited the South-east last October cials should be limited to civil cases Governor Liyel Imoke, represented only. the governors picked three delegates 27 and 29. by his deputy, Mr Efiok Cobham, said: On policing, they want regional poHis words: “We are prepared for the each ,” he said. conference and we are determined to lice to be given clearly defined roles Continues on page 47

,,

At the various meetings, South-west leaders agreed that the Yoruba federation should maintain its six-state structure with boundary adjustment for Ekiti in Kwara to join Ekiti State, Igbomina and Ibolo in Kwara to join Osun State

PAGE 46— SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Why we clashed with Nwabueze, Asemota, by Uranta •Says INEC wanted N25billion for delegates election • Uranta

BY ADEOLA ADENUGA

Y

ou were a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference.

How would you describe your experience in the committee vis-a-vis the desirability or otherwise of the conference?

It was an enervative and very educative experience that every member of the committee gained during the exercise of consultations, as we went round all the six geo-political zones; during which we found out, amongst other things, that we don’t know exactly how many ethnic nationalities are in Nigeria, that many people really thought that we were already conducting the National Conference per se, that there were expectations from government that were both unrealistic and not pragmatic, and that there was an overwhelming desire all through the nation for us to come together, as one people, to speak. Even in places where there seemed, initially, to be apathy on the part of state governments or local governments not to participate, we realised that the people of these states

and zones [and of Nigeria] have taken on the sovereignty that belongs to them, on their own and decided that they are going to decide whether to talk

or not to talk; what they will talk about; how they will talk about it; and how it shall be reflected when it all comes out at the end of the day.

The committee almost ran into stormy waters in Edo State following the altercation between Governor Oshiomhole and Cd. Tony Nyiam (rtd), leading to the resignation of Nyiam from the committee. Did that not create the fear that the conference itself could really be volatile?

The conference will be volatile! The Yoruba say that brothers don’t go into a room to speak truth to one another and come out smiling all the time. It will be volatile because we are going to speak truth to one another, so we can resolve our differences, enhance our unity and build a true Nigeria premised on truth, equity and justice. But the incident in Benin was really less one of volatility, as much as one of intemperate reaction by both the governor and a member of our committee. The people of that zone had appar-

ently taken a position that they really wanted to participate in the National Conference. The governor had already told us in private that he was opposed to the National Conference, and had been so opposed from the beginning of the concept itself in the 1980s. We did not expect him to come out and try to talk his people into accepting his position as the position of the state or the zone; and when the people started booing him and clamouring for him to leave the podium, we least expected a member of our team to join in with the peo-

,,

Since after the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference, led by Senator Femi Okuronmu, submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan, there have been accusations and counteraccusations. In this interview, Mr. Tony I. Uranta, a member of the committee, speaks on some of the issues surrounding the conference

tial recommendations of the committee] were published and have been announced as the modalities. There were very few departures from the original recommendations. For example, we had, initially, said that delegates should be chosen through elections/ adult suffrage, so that there will be transparency and the ability for everybody to participate fully. But when government got our report, it went through it, and realised that the Electoral Act does not allow INEC, which is the only body empowered to carry out elections, to conduct elections

The conference will be volatile! The Yoruba say that brothers don’t go into a room to speak truth to one another and come out smiling all the time ple to heckle the governor, especially since our team’s mandate was not to talk, but to listen, record, and later proffer advice.

Do the final guidelines agree with the recommendations of the committee, especially as they concern the ‘nogo-area’, and the fact that the final outcome of the conference will go through the National Assembly to be put in the Constitution?

I will say about 95 per cent or more of the recommendations of the committee [the ini-

outside of the political elections that have been designated to it; and that for it to now process this election, there would have to be alterations to the Electoral Act, which we were not sure could be carried out even in the next one year or two knowing how slow our National Assembly can be on critical issues. You know how long it took for the Freedom of Information Bill to get passed. A bill that was sent in, in 1999 only got passed in 2007. Apart from that, government now asked INEC to budget what it will cost and

INEC budgeted N25 billion.

Now if people are complaining of N7 billion budgeted for this conference, can you imagine what they would have been saying if we were to have a N32 billion? Therefore, government knew it was not a pragmatic decision to take. We were then invited back by the President, who was very unique in the way he went about dealing with both the committee and our report.

Rather than setting up a White Paper Committee, he kept returning to us and saying to us, ‘ review your recommendations’. We now reviewed them and concluded that there shall be delegates nominated by the people, through stakeholder groups and interest groups, so it will be a wholly peoplesdriven conference.

As to whether the outcome of the conference will now return to the National Assembly for legislation; yes, every such outcome has to end up in the National Assembly for legislation. What the people of Nigeria do want and what they are adamant about is that there must be referendum. After the referendum, what they don’t want is for the conference’s outcome to be tinkered with by the National Assembly before it is passed into law as either a new Constitution, or as part of the 1999 Constitution undergoing review. Now, you will notice that I have made a distinction as to whether the Constitution will be new or reviewed. This is because we recommended to the President,

Continues on page 47

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 47

Continued from page 46 rather than he getting involved with all the imbroglio of the politics of should there be a referendum; should the National Assembly have dominance etc.; we said, simply, ‘let the National Conference itself decide whether Nigerians want a referendum?

When the referendum is decided, do they want the outcome of the conference and the referendum to become a brand new Constitution? Let the conference decide’. I am one person who want a referendum. I am one person who wants a brand new Constitution. But, I love this idea of giving it over to the people, via the conference, so nobody is imposing anything on the people of Nigeria. And when they decide, I want to see anybody, group of people or interest group that will stand up and say that what the people want is wrong, and that they are not going to give them what they want; and I want to see what will happen after that.

Was Chief Solomon Asemota opposed to any aspect of the report that could have led to the controversy of whether or not there was a minority report?

I think that is one of the tragedies of Nigeria’s reality at the moment. I have so much respect for Chief Asemota (SAN) and, prior to our interactions on this committee, I held him in very high esteem, but so far as I am concerned, he let himself down, he let the peoples of my zone (Southsouth) down and the people of Nigeria down. Of course, what Chief Asemota, as an extension of Professor Ben Nwabueze, a respected constitutional lawyer and elder statesman, was intent on doing was foisting upon Nigeria, and Nigerians, and the conference, a pre-decided agenda. Professor Nwabueze had stated at the Eminent Peoples Summit, convened by me

Why we clashed with Nwabueze, Asemota, by Uranta in January 2012 in Lagos [when he walked out because the majority of the people present wanted a National Conference to debate every issue under the sun] but he wanted a National Conference to debate certain issues in the draft Constitution which The Patriots had drawn up under the late Chief Rotimi Williams [and we are talking about ages ago!], that we don’t discuss anything else except that document and that he would then go about turning that document into a new Constitution and you will agree with me that proviso would be restricting and limiting Nigerians. There is nothing that stops us from discussing that document because it is a critical document; but we could not be limited by Chief Asemota, Professor Nwabueze and their co-travellers.

As to whether there was a minority report, Chief Asemota was the Chairman of the Committee’s Sub-Committee on Legal Processes; which was to decide whether there should there be a referendum, whether the outcome of the conference be subjected to the National Assembly, whether there should be a bill legislating the conference into being ab initio etc.. It was this sub committee as the most senior lawyer on our committee, that came with the recommendations in our report. We accepted the sub-committee’s recommendations hook, line and sinker! It was, therefore, disconcerting that at the point of our signing, Chief Asemota was nowhere to be found. For hours, we were calling, sending cars all around looking for him only to find out that he

• Uranta...people need to participate in the process was, all the time, in the parking lot sleeping right outside the committee’s meeting hall and that he wished, at that belated point, to take a position saying that he had a memo [because that is what we saw it as being!] to submit. He erroneously call the memo a minority report. That memo, in fact, had been submitted already by The Patriots both during our consultations trips, and by Professor Nwabueze privately to the Chairman of the committee and to the President. So it has been incorporated in our report.

There was nothing new in the memo and the President rightly said that the memo

could be called a minority report after Chief Asemota had gone into all the papers shouting, mendaciously, about the President having refused a minority report.

What happened on the day the committee submitted its report to the Presidency?

The day we went to submit our report, our Chairman specifically said there was no minority report; and then paused for about two minutes…that was enough time for any member to protest to the contrary. Chief Asemota sat there, supposedly in silence, he didn’t protest, he didn’t offer any

alternative…and then we got out of the Council Chambers and he said to journalists that there was a minority report! He attempted to impugn the integrity of the committee, attempted to impugn the integrity of the Presidency and to impugn the integrity of the conference; and since then, he has refused to participate further in the activities of the committee even though he is still a member. We have not been disbanded, but he has not been a participating member for some time now.

On the aspect of whether there is no ‘no -go-area’, there was no ‘no go area’ according to what Mr. President said in his speech announcing the birth of the committee on October 1, 2013. On the day he accepted the report, he said there would be a no ‘no-go area’. However, government is privy to certain security information that we do not know of.

So government now says there’s a no-go area….that is the area talking about the indivisibility of the Nigerian state. So far as I am concerned, nothing is wrong in that. Government can list one million no-go areas.

When the people come together, they will decide what they want to decide. Nobody is going to come in there like SSS, or soldiers to say, “hey you have started discussing topic A; so you are hereby disbanded”.

What people must realise is that people need to participate in this process. This process is going to change Nigeria.

I’m not saying it will be the cure-all for all Nigerian problems, but it’s going to put us on a course that will eventually bring us virtually to an Eldorado.

Our agenda, by Igbo, Yoruba, North, S/South Continued from page 45 “On derivation, our position aligns with

the that of the entire South-South states to the effect that the constitution be amended to read that a state on whose territory oil (or other natural resources) are extracted or found be entitled to not less 50 per cent of the entire proceeds from the exploration and exploitation.”

Still on control of resource, he said further:: “Solid minerals should be exploited by states where such minerals are deposited. Compensation should be paid on monthly basis for game reserves and forest conservation as the owners have lost their means of livelihood which is predominantly farming.”

Another point of their emphasis was that the outcome of the conference should never be subjected to scrutiny and review of the National Assembly as proposed by Jonathan as that would defeat the essence of the national discourse because members of the National Assembly would alter the resolutions of the conference.

For the outcome not be challenged and seen to be lacking in law, the people pro-

posed that there should be an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to enact enabling law to legitimately back up the National Dialogue.

Another proposal curtailing “the overreaching powers of the federal government” and making the central government more accountable to the federating units over the handling and management of the nation’s financial outlay. “Powers should therefore be devolved even as the Executive legislative list be reviewed in order to transfer certain matters to the Concurrent List.”

Senator Florence Ita-Giwa canvassed compensation for Bakassi people for the loss of their ancestral homeland and another deeper look into how the Bakassi Peninsula was was ceded to Cameroon. She also said called for 50 per cent affirmative action for women

Northern govs adopt 30-point agenda

The North is also not left out of the preparations. Apart from the enlarged Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) last week, the 19 northern states articulated a 30-point for the conference at that

their two-day meeting concluded in Kaduna on Tuesday.

The meeting was part of the governors’ legwork to ensure that the North speaks with one voice at the conference.

Speaking on the agenda, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said the northern governors took a bold step at their just concluded meeting in Kaduna on the points to be presented at the conference and assured that the points would not in any way tamper with the unity and development of the country.

“In our last meeting, we took a principled position to send our best and experienced people to the conference and this will include those who will be able to defend and discuss the issues without fear or favour but which will not tamper with the unity and development of the country,” the governor remarked.

The adopted points to be presented at the conference include fiscal federalism, structure of government, state

police, labour matters with regards to wages and salaries, with emphasis on whether salaries should be uniform or based on the financial capability of each state, electricity as a major weapon of economic growth, especially on whether states should be allowed to generate power independently.

Other points include tenure of president and governors, devolution of power, traditional institutions, immunity clause for governors and president, independence of the legislative arm and the judiciary, onshore and offshore dichotomy, resource control.

There are also social security, including health, housing, electoral law which include how elections should be conducted, system of government — presidential or parliamentary, security, creation of more states and local governments and transformation of the agricultural sector as the mainstay of the northern region.

PAGE 48—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Kalu: Opening old wound

BY GODWIN ADINDU

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The power game in Abia

T

HE former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, is opening old wound. He is touching on the sensibilities of the people by daring to remind them of a past they have struggled to forget. In the last couple of days, Kalu, in his characteristic uncouthness, has been insulting the person of the liberator of Abia, the great Ochendo. He has also commissioned his boy, one Ebere Wabara, to not only defame the character of Governor T A Orji but to denigrate the personality of the wellmeaning leaders and elders of the state. This is rudeness taken too far.

Truth is that Kalu’s name is today inscribed in the hall of infamy. His time and age in Abia have been swept into the dustbin of history. He is a fallen emperor who is still living in the self-delusion of a kind of self-importance.

No amount of insult from Kalu

and his commissioned agents against the person and personality of Governor Orji or his son, Ikuku, can diminish the towering profile of the governor. Reason is that Governor Orji’s achievements and reputation are well ahead of him. There comes in a century when God brings a leader that comes to provide a pathway for the people. Governor Orji is this agent of change.

Instead of his new-found preoccupation of throwing invectives on Governor Orji and using his boy to insult Ikuku, Kalu should rather embark on a self and critical post-mortem to understand the errors that led to his downfall. He should re-examine his life to know when and how he contravened natural justice. He should strive to identify that point of departure when he transcended the borders of decency and transgressed against the heavens.

The 2011 elections for him was a strident demystification of a selfstyled master strategist, the unmasking of the masquerade, and the humbling of the enfant terrible. Kalu did not only lose the election for the senatorial seat of the Abia North, his brother, Nnanna Kalu also lost his seat in the House of Representatives, and yet another brother who was

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VIEWPOINT

Today, Kalu is a dimming star who has descended into political limbo. In the days of his pomp and power, he had been celebrated as the quintessential political Maradona. And, indeed, he was

,

the Chief of Staff to the governor also lost out in the power games that culminated in the liberation of the state from the stranglehold of their family’s political dynasty.

Today, Kalu is a dimming star who has descended into political limbo. In the days of his pomp and power, he had been celebrated as the quintessential political Maradona. And, indeed, he was.

He deployed a combination of street intelligence, desperate manipulation, outright deceit and selective generosity to build a

cult of loyalists and a fortress of power under the banner of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA). Confident that he has conquered the state and consolidated his regime, he then boasted that his structure would rule Abia for 50 years and that his daughter was going to be the youngest governor in Nigeria.

However, his demystification was essentially a gradual process which started with the selfassertion of Governor Ohakim, who quickly extricated himself from the PPA fraternity and abandoned Kalu mid-way. Indeed, to everybody’s shock and bewilderment, the lesson of that incident did not crystallize on him, for before long, it became obvious that this self-acclaimed strategist was not even a good student of the history of power. In his illusion of being in control, he tried to humiliate a sitting chief executive of the state with his deputy.

He dared to query a man who has power in his hand. This was the last straw that brought him to his ruins. It was a tragic error with consequences that have been terribly devastating than he had imagined.

From that moment, Governor Theodore Orji took the bull by the horns and orchestrated the liberation of Abia out of the captivity of the Kalu dynasty. Today, Kalu has been stripped naked at the market square. The once enfant terrible of Abia has been derobed. All the simulations that

created the Kalu mystique have been unveiled. He is today a loner, denigrated and deflowered.

He is as lonely as an orphan, abandoned by even his greatest die-hard followers.

His first casualties were the elite. He rubbished the elite by marginalizing and sidelining them out of power, and elevated commoners and miscreants as a way of insulting the intelligence of the well-meaning elite of the state. The strategy of the elevation of the commoners was to have a congregation of sheepish loyalists. These men were to forever deify him as their “maker ”.

From the leadership of the Okada Riders Association, traditional rulers, market associations to every political appointment from local government councilors to even the aides of his successor, he held a suffocating grip on the state. Power started and ended at his doorstep.

In this mission, also, he deconstructed the entire Abia society, reduced the revered traditional institution into a calling for commoners and ridiculed even the political class. He balkanized many ancient kingdoms and appointed miscreants as traditional rulers for these new communities. In his own Igbere community, he created 21 communities out of a single community.

Adindu is the President-general of the Abia Renaissance Movement (ARM)

Between Wozniak’s touchscreen revolution and in-car infotainment

BY TOYIN OBIRE

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The need to improve on touchscreen dashboard technology

W

HEN the iPhone made its debut seven years ago, it was a gamechanger, redefining the telephone and the computer in one nimble swipe. Its capacitive touchscreen transformed the way people interact with technology, creating a new industry benchmark for gadget design and heralding a new era of convergence.

Even though Apple did not invent touchscreen technology - the first touchscreen models were made in the 1960s, 10 years before Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded their company – the release of the iPhone launched multi-touch technology into the mainstream market. The touchscreen is now ubiquitous and can be found on refrigerators, beside TV news anchors and more recently on the dashboards of automobiles.

The touchscreen revolution is speedily changing the environment that drivers need to manage while on the road and fast replacing the analogue, knob and button-studded dashboard with a fluid, digital playground.

Taking a phone call, checking email and browsing the internet used to be reserved for the office or home but with the emergence of smartphones and dashboards with display units, those functions are now available in vehicles.

What’s more, the touchscreen dashboard has a cost advantage over its physical counterpart and can save automobile manufacturers money. Today, high quality, multi-touch in-car infotainment is expected as a standard in a growing number of automobiles and the technology’s application is set for exponential

growth.

But Apple co-founder and physical dashboard proponent, Steve Wozniak, says touchscreens aren’t the best solution for in-car infotainment, especially with regard to ergonomics. Wozniak held this view during a discussion about driving distractions in vehicles and what solutions can be seen in the future to limit these distractions in the car at Ford’s Trend Conference, recently. He also raised safety concerns by describing the touchscreen dashboard as a cheaper option that can save companies money at the expense of drivers’ wellbeing.

“The problem of touchscreen dashboards is that it’s hard to find the right button to press without reaching over and taking your eyes off the road,” he said.

Current in-vehicle systems that incorporate touchscreens require the driver to look at the display even for minor tasks that don’t require visual feedback such as air conditioning control. While the technology may be great for waiting out traffic jams, it might not work out quite well for drivers on the move and may even make driving hazardous.

This development has not gone unnoticed by the public. American automobile manufacturer, Ford Motors launched Ford Sync, a factory-installed, integrated invehicle communications and entertainment system that allows users to make hands-free telephone calls, control music and perform other functions with the use of touch and voice commands in 2007, but the company has seemingly assumed Wozniak’s position with plans to restore buttons and knobs to its high-tech dashboards after drivers complained that the system made common tasks such as changing radio stations and adjusting audio volume demand too much attention. The potentially distracting panels will be combined with more traditional controls in new-

er models from 2014.

Another automobile manufacturer in the touchscreen infotainment game is Toyota, with its Entune Technology, which encompasses the vehicle’s complete audio display stack, including bluetooth, voice recognition, USB, and a touch-based display screen as well as access to navigation and a rich set of applications and data services referred to as the “Entune App Suite” on select models.

Forbes magazine took a stab at the touchscreen dashboard technology by describing it as the worst technology trend of 2012, mainly because drivers need to take their eyes off the road before using it. According to Forbes, the problem is made worse by “car manufacturers’ insistence on

,

VIEWPOINT

Regulations that standardize the limits on distracted driving caused by computers in cars are underdeveloped, so most auto manufacturers are free to develop systems without much oversight

,

pairing their systems with software that is years behind the intuitive interfaces that users have become used to, not unlike those of their smartphones, with simple tasks such as browsing through radio stations often pushed behind four or five menu levels.” So what hope for touchscreen in-car infotainment?

In spite of these limitations, the touchscreen dashboard can still be a valuable piece of technology in the car if implemented properly by addressing issues such as overly-small touch buttons and ineffectual voice com-

mands, amongst others, to make the technology viable, according to Wozniak. “It’s hard to find the right button to press without reaching over and taking your eyes off the road, but if companies made the touch buttons larger and therefore, easier to press, there’s less of a chance of hitting the wrong button and taking your eyes off the road even further. It’s easy to hit the buttons on a phone because you’re holding it; when you’re not holding it and it’s on a dashboard, it’s so hard to tap and hit the right buttons,” he explained.

With the myriad of opportunities for development available in this area of technology, automobiles are becoming a topic of increasing interest for high-tech industry manufacturers such as Apple, as evidenced by the company ’s addition of ‘eyes free mode’ in Siri, a car integration feature that is a part of its latest iOS 7. Through the voice command button on vehicles’ steering wheel, users will be able to ask Siri questions without taking their eyes off the road. To minimize distractions even more, the iOS device’s screen won’t light up. With the eyes free feature, users can ask Siri to call people, select and play music, hear and compose text messages, use maps and get directions, read notifications, find calendar information, add reminders, and more with minimal distraction from the actual task of driving.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, during the company’s Q2 2013 result announcement, underlined the importance of ‘building something for the car ’ and perhaps offering a clue to what the company’s next big innovation is. A recent patent filing by the company shows that it may be focusing on building the car dashboard of the future. The filing describes the patent, Digital Dash, as a revolutionary form of dashboard that is ‘stylistically

attractive, lower in cost, customizable by the user, programmable in both the tactile and visual sense, and with the potential of enhancing interior safety and vehicle operation.’

Due for release in 2014, the technology will feature an in-car touch screen system that is fitted with lasers and cameras to track head and eye movements, a new platform that mirrors the users’ iPhone on the in-car display alongside on-screen buttons designed to feel like real knobs, switches and sliders and other services without the user having to take their eyes off the wheel.

Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Kia, Hyundai, Volvo, Jaguar, and a number of other manufacturers are on board, with plans to incorporate the technology into their new car models this year.

Currently, the odds seem not to be in favour of the touchscreen dashboard. Researchers are beginning to examine the potential impact of distracted drivers on the road and say that drivers who look at screens have a much higher risk of crashing; a risk which increases exponentially the longer the driver has taken his eyes off the road.

Wozniak said that the technology as it is right now needs improvement, especially in the area of reducing the number of steps and time required to complete certain tasks. “The fewer steps, the better,” he said.

Automobile manufacturers that are currently utilizing the technology argue that they have tested and revised their newest systems to facilitate reduction of the amount of time that drivers spend looking away from the road. Nevertheless, regulations that standardize the limits on distracted driving caused by computers in cars are underdeveloped, so most auto manufacturers are free to develop systems without much oversight.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 49

BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF Understanding a militant leader's resolute stance iagainst injustice

A

prophet has honour except in his own land. This biblical axiom had dominated discourses for centuries breeding its own circle of ingratitude and irrational verbal outburst against even the unblemished in their own lands. Whenever emergent backlash is timely spotted like a submarine systemtically out of water, it is this biblical aphorism that is always summoned to soothe the minds of the unblemished frothing like dancing palm wine in the morning. I think it is time we intellectually subjected this saying ‘a prophet has honour except in his own land’ to gruelling interrogation since it is now lazily appropriated by phrase-mongers to darken the known phenomenal radiance of achievers all over the world. After all a snake seasonally casts off its skin to cope with the exigencies of its environment.

The ethical codes criminalise the unmasking of a hooded masquerade. For perpetrators of masquerade unmasking-sacrilege the anger of the gods, spirits and members of the masquerade cult would surge like furious waves breaking on the shores of Rivers Forcados. High Chief Government Expemupolo is a masquerade revered for riveting universal dance steps, daily charming away sorrows and encumbrances. Arrogant defilement and profanation of this universal masquerade in whatever form, rather than beatification of it, would attract corresponding punitive interrogation from the component forces - both human and spiritual.

Leadership-oriented vindictive maledictions and media profanities which are products of verbal recklessnees, should not be heaped on Tompolo because for a man who cleared a river of enervating turbidity and made it navigable, accolades, only interminable accolades, should flow effortlessly from liberated

The mystic in Tompolo mouths like OKILOLOBENI (stammercuring) waterfall in Ogbobabou forest.

Where were the various FRONTS and MOVEMENTS now parading as Jesus Christ in Gbaramatu kingdom when Tompolo was hacking away at the thick hostile forest?

For a man deeply philosophical, constantly meditative, always probing the mystical space for divine truths required to underpin and reinforce his stance on issues, recriminatory arrows (which rejoinders typically demand) are alien to his world – a world closer to nirvana than to mundane proclivities - mundane proclivities that immorally excite the unrepentant traducers of Tompolo. For a man whose sensibilities are more drawn and responsive to the progressive sacred codes of Christianity, Islam and African religion, he would not be bothered by irrational inuendoes of contract-hijacking and hegemonic posturing in the affairs of Gbaramatu and in the affairs of Niger Delta. Tompolo’s avowed devotion to the ideals of Egbesu has lifted him above mortals and above irrational insinuations of thievery heaped on a man entitled to harvest from his farm of sacrificial labour.

Despite his stoic personality adopted even in the face of disparaging inuendoes, some of his kinsmen should know that Tompolo no longer belongs to Gbaramatu kingdom alone: he belongs to the whole world.

He is as much a Moslem, Christian as he is a traditionalist; his genuine activist engagement to free man from exploitation has transmogrified him beyond Gbaramatu kingdom just like that carpenter boy Jesus Christ now claimed with fervour by all Christians.

So occasional cracks with Tompolo in Gbaramatu kingdom, sometimes magnified to claim fanciful leadership kudos and bravado, should not progress to the pages of newspapers as this is likely to provoke backlash only the afflicted could appropriate on a verbal platform for the uninitiated to comprehend. This is where

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VIEWPOINT

Disparaging irrational outburst could dislodge Tompolo’s devotion to his struggle but the mystic in him would not allow him to lose his way in the labyrinth of the forest

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even town-crying claims elevation as a functional sacred task finding its way only to the territory of the genuinely inspired insightful. Because Tompolo is a mystic he appears undaunted by irrational outburst of some of his kinsmen bordering on culpability for contract-hijacking and other sundry vices: he looks obviously bothered only by what he can do to put smiles on the face of the marginalized, oppressed, exploited…

Seemingly Tompolo’s resolute stand is this: let my achievements exemplify my avowed commitment to the struggle to transform the lives of my people in the Niger Delta and beyond. The disparagement of the leader Tompolo is clearly an unhealthy exploitation of his mystical inclinations which constantly keep his responses embargoed.

Disparaging irrational outburst could dislodge Tompolo’s devotion to his struggle but the mystic in him would not allow him to lose his way in the labyrinth of the forest. Mystics are known for transmutation of base materials into gold. This is indeed the orbit along which Tompolo journeys daily. He found himself in a hostile forest, nay, evil forest, in the Gbaramatu axis of Nigeria. With extraodinary penetrating eyes he could see the glories

in the forest. He was convinced through the Egbesu inspiration that the evil forest could be transformed for the betterment of mankind. Towards the transformation of the hostile forest, now tantamount to alchemical transmutation of base materials into gold, Tompolo led an armed struggle against the oil companies and the Nigerian Federal Government. The activities of MEND which he formed are too familiar to be mentioned here.

After adequate internationalization of the Niger Delta problem he was persuaded by all well-meaning Nigerians to claim amnesty offered to him in 2009 when he was convinced that government had demonstrated some visible commitment, which was enough to grant them a corresponding probationary season of watchful hibernation.

By this persuasively attained metamorphosis, he declared himself a positive agent of the Federal Government working for the peace, security and development of the Niger Delta and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria. From a hunted wanted man Tompolo became another hotly wanted man for the security of the country. Amidst pointers to his commitment to the peace and security in the Niger Delta, he has begun to address the problem of human capital development through Tompolo Foundation.

It sweetens the heart that most of the boys who befriended the forest along side Tompolo in the heat of the liberation struggle are now university graduates, ably piloting the affairs of Tompolo Foundation.

Even in the heat of the struggle and after the struggle, Tompolo unlocked the gate for the educationally promising ones to study in different universities. Only a committed leader disdainful of greed, arrogance, hegemony, narcissism and megalomania who can create this educational space for his freedom fighters. It is this jewel Tompolo some of whose kinsmen irrationally accuse of contract-hijacking and hegemonic posturing. The symmetry that typified his liberation struggle and made it successful will not depart from him now that he has taken on armless struggle to transform his people on whose interest he became a forest inhabitant for many years like ROBINSON CRUSOE.

A guinea worm crusader goes home

BY NKANU EGBE

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF The life-changing contributions of the late Sonnie Egbe

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HO declares Nigeria guinea worm free.” This was the grati fying headline which one had stumbled upon rummaging through some old newspapers. In this case, just three days old. There was indeed one of those who would be so glad, who had been part of the fight against guinea worm especially as it had previously ravaged his homestead – Sonnie Egbe, my brother. Alas, his phone number was not going through, so the matter had to die momentarily.

The fight against the guinea worm disease by Sonnie was quite early in the national crusade which became very intense in 1988 when under the erudite Professor Olikoye Ransome Kuti, the Federal Ministry of Health high pointed the disease as part of its primary health care campaign.

Sonnie’s guinea worm battle was specifically between 1991 and 1993, when he served as the first elected Chairman of Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. Then, the Jimmy Carter and General Yakubu Gowon Foundations, jointly leading the fight against guinea worm eradication, gratuitously sank an average of two boreholes in every LGA in the country. But this was grossly insufficient for the many communities which could not access potable water but had to resort to getting water from the polluted brooks and streams in their neighbourhoods.

Egbe reasoned that if potable water

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VIEWPOINT

Guinea worm was soon wiped out in Abi LGA and its communities as a result of Sonnie’s intervention with hardly any fresh reported case of guinea worm occurrence after he left office

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could reach every community in his constituency, the problem of guinea worm could be wiped out in Abi. He went ahead to sink a total of 59 boreholes. Indigenes of these communities no longer had to scrounge for contaminated brook water for drinking and cooking purposes.

Guinea worm was soon wiped out in Abi LGA and its communities as a result of Sonnie’s intervention with hardly any fresh reported case of guinea worm occurrence after he left office. His administration was relatively short as a result of the political crisis of 1993. But it is with gladness that one can say that the boreholes are still functioning to this very day.

Even then the 59 boreholes that Sonnie had sunk are quite inadequate compared to the many homesteads that still need to

have potable water running in their homes; albeit, his contribution has been most remarkable.

Dracunculiasis also called guinea worm disease (GWD) is a skin disease produced by the dracunculus parasite, or guinea worm. The parasite enters the host by way of ingestion of stagnant water contaminated with water fleas infested with the guinea worm larvae. It takes about one year for the disease to present, with a painful burning sensation as the female worm forms a blister usually on the lower limbs. Sometimes, the disease can lead to a deformation of the limbs.

Egbe Sunday Egbe, aka Sonnie Egbe, was indefatigable as Local Government Chairman. In that short spell of twenty odd months, apart from the provision of potable water to his local community, he made great in-roads into various areas including primary school education, providing assistance to teachers through training and provision of teachers’ guides and resources. He also established a mass transport service – Abitrans – which still traverses the country to this very day.

In the provision of rural electricity, Sonnie ensured that transformers were procured for each community in the LGA. Sadly, most of those transformers were not installed before he left office. But that most of Abi LGA would be connected to electricity would be a direct consequence of this action. One of his most ambitious projects would be Abimart, a commodities market, which initially was a sellers’ market for the wholesale exchange of primary food crops from one market to another market. When he left office, the market could not be continued. Then, Sonnie would introduce a football club, Abiwaves, which still exists till this day.

Egbe was that archetypal visionary leader and administrator. Like his father, late

Enyi Egbe, who was an astute civil servant - Divisional Officer and eventually Permanent Secretary - Sonnie had truly served his people. He provides a reference point for Local Government administration today.

When the Minister of Health, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, presented the WHO certificate to the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on January 14, 2014, Sonnie Egbe would have been proud to have been part of a project which was so close to his heart.

Alas, he was fighting the battle of his life at the Ikom General Hospital. He could not take calls. He was in the throes of his final moments on earth fighting the illness that he had been combating intermittently for over two years.

Born on Sunday 2 September 1951, Egbe Sunday Egbe, attended Presbyterian Secondary School, Abakiliki, as well as Hope Waddell Training Institute (HOWAD). He read Crop Science at University of Nigeria, Nsukka and obtained an MBA from the American International University, London. On return to Nigeria, in 1983, he had a short stint with the Nigerian Palm Produce Board as Senior Agricultural Officer. In 1984, leaving civil service, he presented a proposal to the Cross River State government for the environmental cleanup of Calabar, the state capital and was selected as one of the consultants on Calabar metropolitan environmental sanitation, a function he carried out till he ran for the office of Abi LGA Chairman. He breathed his last on Sunday, 19 January 2014. He had fought his many battles and had won. He definitely was not a saint in many ways but when he died, he died a Christian. Rest in peace, Sonnie.

Nkanu is a company executive in Lagos and a former Vanguard staff

PAGE 50, SUNDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, — PAGE 51

How to know he’s in love with you

By Yetunde Arebi

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hen in a relationship, especially a new one, it can be pretty difficult to know if the guy you are with loves you or not.

This is because, most of the time, our own definition of love, expectations, insecurities and previous experiences may becloud how clearly we see and perceive things. Other times, his actions, behaviours and words may be contradicting, making you doubt his feelings. Well, you are not alone in this game of “he loves me, loves me not” situation. It happens at some point or the other, even with the most successful love stories ever. Like many women, you will meet, date and be in relationships with different types of men and you will no doubt experience one or more of the following situations during the course of your love life. *Guys who will profess to love you but will not treat you as if they do, probably because they don’t really know how to love or express love.

These guys may love themselves more than they love you or are simply incapable of love. You will know you are with such a guy because, in your mind, you will always doubt and question his love for you.

*There are also the guys you have known only for a short while but who will tell you they love you without really even knowing you. When this happens, try not to believe them. They most likely have an ulterior motive, like trying to have sex with you or make some financial or material gains out of you. They are only using these big three

words just to ensure they achieve their objectives.

Once these have been met, be sure they will hit the road, on to another conquest. *There are also guys who don’t say the three words but treat you with love all the same.

This category of guys may actually love you, only they don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves and are more comfortable expressing themselves through their actions rather than words. *For the guys who don’t say they love you and don’t treat you right, you do not need a soothsayer to tell you that

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Here are a few signs you can watch out for if you want to be sure you are on the same page: He must treat you right: This is a golden rule in any relationship. A guy who loves you will be considerate of your feelings, needs and desires.

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your well being and will try to make efforts to make your life better and would sometimes go out of his way to accomplish that, even when it is not so convenient for him.

By extension, he will also be good to your friends and family.

You must be his priority: You will know that a guy loves you when you are at the forefront of his mind and he maintains contact in between the times you see each other. He considers you when making decisions and is considerate about doing the things you want. Such a guy will often use “we” rather than “I” when making plans and will include you in his plans.

He will care for you: When a guy is in love with you, he will be genuinely happy for you when good things happen to you. When you have challenges, he will be compassionate.

He will be there in good and bad times, knowing that nobody is perfect and we are all striving towards perfection.

Such a guy will always be ready to challenge you by calling you out on things to help you become a better person. When a guy believes that only he has the right and ability to succeed, while you must tag along, you need to retrace your steps.

He will want people to know about you: A guy who loves you will be proud of you. He will want to show you off to his friends and family and even take you out to his company’s social events. Such a guy will be affectionate with you in public even by simply holding your hands, hugging you or putting his arms around you as a sign of protection. This does not have to be obscene or indecent.

with respect and integrity: A guy who truly loves you will be trustworthy and loyal to you and your relationship.

He will not readily jeopardize what you share just for the pleasure of it. He will hold what you have sacred and do everything possible to keep it. Though he is not perfect, he is always willing to be a better man and is ready to work through the issues that may come up in the course of your relationship.

He will not be unnecessarily jealous or possessive: There is a saying that “ when you love something, set it free, if it comes back to you, then it belongs to you”. A guy who loves you will always want the best for you in all circumstance.

He will encourage you to do things even if it means doing them without him. He encourages you to find and live your passions, knowing that if you are happy and engaged with life, you will be happy and engaged in your relationship with him.

He will always trust you to take decisions that will promote your relationship rather than be suspicious of your relationships with other guys when he is not around.

When in a relationship, behaviours and actions mean more than words.

Do not be fooled by the sweet sounds of the three precious words if his behaviours and actions don’t match his words. If you are truthful to yourself, you will know if you are in a bad relationship because you will always feel uncertain and question his love for you, even if you don’t voice it out.

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PAGE 52, SUNDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 53

I

BECAME the Pas tor of Healing Wings, Chapel of Faith in 1998. But nine years later, I felt constrained to resign. My resignation came from the sudden realisation that even though God specifically called me to ministry, he never asked me to pastor a church. I have also come to realise that Jesus while Jesus calls prophets, wise men and inspired writers (Matthew 23:34); he calls no one to be a pastor for the simple reason that he is the only pastor of the Church of God.

One single pastor In the Old Testament, when the bible speaks of pastors, it is often in condemnation. Ezekiel castigates them as self-centred and egocentric.

(Ezekiel 34:2-4). Jeremiah says as a result of their incompetence, the sheep of God have gone astray.

(Jeremiah 50:6). How does God intend to remedy the situation? The answer lies in Jesus Christ; the wisdom of God. Solomon warns that we should be wary of a situation where God is said to lead his people through more than one pastor: “The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by ONE PASTOR. My son, beware of anything beyond these.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-12). Therefore, God decrees the summary dismissal of all pastors; to be replaced by one solitary true and faithful pastor: “I will establish ONE PASTOR over them, and he

WHY PASTORS DON’T GO TO HEAVEN (2) shall feed them---my servant David. He shall feed them and be their pastor. And I, the LORD, will be their God. (Ezekiel 34:23-24). “David my servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have ONE PASTOR.” (Ezekiel 37:24).

In asserting that “the Lord is my pastor,” David himself acknowledges that it is the Lord that must be the pastor of his people. (Psalm 23:1).

Much later, Matthew confirms that the promised pastor is Jesus, the root and the offspring of David. (Revelation 22: 16). He says: “Thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a ruler who will pastor my people Israel. (Matthew 2:5-6).

Indeed, Jesus is the only pastor since David who is also “the king of Israel.”

(John 10:11; 19:14).

The good pastor Jesus identifies himself as the promised pastor of the scriptures. He declares: “I am the good pastor; and I know my sheep, and am known by my own.” (John 10:14).

In Jesus is fulfilled God’s promise to take care of his flock all by himself: “I will feed my flock, and I will make them lie down. I

Martins decries decaying family values

C

ATHOLIC Arch bishop of the Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has exp-ressed concern over decaying societal values, attributing the current state to persistent decline in marriage and family values, reports WILLIAM JIMOH. The cleric who said this during a press conference in Lagos heralding the Archdioc-esan year of the family 2014, noted that in a bid to fix the reputation of Nigeria it is imperative to first fix marriage and family which, by extension, will proffer solutions to various challenges currently facing the country and the world at large.

According to the archbishop, “as a local church we are con-cerned about the decadence in our society which can be traced to the weakening marriage and family values. So we are saying, return the fami-

lies to Christ, heal the individual families and the nation will experience nearinstant healing and restora-tion.

“It is in order to achieve this that we have declar-ed 2014 as the Arch-diocesan Year of the Family. In celebrating this year, we have chosen the theme, “The Family as a domestic church” not just to fulfill all-righteousness but on the contrary, there are set goals to be pursued and attained during the programme.

“The theme covers a wide range of topical issues affecting marria-ge, family and the so-ciety, such as respect for human life, childless-ness, adoption, contra-ceptives and natural family planning.

“Others include the place of the Word of God and the Eucharist in the life of a Christian, responsible fatherhood and motherhood, sexuality education chas-

All those who still call themselves pastors today are not disciples of Jesus

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28).

This means in the New Testament church, all believers are equal in status. There is no guru; no head-honcho; no general overseer. Nobody should be designated pastor today because we are now, one and all, “a royal priesthood?” (I Peter 2:9).

There is no exclusive office of the priest today because Christ has now made all believers priests to God? (Revelation 1:6/ 5:10). The only power and authority Jesus gives to his disciples is over demons and diseases. (Luke 9:1).

in the bible.

Paul twisted a verse in Psalm 68 to make it seem as if it is written in the scriptures that Jesus would establish ministerial positions. The psalmist says men gave gifts to the Lord: “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you RECEIVED gifts from men. (Psalm 68:18). But Paul distorted this to say men received gifts from the Lord: “This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and GAVE gifts to men.’” (Ephesians 4:8). This then enabled him to say that pastors are God’s gift to men.

(Ephesians 4:11-12).

This is entirely bogus.

Bible translators conspire to hide Paul’s contradiction of Jesus by translating the same Greek word, “poimen” as “shepherd” (John 10:14); when it refers to Jesus’ injunctions, and as “pastor ” (Ephesians 4:11), when it refers to the leadership of the contemporary Christian church.

That way, the undiscerning remains unaware that Jesus’ radical injunctions are applicable to the thiefand-robber pastors of today.

What are we to conclude from this? All those who still call themselves pastors today are not disciples of Jesus. Their authority is not from heaven: their authority is from men. Pastors today are people flagrantly violating the will of God. Jesus warns: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 7:21).

will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16).

Since Jesus distinguishes himself as “the good pastor,” it follows that all other pastors are “bad pastors.” Indeed, Jesus declares: “All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:8). He then maintains that, in the Church of God, there will be one congregation and one pastor: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and ONE PASTOR.” (John 10: 16).

That means one church and one pastor. A man cannot have two pastors at the same time? That would just be confusing.

The sheep cannot follow two shepherds going in different directions. God hates the double-minded. (Psalm 119:113).

James is categorical: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

(James 1:8). So we have to make a choice as to

which church we belong and who exactly is our pastor.

tity, formation of children in authentic values, single parenthood, separation, divorce and widowhood, human suffering and the family and charity among other things.

“To ensure that nonCatholics and Catholics outside Lagos benefit from this celebration, efforts are being put in place to involve the social communication media", he added.

Continuing, Archbis-hop Martins said: “An interesting aspect of the programme during the year is that no one is left out. In the course of the year, the archbishop will meet with married peo-ple, singles, the youths and children at different times, but the discussion at such meet-ings will always revolve around the family,” he said.

The programme commences officially with an inaugural Mass on Thursday at Holy Cross Cathedral and is exp-ected to end on Satur-day, November 29, this year.

Cleric carpets politicians over indiscriminate defections

Bad pastors Accordingly, Jesus specifically prohibits his disciples from assuming ministerial positions of authority since they are reserved exclusively for him alone. He says: “Do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for one is your teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren” (Matthew 23: 8). He says furthermore: “Do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” (Matthew 23:910).

This means all those still calling themselves “Pastor Moses” and “Father Paul” today are charlatans; without exception.

In the Church of God, the Father is the source of all authority and from him it flows to Jesus, the Son. (Matthew 28:18). Jesus does not transfer this authority to some pastor, bishop or pope. Neither does he delegate the authority given to him.

Instead, he warns us:

By Olayinka LATONA

G

ENERAL Over seer of Temple Rebuilders Ministry, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi has frowned at indiscriminate cross carpeting of Nigerian politicians without recourse to the electorate who voted them into office.

Otoibhi made this known during an annual dedication ceremony of the church and end of 41 days prayer and fasting which held in Oshodi, Lagos. He noted that constitutional lapses have made it possible for political office holders to defect from parties on which platform they got into office; explaining

Bible dishonesty How then can we explain the proliferation of pastors in Christian churches today, in spite of Jesus’ clear-cut injunctions? The answer lays in Paul, a man who systematically undermines Jesus

that most politicians exploit lapses in the constitution to evade what the law of conscience expects them to do.

Arguing that defecting without resigning their positions, amounts to injustice to their parties and the electorate, he advised politicians to imbibe the fear of God as He would sooner or later hold them responsible for every of their deeds.

In his word: “Indiscriminate defections is a symptom of decadence in societal values. In this context, defection is the corrupt or unhealthy fruit of a morally decadent or unhealthy society. Every society gets

the kind of leaders it deserves, because leaders are a product of the society.”

The senior pastor of the church, Egbeda Assembly, Pastor Diolulu Augustus in his sermon titled; “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself ”, advised the congregation to live Christlike life, show forth the glory and mightiness of God; adding that it is God’s desire that all believers should occupy with all good works.

He said: “It is the will of God that believers will shine forth His glory wherever they are and exhibit the gift of God in their lives to propagate God’s kingdom”.

PAGE 54 – SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

‘Keshi has never been to the World Cup’ T

BY VICTOR OMOREGIE

HIS was Paul Bas sey’s assertion in his column in the Vanguard Newspapers of Monday, February 17, 2014. Irrespective of the assumption he thought the readers should adduce, I believe a journalist of his caliber should not make such rudimentary mistake. As journalists, facts are sacred. This goof by Mr. Bassey arose from the very sensitive issue of having Steven Keshi to take on a Technical Assistant (foreign or local). It is on record that Keshi qualified Togo to the World Cup but was not allowed to take the team to the mundial. I believe Mr. Bassey’s statement might be a sub-conscious thought to mean that if Keshi was not allowed to take Togo to the World Cup, he not carrying Nigeria to the World Cup would not be new or a strange occurrence. In plain language, Keshi the coach has not taken any country to the World Cup and so it can still happen and the world would not end.

According to Bassey, Keshi was invited by the NFF to ask him if he needed some assistants to help him tactically and in the area of player’s fitness, which Keshi replied that all he needed was just two people – Slyvanus Okpalla and Ogugua. However the Head of the Technical department of the NFF, Mr. Chris Green said that at

•Keshi their last meeting nothing of such was discussed. This assertion was corroborated also by NFF President Aminu Maigari, who told a group of journalists that there was never a time that the federation discussed the issue of technical assistant to Keshi. Meanwhile the issue of a Technical Assistant has been discussed as far back as 2013. It is alleged that the Head, Technical Department of NFF, Emmanuel Ikpeme raised the idea. Who are we to believe?

This is where I have a grouse. In other civilized climes, a total contractual package would have been spelt for the intending coach. This would contain aside remuneration, the caliber of back room staff that the FA expects him to bring along and his plans of

blending footballers he will call into a TEAM. The intending coach would then give the contract form to his lawyers to go through before he can reach a decision. At the end of the day, both parties would be in agreement. Thus creating an atmosphere of unity of purpose and direction to the objective. It is shameful that it is at this hour that some persons are shouting to high heavens that Keshi should have additional staff. I believe it is rather too late in the day for such and this is bound to be a distraction. Mr. Bassey says he has been a member of the FIFA delegation to two World Cups. I am surprised that Nigeria has not gained anything from his experiences. If the country had, she should not be asking for a

technical assistant in the ‘evening’ of our preparation. Preparing for the World Cup is like going to war. You strategize very early, draw out your plans and then ask for all you will need to prosecute the war. All Commanders are given crucial and very vital equipment to persecute the war. What comes later are just minor supplies to back up the initial strategy.

On the Okpalla’s case of insubordination, Bassey was quoting Lagos SWAN. I am taken aback by the remark.

One would have expected him to quote the section of the Civil Service regulations on the subject. What was he expecting to achieve.

It is no longer a secret what transpires before a footballer is invited to the national camp. Only a fraction

of these footballers are called up because of their talents, the rest pay their way into camp. Ask any footballer who has been invited and those that were dropped and you will be shocked about the stories you would hear. Even at the cadet level, it is all about how much you are willing to part with to get into camp. Small wonder, you find 20 year-olds masquerading as 17 yearolds. Sadly enough these footballers see nothing wrong in this act because at the club level the act is rampant. So the comment that Keshi did not take the ‘best legs’ to CHAN is debatable.

Keshi is the Coach and it is who he wants that he picks, period. Is Bassey telling Nigerians that the ‘best legs’ in Nigeria football are to be found in the Nigerian league. Then he has not gone round the country to watch unemployed and club less young Nigerian footballers display raw skill and grit that would put to shame what we see day-in-day-out as league matches.

We should not deceive ourselves, Nigeria will not get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, not to talk of the final of the World Cup, not because we cannot, it is just that we are doomed to fail.

There is always a self-destruct mechanism any time we embark on journeys like this. There is never nationalistic approach or commitment to sports. All you hear is egoistic statements about personal achievements.

This played out in Bassey’s closing statements….. “while waiting to one day tell the story of our contributions to date, like Alhaji Maigari, I also want to be able to say that I was a member of the Technical Committee when Nigeria for the first time qualified for the quarter final… the semi final… of the World Cup. Keshi’s success will therefore be to my glory”.

Not even to the Glory of GOD or NIGERIA, haba !!!

It is only Nigerians that can say whether Nigeria has done well. Till date, all Nigerians agree that the 1994 Super Eagle squad to the mundial of 1994 has been the best ever. FIFA rated Nigeria number five in the world at that time. This accolade given to the squad is far above the Football Olympic Gold medal winning team that went to Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Incidentally, both achievements occurred in the United States of America.

Nobody can present the history or record of another person except the person directly involved. Keshi should be allowed to write his own history. If he wants to go to the World Cup alone or with two or half number of coaches, that’s his business. He knows that he is at the threshold of history and he knows the steps to take.

LET KESHI BE. •Mr Omoregie, a former national athlete, is a staff of Vanguard

Who needs ‘’help’’, Keshi or NFF?

BY JOE EHIZODE

I

WANT to thank you for your weekly column. More than anything else, it helps to spur a debate about the road map for our soccer. Despite the tight schedule here, I still cheat my present employer every week by taking at least 20 minutes of my paid time to read your page.

Despite being a keen follower of your weekly reports, it is not the case that I agree with all that you say or write. Given the job we do and the way we are, as humans, that is very permissible.

You can see that I still used the word “we”, meaning that I still regard myself as a journalist despite many years of not being a functional reporter. It is passion and interest. It runs in the blood.

Lately, I am at pains to understand the arguments and clamor for a technical assistance for Coach Stephen Keshi. I feel it is not only petty on the part of officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but, a self serving wish. It is not based on national interest.

Let us for purpose of arguments assume that they are right to say

Keshi needs an assistant. What manner of assistant will the NFF provide Keshi ? What is it that the present crew lacks? Just because a 10-man Ghana national team beat the Super Eagles does not pale into insignificance all the good jobs that Keshi has done in just two years that he was hired. Perhaps we have forgotten so soon that at the 2008 Nations Cup in Accra, Ghana, Nigeria was beaten by the same margin by a 10-man Black Stars team. Who was in charge? An NFF world class coach named Berti Vogts.

Patience is one virtue that we lack in our clime. Refresh your mind that after the Super Eagles lost to Senegal in the 2002 Nations Cup, a generation of our players was compulsorily retired from the National team. While Senegal went ahead to beat France and moved up to the quarter finals, Coach Onigbinde was given the herculean task of recruiting fresh and inexperienced team to the World Cup in Japan/Korea. We want to win all the time. In Nigeria everybody is a coach and the coach must listen to every one of them.

Clemens Westerhof remains the best coach Nigeria has had in the past three decades. The measurement of that success is based on the fact that he won the country a Nations Cup and took us to the World Cup for the first time ever. After that we had Bonfrere Jo, Thijs Libregts Bora Mulitinovich, Berti Vogts and Lars Lagerbach. These men were hired by the NFF and in decent societies where men are held accountable, some people would have their butts grassed and cooling off in jail. Did they help our course? No. So when these same set of people are calling for foreign assistants, I am left to wonder if it is a season of madness in Nigeria?

The same Coach Keshi that “needs” help is the same person who has consistently produced results. He qualified Togo for the World Cup for the first time ever.

Before that, he assisted Shuaibu Amodu to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup in 2002 only to be denied the opportunity of going to the World Cup on both occasions. These feats do not look to me as mere flukes, just as some people will say it

is luck. On his second coming to Nigeria, he qualified Nigeria with relatively unknown players for the World Cup and won the Nations Cup under three years that he was appointed. We seem to have short memories. Not long ago a Nigerian coach hired by the same NFF told a bewildered nation that our local league is incapable of producing quality players for the national team.

Instead of appreciating the stupendous job done by Keshi, some of them are shamelessly calling for assistants to ”help’’ him. I am confused on who needs assistants. Is it Keshi or the noisy bunch in Abuja? In the first place, I am not one of those to be carried away by their language of deception. After all, it is not their antecedents that qualified them in the first place to be at the helm of Nigeria soccer, because of system that deals in patronage.

Look at the line up, they are made up of people who got there courtesy of a system that tosses up people not based on competence but rewarded for loyalty.

The perfect storm started with

•Maigari the sack of Sylvanus Okpalla.

The claim then was paucity of funds. That did not work. They feared the reaction of Nigerians who justifiably were proud of the work of Keshi. They moved on to set the national captain against the coach. That again failed. Instead of putting their intelligence to good use, they get busy and spin webs of lies.

Now that Joseph Yobo has been invited back to the team, I expect some of them to cover their heads in shame. Not in Nigeria!

Mr Ehizode, a former sports journalist wrote from Canada

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 23, 2014, PAGE 55

Olufade vows to improve NTA sports coverage

BY EDDIE AKALONU

Z

ONAL director of the Nigeria Television Authority, Lagos Centre, Mrs. Adenike Olufade has promised to work towards giving a face lift to facilities and equipment in the area as a way of ensuring adequate coverage of grassroots and national competitions. The zonal director, who was speaking at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos while on inspection of NTA Network Sports facilities, said the purpose was to find out challenges facing the unit with a view to giving due attention to such challenges as she commended the staff of the unit for constantly making inputs to the Network news in Abuja.

“I am here primarily to know our unit, see what we have on ground and find out challenges they face to see what we can do about them. What we have here we would use to continue to make inputs to the headquarters because sports play a very key role

2014 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games begin today

A

•NTA Zonal Director, Lagos Network Center, Mrs. Adenike Olufade, (2nd left) Paul Ogazi and Mrs Simon. Assistant Director Admin and Training NTA during their inspection of NTA facilities at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. in our national life especially for youth development and I would urge our staff to do more in this zone because a lot of activities take place here.

Whatever areas we find requiring attention both for immediate and long term will get it within available resources to the Authority,’” she said.

LL roads lead to the Chevron Recreation Centre as the 15th Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games will be flagged off today. The Gameswhichwillsee12companies participating will run through March 1.

Other centres that will witness action in the week-long eventincludeIkoyiClub1938 and the Teslim Balogun Stadium which will host the grand finale of the 4 x 100 metres relay and the football final. Events to be competed for include Tennis, Squash, Swimming, Athletics, Golf and 8 ball pool.

Other sports include Chess, Scrabble and football.

The opening ceremony holds at the Chevron Centre in Gbagada.

The chairman explained that adequate measures have been taken to ensure there were no cheats at the games. “Participation is only open to bonifide members of staff of the participating companies,” he said, adding that it would be extremely difficult for any mercenary to beat the measure put in place.

Confederation Cup: League delay worries Warri Wolves coach

BY BEN EFE

W

ARRI Wolves coach Paul Aigbogun has rued the non commencement of the Nigerian Premier League ahead of their continental battle in the CAF Confederation Cup. Aigbogun could only wish that the two friendly games against Insurance of Benin and Sharks of Port Harcourt will give his team a competitive edge when they play against Union Duala on Sunday in Duala, Cameroon.

“It’s our first continental game away from home and we wish that we had more games before that. However, we are going there to do our best and no matter what we are going to give 100 percent and get a decent result,” said the coach after their game against Insurance of Benin.

Warri Wolves will play their next friendly against Sharks on Sunday in Port Harcourt and then hit Lagos before traveling on Thursday to Cameroon to face Union Duala in the first leg of the Confederation Cup. “We are looking forward to the match. Our boys are motivated and despite the delay in the start of our league they are prepared to give it their best,” said Moses Etu the spokesman of the Warri club.

Last weekend in the CAF Champions League, Enyimba qualified on their skin of their teeth after losing 2-1 in Lome, Togo to Anges de Notse. The fire leg in Aba ened 3-1, this is just as Kano Pillars crashed out having lost to Vita of Congo DR.

TODAY’S MATCHES Liverpool v Swansea Newcastle v Aston Villa Norwich v Tottenham

2.30 pm 2.30 pm 5 pm

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 Chelsea West Brom Cardiff West Ham Man City Arsenal Crystal

1 1 0 3 1 4 0

RESULTS

Everton Fulham Hull Southampton Stoke Sunderland Man Utd

0 1 4 1 0 1 2

‘Keshi has never been to the World Cup’ — P.54

World Cup: Emenike seeks divine Terry’s protection from injuries strike keeps Chelsea on top

S

UPER Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike is looking up to the heavens to keep him free from injuries ahead of the world cup slated for June in Brazil.

This is against the backdrop of injury the top striker suffered in the run-up to the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil last year. Emenike recently returned to action for Fenerbahce after cooping a thigh injury and as the build up continues to Brazil 2014, Emenike stated that his wish was to remain healthy and play for the Eagles at the World Cup. “Here’s hoping I can make up for it at the World Cup. It’s an occasion that obviously means a great deal to me.

Events don’t come any bigger.

It’s going to be amazing. I pray that I don’t get injured this time. I injured my knee a few weeks before the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament and unfortunately had to pull out,” Emenike said.

Emenike scored two vital goals in the first leg of the World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. At the last Nations Cup in South Africa his four goals where vital in the the Super Eagles triumph.

J

OHN Terry grabbed a stoppage-time winner as Chelsea beat Everton to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Blues captain Terry slid in with goalkeeper Tim Howard to meet Frank Lampard’s inswinging free-kick, denying Everton a fully deserved point against their lacklustre hosts.

Neither side created many clear chances but the Toffees looked sharper for much of the game, only to lose out in agonising fashion.

The league leaders lacked cohesion, despite a promising opening and a marked improvement in the final stages.

But the victory, their 12th in 14 home league games this season, means they are one point clear of Arsenal and three points ahead of Manchester City, though the latter have one game in hand.

STRUGGLING...

Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure (r) battles for ball posses with Stoke City’s Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester yesterday.

Toure scored the only goal of the match

I’m no magician, NSC performance director, Taylor declares

BY BEN EFE

N

ATIONAL Sports Com mission, NSC, performance director, Angie Taylor has confessed that she possesses no magic wand to produce over night success for Nigeria at international sports meets, but rather she would strive to improve upon what she and her team have met for future results.

Miss Taylor who was speaking in Ijebu-Ode last weekend stated that the country has talents and facilities to produce podium performances, but there is a whole lot of work to be done by all the federations and stakeholders. She added that she was hoping to set up a machinery that will ensure a regular flow of talents and quality coaching in Nigeria.

“The expectation from the National Sports Commission, the Minister and the DG is to put up a comprehensive high performance centre.

“This encompasses a task force committee working together with various federations

and coaches, different stake holders to implement a programme so that we can achieve the best practices and strategic plans that will give us successes at the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships and Olympics in 2016,” said the former USA athlete.

She stated that the high performance centre involves a whole lot and this things must have to be in place before any training programme could be pursued.

“High performance is a variety of things. These include facilities, medicals, paramedicals, staff coaches education programme. We want to put down a template so it does not matter who is in position... it can be followed by everyone.

“Well obviously at talent level, Nigeria has plenty of talents as evident in the past years. In terms of facilities, I have visited the facilities in Lagos and Abuja and I am looking around as well.

“In doing the high performance, we are going to take what we have and enhance it.

We have facilities; May be they have not been maintained effectively, my primary goal is to look at everything and evaluate it with the team working with me. We are going to improve on those things we have shown

weakness. We are going to take a look at our opportunities, strength and weaknesses and improve upon them.”

She added that each sporting federation has a responsibility in repositioning their sport add-

ing that the NSC is only a collaborator.

“We are working together... a collaboration and synergy where everyone is on one page.

So it is a working relationship and not a one person thing,” she stressed.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Nobel-winning Archbishop (7-4) 5.Sailor (3) 7.Consumed (5) 8.Domesticates (5) 9.Ovum (3) 10.Electricity counting gadgets (6) 13.Highlander (4) 15.Poem (3) 17.One that contests (9) 20.Nigerian tribe (5) 22.Cereal (5) 24.Demoted (9) 27.Pig’s pen (3) 29.No one (4) 30.Sulks (6) 33.Away (3) 35.Presses (5) 36.Till (5) 37. Swine (3) 38. “The Man Who Saw Tomorrow” (11)

DOWN 1.Sleeping vision (5) 2.Possessor (5) 3.Tax (4) 4.Depressing (9) 5.Argentinian dance (5) 6.Wash lightly (5) 11.Greek letter (3) 12.Distress call (1-1-1) 14.English boy’s name (5) 16.Obstacle (3) 17.Bovine animal (3) 18.Mindfulness (9) 19.Alarm (5) 21.Help (3) 23.Village house (3) 25.Gnome (3) 26.Vast age (3) 27.Condescend (5) 28.Youthful (5) 31.Circular (5) 32.Trades (5) 34.Old Russian King (4)

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SOLUTION on page 5

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