Anambra standsstill for Achebe

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61888

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

** THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

ACHEBE'S DAY OF GLORY:

N150

Boko Haram detainees to be released in phases — FG •P.8

NUC, ICPC crack down on illegal •P.25 varsities nationwide ACHEBE—The crowd that received body of late Prof. Chinua Achebe (inset) at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, COLUMNISTS:

Anambra State, yesterday. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu.

Anambra stands still for Achebe •Eulogies, cultural shows, tributes mark exit •Obi, Ngige, others lead mourners in Awka

•Ndigbo will miss him — Ohanaeze MALI OPERATION:

Army arrests Saboteur P.9 • soldiers C M Y K

7 killers of •P.6 ex-Kwara CP, Asadu arrested, arraigned — IGP

BY MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU, TONY EDIKE & VINCENT UJUMADU

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WKA— AWKA, the capital of Anambra State stood still, yesterday, as the body of the literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe arrived the state for its final journey to Ogidi, his home town, in Idemili North Local Government Area.

His remains will be interred later today.

The famous writer of Things Fall Apart, who

Continues on page 5

Is'haq Modibbo Kawu

•P.17

OCHEREOME NNANNA •P.19

Josef Omorotionmwan •P.19

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 — 3

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

VISIT—Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right) admiring the plaque presented to him by the Assistant Inspector-General(AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 6, Jonathan Johnson (left) when the AIG led some senior officers from the zone to pay a courtesy visit to the Governor.

Anambra stands still for Achebe Continues from page 1 died in Boston, United States of America, USA, was flown into Enugu from Abuja and was finally brought to Awka, at exactly 1.07pm.

Early morning rains which started at about 6 am had welcomed the body of the late literary

giant, to Anambra State as the people prepared to troop into the Alex Ekwueme Square in the state capital to attend ceremonies lined up for him by the state government and the burial committees. By 7.00 am, a large number of security operatives had taken

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

You cannot claim to be the master of the summit when you have not experienced the valley.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Happiness is not a goal...it’s a by-product of a life well lived — Eleanor Roosevelt

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N many ways, Contentment, which can be de fined as the state of being satisfied, can be closely associated with the concept of happiness.

Positive Psychology finds it very important to study what contributes to people being happy. This contented state of mind is that which psychologist and writer Christopher Petersons calls “savouring”. He refers to it as an understanding, rather than expecting everything to be perfect in our world before being happy; it is best to delve into what you already have and savour it for all its worth with a knowing that you have put yourself in a position that is meaningful to your calling and purpose in life.

In a sense, contentment is said to be the freedom from anxiety, want or need. Contentment is the goal behind all goals. Many people strongly associate money with happiness, and they believe that being rich will contribute greatly to making them happier, and we see that this idea is increasing with people who reflect an unusual intensity in growing materialism. Although wealth is associated with uplifting positive outcomes, the overall relationship between money and happiness is marginal.

positions while members of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, were already directing traffic to appropriate places.

The remains of late Achebe was brought in a motorcade to the expansive Alex Ekwueme Square Awka, into the waiting hands of his kinsmen, friends, colleagues and high profile delegates from governments across the world.

Obi, Ngige lead mourners Governor Peter Obi and the senator representing Anambra Central in senate, Achebe’s senatorial zone, Dr. Chris Ngige received Achebe’s body at Amansea border between Enugu and Anambra states to a waiting crowd comprising civil servants, politicians and journalists.

The entourage headed straight to the Alex Ekwueme Square where prayers and tributes were offered.

The body lay in state at the middle of the square and was surrounded by Achebe’s kinsmen wearing traditional attires with red caps to match.

On ground to witness the solemn moment of tribute anchored by actor Bob Manuel Udokwu were Chris Odom, Professor Joneta Cole, Director of Smithsonian Institute, Washington; Prof. Scott Meyers of Penguin Books, and Professor Justin Whelan of the University of Cambridge, who represented the Arch bishop of Canterbury.

There were also members of the Achebe family comprising his widow, Prof. Mrs. Achebe, and his children- Dr. Ike Achebe, Prof Chinelo Achebe, Dr. Chidi Achebe and Prof.

Nwando Achebe.

In his glowing tribute to Achebe, the Director of Penguin, Scott described the late writer as a very great man of letters, whose works have had a succession of influence across generations of writers.

He noted particularly the influence of Achebe’s first three books; Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and No Longer At Ease, which he described as a “ trilogy of African literature, stressing that “I have not seen others’ books or writers that have been so studied and reprinted like Achebe and his works.

Among other personalities that witnessed the Awka ceremony were Senator Ndoma Egba, senate leader who led other senators namely, Senators Uche Chukwumerije, Moham-

med Magoro and Chris Ngige to represent the senate.

Anglican Bishop of Awka, Rt. Rev Alex Ibezim, in his opening prayer said that with the death of Achebe, things have fallen apart and what Nigerians should pray for is the mercy of God. According to the Bishop, “Achebe’s death is a celebration of life because he achieved so much for humanity. It is, however, mourning in a way because we will no longer see him and this is painful.”

To the traditional ruler of Ndikelionwu, Eze P r o f e s s o r Chukwuemeka Ike, himself a renowned author, Achebe neither benefitted from any godfather, nor participated in the looting of treasury, but worked hard to become an international figure.

Chairman of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, ASATU, Dr. Innocent Onwubuya described Achebe as both a traditional person, having been the president general of Ogidi Town Union and an academician who had done the nation proud.

Others who paid tribute to Achebe include Igwe Prof Laz Ekwueme, president of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Prof Remi Raji; Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe Univerisity, Professor Boniface Egboka; former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili; Mr. Chike Momah, who was Achebe’s classmate at both Government College, Umuahia and University College, Ibadan.

Governor Peter Obi, in his speech, commended Nigerians for according the literary icon a deserving respect.

He said that Achebe’s personality towered so high that no fewer than 12 heads of state sent

condolence messages to him after his death and urged Nigerians to emulate his lifestyle.

To the governor, the writer had done his beat and that if there is indeed heaven, ‘Achebe will definitely be there because he did his race so well.’

Ndigbo will miss him — Ohanaeze The apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said yesterday, that the departed literary giant, Professor Chinua Achebe whose remains would be finally laid to rest at his Ogidi country home in Anambra State today, would be missed for a very long time.

The umbrella Igbo organization said Achebe’s departure has left a yawning gap in the horizon of the Igbo nation.

Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, who spoke with Vanguard on the demise of the renowned author, said that the organization viewed Achebe’s exit as “very tragic” and would not be forgotten easily.

He said: “Achebe’s departure is a traumatic blow to Ndigbo and indeed Africans. Though 82 is a ripe age, we would have wanted him to live forever. His demise has left a yawning gap in our horizon. We will miss him a lot and for a long, long time. He cannot be forgotten too easily because he is the man who put our essence into sharp focus with his magnum workThings Fall Apart.

Therein he re-established the long damaged self confidence and psyche of the Africans who had been plummeted by colonial powers into seeing themselves as less than human."

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Disabled jailed for drug trafficking

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AGOS — JUSTICE Musa Kurya of a Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, sentenced a 34-year old disabled, Wale Arowolo, to six months imprisonment for drug trafficking.

The judge sentenced the accused after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of dealing in a restricted narcotic, cannabis sativa.

Arowolo, who was previously arraigned early in May, had pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.

The judge had granted him bail, but since he could not provide any surety to perfect his bail, the court ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi prisons and adjourned the case for trial.

When the case was mentioned, yesterday, counsel to the accused, Mr C.D Obaye, informed the court that the accused wished to change his plea.

He said the accused who had been in custody since his arrest on July 3, 2012, said he now wished to face the law by pleading guilty, since he equally could not provide a surety.

Justice Kurya then ordered that the charge be read over to the accused again for his plea to be taken.

The accused pleaded guilty and the judge ordered the prosecutor, Mr J.I Igunbor, to review the facts, in order to save the time of the court.

Customs impounds N5.9m contraband

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI— THE Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, yesterday, intercepted a trailer loaded with 62 sacks of second hand clothings.

Showing newsmen round the seized items, Customs Area Controller, CAC, Mr. Victor David Dimka, explained that the vehicle was impounded at about 5.20 a.m along the ever busy Aba-Uyo federal highway.

“Sixty two bales of banned second hand clothes that were carefully concealed in a 10-tyre Mack tipping trailer, were early this morning (yesterday) impounded by our operatives,” Dimka said.

7 suspected killers of Kwara ex-CP, Asadu arrested, arraigned — IGP

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU — THE Inspector General of Police,Mr Mohammed Abubakar, said in Enugu, yesterday, that seven persons who took part in the murder of former Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Chinwike Asadu, have been apprehended.

Abubakar made the disclosure during his one-day working visit to the state where the state government presented 100 patrol vehicles to the police to beef up security in the state.

He said the suspects, who were arrested with the arms and ammunition they used to carry out the murder, have already been arraigned before a court of law.

However, he did not disclose the location of the court.

Abubakar said: “I know we have a nagging issue, that is the killing of our commissioner of police. We have arrested seven of those who took part in his killing.

It is a very sad and horrific event and that is why when I came for condolence, I did make a promise that we will do everything humanly possible to get those who killed Asadu. I am glad to tell Nigerians that seven of those who took part in the killing have been arrested and have been arraigned before a court of law,” adding that they had confessed to the murder.

The IGP further disclosed that the police were still searching for other suspects, adding that the arrested suspects were charged for murder.

Abubakar warned that the police would not fold their arms and allow lawless people to terminate the lives of innocent ones with-

out being arrested, adding that the law must be enforced.

On Nasarawa murder On the policemen who were recently murdered in Nasarawa

AGOS — A Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, sentenced a book seller to three months imprisonment for sale of pirated books.

The convict, Chibueze Akamu, resident at 69, Owodunni Street, Iwaya, Yaba, was charged by the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC. He had pleaded guilty to a twocount charge of piracy and sale of pirated books.

Justice Saliu Saidu sentenced the accused following his plea.

Saidu ruled: "Having pleaded guilty to the charge before this

The IGP used the opportunity to commission the remodelled Police Hospital and Clinic in the South-East and the vehicles procured by the Government of Enugu State for the police.

Some of the patrol vehicles presented to the police by the Enugu State government.

Customs intercepts vehicles conveying 56,750 live ammunition

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BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN — FEW hours after the Oyo State Police Command arrested a man with 3,500 live cartridges, the Oyo/Osun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service also impounded a vehicle loaded with 56,750 rounds of ammunition at Saki in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.

The Customs Area Controller, Mr Richard Oteri, said the vehicle conveying the ammunition

Man jailed 3 months for selling pirated copies of El-Rufai’s book

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State, Abubakar said investigations were still on and described the murder as “callous and barbaric.” He promised to brief the press on the outcome of their investigations at the appropriate time.

honourable court, the accused is hereby convicted as charged.

“The accused is sentenced to three months imprisonment, on each count which term shall run concurrently.”

The prosecutor, Mrs Lynda Alphaeus, had told the court that the accused was apprehended on April 25, at Oyingbo, Lagos.

She said the accused was caught at the bus stop, selling pirated copies of the book, “The Accidental Public Servant” authored by former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai.

was arrested along the Igboho road in Saki.

Disclosing that the contraband was concealed in bags packed with dried cassava tubers, he appealed to royal fathers and community leaders to sensitize their subjects on the dangers of smuggling especially in the light of serious security challenges in the country.

He said the command generated more than N4.5 billion in the first quarter of this year.

The breakdown showed thatN49,726,393 was made from revenue collected on vehicles be-

tween January and April this year.

Oteri further explained that 2,716 bags of rice, 28 fairly used assorted cars and SUVs, 2,500 cartons of frozen product, a lorry loaded with 700 cartons of foreign shoes, a bus loaded with textile materials and 521 used tyres concealed with 600 bags of animal feeds in a trailer were seized by his command.

Oteri later handed over the ammunition to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Oyo State Police Command, Musa Kimo.

Seized ammunition being handed over by the Nigeria Customs to the Police in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: NAN.

Police parade two 17-year-old kidnappers, others

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BY OLA AJAYI

BADAN — TWO 17-year-old suspected kidnappers were among other suspects paraded at the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, yesterday.

Their attempts to kidnap an-

other teenager whose name was given as Victor was foiled by the police following a tip-off.

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa, the suspects had contracted a motorcyclist who they

promised to give N100,000 if the operation was successful.

The two boys who were weeping profusely said they regretted their action.

One of the boys, Tunde Alonge, an SSS 1 student said: “I was at

home when Similoluwa called me that he had hatched a plan of how we would make money.”

The second suspect, Similoluwa, told newsmen that he wanted to use the money to settle his admission problem.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—7

Kirikiri residents protest neglect by oil firms

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & SAVIOUR UDOFA

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AGOS — AKOLADE Arowolo, accused of killing his banker wife, Titilayo Arowolo, yesterday, told an Ikeja High Court how he struggled with his slain wife while he was allegedly attacked with a knife by the deceased.

Akolade, who was led in evidence on his defence by his lawyer, told the court that nothing could have made him to kill the deceased, because of the love he had for her.

“I am not that kind of person, I loved her so much and I also love my daughter Olamide too,” Akolade said.

He gave his testimony before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.

Giving his account on what happened on the fateful day, Akolade said he received a call from his father on his birthday around 10 a.m. and several other calls before he left home for the bank to cash some money for the birthday celebration.

Arowolo said on his way home, he met his mechanic whom he had called earlier to fix the shaft of his Honda Accord car, to allow him and his late wife pick up their daughter, Olamide, from his inlaws' house.

According to him, on getting home, he knocked at the door and his wife opened, dressed up as against their earlier discussions to stay in-doors to watch Big Brother Africa show.

Arowolo said this led to some disagreements between the two of them, where he reminded her of all what she said about determination to be a good housewife.

Akolade said: “From today you have made up your mind to be the best of wives and that you will no longer quarrel with me or leave the house again, that in particular no matter the differences we have you will never leave the house again and that I can help you to control your an-

BY WILLIAM JIMOH

L Fake drugs being destroyed by Kano State government, Tuesday, to fight drug abuse among youths in the state.

Slain banker: I struggled to escape being killed —Akolade ger and I promised to do that.”

Akolade said instead of listening to him, his late wife slapped him and immediately his wife’s father, George Oyakhire’s call came in and she picked the call and told him that he should tell Akolade to leave her alone.

He added that after some time, he went to meet one Mama Hanna Alaka, their neighbour, over what his wife did, and pondered that something must have been wrong with her.

I saw my wife with knife Akolade said he saw his wife with a knife, but did not know what she wanted to do with it.

He said: “Omo (his wife) used to take alcohol, some wine and Smirnoff ice and she had taken some before I left home in celebration of my birthday.”

Emphasizing the love he had

for the late wife, he said: “I loved my wife so much not to want to see her hurt. And that’s why I did all I could to ensure we stayed together. I loved my wife and my daughter, Olamide so much.”

He also said he tried to protect the woman and himself which led to his jumping out of their staircase.

He said: “As a result of what happened on that day, I could equally have died from the injuries i sustained and the risk I took jumping from a four-storey building trying to save her from death.

I still have a lot of medical challenges as a result of the injuries I sustained,” he said.

He said he was caught unawares and he tried everything he could to avoid the stabs and took the knife from her, adding that she didn’t give him any reason for her actions that day but only continued to lash out at him.

Jilted lover rapes, stabs girlfriend to death I killed her out of jealousy, anger — Suspect

BY EVELYN USMAN

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AGOS— OPERATIVES at the Ogun State Criminal Investigation Department, Elewe-Eran, have arrested a 25- year-old man who allegedly raped and stabbed his girlfriend to death in her parents' apartment in Ogijo area close to Ikorodu.

The suspect, Anuoluwapo Akinloye, a bricklayer, who admitted to have committed the act, told Vanguard that he did it out of jealousy and fear of losing his girlfriend, Rafiat Akinyemi.

According to him; “when I met her, I told her I would marry her and she agreed. Along the line, she told me she would only marry me if I convert to Islam which I did.

“I started going to the mosque and observing the monthly fast. I even changed my name to Ismail

and also applied for a post in the security department of the mosque I was worshiping just to please her.

“In the process I was disowned by my parents for converting to Islam. But I never cared because I loved her.

“Then, all of a sudden, she called to say she was no longer interested in me. When I demanded to know why, she did not give any reason. I begged her but she did not yield. I thought perhaps she had found someone richer than me.

“But then, I told her she would not have made me go through the pain of conversion which resulted in my being neglected by my parents.

“So, two weeks ago, at about 8.30 am, I went to her house where I met her sweeping. She told me to leave and I got angry.

In the process I stabbed her.”

Asked where he got the weapon used to stab her, he said he took it with him from home.

Suspected cultist But the rumour making the rounds in Ogijo is that the suspect is a cultist. Vanguard also gathered that the deceased decided to call off the relationship on realizsing that her boyfriend was a cultist.

A resident of Ogijo told Vanguard: “Anuoluwapo had threatened to kill Rafiat, saying if he could not have her, no other person would.

“Some of his friends who came here after the incident said they had cautioned him to leave her alone since she was not the only lady around."

“I was trying to regain my balance and was shouting; “Omo, what’s wrong with you. But rather than answer me, she was shouting, I will kill you and kill myself. While I was trying to calm her, she came at my navel and I had no choice than to disarm her.

“The knife had cut my right palm into almost two and I had other cuts. I was bleeding all over and we were struggling for the knife until we fell down on the bed, the struggle continued and in the process, I sustained other lacerations and the knife dropped from her hand.

How I jumped from the verandah “I then asked, Omo what’s all these? And she said she was sorry.

I told her to be calm while I get help but the door was locked and the key was not there. I kept asking Omo, where’s the key and she was pointing at some places and I was scattering everywhere to locate the key.

“I didn’t see the key. What came to my mind was to break down the door, I ran to the kitchen, took a long spoon, hammer and knife but when I couldn’t get it opened, in annoyance I threw the things on the floor and jumped from the verandah.”

He added that it was at that point that his mechanic brought his car and he entered it and went to the nearest police station to get help, adding that he didn’t get there before he saw some policemen but while talking to them, a car hit him and he lost consciousness.

Akolade added that a good Samaritan took him from the place on a commercial motorcycle but he couldn’t say what happened as he woke up next day on the dump site of a public school.

Speaking on his wife’s reaction, Akolade stated that she was either drunk, mentally sick or hypnotised.

AGOS— FOR second day running, operations of five oil firms in Kirikiri town, Oriade Local Council Development Council Area, LCDA, of Lagos State, were paralysed by residents protesting the deplorable state of roads in the community and lack of employment opportunities for its youths.

The community accused the oil firms of not only refusing to offer jobs to the youths but also destroyed the two major roads in the community (Cardoso and Karimu) by their heavy duty trucks.

Affected oil companies are Bovas Oil, Techno Oil, Swift Oil, Index Petrolube Africa and Fatgbems Oil. The protesters who displayed several placards with inscriptions such as “ repair our roads and provide jobs for our youths”, blamed the sorry state of the major roads in the town on oil companies and vowed to halt their operations by preventing tanker trucks from entering into the community until their demands were met.

President-General of Kirikiri Youth Association, Mr. Udoji Popoola, explained that the protest remained the only option since the companies had reneged on their promises to repair the roads.

He said: “We are not fighting anybody. We are not destroying anything.

All we are agitating for is that the roads in this community are in a very bad condition and that it is high time they were repaired.”

Chairman, Oriade LCDA, Mr Ibrahim Sanusi, told Vanguard that he had made efforts to draw the attention of the oil tank farm operators to the bad state of the roads to no avail, lamenting that the LCDA had no capacity to do the two major roads.

8—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Boko Haram detainees 'll be released in phases —Presidency

BY HENRY UMORU

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BUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, disclosed that the order directing the release from Police, DSS and military detention centres of Boko Haram suspects detained in connection with the security challenge, would be carried out in phases.

According to the Presidency, the first batch would lay emphasis on women and children who have been in detention on suspicion of involvement and/or connection with insurgency in some parts of the country.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, the Presidency explained that the first phase would be followed by other phased releases where cases would be treated on their individual merits by the defence authorities and security agencies.

Okupe said, "It has become necessary to make further clarifications on the directive for the release of some people held in connection with activities of the Boko Haram sect, in view of misrepresentations in some sections of the media.

"The order for the release of the detainees would be in phases. Concerning the first batch, the emphasis is on women and children who have been in detention on suspicion of involvement and/or connection with insurgency in some parts of the country.

"This would be followed by other phased releases where cases would be treated on their individual merits by the defence authorities and security agencies.

"The presidential directive was as a result of the interim report by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peace in Northern Nigeria which recommended the measure as part of government’s multi-faceted strategy towards solving the security challenges posed by activities of the sect.

"This directive by Mr President further proves that the Federal Government has not foreclosed dialogue as a viable option in its bid to put an end to insurgency and terrorist activities in the Northern part of the country.

"It is expected that this phased release of detainees will encourage those who wish to embrace the peace option to come out and take advantage of the dialogue and peace option provided by the committee put in place by government.”

Nasarawa massacre: Director arrested, accused of leaking information to cultists

BY SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, ABUJA

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TILL trying to fish out the masterminds of the massacre of dozens of policemen and security agents in Alakyo in Nasarawa State about two weeks ago, security operatives have arrested a senior director working with the state government in connection with the killings.

The officer was alleged to have passed strategic security information to the cultists thereby enabling them to strike with precision on the fateful day.

Vanguard learnt from a reliable source that the director, whose name was given as Mohammed and works at the office of the Secretary to the State Government, was privy to most security decisions taken by the state on account of his position in the administration.

Findings by Vanguard yesterday revealed that angry security agents, who are still peeved over the killings of their colleagues by the dreaded Ombatse cult group, swooped on Mohammed after tracing some vital information leaked to the group, to his phone.

The suspect, who is believed to be an Eggon native, where the cult has its roots and base, was reportedly picked up from his office to the surprise of his staff, when the security men handcuffed and whisked him away in a commando-like fashion.

Mohammed was initially detained and questioned by men of the Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia before being transferred to Abuja for further interrogation in connection with the heinous crime.

A senior official of the Nasarawa State government, who pleaded anonymity because he had not been authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed the arrest of the director and transfer to Abuja by security men.

The officer said that the man was arrested after security agents established a relationship between him and the deadly cult group in the state.

The Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Mohammed, had on Monday confirmed the arrest of no fewer than 15 officers and men, who allegedly connived with the cult group to massacre the policemen in the state.

The IG said the men were still being investigated to determine their level of culpability or otherwise in the offence.

It would be recalled that no fewer than 96 police officers and men as well as Department of State Service, DSS, officials, who had gone to Eggon, about 10 kilometres away from the Nasarawa State capital, to arrest the

leader of the Ombatse shrine were ambushed and murdered by the cultists on May 9, 2013.

As at yesterday, the security agencies were yet to swoop on the cultists, who are believed

to be holed up in the vast forests in the area, roaring to descend on any intruder in the community.

The cult group, which had earlier been outlawed by the Al-

Makura administration, was reportedly encouraged by some powerful politicians to continue with its malevolent activities, hoping to use them to outsmart their opponents in the 2015 elections.

FEC MEETING—From left: Agric Minister, Akinwumi Adesina; Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi; Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah and Housing Minister, Amal Pepple discussing before the opening of the weekly FEC meeting at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Corruption allegation: NJC insists on probing of Justice Gunmi

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA——THE National Judicial Council, NJC, yesterday, said it would still go ahead and investigate allegations of corruption levelled against the former Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal Hassan Gunmi, despite his voluntary resignation from office.

Consequently, the Council which is presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mariam Muhktar dismissed an objection that was filed before it by the ex-CJ, seeking to stop his probe on the premise that he is no longer a judicial officer, having resigned to become an Emir in Zamfara State.

At the resumed hearing of one of the petitions against him, Gunmi, through his consortium of lawyers led by Mr Israel Olorundare, SAN and Sunday Ameh, SAN, challenged the competence of the NJC to continue the probe, saying that he had relinquished his office since May 13, 2013.

It was his contention that having retired voluntarily and no longer a judicial officer, and having paid three months salary into the Federal Treasury in lieu of notice, he could no longer appear before the NJC as the panel lacks the jurisdiction to hear any petition against a retired judicial officer.

Besides, he argued that the matter is presently a subject of litigation both before an Abuja High Court where he once held sway and the Federal High Court equally in Abuja, insisting that the NJC cannot boast of having a concurrent jurisdiction with the two high courts.

Nevertheless, an investigative panel of the NJC dismissed his objection as balderdash, saying he should go and enter his defence against the allegations of corruption that were levelled against him before his voluntary exit from office.

More so, the panel maintained that it was a fact finding body that was already constituted before Gunmi sent in his resignation letter dated May 13, but received by the NJC the next day.

A source at the hearing who spoke to Vanguard on grounds

of anonymity said members of the panel unanimously agreed that the objection should be thrownout.

Meantime, the source further disclosed that among those the NJC also penciled down for investigation following their alleged complicity in acts of corruption were Chief Judges of Enugu and Bauchi State High Courts, as well as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

He said the case of the Chief Registrar of the FCT High Court, Mrs Toyin Yahaya was referred to the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, in view of the fact that she is not yet a Judge. Yahaya was accused of obstructing the execution of a valid court order.

One of the petitioners, Nestello Gateways Group wrote to the NJC, alleging that Gunmi and Yahaya abused their offices by handing over the company’s property to the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari after an Abuja High Court had ruled against the governor.

Justice Jude Okeke had in a judgment, ordered the company to take possession of the property in question.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—9

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

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BUJA—THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said, yesterday, that soldiers who leaked information to terrorists about the movement of troops to Mali for AFISMA operations, thereby leading to the ambush and killing of two soldiers along the Okene-Lokoja road, have been arrested and are to face a military court martial.

This was just as he disclosed that the Army will, this week, take delivery of 10, 000 bullet proof vests, as well as 10, 000 bullet proof helmets for use of troops deployed in several operations.

Ihejirika who spoke at the 2013 Nigerian Army transformation seminar, noted that contrary to insinuations that the battle to dislodge terrorists from the North had led to shortage of troops for other operations; the Nigerian Army had enough manpower that was battle ready to undertake more challenges and tasks as may be directed by the Federal Government.

His words: “I want to say that our troops have really done well with regards to assigned tasks in ongoing operations. Moreover, we have set up Standing Monitoring Teams for all such ongoing operations and they update us with regards to ensuring that rules of engagement are followed.

“It was through the work of the

Mali operation: Army arrests saboteur soldiers monitoring team in AFISMA operation in Mali, that we got to know that one of our soldiers fell sick and later, died. Let me at this juncture thank Mr. President for approving a Presidential Jet to bring home the body of the Sergeant from Mali.

“Presently, we are training 1,000 soldiers to become better and more effective amphibious soldiers for JTF operations in the Niger Delta. They will become better seamen. In this regards, the Navy has been of tremendous assistance by allowing us use of the Navy’s Amphibious training facilities.

“As I am talking to you, we have established a Battalion known as the 101 Reserve Battalion to be directly under Army headquarters. It will not be deployed for ongoing terrorism clampdown. It will just be on standby for any assigned task. Already out of the 100 percent requirements needed for its take off, we have met about 60 percent.

"This shows that we are ready and prepared to take on even more challenges. This also explains why in building capacity, we made

it mandatory that all troops and officers coming out of depot and other military institutions must undergo counter-terrorism courses”.

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AGOS—SHELL Nigeria Ex ploration and Production Company, SNEPCO, yesterday, bemoaned inability of banks in the country to fund large oil and gas transactions, saying that all the companies that bought its divested interests had to source their financing from banks outside the country.

This was contrary to claims by banks in the country of their ability to fund such transactions, bringing to the fore the huge amount the country is losing in capital flight in terms of interest paid on the loans.

Speaking at a Deepwater interactive workshop, Mr. Taaj Shobayo, Commercial Integration and Business Value Manager, SNEPCO, said Nigerian banks are indisposed to lending to oil companies, especially companies engaged in deepwater oil field production.

According to him, this has made oil companies in Nigeria to source funds from banks overseas.

He blamed the development on the short term focus of Nigerian banks, especially their lack of capacity to finance projects with longer gestation period.

He said, “financing for oil projects are sourced overseas.

Companies that bought our assets secured their funds overseas.

“The choice of offshore funding

is because of the long lead time of deepwater oil field projects.

Nigerian banks cannot wait for such long period before recouping their funds.”

He, however, highlighted the cost intensive nature of deep water projects, saying about $960 million is expended between exploration and production.

He noted that it takes between 10 to 50 years from the award of licence to actual production, a factor which has made it difficult for local financial institutions to finance such projects.

However, unless Nigerian banks change their strategy, the country might lose further as Mr. Chike Onyejekwe, Managing Director, SNEPCO, said international oil companies are set to invest about $165 billion in the Nigerian oil and gas industry in the next five years, which is twice the value of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Onyejekwe, further disclosed that Nigeria has recorded about $48 billion investments in deepwater oil field projects across the country since 1993.

Independent Newspapers' Man of the Year investiture holds May 25

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NDEPENDENT Newspa pers Limited, INL, will hold its 2012 "Man of the Year investiture on Saturday, May 25, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Three distinguished Nigerians who will be honoured with INL awards at the ceremony are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON, President/Chief Executive, Dangote Group; Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Managing Partner, Compliance Professionals Plc and immediate past Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.

port and provision of accommodation facilities as we have now and this has impacted seriously on the morale of officers and soldiers”.

MEETING—Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Abdulmumuni Jibrin (right); Executive Director, Citibank, Mr Fatai Karim (left); Vice President, Citibank, Mr Baba Kulloma (2nd left); and Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Abubakar Sule (3rd left), during the committee's meeting with chief executives of banks in Abuja, yesterday.

Nigerian banks unable to fund large oil, gas deals — Shell

BY MICHAEL EBOH & SEBASTINE OBASI

Speaking further, the COAS said, “Since the end of military era and commencing of democratic rule, the Nigerian Army has not witnessed as much sup-

According to the Managing Editor of INL, Akpandem James, the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu is the Guest Speaker and would be speaking on Amnesty, Human Rights and The Rest of Us. James said the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, will preside at the event, adding that top echelon of the public service, political chieftains, captains of industries, as well as friends, associates and well wishers of the honourees are expected.

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—11

Ondo parties merger in murky waters

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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From left: Mrs. Patricia Oduniyi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu, Ogun State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, and Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, Commissioner of Information, during the Ministerial Briefing on the administration's 2nd year in office, at Governor's Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta. Photo: Wunmi Akinola

Oni vs Fayemi: ACN, PDP allege violence over S/Court judgement

BY GBENGAARIYIBI

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DO EKITI — Both the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are accusing each other of alleged plans to cause mayhem on May 31.

The day coincides with the date the Supreme Court had earlier slated for judgement on the case instituted by the former governor of the state, Mr.

Segun Oni over the 2009 governorship election re-run in the state.

Oni is praying the apex court to reverse his removal from office, alleging that the 2010 judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case was in violation of the law.

The PDP, Ekiti State chapter, has raised an alarm that the ACN was planning to cause mayhem on March 31, 2013.

The party, therefore, urged both the police and the Department of State Service, DSS, to investigate leadership of the ACN in the state.

Briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the PDP Director of Communications, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan, said the leadership of the ACN should be investigated and be made to assist security operatives on the allegation.

Osun spends N3bn feeding primary school students — Dep. Gov BYADEKUNLE ALIYU

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SUN STATE Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori says it costs only N50 to feed a child at break time in the on-going Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme.

She made this clarification during an interview with journalists in her office in Osogbo.

Justifying the feeding of school pupils during school hours, she said: “The early years of a child is a very critical

period for brain development, proper nutrition is a key for achieving this.”

Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education reeled out figures to show how the programme had touched lives from the economic point of view.

"On a weekly basis, pupils are fed with 15,000 chicken, 8,500 crates of eggs, 35 heads of cattle.

"Chicken and cattle are provided by our farmers through co-operative loans from the

government.

"Aregbesola spends N3billion to feed primary classes 1-4 per annum," she said.

KURE — THE constitution of a merger of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State has run into troubled waters as the state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, yesterday, disowned move spear-headed by Senator Ajayi Boroffice.

It was gathered that Senator Boroffice was acting alone without any directive from the national or the state level of the party.

The party in the state decided to fight back by dissociating itself from the said committee, saying it did not receive the blessing of either the national secretariat of the party or the state chapter.

Its Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Rotimi Agbede, stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Agbede said that the party after a meeting of its State Executive Committee declared the Senator Ajayi Boroffice-led merger panel was null and void because it was without the support of the national secretariat of the ACN. Senator Boroffice had few days ago at the inauguration of the APC merger committee headed by him in Akure said that it was put in place to provide a framework for easy transition to APC by the merging parties.

He said that his committee will inaugurate working committees of the party at the grassroots level so that it could give it a strong footing that will catalyse good

Ogun may dethrone coronet monarchs

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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BEOKUTA — I N D I C AT I O N emerged, yesterday, that Ogun State government may dethrone coronet Obas installed by the Olowu of

Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosumu and other illegal Obas.

The State Council of Obas led by the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona had, however, been commissioned to decide the fate of many of the yet to be recognised traditional rulers within three months.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,Chief Muyiwa Oladipo gave the hint during a press briefing to mark the second year anniversary of the Governor Ibikunle Amosunled administration.

governance in Nigeria.

The meeting in Akure was attended by state chairmen of Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance.

They all agreed that their members will work with the other merging groups to commence mobilisation ahead of 2015 general elections.

Mimiko lauds NASS over emergency rule approval

BY DAYO JOHNSON

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KURE — ONDO State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has applauded the National Assembly‘s approval of a state of emergency imposed by the Federal Government on three states in the northern part of the country.

He described the decision of the lawmakers as a demonstration of high degree patriotism.

Dr. Mimiko in a statement issued in Akure, said the lawmakers had through the act shown to the world that they were indeed, noble democrats who will stop at nothing to ensure that “our dear country remains an indivisible entity, safe for every peace lover to live and blossom.”

He said by their action, the legislators had further entrenched the faith of the people in the legislative arm of government.

Governor Mimiko added that “time like this calls for decisive and sincere action from genuine democrats,” submitting that the lawmakers had not let Nigerians down.

“I want to thank and congratulate the National Assembly members for their astute display of a high degree patriotism by giving legal backing to the recent declaration of state of emergency rule by President Goodluck Jonathan in three northern states.

“There is no gain-saying that the President had taken the best possible decision... and time like this calls for decisive and sincere action from genuine democrats to give the people a new hope."

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Edo Assembly laments abandoned NDDC projects

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

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ENIN—EDO State House of Assembly, yesterday, lamented what it described as the unacceptable number of abandoned Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, projects in the state and urged the Commission to make concerted efforts to complete them.

Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Uyi Igbe, when the state representative on the Board of NDDC, Mr Henry Okhuarobo appeared before the House to throw more light on some NDDC projects in the state, said the leadership of the House was prepared to protest to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, headquarters of the Commission, if the situation was not addressed.

The House, however, commended NDDC for some laudable projects being handled by the Commission in the state and urged it to do more.

It will be recalled that the House had, last week, invited Okhuarobo, to appear before it to answer questions on some seemingly abandoned projects handled in the state, including the water scheme at Orhua village in Uhumwonde Local Government Area of the state.

Rivers crisis: We'll correct our mistakes, AIG assures Amaechi ….As Police ban protests in Rivers

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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HE Police, yesterday, said its officers and men in the Rivers State Command might have committed errors in the discharge of their constitutional duties in the recent events unfolding in the state.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River State, Mr. Jonathan Johnson, when he led a delegation of senior police officers in the zone on a courtesy visit to the Rivers State governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, at Government House, Port Harcourt, said he would correct the mistakes made by the officers and men in Rivers State Police Command. He added that he had directed the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Mbu, to ensure there would be no more security breach in the state.

Meanwhile, the state Police Commissioner, Mr Mbu, has banned all forms of street protests in the state.

Mbu, at the Police headquarters, yesterday, at a time hundreds of youths were embarking on an anti-Governor Amaechi protest on the busy Aba Road in Port Harcourt,

said any group wishing to carry out any form of protest must seek approval of the Police in the state.

Speaking at the joint press briefing with the AIG zone 6, Mr Johnson, he said the Police will not hesitate to apply minimal force to quell any protest in the state and ensure that those arrested were prosecuted.

He said: “As from today (yesterday), there will be no peaceful or violent procession without due approval from the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

Anyone who does this will be arrested and prosecuted.

The Police will use minimal force to ensure defaulters are arrested and prosecuted.”

Meantime, the AIG, speaking at Government House, when he visited Amaechi, said: “We will take note of all these mistakes and we will correct them. I am assuring you, we will correct them. If there are lapses noticed, let us know so that we can make amends. And I also want to thank you

(Amaechi) for all you have done for us and the others that you are going to do. We shall continue to appreciate because you know requests from the police will never stop coming.

“Every person that had served or is serving as a Police personnel, sometimes is susceptible to some errors here and there and when that comes to forefront, it is incumbent on that particular person to say he or she shall make amends."

PROTEST: Rivers People Assembly Group during an anti-Amaechi protest, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

Jonathan's 2015 campaign posters flood P-Harcourt ....As youths stage anti-Amaechi protests

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

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ORT HARCOURT— CAMPAIGN posters and flyers projecting President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election

flooded Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, yesterday.

The posters, indicating a group, Voter 2 Voter, with a bold picture of the President, read “Our Dependable Choice 2015.”

The appearance of the campaign posters trailed escalated protests by youths in Rivers State, demanding Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s removal from

office. The youths were believed to have pasted the posters.

Thousands of anti-Amaechi protesters, under the aegis of Rivers People’s Assembly, RPA, disrupted traffic at the Mile 1 fly over parks as they came from different directions to swarm the Isaac Boro Park, where they first

Court vacates interim order against Ugborodo Community Trust's exco

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BY EMMA ARUBI

ARRI—A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, vacated an interim order granted against the Chief Thomas Ereyitomi–led executive of Ugborodo Community Trust, allowing it to continue to run the affairs of the body, pending the hearing of the substantive suit challenging its election for a second term.

Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Abubakar, set aside the ex-parte order granted by an Abuja High Court on February 1, 2012, restraining the Thomas-led executive from operating the account of the trust.

The court held that the ex-parte order had since lapsed and there-

fore, discharged same, even as it also dismissed the motion for interlocutory injunction, restraining the executive from running the affairs of the trust and ordered accelerated hearing of the substantive case.

He, thereafter, adjoined the matter to June 24, 2013.

It will be recalled that the Thomas–led executive was dragged before a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba by the parallel Trust body led

by Mr. David Tonwe and Dr. Ayo Ayomike and then the case was taken to Abuja by the Tonwe group, where the Abuja court granted the ex-parte order in 2012.

converged.

Chief Nduka Emeka, who led one of the RPA protest groups, said they were determined to ensure that the governor provide answers to the ownership of the state's grounded jet, which he said was the reason for RPA's annoyance.

Nduka said: “We want Amaechi to step-down. Odili left two planes for him, today Rivers State does not have any aircraft. Even the controversial one he bought, we don’t know who the true owner is.”

Ironically, some of the protesters sporting Amaechi Must Go T-shirts, who spoke to Vanguard, had no idea why they were protesting.

One of them, Frank Mbonu, said: “My friend invited me, gave me the T-shirt and some cash to join them. He told me it was his master, who was coordinating the runs.”

The protesters later marched to the Rivers State Government House, from Isaac Boro Park with police on guard.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—13

DEACON GAMALIEL ONOSODE'S 80TH BIRTHDAY IN LAGOS

From left: Senator Felix Ibru; Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, celebrant, his wife, Susan, and HRM Oharisi, Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, during the reception party to mark Deacon Onosode's 80th birthday, in Lagos, yesterday. Photos: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

From left: Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, celebrant, and his wife Chief Susan Onosode.

From left: Mr. Yinka Olawunmi; Ambassdor Ignatius Olisemeka, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his wife, Regina.

From left: Senator Felix Ibru, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode and his wife, Susan.

From right: Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Former Secretary General of Commonwealth; Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, and wife, Susan.

From left: Prof Babajide Alo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics and Research, University of Lagos; Prof. Rahamon Bello, Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services.

From left: Chief Dayo Lawuyi, Chairman, Dunlop Nigeria Plc; Mrs. Jumoke Lawuyi, and Mrs. Susan Amsata.

From left: Deaconess Agnes Onosode; Dr. Andrew Onosode; Mrs. Bawor Omiyi, and Mrs. Elizabeth Omilani.

From right: Mrs. Etin Osamwonyi; Mrs. Delphine Misan-Arenyeka, and Mrs. Adetan Akin-Balogun.

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Emeka Offor Foundation fulfils $600,000 pledge to BFA

BY CLARA NWACHUKWU

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AGOS—SIR Emeka Offor Foundation, SEOF, founded by business mogul and politician has fulfilled its promise of $600,000 to US-based and education-focused, Books For Africa, BFA, in line with the foundation’s mission to promote education in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

Confirming the receipt of the fund, the BFA Executive Director, Dr. Patrick Plonski, in a letter to SEOF founder, Sir Emeka Offor, expressed his organisation’s appreciation for the generous donation.

Plonski said: “The donation will fund the delivery of well over one million books to Nigeria and other locations in Africa.

“This donation represents the single largest donation we have ever received in Books For Africa history, so we are naturally quite excited.”

He noted that the generosity of Offor in promoting education across Africa is not only outstanding but quite commendable.

The founder of BFA, Mr. Tom Warth, said that “the benefits that will accrue to the young people of Africa through this generous donation are immeasurable.”

Pa Samson Ebule dies @ 82

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A. SAMSON Orit seweyinmi Ebule, is dead. He died on Tuesday, May 21, at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State.

Late Pa. Ebule was former secretary to Okere Community, founding elder of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Esisi Ward, Warri South Local Government, retired public servant and former player in the old Warri Wolves.

He is survived by eight children, including Editor-in-Chief and co-publisher of Deltabased community tabloid, Fresh Angle Newspaper, Ebule Anthony Metsese.

Judicial cleansing: I won’t entertain baseless petition against judges —CJN Swears in 12 new Justices of National industrial Court

By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

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BUJA—THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Muhktar, yesterday, expressed her determination to flush out corrupt judges from the judiciary, saying judges must be men of probity and impeccable character.

However, the CJN, who stated this while administering oath on 12 newly appointed justices of the National Industrial Court, NIC, said her decision to boot out erring judicial officers should not set-off the panic button among judges, as no baseless or malicious petition against any judge would be entertained.

She said: “The extent to which prevalent societal currents in recent times have engulfed the Judiciary demands great concern.

As you are well aware and as I have reiterated on so many occasions, we have a vision of a justice system that is simple, fast and efficient.

“It must be responsive to the needs and yearnings of the citizenry. If the public loses respect for the Bench, the society may gradually be creeping back to the days of jungle justice as less and less persons and institutions will be willing to entrust their disputes to us.

“As judicial officers, series of temptations will surely come but

the ability to resist them will definitely stand you out and earn you a lasting reputation. You must be reluctant in condescending from your lofty positions to acquire and hoard wealth by all possible means.

“You must also ensure that you are men of probity and of impeccable character. No aspect of your conduct should give cause for concern. You must all show the highest sense of discipline, honesty, integrity, diligence and dedication

to duty as well as good behaviour.

“Except for good reason; Judicial Officers must be punctual and regular in court attendance and maintain official hours of the court by sitting at 9: 00 am. A situation where some of our judges commence the business of the court after 9: 00am is unacceptable.”

Imploring the new judges to guard against disobedience of

any court order, in line with the oath they took yesterday, the CJN said they should not shy away from taking a firm position against any member of the public or even the bar that colluded to flout court orders.

“It is hoped that in the discharge of your duties, you will apply the law in all fairness with good conscience without fear of harassment as no baseless or malicious petition against any judge will be entertained.”

DONATION: Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State (right) and Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, during the formal handing over of 100 brand new vehicles equipped with security gadgets, donated to the police by the Enugu State Government, at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, yesterday.

Abolish al-majiri system, Mark tells Northern Govs

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH

ERUNKE BUJA—SENATE Presi dent, David Mark, yesterday, blamed leaders and politicians from the North for the growing almajiri in the region, saying they must urgently rise up to ban the system.

This is even as he said the Federal Government would no longer condone criminal acts by people in the country on excuse of unemployment.

Mark, who spoke during a debate on a bill, “A Bill for an Act to Repeal and Re-enact the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 2003”, sponsored by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, PDP, Cross River Central, was reacting to the issue of parental negligence raised by Senator Alkali Abdulkadir Jajere, ANPP, Yobe South.

Jajere had sought a stiff legislation compelling parents, particularly in the North, to take adequate care of their wards, saying it was time for the almajiri system in the region to be done away with.

He also gave a heart-rending picture of how he grew up without knowing his parents because of the system.

He gave a horrific story of the life he went through as an alma-

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jiri child.

According to him, it is by the grace of God that he was enrolled in school.

He also recalled that many of such children never had the opportunity he had to be educated.

Moved by Senator Jajere’s graphic story, Mark said: “It is amazing when we tend to make excuses for our failings. If you cannot gain employment you,

go and join a terrorist group so that you can be employed.

“You join Boko Haram because you have no employment. If you are poor, then you begin to trade and traffic in human beings so that you can be rich.

“These are all excuses. What about the people who are buying these people outside. Is it because they can’t find employment or because they are poor? I think we should stop making excuses.

“Everything is reduced to the level of unemployment in the country. Nigeria is not the only country where everybody is not employed. That you are not employed does not mean you should go and do something very bizarre.

“You open up a baby factory; you begin to sedate people and remove their organs to sell. It’s just never a good excuse for some of the things that we do.”

10,000 megawatts to be generated

by Dec —FG zero allocation.

BY HENRY UMORU &

JOSEPH ERUNKE

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BUJA—THE federal government, yesterday, disclosed that plans had been concluded to move from the present position of power generation of 4,500 to 10,000 megawatts by December.

Speaking when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, led by Senator Phillip Adudua, PDP, FCT, Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, told the senators

that the federal government had completed the process of privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. Kuchi, who disclosed that N347 billion was required for increase in transmission of megawatts, said the generating and transmission companies could not be handed over yet as the ministry was poised to ensure that they were in good shape before their hand over to the successor companies.

She raised alarm that the handover had been hampered by lack of fund, adding that the ministry had been running on

The minister noted that some six months into the 2013 fiscal year, the Ministry of Power had been running on N5 billion, being the remnant of its 2012 allocation.

Hajia Kuchi assured that there would be no problem paying for labour, adding that government had enough in its coffers to pay by July.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda, who noted that Nigerians were no longer ready to take excuses for non-availability of electricity, said people were running of out of patience.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 — 15

16—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

RECEPTION FOR LATE PROF CHINUA ACHEBE

A grand reception at Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State; an academic procession and a special Senate session at University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, held for late Prof.

Chinua Achebe, yesterday. PHOTOS: Hill Ezeugwu & Vincent Ujumadu.

From left— Prof. Folu Ogundimu, son-in-law; Dr. Mimi Achebe, daughter-in-law, and Prof. Nwando Achebe, daughter.

From left— Mrs. Margaret Obi, wife of Anambra State governor; Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State; Prof Christie Achebe, widow; Dr. Ike Achebe, son and Prof. Nwando Achebe.

Senator Chris Ngige (right) and Mr. Emeka Nwagbo, member, House of Representatives.

Traditional rulers.

Bishop Eze Okafor, Catholic Bishop of Awka (left) and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Vice President for Africa, World Bank.

Prof. Boniface Egboka, Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (left) and Prof. Fidelis Uzochukwu Okafor, Vice Chancellor, Anambra State University, Ulli.

Academic procession at UNN, Enugu campus.

C M Y K

From left— Prof. Bartho Okolo, VC, UNN; Prof. Malaki Okwueze, DVC, Admin, UNN, and Prof. Ifeoma Enemuo, DVC, Enugu campus.

From left— Dr. Obiamaka Opara, lecturer; Prof. Elsie Ogbonna, lecturer, and Prof. Uchenna Nzewi, Director, CUDIMAC.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013— 17

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sociologists, other social scientists, religious bodies and social workers, the state and society at large, must become far more conscious of the seriousness of the issue rape. We must not bury our heads in the sand, because even our children, loved ones and neighbours can become victims! There is no gainsaying the fact that something is broken in the Nigerian society today and the epidemic of rapes

Nigeria's troubling epidemic of rapes of the avenues for encountering the woman, who might just be a minor as we have seen in many media reports in the North and even beyond. Even economic hardship has hamstrung individuals’ ability to seek the comfort of commercial sex workers; and a few weeks ago, the press reported a young man, somewhere in Eastern Nigeria, who “specialised” in raping very elderly women! Arrested, he confessed that he couldn’t get young girls, so he targeted the elderly.

We have not by the narrative underplayed the serious criminality that rape represents and as we have seen from the study of adolescent sex and HIV infection, the consequences

,

AST week, the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development, an NGO, reported that in 2012, no fewer than 1, 200 girls were raped in Rivers state. The state Project Officer of the body, Michael Gbarale, who is also the chairman of the Child Protection Network, added that: “of this figure (of 1,200), gang rapes were more frequent”. 49 cases were reported to the Network, while 800 others, were treated by ‘doctors without border ’.

Out of the 49 cases taken to the Child Protection Network, 11 were gang rapes; 44 were ordinary rape cases. In another survey to investigate high HIV prevalence and lower age for sex among adolescents between 10 and 19 years, carried out by the Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA), it found out that: “forced sex was the third main reason for sexual debut” after love and peer pressure. It said that more than 31.4 percent of girls, many of them living with HIV, reported “forced sex” or rape as the basis of first sexual encounter.

Doctor Morenike Ukpong who presented the study at a national dialogue on adolescents living with HIV in Nigeria, told DAILY TRUST, that “if 31.4 percent of females can report their first sexual debut as rape, I think it is an epidemic…We have an epidemic called rape that we are not addressing. It is something to weep over ”. Dr. Ukpong went on that “for many of those who are HIV positive, their exposure to HIV is because of rape. It is a risk factor for HIV infection and we are not dealing with that”.

Some of those in the study were as young as seven: “the man said if I tell my mum or dad he would kill me. He showed me a knife and I was afraid, I was just seven years old then. He was sleeping with me everyday and I was fearful to talk to anybody. I bled, my sister saw it but I could not tell her what happened…” Stories like these are in the media almost on a daily basis in Nigeria. There was a report from Auchi, where students at the Polytechnic, kidnapped their classmate, raped her for days and later killed her. There are postings of horrific pictures of young men, somewhere in Rivers state, who raped a girl and then buried her alive, but were discovered by military men. They were forced to exhume the corpse and the video was posted on the internet!

Or the girl that was raped and a huge staff was stuff into her as she laid dead.

A few years ago, I noticed that in WEEKLY TRUST, we were carrying regular stories from around Northern Nigeria, of the rape of minors, between two and eight years. I put a reporter on the trail to be able to do an investigative piece, while I also did a column. In the period since, there has developed almost a boom industry in rape all over our country. There are several cases of fathers abusing their children too and in many of the cases, these rapists would blame their act on the devil! Clearly, there is something fundamentally broken in our country.

The epidemic of rape has deep sociological and even biological factors. In a society of deep-seated male chauvinism, reinforced by the erosion of economic power, there is a serious crisis of virility and esteem, which is falsely reclaimed in acts of violence against women. Rape has been studied in many places as part of a package of false consciousness, where a rapist imagines himself as expressing male power in domination of the victim. There is also the breakdown of the family and the ability to have healthy sexual life in marriages, in societies where it has become difficult to marry, due to economic reasons. This is especially true in Muslim communities in Northern Nigeria, where religious restraint is also breaking down, especially in the urban setting. People have grown up in a culture of separation of the sexes and rape is one

The epidemic of rapes merely reflects and reinforces the desperate social situation in contemporary society

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of the epidemic of rape that we live with today, are very grave! Nigerian

Speaker of the House of Reps.

Waziri Tambuwal : What is the House doing about this? merely reflects and reinforces the desperate social situation in contemporary society. The epidemic of rapes damages the humanity of the victims and dehumanises all of our society; we must not let it roll us over completely!

The Anohu-Amazu bill: Amending legislation just for an individual L

AST week, the House of Representatives suspended debate on the Pension Reform Act because of the controversial request embedded in the Act. The request was asking for the REDUCTION of qualification requirements for the post of directorgeneral of the National Pension Commission. Under the existing law, the MINIMUM requirement for the position is 20 years experience; but the emendation wants that to be reduced to 15 years. The reason for this absurd demand is simple. The acting DG is a certain Chinelo Anohu-Amazu. She has only 15 years experience in service, but those who rule the roost want to confirm her DESPITE the extant law, so they came up with the absurd decision to amend the Pension Reform Act, to achieve their purpose!

When the bill came up for second reading last Wednesday, it was stepped down following protest by a lawmaker, who frowned at a bill that was being amended just for an individual. Ali Ahmad (PDP Kwara) who raised the motion that led to the stepping down argued that: “ you don’t make laws for individuals at the expense of the larger society. Laws are meant to uplift development and standard of the nation and its people and it is not supposed to be subjected to individual whims and caprices” (Not forgetting that in the Kwara state where Ali Ahmad comes from, the House of Assembly had passed a law “subjected to individual whims and caprices”, when a pension package was approved just for the creature comfort of Bukola Saraki, Ali Ahmad’s principal and mentor!). Similarly, Rep Ibrahim Bawa Kamba (PDP Kebbi), said there was no way members could entertain the bill given that it seeks to lower the PenCom DG bar to favour a certain individual: “…reducing the age experience requirement for the PenCom DG is not in good faith”.

One of the hallmarks of contemporary Nigeria is the lowering of standards and the promotion of mediocrity on the basis of an in-your-face impunity. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) became

very controversial because in so many ways, it morphed into a law to satisfy the tall ego of Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Maduekwe. Those who promote these individualisation of laws clearly do not care about the fate of Nigeria; the health of the state system and the continuity of tradition.

For them, their act resembles what the Hausa describe as “sha yanzu, magani yanzu” (literally, taking an advantage now without bothering about long term implications!).

Those pushing Chilnelo Anohu-Amazu’s candidacy as DG of PenCom, know that she is NOT qualified for the position, but a combination of ethnic solidarity and exploitation of their placement within the system today has pushed them to the recklessness of seeking an emendation of the law.

I hope the National Assembly will resist this inordinate, irresponsible and unpatriotic effort to amend a law just to promote the candidacy of an individual, which has become so much part of the notorious baggage of the Jonathan administration. These ridiculous steps have accumulated to deepen the incompetence which dog the administration and by extension, the country. With due respect, when Pius Anyim was appointed the SGF, it

represented a lowering of standards, even when the effort was to satisfy the Igbo constituency. The truth was that the man was too inexperienced to hold the position. Everybody knew that fact, but out of ethnic solidarity; the opportunistic penchant to hope that an opportunity to “chop” has opened to a kinsman, people would not comment.

Yet, they will hope against hope, that things would carry on and somehow, work well. People conveniently forgot that it was the same Anyim, whom the late Chuba Okadigbo, dismissed wittily, when he asked: “ what has he achieved? Nothing!” He then added that he was a mere level twelve officer in a refugee organisation! The same man was promoted above his station as Senate President and today he is SGF. What effect has his place had on governance? All Nigerians can offer an answer. But that impunity is still very much with us and the latest expression of that ethnicity-sourced absurdity, is the attempt to amend the Pension Reform Act, to lower the minimum qualification from 20 to 15 years, just to ensure that Chinel Anohu-Amazu is confirmed as DG at PenCom. That is the sorry pass that Nigeria has been pushed into!

The Nigerian Media and the State of Emergency

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ECTION 22 of the Nigerian Constitution explicitly obliges the Nigerian media to hold government accountable to the Nigerian people. In the wake of the declaration of a state of emergency in three Northern states, I have been giving myself the pause on the obligations of the media. Our newspapers are presenting almost the SAME set of stories, written nearly word-for-word on the operations of the security forces. It is very close to having “embedded journalism” writ large on all of us. But how are we sourcing our stories of what is happening in the theatres of operation? Have we become PR outlets for the security forces and the state? Do we really know what is happening in the different places? What about the human rights of people in these communities?

May we be acquiescing in actions that will not stand scrutiny? Might we eventually regret our gung-ho, uncritical reportage which tell only the side of the security forces? These questions have crossed my mind as I think about Section 22 and the state of emergency. We will still ask these questions sometime in the near future.

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 THE death of Africa’s foremost writer, critic and cultural pathologist, Chinualumogu Albert Achebe is a great loss to a world where the wisdom of sacred spoken and written words is observed with high reverence.

A way to measure the loss could be the quantum of tributes that have continued to pour in from writers, Presidents across the world, the Senate of State of New York, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the National Assembly.

They eulogised Achebe as a penetrating writer with acute imagination, as a global citizen with outstanding concerns for the world’s problems.

Achebe, like Okonkwo, the hero of his famous novel, Things Fall Apart, at a young age, established his fame with his landscaping, Things Fall Apart, an imaginative narrative, which he wrote at 28. He was admitted to the University of Ibadan to read medicine, but after a year, he opted for English and found his passion in elevating Africa through the African story.

The iconic novel told the African story with African perspectives.

By telling the African tale in an English manner, Achebe employed the English language in a way that made it carry the beauty, colour and tradition of African spoken art and weight of experience.

His significance as writer further lent credence with the import which he brought through his peculiar way of writing to the ethnographic and

Chinua Achebe: 1930 - 2013 ethno poetical aesthetics of African literature, history and tradition.

Besides creative writing which established Achebe’s fame in the world of letters, he was also an important critic and essayist. One of his most important works was “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” published in Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977. It was a response to the stereotypical images bandied about Africa by colonial writers and administrators about the continent as a place of perpetual darkness and underdevelopment.

His political views were built into his artistic visions, which were credibly and beautifully conveyed by his arresting fictional characters.

Achebe rejected national honours twice to demonstrate his disapproval of how Nigeria was

being managed. He loved Nigeria with great concern.

The publication, last year, of the controversial, There Was A Country, an autobiographical narrative that engaged Nigeria’s history from the colonial times through the different civilian and military regimes down to the civil war was his parting shot.

Achebe was a great mentor. He was the founder of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, the popular Okike Journal of Creative Writing at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was first Editor of African Writers Series of Heinemann Publishers, he helped nurture and published many renowned African writers including Ngugi wa Thiong’o of Kenya, Ayi Kwei Armah of Ghana, Okot p’Bitek of Uganda and Mongo Beti of Cameroon.

Achebe died abroad, an unhappy man at 82. In the Igbo tradition, he should have lived among his people to uphold the ofo, staff of authority of his family. He did not recover from the scars of the civil war. He bore till death, the scars from a car accident that made him wheel-chair bound.

He would be interred in his native town Ogidi today.

He would be remembered for his candour, humanism, insight, intellect, traditionalism and as a great family man whose humility translated to respect for humanity.

OPINION

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BY MAX AMUCHIE

N the couple of months following his death up to his burial today, the world has risen in unison to celebrate Chinua Achebe as a man universally acclaimed to be the father of modern African literature and as the man who used literature to bring Africa to the world.

Indeed there is nothing to be said about Achebe's accomplishments in and contribution to African literature and postcolonial political consciousness that has not been said.

The occasion of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Things Fall Apart in 2008 provided opportunity for Achebe's place in African literary history to be firmly established. All across the world, the novel which became a pace-setter was celebrated that year.

By whatever standard, Achebe achieved immortality. If we use as yardstick the Freudian concept of immortality as being known by many anonymous people, then Achebe has joined the pantheon of world literary giants (like Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Percy Shelley, Charles Dickens, Marie Corelli, Thomas Hardy, Alex Haley, Joseph Conrad, Joyce Cary, etc.) who, decades and centuries after their death, are still hailed and appreciated by "many anonymous people".

Of all the tributes to Achebe, one remains outstanding, a statement made by Nelson Mandela, himself a global icon, while recalling what he did to keep himself busy in his 27 years of incarceration in apartheid South Africa. Mandela said: "There was a

In Achebe's company 'the prison walls fell down' writer named Chinua Achebe, in whose company "the prison walls fell down."

Mandela's tribute was also about Achebe the writer as the world knew him, but only few knew Achebe the politician. It is most likely that if Achebe was not forced to live in the United Sates by the car accident which paralyzed him in 1990, he would have been involved in partisan politics.

In the Second Republic, Achebe pitched tent with the late Aminu Kano, acclaimed leader of the talakawa or down-trodden.

He was elected deputy national president of Aminu Kano's defunct People's Redemption Party, PRP. It was out of his concern for the weakest of society that he joined a party whose manifesto was the welfare of the masses. He could have joined the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP, led by the late founder of modern Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, a party which held sway in the South East at the time. If he was given to political opportunism, he could have gone to the then ruling National Party of Nigeria, NPN, which controlled the centre.

But out of political conviction, he went to PRP, which offered no obvious political advantage and conferred no political privilege.

After relocating to the United States following the 1990 accident, Achebe became a conscience of the nation. He began the annual Achebe Colloquium on Africa in which speakers and opinion leaders are invited from different parts of the world to x-ray Africa's problems and

profer solutions.

He kept abreast of developments not only in Nigeria as a whole but in his home state of Anambra in particular. When an attempt was made to kidnap Chris Ngige, then governor of Anambra State, the state became almost ungovernable in 2003/ 2004. Achebe rattled the then government of President Olusegun Obasanjo by rejecting the national honour awarded to him. Then it was generally believed that Chris Uba, who was the chief protagonist in the Anambra State imbroglio, derived his support from the Presidency.

In rejecting the award, Achebe wrote to Obasanjo: "I write this letter with a very heavy heart. For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency."

A

nd in 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan tried to bring up the issue gain by including Achebe in the honours' list for that year. Achebe also declined but in a very terse statement. "The reasons for rejecting the offer when it was first made have not been addressed let alone solved. It is inappropriate to offer it again to me," he

wrote to Jonathan.

On both occasions he was praised for the courage he displayed in rejecting the awards and in telling truth to power. In fact, for Achebe, there was never a lack of courage.

He was a man who spoke with conviction even if it was against popular opinion.

For instance in 1987 when Obafemi Awolowo, elder statesman, died, and there was a torrent of tributes across Nigeria, Achebe came out to say that Awo did not deserve a national burial because he was only a sectional leader and not a national leader.

Talking about the falling standard of education in Nigeria, he incurred the wrath of his fellow processors when he declared that the standard of education had fallen so much that even professors of English could no longer communicate effectively in English.

And his last book, There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, gave fresh perspective on one aspect of Nigeria's history that Nigerians will like to forget or at best gloss over. His comments on Awo and war-time Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, became very controversial and drew very heated debates across the country.

That was vintage Achebe, a man who spoke his mind at all times. Would he have made a good politician? The answer lies only in the realm of conjecture. *Mr. Amuchie, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—19

, Dear compatriots,

I

UNDERSTAND what you are going through right now. No sooner did the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, declare a state of emergency in your state last week Tuesday, May 14, 2013, than the powers of the Nigerian State were unleashed on your area. The Nigerian Army deployed troops, and the Nigerian Air Force, for once in more than 40 years, mobilised warplanes for action against agents of terror in your midst.

I understand it because as a subten child in July 1969, the same Nigerian state sent soldiers to invade my community in what was described as a “ war to keep Nigeria one”. The political leaders from my part of the country had mounted an attempt to pull out of Nigeria and live in a new country called Biafra. The Nigerian Army troops which hit my community, Abiriba, was led by then Col Mohammed Shuwa. Yes, the same

Shuwa, who was assassinated by Boko Haram terrorists earlier this year, thus, fulfilling the legend that those who kill with the sword will die by the sword!

We were driven into the forests while my community was sacked.

My ivory trader grand father’s mansion built in 1909 was not torched like others. But it was looted bare of its exotic furniture by the “vandals”.

But you are lucky. This time, the Nigerian Armed Forces conducting operations in your area are not vandals. They are neither on revenge mission nor fighting to quench ethno-sectional and religious vendetta. They are trained professionals and patriots sent to rescue you and your communities from the vicious grips of your enemies, the enemies of your country who are fanatically bent on imposing their warped style of Islam on you, irrespective of the fact that most of you belong to peace-loving, lawabiding true Islam, while some of you belong to other faiths.

These enemies have been killing,

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bombing, raiding and abducting innocent people at will. They have been destroying schools, attacking government institutions, killing health workers, kidnapping foreign tourists and murdering indigenous and expatriate engineers sent to build roads and infrastructure in your area.

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hey have been uprooting communication masts, emasculating your economic livelihood and targeting law enforcement agents sent to serve and protect you. They have rejected all attempts to settle through dialogue. This is because they are under the payroll of foreign powers to force you to live a life alien to your culture and forbidden by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the only document that binds you

How not to honour Achebe

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ROFESSOR Albert Chinualumogu Achebe (1930-2013) would have quickly reminded us that there was a country. We really had it good. Outside these coasts, Nigeria and Nigerians were held in very high esteem. The recognitions came in various forms, some very small but pertinent.

It was in the summer of 1977. When Col. Olusegun Obasanjo, as he then was, Nigeria’s Head of State, appeared at the United Nations to address the General Assembly, he got a standing ovation before delivering his address. We were elated, watching from the gallery. Let no one ask how good his presentation was. Thank God, the ovation, which had been predicated on Nigerian’s goodwill, came in advance.

On that fateful day in 1978, this writer was returning from Trenton, the administrative capital of New Jersey, to Newark, in company of an American friend, Ms Audrey Messiah, then Director of Welfare and Human Services for the State of New Jersey.

Midway, one of the passengers that came into our coach in the Amtrak train in which we were travelling looked every inch East African. Yes, he was. As soon as he settled on his seat, he came forward to greet us. In the process of exchanging pleasantries, I mentioned that I was Nigerian. He retorted, “I know. Who else can be so fine?” My friend was visibly elated.

Luckily, though, Nigerians are still making waves across the globe.

Prof. Achebe spent a long time in the US, living through this type of reputation, only to come home to find every situation thoroughly depressing. The following scenario may not be uncommon in the life of a Nigerian: He boards the plane in Boston, Massachusetts and arrives in Ikeja Airport

after some 12 hours flight.

Whereas at the Boston Airport, the environment was very friendly, with everywhere sparkling, all the lifts and escalators working smoothly, the flowers well-kept and properly manicured, the runway extremely smooth and the airport services very friendly and rendered with smiles.

But on arrival at Ikeja, he meets the exact opposite: Everywhere looked cranky, the airport was everything Jankara – no light, no water and the entire airport was bushy.

The man spends the first four hours waiting anxiously in a choking crowd for his luggage. After the long wait, the luggage appears half and half.

Meanwhile, he rushes to the local wing of the airport. Of course, he misses the only flight that is Southeast-bound for the day.

He must spend a night in an Ikeja hotel.

The following day, he decides to go by road because of the uncertain nature of the flights. He soon finds that the Lagos-Benin Road, which is a replica of all the roads in Nigeria, is in a most deplorable state as a result of which, vehicles move at snail speed.

Besides, somewhere between Omotosho and Ore villages, they had to wait for some two hours because armed robbers were operating ahead. When armed robbers are on duty, movement from either direction must come to a halt; that’s the grand-norm.

By the time the man gets to Benin, it is too late to continue his journey to the East, particularly against the backdrop of the ugly stories he had heard about the hazards of night travels in Nigeria.

Our man picks up the day’s newspapers and they are awash with escapades of the Boko Haram sect. The man is surprised that the Joint Task Force is claiming that the damage they did to an area was just minimal

and I together as compatriots.

I am writing you to let you know that you will have a rough time.

Already, in some areas such as Maiduguri, people are being forced to stay indoors for 24 hours a day. It means there will be mass starvation unless the security operatives succeed in record time to remove the terrorists. You will hear the strange and heavily alarming sounds of battle. You will see war games that are not games but actual war. Stay away from danger. Listen to the authorities and live to tell the story, as it has pleased God to let me tell mine which took place over 40 years ago.

How long the military operations – and the sufferings inevitably attached to them – will last, will depend, to a large extent, on you and your cohorts. One thing is sure: The Army will be among you for as long as it takes to remove the threat from among you. If the Army withdraws while the threat is still there, then it means the enemy has defeated Nigeria. Let me assure you: that will not happen. Nigeria is possibly the mightiest military force in Africa, battle-tested, with a string of successes internally and externally.

Nigeria will defeat Boko Haram and their sponsors and restore its sovereignty over its occupied territories and besieged citizens such as you. The battle may last weeks or years. It is largely up to you and members of your community how long it lasts.

Do you want it to be short? Here are the simple things you must do.

Number one: Cooperate with the military authorities. Volunteer information and obey instructions.

Do not harbour any insurgent. You may be hit when he is targeted.

Learn from the example of Abia people who cooperated with the Nigerian Army to eliminate

since only 150 people died and they destroyed only 1,000 houses.

In a n o t h e r newspaper, one man is asking to be allowed to go free since he stole only N23 billion of the Police Pension Fund.

On the third day, our man continues his journey from Benin City. He finally arrives at his native village and finds everybody

,

Letter to Nigerians under emergency rule

One thing is sure: The Army will be among you for as long as it takes to remove the threat from among you; if the Army withdraws while the threat is still there, then it means the enemy has defeated Nigeria; let me assure you: that will not happen; Nigeria is possibly the mightiest military force in Africa

Let’s get our priorities right – get our economy working again; work on our level of corruption, insecurity; that way, Achebe’s spirit will embrace us and the man’s soul will rest in peace

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looking haggard and weather-beaten. Of course, there has been no light in the area for the past three months. Because of he epileptic energy source, the cottage industries he once knew in the area had closed shop.

H

e gets home to meet a huge debt because the previous night, the village head was kidnapped and the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N20 million.

An announcement comes over the radio that he has been nominated for a national honour. But he is already enraged with the

kidnap networks from Aba and environs. Today, Aba is booming again. Once the terrorists have been flushed out, your area’s economy will boom again!

Number two: Be wary of what your local politicians are telling you. Some of them are patriots while some of them are evil. It is easy to know one apart from the other.

The evil ones are those who misruled you, pocketed federal allocations meant for your welfare over the decades and used the money to benefit their children, families and friends. Their children are well-educated and occupy the best offices in your state and Abuja.

Some of them are unhappy because political power has temporarily shifted out of their reach. They had threatened hail and high winds should this happen. Since it happened in 2011, they started arming, financing and supporting the terrorists to perturb you while most of them are cowering in Abuja.

Their unholy intention is to make governance hell for the Federal Government under President Jonathan and probably frighten him out of the 2015 presidential race. I laugh!

Ignore them and get ready to use your voter ’s card only in accordance with your assessment of our leaders at all levels. Only the principle of “Politics Without Bitterness” enunciated by your legendary son, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, leader of the defunct Great Nigerian Peoples Party, GNPP, which once held sway in your zone, will save Nigeria. Boko Haram is harmful to you and Nigeria. Shun them.

Yours sincerely, O.O.N

Federal Government and anything associated with it. The man’s reaction is obvious: To hell with the Federal Government! Let them take their honour and shove it!

In the particular case of Prof. Achebe, twice has he been made offers of the National honour and twice has he rejected it. The man is annoyed with Nigeria.

The man died. But his spirit lives on. The Senate wants a major street named after him. What an aberration!

While alive, this man rejected your Greek gift and soon after his death, you want to foist the same gift on him by naming after him, streets that he will never drive on. How is this different from the case of a man who refuses to partake in the sharing of stolen goods and as soon as he steps out, you went to deposit the goods in his house?

Achebe felt Nigeria was too big to keep coming first from the rear. For him, this elephant must stop moving in reverse gear.

Certainly, Achebe will not accept a national honour that is given to other people whose only credentials are that they are the biggest crooks around. His spirit will keep haunting us for as long as we refuse to amend our ways, even where we choose to name Abuja and all its streets after him.

Let’s get our priorities right – fix our infrastructure; get our economy working again; work on our level of corruption, insecurity, crime and criminality and other associated ills. That way, Achebe’s spirit will embrace us and the man’s soul will rest in peace. It can’t be done otherwise!

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 — 21

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OME shareholder groups said that they boycotted a meeting called by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, to resolve issues on the e-dividend payment because they were not involved in the proposals. The groups told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that they were also aggrieved because the Commission failed to protect their interest during the downturn in the capital market.

NAN reports that the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, May 14 in Abuja. The meeting was to brainstorm on ways to ensure the take off of e-dividend payment without hitches. Mr Boniface Okezie, President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), told NAN that SEC failed to consult with the shareholders on the issue.

“We ought to have been consulted before SEC issued a circular on the e-dividend payment, which generated a lot of controversy,” Okezie said.

Sir Sunny Nwosu, National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), told NAN that traveling to Abuja would further deplete the resources of the association. Nwosu said that the association decided not to attend the meeting to avoid waste of funds.

Dr Farouk Umar, President, Association for Advancement of Rights of Nigerian Shareholders, said that the Commission should improve on its communication strategy with shareholders. Umar said that

Shareholder gr oups boycott SEC meeting over e-dividend payment the Commission failed to disclose the agenda of the meeting. NAN recalls that the Commission, in a statement on May 3rd, suspended its June 3 deadline for issuance of divi-

dend warrants. The circular said that “consequent upon feedback received from various stakeholders, the deadline of Monday, June 3, 2013 for transitioning to e-dividend

payment is postponed till further notice.”

It said that the postponement would enable the Commission to further enlighten retail investors and other in-

vesting public on the merits of e-dividend payment. SEC also urged listed companies and registrars to do all that were necessary to reduce the quantum of unclaimed dividends.

From left: Kikelomo Kuponiyi, Group Head,Consumer Lending, Sterling Bank;Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Financial Officer, Sterling Bank; Ekundare Olubunmi, Country Manager, Intel West Africa and Jose Carlos Martinez, Director of Intel World Ahead at a press briefing to announce the Sterling Bank/Intel Smart PC deal, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.

Oil & gas cargo: NASS directs NPA to maintain status quo Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the ConcessionHE disagreement over lift aires in Eastern ports has ing of oil and gas cargoes caught the attention of the between the management of National Assembly as it has directed the NPA to maintain the ‘status quo’ in its dealings with the operators.

-2.45 132.7 The disagreement stems from the restric2,344.00 +43.00 tion placed by the NPA on the kind of cargoes that can be 16.88 0.07 received at the ports in the east by the terminal operators.

103.90 -0.90 While the ports located in Lagos 95.98 -0.73 seemed to be operating without any hindrance, this is not the CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING case with those in the DOLLAR 154.74 155.24 155.74 east as one of the opPOUNDS 234.4466 235.2041 235.9617 erators, Integrated EURO 199.1194 199.7628 200.4062 Logistics Services NiFRANC 159.5751 160.0907 160.6064 geria Limited YEN 1.5045 1.5094 1.5142 (INTELS) claimed its CFA 0.2842 0.2942 0.3042 WAUA 229.938 230.681 231.424 terminals are the only RENMINBI 25.2179 25.2998 25.3818 ones given statutory RIYA 41.2596 41.3929 41.5262 approval to receive KRONA 26.7148 26.8011 26.8874 what it called “oil and SDR 230.5935 231.3386 232.0837 gas cargoes” to the consternation of other CBN Exchange rate as at 22/05/2013 operators, particuBY GODFREY BIVBERE

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larly Ports and Terminal Operators Nigeria Limited (PTOL).

Apparently aggrieved by the definition of “oil and gas cargo” INTELS, PTOL, which is the concessionaire of Terminal A, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the oldest port in the country, took its case to the National Assembly.

PTOL which remains one of the only wholly indigenous companies in port operations in the eastern zone said its complaint to the National Assembly was hinged on a directive by NPA streamlining its operations in terms of what kind of cargo that can be discharged in its terminal.

It argued that going by NPA’s directives as contained in circular number EP/AGM/ OPTS/034/ dated March 18, 2013 and a letter reference T. 0160/8.103/C2/T4/431 dated July 25, 2012 from the Federal Ministry of Transport, it will no longer be in a position to meet its statutory roles and regulations, especially its obligations to the banks that provided the funds for its opera-

tions.

At a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Marine Transport, PTOL Managing Director, Mrs. Elizabeth O. Ovbude, wondered why the implementation of the directive was limited to the ports located in the eastern zone.

PTOL also wondered why its competitors, particularly Integrated Logistics Services Nigeria Limited (INTELS), will allegedly arm twist the Federal Ministry of Transport and NPA to have an edge in the kind of cargo it can handle in its terminal. It contended that the move has given INTELS an “undue advantage” in the handling of cargo in the eastern zone.

In their separate presentations, representatives of INTELS defined what it called “oil and gas cargoes” as opposed to general cargoes. They also gave reasons for their stand on the matter just as they took a step further to enumerate their strides over the years. As if taking a cue from INTELS, NPA also

toed the same line.

Its Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Mr. David Omonibeke, who represented the Managing Director, Alhaji Habib Abdullahi, gave reasons why the directive was given to PTOL. It also laboured to convince members of the committee on why it had to take the position it took.

In his contribution, Lagos based maritime lawyer, Mr. Michael Igbokwe, SAN, also flawed the position of INTELS on the matter, even as he adduced reasons why the House leadership must do everything possible to protect the interest of the indigenous terminal operators in the eastern zone.

He argued that the removal of certain types of cargo from coming to Port Harcourt port will negate the massive investment the firm has already put on ground and make it unable to meet its financial obligations to the federal government and financial institutions from which funds were raised to provide what he called “world class infrastructure.”

22—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23 , 2013

Skye Bank targets 10% of banking industry

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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From left: Moyosore Ojikutu, Supervisor, Women Affairs, Lagos Island East LCDA; Mrs. Oluwakemi Sanni, representing Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; Mrs. Anire Celey-Okogun, MD/CEO Chanelle Microfinance Bank Limited; and Mr. Hakeem, Lagos State Microfinance Institutions, LASMI, at the youths and women empowerment workshop organised by Chanelle Microfinance Bank Limited in partnership with Lagos Island LGA (East & West), in Lagos.

KYE Bank Plc has set a target of 10 per cent share of the banking industry assets through ongoing reconstruction and increased capital base.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, Skye Bank, Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti disclosed this at a pre-AGM press briefing in Lagos. “Our market share is five per cent, but we hope to increase it to 10 per cent”, he said.

He said that Skye Bank presently has the lowest capital base of N100 billion among its peers in the industry. “We are a small big bank. Out of the Tier 2 banks,

FIRS targets N5.6trn, set to introduce redesigned tax forms

By BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

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HE Federal Inland Reve nue Service (FIRS) said it hopes to increase its tax collection to N5.6 trillion this year, even as it commenced moves to introduce redesigned tax forms.

Acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Alhaji Kabir M. Mashi disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at a stakeholder ’s workshop to review the redesigned tax returns forms. “I wish to place on record that FIRS collected over five trillion naira (N5 trillion) last year with your support and is focused to achieve the 2013 target of N5.6 trillion naira in support of the noble objectives of government”, he said.

Represented by the Director, Non-Tax Programed, Ms. Chiaka Okoye, he said that the redesigned tax returns form is part of efforts of the Service to meet this target and possibly surpass it. The Redesigned Tax Form, he said, is in response to the challenges faced by the Service in its quest to perform its statutory functions, which are: to assess, collect and account for the following taxes collected; companies’ income tax; petroleum profit tax; value added tax; tertiary education tax; National Information Development Levy.” The challenges to carrying out these responsibilities he said ranges from: Tax leakages associated with cheque conversion/diversions of various magnitudes in early

2004; conspicuous inefficiencies in tax service delivery process; global challenges of ICT penetration; the need for capacity building.

“The challenges are so enormous to the extent that tax compliance was not only affected badly but the integrity of the entire tax administration system was almost lost. FIRS had to deal with these challenges one after the other to guarantee a sustainable level of revenue for government to enable her provide essential services to the public.

“One of the sure ways to address these challenges was partly through automation, capacity building and awareness creation. We

started this by initiating Project FACT. The Project FACT which is a Bank payment solution was implemented to secure government revenue from all sources of leakages. Payment process became transparent and more efficient as taxpayers can pay in one environment and view the payment anywhere.

“The payment solution was just one out of several processes that FIRS introduced. Businesses processes were re-engineered to achieve a standardisation required for automation. The re-engineering efforts translated into defining requirements to select an offthe-shelf tax administration solution.

A procurement process through the adoption of international competitive bidding process was initiated and a Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration (SIGTAS) Solution was selected and approved by Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“Thus, the ITAS project - to implement the SIGTAS solution (automation of the entire tax administration processes). The ITAS implementation is on the verge of completion.

However, we cannot conclude the implementation without bringing our stakeholders together, to inform them of what to expect as we have reengineered the processes, and introduced new forms.”

we have the smallest capital base of N105 billion Yet we are still attracting business, and leveraging 10 times, which is quite stressful. That is why we want to raise additional capital. With additional capital, we would be stronger, and be able to do more business and post better result”, he said.

Skye Bank, he said, has commenced moves to raise $50 million additional capital and hopes to conclude this by next year.

He said the bank would also consider acquisition of one the three bridge banks, as part of its efforts to increase its market share.

In addition to these, Skye Bank, he said is implementing an operational reconstructuring programme aimed at boosting its efficiency. “We have done some level operational efficiency in the last couple of years. We are trying to make our branches stronger, we have strengthened the service platforms of our branches so that there can be enhanced efficiency in terms of service delivery. We are upgrading our Information Technology, the process has started and by early next year, we will have new software and hardware and our customers’ experience would improve.” He said these initiatives would help the bank improve on its performance in the 2012 operating year.

Audited report and accounts of the bank for the year ended December 31, 2012 showed that profit after tax grew by 872.6 per cent to N12.64 billion from N1.3 billion while profit before tax rose by 480.9 per cent from N2.84 billion in 2011 to N16.51 billion.

FirstBank upgrades IT infrastructure for enhanced service delivery

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IRST Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is currently upgrading its IT infrastructure to enhance service delivery and provide specialised financial solutions to all customer segments, the Bank’s management has said.

FirstBank’s spokesperson, Folake AniMumuney said the Bank’s upgrade to Finacle 10 banking platform will simplify customer transactions, support the latest database technologies as well as improve functional and operational capabilities on its network. “A periodic review of our processes to seek ways of upgrading customer experience is an activity that we are passionate about in FirstBank. Consequently, our quest at any given time is to ensure the Bank is better positioned to offer efficient services to its over 7 million customers

across the globe,” she stated.

Ani-Mumuney said FirstBank continues to invest heavily in technology in its bid to drive service excellence and product innovation across its branches and electronic channels. “Our Finacle 10 platform will drive operations that support new lines of business and further extend our services to the under-banked and unbanked in the nation,” she added.

She explained that as is standard with such enhancements, the Bank regrets that some customers may have encountered some service disruptions which may continue over the next couple of weeks when the upgrade will be concluded.

According to her, the Bank had since provided several alternative platforms to ensure that customers can be

serviced at any given time. She said the Bank had during the period, opened some of its branches for longer hours and on weekends increased the number of staff in its call centres who are empowered to provide on-the-spot assistance. “We are approaching an advanced stage of the upgrade and will like to appeal to our customers for understanding and patience as we work towards enhancing customer experience across all our touch points,” she stated.

During the transition period, customers requiring assistance can reach the Bank’s contact centre – FirstContact – via phone (0708-0625000) or email (firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com) for prompt 24/7 resolution of transactional issues.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23 , 2013 — 23

BRIEF Customs train 5,000 officers on Destination Inspection

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Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Joseph Ezeoba (right) receiving a gift from the Director General of the Niigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi during a courtesy visit by the management team of the Nigerian Navy to the agency in Lagos recently.

Shipping firms end mid-stream discharge S

ECRETARY of Berthing Meeting, Mr Vincent Ohizu said,Monday, that all shipping companies were complying with the Presidential directive banning midstream discharge of cargoes on the nation’s waters. Ohizu told newsmen in Lagos that shipping companies were not involved in midstream discharge, except Brawal Shipping.

Berthing Meeting is a daily gathering of representatives of shipping companies and terminal operators to deliberate on ship movement into the terminals, after which, the Shipping Position, a document is released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He said Brawal Shipping had been licensed and mandated to discharge cargoes midstream.

“What operates now is that if at all a shipping company must undertake midstream discharge, it must be with the ministerial approval,” Ohizu told NAN. NAN recalls that President Goodluck Jonathan gave the order while commissioning some projects at the Federal Lighter Terminal and Federal Ocean Terminal at Onne Port Complex in 2010.

The President said that government would no longer condone security threat and the huge loss of revenue to mid-

C M Y K

stream and private jetties discharge of cargoes.

The president told shippers that all cargoes imported into the country must be discharged at the NPA designated terminals.

Ohizu advised that government agencies at the ports such like the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service should desist from

boarding ships for documentation purposes.

“In other West African countries, the practice of boarding ships for documentation no longer exists.

“Rather, agents of the shipping company complete their documents by going to the office of the relevant authority,” he said.

Ohizu said that delays in berthing were no longer common in

Lagos pilotage district, adding that only documentation procedures could cause delays in berthing of ships.

He also commended the Board of the Lagos Channel Management, a company assigned by NPA to dredge the waterways.

Ohizu said that bigger vessels were sailing into the berths in some terminals with the assistance of the dredging firm.

NIMASA to deploy 3 new platforms to curb piracy

BY GODFREY BIVBERE

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ANAGEMENT of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to deploy three brand new platforms to curb activities of robbers at sea.

Disclosing this to Vanguard in Houston, Texas at the just concluded Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), Senior Special Assistant to the President on Maritime Matters, Leke Oyewole, said that the action of the agency in the Lagos area has forced the sea robbers to flee.

Oyewole however explained that the deployment of the platform would soon effectively eliminate their

activities there.

He said: “When we talk about increasing piracy, we talk about the Niger-Delta it is near zero in Lagos. In the Niger-delta, if it is increasing, it is so for some other reasons.

“Whether we call them pirates or oil-thieves, we are also combating it. Two or three days ago, NIMASA had moved into the East with certain number of vessels. They have got six additional patrol vessels, big ones this time around. Three have already arrived; some have been moved to the east while more are being moved,” he noted.

Oyewole also said that the Nigerian Navy is deploying some of its platforms to

that area to help combat activities of sea pirates.

On the accusation that NIMASA was housing former war lords in its resource center at Kirikiri, Oyewole pointed out that it might be part of the agreement between NIMASA and Global West Vessels but noted however that he was not sure.

In his words, “There is a concession between NIMASA and Global-West wherein NIMASA is to provide certain facilities and I do not know whether that is part of it.

“When you have a partner that you are working with, the partner gives you certain things and you oblige him certain things also.”

HEAD of the June 1, 2013 take-over from serv ice providers, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has trained about 5, 000 of its officers on different aspects of Destination Inspection of cargo clearance.

Public Relations Officer of the Service, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, said this in Lagos over the weekend. Adeniyi said that the service has surpassed the designated number of officers that were expected to be trained.

He said that the service contracted providers to train 300 of its officers in all segments of cargo clearance, adding that the trainers have given the service a good score card on the training of its officers.

According to him, “we have trained not less than 5, 000 officers, different level of training, on our own apart from the one that service providers provided.

“What they tell us is that they are not obliged to train more than 300 or 350, that is what their contract says. We discovered that this will be highly inadequate, so on our own we have trained more.

But we do know that the 300 is highly inadequate for the kind of job we are going to do. “ So, we have gone beyond the training provided by the service providers to do another training by ourselves.” The customs spokesman added that the officers were trained on radiation and safety in handling ports operations.

86 ships expected at Lagos ports from May to June

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HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Monday said 86 ships carrying various products will sail into the Lagos ports from May 20 to June 14.

This is contained in its daily publication on the outcome of daily berthing meeting, made available to newsmen in Lagos. The publication says the ships are laden with petroleum products, bulk fertiliser, new and used vehicles, rice and frozen fish.

It says some of the ships are also carrying steel products, bulk salt, general cargo, bulk sugar, bulk gypsum, bulk wheat, containerised goods and crude palmoil. The publication says 10 fuel laden ships are also waiting to berth and discharge kerosene, petrol, diesel and aviation fuel.

It says the ships are to berth at Single Buoy Mooring (SBM), New Oil Jetty (NOJ), Atlas Cove Jetty (ACJ) and Bulk Oil Plant (BOP).

Levy on imported rice has affected maritime sector - Group

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HERE are indications that local rice farmers are currently under severe pressure to meet local demand of the commodity following the ban on the importation of rice into the country through the nation’s seaports. With the federal government recent policy of imposing an unfriendly duty paid value on imported rice, which is discouraging businessmen from bringing in the product from Asia and South America, there are palpable fears that the locally made rice and the smuggled ones cannot meet the demands of Nigerians because of the high rate of consumption of rice in the country.

However stakeholders have drawn the attention of government to the need to reduce the duty payable on imported rice and to also encourage the local farmers. National Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition; Sir Patrick Chukwu Osita told newsmen in Lagos ,last week that importation of the product will not discourage local production, adding that it is the number one staple food for the generality of the populace. ‘’Government cannot just raise duty on rice when we all know that we don’t have rice milling equipment in the country, the duty is affecting the industry, it has stopped many vessels that bring in rice from coming into the ports and it has tremendously affected the revenue turnover”, he said.

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY , MAY 23, 2013

FG unveils new scheme to tackle graduate unemployment STORIES BY FRANKLIN ALLI

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HE Federal Government has through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment flagged a new scheme to tackle graduate unemployment in the country. It is called U n i v e r s i t y Entrepreneurship Development Programme (UNEDEP).

Speaking during the unveiling of the programme in Abuja, on Tuesday, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said that the programme would give students the opportunity for practical hands on experience to enable them to successfully manage their own businesses.

He said that the

programme which will be implemented by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is also aimed at enhancing and re-orientating the values of undergraduates; providing a mentoring platform for students and reducing poverty and youth unemployment, among others.

“UNEDEP’s mission is to ‘catch them young’. The programme focuses on entrepreneurship development of undergraduates and aims to create future entrepreneurs; encourage selfemployment; embed business ethics amongst the youth. We will achieve this by using the existing Network for African Student Entrepreneurs

club structure and deriving a standard schedule of activities for all members across all universities. “ UNEDEP aims to increase access to finance for young entrepreneurs by exposing its participants to panels of investors,” he said.

Speaking during the event, the Minister of Education, Prof.

Ruqayyatu Rufai, said there was a need for the country to promote the culture of entrepreneurship among students in order to reduce unemployment and achieve sustainable economic growth and development.

“All over the world, entrepreneurship has been identified as the major driver of economic growth and development.”

Olam honours 39 staff for productivity

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LAM Nigeria Limited has honoured 39 of its staff with Daewoo deep fridges plus a cumulative N1.5 million shopping vouchers of N40, 000 each for their wives to spend at Shoprite.

Mukul Mathur, Country Head, said the items were in recognition of their long service and productivity.

He noted that the company started doing business in Nigeria since 1989, and “the affected staff have been with us through our ups and downs.

“They are role models in terms of hard work, team work and dedication to duty. They made the company’s problem their problem and they find the solutions,” he said.

He stated that the company evolved from trading in primary commodities like cashews, cocoa and sheanut, to exports, imports, and branded packaged food products under Caraway Foods.

The company also has interest in rice, fertilser and palm oil, stressing we are able to survive competition because of this diversified portfolios.”

On job creation, he replied, “We have approximately 1,380 staff spread throughout the

country, engaged in helping us manage of our value chain activities of origination, processing, marketing and distribution.”

Ernest Esada, the company ’s Deputy General Manager, commended the affected staff for their o u t s t a n d i n g performance, their commitment to the company ’s corporate culture and philosophy

as well as for using their knowledge and skill to achieve the company’s desired targets and objectives.

The last time the event of this nature was in 2007; at that time, we only celebrated 10 years of marriage between the employers and the employees for 29 staff.

This year we celebrate 10 and 20 years, for 39 staff out of whom one is late,” he said.

Promisador vows to sustain Quill Awards for journalists

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ROMISADOR Nigeria Limited has vowed to sustain its Quill Awards which was instituted to reward excellence in the media.

Chief Keith Richards, the company ’s Managing Director, made the pledge during the presentation of prizes to winners in the maiden edition of the Awards in Lagos, weekend.

“We’ll sustain Quill Awards like the Cowbell National Mathematics Competition which has been ongoing for fourteen years,” said Keith. He said that the company is known for sustaining its corporate social responsibility projects and Quill Awards won’t be an

exception.

He noted that the participation for this year was very impressive for a maiden edition but the company would love to see more participation from journalists across the nation in the coming year. The chairman of the Award Panel, Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole noted that Promasidor is committed to setting the pace in rewarding journalists based on merit and not a self-seeking approach to get accolades. “ We would like to encourage our journalist to stay fresh and sincere in their career and seek to execute their work within professional ethical standards in the industry,” Cole said.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 — 25

learning@vanguardngr.com

Children’s Day: Can Nigeria salvage the 10.5 million out of school children?

NUC, ICPC crack down on illegal varsities nationwide ...vow to prosecute operators

Page 26

Nigeria’s Centenary Celebration: Sobowale sues for egalitarian society Page 27 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Students make incubator

Page 32

Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, receiving the project report fromProf. Michael Adikwu, National Project Co-ordinator of STEP-B in Abuja

BY DAYO ADESULU & CALEB AYANSINA

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HE National Universities Com mission (NUC) and the Inde pendent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) have commenced their joint operation to crack down on illegal degree-awarding institutions in the country, with the closure of 41 illegal universities nationwide. Vanguard Learning gathered that there are 67 illegal institutions in Nigeria and the exercise which includes closing and seizure of their properties, making an arrest and prosecution will focus on 41 of them that have visible addresses. The Chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo

Nta who disclosed this in a press conference in Abuja on the menace of illegal universities in Nigeria, said they had obtained warrant of a competent court of jurisdiction to effect the arrest and prosecution of operators of illegal institutions in the country.

Represented by the Chairman of ICPC/NUC Task Team, Prof. Olu Aina, Nta revealed that there were about 100 operatives positioned in the various zones of the country to carry out the exercise, noting that the commission relied on section 37 of its enabling Act of 2000, to carry out the exercise.

According to him, “ICPC has commenced a nation-wide operation to seal the premises of identified illegal ‘universities’, seize their properties, make

OOU crisis: No student died – VC ....Maladministration fueled crisis

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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HE Vice-Chancellor, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Professor Saburi Adesanya, has refuted rumours that four students were killed in the recent crisis that rocked the university, saying no student died during the rampage.

It would be recalled that students of the university recently took to the streets to protest the management’s decision to prevent some students from writing the forthcoming

examinations on the grounds that they owed the school.

Few hours after the violent crisis began, the social media was awash with insinuations that the police in the state have killed four protesting students during the disturbance. As a result, parents and guardians became anxious over the wellbeing of their wards.

To worsen the situation, some people spread the false information that the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had

ordered the police to ‘shoot at sight’ any student that goes on rampage.

Twenty-four hours before the ruckus began, a release signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, warned yet-to-be registered students to stay away from the campus.

According to the statement, “Following the expiration of the deadline given to students to Continues on page 29

arrests, prosecute and execute such other actions it deems fit.

This action, is the first in the series of implementing the outcome of an ongoing ICPC/NUC University System Study and Review (USSR), for which ICPC sought and obtained a Federal High Court warrant to crack down on illegal degree-awarding mills in Niger i a .

An Inter-agency Task Team comprising ICPC, the National Universities Commission, the Police, the State Security Services and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps will continue the exercise until all corrupt practices and impunity associated with the physical existence of such illegal activities in sectors like education in Nigeria.

The universities being closed down were established in contravention of the law which states that any application for the establishment of a university must be done through the National Universities Commission.

These unaccredited institutions, apart from extorting huge sums of money from unsuspecting Nigerians, are manned by unqualified personnel and operate in makeshift structures and poor environment that cannot qualify our youths both in learning and character for the award of recognised university degree. In addition, students of these institutions are not admitted through JAMB, neither are they qualified or considered for the NYSC. As a result of all these deficiencies, the so-called students of these illegal outfits are not equipped for employment in the public or private sectors.

In the end, certificates obtained from such institutions become useless, and the period of study becomes a monumental waste of precious time.

Therefore, the activities of these illegal operators have impacted negatively on the mental, psychological and economic well-being of many young Nigerians and their parents. The institutions constitute an embarrassment to the government; and remain a monumental corruption of the education system.

Members of the public are advised to visit the NUC website for the list of these illegal degree-awarding universities, institutions and centres. A lot

Continues on page 25

26 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Children’s Day: Can Nigeria salvage the over 10.5m out-of-school children?

BY AMAKA ABAYOMI & LAJU ARENYEKA

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s Nigeria prepares to celebrate yet another Children’s Day on Monday, May 27, there is an increased need for proper management of the country ’s resources to ensure that the over 10.5 million out-of-school (OOS) children are absorbed into the school system.

According to data released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, an estimated 61 million children of primary school age are being denied their right to education globally.

Nigeria alone is home to an estimated 10.5 million, 3.6 million more than in 2000, or 42 per cent of primary schoolage population.

Eight-year-old Mary is one of such children. Her schedule, however, is different from that of many eight-yearolds. While her mates usually go to school every morning, Mary carries a tray on her head and follows her mother round the Festac Town axis of Lagos State selling beans.

There is a sad look in her eyes as she responds when we asked her why she is not in school. She quietly shook her head and said; “I don’t remember what class I stopped,” just before she continued the day’s journey with her mother.

Thirteen- year-old Samuel stopped secondary school after JSS 1 because “my parents could not afford to pay my school fees, that was why I stopped,” he said, while taking a brief

•Children hawking at Oshodi break from his job as a bus conductor on the Yaba/Ojuelegba route. When asked why he did not enroll in a public school instead, Samuel says: “I don’t know, I guess my parents don’t like it.”

Acknowledging the high number, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, at the 2013 Commonwealth Day celebration, lamented that 10.5 million primary school-age children in Nigeria are denied access to basic education, a figure she said is the highest in the

world.

“Nigeria has over 10.5 million OOS children, which is one-sixth of the world’s OOS children.

Other countries of the world have accounted for just 5/6 while Nigeria is taking 1/6, which is a very serious challenge,” the Minister said.

Despite a significant increase in net enrollment rates in recent years, 42 per cent of Nigerian children aged 6-11 do not attend any primary school with the northern region recording the lowest school attendance rate in the country, particularly for girls.

Increased enrollment rates have also created challenges in ensuring quality education and satisfactory learning achievement as resources are spread more thinly across a growing number of students.

It is not rare to see cases of 100 pupils per teacher or students sitting under trees outside the school building due to lack of classrooms.

To address this, the Federal Government, in 2004, approved the implementation of the compulsory and free Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act aimed at fighting illiteracy and extending basic education opportunities to all children in the

NUC, ICPC crack down on illegal varsities Continues from page 25 of them do not have fixed addresses, while some have become itinerant, changing locations continuously to beat the law.”

Meanwhile, in Lagos State, the NUC/ ICPC has sealed off two illegal university certificate-awarding institutions. ??The affected schools with visible official address include UNICARIBEAN Business School at Ikorodu and the New Horizon Computer Learning Centre, Ikeja.

The Assistant Director, ICPC, Mr Demola Bakare who led the team to those centres said the sealing off was based on complaints from the general public on the deplorable state of Nigeria’s education system, adding that 12 out of the 67 illegal institutions are based in Lagos.

Speaking with the press during the crack down of one of the illegal institutions, Bakare said; “These schools produce the many unemployable graduates we have in the labour market today, bearing certificates that are

not recognised by any organisation, and eventually become a menace to the society.”??

According to him, ??these institutions have been operating without accreditation from the NUC and in the quest to get students have violated the national minimum standards.

According to reports gathered, UniCaribbean which occupies only four rooms in a two-storey building, offered over 14 courses at the degree, master’s and PhD levels and presently has 12 students, seven undergraduates and five master ’s students.??

Vanguard Learning investigations revealed that a first year student in UniCaribbean pays minimum of N257,000 including accommodation.

In his reaction, the Chairman and Executive Director, UNICARIBBEAN Business School, Mr Olufemi Rasheed said that he bothered not to seek approval from NUC because UNICARIBBEAN is affiliated with the University of the Carribbean, Virgin Island in Britain and had been certified by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). ”As a business school, our af-

fairs are not run by the NUC, hence, certification from the NUC was not required,” he explained.

However, the commission also warned private school owners, companies and individuals to desist from making their premises available for operators of illegal institution to avoid being confiscated. “School proprietors by this notice are advised to be wary of lending or hiring out their premises for these ‘after-school hour and weekend’ institutions to avoid having their premises sealed or seized”, he warned.

Fielding questions from journalists, the representative of NUC, Prof. Shola Akinrinade noted that the commission had never granted temporary approval to any illegal university, as some of them alleged, noting that, there were about 14 stages to get approval, and that, no licence is issued at any stage unless the process is completed.

The don made it clear that there was not going to be any form of compensation to any student of illegal schools, except that of guiding them to secure admission into legitimate institutions.

Eminent Nigerians honoured by Denmark University

BY VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU

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IVE eminent Nigerians have been awarded with doctorate degrees by Green Hills University (GHU) Denmark, Africa Campus, for well deserved merits in their respective disciplines.

The award ceremony which took place recently at the University of Lagos, Akoka, presented the awardees with befitting certificates at the completion of a full course of studies at the university’s Africa Campus.

In a welcome address by the International President of GHU Denmark, Prof. Nancy Walsh, read by the African regional chancellor, Dr. Austin Modungwo, Walsh described the awardees as deserving ambassadors who have worked hard to earn the honour done them.

On his part, the President of GHU, (Africa Campus), His Royal Highness (Prof.) Agumba Nwajei Chuks Nwajei, described the awardees as worthy ambassadors of the nation.

Osun plans Oodua Children’s Day to bring Yoruba together

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HE Osun State Government has said it will celebrate all descendants of Oduduwa living within and outside Nigeria on May 27th 2013 at the Oodua World Children's Day. Chairman, Oodua Children’s Day Committee, Mr Oguntola Toogun, said that the event, being planned by the state government of Osun is aimed at further strengthening the regional integration efforts of the various state governments in the region.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, Toogun, who is an Assistant Chief of Staff to the Governor and the Chairman, Osun Calisthenics Implementation Committee said apart from the fact that the event will bring all Yoruba together, it would afford the state an opportunity to sell its Calisthenics programme to the entire world, with a view to making it a source of income for the state.

He stressed further that the target is to fill up the 50,000 capacity Osogbo City Stadium.

Victory holds entrance exams

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ICTORY Grammar School and Victory High School will hold entrance examinations into Junior Secondary School, JSS, on Saturday, July 6 and Friday August 23, 2013 at the school halls.

According to a statement by the Managing Proprietor, Chief Christian Ipoola Olaniyan, candidates will be examined in English Language, Mathematics and general Paper. The best candidates will be given scholarship award.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—27

BY IKENNA ASOMBA & OLASUNKANMI AROWOLO

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s the nation rolls out the drums to celebrate 100 years of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, next year, political communication expert, Prof. Idowu Akanbi Sobowale has charged government, stakeholders and citizens to join hands together in building an egalitarian and peaceful society.

Sobowale made this charge, Friday, while delivering the 35 th Public Lecture of Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, entitled: Communication, Politicians and True Democracy, at the university’s chapel.

Chronicling the history of the nation, he explained that, “Nigeria has gone through a chequered history in its relatively short span of existence as an independent nation. Next year (2014) will mark the centenary of the amalgamation of the Northern and the Southern Protectorates to form the entity, Nigeria. In this period, the country has cascaded through different phases of experience - colonial subjugation, inter and intraethnic wrangling, a bloody military coup d’etat, a civil war, then a long spell of military rule, return to democratic dispensation and an uneasy co-habitation among the various ethnic components of the federation.”

Arguing that the country’s history has been spiced with large doses of maladministration, nepotism, corruption in high and low places and general discontentment, the Professor

Nigeria’s Centenar y Celebration:

Sobowale sues for egalitarian society

•Prof. Idowu Akanbi Sobowale of Journalism noted that the duty of all citizens “is not only to retrace our steps but also launch out to build a more just, egalitarian, prosperous and peaceful society.”

Meanwhile, in his 45minute interactive lecture, the don blamed Nigeria’s stunted growth and development of appropriate democratic culture on the ineptitude of politicians. He said; “The lack of useful communication from our politicians or the unwillingness on their part to communicate beneficially has resulted in the stunted growth

and development of a p p r o p r i a t e democratic culture in Nigeria. This has also affected many facets of our national life. “Those who govern us do what they like with impunity.

The majority of the people who bear the brunt of the misrule that goes on in our land have not been cultured or empowered to ask questions and d e m a n d explanations when things do not seem right. How many of our politicians go to their constituency offices regularly to be consulted or informed of the activities going on in their constituencies or on the needs of their people? How many of them have formed the habit of reporting their activities regularly to their electors? If our legislators adopt this reporting system, it is definite that greater due diligence would be applied to government business.”

Sobowale, who was threetime Special Adviser and later Commissioner for Education in the first and third civilian governments of Lagos State, nonetheless,

ing people less angry or nervous’. Diffuse means ‘spread over a wide area, not clear or easy to understand’. Do not confuse defuse with diffuse. They do not have the same meaning.

Defuse – Diffuse D

efuse and Diffuse are among the pairs of words that are most often confused with each other. Defuse means ‘to remove the fuse from an ex-

plosive device e.g. a bomb, so that it cannot explode’. It also means ‘to stop or reduce the danger or tension in a difficult situation, especially by mak-

Examples: The cooking gas diffuses in the air.

Members of the Joint

submitted that for a just and egalitarian Nigerian society, “politicians need to engage those they claim to be representing in active

communication,” adding, “the critical stakeholders, journalists and other communicators, political and appointive office holders, and the citizens themselves, should play their roles well to ensure that Nigeria transits to the next level of democratic growth and development.”

In his remarks, the ViceChancellor, CU, Prof. Charles Korede Ayo, who also represented the Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo, (Ph.D), described Sobowale as an oracle, who has made his mark in public administration and training of professional media practitioners.

Corroborating Sobowale’s stance on how government can be accountable to the people, the VC sued for a transition to e-government in Nigeria.

Imansuangbon Essay to produce 24 winners T

O sharpen the writing skills of students, a total of 24 students in junior and senior secondary schools across the country would emerge winners of this year’s Kenneth Imansuangbon Annual Essay Competition, which would hold on May 25, 2013 in Abuja and three senatorial districts in Edo State.

The fifth edition of the competition, which was initiated and sponsored by the Chairman, Pacesetter ’s Academy, Abuja, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, is aimed at sharpening the writing skills of students and to inculcate the culture of reading and research in them.

According to the Chairman, Organising Committee, Mr. Segun Awogbade, this year ’s competition with the theme; Security, Peace and Unity, also aims at diverting the attention and interest of the students from social vices and to make them prolific writers like

renowned authors such as Prof. Wole Soyinka and the late Prof. Chinua Achebe.

He said six winners (three from senior and three from junior category) would emerge from the Abuja centre, while a total of 18 winners (nine senior and nine junior) would emerge from the three centres in Edo State.

He said the sponsor would invest about N3.5 million as cash prizes in the 24 winners, in addition to laptops, which would be presented to each of them. The first prize winner in both categories will receive a cash prize of N100,000; the second prize winner in both categories will get a cash prize of N60,000; while the third prize winner in both categories will receive a cash prize of N40,000.

The winners would also be invited for a dinner at the Transcorp Hospital, Abuja, alongside their parents and teachers on June 28, 2013.

Task Force are trying to defuse tension in some parts of the North.

flat paper container used to enclose a letter or document’.

Envelop – Envelope The difference between envelop (verb) and envelope (noun) is worthy of note. The one without an ‘e’ at the end (envelop) means ‘to wrap somebody or something up; to cover or surround completely’, whereas the one with an ‘e’ at the ‘end’ (envelope) is ‘a

Examples: An envelope in used for sending letters.

Please, come with writing paper and envelopes.

The baby was enveloped in a big white towel.

CONTINUES NEXT WEEK. Send requests/problems to Gabriel Osoba, Ph.D, Department of English, Lagos State University, Ojo, through Editor, Teach Yourself English, Vanguard Newspapers, PMB. 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or email: editor@vanguardngr.com & gabosoba002@yahoo.co

28—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

E

xperts have said that online learning should take the centre stage in West African education as traditional learning structures will not be sufficient to cater for the bustling education needs in the region. This was the fulcrum of the Conference on Campus Automation, eLearning & Faculty Development held in Lagos recently.

In his lecture, An introduction to eLearning and teaching, the Registrar, Ghana Technology University College, Prof. Patrick Otoo Bobbie said: “It is imperative that we bring to our people in Ghana and Nigeria, ways to make education accessible to all. And the only way we can do that is through online learning. Education is the key, it is the equalizer for any society, and if we do not focus on it, we will not have a legacy

Online learning is the future of education —Experts to leave to generations unborn. The institutions and countries that do not follow the trend of online learning will be left behind, because we cannot build enough traditional structures that can take care of the entire educational system, this is why online learning is imperative. If we have our communication systems in place, our students will be able to learn a whole lot more.

At GTUC, we are looking at having at least 50 per cent of all our students online very soon.”

Online learning can be practiced synchronously in real time, or asynchronously when it is recorded and can be played back anytime, anywhere. It is however, most effective when it is taught by experts in the various subject

matter. For students, the advantages of online learning abound, they include but are not limited to: design content with individual learning styles in mind; collaborative learning that involves active participants and coherent thinking; easy access to global resources; experiential learning through multimedia presentation.

According to Prof. Bobbie, “there is also a wide array of advantages for teachers such as: convenience, inspired creativity, professional satisfaction which comes from teaching a variety of students worldwide, expansion of curriculum in a way that will appeal to different kinds of people.”

He also spoke on the challenges associated with online audience. “There is the

challenge of time,” he said, “but this is an upfront payment that makes life easier in the long run. There is the issue of lack of familiarity with the online environment, lack of access to the internet, and then the fact that there is not always immediate feedback and teachers may not be able to provide quick response to students’ questions.

There are, however, ways of overcoming these challenges.

We must teach students to be computer savvy, tell them where to go for what information, where to take tests and assignments, create small groups and buddy systems to facilitate student to student and faculty to student interaction.

Dr. Josephine Larbi-Apau is the Director of the Center for Online Learning and Teaching, (COLT), GTUC.

While speaking on the imperative behind the COLT initiative, she said: “Only about 6 per cent of those who go through Senor Secondary School in Ghana have the opportunity of attending the public tertiary institutions. Let us assume that about 15 per cent go to private schools, what about the others?”

Larbi-Apau added that people who are skeptical about online education worry that the quality of online learning may not be as good as that of face to face learning. “These beliefs are unfounded,” she said, “because it is the same lecturers who are teaching face to face that are also in charge of online learning. In other words, the credibility of such an education should be based on the quality of the faculty in charge, and not on its online nature.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—29

Deployment of technology'll bring value to education sector —Dragnet MD

By DAYO ADESULU

M

Pix from left Mr Robert Ikazoboh, MD/CEO, Dragnet Solutions Limited; Mr Arek Bawa, Chief Operating Officer and Mr Baba Ikazoboh, Head, business, Biometrica International Ltd during a media parley by Dragnet Solutions Ltd on availabiility of technology for various schools examinations and other uses in Lagos. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

ANAGING Director, Dragnet Solutions, Mr. Robert Ikazoboh,, has identified technology as a key element that will bring value and help develop the education sector in the country, particularly in examination administration.

Speaking at a media parley, Ikazoboh, owner of the Face Of Testing, Nigeria’s first indigenous computer-based testing solution as well as Scholastica, a leading e-

scholarship and bursary solutions in the country, said the deployment of technology will engender the speedy growth of the education industry.

“We can’t move this country forward without focusing on the education sector because the sector is the warehouse from which the brains that will move the country forward will emerge from. In this age, we must do all we can to bring the sector up to speed and we need to do this using cutting edge technology.”

Ikazoboh made special reference to the ComputerBased Testing (CBT) initiative, which he described as the future of examination assessment in the country, while he also called on Nigerians to accept the CBT option being introduced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in its examination.

“By now, this country should be adopting CBT in virtually all of our educational institutions especially the secondary and tertiary institutions.

We simply can’t go on with the Paper To Pen mode of assessment in this country.

Imagine the cumbersome task the teachers face especially when they have many students to attend to. With CBT, the results of tests are ready just as the candidate concludes the examination and there is no need to physically handle the scripts.

That is why we applaud JAMB for taking the bold step by adopting CBT for the UTME.” Ikazoboh also called on public and private sector scholarship and bursary awarding institutions to use technology platform in disbursing scholarships and bursaries so as to make the process more credible and efficient.

“Though most private and public institutions strive to contribute to the education sector by awarding scholarships and bursaries, we must ask ourselves how impactful the process has been because in most cases, we see individuals getting two or more scholarships while deserving and eligible individuals are left out.

“But using technology, such can be managed such that ghost and multiple recipients will become a thing of the past. For instance, biometric technology will surely bring efficiency and value to the system.”

OOU crisis: No student died Continues from page 25 regularise their records with the university, the Ogun State Government has directed that only students of the university who have fully complied with the directives should come to the campuses to commence their examinations for the 2012/2013 harmattan semester which begins on Monday, May 20.

“The government warns all students who have not completed the registration formalities or fully paid their school fees to stay away from the university campuses. The government had compelled the university authorities to postpone the harmattan semester examination three times in the past to allow all students to regularise their records.”

“From the students audit conducted by the Olusegun Osinowo Visitation Panel in 2011 to review situation in the university, five categories of students were identified. The first category of students included those who are properly registered, have matriculation numbers and are up-to-date in the payment of their school fees. The second category consisted of students who have matriculation numbers but requested that they be allowed to pay their school fees in installments. The third category of students are those who have matriculation numbers but have defaulted in the payment of school fees over the years because they claimed their parents could not afford to pay."

30—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Craze for varsity education responsible for numerous varsities in Nigeria

BY FESTUS AHON

P

rofessor Hope Eghagha is the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education. He is a renowned educationist and was a lecturer in the English Department in the University of Lagos. In this exclusive interview with the Vanguard Learning, he spoke on variety of issues bordering on the educational system in Nigeria.

Excerpts.

What is responsible for the decay in the Nigeria educational system?

When we talk about decay in an educational system, we should get some issues very right and define them clearly.

There is indeed a drop in the level of teaching, in the level of appreciation of teaching, in general performance, in attitude to education, and there is a perception in the country that the knowledge level has perhaps not been very important particularly among the young people in the school.

They seem to believe that the important thing is to get a certificate not the knowledge itself. So all of these combined, with a long period of neglect in funding and developing infrastructure in the institutions contributed to the decay.

What is happening in the educational system is a reflection of the general societal change of values.

Sometimes negative values are stressed more than positive ones, and some of them have contributed to the challenges which we have in the sector.

These have resulted in poor performance because everybody wants to go to university when we know that not everybody has the capacity to go to tertiary institutions.

It is tragic that, over the years, there has not been enough funding for this sector. School buildings across the country used to be the very best around, but that is not the case, except in some states like Delta, where massive renovation and construction of schools are ongoing.

Going from the structures and focusing on the human beings, you”ll discover a significant drop in the level of commitment from the teachers. That desire to impart knowledge, to play a positive role in molding the younger generation is almost not there, and these have contributed to the challenges we face in the sector.

As an educationist, what do

C M Y K

Prof Hope Eghagha you think are the solutions?

There ought to be a state of emergency in the education sector which will attract the needed attention to the sector.

We also need to set goals that would be achieved within the period of the state of emergency.

When thinking of the

solutions, we need to seek those things that can alter the fortunes of education in this country; we should start thinking of proper policy implementation.

Talking about power supply to schools, rebuilding the school, let the classrooms be decent, then the environment of the school should be very good and the rebuilding of the teachers themselves.

The teachers themselves need to have a sense of self worth. Right now, teachers are not happy because they believe that their take home cannot take care of their

needs.

We don’t seem to value teachers anymore because the kind of respect we used to have for teachers is no more there.

So there is the need to empower teachers and raise their capacity and standard of living, especially as we entrust our

children to them very early.

There needs to be constant training and retraining of teachers on new teaching methods, classroom management, and being effective. There also has to be a process of evaluation and feedback from past students for us to know what they were taught and what they benefited from such methods.

So it is a three-way thing.

Government, teachers and parents all have roles to play to uplifting the education sector.

There should be consistency in policy implementation. There is nothing wrong with 6-3-3-4, and it is not compulsory that everybody must go to the university. The craze to acquire university education is responsible for the numerous universities we have today, and most of the graduates being churned out by some of them are incompetent, and this is a big challenge for us.

This is because when you produce a graduate from a defective educational system,

these graduates become the manpower base of the country, and once the manpower base is defective intellectually, it would have a long term adverse effect which would take longer years to correct.

Do you see the minimum of 26% of total annual budget as recommendation by UNESCO the solution to the decay in the education system?

That is a well thought out plan because education is the key in terms of human resource development. The human resource as we know is the most important of all resources. It is believed that when 26% of a budget is committed to education most of the challenges will be met.

What is happening is that for some country for some states this a difficult task because they have a lot of challenges.

So we recommend that every state, every government, national government should look into the possibility of annually increasing the budget for education.

13th One-Day-Governor emerge in Lagos

BY DAYO ADESULU

T

HE 13th One-DayGovernor of Lagos State has emerged at the 2013 Spelling Bee Competition held at Alausa, Lagos. The competition was organised in two phases for both primary and secondary school students.

There were 52 contestants from 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

Master Boadley Juwon Afolarin, 15, from Omole Senior Grammar School emerged first after a stiff contest among 52 contestants from 52 public schools in Lagos.

The second position went to Abolaji Abudulraman from Community Junior High School, Ayobo, Ipaja, even as Master Bio Marvellous Ejiwon from Victoria Island Senior High School came third.

Subsequently, Afolarin was presented with N250,000, while the second and third winners went home with N150,000 and N100,000 respectively.

Speaking at the event, the First Lady of Lagos State, Her Excellency, Emmanuella Fashola who presented the cash prize of N250, 000 and a trophy to the first prize winner thanked Dufil Prima Foods Plc

L-R, From left,the First Lady of Lagos State Governor,DameAbimbola Fasola,PR /Event Manager of DUFIL PRIMA PLC, Mr. Tope Asiwajupresenting a pack of Indomie Noodles, a trophy and cheque to the 1stposition of 2013 Lagos State/ Indomie Spelling Bee Competition ,Master Boadley Juwon Afolarin from Omole Senior Grammer School,Ojodu Lagos whilethe Lagos State Commissioner for education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye lookson at the event which held at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium,Lagos State

for ensuring that the grand finale was a huge success. She stated that she was impressed with Indomie for partnering with the Lagos State Government by being the title sponsors of the competition.

“I am very glad and grateful to Indomie for coming on board as a major sponsor of this edition of the competition. This contest would encourage other children to emulate the winners of today ’s competition by reading and taking their

studies seriously. I would also like to use this medium to implore other corporate organisations to partner with the government so as to ensure that there is a continuous boost in the educational sector in Nigeria.”

Former deputy governor, Lagos State, Mrs Adebisi Sarah Sosan in her remark said it is an indication that public school students are not doing badly.

On his part, the official sponsor, Dufil Prima Food Plc,

Public Relations/Event Manager, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju said; “Indomie is very proud of what Lagos State is doing in education. It is just the beginning of our partnership with Lagos State.”

Ashiwaju disclosed that with performance of the students, Indomie will take Spelling Bee to national and international levels.

“Funding of this project will never be an issue,” he said.

He noted that he will ensure that these three best winners become Indomie Ambassadors.

Meanwhile, Boadley Juwon Afolarin who emerged first said in order for him to excel, most of the night, he woke up to study. According to him, he started preparing four months ago.

His words; “I will like to be a physicist because I am good at Mechanical subjects.

I would like Lagos State to build new laboratories, more books in our library and repair our toilets.”

Some of the Spelling-Bee words include: Zoospermia, Bobby Dazzlier, Xenophobia, Chinchilla, Staccato, Hanukkah, Scolopophore, Mycorrhiza, Jabber wocky, Vinegarroon, Platyrrhine.

Others are, Cornucopia Xanthorrhoea, Sooranjee, Boondoggle and Thaumaturge.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—31

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

BY EBELE ORAKPO

N

ecessity, they say, is the mother of invention and the sole aim of education is to impact your community positively and so Rabiu Kabir, Basir Attahiru and Bashir Umar Mato, all science students of Dawakin Tofa Science College, Kano seeing the need to make life easier for poultry farmers in their locality, decided to do something to aid their business. They came up with a local incubator made from locally sourced materials. They spoke with Vanguard Learning recently.

Excerpts:

Materials: sing two empty cartons, kerosene lamp, silver container, aluminum foil, wire net, used syringe, sawdust, hygrometer, adhesive, pieces of wood, nails and cello tape, the young boys were able to construct a local incubating machine.

U

Construction: Explaining how the incubator was made, the spokesperson of the group, Basir Attahiru said; “First, the desk is constructed so as to support the whole local incubating machine, then a lamp is used to provide heat inside the incubator. There are two cartons – a big carton and a small one. The big carton is perforated at the base (square shape) where the head of the lamp is attached to the heating element. Inside, we have a silver container which is welded; the cover of the container itself is welded together so they are made airtight. Inside the silver container is water so when the water becomes heated, the hot water provides the heat for the hatching of the eggs.

"T

he smaller carton is also perforated at the base (cycle) and placed inside the bigger carton after the silver container is placed at the bottom of the bigger carton. The sides of the silver container are lined with sawdust. Then the smaller carton is placed over the silver container in such a way that the upper part of the silver

C M Y K

•From left: Rabiu Kabir, Basir Attahiru, Bashir Umar Mato

Students make incubator container which is welded, is exposed to the inner space of the inner carton. Then the space between the bigger carton and the smaller carton is lined with sawdust to

,

According to the students, “The main purpose for the construction of the local incubator is just to have a simple way of hatching eggs without a complex machine.

The incubator was constructed to aid the hatching of eggs using local materials which can be sourced even from our dustbins.”

radiation and also prevent the wetting of the inside of the carton. The hygrometre is for determining the relative humidity inside and there is the egg tray where the eggs

We can conveniently hatch 30 eggs in this incubator; for hens, it takes 21 days and for ducks, 18 days

prevent heat loss.

"The inner part of the smaller carton is also wrapped with aluminum foil to prevent heat loss due to

,

are arranged so when you are heating the bottom, the heat will be supplied to the eggs through the silver container which acts as a conductor and

there is water inside, so the heat is being conducted throughout the local incubator. The water inside can also retain heat so that you can even put out the lantern to save your kerosene since the water can retain the heat.”

Explaining further, Attahiru said the work of the aluminum foil is to prevent heat loss by radiation and also prevent the system from getting wet so that “even if you pour water inside the incubator, nothing will happen to the cartons. The cover is fitted to slow down

heat loss from the water.

There is also empty sardine cans in which we put water and they are placed in the incubator to maintain the humidity inside the vacuum.”

“This simple machine can be produced by a layman. We can conveniently hatch 30 eggs in this incubator. For hens, it takes 21 days and for ducks, 18 days,” he said.

‘Exam not compulsory before admission in Indian varsities'

By DAYO ADESULU

F

or students seeking admission into universities, all hope is not lost yet, as representatives of Indian universities have disclosed that Indian government has an education policy to admit 15 per cent African students yearly into their various universities which have 17 million capacity adding that examination is not compulsory.

Last weekend, no fewer than 12 Indian universities and institutions of higher learning were in Nigeria to showcase their graduate and postgraduate courses in engineering, medicine and other programmes to eligible students. The invitation came at a time when Nigerian institutions could only accommodate 550,000 students out of 1.7million students who sat for the Unified Tertiary

Matriculation Examination, UTME. Speaking at the official opening of the exhibition titled: India Education Expo2013, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Mahesh Sachdev disclosed that with 550 universities and 17 million students, India is today world’s largest English-language higher education system.

He explained that Indira Gandhi National Open University in New Delhi for example is world’s largest with over 3.5 million students noting that prestigious Indian education providers such as Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Sciences are acknowledged to be among world’s best. “I am convinced that India has all that it takes to be a good partner of Nigeria in this vital sector,” he said.

In spite of the l7 million students in 550 universities, Indian education

policy nevertheless states that 15 per cent of those seats be reserved for international students. The reason, he noted is to create an enabling environment where their students can learn from other countries’ culture.

According to the High Commissioner, the number of Nigerian students going to India has been surging since 2012 exhibition pointing out that over 1,200 Nigerians went to India to study, predicting an increase this year following the exhibition. Mrs Anita Charles, Head, International Relations of Galgotias University, Mr. Samiullah Khan, Head, Middle East and Africa, SRM University and Anita Patankar, Director, Symbiosis International University spoke in one voice saying that students from Africa do not need to sit for any examination before admission in their university noting that if any student has a 50 per cent credit in either NECO or WAEC, such will be admitted into any Indian university of their choice.

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

C M Y K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—33

I N S I D E

We'll fast track administration of Criminal Justice Bill passage — Page 43 — Tambuwal

Justice for All of fers legal service to inmates — Page 43

Why LPDC barred four lawyers for life

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

T

HE cyclone of cupboard cleansing currently permeating the Nigerian Judiciary, recorded fresh victims last week, as the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, in a decisive move, handed life ban to four legal practitioners.

The four ex-lawyers, who were expressly barred from either practicing the legal profession in Nigeria or ever identifying themselves as lawyers again, were said to have engaged in sundry acts of corruption that brought the legal profession to immense disrepute.

Delivering the verdict, Chairman of LPDC and former National President •CJN Mariam Aloma Mukhtar of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief Joseph B. Daudu, SAN, maintained that the Committee unanimousthe LDPC by the Nigeria Bar Associaly agreed that Mr Dominic Ntiero, tion, NBA, which is the umbrella body Timipa Okponipere, G.C Monye, and of legal practitioners across the J.A Agwuncha, deserved to be axed federation. from the noble profession, having NBA in its petition accused him of proved themselves as highly ignoble

You failed to maintain the high standard of the professional conduct expected of a legal practitioner by engaging in a conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner and thereby found guilty of the offence

,

both in conduct and character.

Consequently, the Committee mandated the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Sunday Olorundahunsi, to strike off their names from the apex court’s scroll where name of every bonafide lawyer in the country must be found.

Besides, the LPDC handed 5-year suspension to one Olawole AjogeDaniel after he was equally found guilty of judicial misconduct.

Specifically, the 1st accused lawyer, Ntiero, was said to have shunned invitation to appear before the panel to defend himself, “we were however satisfied by the Committee’s Secretary that there was due notice in the Punch Newspaper,” Daudu noted.

According to him, “the respondent’s act violated Rules 47, 50, and 51 of the Rules of Professional Conduct in the Legal Profession 2007 and Section 12 of the Legal Practitioners Act as Amended.”

Meantime, the petition that culminated to the sanction that was imposed against Ntiero was forwarded to C M Y K

,

issuing a dud cheque of N6.3 million to one of his client Rita Edet over a failed agreement.

In the case of Okponipere, Daudu said the respondent had sometime in 2007 admitted to have given unsolicited legal services to the ex-Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Corporation, NDDC, Mr Timi Alaibe.

Okponipere had claimed to have nominated Alaibe for National Merit Award and therefore made demands for the sum of N40 million and allegedly resorted to threats and intimidation, a conduct the Committee said was unwholesome.

LPDC insisted that Okponipere failed to maintain the high standard of professional conduct expected of a legal practitioner.

Similarly, NBA alleged that in the case of Monyei, the Principal Partner at G.C Monyei And Co, he was engaged by a company, GMNL, sometimes in 2003 as a debt collector to recover the sum of N9.2 million from the Edo State Ministry of Justice.

NBA alleged that, the money was an

J.B. Daudu, SAN amount being the value of a Kodiak Bedford Vehicle (Black Maria) supplied to the Ministry, noting that whereas Monyei had collected the sum of N5 million on behalf of GMNL since May 3, 2005, as a part payment of the debt, he converted it to his personal use.

Thus LPDC, as part of its verdict on the petition, ordered that the respondent should forthwith refund a total sum of N4million to the GMNL. On the other hand, Agwuncha was said to have cheated his client by converting fund meant for incorporating a company (New Resources Bureau De Change) as a limited liability company.

LPDC held that Agwuncha took advantage of the confidence reposed in him as a lawyer to dupe the unsuspected client.

“You failed to maintain the high standard of the professional conduct expected of a legal practitioner by engaging in a conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner and thereby found guilty of the offence.

“The sum of six hundred and Fifty One Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira be funded to Lofty Investment Limited by the respondent.

“The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court is hereby directed to strike off the name of the respondent J.A Agwuncha from the Roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria.

“The notice of the directions be immediately brought to the attention of the respondent by service on him personally or at his last known address and by publication in any edition of the Punch Newspaper.

“It should also be notified in the federal Gazette as required by law,” LPDC added.

Though the decision according to

LPDC took immediate effect, it however directed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Muhktar and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, as well as the AGF of the 36 States of the Federation should be put on notice.

Warning that the committee was set to further wield the big stick against erring legal practitioners whose petitions are still pending, Daudu, expressed delight on the out- come of the cases so far, stressing that “it is no longer business as usual.”

He maintained that the Judiciary must be repositioned to its former status, adding that the LPDC was prepared to carry out the desired reform.

Meanwhile, the CJN has further hinted of a wave of sack looming in the judiciary, disclosing that the pruning axe of the National Judicial Council, NJC, is currently dangling on the head of 21 judges.

Speaking at a function organized by the council the CJN said the councilreceived a total of 198 petitions against judges in her 10 months of being in office, adding that 15 other judges had also been queried for alleged unethical conducts and their responses being awaited.

She said, “On my assumption of office as Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, I inherited 139 petitions, 106 of which were vexatious or baseless, only 33 of the petitions were considered worthy of attention.

“After my assumption of office as Chief Justice, 198 fresh petitions were filed, of this number, 150 were found to be frivolous, 15 are awaiting responses from Judges and only 21 were slated for consideration.

“The Judiciary, considering its usually privileged stability in the face

Continues on page 34

EDITORIAL TEAM Dayo Benson (Editor) Innocent Anaba Wahab Abdulah Ikechukwu Nnochiri

34—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

We'll fast track administration of Criminal Justice Bill passage — Tambuwal T

HE House of Repre sentatives is at the verge of putting finishing touches to a bill that would change the face of the administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria.

Pioneering this epoch breaking mission is the House Committee Chairman on Justice, Hon Ahmad Ali representing Kwara state.

Two weeks ago, the committee had a oneday public hearing on the bill where stakeholders brain stormed on how the bill could come out of the mill with little blemishes or none at all.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal who declared the event opened did not mince his words when he stated that the bill would be treated with the speed of light on the floor of the House.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta,threw a salvo when he suggested that corrupt-related offences should not have any option of fine in the dispensation of criminal justice in Nigeria.

Justice, Auta noted that: “When penalities are stiffened, the incidence of commission naturally comes down but when they are relaxed, the opposite is the case. Corruption related offences should not have any option of fine. ”Most of us still remember the hue and cry that greeted the discretion a judge

C M Y K

recently exercised in favour of imposing a fine of N750,000.00 on a culprit who had allegedly stolen money running in billions.”

Speaking further on administration of criminal justice in Nigeria, Auta said, “Corruption is the only reason that can explain the snail’s speed at which the administration of criminal justice is moving in Nigeria and if it is not checked, it will be curtains for judicial growth in Nigeria.”

Also, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal observed that “ as a country we need to pay more attention to our laws particularly those pertaining to the system of criminal justice administration. ”This is because it is impossible to have a sound economy without a solid foundation of good laws that can curb anti-social behaviours and other disruptive tendencies. ”As we develop plans and strategies for the economic and other

,

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

•Hon Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker House of Reps important infrastructure which would attract investors to come and do business with us. It is a great disservice to our country when our criminal justice system is perceived as inefficient and incapable of punishing wrong doing.”

The Chief Judge of

When penalities are stiffened, the incidence of commission naturally comes down but when they are relaxed, the opposite is the case

forms of reforms, we also need to develop plans and programmes for creating sound laws and procedural systems consistent with our commitment with our Legislative Agenda. ”Even though these are part of the intangible but

,

Nigeria, CJN Justice Miriam Alooma Muktar, represented by Justice Kumai Akkas said, “the administration of Criminal Justice Bill is a proposal for any Act to make provision for speedy and efficient administration of Crimi-

nal Justice in courts.

T’he problems besetting procurement of Justice in Nigeria are multifarious and multi-dimensional.

“They range from too many cases in courts to trial delays and denial of justice, inadequacy of judicial personnel, corruption, lack of modern management technology and absence of case management techniques.”

In his welcome re-

marks, Chairman of House Committee on Justice Hon Ahmad Ali said “the bill has gone through much scrutiny, and the administration contains several innovative and creative ideas. When passed, it will significantly improve our Criminal Justice system.”

He explained further that the bill deals fundamentally with the problem of delay in the dispensation of criminal justice.

In his remarks, Chairman Senate Committee on Justice, Judiciary and Human Rights, Senator Umar Dahiru said “the administration of Criminal Justice Law will compliment beautifully the Freedom of Information Act 2011, Evidence Act Commission Amendment Act 2011, the Legal Aid Reform Act 2011, the National Human Rights Commission Amendment Act 2011 and other justice sector reform laws which were all enacted by the 6th National Assembly.

In his memorandum to the House, Chairman National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu pointed out that the myriads of perennial problems beset Nigeria,s criminal

justice system and many of these are located in the history and origins of the nation’s criminal laws and procedures, founded as they were in the precolonial era and entrenched during colonial and military rules. ”Against this background, the bill now under consideration contains many admirable and forward looking proposals. These include provisions articulating clear objectives for the Criminal Justice system for prohibition of arrest of family member in lieu of suspect, the humane treatment of arrested persons, proper inventorisation of arrested persons, digital recordings of confessional statements, establishment of Central Criminal records for remand, prohibitinng stay of procceedings until after judgment, speedy dayto-day trials, regulation of plea bargaining, protection of the pregnant convicts from capital punishment, provision of sentencing guidelines and alternatives to implement as well as any administration of Criminal justice Monitoring Committee to monitor the proposed reforms” he added.

Why LPDC barred four lawyers for life Continues from page 33

of political upheaval must be at the forefront of institutionalizing the rule of law. The enunciation of a radical, transformative jurisprudence by the judiciary holds considerable promise for the restoration of the rule of law and at the institutional level,

signals a definitive break from the past. It behoves all of us gathered here today to pick up the challenge, join hands together and ensure that the rule of law is upheld in Nigeria, thereby extolling a viable democracy in the country.

“As the image of the judiciary in the country,

we cannot afford to slack in our effort. I therefore use this medium to appreciate all and sundry who have lent their hands in support of the reforms of the National Judicial Council aimed at overhauling the judiciary. One basic fact must be clear, that nobody is out to witchhunt any person or disparage any person’s office. The singular message remains that everything has to be done to ensure a credible Judiciary in Nigeria and no sacrifice is out of place. “ There is indeed no reason a Judicial Officer who sits over trials should not be made to come under trial in deserving cases, as a person who cannot follow must not lead and a person who cannot practice incorruptibility must not seat at judgment over others and find it humiliating to stand trial,” she added.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—35

NBA holds rule of law workshop in Lagos The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Rule of Law Action Group, recently held a two-day national workshop on The Rule of Law: The Bedrock for Sustainable Democracy and Development, in Lagos. PHOTOS: Innocent Anaba.

C of O: Lagos AG condemns usage of backdated documents

By DAYO BENSON & BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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From left— Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State; Justice Aloma Mukhtar, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Mr. Oke Wali, SAN, NBA President.

Justice C. C. Nweze of Court of Appeal, Lagos (left) and Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN).

Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.”

He noted that the Land Use Act made sufficient provisions to safeguard the interests of persons in whom land was vested immediately in 1978, adding that persons in whom land was vested immediately before the commencement of the Act are deemed to be holders of a right of occupancy granted by the Governor and their subsequent transactions in respect of the same land only require the Governor’s consent.

“There is therefore no need to falsify documents since the person is deemed to be the holder of a statutory right of

AGOS State Attor ney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, has condemned the use of backdated or forged receipts or documents to apply for Certificate of Occupancy, saying that the government would commence full implementation of the Land Use Law in the state from July 31, 2013.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Land Use Act (Title Documentation) Regulations 2012, held on Victoria Island, Ipaye pointed out that applicants who used backdated documents or forged receipts claim to be entitled to a statutory right of occupancy issued by the Governor and evidenced by a Certificate of Occupancy.

By BARTHOLOMEW According to Ipaye: MADUKWE “Many applicants (both corporate and individual) HE Association of applied for Certificate of Senior Staff of Banks, Occupancy using receipts Insurance and Financial or other documents which Institutions, ASSBIFI, has are backdated or forged to threatened to drag Eco create the impression that bank Limited to court their transactions predatfollowing the bank’s ed the Land Use Act in recent sacking of its 147 1978. staff members, saying “This practice constithat if the severance fee of tutes criminal infraction of the affected staff are not the Law as it is an offence paid in two weeks the to forge documents, bank may also be picketpunishable under section ed.

363 of Criminal Law of In a statement, the bank Lagos State 2011; supply was said to have on false information to public March 15, 2013 laid off officials with intent to 147 staff that cut across all deceive, punishable cadres all over the country under section 96 of for what it termed as

the case of a person who immediately before the coming into force of the Act had vested rights in parcels of undeveloped land, such a person is only entitled to continue in the exercise of right over not more than half an hectare of such land.

“The promulgation of Land Use Act, Cap 15, Laws of the Federation 2004, introduced a uniform statutory regulation of ownership and control of land rights in the different states. In the case of undeveloped land, the holder is treated by the Act as if he was the holder of a statutory right of occupancy granted by the Governor.

ASSBIFI threatens to drag bank to court

T

From left— Mr. Aleghe (SAN), Mrs Funke Adekoya (SAN) and Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN).

occupancy issued by the Governor. Government recognizes the fact that many assignors or purchasers of interests in land, though in exclusive possession, do not hold properly executed Deeds on which Governor’s consent may be endorsed” he added.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice stressed that all post 1978 assignees of land in the state would be required to present properly executed Deeds of Assignment for Governor’s consent.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of Lands Use and Allocation Committee, Aina Salami, said in

“non-performance”. Most of these staff were recently promoted for efficiency in their various departments.

Vanguard gathered that two months after the staff received their sack letters, the bank refused to pay them their emoluments thereby subjecting them to untold hardship.

One of the victims, Pastor Dipo Ojutiku, said: “For over two months, we were laid off for what the bank referred to as nonperformance exit exercise, our one month salary in lieu of notice was incomplete and up till now, our severance package has not been paid thereby subjecting us and the

members of our families to untold hardship.

According to another sacked staff member, Mrs Josephine Egbagbare, “a branch manager who supervised the construction of a branch from start to finish and grew the balance sheet to over N2bn within two years was redeployed and the branch closed and all the staff redeployed to other locations. A year after, the same set of staff were disengaged based on non-performance without paying them exit package after working for the bank for certain number of years with excellent performance.

Justice for All offers legal service to inmates

BY ONOZURE DANIA

T Mr. Lawan Rabana, SAN (left) and wife, Nella Andem-Rabana, SAN.

Mr. Emeka Obegolu, NBA Secretary-General (left) and Mr. John Austin, NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary.

C M Y K

ONY Cross, a legal consultant with Justice for All, J4A, a non governmental organization, has said the treatment meted out on a suspect in police station mostly depend on the standard laid down by the Divisional Police Officer of the station.

He noted that excessive use of force, lack of accountability and breach of suspect’s legal rights will determine the level of public confidence in the police. This was coming as J4A indicated its readiness to offer free legal services for prison

inmates awaiting trial in Nigerian Prisons.

Cross, who also is a legal adviser to J4A, stated that there is a public perception within section of the community that once a suspect is taken to a police station they will be subjected to all kinds of ill-treatments by the police and also denied their legal rights.

Cross made his observations at a programme organized jointly by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Department for International Development, DFID and J4A on, “Free Legal Aids to Suspects in Police Deten-

tion.”

He added that the way suspects are treated when arrested or during detention at the police station is determined by the standard of behaviour set by the DPO. Cross said that when suspect is brought to the police station, he should be treated in accordance with the law, without the use of excessive force.

He maintained that the charge room officer should be accountable for the treatment of all suspects brought to the station and those who have been detained, adding that all members of the divisional manage-

ment team at the police station should exercise proper supervision within the charge room office. ”Effective procedures must be introduced with document and the handling and treatment of suspects by the charge room officer,” he said.

Cross also said that the police has been granted extensive legal authority to arrest and detain suspects but that these powers should be used legally and professionally in the interest of the Nigerian Police Force, so that suspects are treated with respect and also given all their appropriate legal rights in accordance with the law.

36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—37

62 seasons of Nike Okundaye’s brush

Izon Fie for presentation...

Ê

In this report, adire fabric design exponent, Chief Mrs Nike Okundaye gives an ac count of her 62 seasons of life as an artist and art promoter,even as she looks back in gratitude to God that she never failed in the duties she owes humanity.

A

S a way of marking a very sterling career as an artist, Chief Mrs Nike Okundaye has rolled out programmes to celebrate her 62 seasons engagement with the paint brush.

These programmes as disclosed in a chat recently , are billed as part of activities that honour her glorious day of birth.

Commencing soon in Lagos, the yet to be titled show is schedule to open at Okundaye’s ultra-modern Gallery located at Oba Elegusi road, Lekki, Lagos.

The exhibition promises to collate and showcase paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and other mix-media works that would highlight some of the salient trends in Okundaye’s over three decades captivating career as an artist.

Born in Ogidi Ijumu, Kogi State, Mrs. Okundaye who is currently one of most Africa’s popular women artists, is widely exhibited and also an internationally documented artist.

Birthday commemoration Popularly known as Nike, Mrs Okundaye also, has other art centres in Osogbo, Abuja and Ogidi Ijumu.

The exhibition is not the only major event lined up for the birthday commemoration as the artist will also award prizes to art writers as well as other events aimed at honouring stakeholders in the arts and cultural sub-sectors.

“I am an ardent believer that the height that we reach in this world is not as a result of our making alone but through the help of God who helps us to achieve such thing in life.” She said.

Continuing she added that,” At 62, I can tell you that life has taught me so many lessons. Whatever one finds in one’s life is for a moment as no condition is permanent.”

Disclosing the reason for the exhibition, Nike said she feels happy and content because of things God has made her achieve through her artistic career and hence, the event for her, is much like a professional thanksgiving and a way of giving back to the society a little from what God freely gave to her.

This reason, she further explained, is why the event will go beyond an art exhibition featuring other packages which include; a get together dinner and workshop as well as awards to individuals.

Narrating her long sojourn

•Chief (Mrs) Nike Okundaye

in the world of creative arts, the multitalented artist, Okundaye explained that ,‘It was while I was in Osogbo as young girl that I heard about the late Susanne

,

By MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU & AGOZINO EMMANUEL

let me equally say that from the very beginning my family was into craft art,and especially where I come from in Ogidi Ijumu.

Born in Ogidi Ijumu, Kogi State, Mrs. Okundaye who is currently one of most Africa’s popular women artists is widely exhibited and also, an internationally documented artist

,

Wenger and her husband Ulli Beier.

Adding that’ up till today, I consider them the major catalysts of Nigerian art movement. The extra moral classes that Beier was conducting in those days were what blossomed the art.”

Continuing she said, ‘’they identified those talents and began to develop them. Today, as you can see many of the artists that they discovered have gone international.

For me, Susanne was the one that I derived inspirations from , not only me,but I guess other artists as well.

My first effort were in weaving, then from weaving I moved on to Adire (indigenous textile design. It was later that I discovered batik, which I call the loss wax method and other people prefer to call it Campalla.

Although it came by accident, before you knew it, it got me my trade mark name ,Mama Adire. The Adire has taken me to so many countries of the world. Apart from that, today I also do oil and acrylic paintings.

ZÍÌN Fie (Speak Izon) – the first ÊzÍìn self study language book and Audio Book CD, is ready for presentation to the public. The book, which was commissioned and published by Niger Delta Books Limited, founded by Mrs. Oyintarela Ebiere Umeri (nee Diffa), is authored by ÊzÍìn Fie is Ogonobenitari Alfred Egberipou, with a Foreword by Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, the Executive Secretary of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).

Niger Delta Books Limited, which is registered in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, was established to enable the revitalisation of the languages of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, most of them being oral based languages (i.e. with very few written books). As a consequence, most of the speakers of the languages, regardless of their age, tend not to be able to read and write them.

The products developed and published by Niger Delta Books will enable people to learn to read, write and speak the languages, since its major aim is to unlock the languages of the Niger Delta region, and enable people from all over the world, to learn and communicate in them, leading to a deeper understanding of the cultures, inspiring peace, creativity and development. ÊzÍìn Fie, a self-study book in the ÊzÍìn and English languages, is targeted at both ÊzÍìn speakers and non-ÊzÍìn speakers will be invaluable to anyone interested in gaining a basic understanding of the ÊzÍìn language, through speaking, reading, listening and writing. This includes ÊzÍìn young adults, business people, international NGOs and agencies, students, tourists, the Diaspora Ijaw community and Nigerians from other ethnic groups.

Izon Fie book and Audio CD will be officially launched in Nigeria, on Saturday, 25th of May 2013, at Terra Kulture,Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos by 2pm.

Achebe’s Bequest to the Nigerian Child

By MOBOLAJI ADENUBI

I

N 1965, the BBC accepted and broadcast my short story, Strange Encounter, on the Writers’ Club Programme. It was read by Tonie Tucker and discussed, with high commendation, by Edward Blishen. Little did 1 know that the warm reception of my work was facilitated by the seminal book of the great Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, published in 1958! This work breached the glass ceiling of western literary canon and made a veritable space in it for African literature. Of course, world literary canon now includes voices of authors from South America, Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.

Over 12 million copies of Things Fall Apart have been sold and it has been translated into over 50 languages.

Chinua Achebe did not only write great works of fiction, he also produced works of criticism, essays and children’s stories. However, little attention has been paid to his children’s stories. Worried about the unfavourable presentation of Africa and things African in foreign books his children read and learnt, in their primary school, from expatriate teachers, he decided to correct these impressions. In 1966, he wrote Chike and the River, the story of a courageous eleven-year-old Nigerian boy, who learns the difficult lesson of life; that life elsewhere is not as rosy as you often imagine it to be. It was published by the Cambridge University Press. In 1972, How the Leopard Got His Claws was produced by the Citadel Press - a publishing house he started with Christopher Okigbo, in Enugu.

38—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Elegy for a nation

threads through Forestries and cities, coastland and savannah, Wafting Maiduguri to the sea, ocean mist to sand dunes.

•A tribute to the late Prof. Chinua Achebe

Alas for lost idylls. Like Levi jeans on youth and age, The dreams are faded, potholed at joints and even Milder points of stress. Ghosts are sole inheritors.

Silos fake rotundity - these are kwashiokor blights Upon the landscape, depleted at source.

Even The harvest seeds were long devoured.

Empty hands Scrape the millennial soil at planting.

By WOLE SOYINKA I H, Chinua, are you grapevine wired?

It sings: our nation is not dead, not clinically Yet. Now this may come as a surprise to you, It was to me. I thought the form I spied Beneath the frosted glass of a fifty-carat catafalque Was the face of our own dear land ‘own’, ‘dear’, Voluntary patriotese, you’ll note - we try to please.

An anthem’s sentiment upholds the myth.

A

Doctors IMF, World Bank and UNO refuse, it seems, To issue a certificate of death - if debtors die May creditors collect? We shall turn Parsees yet, Lay this hulk in state upon the Tower of Silence, Let vultures prove what we have seen, but fear to say For if Leviathan is dead, we are the maggots Probing still her monstrous womb - one certainty That mimics life after death. Is the world fooled?

Is this the price of hubris - to have dared Sound Renaissance bugles for a continent?

Time was, our gazes roamed the land, godlike, Pronounced it good, from Lagos to Lake Chad.

The hosts of interlopers would be exorcised, Not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Enthroning ours as ours, bearing names Lodged in marrow of the dead, attesting lineage.

Consecrated brooms would sweep our earth Clean of usurpers’ footprints. We marched To drums of ancient skins, homoeopathic Beat against the boom of pale-knuckled guns.

We vied with the regal rectitude of Overamwen No stranger breath - he swore - shall desecrate This hour of communion with our gods!

We Died with the women of Aba, they who held A bridgehead against white levy, armed with pestle, Sash and spindle, and a potent nudity eloquent Abomination in the timeless rites of

•Prof. Chinua Achebe wrongs.

Grim cycle of embattled years. Again we died With miners of Iva valley who undermined More than mere seams of anthracite. All too soon, Ma, we would augment, in mimic claims, In our own right, the register of martyrs.

Oh, How we’ve exercised the right of righteous folly In defence of alien rhetoric . . . what God has joined, etcetera.

For God, read white, read slaver surrogates.

We scaled the ranges of Obudu, prospected Jos Plateau, pilgrims on rock-hills of Idanre.

Floated on pontoons from Bussa to silt beds Of eternal Niger, reclaimed the mangrove swamps, Startling mudskipper, manatee, and mermaids.

Did others claim the mantle of discoverers?

Let them lay patents on ancestral lands, lay claim To paternity of night and day – ours Were hands that always were, hands that pleat The warp of sunbeam and the weft of dew, Ours to create the seamless out of paradox.

In the mind’s compost, meagre scrub yielded Silos of grain. Walled cities to the north were Sheaths of gold turbans, tuneflul as minarets.

GAMALIEL ONOSODE In our discourse entitled ‘Gamaliel Onosode: To wear honour like a garment' 'written by Prof. Femi Osofisan and published on these pages on Tuesday and yesterday, we inadvertently captioned Onosode as Gabriel instead of Gamaliel.

The error is regretted. —Editor

Gamaliel Onosode

The dust of Durbars, pyrotechnic horsemen And sparkling lances, all one with the ring of anvils From Ogun’s land to Ikenga’s Rainbow beads, jigida From Bida’s furnaces vied across the sky with Iyun glow and Ife bronzes, luscent on ivory arches Of Benin. Legend lured Queen Amina to Moremi, Old scars of strife redeemed in tapestries Of myth, recreating birthpang, and rebirth. And, yes We would steal secrets from the gods. Let Sango’s axe Spark thunderstones on rooftops, we would swing In hawser hammocks on electric pylons, pulse through cities In radiant energies, surge from battery racks to bathe Town and hamlet in alchemical light. Orisa-oko Would heal with herbs and scalpel. Ogun’s drill PR OF PROF OF..

Was poised to plumb the earth anew, spraying aloft Reams of rare alloys. Futurists, were we not Annunciators of the Millennium long before its advent?

In our now autumn days, behold our leaden feet Fast welded to the starting block.

Vain griots! Still, we sang the hennaed lips and fingers Of our gazelle womenfolk, fecund Muses tuned To Senghorian cadences. We grew filament eyes As heads of millet, as flakes of cotton responsive To brittle breezes, wraith-like in the haze of Harmattan.

Green of the cornfields of Oyo, ochre of groundnut pyramids Of Kano, indigo in the ancient dye-pots of Abeokuta Bronzed in earth’s tonalities as children of one deity We were the cattle nomads, silent

But Chinua, are you grapevine wired?

Do you Tune in, listen? There is old music in the air.

The word is out again, out from the closet.

Renaissance beats are thumbed in government lairs, In lobbies, caucuses, on promotion posters, In parliaments. Academe’s close behind.

Renaissance Haunts beer and suya bar, street and rostrum, Inhaled as tobacco smoke, chewed as kola, Clerics beatify the word, lawyers invoke it.

Never word more protean, poised to incarnate In theses, conferences, investments. A historic lure Romances the Diaspora. Gang-raped,

WOLE SO YINKA SOYINKA the continent Turns pregnant with the word - it’s sworn, we shall be Born again, though we die in the attempt.

But then, our offsprings, Chinua, have they leisure To play at love? To commune with Source, shaded By coarse-grain village walls at noon?

Crush wild mint Between their fingers, let the agbayun coat Their tongues, at war with the bitterness of kola?

Raid the hoards of gods and ancients, Recite their lineage praise-names, clan histories?

Or have the rigours of survival bred a race Of naked predators? Is sharing out of fashion?

Community a dirty word, service an obscenity?

Are ours the emerging children of Continues on page 39

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—39

Elegy for a nation Continues from page 38

Molucca Born to burn at six, slaughter at seven, Rinse their hand in the throat’s death gurgle, Secure in the arch-priest’s absolution?

Attuned At noon to dissolution of the bond of dawn, deaf To neighbour cries? Easy reddened are the wafers Of communion – have we been here before?

Still, here you sit before the travelled world, gathered To pay homage. Survived the kwashiokor days.

You’ve fed on roots, barks and leaves Your world contracted, ringed with iron Fenced with the wringing hands of the world As unctuous in neutrality as Pontius Pilate.

But you made flesh what is so often said – Sweet are the uses of adversity – as even now Your silent eloquence attests. The ancient pot-stills Turned refineries. Neglected herbs, mystery silica Powered transistors to accuse the world, screaming We are not dead, but dying. And iron monsters Rose furtively from forest bays, hammered From the forges of Awka. Who can forget the errant Ogbunikwe that rose skywards, plunged to blast A fiery tunnel through encircling steel?

Absences surround your presence – he The great town crier, Okigbo, and other griots Silenced in infancy. The xylophones of justice Chime much louder than the flutes of poets, Their sirens lure the bravest to their doom.

But some survive, and survival breeds, it seems, Unending debts. Time is our usurer, but earth remains Sole signatory to life’s covenant – and thus I ask: Whose feet are these upon the storehouse loft?

Shod in studded boots or jewelled sandals, Khaki crisp or silk embroidered – who are these?

Did time appoint these bailiffs? Behold Enforcers out of time, shorn of memory but – Crowned are the hollow skulls, signets on talons.

Their advent is the hour of locusts – behold Cheeks in cornucopia from the silos’ depletion While the eyes of youth sink deeper in despair.

Death bestrides the streets, rage rides the sun And hope is a sometime word that generations Never learnt to spell.

Chinua, I think with you I dare Be indelicate – we scrape our feet upon The threshold of mortal proof, denying The ancestors yet awhile our companionship – May that day learn patience from afar! – On the stage at Bard, behind the lectern, •Late Prof Chinua Achebe's family members during the airport reception for his remains at the Nnamdi Gazing across time to Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Tuesday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida your staunch spirit Flesh is vile, wine, the gift of earth, Wedded to a contraption we neither from the birds execrated. make nor mend To survey earth? Myths are our wise My irreverent thoughts were – There sits These tyrants have usurped the will of cohabitants. Icarus .1.

God. the nation, Transcended wax, new trajectories lace How did we fail to learn, that guns and All faculties intact, but wheelchair the spheres. boots bound.

The galaxy is boundless host to a new Are not essential to a coup d ‘état?

Your lesson of the will, alas, a creative race valour Of voyagers, seeking the once forbidden.

Shall Ala die? Ahiajoku be anathemaMarks the gulf between you and that Cinders tised? Does land From Promethean dares, shards of Oya defile her streams, Ifa obstruct the We claim our own.

Ajapa’s shell, paths Are constellations by which ships of Of learning and councils of the wise?

II space are steered.

Praise the Lord There are wonders in that land, Chinua Are you wired? Tuned to images of cyber And launch the bulldozer – they’ve The jealous gods are no more. Age by razed age? age Severed wrists will soon adorn our walls The statues of mbari to the ground, these We inched towards the sun, then raced Christian Talibans. Their brothers in Offa beyond And Conrad’s Heart of Darkness be Murder Moremi in her shrine, shrieking To drink the heady draught of space, fulfilled.

Allah akbar.

The cairn of stones is building for the returned to earth Rivals else, behold their bonded zeal first Emboldened. The voices of new prophthat sanctifies Butchery in a public square, a female ets are not voided Alien rape of our quiescent Muses, scapegoat In the wilderness but fulfilled. Applause extolling theirs.

Tethered for primordial rites that men Is the new music of the spheres – it’s devise heard We who neither curse their gods nor To keep their womenfolk obedient to the In other lands, I am told. I have not desecrate laws of man. heard it here.

Their texts, their prayer mats or altars – What shall we do, Chinua, with these An encampment is on the move, biped But we survived, Chinua. And though hate clerics?

Amorphous tents, a sorcerer invasion survival reads While we sleep, their fingers spread as choreographed Unending debt – for time, alas decrees brambles, In castration shrouds, visors no less us Deface our Book of Life. How teach secretive Witnesses, thus debtors – earth alone them: Than face-masks, twin to ancestral remains masquerades Our creditor. Yet I fear the communion Some are born pagan, wedded to life’s Proclaimed infidel. They slink through pots seamlessness streets Lie broken at the crossroads, kola nuts Tuned to the breath of things, magma And markets – yes, it is our women on and cowries and animus. the move Scattered by scavengers. Couriers turn The waters of the Holy Gospel bounced Our mothers, wives and sisters, comcoat, against rades-in-arms Turned by profit, priest, predator and This splinter of Olumo Rock, retreated Bereft of limbs and faces, haute couture politician.

In despair, seeking more porous earth. decreed How reveal By encyclicals of eunuch priests. FeaThe masquerade’s falsetto may reveal, The sublimity of godhead that abhors tures not The murdering tyranny of Creed? Has Mummified by laws of terror. Oh my Artifice but loss of voice, its gutturals gore compatriots, camouflage Proved godlove on Kaduna streets – ten Shaved bare-skull at initiation, converDeath throes, not echoes of our spirit thousand tites realms.

Mutilations and three thousand dead of Dipped body and soul in the waters of The strongest eagle, wing-span clipped, faith? salvation talons But the sun rose still the following dawn, Manicured in gilded thumbscrews may Are yours these zombies of the age, are indifferent. these not hold The paracletes of the new millennium?

Nor bear the weight of sacrifice. Our Let all creeds be recast. If the gates of caryatids Paradise They’ll murder heritage in its timeless Are weary of cycles of endless debts.

Are locked behind the Pope’s demise, crib, Incense We wish him blessed occupancy of Decree our, heroes, heroines out of Of burnt offering, heavy with abominayonder realms memory tions With all the Heavenly Host. Has the last Hangs dose to altar, dissipates between Obliterate the narratives of clans, names Imam That bind to roots, reach to heavens, our Earth Been here and gone? Then, Bon Voyage And Sky. Shorn of new alibis, our Links to ancestral presences. The BornSeek me out among the questers, creedAgains intercessors divorced, Are on rampage, born against all that Falter at the door of judgement. What In covenant only to that solvent that is spells shall we say earth.

Life and mystery, legend and innovaTo the years that drift past, accusing? tion.

What shall we chant to their dew-bright How shall they be taught, Chinua, that Imprecations rend the air, song is taboo, notes – Ajapa The stride of sun-toned limbs racing Our new tuned buglers of the RenaisLives, but no longer borrows feathers wind a sin, sance?

40—Vanguard, THURSD AY, MAY 23, 2013 THURSDA

Children’s Day:

New partnerships desired for child survival

A

• Daily consumption of mixed fruit can lower risk of heart disease by 25 percent.

HEAD of this year ’s Children’s Day, May 27, the prevention of prevalent cases of pneumonia and diarrhoea among children in Nigeria has been highlighted, even as Federal government, corporate organisations and individuals have been tasked to explore new partnership strategies for improving health status of the Nigerian child.

Making the call in Lagos, Medical Director, Pfizer, Pharmaceutical Company Dr Kodjo Soroh said there was urgent need to focus on the health of Nigerian children now more than ever.

5 ways to prevent heart disease through diet Spice up your meals ALAPENOS, habaneros, cayenne pepper, hot sauce can do a whole lot more than just jazz up your chili and nachos. Capsaicin - that is what gives these spices their fiery flavour - is a powerful antiinflammatory compound that prevents the formation of dangerous blood clots in the arteries.

It relaxes arteries, cutting the risk of damaging blood

J

Eat fruit

Adding two cups of fruit to your daily diet can lower your risk of heart disease as much as 25 percent. Fruit contains dozens of different nutrients that lower levels of artery-clogging fats, plus help keep your heart’s blood vessels clear and healthy.

Take fish oil daily

Taking fish oil every day can cut your risk of sudden heart

failure as much as 90 percent because omega-3 fats help your heart beat strongly and steadily, preventing life-threatening arrhythmias.

Eat a hearty breakfast

Eating fat first thing in the morning switches on your body’s natural ability to properly burn and use all types of food - so that far less of it ends up clogging your arteries and damaging your heart.

Have a mid-afternoon snack

Just trimming your waistline so it measures 34 inches or less -- even if you’re nowhere near your goal weight -- will cut your risk of heart disease by 72 percent. Other fat stores just take up space, but belly fat produces a steady stream of heart-damaging inflammation. An easy way to flatten a pudgy tummy is to enjoy a daily snack in the mid-afternoon.

“It is no longer what Pfizer is doing, but everybody, including the media involvement in working together to sensitise and vaccinate Nigerian children against these diseases, most of which are 100 per cent preventable. We are looking at prevention of preventable diseases, global vaccine action plan and universal accessibility to quality health care,” he argued.

Kodjo charged Nigerians to deviate from mourning the country’s unpalatable health indices to taking drastic and collective steps in arresting the ugly trend.

Pfizer ’s Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Mrs Margaret Olele, said it was time Nigeria tapped into public-private partnership and other models of improving health care delivery, towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals on health.

Olele said there must be comprehensive and long-lasting health packages through collaborations geared towards eradicating childhood diseases.

“If we must save our children from this unhealthy situation, the time to talk and act is now, she asserted.”

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

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ELLO Mr Uche, it is about my best friend of eighteen years. I have known her since we were in the university together. Her husband is a womaniser. My friend used to complain to me about him and I used to tell him that it will stop eventually. Now the man is flirting with me. The other day, we were in a party and he playfully spanked me on the butt and told me that I have a gorgeous figure. I am worried that this thing will get worse and then I will lose my best friend. I am trying not to encourage the man by ignoring him but it has not stopped him. What do I do? Aisha Hello Aisha, unfortunately for you, this is not an issue that is totally within your control. The problem with situations like this is that if the man concerned is determined to make a fool of himself and risk losing his marriage, not even a kick in the groin will stop him from self-destructing.

I understand that you cannot tell your friend about it because once you do that, she will turn against you and blame you for it. She can even go as far as accusing you of trying to steal her man. For some reason, it is in a woman’s nature to blame the other woman first before even confronting her own husband.

So this is what I suggest. Tell him that although he might think his actions are harmless fun, they are still inappropriate and that they make you uncomfortable. Tell him also that you value his wife’s friendship with you so much that you will not risk anything that will hurt your relationship with her and her family.

This information has to be delivered with all seriousness but without excessive aggression otherwise you risk creating the kind of tension that will make it impossible to feel comfortable enough to visit them or be in the same room with them. If this approach does not work, then consider disappearing from her life for a while until her husband finds a new love

interest. That’s about all you can do. This is such a delicate situation because you are family friends with them as well. Let us hope and pray that this man gets the message and comes to his senses – Uche During intercourse, when I ejaculate, what comes out is really small. I worry that this will affect my chances of getting a woman pregnant – Tony Dear Tony, sperm quality has nothing to do with quantity. Sperm quality is what determines your ability to get a woman pregnant while sperm quantity merely leads to a longer ejaculation time and more enjoyable intercourse. So until you start trying for kids, you have nothing to worry about. If you chose to increase your sperm quantity for the fun of it, then start taking Max Load Supplement. Max Load increases sperm quantity and makes ejaculation much more intense and enjoyable. But if you ever need to improve your sperm quality, then get ReproAid for Men. It makes men more fertile and improves your chances of getting a wife pregnant– Uche Hello, please do you have Maximus Penis Enlarger now? I tried to buy it sometime ago but it was out of stock. Maximus really worked for me. Please tell me when it is available again. Thanks – Efe Hello Efe. Maximus Penis Enlarger is available. I am glad you like it – Uche Thank you so much for that Exploding Thunder Supplement. I have really suffered because of this weak erection problem but things are okay now and I feel like a man again. God bless you people – Mr Mike You are welcome. That’s it for this week. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. You can call us on 08027901621, 07038845262 or 08051924159 to order or you can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com . We deliver to you wherever you are. For enquiries, email custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013— 41

42 — Vanguard Vanguard,,

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

AQUARIUS; Entrance of romantic Venus into your Star Sign will enhance your prospects. Both financial and love related success are possible.

PISCES; This is not the right time to rely on promises made by others. Continue to take mattersof-the-heart seriously. Reason with your reliable associates ARIES; Tension within the domestic scene will start to ease off. Yet you will need to watch what you do within your base till after 10.15pm tonight.

TAURUS; Both yourself and other important personalities to you are beginning to see things from same point of view making it easy for you to eliminate unnecessary rift GEMINI; Venus moves into a positive angle to your Star and encourages peaceful settlement.

Exhibition of maturity on your part will favour you better.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

What are your imagination

I

M A G I N AT I O N simply put is your ability to create pictures in your mind.

Needless, telling you that whatever such picture you create have a way of becoming true in your life.

What pictures of yourself do you have in your mind right now? Don’t forget, you have the right to imagine the best for your life. You can imagine, you are

living in your own house, you can imagine you are a university graduate; you can imagine you are driving the best car in town; you can imagine at a certain

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye”

age you will become a millionaire etc.

Don’t buckle under.

You have the right to be the best.

Yes, you can be whatever you want to be – just imagine it, believe it and act it and you will be celebrated.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

CANCER; Gradually you are dropping aggressive approach you have adopted in the last few days to the betterment of your cause. Remain practical till after 10.15pm LEO; Better than yesterday; however that is not to say you should throw caution to the wind.

Improvement on your love life indicated. Try to comport yourself.

VIRGO; After a few days of fun you may need to settle down to serious business. Those of you working till very late evening will need to be more careful till after 10.15pm. Reason with your tried and trusted old hands(friends) LIBRA; Venus moves into Aquarius and boost your sparkling personality to the betterment of your cause. Could be a nice day for the-young-at-heart

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

SCORPIO; It is important you don’t allow your mind to wander unnecessarily so that minor but costly mistakes would be averted. Avoid late evening confusion.

SAGITTARIUS; Recent tension generated by controversy over money will start to ease off. Be more vigilant if you are working lte in the evening.

CAPRICORN;. Other people will continue to have their says and if you try to indoctrinate them tensed atmosphere will be aggravated. Be patient

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Stability for me ?

Dear Joshua, I want to know about my future, especially what I should expect from my love life both in the immediate and far future. However that is not to say I am not interested in good financial standing.

Lawal-Abuja.

Dear Lawal, Although there will be a particular time you will need to be more careful so that you will not gamble with love as predicted under your love life.

What I wrote for you under career can equally go for your finance. The difference here is inability to hold on to your gains (profits) partially by the contact made between your natal Saturn and Venus as stated under your career and some other times by your love of LUXORY (easy life). Although the Saturn influence can be mitigated as I said under your career, the love of luxury comes from your stelliu-Taurus which must not be totally discouraged but should not be allowed to go beyond your control. Yes envy and jealousy can creep in as indicated by the oppositions between your natal Venus/Saturn in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio, but that is not enough excuse for either failure or manipulation of occult powers against you. Whatever anybody says and/or does GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS is your portion.

The most influential planet during your birth hour is Venus-the planet of MONEY and LOVE. You are the romantic type whose magnetic personality and open handedness are sources of big trap to his members of opposite sex. As handsome as you are you truly crave stability in your love life/home and the happiness you desired will be yours. You will need to watch carefully around and during your 48th year on earth as you may be tempted to gamble with matters-of-theheart.

VIRGINIA

Commen3

dadadekola@yahoo.com

by Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—43

Retrenched ABS workers petition Anambra House

Lagos CJ to release some awaiting trial inmates

BY ONOZURE DANIA

BY OKONKWO EZE

O

NITSHA—DISEN GAGED 148 staff of Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, Radio/Television, Awka and Onitsha, have petitioned Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs. Chinwe Nwaebili, asking her to look into their predicaments.

In the five-page petition jointly signed by 18 of the workers, the y complained that their disengagement memo of March 1, this year which was captioned: “Rationalization/ Redeployment of 148 ABS staff”, had directed them to report to the office of the state Head of Service for redeployment to other relevant ministries.

The petitioners stated that when they assembled at ABS headquarters, Awka, on March 4, hoping to be issued with their letters of redeployment as stipulated in the public rule, they were again asked to go to the Head of Service who referred them back to ABS. They quoted the head of service as saying there was no such arrangement by the state government to the best of his knowledge.

Lagos Prisons command gets new comptroller

T

DISTRIBUTION—Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State flanked by his wife, Mrs. Mercy Orji and his deputy, Sir Emeka Ananaba flagging-off the distribution of vitamin A cassava stems to farmers in Abia State in Umuahia.

2015: Gov Orji denies endorsing any candidate

BY ANAYO OKOLI

U

MUAHIA—AHEAD of 2015 governorship race in Abia State, Governor Theodore Orji has denied endorsing anybody to succeed him, insisting that the race was opened to qualified and interested aspirants.

Orji spoke when the member representing Aba North and South in the House of Representatives, Chief Uzo Azubuike, whose name has featured prominently as likely successor to him, was honoured by the traditional rulers in Aba. Governor Orji said he had to make the clarification before peo-

T

him, because he has done well.

“When it comes to 2015, I have said it severally, it is not what Ochendo will do alone. It is going to be the people; the stakeholders would sit and decide on the person to take over from me.

“All of us will cooperate and support the person and if it is Uzor’s turn, we will equally support him. Therefore I want it to be on record.

“The essence of our gathering is to join our traditional rulers of Aba North and South to celebrate one of our own, Uzor Azubuike. That is why we are here. Uzor is one of those people in the State that are making things to turn around for good in the State.

PDP 'll win Imo in 2015 — Iheanacho

Land dispute: Abia Assembly sues for peace

BY ANAYO OKOLI

HE Nigerians Prisons Service has deployed Mrs. Kate Nonye as the new comptroller for Lagos State Command, Alagbon.

The deployment of Mrs Nonye from Abia State Command was one of recent deployment of 197 senior officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, across the country by the Comptroller General of Prisons, Mr Zakari Ibrahim.

The deployment as explained by the CGP, was part of the ongoing transformation effort, following recent promotion and retirement in the NPS, as well as measures taken to tackle the security challenges facing NPS facilities and commands.

CP Nonye promised to enhance service delivery which would take the command to a higher level of progress.

ple would begin to misinterpret his presence at the reception to honour Azubuike.

His words: “Let me say this for purposes of records, Aba is the centre of rumour. If you go to one beer parlour now and spread one rumour, by the time you get to your house, it is everywhere in Aba. “What we have come to do is to join Aba people to celebrate Uzor Azubuike. We have not come to endorse anybody for 2015.

“I want you to know that, because when we leave now, the rumour will be that the Governor has come to endorse somebody. What we have come to do was to come and celebrate

HE Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has said some awaiting trial inmates would be released from prison before the end of next month.

Justice Phillips said this during a visit to the Nigerian Prisons, Ikoyi, by members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja branch, which is part of activities marking the 2013 Law Week.

The judge, who was represented by Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Ogundare, noted that the chief justice was already working on the list of those recommended for release from among the prison inmates.

She stated that some of them had stayed in the prison as awaiting trial inmates longer than they would have stayed if they had been tried and convicted.

"I can assure that before the end of this quarter in June, I will visit you and release those that are qualified to be released,” she assured them".

U

MUAHIA—ABIA State House of Assembly has directed the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and one of its host communities, Amaoba Ime, to steer clear of the disputed land between them, pending the resolution of the matter Amaoba had petitioned the House, complaining that the university authorities had encroached on its land and threatened to resist it, irrespective of whether it would breach peace in the area.

In the petition, the community claimed that the university illegally appropriated extra eight hectares of its land.

“Our community willingly donated to the university 171.14 hectares of land, not 179 hectares it claims now.

“However, the university’s master plan will require 179 hectares of contiguous real estate.

The extra eight hectares were not

in the original agreement.

“We are surprised that the university is currently erecting some structures on our land without the consent of Amaoba Ime,” the petition alleged.

Based on the petition, the House, through its Committee on Boundary and Security Matters, headed by the deputy speaker, Alwell Okere, invited the two parties.

Parents advised to focus on vocational studies

P

ARENTS have been ad vised to send their wards to vocational schools rather than harp on academic pursuit.

This advice was given by an educationist, Chief Christian Ipoola Olaniyan, during the 23rd graduation/ matriculation of students of Victory Institute of Catering and Hotel Management in Lagos.

Olaniyan, who was the Managing Proprietor and Director of Studies of the school said: “It is high time to focus more on vocational

courses because many graduates are roaming the streets searching for collar jobs.

"He cited the recent statement credited to the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayat Rufai that out of 1.7 million students who wrote JAMB this year, only 520,000 will gain admission into universities' while 1.2 million candidates will have to wait.

He said if this trend was not checked, the future of Nigereian students was bleak and portended danger for education advancement of the country.

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

O

WERRI—FORMER Minister of Interior, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would bounce back and reclaim Imo State as the citizenry did not vote against the party but an individual.

Iheanacho, who stated this at a briefing, also declared his intention to run for the gubernatorial election in 2015 on the PDP platform.

Describing the 2011 general elections in Imo State as “a watershed”, Iheanacho predicted that in 2015 general elections, primodial sentiments would be set aside.

He pleaded with fellow politicians to refine their politicking and base it on issues and ideas.

44 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—45

Uranta's alleged attack on MDG boss flayed

BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

P

ORT HARCOURT—CIVIL rights groups have admonished Secretary, Nigeria Summit Group, NSG, Mr Tony Uranta, for allegedly castigating the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, MDG, Dr. Precious Gbeneol.

Saying that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was allegedly filled with dead woods, Uranta had, in a recent television programme, described Gbeneol as unknown to him, not being seen and so, cannot claim she is working.

In separate statements in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, two groups, Niger Delta Voice and the Association For Good Governance and Accountability in Nigeria, AFGGAN, noted that Uranta demonstrated wrong judgment by attacking the person of Gbeneol, rather than her official performance.

Niger Delta Voice’s statement by its Secretary, Ta m u n o - O m i e Georgewill, said that “Uranta exhibited analytical ineptitude in concluding that his inability to know Dr. Gbeneol amounts to her being a failure."

Pa Oburoh for burial

B

URIAL rites for late Pa Augustine Oburoh, 94, will commence on May 23, with service of songs, and interment next day at his residence, Oburoh’s Compound, Atuwatse Road, Koko, in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta Sate. Sunday, May 26, 2013.

He is survived by many children, grand children and great grand children among whom is Mr. Benson Oburoh, of Government House, Asaba.

Late Pa Oburoh

Dickson alleges plot to destabilise Bayelsa

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA—BAYELSA State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has raised alarm over alleged plot by some persons to destabilise the state.

Already, security agencies, it was learnt, have been put on red alert in the coastal hinterland of the state, which are not accessible by road.

Citing intelligence report at government disposal, the governor said part of the plan was to threaten the unity of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state over the resolve by the state to work for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governor reiterated the unity of members of PDP in Bayelsa State and the vigilance of his administration to stem the threat of the planned security breach.

Accordingly, he said a meeting with the state security council, traditional rulers, chairmen of local government areas and development centres will be convened to brief them on the intelligence report available to the state government.

Dickson, in Yenagoa at a

gathering of PDP members drawn from the ward, local government and state levels at the state party secretariat, said the intelligence report indicated that some persons were plotting to cause a breach of the peace in the state.

He said: “There are some people that don’t want the good of our dear state. They

are plotting to disturb the peace of our state. Let me urge you all to set up security machineries at the grassroots level.

“For those in the councils known for piracy and other acts of brigandage, including Southern Ijaw, Brass and Nembe, we will ensure that all security assistance needed are provided. We must

BRIEFING: From left: Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and Minister of State, FCTA, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, during the ministerial briefing by the National Working Committee members of PDP on activities of the FCT Administration.

Nigeria's out-of-school children estimated at 10 million —UBEC

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—ACTING Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Prof.

Charles Onocha, said in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday, that specific interventions geared towards broadening access and ensuring functional learning for Nigerian citizens were being initiated to address the issue of the large number of out-ofschool children estimated at 10 million.

Speaking at the flag-off of the Needs Assessment Survey for the integration of outof-school children from South-East and South-South states, Onocha said: “Realising the enormous loss accruing to both its citizens and the country at large as a result of the impact of education on a large proportion of its youthful population, government has redoubled efforts towards reversing the trend.

“I am delighted to inform that in the renewed drive for

the education of known target groups, which hitherto had little or no access to education, the Nigerian government has initiated specific interventions geared towards broadening access and ensuring functional learning for its citizens.

“Priority programmes in this direction include integration of Almagiri education into the Basic Education Programme, All girls’ school initative and integration of outof-school children form South East and South-South states into the UBE programme."

Oshiomhole orders students to pay for on no account should vandalised school property ticular, you vandalise your school. If

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

B

ENIN—EDO State gov ernor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has directed that protesting students of Idogbo Secondary School, in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, who destroyed the school's property while protesting the death in an accident, of one their colleagues, to pay for the vandalised property.

He also directed the Ministry of Lands to demolish, without notice, all illegal structures

ensure that the President's home base is kept safe.”

On the alleged conflict of interests among PDP members in the state, the governor expressed confidence in the leadership of Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd) led State Working Committee of the party, saying that the party was superior to the executive arm of government in the state.

on the land of public schools in the state.

Speaking during a visit to the school to assess the level of damage to the facilities, Oshiomhole noted that the students had no reason to resort to the destruction of the school’s facilities, no matter the level of provocation, adding that if teachers could be sanctioned for flouting directives, students were not an exeption.

He said: “Let me advise you strongly that on no account should you vandalise government property and in par-

you are annoyed over something and you tear your shirt, will that make sense?

“Unfortunately, someone was knocked down by a car and he died. We are still trying to find out the role of the teacher who was responsible, to determine whether the death was preventable. I assure you that once the facts are clear, government will take the right decision because as a government, the life of every person living in Edo State is important to us and it is even more so when we are talking of children."

DESOPADEC committed to devt of oil communities — Utuama

BY FESTUS AHON

U

GHELLI—COMMISSIONER representing Udu, Uvwie and Ughelli South Local Government Areas on the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Festus Utuama, has said that the commission was committed to the development of oil bearing communities in the state.

Utuama, on inspection tour of Opete Secondary School, Enerhen, in Uvwie council, solar water project at EffurunOtor and Ovwor Model Primary School in Ughelli South council, reiterated the commitment of the commission to the well-being of the people of oil producing communities.

Noting that some of the projects were in accordance with the directive of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, he said: “The governor ’s desire is that all the oil producing communities should be developed. He does not want to see any project abandoned.”

46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

C M Y K

Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—47

LAUNCHING: Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; his wife, Olufunso; wife of Alake of Egbaland, Olori Olatokunbo VISIT: From left: President, Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Gov- Gbadebo; wife of Akarigbo of Remoland, Olori Abosede Sonariwo; ernor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State and Chief of Staff to Alhaji Dangote, Alhaji Isa wife of paramount ruler of Yewaland, Olori Omolayo Olugbenle Tata, during a courtesy visit to the Governor, at Government House, Ilorin. and and one of the beneficiaries, Pa James Taiwo, during the launch of Mrs. Amosun's Uplifting the Aged Welfare ATM Card in Abeokuta.

SUMMIT: Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South West (2nd left); presenting an award to Prof. Dayo Alao of Babcock University, guest lecturer (3rd left); Chief Emmanuel Adisa, (1st left), Prof. Dairo (3rd right); Pastor Cyprian Agbazue (2nd right) and Rev Priscilia Otuya, during the Nigerian-Israeli Association Friendship and Economic Summit in Lagos.

COMMISSIONING: From left: Nike Bajomo, Head, Business Development Division, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, SIPML; Bunmi DayoOlagunju, Head, Benefit Administration and Client Service, SIPML; Mr. Theo Aguonye, Secretary to the Bureau for State Pensions, Asaba, Delta State (cutting the tape) and Mr. Eric Fajemisin, ED, SIPML, at the commissioning of the Warri office of SIPML.

BRIEFING: From left: Mrs. Omobola OlusholaDada, representative of Minister of Women Affairs; Chief Nike Oshinowo,CEO, AOE Events and Entertainment Ltd and Dr. Henry Nzekwu, representative of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, at the briefing on the Nigeria Centenary Pageant in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye.

LECTURE: From left: Ms. Evelyn Oputu, MD, Bank of Industry; former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor; Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, guest speaker; Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, President, South-East/ South-South Professionals of Nigeria; Mr. Ernest Nwapa, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, at St. Anthony's College, Oxford University, where Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, delivered a lecture entitled "The Future of African Energy in a Changing Global Market."

AGM: From right; Mr. Larry Ettah, Director; Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman; Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, MD/CEO and Mr. Olusegun Oloketuyi, Director, at 19th Annual General Meeting of Associated Discount Limited in Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

LAUNCHING: From left: Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa, GM, GOtv; Mr. Popoola Wasiu, Flashmecash Product Manager, FCMB and Mr. Oludare Kafar, Marketing Manager, GOtv, at the launch of GOtv scratch card payment option, at MultiChoice Nigeria office, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

VISIT: From left: Mr. Akomen Omijeh, Corporate Communications Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr. Emeka Nkwocha, Advert Manager, Vanguard Newspapers and Mr. Abiodun Coker, Media Relations Manager, BD Consult, during the Cadbury Nigeria Plc courtesy visit to Vanguard Newspapers' office, Apapa, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

48—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

APC inaugurated in Okene

Gombe detects five new cases of leprosy among children

BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

L

G

OMBE— THE Gombe State Office of the Leprosy and Tuberculosis, TB, Control Programme, said on Wednesday it has detected five new leprosy cases among children in the state.

Dr Mustapha Musa, the Programme Manager said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Gombe that the new cases point to a resurgence of leprosy in the state.

He said the five cases were detected between January and April this year in Dukku, Yamaltu-Deba and Shongom Local Government Areas. According to him, leprosy cases in the state had before now, dropped significantly.

“The cases in the state seem to be dropping. In 2011, there were 120 cases, in 2012 it dropped to less than 100 and now the reverse is the case and is manifesting among children,” he said.

Musa lamented that the disease was not receiving the desired attention in spite of its devastating effects.

“Leprosy does not seem to be a public health issue; governments at all levels should take it seriously because of its devastating effect,” the manager added.

He said measures had been taken to track down the source of the new infections and stop further transmission.

VISIT— Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, ETI Group Chief Executive Officer, Thierry Tanoh in a handshake with President Goodluck Jonathan when the bank's management visited the president in the state house.

Niger ANPP splits into two factions

BY WOLE MOSADOMI

M

INNA— THE All Ni geria Peoples’ Party, ANPP, in Niger State has now broken into two factions with one headed by a former member of the state House of Assembly, Afiniki Dauda, while the other is led by a one-time Commissioner for Health in the state, Hajiya Jummai Mohammed.

Addressing newsmen at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, IBB, Pen House in Minna, the state capital, yesterday, Hajiya Mohammed asked Dauda’s faction not to see itself as authentic since it was not legally backed by the constitution of the party.

She also said that media pub-

lications referring to the Dauda’s group as an “Interim Management Committee” was not only malicious but baseless and bad intentioned.

“The ANPP constitution does not recognize or provide for an Interim Management Committee as a substitute to or a replacement of a state executive committee,” She added, quoting Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, which enjoins political parties to give to the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, 21 days notice of any meeting scheduled for the purpose of electing or selecting a governing body of such a party at any level.

She pointed out that it was

No contact yet with kidnappers of Borno lawmaker's mother

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

AIDUGURI —TWO weeks after the mother of Borno State House of Assembly member, Hon Zakariya Dikwa was kidnapped by gunmen, the family was yet to establish contact with her.

The family also expressed concern over the state of health of the 60-year-old woman saying, “We are really worried about her condition and health. How would she cope with the condition where C M Y K

she is kept by her abductors at her age?"

Vanguard learnt that four gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents stormed the residence of the aged woman at Dikwa at about 6.30pm on Wednesday, May 8, and kidnapped her. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen arrived the house in Toyota, Carina Saloon car which number plate could not be recognised. ”Two days after the abduction of mama, they came again and left a note with a letter written in Hausa and a phone number. They said

we should call the telephone number. We called several times before they finally picked the call. The kidnappers asked my brother, the house of assembly member whether we knew where our mother is. ”They told him during the telephone conversation that they decided to kidnap mama because my brother was doing haram (forbidden) work.

They said the legislative work he was doing was haram, (sin or forbidden in Islam),” one of the children said.

never adhered to by those who purportedly held the meeting that elected the Dauda committee.

“Worse still, the appointees of the so-called Interim Management Committe were neither democratically selected nor elected which contravenes S.85(3) of the Electoral Act 2010,” she added.

She submitted that the entire process, if any, was shrouded in secrecy and tainted with mischief and prejudice and was aimed at creating disaffection among party members with ultimate goal of scuttling the merger effort currently gaining ground in the state.

Hajiya Dauda mentioned four of the factionalized group members currently serving the present PDP government in the state which she said was a pointer that there was fowl play in the entire process.

Those servicing the PDP and who are still members of the factionalized group are Adamu Saidu Erena, Senior Special Assistant political mobilization; Alhaji Usman Kwatu, Special Assistant Grassroot Mobilization; Alhaji Masud Musa Tanko, Special Assistant Grassroots mobilization and Usman Musa, special Assistant Grassroot mobilization, while another top notcher of the party, Hussain Umar is also serving the present PDP administration in the state as Honorary Adviser, Legal matters.

She then concluded that the entire members of the ANPP in the state have resolved to reject the Interim Management headed by Afiniki.

OKOJA —THE All Progressive Congress, APC, was yesterday inaugurated at Okene, Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

A chieftain of the party, Prof. Yusuf Aliyu, who addressed the party supporters at the Okene Town Hall, commended the high turn out of supporters from the five local government areas including Okene, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi and Ogori/Magongo.

Introducing the new party, Aliyu said the APC transformed through a merger by all progressive parties in the country, adding that the purpose of accepting the party in the state was to take over power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state come 2015.

"I assure you that the party will give Nigerians and the people of the Kogi State a new political direction that will ensure a new lease of life,” he said.

Clark seeks Funkekeme support for Burutu LG chairnmanship poll

L

AGOS—EBIKEME Clark, the son of prominent Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has sought the support of Solomon Funkekeme, the Delta State Commissioner for Works over his (Ebikeme) aspiration to become the chairman of Burutu Local Government Area.

Ebikeme who paid a consultative visit to Funkekeme in Asaba recently said: “Funkekeme has better the lot of the Burutu people in particular and Deltans in general based on the massive rehabilitation of existing roads and construction of new ones across Delta State.

“Funkekeme has promoted the three point agenda of the Delta State Government and I commend Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for appointing him into his cabinet,” Ebikeme stated.

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C M Y K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013—53

Bits

ILO urges Nigeria to ratify Convention

From left, Mr. Neye Enemigin, president, HuCaPan, Permanent Secretary ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh and the Director- General of NECA, Mr. Olusegun Osinowo.- Photo- Funmi Komolafe

Youth employment ’ll end security woes, says Oshiomhole

FG talks tough over slave labour WITH globalisation, the world of work witnessed a new trend in employer- employee relationship. Out-sourcing became a new trend with employers outsourcing jobs which they consider not to crucial to their core business. From the perspective of organised labour, it was seen as the employers way of reducing the cost of labour As a result, private human capital providers were introduced into the system.This article is about the effort services providers popularly called labour contractors to standardise their services.

S

INCE the introduction of outsourcing by major employers in Nigeria, who took a cue from their international counter parts, it has become common to hear stories of exploitation of workers by service providers.

Stories such as the provider being paid for instance N40,000 for a driver and the driver being paid a pittance of N20,000 by the service provider are common place. .Worse still is the fact that many of such employees are not entitled to any form of medical benefit or pension.

However, the Nigeria Employers Consulattive Association ( NECA) has in its fold, an association of Human Capital Providers Assocation of Nigeria ( HuCaPan). NECA is a reputable member of the International Labour Organisation and strives to ensure that all its members meet the standards of the International Labour Organisation ( ILO). This does not mean that conflicts have ceased to exist in the work place in Nigeria.

Though, there are unlicensed human capital providers.

Last week, a code of conduct for private employment agencies which was faciliated by NECA, the federal ministry of labour and productivity, the ILO and the European Union was launched in Lagos. The Director- General of NECA, Mr. Olusegun Osinowo reminded all that globally, unions have been opposed to out-sourcing because such employees were not unionized and it promoted indecent work.

Though he made it clear that the employers position “has always been that employers have the inalienable right as to how they run their businesses, if it means out-sourcing its employees, it

must comply with the Decent Work Agenda”. The DWA has been adopted

by ILO members including NECA of Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

The permanent secretary, federal ministry of labour and productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh who before his new appointment was a director in the same ministry spoke of how the ministry and NECA in 2010 cooperated to issue guidelines for the issuance of recruiters licence. He commended HuCaPan for the launch of the Code of Conduct.

Dr. Illoh promised “ On our part, we

,

By FUNMI KOMOLAFE

The ILO official acknowledged that the Private Employment Agencies ( PEA) is useful in the labour market.

She suggested they could “ facilitate the movement of people through the labour market”.

Unemployment a major social problem did not go without mention by the ILO country director. She said through Mr. Udoh “ In Nigeria , high unemployment rates have created avenues for fraudulent people to take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers by offering them none existent jobs and demanding payment for services not rendered . Some of such employment seekers have fallen into the hands of traffickers who promised them attractive employment opportunities abroad only to realise too late that they were being deceived and trafficked”.

The President of HuCaPan Mr. Neye Enemigin said of the essence of the code of conduct, “ we believe that the credibility and reputation of the Pri-

We have taken certain precise actions to check on unfair labour practices in the industry

have taken certain precise actions to check on unfair labour practices in the industry. We have developed the National Electronic Labour Exchange ( NELEX) as a platform for the facilitation of selection and placement services of your members and other employers “.

He said “ the ministry of labour and productivity strongly frowns at the use of unlicenced employment agencies and is poised to take legal action on such organizations when discovered”.

For the benefit of all stakeholders, he said, “ An up to date list of licenced PEAs is downloadable from the NELEX web site for your use at any time”.

The ILO’s country director in Nigeria, Ms. Sina Chuma- Mkandawire represented by Mr. Pius Udoh informed the audience that the Nigerian Code of Practice for Private Employment Agencies had technical assistance from the ILO

The International Labour Organisation ( ILO) country director, Ms. Sina Chuma- Mkandawire wants Nigeria to ratify Convention 181 of the ILO in order to eliminate fake and counterfeit Employment Agencies.

The director said, “ So far , only 27 countries including three African countries ; Algeria, Morocco and Ethiopia have ratified C. 181”.

She got a nod from the permanent secretary, ministry of labour and productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh promised that Nigeria will ratify the Convention and take the necessary steps to incorporate it into our labour laws.

Ms. Chuma – Mkandawire said “ the ILO hopes that the Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria ( HuCaPan) will work with the federal government to ensure the ratification of Convention 181 which will further support HuCaPan in order to help eliminate fake and counterfeit Employment Agencies in Nigeria”.

,

vate Employment sector will be shaped by the Code of Conduct, as it will instill confidence and sanity in the industry and help Private Employment Agencies become better service providers”.

He said his association is passionate about the Code of Conduct because it will among other things, “ help to self regulate each and individual Private Employment Agency/ Labour Contractor in Nigeria.It will assist the Association and the nascent industry in checking against quackery, unprofessional and unlicensed operators in the industry”.

To the suggestion of Mr. Olusegun Osinowo and Mr. Victor Eburajolo, a former president of the Institute of Personnel Management that workers engaged through labour contractors be unionised.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has identified youth unemployment as a sure way to end the security challenges presently facing the nation.

Oshiomhole who spoke during a visit of the management of the Nigeria Bottling Company said, “Government alone will never be able to provide all the jobs the citizens require.”

According to him, “the challenge facing the nation, more than anything else is youth unemployment. It is now settled in development literature that government will never be able to provide all the jobs the citizens require. It is also increasingly appreciated by Nigerians that the best jobs are not in the public sector whether in terms of pay, compensation or security of employment.”

The governor noted that, “any responsible government will be delighted to deal with a company like Coca-Cola, considering the reputation that the company has established over the years.”

Oshiomhole stated that it was in the interest of the government to do whatever can be done to encourage businesses to locate in the state and those here to expand further.

“For us in Edo, your activities here are something that we cherish a lot and I am happy to learn from you that you are going to dialogue with us on your plans for investment and expansion. I can assure you even before I know the details that whatever it is that you want us to do including providing land and constructing road, we will do them and provide any other incentive you require,” he added.

The Governor noted, “In my first term we focused on infrastructure and in my second term I am determined to focus on what we must do to increase the GDP of the state, encouraging businesses to expand and new businesses to locate. I want to thank you for the confidence you have shown in our state.” Earlier, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Bottling Company NBC, Mr. Ben Langat commended the governor for the giant stride in infrastructural development.

54—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Anambra PDP:

Peace on the horizon

THE crisis ridden Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has apparently run out of options in finding neutral political mediators to resolve its decade long crisis. As a last resort party elders have beckoned on a retired judge to help out.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

P

DP chieftains are banking on the legal and political experience of the former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Paul Obidigwe (rtd) for a peaceful resolution of the many crises that had denied the party the Awka Government House since 2006.

Justice Odigwe and others representing the interests of the various factions in the party were appointed by the state leadership of the party to ensure that peace returns to the party to enable them fight a coordinated campaign for the November 2013 governorship election in the state.

Justice Obidigwe is, however, not really new to politics. As a young lawyer, he was elected to the old Anambra State House of Assembly in the second republic on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN. He later moved into the judiciary and rose to become the state chief judge and retired two years ago. His son is currently a PDP member in the House of Representatives.

It was perhaps the choice of Justice Obidigwe to lead the peace and reconciliation committee of Anambra PDP that made leaders of the various factions to agree to send their representatives as members of the committee.

Disunity among members Though PDP is believed to have a large followership in Anambra State, it had not been able to win the governorship of the state for some time because of disunity among members who worked against the party during elections.

Rather than support candidates of the party during elections, the factional leaders encouraged their followers to vote against the party, a development that had turned the party into a toothless bulldog in Anambra State.

However, going by the caliber of members of the committee and their antecedents, there is hope that peace would return to PDP ahead of the governorship election in November this year.

Apart from Justice Obidigwe, other members of the committee include Mrs. Beatrice Ekwueme, the wife of former Vice-President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme,

•Ekwueme, Uba: Have proxies in the committee former governorship aspirant in the state, Mrs. Chika Ibeneme, former Chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Bright Nnebedum, Chief Ekene Umeanuka, another former chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Roma Mocha, among others.

The secretary of the committee is Chief Okey Muo Aroh, a political heavyweight who aspired for the position of national publicity secretary of PDP at the last convention of the party.

Remarkably, all but one of the powerful godfathers in the party have a representative each in the committee. Mrs. Ekwueme is representing her husband, Mrs. Ibeneme is representing the interest of the Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters, Chief Akachukwu Nwankpo, Nnebedum represents Senator Andy Uba, while Aroh is there standing in for past elected local government chairmen. Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu reportedly declined to send an emissary while nothing is known of the intentions of Chief Chris Uba who has sometimes worked with his brother, Andy on political projects.

Anambra State chairman of the party, Prince Ken Emeakayi, who was elated at the decision of all the stakeholders of the party to be part of the peace –making process said at the inauguration

of the committee in Awka that reconciliation became necessary because PDP cannot afford to lose the next governorship election in the state.

The committee’s task, according to Emeakayi, is to ensure stakeholders such as Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Chris Uba, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Senator Andy Uba, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, among others, give their full support to the leadership of the party at all levels to enable the party work for the common goal of all. And for the first time in many years, representatives of the four major factions of PDP in the state were present during the inauguration

of the committee in Awka.

Emeakayi said further: “This is a demonstration that our members at the grassroots have taken back what belongs to them and today has marked the beginning of the end of PDP factions in the state. We have suffered for too long in this state and we will not want that suffering to continue.”

“Those interested in contesting the governorship election on the platform of the party should go back to their wards to begin preparations because that is the only way they can make themselves relevant. A situation many of them stay in Abuja and hope that they can be made

governor there is self deceit. “The kernel of our struggle over the years was our insistence that the party belongs to everybody and that both the big and small members should get their due.”

Apparently as a way of encouraging the reconciliatory moves of the leadership of the party, businessman, Prince Arthur Eze was the first to identify with the call for every member of PDP in the state to forget past ugly experiences in the party.

After collecting his membership card at his Ukpo, Dunukofia ward, he said that the problem in PDP was often caused by those who place personal and regional interests above national interest.

After working assiduously for about one month, Justice Obidigwe and members of his committee submitted the report to the state executive of the party penultimate Monday and expressed delight that almost all the stakeholders that had been leading various factions made inputs towards ensuring a lasting peace in Anambra PDP. According to Obidigwe, the experience the committee had during the assignment was an indication that members of PDP at all levels were tired of crisis, adding that everybody’s concern is how to ensure that PDP returns to Government House in 2014.

Receiving the report, Prince Emeakayi mandated the committee to go further to the 21 local government areas and the 326 wards in the state to make peace at the grass root. He also gave an assurance that the report of the committee would be implemented to the letter and that the committee will also be involved in the implementation.

For now, all eyes are on Justice Obidigwe and members of his committee to see if they can achieve what others had failed to achieve in the past.

Giant strides in Executive-Legislature relations

BY IKENNA IDEAGU

T

HERE is a saying among Ndigbo that when a man plies his trade in the area of his destiny, it would appear as though he is riding on the crest of magic. Also, when an experienced Dibia (native doctor) performs a sacrificial rite, the speed of the results makes it appear as though he hand-fed the spirits. Both have been true

in the life of the Presidential Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator (Dr.) Joy Emodi.

A thoroughbred educationist, lawyer, grassroots politician, renowned philanthropist, and importantly the first Igbo Woman to be elected a Senator, everything about her speaks of an Amazon who has been plying her trade within the precincts of her destiny, training, and

inclination.

Emodi’s long walk to the Senate from Anambra’s peculiar political “ wonderland”; her sudden ouster in her second term through one of Alphonsus Igbeke’s now famous judicial voodoos; the daylight robbery that was the Anambra North Senatorial District election in 2011, and her appointment as

Continues on page 55

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 —55

Merry go round in Ogun IT has been a popular prediction that the ruling ACN in Ogun State would one day suffer some internal implosion on account of the ego of its leaders. The political prophets seem to be much on course!

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

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ITHIN two weeks, no fewer than 7,000 defectors were received into the two major political parties in Ogun State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the emerging Labour Party, LP. Ordinarily, it could portend bad omens for the ruling Senator Ibikunle Amosun administration despite its successes on the ground because many aggrieved members of his ACN are exiting the party.

The first batch of the defectors were some 2,000 aggrieved ACN members in Ijebu-East Local Government Area who dumped the party for the PDP. The immediate-past deputy governor of the State Alhaja Salmot Badru has also dumped the Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, the contraption of her former boss, Otunba Gbenga Daniel for the PDP. Badru had in 2011 contested and lost for a seat in the House of Representatives on the ticket of the PPN. Vanguard gathered that, Badru dumped her former boss following reports that Daniel had directed his

Duduyemi. He hinged their action on the alleged imposition of chairmanship candidates on the ACN by Amosun and the resultant internal wrangling between the governor and some leaders of the party in the state.

While receiving the new members into the PDP, the State Chairman of the party Chief Bayo Dayo and the party financier, Chief Buruji Kashamu described the A C N as a dead party which according to themwould be buried in 2015.

Emerging party

•Amosun: Will he stop the prophets of doom? supporters to go to LP ahead of the ahead of the 2015 general election. The move may not be unconnected with the former governor’s anxieties about the unending spate of crises in the PDP under which he served for

two terms before projecting the PPN. The defectors who left the ACN for the PDP in Ijebu-East were led by former ACN chairmanship aspirant for the local government during last year’s council election, Yemi

“If about 2,000 members of the ACN in a local government could decamp, it means ACN is dead in Ogun State,” Kashumu said.

Barely a week after the feast by the PDP, the party itself suffered a setback as about 5,000 members allegedly dumped the party for Labour Party.

A former chieftain of the PDP Mr. Ladi Adebutu who led the defectors to the LP in the state said he had to defect from the PDP to the emerging party because the main opposition party had become”prostrate” in the state. Adebutu, son of multibillionarie businessman, Chief Kessington Adebutu said that with the perennial crises rocking the PDP in Ogun, it had become clear that the PDP lacks capacity to adequately represent the interest

of the people of the state in the 2015 poll.

The former PDP chieftain said the defectors were former members of PDP and the ACN.He said that they defected from the PDP in protest against the poor leadership of the party

by Kashumu.

He accused Kashamu of excluding supporters of Jubril Martins Kuye and former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the affairs of the party.

The LP Secretary in the state, Mr. Sunday Oginni said that the party would continue to welcome defectors from the PDP and other parties in Ogun.

In a swift reaction, the ACN in the State faulted the PDP’s claims of snatching 2,000 of its followers describing the claim as deceitful. ACN state publicity secretary Sola Lawal in a statement issued in Abeokuta said it wondered why large number of buses were deployed to ferry purported defectors to the venue if, genuinely, they were from Ijebu-Ife and Mushin, small communities of largely rural people.

The ACN pointed out that Duduyemi only went back to his original party, PDP, with eight of his supporters with whom he earlier decamped to the ACN. Eight or two thousand, it is still a loss of some sure support that Governor Amosun had at one time counted on!

Giant strides in Executive-Legislature relations Continues from page 54 Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, all combine to tell the story of a cat with nine lives.

Though christened “Joy of the Senate” by her colleagues, it is interesting to note that Emodi did not cut her political teeth at the Senate.

According to one of her interviews, she was a student activist saturated in the great ideals of an egalitarian society where people would live happily if only the right people could go into politics and take the driver’s seat. A believer in Malam Aminu Kano political philosophy, she ventured into politics during the Transition to Civil Rule programme of the Abacha Administration.

She won election into the 1994/ 95 National Constitutional Conference. She later became the National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Chairman of the Congress for National Consensus (CNC), the highest Political Party Offices ever to be occupied by any Nigerian woman politician as at then.

But for the death of General Sani Abacha and the abortion of the transition to civil rule, Emodi already had one leg in Government House Awka as the

•Emodi: Governor. A tested veteran, she is one politician who has practically fought against the godfather syndrome, especially in Anambra politics.

However, she often had to pay the price as all the godfathers often against her. In one of the desperate propaganda against her in the 1998 gubernatorial election, they claimed that a woman Governor would not be able to break kola nut.

To this, she retorted that she

would appoint a Commissioner for Breaking of Kolanut, for such propaganda could not break the resolve of a woman who was a member of Nigeria’s Expert Team to the World Women Conference in Beijing China (1995) to fight till the end.

Admissibly, however, it was no doubt at the Senate that she shone even brighter like a million stars in national politics. She is a woman who understands that political office is like a folktale. It is not just about how long. It is about how well.

Known for her outspokenness and irrepressibility, Senator Emodi was such a forceful voice for justice and pro-poor policies.

She bequeathed a tall record that her successors would require many years of hard work to climb over. She was so effective that the USAID Mission Director to Nigeria described her at an interactive session with visiting US First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush in 2006 as “one of the most dynamic and influential women in Nigeria today”.

Again, Emodi’s great attributes as a people-oriented Senator were so pronounced in the education sector as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education that Professor Michael Omolewa, the former Permanent

Delegate/Ambassador of Nigeria to UNESCO described her as “ radiating the passion and genuine commitment to pushing forward the education agenda for development.” UNESCO was later to recognize her as UNESCO Focal Person in the Nigerian Parliament.

It is against these backdrops that her appointment as Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters was widely hailed across Nigeria as one of the best choices the President has made so far assembling his team.

Enormous goodwill This is a woman that wields an enormous goodwill and respect at the National Assembly.

However, this respect and trust could not have dropped from the moon. There is so much to it. The social grace and dignity with which she conducts herself and her long-standing integrity speak for her. But of particular mention here is her unpretentious character. This does not mean that the legislature is always right and the executive always wrong or vice versa. No, she apparently subscribes to the school of dialogue where gray areas are

ironed out on the table. Emodi also took an unprecedented step in managing executivelegislature relations when she recently organized a national conference on the matter for legislators and members of the executive arm. The quality of neutral resource persons from other political climes and the topics dissected also earned Emodi more of my respect as a woman on top of her game.

Just shortly after the conference and on the threshold of her birthday, the Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously ratified the State of Emergency proclaimed by the President in Yobe, Adamawa, and Borno. Even some members of the opposition whose parties had publicly opposed the proclamation cooperated with the president on this matter when it came to the floor of both chambers, thereby placing national interest above every other interest. This too another feather to her cap.

Indeed, at 58, Adadioranma truly deserves a standing ovation for taking bridge-building and re-engineering of executivelegislature relations to another level. *Mazi Ikenna Ideagu, Onitsha, Anambra State.

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Keshi Continues from BP World Cup qualification eight years ago, said he was more than committed to leading his own country to next year ’s finals in Brazil, no matter the challenges.

“I am never one to run away from challenges; I have confronted them head-on all my life. I have very good relationship with each and every of my players, with mutual respect and regard being the bedrock.

“The players that we have invited for these matches are patriots a n d are always ready to defend the green-whitegreen. We have 16 players here now and team spirit is high.

Everyone wants to play.

What we will

certainly not do is to beg anyone to play for Nigeria”.

Nigeria’s longestserving Captain said the late arrival of some players is to be expected at this time of the season: “Most of the players have just concluded very gruelling seasons and have need to sort out personal issues, and of course there are talks to hold ahead of next season. These talks have to be done now considering that the players would be away for about seven weeks, on duty for Nigeria.”

The team’s Novina Hotel camp in Nuremberg swelled on Wednesday morning with the arrivals of Germany-based striker Joseph Akpala and Ukraine-based forward Babatunde Michael.

Okocha adds colour to Delta Gov’s Cup •As finalists emerge I

T was an unbelievable scene when Comprehensive Secondary School Ogwuashi-Uku defeated Edjekota Secondary School Ugheli yesterday at the Agbor Stadium in the semi final of the Delta State Governors Cup competition.

The crowd was mammoth, the standard of play was high and the conduct of the two teams was exceptional as spectators were kept on the edges of their seats throughout the keenly contested encounter. Ex internationals including Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Davidson Owunmi who were in attendance attested to the quality of play exhibited by the two teams.

The match ended in a draw in regulation time.

The ensuing penalty

such a performance.

Former Super Eagles captain, Okocha said the standard of the match was higher than the Delta State FA Cup final which featured Warri Wolves and Ateke FC. In the other semi final Elegbo Grammar School Effurun defeated Dom

Domingo Grammar School Warri 4-2 also on penalties to qualify for the final which comes up on the 28th of May in Warri.

A N1million prize money, a bus and a foreign training tour await the winners of the competition..

NOA hails Elegbeleye’s appointment

Continues from BP questions posed by United’s then major shareholders, John Magnier and JP McManus, which put Sir Alex’s transfer dealings under unprecedented scrutiny.

But the wheel has turned to the extent that Fergie’s reported £2million-a-year United ambassador deal was negotiated by Jason. The contract is for 20 appearances per year that value Sir Alex’s time at a whopping £100,000 a day.

shootout saw the boys from Ogwuashi-Uku running away with a 3-0 victory to qualify for the final.

Fans left the venue satisfied and wondered how secondary school children could churn out

T

HE Nigeria O l y m p i a n s Association(NOA), has joined the growing list of stakeholders who have applauded the appointment of Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye as the new Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

President Goodluck Jonathan only last week appointed the former House of Representatives member as a replacement for the former DG, Chief

Patrick Ekeji who retired last month.

A letter of congratulations signed by the NOA President, Prince Henry Amike, describes Elegbeleye as an experienced and a goal- getter in sports administration.

Part of the letter reads: “We at the NOA congratulate you on your well deserved appointment as the new DG of the National Sports Commission.

Ferguson

62 —

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Countdown to the Champions League final: The ultimate battles ahead of the all-German final Saturday sees the first all-German Champions League final when Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich take on Jurgen Klopp’s free-flowing Borussia Dortmund side at Wembley.

Here, Sportsmail looks at the crucial battles, the best stats and the stories of the tournament so far in the big countdown to Saturday’s showpiece

The key battles

Mario Mandzukic v Neven Subotic

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Wembley ready for German invasion Trafalgar Square as the

S

TAFF at Wembley Stadium were putting the finishing touches to their Champions League final facelift as they prepared themselves for an invasion of German fans.

A giant banner featuring the club badges of Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund adorned the front of the stadium on Wednesday.

Around 86,000 supporters are expected to attend Saturday’s showdown, with both German teams receiving 48,000 tickets.

A fan park has also been set up to cater with the thousand of ticketless fans who are expected to descend on the capital.

More than 250,000 Dortmund fans applied for final tickets and more than 40,000 travelled to Madrid for their semi-final win, even though only 10,000 actually had tickets.

Cup fever also hit

Champions League trophy was paraded on a makeshift football pitch at the famous landmark.

Arjen Robben is desperate to get his hands on the trophy and bring an end to his own Champions League curse.

The Dutchman, who is involved in his 11th straight season in the Champions League, has been on the losing side twice in the final in the past three seasons, while he also lost out in a World Cup final for Holland and the final of the DFB-Pokal last summer.

The disappointment of losing to Chelsea last May and Inter Milan two years previously is spurring him and his team-mates on to ensure it is a case of third time lucky at the weekend.

‘Most of us were in the side which lost in 2010 and 2012 and that explains why so many of us are hungry for this title,’ he said. ‘We now want to win this title.

ROATIAN hitman Mario Mandzukic has plundered 20 goals for Bayern this season, but has managed only two in the Champions League, where strike partner Thomas Muller has chalked up eight.

Mandzukic will be out to spearhead Munich’s formidable frontline, which also includes widemen Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, atWembley,butfacesatough adversary in Serbia international Neven Subotic.

Standing alongside former Bayern player Mats Hummels, the 24-year-old has developed into one of the most impressive defenders in German football.

•Subotic

•Mario

Dante v Robert Lewandowski S

IGNED from B o r u s s i a Monchengladbach last summer, Brazilian Dante wasted little time in establishing himself as a key member of a miserly Bayern backline that has conceded just 15 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches so for this season - 21 goals less than the next-best defence in the division and equalled a clubrecord of 20 league clean sheets. The left-footed defender will need to show all of his composure to help shackle Poland forward Lewandowski, who crashed in all four goals to sink Real Madrid.

•Dante

•Lewandowski

STAT ATTACK

READY: Wembley Stadium. Culled from Mailonline.com

•This final will be the first all-German clash in a European Cup final.

2000 (Spain), 2003 (Italy) and 2008 (England) are the three previous occasions of teams from the same country meeting in the Champions League final.

•A German team is guaranteed to win the

Champions League for a third time. Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern in 2001 were the previous winners.

•Bayern Munich have lost three of the four finals they have played in.

Borussia Dortmund were victorious in the only final they have played.

•Only once before have

two German teams met in the final of a European competition. In 1980, Eintracht Frankfurt won the UEFA Cup beating Borussia Mönchenglabach in the final (losing 2-3 away in the first leg before winning the second 1-0 at home). Gladbach coach back then was Jupp Heynckes, the cur-

rent Bayern boss.

•Dortmund are undefeated against Bayern in their last six league games (four wins, two draws). However, Munich are undefeated in four competitive games this season (two wins in the Super Cup and DFBPokal and two draws in the Bundesliga).

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 — 63

C M Y K

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

Fergie lands £100k-a-day deal —Page 61 •Ferguson

No reason to panic — Keshi •2014 World Cup qualifier

ASON Ferguson is masterminding father Sir Alex’s hugely lucrative postmanagement options nine years after the Manchester United board pledged never to do business again with his football agency.

Jason’s disbanded Elite Sport ceased to act on United transfers following an internal inquiry into the 99

Continues on Page 61

C

OACH Stephen Keshi has told Nigerians not to panic as the Super Eagles prepare for crucial 2014 World Cup qualifying games and the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament – all taking place in a number of weeks.

A spate of injuries, first to Scotland-based midfielder Reuben Gabriel and ace forward Emmanuel Emenike, and lately to attacking midfielders Kalu Uche and Victor Moses, had caused anxiety in some quarters and is being hyper-ventilated in public spaces and a section of the media as ‘problem in camp’.

But Keshi, who steered less-endowed Togo to that country’s only FIFA Continues on Page 61

Gotze misses Wembley final

B

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM: Super Eagles players taking tutorials from coach Keshi

FIFA U-20 W/Cup: Obuh names final squad June 7

F

LYING Eagles coach, John Obuh will name his final 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup on June 7.

This was confirmed by the team’s media officer, Sam Audu who reported

that the arrival of Denmark-based winger Edafe Egbedi on Wednesday morning completed the 30-man provisional squad now in a training camp in Elfershausen, Germany.

PUZZLE

Egbedi joined the squad yesterday, same day that Enugu Rangers striker Alhaji Gero, Olympiacos attacking midfielder Michael Olaitan and Daddy Moses flew into Germany from Nigeria.

•Obuh

O R U S S I A Dortmund have been dealt a serious blow ahead of Saturday ’s Champions League final with the news that Mario Gotze has been ruled out of the Wembley showpiece.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been unable to recover from the hamstring injury he suffered during the second leg of their semi-final clash with Real Madrid.

He tried to train on Tuesday but had to quit the session before the end.

Gotze said in a statement on Dortmund’s official website: “The final was my big goal and in the past weeks I have battled hard for it."

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

J

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 2 Worship (5) 7 Scorch (4) 8 Scare (6) 9 Fissure (5) 11 Horse (3) 13 Butt (3) 15 Bound (4) 16 Obese (3) 18 Satisfy (4) 19 Carried (7) 20 Fashion (4) 23 Fearsome (7) 25 Border (4) 27 Faucet (3) 28 Formerly (4) 30 Regret (3) 31 Hill (3) 33 Clipped (5) 36 Plot (6) 37 Simple (4) 38 Larceny (5)

DOWN 1 Pang (5) 2 Curve (3) 3 Poem (3) 4 Newt (3) 5 Fastener (3) 6 Cereal (5) 10 Dread (4) 11 Scramble (7) 12 Dressing (7) 13 Shining (7) 14 Interferer (7) 16 Banquet (5) 17 Vagrant (5) 18 Stitch (3) 21 Sheep (3) 24 Curse (4) 26 Dullard (5) 29 Coppice (5) 32 Spurt (3) 33 Fixed (3) 34 Mineral (3) 35 Entrap (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

How to Play Sudoku

ACROSS: 1, Harem 5,. Girdle 8, Maker 10, Astern 11, Iron 14, Patent 15, Bungled 18, Tea 19, Lid 21, Dray 23, Renew 24, Pelt 27, Red 29, Eel 31, Dullard 32, Tender 4, Tide 35, Easily 38, Lodge 39, Dismay 40, Edged.

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 2, Ass, 3, Emerge 4, Mar 5, Grip 6, Rioted 7, Earthy 9, Kneeler 12, Rat 13, Near 16, Urge 17, Dined 20, Deduced 22, Afar 24, Putrid 25, Lent 26, Tedium 28, Closed 30, Led 33, Rely 36, Age 37, Lie.

e-mail: rowolove@yahoo.co.uk

P

lace a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two of the same number).

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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