Nigerians to deposit N723,000 for UK visa

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 61910

NGF:You

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ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

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MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

can't challenge me, Jang tells Fashola 8

Nigerians to deposit N723,000 for UK visa •New law to affect other Africans, Asians •Visitors to forfeit money if...

L •Nigeria 'll reciprocate, says Abike-Erewa

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE, WITH AGENCY REPORT

ONDON — BRIT AIN is planning to force visitors from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries, whose nationals are deemed to pose a “high risk” of immigration abuse to provide a cash bond of more than N723,000 (£3,000 , $4,600 or 3,500 euros) before they can enter the country, a report said yesterday.

The Sunday Times

Continues on page 5

17

COLUMNISTS:

DELE SOBOWALE 38

LES LEBA 48

OCHEREOME NNANNA 54

Mr & Mrs SPAIN: A BRIDGE TOO FAR

— Spain's forward, Roberto Soldado (L) vies with Nigeria's defenders- Godfrey Oboabona (C) and Uwa Echejile during their FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Group B football match, at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil, yesterday. Nigeria lost 3:0. Photo: AFP. See story on Back Page.

Manager arrested for robbery in own bank 5

Youths nab 31 Boko Haram suspects in Borno 8

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 3

4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013—5

POCKET CARTOON

Nigerians to deposit N723,000 for UK visa Continues from page 1 newspaper said that from November, a pilot scheme would target visitors from those three countries as well as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ghana.

Visitors aged 18 and above would be forced to hand over £3,000 ($4,600, 3,500 euros) from November for a sixmonth visit visa.

They will forfeit the money if they overstay in Britain after their visa has expired.

Initially the scheme will target hundreds of visitors, but the plan is to extend it to several thousands, according to the broadsheet’s frontpage report.

The weekly paper said the move by Home Sec-

retary Theresa May is designed to show that Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party is serious about cutting immigration and abuses of the system.

The populist United Kingdom Independence Party has been encroaching on the Conservatives’ traditional core vote in recent months.

Cameron wants annual net migration down below 100,000 by 2015.

“This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain,” May

was quoted as saying.

“In the long run we’re interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services.”

A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse”.

Last year, 296,000 people granted six-month visas were from India; 101,000 from Nigeria; 53,000 from Pakistan and 14,000 each were from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Reacting to the new British visa policy, yesterday, House of Representatives Committee Chairperson on Diaspora, Abike DabiriErewa said the Federal Government should immediately counter it

with the principle of reciprocity. According to her, “Britons should be made to pay a similar amount although we are still going to study the policy very well to know whether it affects all Nigerians. For now that is all I can say but I assure you, if it is true, Nigeria will take a position on it.”

Editorial movements at The Sun

L

AGOS—THE Board of The Sun Publishing Limited has approved new editorial appointments with effect from July 1, 2013. On that date, new editors

will take over at different levels, of the publication.

According to Mr Tony Onyima, Managing Director/Editor-in-chief, the new appointments “are aimed at driving

LIFEWORDS

BY PASTOR ITUAH

A man of power and authority who has an extra marital affair or who is having an affair, can never take fully rational and sensible decisions except he is a very wicked man, and that in itself is a bad thing.

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Q

UIT worrying about how everything is go ing to turn out. Live one day at a time; better yet, make the most of this moment. It’s good to have a big – picture outlook, to set goals and make plans, but if you’re always living in the future, you’re never really enjoying the present in the way God wants you to — Joel Osteen Joel Osteen’s, encouraging words do bring a bust of sunlight that cast away shadows in times of great need. He says, when you are tempted to get discouraged, remind yourself that the divine intent for your life is getting brighter; you are on your way to a new level of glory. You may think you’ve got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you’ve already come. You may not be everything you want to be but at least you can thank God that you’re not what you used to be.

Your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, remember, you are of great value and a precious being. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you experience, your value in God’s eyes always remains the same.

So hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and he has a great plan and purpose for your life.

This much I do know, when you let go of old values and accept the higher ones, you increase your ability to accept more of God’s love in your life.

our growth strategy and the Board’s vision of transforming the company into top rate media and entertainment organization”.

The new editors are: Onuoha Ukeh, Daily Sun, Bruce Malogo, Saturday Sun, and Abdulfatah Oladeinde, Sunday Sun. There are also new Deputy Editors, News Editor, Editorial Page Editor, Political Editor, Business Editor, while the erstwhile editors, who served the company meritoriously, have been assigned to fresh duties.

Ukeh, editor of Saturday Sun since 2008, moves up as editor of the daily newspaper. An alumnus of the Yaba College of Technology, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, and Lagos State University, Ojo, from where he holds degrees in Book Publishing and Journalism, respectively, the new editor of the daily newspaper comes in with more than two decades of experience tucked under his belt.

Before he joined The Sun as Assistant Editor in 2003, Ukeh had worked at Post Express as Metro Editor, Chief Sub-Editor, and Editor of the daily paper, respectively. He was also

JONATHAN IN CAMEROUN—President Goodluck Jonathan (L) greets a girl who presented him a bouquet of flowers on his arrival at the Yaoundé International Airport for the Gulf of Guinea Summit on maritime piracy and armed robbery in Yaoundé, yesterday. Right is the Prime Minister of Cameroun, Mr Philemon Yunji Yang. Photo: NAN.

at Champion newspaper, Sentinel Magazine, and The Guardian.

Ukeh also holds a Sen-

ior Management Programme (SMP) certificate of the Lagos Business School, and is co-

author of three books, Inside the Newsroom, Democracy of Our Land, and God’s General.

Manager arrested for robbery in own bank

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA

A

SABA—AN Op erations Manager with a first generation bank in Agbor, Delta State has been arrested by the police for allegedly conniving with an armed robbery gang that raided the bank, weekend.

The gang had in a commando style operation, succeeded in carting away millions of naira in both local and foreign currencies on Friday, while some bank customers and passers-

by were wounded in the process.

Delta State Police command’s spokesman, Mr. Lucky Uyabeme, said that “the arrested Operations Manager of the bank is helping the police in its investigation.

The command will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that all the hoodlums involved are brought to book.

“Preliminary investigation revealed an insider connection in the bank robbery as the two

keys to the strong room that were supposed to be kept by two different senior staff were left with the Operations Manager, who in turn left the strong room open.

"The four bullet proof doors were not tampered with. One of the senior staff of the bank who was supposed to be with one of the keys to the strong room purported to be sick, handed over the keys to the Operations Manager,” Uyabeme said.

6 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Customs hands over killer officer to Ogun Police

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA — THE Ni geria Customs Service, Ogun State Command, has handed over its officer (names withheld), who allegedly killed a 45-year-old woman, identified as Mrs. Fausat Oyede, to the Police in the state for further investigation.

Addressing newsmen at Idi-Iroko office of the Customs, the state Comptroller, Ade Dosunmu lamented the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

He said it became expedient on the command to hand over the officer to the Police after it had conducted an orderly room trial on him.

There was confusion in Ilase in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state, last Thursday following the killing of the mother of five by a Customs officer who accused the woman of being in possession of contraband goods and shot her dead while in a car.

The incident, according to findings, sparked off reactions from the residents who reportedly chased the Custom officers away from the area, before the timely intervention of the Police brought the situation under control.

Dosunmu, flanked by members of the immediate family of the deceased, explained that the killer officer while on patrol in the early hours of last Thursday, shot at a vehicle conveying the deceased and other passengers, claiming that the vehicle was laden with contraband.

BOKO HARAM: Youths (a.k.a Civilian JTF) searching vehicles on the streets of Maiduguri, during a hunt for Boko Haram suspects, yesterday. PHOTO NDAHI MARAMA.

How hoodlums spilled my blood — Monarch’s wife

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

A

DO EKITI —WIFE of the Apeju of Ilupeju Ekiti, Olori Tolu Oniyelu, yesterday, relayed her ordeal in the hands of hoodlums allegedly hired by one of the aggrieved members of the community to protest the installation of an unpopular candidate as a chief in the town.

According to her, the hoodlums shed her blood and made her to bleed from the nose.

Crisis erupted in the town, Friday, when some aggrieved youths took to the streets in protest over installation of the third in command to the monarch, Mr Israel Ojo, whom they described as imposition against a popular candidate, Mr Amos Aseperi.

She, however, debunked the rumour that her husband imposed Mr. Israel Ojo on the town, saying the traditional council set up a committee which asked the next ruling house to produce a candidate to be installed as the new Olugbosu.

Olori who spoke in Ado Ekiti, disclosed that Ojo was confirmed as the rightful candidate by the panel and the traditional rites had been performed on him.

According to her, trouble

started on Friday as an unnamed chief in the town installed Aseperi, an ex-soldier, as Olugbosu.

She added that Aseperi, after his installation, mobilised some ex-soldiers, armed with guns and danced round the town. Olori Tolu added that Aseperi later danced to the palace with his fol-

L

AGOS — THERE was an uproar, yesterday, at Mile Two, along the Oshodi /Apapa expressway, Lagos, following what was later discovered to be a false alarm by a dismissed official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, who was allegedly resisting arrest.

In the end, however, the dismissed LASTMA official identified as Muhammed Ayinla was whisked away by the provost unit of LASTMA , for allegedly masquerading him-

self as an official of the agency.

Preliminary investigation,, according to spokesperson of LASTMA, Bola Ajao, revealed that Ayinla (40) was dismissed from LASTMA three months ago, for alleged misconduct. He reportedly refused to collect and sign for his dismissal letter but continued to parade himself as an official, until he was arrested.

Vanguard’s findings revealed that the suspect had been working at Mile Two with some LASTMA officials

I questioned him he told his supporters that he did not send them to injure me.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said although normalcy had been restored to the town, policemen were still there to ensure that hoodlums did not foment trouble again.

JTF nabs eight suspects over SPDC pipeline inferno

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Y

ENAGOA — THE Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta code-named Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, said its operatives have arrested eight persons in connection with the recent fire outbreak at a Shell Petroleum Development Company, SDPC, pipeline in Bodo West, Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State.

Also, five suspected crude oil thieves were nabbed in two separate raids in the creek of the delta.

Spokesman of the Task Force, Lt. Col Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement in Yenagoa said the

Ex-LASTMA official arrested for impersonation

BY EVELYN USMAN

lowers and met Kabiyesi and the chiefs holding a meeting.

According to her, he asked Kabiyesi to bless him which was a great insult. The monarch refused and the ex-soldiers who followed Aseperi to the palace started shooting in the air and destroying parts of the palace.

“They hit my nose with a gun butt and I started bleeding. When

who apparently were not aware he had been dismissed.

Ayinla’s illegal activities were reportedly discovered by the team of LASTMA officials assigned to Mile Two. Explaining how Ayinla met his waterloo, Ajao said: “The provost received a tip off from motorists on a LASTMA official who operated in mufti and arrested indiscriminately. Surveillance flash was placed on him and his cup was filled as he was eventually arrested wearing the crested vest of the agency.

arrest of the eight suspects was effected by troops of 146 Battalion of Sector 2 of the JTF. Nwachukwu said the troops who sighted the fire at about 1.30 am on Wednesday mobilised to the scene where they found the suspects in two tug boats.

He said the suspects upon interrogation, claimed to be employees of Steve Integrated Technical Service and Sege Marine hired by Shell Petroleum Development Company to fix broken pipelines in Bodo.

The suspects, he said, are currently in Sector 2 Headquarters for preliminary investigations, adding that they will be handed

over to an appropriate prosecuting agency if found culpable at the end of the investigations.

Also, troops deployed at Sanbarth have arrested two suspects who specialized in vandalising oil pipelines along Kalamabo and Opukula communities in Akuku Toru council area of Rivers State.

The suspects, Fineface Shedrack and Solomon Doutimiti, identified as serial pipeline vandals and illegal oil distillers, according to the JTF spokesman, were arrested by troops of 130 Battalion of Sector 2 after three nights of ambush.

Man hangs self at MKO Abiola stadium

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

A

BEOKUTA— CONFUSION has enveloped Kuto area of Abeokuta, following the discovery of the lifeless body of a middle-aged man found dangling on a tree within the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Kuto, Abeokuta, yesterday.

An eye witness told Vanguard that, the lifeless body of the man was found few minutes after he hanged himself on the tree. He said an attempt by policemen from

Ibara Division to save his life was unsuccessful as he was confirmed dead at the state General Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta.

Contacted, the state Public Relations Officer of Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, stressing that nothing was found on the man to either unravel his identity or the rationale behind his action.

Ademuyiwa further explained that the Police were alerted by a man whose shop is close to the tree within the stadium on which the man hanged himself.

Vanguard , MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013—7

Confab on insecurity: Soyinka, Sule, Anyaoku, Clark, others storm Uyo

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

D

ISTURBED by worsening insecurity and political tension in the country ahead of the 2015 general elections, eminent leaders of thought, statesmen and politicians across the six geo-political zones will converge on Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital, next week, to chart the way forward.

They will gather at Le’Meridien Hotels & Resorts, between July 2 and 3 for a political summit on the future of Nigeria, convened by Project Nigeria— National Consensus Group.

The two-day summit, with the theme National Security and Political Stability in Nigeria, according to Malam Nasser Kura, Head of Communications, summit secretariat, was being convened to douse the tension created by the emergency situation in the country.

Kura said: “The summit is being convened against the background of the current challenges facing our dear country, Nigeria, in the areas of national security and political stability.

“It is with a view to kick-starting a profound process of national consultations and political negotiations capable of fostering enduring solution to the heightening tension in the country.”

Soyinka (Lead Speaker); General T. Y. Danjuma, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Chief Edwin Clark.

Others are Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, HRM Amayanabo Alfred Diete-Spiff, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Amb. Christopher Kolade and Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF. Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Olu Falae, Alabo Graham Douglas, Chief Bisi Akande, General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Prof. Pat Utomi, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader; Chief Audu Ogbeh, Bishop

Emmanuel Gbonigi, Sheik Ahmed Lemu, Senator David Dafinone, Alhaji Ishiaku Rabiu and Gen Jeremiah Useni (rtd).

More

Also expected are Senator Ken Nnamani, Chief John Nwodo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar (NLC president), Mr. Peter Esele (former TUC president) and Prof. Grace Alele-Williams.

Others are Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Chief Philip Asiodu, Prof Akin Oyebode, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo, Alhaji Umaru

Shinkafi, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Prince Tony Momoh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu.

Also expected are Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Prof Kimse Okoko, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Solomon Asemota (SAN), High Chief Raymond Dokepsi, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Dr. Odia Ofeimun, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Dr. Sule Hamma, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Otunba Gani Adams, Hon Nkoyo Toyo, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mrs. Ayo Obe, Mr. John Momoh, Mr. Shehu Sani, Rear Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Mr. Ben Murray Bruce, and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), among others.

Targets

He said “the national family meeting” was expected to work out and agree on a popular modality for securing political and constitutional stability for the future of Nigeria in the light of the pervasive insecurity and insurgency in the country “The emergency national consultative meeting is designed to bring together distinguished statesmen, government functionaries, political and religious leaders of thought from the six geopolitical zones, to discuss and negotiate an agreed modality for securing the stability and future of Nigeria.”

Kura added that President Goodluck Jonathan, former presidents/heads of state and their deputies, leadership of the National Assembly, state governors and ministers were expected to participate at the summit.

Delegations, discussants

Some eminent persons expected to lead delegations and discussions at the confab include: First Republic Minister and Chairman, Northern Elders’ Forum, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule; legal luminary, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN); Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole

ALAUSA: From left— Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group; Mr. Kunle Alake, Chief Operating Officer, Dangote Group and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, at a State House function in Alausa, Lagos.

Afenifere tasks FG on Lagos-Ibadan road

BY IKENNA ASOMBA

Y

ORUBA socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the deplorable condition of LagosIbadan Expressway and gridlock on the road, which it said had worsened in the last three days.

The group, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, alleged that the state of the road has led to countless road carnage over the years.

It said the condition has been particularly depressing in the last three days, during which motorists spend about five hours on journeys that should not take them more than 55 minutes.

It said: “Motorist spend an average of six hours on a journey that should not take more than 55 minutes on the road.

“The physical strain of this anomaly is unquantifiable. We have had promises of work commencing on that road in recent times, but we are yet to see action.

“The state of that road is unacceptable and we want to see commencement of real reconstruction and not patchwork without further delay.”

States may not be able to pay workers if...

— Oshiomhole

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

G

OVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has raised the alarm that soon state governments might not be able to pay the salaries of workers and meet other obligations if the Federal Government refuses to release state allocations as at when due.

Already, investigations revealed that most state governments were finding it difficult to pay their contractors, who are now threatening to abandon ongoing projects and lay off workers.

“Very soon states may not be able to pay salaries as at when due, if the delay in releasing state allocations continues,” Governor Oshiomhole said at the just

concluded 9th Triennial Delegates Conference of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, in Abuja.

He said: “You now know that for this year our budget has not been performing.

“Despite all the debates about benchmark for the budget, in the end the National Assembly resolved it and there were speculations by all kind of analysts.

“You know our analysts often put their reputations on the line depending on the next consultancy that they want.

“They tell us that the world economy is going to come down and that the Americans have discovered new fuel, that there are things happening in China and the economy is stagnating and therefore, the oil price would drop.

“I have always said that when they talk like that, they talk as if the world is static.

It is not. Those nations said to be creating these problems are not sitting on the problems; they are working to change those conditions.

“In any event, it is now no more theory. Six months into the New Year, oil price has performed over and above the oil benchmark. So, what happened to all the forecasts?

Oil is performing more than between 20 and 25 percent more than the budget.

“Yet, we are not able to receive our share of the Federation Account as at when due.

“They say we cannot fund the budget. Why? Is it because we are selling less?

No, we are not because we can see it on CNN. “It is not a classified state matter or a classified security matter. Oil is selling over

and above the budget. So why is the budget not performing?

“Now we are told it is because of the level of crude theft. I read in one paper that as much as 600,000 barrels of crude is stolen per day.

"And because of the amount that is stolen, what is left is now below the budget export volume.

“So, are we now going to make national budget to factor in stealing? Is that the option?

So, if it is not about the price, it is about the volume of theft. You can ask a question.

“Can your wife tell you that the two legs of the elephant are missing from the pot of soup? You can be searching for the liver in a pot of soup because it is small.

“However, when your cook tells you that the two legs of the fowl cannot be found in the pot, then that cook has a story to tell."

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

A

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

BUJA—FACTIONAL chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, has asked an Abuja High Court to strike out the suit filed against him by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State for being frivolous.

In a preliminary objection he filed before the court, Jang maintained that the Lagos State governor does not have the right to seek for an order that will restrain him from parading himself as chairman of NGF. He further challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear and adjudicate on the matter, contending that “any dispute within NGF cannot be taken to an Abuja High Court by virtue of Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, which prescribes that disputes should be resolved at the Federal High Court instead.”

Consequently, Jang, through his lawyer Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), prayed the court to terminate Fashola’s suit at the interlocutory stage for want of jurisdiction and for the fact that the plaintiff lacked the locus to institute the action.

Describing the dispute bedeviling NGF as “nonjusticeable as it relates to a mere dispute as to political dignity,” the Plateau State governor argued that the fact that his Lagos State counterpart never contested the NGF chairmanship election, stripped him of the legal right to institute or sustain the action.

He argued that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, whom Fashola claimed won the election, did not complain to the court that his mandate had been usurped or was named or joined as a party in the suit.

Jang further maintained that going by the way the suit was couched— “between the Governor, Lagos State and the Governor, Plateau State”— the plaintiff suggested a dispute

TRANSCORP's AGM: From right— Mr. Chinedu Eze, Secretary; Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman; Mr. Obinna Ufudo, President/CEO, and Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, Director, all of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc, during the company's 7th annual general meeting in Abuja.

NGF CRISIS: Jang urges court to strike out Fashola's suit between Lagos and Plateau states’ governments, which automatically strips every court of jurisdiction, save the Supreme Court, which is bequeathed with the exclusive jurisdiction to determine or resolve disputes between governments of states or state governments and Federal Government.

He said: “Traditionally, NGF does not hold elections to produce a chairman. It is the practice that the chairman of the Forum is appointed by consensus of the members.

“Where a consensus cannot be reached, the candidate supported by a simple majority would become the chairman.

“In pursuance of the fact

above, Governor Amaechi was informed that 19 of the 36 governors of the states of the Federation have indicated in writing their decision to support Governor Jonah Jang as Chairman of NGF. “Despite the fact above, Governor Amaech still insisted that there must be an election and that he must preside at the meeting.

“At this stage, Governor Amaechi produced ballot papers which were unilaterally printed without prior authority of other members of NGF and started distributing same for the purpose of the socalled election.

“When Governor Amaechi refused to step down as Chairman of the Forum, but

Youths nab 31 suspected Boko Haram suspects in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

M

A I D U G U R I — YOUTHS Vigilante group in Borno State, otherwise known as Civilian JTF, weekend, arrested 31 Boko Haram suspects in various locations in Maiduguri metropolis amidst ovations and commendations from residents and soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF. The arrested sect members were immediately handed over to the various local sector commanders of JTF for further interrogation and investigation.

The suspects were believed to have been dislodged from their training camps at Sambisa Games Reserves Forests and

Kirenowa, a border community with Chad, after troops attacked the camps following declaration of state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the chairman of the vigilante group, Abubakar Mallum, the suspects were nabbed at NEPA Market junction, Anguwar Doki, Shuwari II and Gambouru market, among other areas of Maiduguri metropolis.

JTF commended the youths in the joint manhunt of fleeing Boko Haram suspects.

Its spokesman, Lt.-Col Sagir Musa said: “JTF commended these youths for

assisting our soldiers and police arrest these terrorists’ suspects among people living in the metropolis.

"The youths have also renewed their efforts in supporting the JTF in the current operations.”

Speaking on the youths’ modus operandi yesterday in Maiduguri, the group’s leader, Mallum said: “Although some people call us ‘Civilian JTF’ in the manhunt of Boko Haram suspects in Maiduguri, we members of this Youths Vigilante group operate at strategic locations with ordinary sticks and cutlasses.”

insisted on presiding to conduct the election, 18 out of the 35 members present at the meeting immediately indicated their unflinching support for Governor Jonah Jang as the new Chairman of the Forum without prejudice to their objection to the insistence of Governor Amaechi on presiding over the election process.

“Despite the fact that 18 of the members present supported the 1st defendant as the new chairman of the Forum, Governor Amaechi and the 2nd Defendant still went ahead to announce to the public that Governor Amaechi emerged as the winner of the election.

“As soon as the announcement was made, 18 out of the 35 governors, who were present and supported the 1st defendant, stormed out of the venue of the purported election to demonstrate their disapproval of the political charade.”

It will be recalled that Fashola had asked the high court to stop Governor Jang from parading himself as the leader of the NGF and also issue an order of injunction restraining him from using the name “Nigeria Governor’s Forum” in respect of any other organisation that does not have the 36 governors as members and/or in any other manner inconsistent with the Constitution of the forum.

He equally urged the court to restrain one Mr. Osaro Onaiwu (3rd defendants) from parading himself as the Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.

Dangote, Anyaoku, others eulogise Mogaji at Fidau

BY OLASUNKNAMI AKONI & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

F

ORMER Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, state governors and other prominent Nigerians, yesterday, paid tributes to late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mother of former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the eighth day Fidau prayers held in her honour, yesterday.

Alhaja Mogaji died last Saturday, June 15, at her 10 Adigun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, aged 96.

Some of the dignitaries at the event held at Tafawa Balewa Square. Lagos, were, governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Edo, Imo and Ekiti and diplomats from Liberia, Senegal and Ghana.

Also at the Fidau were Senators George Akume, Ganiu Solomon, Gbenga Ashafa and lawmakers from Lagos, Oyo and Osun states, led by Deputy Speaker of Lagos State, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu and Mr. Nojim Sallam, respectively.

Alhaji Yahyale Ahmed, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, former governors of Imo, Ogun, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Kogi states, Mr. Olusegun Osoba, Mr. Achike Udenwa, Senator Chris Ngige, Obong Victor Attah and Prince Abubakar Audu, respectively, were also there.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 9

NGF CRISIS: Lagos ACN condemns Presidency, PDP L

AGOS — LAGOS State Chap-ter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has berated the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for allegedly sowing and sustaining crisis in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. In a statement, it said PDP and the Presidency by their actions were creating doubts on the minds of Nigerians on their faith in democracy, which they had leveraged to gain undue advantage over all Nigerians since 1999.

The statement by its Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, said by the way the PDP and the Presidency had allegedly gone to “create crisis in a body that unites Nigerian

governors and the audacious manner they are sustaining this crisis, are enough to warn Nigerians that those that benefitted greatly from our fight against military rule are not ready to depart from the path of unconstitutionality.

It advised Nigerians to brace up for further struggles if they

are not to continue witnessing the deliberate distortion of democracy to benefit a small cabal that neither believes in democracy nor are desirous of its growth.

“By now, Nigerians are all aware of the undue interest shown by the PDP and the Presidency to annex the NGF for their self serving purposes before the NGF election.

“Such desperation found meaning in the orchestrated campaign of calumny the Presidency and the PDP launched against the Chairman of NGF, Governor Chibuike Amaechi over the unfounded speculation that he was eyeing the vice presidency.”

Minister of Works, to speak at Unilag’s lecture

BY LAJU ARENYEKA

LAGOS — MINISTER of Works, Mike Onelemen, will Thursday, speak on “Economic Transformation through Infrastructural Development: The role of Project Management,” at the University of Lagos, UNILAG. The lecture, organised by the Department of Building, is part of the 9th edition of its annual management lecture series.

A statement by the Head of the Department, Prof. Godwin Idoro, said the lecture would seek to address fundamental developmental issues in Nigeria and proffer solutions.

He added: “Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran, Managing Director of UACN Property Development Company Plc, will preside over the event as chairman. The Honourable Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Ayinge Pepple, CFR, will be the special guest of honour.”

ASSEMBLY: Mr. IbrahimTizhe, President/Chairman of Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN (middle), in a hand-shake with an inductee, while Alhaji Sekinat Yusuf, Vice President/Chairman of CPN, watches, during the IT Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: by Emeka Aginam

Nigeria to host summit on migration, terrorism in West Africa

on Migration and Terrorism in West Africa.

The event, which is scheduled to IGERIAN INSTITUTE of take place in Abuja from July 24 – In-ternational Affairs, NIIA, 26, 2013, is conceptualised to mobiin collaboration with Delphi Consult- lise multi-lateral and multi-national ing Nigeria, plans to host a three-day efforts to combat issues arising from International Brainstorming Session migration and threat to national security, particularly among member countries of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the Sahel region.

The brainstorming session is in line with the recent call by President Currently, work is ongoing on some

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI Goodluck Jonathan, for of the collector drainages in the area. multi-lateral co-operation For instance, clearing of drainage to tackle acts of terrorism. system is ongoing in Liverpool/SigConsequently, the sesAGOS — WORRIED by the per nal Barrack/Creek Road, Marine sion will focus on cross borennial flooding in Apapa area of Road, Randle Road, while construcLagos, the state government has em- tion is also on course around Mabarked on aggressive clearing of rine Beach and Leventis/Arakan Bardrainages in the area as well as en- racks collector drain. sure free flow of traffic.

However, on Warehouse, Pelewura It equally directed the supervising and Randle Roads, the drainages officials of all ongoing drainage were discovered to be blocked, causprojects to remove or demolish all ob- ing flooding and obstructing motorstructing objects along drainage paths ists who had to wade through the wato achieve maximum result. ter.

Commissioner for the Environment, The commissioner explained that Tunji Bello, spoke, weekend, during the ministry had received several an inspection of the area as part of complaints from residents on the measures to check cases of flood in the challenges they faced whenever it current rainy season. rained.

BY EMEKAAGINAM

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DE-FLOODING: Lagos embarks on demolition, drainage clearance in Apapa

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der movements of persons and the growing trends of insurgency in West Africa.

It will also examine cases of proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region and the huge importation of arms and ammunitions by foreigners in breach of territorial integrity and sovereignty of their host countries.

Equally slated for discussions are the stringent immigration laws and policies being adopted by the United States and member countries of European Union which will affect Nigerians intending to travel as well as those in the Diaspora.

Newswatch photo editor sues NRC for assault

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS — Photo Editor, NEWSWATCH Newspaper Mr. Babatunde Ogundeji, has dragged the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, before a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, for the assault he suffered at the Terminus Office in Ikeja, Lagos, while taking photographs of passengers hanging and sitting on top of a moving train.

He is claiming the sum of N50million as damages for what he described as “assault and battery,” he allegedly suffered in the hands of “agents, servants and privies” of the corporation on August 13, 2012.

The photo Editor , whose camera was earlier seized, claimed he almost lost his life during the encounter, contended that the Divisional Police Officer of the Railway Police Station, Agege, Lagos and the Station Manager, eventually released his camera to him “on the condition that the photographs would not be published.

115m widows in the world live in abject poverty — Ban Ki-Moon

BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

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AGOS — AS widows across the world celebrate the International Widows’ Day, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, yesterday, said about 115 million widows in Nigeria and other parts of the world lived in abject poverty.

In a statement from the United Nations Information Cenre, UNIC, KiMoon, pointed out that 81 million widows had suffered physical abuse.

He called on Nigerian women not to lose their rights when they lose their husbands, saying, “no woman should lose her rights when she loses her husband. Girls married to much older men are especially vulnerable.

“Let us use International Widows’ Day to advocate for the rights of all widows so they can enjoy better lives.”

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Oyo Accord Party chides Ajimobi over contracts

BY OLA AJAYI

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CCORD PARTY in Oyo State has accused the Ajimobi administration of patronising foreign contractors to the detriment of oyo state contractors.

In a statement signed by its media Director, Prince Dotun Oyelade, that Ajimobi is now asking each of the 33 councils to forward the names of three contractors to him has justified the complaints that all the plum contracts of the past two years have been handled by contractors allocated to him by the leadership of the Action Cogress of Nigeria, ACN, outside the shores of Oyo state.

PDP’s zonal meeting

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MEETING of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is to hold today in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The meeting, which is at the instance of Chief Ishola Filani-led Caretaker Committee for the PDP in the zone, will take place at the party’s zonal secretariat.

The expanded zonal executive committee meeting will, among others, discuss issues relating to the forthcoming zonal congress.

Those expected at the meeting are all the six state party chairmen in the zone, members of the Board of Trustees from the South West and 10 leaders from each of the six states of the zone.

RUN holds 1st inaugural lecture

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HE REDEEMER’S University, RUN, will hold its first ever Inaugural lecture on Tuesday 25th June,2013 at the International Youth Centre of the University, Mowe, Ogun State.

Prof Ahmed Yerima of the department of Theatre Art, College of Humanities will deliver the lecture with theme: ‘Refracted Universe, Alternative Realities The Artist as GOD’

Aregbesola denies slapping deputy BYGBENGA OLARINOYE

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asked to respond to the allegation that the governor once slapped her.

The deputy governor stressed that a cordial relationship exists between her and the governor,, adding that she would remain loyal

to the governor.

On the crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Aregbesola said: “Let the NGF take care of itself. The forum is a voluntary one and it is not compulsory that every Governor is a member.”

He also denied insinuation that the debt profile of the state has risen to N300 billion, saying that the opposition was only making the allegation to destabilise the progress of the state and cause confusion.

SOGBO — OSUN State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has denied ever slapping his deputy, Mrs. Grace Tomori, stressing that the rumor was aimed at causing disaffection capable of destabilising the state.

The governor said a cordial relationship exists between the two of them.

He added that “I have never beaten anybody in my life. In fact, I don’t beat my children, let alone beating any other person. More so, the Deputy Governor is older than me, so how do I beat an elderly person.”

Governor Aregbesola, who spoke during a seven hour live programme tagged ‘Ogbeni till day break,’ weekend, maintained: “I don’t have any quarrel with my Deputy, and I can’t have any with her because I intentionally chose her and no one choose her for me.

“I think I can work with her and that is why I chose her. So, no differences exist between us.”

The deputy governor who was also present at the pro- VISIT: Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, FUTA, gramme confirmed the claims Akure, in a handshake with Oghenekome Onokpise, professor and distinguished researcher of the governor when she was at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, and Prof. J. A. Alokan, Dean, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, FUTA, during Onokpise’s working visit to FUTA.

...lauded by Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank, over good governance

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HE MINISTER of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has observed that Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, through his programmes, has demonstrated that good governance is possible.

Also, the World Bank confirmed that the Federal Government’s Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) was replicated from the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) started by Aregbesola.

In the same breath, the governor said that the nation would be great economically only if its people became very productive.

Tambuwal lambasts Osun PDP over comment

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

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DO EKITI —THE Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, shocked his audience when he lambasted members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State for criticising him for speaking glowingly about the administration of the governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, urging them to see performance in governance beyond partisan politics.

Members of the PDP in the state a few weeks ago, condemned the Speaker for eulogising Aregbesola for the good job he is doing in the state during his visit.

Tambuwal was speaking at Ilawe Ekiti, headquarters ,Ekiti South West Local Government area of Ekiti State during the first year coronation ceremony of Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti,, Oba Ajibade Alabi

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 —11

Kidnap victim asks Police, DSS to probe suspect’s escape W

BY EMMAAMAIZE

ARRI—A kidnap victim, Mrs. Tobore Oborevowri, has called on Inspector General of Police, IG and Director General, Department of State Service, DSS, to investigate the escape of the suspected leader of the kidnap gang that abducted her in 2011.

The suspect allegedly escaped from Ogwashi-Uku Prisons, Delta State.

The kidnap kingpin, remanded with four other accused persons on the orders of a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, reportedly escaped from the prisons on May 26.

Mrs. Oborevwori, a housewife, was kidnapped May 8, 2011 in Osubi town, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State and it took the combined efforts of security agencies in the state to rescue her.

In a petition, dated June 14, addressed to the Director General, DSS, Abuja, by her lawyer, F.O.Olokor, she described the escape of the kidnap kingpin as “strange, bizarre, questionable” and called for a thorough investigation into same.

Her lawyer said that his client was informed that an officer/ staff of the Federal Prisons, Ogwashi-Uku, who was supposed to be off-duty on May 26, brought out the suspect from his

cell and was with him for over three hours before he fled.

The petition read, “The story was that the suspect walked out of the Federal Prisons, OgwashiUku, clad in prison officers/staff

uniform. The escape of the suspect from the Federal Prisons, has now greatly endangered the life of our client, who is the star witness in the charge of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and armed robbery preffered against the accused persons.”

CONDOLENCE: Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Valerie Ebe (left), presenting a condolence letter to the paramount ruler of Ukanafun, Okuku Victor Umoh, during the funeral service of his mother, late Mrs. Tity Umoh, aged 122, at Uruk Otong, Ukanafun L.G.A, Akwa Ibom State.

Ex-militants want EFCC to probe alleged fraud in amnesty office

BY EMMAARUBI ARRI—NO fewer than 100 former militants in the second phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme have called on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the Amnesty Office headed by Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

The former agitators alleged that the amnesty committee headed by Kuku was shortchanging them, adding that they had not been paid their allowances/arrears after their disarmament and one week training/orientation programme in Akodo, Lagos State since December, 2011.

In a statement by Timinepre Agbeyei, Sele Mezeh and Bello

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Akpotu, Chairman, Secretary and Public Relations Officer respectively, they accused Kuku of short-changing them of their monthly stipends and called for his removal without delay. They

also passed a vote of no confidence on him.

“We appeal to EFCC to beam its search light on the amnesty office to unearth the fraudulent activities that has been on-going since he (Kuku) has

LG chairmen raise alarm over insecurity

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

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O R T HARCOURT—FOUR local government areas chairmen in Rivers State have raised alarm over deteriorating security situation in their respective councils.

In separate interviews with Vanguard, Chairman, Okrika Local Government Area, Mr

Tamuno Williams and Mrs Maureen Tamuno of Ogubolo Local Government Area, said the crime index was gradually rising in their councils.

The Okrika council boss, Williams, said pipeline vandalism was on the increase in his council, noting that within one week, two attacks on pipelines were recorded.

He said at the moment, it was

Edo group lauds NDDC on projects

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

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ENIN CITY— A group, Benin Development Union, BDU, has commended Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for the 800-capacity hostel for medical students at the University of Benin, UNIBEN and the numerous projects initiated by the current leadership of the Commission in Edo South Senatorial district in particular and Edo State in

turned the office into a political arena.”

They appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in their plight urgently to sustain the peace in the region.

general.

The group, however, frowned on the activities of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, lamenting that the Ministry was yet to execute any project in Edo State, and called on the National Assembly and the Presidency to be vigilant with the funds accruing to the ministry.

It noted that the alleged gubernatorial ambition of the minister, Mr. Godsday Orubebe may have made the

ministry lose focus.

While commending the NDDC commissioner in the state, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo for his efforts in ensuring the completion of projects embarked upon by the commission, it said that the number of projects being executed by NDDC in Edo State was an indication that President Goodluck Jonathan has genuine desire to transform the Niger Delta region through adequate funding of the NDDC.

becoming difficult to maintain law and order in the council. “We are having difficulties in our various councils in ensuring that there is no declining security.”

On her part, the Chairman Ogubolo council, Mrs Maureen, said that she no longer has access to the state Commissioner of Police to discuss crime related issues in her council. According to her, in the past, she could access the state Police boss on security matters, but same had not been the case lately.

Others who complained about the security situation in their councils include the Chairmen of Opobo/Nkoro council, Mr Macleen Uranta and his counterpart in Etche, Mr. Reginald Ukwuoma.

Meantime, the Chairman of Okrika council, Williams has said that the Okrikans would not support an Ikwerre candidate as the next governor of the state. He said that the Ikwerres had their turn with Governor Chibuike Amaechi, hence somebody from another part of the state should step into the office, when Governor Amaechi bows out in 2015.

Lawmaker blames lack of democracy dividends on politicians

BY EGUFEYAFUG-

BORHI ORT HARCOURT— DEPUTY Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, has expressed disappointment over the absence of progress in Nigeria’s democracy, 14 years into the current democratic dispensation.

Kwanee, in Port Harcourt, blamed the absence of democracy on the Nigerian political class’ condemnable disrespect for rules governing sustainable democracy.

Just arriving from a conference on “Emerging Democracies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities,” held in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker, noted that many in the political class indulge in anti-democracy actions.

He bemoaned politicians’ defiance of internal democracy in political parties, violation of human rights and the rule of law as well as disrespect for the ballot process, citing the opposition to the Nigeria Governors Forum election won by Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State as a classical case.

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APC: No merger c’ttee in Delta —OKOTIEEBOH

BY FESTUS AHON

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GHELLI—DELTA State Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Adolo OkotieEboh, weekend, said that merger committee had not been set up at the state level in view of the merger of all major opposition parties in the country.

Okotie-Eboh in a statement, said: “My attention has been drawn to publications, wherein one Chief Phillip Eyagomare acting on a purported directive of Senator Eferakaya, who he named as chairman of a non-existent Delta State Merger Committee sought to advise party members in Delta State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I state that the said Chief Phillip is not a registered member of ACN in Delta State and is unknown to the party and myself.

With respect to Senator Eferakaya and as an elder of our party, I do not intend to trade words with him on the pages of newspapers or any other media.”

12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Crisis rocks Catholic Church in Benin

IMI builds integrated power plant

As group demands removal of Archbishop

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

As Rivers govt saves N1.4bn from salary verification

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ENIN—A group in the Catholic Church in Benin,Edo State, Edo Liturgical Group, has demanded the removal of the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Benin, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze and a Benin Priest, made a Bishop in his place for the true evangelization of the people of the kingdom.

The group, which addressed newsmen in Benin, weekend by its Chairman, Mr Andrew Ayemwenre, also accused the A r c h b i s h op of punishing Benin people for demanding for a Benin Bishop to help achieve proper evangelization in their land in accordance with the recommendation for the church by Pope Benedict XV. “In less than two years of Archbishop Akubeze’s coming, there appears to be a design by him to replace our people, priests and laity in the Catholic Church. The Edo Liturgical Group visited him on more than four occasions to find the way forward.

“Among issues raised were one Edo Mass for parishes at primetime in the entire diocese, copies of Edo Bible and Missal be made available in the Church, use of Edo songs at Mass, Priests in the Arch-

BY JIMITOTA ONOY-

UME & BRIGHT OGUNKILEDE ORT HARCOURT— THE Rivers State Government is to develop an alternative economy to oil. Chairman of Integrated Medical Industries, IMI, and Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, who disclosed this during the first test run of the integrated medical industries power plant, said the government was already addressing the challenge of youth unemployment.

Meantime, the state government said it had saved N1.4 billion from the ongoing salary verification exercise in the state public service.

Head of Service, Mr Samuel LongJohn, when the state chapter of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA paid him a courtesy visit at his office, said the ongoing salary verification exercise had nothing to do with salary cut, as it was to ensure that staff of the state government were paid their appropriate salaries, adding that it would also help guide against irregularities in payment.

He said the verification exercise had helped the state government save N1.4 billion from payment irregularities, noting that there were situations, where some persons were earning far above their entitlement. The irregularity he said was discovered through the ongoing staff verification exercise.

Continuing, Dr. Parker said “Oil has been good to Nigeria and the Rivers people but Governor Chibuike Amaechi believes that the best way to sustain the development in Rivers State is to develop an economy that is independent of oil. That is why the Rivers State Government has invested heavily in manufacturing, farming, education, health, and energy.

“We are already seeing the results as youths unemployment is reducing,” he said.

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Publishers hail Uduaghan’s Supreme Court victory

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BUJA—THE Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, ACNPN, has lauded the Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan on the Supreme Court confirmation of his electoral victory.

President of ACNPN, Dr Prince Oromonokpaye, and Prince Charles Umejei, Delta State Chairman, in a congratulatory message, weekend in Abuja, also praised the judiciary for not allowing people to ridicule it.

He said: “We express our deep regard for the excellent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court Justices. It is a victory for democracy, judiciary and good people of Delta State.

We register our unalloyed support for Dr Uduaghan and Prof Amos Utuama leadership in our state.”

diocese to learn to celebrate Mass in Edo language, the reinstatement of Pa Vincent Osakue to the knighthood, which was withdrawn by Akubeze and Mr. Chris Aghimien as Secretary of the Laity Council of the Archdiocese of Benin and the retention of the name, Edo Liturgical Group.”

He insisted that despite peace moves by the group, the Archbishop failed to accede to any of their requests and refused to approve the one Mass on Sunday for the indigenes in all parishes in Benin-City.

“Holy Cross Cathedral as a Parish has 28 Sunday Masses in a month while only one Mass is

said in Edo language for her indigenes. This means that of the 364 Sunday Masses in a year, only 12 is in the native tongue.

Meanwhile, in Onitsha and the entire Eastern Nigeria, the reverse is the case. The use of Edo language as part of the Mass is a taboo to Archbishop Akubeze,” the group said.

CONFERENCE: Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta/Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, Guest Speaker (middle); Special Adviser on Environment to the Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Inuruo Wills (left); Mr. George Etomi (second left), Mr Dennis Amachree (second right), and Chairman, Section on Business Law, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, SAN, at the grand finale of Nigerian Bar Association 7th Business Law Conference in Lagos.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013—13

Group asks N-Assembly to withhold S-East states' allocations

Anambra partners NDLEA to fight drug abuse

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socio-cultural organisa tion, Ndigbo Unity Forun, NUF, has called on the National Assembly to withhold the monthly allocations due for local governments of the five eastern states on account of refusal by governors of the states to conduct local government elections.

The group condemned the actions of the governors, describing it as undemocratic and an act of wickedness against the people at the grass roots.

In a statement made available to Vanguard and signed by its president, Augutine Chukwudum and Secretary General Chinedu Onyebuchi, the group said “the non-conduct of local government election has deprived the people at the grass root of democracy dividends. It is totally uncalled for and a democratic aberration that the South East Governors who are beneficiaries of our democratic system will now put the system in abeyance through the non conduct of the local government election".

Polio: Okorocha hails UNICEF, Rotary

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has commended the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, Rotary International and other stakeholders for sustaining the fight against polio virus worldwide.

Okorocha made the commendation while flagging off the 2013 Maternal, New Born and Child Health Week, MNCHW, at Mbaitoli local government headquarters, Nwaorieubi.

The governor said: “I urge mothers to ensure that their children are immunized. This is the only way to ensure that Imo sustains its current polio-free status. The exercise will go a long way to reduce physical disability in the state”.

Wondering why some parents failed to exploit the goodness of UNICEF and other concerned donors in the fight against child-killer diseases, the governor appealed to Imo stakeholders to embark on massive awareness campaign for the eradication of polio virus in Nigeria.

BY VINCENT UJUMADU

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AGM—From left: Finance Director, UACN Property Development Company, UPDC Plc, Mrs. Folasade Ogunde; Managing Director, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran; Chairman, Mr. Larry Ettah and Company Secretary, Mr. Godwin Samuel, at the 15th Annual General Meeting of the UACN Property Development Company, UPDC, Plc, at Golden Tulip Hotel, AmuwuOdofin, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

16-yr-old girl found dead at Aba block industry A

BA— A 16-year-old girl was found dead, weekend, at the premises of a block industry in Aba, Abia State.

The girl hawked groundnuts around Eziukwu road in Aba. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that her remains were dumped at a corner of the industry naked, with her pant hanging on one of her legs and foam oozing out of her nose.

The tray of groundnuts being hawked by the deceased was kept on top of a nearby platform very close to where her body was dumped.

Some residents at the scene said the girl must have been strangled but was made naked to make her death seem like a rape.

A man, who pleaded anonymi-

ty, said the girl got a call as she was selling groundnut to him around 8 p.m. on Friday from the suspected killers and hurriedly dashed out to attend to her caller.

“I know her well. She was selling groundnut to me around 8 p.m. when she got a call. She told the person to be patient with her that she will soon come to meet him.

“I jokingly told her that she should make sure she sold the entire groundnut to her caller. She laughed and hurriedly left to answer her supposed caller,” the source said.

Another source close to the victim’s family said they became apprehensive when they called her phone number repeatedly around 9 p.m. on

the fateful date, but the phone was switched off.

They were, however, notified on Saturday morning that the girl had been found dead at the premises of a block industry.

They said the brother-in-law to the lady had to notify the police of the crime after residents on the street showed them her corpse.

The Police Area Commander in-charge of Aba Area Command, ACP Rabiu Dayi, described the incident as unfortunate.

He assured that the police were on top of the situation and would, with time, ascertain the cause of her death and the people behind it.

Onoh's family drags Enugu govt to court over demolition

BY TONY EDIKE

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NUGU—THE family of former civilian governor of old Anambra State, late Chief Christian Onoh, has dragged Enugu State government before the state High Court claiming N10 million damages on their property demolished in Enugu.

In the suit, number E/284/2013, representatives of Karastan Company Limited owned by Dr Josef Umunnakwe, Onoh’s son, and some family members of the former governor, listed the State Commissioner for Land and Survey, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam, and his Capital Territory Development

Authority, ECTDA counterpart, Engr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, as defendants.

The legal action, according to the plaintiffs, was brought pursuant to the damages suffered by Karastan Company Limited, whose property situated at plots 6 - 14 Ekulu West layout, GRA, Enugu, was demolished by Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, on June 18, 2013.

The plaintiffs, including Karastan Company Limited and its Director, Mrs. Caroline Onoh, who is the wife of the demised former governor, are also asking the court to make a mandatory

injunction “restraining the defendants, their agents, privies or workmen from further interfering with or disturbing in any manner whatsoever their rights of ownership/possession of the plots that had certificate of revalidation dated June 12, 1985.”

Onoh family is also praying the court for a declaration that the purported withdrawal of approval earlier granted them for introduction of parking space and realignment of a road on the property by the Commissioner for Lands and Survey and the reason contained in the withdrawal letter of March 20, 2013, become null and void and of no effect.

WKA—ANAMBRA State government promised weekend to join hands with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in waging war against drug trafficking and consumption.

Governor Peter Obi made the pledge while presenting five brand new vehicles and a cheque for N10 million to the agency in Awka.

The vehicles include four pick-up jeeps and an 18seater bus.

The governor said his administration was desirous of ensuring that the state was rid of all forms of illicit drug business and consumption.

He also assured that he would personally carry the campaign against hard drugs to Nigerians in various parts of the world and urged the people to join the battle to save the country from the menace of drug addiction.

Oguta rerun poll: Police warn trouble makers

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

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WERRI—IMO State Police Command has warned people who have no business with the forthcoming state assembly rerun election in Oguta local council area to distance themselves from the area.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, who read the riot act also said the command was aware of the influx of strange faces into Oguta council area ahead of the poll.

The CP said: “The command will not hesitate to commensurately deal with anybody or group of persons found to be geared towards disrupting the peace of the area.

“Those who have no business in the area are advised to stay clear of the polling zones”.

The Imo police boss also urged parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to resist the temptation of being dragged into any unhealthy act.

14—Vanguard , MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

BY BEN AGANDE

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BUJA—THE state of emer gency declared in the NorthEastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa by President Goodluck Jonathan has forced about 1,500 refugees into the northern part of Cameroon, Nigeria’s ambassador to that country has said.

Speaking with newsmen on Presidential delegation to the summit on Regional Security in Yaounde, Cameroun, the Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Ambassador Hadiza Mustapha, said the figure which had been confirmed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was no where near the 3,000 reported in the media.

According to him, the bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Cameroun in the areas of security has checked activities of Boko Haram terrorists.

According to the envoy, the Cameroonian government has granted the refugees unlimited stay until the situation normalises in their respective states.

1,500 Nigerian refugees flee to Cameroon — ENVOY Mustapha said: “There is a saying that you cannot choose your neighbours but you share both the good and the bad with your neighbours. It is true that we have seen not only with the Boko Haram insurgency but with the declaration of State of Emergency, a few refugees who have come into the Cameroon.

“This is what happens, as long as you cannot choose your neigbour but you can choose how you live with your neigbour, that is why peace is very important. And since I have been here 10 months and we have put the Bakassi issue behind us, there has been a lot of improvement in our relationship. And with that improvement and with that peace, a lot of cooperation is now possible. ”In the area of terrorism, there

Nigeria records 25 polio cases in C 7 months M Y K

BY VICTORIA OJEME

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BUJA— THE Executive Di rector, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr Ado Mohammed, has disclose that 25 cases of polio have been recorded in the last seven months He stated that almost 70 percent of the cases were from Yobe and Borno states as a result of insecurity.

Mohammed made this disclosure at a send-forth for the pioneer photographer and cameraman of the agency, Mr. Niyi Ayegboyin, in Abuja.

He said: “Let me correct that

misconception. In the last seven months, we have 25 cases. When you compare this to where we were last year, and with the press release by Independent Monitoring Board, the Federal Government has been commended for its efforts and leadership.”

Dr Mohammed stressed that government was working towards ensuring that the country was rid of the disease.

He emphasized that case counts had reduced by over 50 percent and that only a mild type one had been circulating, while more dangerous type two and three had not been circulating in the last six months in Niger-

Maku mourns Daily Trust MD; says death a huge loss to journalism

BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

A

BUJA—INFORMATION Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, has described the death of the Managing Editor of Daily Trust Newspaper, Mallam Suleiman Mohammed, as a huge loss to the journalism profession.

The minister stated this in Abuja when he paid a condolence visit to the management and staff of the newspaper.

He said the deceased worked hard to uplift the standard of the profession and showed exemplary character as well as uncommon commitment to journalism.

He remarked that the people of Nasarawa State, where the deceased hailed from also share from the loss, as a young state that is in need of manpower, especially in the media to complement the

projection of the image of the state and its citizens.

The minister also condoled the family of the deceased and prayed God to strengthen and give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

In his response on behalf of the management of Daily Trust, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Mallam Mahmud Jega, said the Late Mallam Suleiman Mohammed was a thorough professional who practiced for over three decades across the country.

He described the deceased as a man of good character and related easily with people from all shades of opinions and divides.

Jega said they were stunned by his sudden death, while in active service but they were consoled through the good testimonies of people on the life and times of the deceased.

is a lot of cooperation between our security agencies and that of the Cameroonian in terms of exchange of information even in joint operations. They have

also given us quite a lot of support, sometimes we have even had exchange of suspected persons.

“Like you rightly noted, this

is possible because of the peace that now exist between us. A lot of things is possible because both countries security agencies are cooperating very well".

INDUCTION— From right: General Mohammed Buhari, (rtd), former Head of State; Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Head of State; General Oladipo Diya, (rtd) former Chief of General Staff; during the 2013 annual lecture, Life Achievement Awards/and Induction of new Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering with the theme 'Engineering opportunities and challenges related to producing a broad range of polymer products from oil and gas,' at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi

Vanguard, `MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013—15

BY EMMANUEL AZIKEN, POLITICAL EDITOR

Wogu did not task Jang on NGF polls

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AGOS— CAMPAIGN for the eight vacancies in the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has kicked off in earnest with a number of the ousted officers mobilising key stakeholders in their zones to win back their seats.

While the South-East party stakeholders are understood to be pushing for the return of its officers that were forced to resign, the South-West caucus, it was learnt, was still split on the issue and the process of filling the key offices allocated to the zone.

A meeting of South-West stakeholders to determine how to share the three top positions of National Vice Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor, it was learnt, has been fixed for next week.

The meeting and the plan, however, could be derailed by the ongoing legal issues arising from the last zonal congress that are still in court.

The South-East, Vanguard learnt, is also to meet next week on the same issues on the position of National Publicity Secretary and National Women's Leader that are shared to the zone, now vacant.

L

TURBANING:From left: Senator Daisi Danjuma; the Jarmai Zazzau Lt. Gen.Theophilus Danjuma; Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; and Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris during the turbaning of Lt-General Danjuma (rtd) as the Jarmai Zazzau, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Saturday. Photos: Olu Ajayi.

Metuh may return Yesterday, it was, however, learnt that Chief Olisa Metuh could be riding his way back to office upon the recommendation of his performance in that office between March 2012 and his resignation last Thursday.

It was also learnt that the influential South-East caucus in the National Assembly and elements from the zone appreciative of Chief Metuh’s work as the party’s chief publicist were already drumming for his return with strategic meetings being held with others concerned.

However, a definitive pronouncement on an automatic return for Metuh, it was learnt, would be made next week at a South-East caucus of the PDP being arranged for Enugu.

Former President Ibrahim Babangida (left) and the Yeriman Zazzau, Alhaji Munir Jafaru (right) at the event.

PDP elections: S-West, S-East kick off campaign S-West still burdened by ongoing legal cases S-West still burdened by legal cases The South-West, it was learnt, is however, being burdened by the two issues of zoning and the court action instigated by disaffected party members over the original election of last year.

The former National Vice Chairman, Engr. Segun Oni, sacked by the court upon the process instigated by disaffected party members over the conduct of the zonal congress,

it was learnt, was yet to decide whether to seek for a fresh term.

“We are still waiting on key stakeholders on how the zoning would be decided,” a key associate of the former governor told Vanguard yesterday.

He was hopeful that Oni would make a categorical decision on the issue before the stakeholders’ meeting.

However, another party official from one of the South-West states was pessimistic about the zone

fielding replacements for the empty positions given what he alluded to the ongoing cases in the courts against the conduct of last year’s convention and congresses.

“Unless the cases are withdrawn, the prospects of the South-West meeting the deadlines for the election of the officers would be very difficult,” the party official said yesterday on the condition of anonymity.

Eight of the members of the

Poverty, terrorism, weapons of human rights violations —Angwe

BY INNOCENT ANABA

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AGOS — CHAIRMAN, Net work of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa, NNHRI-WA, Prof. Bem Angwe, has identified poverty and acts of terrorism as strongest weapons of human rights violations in West Africa and called on the various governments in the sub-region to muster the much needed political will to tackle these challenges frontally.

Angwe, Executive Secretary of

Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, in Dakar, Senegal, weekend, at the conference of the Human Rights Community in West Africa, noted that there were wide spread violations of rights across the sub region arising from violent conflicts and deficit of governance.

Against this backdrop, Angwe tasked various governments of West African countries to prioritise programmes targeted at poverty reduction, employment creation

and the protection and promotion of rights of the people. He said attention should focussed on the vulnerable groups including the physically challenged persons, women and children.

Angwe called on countries in the sub region that were yet to establish National Human Rights Institutions, NHRIs, to hasten the process in view of the potency of such institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights.

He urged countries that established NHRIs to strengthen them

in line with the Paris Principles of 1993 to guarantee the independence and financial autonomy of such institutions.

He said: “Human rights violations occur in all countries of the world, but it becomes a bigger problem if human rights institutions cannot offer help when victims of rights violations seek redress, just because they lack independence, effective enforcement procedures or the needed resources.”

AGOS — IN our story published Friday, June 21, 2013, entitled “How Amaechi defeated Jang— Oshiomhole,” the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, was reported to have called on Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State to accept defeat in the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, chairmanship election in the interest of free and fair election in 2015.

The attribution referred to was made by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, who like Wogu, was present at the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, 9th Triennial Delegates Conference, that took place in Abuja.

Wogu who represented President Goodluck Jonathan actually said the NGF was a voluntary association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission which he (President) had never and would never interfere in its affairs.

The mix-up is highly regretted and we apologise to Chief Wogu for the embarrassment it may have caused him.

Tourism Minister hails Globacom for Slide & Bounce concert

A

BUJA — MINISTER of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, has described Globacom as the only Nigerian company that has identified with the aspiration of the ministry in the area of youth engagement and empowerment.

Duke who made the remarks in Abuja, weekend, at the Glo Slide & Bounce Concert said the telecommunications outfit had contributed significantly to the promotion of arts and culture in the nation.

The minister who commended Globacom for its efforts at empowering the Nigerian youths, particularly given the support the telecommunication outfit has given to the nation’s entertainment industry through the endorsement of artistes in the country, urged other corporate organisations to emulate Globacom.

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is unhappy with Nigerians. He is in no doubt they have lost moral values, including respect for elders. The President asked the church to redeem the situation when he flagged off the National Christian Campaign on Social Transformation.

The campaign is important enough to cut across religious lines, if it is to have an impact that would ameliorate a pervasive national condition. Can we do something about it?

“Our priorities are misplaced. We have trained our children to insult elders, parents fight teachers who discipline their children and so we have been reproducing badly behaved children, who come under peers influences. The church itself has not always done what it should do, some of the teachings in some of our churches have turned the bible upside down, the bible is meant to teach us which is right and helps us to do righteous things.” he added.

Nigerians, he continued, have lost the values for hard work, respect for their elders, truthfulness, honesty, contentment, humility, patience and all moral virtues.

The situation is worse than the President

President’s R espect Respect For Elder s Elders elaborated. The bankruptcy of the Nigerian is almost comprehensive. Few Nigerians are exempt from the President’s accusations; fewer Nigerian settings are bereft of the picture he painted. The causes and solutions are not as simple as the President’s analysis.

What should really worry Nigerians is that the authorities believe that their roles begin and end with speeches in a complainingly accusatory delivery which suggests that the causes of and solutions to our national woes lie elsewhere. They should not distance themselves from challenges.

Are we interested in solutions or blame sharing? Who would provide the solutions? What does the President mean by respect for elders? How do we insult our elders?

Our cultures make respect for elders mandatory. Respect is not only about greeting elders. The respect we give people reflects in how we treat them. We agree with the President that we do not treat our elders well; it is to be noted too that our country has remarkable disregard for people, whether they are children, the poor, the sick, or the physically challenged.

Is it possible to be more practical in respecting elders? We can and it is a shame that we have neglected them all these years. The hundreds of thousands who die waiting for the pittance that passes for their pension are elders. Some, like retired Railway workers, have gone for six years without pension. Their pathetic survival stories elicit indifference from the authorities. If we respected elders we would have treated pensioners better.

The biggest insult to elders, these days, do not come from unruly children, but well-behaved adults.

OPINION

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI Continued from People&Politicd pg

I

N the late 1970s, when there was an effort by the Federal Government to scrap HND, with the hope of creating a pool of technicians that will be different from engineers, as produced by the universities, but this attempt failed due to the poor implementation of the policy that merely replaced HND with a lower certificate; National Technical Certificate, NTC, which was vehemently resisted by the students.

To redress the anomaly, an attempt was made by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to end the discrimination between HND and BSc graduates. In a 40-page paper, the Presidential Committee on the Consolidation of Emoluments had discovered that entrants into the public service with HND are barred from reaching the highest grade even when they were found competent.

Before the removal of the ceiling on the salary grade level/rank, the promotion of HND holders in the nation’s public service terminated at Grade Level 14, while their counterparts holding university degrees were allowed to reach level 17.

Other bias meted out to them include inequality in salary Grade Level

Killing our polytechnics (2) (HND - GL 07 & BSc - GL 08), security personnel - Bsc (Commissioned), HND (Non-commissioned), promotion; HND (maximum of GL 12), while BSc (Unlimited), banks and other financial institutions treat HND holders like outcasts while BSc holders are employed as administrative staff, as HND holders are confined within the executive cadre.

Ironically, the frustration had led not a few into all kinds of unemployment, social vices, criminality, non-chalant attitude and complete frustration by those unfortunate young men and women who are groomed to be technically-versatile products, selfemployed and job-creators.

What we should do is to strengthen our polytechnics, realising that although the university strives to impart a particular kind of education by teaching ‘ why things work’, the polytechnic on the other hand teaches ‘how things work’ thus, they complement each other.

Therefore, non-technical courses that are irrelevant to the core mandates of the institutions should be limited to the barest minimum in the polytechnics to allow them maximize

their capacity to train technicians, technologists and middle-level managers.

Over the years, the nation has been experiencing imbalances and disconnect between the actual manpower needs of the economy and the educational system, resulting in dire structural imbalances that are inimical to national development.

As I have observed in an essay, Why HND Should Not Be Scrapped, “The elite should be blamed for policy failures because as policies are being formulated, they also build landmines in order to take the advantage of such loopholes for their selfish interest when eventually the policies fail” (The Vanguard, 27/06/2008, page18).

The nation now needs wellorchestrated objectives that will harness its many talented manpower to produce the synergy that will drive it to development that is not made possible under the present arrangement.

T

he bitter truth is that inasmuch as we have university graduates who are better than polytechnic graduates, there are also polytechnic graduates who are also far better than

the university graduates. So, polytechnic graduates are not mentally inferior in anyway.

And to the UK example, we should not kill our polytechnics. The needs and aspirations of the nations may be similar but the structure and the peculiarities of the two societies completely differ.

The National Board for Technical Education, which supervises these institutions that currently stand at 110 for tertiary technical institutions and 159 technical colleges, should urgently review the curricula of polytechnics to make them go in tandem with modern day reality. It should be appreciated that the real sector of the economy is the engine room for attaining envisaged development, hence a wellmanaged economic system requires technical hands that propel the industries to run to optimal capacity.

Without delay, government should pay less attention to party politics and end the ongoing strike by embarking on dialogue with the angry workers.

The workers too should be responsive, bearing in mind that all their demands may not be met at a go. This is the right thing to do.

Concluded. *Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Federal University of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 49

50 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

8TH DAY FIDAU PRAYERS FOR LATE ALHAJA ABIBATU MOGAJI

From left: Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General; Chief Bisi Akande, National chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and Mr. Dan Abudakuri, former Ghana Minister of Trade and Industry, representing Ghana President, at the 8th day Fidau Prayer for Late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mother of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, yesterday. Pix: Bunmi Azeez.

From left: Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Dangote Group; Alhaji Abubakar Audu, former Kogi State Governor; and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC Chairman.

From left: Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former Governor of Lagos State; Senator Annie Okonkwo and Gov Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

From left: Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefilure, Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Deputy Governor of Ekiti State and Otunba Titi LaoyeTomori, Deputy Governor of Osun State.

From left: Senators 'Jide Omoworare, Domingo Obende, 'Bunmi Adetunmbi, 'Gbenga Ashafa, Pius Ewherido, 'Gbenga Kaka, Akin Odunsi, Robert Boroffice, 'Femi Lanlehin and 'Femi Ojudu.

From left: Chief Rasaq Okoya; Chief Samuel Adedoyin; and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo.

From left: Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo; Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 51 YOUR LUCK TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139

ARIES: Monetary Venus makes an ingress into your Star sign with good luck to you. Financial success is closer to you than you can imagine. Give it a big push.

TAURUS: Here is a good day when influential personalities around you will be willing to assist you but you will need to take the initiative. Take good advice.

GEMINI: This is your day. The more ambitious you are along your career line the better for you.

And friends are willing to give the needed supports.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Richard Eromosele

...DO you actually want to live long on this planet earth? If your answer to the above question is yes, then why are you still entrenched in those things that could shorten your

CANCER: Your mind is truly active and if you’re MUDA in “Nevercrown say goodbye” moreTERROR practical about it success’ll your efforts. Reason with your tried and trusted friends.

LEO: Coming of monetary and loving into a positive angle to your Star sign is a big plus. On a day like this the more ambitious you are the better.

It’s good to be loving.

Do you want long life? life span? For example, on every package of cigarette is written among others. “The Federal Ministry of Health warns that smokers are liable to

die young”. Yet, the daily convert of young persons who smoke today is alarming. If the truth must be told, every smoker is committing suicide.

Do you want long life? Then honour your father and your mother, honour elders and be honest to yourself and to your neighbours.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

TERROR MUDA

in

“Never say Goodbye’

By Lanre Kehinde

VIRGO: The more willing you are to listen to your partners and/or spouse the better for you today.

Friends are trying to convince you that the are reliable.

LIBRA: The more push-full you are along your career/business lines the better. Embrace new method at work. Don’t neglect your love life.

SCORPIO: Here is a day you are not meant to ignore new ideas that come suddenly. It’s good to take matters of the heart more seriously. Listen to your spouse please.

SAGITTARIUS: Monetary and romantic Venus is joining mighty Sun at positive angle to your Star and bringing you good influence. Be more ambitious.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in

“Princess Shii’

By Andy Akman

CAPRICORN: Although your being co-operative can enhance your scope, your personal ideas and initiative are guarantee for a bigger do.

AQUARIUS: Those of you who are more consistent will have more to gain. Good ideas on monetary issues will enhance your finances. Be more family minded.

PISCES: Entrance of monetary and romantic Venus into a positive angle is meant to enhance your finances. The more willing you are to take good advice the better. Be loving.

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,

Dear Joshua, I am a regular reader of your work since you were with The Punch Newspapers. I want you to please tell me my lucky dates and dates to beware this year (2013). More ink to your pen.

VIRGINIA

dadadekola@yahoo.com

Joshua Aba.

Dear Joshua, On your lucky dates try to maximise your gains on one hand and or the other hand, try your best possible to avoid trouble and/or loss during those dates to beware of. But take note that there is nothing to worry about concerning dates to beware of because, they are mere warnings. However the lucky dates are for real.

IMPORTANT DAYS DAYS FOR YOU IN 2013.

YOUR LUCKY DATES July – 2, 11 & 16 August – 3, 8, 13* & 22.

September –3/4, 9, 23 & 27*.

October – 2*, 7*, 16* 20, 25 & 30.

November – 4, 11, 13***, 17, 21** & 26.

December – 1***, 10, 14, 23 & 28.

DATES TO BEWARE OF July – 21 Aug – 10 & 24 Sept – 7 Oct – 18 Nov – 1 Dec – 6 Prince Joshua Adeyemo

HOME & AWAY

by Lawrence Akapa

52 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 —53

Nelson Mandela critically ill in hospital

N

ELSON Mandela has become critically ill in hospital, the South African presidency has announced.

In a statement, President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela's doctors were "doing everything possible to get his condition to improve". "He is in good hands," said Mr Zuma.

South Africa's first black president, who is 94, was taken to hospital earlier this month for the third time this year, with a recurrent lung infection.

The statement said Mr Zuma had visited Mr Mandela in hospital in Pretoria on Sunday evening and was told the former president's condition had worsened over the past 24 hours.

"The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable. He is in good hands," said President Zuma, using Mr Mandela's clan name by

which he is widely known in South Africa.

There has been little information about Mr Mandela's condition in recent days. On 13 June Mr Zuma, who releases all updates relating to the revered leader, said the former president's •Nelson Mandela health continued to improve but that his preaching reconciliation condition remained despite being imprisoned serious. More recently, one for 27 years. He left power of Mr Mandela's after five years as grandsons, Ndaba president. The former Mandela, said his president and Nobel Peace grandfather was getting Prize winner is believed to better and he hoped he have suffered damage to his lungs while working in would be home soon.

Mandela's wife, Graca a prison quarry.

He contracted Machel, thanked all those who had sent messages of tuberculosis in the 1980s support, saying they had while being held in jail on brought "love, comfort and the windswept Robben hope". Mandela is revered Island. Mr Mandela for leading the fight against retired from public life in white minority rule in 2004 and has rarely been South Africa and then seen at official events since.

On Saturday, it emerged that the ambulance in which Mr Mandela was taken to hospital on 8 June broke down, meaning he had to be moved to another vehicle.

But Mr Zuma said he had been assured that "all care was taken to ensure his medical condition was not compromised".

"There were seven doctors in the convoy who were in full control of the situation throughout the period. He had expert medical care," he said.

N. Africa’s Al-Qaeda says European hostages still alive

E

IGHT hostages North Africa’s AlQaeda is holding are still alive. In a statement on Twitter, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said it would soon release a video of the captives.

Five of the hostages are said to be French, the nationalities of the others are not clear.

The statement came after rallies were held across France organised by families of four of the hostages. The events in Paris, Saint-Cere, Nimes, Nantes and Orleans marked 1,000 days of their captivity. “We would like to reassure the families and parents of the hostages of their children’s safety. We will soon, God willing, air a new video showing the five French hostages,” the statement said, reproduced on several jihadist websites. It repeated previous statements by AQIM that the group would kill the hostages if France carried out any new military operations in North Africa.

France sent troops to Mali in January after al-Qaedalinked militants threatened to over-run the capital,

*Supporters of four French hostages held rallies marking 1,000 days of captivity

Bamako.

AQIM said it remained open to negotiations.

Thierry Dol, Daniel Larribe, Pierre Legrand and Marc Feret were kidnapped in Niger by militants in September

2010 in the town of Arlit while working for a French nuclear firm. A video released in September 2012 provided the first evidence that they were still alive.

Mr Legrand’s grandfather, Rene Robert,

told French TV on Saturday that “there have been a lot of missed opportunities, there has been a lot of time lost and it is time to bring this situation to an end”.

Malaysia declares smog emergency

M

A L AY S I A declared a state of emergency in two parts of the southern state of Johor on Sunday, as smoke from land-clearing fires in Indonesia pushed air pollution above the level considered hazardous.

The illegal burning of forests and other land on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, to the west of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to clear space for palm oil plantations is a chronic problem during the June-September dry

season.

The “haze” caused by fires in Riau province on Sumatra has also shrouded neighbouring Singapore but air quality in the city state improved over the weekend after reaching hazardous levels.

A

museum has probed into a real-life cause of a mummy’s tomb after a relic almost 4,000-years old started moving on its own.

The 10-inch-tall statuette of a man called Neb-Senu, which dates back to 1800 BC, mysteriously spun180 degrees with nobody going near it, the Mirror reported.

Curators were baffled after they kept finding it facing the wrong way and rigged up a time-lapse camera to catch whoever was moving it.

But incredibly the camera shows the figure

4,000-yearold mummy in UK spins moving on its own accord in front of crowds of visitors who passed by with hardly a second look.

TV brainbox Brian Cox, who presents programmes such as the Wonders of Life, is among a group of experts being asked if they have any idea what is causing the phenomenon.

The statue has been in the Manchester Museum for over 80 years.

Edward Snowden seeks Ecuador asylum

F

U G I T I V E whistleblower Edward Snowden embarked on a new stage in his life on the run on Sunday night, fleeing Hong Kong by plane to Russia and lodging a bid to claim asylum in Ecuador.

Snowden has also had his U.S. passport revoked, an official said Sunday. It was annulled before he left Hong Kong for Russia and while that could complicate his travel plans, the lack of a passport alone could not thwart his plans, the U.S. official said. If a senior official in another country or with an airline orders it, a country could overlook the withdrawn passport, the official said.

Snowden, a former CIA contractor who leaked the controversial US spy programme, also made fresh claims about US hacking attacks against China, which yesterday

•Edward Snowden termed the US as the “biggest villain” in cyber espionage.

Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden is seeking asylum in Ecuador, the Quito government said on Sunday, after Hong Kong let him leave its territory despite Washington’s efforts to extradite him on espionage charges.

An aircraft believed to be carrying Snowden landed in Moscow, and the antisecrecy group WikiLeaks said in a statement he was “bound for the Republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum”

15 killed in Kenya attack

A

T least 15 people were killed in a grenade attack on Sunday in a remote village in northern Kenya where low-key clan clashes have displaced hundreds of people in the past week, the Kenya Red Cross and local officials said.

P a s t o r a l i s t communities in northern Kenya have long wrangled over the control of highly valuable grazing land.

But the fighting, in which more than 20

villagers have been killed in the past two days in Mandera county, near the east African nation’s frontier with Ethiopia and Somalia, has marked an escalation in tension.

Residents say the political class in the area are using clan militia to jostle for top positions in the local administration and to settle old scores.

The epicenter of the fighting is located about 800 km from the capital Nairobi.

54—Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

E

VERYDAY, at every opportunity, the obvious leadership deficit in the system is lamented. Poor leadership is not only or always about the sitting president or governors. It is about the ability and readiness of Nigerians to embrace their duties and discharge them responsibly, responsively and deliver the highest standard of result in the world.

Most Nigerians currently occupying positions of leadership and governance are well educated. They studied in the best tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad or at least have been

exposed to the ways that more advanced or civilised societies operate their systems.

Gone are the days when cattle rearers and al majiri teachers who barely understood the English language (let alone speak it) were made ministers. There is no part of the country that cannot boast of some of the best in academic or professional training. In spite of this, rather than an improved standard of leadership output, what we see most of the time is like child’s play compared to what obtained immediately before and after independence.

On Monday, June 10th 2013,

From America with a w arning warning ISPS around the world. To implement the new Code, the Federal Government in 2004 dissolved the Presidential Committee on Maritime Safety (PICOMS) and handed over the job to the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Just like the PICOMS before it, NIMASA simply sat on its palms and allowed the rot to continue until US Coast Guard came a few months ago to investigate security arrangements at the Nigeria ports

It is unbelievable that the road leading to the MMIA is overgrown with weeds and unlit at night, thus presenting the first time visitor to Nigeria with the most unflattering impression of our backwardness and carelessness to security matters

,

,

we opened the newspapers and read screaming headlines on a diplomatic note forwarded by the American Embassy in Nigeria through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Federal Government. It warned that the United States of America in conjunction with its allies would stop patronising Nigeria ports if, after ninety days, the sorry state of security in the nation’s ports were not improved to comply with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security Code (ISPS).

After the 9/11 terror attack on the US, part of steps the country took to prevent terrorist attacks was to ensure the establishment of the

and went back to report it was a non-starter.

It took this ultimatum by the US for President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on officials in charge of security at the ports to get going.

I found it very laughable and a great pity when the General Manager in charge of security at the Nigerian Ports Authority, retired Col. Jamil Tahir, said the NPA has “swung into action” following the US warning and presidential kick on the butt. So, his NPA, NIMASA and all the security agencies that help to slow down port operations and grease the wheel of corruption at the ports would not do their work

BY ADEWALE KUPOLUYI

S

HOULD our polytechnics continued to be relegated to the background? This question has been asked times without any consensus as to whether the answer should be in the affirmative or not. This confusion is worsened by government’s inability to be decisive and make up its mind on what it hopes to do with polytechnic education. This inconsistency in public policy formulation and implementation could largely explain why our polytechnics will have to be on strike for several weeks running without anybody really doing something concrete to end the imbroglio.

What dominates our national life is politics. It is politics galore – left, right and centre. Sure, politics is important but it becomes counter-productive if good governance is sacrificed on the altar of party politics. Members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics have down tools over the non-constitution of governing councils for polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of technology; non-release of government white paper of the visitation panels to federal polytechnics and non-commencement of the NEEDS Assessments of the Nigerian polytechnics.

Other grievances include need for the changing of the deplorable conditions of state government-owned polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology; the continued appointment of unqualified persons as rectors and provosts by some state governments and the

unless a foreign power breathes down their neck?

This reminds us of what happened to our airports during the years that General Sani Abacha held sway over this country. The situation at the airports were so bad that the US decertified Nigeria by ensuring that no aircraft from Nigeria was allowed to fly directly into the US, while America-originating flights could not come directly to Nigeria.

As usual, this was the tonic we needed to begin frantic reforms.

Eventually, in December 2010, the US was satisfied with our efforts and gave Nigeria Category One Certification. The then Director General of the Nigerian Civic Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, was wildly exhilarated, and so were most industry

stakeholders. It was almost like the euphoria that a servant exhibits when given a pat on the back by his master. Demuren continued to celebrate what he believed was an enviable personal achievement until when, suddenly the Dana Airlines plane crashed. And that was the beginning of the end of Demuren’s days in office.

Let us thank the USA for helping prod our leaders from time to time to get up and do their jobs in critical areas of our economy, especially where American security interests are involved. Since America won’t push us in areas not connected to their interests, we may never be able to clean up and modernise our major international gateways at the Murtala Mohammed

International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja and the ports at Apapa, Tin Can, Warri, Koko, Port Harcourt and Calabar.

It is unbelievable that the road leading to the MMIA is overgrown with weeds and unlit at night, thus presenting the first time visitor to Nigeria with the most unflattering impression of our backwardness and carelessness to security matters.

It is also inconceivable that Apapa and Tin Can, the primary economic gateways, have the worst road networks, with poorly serviced trailers and tankers blocking everywhere without regulation. Law enforcement agents are all over the place, in their uniforms, yet, there is no order. These agents are there to fill their pockets and ensure that their vessels or those of their friends and relations go free after fouling the laws.

Apapa, the nation’s foremost economic link to the world out there is almost like a district without governance. Neither the Federal Government nor the Lagos State Government is ready to do their duties to the city.

Everybody is only interested in what he can get for himself out of Apapa. As this is no business of America’s, there is no hope for Apapa!

Best per er? A desina perfforming Minist Minister?

Adesina

I

HAVE been watching the Ministerial Platform organised by the Federal Government to showcase the achievements of the President Goodluck Jonathan regime in the past two years. For me, most of them have done well.

Among the outstanding were Mike Onolememen (Works), Stella Oduah (Aviation), Idris Umar (Transport, especially railways), Segun Aganga (Investment), and Okonjo-Iweala (Finance).

Former Power Minister, Barth Nnaji, was running tops on my list until he was unceremoniously sent home. And since then, the power sector has gone back to where it belongs: among the dogs.

My most performing Minister is Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina (Agriculture). He killed fertiliser racketeering, ensured the floods of 2012 did not bring us hunger and is developing value chains in a rapidly revitalised sector.

Bravo, all, including President Jona himself.

OPINION Killing our polytechnics failure of most state governments to implement the approved salary package (CONPCASS), and 65- year retirement age for their members.

The union is also aggrieved by the insistence of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in implementing the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, module; continued delay in the amendment of the Polytechnics Act; the appointments of principal officers on acting positions in some polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology beyond the approved periods; the review of the polytechnics’ scheme of service; and the noncommencement of the re-negotiation of the Federal Government/ASUP agreement as contained in the signed agreement.

To any discerning mind, the agitations put forward by the workers are legitimate and reasonable. What is worrisome, however, is the inability of the appropriate agencies in addressing the issues raised but this is not happening maybe because it's about the polytechnics.

It is saddening that polytechnic education in Nigeria is being treated with disdain, culminating into why their graduates are regularly stigmatized in the labour market and seen as mere educated-illiterates. Going back the memory lane, this system was originally adopted from

Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture

the British. It was designed not to be more than intermediate institution to train technologists and middlelevel manpower. That is, the Higher National Diploma certificate was never meant to be equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree as erroneously being claimed here over the years.

This disparity has continued to create acrimony until it was abrogated in1992 under the British Higher Education Act, in which all the polytechnics in the United Kingdom were elevated to conventional universities. Despite what critics claim that polytechnics have outlived their usefulness, the strategic importance of polytechnic education - as enunciated in the Nigeria’s National Policy on Education – to provide for practical, technical knowledge and skills that are necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic transformation – cannot be over-emphasized. Unfortunately, most students seeking admission into higher institutions in Nigeria would hardly pick polytechnics. The reason is simple: Why choose polytechnics when the universities are there?

Many students that end up in polytechnics are those who could not secure university admission coupled with the pressure and influence of parents and guardians, who always prefer that their children and wards attend universities.

Continues on page 16 *Mr. Kupoluyi, wrote from Federal University of Agric., Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013— —55

LONG before the hammer fell on commercial motorcyclists, better known as Okada riders, effectively proscribing their operation in three of the 18 local government areas of Edo State, the governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, resisted every pressure brought on him to put a stop to their operation. For him, the argument that the motorcycle or okada had become the most handy vehicle for crime was not good enough for a ban. Indeed, he is known to have argued severally that motorbike is not the only vehicle employed by criminals. For him, therefore, if the ban is premised only on the fact that dubious characters find it very handy in executing their nefarious undertakings, it may as well be extended to buses, cars and SUVs also known to have been employed severally by criminal elements in their operations. But on Tuesday, June 11, 2013, his resistance gave way when security experts presented him with more convincing evidence during one of the regular state security council meetings.

Thus, against his erstwhile conviction, the ComradeGovernor agreed that indeed, it was time to do the needful, hence he did not hesitate in declaring that okada will no longer be

tolerated in at least three local government areas of Oredo, Ikpoba Okha and Egor. Oluku and Ekosodin in Ovia North East and Aduwawa in Uhunmwonde local government areas were later added to the number, bringing the total to five. Notably, all affected areas are within the precinct of Benin City, the state capital.

But just as observers were almost settled in the belief that the next step will be the replacement of okada with tricycle as a more viable alternative, the Governor added a clincher by emphatically declaring that Keke Napep, as the tricycle is popularly called, would not be allowed anywhere near any of the major roads within the state capital. Instead, he reeled out palliatives, including loans, being worked out up by the state government, in collaboration with some banks, lined up for genuine operators and others in allied businesses affected by the ban. In his words: “We have a duty to provide for people who have been here doing okada business without undermining security...For those ones I believe we can partner and work out some doable alternatives. If they have interest in transportation we have set up a committee already, which is being chaired by the chairman of our economic team to work out various schemes, including procuring vehicles, so

that rather than ride on two wheels, we have four wheels."

For many observers, the ban on commercial motor bikes is long overdue. It did not matter that the Governor has, until now, managed to fend off the pressure on him to put it into effect. In particular, it is, in many quarters, an inevitability given that available facts proved that the sector has remained a major conduit for undermining security generally. That is in addition to being the harbinger of avoidable road carnage that has resulted in the irreparable damage to the limbs of many people and death to a lot more, responsible for over 80 per cent of accident recorded in the state. Yet, for many more people, the sector is the quick-fix medium for ritual bandits who have successfully scurried unsuspecting victims to their gruesomely hideous ends. So it did not altogether, come as a complete surprise.

While the wait for the ban in Edo lasted, a huge number of

Warped fallacies on Abia State

BY NATHAN UMEJIAKU

G

REAT historian, Michael Crichton once said: “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything.

You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree“. How many of us know history?

Even those who know had always tried to hypocritically re-write it for pecuniary reasons. But that cannot obliterate or erase it, no matter how long it takes. One of such persons who have been trying to re-write Abia history on the pages of newspapers and internet blogs is Odimegwu Onwumere, the acclaimed author/poet of Abia history who was part and parcel of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu’s government in the state for eight years, between 1999-2007.

It is also on record that the eight years administration of the government in the state was nothing to write home about, as the state was always in the news for the wrong reasons, despite Kalu’s penchant for publicity and propaganda. If the state government was not abusing or fighting the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo led-Federal Government, the government was busy fighting Abia politicians which Kalu tagged Abuja politicians. Nobody dared advise or challenge him on what to do or say publicly, because he believed he knew all and the buck stopped on his table as the executive governor of the state. While all these were happening, the wheel of governance was grounded in the state for eight years. Family political dynasty and personal business interests were promoted at the detriment of Abia people.

Onwumere never saw anything wrong in government’s action then because he needed to protect his source of livelihood.

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But since the power equation changed in the state and at the centre, providing a lee way for Gov Orji to liberate the state from the stranglehold of his predecessor and family, which he did before the 2011 general elections for the good of the people of the state, Onwumere and his benefactors have returned to the trenches with a mandate to bring Orji’s government, his family and achievements down at all cost. An agenda which has failed from inception, but they are desperately looking for what to hang on to remain relevant in the eye of Nigerians who know them more than they know themselves.

That is why Onwumere in his wild goose article titled, “Indeed Orji is Performing” published in ThisDay of Tuesday June 11, 2013, after engaging in undue circumlocution, fabricated lies that students of Umuocham Girls Secondary School, World Bank Aba were allegedly asked to pay N3,700 for no just cause. Onwumere later alleged that the imposed levy was for the teachers in the school to take care of themselves, because the state government had abandoned them for long. Who will believe this cock and bull story? Teachers are presently on strike in some states across the country over the non-payment of 27.5% “teachers peculiar allowance” by their state governments; Abia is not involved because the government has paid. Abia was the first state to pay the minimum wage of N21,000 to workers in the country. So why should teachers in Abia, if it was true, task students to pay money for their upkeep, whereas they are being paid salary regularly?

It might not be ruled out that some bad elements in the teaching profession might

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BY ERNEST OMOARELOJIE

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OKada: A ban long awaited

Banning the sector is a lot better for everyone as the other alternative is the reign of terror with the possibility of all becoming victims of the sector's many sinister realities

operators, sent packing from other states, including Delta and far away Nasarawa, found their way into the state. With most of them never tutored on the need to obey traffic regulations, their presence, almost literally, added fuel to the existing confusion, with records in hospitals across the state capital proving that they are responsible for the rise in deadly but avoidable carnages on roads across the state capital. Whether by happenstance or design, security statistics indicted motor bike operators as being mainly responsible for upping the ante in criminal activities in the state.

Certainly, no leader worth his name would ignore the possibility that allowing sector to continue portends grave dangers and watch the trend continue. Thus, it became incumbent that against his erstwhile position, the Comrade-Governor did not hesitate in his decision to issue the ban order, if only for the long term benefit it will have for both the operators, the state and its people generally.

For the operators in particular, the ban may have come as a rude shock. However, there is hardly any doubt that on the long run, they, like everyone else, will be happier for it. The reason is that banning the sector is a lot better for everyone as the other alternative is the reign of terror with the possibility of all becoming victims of the sector's many sinister realities at one point or the other. Therefore, rather than

Onwumere should advise his principal to borrow a leaf from his colleagues across the country, who have since moved on to allow their successors to govern their states without undue interference

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levy students illegally without government’s knowledge or approval, but why should government be held responsible, when they did not approve such levy? This was enough to expose the hypocrisy and cynicism in Onwumere and his paymasters.

On the allegation that pupils were allegedly asked to pay N8000 for Common Entrance Examination in the state, whereas there is free education in the state, did the free education programme of the state government exclude the payment of examination fees? Well, I am not sure, because I know that it has to do with tuition fees term after term and not examination fees.

Onwumere also claimed that beneficiaries of the government ‘s youth empowerment programme were graduates and allies of government, and queried why government would wish a graduate to drive Keke Napep. What is wrong with that in a Nigerian society where unemployment rate is very alarming today? We have graduates in the country today who are languishing in jail for engaging in armed robbery and other crimes. We have doctorate degree holders in Nigeria who are scrambling for driving jobs in Dangote.

So which is one is better? Being a proud owner and driver of a bus, car, or tricycle or engaging in crimes against humanity?

see it as a policy for further pauperizing the poor or raising the state's unemployment profile as some have argued, they should regard it as a tough but necessary policy decision meant to safeguard the collective interests of the state and its every resident. The Comrade-Governor put it very succinctly when he said: “I am convinced that we cannot continue to allow this situation to continue. While I am very concerned about the fact of the level of unemployment in the country, and in Edo State we have our own fair share of unemployment, I am convinced that the long term interest of job creation requires that you attract investors and investment to the state. It is a settled issue that investors will not be in a hurry to go to any state that the level of crime has risen beyond acceptable level."

Reports have shown how many unsuspecting passengers have ended as victims of armed robbery or worse still, of ritual bandits for taking advantage of a supposedly quick and easy ride home at late hours. Indeed, while many luckier passengers ended up with broken limbs (sometime irreparably) due to the recklessness of many riders, available records show that a lot more ended up dead for opting to take a quick ride over some seemingly difficult traffic gridlocks. *Mr. Omoarelojie, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Benin City, Edo State.

What did the government, in which Onwumere served for eight years between 1999 and 2007, put on ground as legacy projects? How many industries did the government established or revived in the state? How many youths did they empowered then? Why did the government bequeath a huge debt for the incoming government in 2007? What was the state of infrastructure and security in the state then and now? Will Onwumere and his paymaster deny that there is no new magnificent Workers Secretariat in Umuahia today and a renovated one also?

Or will they deny that there is no modern Government House and International Conference Centre nearing completion in the state now?

Also, will they deny that the state capital Umuahia which was more of a glorified village square before now has not assumed the status of a modern state capital with steady power, courtesy of Ohiya Power Station revival which the state government partnered the Federal government to actualize. It is a fact that the present government has constructed and is still constructing many roads in Aba and other parts of the state. Almost every sector of the economy is experiencing government intervention ranging from agriculture to health and the state is better for it.

The state has also experienced less political crisis. What Nigerians had expected Onwumere and his paymasters to do or be doing is to factually and sincerely tell the world what they did well, while in charge of government in the state for eight years that the present government has not done better, if there is any, apart from grandstanding and political gimmicks. *Dr. Umejiaku, a retired varsity lecturer, wrote from Owerri, Imo State.

56 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

We are building Gombe from scratch— Gov Dankwambo FORMER Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was elected governor of Gombe State in the April 2011 elections.

After swearing-in, he took stock of the state and declared that the top three items on his agenda for developing Gombe are Education, Education, and Education. Indeed, he has invested heavily in the state’s educational sector, evidenced by the construction and rehabilitation of many primary and secondary schools.

The tertiary sector is also feeling his impact as he is building a college of education and a school of basic and remedial studies. Of course, Gombe State University which he inherited is not left out. In this interview with select newsmen in his office in Gombe, Alhaji Dankwambo laments that it is an uphill task to get refunds when a state government, because of urgent needs, goes out of its way to do a federal road. Excerpts:

W

HAT has your experience been like in the past two years?

We are coming from a state that was nowhere in the last 16 years. We are a state among those that receive the least funds from the Federation Account, and without facilities that can generate revenue. What is different in some other states is that facilities were there at inception that can be used to generate revenue. Like Lagos for instance, I don’t need to build Victoria Island again; I don’t need to build Ikoyi again.

The houses are there because the government built them. So, anytime I wake up and impose all sorts of taxes, they don’t have choice, they have to pay and that is just it, tell them to pay and they pay.

I don’t have such leverage of facilities in this place.

Leverage of faculties I cannot charge even for water unlike in some other places where water is already provided, dams have been built, water has been piped and all they need to do is take control of revenue collections.

Here in Gombe, I don’t even have water. So, how can I charge water rate?

The most important thing is that we are optimally using the little resources we have to maximize benefit for our people.

It appears you have done much in the education sector and some other areas. What will you focus next?

There are still a lot of things

to be done in the education sector because, in some places in Gombe, students are still studying under trees; so, we still have a lot to do. We still have a very poor teacherstudent ratio and poor science and arts ratio in terms of personnel in the schools. We still have a lot of gaps because all the ongoing rehabilitation and new constructions will manifest in the future into additional costs of also running the institutions. In the next one or two years, the schools may be due for painting for example, so it is a continuous investment in education.

an agenda that will run for a long period of time and this agenda was endorsed by Gombe people and the agenda will be carried by anybody that comes to lead Gombe whether I or anybody else and we all agreed that, from time to time, we will sit down and review the agenda for development.

It is not only for education, it is the same thing for health, infrastructure, trade and tourism. It is virtually the same thing for all the sectors of the economy. Some of the projects you have seen are the quick and short term deliverables.

How much is your

We have a robust financial management system and I want to assure you that, as at today, there is no single certificate of valuation that is submitted to Gombe State that is not paid

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BY ADEKUNLE ADEKOYA, GENERAL EDITOR

But the most important investment, going forward, is in teacher-training and retraining; in books investment and supply. Also, we are looking forward to a situation where we will partner, be it PPP or some other forms of financing, for the steady supply of books to children in Gombe State. What is very different about Gombe is that in certain parts, we still have to attract the children to school and keep them. There are some places in Gombe where we have good schools but the children still decline but we still try to attract more.

Recently, we attracted some of them back to the schools, including girls.

When we came, we set up

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administration supporting the gas power plant in the works for the state?

I am not very familiar with the project because this is some of the problems that we have sometimes. If it is a project or programme of the Federal Government, I may not be in the best position to shed light on it. I know also that the Federal Government has deliberately made effort to develop our coal reserves through the same channel. I am not sure of the arrangement but I know it is in one of the plans that about 1000 megawatts of coal power is in the pipeline.

I am also aware that the Minister of State for Power came to inspect the dam water

*Dankwambo project and she has made some comments especially on the way the concessionaire handled the project and they are determined to complete the project, which will fetch us about 40 megawatts of power within six months. If we can get 40 megawatts of power in Gombe, I will assure you that Gombe will not need PHCN and we can come out and guarantee power supply.

I also know that there are initiatives with the Germans too on a solar farm and the pattern of financing is still being worked out. But this huge gas reserves within the borders of Gombe and Bauchi is there and I am sure that they are making plans and as soon as they finish, maybe we will know because they will require at least our support and contribution. We are ready to support them to ensure that we don’t have blackout in Nigeria.

What is your administration doing to address the problem of water supply in Gombe State?

Fortunately or unfortunately for us, there are some places where you cannot get borehole water. You will dig as deep as 500 meters in some places in Gombe and not get water. So, the only solution is to get a dam or treated water which is piped. Fortunately, we have a dam in Gombe but it is about 45 to 50 kilometres, so we are drawing the water little by little and it is a huge

investment. The first one we did; when the water came into Gombe, we had to distribute in and around Gombe and that cost us about N4.2 billion.

The next thing was to extend it to certain areas. In these areas, if you drive, it is like you are getting to almost the border of Gombe and in Gombe there is no ground water at all. So, we have succeeded in extending up to 78 kilometres of pipeline towards that side and that cost additional N1.8 billion.

Cost of treatment The Gombe reticulation is almost 90 to 95 per cent completed. Also when you take dam water, you are also adding to the cost of treatment and cost of maintenance.

When I came, we ran the dam at about N90 million a month.

As at today, the cost of maintenance is about N242 million.

As the Accountant-General of the Federation, sitting over billions of Naira could you tell us what was the attraction for the governorship of Gombe?

(Laughs)I was not the president; it was the president that was sitting over billions.

I was only helping him to manage the funds as a custodian. So, I wouldn’t know how to spend it because

Continues on page 57

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 57

Amaechi has done more than we asked for— Sen Ake SENATOR Wilson Asinobi Ake represents Rivers West Senatorial district in the Senate under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. He is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour. In this interview, he addresses recent issues concerning the crisis in his party in Rivers State. Excerpts:

BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

W

HAT is your assessment of the current administration in Rivers State?

For me, I still believe that the greatest asset of any nation or any group of people is the human asset and anyone trying to harness that asset, that human resources by giving them opportunity to excel will definitely help to make the society excel.

The government in my place has taken the issue of education very, very seriously.

The quality of primary education which I also believe is the foundation of any society, if you don’t have a good early education, you keep struggling in the later days of life but he has provided very good foundation for our children and also, he has provided for all those not within that range, educational opportunities outside the shores of this

For us as true Rivers people, we believe that he has taken a very good measure to lay a very good foundation for the state

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country by giving massive scholarship to our children to study overseas. So, with what he is doing, you can begin to have a mental estimate of how Rivers State will become like in the next ten years.

By the time these children in primary schools will grow through the learning environment they are passing through to the quality of secondary school he is also building and then, giving them opportunity for higher institutions, then you can be able to measure or have mental idea of what our workforce in Rivers State look like and how the input and the output is going to be.

I believe Amaechi has given Rivers people more than they had asked for from him.

But given the performance you mentioned, why is the governor still being tackled at home?

Well, there is no way you will work to the satisfaction of everybody; it depends on how you perceive development. It takes an open mind to understand when there is development.

Do they have the law, local government law before them?

So if they have the local government law, which I know all the states have, to govern activities of local governments in the states, if they have followed the processes legitimately, why should we question their action?

You know, when there was problem when Late President Yar ’Adua was ill and we had to adopt the doctrine of necessity to settle the issue.

It did not mean that we couldn’t have done otherwise but for the sake of the country, for the sake of the nation, we had to adopt something that would save the situation.

There was a man I met who told me that Amaechi has worked but he hasn’t benefited directly from him.

That is how he views development.

So it depends on the way some people perceive development and because of high level of ignorance.

We suffer when we don’t know what somebody is doing in our society for the growth of tomorrow, so no matter what you do, it is not everybody that will be very happy, it is not everybody that will be very pleased with everything you are doing, they must find a way of discrediting you.

For us as true Rivers people, we believe that he has taken a very good measure to lay a very good foundation for the state.

Are you not worried over the controversy trailing your state branch of the PDP? Definitely, every true Rivers State person and every true

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member of the party will be saddened by what is really going on in my state.

We believe that it is like in every other human organization where there is up and down and that at the end of the day, reason will prevail and peace will reign and we will come back and

Interest of people

*Ake forge ahead with one political family.

Do you believe that constitutional procedure was followed in the sacking of Obio Akpor Local government council?

I am a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and those that carried out that action are legislators in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Usually, when decisions are taken in parliament, there

must always be some dissenting voice.

If somebody feels strongly that they have done something illegitimate, in not following due process, has it been examined by law?

Because we have laws that we have to resort to and I am sure some people have gone to court, so it is now within the court to say whether they had followed due process or they had not followed due process.

So, whatever is the interest of people, let them tread carefully that these are elected persons of the state, they have a duty to the state and that the decision was passed by the majority of the members in the State House of Assembly.

That is very important. We must give them that, because it not when a decision does not favour you that you think that decision is wrong and that it is only right when it favours you.

I think that legislators have some levels of responsibility and immunity and if they have done their job and you are not happy about it, I think the most appropriate thing you should do is to go to the law court to air your views.

We are building Gombe from the ground — Gov Dankwambo Continues from page 56

I did not have that kind of responsibility.

On debt, when we came, we attempted to know and reconcile the exact liabilities and I want to tell you that this kind of reconciliation is continuous because the financial management was not as robust as it is now and we do not want to take it as a task to say ‘let us reconcile first, know the exact date and move forward.’

What we have attempted to do is to continue to reconcile as we progress and I am sure as soon as we finish establishing the number because I will soon inaugurate a

committee to reconcile pension liabilities. Recently, committees were set up for states and local governments on pension liabilities.

In Gombe alone, pension liabilities are up to N2 billion plus and the local government is almost the same. So, if I say it is this and it is later reconciled and you find out it is lower, it will not be nice. But I assure you that it is not a problem because we have restructured our debt and we are within a very comfortable limit of debt revenue ratio. So we are very comfortable with that.

How are you financing the projects given Gombe State’s meagre resources ?

We have a very pragmatic financial management system and we tie our projects to cash flows.

We are not that indebted. We inherited a lot of debt and what we did was to restructure the debt, so that we can create space for development.

We have a robust financial management system and I want to assure you that, as at today, there is no single certificate of valuation that is submitted to Gombe State that is not paid. I am not saying that we have all the funds to pay but we do little financial management to ensure that our obligations are paid as at when due.

58 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 59

60 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 61

Vanguard CLASSIFIED IHEBEREME—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ihebereme Akunna Vivian, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nwosu Akunna Vivian. All former documents remain valid. Imo State University and general public please take note.

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Obafemi Awolowo University IleIfe, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and general public please take note.

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OLETU-EBULE —I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oreva-Oghene Eloho Oletu-Ebule, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oreva-Oghene Eloho Odega. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

O N W U K A — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Ifelunwa Onwuka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ifelunwa Awodu. All former documents remain valid. Fin Bank Plc and general public please take note.

O R D I A H – I , formerly known and addressed as Ordiah Cynthia Nneka, now wish to be known and addressed as Ordiah C h r i s t a b e l Chukwufunanya. All former documents remain valid. DELSU, Asaba Campus and general public please take note.

EBOH—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Blessing Akunna Eboh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Blessing Akunna Okolie. All former documents remain valid; General public please take note.

NWATU—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nwatu Chinazom Cynthia Uzo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agujiobi Chinazom Cynthia. All former documents remain valid; General public please take note.

ADEREMI—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adebusola Adedara Aderemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adebusola Adedara Faturoti. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OKOEBOR—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoebor Josephine Obehi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Josephine Omonua. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

A G B E YA N G I — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Agbeyangi Iranlowo Jubilee, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okoro Iranlowo Jubilee. All former documents remain valid. LASU, UNILAG, Lagos State Government and general public please take note.

ETHAN—I, formerly known and addressed as Pastor Salmon Uzoezi Ethan, now wish to be known and addressed as Pastor Solomon Uzoezi Eto. All former documents remain valid.

Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Corporate Affairs Commission, Lead City University Ibadan, Benson ldahosa University Benin, Nigeria Immigration Service and general public please take note.

EKPO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Nsa Okon Ekpo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nsa Offiong Effiwatt. All former documents remain valid. University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and general public please take note.

OKIKE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Uju Linda Okike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Uju Collins Otuwho. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public please take note.

OSAKUE—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Edna Osakue, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Edna Omosioni Adhekilefu. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ONOSIGHO—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Uruemu Rita Onosigho, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Uruemu Rita Ewa. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I L O D I A N YA — I , formerly known and addressed as Miss Ilodianya Chinyelu Nkem, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogue Chinyelu Nkem. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

JOHN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Victoria John and V i c t o r i a Omoewomavigho I. Akpoyibo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Victoria O. Goodluck Dickson Tujeworo. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public please take note.

MORKA—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ngozi Morka Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Onyike. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

USEN—I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Uwemedimoh Rhoda David Usen, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Uwemedimoh Rhoda Bozimo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Emenike Continued from BP their crucial World Cup qualifier against Malawi in September.

Emenike has only just come back from injury following six weeks out with a knee problem. Now he is hoping he can pick up where he left off for club and country.

“I suffered that terrible injury while my confi dence was high and luckily I have returned to training after six weeks out,” he told BBC Sport.

“I am not at 100 per cent yet, I still need match rhythm with my club and get back to rewarding them for the support, and honour our loyal fans and everyone who

stood by me.

“After five very difficult months, I also hope to play for my country again in September.”

With the African Champions struggling at the ongoing Fifa Confederations Cup, his absence has further denied them a key threat up front.

“At the moment we have capable strikers in the squad and it is very important this team and fans come together because these players represent our country.”

Back in March the African Cup of Nations top scorer had criticised the country’s coach Stephen Keshi and officials for ignoring

Okagbare Continued from BP sia, with the Olympic Games barely three years away, Blessing is still on track as a medal potential. She has run a wind assisted 10.75 in Oregon this year and jumped 7.14 m in the Long Jump in Doha, Qatar. That would have been an African record if it was not also wind-aided. ‘’Someday, I’ll put a smile on the face of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the governor of Delta State. That is my prayer and I’m working towards it,” Blessing said yesterday, just after reigning as queen of the tracks for the third consecutive year.

She ran 11.25 to win the Cross River/AFN World Championship trials in Calabar last week. Her

outing was part of her World Championship preparation which she said she started last November, few months after the London Olympics. ‘’When I qualified for the 100m final in London, everybody banked on me to win a medal. It didn’t happen and many people saw me as a failure.

But the Governor of Delta State did not see me as one. He called me to encourage me and told me that I was one of the best in the world. He has been very fatherly to me.

He is a great mentor and motivator and I want to repeat here that my prayer is to put a smile on his face some day with a medal.”

Blessing wished that the Federal Government could do more for sports in the country.

him after he suffered an injury at the Nations Cup. But after speaking at length with both the coach and president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, the Spartak Moscow striker insists he has put the past behind.

“I felt a bit bad back then, but all that is behind me now because everyone must have learned greatly from that situation,” Emenike said on Saturday.

“I was not happy and when I am not happy, I do not have the power to hide my deep disappointments and feelings.

“When I finally spoke with the coach [twice], and the NFF president, everything was discussed and sorted.

It was a great step forward.” ‘’We have the potential to do well but we need more in terms of planning and support from the Federal Government. Without people like Governor Uduaghan, the AFN President, Chief Ogba and Amaju Pinnick, it is possible that one would have dropped out of track and field. When I dedicate anything I win to Dr. Uduaghan I know why I do so.

Here’s a governor who takes interest in your training, nutrition, coaching and general welfare.

And it is not only me. He does that to some athletes too. He is the pillar of our sports in Nigeria now. He has given me training grants and has been good to sports generally and I wish others could emulate him for Nigeria to become world beaters.”

Head of sports in Delta, Pinnick said that they would continue to support athletes.

THE INSPECTORS . . . The Director General of National Sports Commission (NSC) Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye (3rd right), NSC Director FEAD Dr. Bolaji Ojo -Oba (2ndleft), Yann Craven CGA regional Coordinator Africa (3rd left), Sani Ndanusa NOC President (left) during the site inspection of the 2014 CommonwealthGames village in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday (June 19th, 2013).

62 — Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

N

Believe me, I don Port o! . . . .

,

O matter the result of yesterday’s match against Spain, or what will become of the Flying Eagles desperate fight to get back into contention against Cuba in Turkey today, I have made up my mind to “Port” join and support another sport.

I know it will be difficult deciding which sport I want to pitch my tent, but I just must make an effort if I do not want to drop dead, killed by football, maimed by a group of boys who go about their business lackadaisically, not minding what happens to my mental and psychological state.

It was in this column that I reported how my blood pressure shot up in Kenya as I watched the Eagles fluffing scoring chances that were to help draw us nearer Brazil.

Those who went to Namibia have worse stories to tell. Before our match, Kenya had done us the favour of holding Malawi, so all we had to do was to beat Namibia and qualify with a match to spare.

‘Match to spare’ meant that we could have used that last match to field our domestic players who incidentally have a tough CHAN assignment against Cote Divoire. Qualifying with a match to spare would have meant not “ wasting” precious funds inviting twenty players from abroad and all attendant expenses and anxiety to win the last match.

Qualifying with a match to spare would have afforded us the opportunity of trying out players in the striking position, a department that has been so glaringly hollow in the current Eagles set up... in Namibia we suddenly fell behind and had to struggle to level and leave qualification to the last match!

How could they win when all their thoughts were focused on their planned war with the NFF over bonuses?

That is the headache, the stress, the trauma that

...having

to stay awake till eleven PM to catch the Confederations Cup encounter with Uruguay was such a huge sacrifice that no doctor will recommend to his patient especially those of us above 50

,

we go through supporting our football. How can I forget having to wake up by 2am to watch the Eagles play a friendly against Mexico? Even having to stay awake till eleven PM to catch the Confederations Cup encounter with Uruguay was such a huge sacrifice that no doctor will recommend to his patient especially those of us above 50.

Yet, when you dare to express YOUR opinion, say it the way you feel, you get insulted by those who want you to adopt their own view point, not respecting or minding your informed and authoritative position. Being uncouth and

disrespectful, using foul and abusive language does not and will never be a substitute for a superior line of argument.

Take the match against Uruguay as an example.

While some believe we played well and should have at least benefitted a draw, there are those who say we did not do well, that we were stereotyped and not lethal in front of goal. Also embrace those who say no matter how well or how badly you play, if you do not score, do not win, then you cannot lay claim to any credit.

Last Friday was a bit better because very few Nigerians were expecting anything from a coach who wasted a whole tournament experimenting with new players when he should have used the same tournament to fortify his team.

Predictably, by the end of the first half, the Flying Eagles were two goals down. Those who put off their sets and went to sleep were surprised to hear the next day that the match ended 3-2. Those of us who were condemned to watch till the end were falsely made to believe there was hope with an unbelievable equalizer….then Kaput. Back to status quo.

Enough

I have decided to Port, look for another sport to support and follow, but which? Last week end, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria held its yearly trials in Calabar yet its activities were swallowed by the football crazy press. Maybe that is where I should go, face reality and promote substance. As I am writing this column, newspapers stare me in the face all of them screaming HOPE….How Spain is beatable, how Flying Eagles will BOUNCE back, luring me to another bout of psychological trauma.

At the end of the day, if we flounder and fail,(God forbid) they will scream GALLANT EAGLES. No I must Port. I should Port See you next week.

Wimbledon: Murray, Federer, Nadal drawn in same half •British No 1 faces potential semi-final against Federer or Nadal

A

•Serena

•Sharapova

Sharapova hits out at Williams

M

ARIA Sharapova has launched a stinging attack on rival Serena Williams ahead of Wimbledon.

Defending champion Williams was forced into an apology after controversial comments made in Rolling Stone magazine about a rape case in Ohio.

The American also appeared to criticise Sharapova in the article, while the Russian also spoke about a reported relationship be-

tween Williams and her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

“I was sad to hear what she had to say about the whole case,” Sharapova said.

“I just think she should be talking about her accomplishments, her achievements, rather than everything else that’s just getting attention and controversy.

“If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her

relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids.

“She has so much in her life, many positives, and I think that’s what it should be about.”

Sharapova insists she prefers to keep private matters to herself and only discusses her career with the media.

“I obviously have many opinions about different things in life,” she added."

NDY Murray was not complaining about his Wimbledon draw on Friday and there were others left worse off — he could, after all, have been Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

Nadal being seeded five was likely to have the effect of dropping a paving slab into a pond, and he duly disturbed the water by being scheduled to meet the defending champion in a titanic quarter-final.

Given that he has lost three times out of three at Wimbledon to the resurgent French Open champion, Murray might have preferred to be in the opposite side of the draw. That much did not work out, but he will not face Nadal until the semis, if at all.

Murray did not want to look beyond the opening round after hearing his first obstacle is a German called Becker; but

this is world No 95 Benjamin, whom he beat last week at Queen’s Club.

‘We had a decent match then,’ said Murray. ‘He played well in the second set, he serves well and is a good grasscourt player, but I will be ready for it.’

He described Nadal v Federer as ‘a long way

•Murray

away, let’s worry about it if they get there’.

Murray could meet Davis Cup colleague James Ward in the second round and it is a commentary on the British game that it would be the first time he has played a compatriot at main tour level since Tim Henman retired.

•Nadal

Vanguard, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013 — 63

Pellegrini eyes Suarez

M

ANCHESTER CITY could launch a surprise £35million bid for Liverpool’s want-away striker Luis Suarez Not prepared to meet the £53m escape clause for Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, new Etihad boss Manuel Pellegrini is looking to switch his attention to his Uruguayan teammate.

And Liverpool, now reluctantly resigned to losing the former Ajax star, would welcome a bidding war as they look for a big profit on their £23m outlay for the strik-

er.

Suarez is keen to join Real Madrid, who have made noises about signing the 26-year-old over the past month.

The player has used his time in the Confederations Cup in Brazil to press home the view that he is being driven out of England through media criticism.

But Liverpool, who have supported him through a number of controversies, feel let down and an auction would give them the final decision on where Suarez goes.

•Neymar

Barca must be beaming about Neymar — Scolari L

UIZ Felipe Scolari has told Barcelona fans that they should be excited about the prospect of Neymar representing their club next term. ”Neymar is an idol for all Brazilians,” the 64year-old trainer told a press conference. ”To Neymar, and to everyone - even to Barcelona, who bought him and are now probably watching him, they’re probably beaming. ”It’s good, because he get to collect certain experiences of certain things that people were expecting from him, and wrongly so, because he has been playing very well, even when he wasn’t scoring. Today he scored.”

Neymar’s goal against the Azzurri was his 23rd goal in 37 caps and Scolari was quick to underline the quality he has shown for his country, with the free kick he scored on Saturday but one example. ”He had lots of moments of quality, but what decided the game was the free kick,” the former Chelsea boss continued. ”He noticed [Gianluigi] Buffon had taken a

step to the side and put the ball on the other side. Only players who have that kind of notion, that we can call genius, are the ones who make the difference. And he makes the difference.

”Maybe you weren’t seeing it before, but the other players were. He’s a team player, and as a team player he is phenomenal. ”I hope to see the whole team improving.

Neymar has been play-

ing well and he’s adding virtues to the team that we always knew he had, but that he could develop further. ”But the team needs to grow as a whole, and in doing so Neymar will grow with us.”

•Suarez

Adam’s stinging attack on Arsenal choice by the owner.

ONY ADAMS has to be honest. “ T h e y a r e s t i l l n o t And he is 73.

T launched a scath“If they just wanted ing attack on Arsenal good enough in cer— and offered to join the board to help find Arsene Wenger ’s replacement.

The Gunners legend fears the club are “miles away ” from winning the title.

He also insists they are ill-prepared to rep l a c e b o s s We n g e r should he decide to leave at the end of next season.

Adams blasted: “It’s time that Arsenal won something again, even the FA Cup or League Cup. But I can’t see it,

Obuh

•Wenger

Continued from BP paign here.

“It was a keenly contested game but unfortunately we lost, this was not what we had hoped for,” Obuh said.

“We have to take the defeat in good faith so as to face the next game because we have to qualify to the next round.”

tain areas of the team.

And they are miles off the title.”

Adams, 46, revealed he offered to join the Arsenal board but never received a response.

And he was stunned when the club named 73-year-old Chips Keswick as chairman last week, saying the appointment lacked imagination.

The former Gunners captain added: “Chips is a great guy but not a very imaginative

a figurehead, they should have gone for me. It would have been a better visionary decision than Chips.”

Wenger, who has not won a trophy in eight years, is being tipped for the Paris Saint-Germain hotseat when his contract expires next summer.

Adams added: “They should be lining up t h e n e w m a n a g e r.

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis is in a tricky situation and could do with some help.”

YSFON Congratulates Ajagun

Y

OUTH Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) has hailed the performance of Flying Eagles Captain, Abduljaleel Ajagun at the on- going FIFA U-20 world Youth championship holding in Turkey.

In a statement by the Federation, signed by its National President. Dr.

Nasiru Gawuna, the Federation noted that although Ajagun’s brace in the match between Nigeria and Portugal could not save the Flying Eagles from going down 2-3, but his performance has shown that he has character and will perform well at the championship.

VANGUARD, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Flying Eagles will qualify OACH John Obuh — Obuh Chas assured that the

•Obuh IT'S A GOAL: Spain's defender Jordi Alba (L ) celebrates after scoring against Nigeria during their FIFA Confederations Cup match, at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza last night. Spain won 3-0. PHOTO : AFP.

Flying Eagles were going to qualify for the next round of the FIFA U-20 World Cup holding in Turkey.

The Flying Eagles confront Cuba today in their second Group B match, needing a win to keep their hopes of progressing to the first knockout stage alive. They lost their first match 2-3 to Portugal and know that another defeat or a draw would end their cam Continues on Page 63

I’ll make you smile, Okagbare tells Uduaghan

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE

B

Wasteful Eagles crash out!

S

PAIN yesterday sent the Super Eagles out of the FIFA Confederations Cup with 3-0 spanking in Fortaleza. It was the second defeat suffered by the African

champions, who ended the competition with three points.

The first goal, which came in the third minute, was a vintage Spanish goal, created in the mid-

field, with some typical one-touch stuff, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta involved, before the ball was laid off to Jordi Alba on the left.

Spain doubled their lead

PUZZLE

Tahiti 0 Uruguay 8

F

IT-AGAIN Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike is targeting a return to the Super Eagles’ side in

Continues on Page 61

QUICK CROSSWORD

Sudoku TODAY'S

through Fernando Torres.

It was really great header from the Chelsea forward.

Alba made it 3-0 for Spain in what appeared an easy match for Spain.

Emenike's back

LESSING Okag bare has remained among the top ten athletes in the world for more than two years now.

After winning a Long Jump bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, she focused more in the 100m at the London Olympics, a development which technocrats faulted and blamed it on her managers on the grounds that she had greater potential to do better in the Long Jump if she was better guided.

And with the World Championships taking place this August in Rus Continues on Page 61

YESTER DAY'S YESTERDAY'S

ANSWERS

ACROSS 3 Lampoon (5) 9 Horn (6) 10 Courage (6) 11 Bet (5) 12 Pip (4) 15 Cheat (4) 17 Beat (7) 20 Frenzied (3) 21 Upright (5) 23 Fight (4) 25 Slender (4) 26 Entice (5) 28 Consumed (3) 30 Lachrymose (7) 33 Impression (4) 35 Animal (4) 36 Holy (5) 38 Kowtow (6) 39 Child’s toy (6) 40 Passage (5)

DOWN 1 Card game (5) 2 Cowboy show (5) 3 Stitch (3) 4 Skip (6) 5 Kiln (4) 6 Distant (3) 7 Deputy (5) 8 avarice (5) 13 Learned (7) 14 Quilt (5) 16 Hurting (7) 18 Break out (5) 19 Deed (3) 22 Heat unit (5) 24 Allow (3) 27 Lease (6) 28 Proverb (5) 29 Relish (5) 31 Loud (5) 32 Prise (5) 34 Occupy (4) 36 Vegetable (3) 37 Speak (3)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS

ACROSS: 1, Unmask 5, Bridge 9, Canoe 10, Kidnap 11, Animus 12, Roast 14, Nous 17, Kit 18, Mail 20, Dummy 22, Bonny 23, Earshot 24, Cream 26, Wiped 29, Hear 30, Tip 32, Fate 33, Super 35, Retain 36, Riddle 37, Gelid 38, Beyond 39, Legend.

How to Play Sudoku

THE VIGILANTE

DOWN: 1, Unkind 2, Medium 3, Scar 4, Kapok 5, Boast 6, Rent 7, Demean 8, Easily 13, Airship 15, Outre 16, Smear 18, Motif 19, Inset 21, Yam 22, Bow 24, Cherub 25, Earthy 27, Paddle 28, Defend 30, Tuned 31, Peril 33, Sign 34, Ride

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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